Gospel Reflection

June 23, 2013

Sunday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Jim Ferry (San Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex EDSA, Guadalupe, Makati)

4:30PM Mass at Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel, Greenbelt, Makati

Reading 1 Zec 12:10-11; 13:1

Thus says the LORD: I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.

On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

On that day there shall be open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Reading 2 Gal 3:26-29

Brothers and sisters: Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.

Gospel Lk 9:18-24

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

HOMILY

During these liturgies in ordinary time, we mentioned before that each of the Readings seems to have a theme that, in some way, magnifies a particular aspect of the life of Jesus. In Zechariah, we hear that a prophesy is made that there will be a Messiah who will come, and He will suffer, and He will die, in order that He might express His great love, in order to be an avenue of conversion, in order to be One who brings about reconciliation. And then we have in Galatians, St. Paul speaking to the people about the consequence of baptism. Because of baptism, we are filled with faith. And because of faith, we have the ability to testify to our belief in Jesus. And in the Gospel, Jesus is saying to us who He is. He is the fulfillment of the prophesy in Zechariah. He is the One with whom we place our faith. He is the One who is the Christ, the Anointed One, the One filled with the Spirit.

If we look for a word, going through these three Readings, which can be applied to ourselves, it would be 'baptism'. In baptism, we testify in a very public way, by the pouring of water, that we believe in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. And the consequence of that belief is that we will take up our cross each day, and follow Jesus. Why? Because we are a people of faith. A gift that is given to us, a gift that enables us to say 'yes' to the mystery of salvation, say 'yes' to the mystery of God's forgiving love, say 'yes' to that vocation, which, in itself, will be impossible to follow - that vocation of taking up our cross and be identified with the sufferings of Jesus, sufferings that are brought about by sin.

And when we testify against sin, people will reject us. When we stand for truth and confront lies and falsehood, people will insult and reject us. When we stand for life - the very basic meaning of baptism - and when we wish to stir up in the hearts of people that conviction that all are equal - just as Paul tells us in baptism, the poor are equal to the rich, women are equal to men, a child in the womb is equal to the child born - all of these, we celebrate and live out in faith, the consequence of being bathed with water at baptism, in the name of the Triune God. And then being Spirit-filled, we receive the strength against our enemies, to testify, to remain thankful, and to be witnesses of this forgiving and all-embracing love of Jesus.

Think for a few moments this afternoon. The Liturgy of the Word reveals to us the deeper meaning of baptism, being identified with Jesus in new life, the gift of faith, and the ability to carry our crosses. And because of that, when we die with Jesus in our rejection of all that is evil, as He Himself died, rather than be with evil, then we rise with Him to new life, even now, filled with that presence of God within us, ultimately, to celebrate that presence, face-to-face, having lived a life of faithfulness to Jesus, identified with Jesus, and looking at one another in a very humble and equal way. If we are truly one with Christ, then we live out that oneness without division. No power, no pride, no dominance, no falsehood, no being centered on ourselves, but we live out who we are. God's holy people, filled with faith. God's holy people, identified with the Cross of Jesus. God's holy people, who, being identified with Jesus now, will be identified with Him, for all eternity.

This particular aspect of the life of Jesus is in the Gospel of Mark. The very beginning of that Gospel is - 'now begins the Good News of Jesus'. And when does it begin? When Jesus is at the Jordan, and He is baptized by John. The Spirit comes down on Jesus and says to Jesus, 'You are My beloved Son.' He is the Son of God. We have faith in the Son of God. We want to be identified with the Cross of the Son of God. In grief, we wish each day to be identified with Jesus - the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world - all division, all untruthfulness, all selfishness - and makes us one in His heart. Truly, if we live our faith, we will live our lives, so that the world can recognize that you are my brothers and sisters, and I am your brother, one in the Body of Jesus.

Gospel Reflection

June 22, 2013

Saturday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Ernie M. Cruz, SDB - Rector, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati

6:30AM Mass, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati

Reading 1 2 Cor 12:1-10

Brothers and sisters: I must boast; not that it is profitable, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows), was caught up to the third heaven. And I know that this man (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up into Paradise and heard ineffable things, which no one may utter. About this man I will boast, but about myself I will not boast, except about my weaknesses. Although if I should wish to boast, I would not be foolish, for I would be telling the truth. But I refrain, so that no one may think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me because of the abundance of the revelations. Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Responsorial Psalm PS 34:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Fear the LORD, you his holy ones,
for nought is lacking to those who fear him.
The great grow poor and hungry;
but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Come, children, hear me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Which of you desires life,
and takes delight in prosperous days?
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel Mt 6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples: “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

HOMILY

Some of us may be reading lives of saints. Some saints would write about their mystical experiences - St. Therese of Avila, St. Therese of the Child Jesus, St. John of the Cross. They would talk about their experience of God. They are wrapped up in God, that they could almost feel God. They are like in the netherworld, and they will talk about this experience of being very close to God. 

