Pentecost Sunday

Solemnity of the Pentecost

24 May 2026

 

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13

Gospel: John 20:19-23

 

Reflection

By: Carlo Alexis Malaluan

 

The Gospel begins in a place we recognize very well today: fear behind closed doors.

The disciples are not gathered in confidence or celebration. They are hiding. The doors are locked. Fear of persecution has narrowed their world until it is reduced to one room. They have seen what happened to Jesus, and now they wonder if the same fate awaits them. And into that sealed space, Christ comes. The first words of the risen Lord are not rebuke, not disappointment, not correction. He does not ask why they ran away. He does not demand explanations. He simply says, Peace be with you!

It is important that Jesus does not wait for the doors to open. He enters while they are still closed. This is the first message of the Resurrection: no locked door is strong enough to keep out the presence of Christ. But the peace He gives is not just calm feelings or the absence of trouble. It is reconciliation with God, courage restored to frightened hearts, and a mission born out of mercy. Then comes a second “Peace be with you.” And immediately after, He sends them, As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Here, we see that Peace is never meant to stay locked inside. It is given to be carried outward. And then Jesus breathes on them and says, Receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given not in a place of strength, but in a place of fear. Not after they have become brave, but so that they may become brave. The Holy Spirit is not a reward for courage already achieved; He is the power that creates courage where there was none.

This Gospel speaks very directly into our world today. We live in a time when many doors are still closed, some physically, many emotionally. Closed doors of fear between nations and closed doors of distrust between peoples. Closed doors in hearts wounded by violence, terrorism, war, and division. In so many parts of the world, families live behind the locked doors of shelters, displacement camps, or destroyed homes. And even where there is no physical war, there is often an interior one: fear of the future, fear of others, fear that peace is no longer possible. Into all of this, Christ still comes and speaks the same words: “Peace be with you.” But He does not offer peace as an idea or a political slogan. He offers His own presence. And He gives the same gift He gave in that locked room: the Holy Spirit.

The disciples moved from fear to mission in one movement: they received the Spirit of Peace. That is also the invitation for us. Where are the locked doors in our own lives? Fear of conflict? Fear of change? Fear of those who are different from us? Fear that peace is too fragile to hope for?

Christ does not wait for those doors to open. He enters anyway. And He breathes His Spirit into those places. And then He says again, quietly but insistently, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

In a world wounded by war and division, Christians are not called to be spectators of despair. We are sent as carriers of a different presence: the peace of Christ that the world cannot give, and cannot take away: a peace that begins behind closed doors but never stays there.

Bahay-Dalanginan

Kapistahan ng Pagtatalaga sa Palasyong Simbahan sa Laterano, Roma

Nobyembre 09, 2025

 

Unang Pagbasa: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12

Salmong Tugunan: Salmo 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

Ikalawang Pagbasa: 1 Corinto 3:9c-11, 16-17

Mabuting Balita: Juan 2:13-22

 

Pagninilay

Ni: Renato C. Vibiesca

 

