Gospel Reflection

September 27, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest

by Rev. Fr. Ernie M. Cruz, SDB - Rector, St. John Bosco Parish Church (Don Bosco Church), Makati
6:30AM Mass at Don Bosco Church, Makati

Reading 1 Hg 2:1-9

In the second year of King Darius, on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: Tell this to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people:

Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes? But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the LORD, and take courage, Joshua, high priest, son of Jehozadak, And take courage, all you people of the land, says the LORD, and work! For I am with you, says the LORD of hosts. This is the pact that I made with you when you came out of Egypt, And my spirit continues in your midst; do not fear! For thus says the LORD of hosts: One moment yet, a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come in, And I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. Mine is the silver and mine the gold, says the LORD of hosts. Greater will be the future glory of this house than the former, says the LORD of hosts; And in this place I will give you peace, says the LORD of hosts!

Responsorial Psalm PS 43:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (5) Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
Do me justice, O God, and fight my fight
against a faithless people;
from the deceitful and impious man rescue me.
R. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
For you, O God, are my strength.
Why do you keep me so far away?
Why must I go about in mourning,
with the enemy oppressing me?
R. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.
R. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

Gospel Lk 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

HOMILY

Jesus asked His Disciples the question. "Who do the crowds say that I am?" And Peter said that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. But why did Jesus rebuke them? Why did He tell them not to tell it to anyone?

At that time, the people were under the Romans. And any talk of a human Messiah, of somebody who would free them politically from the clutches of the Romans, may cause an uprising, a revolution. And it will be a great disaster for the people. If there was real confrontation, many of them would die, and Jesus did not want that, that people will be put to a disadvantage, or to be in a difficult situation. And so He says it's not yet time to talk about it. However, Jesus already told them that the Messiah will be rejected and will suffer greatly under the elders and chief priests, and be killed, but on the third day will rise again. Jesus already told them what will happen in His time.

But unlike the Gospel, in our present time, we are asked not to keep quiet about who Jesus is, but to tell people about Him, to announce and proclaim the Messiah who we believe in. This is a time when Jesus would say, "Now, you are ready to proclaim who I am." It is at this time that Jesus has to be spoken of from the roof tops, from the house tops. And Jesus calls us to do that in our own different ways. We all are in various areas of work, our home, everywhere. We are always in touch with people. And this is a very right moment for us to proclaim Jesus in our own way.

Saint Vincent de Paul proclaimed Jesus, while ministering to the poor at the same time. The situation of the clergy's formation was very poor at that time, so St. Vincent de Paul had to organize his own congregation primarily for the formation of priests, so that they will be able to proclaim better who Jesus was, through very good formation. Secondly, St. Vincent de Paul proclaimed Jesus as a living and compassionate God, by ministering to the poor. At the mention of St. Vincent de Paul, at once, what comes to mind is his work for the poor, and his great effort to form the clergy at that time.

Therefore, as we continue our celebration, let us look into our own lives and ask how we can proclaim Jesus today. We have to speak about Jesus and make him familiar to our friends, to people in the office, to people in our homes, to the members of our family. Only in that way can we be participants in the mission of the Church. By nature, as a Christian, every person has to proclaim, to evangelize and be a missionary. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

September 21, 2013

Saturday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Feats of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

Saturday, 21 September 2013 (Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist)
by Rev. Fr. Ernie M. Cruz, SDB - Rector, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati
6:30AM Mass, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati

Reading 1 Eph 4:1-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Gospel Mt 9:9-13

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

HOMILY

If you would look at the First Reading, we will find it so flagrant with meaning. Yesterday, we had the Readings to Timothy. Today, we have the reading from Ephesians. St. Paul is asking us to live in a manner worthy of our calling, in humility, in gentleness and patience. Then he continues on with something that is very difficult, that is, to bear with one another through love, and striving to preserve unity. It is quite difficult, because it is not always easy for us to deal with one another.

St. Paul then continues to say that we should have one Body, one Spirit, one faith, one baptism, with one God and Father of all. And lastly, what I think is so important, is that St. Paul talks about the call to ministry. Each one is called to be a minister. We pray and go to mass every day, and that is very good. But it is not enough that we pray. Without ministry, without being able to touch or influence anybody to bring him back to the Church and to God, it is not enough. Nobody is exempted from the call to ministry, whether you are young or very old, you are sick or healthy. Each one is being called to minister and bring people to God, from our own terms.

A priest could preach, yes, but that is not yet a call. Because beyond preaching is the priest's personal ministry, that on his own personal approach, he strives to bring back a person to the Lord, even without that call. That is why even the Pope says, 'I am not sure of this, but I think that those who do not strive to do ministry may not even enter heaven'. This means that we are brothers to one another. It is not the call of Abel that 'I am not my brother's keeper'. The Pope says you are your brother's keeper. You are called to ministry.

If the Philippines has 80 million Catholics - the biggest number in all of Asia - and only 15% are churchgoers, meaning practicing Catholics, and our goal or direction now is to prepare our country to the 5th millennium or the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, what can we do? What is our personal role toward that goal? If each person would only be able to convince only six people in six or seven years, to go back to church, the church will be teeming with people and will be so alive. In fact, we can start with just one person. For every practicing Catholic that is able to bring another person to church, at once, the number will be doubled. It could be a member of your family, or your helper, or your office mate, or your neighbor. Just one, and what difference will it already make in the Church.

St. Matthew is an example to us that nobody is so unworthy, as not to be called by God. Even if he was a tax collector who was dreaded by the people, or looked down by the people, and thought of as one who is enriching himself at the expense of the people, Jesus saw the potential in Matthew, and made him His follower. And not just one of His followers, but one of the 12 Apostles.

