Gospel Reflection

January 21, 2013

Monday – Year of Faith 

Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

by Rev. Fr. Prudencio 'Jun' T. Solomon (Rector and Parish Priest)

(Archdiocesan Shrine of the Our Lady of Loreto Parish, Sampaloc Manila)
Guest Priest, Lunch Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

                         

Reading 1 Heb 5:1-10

Brothers and sisters: Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him: You are my Son: this day I have begotten you; just as he says in another place, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. In the days when he was in the Flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Responsorial Psalm PS 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R.(4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
“Rule in the midst of your enemies.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Gospel Mk 2:18-22

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast,  but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

HOMILY

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, alam natin na hindi lahat ng bagay ay hawak natin. Hindi lahat ay kontrolado natin. May mga bagay na magpapalit, may mga bagay na magbabago. Pero ang tanong, kaya ba nating tanggapin ang pagbabago? Kaya ba nating tanggapin ang pagpapalit? Sa ating mga samahan, sa ating mga institusyon, sa ating mga ugnayan ay may magpapalit at may magbabago. Can we handle the change?

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, ang isang balakid sa isang pagpapalit o pagbabago ay kapag may mga taong nagmamatigas. Bakit sila nagmamatigas? Sapagkat hindi sila accustomed sa pagbabago. Dahil mayroon na silang nakasanayan. Dahil may nakagawian. At kapag ganito ang mentalidad, kapag ganito ang pag-iisip, mahihirapan ang pagbabago. Sapagkat hindi nila makita 'yong mga posibilidad, 'yong mga pagkakataon na maaaring ialok at ihandog ng pagbabago.

Sa ating Ebanghelyo, narinig natin, sinabi ni Hesus, 'bagong alak, bagong sisidlang balat'. Sapagkat kapag inilagay ang bagong alak sa lumang sisidlang balat, ito'y papuputukin ng bagong alak, at masasayang lamang ang alak na inilagay sa lumang sisidlang balat. Kaya't bagong alak, bagong sisidlang balat. 

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, ganito rin ang panawagan ni Hesus sa atin. Merong bago na nais Niyang ialok sa ating lahat. At iyon ay ang buhay sa Kanya, kapiling Siya. Papa'no nating matitikman, papa'no natin mararanasan, papa'no natin mararamdaman ang bagong buhay na iniaalok ni Hesus kung tayo'y patuloy na magmamatigas? Kung tayo'y patuloy na magsasabing 'ito na ang aking nakagawian, ito na ang aking nakasanayan'. Ayaw mo nang palitan, ayaw mo nang baguhin.

Mga kapatid, papa'no natin mararamdaman ang bagong ibinibigay o inihahandog ni Kristo sa atin, kung patuloy na nakikitaan tayo ng katigasan ng puso at ng isipan? Bagong alak sa bagong sisidlang balat. Pakatandaan po natin. Ang lahat ng pagbabago, ang lahat ng pagpapalit, ay mga pagkakataon. Ito ay ibinibigay sa atin upang ating linangin at pagyamanin ang ating sarili. Sa binibigay ni Hesus na bagong buhay, sana'y ito'y ating tanggapin. Sana'y buksan natin ang ating kalooban sa Kanya. At hingin natin sa pagpapatuloy ng pagdiriwang na ito, ang biyaya ng pagiging bukas ang loob, ang biyaya na tinatawag nating flexibility, upang ating matanggap at makita at maramdaman ang bagong iniaalok ni Kristo. At iyon ay ang pananatili sa Kanya.

Mga kapatid, mga ginigiliw kong mga kaibigan, tandaan natin, bagong alak sa isang bagong sisidlan. Bagong buhay kay Hesus. Ibigay natin ang isang bagong sarili, para sa Kanya.