Gospel Reflection

November 01, 2012

Thursday – Year of Faith

Solemnity of All Saints

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

Lunch Mass at EDSA Shrine/Shire of Mary, Queen of Peace/Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish

Reading 1 Rv 7:2-4, 9-14

I, John, saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, "Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the children of Israel. After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb."

All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed: "Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen." Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, "Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows." He said to me, "These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Reading 2 1 Jn 3:1-3

Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.

Gospel Mt 5:1-12a

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."

HOMILY

Maria tried to live like a mute by not speaking for seven days. One time, somebody behind her back said, "Look at that dummy." And then another just suddenly 'hit her accidentally', probably, and she was almost down the ground but nobody bothered to help her up. She told herself, "If you cannot speak, you are powerless, and they will not even try to help you."

This is the plight of the poor in spirit. Before, when you say 'poor in spirit', we are talking about material goods. But now, the 'poor in spirit' are poor, not only materially, but poor in terms of lifestyle.

Who are the poor in spirit? Those who are marginalized, those who do not have enough. Those who are hungry, those who are uneducated. Those who do not have houses. Those who do not have enough friends. Those who are frustrated. Those who are always not in peace with other people. Those who are in prison because they were accused falsely. We can enumerate more of them but what is unfortunate is - are we lifting a finger to make their lives better in this world?

If not, then it is useless to be coming to church even every day because we're not putting to life what we have faith in. Jesus is reminding us in the Gospel about the importance of taking a step further to help other people. Blessed are we who suffer because we are potential saints. There is no better way to remember these poor people than during the celebration of All Saints' Day. The poor ones are potential saints, because the saints are the ones who are also mocked and persecuted. Blessed are we who suffer, because we can be saints in the eyes of God.

Better yet, if we can learn to help these poor in spirit, we could be practically and potentially helping possible saints. Is it not good that we, through the help of Christ's love, share this love to others? It is time to check ourselves. We celebrate All Saints' Day. We remember our faithful departed. But are we doing something to those who are still living, who are suffering? Through us, do they see our Lord Jesus Christ?

All the Angels and Saints – Pray for us

You may also want to see: A Holy Life - All Saints Day Memorial

A Holy Life

Solemnity of All Saints

Feast day – November 01

The earliest certain observance of a feast in honour of all the saints is an early fourth-century commemoration of "all the martyrs." In the early seventh century, after successive waves of invaders plundered the catacombs, Pope Boniface IV gathered up some 28 wagonloads of bones and reinterred them beneath the Pantheon, a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods. The pope rededicated the shrine as a Christian church. According to Venerable Bede, the pope intended "that the memory of all the saints might in the future be honoured in the place which had formerly been dedicated to the worship not of gods but of demons" (On the Calculation of Time). But the rededication of the Pantheon, like the earlier commemoration of all the martyrs, occurred in May. Many Eastern Churches still honour all the saints in the spring, either during the Easter season or immediately after Pentecost. How the Western Church came to celebrate this feast in November is a puzzle to historians. The Anglo-Saxon theologian Alcuin observed the feast on November 1 in 800, as did his friend Arno, Bishop of Salzburg. Rome finally adopted that date in the ninth century.

 

This feast first honoured martyrs. Later, when Christians were free to worship according to their conscience, the Church acknowledged other paths to sanctity. In the early centuries the only criterion was popular acclaim, even when the bishop's approval became the final step in placing a commemoration on the calendar. The first papal canonization occurred in 993; the lengthy process now required to prove extraordinary sanctity took form in the last 500 years. Today's feast honours the obscure as well as the famous — the saints each of us have known.

 

“After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.... [One of the elders] said to me, ‘These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:9,14).

 

Sources for this article were taken from:  AmericanCatholic.org

 

Prayer

"The glorious company of the apostles praise Thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise Thee.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise Thee.
All Thy saints and elect with one voice do acknowledge Thee,
O Blessed Trinity, one God!"

