Gospel Reflection

May 10, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Easter Season

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

6:00AM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

 

Reading 1 Acts 18:9-18

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city.” He settled there for a year and a half and taught the word of God among them.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him to the tribunal, saying, “This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.” When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud, I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews; but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles and your own law, see to it yourselves. I do not wish to be a judge of such matters.” And he drove them away from the tribunal. They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official, and beat him in full view of the tribunal. But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

Paul remained for quite some time, and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow.

Responsorial Psalm PS 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (8a) God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He brings people under us;
nations under our feet.
He chooses for us our inheritance,
the glory of Jacob, whom he loves.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Jn 16:20-23

Jesus said to his disciples:  “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”

HOMILY

There was a certain community of monks, whose members are not in good terms with each other. They will always be quarreling. Even on simple things, they will be fighting. One of the monks thought of an idea, and he went away for a few weeks. When he came back, he said, "I was into a retreat and deep meditation, and I learned that one of you here is the Messiah, but I am not in liberty to tell who He is." So, from that day on, the members treated each other more reverently, thinking that the other one is the Messiah. And there was harmony, and there was peace in the community. 

We learn in the first letter of St. Paul, that he was teaching in the city of Corinth, where he stayed for one and a half years. And while he was preaching, some other officials were against him. But then the Lord spoke to him in a vision and said, "Do not be afraid. Do not be silenced. Go on with your preaching. No harm will be upon you." St. Paul then continued in his preaching, though some people were against him. 

When I was working with different companies before I entered the seminary, almost all the companies I have been to, has this single line which says, "There is no room for mediocrity in our company." And so a lot of employees in the different companies I have been to, will always be pursuing excellence in their work. They will always be striving for the best. 

Relating this to our faith, we should ask. Are we mediocre in our faith? Ganoon na lamang ba ang pananampalataya natin? Kung maganda o malaki ang nangyayari sa ating buhay, malakas ang ating pananampalataya. Pero kapag dumating na 'yong sunod sunod na problema, o mga dagok sa ating buhay, humihina, nawawala ang ating pananalig sa Diyos. Can we not strive for excellence? If we are striving for it in our profession, in our work, in our daily lives, can we not make our faith also excellent in terms of our relationship with God? In terms of our relationship with our brothers and sisters? Hindi lang kung kailan maganda ang takbo ng buhay natin, tsaka tayo nagpapasalamat sa Diyos. At kapag dumating na ang mga bagay na di natin maunawaan, nagagalit tayo sa Diyos. 

My dear brothers and sisters, the Word of God must change our lives. It must change our hearts, it must change our attitude. But it must start from hearing and adhering to the Word of God. Amen. 

Gospel Reflection

May 09, 2013

Thursday – Year of Faith – Easter Season

by Rev. Fr. Rufino "Jun" C. Sescon, Jr. - Chaplain, Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel (Greenbelt Chapel), Makati
5:45PM Mass at Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel, (Greenbelt Chapel) Makati

 

Reading 1 Acts 18:1-8

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility.  From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” So he left there and went to a house belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next to a synagogue. Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized.

Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Jn 16:16-20

Jesus said to his disciples:  “A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “What does this mean that he is saying to us, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” So they said, “What is this ‘little while’ of which he speaks? We do not know what he means.”  Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing with one another what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

HOMILY

St. Ignatius of Loyola developed what we now call the spiritual exercises. It is a series of retreats, reflections and examination of conscience. And it was a fruit of his own spiritual journey. Ignatius started as a soldier, living a very worldly life. And when he was struck by a canon ball that made him bed-ridden for a long time, that was the moment he reflected on life. It was then that he realized the cycle of life. He realized that when he wanted to enjoy the ways of the world - money, women, power - yes, he was happy. But then he said, after a while, he is not happy again. He said that the happiness of this world seems to fade away, as he continues. 

