1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (C)

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 

Lk 21:25-28. 34-36 

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CHRIST THE KING

My kingdom does not belong to this world.

Jn 18: 33b-37

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33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

Learn a lesson from the fig tree.

Mk 13:24-32

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32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.

Mk 12:41-44

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ALL SAINTS

After this I had a vision of a great multitude,

which no one could count,

from every nation, race, people, and tongue.

They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,

wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

Rv 7:2-4, 9-14

FROM ChurchYear.Net

Every day in the Church year has a saint day, but the Solemnity of All Saints is when the Church honors all saints, known and unknown. This is similar to the American holidays of Veterans Day and Presidents Day, when a group of people are honored on a specific day. While we have information about many saints, and we honor them on specific days, there are many unknown or unsung saints, who may have been forgotten, or never been honored specifically. On All Saints Day, we celebrate these holy men and women, and ask for their prayers and intercessions.

The concept of All Saints Day is connected to the doctrine of The Communion of Saints. This is the concept that all of God's people, on heaven, earth, and in the state of purification (called Purgatory in the West), are spiritually connected and united. In other words, Catholic and Orthodox Christians (and some Protestants) believe that the saints of God are just as alive as you and I, and are constantly interceding on our behalf. Remember, our connection with the saints in heaven is one grounded in a tight-knit communion. The saints are not divine, nor omnipresent or omniscient. However, because of our common communion with and through Jesus Christ, our prayers are joined with the heavenly community of Christians. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 350) testifies to this belief:

We mention those who have fallen asleep: first the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that through their prayers and supplications God would receive our petition...(Catechetical Lecture 23:9).

The Catholic Catechism concisely describes this communion among believers, by which we are connected to Christ, and thus to one another:

"Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness...They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us...So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped."

"...as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself: We worship Christ as God's Son; we love the martyrs as the Lord's disciples and imitators, and rightly so because of their matchless devotion towards their king and master. May we also be their companions and fellow disciples (CCC 956, 957)!

There are thousands of canonized saints, that is those individuals officially recognized by the Church as holy men and women worthy of imitation. Because miracles have been associated with these people, and their lives have been fully examined and found holy by the Church, we can be assured they are prime examples of holiness, and powerful intercessors before God on our behalf. There are also many patron saints, guardians or protectors of different areas and states of life. For instance, St. Vitus is the patron saint against oversleeping, and St. Joseph of Cupertino is the patron saint of air travelers. It may sound crazy to have a patron saint against oversleeping, but keep in mind the Church has something meaningful for every area of our human lives. All of these saints are celebrated throughout the year, as many have their own feast days (for instance, St. Hilary of Poitiers, whose feast day is celebrated January 13).

Christians have been honoring saints and martyrs since at least the second century AD. The Martyrdom of Polycarp, probably written near the middle of the second century, attests to this reality:

Accordingly, we afterwards took up his bones, more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more pure than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, so that when being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps (18).

 

30TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

But he kept calling out all the more,

"Son of David, have pity on me."

Mk 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd...

The book of Joshua relates how Yahweh delivered Jericho into the hands of Israel.

And to Joshua the LORD said, "I have delivered Jericho and its king into your power. Have all the soldiers circle the city, marching once around it. Do this for six days, with seven priests carrying ram's horns ahead of the ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, and have the priests blow the horns. When they give a long blast on the ram's horns and you hear that signal, all the people shall shout aloud. The wall of the city will collapse, and they will be able to make a frontal attack."

"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."

By calling Jesus, son of David, Bartimaeus was publicly proclaiming his faith in Jesus as the Messiah. For the Messiah was expected to be from David's line. And in fact, Joseph was from David's line. Hence, when Augustus Caesar ordered a census of the Roman empire Joseph had to go to Bethlehem which was the city of David.

And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.

Bartimaeus was making a commotion. His behavior was almost scandalous. It was understandable that the told him to keep quiet.

But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me."

Bartimaeus could not let the opportunity pass. It might never come back.

He threw aside his cloak.

