Gospel Reflection

November 29, 2012

Thursday – Weekday – Year of Faith

by Rev. Fr. Benjo Fajota (Vice Rector of the EDSA Shrine)

5:30 PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

Reading 1 Rv 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9a

I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth became illumined by his splendor. He cried out in a mighty voice: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a haunt for demons. She is a cage for every unclean spirit, a cage for every unclean bird, a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast." A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone and threw it into the sea and said:

"With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down, and will never be found again. No melodies of harpists and musicians, flutists and trumpeters, will ever be heard in you again. No craftsmen in any trade will ever be found in you again. No sound of the millstone will ever be heard in you again. No light from a lamp will ever be seen in you again. No voices of bride and groom will ever be heard in you again. Because your merchants were the great ones of the world, all nations were led astray by your magic potion."

After this I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:"Alleluia! Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her harlotry. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."

They said a second time:"Alleluia! Smoke will rise from her forever and ever. "Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

R. (Rev. 19: 9a) Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
For he is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

Gospel Lk 21:20-28

Jesus said to his disciples: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days are the time of punishment when all the Scriptures are fulfilled. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"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."

HOMILY

I read a news article in one of the daily newspapers today. In the inside pages, there was news that a Filipino, 17-year old boy from General Santos City won the Tony Blair 'Faith Dialogue' Short Film competition. The title of the short film that he made is, 'Let go, let God'. It is a 3-minute short film that tells of the importance of holding on to faith in times of illness and tragedies in life. Another Filipino short film was included among the 15 finalists, and the title is "Bago Kumain', which tells of the importance of prayer in everything we do.

Itong mga ganitong kwento, hindi nagme-merit ng front page. Nandodoon lang sa loob. Bakit kaya? Ano kaya ang pinapansin at hinahanap na balita ng mga tao? Mga balitang makapangyayanig sa atin, mga balitang sinasabing tumataas at gumaganda ang ating ekonomiya, mga balita tungkol sa isang foreign artist na nag-concert na napakaraming tao ang nanood. Pag binuksan mo ang mga pahayagan ngayon, makikita mo karamihan ay mga 'sale' ng iba't ibang mga binebenta. Christmas sale. Dahil ang ipinipilit sa atin ng mga traders at mangangalakal ay bumili nang bumili. Materialism is the name of the game.

Naghahanda tayo para sa sinasabing pagtatapos ng mundo. But how do we prepare for the Second Coming of Christ? Again, we hear the apocalyptic writings in the Gospel where a lot of people are scared. Kaya sinasabi nila na kapag nakikita nila na iba na ang galaw ng ating mga solar systems ay malapit na daw magunaw ang mundo. People are looking for signs.

But what sign are we looking for?

In the United States, people are already preparing for the season. But they don't call it the Christmas season. They say, "We are preparing for the holidays". Tinatanggal na very subtly ang pangalan ni Kristo sa lahat ng pagdiriwang. They want to ease out God in every activity, in what they do.

Tayo rin kaya? Ganito rin ba ang ginagawa nating paghihintay? Tumitingin ba tayo sa mga signs, naghahanap ba tayo para tayo ay makasigurado na tayo ay mabubuhay, tayo ay maliligtas? If we are going to look for one sign, it will be only the sign of Christ. And for these signs that we are looking for, can we ask ourselves - is Christ present in those signs? Amen.

Gospel Reflection

November 28, 2012

Wednesday – Weekday – Year of Faith

Memorial Saint Catherine Laboure, Virgin and Visionary

by Rev.  Fr. Joel Jason (Dean, Graduate School of Theology San Carlos Seminary)

Lunch Mass at Megamall, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord

Reading 1 Rv 15:1-4

I, John, saw in heaven another sign, great and awe-inspiring: seven angels with the seven last plagues, for through them God's fury is accomplished. Then I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire. On the sea of glass were standing those who had won the victory over the beast and its image and the number that signified its name. They were holding God's harps, and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

"Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God almighty. Just and true are your ways, O king of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 7-8, 9

R. (Rev. 15: 3b) Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

Gospel Lk 21:12-19

Jesus said to the crowd: "They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

HOMILY

We are now on the last days of our Liturgical Calendar. Alam naman natin na ang tinatawag nating Liturgical Year or the Calendar of our Church is based on our reflection on the mysteries of the life of our Lord. Ang ating calendar year ay sumusunod sa ating pagninilay sa buhay ng ating Panginoon.

