Gospel Reflection

January 06, 2013

Sunday – Year of Faith

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

by Rev. Fr. Lito Ignacio

12:15PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

                         

Reading 1 Is 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.

R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Second Reading Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6

Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Gospel Mt 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star,  and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,  they departed for their country by another way.

HOMILY

Maligayang kapistahan po ng Epiphany.

Alam nyo itong EDSA Shrine.....Bakit nga EDSA pala? Epifanio de los Santos. Ano ho ba ang kahulugan ng Epifanio? Epiphany came from the Greek word which means 'showing' or 'manifestation'. Epiphany also means revelation. Thus, EDSA or Epifanio de los Santos literally means 'epiphany of the saints'. Kaya ang Feast of the Epiphany ngayon ay parang kapistahan din po ng EDSA.

Ang kahulugan po ng Epiphany ay ito po. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, during the days of Herod, the King of Judea of Israel. Galit na galit si King Herod at gusto niya talagang ipapatay si Hesus, kasi nabalitaan niya 'there will be a new King of the Jews'. Sabi niya, 'I am the King of Jews. Paano'ng magkakaroon ng another King?' King Herod was greatly troubled that he called all his chief priests to ask where this child will be born. Ang mga haring gustong pumunta para mag-pay homage sa batang ito, hinarang niya. Niloko pa niya ang tatlong hari at sabi niya, 'Tell me if you have found this child, so I can also pay homage to him.' But Herod wanted to know all the details about this child, so that he can kill him. That is King Herod.

But what happened? A star led the three kings or the three magi until it stopped over the place where the child Jesus was born. The three magi then saw the child Jesus with Joseph and Mary, His mother. Ang ganda nito. They adored the Lord Jesus and paid Him homage. They gave Him treasures. Gifts of gold, meaning this Child is King. Gift of frankincense, which is a sign of worhsip, which means this Child is a Son of God. And the gift of myhrr, which means that this Child will one day die, as myhrr is the oil used when somebody dies.

What does Epiphany mean? Why do we celebrate this? The feast of the Epiphany is a reminder for us that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus is the Savior of the world. The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the adoration of the Child Jesus by the three wise men from the East. The three magi are the representatives of all the pagan religions all over the world who, one day, would come to adore the Child Jesus. These three magi welcomed the good news of salvation through the incarnation of Jesus.

The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the first presentation of the newly born Savior of the world. The Child Jesus is revealed to all of us; the Child Jesus is meant for all of us. Christ came to give us Light. Only Christ can dispel the darkness which envelopes us. In order to dispel the darkness in our life, Christ must enter our soul. We are also the revelation of God, if we are united with Christ, if we receive Christ in our hearts. It is because man is also created in the image of God.

What will destroy this image of God in man? Sin. Kasalanan. Sin marred the image of man, but Christ came to restore man. Christ helped us to discover the brightness of this image. And God is revealed in Christ's plan of salvation and showed Christ as the Light of all peoples. Now that His glory is shown among us, God has renewed humanity in his immortal image. This is our First Reading for the day, from the prophet Isaiah. "The Lord will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to Your light, and kings to the brightness of the dawn."

Today, we celebrate God's plan of salvation. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to save us. Our Lord Jesus Christ came us our King, the King of all nations. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is Our Lord God and Savior, the Savior of the world. This is the essence of the Epiphany. That is why alam po ninyo, during the Simbang Gabi, I was very much struck by the image of the parol. Nasa Baguio po ako, I was invited by the Pink Sisters to celebrate Simbang Gabi at the Pink Sisters Convent. I also had a very meaningful Advent Season.

Alam nyo po 'yong Catholic Bishops' Commission on Family and Life, si Bishop Gabby Reyes, he asked the help of San Carlos seminarians...kami po ay parating prayer warriors, tagadasal po. And we are also asked to help to serve as marshalls. 'Yong mga marshalls, sila po 'yong mga guardian angels doon po sa Batasan. Ako po ang laging na-a-assign doon, 'ikaw ang sumama diyan'.

