Gospel Reflection

March 05, 2013

Tuesday – Year of Faith – Lenten Seasons

by Rev. Fr. Juancho "Choy" Ramos (Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Parish of Sta. Cruz, Manila)

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

                         

Reading 1 Dn 3:25, 34-43

Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud:

“For your name’s sake, O Lord, do not deliver us up forever, or make void your covenant. Do not take away your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one, To whom you promised to multiply their offspring
like the stars of heaven, or the sand on the shore of the sea. For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation, brought low everywhere in the world this day because of our sins. We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader, no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense, no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you. But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received;
As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, or thousands of fat lambs, So let our sacrifice be in your presence today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame. And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you. Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy. Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9

R. (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Gospel Mt 18:21-35

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

HOMILY

Forgiveness is a work of compassion, and it is a gift from God. It is not the work of every human being to forgive. It is the work of God present within us. 

When God created us, He created us according to His own image and likeness. Therefore, His spirit is within us. In the letter of Paul, he testified that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that moves us. When we received the Sacrament of Baptism, and the minister said, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit", we were gifted with God's Spirit. Therefore, if we are going to look at the perspective of our own faith, forgiveness is truly the work of God truly present in us. 

To forgive is to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. If we do not forgive, then we are allowing the work of the evil spirit. When we forgive, the fruit is peace, harmony, love and a good relationship. But if we do not forgive, the fruit is definitely anger, hate, conflict and misunderstanding. 

That is why the Lord is telling us in our Gospel to forgive, not only seven times, but seventy-seven times. This means that forgiveness should be unending. If we adopt that, we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. 

For this Lenten season, let us pray that we may continue to strive to deepen our own faith relationship with God. Let us allow the work of the Holy Spirit to make us fully alive, that we may continue to forgive our brothers and sisters. Often, we experience hurts and pains because of our unforgiving heart. Let us, therefore, make an effort to let the Holy Spirit work in us, so that as we live the life of a Christian, we can be truly connected to the source of our own being, and that is our God. 

Let us take time to make a silent prayer and think of those people whom we find hard to forgive, and those who we need to ask for forgiveness. Let us make the work of Jesus truly alive within us, so that we can sincerely tell our brother or sister, "I am sorry for the many times that I failed you, and for the many times that I hurt you." 

We can also do it to ourselves. Oftentimes, the best enemy we have is our own self. Kung minsan, nahihirapan nating matanggap ang pagkukulang ng iba, at pati ang ating pagkukulang, dahil mataas ang ating pagtingin sa ating sarili. Sana, sa pagkakataong ito, matanggap natin ang ating kahinaan, at hayaan nating ang biyaya ng Panginoon ang magbigay sa atin ng lakas upang tayo ay matutong magpatawad.  

Gospel Reflection

March 04, 2013

Monday – Year of Faith – Lenten Seasons

by Rev. Fr. Ramon Jade L. Licuanan (Commissioner, Commission on Youth, Archdiocese of Manila)

12:15PM Mass, Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace (EDSA Shrine)

                         

Reading 1 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab

Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram, was highly esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram. But valiant as he was, the man was a leper. Now the Arameans had captured in a raid on the land of Israel a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife. “If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,” she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.” Naaman went and told his lord just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said. “Go,” said the king of Aram. “I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments. To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

When he read the letter, the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed: “Am I a god with power over life and death that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy? Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!” When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king: “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.”

Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. The prophet sent him the message: “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy. Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel?  Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” With this, he turned about in anger and left.

But his servants came up and reasoned with him. “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you,‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.” So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4

R. (see 42:3) Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Gospel Lk 4:24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

HOMILY

It is helpful if we know the episode or the incident prior to our Gospel text today. It was at the beginning of Chapter 4 in the Gospel of Luke. And it is about the incident of Jesus reading the Scriptures in the synagogue. When the people of His own native town of Nazareth heard of Jesus, they began to scrutinize Him, in a way doubting who He was, and His capability.

