Gospel Reflection

September 27, 2013

Friday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest

by Rev. Fr. Ernie M. Cruz, SDB - Rector, St. John Bosco Parish Church (Don Bosco Church), Makati
6:30AM Mass at Don Bosco Church, Makati

Reading 1 Hg 2:1-9

In the second year of King Darius, on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: Tell this to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people:

Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes? But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the LORD, and take courage, Joshua, high priest, son of Jehozadak, And take courage, all you people of the land, says the LORD, and work! For I am with you, says the LORD of hosts. This is the pact that I made with you when you came out of Egypt, And my spirit continues in your midst; do not fear! For thus says the LORD of hosts: One moment yet, a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come in, And I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. Mine is the silver and mine the gold, says the LORD of hosts. Greater will be the future glory of this house than the former, says the LORD of hosts; And in this place I will give you peace, says the LORD of hosts!

Responsorial Psalm PS 43:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (5) Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
Do me justice, O God, and fight my fight
against a faithless people;
from the deceitful and impious man rescue me.
R. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
For you, O God, are my strength.
Why do you keep me so far away?
Why must I go about in mourning,
with the enemy oppressing me?
R. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my 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. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my 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. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

Gospel Lk 9:18-22

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.”

HOMILY

Jesus asked His Disciples the question. "Who do the crowds say that I am?" And Peter said that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. But why did Jesus rebuke them? Why did He tell them not to tell it to anyone?

At that time, the people were under the Romans. And any talk of a human Messiah, of somebody who would free them politically from the clutches of the Romans, may cause an uprising, a revolution. And it will be a great disaster for the people. If there was real confrontation, many of them would die, and Jesus did not want that, that people will be put to a disadvantage, or to be in a difficult situation. And so He says it's not yet time to talk about it. However, Jesus already told them that the Messiah will be rejected and will suffer greatly under the elders and chief priests, and be killed, but on the third day will rise again. Jesus already told them what will happen in His time.

But unlike the Gospel, in our present time, we are asked not to keep quiet about who Jesus is, but to tell people about Him, to announce and proclaim the Messiah who we believe in. This is a time when Jesus would say, "Now, you are ready to proclaim who I am." It is at this time that Jesus has to be spoken of from the roof tops, from the house tops. And Jesus calls us to do that in our own different ways. We all are in various areas of work, our home, everywhere. We are always in touch with people. And this is a very right moment for us to proclaim Jesus in our own way.

Saint Vincent de Paul proclaimed Jesus, while ministering to the poor at the same time. The situation of the clergy's formation was very poor at that time, so St. Vincent de Paul had to organize his own congregation primarily for the formation of priests, so that they will be able to proclaim better who Jesus was, through very good formation. Secondly, St. Vincent de Paul proclaimed Jesus as a living and compassionate God, by ministering to the poor. At the mention of St. Vincent de Paul, at once, what comes to mind is his work for the poor, and his great effort to form the clergy at that time.

Therefore, as we continue our celebration, let us look into our own lives and ask how we can proclaim Jesus today. We have to speak about Jesus and make him familiar to our friends, to people in the office, to people in our homes, to the members of our family. Only in that way can we be participants in the mission of the Church. By nature, as a Christian, every person has to proclaim, to evangelize and be a missionary. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

September 26, 2013

Thursday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs

by Rev. Fr. Francis Montero, Assistant Priest, St. Mark's Cathedral, Port Pirie, South Australia
5:30PM Mass at the Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 Hg 1:1-8

On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius, The word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:  This people says: “The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” (Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet:) Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?

Now thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways! You have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated; have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed; And whoever earned wages earned them for a bag with holes in it.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways! Go up into the hill country; bring timber, and build the house That I may take pleasure in it and receive my glory, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.

Gospel Lk 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead”; others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” But Herod said, “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him.

HOMILY

Today, we remember the martyrs, the twins, Saints Cosmas and Damian They lived in the 3rd Century. They were physicians and practiced the art of healing. And they received no pay. 'Yong kanilang ginagawa, their acts of charity, brought more people to the faith. I believe that it's through our actions that people are drawn to love God more. Sa ating mga gawa ay nahihikayat o na-aakit natin ang iba na mahalin ang Diyos,

And this is also what Jesus did. He preached, but after His preaching, He healed people. He forgave sinners. He dined with sinners. He gave them a second chance. Perhaps, we need a revisiting of our faith. Siguro, kailangang tingnan ulit natin kung ano'ng klaseng pagka-Kristiyano ang isinasabuhay natin o pinaniniwalaan natin.

