Gospel Reflection

March 06, 2013

Wednesday – Year of Faith – Lenten Seasons

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

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

                         

Reading 1 Dt 4:1, 5-9

Moses spoke to the people and said: “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land  which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees as the LORD, my God, has commanded me, that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy. Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, ‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’ For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?

“However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20

R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
He spreads snow like wool;
frost he strews like ashes.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Gospel Mt 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

HOMILY

Jesus came, not to abolish, but to fulfill the law. It is because Jesus was so surprised and frustrated with what He has seen in the Scribes and the Pharisees. They were simply complying externally. They were just doing things, but were not putting to heart what the law was about.

Laws are there to help us have a wonderful relationship with God. It is through the meaningful observance of church laws that makes our relationship with God deeper and more useful for our salvation. If we are just going to obey rules and regulations, without putting their meaning to heart, it is just like putting on powder, or using soap, or going to a dermatologist, to whiten our skin. It is all superficial, and not deep enough to change our attitude.

The laws of the church are there to help us, guide us, and deepen our spirituality in terms of our relationship with God. The question we must ask is: I come to church every day. But is my coming to church just a habit? Or is it because of my deep desire to nourish my faith in God?

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.