Gospel Reflection

March 06, 2012

Tuesday

Lenten Weekday

by V. Romeo A. Almeda

Sharing God’s Message to Me

First Reading:               Isaiah 1:10, 16-20    

Psalm:                         Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23    

Gospel:                        Matthew 23:1-12     

1 Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. 4 They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. 11 He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; 12 whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

 

Be Servants of God

11 The greatest among you must be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:11-12

REFLECTION

I was recently aghast at the actuations of a senator of the Philippines. Well, many of them are of the same disposition. Outside the senate they call themselves public servants but inside senate investigations, impeachment courts, etc. they berate the public, the very public that they supposedly serve.

In community, the designation "servant" has evolved from what used to be "head," which is meaningful because service really comes from the heart. It is not because one is intellectually superior that he gets to lead a household prayer group, it is because he has a servant heart. The designation "elder" has also been taken for granted, not unlike Senior with a capital S. A Pharisaic nature slowly crept into our hearts with these designations, whether we admit it or not, and it is correct that these terms are now evolved into "missionary." It is a reminder of our task at hand, and a removal of any vain glory of being an elder or a Senior, similar to the vain glory of being called rabbi or master.

LORD, may your servants be good shepherds like you. May they have humble hearts to serve their flock, and become with the Church servus servorum Dei, servant of the servants of God. Amen.

LORD, let my two eyes see You, my two ears hear You, my two hands work with You and for You, my two feet go where I can proclaim You, but let my mind be only one, as You made it, and fixed on You. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

February 21, 2012

Tuesday

Weekday

by V. Romeo A. Almeda

Sharing God’s Message to Me

First Reading:               James 4:1-10     

Psalm:                         Psalm 55:7-11, 23     

Gospel:                        Mark 9:30-37      

30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise." 32 But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him. 33 And they came to Caper'na-um; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" 34 But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." 36 And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me."

Draw Near to Me

But he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. So submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds. James 4:6-8

REFLECTION

I guess when we are of two minds it means we are pulled in two opposite directions; one which wants us to be near to God, and one which wants us to draw away from God. Sometimes we are not aware that we are drawing away from God by the choices we make, choices that make us really busy. If I want to be physically fit, for instance, which is a good intention with no evil in it, then I have to spend hours for calisthenics and running regularly. If I wish to perform well for a board exam, I have to burn the midnight oil studying. If I wish to be updated and connected to my network of friends, I have to view their posts and pictures as well as add mine for them. I think it was Pope John Paul II who said, "It is amazing how the devil can put evil into the cleanest of intentions."

The only way to draw near to God is to be with Him in thought, deeds and words through prayer, Scripture, fellowship, teachings, and the Sacraments. If we balance our time properly to receive these, God will be with us while we run, while we study, even while we "connect."

LORD, let my two eyes see You, my two ears hear You, my two hands work with You and for You, my two feet go where I can proclaim You, but let my mind be only one, as You made it, and fixed on You. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

February 10, 2012

Friday

St. Scholastica, Virgin (Memorial)

by V. Romeo A. Almeda

Sharing God’s Message to Me

First Reading:               1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19  

Psalm:                         Psalm 81:10-15    

Gospel:                        Mark 7:31-37    

31Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decap'olis. 32And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him. 33And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; 34and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Eph'phatha," that is, "Be opened." 35And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."

Ephphata!

33 He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; 34 then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) Mark 7: 33-34


REFLECTION

Once, while horsing around with buddies, I asked one of them to hold my wrist firmly. I told him I could take off his hand without using force. I then moistened my two fingers with saliva and motioned to touch him with the wet fingers. Instinctively, he took his hand -- and I did not have to use force. Well, neither did Jesus have to touch the deaf man's tongue with his spitted-on finger (eww!)  because his word alone would have been enough. Even touching his cloak or the tassel of his cloak would have been enough to cause healing. Yet, Jesus used his finger. Why? My guess is that He wanted to test the faith of the deaf man; to see if the deaf man would be overcome with hygiene concerns or stuff like that.

In a figurative way, that Jesus had to say, "Ephphata!" ("Be opened!") is also a command to us to listen not only with open ears but also with open hearts. 

LORD, open my heart and enter in. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

February 09, 2012

Thursday

Weekday

by V. Romeo A. Almeda

Sharing God’s Message to Me

First Reading:               1 Kings 11:4-13  

Psalm:                         Psalm 106: 3-4, 35-37, 40   

Gospel:                        Mark 7:24-30 
 

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hid. 25 But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoeni'cian by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 28 But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29 And he said to her, "For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter." 30 And she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone.

