Gospel Reflection

November 02, 2013

Saturday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

by Rev. Fr. Leo Nilo C. Mangussad, - Rector, Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

6:30AM Mass at the EDSA Shrine

Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.

Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

Reading 2 Rom 5:5-11

Brothers and sisters: Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Or Rom 6:3-9

Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him,  so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.

Gospel Jn 6:37-40

Jesus said to the crowds: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

HOMILY

Good morning my brothers and sisters.

Today, we commemorate the souls of our beloved departed. Today is the time when we visit them in the cemetery. Today, we try to remember once more how much we are accustomed to be with our beloved departed. Two things are important - our connection with them, and the importance of our connection with them through prayer.

A lot of people always ask why we have to pray for the dead, when they are already dead, and there is nothing we can do?

Let me tell you a story. There were two friends fighting over the issue of purgatory. One does not believe, while the other firmly believes. The one who does not believe kept on talking and talking, as they were walking. At the end of the day, they went back to their homes. When supper was ready, the one who believed in purgatory said, 'It is time to eat. Come'. But the one who disbelieved said, 'Wait a second. With all the grime and dirt that we got while walking home, I have to wash, at least, my hands, before eating.' To which the one who believed in purgatory remarked, 'Exactly my point. You think you are ready to face God when you die, that there is no scar left. With all the tribulations in our life here on earth, we need to prepare, thus sometimes, we need purgatory'.

My dear brothers and sisters, when we pray for our beloved departed, we are helping them prepare themselves to face God in the afterlife. It is good to be reminded of how well we should be preparing for ourselves. Whatever we do on earth has a bearing in the afterlife. Whatever we do here on earth, nothing is lost. Everything is a preparation for our immortal life. Thus, immortally, we are connected with our beloved departed. The flesh is gone, but the immortal side is still there.

We are celebrating the beautiful souls of our beloved departed today. Let us be one with them again, in this beautiful prayer.

Gospel Reflection

October 25, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Leo Nilo C. Mangussad, - Rector, Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine) 

12:15PM Mass at the EDSA Shrine

Reading 1 Rom 7:18-25a

Brothers and sisters: I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand. For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94

R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Never will I forget your precepts,
for through them you give me life.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

Gospel Lk 12:54-59

Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

HOMILY

Everybody wants peace. But the problem is we seek our peace from the outside, not from the inside. As Jesus said in the Gospel, we are good at seeing things, and reading signs around us and from other people. But we cannot read the signs inside our hearts - our pains, our sufferings, our resolutions, our faith in God. The Lord is telling us to look from deep within us, for us to use our intellect to see what is happening inside of us, before we start healing others. 

Just like in the First Reading, we want to do good, but the bad continues to take over us. If we are able to master this, peace will come. We do not need to look for it; it will come, because peace must come from within us first, before it can be felt by others. 

The question we must ask ourselves is - I am very good at interpreting signs outside of me, but am I capable of interpreting what I have inside my heart?

Gospel Reflection

October 16, 2013

Wednesday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

by Rev. Fr. Leo Nilo C. Mangussad, - Rector, Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)
12:15PM Mass at the EDSA Shrine

Reading 1 Rom 2:1-11

You, O man, are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true. Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you hold his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would lead you to repentance? By your stubbornness and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God, who will repay everyone according to his works, eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works, but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness. Yes, affliction and distress will come upon everyone who does evil, Jew first and then Greek. But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, Jew first and then Greek. There is no partiality with God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 62:2-3, 6-7, 9

R. (13b) Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
R. Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him;
God is our refuge!
R. Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.

Gospel Lk 11:42-46

The Lord said: “Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others. Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces.  Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”

Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, “Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.” And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

HOMILY

There was a father who was accosting his child, because his child was fighting with his playmate, and he was calling him names. The father said, 'You should not be calling names, because that is bad practice'. So, they went on walking, and while doing so, somebody accidentally bumped into the father. And the father said, 'You stupid, dumb person, why did you bump me?!' And the child looked at him.

Another story is that of a mother who was telling her children how to eat healthy, because it is good that we should take care of our bodies. Later on, they went to a restaurant and the mother ordered lechon and lots of ice cream.

What am I trying to say with these stories? We cannot teach what we don't have. Woe to us who keep teaching things that are right, but do not practice them, just like the Pharisees and the Scribes. Woe to us because we judge other people on what they are doing wrongly, but we, ourselves, also do it.

It is good to reflect on the quality of life that we have. If we do not act justly, or with humility, and in accordance with the call of our discipleship to Christ, then we are no better than the others.

We should reflect. When I open my mouth, are the things that come from my mouth coming deep from my heart because I obey the Lord, or is it just for show-off purposes?

Gospel Reflection

October 09, 2013

Wednesday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Leo Nilo C. Mangussad, - Rector, Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)
12:15PM Mass at the EDSA Shrine

Reading 1 Jon 4:1-11

Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry that God did not carry out the evil he threatened against Nineveh. He prayed, “I beseech you, LORD, is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish. And now, LORD, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” But the LORD asked, “Have you reason to be angry?”

Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. And when the LORD God provided a gourd plant that grew up over Jonah’s head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was very happy over the plant. But the next morning at dawn God sent a worm that attacked the plant,
so that it withered. And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint. Then Jonah asked for death, saying, “I would be better off dead than alive.”

But God said to Jonah, “Have you reason to be angry over the plant?” “I have reason to be angry,” Jonah answered, “angry enough to die.” Then the LORD said, “You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor and which you did not raise; it came up in one night and in one night it perished. And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left, not to mention the many cattle?”

Responsorial Psalm PS 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10

R. (15) Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O Lord,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.

Gospel Lk 11:1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

HOMILY

In the advent of social networking, a lot of people are always using their Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo and other accounts. And I am going to bet my fingers that most, if not all of you, have an account (soft laughs).

It's not bad. But do you notice that what is posted, especially on Facebook, are photos of the person? Every day, they change. The picture of the person changes - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday....Sometimes, the picture of the person changes three times a day. (laughs) Gone were the days when you take the photo, and the important person is not there, because he is the one taking the photos. Now, we are taking photos of ourselves, and showing it to everyone. It is me, I, myself. You are losing the very importance of who you are, because you are projecting yourself more than anything else.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He taught them the most beautiful prayer in the world. And it begins with 'Our Father...', not 'myself'. It begins with who the Father is, not who I am. The priority is my Father in heaven, and not myself on earth. But the people of today do not even consider the importance of the Father in heaven. One considers 'my' importance, not yours. That is why we are having problems.

My brothers and sisters, if we can only learn from the prayer, to put God first before ourselves, things will be put in their proper place. The problem nowadays is - I, I, I....When I come to church, I want my seat to be vacated, because I want to sit there. If someone sits there, I get frustrated and disappointed. I....

It's time to change our attitude. If we mean the Lord's Prayer, let us put it into practice in our lives. God first before my needs. God's desires first, before what I want. And God's providence first, before my request. Amen.