Gospel Reflection

October 14, 2012

Year of Faith

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Ricky Montanez (Assumption Fathers)

Sunday Anticipated Mass, San Pedro Poveda College Chapel)

Reading 1 Wis 7:7-11

I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her; because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire. Beyond health and comeliness I loved her, and I chose to have her rather than the light, because the splendor of her never yields to sleep. Yet all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands.

 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

R. (14) Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Make us glad, for the days when you afflicted us,
for the years when we saw evil.
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Let your work be seen by your servants
and your glory by their children;
and may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Reading 2 Heb 4:12-13

Brothers and sisters:
Indeed the word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.

 

Gospel Mk 10:17-30

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

 

or Mk 10:17-27

 

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,"You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

HOMILY

I remember running home from school one day, with my grade report. I was so excited to show my semestral grade report to my formator. This was in the States. With all my pride and dignity, I showed my grade report to my formator, waiting for what he will tell me. He looks at my grade report with careful scrutiny, looks at me, and tells me "This couldn't be real. This couldn't be possible." And you could imagine how disappointed I was.

Today's Gospel brings back that memory. I know that my formator was very proud of me and was very happy with what I have accomplished, yet he was challenging me to do even better, and to realize that there was, and still is, room for improvement. He even told me, "you can never be God".

I am like the man in the Gospel that we have just heard - the man who ran to Jesus, eager to know how to inherit the Kingdom of God, and wanting to let Jesus know that I have lived a good life by following the commandments since my youth, only to be told that it was not enough. Of course, Jesus looked at the man with love, and Jesus probably appreciated what he did, for having kept the commandments. But like me, his demeanor changed when Jesus challenged Him to do one more thing, and that is to give up everything in order to follow Jesus. We know that the man walked away sad, because the Gospel said that he had many possessions. We do not know whether he went back and changed his mind and followed Jesus. But he went away sad. That is where we had left off.

In the Gospel, we know that giving up possessions is a metaphor for total surrender of oneself, not only things. Sometimes, it is easier to give up things, but it is harder to give up our very selves. Nothing or no possessions should stand in the way of following the Lord. And we are even invited to give up the greatest possession that we have - our very selves. I know it is not easy.

We had a brother (again in the States) in the community, who sings the loudest during our community prayers. For a while, it became a problem for all of us because first of all, he was not blessed with a good voice, and secondly, he does not really get it quite right. Every time he sings, either it is lower, or higher, and then he brings everybody down because of his loud voice. And so when it became really a problem in the community, somebody had the courage to confront him, to tell him that "This has been affecting the community because your voice is really loud, everybody is disturbed, and we could not pray". And our brother said, "Well you see, my voice is as big as my ego". How can you possibly answer to that? How can you possibly resolve the conflict?

Many times, it is the giving up of ourselves, of our pride, of our opinions, of our ideas, our way of seeing and doing things, that is hardest to do. How can they not think the way I think, or how could they possibly not see the things I see? And this is what Jesus is trying to invite us to - and this is also what the First Reading is trying to point out to us. A truly wise person is someone who realizes that possessions will not bring him to eternal life or will not merit him the Kingdom of God. In the Gospel, Jesus is teaching us that following Him is greater than any possessions, and this is the way of wisdom. Wisdom is more than all the possessions that one could ever acquire. That is what the First Reading is trying to tell us.

Therefore, in following the Lord, we are invited to minimize the things that distract us from genuine discipleship and to increase or maximize those possessions that will help us follow the Lord more closely. And what are those? Perhaps, for example, we can increase our time and energy in doing good for others. Perhaps it is deepening our concern for others, especially this Sunday, when we are invited to think about our indigenous brothers and sisters and the less fortunate in our midst. Perhaps it is strengthening our capacity to love others, especially those who we find hard to love. And even perhaps to love ourselves, or to expand our hearts to forgive those who have hurt us, or perhaps to forgive ourselves for our past mistakes. And to make extra effort to really live out the Gospel in our lives. Perhaps those possessions will help us to become more and more genuine disciples of the Lord. Perhaps not really running, not really racing, not even brisk walking, but moving steadily towards the Kingdom of God which has been promised to us.

And so we pray for this grace in our lives, that we may steadily move toward the Kingdom of God. Our own efforts cannot guarantee it, but we can do it with God's grace. 

Gospel Reflection

October 14, 2012

Year of Faith

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Nicandro Lim Jr.

A homily delivered in St. Mary’s Church, Bunbury, Australia

Reading 1 Wis 7:7-11

I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her; because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire. Beyond health and comeliness I loved her, and I chose to have her rather than the light, because the splendor of her never yields to sleep. Yet all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands.

  

Responsorial Psalm Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

R. (14) Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Make us glad, for the days when you afflicted us,
for the years when we saw evil.
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Let your work be seen by your servants
and your glory by their children;
and may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Reading 2 Heb 4:12-13

Brothers and sisters:
Indeed the word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.

 

Gospel Mk 10:17-30

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

or Mk 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,"You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

HOMILY

Let me share with you this story I found in one of the commentaries I read a while back. The story goes like this:  A hill shepherd's wife wrote a most interesting letter to a newspaper.  Her children had been brought up in the loneliness of the hills.  They were simple and unsophisticated.  Then her husband got a position in town and the children were introduced to its' life and ways.  They changed very considerably --- and they changed for the worse.  The last paragraph of her letter read ---'Which is preferable for a child's upbringing --- a lack of worldliness, but with better manners and sincere and simple thoughts, or worldliness and its present-day habit of knowing the price of everything and the true value of nothing?'

