Gospel Reflection

January 07, 2012

Saturday

Anticipated Sunday Mass (The Epiphany of the Lord - Solemnity)

by Rev. Fr. Stephen Mifsud (MSSP – Quezon City)

MSSP House / Mass for the poor

First Reading:               Isaiah 60:1-6

Psalm:                         Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13

Second Reading:           Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6

Gospel:                        Matthew 2:1-12

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 6 `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'" 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8 and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.raphic Order (M

HOMILY

How many gifts did you receive this Christmas? What type of gifts?

Whose birthday did we celebrate?  Jesus

When someone has a birthday (not you) who receives the gifts? You or the one who has birthday?

Why do you receive gifts if it is not your birthday?

Did you give a gift to Jesus?

For many Filipinos Christmas means asking for and receiving gifts and money... mamasko!!

In our country no one asks for gift! That’s very rude and insulting! A gift is given freely.

Children singing to collect money... for us we go to sing in old people’s homes and hospitals not receive money but to give joy !!

What gift did you give to Jesus on his birthday?   What did you give to others?

you tell me ... Wala akong pera!  mahirap ako! I don’t have anything to give!.

Talaga? Hindi totoo yan!!

What gifts did Jesus receive?

Do you think Jesus needed gold? NO

Do you think Jesus needed Frankincense? NO

Do you think Jesus needs perfume? Maybe yes... kasi mabaho ang lugar full of animals!!

What type of gifts are these? What do they represent if Jesus did not need them?

1. Gold was a symbol of kings... Christ is a king that leads and protects you – what gift you give to a king? King does not need gold but needs people who Listen to him, who obey and respect.  So let our gift be letting God direct our lives. To do what He wants.

2. Frankincense is the sign of the priest. The incense (good smelling smoke) that the priests offers to God as a symbol that the prayers arrive to God on high.   Jesus is the great high priest who bridges the gap between God and man.  How much expensive is a prayer? Nothing... walang bayad !  Prayer is a gift that we can give to Jesus... So many people ate good food, did fireworks ... some of them did not pray and went to meat Jesus in Church.  So when you pray like what you are doing now, you are like the wise men offering Frankincense.

3. Myrrh is the perfume used to anoint the dead.  Jesus saved us from sins by giving everything to us including his life.  How much it cost to go for confession? Nothing! The biggest gift we can give to Jesus is to renew our life, to die for sin and have good Christian life.   Giving perfume means to be in solidarity with those who are suffering... to give the gift of affection.

So if this Christmas you did not give anything to Jesus... its time to give him something for his birthday... not the material gifts that we received but

The gift of LISTENING, OBEDIENCE,

The gift of PRAYER

The gift of RENEWAL and GOOD LIFE, SOLIDARITY with those suffering.

Gospel Reflection

December 03, 2011

Saturday

St. Francis Xavier, Priest (Memorial)

Anticipated Sunday Mass (Second Sunday of Advent)

by Rev. Fr. Stephen Mifsud (MSSP – Quezon City)

MSSP House / Mass for the poor

First Reading:               Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

Psalm:                         Psalm 85:9-14

Second Reading:           2 Peter 3:8-14

Gospel:                        Mark 1:1-8

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way; 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight -- " 4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit the Seraphic Order (M

HOMILY

Story In1980 a disabled man with cerebral palsy was talking to a group of professional footballers.

What could this man tell these footballers? He told them.

“You may kick the best shot, earn thousands of Pesos a year, but when the day comes that they close the lid on that box, you won’t be any different than I am.  That’s one time when we’ll be the same.  I don’t need what you have in life, but one thing’s for sure: you need what I have, and that’s Jesus Christ”

“What I need is Christ” 

Death has no age.  The important thing in life is whether I arrive at Jesus or not.  The question is how can I arrive at Jesus?

Today in the Gospel we have John Baptist who tells us how. Shows us the door to arrive at Jesus.  John said : “Prepare a way for the Lord”

Advent is time to prepare for Christ, so he can come to me.   Imagine the president wants to come here to give us 10 thousand pesos each but the road up there is a mountain of basura which prevents him from coming in.  What do you do?  Remove the basura.

