Gospel Reflection

April 04, 2013

Thursday – Year of Faith – Easter Season

In the Octave of Easter

by Rev. Fr. Roberto 'Bert' V. Fabillo, LRMS (Parochial Vicar, St. Peter the Apostle Parish Church, Paco, Manila)

12:15PM Mass at Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel, Greenbelt Makati

                         

Reading 1 Acts 3:11-26

As the crippled man who had been cured clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried in amazement toward them in the portico called “Solomon’s Portico.” When Peter saw this, he addressed the people, “You children of Israel, why are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence, when he had decided to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health,
in the presence of all of you. Now I know, brothers and sisters, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Christ already appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.

For Moses said: A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you. Everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be cut off from the people.

“Moreover, all the prophets who spoke, from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days. You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he said to Abraham, In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed. For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (2ab) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Lk 24:35-48

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way, and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

HOMILY

I thought that this sense of pity for Christ, the sense for loneliness for what happened to Christ was already over during the Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

But while I was reflecting on today's Gospel my dear friends, this sense of pity for Christ once again reverberated in my heart. Because after suffering and dying on the Cross alone, here is Jesus alive, but now He is trying to prove to His disciples and apostles that it is He, indeed, who rose from the dead.

Yesterday, Jesus talked to His two disciples on the way to Emmaus and allowed them to recognize Him in the breaking of bread. Why? It is to awaken them, to convince them that indeed, He is alive. He did the same thing to His Apostles - showing them His hands and His feet. The pressure is still on Jesus, to prove to His followers that He rose from the dead. "It is I....It is I...." Aside from showing His wounds, Jesus had to eat in front of them, to let them know that He is alive, and to prove that all that has been said in Scripture is true.
But Jesus' effort to convince his disciples had an effect in their lives. It arose in them, not only acceptance, but true, deep conviction - a change of the will and point of view. Because of this conviction that the Lord is alive, Jesus' disciples were no longer afraid of the dark, as they know that there was Jesus, the Light. Isn't it that during the Easter Vigil celebration, the priest or the deacon who holds the candle sings or shouts, "Lumen Christi!"? It means "Christ the Light". That is why the disciples from Emmaus went back to Jerusalem, because they know that Jesus the Light will guide them. What happened to Jesus' apostles who were now in one house together with the two disciples from Emmaus? While they were conversing about Jesus, there came Jesus, who seconded to the truth of the testimony of the two disciples.
In our First Reading, we can see that Peter has become a different person. If you have seen Peter before and during the crucifixion, you will see that he is a different person, now boldly proclaiming that indeed, Jesus is alive. In Jesus' name, His disciples have become bonded together in proclaiming the Good News. And this is where we Catholics are weak. We are not closely bonded. In my fifteen years of priesthood, I have encountered and talked to Catholics who have become born again, and one of the common denominators for their conversion is that they never felt that sense of belongingness whenever they worshipped Christ. In their community, they don't feel alienated; they feel united in faith and in action. Sa atin iba. "Bahala ka diyan. Maupo ka diyan. Basta ako maghahanap ng kakilala ko. Dapat kakilala ko ang aking katabi, at baka pagnakawan ako."
This is one of the lessons that we should learn from Jesus' apostles. Because they believed in Jesus, they were closely bonded together. They were no longer separated from one another, they helped one another. In fact, that is the first teaching that they shared with the first Christians. They gathered together in the name of Christ, as one community, and they broke bread in the name of Christ. The apostles, with their deep conviction and strong faith, testified for Christ. And their testimony has reached us. We hope and pray that like them, we will also be united as Catholics in the name of Christ. Instead of focusing on our individuality, let us look at each other's strength on how we can show other religions or denominations that we are united in Christ. Our conviction on the Resurrected Christ should lead us to testify and to show that there is a difference between being a Catholic and a non-Catholic. We draw from Jesus' body and break bread, to share to others the Good News that Jesus is alive.

Gospel Reflection

April 03, 2013

Wednesday – Year of Faith – Easter Season

In the Octave of Easter

by Rev. Fr. Leo Nilo C. Mangussad, Rector, Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA (EDSA Shrine)
12:15PM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

                         

Reading 1 Acts 3:1-10

Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o’clock hour of prayer. And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.” Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong. He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him.

Responsorial Psalm PS 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

R. (3b) Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Lk 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his Body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

HOMILY

We always say that to see is to believe. But just like yesterday's Gospel, our Gospel today once again reminds us that seeing is not necessarily believing, and seeing does not qualify what we want to understand, comprehend or to believe in. 

Just like Mary who did not see Jesus at first, in our Gospel today, the disciples who were going to Emmaus also failed to see Him. Only when they saw the breaking of bread and heard His voice did they realize that they were with the Lord. 

