October 18, 2013
Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist
by Rev. Fr. Benjo Fajota, Vice Rector, Mary,
Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)
7:00 PM Mass at the EDSA Shrine
7:00 PM Mass at the EDSA Shrine
Beloved: Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me
and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Luke is the
only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in
the ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak I
left with Carpus in Troas, the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching.
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it.
Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching.
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it.
R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious
splendor of your Kingdom.
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. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
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. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent
ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to
them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of
the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am
sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say,
‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will
rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat
and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move
about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom
of God is at hand for you.’”
HOMILY
An English poet once said that the saddest moment for an atheist is when he is really so thankful, but has no one to thank to. Ang dami-daming biyaya na kailangang ipagpasalamat, pero walang tao o walang siyang Diyos na kinikilala, na pagpapasalamatan.
One of the greatest attitudes of being a missionary is one of gratitude. Gratitude begins from our heart, from our acknowledgment, that we are nothing if God is not with us. In the Gospel, we heard about 72 disciples being commissioned to do the work similar to that of the Apostles. There were three things that they were to do - to trust totally in God, to proclaim the Kingdom, and to bring about healing.
However, although the harvest is abundant, the laborers are few. Ramdam na ramdam ko po ito. Pang-ilang misa ko na po ito sa araw na ito. (laughs) Nag-umpisa ang aking araw sa misa nang 6:30 nang umaga, nagmisa ng 7:45am sa Poveda, nag-office blessing nang 9:30, nagbinyag nang 11:00am, nagmisa nang 12:15, nagkasal nang alas-tres (shocked reaction from the people), nagbinyag nang 4:30, nagmisa nang 5:30 kanina, at ngayon. Hindi po ako nagrereklamo, humihingi lang po ng pang-unawa. Kadalasan, tao rin naman kami, napapagod din, umiinit din ang ulo. Kung minsan, napipilitan ding magreklamo. Meron pang Veritas mamaya, alas-onse nang gabi hanggang alas-dos nang madaling araw.
But our lives must always be at the service of the Gospel. We cannot complain. That is why in the Gospel, there is an urgency of the message. Carry no money bag, carry no sack cloth, proclaim the Kingdom, because it is at hand. This is what challenges us. But most of the time, when we are asked to proclaim the Kingdom and share the Good News, ang ating sasabihin, hindi ko trabaho 'yan. Trabaho 'yan ng mga pari, ng mga relihiyoso, ng mga katekista. My dear brothers and sisters, there is no one else to proclaim the message of God, but us. We are the 72. We are God-sent to proclaim the Kingdom of God through our lives. Amen.
An English poet once said that the saddest moment for an atheist is when he is really so thankful, but has no one to thank to. Ang dami-daming biyaya na kailangang ipagpasalamat, pero walang tao o walang siyang Diyos na kinikilala, na pagpapasalamatan.
One of the greatest attitudes of being a missionary is one of gratitude. Gratitude begins from our heart, from our acknowledgment, that we are nothing if God is not with us. In the Gospel, we heard about 72 disciples being commissioned to do the work similar to that of the Apostles. There were three things that they were to do - to trust totally in God, to proclaim the Kingdom, and to bring about healing.
However, although the harvest is abundant, the laborers are few. Ramdam na ramdam ko po ito. Pang-ilang misa ko na po ito sa araw na ito. (laughs) Nag-umpisa ang aking araw sa misa nang 6:30 nang umaga, nagmisa ng 7:45am sa Poveda, nag-office blessing nang 9:30, nagbinyag nang 11:00am, nagmisa nang 12:15, nagkasal nang alas-tres (shocked reaction from the people), nagbinyag nang 4:30, nagmisa nang 5:30 kanina, at ngayon. Hindi po ako nagrereklamo, humihingi lang po ng pang-unawa. Kadalasan, tao rin naman kami, napapagod din, umiinit din ang ulo. Kung minsan, napipilitan ding magreklamo. Meron pang Veritas mamaya, alas-onse nang gabi hanggang alas-dos nang madaling araw.
But our lives must always be at the service of the Gospel. We cannot complain. That is why in the Gospel, there is an urgency of the message. Carry no money bag, carry no sack cloth, proclaim the Kingdom, because it is at hand. This is what challenges us. But most of the time, when we are asked to proclaim the Kingdom and share the Good News, ang ating sasabihin, hindi ko trabaho 'yan. Trabaho 'yan ng mga pari, ng mga relihiyoso, ng mga katekista. My dear brothers and sisters, there is no one else to proclaim the message of God, but us. We are the 72. We are God-sent to proclaim the Kingdom of God through our lives. Amen.