Almighty ever-living God,
by whose gift we venerate in one celebration
the merits of all the Saints,
bestow on us, we pray,
through the prayers of so many intercessors,
an abundance of the reconciliation with you
for which we earnestly long.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

All Saints in Heaven – Pray for us

Gospel Reflection

October 31, 2012

Wednesday – Year of Faith

(Vigil of the Solemnity of All Saints & Memorial of St. Wolfgang)

by Rev.  Fr. Joel Jason (Dean, Graduate School of Theology San Carlos Seminary)

Lunch Mass at Megamall, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord

Reading 1 Eph 6:1-9

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise, that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on earth. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not only when being watched, as currying favor, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, willingly serving the Lord and not men, knowing that each will be requited from the Lord for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. Masters, act in the same way towards them, and stop bullying, knowing that both they and you have a Master in heaven and that with him there is no partiality.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14

R. (13c) The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.

Gospel Lk 13:22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.' And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.' Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!' And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

HOMILY

Magandang tanghali pong muli sa inyong lahat.


Alam po ninyo, isa sa mga pinakamahirap na tanong na pwedeng itanong sa iyo, at isa sa mga pinakamahirap na tanong na sagutin, ay itong mensahe ng ating Ebanghelyo ngayon.


In our Gospel for today, Jesus was making His way towards Jerusalem. And as He was making His way, may isang lalaking lumapit sa kanya at nagtanong, "Panginoon, kakaunti lang po ba ang maliligtas? "Ilan po kaya ang maliligtas?" And Jesus did not answer the question. Bakit? Kasi mali 'yong tanong. Salvation is not a matter of 'how many'. Salvation is a matter of 'how'. Hindi tayo dapat magtanong ng, "Lord, ilan po ba ang maliligtas?" Kasi kung ilan ang maliligtas, if that is our question, that is very quantitative. Na para bang sasabihin ng Panginoon eh "Ang langit ay ganito lang kalaki, kaya ganito lang ang pwedeng makapasok". O ang pintuan ng langit ay only 10 meters long and 10 meters wide, so hindi pwedeng pumasok ang marami. Na kapag nagkaroon ng overpopulation sa langit, ayan isasarado na ang pintuan ng langit. Those are the terms of the question - very quantitative.


But heaven is not a quantifiable place. Kaya ano ang dapat nating itanong? It is not about how many, but it is about "how". Ang dapat itanong natin ay, "Papaano po ba kami maliligtas?" Minsan ako'y nagtuturo sa seminaryo, at mayroong isang seminaristang nagtanong sa akin. "Father, how can a God of love allow people to be in hell for eternity? Kung ang Diyos ay pag-ibig, at kung ang Diyos ay mapagmahal, bakit may impiyerno? At bakit hinahayaan ng Diyos na may mga taong maaaring maghirap habangbuhay sa impiyerno?"


What did we hear in the Gospel for today? Maliwanag naman sa parable na binigay ng Panginoon, sabi niya, "There will come a time when the door will be locked, and many people will be knocking and saying, 'Lord let us enter.' And then the Master of the house will be saying, 'Go away, I do not know you."


Ano ang itinuturo sa atin ni Hesus sa Ebanghelyo? Yes, He is not denying that God is a God of love. But let us not confuse the love of God, with the approval of God. God's unconditional love is not the same with God's unconditional approval. Ano ho 'yong pagkakaiba ng God's love and God's approval? Ibig sabihin, lahat tayo ay minamahal ng Diyos, at kahit anong gawin mo, mamahalin ka pa rin ng Diyos. Pero ano ba 'yong approval? 'Yong approval, ay para bang sinasabi, "O, kahit na ano ang gawin mo, walang problema, ok lang yan. Kahit na anong gawin mo, ok lang yan, maliligtas ka pa rin." If we believe it in that way, then we are confusing the love of God with the approval of God.


'Yong mga magulang dito, madali ninyong mauunawaan ito di ba? Pag tinanong ko kayo, "Mahal ba ninyo ang inyong mga anak"? Syempre sasabihin ninyo, "Yes Father, mahal na mahal po namin ang aming mga anak". Kahit na ano'ng gawin ng inyong anak, mamahalin nyo pa rin sila. But does it mean that you will approve everything that your children will do? Siguro sasabihin ninyo, "Ay hindi rin po, Father."