That incident happened prior to our episode today in the Gospel, when Jesus, in a way, was implying in His words that He couldn't perform, He couldn't show much to His people simply because of their doubts. He even compared the people of Sidon to His own townsfolk. In a way, Jesus appreciated people from other places than His own native place. And that resulted to some hostile reaction from Jesus' own native place. The Gospel even says that the people became furious because of the words of Jesus, to the point that they tried to crowd on Jesus and hurt Him. But in the last sentence of the Gospel, we can see that Jesus walked amidst of them and just went away.

So these all started from the doubts and the mistrusts of Jesus' own kababata, of His kababayan, on His credibility and His capability. So what does the Gospel remind us today? It is about appreciating the familiar. It's about putting value on the familiar.

You know, we are all used to a lot of things. We have our own routine every day. From the waking up, to the bathing and the preparing, to the trips to our office. And then when we get to our office, we see familiar faces, we have our own familiar work, familiar atmosphere, familiar tables and chairs and office equipment. We work with the same procedures until the end of the day. Then the same things happen - we all rush to the bus stop or the jeepney stop. We all line up. At times, we see the same faces in our shuttles. 

It's all the same; we're used to it. And we just bear the familiar routine of every day, because we have a greater need, and that is to earn and work for the family. So we don't have much choice, except to go through the same routine, over and over again, day after day. It's all the same. 

But the Gospel speaks of something. And that is putting a little more color to our every day familiar routine. Just as the townsfolk of Jesus did not mind Him, because He seemed to be too familiar to them, which resulted to not so much miracles for them, we are being invited to just put a little color, and a little zeal, and a little energy, and a little faith on the things that are so familiar, and that has become so much a part of our every day routine. 

What does this mean? Yes, we may be going through the same familiar routine every day, but God is always new every day. And God always has a new message and inspiration for us every day. He never gets tired. And so it is a challenge for us to always discover every day, daily, in every routine, the beautiful and wonderful new things that God has in store for us. Just to make us happy and excited and thrilled every day of our life, God will always to prepare new things for us. 

Let us pray that the Lord may grant us the sight, the eyes to see new things amidst the familiar. Let us ask the Lord to grant us the eyes and the heart to feel His ever new and ever fresh love and fidelity to us, amidst every day familiar routine. That we may discover more of the wealth of God's Kingdom, and that we may discover all the more the richness of God's love for us. Let us pray for God's grace, that we may truly enjoy our lives every day, to see new things in the old familiar things of our daily routine. 

Gospel Reflection

March 03, 2013

Sunday – Year of Faith – Lenten Seasons

Third Sunday of Lent

by Rev. Fr. Stephen Mifsud (Mission Society of St. Paul  – Quezon City)

MSSP House Chapel / Mass for the poor)

                         

Reading 1 Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15

Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.”

When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, AMoses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers, “ he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. But the LORD said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt  and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering.Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” God replied, “I am who am.” Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.”

God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:  The LORD, the God of your fathers,  the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,  has sent me to you.

“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Reading 2 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ.Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.

These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did. Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer.These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come.Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.

Gospel Lk 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”

And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

HOMILY

Have you ever heard tsismis? People saying “You know what happened? You know who died? Still young!” In the Gospel of today, Jesus was listening to some tsismis. And the tsismis was about Pilate who killed some Galileans in the temple and also about 18 people who were crushed by a tower which fell on them. The tsismis was that these accidents happened to them because they did something very wrong in the past. That was their belief... that if something bad happens to you or your family, it’s because you did something wrong.

Sometimes this mentality is also present here..  If you do not give something to the poor, something bad will happen to you... It’s called bad karma. If you break up from your girlfriend, your next relationship will suffer! Tragedies can happen to everyone, not only to sinners. What's important is to learn from the sins of others and convert.

