Gospel Reflection

June 26, 2013

Wednesday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

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

12:15PM Mass, Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord (Megamall Chapel)

 

Reading 1 Gn 15:1-12, 17-18

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

“Fear not, Abram! I am your shield; I will make your reward very great.”

But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being childless and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?” Abram continued, “See, you have given me no offspring, and so one of my servants will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “No, that one shall not be your heir; your own issue shall be your heir.” He took him outside and said: “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.” Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.

He then said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a possession.” “O Lord GOD,” he asked, “how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He answered him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” Abram brought him all these, split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up. Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram stayed with them. As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.

When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates.”

 

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

R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
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. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
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. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
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. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
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. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.

 

Gospel Mt 7:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.”

HOMILY

"A good tree can't bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit."

In the Gospel for today, Jesus presents to us a very simple principle. What is outside is usually a manifestation of what is going on inside. Our Gospel does not only speak of an agriculture image. Our Gospel is actually an invitation for all of us to look into ourselves and see whether what is going on outside of us, is in correspondence with what is going on inside of us. Because it is quite possible na maganda 'yong nakikita sa ating kalabasan, pero 'yong sa ating kalooban ay nabubulok na. When that happens, we become like dead men walking, we become like zombies.

I don't know, but have you seen the movie, 'World War Z'? After this mass, go to the moviehouse and watch 'World War Z'. (laughs) It is about zombies, about people who look like people, but inside, they are actually dying already. They are already dead, and that is a tragedy. Mukha kang buhay, pero sa loob, ikaw pala ay namamatay na.

Last night, I was going through some readings, and I encountered one article that says, '10 indications that you are dying spiritually'. I will not mention 10, I will just mention 5. Pero magandang pagnilayan 'yan, ano - signs that we are already dying spiritually. Because it is possible that we are still alive, but deep inside, we are already dead spiritually.

What is the first sign? It is when the story of the Cross no longer moves you. That is a sign that you are already dying spiritually. Pwedeng mangyari 'yan. That when we look at the Cross, it no longer evokes a spirit of gratitude to God for the sacrifice that He has given us. Marami sa atin, pag nakikita natin 'yong Krus - aah....ano na lang 'yan....jewelry. Why do you wear cross? Kasi magandang tignan. Kapag nakasuot ako ng krus ay mukha akong banal. The Cross becomes simply an accessory for us, a jewelry. It is no longer a reminder of what God has done for us. So siguro magandang tignan natin - does the Cross still move you emotionally, that leads you to prayer and gratitude?

The second indication that we may be dying spiritually is when church services bore you. Pag ikaw ay nabo-bore na kapag ikaw ay nasa loob ng misa, or any form of community worship. That is a sign that you are dying spiritually. Totoo 'yan. Pag kasi tayo ay nagpupunta sa misa, minsan ano 'yong ating number one intention? Oh, I want to be entertained. And so when we go to mass, if the mass is not 'entertaining', we say it is a terrible mass. Sometimes, what is our criteria going to mass? Oh, the priest must be handsome. (laughs) The church must be beautiful; it must be air-conditioned. Buti na lang kung laging nasa Megamall kayo nagsisimba. At buti na lang kung laging Wednesday noontime mass ang inyong sinisimbahan. (laughs) Ayan baka ma-fulfill ang inyong wish na kailangang guwapo ang pari. (loud laughs) But it is possible. Baka kapag hindi gwapo 'yong pari, 'ay wala ring nangyari, walang kwenta 'yong mass na 'yon....boring'. St. Josemaria Escriva one time was asked, "Why is it that I find the mass too long?" His response was, "If you find the mass too long, that means your love is too short." Totoo, di ba? Kapag ikaw ay nagmamahal, walang mahaba, walang matagal. Kaya pag ikaw ay natatagalan sa misa, ahh...that may be a sign that you are dying spiritually.

