Gospel Reflection

October 14, 2013

Monday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Prudencio 'Jun' T. Solomon, Jr., Parochial Vicar, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto Parish, Sampaloc, Manila
12:15PM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 Rom 1:1-7

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God, which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, the Gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power  according to the Spirit of holiness  through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father  and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
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 made known his salvation.
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 made known his salvation.
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 made known his salvation.

Gospel Lk 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment  the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation  and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

HOMILY

"This generation is an evil generation." Napakasama ng lahing ito.

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, matalim at masakit ang mga pananalita ni Hesus sa ating Ebanghelyo, sapagkat napansin Niya na ang mga tao ay naghahanap ng palatandaan.

Ano ang palatandaan? Ang palatandaan ay isang pagpapatunay. Sa madaling salita, ito ay isang pruweba, isang ebidensiya na nagsasabi na ang isang bagay ay totoo at tunay.

Palatandaan. Maaaring nakakapagbigay si Hesus ng palatandaan sa mga tao. Pero bakit Niya sinabing 'napakasama ng lahing ito'? Napakasama sapagkat mga kapatid, ang lahing ito ay hindi marunong maniwala. Matigas ang kanilang puso, matigas ang kanilang kalooban, at kahit na anong palatandaan ang ibigay ay hindi makasasapat sa isang taong hindi marunong magbago, hindi marunong maniwala, hindi marunong magbalik-loob.

Uulitin ko mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, walang palatandaan ang makasasapat sa isang taong sarado. Walang palatandaan ang makahuhusto sa isang taong sarado ang isipan, sarado ang kalooban, sarado ang puso. Walang palatandaan ang makasasapat sa mga taong ayaw magbago, maniwala at magbalik-loob.

Mga kapatid, mga kaibigan, naghahanap pa ba tayo ng palatandaan? Sa ating panahon ngayon, maraming palatandaan. Ang ating munting pagsasama-sama't pagsasalu-salo sa Banal na Eukaristiya ay isa nang palatandaan. Ang Eukaristiyang mismong ating natatanggap ay isang palatandaan din. Ang lahat sa ating paligid ay mga palatandaan ng Diyos.

Inuulit ko, sa isang taong sarado, sa isang taong hindi marunong magbago, maniwala at magbalik-loob, walang palatandaan ang makasasapat.

Gospel Reflection

October 13, 2013

Sunday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Caloy Reyes (Executive Secretary, CBCP Episcopal Commission on Interreligious Dialogue)
12:15PM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 2 Kgs 5:14-17

Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of Elisha, the man of God.  His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean of his leprosy.

Naaman returned with his whole retinue to the man of God.  On his arrival he stood before Elisha and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant."

Elisha replied, "As the LORD lives whom I serve, I will not take it;" and despite Naaman's urging, he still refused.  Naaman said: "If you will not accept, please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the LORD."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
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.
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.
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.

Reading 2 2 Tm 2:8-13

Beloved: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,  together with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.

Gospel Lk 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed.  And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"  Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."

HOMILY

Today's Gospel has two lessons for us. The first lesson is about marginalization. Marginalization is a situation wherein we set persons in the margins of society. Ang mga tao ay nilalagay natin sa margin. Diyan kayo, dito kami. And there are reasons why people are marginalized. 'Yon ay maaaring kasalanan ng tao, o kasalanan ng iba sa tao. May mga tao kasing sadya nang makasalanan. May mga taong talamak na sa kasalanan - mga killers, criminals. We put them in prison, para hindi natin sila makasama sa lipunan. Minsan, may mga kasamahan tayo na masama ang ugali. Kunyari 'yong asawa mo masama ang ugali (laughs), so mina-marginalize mo siya. Ngayon kung napapansin mo na ang lahat ng taong kasama mo ay sinusuka ka na, o pag nakikita ka na ay naduduwal (laughs), siguro huwag mo silang sisihin. Kasi kung minsan, pag marami ka nang hindi makasundo o tinatakwil ka na ng pamilya mo, siguro ikaw na ang may kasalanan. Kaya ikaw naman ang nama-marginalize. Minsan naman ay ang ibang tao na ang may kasalanan. Katulad ng bullying sa school. Pag hindi ka natipuhan ng classmate mo, ibu-bully ka nila. 'Yong mga lesbians and homosexuals, we also tend to marginalize them. Kung sasabihin mo agad sa homosexual or sa lesbian na pupunta siya sa impyerno, papa'no pa sila magsisimba? Others want to be richer than the others, so kukunin nila ang yaman na para sa iba. That is also putting others in margins.