Para sa mga aktibong Katoliko o Kristiyano, alam na natin na hindi lamang ang gusali o batong istruktura ang tinutukoy kapag sinabing simbahan, kundi ang sambayanan ng Diyos. Sa katesismo, nalaman nating tatlo ang sambayanan ng Diyos, ang Simbahang Nagtagumpay, Simbahang Nagdurusa, at ang Simbahang Nakikibaka. Magkaka-ugnay ang tatlong sambayanan ng Diyos dahil kailangan nila ang isa’t isa. Pero hindi ko na iisa-isahing ipaliwanag ito dahil mas personal ang gusto kong ibahaging pagninilay ngayon. Nanaginip kasi ako kagabi at nagpakita sa panaginip ko ang aking kaibigang namayapa na at isa pang kaluluwa na hindi ko kilala. Sa panaginip ko, nasa compound kami ng Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA), sa dati naming pinapasukan bilang alagad ng tagapaglathala ng Gospel Komiks, Catholic Digest at iba pang babasahin. Hinabol ko ang aking kaibigan nang dumaan sa harap ko at iba pang kasama naming nagdiriwang ng anibersaryo ng pagkakatatag ng CFA; Rocel Siena ang pangalan niya at sa panaginip ko nga ay alam kong patay na siya o kaluluwa na lang ang nakikita ko. Binati ko siya nang maabutan at kinamayan ko pero parang nag-aalangan siyang iabot ang kanyang kamay na mabilis ko namang kinuha at napansin kong malambot ito. Napansin ko ring kumikinang ang balat niya sa mukha. Sinabi ko sa kanya na buti’t pinayagan siya ng Diyos na makabisita muli sa lupa at ang sagot niya ay “siyempre kaibigan kita”. Tuwang-tuwa ako pagsabi niya noon, pero alam ko na nanghihingi siya ng panalangin. Nagtanong ako sa kanya kung totoo nga bang may Purgatoryo dahil gusto kong malaman kung dapat ko nga ba silang ipagdasal, pero hindi siya sumagot. Siguro’y limitado lamang ang salitang pinahintulutan ng Diyos na sabihin niya. Ang sumagot ay ang isa pang kaluluwa na kasama niya pero hindi ko siya kilala, ang sabi niya ay “mula sa kinalalagyan namin ay napakahirap makarating sa langit”. Pagkasabi niya noon, nagising na ako at naunawaan ko na kinakailangan natin talaga silang ipagdasal upang makasama na rin nila ang Simbahang Nagtagumpay na kapiling ang Diyos. Dapat nga talagang walang patid na ipanalangin natin (bilang Simbahang Nakikibaka) araw-araw ang Simbahang Nagdurusa (kaluluwang nasa Purgatoryo) dahil tayo lamang ang inaasahan nila. Bago nga pala ako nagising, nasabi ko kay Rocel na huwag niya kaming kalimutang ipagdasal din sa Diyos kung nanduon na siya sa Langit. Kaya nga marami sa ating mga mahal sa buhay na namayapa na sinasabihan nating ipagdasal din tayong nakikipaglaban pa sa mundong ito dahil naniniwala tayo na marami na sa ating mahal sa buhay na kapiling na ang Diyos.

Samantala, nakakalungkot namang makita na ang simbahang gusali na dinadalanginan natin ay nalalapastangan na ng mga negosyante. Maraming simbahan sa Europa ngayon na kailangang magbayad muna bago ka makapasok sa loob at napalitan na ang pagiging sagradong dalanginan nito sa mabilisang pagbisita ng mga turista para alamin lamang ang kasaysayan o mamangha na lamang sa disenyo't sining ng mga rebulto't santong nakapinta, o mamalas ang arkitektong istilo nito na para bang bumisita sa isang museo. Madami ring ibinebentang produkto na nagsisilbing souvenir sa paligid ng simbahan. Sa Pilipinas, hindi pa naman natin ginagawang museo ang mga simbahan at kalimitang bulaklak at kandila lang ang nabibili sa harap ng simbahan. Kung nawala ang respeto natin sa dambanang dalanginan, naglalaho rin ang pagmamahal natin sa ating Diyos na laging gustong tumulong sa atin na manalangin sa kanyang dambana.

 

Panalangin

Panginoong Hesus, paalalahanan mo kaming lagi na irespeto ang Iyong simbahang dalanginan upang araw-araw naming idulog sa Iyo ang mga namayapang kapatid namin upang makapiling Mo na sila sa Iyong Kaharian. Amen.

Haven of Peace and Forgiveness

    

Pentecost Sunday

19 May 2024

 

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34

Second Reading: 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13

Gospel: Jn 20:19-23

 

Reflection

By: Anabelle P. Balla

 

I did not know how life is lived in Manila. I was young when we relocated in Gagalangin and I was just going along with the flow. Fortunately, God called me through His church and in His grace, I was able to form a deeper connection with Him. He took me in and gave me a more meaningful life through His devoted disciples.

I am glad Pentecost happened. It gave birth to the church that is blessed with peace, guided by the Holy Spirit and was empowered to forgive sins. The church is God's haven of peace and forgiveness. It is more than Sunday masses. It has more to offer. God and His Holy Spirit is in there, waiting for you with arms wide open.

Draw near to God, come to the church and help bring others closer to Him so they can too, can enjoy God's peace and forgiveness.

Prayer

Father, thank You for giving us a community where we can build our faith and receive peace and forgiveness. Please continue to help and protect your church, your people. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

To Speak Up Or To Remain Silent?