Pangatlo, ang sabi, you are dying spiritually when you run away from opportunities to witness to your faith. 'Yon bang mga pagkakataon na itinatago natin 'yong ating pananampalataya. 'Ay, parang ayokong mag-sign of the Cross bago kumain, dito sa food court. Nakakahiya naman kapag may nakakita." O kaya naman, if you are in a conversation and the church is being attacked unnecessarily, do you take it as an opportunity to defend the faith, or maybe clarify things that will help the person understand the faith more? O ang nangyayari, "Ay nakakahiya naman, hindi na lang ako magsasalita." That may be a sign that you are already dying spiritually.

Fourth, it says, when material goods attract you more forcefully than spiritual ones. There are many false prophets now. At the beginning of the Gospel it says beware of false prophets who will come to you in sheep's clothing, who will preach to you. And who are these false prophets? O, gamitin mo ito, gaganda ka. Gamitin mo itong shampoo na ito, lalago ang buhok mo. Gamitin mo itong cream na ito, kikinis ang kutis mo. Usong-uso ngayon ang mga stem cell research na 'yan, pampaganda. Pero 'yong pagpapaganda ng kalooban, hindi natin pinakikinggan 'yon. Ang pinakikinggan lang natin ay ang mga propetang nagsasabi kung paano gaganda ang ating panlabas na anyo. Pero 'yong mga propetang nagsasabi kung paano tayo gaganda sa kalooban, hindi natin binibigyan ng pansin. Beware of these false prophets, and see whether you are attracted to these false prophets than the genuine ones.

Lastly, if the word of a celebrity interests you more than the words of Christ. That may be a sign that you are dying spiritually. Alam po ba ninyo na si Pope Francis ay may Twitter account? Sino sa inyo ang nagfa-follow kay Pope Francis? (silence) Ang Vatican ay mayroon ding Facebook account. Sino sa inyo ang nag-like na ng Facebook account na 'yon, so that you can follow the words of the Pope or of the Church? Kasi every now and then they will give out good spiritual guides. But many of us are followers of Lady Gaga. (laughs) I just discovered that Lady Gaga is the most followed celebrity in the world, with I think more than 25 million followers on Twitter. That is an indication that the world is more excited to follow the words of a celebrity than the Word of Christ. That means many of us are dying spiritually.

As we continue this Holy mass, let that be the grace that we will ask from the Lord. The Lord said that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, just as a rotten tree cannot bear good fruit. Let this be an occasion to look into ourselves. Ano na ba ang nangyayari sa aking kalooban? Am I still alive spiritually so that what people see outside will be a reflection of what's really going on inside?

As we receive the Lord later on in Holy Communion, let that be the grace that we will ask from Him - that we may be nourished and rejuvenated inside and out. Amen. 

Gospel Reflection

June 25, 2013

Tuesday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

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

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

 

Reading 1 Gn 13:2, 5-18

Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.

Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support them if they stayed together; their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. There were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and those of Lot’s. (At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were occupying the land.)

So Abram said to Lot: “Let there be no strife between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land at your disposal? Please separate from me. If you prefer the left, I will go to the right; if you prefer the right, I will go to the left.” Lot looked about and saw how well watered the whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar, like the LORD’s own garden, or like Egypt. (This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain and set out eastward. Thus they separated from each other; Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom. Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked in the sins they committed against the LORD.

After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram: “Look about you, and from where you are, gaze to the north and south, east and west; all the land that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth; if anyone could count the dust of the earth, your descendants too might be counted. Set forth and walk about in the land, through its length and breadth, for to you I will give it.” Abram moved his tents and went on to settle near the terebinth of Mamre, which is at Hebron. There he built an altar to the LORD.

 

Responsorial Psalm PS 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R. (1b) He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

 

Gospel Mt 7:6, 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.”

HOMILY

In our Gospel, we are challenged, we are questioned - more important than life and death - about everlasting life or life in eternal damnation. Jesus Christ was asked, 'Lord, will there be many who will be saved?' His answer was not in numbers, but He said that only a few were willing to strive to pass through the narrow gate. A lot of people think that going to heaven is an easy task because they hear the verses '...then coming from the East and the West, and the North and the South, we will be dining at the banquet of God'. They think that unless one has done something really drastic like killing a person, one is entitled to go to heaven.