That’s why John the baptist said today“Lower mountains” ibig sabihin remove the obstacles so that Jesus may come in your life. 

            what are my mountains? My obstacles?

My laziness... “I am tired to pray... next time na lang”

 my pride... “I don’t need God in my life!” I can do it myself

 shyness... what do my friends say if I go to church or I pray?

Selfishness...  I want everything for myself and do not share with others my things, my thoughts and my time.

John Baptist said also “straighten the paths” ibig sabihin, straight your attitudes

            Do I show honesty in my actions? Do I live right?

So let us ask God to help us clear those things in our life which makes us far from him.  Let us make at least the decision to start clearing the way.  Let us make way to Jesus to come near us... not to give us money but to give us the peace in our heart, to give us the hope that we need to continue our struggles in life, to give us the faith in Him that one day we will be enjoying the beauty and the riches of heaven.

Gospel Reflection

November 05, 2011
Saturday

Commemoration of All Deceased of the Seraphic Order (Memorial)

Anticipated Sunday Mass

by Rev. Fr. Stephen Mifsud (MSSP – Quezon City)

MSSP House / Mass for the poor

First Reading:               Wisdom 6:12-16

Psalm:                         Psalm 63:2-8

Second Reading:          1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 or 4:13-14

Gospel:                        Matthew 25:1-13

1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

HOMILY

Be Prepared.

What do you think happens if a fat priest like me goes to play basketball with the Atineo Eagles?   Fail!!

Why? Not because I am fat  but because I am not prepared!!  If in the last day before the match, I tell someone of the players, “pls give me some of your talent or energy!! Will he give me?  No!  he cannot.

This is what Jesus is teaching us today in the Parable.  We know that one day we have to die and hopefully we will be prepared to enter the kingdom of heaven.  The fact is that we do not know the day

We cannot say , I will do what I like now and leave it till later in life to repent and embrace the Gospel!  We have to be prepared, there is no age frame of death eg. Over 50 you will die.  All of us know someone who died in the “early years”   I am saying this not to make you afraid but to prepare well.  If you know the questions of the exam before the exam and prepare well, will you be afraid to go to that exam?  No.

Jesus compares the preparation with oil... need to have extra oil.  What is the oil?

It refers to inner qualities like honesty, fairness, integrity, charity.

We cannot borrow another person’s quality and preparation.   I cannot borrow the goodness of another.  I have to prepare for myself.

We must work up our way – I cannot say my parents are holy so I have a complementary ticket to heaven.

We have to give an account of how we lived

Be prepared 

When do you start preparing for Christmas? The day before?  No... many weeks b4.  Can u prepare wedding feast the day before? No... many months before!  Before Christmas we are going to do a party for you... what happens if we do not prepare... you will not eat, you will not have gift... is preparation important?  YES!!

If we prepare so many things for a celebration, how much have we to prepare for eternal life?

Let us make the best use of the time we have been given.  Let us learn how to live as God wants us through the reading of the Bible, let us live and love like Jesus, by praying, helping others, not harming others but forgiving them, bringing peace and joy.

Story:– to a group of young people who were playing football one asked: What would you do if I told you knew you are going to die in 2 hours. I’d go to the chapel, find a priest and confess, I go to pray. I’d run home and tell my sister I’m sorry, I go and visit my parents. Dominic Savio replied: I’d finish our soccer game.”

What would you do if you knew that in two hours you are going to die?

Are you prepared?

Gospel Reflection

October 17, 2009

Saturday

Anticipated Sunday Mass

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Nicandro Lim Jr.

A homily delivered in St. Mary’s Church, Bunbury, Autralia

First Reading:               Isaiah 53:10-11

Psalm:                         Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22

Second Reading:           Hebrews 4:14-16

Gospel:                         Mark 10:35-45 or 10:42-45         

35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man's foes will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. 41 He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."

HOMILY

“...James and John said to Jesus, ‘Grant us to sit one at your right and one at your left when you come into your glory.’  Jesus said to them, ‘You don’t know what you are asking.  Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized in the way I am baptized?” – Mark 10: 37 - 38

What good can it bring us if we possess all power and authority of heaven above or the earth below us?  What can happen to us if we are entrusted with the privilege of becoming the master of everything?  Will it lead us to greatness?  Will greatness give us peace?  Will it lead us to happiness, satisfaction, or even fulfillment?

