November 02, 2012
First Friday of the Month – Year of Faith
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
by Rev. Fr. Domie Guzman (Society of Saint Paul)
Mass at Megamall, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord
Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9
The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Reading 2 Rom 5:5-11
Brothers and sisters: Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
or Rom 6:3-9
Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.
Gospel Jn 6:37-40
Jesus said to the crowds: "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day."
HOMILY
Gaya po ng ating sinabi sa simula ng ating misa, bagamat 1st Friday po ngayon ng November ay siya rin namang All Souls' Day. Although siguro marami sa atin, nakaugalian na natin na ipagdasal at bisitahin ang ating mga yumaong mga kapamilya, kaibigan at kamag-anakan tuwing All Saints' Day, this day, the 2nd of November, is actually the legal day that the Church sets aside for us to commemorate in prayer our beloved departed.
I think likas sa ating mga Eastern people na maging very close sa pamilya. At dahil dito, kahit na sa pagkamatay ng isang kapamilya, dahil po sa closeness na 'yan na dulot ng ating kultura ay talagang nandoon pa rin ang malakas na bigkis ng pamilya, even in death. But for us in the Church, when we celebrate today the solemn feast of all the souls, hindi lamang po ito isang natural na pagtanaw ng utang ng loob at pasasalamat sa mga nauna na sa atin, kundi itong selebrasyon ng All Souls' Day para po sa atin ay expression ng tatlong mahalagang bahagi ng ating doktrina. As we celebrate this day and pray for our departed brothers and sisters, tatlong mahalagang bahagi ng ating Doktrina Kristiyano ang atin pong ipinapahayag. Ano 'yong tatlong doktrinang 'yan?
Linggo-Linggo, tayo ay nananalangin sa misa at pagkatapos ng Homily, ay atin pong ipinapahayag ang ating pananampalataya. Dati-rati we use the Apostles' Creed, ngayon sa ating bagong Roman missal, we use the longer Nycene Creed. But whichever Creed we use, tatlong bagay ang ating sinasabi sa bandang dulo ng Credo. Sabi natin, "we believe in the resurrection of the body", na ang buhay dito sa mundo ay hindi ang katapusan, kung hindi pagkatapos nito ay mayroon pang isang mas mahalaga at mas totoong buhay - ang buhay na walang hanggan. The resurrection of the body, the resurrection of the dead.
Pangalawa, sinasabi po natin sa Credo na we believe that Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. Naniniwala tayo na sa kamatayan, hindi lamang po muling nabubuhay ang mga namatay sa kaibang buhay ng katawan ng espiritu pagdating ng panahon, but we believe that there is such a thing as judgment, the justice of God. Totoo, ang Diyos ay mapagmahal, ngunit kasama sa pagmamahal ng Diyos at hindi pwedeng ihiwalay, ay ang Kanyang katarungan. That there is judgment.
At pangatlo, sinasabi natin "we believe in the communion of saints". Ito pong tatlong ito na palagi nating dinadasal kung tayo po ay nagpe-pray ng Credo, ito ang ating sine-celebrate sa araw na ito, na All Souls' Day. We pray for the souls because we know they are alive. We pray for them because we know that there is judgment that they have to face. Na sana itong ating mga kamag-anakan at mga kaibigan, kahit manuwari, ay maging karapat-dapat sa buhay na walang hanggan. But we pray for them because we believe that there is communion among us. Na ang ating pong pananalangin ay pwedeng tumulong sa kanila sa kabilang buhay. At 'yong kanila rin namang panalangin ay tumutulong sa atin. Yon po 'yong tatlong mahalagang bahagi ng Doktrina Kristiyano na atin pong ipinagdiriwang ngayong araw na ito.
