Gospel Reflection

February 04, 2013

Monday – Year of Faith – Weekday

by Rev. Fr. Prudencio 'Jun' T. Solomon (Rector and Parish Priest)

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

                         

Reading 1 Heb 11:32-40

Brothers and sisters: What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders. Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance,
in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented.The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth.

Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24

R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous mercy
he has shown me in a fortified city.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Once I said in my anguish,
“I am cut off from your sight”;
Yet you heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried out to you.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Gospel Mk 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

HOMILY

"Go home to your family, and announce to them, all that the Lord, in His pity, has done for you." Humayo ka at ibahagi mo ang awang iyong tinanggap mula sa Panginoon.

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, ito ang utos ni Hesus sa lalaking Kanyang pinagaling. Sa lalaking Kanyang tinanggalan o pinalayas ang mga masasamang espiritu na umaali sa kanya. 'Humayo ka at ibahagi mo sa kanila ang lahat nang naranasan mong awa mula sa Panginoon.'

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, mga ginigiliw kong mga kaibigan, maaaring tayo'y hindi naalihan ng masamang espiritu. Pero katulad ng lalaking ito'y marami rin tayong natanggap na mabuting bagay mula sa Panginoon. Tayo rin ay nakatanggap ng habag, tayo rin ay nakatanggap ng awa, tayo rin ay nakatanggap ng kagandahang loob mula sa Diyos. At ang sinasabi sa atin ng Panginoon ay humayo din tayo. Ibahagi natin ang naranasan nating awa mula sa Kanya.

Ilang pagkakataon na ba ang ating ginawa upang maibahagi ang ating naramdaman o naranasan mula sa Panginoon? May mga pagkakataon na ba, na atin ding sinabi, ipinangaral o kaya'y ibinahagi sa ating mga minamahal sa buhay ang mga bagay na tinatanggap natin mula sa Diyos?

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, patuloy tayong humayo. Patuloy nating ibahagi sa iba ang awa't habag na ating patuloy na tinatanggap, sapagkat ang Diyos ay nagmamagandang-loob sa atin. Ito rin ang utos sa atin ng Ebanghelyo. At katulad ng lalaking inalihan ng masamang espiritu, nakakatanggap tayo ng kabutihan mula sa Diyos. Sana'y huwag nating ipagkait sa iba ang karanasang ito. Sana'y huwag nating sarilihin. Ibahagi rin natin katulad ng utos ni Hesus sa lalaking iyon.

"Go home to your family, and announce to them, all that the Lord, in His pity, has done for you." Humayo kayo at ibahagi ninyo ang awa at habag na inyong natamo mula sa Panginoon.