Marginalization is a sin - when we discriminate persons because they are different. And this is exemplified in the Gospel in the image of the leper. During the time of Jesus, if you have leprosy, you are considered an outcast. Tinatakwil ka sa labas ng komunidad. Suot mo ang sira-sirang damit, tapos tatakpan mo ang mukha mo, at pag may lumapit sa iyong tao, sasabihin mong may ketong ka, para di ka niya lapitan. It is an image of marginalization. And Jesus Christ healed ten lepers in the Gospel. He brought them back to society.

The second lesson in the Gospel is about gratitude. Of the ten lepers who Jesus healed, only one came back, praising God and giving thanks to Jesus. One out of ten. Ten percent lang ang tumanaw ng utang na loob kay Hesus. Marami tayong hinihiling sa Diyos. Kaya lang minsan, kapag nakuha na natin ang ating hinihiling, ok ka na, nakalimutan mo nang magpasalamat. Hanggang ngayon, ganyan pa rin ang nangyayari. Sa buong karanasan ko bilang pari, maraming humihiling sa akin ng dasal at tulong, pero kakaunti lang ang nagpapasalamat, at isa lang ang bumalik sa akin para magpasalamat. May mag-asawang hindi magka-anak at humingi sa akin ng blessing. Noong binigyan ko sila ng blessing, naramdaman ko na ibibigay sa kanila ng Diyos ang kanilang hinihiling. After two months, bumalik sa akin ang mag-asawa, buntis na ang babae. Isa lang ang bumalik sa akin para magpasalamat.

Ganoon din po tayo. Why should we be grateful? It is because being grateful will help, not the one who helped you, but yourself. Being grateful means we recognize that we are not self-sufficient, and that we need God. Being grateful also reminds us of God's goodness and love. Hindi 'yong lalapit ka lang, magsisimba ka lang pag may kailangan ka. Pag nakakuha ka na, ok ka na. Ngayon pa lang, umpisahan na natin na matutong magbigay ng pasasalamat sa Panginoon, para lalo tayong mabigyan ng biyaya.

Gospel Reflection

October 11, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Jomar Burgos, LRMS - Dean of Seminarians and Vocation Director, Lorenzo Mission Institute
12:15PM Mass, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord (SM Megamall Chapel)

Reading 1 Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2

Gird yourselves and weep, O priests! wail, O ministers of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! The house of your God is deprived of offering and libation. Proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the elders, all who dwell in the land, Into the house of the LORD, your God, and cry to the LORD!

Alas, the day! for near is the day of the LORD, and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom, a day of clouds and somberness! Like dawn spreading over the mountains, a people numerous and mighty! Their like has not been from of old, nor will it be after them, even to the years of distant generations.

Responsorial Psalm PS 9:2-3, 6 and 16, 8-9

R. (9) The Lord will judge the world with justice.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out forever and ever.
The nations are sunk in the pit they have made;
in the snare they set, their foot is caught.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
But the LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He judges the world with justice;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.

Gospel Lk 11:15-26

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”

HOMILY

I do not see many students attending this mass because we have class outside, but even if most of us are not students, at least, most of us have been students. And as a student, I know that we are all familiar with what we call a deadline.

Deadlines are very famous in school. For example, our history teacher would assign us a research paper on a certain topic, say, World War II, and our teacher will tell us to submit it after one month. So we have to work on it for a month, and, therefore, the day that the paper is due is what we call the deadline. Those who fail to submit on time will be penalized, or would have to face the consequences. Either you fail the subject, or you get a low grade. However, we also know that in some rare cases, the teacher may also adjust the deadline and extend it a little bit.

We know that deadlines are not only given in the classroom. Deadlines are a part of our life. We catch the deadline, whether we are paying income taxes, submitting the budget for the company, submitting articles in the newspaper or magazine, or when we have to process our passports and visas when we travel abroad.

Going back to a student, what kind of attitude does a student have to possess when it comes to deadlines? Based on experience, I was not that faithful when it comes to deadlines. When my teacher tells us that we need to submit a project by the end of the semester, I'll be counting. I still have 4 months to make it. When one month passes, I tell myself that I still have 3 months to make it, then 2 months. And later on, I just find out that it is already 2 days before the deadline. And what happens? There is cramming. And what does cramming do to us? There is no quality in our work. And it also affects our health. Wala nang tayuan, wala nang tulugan. The quality is affected because of cramming.

