October 12, 2012
Friday
– Weekday – Year of Faith
by Rev. Fr. Nilo Mangussad (Rector Our Lady of Peace
Quasi-Parish)
Mass at EDSA Shrine/Shire of Mary,
Queen of Peace/Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish
Reading 1 Gal 3:7-14
Brothers and sisters: Realize that it is those who have
faith who are children of Abraham. Scripture, which saw in advance that God
would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, Through you shall all the nations be blessed. Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith. For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law. And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for the one who is righteous by faith will live. But the law does not depend on faith; rather, the one who does these things will live by them. Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, Through you shall all the nations be blessed. Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith. For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law. And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for the one who is righteous by faith will live. But the law does not depend on faith; rather, the one who does these things will live by them. Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 111:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
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."
"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
Faith
is what has been given to us since the time of Abraham, as shown in the First
Reading today. It is faith that unites us to one another. It is faith that
brings harmony and peace to all men.
The law, according to the First Reading, is given, to help us put into practice what faith is. But if the law disunites, then it no longer becomes a tool of faith, and is thus cursed, as shown in the First Reading.
In the Gospel, Jesus was accused of being able to drive out demons through the power of Beelzebul. Beelzebul is the anti-thesis of faith, because Beelzebul harbors and promotes disunity, confusion and fear. But Jesus is the epitome of faith; He cannot be acting according to Beelzebul.
My dear brothers and sisters, we are being challenged today. What is truly happening deep inside our hearts - is it the unity of our faith or the disunity of Beelzebul? What lies inside our soul? Is it the power or strength that we have in Christ, or the disuniting power of the other? It is good to be reflective of what the Gospel is trying to say. Because even we clean up the room of our hearts, if we do not have enough faith, more demons will enter us.
Do we really put into practice the faith that we received in Jesus Christ? Because if we do, not even 70 times 7,000 Beelzebul's can re-enter this faith-protected heart and soul of ours.
The law, according to the First Reading, is given, to help us put into practice what faith is. But if the law disunites, then it no longer becomes a tool of faith, and is thus cursed, as shown in the First Reading.
In the Gospel, Jesus was accused of being able to drive out demons through the power of Beelzebul. Beelzebul is the anti-thesis of faith, because Beelzebul harbors and promotes disunity, confusion and fear. But Jesus is the epitome of faith; He cannot be acting according to Beelzebul.
My dear brothers and sisters, we are being challenged today. What is truly happening deep inside our hearts - is it the unity of our faith or the disunity of Beelzebul? What lies inside our soul? Is it the power or strength that we have in Christ, or the disuniting power of the other? It is good to be reflective of what the Gospel is trying to say. Because even we clean up the room of our hearts, if we do not have enough faith, more demons will enter us.
Do we really put into practice the faith that we received in Jesus Christ? Because if we do, not even 70 times 7,000 Beelzebul's can re-enter this faith-protected heart and soul of ours.
