September 20, 2012
Thursday
Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegŏn, priest
and martyr
Saint Paul Chŏng Hasang, martyr, and their
companions, martyrs
by Rev. Fr. Agapito "Aga" Tarog (Immaculate
Conception Parish, Las Pinas)
Lunch Mass at Megamall, Chapel of
the Eucharistic Lord
Reading 1 1 Cor 15:1-11
I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I
preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through
it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what
I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the
Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared
to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though
some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the
Apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. For I am
the least of the Apostles, not fit to be called an Apostle, because I
persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his
grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of
them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. Therefore, whether
it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1b-2, 16ab-17, 28
R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
"The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
You are my God, and I give thanks to you;
O my God, I extol you.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
Gospel Lk 7:36-50
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he
entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful
woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the
Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his
feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them
with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the
Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, "If this man
were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she
is a sinner." Jesus said to him in reply, "Simon, I have something to
say to you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two people were
in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days' wages and the other
owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which
of them will love him more?" Simon said in reply, "The one, I
suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven." He said to him, "You have
judged rightly." Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do
you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my
feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You
did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I
entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with
ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great
love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." He said to
her, "Your sins are forgiven." The others at table said to
themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" But he said to the
woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
HOMILY
Sa
panahon ngayon ulan nang ulan at baha. Isipin po natin sa mga kapanuhan ng
kasagsagan ng ulan at bagyo, napakarami ang nakalubog sa ating siyudad na lugar
at ang iba nga para mailikas sa ibang ibayo, they need to wade through the water. Kalimitan
'yong tubig ay napakalakas ang agos. One time, nakapanood ako ng
television ay mayroon doong ilang taong tinatawid. Pero ang tanong ay - sa
gitna ng napakalakas na alon, para sila'y makatawid nang maayos ay may kinabit
na lubid - malakas ang alon, eh.
Let me
ask you a question - Kung kayo 'yong tinatawid, gagawin nyo po bang pa-easy
easy lamang ang pagkapit doon sa lubid? Yes or no? No - bakit? Kasi
mangangahulugan 'yon ng buhay nyo. Di ho baga - kakapit kayo do'n sa lubid
dahil malakas ang agos at kapag hindi kayo kumapit nang husto, maaari kayong
anurin, at pag kayo inanod, saan kayo pupulutin - baka pulutin na kayo sa Manila
Bay, and you die.
Mga
kapatid sa pananampalataya, by that illustration, makikita po natin 'yong
sinasabi ni St. Paul in the first reading. The Apostle was trying to remind
his Corinthian community of the Word that has been preached to them, through
which they were being saved, if they hold fast to the Word that is preached to
them. Kung ang tawag natin sa lubid na 'yon pagtawid ng maalon na baha, is
called a life line, then the Apostle is simply trying to remind the Corinthians
that the life line to God - to salvation - is the Word. At ililigtas
daw ang Corinthian community ng Salitang 'yon, if they hold fast to it. Pinagkakapitan
nila nang husto 'yong Salita, because it is a life line. Release your grip
on the Word, and you die.
Mga
kapatid sa pananampalataya, that is what is being told us. The Word is a life
line of the Christian. Hold fast to the Word as if to a rope in a strong
current of flood, then you will live. Relax your grip on the Word, at aanurin
ka ng mundo. And when it happens na anurin tayo ng mundo and we lose
that grip, then we die.
But the
next question we have to settle is - this Word is not just a simple word. This
word is a person. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God, and the Word became flesh, which refers ultimately to the
Lord Jesus Christ. The final question we have to settle is - sino ang
karaniwang kumakapit sa Panginoong Diyos? Sino? Ang karaniwang kumakapit lamang
sa Diyos ay 'yong mga taong nakaramdam na ng matinding pagkaligtas sa isang
matinding kapahamakan. One who has been delivered from certain dangers. Kalimitan
'yong mga ganon. Kaya ano ang sabi nitong parabula, 'yong kasaysayan no'ng
sinful woman. Sabi ng Panginoon, "Sino kaya sa palagay mo Simon ang
magmamahal nang husto? 'Yon bang kokonti ang pinatawad na utang, o 'yong mas
malaking pinatawad na utang o kasalanan?" Sabi ng Pariseo, eh di 'yong
taong mas maraming kasalanan at pinatawad, ang siyang magmamahal nang husto. At
alam naman po natin na kapag ang isang tao ay nagmamahal nang husto, ay hindi
pa rin niya basta-basta binibitawan ang kanyang minamahal. Di ba ganoong
katindi 'yon. Kapag nagmamahal ang tao, hindi binibitawan ang object ng kanyang
pagmamahal.
Now we
ask the question ourselves, my dear people of God, as we are challenged by this
Word. Number one - The Word is a life line. Jesus is our life line. Point
no. 2 - Tayo ba ay kumakapit dito nang kapit tuko sa Salita ng Diyos? At kung
tayo ay kumakapit sa Salita ng Diyos, why do we hold fast to the Word? Is it
simply because of practicality, is it simply because of a reason of necessity,
or is it because of love, because we truly love? Ibang usapan po ang
pagkapit sa Diyos by means of practicality or necessity, ibang usapan din po
'yong pagkapit natin sa Diyos dahil iniibig natin ang Diyos. At kung iniibig
natin ang Diyos, we cannot afford to lose our grip on that Word, simply because
when we lose our grip on the Word, we die.
Saint Andrew Kim
Taegŏn, Saint Paul Chŏng Hasang and Companions Martyrs
Pray for us
