Gospel Reflection

February 19, 2013

Tuesday – Year of Faith – Lenten Season

by Rev. Fr. Ronald "Ron" M. Roberto 

Assistant Minister for Liturgical Affairs, Diocese of Cubao

and Parish Priest, Holy Cross Parish, Barangay Krus na Ligas, Diliman, Quezon City

12:15PM Mass, Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace (EDSA Shrine)

                         

Reading 1 Is 55:10-11

Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down And do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19

R. (18b) From all their distress God rescues the just.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

Gospel Mt 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

“If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

HOMILY

Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat. 

Today we celebrate Tuesday on the first week of Lent and we continue our reflections on the different elements that this season requires of us. There are three things - prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The first two are required to be concretized or actualized by doing concrete actions like giving alms to the poor. And when we say giving alms, it's not just about giving money or food to those who are in need, but rather, it is a call to be charitable to others. It is a call of charity. Magmahal ka, magbigay ka ng pagmamahal sa iba. 

Yesterday, the Gospel talked about almsgiving. And now, our Lord Jesus leads us towards reflecting on the first element of prayer. Pagdarasal. 

So what is prayer? It is a very basic question. In the seminary, ito ang unang tinatanong kapag bago ka sa loob ng klase. What is prayer? What then is prayer? 

I have been trying to look for analogies, reading books, trying to look for things that I can use to explain what prayer is. At naalala ko....natagpuan ko 'yong definition o paliwanag ng pagdarasal doon sa teleserye ngayon ni Coco Martin na 'Juan de la Cruz'. Do you watch that? 

When he was still a little boy, Juan de la Cruz was with a priest, and they were praying in front of the altar. After praying, they sat down and talked. And after talking, sabi ni Father kay Juan, "Juan, halika na, ipagpatuloy natin ang pagdarasal." Ang sabi ni Juan, "Father, dasal na naman? Kakatapos lang natin magdasal, magdadasal na naman tayo? Hindi kaya makulitan na si Bossing? (referring to Jesus) Hindi ba't alam na Niya ang darasalin natin? Alam na Niya ang kailangan natin. Alam na Niya ang laman ng isip at puso natin. Pero magdarasal pa rin tayo? Di kaya makulitan na si Bossing?" Then Father provided the answer to the little boy, which I think will suffice for all of us. Ang sabi ni Father, ganito, "Alam mo tama ka. Pero ang pagdarasal ay kailangan nating ipagpatuloy, sapagkat ito'y walang maidaragdag sa Diyos. Ito'y para sa atin."

To pray does not add anything to God. In the Eucharistic prayer, one of the prefaces would mention that prayer adds nothing to His greatness. But still, God invites us to pray. Because it is for you - for all of us. 

Prayer is an avenue, an instrument, a very graced and blessed instrument for us to get in touch with ourselves. With our humanity. Sa ating pagkatao. Katulad ng pagbibigay ng limos sa ibang tao, ito'y paraaan upang maunawaan mo ang iyong sarili. When God sends people who are in need to you to help them, it is not because they are in need. Kapag may nakasalubong kang namamalimos at binigyan mo, hindi 'yon pinadala sa 'yo dahil siya ay nangangailangan. Pinadala ng Diyos sa iyo 'yan, dahil ikaw ang may kailangan. You need to learn how to help. You need to understand who you are. That God is asking you to live out your identity as a child of God. To recognize God in others, especially in the little ones, those people who cannot return the favor. 

And at the same way, God is asking us to pray, not because God needs our prayers. Not because God needs our praises. It will not add anything to God. Rather, God invites us to pray because we are in need of prayer. It is allowing ourselves to be vulnerable in front of God, to be helpless in front of God. 

Hindi po ba ito ang sinasabi natin, lalo na when we are in the brink of giving up? Kapag napakabigat na ng pakiramdam ng iyong kalooban. Ano ang sinasabi natin sa ating dasal? "Panginoon, bahala Ka na. Ikaw na po ang bahala. Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko." It is an act of helplessness, allowing God to control us. Allowing His will to work in us. That is the real meaning of prayer - to be in touch with God inside ourselves. 