    

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

22 October 2023

 

First Reading: Is 45:1, 4-6

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10

Second Reading: 1 Thes 1:1-5b

Gospel: Mt 22:15-21

 

Reflection

By: Anton B. Ocampo

“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). These words of Christ in response to the test of the Pharisees in today's Gospel are used by the opponents of the Church, especially those who are very loyal supporters of very famous and controversial politicians, to support what is known as “separation of Church and state.” For them, it means that the Church should stick to prayer and reflecting on the Word of God which is the Bible and stay quiet in topics and issues relating to politics and government. 

However, is that what the Lord Jesus meant when He said those words in response to the Pharisees who tried to test and trap Him? Did Jesus mean that the Church should remain silent on various issues relating to politics and government? Should the Church just keep quiet in the face of evils like corruption, injustice, and murder? What did the Lord Jesus Christ mean when He uttered “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” in the Sunday Gospel? 

In the First Reading, it is stated that it was the will of the Lord God that Cyrus was anointed king. God Himself gave Cyrus the power and authority to rule and lead. As stated in the Responsorial Psalm: “Give the Lord glory and honor” (Psalm 96:7b). If not for God, leaders such as Cyrus would not have power and authority as kings and rulers. This also stresses the fact that the one true king is none other than the Lord. Only the Lord God reigns supreme forever. Not a single ruler or leader in this world will possess the withstand or even match up to God because their leadership is only temporary while God’s leadership and kingship is forever. This is the truth that Saint Paul the Apostle, Timothy, and Silvanus proclaimed to the Thessalonian Christians in the Second Reading. Besides, Saint Paul the Apostle also highlighted the fact that they were just instruments that God used to introduce Himself to the Thessalonian Christians, as stated in the end of the Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 1:5b). 

What is the lesson being taught to us today? Respecting government leaders is very important. However, our respect for them should not make us blind and deaf to the fact that they are human and not gods. If our admiration and respect for leaders in this world has caused us to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the different injustices in our communities and society, then that is no longer respect but worship that is completely blind and deaf. By doing this, we have replaced the Lord God and denied Him the things that He deserves. Once this happens, we will indeed have a problem that is very serious. 

Our responsibility as the one true Church is to offer worship, glory, and praise to the one true God by faith and works. We fail our mission and duty as the one true Church if, as the ones who form it, remain silent in the different faces of injustice in our communities and societies like corruption and murder. Because of our failure to fulfill our mission and duty as the one and true Church that Christ Jesus Himself established, which is to offer Him worship, glory, praise, and honor, we would fail Him. Why? Because by remaining silent in the different faces of injustice, we have chosen another god. 

Prayer

Lord, You know our frailties and weaknesses as humans. Strengthen us, O Lord, so that we may be able to fulfill our mission and responsibility as Your Church to give You praise, glory, and worship by speaking out against injustices and living a life of holiness, just as You will. Amen. 

The Church is the People

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time 23 August 2020
First reading Isaiah 22:19-23

Thus says the Lord to Shebna, the master of the palace: “I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your post. On that day I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and will clothe him with your robe and bind your sash on him. I will commit your authority to his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open. I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honour to his ancestral house.

Second reading                                                          Romans 11:33-36

O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?” “Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Gospel                                                                          Matthew 16:13-20

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Reflection

By Bernard M. Borja

Almost six months after the community quarantine was enforced, churches remain to celebrate The Eucharist, with very few people who attend physically, but continue to extend through online media. During the first weeks of the quarantine, the faithful have been longing to receive the sacraments especially The Holy Eucharist. But because of the quarantine and to slow the spread of the virus, churches have temporarily closed their doors to the people. Since then, the hunger and thirst for spiritual consolation has grown for many people.

After more than a month, many parishes still held Masses especially the commemoration of The Passion and Resurrection of Christ during Holy Week. Many people wanted to go back to

church insisting that the church should also be reopened along with business establishments.

