April 07, 2013
Sunday – Year of Faith – Easter Season
Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday
by Rev. Fr. Larry Tan, S.D.B.
6:00PM Anticipated Sunday Mass at Sto. Nino de Paz
Chapel, (Greenbelt Chapel) Makati
Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the
hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s portico. None of the
others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them. Yet more than ever,
believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them. Thus
they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats
so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of
them. A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also
gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they
were all cured.
Responsorial Psalm Ps
118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love
is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 2 Rev
1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
I,
John, your brother, who share with you the distress, the kingdom, and the
endurance we have in Jesus, found myself on the island called Patmos because I
proclaimed God’s word and gave testimony to Jesus. I was caught up in spirit on
the Lord’s day and heard behind me a voice as loud as a trumpet, which said, “Write
on a scroll what you see.” Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke
to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands and in the midst of the
lampstands one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold
sash around his chest.
When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld. Write down, therefore, what you have seen, and what is happening, and what will happen afterwards.”
When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld. Write down, therefore, what you have seen, and what is happening, and what will happen afterwards.”
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors
were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said
this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they
saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has
sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and
said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven
them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
HOMILY
Good
evening everyone.
We are still in the Octave of Easter celebration. We call it Octave because we can say that we cannot contain the joy on the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Kaya para sa mga nagsisimba sa inyo araw-araw, even if it is not a Sunday or a holy day of obligation, you will notice that we sing 'Glory to God in the Highest'. Tayo kasi ay natutuwa at nagagalak na si Hesus ay muling nabuhay. So hindi pwedeng isang araw lang ang celebration, kaya patuloy pa rin.
Ang muling pagkabuhay ng Panginoon ang pinakamahalagang kapistahan. It is the most important feast of the Church. Dalawa ang pinakamahalagang kapistahan ng simbahan. Ano 'yon? Pasko or Christmas, at ang Muling Pagkabuhay. Pero kung ikukumpara natin 'yong dalawa, ang Muling Pagkabuhay pa rin ang mas mahalaga sa Pasko, although mas colorful ang Pasko - maraming palamuti. Bakit ito mas mahalaga? Ito'y sapagkat lahat tayo ay ipinanganak o isinilang pero isa lang ang muling nabuhay at ito ay ang ating Panginoong Hesukristo. And that is why St. Paul said that if Christ has not risen from the dead, our faith is useless. Easter proves beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus is not only man, but that He is truly God. Siya ay talagang Diyos.
The Resurrection of Jesus proves His power over death. Jesus is alive, and therefore, death could not get hold of Him. To those who have attended the Easter Vigil, you will hear the words, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" Dahil ang unang bunga ng kasalanan ni Adan at Eba ay walang iba kundi ang kamatayan. Pero sa muling pagkabuhay ng Panginoon ay pinatunayan Niyang tama na hindi na tayo matatakot sa kamatayan. Lahat tayo ay mamamatay. Whether we like it or not, we are all heading there, tama ba? Kahit na ilang healing sessions ang puntahan n'yo, mamamatay rin kayo. (laughs) Maliwanag? Walang lusot. Yes, we pray, but ultimately, we have to be open to the will of God. Siya ang nakaka-alam kaya kung tayo ay naniniwala, dapat ay hindi tayo natatakot sa kamatayan.
I just came from New York (whew!)....dahil namatay ang mother ko. At dahil namatay ang mother ko on March 1, first Friday, ako na, chronologically ang sunod. (laughs) Ako na. Ewan ko kung gusto kong mauna ang mga kapatid ko o hindi (laughs) pero ultimately, ako na ang pinakamatanda sa aming pamilya. Pero iniisip ko na bakit ako matatakot? 'Yong minahal at kinasama ko dito sa lupa ay makakasama ko rin sa kabilang buhay. Kung ganoon ang isip natin, hindi tayo matatakot.
Napanood n'yo ba ang Les Miserables?Di ba noong si Jean Veljean ay malapit nang mamatay, sinabi niya, "Take me now, take me there, bring me home." And then nakita niya si Anne Hathaway, pati 'yong pari na nagtiwala sa kanya kaya siya nagbago. Kaya kayo, pag may nakikita na kayo, nakikita n'yo na ang Nanay n'yo o Tatay n'yo na nauna na sa inyo (laughs), dumiretso na kayo diyan (pointing to the confessional), mangumpisal na kayo at humingi na kayo ng awa sa Diyos (laughs) dahil ang ibig sabihin ay malapit ka na. Sinusundo ka na. Pero bakit tayo matatakot? Muling nabuhay na ang Panginoon. And so death has no victory, no sting. So huwag na tayong matakot.