Just like Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, whose feast day we will celebrate on Saturday, Saints Cosmas and Damian were arrested and ordered to recant or to renounce their Catholic faith. But Saints Cosmas and Damian refused to do it. They remained steadfast in their faith, even if they were tortured. They were beheaded by the sword. Not much of their lives were historically recorded, but one thing is for sure. Cosmas and Damian existed. We may not be experiencing persecutions here in the Philippines because of our faith, because we are the majority. But surely, in other parts of the world, Christians are still treated unjustly, to the point of risking their lives. May we be like Saints Cosmos and Damian, in their firm resolve to love God, and serve others.

In our Gospel today, we heard that Herod was perplexed. He has all the reason to be perplexed. Why? It is because he ordered the beheading of St. John the Baptist. He heard many things, and he wanted to see Jesus, because He was perplexed, He was intrigued by the personality of Jesus.

My dear friends, hearing is very important in the development of our faith. Mahalaga pong naririnig natin ang ating pananampalataya, na naririnig po natin ang mga magagandang bagay tungkol sa ginawa ng Diyos. Ito po ay unang hakbang. But there will be other steps that we have to make. We ought to approach God; God's movement is always to us. But at times, we move away from God. Tayo ang lumalayo sa Diyos - sa ating pag-iisip, sa ating mga salita at gawa. Subalit ang Diyos ay patuloy pong naghahanap sa atin, humahabol sa atin.

Herod, on his part, never took the next step. He liked to listen to St. John the Baptist, but he was a crowd pleaser, not a God pleaser. Herod admired John. He also heard about Jesus, and I'm sure that He also had an admiration of Jesus. But admiration is not enough.

Who do we admire most? People with power, with influence, fame or wealth? Scripture warns us of this danger. Who do we desire to please? God or man? Herod chose to please people, rather than do the right thing. Do we admire God? Do we love God? Of course, that's why we're here. We admire God, we love God, we even say that we want to serve God, that's why we are here. We find time from our work to hear mass. But it is not enough to admire God. The next step is to behave like the beloved of God. Kung mahal tayo ng Diyos, umasta tayo na mahal tayo ng Diyos.

Sa ating pamilya, hindi sapat na alam mong mahal ka ng nanay mo. Behave like her beloved. Igalang mo siya. Mahalin mo siya, paglingkuran mo siya. And that's the same way with our relationship to God. The next step is to behave like the beloved of God. God already loved us, even before we loved Him. God has made you and I His children, therefore, we should act like sons and daughters of God. Let us reflect, let us mirror our love for God, our admiration of God, by showing this in our lives, through constant commitment to our faith. Dapat tayong maging masaya sa ating pananampalataya bilang Kristiyano, at maging matapat, kahit anumang pagsubok sa buhay ang ating dadaanan. Let us hold on to our faith and steadfastness, ito ay pwedeng sandigan mo at panghawakan. 'Yon po ang nagagawa ng ating pagmamahal sa Diyos; 'yon po ang nagagawa ng pagmamahal ng Diyos sa atin.

What is the result of us loving God, and God loving us? We will serve others. We will act charitably. Marunong po tayong magmahal, magbahagi, magmalasakit, at lalong-lalo na, magpatawad. The lives of Saints Cosmas and Damian were truly reflective of God in them, the God who they loved. Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mga salita at gawa, at sa hindi nila pagsuko ng kanilang pananampalataya. May they inspire us. May they remind us of their strong faith and through them, in this time, may the image of God become real in each one of us. Sana'y mas maging totoo ang Diyos sa atin at sa ating buhay - na mas maging lalo tayong mapagmahal, lalo tayong magmalasakit at di maging maramot, lalong-lalo na, sa pagpapatawad sa ating kapwa. Amen.

Gospel Reflection

September 25, 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 (SM Megamall Chapel)

Reading 1 Ezr 9:5-9

At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness, and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees, stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God.

I said: “My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you, O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads and our guilt reaches up to heaven. From the time of our fathers even to this day great has been our guilt, and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up, we and our kings and our priests, to the will of the kings of foreign lands, to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace, as is the case today.

“And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God, who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place; thus our God has brightened our eyes and given us relief in our servitude. For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us; rather, he has turned the good will of the kings of Persia toward us. Thus he has given us new life to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins, and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.”