The cloak was spread on the ground. Alms were thrown on the cloak. By throwing aside the cloak, it seems as if Bartimaeus was setting aside his life as a beggar in order to follow another way of life.

Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"

This behavior of Jesus was perplexing to me. Why would he ask Bartimaeus that question? Was the answer not obvious? Surely Bartimaeus would not answer: "I want a house." A commentator offers this explanation: Jesus was giving him the chance to profess his faith publicly. By answering: "Master, I want to see", Bartimaeus was telling everyone that he believed Jesus had the power to give him his sight.

In the same way when we pray, we do not inform God. He already knows what we are going to ask for. When we pray we are expressing our faith in the power and goodness of God.

Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight.

We need faith if God is able to give us the good things he wants to give us.

And followed him on the way.

Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak because he no longer had need of it. He was not going to go begging anymore. From now on he was going to be a follower of Jesus.

29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

Can you drink the cup that I drink

or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

Mk 10:35-45

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28th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

Mk 10:17-30

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27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

"Therefore what God has joined together,

no human being must separate." 

Mk 10:2-12

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26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.

It is better for you to enter into life maimed

than with two hands to go into Gehenna,

Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

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25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

“If anyone wishes to be first,

he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

Mk 9:30-37

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24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” 

Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” 

Mk 8:27-35

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23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him.

MK 7:31-37

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22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.

Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

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21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” 

Jn 6: 60-69 

v. 60 -- Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”

It is the disciples who found, as many still find, the contents of this discourse hard! The final phrase should read ‘listen to him?’ rather than ‘listen to it?’

v. 62 – What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?

‘Where he was before': A plain reference not only to the continuing existence of Jesus after his death, but also to his pre-existence (cf. 3:13; 13:3 and 17:5).

v. 65 – And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”

The verb ‘said’ is in the Greek imperfect: 'he kept on saying all the time'. This underlines the importance of 6:37and 44 as basic Johannine doctrines. Belief in Jesus is impossible without the work of the Father. Unbelief is not some strange human behavior; belief is a miracle of God. 'No one can say "Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit is Paul's recognition of the same truth’ (1 Cor. 12:3).

v. 66 – As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.

‘As a result of this’: offers both a chronological and a logical basis for interpretation. It was after the discourse, and because of it, that many left Jesus.

v. 68 – Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

'Master': Here, in contrast to its use in 6:34, rightly so rendered. In v. 34 it should read 'Sir'.

v. 69 – We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

'We have believed, and are convince”: Evidently the reference is to some real 'belief' at 1:39ff, that has now grown in depth and in their continuing association has bred the certitude of faith, a knowledge that has an integrity of its own.

20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

For my flesh is true food,

and my blood is true drink. 

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

remains in me and I in him.

Jn 6:51-58

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds…

The traditional translation would be: “Jesus said to the Jews….” It is as if Jesus and his disciples were not Jews. It would seem that when John wrote his gospel, Christians were already aware that they had an identity of their own. They were not a religious group within the Jewish religion.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

The Jewish hearers of Jesus would know that the bread that came down from heaven was manna. It was this bread that kept their ancestors alive during their wandering in the desert. Jesus asserts that he is the true manna (for he is the LIVING bread) that came down from heaven.

Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world

And just as the manna of the Old Testament kept the Israelites alive in the desert, so also this manna which is his flesh will give life to those who eat it. Obviously, Jesus is talking here about the Eucharist.

Giving his flesh refers to his death on the cross. For the life of the world is another way of saying “saving mankind”. In other words, the death of Jesus is salvific.

Life is a favourite theme in John’s gospel. In his encounter with the Samaritan woman, he offers to give her living water. When Jesus went to see Lazarus who had died, he tells Martha that he is the way, the truth and the life.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

The word “eat” here is literally “chew” or “masticate”. John may want to underline the fact that the Eucharist is REALLY partaking of the body and blood of Jesus.

Jesus also tells us that the Eucharist is contains within itself the promise of resurrection to those who believe.

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

Food and drink sustains life. Since the Eucharist is real food and drink, it follows that it gives life, eternal life.

Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

To live is to enter into communion with the Son and with the Father. The Eucharist is a special sign of this communion. Hence, the Eucharist when received is called Holy Communion. 

19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

I am the living bread that came down from heaven;

whoever eats this bread will live forever;

and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Jn 6:41-51

In process

18TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Jn 6:24-35

Last Sunday we switched from the Gospel of Mark (the Gospel for Year B) to the Gospel of John Chapter 6. We continue today the reading from John Chapter 6.

The people look for Jesus in Capernaum. Jesus frankly tells them that they were looking for him NOT because they understood the meaning of the multiplication of the bread but because they wanted to see another miracle or they wanted to get free bread again. Jesus uses the opportunity to teach them. “Do not work for bread that perishes (naluluma at inaamag). Instead work for food that does not go stale (di naluluma, di inaamag) and that can give you eternal life. This I, the Son of Man, can give you.”

They reply, ““What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” What they mean is: “How can we get our hands on this special bread you are talking about?”

Jesus answers, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” Believing in Jesus does not only mean accepting what Jesus says as true. It means taking the side of Jesus. In the present INC crisis, to believe in Ka Tenny and Ka Angel means to take their side against the Sanggunian of the INC. And that was what the INC minister in California did.

The people respond: “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert.” If I were Jesus, I would say, “Hello! And what do you think I did on the other side of the Lake. Did I not perform a sign? Did I not feed more than 5,000 people with bread and fish?” Instead, Jesus corrects them by saying that it was not Moses who gave them manna but his Father in heaven. He makes a second correction. That manna is only a symbol of the bread that his Father is going to give to them today.

When the people said: “Give us this bread always”, they wanted Jesus to be their supplier of this special bread that does not go stale. They were still thinking of earthly, physical bread!

Finally, Jesus makes the final correction to their mistaken belief by declaring that the bread he was talking about all along was he himself. “I am the bread of life.” And therefore, to eat the bread of life is to have faith in Jesus, to take the side of Jesus (isugal ang buhay at kapalaran sa pagpili kay Jesus).

And by doing so, one receives life from Jesus.

17TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. 

Jn 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.

It is a lake. The water is sweet. Also called: Sea of Tiberias, Lake Galilee, and Lake of Genesareth.

A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.

Many years ago many people went to Agoo where it was said that the Blessed Mother appeared to a 16 yr old boy named Judiel Nieva. Priests even accompanied pilgrims. There was a Saturday that the number of people who went there were so many that there was a traffic jam along the highway going back to Manila. Parishes were calling Don Bosco for a priest to celebrate Mass because their own priests were stuck in that traffic!

Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.

This reminds us of Moses going up the mountain. Jesus sat down because rabbis sat down when they teach.

The Jewish feast of Passover was near.

The Passover was a memorial to the Exodus, the liberation of the Jews from the slavery of Egypt.

There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish.

Bread made from barley is the bread of the poor. Wheat is the usually used for bread.

So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.

This number does not include women and children.

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining.

The verbs are important: took, gave thanks and distributed. They are associated with the Last Supper institution of the Eucharist. This already gives us a hint that John chapter 6 will speak about the Eucharist, about Jesus, the Bread of Life.

“Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves.

First, this miracle of the multiplication of the bread reminds us of the manna in the desert. Manna was the bread provided by God when the people of Israel was wandering the in the desert for 40 years. It stopped when Israel finally entered the Promised Land.

Second, take note that Jesus doesn’t want food to be wasted.

When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”

The gospel of John does not use the word “miracle”. He used the word “sign” because the miracles that Jesus performed contained a message. In fact, Jesus would often talk about the message after performing the miracle or sign. In this chapter (Chapter 6), Jesus will talk about the Eucharist and about himself as the Bread of Life. The gospel for the following Sundays will be portions of John Chapter 6.

The people identify him as THE Prophet not just A prophet. In the OT Moses said that God would send a prophet like him. By calling Jesus the Prophet, they understood that Jesus was the one Moses was speaking of.

Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

Jesus escaped because he didn’t want them to make him king. Of course, Jesus was a king. In fact, we celebrate Christ the King. But Jesus was not the kind of king the people had in mind. The people wanted him to a warrior king who would liberate the Holy Land from the Romans.

16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

Mk 6:30-34

IN PROCESS

15th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two.

Mk 6:7-13

POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION

Twelve Apostles

Twelve because they remind us of the 12 Tribes of Israel. They form the People of God in the OT. In the NT the 12 Apostles will be the instrument of Jesus to form the New People of God. If the Jews had accepted Jesus, there would have been no need to form the New People of God.

Apostles mean sent. They were sent on a mission under the authority of Jesus. Did God send Mananalo on a mission? Or did he send himself? Did God send Soriano on a mission? Or did he send himself? The same question is true of Villanueva, Quiboloy etc.

Why walking stick and sandals? Why no food, no sack, no money?

Because like Jesus they have to move from place to place to proclaim the good news. They will have to travel light. They will rely on the hospitality of the people.

The worker deserves his pay. Christian community must support their pastors.

"Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.” 

If people will not accept the Good News, don't waste your time on them. Go to other towns who did not yet have the Good News preached to them.

When Jews from the diaspora returns to the Promised Land for a pilgrimaget to Jerusalem, They would shake the dust off their sandals. It was a sign of the separation of the unclean from the holy. So if a town refuses to have faith, then they are cut off from salvation.

They anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

This is not only for those who are about to die. This is for those who have serious illness or who will undergo a delicate surgery. How do you know that the illness is serious or that the surgery is delicate?
Ask the doctor. 

Before surgery for aneurism, a friend of ours requested and was given the anointing.

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two to preach repentance.

What does it mean to repent? The lyrics of the song "Anak" describes beautifully what repentance is.

At ang una mong nilapitan
Ang iyong inang lumuluha
At ang tanong,"anak, ba't ka nagkaganyan"
At ang iyong mga mata'y biglang lumuha ng di mo napapansin
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'y
Nalaman mong ika'y nagkamali.

It is in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) that God celebrates the coming home and the welcoming of the repentant sinner.

14TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Mk 6:1-6

Organization of the Text

• Jesus goes to his hometown, Nazareth.
• Jesus taught in their synagogue. It was the Sabbath.
• His town mates  didn't accept him because they knew him, his family, and his background.
• Jesus explained this rejection.
• As a consequence of their lack of faith, he couldn't work many miracles there.

Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” 

Son of Mary is a strange designation. No one is ever referred to as a son of a certain mother. Jesus would have been called the son of Joseph. This particular deviation from the custom has been explained in two ways. First, Joseph might have been dead by then. The second and the probably the correct one is that Mark wanted to highlight the fact the Jesus was not the biological son of Joseph, that he had God as his Father.

There is a problem in this particular verse. It seems to contradict the perpetual virginity of Mary found in Catholic teaching. 

The first explanation can be found in Biblical usage. Brother and sister are terms not exclusively used for blood brothers and sisters. We shall use Abraham and Lot as an example, In Genesis 12:5, it says that Lot was Abraham's nephew. But in Genesis 14:14, it says that Lot is Abraham's brother. 

The second explanation lies in the Hebrew and Aramaic languages. The terms "brother" and "sister" are also applied to nephews, nieces, cousins, half-brothers, and half-sisters.

A third explanation. If Jesus had blood brothers and sisters, then why would Jesus before dying on the cross entrust Mary to John. And John we know is a son of Zebedee.

Finally a fourth explanation at least regarding James as the brother of Jesus. In Galations 1:19 St. Paul wrties: "But other of the apostles [besides Cephas] I saw none, saving James the brother of the Lord." This James then is an apostle. We know from the list of the apostles that he is a son of Alphaeus and Mary is never called the wife of Alphaeus. James then is not the blood brother of Jesus. We may assume that this is the case with the other brothers and sisters mentioned in v. 3. 

