Partial Following

    

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

15 September 2024

 

First Reading: Is 50:5-9a

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

Second Reading: Jas 2:14-18

Gospel: Mk 8:27-35

 

Reflection

By: Bernard C. Borja

 

Most of us today are familiar with following people and being followed by people in social media. We may know few or plenty of things about a person through what they post or share online. Getting to know people and being updated with them is not that hard today even if we have not met personally. We have our own reasons why we follow people on social media. Those people who have similar values and principles to us may be one of those reasons why we want to be updated about them. This following can go on until a post or something that the person says is not anymore aligned with the follower’s values and principles. For instance, we have seen many people unfollow celebrities who posted or commented about a certain issue which is against what their followers believe or stand for. In the past years, I have seen people unfollow their friends in social media because of issues such as politics and different views about justice. Someone I know was confronted by her longtime friend because of sharing a post by a human rights activist about the ceasefire against Israel’s attack on Gaza. Her friend says that she is siding with the terrorist when she shared that post. They unfollowed each other before even trying to understand and delve deeper into their points. Sometimes, differing points of view and principles can sever a relationship more than being wronged. However, what people share on social media becomes their full self and the basis for judgement. If we ask ourselves, “Who do people say that I am?”, answers can vary depending on what we post and share online, not even considering what we do offline.

If we ask our friends, “Who do you say I am?”, what will they say? I believe they will say a lot about us from a deeper perspective. When Jesus asked the disciples, Peter replied “You are the Christ.” His reply was like he knew Jesus from a deeper perspective. But things go differently when Jesus spoke about how He must suffer greatly. If I were to hear it first, like Peter, I would also react the same way. But in this way, I would only be looking at Jesus as the savior without seeing one of the most important journeys of salvation. We can ask ourselves again, “Who do I say Jesus is?” Do I think of Jesus at all, in trouble times or in joy? Because it greatly matters about the way we direct our lives through Him, the way we worship Him, and the way we live.

Peter did not realize at that time that suffering is part of the divine plan of salvation. Today, we can easily say that suffering is part of human condition but not see it through the eyes of Jesus. There is a difference between suffering and sacrifice. Through Him, suffering has a purpose, which becomes a sacrifice. A mother who suffers physical exhaustion to give her child a better sleep is a sacrifice. A father who endures the time being away from his family to work is a sacrifice. Sacrifice will always be a self-giving act, an act of love, no matter how big or small that deed is. To give a friend a chance to talk about his or her belief and be open to understand his or her principles, is an act of self-giving. I believe that sacrifice is also a “denial of self” which can be achieved only in terms of self-giving and in terms of love.

In everything that we do and decide, we can also ask ourselves, “Where is the following of Christ in this?” Our choices in life and the way we live somehow determines if we follow Christ as our whole self, or just a partial following. We can never separate our views or opinion about justice from the justice that Jesus stands for. Like when someone says that their political views are separate from their religious views. It’s like saying “I am following Christ, but I am letting Him take my cross.” Today, we pray to God to grant us the grace to allow ourselves to be whole in reaching out to Jesus, with all the inconveniences and even pain, for us to be reminded not to look away from the inconvenient part of the divine plan of salvation.

Prayer

Dearest Lord, teach us to look at our lives through Jesus. May we transform our suffering by giving it purpose and do it as a selfless act of love. We pray for the people around us that we may share the sufferings in terms of self-giving and love for each other. In Jesus' Name we pray, 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. 

Jesus: Who am I?

    

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

27 August 2023

 

First Reading: Is 22:19-23

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8

Second Reading: Rom 11:33-36

Gospel: Mt 16:13-20

 

Reflection

By: Bro. Emerson C. Maala

Pastoral Year Formation

Diocese of Imus

Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol

 

When I was in my first year of seminary formation, my spiritual director would always ask me, "How am I doing in the seminary?" I would answer him by recounting all my experiences in the four pillars of formation: community, academics, spirituality, and apostolate. Then my spiritual director would have a follow-up question, "How do you see or recognize Jesus in all these experiences?" At first, I did not know how to respond deeply to that question, but I answered him, "It was just a typical experience of routine daily life in the seminary." With this answer, he told me, "To follow Jesus is to see and recognize Him in our daily living." And so, I was awakened. I saw how important it is to see and recognize Jesus through the daily activities we do, through the different people we encounter, and through other things.

