Gospel Reflection

November 30, 2012

Friday – Year of Faith

Memorial of Saint Andrew, Apostle

by Rev. Fr. Jerome R. Secillano

Parish Priest, Nuestra Senora del Perpetuo Socorro (NSPS) Parish, Sampaloc, Manila

Lunch Mass, Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel, Greenbelt, Makati

Reading 1 Rom 10:9-18

Brothers and sisters: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news! But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us? Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Gospel Mt 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.

HOMILY

Magandang tanghali po sa inyong lahat.

The Apostles of Jesus were dispersed all over the world to spread the faith, to preach the Gospel. St. Andrew, who was believed to be the first of the Apostles to be called, was credited for bringing the faith to Greece. Kaya nga po siya na-martir. Doon siya namatay. And he was nailed on an X-shaped cross.

I was reflecting on the life of St. Andrew and of the Apostles, at ito po ang tanong ko sa sarili ko. Bakit at paano kaya nakumbinsi nitong mga Apostles 'yong napakaraming tao para manampalataya sa Diyos? There were so many people who were converted to Jesus during that time when the Apostles preached the faith to them. Remember that these people did not have faith at all, and if ever they had faith during that time, it was a faith, not for Jesus, but on false gods. Usually, 'yong kanilang paniniwala ay sa mga diyos-diyosan. They were pagans or gentiles, and they had so many gods and goddesses. But when the Apostles came, they listened intently to the preachings, the explanations, the teachings of the Apostles. And so they were converted, and immediately embraced Jesus. 'Yon po ang magandang pangyayari noong mga panahon na iyon.

But fast forward to our own time, alam po ninyo, mukha yatang hindi na ganoong katindi ang reception ng mga tao pagdating sa proklamasyon ng Salita ng Diyos. There are even parishioners who would criticize, not only the Church as an institution, but the ministers of the Church, for that matter - the bishops and the priests. Even faithful parishioners, the lay people like you, would not just easily accept what the Church and the priests teach you. There are even parishioners who will stand up and walk away if he or she does not like what the priest is saying. Mayroon pong mga ganoong pangyayari.

When we listened perhaps to Archbishop Arguelles telling the media that he is going to campaign for the politicians who oppose the RH Bill, so many people reacted to his pronouncement. Sabi nila, ang Simbahan talaga laging nakikialam. Eh hindi na naman dapat sumasawsaw ang Simbahan. Nowadays, the preacher of the Word - the communicator or the agent of the Word - can just as easily be discredited, unlike during the time of the Apostles, when they were so credible in bringing and communicating the faith, that so many were converted to Jesus. Ano kaya ang problema?

We have so many credible communicators of the Church, one of which is our very own Cardinal Chito Tagle, who was elevated into the College of Cardinals last November 24. He is one of the many credible communicators of our faith. 'Yon nga lang, kung meron man ang mga taong nakikitang hindi credible na nagpapahayag ng Salita ng Diyos ay nilalahat na nila ang buong Simbahan bilang isang institusyon. Yes, we do not claim that all ministers of the Church are holy and so good that they are beyond sin, that they are sinless, we don't claim that. However, in the eyes of the people, the preacher, the minister, the priest of the Church, should be sinless, should be good, should be holy. Otherwise, people will not be believe that preacher to be credible enough to communicate the Gospel.

And so may I tell you, the Synod of Bishops which was held last October, precisely was looking for solutions at how to communicate the faith once more. Kasi nakita na ng Simbahan na mukha yatang kulang na ang paniniwala ng mga tao sa sinasabi ng Simbahan. And so the Church was now strategizing on what it can do so that the people will listen to the Church once more, so that the people may find relevance in Christ once more.

Although I was not a participant during the Synod - of course, I am not a bishop and I am not a lay expert, I will give you an idea on what transpired during the Synod. By researching on the interventions of the different bishops coming from the different dioceses and archdioceses all over the world, mayroon pong magandang sinabi ang ating Archbishop Tagle. If you read his statement, ano ang sabi ni Archbishop Tagle noon? "We need to have a listening Church. We should listen to the people." Binaligtad niya ngayon. Noong panahon ng mga Apostol, the people listened to the Church, listened to the Apostles, and they accepted whatever the Apostles preached to them. Ngayon po sa panahon ngayon, ang sabi ni ArchbishopTagle, dapat ang Simbahan ay matuto ring makinig sa tao. See the reversal?

