Gospel Reflection

September 28, 2013

Saturday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. David 'Dave' T. Buenaventura, SDB
Councilor & Pugad Centre Director and Counsellor, St. John Bosco Parish, Makati
7:30AM Mass, St. John Bosco Parish Church (Don Bosco Church), Makati

Reading 1 Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a

I, Zechariah, raised my eyes and looked: there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how great is its width and how great its length.”

Then the angel who spoke with me advanced, and another angel came out to meet him and said to him, “Run, tell this to that young man: People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country, because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst. But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.”

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you.

Responsorial Psalm Jer 31:10, 11-12ab, 13

R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd guards his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Gospel Lk 9:43b-45

While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”  But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

HOMILY

Good morning and Happy Feast Day to everyone. I offer this Holy Mass for those among you who are called Laurencia and Lorenzo.

My dear brothers and sisters, throughout the centuries, thousands of men and women of all races have been put to death because they believed in Jesus. And one of them is our very own San Lorenzo Ruiz - the first Filipino saint - whom we are honoring today. When Lorenzo was threatened that he would die if he would not abandon his Christian faith, Lorenzo said, "I am a Christian, and this I profess until the hour of my death. And for God, I shall give my life. Although I did not come to Japan to be a martyr, nevertheless, as a Christian, and for God, I shall give my life."

When given the offer to abandon his Christian faith and save his life, Lorenzo said, "That I will never do, because I am a Christian. I shall die for God. And have I many thousand lives, I shall offer them for Him." Because of his public profession of faith, Lorenzo Ruiz was water tortured and finally hanged inverted from the gallows with his head inserted in a small pit. He died a martyr's death in Nishizaka Hill near Nagasaki on September 28, 1637.

My dear brothers and sisters, the message of our faith today is loyalty to Jesus. Loyalty to the Lord. Can we, in our daily life, offer our life to Jesus? Can we love Him above anyone and anything else? The Lord tells us, where your heart is, there your treasure will be. Is our faith in the Lord our treasure? Is our heart really for Him? Is the law of the Lord really ruling in our lives? Is this reflected when we are at home, when we are at work, when we are with our friends?

Quite often, we forget these realities, these truths. And I would like to remind myself and all of you gathered here about this. Christianity is not a theory about Jesus. It is not an idealism. Christianity is loyalty to Christ, as Peter would declare, the Son of the living God. And this loyalty simply means obedience to the Lord. Our Christian faith is not a dress that we can wear and remove as we like. Our Christian faith is a way of life. Our ideas will show we are Christians. Our words will speak we are Christians. And above all, our examples will profess our loyalty to Jesus. 

And I would not be wrong when I say that when a person is loyal to someone, don't even doubt it, he is also faithful. And when one is faithful and loyal to someone, do not doubt it, he will also be true and honest to that person. And when one is honest and faithful to someone, you can be sure that he has that sense of justice to give to anyone what is due to him. And this is the kind of Christianity that we are called for - not the devotional Christianity - that will eliminate corruption in our families, and most especially in our society.

We, Christians of today, should wake up and never believe that just because I am devoted to so many religious things, I am already an authentic and true Christian. As I would always say, our devotional practices should be the fruits of true Christianity. Meaning to say, I am loyal to Jesus, I am truthful to Jesus, I am fair in dealing with my God, and the devotional practices are simply expressions of who I truly am. And when the time comes, we will appreciate the devotional practices that we are doing. And the others who will see us performing them will believe us because they are fruits of who we really are. 

This is my Word of Life for you today: Our Christian faith is a breastplate of identification that we accept Jesus in our lives as our Teacher, Master, Ruler, King, and our God. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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.