The readings for today speak of our faith in God. How do we recognize God in our life? In the first reading, God appointed Eliakim son of Hilkiah because God saw Shebna as unworthy. Here we might understand that God is just. However, St. Paul reminds us of the depth of God’s wisdom and knowledge. He is more than just. This acknowledges the incomprehensibility of God's ways and His unsearchable judgments.  This proves that, as human beings, we are limited in our understanding of God's grand design, and yet we are called to trust in His providence. It teaches us humility, reminding us that while we may not always comprehend God's plan, we can always place our faith in His infinite wisdom.

In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus asks His disciples how the people see Him. The disciples answer that some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. However, Jesus asks His disciples again but in a more personal way, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter, in a moment of inspiration and grace, declares, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

In part, Jesus is also asking us personally, "But who do you say that I am?" As we reflect on these readings, we are called to examine our own faith journey and to deepen our understanding of who Jesus is in our lives. For He is not merely a historical figure or a wise teacher. He is a friend and a brother whom we can encounter in our daily life. Amen.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, open our hearts and minds to see and recognize You in our daily life, through the different people we encounter. Grant that we may increase our faith in You and be a true missionary disciple of Yours. You who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Configuration to Christ

    

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

06 August 2023

 

First Reading: Dn 7:9-10, 13-14

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9

Second Reading: 2 Pt 1:16-19

Gospel: Mt 17:1-9

 

Reflection

By: Bro. Emerson C. Maala

Pastoral Year Formation

Diocese of Imus

Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol

Tent is a good place to stay – during vacation, on camping trips, or on a beach trip. And it is easy to carry. However, there is no such thing as a self-building tent. There is always someone who will configure it for it to be built. In the Gospel, Peter wants to build a tent – one for Abraham, one for Elijah, and one for Jesus. However, he was not able to do so for they heard a voice from the cloud and witnessed Jesus transfigures. With Jesus’ transfiguration, the disciples configure their lives and follow Jesus more.

Configuration to Christ is a life-changing experience starting from attraction, leading to conversion and mission that helps us to transform our lives. Allow me to share to you how configuration is a life-changing experience. The common theme of today’s readings is metamorphosis or transformation. The readings invite us to configure our lives by renewing them with Christ, and to radiate the grace of the transfigured Lord around us by our Spirit-filled lives.

Configuration starts from attraction. In the Gospel, as they were up to the mountain, Peter, James, and John were in awe as they saw Jesus transfigured, with His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light. There, Moses and Elijah also appeared conversing with Jesus. With this, Peter was attracted to the manifestations in the mountain. He did not want to go down anymore and even asked Jesus to stay there and he will make a tent for them. When I was in high school, I joined the Ministry of Altar Servers. One of the reasons why I joined was the attraction from the vestments and for my sister who told me that she will give me money every time I serve. When I was a child, my mother would take me with her to the church to attend mass. There, I saw the altar servers serving at the altar wearing a white robe. I said to my mother that I want to also wear a white robe, and she said that when I grow up, I can. The attraction instills in me until high school. There, I joined the Ministry of Altar Servers and was able to wear the white cassock. My experience in joining the ministry transformed me to deeply love God and the Church.

However, Configuration does not stop there. It leads to conversion. While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him." When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid." And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. The scenes changed the hearts of the disciples, that it is not the comfort that God wants them to see but what Jesus would fulfill after. I was known to be a bully when I was in High school. I always tease my classmates just to annoy and make fun of them to make my other classmates laugh. I used to tease my classmate with asthma saying “Hinga! Hinga! Hinga lang nang Hinga!" until it became a chant in the classroom. However, everything changed when I joined the Ministry of Altar Servers. It made me realize that bullying and annoying my classmates are wrong. It leads me to deeply love and understand people and not to tease them or anything no matter what.