The Resurrection also proves the power of Jesus Christ over sin. Siya ay handang magpatawad sa ating mga kasalanan. Tamang tama na ngayon ay Divine Mercy Sunday. Wala nang kasalanan ang masasabi nating mangingibabaw pa sa awa at kagandahang-loob ng Diyos. Basta't humingi tayo ng patawad. 'Yon lang naman ang kondisyon eh. Sabi nga ng Santo Papa, Pope Francis, more often than not, tayo ang unang nagsasawang humingi ng patawad, pero ang Diyos ay hindi nagsasawang magbigay ng patawad. He has unlimited Divine Mercy.
What is Easter? Bilisan ko na ha. May pupuntahan pa ba kayo pagkatapos ng misa? Wala? Anyway, paminsan-minsan lang naman ako dito sa Greenbelt Chapel.
What is Easter? First, letter E. It is the season of Exultation. That is why we hear 'Hallelujah' in the liturgy. Rejoice because Jesus is the Light. We are joyful because we are redeemed from sin. We are rescued from death. That is why to those who attended the Easter Vigil mass, we are shown the history of salvation from the Book of Genesis, hanggang sa pagdating ng ating Panginoon. Kung gusto n'yong lalong maintindihan how it is to be rescued or redeemed, magpa-kidnap kayo (laughs) nang malaman ninyo. Imagine the joy of being rescued and being freed. It feels good to be safe, to be redeemed. Kung napanood ninyo 'yong Life of Pi, he was in a shipwreck at ganoon na lang ang katuwaan niya, nang siya ay naligtas, after months of being marooned in the sea.
Next is letter A which means Acceptance of Jesus and S is for Salvation. Bakit? Kung hindi natin tinatanggap ang kaligtasan ng ating Panginoon, balewala ang lahat ng ginawa Niya para sa atin, tama ba? Kaya nga sabi ni St. Augustine, "God who has created us without us, cannot save us without us." Samakatuwid, salvation is not automatic. We have to accept God's promise of salvation. Kinakailangang tinatanggap natin ang ating Panginoon sa ating buhay, at sa ating bahay. Kapag tinanggap natin ang Panginoon, we should surrender to Him. Our response is to take off the old self, and take on the new self. There should be transformation in our every day life. 'Yan ang nagpapatunay ng ating pagtanggap sa ating Panginoon.
Letter T is for Thanksgiving. Natutuwa tayo at nagagalak tayo because God loved the world so much that He gave us His only Son. The celebration of last week - the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord, proves that God really loves us. Don't you feel good about it? We are all very important, VIPs, valuable, more than precious and special. We are loved and we are worth dying for.
I had a friend who had a kidney transplant. So I asked him, "Pamilya mo ba ang nagbigay ng kidney sa iyo?" Sabi niya, "Hindi, dahil hindi match." At alam n'yo kung sino ang nagbigay ng kidney sa kanya? 'Yong kanyang kaibigan. And so I just said, "There is no greater love than this, that a man may give this kidney to you." Don't you think na gano'n na lamang ang pasasalamat niya sa nagbigay ng kidney sa kanya? Because of that kidney, he was given a new lease in life. Salamat.
My dear friends, namatay si Kristo para sa inyo. Now...sulit ba? Sulit? Sana naman. Thank you Lord. Pero dapat sana maging sulit, kung hindi ay sayang naman na nagdanak Siya ng dugo para sa atin.
The next letter E is for Evangelization. That means that our gift is not just a gift, but a responsibility. Dapat ay ibalita natin ito at i-share natin. Let us go and tell. When the disciples saw Jesus, they decided to share their experience. They gave testimony that truly, Jesus has risen from the dead. Ganoon din dapat tayo. Dapat ay ibinabahagi natin ang ating pananampalataya lalong lalo na sa Year of Faith na ito.
Finally, ang bunga ng lahat ng ito ay walang iba kundi pagbabago o Renewal. Kaya sabi ni St.Paul, "Since then you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."
