Gospel Reflection

 

January 04, 2013

First Friday – Year of Faith

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious

by Rev. Fr. Joseph “Joey” Faller (Spiritual Director of the Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center, Lucban Quezon Province)

12:15PM Lunch Mass at Megamall, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord

                         

Reading 1 1 Jn 3:7-10

Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. Whoever sins belongs to the Devil, because the Devil has sinned from the beginning. Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil. No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by God. In this way, the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain; no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 7-8, 9

R. (3cd)  All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD comes;
he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Gospel Jn 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said,“You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.

HOMILY

Happy, happy New Year to all of you. (The people greet Father Joey a 'Happy New Year'). Parang hindi kayo happy. (laughs)

So natapos na po ang year 2012, we are now in the year 2013, at ano nga pong year ngayon? Year of the....? (people reply 'water snake') Diyan kayo magaling sa kahayupan. (laughs) Ngayon po ay Year of Faith. (laughs) Year of Faith sa kalendaryo ng simbahan. Ang alam ninyo ay puro sa hayop. (laughs)

So Year of Faith po ngayon, Year of the Lord, kaya lahat ng taon, ay taon ng Panginoon. Amen? (people firmly say 'Amen')

Pero papatulan ko kayo doon sa water snake. So ano ho ba ang simbolismo ng snake? When you talk about snake, well, in the positive sense, ang sabi po kahit po sa medicine, ang simbolismo ng healing ay snake. Di po ba 'yong medicine, nakalagay doon snake pa rin? Secondly, the snake symbolizes good luck. Pag tayo po ay nakasalubong o nakapanaginip ng ahas, ano'ng ibig sabihin? Pera....swerte.....Pag nakagat ka ng ahas.....patay ! (laughs) 'Yon malas po 'yon.

Pero hindi lamang po 'yan at ang sabi nila, the snake symbolizes prosperity. Kaya naniniwala po ako 100% that this year will be a better year. Amen? (people say 'Amen') Dapat may kasamang palakpak 'yon para talagang naniniwala kayo. (loud clapping from the people)

When you are so down, the tendency is no more to go down, but to go up. Bagsak na bagsak na tayo, eh di wala na tayong pupuntahan kundi tumaas. Kaya I know that this will be a better year if we are with the Lord. 

So sa atin pong pagninilay ngayon, in our Holy Gospel, we talk about John again. John the beloved Disciple. John was standing again. When you talk about 'stand' in the Bible....when you are sitting down, ano po ang inyong ginagawa? What is the activity that you can do when you're sitting down? You can listen, you can write, you can read. When you are in a kneeling position, what do you do? You pray. So when you stand, what do you do? It is an act of readiness. Pwede kang tumakbo, pwede kang sumayaw ng Gangnam style (laughs). Pwede kang ah.....(looking at an elderly lady) gusto yatang mag-Gangnam ni Nanay, magaling po siya ano. Sample. (laughs) So when you talk about standing, it means to say you are ready. So John was ready, and his eyes were focused on the Lord. 

Noong Pasko po, saan po naka-focus ang ating mga mata? Aminin. Sa regalo. (laughs) Sa pagkain. Sa pamasko. Huwag na po ninyo akong regaluhan dahil mas maganda pong regalo ay panalangin. Pero kung gusto n'yo po akong regaluhan eh di...ang size po ng aking ah....(laughs) rubber shoes ay 11 1/2. 'Yong high-cut na Nike. (laughs) Pagka leather shoes po ay 11. Pag La Coste po ay size 7, ano po? (more laughs) Huwag na po n'yong alalahanin 'yon. Nagbibiro lang po ako.

Pero alam po ninyo, our eyes were focused on the material things last Christmas. Kaya parang itinatanong sa atin ng Panginoon ngayon in our Gospel - saan na po naka-focus ang inyong mga mata?

