Gospel Reflection

September 24, 2013

Tuesday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Msgr. Bong Lo, Chaplain, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord (SM Megamall Chapel)
12:15PM Mass, SM Megamall Chapel

Reading 1 Ezr 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20

King Darius issued an order to the officials of West-of-Euphrates: “Let the governor and the elders of the Jews continue the work on that house of God; they are to rebuild it on its former site. I also issue this decree concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that house of God: From the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates, let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay. I, Darius, have issued this decree; let it be carefully executed.”

The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building, supported by the message of the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo. They finished the building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia. They completed this house on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The children of Israel–priests, Levites, and the other returned exiles– celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God, they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs, together with twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel, in keeping with the number of the tribes of Israel. Finally, they set up the priests in their classes and the Levites in their divisions for the service of God in Jerusalem, as is prescribed in the book of Moses.

The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion, sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Responsorial Psalm PS 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Gospel Lk 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers  are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

HOMILY

The Manila Cathedral has been built, destroyed and rebuilt for about 8 times already, since the Spanish period. And for the past months, the Manila Cathedral has been closed, because it needs repair. And we hope that the Manila Cathedral will be open by the first week of December this year.

In the First Reading of today, we have heard from the book of Ezra that the people of Israel were given the privilege to rebuild the destroyed temple of Jerusalem. The temple of Jerusalem was destroyed twice, and the last time it was destroyed was in 17 A.D. Until now, it has not been rebuilt. It will be difficult to rebuild it, because a mosque has been built on the site where it used to be. Mahirap na sirain ang mosque para i-rebuild ang temple of Jerusalem.

The function of the temple of Jerusalem, and for that matter, any temple or any church structure, is to be a sacramental sign, to be a concrete manifestation, to be a visible sign of God's presence among His people. In the New Testament, we are reminded that all of us - in fact, you and I - are the temples of God. We who are created in the image and likeness of God, we who were saved by the precious Blood of Christ, we who are living souls - we are the living temples of God.

My sisters and brothers, as we are living temples of God, we should be a concrete manifestation, a visible sign of God's presence. When people see us, what do they say? 'Speaking of the angel' or 'speaking of the devil'? There could be different reasons why they would say that. But Jesus, in the Gospel Reading of today, tells us that His family - His mother, His brother, His sister, His people - are those who hear the Word of God and act on it. It is not enough for us to be baptized, or to memorize the difficult Biblical passages, to be with the family of Jesus. To be with the family of Jesus, the community of Jesus, the Church of Jesus, the temple of Jesus, is to do the will of the Father, to act on the Word of God, like what our Blessed Mother Mary did.

And the will of God for us is, of course, to do good, and avoid evil. To forgive, and not to get revenge. To be kind, and not to be selfish. We need to be faithful in our prayer life and in our worship. Let us pray in this mass, my dear brothers and sisters, that we may do the will of God, that we may do our duties and responsibilities at home, in the office, in the school, and in the community. As we do our duties and responsibilities generously, faithfully and joyfully, may we become more and more the family of Jesus, His community, His church, His temple - living signs of His presence and kindness.

As we said in the Responsorial Psalm, 'let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord'. But even the house is not a home. If we go to the house of the Lord, let us go in such a way that we make each other feel at home. That we are not only a house, that we are not only a structure, but truly a home where everybody is welcome and could feel at home.

Gospel Reflection

July 12, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Msgr. Bong Lo (Chaplain, Chapel of Eucharistic Lord)

12:15PM Mass, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord (Megamall Chapel)

 

Reading 1 Gn 46:1-7, 28-30

Israel set out with all that was his. When he arrived at Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called, “Jacob! Jacob!” He answered, “Here I am.” Then he said: “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation. Not only will I go down to Egypt with you; I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes.”

So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba, and the sons of Israel put their father and their wives and children on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport. They took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt. His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughtersB  all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.

Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that he might meet him in Goshen. On his arrival in the region of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms. And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Gospel Mt 10:16-23

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

   

HOMILY

Would you agree that one of the greatest blessings that you and I have is the family? Do you agree? (People say 'yes'.) But would you also agree that sometimes, one of the greatest burdens that we may have is the family? (People also say 'yes'.) That is the reason why I decided not to marry. (laughs)

On the one hand, the family is a great blessing. On the other hand, the family can be a great burden.

