Gospel Reflection

November 21, 2012

Wednesday – Year of Faith

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Memorial

by Rev.  Fr. Nilo Mangussad (Rector Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish)

Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Rv 4:1-11

I, John, had a vision of an open door to heaven, and I heard the trumpetlike voice that had spoken to me before, saying, "Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards." At once I was caught up in spirit. A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat one whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian. Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald. Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones on which twenty-four elders sat, dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. In front of the throne was something that resembled a sea of glass like crystal.

In the center and around the throne, there were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back. The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like that of a man, and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight. The four living creatures, each of them with six wings, were covered with eyes inside and out. Day and night they do not stop exclaiming: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come." Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne and worship him, who lives forever and ever. They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming:

"Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (1b) Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

Gospel Lk 19:11-28

While people were listening to Jesus speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, "A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.' His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, 'We do not want this man to be our king.' But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, 'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.' He replied, 'Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.' Then the second came and reported, 'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.' And to this servant too he said, 'You, take charge of five cities.' Then the other servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.' He said to him, 'With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.' And to those standing by he said, 'Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.' But they said to him, 'Sir, he has ten gold coins.' He replied, 'I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.'" After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

HOMILY

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary tells us of the importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary herself. From her birth, to her childhood, to her adult life, God already showed how He handcrafted the very vessel of our Savior. Here, we have Mary being emulated, which we never see in the Bible, and a lot of our brothers contradict. But even if the Presentation was done during the 6th Century, we are being reminded today how much we love the Mother of our Savior and how important she is in our life.

Jesus in the Gospel also reminds us that it is not his Mother that is important, but it is God who is important. His relatives, His friends, depend not in blood lines, but in our faith. Thus, the family is not important, the friends are not important - GOD is more important. And Mary has done the same. To her, what is important is the will of God. That is the reason why she took care of the Son of Man. Because of her love for God, she made use of who she is, to serve God.

In our remembrance of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are being reminded of our faith. Are we doing things because of our love for God, based on our faith, or do we just do things because we would like to emulate our accomplishments, and our love for God is only secondary? Brothers and sisters, if we adore Mary, we must love God first.

You may also want to see: A Holy Life - Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

A Holy Life

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Feast day – November 21

Religious parents never fail by devout prayer to consecrate their children to God, His divine service and love, both before and after their birth. Some among the Jews, not content with this general consecration of their children, offered them to God in their infancy, by the hands of the priests in the Temple, to be brought up in quarters attached to the Temple, attending the priests and Levites in their sacred ministry. There were special divisions in these lodgings for the women and children dedicated to the divine service. (III Kings 6:5-9) We have examples of this special consecration of children in the person of Samuel, for example. Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple of Jerusalem. It is very probable that the holy prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna, who witnessed the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, as we read in the second chapter of the Gospel of Saint Luke (verses 25 ff.) had known His Mother as a little girl in the Temple and observed her truly unique sanctity.

It is an ancient and very trustworthy tradition that the Blessed Virgin was thus solemnly offered in the Temple to God at the age of three by Her parents, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim. The Gospel tells us nothing of the childhood of Mary; Her title Mother of God, eclipses all the rest. Where, better than in the Temple, could Mary be prepared for Her mission? Twelve years of recollection and prayer, contemplation and sufferings, were the preparation of the chosen one of God. The tender soul of Mary was adorned with the most precious graces and became an object of astonishment and praise for the holy Angels, as well as of the highest complacency for the adorable Trinity. The Father looked upon Her as His beloved Daughter, the Son as One set apart and prepared to become His Mother, and the Holy Ghost as His undefiled Spouse.

