September 22, 2012
Saturday
Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
by Rev. Fr. Carmelo P. Arada, Jr. (Minister)
(Ministry on Lectors and Commentators, Commission on Liturgy, Archdiocese of Manila)
Mass at the Layforce Chapel, San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe, Makati
Reading 1 1 Cor 15:35-37, 42-49
Brothers and sisters:
Someone may say, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come back?"
You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible. It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It is sown weak; it is raised powerful. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
So, too, it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living being," the last Adam a life-giving spirit. But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven. As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 56:10c-12, 13-14
R. (14) I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Gospel Lk 8:4-15
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered, "Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
"This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance."
HOMILY
Meron po bang mga teacher dito? Ang sabi, sa mga teacher daw, bawal ang may favoritism. Pero minsan, di talaga maiwasan ang magkaroon ng favoritism - kasi minsan, mayroon talagang isang estudiyante na magaling, matalino, mabango, malinis, masipag. Hindi maiiwasang kagiliwan mo sila. Pero sabi nila, kung bawal ang favoritism, bawal lalo ang may pag-iinitan kang mag-aaral.
Pero sa guro na ikukuwento ko sa inyo ngayon na si Ms. Reyes, hindi niya maiwasang pag-initan si Teddy. Si Teddy ay estudiyante sa Grade 4. Di pa uso ang mahaba ang buhok, ay long hair na si Teddy. Meron daw kakaibang amoy si Teddy. Hindi kasi siya mahilig maligo. (laughs) At pag nakita mo ang report card niya, punong puno ito ng red marks. Kaya ang sabi ni Ms. Reyes kay Teddy, "Bobo itong si Teddy, hindi ito papasa sa Grade 4. At sigurado akong hindi ito ga-graduate nang elementary." Kaya naman kapag chine-checkan ni Ms. Reyes ang test paper ni Teddy, at may maling sagot, hindi lang red ballpen ang ginagamit niya kundi red pentel pen. (laughs)
Tapos, nagkaroon sila ng Christmas party at nagbunutan sila para sa kanilang exchange gift. At ang nabunot ni Teddy na bibigyan ng regalo ay si Ms. Reyes. (laughs) At noong dumating ang araw ng Christmas party, talagang ingat na ingat si Teddy sa kanyang regalo para kay Ms. Reyes. Napakaganda ng regalo niya kay Ms. Reyes, kaya napakaganda din ng kanyang pambalot sa gift niya kay Ms. Reyes. Inilagay niya ito sa isang supot ng balot (laughs). At kaparis ng isang Christmas wrapper, nilagyan niya ng Christmas lights, Christmas balls, at Christmas trees na makulay ang kanyang supot para kay Ms. Reyes.
Noong iaabot na nila sa mga ka-exchange gift ang kanilang mga regalo, pag-abot ni Teddy kay Ms. Reyes ng kanyang regalo, dahil hindi inaasahan ni Ms. Reyes na si Teddy ang makakabunot sa kanya, nabitawan ni Ms. Reyes ang Christmas gift ni Teddy sa kanya. At mula sa supot, dalawang regalo ang bumagsak - isang bracelet na luma na at bungi-bungi na, nawawala na 'yong ibang mga bato, at isang maliit na bote ng pabango na kakaunti na ang laman. Kaya nagtatawanan ang mga kaklase ni Teddy dahil kahit na si Ms. Reyes naman ang nabunot niya, parang mga luma at mumurahin pa ang mga regalong binigay niya kay Ms. Reyes.
Sinabi ni Teddy, "Subukan nyo po Ms. Reyes ang bracelet at pabangong ibinigay ko sa inyo." Namumula si Ms. Reyes sa kahihiyan, kaya hinayaan niya munang makauwi ang lahat, dahil tinutukso na siya ng mga estudiyante niya. At noong wala nang tao, isinuot ni Ms. Reyes 'yong bracelet at sabi ni Teddy, "Ang ganda ganda naman po ng bracelet ng Nanay ko sa inyo." Kinuha ni Ms. Reyes ang pabango at iniligay niya ito sa kanyang pisngi, inilapit ni Teddy ang kanyang mukha sa pisngi ni Ms. Reyes at sinabing "Ang bango bango nyo po. Kasing bango nyo po ang Nanay ko."
Naalala ni Ms. Reyes na wala pang isang taon nang pumanaw ang Nanay ni Teddy. At magmula noon ay itinuring na ni Teddy na nanay si Ms. Reyes. Kaya ipinangako ni Ms. Reyes magmula no'ng araw na 'yon, "Tutulungan ko si Teddy. Makakapasa siya ng Grade 4. Makaka-graduate siya sa elementary". Araw araw ay tyinaga ni Ms. Reyes si Teddy na dating inisip niyang patapon na at wala nang pag-asa. Nakapasa siya ng Grade 4, tumungtong nang Grade 5, naka-graduate ng Grade 6. Kaya nga proud na proud si Ms. Reyes, na kanyang pinagtiyagaan si Teddy.