Why am I saying all of these things? It is because the First Reading, which is taken from the book of the prophet Joel, also speaks of a deadline. Hindi lang po siguro natin narinig ang term na 'deadline'. Who is the prophet Joel? He was the last prophet in the Old Testament. And in the First Reading, he tells his contemporaries that God has set a limit for them to be converted. And he calls the deadline 'the day of the Lord'. The day of the Lord is coming, therefore, they have to change their ways, they have to live their life to the fullest.

The prophet Joel was speaking to the people from the Southern part of Israel. During that time, the kingdom of Israel was divided into two - the Northern part, which is Samaria, and the Southern part, which is Judah. The prophet Joel was speaking to the people of Judah, because at that time, the Samarians were already captured by the Assyrians, so the prophet Joel was telling the people of Judah that if they will not change their ways, the same thing will happen to them. He warned them that there is an impending judgment from God, because Joel realized that the people already forgot God, and they were living evil lives.

In our Gospel today, we are also being reminded that the Kingdom of God is at hand. So what are we supposed to do? We should repent and believe in the Gospel. It is the same thing.

Therefore, today, we are called to be like students. Not the cramming students, but the good ones. Because when a good student hears the deadline, he listens and acts immediately. Just like us, we always hear the Word of God. But do we take it seriously? Yes, we hear in the Gospel that we should forgive and love our enemies, but do we follow it? Do we act on it? When the priest, during the mass, tells us, 'Let us offer each other the sign of peace', madaling gawin 'yan sa kaliwa. Pero sa kanan, pag nakita mong kaaway mo o kasamaan mo ng loob ang taong iyon, kaliwa na lang uli - 'Peace be with you.' (laughs) We cannot forgive, but that is what the Gospel tells us.

A good student, a good Christian, a good disciple, is someone who not only listens to the teachings of the Lord, but also acts on them. If the prophet Joel appears to us now and says the day of the Lord is near, would we be rattled? Will we be cramming? Or will we be relaxed? Tapos ko na 'yan. I have been doing that ever since. Hopefully, we can say we are relaxed. Today, let us ask the Lord that every time we hear his Word, we try to listen with seriousness of heart, and act on them. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

October 10, 2013

Thursday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Benjo Fajota, Vice Rector, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)
5:30PM Mass at the EDSA Shrine

Reading 1 Mal 3:13-20b

You have defied me in word, says the LORD, yet you ask, “What have we spoken against you?” You have said, “It is vain to serve God, and what do we profit by keeping his command, And going about in penitential dress in awe of the LORD of hosts? Rather must we call the proud blessed; for indeed evildoers prosper, and even tempt God with impunity.” Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened attentively; And a record book was written before him of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name. And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my own special possession, on the day I take action. And I will have compassion on them, as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. Then you will again see the distinction between the just and the wicked; Between the one who serves God, and the one who does not serve him. For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, And the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

R. (Ps 40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Gospel Lk 11:5-13

Jesus said to his disciples: “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

HOMILY

Yesterday, we were told how to pray to the Father, with the disposition of a child to his Father. And now, we see another picture of God - that of a friend, who will give us anything because of our persistence.

There was one who asked the late Pope John Paul II when he was still alive, 'How does the Pope pray?' And the Pope answered, 'The Pope prays as much as the Holy Spirit allows him to pray.' Basically, prayer is a relationship. We cannot go directly to God. That is why we have to ask the grace of the Holy Spirit for us to be able to communicate to God. And it is only upon being filled by the Holy Spirit that we can understand what God is telling us. The problem with us is we do not want God to be God. We demand much from Him. We do not allow Him to be ruling in our lives, to be reigning supreme in our hearts. We demand from Him a lot of our petitions, our supplications, but we do not want to listen, if God is telling us 'not yet', or 'I don't want to give that to you yet', or 'I will give you the best, more than what you are asking for'.

Basically, prayer is a relationship - a relationship between God and man. But when we talk to God in prayer, it is about God and God. It is the Holy Spirit in us talking to God, and it is by the grace of the Holy Spirit in us, that we listen to God's words, and are able to accept His will for our lives. Let us, from here on, allow God to be God. Amen.