Practically, we have been there since December 4, December 9, December 11, nakapasok kami sa loob ng Batasan, December 12, nandoon po kami, and on the last day of the voting on the RH Bill, December 17, nandoon po kami. Nakaka-antig po ng damdamin. Totoo po ang nababasa natin sa Internet. We have to see it for ourselves, to see what is really happening inside.

Whenever I go there, talaga pong puro dasal po kami, to be honest po ano. I pray the rosary with this rosary po - ito po ang hinawakan ng Tatay ko last year when he died. I am always praying the rosary for our Congressmen, and prayed that the light of God, the light of Christ may shine upon them during their deliberation.

December 11 nagtataka ako. Bakit kaya ganito? Amendment ang pinag-uusapan. Life begins at conception, ayaw tanggapin. Nagpupukpukan na. And then pag tayo na ang nagsasalita, namamatay ang sound system. Akala ko ako lang ang nakakapansin. Sabi ko, pati ba naman sa Congress nagkakaroon sila ng cheating sa 'aye' tsaka 'naye'? I was praying, tahimik pa rin po ako. Lord, bakit po ganito? At a certain point I stopped.

I remembered San Lorenzo Ruiz. On October 21, I cried at the Vatican when San Pedro Calungsod was canonized. I said, "Jesus, thank you for making me a Filipino. Thank you for making me a Catholic." Umiyak ako. But inside that Congress, when I saw what was happening inside, I almost cried. Sabi ko, ito na ba ang ating bansa?

Ito ang sinasabi ko sa inyo. The light of Christ has come. Dumating ang liwanag ni Kristo. As St. Thomas Aquinas said, "God must have no substitute in your life. God must have the first place in your life." And St. Ignatius de Loyola said, 'God must be the first principle and foundation of your life. God must be the one treasure of your life."  But as St. Thomas Aquinas said, there are four substitutes for God. Mayroon daw pong apat na bagay na pinapalitan natin ang Diyos.

The first is wealth. Kayamanan. Wealth is very tempting. It is sad when some of us, even some of our legislators, choose wealth over God. Origally, there were 155 anti-RH Law legislators, but throughout the journey, before December 17, nagbago ang karamihan. Maraming mga congressman ang umiiyak at humihingi ng patawad ngayon, kasi alam nilang they did not vote out of conscience, not out of principle.

The second substitute for God is pleasure. It is sad that pleasure has substituted God in the light of discipline, in the light of love and sacrifice. We are called into a life of love, and not of pleasure and desires. We should do, not what is pleasurable, but what is right and what is God's will. What are we looking for? Is Jesus really the King of my life? Is Jesus the God of my life? Is Jesus really the fulfillment of all my desires in life? Am I really choosing Jesus? Do I want to study the teachings of Jesus' Gospel of love and life? Purity, 'yon po ang laging isipin natin. We are called to live a life of purity, of chastity. Kalinisan. We have to have the courage to be faithful, to be true, to be pure, in the context of responsible love, in the context of the sacredness of human life.

The third substitute is power. Marami pong nasisira sa power. Nagsisimula mabait, pero pag may kapangyarihan na, power corrupts. We have seen the abuse of power. As Christians, we are called to a life of humble service. Maglingkod po tayo. Let us choose the path of humility. Let us choose the path of Jesus Christ with humility and total abandonment. Let us remember the path of the Child Jesus - the path of trust, confidence and humble service, especially to the poor.

Lastly, the fourth substitute for God is honor. In the Scriptures, Satan tempted Jesus when he said, "Honor me and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world." But Jesus said, "You shall honor the Lord Your God alone. You must worship God alone." It is sad that people refuse to believe in God, because they choose to honor themselves. Nowadays, we see a lot of forms of self-redemption, and people substituting God in their reasoning. My brothers and sisters, we should worship God alone. We should accept Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our life, as the King of our hearts. At the very center of our being, nariyan pa ba ang Diyos? Ginagalang ba natin at tinatanggap ang Diyos bilang ating Panginoon at Tagapagligtas ng ating buhay? Siya pa ba ang ating kayamanan?

The Angel taught this prayer to the three children at Fatima : "Oh my God, I adore You, I believe in You, I hope in You, and I love You." "And we ask forgiveness, O God, for those who do not adore You, for those who do not believe in You, for those who do not hope in You, and for those who do not love You."