Some even pointed out that the decision of the bishops and clergy to remain close is not acceptable because the faithful need to receive The Eucharist physically. They also went on saying that it is the very foundation of our Catholic faith. While this desire is valid and true because of our longing for Christ, sometimes people forget how Jesus built the Church through Peter and the apostles. Jesus built not just a physical house of prayer but a spiritual home in each of us. Jesus continues to desire to live in our hearts and make it our home, if only we realize that and welcome Him. Sometimes, we become blinded by our pride of knowing more about our faith. Our understanding of the Church is hindered by thinking for our own selves and being entitled to being served. We forget that most of the time, God reveals Himself to us when we are outside of the house of prayer. This is evident during this pandemic and even continues today through the efforts of helping those in need. When the Church closed its doors during the quarantine, it is because the Church has been deployed, and God opened many more churches at homes.

In the Gospel today, Peter, without a doubt, acknowledged who Jesus is. Even though there

were times when Peter has doubts, especially during difficult situations like the storm, he would always remind himself that Jesus is The Son of The Living God. It is our human frailty that reminds us that we need God in our life and through this weakness, we are able to see clearly the power of God through us.

Everything that God has revealed to us is enough for our human mind to take and understand.

There are things that have been revealed to us but could not fathom what it really means, so we interpret in our own human ways (like the different interpretation of the Bible verses). But in these interpretations, it will never be enough to understand the whole of God’s wisdom. This is a limitation of our humanness. But this limitation is a reminder for us to open our hearts in faith. It is because of our humanness that we long to see more of the wonders of the Lord in extraordinary ways. But it is because of our limited understanding that our faith is strengthened. Just as how God’s power is mostly revealed in our weakness, God entrusts the key to the gates of heaven to a human being who also became the foundation of the very Church that God continues to build on earth. The Church is the people. For in this Church that God continues to reveal Himself through each of us, to let His kingdom be brought from heaven to earth.

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

We know in our hearts and we proclaim to the world that You are The Son of The Living God. We open our hearts to welcome You as we continue to be the church and serve You as we should. We ask You to free us from any binding of spiritual pride which hinders us from thinking and caring for others. We beg for Your grace of patient heart to continuously receive You spiritually, and in the near future physically through The Eucharist. We ask all these with dear Mother Mary’s intercession as we also commemorate her coronation. Amen.

Katawan ni Kristo

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

14 June 2020

First reading                                                                        Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16
Moses said to the people: ‘Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart — whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
‘Do not then forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.’

Second reading                                                                1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Though we are many, we form a single body because we share this one loaf.
The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.

Gospel                                                                     John 6:51-58

‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’

Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh
and drink my blood has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,

but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’

Reflection

By Carlo Alexis R. Malaluan

I attended one mass and the choir sang Ricky Manalo’s “Ang Katawan ni Kristo” during communion. The lyrics of the song goes this way: “Ang Katawan ni Kristo! Ang Katawan ni Kristo! Behold the Body of Christ! Rejoice, O People of God, we are the Body of Christ!”

In the Second Reading, Saint Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians poses a very good question: Is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? Is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. I must admit, that for me, the most beautiful image of the Catholic Faith is none other than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There, in different parts of the world and during the different times of the day, we are gathered together in Christ as one community of believers. In the Mass, we are no longer classified by our social status, academic attainment, political beliefs and titles. We are gathered together as one. We are the Katawan ni Kristo! We are the body of Christ! In communion, Christ calls us to none other than Himself. In the Gospel according to Saint John, Christ invites us to partake in His body so that we may remain in Him and He remain in us. Communion does not only nourish our soul but also strengthen our relationship with Christ. As if he is saying: I am all yours! I give you my entirety! 

But as a part of this Mystical Body of Christ, we are also called to be sensitive to the plight of other people – who are also, like us, members of this one body. We must  be considerate of those who suffer, for those who cry silently, for the victims of oppression, discrimination and violence. They who are wounded are the very wounds of Christ. We cannot let the cry of these people fall into deaf ears.  In simple acts of kindness and compassion, we can heal these wounds. We are not strangers to one another. We are one. As Christ continually gives Himself in the form of bread and wine, we are also called to offer up our small and insignificant selves for others maybe not in the highest altars of the cathedrals but in the altars of daily mundane life. There we will find our altars, our places of sacrifice and life. Through them, we can participate in the eternal offering of the Body and Blood of Christ. As the song reminds us: Rejoice! We are the Body of Christ.

