Gospel Reflection

June 15, 2013

Saturday – 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 2 Cor 5:14-21

Brothers and sisters: The love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all; therefore, all have died. He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Gospel Mt 5:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.”

HOMILY

Our Gospel today stresses on letting your 'yes' mean 'yes', and your 'no' to mean 'no'. 

Lying has become so deep in us, in every culture, I think. Children lie to their parents. Students lie to their teachers. Friends lie among themselves. Husbands lie to their wives, or probably sometimes, the other way around. Subordinates lie to their bosses. And we hear of people in the newspapers lying about their salaries or their statement of assets and liabilities. 

Lying has become endemic. That is why Jesus is telling us in the Gospel to just say 'yes' when you mean 'yes', and 'no' when it is 'no'. The truth will make us free. It is not an easy way, but it is the way of truly living what the Lord tells us, and to live at peace. 

In the First Reading today, St. Paul talks of a basic way of being guided by the Lord. He says that God has died for all, and in dying for all, St. Paul is asking us to live for the Lord. It means that when we are very clear on living for, and following Jesus, other things will follow. But if God is set aside, so many wrong things are done as if they are right. 

That is why in our Readings today, God is reminding us on the simplicity of living the truth. Truth may be very innocent, but it is the only way of a person to follow God, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.