July 12, 2013
Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time
by Msgr. Bong Lo (Chaplain, Chapel
of Eucharistic Lord)
12:15PM Mass, Chapel of the
Eucharistic Lord (Megamall Chapel)
Israel set out with all that was his. When he arrived at
Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. There God,
speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called, “Jacob! Jacob!” He answered,
“Here I am.” Then he said: “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid
to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation. Not only will I
go down to Egypt with you; I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has
closed your eyes.”
So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba, and the sons of Israel put their father and their wives and children on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport. They took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt. His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughtersB all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.
Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that he might meet him in Goshen. On his arrival in the region of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms. And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”
So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba, and the sons of Israel put their father and their wives and children on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport. They took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt. His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughtersB all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.
Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that he might meet him in Goshen. On his arrival in the region of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms. And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”
R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Gospel Mt
10:16-23
Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like
sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But
beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their
synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a
witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about
how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment
what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
HOMILY
Would you agree that one of the
greatest blessings that you and I have is the family? Do you agree? (People say
'yes'.) But would you also agree that sometimes, one of the greatest burdens
that we may have is the family? (People also say 'yes'.) That is the reason why
I decided not to marry. (laughs)
On the one hand, the family is a great blessing. On the other hand, the family can be a great burden.
In the First Reading today, from the book of Genesis, we have heard the story of Jacob, who, finally, after many years, thinking that his second to the last son, Joseph, was already killed by the beasts out on the field, find him very much alive, very healthy, and, of course, the governor of Egypt, the right hand of Pharaoh, who was instrumental in feeding the family and all the others in the great famine of that time. Jacob and Joseph cried and embraced each other. And Jacob said, "At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is alive." Jacob was already fulfilled, at peace and ready to die.
Are you ready to die, my sisters and brothers? Wala? (laughs) So hindi pa tayo at peace, hindi pa tayo fulfilled, mayroon pa tayong hinahanap, ano? But Jacob was ready to die, when he saw his son Joseph. The reunion of Jacob and Joseph was very touching, very emotional, and a very happy moment. And there was also reconciliation, with Joseph forgiving his brothers who sold him as a slave in Egypt.
But in the Gospel Reading, Jesus prophesied an entirely different scenario. Jesus said, "You will be hated by all, because of My name. In fact, brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death." There is conflict, there is crisis, there is disfunction in the family.
You know, in the 1960s up to 1976, during what is called the darkest chapters in the history of China, really, family members betrayed family members. Even the President of the People's Republic of China was betrayed by his children. That was a great crisis. And sadly, that happens until now. I have a friend - well, every member of the family is my friend - but their family is in courts, not only in Philippine courts but in American courts, because of their properties. Children against parents. Siblings against siblings. It is very painful when family members try to destroy each other, when family members try to kill one another. Truly, our family is a great blessing, but if we are not careful, that family can be a great burden.
The Word of God in the Gospel Reading and in the First Reading of today tells us two important keys for the family to remain a great blessing and not a burden or a curse. In the Gospel, Jesus said that we should be innocent as a dove, as simple, as pure as a dove, yet we must be shrewd, as clever as a serpent. To be innocent as a dove means to be sincere, to have no malice, to be honest. It is because if we are not honest in our relationships, the moment we put malice in our relationships, then, even the family will slowly but surely be destroyed. But Jesus also says that we should be as shrewd as a serpent, meaning that although we should not abuse others, let us also not let ourselves be abused. Huwag tayong tatanga-tanga. (laughs) Let us not manipulate others, but let us also not let others manipulate us.
Just like Joseph in the First Reading, he used his God-given talent to overcome slavery and become the governor of Egypt. But at the same time, he was like a dove - gentle, forgiving, understanding, assuring his brothers who sold him as a slave, and telling them that God has sent him in Egypt ahead of his family, to prepare for the moment of great famine.
The second key is this. In the First Reading, God told Jacob (or Israel), "I am God, the God of your Father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation. Not only will I go down to Egypt with you; I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes." God has shown Jacob and his family that no matter what happens, God will always be with them. God will not abandon them. And in the Gospel reading, Jesus said, "Do not worry about how you are to speak, or what to say....for it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Jesus is saying, "I will be with you."
