Gospel Reflection

March 22, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Lenten Seasons

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

                         

Reading 1 Jer 20:10-13

I hear the whisperings of many: “Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!” All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. “Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.” But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, Let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7

R. (see 7) In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
The breakers of death surged round about me,
the destroying floods overwhelmed me;
The cords of the nether world enmeshed me,
the snares of death overtook me.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
In my distress I called upon the LORD
and cried out to my God;
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

Gospel Jn 10:31-42

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, ‘You are gods”‘?  If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?  If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.

He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him.

HOMILY

A rainy afternoon my brothers and sisters. 

Retaliation is never an option for a Catholic. It is poor taste if you try to get even with a person. That is never an option for a Catholic. Jesus shows that in the Gospel. 

If you retaliate, you are going to concentrate on the retaliation, rather than the good works that you are supposed to do in the first place. You are too caught up with trying to get even, that you have forgotten what you intend to do for the Lord. Result? You become non-children of God because that is not the way of God. Retaliation is never an option for a Catholic. 

There are better ways of trying to face a detractor. One is by legitimate defense. Just like what Jesus did in the Gospel, He explained to them, proved to them, and showed them. He tried to enlighten them with the truth. Second, complain to God. In the First Reading, Jeremiah complained to God, and God listened to Him. God will never give a deaf ear to an honest, sincere prayer, even if it is a complaint, because God loves His children. 

Come to think of it. Enemies are wonderful for us. Why? Because they will be able to unleash the true color of our skin. Are you really gold or just gold-plated? Our friends will always tell us good and nice things about us. Our enemies will tell negative things about us. It is our reaction to all these negative things that define who we really are. 

Retaliation is never an option for a Catholic. We have a choice. Are we truly sons and daughters of our Father in heaven? Do we show our true color as children of the Father in whatever we do to our detractors, as abrasive as our detractors may seem? Or are we non-children of God, because our bad nature comes out?

Gospel Reflection

March 21, 2013

Thursday – Year of Faith – Lenten Seasons

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

12:15PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

                         

Reading 1 Gn 17:3-9

When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him: “My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations. No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations. I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you. I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are now staying, the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God.”

God also said to Abraham: “On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations –
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Gospel Jn 8:51-59

Jesus said to the Jews: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”  So the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?  Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?”  Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word.  Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.”  So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

HOMILY

In both of our readings, we speak about identities. In the First Reading, Abraham - formerly know as Abram - was given a new identity by God because of His covenant with him and His people. The covenant that God will always be there for them, and will always be protecting them, and will always be providing for them as a Father would.

In our Gospel, we heard that people wanted to kill Jesus Christ, for speaking about His true identity. In the entire Chapter 8 of the Gospel of John, there are four things about Jesus Christ. First, Jesus says that He is the light of the world. Second, whoever accepts His Word will be among His chosen ones. And now we hear His two other claims - whoever keeps His word will never see death, and the supreme claim of all - "I am Who am", thereby claiming Jesus to be one with God and Jesus claiming to be God.

But how come people do not accept this truth, when it is Jesus Himself proclaiming it? We are not surprised when we hear about groups of atheists present in our society. Have you heard about a Facebook page with the title 'Si Hesus ay Isang _ _ _ _ _ na Panginoon'. K.U.P.A.L People who do not accept that there is God, ridicule and attack our faith. Why? Because we have failed. We have failed to be witnesses of our true identity. We claim to be Christians, yet how are we, when we relate to other people? We say that we are Christians and that we are holy. And we try to be holy when we are inside the church. But when we are in our work areas, when we are at our homes, when we are at different places, who are we? Do people see that Jesus is alive in us? Do people see that we accept His teachings? Do people see that we accept and keep His words?

Obedience to the Word of God - obedience to God - has its price. It is the price of being ridiculed, of being ostracized, of being attacked. If that is the only way to show our real identities as children of God, so be it. We must not be afraid. There is a cost for everything. And our lives have been paid by the life of Jesus Christ.

As we go through our Lenten journey, may we be strengthened by our faith through the Word of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

March 20, 2013

Wednesday – Year of Faith – Lenten Seasons
by Rev. Fr. Leo Nilo C. Mangussad, Rector, Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA (EDSA Shrine) 12:15PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

King Nebuchadnezzar said: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made, whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all the other musical instruments; otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up.”

