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