In the Gospel, the Pharisees were speaking against Jesus, as He was with the tax collectors and sinners. And Jesus said that it is not for the healthy that He came, but for the sick. Each one of us could find ourselves sick, but at the same time, by God's grace, we are able to bring others to health.

We continue our celebration today, asking St. Matthew's intercession, that we may be able to answer this call to ministry. It is not enough for us to be Christians and are just able to pray for ourselves. We should also bring others closer to God through our own personal ministry. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

August 24, 2013

Saturday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

by Rev. Fr. Ernie M. Cruz, SDB - Rector, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati

6:30AM Mass, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati

                                      

Reading 1 Rv 21:9b-14

The angel spoke to me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

Responsorial Psalm PS 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18

R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Gospel Jn 1:45-51

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

HOMILY

We are celebrating today the feast of St. Bartholomew, one of the Apostles, one of those whom we know very little about. The little that we know is that Bartholomew comes from Cana, in Galilee, that he was the one introduced by Philip to Jesus, that he may have gone to Persia, and he died near the area, and was skinned alive, dying a martyr's death. That is the little that we know of St. Bartholomew or Nathaniel.

But we also know that he has always been in the roster of those mentioned by Jesus as 'the chosen 12'. He was hand picked by Jesus to be one of the Apostles, meaning, sent in order to bring the Good News to the world. They were sent, because they were willing to be sent. They accepted what the Lord wanted from them, that's why they were called the Apostles.

The Readings of today are also very significant, because they bring a different light to the person of Bartholomew and to us. The First Reading speaks about something of the future to come - that those called by God will not be left by themselves. They will be seated at the throne of the Father. The Book of Revelation is a book that talks about the years to come, the time to come. It is apocryphal - something difficult to understand, yet, at the same time, speaking of the future. The writer of the book of the Revelation will say, "The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb." The Apostles of Jesus were there, not just at the beginning. Till the end, they will be with Jesus.

In the Gospel today, one of the best descriptions that Jesus can give to a man, He gave to Bartholomew, when He talked of him as having no duplicity as a person. What you see is what you get. Bartholomew was very transparent; he will say what he thinks and what he believes is correct. Jesus saw in Bartholomew a person so simple, so transparent, one who would not put anything more than who he was. Jesus saw in Bartholomew a man of simplicity, a man with no double meaning in his words. He was that kind of a person, and Jesus liked him.

When Jesus invited Bartholomew and said, "I saw you under the fig tree.", probably that was the moment when Bartholomew was thinking of something and was asking the Lord for a sign of what would happen to him. He must have been reflecting on something that jived with what Jesus was saying and how Jesus was looking at Him, that Bartholomew could relate to Jesus very easily. And at once, he told Jesus, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God, the King of Israel." And Jesus told Bartholomew that He will see the Son of Man, and the angels of God coming up and down heaven. Putting together the book of Revelation, Jesus told Bartholomew that he will be there. There is a place for Bartholomew at the end of time.

It is so good to look at these readings and to relate it to ourselves. Everything that we have and everything that we are, is because of this person coming from Nazareth, our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is everything that we could think of, as the God who can do so much for us, only, if like the Apostles, we would be able to accept God's invitation of being sent. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.  

Gospel Reflection

August 09, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Ernie M. Cruz, SDB - Rector, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati

6:30AM Mass, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati

Reading 1 Dt 4:32-40

Moses said to the people: “Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of?  Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? All this you were allowed to see  that you might know the LORD is God and there is no other. Out of the heavens he let you hear his voice to discipline you; on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard him speaking out of the fire. For love of your fathers he chose their descendants and personally led you out of Egypt by his great power, driving out of your way nations greater and mightier than you, so as to bring you in and to make their land your heritage, as it is today. This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 77:12-13, 14-15, 16 and 21

R. (12a) I remember the deeds of the Lord.
I remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I remember your wonders of old.
And I meditate on your works;
your exploits I ponder.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
O God, your way is holy;
what great god is there like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
among the peoples you have made known your power.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
the sons of Jacob and Joseph.
You led your people like a flock
under the care of Moses and Aaron.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.

Gospel Mt 16:24-28

Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

HOMILY

Our First Reading today is a reminder and an encouragement of Moses to his people on how they should think, reflect, and open their hearts to see the daily miracles taking place in their lives. And then he enumerated everything that has taken place - how they were freed from Egypt, the food that they ate, the support that God has given them towards their enemies. He narrated these all, for them to realize that God will not desert them. That is why Moses said, 'fix it in your heart'.

I think it is also a reminder to us. There are many miracles and the support that we have received from God. Let us fix them in our hearts that God, in many occasions in our life, did not let us down. That there is no other way that we can explain certain happenings in our life, except the miracle that was performed to us by God.

This is in order to prepare ourselves also, in moments when difficulties would come. The carrying of the cross will always be present in our life. Some of the crosses that we bear are light. Di masyado, inconveniences lang. Sometimes, wala ka lang ng kaunting ganito, walang kaunting ganyan. These are certain inconveniences, that we, sometimes, have been accustomed to. But there are certain crosses that are heavy. Certain crosses are seemingly so difficult to carry - whether crosses from problems, finances, physical injury or illness - but they are big crosses. And our constant reminder to ourselves of what God has done to us, of the daily miracles that take place in front of us in the Holy Eucharist, will allow us to go through life peacefully, all because we know that the God we believe in, is a God who is always with us.

As we continue our celebration this morning - and during the day - it is good to count the many good things that we receive, the many miracles, big or small, that we have encountered in our lives, showing that God cares. Even the small things - when we put them together - they are part of a big puzzle in our lives where God has a direct role. One who tries to always see and view the daily experiences in his life in God's eyes, would find so many instances where the hand of God is always present. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.