For Jesus, the greatest tragedy is not bagyo, earthquakes or tsunami, but to live a life without God, a life with vices and sin, a life without conversion.

To emphasize this, Jesus brings a comparison with a fig tree. If you have a field with fruit trees and you have one which does not produce fruit, even if it has nice leaves, it is useless and good only to be cut down. Our life can be the same as the tree. We might look very nice from the outside, we may have a nice looking face or body, we may have so many things, but if I continue to do sin, then I will not produce fruit. I will become a selfish and proud person, interested only in fulfilling my needs, and not the well-being of others.

The good news is that Jesus gives the tree some more time so that the farmer might cultivate the ground and give fertilizer, and so that it might produce fruit. Do we know what happened after one year? Was the tree cut down or did produce fruit?  So, palagay ninyo?

We do not know. What we know is that it was given a second chance. We also are given a chance by God to repent and produce fruit. Repentance is not just saying sorry but it's hard work. It implies more prayer, trying to do more the right things, to remove wrong habits and to do good things for others. St. Paul today told us, “Do not desire evil things, do not grumble, take care not to fall”. This is part of repentance. 

So let us ask God today to give us the grace and strength to repent and to continue to beautify our lives with faith and good deeds, so that our life may bear fruits of unity, peace, joy, kindness and love.

How much more beautiful your family will be, how much more beautiful this community will be, if all of us... everyone of us... will work hard to live a life according to God’s will. So let us work hard and together remove evil, and let God more in our life.

 

Gospel Reflection

March 03, 2013

Sunday – Year of Faith – Lenten Seasons

Third Sunday of Lent

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

12;15 PM Mass at Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA)

                         

Reading 1 Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15

Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.”

When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, AMoses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers, “ he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. But the LORD said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt  and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering.Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” God replied, “I am who am.” Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.”

God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:  The LORD, the God of your fathers,  the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,  has sent me to you.

“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Reading 2 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ.Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.

These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did. Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer.These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come.Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.

Gospel Lk 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”

And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

HOMILY

Here's another story of a familiar anecdote. There is an honest man who worked in his store for more than 50 years. He was so honest and he was so helpful to his customers. When he celebrated his 75th birthday, his clients decided to give him a token for the good service he had given them throughout the years. So they donated money and gave it to the store owner. Upon receiving this, he was very much joyful and was really grateful. 

So he decided to have an overhaul. Di po ba napapanood po natin sa TV 'yong....Ano'ng tawag do'n? Make-over...'yon ang tawag doon, ano.....He changed his wardrobe, he had his hair dyed, then he had his dentures fixed. So, ibang ibang tao na siya noong lumabas siya sa shop. 

Then he met a lady. And on their first date, as he was going to their place of appointment, he was struck down by lightning, and he went up to heaven. So the man was complaining. Sabi niya, "Lord, bakit naman? Ang bait bait ko po buong buhay ko, pero bakit ngayon, may nakilala lang akong isang napalapit sa akin, ay kinuha mo akong bigla? At ang sabi ng Panginoon sa kanya ay, "Sorry ha....hindi kita nakilala eh. Nag-iba ka na ng hitsura." (laughs)

For most of us, we still look the same. 'Yong iba sa atin, noong dati makapal ang buhok, pero medyo ngayon ay maganda na 'yong bumbunan. (laughs) Nag-iiba tayo ng anyo. Pero 'yong pag-iibang anyo natin is more on sa loob. Pinanganak tayong anak ng Diyos. Pinanganak tayong mabuti. Pinanganak tayong mabait. Pero habang tayo ay lumalaki, nadaragdagan nang nadaragdagan ang ating puso, ang ating pagkatao, na hindi na tayo nakikilala ng Diyos. "Anak ko pa ba ito? Eh punong-puno na ng kasalanan." Hindi na Niya tayo nakikilala. That's why He wants us to have that make-over again. 'Yon ang tinatawag na conversion of the heart. 

