"Palusot"

    

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

09 June 2024

 

First Reading: Gn 3:9-15

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 130 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

Second Reading: 2 Cor 4:13-5:1

Gospel: Mk 3-20-35

 

Reflection

By: Pietro S. Albano

 

Have you noticed that those who are caught red-handed often give palusot (excuse) rather than admit their wrongdoing? Our First Reading and Gospel today feature some characters who made excuses. When God confronted Adam for eating the forbidden fruit, he blamed Eve who then blamed the serpent. When His unconvinced relatives and the scribes saw His ministry  they branded Jesus as crazy and possessed by Beelzebul.

Making excuses did not do any good for these people. It will not do any good for us too. The scribes' accusation that Jesus had an unclean spirit was unforgivable because our Lord declared it as a sin against the Holy Spirit. Sins against the Holy Spirit "are mortal sins that harden a soul by its rejection of the Holy Spirit". This includes despair, presumption, envy, obstinacy in sin, final impenitence, and deliberate resistance to the known truth.

Though some may interpret today's Gospel as an act of disrespect to the Blessed Virgin Mary, this is not the case. Jesus knew His mother well and praised her for faithfully cooperating in God's plan of salvation. While the Eve of the Old Testament made excuses for her unbelief, the Eve of the New Testament - Mary - chose to do the will of God. Mary once said to Gabriel: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord  be it done to me according to your word"? (Lk 1:38). We have a choicr here: are we going to keep on making excuse for our foolishness or are we going to take responsibility and make amends?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, forgive us for the many times that we havd made excuses for not following You. Through the prayers and example of Mama Mary, draw us to Yourself in whom alone we find mercy and fullness of redemption. 

Sumunod Ka Sa Akin

    

Twenty-six Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ika-26 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon)

01 October 2023

 

First Reading: Ez 18:25-28

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Second Reading: Phil 2:1-11

Gospel: Mt 21:28-32

 

Reflection

By: Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

May magkaibang kahulugan ang pangungusap na "Sumunod ka sa akin", depende kung nasaan ang diin, kung paano sinabi, at sino ang nagsabi. Sumusunod tayo sa utos, sa batas, sa pakiusap o kaya sa taong may awtoridad.

Sa ating Ebanghelyo ngayon, ang nakatatandang anak ang sinabing sumunod sa kalooban ng ama bagaman noong una ay ayaw niya, nagbago ang kaniyang isip at sa huli ay tumalima. Hindi tulad ng pangalawang anak na umoo nga subalit hindi naman pumaroon.

Kung ating susuriin ang ginawang pagsunod ng dalawang anak na lalaki sa Ebanghelyo, parehong may pagkukulang. Ang una hindi agad umoo, 'yung ikalawa naman, sa salita lamang sumunod, kinulang sa gawa.

Paano nga ba ang tamang pagsunod? Salamat sa Panginoong Hesus na Siyang huwaran natin sa pagiging masunurin. Sinabi Niya sumunod kayo sa akin, kung paano Niya sinunod ang kalooban ng Amang nasa langit, ganoon din ang paanyaya sa atin. Ito ay pinatunayan sa sulat ni Apostol San Pablo sa mga taga-Filipos, sa pagpapakababa ni Hesus, Siya ay itinampok ng Diyos. Ganap Siyang nakasunod bunsod ng pag-ibig sa Amang nag-utos at sa sanlibutang pinag-alayan Niya ng buhay.

Ang pagsunod ni Hesus ay hindi dahil sa takot sa awtoridad ng nag-utos, bagkus ay nag-ugat sa pagmamahal sa Diyos at sa kapwa. Kaya naman napakadali para kay Hesus ang pagsunod dahil ginawa Niya ito sa konteksto ng pagmamahal. Magiging ganap lamang ang ating pagsunod kung tayo ay tatalima bunsod ng pag-ibig. Sundan natin ang huwaran ni Hesus. Mahirap pero kaya kung nanaisin natin at kung tayo ay nagmamahal.

Prayer

Ama, hindi madali ang pagtalima sa Iyong kalooban lalo na sa panahon namin ngayon na napakadaling magreklamo, subalit sa awa Mo at sa huwarang ipinakita ni Hesus, sisikapin naming maging masunurin. Amen.

Fight for your Dreams

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 27 October 2019
First reading Ecclesiasticus 35:15-22

The Lord is the judge,
and with him there is no partiality.
He will not show partiality to the poor;
but he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged.
He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan,
or the widow when she pours out her complaint.
Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek
as she cries out against the one who causes them to fall?
The one whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted,
and his prayer will reach to the clouds.
The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds,
and it will not rest until it reaches its goal;
it will not desist until the Most High responds
and does justice for the righteous and executes judgment.
Indeed, the Lord will not delay,

Second reading                                                          2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

I am already being poured out as a libation and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Gospel                                                                          Luke 18:9-14

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Reflection

By Fely C. Santiago

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”

In Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you HOPE and a future”

Do you still have a dream? Or you get so discouraged with the current state of your life that you don’t like to dream anymore? God has planted BIG dreams in your heart. Search the deepest desires of your heart and fight for it!

When I was young, I would see my grandparents travel a lot! We are from Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao and so I would see them fly to Cebu, Manila, Baguio, Hongkong and China. And later on to Germany, US and many more. This started a dream in my heart. When I grow up, I also want to travel and see the world!

This dream came true! I was so blessed to be hired by Intel and it was there I started to travel for free! I was able to travel to 13 countries in Asia, US, Europe and Central America because of business trips and on business class! And not only me, I was able to bring my family to some of these travels as well! I shall be forever grateful to my company for 25 years for making my dreams come true! And then I got retired from Intel which eventually closed in the Philippines! I said goodbye travels, I cannot afford you anymore! 

But see, God planted these dreams in my heart! I really love to travel because I get to see the beauty of the world and marvel at God’s magnificent creations. Seeing the world for me is a prayer because I get to commune with God through His creations! I just love nature, the mountains, the seas and watching people of different colors and languages. It just amazed me how marvelous God really is for His creations! Traveling widened my perspective and horizon and also stretched my vision. I get to realized how powerful and limitless our God really is.


And so today by God’s grace I resumed traveling through my company IMG. When God plants a dream in our hearts, it’s our responsibility to take action and ask, seek and find what is God’s will for us. And then you find meaning and purpose in life! Keep fighting for your dreams!

Prayer

Father God, thank You for planting dreams in our hearts.  Give us the grace to ask, seek and knock so we find the many opportunities that are out there that You have prepared for us. Remove fear and give us the courage to get out of our comfort zones as blessings await there. All these I pray, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.