In likewise manner, my dear brothers and sisters, we are always waiting, seeking, expecting and demanding a sign from the Lord. We ask the Lord to give us signs so that we will know that it is what the Lord wants for us. But the truth is - the Lord is always with us, and always speaks to our hearts. The question we should ask is - how sensitive is my heart to the Lord's presence, and to listen to the Lord's voice, rather than to demand a sign from Him?

Today is the third day of the Resurrection of the Lord. Are we united with Him because we recognize Him and we hear His voice? Or are we still blinded because all we see are the things that we want to see in this world?

Gospel Reflection

April 02, 2013

Tuesday – Year of Faith – Easter Season

In the Octave of Easter

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

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

                         

Reading 1 Acts 2:36-41

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people, “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other Apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Responsorial Psalm PS 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22

R. (5b) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Jn 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.

HOMILY

The Lord is risen, Alleluia. We are celebrating the joyful mystery of the Lord's Resurrection for eight days, that is why we are now in the Octave of Easter. It's as if we celebrate Easter Sunday every day of the week until the eighth day. Finally, everything that will be given to us, everything that will unfold unto us, will be the joy that the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ brings to our hearts and our lives. 

At the start, Mary Magdalene was in grief, because of the loss of her Master. But that grief turned into joy when she recognized Jesus, and she went on announcing this good news to the disciples of Christ. A lot of literary writers and commentators say that this is the recognition scene. We also have this kind of joy in our hearts whenever we share with others the good news that happen in our lives. 

I would like to share with you part of one of the epics of Homer called 'The Odyssey'. It is the scene when Odysseus was finally reunited with his wife, Penelope, after years of separation because of war. When the servant of Penelope told her that her husband is back, she could not believe it. She went down and saw an old man, tattered, in ragged clothes, and she could not recognize him as her husband. But then she asked something from him which only he could know. And when he answered it, she knew that it was her husband. Her knees became so weak. With tears in her eyes, she ran to her husband and kissed his head. The recognition scene.

My dear brothers and sisters, every time we attend the Eucharist, we are recognizing the joyful Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. He not only offers His head for us to kiss, but He offers us His Body and Blood for us to keep in our hearts, for us to have joy in our hearts, in our lives. 

My dear brothers and sisters, we are joyful because we have responded to the invitation of God for us to come and share in the joy of the Resurrection of Christ. Believe. Have faith. All our grief will turn into joy. Happy Easter. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

April 01, 2013

Monday – Year of Faith – Easter Season

In the Octave of Easter

by Rev. Fr. Prudencio 'Jun' T. Solomon, Jr., Parochial Vicar, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto Parish, Sampaloc, Manila

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

                         

Reading 1 Acts 2:14, 22-33

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.

“You who are children of Israel, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says of him:

I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.

My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel Mt 28:8-15

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’ And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.

HOMILY

Maligayang Pasko po ng Pagkabuhay. Happy Easter. 

"....And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day." Hanggang ngayon, ito pa rin ang sabi-sabi ng mga Hudyo. At ano ang sabi-sabi ng mga Hudyo? Na hindi totoo ang pagkabuhay ni Kristo. Na hindi muling nabuhay si Hesus. Na ninakaw lamang umano ng mga alagad ni Hesus ang Kanyang bangkay, noong gabi habang sila ay natutulog. 

Bakit may sabi-sabi? Sapagkat nais nilang supilin at itago ang katotohanan, sa pamamagitan ng pagsasabwatan ng mga kawal na tumanggap ng suhol, at ng mga punong saserdote na nanuhol at nagturo ng kasinungalingan. Nais nilang ang katotohanan ay huwag malaman. Ito ang mga tao na ikinumprumiso nila ang kanilang dangal, masunod lang ang kanilang mga maiitim na balak. 

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kaibigan, mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, ang ating katapatan ay dapat kay Hesus lamang at wala nang iba. Hindi natin dapat sinusupil at itinatago ang wasto, ang tama at ang tunay. Kaya ang tanong sa ating lahat ay ganito. Kapag ang atin bang kalagayan o kapag tayo ay napupunta sa alanganin, ipinagpapalit din ba natin ang ating katapatan sa mga bagay na bumubulag sa ating mga mata para matakpan ang katotohanan, para matakpan ang tama?

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kaibigan, nawa sa pagpapatuloy ng ating pagdiriwang ay patuloy nating hilingin sa Diyos ang biyaya na tayo'y buhayin sa tama, sa totoo at wasto. Hilingin din natin ang biyaya na sana'y manatili tayong tapat lagi kay Kristo. Lagi sa Kanyang katotohanan.