So, through the good times and the bad times that our family will be going through, through joys and sorrows, let us always remind and assure ourselves that God is with us. God is with the family. Yes, we may have tried to be as innocent as a dove, and as shrewd as a serpent, yet, on our own, no matter what we do, there will really come a moment when we feel hopeless. But if we remember that God is with us through joys and sorrows, then we hold on. Hindi tayo bibitaw tulad ni Joseph at ni Jacob, at ni Jesus.
We pray for our families, we pray for one another, and we pray for ourselves, that no matter what happens, we will not give up with one another, we will not give up our families, but instead be truly faithful and a true blessing to our families.
On the one hand, the family is a great blessing. On the other hand, the family can be a great burden.
In the First Reading today, from the book of Genesis, we have heard the story of Jacob, who, finally, after many years, thinking that his second to the last son, Joseph, was already killed by the beasts out on the field, find him very much alive, very healthy, and, of course, the governor of Egypt, the right hand of Pharaoh, who was instrumental in feeding the family and all the others in the great famine of that time. Jacob and Joseph cried and embraced each other. And Jacob said, "At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is alive." Jacob was already fulfilled, at peace and ready to die.
Are you ready to die, my sisters and brothers? Wala? (laughs) So hindi pa tayo at peace, hindi pa tayo fulfilled, mayroon pa tayong hinahanap, ano? But Jacob was ready to die, when he saw his son Joseph. The reunion of Jacob and Joseph was very touching, very emotional, and a very happy moment. And there was also reconciliation, with Joseph forgiving his brothers who sold him as a slave in Egypt.
But in the Gospel Reading, Jesus prophesied an entirely different scenario. Jesus said, "You will be hated by all, because of My name. In fact, brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death." There is conflict, there is crisis, there is disfunction in the family.
You know, in the 1960s up to 1976, during what is called the darkest chapters in the history of China, really, family members betrayed family members. Even the President of the People's Republic of China was betrayed by his children. That was a great crisis. And sadly, that happens until now. I have a friend - well, every member of the family is my friend - but their family is in courts, not only in Philippine courts but in American courts, because of their properties. Children against parents. Siblings against siblings. It is very painful when family members try to destroy each other, when family members try to kill one another. Truly, our family is a great blessing, but if we are not careful, that family can be a great burden.
The Word of God in the Gospel Reading and in the First Reading of today tells us two important keys for the family to remain a great blessing and not a burden or a curse. In the Gospel, Jesus said that we should be innocent as a dove, as simple, as pure as a dove, yet we must be shrewd, as clever as a serpent. To be innocent as a dove means to be sincere, to have no malice, to be honest. It is because if we are not honest in our relationships, the moment we put malice in our relationships, then, even the family will slowly but surely be destroyed. But Jesus also says that we should be as shrewd as a serpent, meaning that although we should not abuse others, let us also not let ourselves be abused. Huwag tayong tatanga-tanga. (laughs) Let us not manipulate others, but let us also not let others manipulate us.
Just like Joseph in the First Reading, he used his God-given talent to overcome slavery and become the governor of Egypt. But at the same time, he was like a dove - gentle, forgiving, understanding, assuring his brothers who sold him as a slave, and telling them that God has sent him in Egypt ahead of his family, to prepare for the moment of great famine.
The second key is this. In the First Reading, God told Jacob (or Israel), "I am God, the God of your Father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation. Not only will I go down to Egypt with you; I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes." God has shown Jacob and his family that no matter what happens, God will always be with them. God will not abandon them. And in the Gospel reading, Jesus said, "Do not worry about how you are to speak, or what to say....for it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Jesus is saying, "I will be with you."
So, through the good times and the bad times that our family will be going through, through joys and sorrows, let us always remind and assure ourselves that God is with us. God is with the family. Yes, we may have tried to be as innocent as a dove, and as shrewd as a serpent, yet, on our own, no matter what we do, there will really come a moment when we feel hopeless. But if we remember that God is with us through joys and sorrows, then we hold on. Hindi tayo bibitaw tulad ni Joseph at ni Jacob, at ni Jesus.
We pray for our families, we pray for one another, and we pray for ourselves, that no matter what happens, we will not give up with one another, we will not give up our families, but instead be truly faithful and a true blessing to our families.
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