Responsorial Psalm Tb 13:2, 3-4a, 4befghn, 7-8

R. (1b) Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
He scourges and then has mercy;
he casts down to the depths of the nether world,
and he brings up from the great abyss.
No one can escape his hand.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Praise him, you children of Israel, before the Gentiles,
for though he has scattered you among them,
he has shown you his greatness even there.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
So now consider what he has done for you,
and praise him with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
and exalt the King of ages.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
In the land of my exile I praise him
and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Bless the Lord, all you his chosen ones,
and may all of you praise his majesty.
Celebrate days of gladness, and give him praise.
R. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.

Gospel Lk 9:1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

HOMILY

Magandang tanghali po sa inyong lahat.

Our Gospel today, whenever we hear it, most of the time we associate it with disciples or apostles. Sa tuwing maririnig natin ang Ebanghelyong ito, iniisip natin na para lang 'yan sa mga taong tinawag ng Diyos para maglingkod sa Simbahan. When Jesus sent out the disciples, he told them to bring nothing with them on the journey.

But this Gospel is actually a Gospel that can be given to all believers, and to all followers of the Lord. In as much as we were baptized, all of us are considered to be followers and disciples of the Lord. Ano 'yong bilin ng ating Panginoon? On your journey, take nothing with you. Huwag daw tayong magdala ng kung ano pa man.

Now, there are two levels of interpretation of this Gospel. Talaga bang ang ibig sabihin ng Panginoon ay 'take nothing with you'? Ang ibig sabihin, lahat tayo dito ay nagkukulang dahil obviously, lahat tayo ay may dala-dala. But we can interpret this Gospel in the second level. That the Lord is not literally saying 'take nothing with you'. Maybe what the Lord is really saying is, 'take no thing with you'. What does that mean? Na sana ang dala-dala natin ay hindi lamang bagay. Because there are people on the journey, and what they have with them is only things. Naglalakbay sila sa buhay, ano ang dala-dala nila? Ang mga bagay. 'Yan ang kailangan ko - mga bagay, mga gamit. I want things that I can accumulate on myself.

Jesus is telling us that what we really need on our journey are not things. That is why He says, 'take no thing with you'. Not 'nothing' as in wala, pero sana, ang dala-dala natin ay hindi lamang bagay. Hopefully in our journey in life, what we carry with us is not a thing, but a person. And who is that person? The Lord.

That is why in the beginning of our Gospel, it says, ' Jesus gave them power and authority'. Ano 'yong power and authority na 'yon? It is a power and authority, not based on things, but power and authority that comes from a relationship with the Lord. Saan manggagaling ang ating lakas at awtoridad, o kapangyarihan? Hindi lamang sa mga bagay na kinakamal natin sa ating sarili. 'Yan ay manggagaling sa tao na dapat ay nasa puso natin. And who is that person? It should be the Lord.

Most of the time, we peg or we ground our power and authority on material things that we can accumulate - power, title, honor. Kaya gustong gusto natin na meron tayong titulo. I remember the story that I told you about a man who was held up. Di ba ang sabi ng holdaper sa lalaki, 'Hold up ito. Give me your money'. Ano ang sabi ng lalaki? 'Don't you know who I am? I am a member of the House of Representatives. I am an honorable Congressman'. Sabi ng holdaper, 'Ah, pulitiko ka pala. Kung gayon, give me my money'. (laughs)

Bakit nakakatawa ang kwentong 'yan? That politician was demanding power and authority. But where does power and authority really come from? It does not come from without; it comes from within. So even if you say that you are an honorable member of Congress, that title will not give you honor. 'Oh, I am Father Joel'. That title will not give me honor. It is not the title that gives honor to the man; it is the man who gives honor to the title. Kaya kahit na 'Father' ang tawag sa iyo, pero wala kang integrity, walang kahulugan ang mga titulong iyan. Bring nothing with you - not your titles, not your honor. Bring only that which is important. And that is no one else but the person of our Lord.

In this mass, let that be our aim, and let that be our objective. Lord, we do not long for things. I long only for You. Because when I have You, everything else will follow. That is the paradox. Jesus is telling us, "Take nothing with you on your journey....Take 'no thing' with you on your journey, but take Me along with you. Because if I am with you, you have everything. If I am with you, everything else will follow." Let that be our prayer, as we continue our Holy Eucharist. Amen.