On the other hand, Ignatius said that with the Lord, there is desolation, there is emptiness, but once you experience that peace of God, that joy of the Lord, he said that it is longer, it is more sustaining. So that is why he said it is a choice of where you really want to be happy, and which happiness really would persist. Yes, you drink a lot, and you will feel happy. But when you wake up in the morning, all you have is hang-over, and the problem is back. Yes, there is happiness, but only for a while. 

That is why St. Ignatius says that it is a choice on what consolation do you really want. A temporary consolation? Yes, all of us will have desolation. But what kind of desolation would you want? A temporary desolation? That is why the advice of St. Ignatius is, in moments of desolation, remember consolation. And in moments of consolation, remember desolation. 

What does it mean? In moments when you are happy, in moments of consolation, remember that there is desolation, because that will make you more humble and rooted in reality. Totoo naman ho 'yon, di ba, dahil minsan, sa sobrang saya natin sa buhay, akala mo magtatagal 'yong saya mo, nakalimutan mo kung papaano ang totoong buhay. Minsan gastos ka nang gastos hanggang sa magising ka na lang isang umaga, sa bandang huli, ubos na ang lahat ng pera mo, may utang ka pa. 

On the other hand, in moments of desolation, perhaps, for example, you are working hard, remember consolation. And that's the time, you will realize afterwards, your hard work paid off. And now you are reaping the rewards of your hard work. So St. Ignatius says, learn the balance of life, and learn which is more permanent. Siguro nga, nahihirapan ka sa trabaho mo, but because you persist, then the consolation of life, the consolation cycle will come in. Ayaw mong masaktan, siguro nga umiiwas ka, o sandali lang, mare-realize mo na hindi ka rin sasaya nang matagalan dahil ayaw mong masaktan. 

In our Gospel today, Jesus used the analogy of a woman giving birth. I remember there was a doctor who said, that there is now painless normal delivery. Wala nang masakit, hindi katulad dati. During the time of our Lord, anesthesia was not yet fully developed, so maririnig mo siguro ang mga humihiyaw na mga nanay na nanganganak. But a better analogy that I now see, and I myself experienced, is the analogy of physical therapy. I myself underwent that when I got operated on the shoulder. When the therapist will tell me to stretch, it is so painful and I will resist. And the doctor said, "Alright Father, if you don't want to stretch it, you will not be in pain. But you will not also be completely healed. But if you stretch it, yes, there is momentary pain. But there is a longer relief later on." 

And that is very true with life. There is momentary pain, a momentary challenge, a momentary setback, but if we persevere with the Lord, the longer consolation takes place. 

In the First Reading, that is what St. Paul experienced. He was preaching with much fervor, but he was rejected by the Jews. That is why St. Paul said, from now on he will go to the Gentiles. St. Paul experienced rejection, desolation, pain. But then he said he believes the Lord. This is momentary, this is not permanent. And that is why when he went to the Gentiles, he succeeded. Desolation became consolation. Jesus said, 'your grief will become joy'. 

We want to choose joy, most of the time, in life. We want to enjoy, most of the time in life. Sometimes, those choices are just temporary. When we wake up, the hang-over, the debts, the problems are there. But the consolation with the Lord....maybe at the beginning it will be painful, it will be difficult. But what St. Ignatius realized is when that joy and peace comes, it is lasting, it is permanent, it is deeper. 

And so as we continue with this mass, we pray for that grace. Na sa buhay natin, Lord, sana po, ituro N'yo sa amin, hindi lang ang panandaliang saya, ang panandaliang ginhawa, panandaliang kayamanan. Lord, ituro N'yo po sa amin, 'yong talagang makapagbibigay lunas sa aming buhay. 'Yong talagang makapagbibigay kahulugan, makapagbibigay ng kapayapaan. At sa mga sandaling kami ay sinusubok at nahihirapan, ipaalala N'yo rin sa amin Panginoon, hindi po ito magtatagal. Sapagkat meron pang nakalaan na tunay na kaligayahan para sa aming lahat. Amen. 