This is the challenge for us. We must place God at the very center of our hearts. As Pope Benedict XVI told us during Christmas, "Make room for God in your life." Magbigay po tayo ng puwang para sa Diyos. Ilagay natin ang Diyos sa ating puso. Ilagay natin ang Diyos sa ating pamilya. Ilagay natin ang Diyos sa ating lipunan, sa ating bansa. Nawa'y si Hesus ay patuloy na maghari sa ating bansa. Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Nawa'y patuloy tayong lumapit kay Hesus na ating Panginoon at Tagapagligtas. Happy Epiphany. May Christ's light dispel the darkness in our hearts. Amen.

 

Gospel Reflection

December 02, 2012

First Sunday of Advent – Year of Faith

by Rev. Fr. Lito Ignacio

12:15 PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Jer 33:14-16

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot ; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: "The LORD our justice."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R. (1b) To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
and for you I wait all the day.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Reading 2 1 Thes 3:12-4:2

Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.

Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God and as you are conducting yourselves you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Gospel Lk 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

HOMILY

This First Sunday of Advent reminds us of our Lord, that He is to come. The word Advent is derived from the Latin word "Adventus", which means 'coming'. It is in Advent that we prepare for the coming of Jesus. It is in Advent when we recall the coming of Christ, when He was born in Bethlehem. 

The Advent Season has four weeks. The first two weeks of Advent invites us to direct our minds to Christ and prepare for His Second Coming, the Final Coming of Jesus Christ, at the end of the world, at the end of time. The third and fourth week tells us to prepare for Christmas, when the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is recalled. Yes - Jesus came in history, Jesus comes in mystery, and Jesus will come again in glory. Jesus came with love in Bethlehem. He comes with grace into our souls, and again, He will come with justice at the end of the world.

The Gospel for today speaks of the coming of Christ as Judge of all. And before He comes, the Gospel tells us that we will experience earthquakes, calamities, and so on. It describes how we should prepare ourselves for the great event on which depends our eternal destiny. It also tells us that if these terrifying things happen, we should raise up our heads, as our redemption is drawing near. The Gospel says that all things in this world will pass away - glory, fame, honor, possessions, position, prestige, power, wealth, riches, beauty. But only one thing will remain, and that is the love and mercy of God. God will never pass away; His Word will never pass away. Eternal life is a life awaiting us.

I was in Lourdes in September 15, and I came for the second time this October. And Cardinal Rosales was there for almost two months. He was giving confessions and did not want to be acknowledged as a cardinal. He wanted to be incognito and be a simple priest, just to sit at the confessional box. The Cardinal was moved and he said that he could see the tears in Lourdes, as the people cried during confession. All of them received the love and mercy of God. And in front of the Lamb of God, you cannot but cry, seeing the grace of God, seeing the goodness of God, thanking God for his everlasting mercy and love for us, leading us to conversion.

This is also what the Lord is inviting us in this first Sunday of Advent. He will come to judge us, but He is also showing us what it means to celebrate and prepare for His Second Coming. It is a joyful encounter with the Lord. This is what the Synod of Bishops (from October 7 to 26) is telling us. It all begins with a personal encounter with the Lord, our personal experience with God, to love Jesus, to follow Jesus, and to share our faith in Jesus. This is also what the Year Faith is telling us - to revive our faith in the Lord, and to renew our personal relationship with Jesus. Let us listen and allow the Words of Jesus to teach us and to transform us and our society in which we live.

I was telling you about Lourdes. On October 18, Cardinal Rosales left Lourdes. And on October 20, do you know what happened to Lourdes? There was a strong deluge. Lourdes became heavily flooded, and it was a great natural disaster. There was a super typhoon. October 20 it was Lourdes, and days later, that super typhoon hit New York, New Jersey and other parts of the United States. 

This is what the Gospel tells us. The earth will be in dismay, perplexed. God will allow the phenomenon of natural disasters to happen even in Lourdes, which is considered the spiritual capital of prayer. It can happen elsewhere. 