Lastly, conversion should entail action, thus, Configuration acts to mission. Jesus and the disciples did not stay in the mountain. They went down for there is a mission they need to fulfill specially for Jesus who will suffer in the cross.  From the attraction in joining the Altar Servers Ministry, to conversion and renewal of life to the Lord. All that configuration experience that I would call a religious experience leads me to enter the seminary. At first, I thought I would be an engineer. I would always say to my mother that I would become an engineer. “Nay magiging engineer ako.” However, God has always another plan for us. I find joy in the service in the Church. And this leads me to find that here is where my mission is. Transformations leads us to mission.

And so, let us configure our lives with Christ. Let us reflect in Jesus’ life and experiences, for our experiences was first experienced by Him. That is where attraction starts in the life of Jesus. Second, we go to confession and there, we will feel the mercy and compassion of God. And lastly, for our mission, we help any persons who are in need. With all these, we can configure our lives with Christ and renew ourselves.

As St. Thomas Aquinas would say, At His Transfiguration, Christ showed His Disciples the splendor of His beauty, to which he will shape and color those who are His. And so, let God configure our lives.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, You showed your disciples the transfiguration of Yours that led them to configure their lives and follow You.  May we also be witnesses of Your transfiguration by letting us see You in our daily lives through the different people we encounter. So that we too may follow You and be a true missionary disciple. You who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen. 

    

First Sunday of Lent

26 February 2023

 

First Reading: Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7

Responsorial Psalm: PS 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17

Second Reading: Rom 5:12, 17-19

Gospel: Mt 4:1-11

 

Reflection

By: Benj Santiago

 

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil...One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."

Today is the first Sunday of Lent. The first reading reminds me of the "original sin" the sin committed by Adam and Eve at the garden in Eden. Eve was tricked by the serpent to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. In the Gospel reading, Jesus went through three temptations. First one was again about satisfying hunger. But unlike Adam and Eve, Jesus did not fail into the temptation of the devil. Jesus was able to rebuke the devil by the power of "what was written" or the WORD OF GOD.

Every day of our lives is filled with temptations to be tricked by the devil to do something that is not according to HIS Words. Temptations to be concerned with material possession, wealth, power, and prestige for selfish motives. We are surrounded by people who are obsessed with wealth, position, and power that influences and tempts us to do the same. As we begin our Lenten Season this year, I pray that like Jesus who possesses all the power and glory as the Son of God; we won't be tempted to love money or material wealth, to usurp our position and power for personal gains. But instead we use our wealth and power for service of others and to worship the Lord!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we praise and glorify You. We give You thanks for all the provisions You have given us. We pray that as we enter the Lenten Season that we fast, abstain, and pray like Jesus. Amen.

Go into the Deep

 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

06 February 2022

 

First Reading: IS 6:1-2a, 3-8

Responsorial Psalm: PS 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8

Second Reading: 1 COR 15:1-11

Gospel: LK 5:1-11

 

Reflection

By: Sem. Carlo Alexis R. Malaluan

 

I love walking through labyrinths. The first time I walked through a labyrinth was over five years ago when I was invited for a personal retreat in Tagaytay. I was drawn to the slow pace to which the pathway lends itself and to long rests sitting in the center praying. As you go along the path, deeper realizations and reflections would arise. Sometimes, the path could be too confusing or overwhelming but a labyrinth is a spiritual encounter - an invitation to journey to the very center of our hearts where God awaits.

This is the very invitation of Christ to the fishermen of Galilee - put into the deep! I could imagine the reactions of these skilled men upon hearing the instruction of the Lord. Of course, they have mastered the sea. It has been their life. They could tell whether or not they could catch fishes. But Christ was insistent - duc in altum! Most of the time, we have thought that we already mastered our own seas - our lives, our relationships, our work, our priorities, our dreams and desires. We thought we knew the deepest recesses of our hearts only to find out that we have been casting our nets on the wrong side of the sea. We have been overly familiar with the world we create for ourselves thus we end up being frustrated and lonely because it is not our reality. But Christ sees us through. Christ looks tenderly on the things we fail or choose not to look at. Time and time, He invites us to go deeper - to put ourselves into the depths of our being and to see our own reality, our own brokenness and woundedness.