Three Things for Consideration

• The rejection of Jesus by the people of Nazareth is a foreshadowing of his rejection by the people of Israel.
• Familiarity can breed contempt.
• Faith is the key to unlock the warehouse of God's blessings and graces.

Stories of Rejection

The story of Jesus is the story of rejection that led ultimately to his death. We find other such stories of rejection and death in the history of the world.

Martin Luther King was assassinated for promoting equality of all human beings irrespective of race. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated because in spite of the fact that he was a Hindu, he was friendly with the Muslims. Bishop Oscar Romero did because he denounced the exploitation of the poor by the rich who had the backing of the military. And finally, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was executed by the Nazis because he attacked the evils of fascist Nazism.

We should too should expect rejection and even violence when we take a stand on the side of what is right. 

Two catechists (brother and sister) suffered verbal abuse from their elder brother who got angry when they told him to stop playing a pornographic video.

If Jesus suffered rejection and violence, should we, his disciples, expect to not suffer rejection and violence when we take a stand for what Jesus taught?

13TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

Mk 5:21-43

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.

This woman’s condition was also desperate. A curious point. The story of this woman is also found in St. Luke’s gospel. In St. Luke’s gospel, however, nothing is said about suffering at the hands of many doctors, spending all that she had and in the end only got worse. Someone asked why St. Luke omitted these details. The explanation was that St. Luke was a doctor. In fact, he became the personal physician of St. Paul. And being a doctor, he could not include something that made his profession look bad.

She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”

Did the woman believe that the clothes of Jesus possess some kind of power? Of course not. She knew that the clothes of Jesus will not cure her. It is Jesus who will do that. Why did she touch his clothes then? She touched his clothes as a way of getting connected with Jesus who she believed had the power of healing.

Some Catholics scandalize Protestants because they behave in a way as if statues or medals or prayers possess some kind of power. Statues and medals do not have power. Prayers are not magic formulas. But we can use statues and medals to help us raise our minds and hearts to God. Prayers are words by which our hearts reach out to God. And once in contact with God, we lay bare our hearts and tell him all our needs.

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.”

God can not do anything for us unless we put our faith in him. We have to believe that God can and will take care of us.

I will relate two instances from Don Bosco.

Our mother house in Turin occupies a whole block. But it all started with the Pinardi shed. The owner had always said that he would never sell his house under 3,000 pounds. After much haggling, Mr. Pinardi agreed to sell it for 1,200 pounds. Cash. In one week’s time. If Don Bosco failed to come up with the money, he would owe Mr. Pinardi 4,000 pounds! Don Bosco did not have the money. Mama Margaret asked, “But where are you going to find the money? We have nothing but debts.” Don Bosco replied, “Come, mother, if you had money, would you not give me some?” “Of course.” “Well and good. Why should you think that the Lord, who is rich, will be less generous?” Believe it or not, three benefactors came and in less than a week Don Bosco was able to pay for the house.

When St. John Bosco was nine years old, Jesus revealed to him his mission in life. He was to become a priest who would devote himself for the good of young people. At that time it seemed an impossible dream. His stepbrother violently opposed his desire to study. And even if he were not opposed, they didn’t have the money. They were just too poor. But he believed that if that was what God wanted him to do, God would find a way. And God did provide. He became a priest and he founded the Salesian Society and the Salesian Sisters to continue his work for young people. At the end of his life, Don Bosco had this regret, “If only I had more faith, I could have done more.” And yet, Don Bosco’s achievement was already monumental.

Putting our faith in God does not mean that God will always grant what we ask for. It doesn’t always mean that health will be restored or that someone will be saved from death. It doesn’t always mean that our money problems will be solved. Putting our faith in God means that we believe that God loves us and that God is so powerful that in the end everything will turn out OK for us.

12TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

"Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?"

Mk 4:35-41

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11TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants.

Mk 4:26-34

The story of Mrs. Rosa Parks. Her "small" act of civil disobedience resulted in 1964 in the recognition of equal rights between whites and blacks. Great things happen from seemingly small, insignificant actions.

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (B)

Take it; this is my body. This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.

Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

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POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION

1. Setting

• Last Supper
• The day the Passover Lamb was sacrificed. And Jesus IS the Lamb of God.
• Jesus did NOT say, "This is the symbol of my body. This is the symbol of my blood."
• The separate consecration of bread and wine alludes to the death of Christ on the cross. 
• The blood Jesus will shed on the cross will bring about a NEW Covenant, supplanting the Old Covenant sealed with the blood of an animal on Mt. Sinai.
• The blood of Jesus is poured out for the many. This is an Aramaic way of saying "for all". Hence, the death of Jesus is for the salvation of all, reaching everybody through space and time.

2. Feast

• The institution of the Eucharist is on Maundy Thursday. Why are we having a duplicate feast? St. Juliana of Belgium had a vision. She saw the liturgical year of the Church as if it were a full moon. But there was a small dark spot which represented the lack of any feast dedicated to the Eucharist. She communicated this vision to Church authorities which ultimately led to the institution of the the Feast of Corpus Christi (of the Body of Christ). 
• The feast is on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. In the Philippines, the feast is celebrated on the following Sunday so that more can celebrate the feast.
• The feast is usually celebrated with the procession of the Blessed Sacrament.

3. Doctrine

• Jesus Christ is truly present (hence, Real Presence) in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is not a mere symbol of the presence of Jesus Christ. 
• Although we say Jesus is truly present IN the Eucharist, it doesn't mean that Jesus Christ is to be found INSIDE the communion host. What we receive is Jesus Christ taking on the appearance of a communion host.
• When we receive communion in the species of bread, it is not only the body of Christ that we receive. It is the whole Christ that we receive. That same is true of the species of wine. It is the whole Christ who is received and not only his blood.

4. Pope Francis and the Eucharist

• Communion is not PRIMARILY nor EXCLUSIVELY for good people. It is for those who want to be good but find it difficult to do so. Kaya kung gusto mong bumaet, pero di mo magawa, ano ang iyong magagawa? Mandalas kang tumanggap ng komunion at iyo tiyak na magagawa (ang pagpapakabaet).

TRINITY SUNDAY (B)

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Mt 28:16-20

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PENTECOST (B)

Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-11

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ASCENSION (B)

Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.

Mk 16:15-20

THE ASCENSION ACCORDING TO ACTS

The ascension took place 40 days after the Resurrection. During that time Jesus through his appearances proved that he was alive. He instructed his apostles about the Kingdom and told them to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit. When he comes, they will become his witnesses, first in Jerusalem, then in Palestine, and finally to the ends of the earth. Even after instructing them for 40 days, they still did not understand Jesus and his mission. For if they understood, they would not ask: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Until now they were still thinking of Jesus and the Kingdom in terms of earthly power.
The ascension is described as Jesus rising towards heaven and then being hidden by the clouds. Two men in white garments (angels) tell the disciples that the Parousia (return of Jesus) will happen in the same way.

In the Acts of the Apostles it seems that the ascension took place somewhere in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (B)

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. 

Jn 15:9-17 

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5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (B)

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. 

Jn 15:1-8

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“Trabaho lang ito. Walang personalan.” We’ve probably heard this many times in the work place. It is meant to remind colleagues not to take criticism personally—something that we Filipinos are often guilty of.  This may be alright in professional relationships but not at home nor with friends. There our relationships must be personal.

With Jesus what is our relationship? Professional or personal? Close or distant? The Gospel uses the image of the vine and branches to describes the relationship between Jesus and his followers. This relationship is certainly a personal relationship. For what should bind us to Jesus is love and love cannot be anything but personal. That is why when friends or family go out together for some activity, they call it “bonding”, a strengthening of the love relationship among them.

This Sunday let us look at the love that binds us to Jesus and to people we care about.

First, we must love in deeds. As they say, love is not a noun but a verb. A verb, remember, is defined as an action word. Thus, love must be expressed in action, in deeds. When love is expressed in deeds, love is felt and therefore, love becomes real. I suggest two ways to express love in deeds: through presence and through presents.