This is also what the Gospel reminds us. Let us be vigilant at all times through prayer. Our lives are in God's hands, and in God's mercy. The Gospel tells us that we should pray that we may have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man. We must fix our eyes above, and not in this world. Our lives here on earth is a preparation for an extraordinary world that is yet to come, a supernatural destiny.

Yes, there is such a thing as judgment, death, heaven and hell, and purgatory. Do you believe that there is eternal life? Yes. We will all die and be judged. There will be reward for the good, and punishment for the evil. There is such thing as heaven, for those who are worthy to be in heaven. There is such a thing as purgatory, for those who could not yet enter heaven. It is a place for cleansing. And there is such thing as hell, for people who have really turned away from God.

We must see beyond this world and consider a world without end. This we will understand in the mystery and truth of the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Christ is the Living One, who is, who was, and who is to come. It is only through our encounter with Christ that we can understand the mystery of our life here on earth. 

Our life here on earth is like the Rosary. We have the joyful and luminous mysteries, diba? We also have our sorrowful mysteries, our suffering and death, and we have the glorious mysteries of our earthly life. And during this Advent Season, we are preparing for the coming of Christ, the coming of our Messiah. The Advent season reminds us that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything. Jesus is our Lord and King. Let us adore the Lord, the King who is to come. Jesus Christ is the fullness of God's revelation. 

Ito po ang hilingin natin this Advent Season. Hilingin po natin na lumago ang ating pakikipag-unayan kay Hesukristo. Lumago ang ating karanasan ng pag-ibig at awa ng Diyos sa ating buhay. It is only in our encounter with Jesus that we can understand the mystery of our life. Let us await and adore the Lord, the King who is to come. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

August 05, 2012

Sunday

(Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

By Rev. Fr Lito Ignacio

Edsa Shrine

First Reading:              Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15

Psalm:                        Psalm 78:3-4, 23-25, 54

Second Reading:          Ephesians 4:17, 20-24

Gospel:                        John 6:24-35    

24 So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper'na-um, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal." 28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 30 So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." 34 They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

HOMILY

In his homily today, Father Lito still focused on the fight against RH Bill. He advises us to continue to pray for the protection of innocent lives, especially the unborn babies.

Gospel Reflection

August 04, 2012

Saturday

by Rev. Fr Lito Ignacio

Edsa Shrine ( Prayer Rally for NO to RH Bill )

First Reading:               Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24

Psalm:                         Psalm 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34

Gospel:                        Matthew 14:1-12           

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus; 2 and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist, he has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him." 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison, for the sake of Hero'di-as, his brother Philip's wife; 4 because John said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Hero'di-as danced before the company, and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter." 9 And the king was sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given; 10 he sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it; and they went and told Jesus.

HOMILY

We should believe in the miracle of prayer, the miracle of life, the miracle of love. Let us not allow the evil one to destroy life, to destroy morality.

(Father Lito is quite emotional during his homily, because kawawa naman ang life in the womb, mga unborn babies at mga mommies pag naipasa ang RH Bill.)

He said that:

the fruit of silence is prayer.

The fruit of prayer is faith.

The fruit of faith is love.

The fruit of love is service, and

The fruit of service is peace.

He urges us to be united in prayer and to fight the evil one through prayer.

And that would be our weapon and shield for the fight.

Gospel Reflection

July 17, 2012

Tuesday
Weekday

by Rev. Fr. Lito Ignacio

EDSA Shrine

First Reading:   Isaiah 7:1-9

Psalm:             Psalm 48:2-8

Gospel:            Matthew 11:20-24

20 Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 "Woe to you, Chora'zin! woe to you, Beth-sa'ida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Caper'na-um, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you."

HOMILY

The key to today's Gospel is conversion. It is through steadfast faith and repentance (especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation) that we are able to continue our work of evangelization. "If your faith is not firm, you have no faith." We have to be persistent in our faith, whether it is convenient or inconvenient.
Father Lito ended his brief homily by sharing a prayer of Blessed Theresa of Calcutta: "Jesus, in my heart, I believe in Your tender love in me....and I love you". He told us to say the prayer over and over again. For him, this short prayer from Blessed Theresa is a prayer of such humility, faith and love for God.