But my dear brothers and sisters, it is not that. We have to face the possibility of us getting lost. Cardinal Hans urs von Balthasar, one of the gentlest theologians, said that every Christian individual must confront the possibility of being lost, with great seriousness. And this was also true in the case of St. Francis de Sales. When he was a young man, he was thinking so hard that he will not be saved. One day, in front of the statue of Our Lady, he prostrated himself, and for hours, abandoned himself to God. He gave himself entirely to God. After rising back, he said that 'it's as if scales of a leopard fell from his skin', and he was reborn. After that, he entered the seminary and became a priest. He was instrumental in turning the people of Europe back to the Catholic faith. Whenever he spoke, people listened because he always confronted them with the question, "What is more important than life and death?" He always told them that we must always fear the possibility that our souls will be damned to eternal fire.

My dear brothers and sisters, our Christianity, our faith, is not just a matter of going to mass, doing our obligations, serving in the Church, or giving to the missions. It is deeper than that. Ginagawa nga natin itong mga bagay na ito, pero patuloy naman ang ating pandaraya, patuloy naman ang ating paninira sa ating kapwa, patuloy naman ang ating paglabag sa kautusan ng Diyos. Ano ang ating mapapala? Ang lagi nating dapat itinatanong sa ating sarili ay, "Kaya ko bang tawirin o daanan ang landas na hinanda ng Panginoon para mapunta tayo sa daan ng kaligtasan?" We must always confront ourselves - to where are we leading our lives - eternal life or eternal damnation? Amen. 

Gospel Reflection

June 24, 2013

Monday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist - Mass During the Day

by Rev.  Fr. Matthieu Dauchez

6:30AM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 Is 49:1-6

Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth,from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory.

Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

 

Responsorial Psalm PS 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15

R. (14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

 

Reading 2 Acts 13:22-26

In those days, Paul said: “God raised up David as king;  of him God testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish. From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’

“My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent.”

 

Gospel Lk 1:57-66, 80

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit,  and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

HOMILY

Mga minamahal kong kapatid, ipinagdiriwang natin ngayon si San Juan Bautista, at si Hesus mismo ang nagsabi na huwaran si San Juan Bautista dahil una sa lahat, siya ay naging instrumento ng Diyos, instrumento ng pagliligtas. Noong nabinyagan na si Hesus sa ilog Jordan, ang ibig sabihin ay banal ang binyag na tinanggap na natin.

At huwaran din natin si San Juan Bautista dahil ginabayan niya tayo sa tunay na pagbabago at ang pagpapatuloy ng pagbabagong ito, bilang mga Kristiyano. Ito ang turo ni San Juan Bautista sa atin ngayong umaga.

Sa pagdiriwang ng kapistahan ni San Juan Bautista, dalawang salita ang mahalaga - pagbabago at pagpapatuloy nito. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

June 23, 2013

Sunday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Rufino "Jun" C. Sescon, Jr. - Chaplain, Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel (Greenbelt Chapel), Makati
6:00PM Sunday Mass at Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel, (Greenbelt Chapel) Makati

Reading 1 Zec 12:10-11; 13:1

Thus says the LORD: I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.

On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

On that day there shall be open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Reading 2 Gal 3:26-29

Brothers and sisters: Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.

