Choice

   

  Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

04 September 2022 

 

First Reading: Wis 9:13-18b

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

Second Reading: Phmn 9-10, 12-17

Gospel: Lk 14:25-33

 

Reflection

By: Grace Madrinan

 

I would be completely lying if I said that I am not taken aback by the Gospel for today especially when I read the first part. "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." I love my family, why would I hate them?

Then I realized that I should not take this to context and focus on the message. Good thing is, the succeeding verses make it clearer, "In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:33)."

God does not say to hate our family. In fact, He said, "Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12)." But if your family is preventing you from doing the right thing, or worst, forcing you to do wrong, then we must choose to follow God.

Did God say renounce all possessions!? At first, it felt as if God was asking us to sell our possessions and live with the poor. But I believe He meant to ask for our loyalty and undivided attention. We must choose God over everything. And we can start with small things. Do we choose to pray before we open our mobile phones in the morning? Do we choose to go to Mass before we go to the mall? Or did we miss Mass because we binge watched on Netflix the night before?

Who says following God is easy? In a world full of distractions, following God requires mindfulness to constantly do the right thing. But like any other relationship, we are given the choice. I hope at the end of the day, we choose to follow God.

"Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that You are the Holy One of God." - John 6:68-69

Prayer

Father God, forgive us for our shortcomings. We are usually distracted by fleeting things. Teach us to constantly look up to You and choose to follow You all the days of our lives. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

Focus

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time 17 November 2019
First reading Malachi 3:19-20

See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.

Second reading                                                          2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Sisters and brothers, you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labour we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate.

For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

Gospel                                                                          Luke 21:5-19

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”

Then he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”

Then he aid to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.”

Reflection

By Anabelle P. Balla

Lord, help us to be more like You!

I like being surrounded by plants and trees. I don’t mind the variety - ornamental, fruit-bearing, vegetables, herbs, orchids, succulents, etc. I am so amazed with their beauty that I tend to collect and plant them all! I spend time, effort, and resources to look after them. And because I focus on them, they grow, they grow fast, and bear fruits or flowers and multiply!

Growth or improvement happens when a person focuses on something.  Imagine focusing on getting yourself better – learning new skills, gaining new knowledge, getting more fit, becoming a better and happy person. It is highly possible. It can happen. And the good news is that, it is within our control! We can choose what to do with our time, our effort and our resources. We can.

We just need to focus. Little by little, every day. Little by little, allow Jesus to help change us for the better. Be a little kinder, gentler, helpful, compassionate and more loving so that one day, we become more like Jesus. And in His grace, we will be saved.

Prayer

Father, help us to persevere to be the best version of ourselves, for You, in Your honor and glory , and for our salvation. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Keep the Lamp Burning

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time   12 November 2017

First reading

Wisdom 6:12-16

Wisdom is bright, and does not grow dim.
By those who love her she is readily seen,
and found by those who look for her.
Quick to anticipate those who desire her, she makes herself known to them.
Watch for her early and you will have no trouble;
you will find her sitting at your gates.
Even to think about her is understanding fully grown;
be on the alert for her and anxiety will quickly leave you.
She herself walks about looking for those who are worthy of her
and graciously shows herself to them as they go,
in every thought of theirs coming to meet them.

                

Second reading

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them; to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.

Gospel

Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’

Reflection

by Art B. Reyes

Were you at one time had a low battery power in your mobile phone? There is no worst situation than having a dead phone in the middle of something. If you are like the majority of people, that low battery warning will leave you feeling panicked and hunting for a spare charger. One major mobile company in the US describes this condition as 'Low Battery Anxiety' and says that nearly 9 out of 10 people suffer from the fear of losing power on their phone.

Our Gospel for today talks about the parable of the ten bridesmaids. It is one of the well known parables of Jesus. According to the Gospel, the five bridesmaids who are prepared for the bridegroom's arrival are rewarded, while the five who are not prepared are disowned.

The story is a big warning to be prepared for God whenever our “time” has finally come. We must ensure that our ‘lamps’ would not run out of gas – and are kept alive with the light of God’s Word. Being always ready is not about just preparing and doing more. We make ourselves ready by recognizing the grace of God. The Lord tells us to stay focused on Him so that we won’t get adrift. 

The distress of daily life can also take away our focus on the Lord. Our never ending concern for power and wealth distracts us from welcoming God in our life. Life is a short journey, let us live it right. We might struggle from time to time, veer away from the way the Lord wants us to take; but God is merciful. We can always rise up and steer back to the right direction if we ask for His forgiveness. 

Prayer

Lord, our God, grant that we may be ready to receive Christ when He comes in glory and to share in the banquet of heaven, where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Don't Lose Sight

First Reading: IS 35:1-6A, 10

The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.

Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.

Responsorial Psalm: PS 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

Second Reading : JAS 5:7-10

Brothers and sisters:

Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates. Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Gospel: MT 11:2-11

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ,  he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,  “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus said to them in reply,  “Go and tell John what you hear and see:  the blind regain their sight,  the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:

Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.

Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Reflection 
By Pam Manzano

Here in the Philippines, we have looming issues on countless extra judicial killings, the continuous waging of war on drugs, the political circus, the drama of our every day lives - and I am just starting. I can go on and on and on and in the process easily lose track of who I am as a person, more so as a Christian.

The Gospel today can be taken as a reminder of faith, of love, and of grace. John the Baptist was preaching about the Messiah. In the dark prison, he heard from his disciples what the Messiah was doing, but John was not sure if He is the One. John got too busy in preaching and converting others that he almost missed the One whom he is preaching about. 

Same for us. We can get so engrossed in the current state of what is happening and lose sight of what is to come, of why we are here, of why we are called. The tendency to be pulled into the battle of opinions that is in Facebook or other social media networks can be so overwhelming that we sometimes tend to forget our duties as a child of God and as a testimony to God's faithfulness. We hold our opinions so high that we forget how it is to love and be compassionate. We forget who we are and what our purpose is. We forget that life is to be respected, that Jesus came for the sinners, for the tax collectors, for the unfaithful. 

If only we focus more on loving one another instead of focusing on one another's shortcomings; if only we give love to those who hurt us; if only we try to pull the people around us up instead of pushing them down just so we can get to the top; if only we remind ourselves daily that it is better to give than to receive, it is way better to understand than be understood, then we make ourselves part of helping the blind people see, the lame walk, those with sickness healed, and the dead raised. 


The world can use more people who are like Jesus. There is too much hatred already and we do not need that anymore. With people around us needing our collective help, let us be a doer and not just a speaker.

Prayer

Father, please help us to switch our focus to Jesus, our Saviour. Let us be filled with His presence always. Amen

Knowing Nothing is Part of Getting Through

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Aug 10

First reading                                           1 Kings 19:9,11-13   

When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of the Lord, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.                                  

Psalm                                                 Psalm 84:9-14

Second reading                               Romans 9:1-5

What I want to say now is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ – it is the truth – my

conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is

this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be

condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own 

flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the 

covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were 

made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood 

came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.

.

Gospel                                           Matthew 14:22-23

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would
send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to 
pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was 
battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went 
towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they 
were terrified. ‘It is a ghost’ they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to 
them, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if 
it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the 
boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of 
the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at 
once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the 
boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are 
the Son of God.’

Reflection
By Bernard Borja

“I deserve an explanation! I deserve an acceptable reason!”

Memories in the past suddenly filled my mind as I heard this line from Marco during a confrontation with Ginny, when they saw each other again after their breakup for uncertain reasons. This scene was from the movie “Starting Over Again” and it made me recall similar times when I wanted to question God for the trials and burdens I have been encountering. I have had different storms in my life and I realized that most of it, I didn't really have a choice if I get into it or not. I just have to face it head on. Just like what Jesus did to His disciples.

After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus did not give the disciples a choice when He made them get into the boat. Without explaining why, He sent them to sail on the other side of the shore. Jesus knew that the disciples would meet a strong storm and that they will be in danger. But Jesus did this because He wanted to strengthen their faith and trust in Him.

When the boat was being battered by the threatening waves, the disciples struggled to keep it afloat for a while. They tried to hold on. But I wonder what they were saying during these times. Maybe Peter (or the others) was saying, “Lord, why have you abandoned us?” Or something like, “Bakit hinayaan mo mangyari sa amin ito?” (“Why did you let this happen to us?”)

I remember such familiar questions were running in my heart and mind during the most difficult times of my life. The waves of pain and uncertainty have been crashing into me. In those times, I felt that God has deserted me. I was left wondering why I had to go through such difficulties.

But then I realized that whenever I go through such tests, He is always there to save me and calm the storm inside. It is a gentle reminder that God always have the power over us. But He perfectly reveals it during the most difficult times of our life. He just wants us to have faith and remain focus in Him. When Peter got out of the boat, he was able to walk on the water as he remained focused on Jesus. But when Peter noticed the strong winds, he became frightened and began to sink. This also reminds us that we must keep our attention on God. Not on the storms or the crashing waves around us.

We may not feel the presence of God in our trials but He is always near to reach out His hand to us just when we are about to lose hope. Every hardship that we encounter has a purpose and is always for our own good. We realize that we could always trust God to calm the storm, and that He lets us experience trials in life to draw us closer to Him. He does not need to explain further because the moment we realize that He is saving us from drowning, we can say, “Thank You Lord! Your timing is just perfect.”

Prayer

Dearest Lord, grant us courage that we may be able to stand through the storms in our life, and be able to walk with You over the waters of uncertainty. We thank You for all the difficulties that we encounter as it serve Your greater purpose for us. May we receive Your ever helping hand to get through the battering waves and trust that You are the only one who can calm the storm in us. This is all for Your greater glory, in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son. Amen.