In the Camaldolese Constitutions, there is a passage that I like very much. It reads: "We are frequently cast out from our hearts as the sea casts out a dead body." We don't like going into the deep. We go into our hearts and are pushed out. We cannot take it. We cannot stay. We cannot be still because we know that the depth of our being and the silence of our hearts reveals only one reality - that we are broken. And that truth is very uncomfortable. However, it is liberating one - an intimate moment of spiritual breakthrough. This is the same experience of the people of God. Isaiah admits that he is a doomed man with sinful lips and Paul tells that he is not worthy to be called as an apostle. And with Peter we could only say with great humility - "Depart from me, Lord, for I am sinful man."

When we are able to enter into the depth of our hearts and accept the reality of our being - conversion begins. When Isaiah acknowledges his sinful lips, God gave him the faculty to proclaim His message to His people. When Paul and Peter admitted their unworthiness, they were given grace to become witnesses for Christ. Christ already knew how deep our seas were. Christ already knew the unexplored depths of our hearts yet Christ invites us to immerse ourselves in the reality of our lives no matter how shameful, how ridiculous and wounded they are.

When we are able to go into the depth of our hearts - we will only find one thing: the love of Christ that loves us even in the darkest deepest reality of our lives.

Prayer

Lord, You know my heart and my whole being more than I do. I offer You the entirety of my being most especially the parts where it is painful or shameful for me to look at. Grant me the grace to journey into the deepest parts of my soul ever consoled that I would find Your unchanging love in the brokenness of my heart. Amen.

 

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

 

First Reading:  IS 42:1-4, 6-7

Responsorial Psalm:  PS 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10

Second Reading:  ACTS 10:34-38

Gospel:  MK 1:7-11

 

Reflection

By: Carlo Alexis Malaluan

 

Do you still remember the day of your baptism? Probably not, you were too little to be aware that you were being baptized – well, except of course if you have received the Sacrament of Baptism in your adult life. But one thing is for sure, in baptism we have gained our identity as a part of God's family – the Church. In baptism, we have received the grace to belong to a community of believers sharing the grace that God has bestowed upon each one of us.

 

In today's Gospel, we have seen Jesus in the Jordan river being baptized by John. A voice from heaven reaffirmed prophesies about Him. He is the one on whom His Spirit rests and will bring justice to the nations. This is the identity of Jesus.

 

In the post-modern world, many connotations and interpretations of who Jesus is have emerged in our consciousness. Yet, many people still don't believe in Christ. Many people would often cling to the explanation of skepticism and rejection of God. We, as a community of believers must retain our faith in Christ. We must take extra efforts to communicate who Jesus is to us, not only through our festive celebrations but more so in our lifestyle and in the way we move in the secular affairs of the world.

 

 

The year 2021 has marked the 500^th year of Christianity in the Philippines, our theme challenges us: "Missio ad Gentes!" Mission to the People. Let us take courage and heart to tell the world that Christ is alive and is with us! We must take sufferings without complaints, we must spread the Gospel with such joy and enthusiasm, we must live up with the Gospel values every single day of our lives – in that way our identity and that of identity of Jesus will be the same. So that when people see us, they may see the Christ in us. Let our identity be that of Jesus in the way, we can testify that Jesus is God's beloved son.
 

Prayer

 

God of all wilderness wanderers, you sent John to prepare the way for Jesus Christ, your beloved son. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us so that, like John, we may proclaim the time to turn from sinfulness and the good news of your grace; through Christ, the water of life. Amen.

 

Taking Part in the Banquet

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2 August 2020
First reading Isaiah 55:1-3

Thus says the Lord:
All you who are thirsty, come to the water!
You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me and listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.

Second reading                                                          Romans 8:35-39

Brothers and sisters:
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel                                                                          Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.

When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves. ” Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves. ” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here. ” Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over — twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

Reflection

By Bernard M. Borja

Do you remember the last time you dined at an all-you-can-eat buffet? So many food cooked in different varieties and served to fully satisfy your hunger. It’s even better if you were invited to take part in a celebration which is free of charge. Much better if your loved ones are dining with you in such festivity. Sometimes, you tend to get a little of each so that you can taste almost all of the food being served. But after being full and satisfied, still there are more food ready to be served for more guests.

