“Come
after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
First Reading: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying: “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’S bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it. Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed, “ when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out. From now on, let those having wives act as not having them, those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away.
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.
Reflection
By Nicola S. Albano
I am so happy, blessed, humbled, and honored to see and hear about His Holiness, Pope Francis in the news during his visit to my country. This brings back memories from when I was 15 years old, and an active member of Anluwage at St. Joseph Parish in my hometown at Manila. Twenty years ago, Anluwage participated in the festivities when Saint Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines for World Youth Day.
Twenty-two months ago, the Jesuit Cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis. He chose the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. I have admired Pope Francis as a humble servant and leader of our Church since then. Saint Francis of Assisi is also one of my favorite saints.
Eleven months ago, my family and I were blessed to celebrate the Consistory of the 16 new cardinals selected by Pope Francis. We went to the Vatican City primarily to celebrate our relative, His Eminence, Orlando Cardinal Quevedo. I felt so blessed and humbled during my first visit to St. Peter’s Basilica to witness history happening before us. I saw the Holy Father, and listened to him for the first time in person. My Italian is so poor, but with the help of translation and simply being present there, made me feel as though the Holy Spirit gave me the Spirit of Understanding. This helped me come home to New York with a stronger faith and a better, lighter, more positive outlook in life in general.
The image of Pope Francis on a Pope mobile designed after the jeepney, the minibus for the common Filipino people, did not surprise me at all. We have known the Holy Father to be humble. Jeepneys symbolize Filipino ingenuity for they were made from surplus United States military jeeps post World War II. I am so grateful for having the Holy Father visit Tacloban to pray with the families of those affected by Typhoon Haiyan; my hometown, Manila, to meet families and the poor people; and my Alma Mater, University of Santo Tomas, to meet the youth. He encourages us to remain faithful in spite of the difficult, sometimes impossible situations.
Like Jesus, Pope Francis calls us to love. Pope Francis said, “Real love is about loving and letting yourself be loved. It’s harder to let yourself be loved than to love. That is why it is so difficult to come to the perfect love of God. We can love Him but we must let ourselves be loved by Him. Real love is being open to the love that comes to you. The love that surprises us. If you only have information, you are not surprised. Love surprises because it opens a dialogue of loving and being loved. God is a God of surprise because He loved us first. God awaits us to surprise us. Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by God. Let us not have a computer psychology that makes us think we know it all. All answers are on computers - but no surprises. The challenge of love. God reveals himself through surprises.”
In our Gospel today, Jesus came to Galilee to proclaim the gospel (good news) that the kingdom of God is at hand and that we are called to repent, and believe in the Gospel. And just like Simon, Andrew, James, and John, we are all called to become “fishers of men.” The kingdom of God is at hand for those who are ready to receive it.
As a New Yorker who experienced NYC pre and post 9/11, some days I still struggle thinking about the evil things that continue to happen in the world and their repercussions. Gradually, my faith grew stronger with the grace of God; and being raised in Tondo and as a New Yorker most of my adult life, I have grown stronger after all the adversities that have happened in my life. Historically, people from Tondo, Manila and New York City are brave and tough as nails. I’m blessed to have lived and experienced both lifestyles and this has helped me to become as hardy as I can ever imagine myself to be.
I refuse to question why things happen the way they do and just believe that God is Almighty and merciful. When things are difficult for me to understand; 9/11, Typhoon Haiyan, terrorism, war, poverty, etc., I try to remember what I do know and understand… that God loves us and He is our Father. Let us continue to repent for our sins and believe in the good news of our salvation. God promised us that, “His kingdom is bigger and more powerful than anything we can imagine because it is universal and everlasting" (Daniel 4:3).
Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
(Prayer of Saint Francis)
Reflection
By Nicola S. Albano
I am so happy, blessed, humbled, and honored to see and hear about His Holiness, Pope Francis in the news during his visit to my country. This brings back memories from when I was 15 years old, and an active member of Anluwage at St. Joseph Parish in my hometown at Manila. Twenty years ago, Anluwage participated in the festivities when Saint Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines for World Youth Day.
Twenty-two months ago, the Jesuit Cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis. He chose the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. I have admired Pope Francis as a humble servant and leader of our Church since then. Saint Francis of Assisi is also one of my favorite saints.
Eleven months ago, my family and I were blessed to celebrate the Consistory of the 16 new cardinals selected by Pope Francis. We went to the Vatican City primarily to celebrate our relative, His Eminence, Orlando Cardinal Quevedo. I felt so blessed and humbled during my first visit to St. Peter’s Basilica to witness history happening before us. I saw the Holy Father, and listened to him for the first time in person. My Italian is so poor, but with the help of translation and simply being present there, made me feel as though the Holy Spirit gave me the Spirit of Understanding. This helped me come home to New York with a stronger faith and a better, lighter, more positive outlook in life in general.
The image of Pope Francis on a Pope mobile designed after the jeepney, the minibus for the common Filipino people, did not surprise me at all. We have known the Holy Father to be humble. Jeepneys symbolize Filipino ingenuity for they were made from surplus United States military jeeps post World War II. I am so grateful for having the Holy Father visit Tacloban to pray with the families of those affected by Typhoon Haiyan; my hometown, Manila, to meet families and the poor people; and my Alma Mater, University of Santo Tomas, to meet the youth. He encourages us to remain faithful in spite of the difficult, sometimes impossible situations.
Like Jesus, Pope Francis calls us to love. Pope Francis said, “Real love is about loving and letting yourself be loved. It’s harder to let yourself be loved than to love. That is why it is so difficult to come to the perfect love of God. We can love Him but we must let ourselves be loved by Him. Real love is being open to the love that comes to you. The love that surprises us. If you only have information, you are not surprised. Love surprises because it opens a dialogue of loving and being loved. God is a God of surprise because He loved us first. God awaits us to surprise us. Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by God. Let us not have a computer psychology that makes us think we know it all. All answers are on computers - but no surprises. The challenge of love. God reveals himself through surprises.”
In our Gospel today, Jesus came to Galilee to proclaim the gospel (good news) that the kingdom of God is at hand and that we are called to repent, and believe in the Gospel. And just like Simon, Andrew, James, and John, we are all called to become “fishers of men.” The kingdom of God is at hand for those who are ready to receive it.
As a New Yorker who experienced NYC pre and post 9/11, some days I still struggle thinking about the evil things that continue to happen in the world and their repercussions. Gradually, my faith grew stronger with the grace of God; and being raised in Tondo and as a New Yorker most of my adult life, I have grown stronger after all the adversities that have happened in my life. Historically, people from Tondo, Manila and New York City are brave and tough as nails. I’m blessed to have lived and experienced both lifestyles and this has helped me to become as hardy as I can ever imagine myself to be.
I refuse to question why things happen the way they do and just believe that God is Almighty and merciful. When things are difficult for me to understand; 9/11, Typhoon Haiyan, terrorism, war, poverty, etc., I try to remember what I do know and understand… that God loves us and He is our Father. Let us continue to repent for our sins and believe in the good news of our salvation. God promised us that, “His kingdom is bigger and more powerful than anything we can imagine because it is universal and everlasting" (Daniel 4:3).
Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
(Prayer of Saint Francis)
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