Prayer

O EUCHARISTIC LORD! You have called us to your banquet. Make us one in Your body. Make us one Your love. Lead us to a life that gives, that loves, that offers just as You continually give, love and offer Yourself in the form of bread and wine. Amen.

Kumusta Ka Na?

Ascension of the Lord

24 May 2020

First reading                                                                        Acts 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Second reading                                                        Ephesians 1:17-23

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Gospel                                                                     Matthew 28:16-20

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Reflection

By Gary Tulabut

As we were entering February this year, I remember posting “Feb Be Good” as my Facebook status. Of course, this has something to do with Taal Volcano erupting to start the year. In my introduction as a co-preacher at The Feast in San Fernando, I even mentioned this and of course asked the congregation how they were coping up.

Then as we entered March, I was on stage again asking the congregation how they were doing, because after the Taal eruption, we were then about to face something we are not yet ready to face - Covid-19 pandemic - that we are now experiencing. I even added the recent Kobe Bryant’s death just to paint a picture of what’s going on in the world.

But, of course, in both instances, what I delivered was a message of hope; that God is in control, and that our God is bigger than our problems.

Now, three months later, kumusta ka na? How are we doing so far? How many versions of the quarantine did we already have? Can we still do it? How long can we last?

Today, I still give the same message: GOD IS IN CONTROL. GOD IS BIGGER THAN ALL OUR PROBLEMS.

I am not an expert in advising what should or should not be done in our present situation. But here are my priorities: first priority is our health and survival. As a famous business giant was quoted in social media, “Success during these times is to be alive.” So that should be our priority. Let’s not get sick.  

Then we must have a plan, how to stretch our income. This is the time to stop buying non-essentials. Plan how to make money during these times also. Let us think of a one year situation. Or, might as well listen to experts on until when shall we be experiencing this.

Let us not forget to help others who are helpless. Then improve ourselves. I believe in prospering ourselves in times of crisis, so that when all these is over, we are on top of our game. 

And then surrender everything to the Lord. 

Do you have doubts that we will get through this?

In today's Gospel, Jesus was about to leave His disciples. It was also mentioned they doubted. Why did they doubt? What did they doubt?

Probably with all the things that has happened to them and to Jesus during those times they doubted if they could survive the trials that they would be facing. Now, Jesus was even leaving them. And Jesus even left them with great responsibility— to make disciples of all nations. 

But of course, let us not forget what Jesus promised. That He will be with them, and us, till the end. 

Do you have doubts? Let us hold on to His promises. He will be with us till the end.

Prayer

Lord, Jesus, forgive me if I sometimes doubt. May I always be reminded of Your promise that You will be with us till the end. Amen.

A Complete Family

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

10 June 2019

First reading                                                                        Acts 1:12-14
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

Gospel                                                                     John 19:25-34

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately Blood and water flowed out.

Reflection

By Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

It was just last year, March 3, 2018 when Pope Francis established a universal feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title "Mother of the Church". The Pontiff's decree states that the liturgical celebration be inserted into the Roman calendar and shall be celebrated annually on a fixed date as a Memorial on the day after Pentecost. And for this year, it falls today, June 10.

The devotion to Mary under the title of Mother of the Church has been recognized way back the time of St. Augustine and St. Leo the Great. But, what does it really mean for us?

Mary, with various titles attached to her name has become the most famous and sought-after woman of all time. Catholics cannot help to love her enough for everything she did for Jesus and for the Church. When Mary wholeheartedly said yes to the plan of God the Father in the Annunciation, she has already accepted her important role in the Church. She raised Jesus well, she was there during His public ministry, even at the foot of the cross she stood faithfully.  She also did not abandon the apostles when Jesus was put to death.  From then, she has started her mission. In our First Reading, Mary was with the apostles altogether praying  in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Mary was present when the Church was instituted on the Pentecost. Therefore, it is no doubt that she is the Mother of the Church.

As a mother, she takes care of us, her adopted children. When we pray to her, she listens to our cries, she joins us in triumphs, and she leads us to her son. Mary is fit to be called as Mother of the Church because she is the perfect example of the faithful child of God who obediently followed the Father’s will all the days of her life.


With Mary as Mother of the Church, we now have a complete family to belong to. God is our Father, Jesus is our brother, and Mary is our own loving mother.

