Service

    

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

20 October 2024

 

First Reading: Is 53:10-11

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22

Second Reading: Heb 4:14-16

Gospel: Mk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

 

Reflection

By: Fely C. Santiago

 

"For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve."

Jesus is truly our role model of service and He exemplified selflessness by consistently placing the needs of others before His own. Imagine He is the Son of God but He came to the world to be like us, who understands our humanity. And we see Him serving the poor, going around healing the sick, driving out demons, giving life to the dead, teaching the disciples.

If we want to be great, we really have to serve first. I started serving the Lord in my college days. I was part of the Legion of Mary in our parish and we would go around doing the block rosary from house to house, I would also go to depressed areas as part of our outreach programs. I also became a member of the Ministry of Lectors and Commentators and other ministries in the church. And when I got married, my husband and I continued serving our parish and there was even a time we would serve the 5AM, 6AM, 7AM, and 8AM Sunday Masses! We also became members of the Magis Deo Marriage Encounter Community serving as Shepherds to ME Classes, helping couples as they journey in their spiritual life. And when we had children, we would also bring them to church and eventually my son became an altar boy/sacristan. Thinking about it right now, I couldn't imagine how we were able to do it with our full-time job and raising four children! But truly when you just say YES to the calling of the Lord, He will equip you so you can do your mission.

My other children also started serving at The Feast of the Light of Jesus Community in the Youth and Worship Ministry and led worship singing to the Lord. Today, my youngest daughter and her husband are full time Youth Missionaries. They gave up their careers in the corporate to serve the Lord. My two children who are already married and have migrated to Sydney, Australia continue to serve at The Feast in Sydney.

It's a joy to serve the Lord as an answer to His calling. He loved us so much unconditionally and we want to share that love to others by serving them. And I truly believe that graces and blessings abound when we serve.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You for the opportunities to serve You.

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." - Joshua 24:15

Speaking in Tongues

Pentecost Sunday

31 May 2020

First reading                                                                         Acts 2:1-11

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                                                       1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13

My friends, I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

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 Gary Tulabut

A long, long time ago, if you asked me what I knew about speaking in tongues was, the only thing I could tell you was what was mentioned in our First Reading today, when the disciples “’were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,’ as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” (Acts 2:4)

It was only more than a decade ago—from the time I joined Light of Jesus (LOJ) Family—that I have learned about what they call “speaking in tongues.”

And you know what my first reaction to this was? Doubt. Skepticism.

Well, aside from what seems to be words that sounded like “Shalom Aleichem; Aleichem Shalom” everything sounded gibberish to me. I even told myself, why would the Spirit let me utter supposedly words of praise that I myself do not understand? Of course that was just me being exposed to speaking in tongues for the first time.

But it did not come to a point of judging. I know it’s one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that was granted to them which I do not have. Sometimes, I envy them for having that gift (being taken over by the Holy Spirit, isn’t that cool?). But I am quite satisfied not having the same gift. Because I already knew what my gift was.

Fast forward. Today, I use what I know as my gift is to serve in the LOJ ministries; i.e. my visual creativity, as well as my limited but enough knowledge in the use of basic computer programs to make our bulletins and to run the visual effects during our prayer meetings.

I could do other things as well. I write; I give talks once in a while; I can be an impromptu emcee.

But there are two things I did not even think of doing—preaching and worship leading. I remember, during the first years that I attended The Feast, I could not even raise my hand in worship. I usually told my companions in prayer meetings that I only came for the Mass and the talks. I was not comfortable with what charismatic groups do.

And even when I became a regular servant at the Light of Jesus Family in Pampanga, I only served in different capacities related to my known gifts – creatives, computer operations, writing, etc.

But never worship leading nor preaching. 

That was until one Sunday in 2015.

In the absence of our two regular worship leaders and our discipleship head, I was asked to lead the prayers and worship.

This was a big deal to me. You know why? Because I couldn’t even speak prayers with inspiring words. Yes I can give talks. I can do emcee tasks. But nobody is inspired by my prayers. What more become a worship leader???

And so I just started what every worship leader should do first—asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

And the Holy Spirit took over…

And guess what…. I spoke in tongues.

Although the words that came out of my mouth were not the shalom-aleichem-sounding ones but those that could be understood by ordinary people like you and me—phrases of praise like, “Hallelujah!”, “Lord of Lords”, “King of kings”, “We worship You, we adore You, we give You praise”, “We glorify Your name.”