Gospel Reflection

May 08, 2013

Wednesday – Year of Faith – Easter Season

by Rev. Fr. Ramon Jade L. Licuanan (Commissioner, Commission on Youth, Archdiocese of Manila)

7:00PM Mass, Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel (Greenbelt Chapel), Makati

 

Reading 1 Acts 17:15, 22—18:1

After Paul’s escorts had taken him to Athens, they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: “You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’ as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ Since therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination. God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he demands that all people everywhere repent because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world with justice’ through a man he has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead.”

When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We should like to hear you on this some other time.” And so Paul left them. But some did join him, and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

Responsorial Psalm PS 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Jn 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”

HOMILY

May I ask here kung sino po sa inyo ang nakaakyat na po ng Mount Everest? Other than me, sino pa po? (laughs, no one raises a hand) Anyone? When I was there...wow....(laughs). No, I have read an article about it and one thing that struck me about this mountain was, if you reach the very summit of Mount Everest - the highest point on earth - that can accommodate, not just one, not just two, but up to six persons. 

Why do I say this? In the Gospel, we are confronted by a reality, a truth about our faith, about God's revelation to us. In the Gospel, Jesus Himself acknowledges that what He has are all from God. They all came from the Father. So whatever miracle or teaching or powerful preaching, Jesus acknowledges as coming from the Father. And then, Jesus tells us that there is so much He wants to tell, but we cannot bear it now. But when He comes - and He was referring to the Holy Spirit - the Spirit will guide us to all truth. 

What does this impresses on us? It means that the reality of our faith is that God is revealing Himself to us, not just as one sole person enjoying all the glory, the majesty and the power, but God is introducing Himself to us in three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to emphasize to us the importance of learning to live with each other and that we may all learn to share with each other. 

As much as the highest point on earth or the summit of Mount Everest can accommodate many, so we can also share the glory, the power, the authority altogether. We can share whatever we have. We can share our wealth altogether; we can share the pedestal with others here on earth. We do not have to own them all. We do not have to solely enjoy them all. Whatever we have, we can share with others. We do not have to stand at the summit alone. We have each other. And the reality, the truth about the Holy Trinity proves to us that that is possible and essential, and that is a must in a Christian life. In our Christian faith, we are being challenged and invited to learn and share with others. 

Alam ninyo, napakaimportante po nito, especially these days. The campaign period is about to end, elections are coming, and we heard of a lot of news about violence, about the money laundering of some candidates. For whatever reason, these candidates - although not all - will annihilate other competing candidates, just to enjoy the limelight, the authority, the office, the power, by themselves alone. It is now how God showed Himself to us. When Jesus revealed Himself to us as the Son of Man, as God made man, He introduced us to His Father who is the source of all. Later on, He introduced to us the Holy Spirit, which the Gospel today mentioned as the One who will teach and guide us to all truth. 

Imagine - if God will tell us and show Himself as sharing in three persons whatever glory and authority He has, so we should, by ourselves, and with ourselves. We have to learn to share with each other, not just the burden and the problems, but even the fame, the glory, the wealth, the honor. We have to give space to others, to share with the glory. 

'Yon po ang problema natin, lalo na po pag panahon ng eleksiyon. It is so sad. 'Yon ba ang mamanahin ng ating mga kabataan ngayon? How our political parties slander and slaughter each other, just to get into that position, that office? It is so sad. As Catholic Christians, we have to learn to see the faith that God has shown us, that we do not have to own everything. We do not have to possess all; we have to learn to share. 

Even in our offices, di ba? When something good happens, or if there is an achievement, some people will claim everything to their credit. Of course we all know that whatever fruit has come out is a result of everyone's effort and collaboration. We have to learn to share. Come to think of it, if you look closely into the Gospel, you will realize that God is not only sharing into three persons, but God even shared the treasure of heaven to us. Can you imagine that? God is sharing with us the inheritance of heaven, the wealth of His kingdom.

That is why, my brothers and sisters, we should all pray that we may learn to share the summit of our 'Mount Everest' in life with others. We do not share only our crosses to others, but even the triumphs, the blessings, the consolations, the peaks and joys of our life - all these we share with one another. And that is our prayer. Amen.