After ng Graduation ng Grade 6, hindi na nagkita at nagkausap si Teddy at si Ms. Reyes. After 4 years, nagbukas si Ms. Reyes ng kanyang mailbox, at isang maikling sulat ang kanyang natanggap. At pagbukas niya, sabi ng sulat, "Dear Ms. Reyes, I just wanted you to be the first one to know, I will be graduating second in my class in highschool. Very truly yours, Teddy". Tuwang tuwa si Ms. Reyes, bumili siya ng key chain at ng greeting card, at 'yon ay ipinadala niya kay Teddy.
Pagkatapos ng mahabang panahon na hindi nakakapag-usap at walang communication si Teddy at si Ms. Reyes, isa na namang greeting card, isang sulat ang natanggap ni Ms. Reyes, at pagbukas niya, sabi sa sulat, "Dear Ms. Reyes, I just wanted you to be the first one to know, I will be graduating first in my class in pre-med. The University of the Philippines has not been easy, but I liked it. Very truly yours, Teddy". Valedictorian si Teddy, tuwang tuwa si Ms. Reyes, bumili siya ulit ng greeting card at saka ipinadala kay Teddy.
Pagkatapos ng ilang taon na hindi sila nagkikita at nagkakausap ni Teddy, isang sulat na naman ang tinanggap ni Ms. Reyes, at sabi sa sulat, "Dear Ms. Reyes, I just want you to be the first one to know, as of today, I am Teodoro M. Garcia, MD. How about that? I am getting married on the 27th of July, and I want you to come, to sit where my Mom would sit if she were here. My Dad died last year, and I want you to be my family on that day. Very truly yours, Teddy".
Wala na sanang pag-asa si Teddy. Pero dahil kay Ms. Reyes na nagtiyaga at nakakita ng kahit na butil ng pag-asa kay Teddy, nagtagumpay si Teddy. Yan ang sinasabi ng Ebanghelyo sa araw na ito. Para sa isang magaling na maghahasik, hindi niya hahayaang sa mabato at matinik mapunta ang binhi dahil masasayang lang iyon. Ang isang magaling na maghahasik, masinop at hinahanap kung ano 'yong mataba at maayos na lupa para sigurado siya na tutubo nang maayos ang kanyang binhi.
Pero kung titignan po natin ang parabula ng paghahasik, iba ang paraan ng paghahasik ni Hesus sa ating Ebanghelyo. Kaya pwede natin itong tawaging the 'parable of the prodigal sower' - 'the parable of the patient sower'. Sapagkat hindi Niya muna tinignan at siniguro kung ang binhi na itatanim niya ay tutubo, hindi Niya muna siniguro kung ang matabang lupa ba ang paghahasikan ng binhi. Nagtiyaga si Hesus kung saan man napunta ang kanyang binhi. Sabi nga ni Pope Benedict the 16th, "It is love, and not power, that will redeem us." The world is saved by the patience of God. It is destroyed by the impatience of man".
Minsan po sa aming "Pan De Sal", isang umaga, si Archbishop Tagle po ang nagbigay ng pagninilay. At sabi niya po, "Tularan natin ang maunawaing Diyos. Sa susunod na mainis o magalit ka dahil sa maling ginawa ng iba, huminto ka muna at magnilay. Alalahanin mong walang tao na alam ang lahat, at kaya ang lahat, naaala ang lahat, at walang nakakalimutan. Walang taong laging malakas at masigla. Walang taong laging tama, kasama ka na. Tayo ay unang dapat umunawa sa ating kapwa mahina, dahil mahina rin tayo. Mabuti pa ang Diyos, kahit walang kapintasan at limitasyon, Siya pa ang nakakaunawa sa mga mahihina na nilalang Niya. God is the ever-patient Sower, who sees hope in each one of us".
Marami po sa mga nakakalat na Escribo at Pariseo na patapon na, na wala nang pag-asa, na hindi na magiging mabuting binhi, ang naging mabuting lupa at naging tagapagpahayag ng Mabuting Balita - si Pedro, si Mateo, si Pablo, ang babaeng nahuling nakiki-apid. They are the works saved by the patience of God, but destroyed by the patience of man.
Kapag tiningnan po natin ang ating mga puso, anong klaseng mga tagapaghasik po ba tayo? Mabuting lupa po ba ang nasa puso natin, o puro cholesterol ng chicharon, lechon, galit at inggit. Hindi lang sila naging mga mabuting lupa. Naging mabuting tagapaghasik din sila ng Mabuting Balita. Let us ask the Lord for the grace to be patient sowers, that together with God, we may reap the world with our patience, Amen.
