Gospel Reflection

August 09, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Ernie M. Cruz, SDB - Rector, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati

6:30AM Mass, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati

Reading 1 Dt 4:32-40

Moses said to the people: “Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of?  Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? All this you were allowed to see  that you might know the LORD is God and there is no other. Out of the heavens he let you hear his voice to discipline you; on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard him speaking out of the fire. For love of your fathers he chose their descendants and personally led you out of Egypt by his great power, driving out of your way nations greater and mightier than you, so as to bring you in and to make their land your heritage, as it is today. This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 77:12-13, 14-15, 16 and 21

R. (12a) I remember the deeds of the Lord.
I remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I remember your wonders of old.
And I meditate on your works;
your exploits I ponder.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
O God, your way is holy;
what great god is there like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
among the peoples you have made known your power.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
the sons of Jacob and Joseph.
You led your people like a flock
under the care of Moses and Aaron.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.

Gospel Mt 16:24-28

Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

HOMILY

Our First Reading today is a reminder and an encouragement of Moses to his people on how they should think, reflect, and open their hearts to see the daily miracles taking place in their lives. And then he enumerated everything that has taken place - how they were freed from Egypt, the food that they ate, the support that God has given them towards their enemies. He narrated these all, for them to realize that God will not desert them. That is why Moses said, 'fix it in your heart'.

I think it is also a reminder to us. There are many miracles and the support that we have received from God. Let us fix them in our hearts that God, in many occasions in our life, did not let us down. That there is no other way that we can explain certain happenings in our life, except the miracle that was performed to us by God.

This is in order to prepare ourselves also, in moments when difficulties would come. The carrying of the cross will always be present in our life. Some of the crosses that we bear are light. Di masyado, inconveniences lang. Sometimes, wala ka lang ng kaunting ganito, walang kaunting ganyan. These are certain inconveniences, that we, sometimes, have been accustomed to. But there are certain crosses that are heavy. Certain crosses are seemingly so difficult to carry - whether crosses from problems, finances, physical injury or illness - but they are big crosses. And our constant reminder to ourselves of what God has done to us, of the daily miracles that take place in front of us in the Holy Eucharist, will allow us to go through life peacefully, all because we know that the God we believe in, is a God who is always with us.

As we continue our celebration this morning - and during the day - it is good to count the many good things that we receive, the many miracles, big or small, that we have encountered in our lives, showing that God cares. Even the small things - when we put them together - they are part of a big puzzle in our lives where God has a direct role. One who tries to always see and view the daily experiences in his life in God's eyes, would find so many instances where the hand of God is always present. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.