Have No Other God Before Me

8 He did the same for all his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their Gods. 9 The Lord, therefore, became angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 (for though the Lord had forbidden him this very act of following strange Gods, Solomon had not obeyed him). 1 Kgs 11:8-10

REFLECTION

There you go. The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord. Not for having many wives and concubines, although perhaps having too many of them was not right either. 700 wives and 300 concubines, none of our aging actors or ex-presidents can surpass that. But to be fair, concubinage was a common practice in biblical times. Hagar was the concubine of Abraham, with whom he fathered Ishmael. And God even protected both Hagar and Ishmael from the harsh desert when Abraham sent them away on Sarah's insistence. Polygamy was also common, as in the case of Elkanah having two wives: Penninah and Hannah (mother of Samuel). The point is that neither polygamy nor concubinage, taken in the context of biblical times, angered God. It was idolatry that angered God in this instance. 

Today idolatry takes many forms, and many, if not all, are centered on the self. Money is idolized by many, such that the more money we have the better. Money is not bad per se because we all need money to accomplish many things. But when money is the focus of our efforts, or the end that we seek, it leads us away from God. It leads us to materialism - for newer gadgets like cellphones, laptops to newer, bigger cars, and then bigger houses, all needing more money. It leads us to seek the vanity of honor - for a promotion to a higher rank, a higher title which receives more money. It leads us to the vanity of riches - so that we can buy Rolex oyster watch, that Louis Vitton handbag, that Bally pair of shoes, that Gucci tie and Hermes belt. Money for self, self for money. This is idolatry today.

LORD, let me have no other God but You, and my time consumed in You. Amen

Gospel Reflection

February 08, 2012

Wednesday

Weekday

by V. Romeo A. Almeda

Sharing God’s Message to Me

First Reading:               1 Kings 10:1-10

Psalm:                         Psalm 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40
Gospel:                        Mark 7:14-23

14And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him." 17And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, 19since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20And he said, "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. 21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, 22coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man."

Let Me Change Your Heart

"But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile." Mk 7:20-23


REFLECTION

What comes out of man are usually words, and these define the man. Crude words, crass words, or gentle, loving words give away a man's character for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks (Mt 12:34). From the list above, spoken words are used in blasphemy, arrogance, folly. Of course, they may be used in the others also. Aside from words, action also comes out of man. So we have what I call action sins - unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, licentiousness. But both words and actions do not come out before they are nurtured in the heart and developed in the mind. Thoughts also come out of man.

In an Opus Dei recollection, Fr. Javier de Pedro elaborated on how we sin in thought through bad thoughts, sinful memories, and evil desires. When we think of a person and wish he/she gets hurt, or gets fired from work, or is dumped by his girlfriend, we are guilty of bad thoughts. When we recall and relive the pleasure of an adulterous relation in the past, or the thrills of fornication before, or once more enjoy the thought of a previous cash windfall from having duped or swindled somebody, we are guilty of sinful memories. And if we glance or peruse pornographic material, even light porn pictures from FHM or light porn stories from Cosmopolitan (targeting the teeners, young ladies, and mature women!), or if we plan to get credit for a subordinate's work to gain a promotion, we are guilty of evil desires. Truly, good and evil battle in our hearts, and the one that'll win is the one we would have bred.

LORD, you know my heart and its ways, You who formed me before I was born. Change my heart oh God, may I be like You. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

February 04, 2012

Saturday

St. Joseph of Leonessa, Capuchin, Priest (Memorial)

by V. Romeo A. Almeda

Sharing God’s Message to Me

First Reading:                1 Kings 3:4-13

Psalm:                          Psalm 119:9-14

Gospel:                         Mark 6:30-34

30 The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
M

Pray for Means to Achieve My Ends

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. 11 So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this — not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right — 12 I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you. 13 In addition, I give you what you have not asked for, such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like. 1 Kings 3:10-13

REFLECTION

This is one of my favorite stories. Over the last few days, by Godcidence, I cited this story first to my good buddy (a Protestant) and lately to a sister. This to me is the essence of prayer - first, pray to know God's will; and second, pray for what are needed (the means) to accomplish God's will (the end). God wanted Solomon to govern over His people (the end), so Solomon asked for wisdom to govern (the means). God being so pleased with this request granted Solomon more than what he asked for. The lesson to me here is that if we seek the means to God's end, God will gladly grant it and will generously give more than what we asked for. We can leave it all up to Him to decide what to give us but let us ask Him to make us good instruments or vessels or channels.

The LORD knows the desires of our hearts even before we pray for them. And we know that He has plans for us, for our welfare, not for woe; plans to give us a future full of hope. Is there really any point in asking the LORD to make me "a successful architect" when what that really means is the vanity of riches and fame? But if I ask Him to grant me the Holy Spirit's healing grace when I pray over a sick brother, is there any doubt that He will send me the Holy Spirit while praying? No, there is no doubt. If we who are wicked know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will the heavenly Father grant the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Through the Holy Spirit, God may extend the life of one man if it is according to His will. If not, He may grant relief from pain or peace of mind or joy in passing, all still through the Holy Spirit.

LORD, make me a channel of Your peace. Where there is hatred let me bring Your love. Amen.