When we started the Lenten season on Ash Wednesday, I asked the people in my homilies, "What did we start today?" At sumagot ang mga tao na iyon ay unang araw ng Kuwaresma. Pero sabi ko, hindi. 'Yon ang unang araw ng mga puso. Nagtawanan sila dahil the following day was Valentine's Day, and they thought I was referring to that romantic day of the hearts. Sabi ko, hindi. Tingnan n'yo po, mula noong pag-umpisa ng ating pagdiriwang ng Kuwaresma, naririnig natin lagi, "If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts." At ang kauna-unahan at pinakadakilang utos sa atin, is to love God with all your life. 

Tayo ngayon ay tinatawag na magbago ng ating mga puso. The Season of Lent is a season of the heart. Naka-focus tayo sa ating puso. Ito 'yong panahon ng conversion, ng pagbabalik-loob sa Diyos. Ating talikdan ang ating mga kasalanan. Pagsisihan natin ang ating buhay kabuktutan at kadiliman. 'Yan ang panawagan. 

Pero talagang napakatigas ng ulo ng mga tao. In the First Reading, probably, we can also be like Moses during the burning bush. When he was called by God to proclaim the goodness of God to the Israelites, what did Moses say? I am just a nobody. I don't even know Your name. Hindi ako marunong magsalita. What if the people won't believe me? Moses gave a lot of excuses. He gave a lot of rationalization. Probably, ganoon din tayo sa buhay natin. Tinatawag na tayo ng Diyos na magbalik-loob, pero sasabihin natin na malakas pa tayo, bata pa tayo, we need to experience life. Tapos biglang bigla, kukunin ka na ni Lord. Time mo na pala. Hindi na tayo nagkaraoon ng panahon para magsisi. Naroon pa rin ang patuloy na pamumuhay ng kasalanan, ng kasamaan. Wala na tayong chance magbago. 

That is why in this season of Lent, the Church reminds us to open our eyes, to open our ears, to open our hearts to the true meaning of our lives. Ano nga ba ang ginagawa natin sa buhay natin ngayon? 

Pag panahon ng Kuwaresma, makikita natin ang dalawang uri ng tao. Pero parehong ang tawag sa kanila ay 'walang hiya'. Una, may mga taong nakapila sa confessional box. Hindi sila nahihiyang ipahayag sa mga tao na sila ay makasalanan, at sila ay nangangailangan ng pagpapatawad ng Diyos. Mga walang hiya. Ngunit ang ikalawang uri ng walang hiya, ay yaong mga patuloy na gumagawa ng kabuktutan at kasamaan. 'Yon ang mga taong pagkarinig ng salita ng Diyos ay binabalewala lang ito at sinasabing, "This is not for me", and continue on with their sinful lives. 

Meron namang mga taong attitude ang sagot sa panawagan ng Diyos. Kamukha ng sinasabi ni San Pablo sa Ikalawang Pagbasa, binigyan niya ng warning ang mga tao ng Corinth, at ang sabi niya, 'Do not be so sure, that you are standing now. Be careful, and I'm warning you not to fall.' Mayroon sa atin na ang akala ay porke tayo ay nagsisimba linggo-linggo, madalas tayong nagdarasal, naglilingkod sa simbahan, akala natin ay sigurado na tayong may lugar sa langit. Be careful, you might fall. Ito 'yong tinatawag na spiritual over-confidence. Baka ang akala natin, kung madalas tayong tumatawag sa Diyos, automatic na tayo ay may lugar na sa langit. 

My dear brothers and sisters, let us continue on with our journey of Lent, and try to re-establish our relationship with God. That is why we are given the three pillars of Lent - prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Sa mga spiritual exercises na ito, makikita natin 'yong tunay nating pagkatao. Pinanganak tayong anak ng Diyos. Sana, sa huling yugto ng ating buhay, kilala pa rin tayo ng Diyos bilang Kanyang mga anak. Amen.