Do you remember a Christmas advertisement of Coca-Cola? It was called “Coca-Cola Where Will Happiness Strike Next: The OFW Project.” It presented three OFWs who had not able to visit their families here in the Philippines for many years. One was an X-ray technologist who hasn’t been home for 5 years. Instead of buying a plane ticket to return home, he just sends the money for the hospital expenses of his father. A baby-sitter hasn’t been home for 11 years! When he left his youngest son was only 1 year old. Another had been away for 9 years. What Coke did was to make it possible for them to come home. In each and every case, you could feel the love that their presence evoked. I was especially touched by two scenes. The first was when the X-ray technologist hugged his old father whose vision was failing. He said that eventually his father would go blind but he wanted his father to see him before he loses his sight. The other scene was when the father met his now 12 year old son and hugged him for the first time. These OFWs left home and were absent for years for the sake of their families, because they loved them. But now they were present in their families even for a few weeks but their presence made it possible for them to feel each other’s love.

We express our love through our presence. But we also express it through our presents.

It was the wedding anniversary of Joey and Ana. Joey told Ana that they would celebrate their wedding anniversary at Spiral Buffet at Sofitel Hotel. It was quite an expensive restaurant. Ana enjoyed their evening together. Going home, she asked her husband why he chose to bring her to Spiral Buffet. He said that a month earlier, while reading the papers, she casually said that she would love to try that restaurant. He heard it and kept it in mind. In this particular case, Joey did not only express his love through the present of a dinner at Spiral but also through the present of an attentive ear to the desires of one’s spouse.

I must also add that by presents, I do not only mean gifts but things that are given for the good and happiness of those we love. Food, clothing, shelter, education are examples of such presents.

While giving importance to deeds in order to express love, we must not minimize the value of words. Have you ever told your parents “I love you”? I used to give my students this homework when we would take up the Fourth Commandment (Honor your Father and your Mother): Say “I love you” to your mom or you dad. Next meeting tell me how they reacted.” Inevitably there will be those who will report that their mom burst into tears upon hearing them say: “Mama, I love you.” Did you ever tell your son or daughter that you are so happy to have them as your son or your daughter? And if you want to double the impact of your words, hug them.

I am saving our relationship with Jesus and with God for last.

Loving God is not that simple. God may touch our hearts and find ourselves loving him spontaneously. But for some it might be a matter of learning to love him because we can't see him, hear him, nor touch him. How do we learn to love God? Or to put it another way, how do we let love for God develop? Because we are human beings, love develops and grows in the same way—by taking the time to be present to one another. The story of the Little Prince and the Fox exemplifies this process. The fox tells the Little Prince to tame him. Taming him means “making friends” or “establishing a relationship”. The Little Prince asks the fox how to do this. And fox replies, “First you will sit down at a little distance from me--like that--in the grass. I shall look at you out of the corner of my eye, and you will say nothing. But you will sit a little closer to me, every day . . ." Friendships and love relationships among human beings develop that way—by taking time to be present to one another. If we apply this to our relationship with God, it means taking time to be alone with God in prayer.

I think I should end by saying something about God’s love for us. God loves us not because we are good. God loves us whether we are good or bad, just as our parents love us whether we are good or bad. God loves us because we are his, just as our parents love us because we are theirs. A father would boast about his son who plays in the varsity and say: “That's my boy!” A mother would say: “Yang si Teresa ko palaging nasa top ten.” Through baptism God has made us his own. We belong to him. We are his sons and daughters. He has become our Father. But the question remains: “Are we close to him?”

4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (B)

I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me. 

Jn 10: 11-18

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EASTER SUNDAY (B)

So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

Jn 20:1-9

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PALM SUNDAY. PASSION SUNDAY (B)

Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!”

Mk 11:1-10

Click to go to << Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday (B) 2009 >>

5TH SUNDAY OF LENT (B)

Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Jn 12:20-33

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Some Greeks said: “We want to see Jesus?” Why? Because they heard he was a wonder-worker and wanted to see him perform a miracle? Because they heard he was a rabbi and wanted him to answer a question?