Somehow, a buffet restaurant can give us a glimpse of how abundant God’s banquet is. Overflowing food, joyful celebrations, bottomless drinks, and diners are treated as special guests. But God’s banquet is far beyond these things that can only satisfy our human desires. Our hunger and thirst drives us to seek for things that will satisfy us. Even more when we need to provide for our loved ones. We do everything that we can to put food on the table. But there are times that earthly food is not enough to nourish us. We also need the nourishment for our soul through Christ that will not only satisfy our human hunger, but also our deepest desires.

In our readings today, God reminds us four things - 1. An invitation to His abundant feast, 2.

Such a feast that will satisfy all our hunger and deepest desires, 3. That nothing can ever

abandon us from being invited by God, and 4. To share the graces to others as a response to God’s invitation. But as I reflect on these, questions arise in my heart as my hunger and thirst go deeper.

My wife and I miss dining out with our loved ones. More so, we miss being invited, and being able to come, to celebrate special occasions with our families and friends. It has been more than six months since we were able to visit and share a meal with them. Like our longing to share joyfully with our loved ones, the hunger and thirst has deepened especially to respond to God’s invitation to celebrate with Him through the Holy Eucharist. We constantly participate in online Masses from different parishes for spiritual nourishment but I feel this is not enough. This made me ask constantly, “How can people be nourished well in these times? How can people respond to God’s invitation in the midst of this pandemic? How can we receive again these graces that we long for?”.

Many people today are struggling to believe and trust God. I remember a news story about a governor in a foreign country, who is an atheist, said that he did everything that he could to slow the spread of the virus. As some people praised God, this governor said that he was the one who did it, not God. I watched this news on social media and I came across a comment saying, “Praise God for He uses everyone as an instrument of His love. Even the non-believers.” This made me realize something about my perception of God’s invitation.

Maybe I’m forgetting that when Jesus saw the vast crowd, His heart was moved with pity. Maybe I’m forgetting what Jesus said to His disciples when they became concerned about the people’s food. Jesus said, “Give them some food yourselves.” And maybe I did not realize that Jesus broke the loaves first, gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowd. This pandemic continues to reveal to us our deepest longing and desires. But most of the time, we become too focused on ourselves. In our desire for survival, we have forgotten how we are invited to have compassion for others, to offer whatever we have, and to be ready to receive the multiplied graces and share it to the hungry. Today, people are not just hungry for earthly food, but they are also starving for peace. Jesus invites us to offer our selfish desires and let Him transform these into the grace that we seek. May it be the grace of an open heart to acknowledge and receive His inseparable love for us, or the grace of His peace to calm us and help us continue to trust in Him. I believe that in responding to Jesus’ invitation to share whatever graces that we have received, our deepest hunger and thirst are being satisfied. For this is what it really means to take part in the abundant banquet of God, which has more than enough for all to be nourished.

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

We thank You for journeying with us during these difficult times when our hunger only

goes deeper everyday. As we offer our desire to take part in Your banquet, we also offer our

fears especially in this time of uncertainty. We pray for the grace of an open heart to receive the same peace that You gave to the disciples. So that we may be able to respond to Your invitation to offer what we have, and share the multiplied graces to those who are in most need of Your mercy and compassion.  Amen.

The Harvest

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 07 July 2019
First reading Isaiah 66:10-14

Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her,
that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom.

For thus says the Lord: I will extend prosperity to her like river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm,
and dandled on her knees.

As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bodies shall flourish like the grass;
and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants,
and his indignation is against his enemies.

Second reading                                                          Galatians 6:14-18

May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!

As for those who will follow this rule – peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let nobody make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Gospel                                                                         Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

The Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet nobody on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.'”

But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ And I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Reflection

By Jose Paulo M. Gonzales

Is it not worth celebrating how plentiful the Lord’s harvest is? However, is it not regrettable how only few are willing to work for it? Perhaps the reason why only few are willing to work for such a bounty is because it may be difficult to grasp how great a gift the Lord’s harvest is. What does this harvest mean by the way?

In its simplest form, the Lord’s harvest can be likened to the things we see every day. We have food on the table, roof on our heads, parents who love us and work hard to send us to school, friends to go with us in our day-to-day tasks, money to pay our daily expenses, cell phones and the internet to make connecting with family and friends easier, and many other things.

