September 10, 2013
Tuesday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time
by Rev. Fr. Benjamin
“Benjo” Fajota - Vice Rector, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace
Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)
12:15PM Mass at EDSA Shrine
Brothers and sisters: As you received Christ Jesus the Lord,
walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as
you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one captivate you
with an empty, seductive philosophy according to the tradition of men, according
to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.
For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross; despoiling the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it.
For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross; despoiling the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it.
R. (9) The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the
night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and
from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named
Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas,
James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of
James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.
HOMILY
Before Jesus Christ chose His 12
Apostles, He spent the night in prayer. I used to wonder if Jesus Christ's
prayer was heard by the Father. Come to think of it - the Apostles were not the
best of the followers of Jesus Christ. There was Peter, who was very impulsive.
There were James and John, who had very fiery temper. Then there was doubting
Thomas and Bartholomew or Nathaniel who questioned whether something good could
come out from Nazareth. There was a tax collector, there were sinners, and most
especially, there was the one who betrayed Him.
Kung si Hesus ay nagdasal sa Kanyang Ama upang pumili ng Kanyang mga Apostol, bakit ganitong mga uri ang Kanyang napili? Hindi kaya Siya nagkulang o nagkamali? I used to ask this before I got ordained. I asked myself - am I worthy to become a priest, with all my faults, my flaws, my imperfections? Bakit ako pinili ng Diyos para maging Kanyang pari? And this is what I realized. Kapag pumili ang Diyos, hindi batayan ang pamantayan na gamit natin bilang tao. Isa lamang ang ginawa Niya - Siya ay naawa sa akin. Because of the Lord's mercy, He chose me.
Gano'n din tayo. Lahat tayo ay tinawag ng Diyos. Makikita natin na lahat tayo ay may mga pagkakamali at pagkukulang kaya wala tayong karapatang manghusga ng ating kapwa. Dahil tanging ang Diyos lamang ang nakababatid kung ano ang saloobin ng ating puso. The main difference is that the Apostles of Jesus Christ repented of their sins. Pinagsisihan nila, tinalikdan nila ang kanilang mga kasalanan.
In our country today, in our news, we hear a lot of people who have contributed partially or a lot to the poverty of our people. At sinasabi nating bakit ganoon ang kanilang ginawa. Though we condemn the action, we also show mercy and compassion to those who have done it. Wala tayong karapatan because we are not God. At ito ang napakaganda. Tinawag tayong lahat ng Diyos, kaya't sa kabila ng ating pagkukulang, ng ating pagkakamali, patuloy Niya tayong tinatawag na Kanyang mga anak. Amen.
Kung si Hesus ay nagdasal sa Kanyang Ama upang pumili ng Kanyang mga Apostol, bakit ganitong mga uri ang Kanyang napili? Hindi kaya Siya nagkulang o nagkamali? I used to ask this before I got ordained. I asked myself - am I worthy to become a priest, with all my faults, my flaws, my imperfections? Bakit ako pinili ng Diyos para maging Kanyang pari? And this is what I realized. Kapag pumili ang Diyos, hindi batayan ang pamantayan na gamit natin bilang tao. Isa lamang ang ginawa Niya - Siya ay naawa sa akin. Because of the Lord's mercy, He chose me.
Gano'n din tayo. Lahat tayo ay tinawag ng Diyos. Makikita natin na lahat tayo ay may mga pagkakamali at pagkukulang kaya wala tayong karapatang manghusga ng ating kapwa. Dahil tanging ang Diyos lamang ang nakababatid kung ano ang saloobin ng ating puso. The main difference is that the Apostles of Jesus Christ repented of their sins. Pinagsisihan nila, tinalikdan nila ang kanilang mga kasalanan.
In our country today, in our news, we hear a lot of people who have contributed partially or a lot to the poverty of our people. At sinasabi nating bakit ganoon ang kanilang ginawa. Though we condemn the action, we also show mercy and compassion to those who have done it. Wala tayong karapatan because we are not God. At ito ang napakaganda. Tinawag tayong lahat ng Diyos, kaya't sa kabila ng ating pagkukulang, ng ating pagkakamali, patuloy Niya tayong tinatawag na Kanyang mga anak. Amen.