Well, noong Pasko hanggang noong nakaraan, maaring sa mga pelikula. "One More Try", ha? Ito nga po 'yong dialogue na ang sabi (Father says dramatically), "Ang pera natin, hindi basta basta mauubos, pero 'yong pasensiya ko, konting konti na lang." (laughs) Baligtad po sa amin 'yan. "Ang pasensiya ko, hindi basta basta mauubos, pero ang pera ko, ubos na ubos na. (more laughs) dahil sa pa-Pasko."

Pero ito po ang ating mababanggit. The Disciples were listening to the Lord. And I guess, hindi lamang po mga mata ang dapat naka-focus sa Panginoon. Our ears must also be attentive to the Word of God. Nito po bang holiday season, were our ears attentive to the voice of God, to the Word of God? The Disciples were listening to the Lord. Saan po tayo nakikinig? Sana po pakinggan natin ang Panginoon, in the Word of God that we read, in the Homily of the priest that is being delivered during our holy mass. Saan po tayo nakikinig? Listen to the dictates of the voice of God in your heart. Listen to your conscience, telling you what to do.

And then, sabi ng mga Disciples, "Lord, where do you live?" Before they asked, the Lord questioned them, "What are you looking for?" This question is now addressed to you. What are you looking for? Boyfriend po. Asawa po. Trabaho po. Kaligayahan po. What are you looking for in life? This question is now addressed to you, right at this very moment, and you can answer it with the Lord. Ano nga ba'ng hinahanap ko sa buhay? What are you looking for in your life?

(Father Joey asks an elderly man) "Tay, ano po ang hinahanap n'yo?" The man replies, "the healing of my son". Father Joey asks, 'Your son? The healing of your son." Ok, napakaganda po ng kanyang hinahanap at hinihingi sa Panginoon. In this mass today, we ask the Lord, what we need to possess or what we need to have. At napakaganda pong maitanong natin sa ating sarili, ano nga ba ang hinahanap ko sa buhay? Ultimately, what are you looking for? Peace, joy, happiness, unity, harmony, healing? Marami po tayo.

And then, ang sabi ng mga Disciples, "Lord, where do you live?" This is not a question of residence. This is a question of identity. Who are you Lord? Sino ka nga ba talaga? Di ho ba pag pumunta ka sa isang bahay, what is the absolute indication of the cleanliness of the house? Pag pumunta ka sa isang bahay at nakita mong madumi ang kanilang CR, ang kanilang toilet, this is the mirror na madumi rin ang buong kabahayan.

So, what the Disciples is asking the Lord, was not a question of "Saan po kayo nakatira? Sa Ayala Alabang? Saan po kayo nakatira - sa Greenhills? Sa Dasma? Saan po kayo nakatira?" The question is, "Who are you, Lord?" So in this New Year, we ask the Lord to manifest more of His presence. This must be our New Year's resolution - to know the Lord better, to love the Lord better and to serve the Lord better. The Lord said, "Come, and you will see." The Lord is inviting you once again, "Come and see Me in the Church. Come and see Me in the streetchildren. Come and see Me even in the darkest moment of your life. Come and see Me in the Eucharist. Come and see Me in the prayers. Come and see Me in the face of your loved ones."

"It was four o'clock in the afternoon." Looking around you, marami po sa atin ang edad ay mga parang nagbubukang-liwayway pa lang. 'Yong iba sa inyo'y katanghalian na nang tapat. Ang ilan po sa inyo'y malapit nang lubugan ng araw. At ang ilang po sa inyo'y ilang beses nang nilubugan ng araw. (laughs) Pero ang puso naman nati'y nagbubukang-liwayway. Bow....parang isang tula.

But the Lord is asking again this question - ano'ng oras na sa buhay n'yo? What time is it in your life? This must be a time to change. A time to renew our life. A time to count the blessings of the Lord. A time to embrace the Lord. A time to transform our life. A time to be with God. To be a real Disciple of the Lord is to search for Him in faith, to look for Him, to abide in Him, to abide in His presence. Because the Lord says, "He who remains in Me, and who remains in My Word, whatever you ask from My Father will be given unto you."

Ano'ng oras na sa buhay mo? Oras na po para tanggapin natin ang mga biyaya ng Panginoon. A time to change our lives. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.