Some people would say that if a man's main interest is in material things, he will think in terms of price and not in terms of value.  He will quickly think in terms of what money can get.  And he may well forget that there are values in this world far beyond money, that there are things which have no price, and that there are precious things which money cannot buy.  Indeed, it is fatal when a man begins to think that everything worth having has a "price tag."

Interestingly, Jesus in the gospel, is saying indirectly that possession of worldly goods is two things: 1) It is an acid test of a man.  What do I mean by this?  For a hundred men who can stand adversity, only one man can stand against prosperity.  Prosperity can easily make someone arrogant, proud, self-satisfied, materialistic.  That's why it takes a really big and good man to bear it worthily.  2) Prosperity is a responsibility.  Correct me if I'm wrong but at times, we are being judged in two standards --- how we got our possessions and how we use them.  The more we have, the greater the responsibility that rests upon us.  Now, will we use what we have selfishly or generously?  Will we use them as if we had an undisputed possession of them, or remembering that we just hold them in stewardship from God.

Realising what Jesus had taught them, the disciples' reaction was that, if what Jesus said was true, to be saved at all was well impossible for men.  However, Jesus clarified this in saying that "if salvation is depended on man's own efforts it would be impossible for anyone.  But remember, salvation is the gift of God and all things are possible to Him."  Dear friends, the man who trusts in himself and in his possessions can never be saved.  On the other hand, the man who trusts in the saving power and the redeeming love of God can enter freely into salvation since he relies on the very power of God and not his own.  The question we ought to ask ourselves then is, "Can we gradually let go of those things that thwart our love in our faith response?  Or must we go away sad like the rich young man in gospel?...

A hill shepherd's wife wrote a most interesting letter to a newspaper.  Her children had been brought up in the loneliness of the hills.  They were simple and unsophisticated.  Then her husband got a position in town and the children were introduced to its' life and ways.  They changed very considerably --- and they changed for the worse.  The last paragraph of her letter read ---'Which is preferable for a child's upbringing --- a lack of worldliness, but with better manners and sincere and simple thoughts, or worldliness and its present-day habit of knowing the price of everything and the true value of nothing?'

Gospel Reflection

October 13, 2012

Saturday - Weekday – Year of Faith

by Rev. Fr. Dave Buenaventura, (SDB)

Mass, St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati

Reading 1 Gal 3:22-29

Brothers and sisters: Scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe. Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed. Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian. For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to the promise.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Lk 11:27-28

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed." He replied, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."

HOMILY

Allow me to share with you a very brief reflection on our very short Gospel for today’s liturgy. 

We heard in the Gospel, when the woman in the crowd praised Jesus by praising Mary, Jesus did not deny the truth of what the woman pronounced. Jesus confirmed what Mother Mary said to herself, “All generations will call me blessed.” But Jesus adds something more to what the woman said, by pointing to the source of the blessedness and the happiness of his Mother, and this is Mary’s union with God – that was the source of the blessedness and happiness of Mother Mary.

Mary humbly submitted herself to the miraculous plan of God, for the incarnation of His only begotten Son. The Word of God was made flesh in her womb. Mary declared, “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to Your Word”. Mary heard the words spoken to her by the Angel and she believed it. On another occasion, Jesus pointed what it meant to be united with God. In Luke Chapter 8, verse 24, we read this: “Listen to the Word of God, and live it in your daily life." Do this and you will be united with God.

My dear brothers and sisters, our goal in life - the very reason we were created in the first place - is for union with God. We were made for God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Him. These are the words of St. Augustine. It is said that a Christian's only relatives are the saints - men and women united with God. Those who follow Jesus and do the will of God enter into a big family - the family of saints here on earth and in heaven. The Lord changes the order of relationships and shows that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and of blood, but rather, it is a matter of flesh, of blood, and of the spirit. 

My Word of God for you this morning is this: "Though my heart is restless until it rests in You, let me know the joy of Your presence, and increase my hunger for Your Word. May I always prefer Your will over my will, and seek to please You in all things, Amen."

 

Gospel Reflection

October 12, 2012

Friday – Weekday – Year of Faith

by Rev.  Fr. Nilo Mangussad (Rector Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish)

Mass at EDSA Shrine/Shire of Mary, Queen of Peace/Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish

Reading 1 Gal 3:7-14

Brothers and sisters: Realize that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham. Scripture, which saw in advance that God
would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, Through you shall all the nations be blessed. Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith. For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law. And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for the one who is righteous by faith will live. But the law does not depend on faith; rather, the one who does these things will live by them. Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 111:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.

Gospel Lk 11:15-26

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons." Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

"When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, 'I shall return to my home from which I came.' But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first."

HOMILY

Faith is what has been given to us since the time of Abraham, as shown in the First Reading today. It is faith that unites us to one another. It is faith that brings harmony and peace to all men.

The law, according to the First Reading, is given, to help us put into practice what faith is. But if the law disunites, then it no longer becomes a tool of faith, and is thus cursed, as shown in the First Reading.

In the Gospel, Jesus was accused of being able to drive out demons through the power of Beelzebul. Beelzebul is the anti-thesis of faith, because Beelzebul harbors and promotes disunity, confusion and fear. But Jesus is the epitome of faith; He cannot be acting according to Beelzebul.

My dear brothers and sisters, we are being challenged today. What is truly happening deep inside our hearts - is it the unity of our faith or the disunity of Beelzebul? What lies inside our soul? Is it the power or strength that we have in Christ, or the disuniting power of the other? It is good to be reflective of what the Gospel is trying to say. Because even we clean up the room of our hearts, if we do not have enough faith, more demons will enter us.

Do we really put into practice the faith that we received in Jesus Christ? Because if we do, not even 70 times 7,000 Beelzebul's can re-enter this faith-protected heart and soul of ours.