Gospel Reflection

November 02, 2013

Saturday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

by Rev. Fr. Leo Nilo C. Mangussad, - Rector, Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

6:30AM Mass at the EDSA Shrine

Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.

Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

Reading 2 Rom 5:5-11

Brothers and sisters: Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Or Rom 6:3-9

Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him,  so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.

Gospel Jn 6:37-40

Jesus said to the crowds: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

HOMILY

Good morning my brothers and sisters.

Today, we commemorate the souls of our beloved departed. Today is the time when we visit them in the cemetery. Today, we try to remember once more how much we are accustomed to be with our beloved departed. Two things are important - our connection with them, and the importance of our connection with them through prayer.

A lot of people always ask why we have to pray for the dead, when they are already dead, and there is nothing we can do?

Let me tell you a story. There were two friends fighting over the issue of purgatory. One does not believe, while the other firmly believes. The one who does not believe kept on talking and talking, as they were walking. At the end of the day, they went back to their homes. When supper was ready, the one who believed in purgatory said, 'It is time to eat. Come'. But the one who disbelieved said, 'Wait a second. With all the grime and dirt that we got while walking home, I have to wash, at least, my hands, before eating.' To which the one who believed in purgatory remarked, 'Exactly my point. You think you are ready to face God when you die, that there is no scar left. With all the tribulations in our life here on earth, we need to prepare, thus sometimes, we need purgatory'.

My dear brothers and sisters, when we pray for our beloved departed, we are helping them prepare themselves to face God in the afterlife. It is good to be reminded of how well we should be preparing for ourselves. Whatever we do on earth has a bearing in the afterlife. Whatever we do here on earth, nothing is lost. Everything is a preparation for our immortal life. Thus, immortally, we are connected with our beloved departed. The flesh is gone, but the immortal side is still there.

We are celebrating the beautiful souls of our beloved departed today. Let us be one with them again, in this beautiful prayer.

Gospel Reflection

November 01, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Solemnity of All Saints

by Rev. Fr. Rufino "Jun" C. Sescon, Jr. - Chaplain, Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel (Greenbelt Chapel), Makati
5:45PM Mass at Greenbelt Chapel, Makati

Reading 1 Rv 7:2-4, 9-14

I, John, saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, “Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the children of Israel.

After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.”

All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed:

“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Reading 2 1 Jn 3:1-3

Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.

Gospel Mt 5:1-12a

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.  He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”

HOMILY

At the time when I was teaching catechism to children, I asked them of their dreams and pursuits in the future. I asked them who wanted to be a lawyer or who wanted to be a doctor, and I could see the enthusiasm of the children. And then I asked them who wanted to be a millionaire, and almost everybody raised their hand. They all want to be rich. 

You know, when I see boys, I always tease them and tell them, 'You want to be a priest?' Dati-rati po ay mahiyain pa ang mga bata, reluctant silang tumanggi sa akin. Pero ngayon po, napapansin ko, tahasan na. They will say 'No, Father'. (laughs) Why? They say they want to have a girlfriend. (laughs)

There was this boy who said 'Father, I want to be a politician, so that I will have many bodyguards.' (laughs) Perhaps, also many cars. I remember, during the barangay elections, someone was interviewed, and when he was asked why he was running for the position of a kagawad, his answer was, 'Wala po akong trabaho, eh, kaya tatakbo na lang po ako.' For him, it is a new business. 

But that is not our topic. Today, we are celebrating the Solemnity of All Saints, so we will not talk about politics. 

And then I asked the children, 'Who wants to be a saint?' And you will see the uneasiness among the children. Just half of them raised their hands, but you will realize that they were raising it reluctantly and sheepishly. But I believe they were doing that, not because they don't want to become saints. I could sense that they were reluctant to raise their hands because they know that saints are 'up there'. We have put saints on pedestals, girded them with gold and surrounded them with flowers, that we think saints are untouchable, unreachable. That's why if you ask people if they want to become saints, they will say 'no', not because they don't want, but they're afraid they might not make it. They are afraid they may not pass the standards. 

But today, my dear brothers and sisters, we're all being reminded, we are supposed to be saints. I re-phrased the question and asked the children who among them wants to go to heaven. Everybody raised their hands. If you want to go to heaven, you have to be a saint. It is not negotiable. Sainthood is not optional. Sainthood is our identity as Christians. Perhaps not the saints that we know, not the likes of Padre Pio, Mother Teresa or John Paul II, not the likes of St. Benedict, St. Scholastica and St. Therese, but people who are silent and faithful. They are also saints. That is why today, we have this celebration. We remember not only our canonized saints. I am sure we have relatives who are also saints. That is why today, we pray for them. Kaya po tayo walang pasok ngayon, ay hindi para magbakasyon o makapagpahinga lang, kundi upang maalala ang mga banal at ang mga yumao. Kung kaya pa po, dalawin n'yo. Huwag n'yo na pong hintayin na sila ang dumalaw sa inyo. (laughs)

The silent and faithful ones are the saints, although most of them may be nameless. And we pray, because once they enter heaven, they become our intercessors. But you don't have to be so pious, you don't have to be so perfect. We can be saints, and that is what we are celebrating today. 