St. Paul also talked about his experience of God. When he talked about what he wanted to boast - about things, he would talk in the first person. But when he talked about his experience that is so different, so divine, he would talk in the third person.  

That is what we heard in the First Reading of today - St. Paul's experience with God. But then, St. Paul talks about his experience with God, not to boast, but in order to put forward that God is everything, and that everything comes from God's grace. What St. Paul can boast about himself are all his sins and weaknesses and God's grace that helped him through it. 

St. Paul said that for three times, he asked God to remove his 'pain in the flesh', whatever that is, which may be a big temptation or difficulty he was going through. And as he asked, the Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for you. Do not worry." That is why when we talk about St. Paul, we talk about a person who has placed his priority on God. He knew who God was. That is why he said he can talk about God, because he is the man who knows. He has experienced God. In spite of his many trials, pains and difficulties, God was supporting Him, and Jesus would not let him down. That was St. Paul's faith statement. 

That is what Jesus tells us in the Gospel of today. Do not worry about so many things; God will not let you down. If He can take care of the birds of the air, the fish, and all the beautiful flowers which flourish now and die tomorrow, we are much more than all of these. God will not let us down. 

That is why in the Gospel, we should look at ourselves and see our distance from what God wants us to be. Sometimes, we can get so engrossed in material things that God becomes a second priority. It is not really being the best, or having the most, or having a very big deposit in the bank. It is all about seeking God's Word, seeking God's will and the greater glory of God. As. St. Ignatius would say, it is all a matter of seeking God. And in that seeking, we will be able to find and discover that God truly cares. We may never reach that peak moment when we have reached the greater glory of God, but we know that the very act of seeking God's will is already a cause for joy in us. 

A lot of people now have a certain culture that gives a lot of time to working and accumulating wealth, where the number one priority is work, with family only second. They leave early for work and stay late, and just go back home to rest. And then the next day, gano'n ulit. Our expats here will work late, then have a good time to pass on the traffic, and then work again the next day. We can just imagine how far probably is God in their priorities. 

And that could also be the same for us. Where is the place of God in our priorities? When we try seeking what God wants, everything will be put in place. When we read the Magnificat, we know that the Blessed Mother gave everything, and yet, she did not lack anything. Most of all, we believe that our Blessed Mother was most happy. 

The joy of a person is when he is placed, right where God wants Him to be. How happy is that person who places his full trust and priority in God. How nice it is to see people who come into a certain age, surrounded by their family, children and grandchildren, and they will look at their families, saying, "I have done my best, and God has given me this reward and blessing of being very happy for what I have done." At times, what we have that we did not expect, are the best gifts that God gives to us. But then He tells us to seek first His glory, and everything will be in place. Let us boast, not of what we have, but boast of the goodness and love of God for us. 

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Gospel Reflection

June 21, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

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

6:30AM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 2 Cor 11:18, 21-30

Brothers and sisters: Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. To my shame I say that we were too weak!

But what anyone dares to boast of  (I am speaking in foolishness) I also dare. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they children of Israel? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?  (I am talking like an insane person). I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death. Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (see 18b) From all their distress God rescues the just.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

Gospel Mt 6:19-23

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

HOMILY

We hate people who boast. Galit tayo sa mga taong mayayabang at nagyayabang.

In early Christian communities, a lot of them frowned on St. Paul because he was preaching very eloquently and was considered boastful. But his boasting did not come from his own ego or pride. His boasting is actually an act of love. An act of love, because he was boasting of his weakness, and claimed that it is only Christ who can actually heal his weaknesses. And this we can see in St. Paul's acts of charity, his acts of love, by going out to the Gentile regions to preach the Gospel at all costs.

Whereas, wrong boastfulness can be like this. There was this boy who was a great fanatic of the New York Nets, the baseball team. And all throughout his life, the boy learned about his heroes - all the members of the New York Nets. Mula noong bata pa siya, pinag-aralan na niya, kinilala niya kung sino itong mga ito. Pinagmamalaki niya lagi na ito ang best team sa buong mundo. However, up to a certain point, when he was already grown up, when someone told him that there was a player better than his favorite hero, he killed him. 

A lot of people will be claiming that they have Christ in their hearts. But only a person who really treasures Christ will boast of him, no matter what. In the prayer of St. Francis Severino, he said, "I love You, Lord, not because You can give me heaven, or You can condemn me to hell. I love You, because You are my love. I love You, because You are You." Amen.