Kung inyong napansin, ang ating mga pagbasa nitong mga nakaraang araw - in fact nitong mga nakaraang linggo - most of them speak about the end. Most of them speak about the coming of the Son of Man. Most of them speak of the theme of judgment and accountability and responsibility. As I said, we are already at the end of the Liturgical Year, and by next Sunday, it will already be the first day of our church calendar. Kasi tayo ay papasok na sa bagong panahon, na ang tawag natin ay panahon ng Adviento, where we welcome the birth of the Lord.

But before we welcome the birth of our Lord, our readings remind us of something that is, what we can call, frightful or frightening. Di ba ho kung napakinggan ninyo ang ating Unang Pagbasa ngayon, it speaks of judgment. The Reading yesterday speaks of an Angel of God who will come with a sharp sickle, and he will harvest everything, and he will separate the good fruits from the bad fruits.

The First Reading the other day mentioned that the sun, the moon and the stars will no longer give their light. Ano ba 'yong sun, moon and stars? 'Yon 'yong ating source of security. 'Yan ang pinagmumulan ng ilaw. And yet, amidst all of these, sinasabi ng ating Ebanghelyo, '"Do not fear, do not fear". Now pwede nating sabihin, naku naman ano, the sun, moon and stars no longer give their light, and then sasabihin sa atin 'do not fear'. Now, how are we going to understand this?

The sun, the moon, and the stars will no longer give their light, not because God has destroyed them. The sun, the moon and the stars will no longer give their light because when the Son of Man comes, they will have to give way to the ultimate Light of the World. So ang ibig sabihin, natapos na nila 'yong kanilang papel. Natapos na nila 'yong kanilang purpose. 

And so the end should not be understood in terms of destruction. The end is supposed to be understood in terms of completion. Nature has already accomplished its role, and that is why they have to give way to the God of nature. So hindi naman mangyayari na doon sa katapusan ay sisirain ng Diyos ang mundo dahil nagalit ang Diyos sa mundo.

Katulad nga noong narinig natin sa Responsorial Psalm, it says, "Great and wonderful are Your works, Lord God, Almighty". Maganda ang ginawa ng Panginoon. At lahat ng maganda ay hindi Niya sisirain. Mawawala lang ito dahil nagawa na nila o nagampanan na nila ang kanilang purpose. And now, they will be renewed, and there will be new heavens and a new earth. Parang magkakaroon lamang ng renovation, and everything will be under the dominion of God Himself.

Pero ito ang particular challenge for all of us. Kasi ang nature, they only follow what they are dictated to do. Pero tayong mga tao, there is something in us that God has given. And what is that? The gift of freedom. So ang ibig sabihin, when our time comes, we actually have a choice. When the end comes, will it be for you a time of destruction, or will it be for you a time of completion? Maliwanag po ang imbitasyon ni Hesus sa ating Ebanghelyo. Sabi Niya, "With righteous perseverance, you will preserve your life". If we perservere in our love for the Lord, the end will be, for us, not a time of destruction. It will be a time for us for completion.

Kaya naman 'yong papasok na panahon, 'yong panahon ng Advent, is a very good consolation for all of us. Ano ba at sino ba ang hinihintay natin during the time of Advent? 'Yong pagdating ng Panginoon. Pero paano darating ang Panginoon? He comes to us in the form of a helpless infant. Bakit infant? So that we will never be intimidated. Because the God who will come to us will come, not to condemn us, but to invite us to begin again. And that is why the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is a very good symbol of rebirth. Beginning again. Magsisimula ulit tayo.

At this time of the year, pag tinitingnan natin ang ating buhay, parang sinasabi natin, 'Naku, mukhang the end for me will be in the form of destruction'. The infant that we will await during Christmas in inviting us that time is not late. That time is not lost. There will be a re-birth. We can begin again and again. Jesus came, not to condemn. Jesus came to invite everyone to salvation. That is why the Advent season is always a time of joyful expectation.

Sa misang ito, 'yon ang hilingin natin sa Panginoon. That even if we hear in the Readings about the end, fear will not overcome our hearts. Let us pray for the grace, that in place of fear, joyful expectation may replace it. And the baby that we are awating during Christmas will become a symbol of optimism, a symbol of hope, a symbol of re-birth, a symbol of starting again and again. Amen.