But for me this was already speaking in tongues because these words did not come from me. Because at that very moment I knew I was not worthy. And I knew all the words of praise, worship, and exhortation came out of my mouth because at that very moment I was “filled with the Holy Spirit that I began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled me to proclaim.”


I am now one of the regular worship leaders and co-preachers of The Light of Jesus in Pampanga. Whenever I was not assigned in either task, I was in the technical booth leading the media team. All these are pre-Covid, of course. And whichever task I am assigned for the day, the first thing I do is ask the Holy Spirit to take over and make me worthy.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, take over me. Take over my family. Take over our country. Take over our leaders. Amen.

I Even Forgot to Pray For Eight Points

“ Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.”

- Voltaire

First Reading: 2 Kings 5:14-17

So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him; and he said, "Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant." But he said, "As the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will receive none." And he urged him to take it, but he refused. Then Na'aman said, "If not, I pray you, let there be given to your servant two mules' burden of earth; for henceforth your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD.

Psalm: Psalm 98:1-4

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 2:8-13

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, as preached in my gospel, the gospel for which I am suffering and wearing fetters like a criminal. But the word of God is not fettered. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with its eternal glory. The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful -- for he cannot deny himself.

Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Sama'ria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."

Reflection

This happened in October, three years ago when I was still attending my graduate school classes in Angeles City.

I did not attend the first day of our six-Saturday class in Marketing due to lack of sleep the prior night after finishing piles of paper work.

On the second meeting, I showed up just to assess the class and decide whether to drop the subject or not. This was because aside from already being one (of six) week behind in lectures, there were also so much requirements to pass the subject. These were two case studies, one article presentation, two interrogations (panelists for other reporters), a term paper, and 22 chapters to read for the mid-terms and finals. But so as not to let down the group who already selected me to be part of their team, I decided to hang on and not drop the subject.

On the fourth meeting, we had our midterms covering 14 chapters, 5 articles and 3 cases. After the two-hour test in the morning, our group presented a critique of an article. In the afternoon, our group is the assigned interrogators of another group presenting a case. And also on the same day, we had to submit the preliminary drafts of our term papers.  The week prior this fateful day was dedicated for all the preparations. But due to all other activities aside from schooling, I had to prioritize things. And guess what at the bottom of my list was.

It’s the midterm exams.

Since I completely understood all of my professor's lectures, and in fact was actively participating in class, I was confident that at the very least I would pass the exam even if I wouldn't read all the 14 chapters and the other reading materials. On top of that, the test would be an open-notes objective type, so probably, I would not just pass but get 75% or even higher.

But then after the test, I counted all those answers which I was sure of and guess how many I got.

Just twelve.

Yes, those were the only ones I was confident of having answered correctly. And I was vocal about it. I told my classmates that I needed to pray for eight more correct answers just to pass.

The next week, we got the test results.

I was sure of twelve and was hoping to get eight more, right?  But guess how many of the twelve I answered correctly.

Only eleven.

But the good news is, of the eight I said I should be praying for, I got 27! So I got a total of 38 out of 40.

I was so surprised and thankful I could not believe my eyes. Actually, I totally forgot to pray about them as I said. Maybe because there were a lot more important things to pray about. But maybe God already heard me bragging that He would give me eight more :)

If I did not have any meetings to attend to with the Light Of Jesus Family (my community in Angeles) after my Saturday classes, I usually attend the Anticipated Mass at the nearby Holy Rosary Parish Church right after school. But on that Saturday, I was totally not planning to attend Mass because it was not an Anticipated Mass for Sunday. It was the ninth day Novena Mass in preparation for the Feast of Our Lady of La Naval (which we are also celebrating today).

But after seeing my totally unexpected test score, the first thing I thought of was to attend Mass, anticipated or not. This may be a small matter as compared to many other things in life, but it is definitely something to be thankful for.

Today in the Gospel, ten lepers received God’s blessings and were healed by Jesus. Only one went back to give thanks.

Well, first, I hope that I was not the only one who was so happy to receive a surprise blessing on that day whether it was about our exams or about other more important things.

Second, I hope I was not the only one who went back to thank Him.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the answered exams… err… prayers! Thank You that You always answer our prayers not in our ways, but in Yours. Amen!

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval, pray for us!