Here is how Mary’s day in the Temple was apportioned, according to Saint Jerome. From dawn until nine in the morning, She prayed; from 9:00 until 3:00 She applied Herself to manual work; then She turned again to prayer. She was always the first to undertake night watches, the One most applied to study, the most fervent in the chanting of Psalms, the most zealous in works of charity, the purest among the virgins, Her companions, the most perfect in the practice of every virtue. On this day She appears as the standard-bearer for Christian virginity: after Her will come countless legions of virgins consecrated to the Lord, both in the shadow of the altars or engaged in the charitable occupations of the Church in the world. Mary will be their eternal Model, their dedicated Patroness, their sure guide on the paths of perfection.

 

Sources for this article were taken from:  http://magnificat.ca

 

Reflection: The consecration of Mary to God presented all the conditions of the most perfect sacrifice: it was prompt, generous, joyous, unregretted, without reservation. How agreeable it must have been to God! May our consecration of ourselves to God be made under Her patronage, assisted by Her powerful intercession and united with Her ineffable merits.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, the Blessed Virgin Mary was dedicated to You by her parents when she was three. In the temple, she joined the girls who spent their days praying, reading Scripture, and serving the temple priests. Her holiness was very evident, and the high priest thought that You probably had great plans for her. I ask Mary to pray for the plans You have for my life. Where I have strayed onto a road of my own choosing, give me her hand to guide me back to where You want me. Where I need to wait for a new plan to begin, give me the grace remain patient and say, "Your will be done."

Amen.

Blessed Virgin Mary – Pray for us

Saint Anne and Saint Joachim – Pray for us

Gospel Reflection

November 20, 2012

Tuesday - Weekday – Year of Faith

by Rev. Fr. Benjo Fajota (Vice Rector of the EDSA Shrine)

5:30 PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Rv 3:1-6, 14-22

I, John, heard the Lord saying to me: "To the angel of the Church in Sardis, write this: "'The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says this: "I know your works, that you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you. However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy.

"'The victor will thus be dressed in white, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father and of his angels. "'Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" "To the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write this:

"'The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God's creation, says this: "I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, 'I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,' and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.

"'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne. "'Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Responsorial Psalm Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R. (Rev. 3: 21) I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.

Gospel Lk 19:1-10

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

HOMILY

Boris Becker, a German tennis player, became the youngest Wimbledon champion at the age of 17. At the time of his prime, he won another Wimbledon crown. He was very rich and could afford to buy anything. But he contemplated suicide because he said, "my life was empty".

Jack Higgins, the author of novels such as "The Eagle Has Landed", was once asked, "What would you have wanted to know when you were a boy?" And he answered, "That when we get to the top, there is nothing there."

Nobody knew this saying more than Zacchaeus in our story. He was very rich by today's standards. He overtaxed the people of Israel. The Israelites, therefore, hated him because he imposed every burden on them and connived with the Roman authorities. He was a pariah; nobody accepted him. He was very rich, yet he was very lonely.

How many of us would have already reached our point of successes and would tell ourselves, "What is there to all of these?" There is nothing, there is emptiness, there is no meaning in having all of these successes in life. 

And what is the challenge of today's Gospel? Jesus is asking us. Probably there are other people we see around us every day who are 'clinging to their own trees' because nobody accepts them. Zacchaeus, the tax collector, made a conversion when Jesus Christ entered his house. Jesus did not admonish him. He did not preach that "You should be converted, that you should stay away from your sins, and that you should give away all your wealth to the poor". He did not say anything. What Jesus did was simply to accept this sinner unconditionally. Tinanggap Niya ang pagkatao ng isang makasalanan.

We also don't need to boast of our wealth, of our successes, and our faith in God, because we cannot claim that it is by our own merits that we get them. Walang anuman tayong maibibigay sa Diyos para ipagmalaki na tayo ay isang matagumpay na tao. Lahat nang ito ay dahil sa awa ng Diyos. 

Ang hamon sa atin ay para anyayahan ang ating mga kapatid, ang ating kapwa na naguguluhan din, nabubulagan, at tanggapin sila nang buong buo, kahit sino pa man. And probably, with this simple gesture of inviting them, we could touch their hearts more than whatever preaching we could say. Amen.