Gospel Lk 9:18-24

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

HOMILY

Once there were two students who, on the night before their exam, went bar hopping, confident that they could easily wrestle with their exams. But they enjoyed it too much that they drank a lot, and stayed up so late that the following morning, they woke up late. And eventually, they decided not to go to school anymore and they said, "At the next class, when we meet, let's just tell our teacher that there was a flat tire, and so we did not proceed anymore." So at the next class they showed up, and they reasoned out to their professor that they had a flat tire on the way to their exam, and that it was too late for them to proceed to school. The professor simply said, "Alright, you had a flat tire, meet me later after class and I will give you a special exam."
So these two students were surprised that the professor did not ask them anything, or asked them to elaborate their excuse. They thought they had it all along, and so they asked their classmates what were the questions during the exam, thinking that they would have a good tip. And they were able to get all the questions of the exam, and were able to prepare the answer. That afternoon, they went to the faculty room, and the professor gave them the exam. And to their surprise, the exam was the same exam given to their classmates. So they said, jackpot. All the questions asked are those that they prepared for. And so they answered everything so easily.
But then the proctor said that according to the professor, there is a part 2 of the exam. And they were asked to be in separate rooms for this second part. When they got the second part of the paper, it says there that the first part of the exam is just 20%, while the second part of the exam was 80%. There was only one question. And the professor asked them, "For 80% of your grade, which tire was flat?" (laughs) I don't know if they were able to answer it correctly. The morale of the story is that if you make alibi's, make sure it is comprehensive. Baka hindi napag-usapan kung ano.
Sometimes, in life, you think you have it all. You think you have already answered all the questions, only to find out another question, or another difficult challenge is up to you. I remember another story, this time about a lady who died of cancer after a long bout with the sickness. She died and met St. Peter at the pearly gates. And St. Peter told her, "Before you enter, I have to ask you one question. You have to have one test." And the lady said, "I'm not good at tests. I may not enter heaven." And St. Peter said, "Oh, don't worry, it's so easy." "What is it?", the lady said. St. Peter said, "Well, before you enter heaven, spell 'love'." And the lady said, "Napakadali naman pala. L-O-V-E." There was jubilation among the choirs of angels and St. Peter said, "Enter heaven."
After a year, the lady was enjoying heaven and she got a call from St. Peter. St. Peter told her, "I'll be having an emergency meeting with the Boss. Can you take over my place here at the pearly gates?" The woman said, "Alright, I'll take your place." St. Peter said, "You know the test, you know the question." And the lady said, "Yeah, very easy. Spell 'love'." So this time, the lady was there at the gate. The routine was for her to say, "Before you enter, spell 'love'."
And she noticed, three or four persons away was her husband. (laughs) The husband was also very anxious, trying to listen. She noticed that her husband was really able to eavesdrop and say, "Ahh...love. Napakadali naman pala. Spell 'love'." When the husband's turn came, the lady said, "Oh dear, how are you?" The husband said, "Wow, promoted na ang darling ko. You're here at the pearly gates." "Well, weather-weather lang", sabi no'ng babae. "By the way, before I give you the exam, how was life when I died?" The husband took a serious face and said, "Well, you know we're in heaven, I cannot anymore lie to you....You remember the nurse taking care of you? That young, beautiful nurse?" The wife said, "Well?" "When you died, we got married, because you know, unknown to you, even if she was taking care of you, we already had an affair." So the woman was trying to control herself. And then, the husband said, "Remember the inheritance you left behind?" The wife said, "Yes, I remember that." The husband said, "Well, we enjoyed it so much. We went partying and we went to the casinos. We went all around the world. That's why we went to Switzerland. There at the Alps, we had skiing. And there I had a bad fall, I hit my head, and now I'm here. I died skiing, enjoying the money." And the wife was trying to regain her composure and said, "Alright, that's what you did....You know, before you enter heaven, there's protocol here." And the husband said, "Yes, I learned there is a protocol." And the wife said, "You have to spell something." And the husband was already preparing himself when the woman said, "Spell Mississippi." (laughs)
