Gospel Reflection

February 11, 2013

Monday – Year of Faith – Weekday

by Rev. Fr. Ramon Jade Licuanan (Head, Youth Ministry, San Carlos Seminary) 6:30AM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

                         

Reading 1 Gn 1:1-19

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Thus evening came, and morning followed–the first day.

Then God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.” And so it happened:
God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it. God called the dome “the sky.” Evening came, and morning followed–the second day.

Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear.” And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. God called the dry land “the earth,” and the basin of the water he called “the sea.” God saw how good it was. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.” And so it happened: the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning followed–the third day.

Then God said: “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.” And so it happened: God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning followed–the fourth day.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 104:1-2a, 5-6, 10 and 12, 24 and 35c

R. (31b) May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
R. May the Lord be glad in his works.

Gospel Mk 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

HOMILY

"Ang lahat ng nakahipo nito ay gumaling." 100% cure. 0% failure. Lahat ng nakahipo ng laylayan ng kasuotan ni Hesus o palawit ng Kanyang kasuotan ay gumaling. 

Alam n'yo po mga kapatid, kung titignan po natin, napakaganda po ng kasaysayan ng Our Lady of Lourdes. Alam naman po natin, si Bernadette, noong latter part ng 1800's, nangyari ang tagpo kung saan ang Mahal na Ina ay nagpakita kay Bernadette, pagkatapos na maiwan siya ng kanyang mga kaibigan doon sa may tabi ng ilog Gave, na kung saan ay meron ding malapit na kuweba na ang tawag ay Massabielle. At habang siya ay naiwan sa kabundukan o kabukiran na iyon ay bigla na lamang nagpakita ang isang babaeng puting-puti ang kasuotan, na mayroong kulay asul na sinturon. 

At naglaon, nagsalita ang babaeng iyon. Naalala n'yo ba kung ano ang sinabi ng babaeng nagpakita kay Bernadette? Una, nagpakilala siya at ano ang sabi? "Ako ang Immaculada Concepcion". "I am the Immaculate Conception." In French?....Saka na lang po, ano? Assignment n'yo 'yon. Di ko po alam eh. (laughs)

Mayroon pa pong sinabi ang babae. Ano po ang sinabi niyang pangalawa? Naaalala ninyo? Sa lugar na iyon na pinagpakitaan ng Mahal na Immaculada Concepcion ay magtatayo ng simbahan o kapilya. 

Kung titignan po natin, I think more than the revelation of the name of the Blessed Mother as Immaculate Conception, are the very important words of our Lady, and that is to build a church at that place where she appeared. Makikita po natin sa puntong ito ang kahalagahan o ang papel ni Maria sa atin. 

Ang tunay na deboto ni Maria ay malapit sa Eukaristiya. There is no such an authentic devotee of the Blessed Mother who has no love for the Eucharist. It's always that way. Ang tunay na nagmamahal, namimintuho sa Ina, sa kung anumang titulo ang ibinigay natin sa kanya....ang lahat ng pagpapakita, pagpapahayag at pangungusap ng Mahal na Ina...lagi itong naglalapit ng mga taong nakakakita sa kanya o nakakarinig sa kanya, sa Kanyang anak na nasa Eukaristiya. That's the mark of a true Marian devotee. 

No wonder itong kapilyang ito ng Shrine ay nailagay po dito noong 1986 po ba? Sorry po, hindi ko pa po kasi alam 'yon eh 'no. Bata pa po kasi ako noon eh. (laughs) But imagine a celebration of Mary during those days. Later on, this Church was built. It's always that way. Ang tunay na nagmamahal kay Maria ay malapit sa Eukaristiya. Ang ibig sabihin po ay ang tunay na nagdarasal ng rosaryo ay nalalapit sa misa. Hindi isinasabay ang rosaryo sa misa. Hindi po ganoon. Pwedeng bago po magmisa ay mag-rosaryo, but we do not pray the rosary while celebrating the Eucharist. 

It is really ironic. Minsan may mga nakikita tayong may mga rosary sa pocket, sa wallet ay may picture ng Our Lady of Peace or the Perpetual Help, tapos hanggang doon lang ang kanyang faith. Hanggang wallet lang, hanggang rosary lang. Dapat ang may-ari noon, nakikita din niya ang kanyang sarili sa loob ng simbahan, at kasamang nakikilahok sa pagdiriwang ng banal na misa. 

A second point that I would probably like to share for all of us to reflect on, ay 'yon pong pangyayari na nahawakan lang 'yong laylayan ng kasuotan ni Hesus, ay gumagaling 'yong mga tao. Mga kapatid, ito po ang punto dito. One of the main reasons why Mama Mary would want us to receive the Eucharist...that Mama Mary would want all of us to be close to the Eucharist, is simply because in the mass, hindi lang po natin hinahawakan ang laylayan ng kasuotan ni Hesus. Bakit? Ano po ba ang nangyayari sa misa? Sa misa, tinatanggap natin - hindi ang damit, hindi ang laylayan ng kasuotan ng Panginoon - kundi ang tinatanggap natin mismo sa ating katawan ay walang iba kundi ang Katawan at Dugo ng Panginoon. Saan ka pa, ika nga. Saan ka pa. 

Kaya nga po kung sinasabi sa Ebanghelyo na ang lahat ng humahawak ay gumagaling, ako po ay naniniwala - matibay ang aking paniniwala - na sa mga tao na tumatanggap sa Eukaristiya, doble-doble o makailang ulit pa ang kagalingan na sumasakanya. Sa mga taong tumatanggap sa Eukaristiya, natatanggap niya ang kagalingan, di lamang sa pisikal, kundi pati sa kalooban. 

Mga kapatid, tayo ay humawak kay Maria na nagpakita sa Lourdes, Pransiya. Hawakan natin ang kamay ni Maria sapagkat siguradong dadalhin niya tayo papalit sa kanyang anak na si Hesus. Papalapit sa Eukaristiya, upang tayo ay magtamo ng kagalingan. 

You may also want to see: The Song of Bernadette (1945) - Our Lady of Lourdes Story