Someone told me that in one way or the other, we all nurse a secret dream of glory. We daydream that in some way we will stand out and be recognized. And so, there are times we fantasize about great achievements that will set us apart from all others to be famous. And the way we daydream vary from time to time but inside them, we are always at the centre - the most admired person in the room, the one scoring the winning goal, the actor picking up the Academy award, the author writing the best-seller, the intellectual winning the Nobel Peace Prize, or even just the one in the circle who tells the best story.  But then, what we are chasing at in all these?  Do we really want to be noticed, appreciated, or to become unique from all others so that we can be duly recognized and be loved? Will it give us peace?  Will it lead us to happiness, to satisfaction, or even to fulfillment?

I was told that having such secret dream is not bad in itself.  I was told that what’s less healthy in this is how we envision that glory for ourselves. Why?  Because in all our fantasies, glory almost always consists in being famous, in standing out, in achieving a success that makes others envious, in somehow being the best-looking or the brightest or the most talented person in the room. In our fantasy, glory means having the power to actuate ourselves in ways that set us above others, even if that is for a good motive. Before Jesus was born, good-hearted and religious people prayed for a Messiah to come and, in their fantasy, that Messiah was generally envisaged as a worldly superstar, a person with a superior heart and superior muscles, a Messiah who would reveal the superiority of God by out-muscling the bad.

However, what do we see in the Gospels?  We see in the gospels that real glory doesn’t consist in out-muscling the bad or anyone else but in Jesus Christ crucified.  He was offered precisely to challenge us and not to prove us that he was special by doing some spectacular gesture that would leave all of his detractors stunned and helpless: “If you are the Son of God, prove it, come down off the cross! Save yourself!”

With a subtlety that’s so easy to miss, the Gospels teach us a very different lesson: On the cross, Jesus proves that he is powerful beyond measure, not by doing some spectacular physical act that leaves everyone around him helpless to make any protest, but in a spectacular act of the heart wherein he forgives those who are mocking and killing him. That is real glory, and that is the one thing of which we really should be envious, namely, the compassion and forgiveness that Jesus manifested in the face of jealousy, hatred, and murder.

Now, we see this illustrated in the Gospels in the incident where James and John came to Jesus and ask him to give them the seats of glory at his side. Jesus takes their request seriously and does not, on that occasion, caution them against pride. Rather he asks them: “Can you drink from the cup [of suffering] that I shall drink?” In naiveté, they answered: “We can!” Jesus replies: “The cup that I shall drink you shall drink, but as for the seats [of glory] at my right hand or left, these are not mine to give.”

What Jesus was saying, in effect, was this: You will taste suffering, everyone will, and that suffering will make you deep. But, it won’t necessarily make you deep in the right way. Suffering can make you deep in compassion and forgiveness, but it can also make you deep in bitterness and anger. However, only compassion and forgiveness can bring glory into your lives.

Jesus defines glory very differently than we do. Real glory, for him, is not the glory of winning a gold medal, of being a champion, of winning an Oscar, or of being an object of envy because of our looks or our achievements. Glory consists in being deep in compassion, forgiveness, and graciousness - and these are not often spawned by worldly success, by being better-looking, brighter, richer, or better muscled than those around us.

We all nurse the secret dream of glory. Partly this is healthy, a sign that we are emotionally well. However, this is something that needs to grow and mature inside of us. Our secret dream of glory is meant to mature so that eventually we will begin, more and more, to envision ourselves as standing out, not by talent, looks, muscles, and speed, but by the depth of our compassion and the quality of our forgiveness.

Let me ask you again, what good can it bring us if we possess all power and authority of heaven above us or earth below us?  What can happen to us if we are entrusted with the privilege of becoming the master of everything?  Will it lead us to greatness?  Will greatness give us peace?  Will it lead us to happiness, to satisfaction, or even to fulfillment?  Think of Jesus and you’ll see what real glory or greatness means.

In the name of the Father...