Saturday, August 10, 2013

Gospel Reflection



August 10, 2013
Saturday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time
Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr
by Rev. Fr. (Major) Daniel D. Tansip, VHS (Vicar Forane, Vicariate of Palawan, Military Ordinariate of the Philippines)
12:15PM Mass at Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel, Greenbelt Makati


Reading 1 2 Cor 9:6-10

Brothers and sisters: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written:

He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.

The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

Responsorial Psalm PS 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9

R. (5) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Lavishly he gives to the poor,
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

Gospel Jn 12:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

HOMILY

Isa po sa magandang mensahe ng ating mahal na Santo Papa - at madalas ay binabalik-balikan ko - ay 'yong paalala sa mga pari. At ang paalala sa mga pari sa buong mundo ay mamuhay nang simple lang - to live a simple life. At bahagi ng kanyang paalala na 'yong mga pari ay magkaroon ng sasakyan na hindi masyadong mahal, 'yong sapat lamang na pwede siyang maitawid o madala kung saan siya ay pupunta o kung saan siya ay may misyon.

Labimpitong taon na akong pari. At inisip ko na kung inipon kong lahat ang aking savings, mayaman na ako ngayon. Marami na akong pera ngayon. Pero bakit after 17 years of being a priest, wala akong bahay, wala akong sasakyan, wala akong savings, at malamang, pag namatay ako, mamomroblema sila sa pagpapalibing sa akin. Natutuwa ako na maging ang ating mahal na Cardinal Tagle ay napakasimple. Maging siya ay nakaranas na sumakay sa tricycle, walang sariling kotse, walang sariling pag-aaring sasakyan. Meron siya ngayong sasakyan, pero hindi sa kanya 'yon. 'Yon ay service car para dalhin siya kung saan siya pupunta. Wala siyang sariling pag-aari.

Magandang paalala ito sa atin. Hindi mahalaga kung ano ka. Ang mahalaga ay kung ano ang ginusto mo para sa ating Panginoon. It is not important who you are. What is important is who you choose to be, or what you want to be in life.

Hindi po umabot nang pagkapari si St. Lawrence. Hanggang deacon lang po siya. Pero kahit na siya ay deacon, ipinagdiriwang po natin ang kanyang martyrdom. Napakaganda ng kanyang halimbawa. Ika nga, para sa ating lahat ito, hindi lamang para sa mga pari. Si St. Lawrence ay pinagkatiwalaan na maging ingat-yaman ng kayamanan ng simbahan. Pero ano ang ginawa ni St. Lawrence? Ito ay pinamigay niya sa mga mahihirap sa Roma. Even if Lawrence knew that he will be arrested and will most likely be killed like Pope Sixtus II, ang ginawa niya'y higit pa niyang pinagbibigyan at tinulungan ang mga mahirap, ang mga balo, ang mga orphans ng Roma. Binigyan niya ito ng pera, ng salapi galing sa simbahan. He even sold sacred vessels to get money and give them to the poor and the needy. Nang nabalitaan ito ng prefect of Rome, galit na galit siya kay Lawrence at pumunta siya kay Lawrence para hingan ng report. Pero ano ang ginawa ni Lawrence pagdating ng prefect of Rome? He showed them what is most valuable in the eyes of God. He gathered a great number of blind, lame, lepers, orphans, widows - mga inaalipusta at pinabayaan na ng lipunan. And when the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, "These are the treasures of the Church." And for that, Lawrence was greatly punished and tortured to death.

My dear friends, we are reminded by today's Gospel of St. Lawrence's example of not being too much attached to power, prestige, material things and money. God calls us to work in order to feed ourselves and uplift our dignity. He tells us that 'unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat...but if it dies, it produces much fruit'. Our lives, our work, our business, should produce fruits. But the accumulation of such fruits - material things and money - should never be the end. Although we are entitled to the fruits of our labor, it should not be according to our own gain. Kailangan maibahagi natin ito. Kailangan nating tumulong sa ating kapwa tao, lalong lalo na sa last, lost and least - sa mga mahihirap at nangangailangan. Alam ninyong ang inyong community ay parang si St. Lawrence na rin. Sapagkat sa tulong ninyo, ilang daang parokya, ilang daang simbahan ang natutulungan natin dito sa Pilipinas.

Yesterday, I watched the news and felt amazed by what one popular actress did. As a way to celebrate her birthday, she celebrated it with orphans. Di man siya gumastos, malaki ang kanyang ibinahagi doon sa mga orphans. At habang siya ay ini-interview, napatingin siya sa mga orphans, at siya ay naiyak. 'Yon ang tunay na pagtulong sa kapwa tao. These are simple things that make others happy - this is great in the eyes of God. Marami po sa inyo ang gumagawa rin nito. While you have huge earnings, you also have a generous heart to help. I know one popular actress who is also supporting the Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel - our Greenbelt Chapel - silently....Nagbibigay siya ng Php250,000 at a regular basis. She belongs to the generous people with a good heart, like that of St. Lawrence. 'Yong pong pagtulong na may kasamang sakripisyo, 'yong masakit sa atin - 'yon ang tamang pagtulong. Hindi 'yong ating sobra. Kadalasan po kasi ang ibinibigay natin ay 'yong ating sobra, pero 'yong talagang masasaktan tayo, 'yon ang tunay na pagtulong.

The most unhappy, loneliest people in the world are those who only think of themselves - their gains, their whims, their satisfaction, their shopping and their vices, their food and pleasure, their labor and their rewards. Such people care little for those who are in need. And so my dear brothers and sisters, let us heed today's Gospel. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever loses his life in this world, will preserve it for eternal life.

St. Lawrence, even if he was already being tortured, uttered these very words before he died: "Turn yourself over to the Lord." We may not be like St. Lawrence. We may not experience what happened to him who suffered the pain of martyrdom. But we can turn to the Lord by continuously sharing the fruits of our labor. To die to ourselves and not to put our personal desires over the needs of other people. Let us pray in this mass for the grace, that through the example of St. Lawrence, we may learn to help and share our blessings to others. May the Lord, in His loving mercy and generous heart, continue to bless our community, that we may also be a blessing to others. Sa ngalan ng Ama, ng Anak, at ng Espiritu Santo, Amen.


Saint Laurence the Deacon - Pray for us