And the story does not end really on just praying. The Gospel for today ends with a very concrete action - forgiving others. 

I have encountered a story about John Paul II. Minsan daw ay may isang pari na nagpunta sa Roma upang magkaroon ng audience with John Paul II. At noong siya ay pumunta roon, bago siya pumunta kay John Paull II, he visited a parish. And before he entered the church, he saw a man, begging for alms in front of the church. But the priest decided to enter the church first. At noong nasa loob na siya at siya ay nagdarasal, he realized that he has to help that beggar. 

So after praying, the priest went out of the church and helped the beggar. Binigyan niya ng limos. And when he was looking at the face of that man, sabi noong pari, "You look familiar to me." And the beggar said, "Yes, I was your classmate back in the seminary." The man was a priest - now begging for alms. He experienced crisis, problems and struggles in life. At siya'y dinala doon sa pagkakataon na 'yon. Naghirap siya, nalugmok sa kasalanan at kamalian sa buhay na ito, at nandoon - namamalimos na lamang ang pari sa harapan ng simbahan na iyon. And then sabi ng paring kaklase niya, "Sige, tutulungan kita. Every day, I will visit you." And then he proceeded to his audience with the Holy Father, John Paul II.   

And the priest could not help it. When he was with John Paul II, he found a chance to approach the Pope, and tell the Pope of the situation. He knelt down in front of the Pope and said, "Holy Father, I encountered a priest this morning. He is now begging for alms in front of the church." You know what John Paul II said? "Ok, invite him to dinner tonight. We will have dinner. The three of us, in the palace."

Kaya itong paring ito, nagmamadaling sinundo 'yong paring namamalimos sa harapan ng simbahan. Pero ayaw sumama ng paring namamalimos. Sabi niya, "Nagkamali ako. Nagkasala na ako, hindi na ako pari. Lumayo na ako sa simbahan." But of course, the priest was insistent. Isinama niya 'yong paring namamalimos. He dressed him up, cleaned him, lent him his clothes, then they went to the palace of the Holy Father. 

While having dinner, nobody was speaking. The Pope was smiling. And after eating, sabi ni John Paul II, "Please leave us alone." Kaya lumabas 'yong unang pari. And you know what John Paul II did? He knelt down in front of this beggar-priest and said, "Brother, hear my confession. Hear my confession." And the priest said, "Holy Father, I cannot do that. I'm not a priest anymore. I have sinned. I have turned away from the Church." And the Pope said, "I am the Holy Father. I can reinstate you now. And a priest will always be a priest. A priest forever." And so this beggar-priest heard the confession of the Holy Father. And in turn, the beggar-priest confessed to the Holy Father. 

After the confession, Pope John Paul II said, "I am reinstating you now. And tomorrow, you will report to your new assignment. You will serve as the Assistant Parish Priest of that church where you were begging for alms. And your apostolate is to take care of the beggars in front of the church."

That's how God love us. That's how merciful God is to us.

That is the meaning of prayer. Kung ang isang tao'y tunay na nagdarasal, naaapektuhan ang kanyang kalooban at kaluluwa. Especially when he looks at people who are sinners in this world. Mga makasalanan sa mundong ito. Ang sasabihin niya, "Mahal ka ng Diyos." 

In the same way, when we approach the sacrament of reconciliation, and after many years, doon ka pa lang magkukumpisal at napakahaba ng listahan ng kasalanan, I firmly believe that God will tell us, "Oh...I cannot remember anything of your sins. Wala Akong maalala sa mga kasalanan mo. Ang alam ko lang, mahal Kita."

And that is exactly prayer turned into concrete action. And the same challenge is being given to us today my dear friends, especially as we deepen our reflection during this season of Lent. Reflect on the element of prayer. Let us ask ourselves. Do I really pray? Do I really allow God to work in me? And when I allow God to work in me, do I allow myself to let God work in the lives of other people by concrete actions of charity, love and forgiveness?