What was the point? Ang sabi ni Archbishop Tagle, the Church does not have solutions to all the problems, the confusions na maaaring nararamdaman at nararanasan ng bawat isa sa inyo ngayon. The Church does not have to pretend that she can actually offer everything - explanations, solutions - because that is not true. Kaya ang sabi ni Archbishop, mas maganda na ang Simbahan ay marunong ring makinig. At sa kanyang pakikinig, baka sakaling ang mga tao ay muling matagpuan si Kristo sa pagkatao ng mga pari o sa Simbahan bilang isang institusyon. Ang mga tao ay mayroong mga concerns, mayroong mga tanong. 'Yon nga lang, may mga pagkakataon na ang ino-offer na explanation o solution ng Simbahan at ng kanyang mga minister, baka sakaling hindi na ito rooted sa Salita ng Diyos. You may wonder - why are there priests teaching about politics, about bureaucracy, about the government? Baka naman kasi taliwas na ang ginagawa din ng pari. Kaya ang sabi ni Archbishop, makinig naman tayo.

Well I think the solution or the strategy given by our own Cardinal is practical enough. Kasi kapag ikaw ay pinakikinggan, you feel that you are important. Nararamdaman mong mahalaga ka. Pero iba din 'yong feeling na pinagsasabihan ka na gawin mo ito, ito ang dapat sa iyo, mali 'yang ginagawa mo. Di ba iba din? We feel that somehow lahat na lang yata ng ginagawa ko ay mali. Ano pa ang silbi ko sa mundong ito? But it is a totally different matter when the institution, the priests, listen to you. By listening to you, you feel that you are one with them, that you are part of this Church.

Pero sabi ng ibang mga bishops, lalong lalo na sa Europa, that strategy is not given nowadays. For them, the Church has to be more aggressive. Kung nawawala na raw ang pananampalataya ng mga tao, mas lalo na raw dapat maging agresibo ang Simbahan. At 'yong pakikinig can be taken as indifference. 'Yon ang pananaw ng mga European fathers. Pero sabi ni Cardinal, "Ah. You should come to the Philippines. You should experience how it is conducted in the Philippines. When bishops and priests just say and say things, you will notice that people do not anymore listen to them. In fact the priests in the Church are being criticized". So sa kwento ni Cardinal Tagle, even in the Philippines, hindi na sapat na ang Simbahan ay daldal lang nang daldal. Matuto ring makinig.

At idagdag pa natin 'yong sinabi pa ng isang Archbishop. You know him very well. He is now the Archbishop of Lingayen, Dagupan, Archbishop Soc Villegas. During his intervention in the Synod, ito ang sinabi niya. "The Church's mission or obligation or duty is not to impose the Word of God proudly, but simply to propose humbly." How does the Church do that? Going back to the Apostles, I think it was very clear to them that they were not the ones speaking, but it was Christ speaking on their behalf. They were merely instruments, that is why they think that they were so credible in the eyes of the people.

Reflecting on all of these, really, napakaraming dapat gawin ng Simbahan. At napakarami ring dapat gawin ang isang pari na katulad ko. To be credible in the eyes of the faithful is a challenge. To be credible in the eyes of so many believers is a very, very daunting task. How do we do that? Dadasalan po namin 'yan kung papaano. And you pray also for us that somehow, we may be able to do our job well. Just like St. Andrew and all the Apostles, may we also preach the Word of God credibly, honestly and truthfully. Amen. 

Saint Andrew – Pray for us

You mat also want to see: A Holy Life - Saint Andrew

A Holy Life

Saint Andrew, Apostle

Patron of Fisherman

Feast day – November 30

Andrew was St. Peter’s brother, and was called with him. "As [Jesus] was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is now called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him" (Matthew 4:18-20). John the Evangelist presents Andrew as a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus walked by one day, John said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." Andrew and another disciple followed Jesus. "Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day" (John 1:38-39a). Little else is said about Andrew in the Gospels. Before the multiplication of the loaves, it was Andrew who spoke up about the boy who had the barley loaves and fishes (see John 6:8-9). When the Gentiles went to see Jesus, they came to Philip, but Philip then had recourse to Andrew (see John 12:20-22). Legend has it that Andrew preached the Good News in what is now modern Greece and Turkey and was crucified at Patras.

 

As in the case of all the apostles except Peter and John, the Gospels give us little about the holiness of Andrew. He was an apostle. That is enough. He was called personally by Jesus to proclaim the Good News, to heal with Jesus' power and to share his life and death. Holiness today is no different. It is a gift that includes a call to be concerned about the Kingdom, an outgoing attitude that wants nothing more than to share the riches of Christ with all people.

 

“...The Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word’” (Acts 6:2-4).