Sometimes, you think you have the answer already, only to find out there is another question. That is what the Disciples realized. Jesus first asked them in the Gospel, "Who do others say that I am?" And they gave their brilliant answer, "Some say you're John the Baptist. Others say you're Elijah. Others say you are one of the prophets who have come back from the dead." They thought they had it all right. But then, Jesus came with another question. "How about you? Who do you say that I am?" That must have torn the Disciples. They thought the first question was enough. They thought their previous answers were enough. But Jesus now is saying, how about you? Who do you say that I am? Good for them, Peter spoke out and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!" And Peter got a summa cum laude for that. But then the Disciples could not understand what that really means. "You are the Christ."
Up to now, some people think that 'Christ' is the surname of Jesus. Up to now, people think that 'Christ' is a proper name of Jesus. No. 'Christ' is not the surname of Jesus. 'Christ' is not just a name. 'Christ' is a title. And the meaning of 'Christ' is the Anointed One. The One sent by the Lord, the One chosen by God. That's why if you remember, when you receive an invitation for baptism, another name for baptism is 'christening'. It is because we are anointed, when we are baptized. We become another Christ. We, too, are Christ, the moment we are baptized, because we, too, get anointed. We, too, get chosen. We, too, are sent by the Lord.
And when Peter said, "You are the Christ", what does it mean? You are the One, You have all the answers. You are the One who will guide me in life. That is what the answer is all about. And that is why Jesus said, 'Peter, you had it right, but I don't know if you understand what you're talking about.' Sometimes, we can say so many things, but we really don't understand what we're talking about. We could say, "Panatang makabayan, iniibig ko ang Pilipinas!" Pero ang ibig sabihin po nang 'iniibig ko ang Pilipinas', ay hindi ako magtatapon ng basura, hindi ako mandaraya sa gobyerno sa aking taxes. I will not violate traffic rules. Boboto ako nang matino at hindi ko ipagbibili ang boto ko. That is what it means when we say, 'iniibig ko ang Pilipinas'.
And that is why Jesus asked Peter if he really understands what he is talking about, saying that 'I am the Christ', which means you will obey Me, you will follow Me, I will be your Lord. And if you want Me to be your Lord, take up the cross, and follow Me. That is why Peter was surprised. 'Oops....kasama ba 'yon, Lord?' When you say 'you are the Christ', that also means you will take up your cross. If you say 'I believe in Jesus', that means you will carry your cross.
In every mass, we say 'I believe in God'. 'I believe in God' means 'Thy will be done.' Can we do that? Can we really say, 'Thy will be done'? Not my choice, not my will, not my want, but the will of God? Of course, right now, brothers and sisters, unlike the disciples, we know the whole story. We are so familiar with the Gospel - 'You are the Christ.' But brothers and sisters, I warn you. When the time comes that we will be there in the pearly gates, do not expect anymore that St. Peter or Jesus will ask you, 'Who do you say that Jesus is?' Don't expect that question anymore. I know another question will be given to us. Because we already know that Jesus is the Christ, perhaps - just perhaps, I will give you a tip - the question will be, 'Now that you know who I am, what difference does it make to you? Now that you say that I am the Christ, what difference does it make in your life?'
Brothers and sisters, does Jesus really matter to us? Does the Christ really make a big difference in our life? We can memorize the answer of Peter, 'You are the Christ.' Mga kapatid, totoo po ba talagang 'bossing' natin si Jesus? Totoo po ba talaga na siya ang Master? Napakadaling sabihin sa dasal, 'You are my Master, you are my Lord'. Pero pag nagdedesisyon ka na, sino ba talaga ang nasusunod - ang Diyos.....o ikaw? Baka kung humarap sa atin ang Diyos, sasabihin Niya, "Hindi naman Ako ang boss eh....ikaw. Hindi naman talaga Ako ang nasusunod, eh....ikaw. Hindi naman 'yong turo Ko ang gumagabay sa iyo, kundi 'yong gusto mo."
Brothers and sisters, we could answer many questions. But the more important challenge is - can we live up to our answers? Who do you say that I am? Who do you say that Christ is?
I actually prepared something for the last part of my Homily, but I think there's a computer glitch. I want to share with you one of my favorite prayers, written by the former general of the Jesuits, Father Pedro Arrupe. The title of his prayer is 'Fall In Love'. The thesis of Father Arrupe is - what you love decides everything in life. What you love will make the big difference in your life. Not what you say, not what you think, but what you actually love, whom you love.
And so let me end this reflection by sharing with you, by reading prayerfully and slowly, this prayer of Father Arrupe.
He says,
"There is nothing more practical than finding God.....than falling in love with God in a quite absolute and final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything in your life. It will decide everything. What will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekend, What you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, it decides everything in your life."
If truly we are in love with God, if we truly claim that Jesus is the Christ, then truly, He will make a big difference in our lives. Amen.