Saint Catherine Laboure – Pray for us

You may also want to see: A Holy Life - Saint Catherine Laboure

A Holy Life

 

Saint Catherine Laboure

Virgin and Visionary

Feast day – November 28

Saint Catherine Zoé Labouré was born in a small village of France in 1806, the daughter of a well-to-do farmer who had at one time wanted to become a priest, and his very Christian wife. Catherine, the ninth of the eleven living children, lost her mother when she was only nine years old and had to abandon school to go to live with an aunt, accompanied by her younger sister. Two years later she was recalled to take charge of the household, because the older children had all left, one to become a Sister of Saint Vincent de Paul, the others to marry or seek a living elsewhere.

She made a vow of virginity when still very young, desiring to imitate the Holy Virgin, to whom she had confided herself when her mother died. She longed to see Her, and she prayed, in her simplicity, for that grace. She spent as many hours as possible in the Chapel of the Virgin in the village church, without, however, neglecting the work of the household. She talked to Our Lady as to a veritable mother, and indeed the Mother of Christ and ours would prove Herself to be such. Catherine wished to become a nun, without having opted for any particular community; but one day she saw a venerable priest in a dream, saying Mass in her little village church. He turned to her afterwards and made a sign for her to come forward, but in her dream she retreated, walking backwards, unable to take her gaze from his face. He said to her: “Now you flee me, but later you will be happy to come to me; God has plans for you.” The dream was realized and, as a postulant in the Community of Saint Vincent de Paul, she assisted at the translation of his relics to a nearby church of Paris. She had indeed recognized his picture one day in one of the convents of the Sisters of Charity, and obtained her father’s consent to enter that Congregation when her younger sister was old enough to replace her at home.

Catherine’s interior life was alimented by the visions she frequently had of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, where once she saw Him as Christ the King. And the designs of God for this humble novice began to be fulfilled, after Our Lady appeared to her in July of 1830, and confided to her the mission of having a Medal struck according to the living picture she saw one night, when a little Angel led her to the convent Chapel, and there she knelt at the Virgin’s feet to hear the words which would be the motivating force of her forty-six years of religious life.

Once more — insofar as we know — she would see the Blessed Mother, on November 27^th of the same year, when one afternoon while at prayer with her Sisters, she beheld Her to one side of the chapel, Her feet poised on a globe, on which was prostrate a greenish serpent; the hands of the Virgin were holding a golden globe at the level of the heart, “as though offering it to God,” said Catherine later, in an attitude of supplication, Her eyes sometimes raised to heaven, sometimes looking down at the earth, and Her lips murmuring a prayer “for the entire world.” The face of the Virgin was of incomparable, indescribable beauty, with a pleading expression which plunged the Sister into ravishment, while she listened to Her prayers. The Immaculate Virgin, after having offered to God Her Compassion with the suffering Christ, prayed for all men and for each one in particular; she prayed for this poor world, that God might take pity on its ignorance, its weakness and faults, and that by pardoning He would hold back the arm of Divine Justice, raised to strike. She prayed the Lord to give peace to the universe.

For many years Catherine kept her secrets from all save her confessor, Father Aladel, priest of the Mission of Saint Vincent, who, wanting to be able to continue with his penitent, saw to it that she was not sent far from Paris, after he had fulfilled the first mission of having the Medal struck. He died, however, before having the statue made according to this second vision, as Our Lady desired. Catherine suffered much from her inability to accomplish the second part of her mission. When she finally confided this second desire of Our Lady to her Sister Superior, a statue of Our Lady, Queen of the World and Mediatrix of all Graces, was made for two Chapels of the nuns.

Saint Catherine died in 1876, after spending her life in the domestic and agricultural duties associated with the kitchen and garden, and in general caring for the elderly of the Hospice of Enghien at Reuilly, only about three miles southeast of Paris. Among her writings recounting the apparitions, we read: “Oh, how beautiful it will be to hear it said: Mary is Queen of the universe. That will be a time of peace, joy and happiness which will be long... She will be borne like a banner and will make a tour of the world.” The Virgin foretold that this time would come only after “the entire world will be in sadness... Afterwards, peace.”

 

Sources for this article were taken from:  http://magnificat.ca

 

Prayer

Whenever I go to the chapel,
I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and I say to him "Lord, I am here.
Tell me what You would have me do."

If He gives me some task,
I am content and I thank Him.

If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him
since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that.

And then, I tell God everything that is in my heart.
I tell Him about my pains and my joys,
and then I listen.

If you listen, God will also speak to you,
for with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen.

God always speaks to you when you approach Him plainly and simply.
Amen

Saint Catherine Laboure – Pray for us