These blessings help us realize how great a provider God is. However, the harvest of God stretches far beyond our experience here on earth. Ultimately, God’s harvest is eternal life in Christ. In Biblical terms, it is the Kingdom of God.

It takes many parables to explain the Kingdom of God. Jesus used seven (six in Matthew 13 and one in Mark 4), but the overarching truth is that it is both here in the now, and it is yet to come.

We uphold the Kingdom of God as we live for Christ here on earth as His Church, anticipating our lives in heaven as we live heaven here on earth, all with our heavenly virtues, but we are yet to realize its fullness–the ultimate prize when we enter eternity with Him.

With such an eternal reward, it is not surprising why God alerts us to those that may try to tear us away from our heavenly prize. In the Gospel for today, we are alerted to wolves. Applied broadly, wolves can be anything from events to people who make it difficult to spread the message of God’s harvest.

Internally, there may be hesitation to spread God’s Word when others look more fit and qualified to evangelize. Externally, before we leave our home, there may be many chores that render us helpless in thinking it is impossible to squeeze into our daily schedules our proclamation of God’s harvest.

Before we make it outside the driveway, our car may have already broken down. In our commutes, the vehicle we ride on may encounter problems of different sorts.

Other people can also hinder in spreading God’s Word. In the Gospel, some might not welcome us when they recognize the Word we are to share. To those who would welcome us, however, “The Kingdom of God is very near to you” (Luke 10:9).

To the unwelcoming, God told whom He sent to simply shake the dust off their feet and proceed. To us, this means not to take rejection personally and proceed with our proclamation, so we don’t fall into the sin of harboring anger and being unforgiving.

It is not always the case that people reject God’s Word out rightly. Sometimes, people suffer different blows in life that make it heavy a task to receive the message at present.

To these brothers and sisters, also to us, God’s goodness and mercy stand available, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).

In consolation, in our revelation of the Word, rejection is nothing new, even to our brethren in the olden days: to the prophets and the disciples, and even to Jesus Christ.

As we proclaim God’s Word, what drives us aside from God’s grace, first and foremost, is our realization of how incredible the eternal prize of God’s harvest is. Even if we do not understand in full the breadth and depth of this harvest as the Lord’s mysteries transcend the transitory, when we relay to others how great this reward is, the beauty of our wonder already stands as an authentic witness. People are interested in hearing sincere testimonies.

“In this world you will have trouble”, God said. “But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33).

Truly, when we proclaim God’s Word, some events and people may bring impediments. But in our perseverance, there is God’s grace: even the devils submitted to the disciples at the mention of Jesus’ Name (Luke 10:17).

Surely, there are victories in God to celebrate here on earth. And God reminds us not to lose sight of the eternal, because a bigger cause for rejoicing is at hand: Our names are written in Heaven (Luke 10:20).

Prayer

Lord God, gracious Giver of the bountiful harvest, thank You for Your message today. Thank You very much for the ultimate harvest–eternal life. Though undeserving sheep we are, You still give unsparingly.

Please never exhaust in Your mercy to accept us as we repent, at even the slightest sign of remorse.

Please grant us the grace to see the tremendous value in Your harvest, so we are innately motivated to pursue its revelation to others, especially when motivations from outside—from events or people—are difficult to come by.

Please open the hearts, minds, and spirits of whom we are to share Your Word, so they accept and live It fully, and that in their jubilation, they share Your Word with others, too.

When it is difficult to spread Your Word, please grant us the patience not to give up. Please also send people to help and inspire us on the way. Please let the sight of their—and even our—reconciliation with You be a good motivator for us to continue sharing Your Word.

For those who find it difficult to accept Your message now because of a rough patch in life, please grant us the grace to be patient with them, the understanding to heed their wounds, and the love for them so we deal with them with utmost gentleness and care. Please enable in us hearts that respect their pace of healing, so that we do not worsen their pain.

May You come to the hurting so that they heal once and for all, so that they can live the life You want them to live.

Thank You, Father, and may You be glorified forever, In Jesus’ Name, Amen.