In the First Reading today, from the book of Genesis, we have heard the story of Jacob, who, finally, after many years, thinking that his second to the last son, Joseph, was already killed by the beasts out on the field, find him very much alive, very healthy, and, of course, the governor of Egypt, the right hand of Pharaoh, who was instrumental in feeding the family and all the others in the great famine of that time. Jacob and Joseph cried and embraced each other. And Jacob said, "At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is alive." Jacob was already fulfilled, at peace and ready to die.

Are you ready to die, my sisters and brothers? Wala? (laughs) So hindi pa tayo at peace, hindi pa tayo fulfilled, mayroon pa tayong hinahanap, ano? But Jacob was ready to die, when he saw his son Joseph. The reunion of Jacob and Joseph was very touching, very emotional, and a very happy moment. And there was also reconciliation, with Joseph forgiving his brothers who sold him as a slave in Egypt.

But in the Gospel Reading, Jesus prophesied an entirely different scenario. Jesus said, "You will be hated by all, because of My name. In fact, brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death." There is conflict, there is crisis, there is disfunction in the family.

You know, in the 1960s up to 1976, during what is called the darkest chapters in the history of China, really, family members betrayed family members. Even the President of the People's Republic of China was betrayed by his children. That was a great crisis. And sadly, that happens until now. I have a friend - well, every member of the family is my friend - but their family is in courts, not only in Philippine courts but in American courts, because of their properties. Children against parents. Siblings against siblings. It is very painful when family members try to destroy each other, when family members try to kill one another. Truly, our family is a great blessing, but if we are not careful, that family can be a great burden.

The Word of God in the Gospel Reading and in the First Reading of today tells us two important keys for the family to remain a great blessing and not a burden or a curse. In the Gospel, Jesus said that we should be innocent as a dove, as simple, as pure as a dove, yet we must be shrewd, as clever as a serpent. To be innocent as a dove means to be sincere, to have no malice, to be honest. It is because if we are not honest in our relationships, the moment we put malice in our relationships, then, even the family will slowly but surely be destroyed. But Jesus also says that we should be as shrewd as a serpent, meaning that although we should not abuse others, let us also not let ourselves be abused. Huwag tayong tatanga-tanga. (laughs) Let us not manipulate others, but let us also not let others manipulate us.

Just like Joseph in the First Reading, he used his God-given talent to overcome slavery and become the governor of Egypt. But at the same time, he was like a dove - gentle, forgiving, understanding, assuring his brothers who sold him as a slave, and telling them that God has sent him in Egypt ahead of his family, to prepare for the moment of great famine.

The second key is this. In the First Reading, God told Jacob (or Israel), "I am God, the God of your Father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation. Not only will I go down to Egypt with you; I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes." God has shown Jacob and his family that no matter what happens, God will always be with them. God will not abandon them. And in the Gospel reading, Jesus said, "Do not worry about how you are to speak, or what to say....for it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Jesus is saying, "I will be with you."

So, through the good times and the bad times that our family will be going through, through joys and sorrows, let us always remind and assure ourselves that God is with us. God is with the family. Yes, we may have tried to be as innocent as a dove, and as shrewd as a serpent, yet, on our own, no matter what we do, there will really come a moment when we feel hopeless. But if we remember that God is with us through joys and sorrows, then we hold on. Hindi tayo bibitaw tulad ni Joseph at ni Jacob, at ni Jesus.

We pray for our families, we pray for one another, and we pray for ourselves, that no matter what happens, we will not give up with one another, we will not give up our families, but instead be truly faithful and a true blessing to our families.    