King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual and had some of the strongest men in his army bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the white-hot furnace.

Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” “Assuredly, O king,” they answered. “But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”  Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him; they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.”

Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!

Gospel Jn 8:31-42

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.  How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains.  So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free. I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you.  I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence; then do what you have heard from the Father.”

They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. You are doing the works of your father!” So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication. We have one Father, God.”  Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”

HOMILY

As Jesus has said, "...and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free".
It is best to live a truthful life and practice truthfulness, unless you are an extremely good liar, that you could go on lying with your life. It will set you free if you know the truth because if you lie, you will have to put another lie to cover up the lie that you have said in the first place. And as you continue lying, more lies will have to be conjured to cover up the truth that you should have said in the first place.
The truth will set you free. But how many of us are willing to face and tell the truth? We are more fond of covering up the truth with utter lies. Why? It is like this. Sometimes, if we want to tell the truth, we just say half of it, so we are able to manipulate it. The painful part of it is, we only believe the other half, rather than the authentic half. And in so doing, we produce a convenient truth for us to live by. It is manipulating the absolute truth.
What is the absolute truth that will set us free? Love that comes from God. Jesus Himself has said that love is the absolute truth. If you love one another, you're not going to deceive anyone. You will tell truth. You are not going to be greedy, you're not going to be selfish, you're not going to think of yourself, but rather, think of everyone else.
Jesus sets the truth into action. Can we continue bearing this truth in our lives? Or are we going to cover up this truth with lies, and then continuously and non-stop cover it up with more lies? My brothers and sisters, Jesus wants us to live in truth. Can we cooperate with Him and bring the truth to everyone?

Gospel Reflection

March 19, 2013

Tuesday – Year of Faith – Lenten Seasons

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of Blessed Virgin Mary

by Rev. Fr. Victor Angelo Parlan (Diocese of Cubao)

12:15PM Mass, Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA (EDSA Shrine)

                         

Reading 1 2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16

The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”

Responsorial Psalm ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

R. (37) The son of David will live for ever.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness,
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. The son of David will live for ever.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. The son of David will live for ever.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. The son of David will live for ever.

Reading 2 Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22

Brothers and sisters: It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith. For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us, as it is written, I have made you father of many nations. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.

Gospel Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

or Lk 2:41-51a

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them.

HOMILY

Just when all things have been planned out, just when everything is set, everything is laid out for us, everything is in place, everything seems perfect, suddenly, the unexpected happens. Things seem to start going wrong. The perfect seems to become imperfect. The plans and dreams that we have for ourselves seem to grow dim. Parang nawawala na sa ating mga kamay, 'yong ating mga pangarap, 'yong ating mga panaginip para sa ating sarili.

This must have also been the experience of the saint whose feast we celebrate today - St. Joseph. Joseph had his dreams; Joseph had his plans. He just wanted to live a normal life - to have Mary as his wife, to have kids, of course, and as a carpenter, to build his own home. Joseph had his plans. Joseph had his dreams. 

And then suddenly, an angel comes to him, telling him that his wife is to have a child. An angel comes to him, telling him that he is to take Mary even if she is pregnant, and that he will become a father to a child, even if the child is not his very own. He had the right to complain. He had the right to refuse. But the response of St. Joseph teaches us a very important lesson. That before the plan of God, before the will of God, the only proper response is faith and trust.

The plan of God was already there from the very beginning, as we heard in our readings. In the Second Reading, it was already given to Abraham. In the First Reading, this promise was already made to David. And in the Gospel, we know that Joseph was very much part of God's plan. No if's, no but's. Joseph did not even say a word in the Gospel. Kahit saan ho kayo tumingin sa Ebanghelyo, wala kayong makikitang nagsalita si Jose. Everything for Joseph was an act of faith. Everything for Joseph was an act of confidence. And because of this, God's plan of salvation was fulfilled. 

My brothers and sisters, we all have our own plans. We all have our own dreams. But to live in faith is to believe that God has a greater plan, perhaps a more beautiful plan for us. Sometimes we may not understand His plan. Often, we do not even like it. But believing in God's plan and trusting Him can be a source of blessing. It can be a source of grace. It could be an instrument for Jesus to be born in our lives. It could be a way for us to be closer to God, even if the situation is imperfect. Even if the plans we have for our life do not go as we dreamed of. 

True blessing, true happiness and true joy is allowing our lives to be part of God's plan.