Gospel Reflection

September 08, 2012

Saturday

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast)

by  Rev. Fr. Jun Sescon (Chaplain, Sto. Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel)

Morning Mass at Sto. Niño de Paz Greenbelt Chapel

First Reading:               Micah 5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30
Psalm:                         Psalm 13:6

Gospel:                        Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 or 1:18-23           

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Ammin'adab, and Ammin'adab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Bo'az by Rahab, and Bo'az the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uri'ah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehobo'am, and Rehobo'am the father of Abi'jah, and Abi'jah the father of Asa, 8 and Asa the father of Jehosh'aphat, and Jehosh'aphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzzi'ah, 9 and Uzzi'ah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezeki'ah, 10 and Hezeki'ah the father of Manas'seh, and Manas'seh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josi'ah, 11 and Josi'ah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoni'ah was the father of She-al'ti-el, and She-al'ti-el the father of Zerub'babel, 13 and Zerub'babel the father of Abi'ud, and Abi'ud the father of Eli'akim, and Eli'akim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eli'ud, 15 and Eli'ud the father of Elea'zar, and Elea'zar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us).

HOMILY

Every birth is a joyous occasion. For us, the coming of a baby is the coming of an additional member of the family - a symbol of new life, which is full of promises, full of potentials.

We see our dear Mother Mary is a grown-up, but she, too, started as a baby. And as a baby, she, too, had a life full of promises, a life full of potentials. As a baby, Mary had the sole privilege of being born without original sin. However, as a baby, Mother Mary also had her own weaknesses and frailties.

We see in today's Gospel the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ, and perhaps this is one, if not the most boring, of all the Gospels. But the Gospel tells us that our Lord is a God of long stories. And like Mary, we should place our trust in God - although life may seem boring, although life may seem heavy and we do not see its ending. Yes, Mother Mary was weak - but she had perseverance. She trusted in God's divine providence. When Jesus died, people may have told Mary "this is the end". But no. For Mary, she believed in Easter. And she believed that after Jesus' death comes a glorious ending.

Today, as we remember Mother Mary's birthday, let us also pray for the poor little souls who did not have a chance to be born, and for their mothers, that they may experience healing and conversion. Let us pray to the Lord that despite our difficulties in life - when everything seems heavy and life's promises seem bleak - we may be like our Blessed Mother Mary - trusting in the Lord and persevering. Let us pray that we may continue the journey until we behold the glory of the Lord.

 

The Truth About Mary

September 08, 2012

Saturday

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast)

 

 

Speaking from the Heart

Gospel Reflection

September 07, 2012

Friday

Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart

by Rev. Fr. Joseph “Joey” Faller (Spiritual Director of the Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center, Lucban Quezon Province)

Lunch Mass at Megamall, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord

First Reading:               1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Psalm:                         Psalm 37:3-6, 27-28, 39-40

Gospel:                        Luke 5:33-39    

33 And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink." 34 And Jesus said to them, "Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." 36 He told them a parable also: "No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it upon an old garment; if he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, `The old is good.'”

HOMILY

Dalawang bagay lang po ang nais kong bigyan ng pansin sa ating banal na Ebanghelyo ngayon. Una po ay ang simbolismo ng alak. Wine symbolizes abundant blessings and the Messianic banquet in heaven, na hindi nauubos, hindi nawawala ang selebrasyon. Ang alak ay nagsisimbolismo ng kagalakan. The message is very clear in the Gospel - that is, to be with the Lord is to rejoice. Kahit na may problema, kahit na maraming karamdaman, kahit na maraming pinagdaraanang mga bagay na hindi maintindihan, if you are with the Lord, then you experience joy and happiness. To be in the presence of the Lord, is to enjoy life to the fullest - although we are wounded, although we are hurting, although we are suffering, we still manage to enjoy, because the presence of the Lord is more than enough for us to experience true happiness with Jesus.

The second point is - Jesus does not just symbolize new wine. He symbolizes new life. The new wine symbolizes new life. Jesus symbolizes the New Covenant, the new sacrifice. The Old Covenant, which is done by the offering of the blood of animals, has been transcended by the most pleasing sacrifice ever offered to the Father, and that is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Anybody who is in Christ will become a new creation. Kaya po binanggit doon sa Banal na Kasulatan, ang bagong alak ay para sa bagong lalagyan ng alak, ang lumang alak ay para sa lumang lalagyan ng alak. Tayo na namumuhay kay Kristo, must always do away with our own life of sin and corruption, and live the new life that the Lord is giving us.

Minsan pare-pareho lang, inuulit lang ang buhay natin - sometimes we get bored - gigising, sisimba, papasok - ayan na naman. But if you are with Lord, every moment is a new opportunity. Every day is a new day for us. It is a new hope for us - a new opportunity, a new challenge for us, because we have been invigorated, renewed by the presence of the Lord in our life. St. Paul says this, "Anybody who is in Christ, is a new creation". Tayo po na nakikipagkaisa kay Kristo ay patuloy na babaguhin ng Panginoon - bagong puso, bagong buhay, bagong isip, bagong Pilipinas, bagong Pilipino, bagong pag-asa ng bayan.

Gospel Reflection

September 06, 2012

Thursday – Weekday

by Rev.  Fr. Matthieu Dauchez

Morning Mass at EDSA Shrine, Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish

First Reading:               1 Corinthians 3:18-23
Psalm:                         Psalm 24:1-6

Gospel:                        Luke 5:1-11      

1 While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennes'aret. 2 And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, 7 they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb'edee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

HOMILY

The Gospel today focuses on "catching fish into deep waters", and these symbols pertain to evangelization, and our need to evangelize each other. But the Word of God is not only for us to speak; we also have to act according to what we announce - to act according to what we believe.
When we announce something, we must be consistent with the Gospel that we are announcing. Then we can hope - then people will believe us and believe in God's Word. People should see in the concrete that we are consistent in our words and in our action. Our words of love should be equated with action; there should be consistency in our lives. We do not believe in love without action, Amen.