Gospel Reflection

June 14, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Msgr. Bong Lo (Chaplain, Chapel of Eucharistic Lord)

12:15PM Mass at Megamall, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord

Reading 1 2 Cor 4:7-15

Brothers and sisters: We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the Body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we too believe and therefore speak, knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence. Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 116:10-11, 15-16, 17-18

R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I believed, even when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
I said in my alarm,
“No man is dependable.”
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Mt 5:27-32

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

“It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

HOMILY

There is a saying in English that goes, "If others can, so can I." Kung kaya ng iba, kaya ko rin. Pero parang mas maganda ang sinasabi ng kaibigan ko na, "If others can do it, let them do it." (laughs) Why should I do it? Kung kaya nilang gawin, di gawin nila. Bakit ako ang gagawa? (laughs)

My dear sisters and brothers, our First Reading for today from the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, tells us that St. Paul, just like countless human beings, including you and me, went through a lot of difficulties, trials, persecutions. Marami siyang pinagdaanan. Marami siyang problemang hinarap, marami siyang krus na pinasan. Pero ang lahat ay pinasan niya, sinuog niya, pinasok niya, at ito ay nalampasan niya, napagtagumpayan niya. In our Reading, St. Paul says that "We are afflicted in every way but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

It is good to know na hindi lang ikaw ang may problema, na hindi lang ikaw ay may pagsubok sa buhay. Misery loves company, ano. (laughs) It is much better to know na ang lahat ng pagsubok ay pwedeng pasahan, pwedeng lampasan, pwedeng pagtagumpayan. 

Of course, it is sad to know na may mga taong bumigay. May mga taong hindi nila nalampasan. They were driven to despair. We have no right to judge them; we have no right to condemn them. We have to pray for them, and offer them our compassion and support. But we should never forget that we are not alone in facing the challenges of life, and we can learn from others. 

St. Paul, in the First Reading says, 'We hold this treasure in earthen vessels.' Ang ibig sabihin nito ay palayok, na gawa sa clay, very fragile, breakable, madaling mabasag. But within this breakability, this fragility, there is a treasure within us, and that is the surpassing power of God. God's presence and graces are always with us, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, not only until death, but even beyond. So this fragility of our being earthen vessels, sa kabila ng ating mga kahinaan, karupukan, kadukhaan bilang mga palayok, within us is that power, that grace, that strength from God that we can always access.

On the other hand, the Gospel Reading talks about marriage and divorce. Again, we have no right to judge or condemn those couples who have separated and who have married again. Our duty is to pray for them, to extend to them our understanding, support and compassion. But we know what is the ideal. And with the grace of God, let us do our best to help one another to uphold and fight for the ideal. Alam nating may mga taong nakayanan nila. If they can do it, so can we. Of course, we have different personalities, different circumstances, but we all have that treasure of God's presence and grace in us, to help us. We need to commit and communicate at a deeper level, para tanggapin ang dapat tanggapin, at baguhin ang dapat baguhin. 

In the Sermon of the Mount, in the fifth chapter of Matthew, God said, blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. And according to biblical scholars, to be pure of heart means to be focused, to be committed, hindi divided ang attention. Focused, committed. Focused on God. Kung papansinin mo 'yong ibang aspekto ng buhay o pagkatao ng asawa mo, eh talagang madidismaya ka. We really need to focus our attention and to re-commit ourselves. 

Sabi ng Panginoong Hesus, 'anyone who looks at a woman with lust, has committed adultery'. Pero dapat gender-sensitive na rin ngayon, ano. Any woman who looks at a man with lust also commits adultery, ano po? (laughs) Hindi lang mga lalaki ang tumitingin na may lust. Pati mga babae din. (laughs) Dapat fair din, ano po? There are really different ways of looking, of seeing. We say that the eyes are a window of the soul. Mayroong tingin na talagang very loving, very respectful. Pero mayroong tingin na magtatanong ka nga kung paano ba ang tingin niya sa iyo, ano. How does the person look at you? May galang ba o wala? May malasakit ba o galit? 

Finally, in the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, chapter 4 verse 8, St. Paul said, "Brothers and sisters, whatever is truthful, whatever is holy, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is noble, whatever deserves praise, think about it." Dapat daw po ang ating isip should be filled with whatever is truthful, holy, just, pure, noble and deserves admiration. Let us be like this. Magandang 'yan ang ating iniisip.

It is said - Plant a thought, and harvest words. Plant words, and harvest actions. Plant actions and harvest habit. Plant habit and harvest character. Plant character and harvest destiny.