March 11, 2013
Monday – Year of Faith – Lenten Seasons
by Rev. Carmelo Esteban, Montfort Missionaries
12:15PM Mass, Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace (EDSA Shrine)
Thus says the LORD: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying; No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime; He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed. They shall live in the houses they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.
R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
“Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.”
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast.
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.
HOMILY
I think lahat naman tayo, in one way or another, ay nagkaroon na ng encounter with sickness. Either tayo ang nagkasakit, o meron tayong kakilalang nagkasakit, just like our Gospel today. At pag mayroong maysakit, we really bombard heaven with our prayers.
Marahil ay mayroon kayong tanong kung bakit ang prayer minsan ay hindi sinasagot? Pero mayroon munang katanungan diyan. First of all, ano ba ang prayer para sa inyo? Minsan ay tila hindi sinasagot ng Panginoon ang ating dasal, but there is always wisdom behind, kung bakit minsan ang panalangin natin ay hindi sinasagot ng Diyos. It is up to us to discover kung ano 'yong wisdom behind.
In the Gospel, there is a royal official. Mukhang hindi siya Jew pero mukhang mayaman kasi mayroon siyang slave. Ang kanyang anak ay nasa bingit ng kamatayan. Now, he heard about Jesus, and he grabbed the opportunity na lumapit kay Jesus. It was a courageous act to go near Jesus. Tandaan ninyo, sakop ng Roman Empire ang mga Jews.
Pero lumapit pa rin siya kay Jesus. Magandang attitude po 'yon. At tinanggap siya ni Jesus. Ang gusto niya ay gumaling ang kanyang anak, at ang gusto niya ay sumama si Jesus sa kanya. The Roman official was straight to the point, 'yon ang gusto niya. But then Jesus told the official that he may go, and his son will live. Definite at walang duda ang sagot ni Hesus. 'Gagaling ang anak mo.' At talagang gumaling ang anak niya. Tandaan ninyo na malayo 'yong anak kay Jesus. Malayo. Pero ang bridge ay 'yong Tatay. Kaya naman lahat sila, kasama ang mga slaves, ay naniwala kay Jesus. Ang hula ko, after that story, ang official ay tagong tumulong kay Jesus, upang mapalaganap Niya ang Kanyang misyon.
'Yon po ang challenge ng ating Liturgy sa araw na ito. Let us not underestimate the power of prayer. Huwag tayong mahiyang lumapit kay Jesus. We pray, not to change the mind of God; it is about changing our mind, our mindset. That is the purpose of prayer. Huwag tayong magsawang magdasal, huwag tayong magsawang magsimba. We should allow God to touch us; we should allow ourselves to have a personal encounter with God.
Sana si Jesus na na-encounter n'yo dito sa chapel, ay ma-encounter n'yo pa rin sa labas ng chapel na ito. Mangyayari lang 'yan kung hahabaan ninyo ang inyong antenna, which means, we have to be sensitive to Jesus sa labas ng chapel. Madaling ma-encounter si Jesus sa loob ng chapel, pero sa labas ng chapel, 'yan ang puno ng challenge. Jesus always communicates with us, and every day is a chance for us to encounter Jesus. And when we encounter Him, we will produce very good fruit.