The Cardinal Prefect who approved the canonization of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, was a good friend of Cardinal Sin. And before that Cardinal was appointed to Rome in the congregation for Causes of Saints, he was a psychiatrist. He was a psychologist. One time, when he was with Cardinal Sin, he was saying, 'You know, Eminence, for 20 years of my life, I have been reading the cases of psychiatric patients. For 20 years, that was my job - reading their stories. Now that I am a cardinal for the congregation of saints for the past 5 years, I have been reading the lives of candidates for sainthood. And you know what I realized? There is a very, very thin line of difference. Magkahawig na magkahawig lang daw ang mga tao at sira-ulo. (laughs) Di may pag-asa talaga tayo. (more laughs) 

The Cardinal Prefect said that both kinds of people do outrageous things. But the very main difference, the very thin-line difference is that, the saints could not live without God. In mental institutions, in moments of trials, they break down. In moments of depression, they have nothing or no one to hold on. But the saints, in moments of weakness, they have come to hold on. That's the only difference. Saints have the Lord God to hold on. 

And God is holding on for us. Some of us may have mistakes. Some of us may have faults. But we can still be saints, if we allow God to make a big difference in our life. 

I have met people. Ibang-iba ang pakiramdam nila kapag nakalimutan nila 'yong cellphone nila. Nakatagpo na ba kayo ng nawalan ng cellphone? Naku restless, tuliro o di mapakali, parang sirang-sira na agad ang diskarte o disposisyon. Ang mga saints, pag wala ang Diyos sa buhay niya, wala siyang magagawa, wala siyang mapipili, wala siyang mapupuntahan. 

Let us ask ourselves - if God is removed from the picture, can we still survive? Can we still hold on? Can we still be happy? If we will say 'yes', you still have to work double time to become a saint. That is simply sainthood - allowing God to make a big difference in your life. You don't have to be perfect all the time. But you always have to have God in your heart. 

One time, I saw a movie about a modern-day saint, and towards the end, a caption was flashed. 'Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future.' Today, let us relish these words. Every saint has a past. Di naman po lahat ng santo ay perfect. Meron din po silang mga masasaklap na nakaraan, pero naging santo pa rin sila. And us who are sinners, we still have a future. We can still become saints. 

As we continue with this mass, let us ask the Lord for that grace. Lord, You have called us to be holy. Not simply the pious type, not the immaculate type, but a holy person who struggles. A holy person who tries his very best. A holy person who holds on to God at all costs. Lord, pardon us when we forget our calling. Pardon us when we forget You in our lives. Remind us always Lord, that our final destination, our real goal is to be with You. 

We are saints. Whether we like it or not, that is our vocation, so help us Lord. Amen. 

Gospel Reflection

October 31, 2013

Thursday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Benjo Fajota, Vice Rector, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)
5:30 PM Mass at the EDSA Shrine

Reading 1 Rom 8:31b-39

Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?

As it is written:

For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Responsorial Psalm PS 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31

R. (26b) Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
Do you, O GOD, my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;
in your generous mercy rescue me;
For I am wretched and poor,
and my heart is pierced within me.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
Help me, O LORD, my God;
save me, in your mercy,
And let them know that this is your hand;
that you, O LORD, have done this.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
I will speak my thanks earnestly to the LORD,
and in the midst of the throng I will praise him,
For he stood at the right hand of the poor man,
to save him from those who would condemn his soul.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

Gospel Lk 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose. Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned. But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

HOMILY

How does one become a saint? I will tell you true stories.

There was one religious sister who loved Mathematics for 50 years in high school and in college. When she was no longer able to teach, she set up an apostolate that gathered day-old bread from different bake shops, and distributed these to the poor. When she could no longer do this, she was placed in a retirement house. Walking with a cane and a bent back, she would always greet everyone that she comes across with, with a smile. One day, a younger sister told her, 'Sister, I just want you to know that your smile means a lot to me.' And to this, she answered, 'This is all I have to give.'

There is also this 9-year old boy who was able to save his allowances to buy an old poster of Titanic. When he learned that the mother of his best friend was going to be operated on and they don't have enough money, he sold his poster. A TV program learned about it and bought the poster for $60,000.

There is also this family which lost their house on fire. While they were watching, they were so shocked and could not do anything because everything was burned. Then there is this pizza delivery boy who was passing through. He decided to give a box of pizza to the family who was so shocked and distraught over the burned house. After giving the pizza, he already left. 

Another story is that of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, the last Italian saint who was canonized by Pope John Paul II. For her fourth child, she learned that she had a tumor in her ovary, and that the doctors told her that she would die if her pregnancy would push through. During the day of her delivery, she told the doctors, 'If you are to make a decision between me and my child, protect the child. Deliver her, forget about me.'

My dear brothers and sisters, sainthood is not about doing great things and a lot of sacrifices. Sainthood is about doing and seeing things with the eyes of Jesus Christ. It is doing and seeing things differently. For they know that religion is not a set of rules, not a set of commandments, not a set of prayers, but a relationship with God, and doing and seeing things for the sake of God's Kingdom. 

Let us all be saints. Amen.