Prayer

Lord, we thank You for giving us Mary to be the Mother of Your Church. We implore her help that we may become like her, Your faithful children so that we may inherit an everlasting life. Amen.

My Pentecost Experience

Pentecost Sunday

09 June 2019

First reading                                                                        Acts 1:1-11
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.
Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”

Second reading                                                       Romans 8:8-17

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh- for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Gospel                                                                     John 14:15-16; 23-26

Jesus said to his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever,.

Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

Reflection

By Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

Pentecost is very special to me. I got to travel to Europe in 2017 for two weeks, my first out of the country travel which fortunately, happened during Ascension and Pentecost Sundays. I was sent to London to attend the training on the new special program of our mother organization. I was with my colleague during the training but I went solo when I did my side trips in the neighboring countries. I remembered my goals of attending Mass in each country that I will visit. I was blessed to attend Masses in London, Paris, Barcelona, and Rome in local languages,  in English, French, Spanish, and Italian. I also witnessed an Ad Orientem Mass (priest and people face the wall behind the altar during the liturgy), an evening prayer of the monks, and a general audience with the Pope. In spite of the language barrier, I felt totally a part of the Eucharistic celebrations because the Holy Spirit was there in our midst.

Those events were my own empirical version of the apostles' Pentecost experience as narrated in our First Reading today from the Acts of the Apostles. “They were all in one place together, then there appeared to them tongues as of fire which came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” I felt like I was one of the large crowd that came from a far land and yet I understood what was being said by the Mass readers, the choir, the priests, the monks, and even the Pope mainly because they spoke to me through the heart. My tears flowed freely on my chubby cheeks as I thank God for the beautiful encounter.

Aside from the ability to speak in various languages, the apostles also received peace from Jesus as mentioned in today's Gospel from St. John. We can recall that the apostles were gathered in locked doors for fear of the Jews. But Jesus came in their midst, and upon showing His side and hands, He said to them, “Peace be with you” and the apostles rejoiced. This Pentecost Sunday reminds us that whatever it is that bothers us, we can always find peace in Jesus. The thought of Jesus in our prayers will calm us and help us think clearly of the solutions to our problems. Jesus is the key to genuine peace. It doesn’t mean that we will be free of things that wary us, instead, we are assured that Jesus is there to assist us.

When Jesus rose again, He gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles, sending them to mission, and whatever sin they forgive will be forgiven and whatever sin they retain shall be retained. This marks the birth of the Catholic Church, the start of its mission to call all sinners and lead them to repentance. As we always hear, the Church is the hospital of sinners. In the Church, we will be healed and we will be brought back to life to live for Christ.

As a closing, Pentecost does not end today, it is an everyday experience of God's love for us through the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Lord, send out Your Spirit on us to renew us. We hope to feel Your love each day. Embrace and lead us to Your house. Amen.

Missing the Point

Fifth Sunday of Easter

19 May 2019

First reading                                                                        Acts 14:21-27
[Paul said in the synagogue] “The people asked for a king; and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.’
Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised; before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his work, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.”
“My brothers, you descendants of Abraham’s family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him.”

Second reading                                                        Revelation 21:1-5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Gospel                                                                     John 13:31-35

When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

During our vacation in the Philippines last Christmas, we visited the National Shrine of Padre Pio in Batangas, south of the capital. Heavy rain accompanied us on our way, but I was amazed to see a considerable number of people making a pilgrimage to such a holy site. We arrived while Mass was being celebrated. After Mass, people flocked near the sanctuary where the priest would pray over them and sprinkle them with holy water. Before blessing the people, the priest reminded parents who brought their babies that these babies need to be baptized first before being blessed. His reason was that unbaptized babies are not yet children of God and therefore not eligible for a blessing.

I was aghast. 

If I were one of those parents, I would be upset. I get how important and necessary Baptism is, but the priest's words were unnecessary.  It felt like not feeding one's guests in your party.

Jesus commands the Church - you and me - to "love one another". If we focus more on the letter of the law (i.e. being baptized) than the spirit of the law (i.e. loving others and making them feel welcome in the community), we would have missed Jesus' point. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You called us to love one another as You have loved us. Help us to follow Your commandment. Help us to break barriers so that we can be united as Your people. Amen.

Mary, loving Mother of the Church, pray for us.