Naalala ko 'yong Tatay ko, noong ako'y bata pa, lagi niyang sinasabi, "O dito sa bahay na ito ha, walang sinungaling na pwedeng tumira sa bahay na ito. Walang anak na hindi gagalang sa kanyang Nanay, na pwedeng tumira sa bahay na ito." My father's love for me was unconditional, but it does not mean that he will approve everything that I will do. There are just some things that I cannot do in the house of my father. The love of my father is eternal, but it does not mean that he will approve me unconditionally.


Ganoon dapat ang maunawaan natin. Ang pagmamahal ng Diyos sa atin hindi magtatapos. But there are just some actions that do not have the approval of God. Kaya nga mapapansin ninyo in our First Reading for today, ano 'yong pina-alala ni St. Paul sa kanyang sulat sa mga taga-Galatia. Sabi niya : "Children, obey your parents, in the Lord, for this is right." There are just some actions that are right, and there are actions that are wrong. "Honor your father and your mother. This is the first commandment, with a promise." There are actions that God approves, and there are actions that also God disapproves.


In today's mass, let us ask for that grace to realize that yes, God loves me, but it does not mean that God will approve everything that I will do unconditionally. The unconditional love of God does not mean the unconditional approval of God. Let us learn to distinguish between the two. Let us trust in God's love, but let us also realize that God expects something from us, that we always act in accordance with His will. Amen.

Saint Wolfgang – Pray for us

You may also want to see: A Holy Life - Saint Wolfgang

A Holy Life

Saint Wolfgang

(d-994)

Feast day – October 31

Saint Wolfgang erected the first church at the shore of the Wolfgangsee after he withdrew to the nearby Mondsee Abbey in 976. According to legend he threw an axe down the mountain to find the site and even persuaded the Devil to contribute to the building by promising him the first living being ever entering the church. However Satan was disappointed as the first creature over the doorstep was a wolf.

After Wolfgang's canonization in 1052, the church became a major pilgrimage site, as it was first mentioned in an 1183 deed by Pope Lucius III. In 1481 it was furnished with the famous Pacher polyptych. There had been several places for lodging around the church since medieval times, while the Weißes Rössl hotel was not built until 1878.

During World War II, a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp was located here.

Saint Wolfgang (or Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg) (c. 934 – October 31, 994) was bishop of Regensburg in Bavaria from Christmas 972 until his death. He is a saint of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches (canonized in 1052). He is regarded as one of the three great German saints of the 10th century, the other two being Saint Ulrich and Saint Conrad of Constance.

Wolfgang was descended from the family of the Swabian Counts of Pfullingen (Mon. Germ. His.: Script., X, 53). When seven years old he had an ecclesiastic as tutor at home; later he attended the celebrated monastic school at Reichenau Abbey.

Here he formed a strong friendship with Henry of Babenberg, brother of Bishop Poppo of Würzburg, whom he followed to Würzburg in order to attend the lectures of the noted Italian grammarian, Stephen of Novara, at the cathedral school.

After Henry was made Archbishop of Trier in 956, he summoned Wolfgang, who became a teacher in the cathedral school of Trier, and also laboured for the reform of the archdiocese, despite the hostility with which his efforts were met.

Wolfgang's residence at Trier greatly influenced his monastic and ascetic tendencies, as here he came into contact with the great reformatory monastery of the 10th century, St. Maximin's Abbey, Trier, where he made the acquaintance of Romuald, the teacher of Saint Adalbert of Prague.

After the death of Archbishop Henry of Trier in 964, Wolfgang entered the Benedictine order in the Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln, Switzerland, and was ordained priest by Saint Ulrich in 968.

 

Sources for this article were taken from:  Wikipedia.com

 

Prayer

Lord, 

Help us to follow in your footsteps

Just as your Apostles did,

 That we may be a good example to others.

 Grant us the graces we need to be good disciples

 And always lead our friends on the path to holiness.

Amen.

Saint Wolfgang – Pray for us