Gospel Reflection

January 27, 2014

Monday – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. by Rev. Fr. Prudencio 'Jun' T. Solomon, Jr., Parochial Vicar, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto Parish, Sampaloc, Manila
12:15PM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

 

Reading 1 2 sm 5:1-7, 10

All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said: “Here we are, your bone and your flesh. In days past, when Saul was our king,  it was you who led the children of Israel out and brought them back. And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel  and shall be commander of Israel.’” When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,  and they anointed him king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king,  and he reigned for forty years: seven years and six months in Hebron over Judah, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah.

Then the king and his men set out for Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the region. David was told, “You cannot enter here:  the blind and the lame will drive you away!” which was their way of saying, “David cannot enter here.” But David did take the stronghold of Zion, which is the City of David.

David grew steadily more powerful, for the LORD of hosts was with him.

 

Responsorial Psalm ps 89:20, 21-22, 25-26

R. (25a) My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
Once you spoke in a vision,
and to your faithful ones you said:
“On a champion I have placed a crown;
over the people I have set a youth.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
“I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.
“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his hand upon the sea,
his right hand upon the rivers.”
R. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.

 

Gospel mk 3:22-30

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself,  that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

HOMILY

"Sa pamamagitan ng prinsipe ng mga demonyo, siya'y nagpapalayas ng mga demonyo."

Mga kapatid, ito ang paratang ng mga Eskriba na mula sa Herusalem, na ating narinig sa ating Ebanghelyo. Pinaratangan nila na si Hesus, sa Kanyang pagpapalayas ng mga masasamang espiritu, ay nasa impluwensiya ng prinsipe ng mga demonyo. Hindi nila matanggap na ang isang taong katulad ni Hesus ay nakapagpapalayas ng mga masasamang espiritu. Bakit? Sapagkat para sa kanila, hindi karaniwang ginagawa ito ng isang tao. Ito ay maaari lamang gawin ng isang taong banal, ng isang taong ang kapangyarihan ay mula sa Diyos.

At iyon ang hindi nila matanggap. Na si Hesus ay banal. Na si Hesus at ang Kanyang kapangyarihan ay mula sa Ama. Sapagkat ang akala nila, sila lamang ang laging tama. Ang akala nila'y sila lamang ang laging banal. Sila lamang ang laging kinasisiyahan ng Diyos. Kaya't gumawa sila ng isang maling paratang, isang paninirang-puri, upang maisalba ang kanilang pangalan, ang kanilang reputasyon, ang kanilang pride. Hindi nila kayang lunukin na sila'y manliit at mapahiya sa harapan ng mga tao.

Mga kapatid, ang maling pagpaparatang, paninirang puri - lalong-lalo na kung ito ay ginagawa para maisalba ang sarili sa kahihiyan sa mukha ng ibang tao - ay nakapandaraya at nakapangloloko ng iba. Madaling gawin ngunit naiisahan din natin ang ating sarili, sapagkat tinatanggal natin sa ating sarili ang biyayang hatid ng buhay na walang hanggan. Maling pagpaparatang, paninirang puri...ito'y isang pamamaraan ng panloloko sa ibang tao, ngunit tayo ang tinatamaan. Tayo din ang humahakot sa ibinibigay nitong kaparusahan, habang tinatanggal natin sa atin ang biyaya ng buhay na walang hanggan.