My dear friends, sana naman, sa lahat ng mga ginawa natin, sa lahat ng mga pagdiriwang, ay sulit naman ang paghihirap at ang kamatayan ng Panginoon. The challenge for us is this. Na sana tayo ay maging karapat-dapat, na tayo ay maging tapat sa ating Panginoon. Na ang bawat isa sa atin ay maging liwanag ni Kristo, sa ating buhay at sa ating bahay. 'Yan ang hamon para sa atin. At the end of the day, at the twilight of our lives, sana naman, pagbalik natin sa Panginoon ay masasabi natin na talagang wala tayong regrets dahil tayo ay naging mabuti at naging maayos at matuwid ang ating buhay dahil sa Kanyang ginawa para sa atin.
We are still in the Octave of Easter celebration. We call it Octave because we can say that we cannot contain the joy on the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Kaya para sa mga nagsisimba sa inyo araw-araw, even if it is not a Sunday or a holy day of obligation, you will notice that we sing 'Glory to God in the Highest'. Tayo kasi ay natutuwa at nagagalak na si Hesus ay muling nabuhay. So hindi pwedeng isang araw lang ang celebration, kaya patuloy pa rin.
Ang muling pagkabuhay ng Panginoon ang pinakamahalagang kapistahan. It is the most important feast of the Church. Dalawa ang pinakamahalagang kapistahan ng simbahan. Ano 'yon? Pasko or Christmas, at ang Muling Pagkabuhay. Pero kung ikukumpara natin 'yong dalawa, ang Muling Pagkabuhay pa rin ang mas mahalaga sa Pasko, although mas colorful ang Pasko - maraming palamuti. Bakit ito mas mahalaga? Ito'y sapagkat lahat tayo ay ipinanganak o isinilang pero isa lang ang muling nabuhay at ito ay ang ating Panginoong Hesukristo. And that is why St. Paul said that if Christ has not risen from the dead, our faith is useless. Easter proves beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus is not only man, but that He is truly God. Siya ay talagang Diyos.
The Resurrection of Jesus proves His power over death. Jesus is alive, and therefore, death could not get hold of Him. To those who have attended the Easter Vigil, you will hear the words, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" Dahil ang unang bunga ng kasalanan ni Adan at Eba ay walang iba kundi ang kamatayan. Pero sa muling pagkabuhay ng Panginoon ay pinatunayan Niyang tama na hindi na tayo matatakot sa kamatayan. Lahat tayo ay mamamatay. Whether we like it or not, we are all heading there, tama ba? Kahit na ilang healing sessions ang puntahan n'yo, mamamatay rin kayo. (laughs) Maliwanag? Walang lusot. Yes, we pray, but ultimately, we have to be open to the will of God. Siya ang nakaka-alam kaya kung tayo ay naniniwala, dapat ay hindi tayo natatakot sa kamatayan.
I just came from New York (whew!)....dahil namatay ang mother ko. At dahil namatay ang mother ko on March 1, first Friday, ako na, chronologically ang sunod. (laughs) Ako na. Ewan ko kung gusto kong mauna ang mga kapatid ko o hindi (laughs) pero ultimately, ako na ang pinakamatanda sa aming pamilya. Pero iniisip ko na bakit ako matatakot? 'Yong minahal at kinasama ko dito sa lupa ay makakasama ko rin sa kabilang buhay. Kung ganoon ang isip natin, hindi tayo matatakot.
Napanood n'yo ba ang Les Miserables?Di ba noong si Jean Veljean ay malapit nang mamatay, sinabi niya, "Take me now, take me there, bring me home." And then nakita niya si Anne Hathaway, pati 'yong pari na nagtiwala sa kanya kaya siya nagbago. Kaya kayo, pag may nakikita na kayo, nakikita n'yo na ang Nanay n'yo o Tatay n'yo na nauna na sa inyo (laughs), dumiretso na kayo diyan (pointing to the confessional), mangumpisal na kayo at humingi na kayo ng awa sa Diyos (laughs) dahil ang ibig sabihin ay malapit ka na. Sinusundo ka na. Pero bakit tayo matatakot? Muling nabuhay na ang Panginoon. And so death has no victory, no sting. So huwag na tayong matakot.
The Resurrection also proves the power of Jesus Christ over sin. Siya ay handang magpatawad sa ating mga kasalanan. Tamang tama na ngayon ay Divine Mercy Sunday. Wala nang kasalanan ang masasabi nating mangingibabaw pa sa awa at kagandahang-loob ng Diyos. Basta't humingi tayo ng patawad. 'Yon lang naman ang kondisyon eh. Sabi nga ng Santo Papa, Pope Francis, more often than not, tayo ang unang nagsasawang humingi ng patawad, pero ang Diyos ay hindi nagsasawang magbigay ng patawad. He has unlimited Divine Mercy.