 

Sources for this article were taken from:  AmericanCatholic.org

 

Prayer

O Glorious Saint Andrew, you were the first to recognize and follow the Lamb of God. With your friend Saint John you remained with Jesus for that first day, for your entire life, and now throughout eternity.

As you led your brother Saint Peter to Christ and many others after him, draw us also to him. Teach us to lead others to Christ solely out of love for him and dedication in his service. Help us to learn the lesson of the Cross and to carry our daily crosses without complaint so that they may carry us to Jesus.

Amen.

Saint Andrew the Apostle – Pray for us

Gospel Reflection

November 29, 2012

Thursday – Weekday – Year of Faith

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

5:30 PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Rv 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9a

I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth became illumined by his splendor. He cried out in a mighty voice: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a haunt for demons. She is a cage for every unclean spirit, a cage for every unclean bird, a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast." A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone and threw it into the sea and said:

"With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down, and will never be found again. No melodies of harpists and musicians, flutists and trumpeters, will ever be heard in you again. No craftsmen in any trade will ever be found in you again. No sound of the millstone will ever be heard in you again. No light from a lamp will ever be seen in you again. No voices of bride and groom will ever be heard in you again. Because your merchants were the great ones of the world, all nations were led astray by your magic potion."

After this I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:"Alleluia! Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her harlotry. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."

They said a second time:"Alleluia! Smoke will rise from her forever and ever. "Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

R. (Rev. 19: 9a) Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
For he is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

Gospel Lk 21:20-28

Jesus said to his disciples: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days are the time of punishment when all the Scriptures are fulfilled. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand."

HOMILY

I read a news article in one of the daily newspapers today. In the inside pages, there was news that a Filipino, 17-year old boy from General Santos City won the Tony Blair 'Faith Dialogue' Short Film competition. The title of the short film that he made is, 'Let go, let God'. It is a 3-minute short film that tells of the importance of holding on to faith in times of illness and tragedies in life. Another Filipino short film was included among the 15 finalists, and the title is "Bago Kumain', which tells of the importance of prayer in everything we do.

Itong mga ganitong kwento, hindi nagme-merit ng front page. Nandodoon lang sa loob. Bakit kaya? Ano kaya ang pinapansin at hinahanap na balita ng mga tao? Mga balitang makapangyayanig sa atin, mga balitang sinasabing tumataas at gumaganda ang ating ekonomiya, mga balita tungkol sa isang foreign artist na nag-concert na napakaraming tao ang nanood. Pag binuksan mo ang mga pahayagan ngayon, makikita mo karamihan ay mga 'sale' ng iba't ibang mga binebenta. Christmas sale. Dahil ang ipinipilit sa atin ng mga traders at mangangalakal ay bumili nang bumili. Materialism is the name of the game.

Naghahanda tayo para sa sinasabing pagtatapos ng mundo. But how do we prepare for the Second Coming of Christ? Again, we hear the apocalyptic writings in the Gospel where a lot of people are scared. Kaya sinasabi nila na kapag nakikita nila na iba na ang galaw ng ating mga solar systems ay malapit na daw magunaw ang mundo. People are looking for signs.

But what sign are we looking for?

In the United States, people are already preparing for the season. But they don't call it the Christmas season. They say, "We are preparing for the holidays". Tinatanggal na very subtly ang pangalan ni Kristo sa lahat ng pagdiriwang. They want to ease out God in every activity, in what they do.

Tayo rin kaya? Ganito rin ba ang ginagawa nating paghihintay? Tumitingin ba tayo sa mga signs, naghahanap ba tayo para tayo ay makasigurado na tayo ay mabubuhay, tayo ay maliligtas? If we are going to look for one sign, it will be only the sign of Christ. And for these signs that we are looking for, can we ask ourselves - is Christ present in those signs? Amen.

Gospel Reflection

November 28, 2012

Wednesday – Weekday – Year of Faith

Memorial Saint Catherine Laboure, Virgin and Visionary

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

Lunch Mass at Megamall, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord

Reading 1 Rv 15:1-4

I, John, saw in heaven another sign, great and awe-inspiring: seven angels with the seven last plagues, for through them God's fury is accomplished. Then I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire. On the sea of glass were standing those who had won the victory over the beast and its image and the number that signified its name. They were holding God's harps, and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

"Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God almighty. Just and true are your ways, O king of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 7-8, 9

R. (Rev. 15: 3b) Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
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. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
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. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

Gospel Lk 21:12-19

Jesus said to the crowd: "They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

HOMILY

We are now on the last days of our Liturgical Calendar. Alam naman natin na ang tinatawag nating Liturgical Year or the Calendar of our Church is based on our reflection on the mysteries of the life of our Lord. Ang ating calendar year ay sumusunod sa ating pagninilay sa buhay ng ating Panginoon.