Do you also wish to see Jesus? Is it because you want to ask him for a favor? Perhaps you are a teacher and is about to take the LET exams at the end of the month. So you are praying to pass that board exams. Is it because there is something you can’t understand and you want him to explain it to you? Perhaps you have a problem child and you want to ask him, “Lord, saan ako nagkamali?” Perhaps you lost a loved one and you want to ask him, “Why did you allow this to happen?” Do you want to see Jesus? Someone may answer, “No.” “Why not?” “Kasi wala naman akong kailangan.” O kaya, “Hindi ako interesado sa kanya.” How about you? Do you want to see Jesus?

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Is it not strange that Jesus calls his passion and death on the cross a glorification? It is a glorification if we keep in mind that his crucifixion was the triumph of love. St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans said: “Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Mahirap mangyaring ialay ninuman ang kanyang buhay alang-alang sa isang taong matuwid, kahit na maaaring may mangahas na gumawa nito alang-alang sa isang taong mabuti. Ngunit ipinadama ng Diyos ang kanyang pag-ibig sa atin nang mamatay si Cristo para sa atin noong tayo'y makasalanan pa.)” (Rom 5:7-8).

Any act of love is a glorification, especially if it is done at a cost of great sacrifice. A crew member who survived the sinking of Princess of the Orient on September 18, 1998 tells this story: “I saw my captain and Judge German Lee still on the listing ship in the process of distributing life jackets to the passengers and then in one huge splash, the ship keeled on its side. It was the last time I saw them.” They could have taken the life jackets for themselves and left the sinking ship. But they did not. Instead, they gave out life jackets to the other passengers and in so doing, sealed their fate. Their death is sad. But it is also a glorification because their death was the triumph of love for their fellow human beings.

The Parable of the Grain of Wheat. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. This is a parable explaining the importance of the death of Jesus on the Cross. His death produced much fruit, the salvation of all. In your life what needs to die? What needs to be buried? Baka kailangan mong ibaon sa limot and mga mapapait na pangyayari sa iyong buhay para maka-move on ka na.

St. Paul writes to the Colossians, “Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry and put on the new man/self which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator (ang mga pagnanasang makalaman, ang pakikiapid, kahalayan, mahalay na simbuyo ng damdamin, masasamang nasa, at ang kasakiman na isang uri ng pagsamba sa diyus-diyosan. Isinuot ninyo ang bagong pagkatao na patuloy na nababago at nagiging kalarawan ng Diyos na lumikha sa inyo.)” (Col 3:5.10). One young woman shared this with me. Her younger brother does not have a job. He is not looking for one. So he depends on her for money. She doesn’t have the heart to refuse him. What does he need to put to death? Laziness. What does she need to put to death? Courage to not tolerate his laziness.

“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” This is St. John’s version of the agony in the garden. All three Synoptic Gospels (Mt, Mk and LK) narrate the agony of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. John’s Gospel does not. However, the words of Jesus (I am troubled now…) is his version of the prayer of Jesus in the garden: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Mt 26:39).

Jesus saw the suffering that was going to come upon him: the scourging at the pillar, the three times he would fall under the weight of the cross, the crucifixion and the three hours of agony on the cross. But Jesus did not run away. He faced it manfully. What do you usually do when trials or problems or pain come to you? Are you in the habit of facing them bravely? Or do you run away from them? Some people seek escape in drugs or in alcohol. How do you build up the courage to face and overcome the pain, the sorrow, and the trials that come your way? First, have faith. Believe that you are not alone. Jesus is with you. Remind yourselves often the words of the bible: “It is I. Do not be afraid.” And the answer of Jesus to St. Paul’s prayer, “My grace is enough for you (Ang pagpapala ko ay sapat sa lahat ng pangangailangan mo.)” (2 Cor 12:9). Second, seek support also from those who care about you. It is easier to face pain and problems when you know you are not alone. And you are not alone because God and those who care about you are by your side, supporting you.