Mula sa Bible, narinig natin na itong Doktrinang ito ay hindi po isang bagay na nagmula lamang sa Bagong Tipan. Mula sa ating Unang Pagbasa kanina, sa ikalawang aklat ng Makabeo, narinig nating kung papaanong kahit na ang mga sinaunang mga Hudyo ay naniniwalang ang mga namatay ay pwedeng ipanalangin sa pamamagitan ng pag-aalay sa Panginoon. Ang malungkot pong bahagi nito ay itong ganitong kwento ng Old Testament ay hindi nababasa ng karamihang kapatid nating Protestante. Sapagkat ang Aklat ng Makabeo ay isa po sa pitong aklat na inaalis nila sa kanilang mga Bibliya. Dahilan kung bakit ang mga Protestante ay hindi naniniwala na pwedeng ipanalangin ang mga namatay. Malungkot pero 'yan ay isa sa mga realidad ng ating pagkakaiba sa ating mga kapatid na Protestante. They believe in life after death, they believe in the resurrection of the dead, they believe that there is judgment, but they don't believe that there is a communion of prayer between us and those who have died.
Mga kapatid, para sa atin na nandidito at gumugunita sa Araw ng mga Patay, I think itong ganitong celebration ay isa rin namang pagkalabit sa atin. Na tayo rin ay darating din diyan. Weather weather lang yan (laughs). Noong nakaraan hong Huwebes, ako'y tinawagan ng isa sa aking mga kaklase sa highschool noon. Sabi niya, "Bro, pwede ka ba mamayang gabi?" Sabi ko, "Ano 'yan, inuman na naman?" Sabi niya, "Hindi, solemn ito bro. Pwede ka bang magmisa sa patay?" Sabi ko, "Sino'ng namatay?" Sabi niya, "Batch noong pagkatapos na batch natin sa highschool. 49 years old lang." "Wow", sabi ko, "tayo na pala ang nakasalang". (laughs)
Death is a reality. And today, as we celebrate All Souls' Day, tayo ay hindi lamang po pinapa-alalahanang gunitain ang mga yumao nating mga kapatid at kamag-anak, kundi ngayon ay pinapa-alalahanan din tayo na 'yan ay hangganan ng buhay na dapat po nating harapin.
In the Second Reading, sabi ni St. Paul, walang makakapaghiwalay sa atin - be it death, be it this life or the next, nothing in the present, nothing in the future, can separate us from the love of God. Mga kapatid, kung ang buhay nating ito ay isang tunay na paghahanda para sa kabila, ang unang unang ibinabahagi ng Salita ng Diyos para sa atin for today is that we must truly live a life of greath faith and hope in Jesus. Sa dulo ng buhay, Si Hesus ang ating haharapin. Ang lahat ng bagay ay ginawa ng Ama pero ayon din po sa Banal na Kasulatan, lahat ng paghuhukom ay ibinigay ng Ama sa Kanyang Anak. Ang Anak - hindi ang Ama - ang maghuhukom. It is very important that in this life, we really cultivate that very personal relationship and living faith in Jesus.
Ang ganda siguro kung pagharap mo kay Lord, pagkakita Niya sa mukha mo, sasabihin Niya sa iyo, "Ay, kilala ko 'to." Ang problema noon ay kung ang sinabi Niya ay, "Hindi kita kilala. Saan ka nanggaling?" Ngayon pa lang dapat nandodoon na ang relationship natin na 'yan sa Panginoon.
Marami po sa atin, kapag tayo ay nananalangin, palagi nating sinasabi, "Panginoon, sana, habaan mo pa ang buhay ko." Sino dito ang hindi nananalangin noon? Wala hong masama sa paghingi ng mahabang buhay. Wala ring masama na ipanalangin natin sa Panginoon na habaan pa ang buhay natin, nang sa gayon ay makita natin, hindi lang ang ating mga anak, kundi ang anak ng ating anak. 'Yan ay bahagi ng blessing na binibigay ng simbahan tuwing marriage. Pag may kinakasal, palaging sinasabi ng simbahan, "May they live to see their children, and their children's children". In a happy, old age. Ngunit huwag po nating kakalimutan - ang buhay ay hindi lamang po sa quantity. Dapat nasa quality rin ng buhay. So as we continue with our prayers for all the souls today, let us also pray for ourselves, na tayo po na nandidito pa, ay magamit din natin ang bawat araw bilang maayos na regalo mula sa Panginoon. God bless each and everyone of us.