What is Easter? Bilisan ko na ha. May pupuntahan pa ba kayo pagkatapos ng misa? Wala? Anyway, paminsan-minsan lang naman ako dito sa Greenbelt Chapel.
What is Easter? First, letter E. It is the season of Exultation. That is why we hear 'Hallelujah' in the liturgy. Rejoice because Jesus is the Light. We are joyful because we are redeemed from sin. We are rescued from death. That is why to those who attended the Easter Vigil mass, we are shown the history of salvation from the Book of Genesis, hanggang sa pagdating ng ating Panginoon. Kung gusto n'yong lalong maintindihan how it is to be rescued or redeemed, magpa-kidnap kayo (laughs) nang malaman ninyo. Imagine the joy of being rescued and being freed. It feels good to be safe, to be redeemed. Kung napanood ninyo 'yong Life of Pi, he was in a shipwreck at ganoon na lang ang katuwaan niya, nang siya ay naligtas, after months of being marooned in the sea.
Next is letter A which means Acceptance of Jesus and S is for Salvation. Bakit? Kung hindi natin tinatanggap ang kaligtasan ng ating Panginoon, balewala ang lahat ng ginawa Niya para sa atin, tama ba? Kaya nga sabi ni St. Augustine, "God who has created us without us, cannot save us without us." Samakatuwid, salvation is not automatic. We have to accept God's promise of salvation. Kinakailangang tinatanggap natin ang ating Panginoon sa ating buhay, at sa ating bahay. Kapag tinanggap natin ang Panginoon, we should surrender to Him. Our response is to take off the old self, and take on the new self. There should be transformation in our every day life. 'Yan ang nagpapatunay ng ating pagtanggap sa ating Panginoon.
Letter T is for Thanksgiving. Natutuwa tayo at nagagalak tayo because God loved the world so much that He gave us His only Son. The celebration of last week - the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord, proves that God really loves us. Don't you feel good about it? We are all very important, VIPs, valuable, more than precious and special. We are loved and we are worth dying for.
I had a friend who had a kidney transplant. So I asked him, "Pamilya mo ba ang nagbigay ng kidney sa iyo?" Sabi niya, "Hindi, dahil hindi match." At alam n'yo kung sino ang nagbigay ng kidney sa kanya? 'Yong kanyang kaibigan. And so I just said, "There is no greater love than this, that a man may give this kidney to you." Don't you think na gano'n na lamang ang pasasalamat niya sa nagbigay ng kidney sa kanya? Because of that kidney, he was given a new lease in life. Salamat.
My dear friends, namatay si Kristo para sa inyo. Now...sulit ba? Sulit? Sana naman. Thank you Lord. Pero dapat sana maging sulit, kung hindi ay sayang naman na nagdanak Siya ng dugo para sa atin.
The next letter E is for Evangelization. That means that our gift is not just a gift, but a responsibility. Dapat ay ibalita natin ito at i-share natin. Let us go and tell. When the disciples saw Jesus, they decided to share their experience. They gave testimony that truly, Jesus has risen from the dead. Ganoon din dapat tayo. Dapat ay ibinabahagi natin ang ating pananampalataya lalong lalo na sa Year of Faith na ito.
Finally, ang bunga ng lahat ng ito ay walang iba kundi pagbabago o Renewal. Kaya sabi ni St.Paul, "Since then you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."
My dear friends, sana naman, sa lahat ng mga ginawa natin, sa lahat ng mga pagdiriwang, ay sulit naman ang paghihirap at ang kamatayan ng Panginoon. The challenge for us is this. Na sana tayo ay maging karapat-dapat, na tayo ay maging tapat sa ating Panginoon. Na ang bawat isa sa atin ay maging liwanag ni Kristo, sa ating buhay at sa ating bahay. 'Yan ang hamon para sa atin. At the end of the day, at the twilight of our lives, sana naman, pagbalik natin sa Panginoon ay masasabi natin na talagang wala tayong regrets dahil tayo ay naging mabuti at naging maayos at matuwid ang ating buhay dahil sa Kanyang ginawa para sa atin.