Kung inyong napansin, ang ating mga pagbasa nitong mga nakaraang araw - in fact nitong mga nakaraang linggo - most of them speak about the end. Most of them speak about the coming of the Son of Man. Most of them speak of the theme of judgment and accountability and responsibility. As I said, we are already at the end of the Liturgical Year, and by next Sunday, it will already be the first day of our church calendar. Kasi tayo ay papasok na sa bagong panahon, na ang tawag natin ay panahon ng Adviento, where we welcome the birth of the Lord.

But before we welcome the birth of our Lord, our readings remind us of something that is, what we can call, frightful or frightening. Di ba ho kung napakinggan ninyo ang ating Unang Pagbasa ngayon, it speaks of judgment. The Reading yesterday speaks of an Angel of God who will come with a sharp sickle, and he will harvest everything, and he will separate the good fruits from the bad fruits.

The First Reading the other day mentioned that the sun, the moon and the stars will no longer give their light. Ano ba 'yong sun, moon and stars? 'Yon 'yong ating source of security. 'Yan ang pinagmumulan ng ilaw. And yet, amidst all of these, sinasabi ng ating Ebanghelyo, '"Do not fear, do not fear". Now pwede nating sabihin, naku naman ano, the sun, moon and stars no longer give their light, and then sasabihin sa atin 'do not fear'. Now, how are we going to understand this?

The sun, the moon, and the stars will no longer give their light, not because God has destroyed them. The sun, the moon and the stars will no longer give their light because when the Son of Man comes, they will have to give way to the ultimate Light of the World. So ang ibig sabihin, natapos na nila 'yong kanilang papel. Natapos na nila 'yong kanilang purpose. 

And so the end should not be understood in terms of destruction. The end is supposed to be understood in terms of completion. Nature has already accomplished its role, and that is why they have to give way to the God of nature. So hindi naman mangyayari na doon sa katapusan ay sisirain ng Diyos ang mundo dahil nagalit ang Diyos sa mundo.

Katulad nga noong narinig natin sa Responsorial Psalm, it says, "Great and wonderful are Your works, Lord God, Almighty". Maganda ang ginawa ng Panginoon. At lahat ng maganda ay hindi Niya sisirain. Mawawala lang ito dahil nagawa na nila o nagampanan na nila ang kanilang purpose. And now, they will be renewed, and there will be new heavens and a new earth. Parang magkakaroon lamang ng renovation, and everything will be under the dominion of God Himself.

Pero ito ang particular challenge for all of us. Kasi ang nature, they only follow what they are dictated to do. Pero tayong mga tao, there is something in us that God has given. And what is that? The gift of freedom. So ang ibig sabihin, when our time comes, we actually have a choice. When the end comes, will it be for you a time of destruction, or will it be for you a time of completion? Maliwanag po ang imbitasyon ni Hesus sa ating Ebanghelyo. Sabi Niya, "With righteous perseverance, you will preserve your life". If we perservere in our love for the Lord, the end will be, for us, not a time of destruction. It will be a time for us for completion.

Kaya naman 'yong papasok na panahon, 'yong panahon ng Advent, is a very good consolation for all of us. Ano ba at sino ba ang hinihintay natin during the time of Advent? 'Yong pagdating ng Panginoon. Pero paano darating ang Panginoon? He comes to us in the form of a helpless infant. Bakit infant? So that we will never be intimidated. Because the God who will come to us will come, not to condemn us, but to invite us to begin again. And that is why the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is a very good symbol of rebirth. Beginning again. Magsisimula ulit tayo.

At this time of the year, pag tinitingnan natin ang ating buhay, parang sinasabi natin, 'Naku, mukhang the end for me will be in the form of destruction'. The infant that we will await during Christmas in inviting us that time is not late. That time is not lost. There will be a re-birth. We can begin again and again. Jesus came, not to condemn. Jesus came to invite everyone to salvation. That is why the Advent season is always a time of joyful expectation.

Sa misang ito, 'yon ang hilingin natin sa Panginoon. That even if we hear in the Readings about the end, fear will not overcome our hearts. Let us pray for the grace, that in place of fear, joyful expectation may replace it. And the baby that we are awating during Christmas will become a symbol of optimism, a symbol of hope, a symbol of re-birth, a symbol of starting again and again. Amen.

Saint Catherine Laboure – Pray for us

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