Just Believe!

First Reading:  Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4

Then Yahweh answered me and said, 'Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to be easily read. For the vision is for its appointed time, it hastens towards its end and it will not lie; although it may take some time, wait for it, for come it certainly will before too long. 'You see, anyone whose heart is not upright will succumb, but the upright will live through faithfulness.'

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Second Reading: 1Timothy 6:11-16

That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift of God that you possess through the laying on of my hands. God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power and love and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to our Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but share in my hardships for the sake of the gospel, relying on the power of God

Keep as your pattern the sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. With the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, look after that precious thing given in trust.

Gospel:  Luke 17:5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.' The Lord replied, 'If you had faith like a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea," and it would obey you.

'Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, "Come and have your meal at once"? Would he not be more likely to say, "Get my supper ready; fasten your belt and wait on me while I eat and drink. You yourself can eat and drink afterwards"? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, "We are useless servants: we have done no more than our duty." '

Reflection
By Rosalinda N. Markell

Sometimes we may say, "I do have faith but it is so weak."  Dear brothers and sisters, there is no measuring rod that can measure faith.  Even the smallest amount of faith is enough for God.  For all that He asks is that we believe, just believe! The faith as small as a mustard seed can bring us the love of God. It can move mountains!    

Again we may ask ourselves, "We wonder if we have the right kind of faith?"  All faith, any faith in God is the right kind of faith.  The faith we need is the faith that God lives in our hearts.

    

We recently had a new saint in the person of St Teresa of Calcutta. She was known for her charitable works that she earned the moniker "The Living Saint" when she was still alive. Little do we know that she experienced spiritual doubt and depression which she described as a "dark night of the soul". Mind you, this was not one off, but lasted for 50 years.

And yet she carried on with her ministry. She remained faithful for, according to her, it is not being successful that matters.What matters is being faithful. 

We all go through trials, heartaches, and pains in life and as the days go by, we may become tired, our spirits low. It is then that temptations confront us, praying becomes harder to do and we ask if God still sees or hears our pleas. But God is always there when we need Him, He is always with us. No matter how weary we become, how heavy the burden we carry and how empty we feel, full of misery and pain, there will still be joy in God. 

We just have to keep the faith.

Prayer

O God our Father, how great and wonderful You are! It is true that we do not always understand the reasons for the many things happening to us and our dear loved ones.  Nor the pains and all the evils happening around us, and all the hard times that come to us all.  Dear Father, do not abandon us!  For deep down in our hearts, we know how hard it would be to go through life without You! So please, dear Father, help us grow our faith in You. Please help us to always remember that You are near us and ready to help and protect us. Help us to have faith, dear Father, we do believe in You.  Please have mercy on us Your children.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.

"Self-righteous"

First Reading: 1 Kgs 17:10-16

In those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her, "Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink." She left to get it, and he called out after her, "Please bring along a bit of bread." She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die." Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'" She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

Second Reading: Heb 9:24-28

Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

Gospel: Mk 12:38-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation."

He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."

Reflection

By Patty dela Rosa

Sino nga ba ang mga tinatawag na “ Eskriba “ noong panahon ni Kristo? Ang mga Eskriba ay mga taong dalubhasa sa panulat. Sila ang mga taga-sipi at taga-kopya ng mga kasulatan. Mataas ang kanilang pinag-aralan at sila ay may kaalaman pagdating sa batas ng Hudaismo. Sa madaling salita, hindi sila ordinaryong tao lamang dahil sa kanilang mabigat na tungkulin. At sa estado nilang ito sa lipunan wala silang pinagkaiba sa mga Pariseo at Saduseo na may mataas na pagtingin sa kanilang mga sarili at wala silang ginawa kung hindi tuligsain si Kristo.

Sila ang mga taong “ self-righteous”. Ingat na ingat silang makitaan ng kapintasan ng mga mamamayan. May bigat ang kanilang pananalita. May impluwensiya ika nga. Sila ang mga taong ginagamit ang posisyon upang mapanatili nila ang mataas na pagkilala sa kanila ng mga tao. Mahilig silang magpakita kung saan makakaagaw sila ng pansin at ipinapakita nila na lahat ng kanilang ginagawa ay tama at naayon sa kautusan ng Diyos.

Isang katotohanan na magpasa-hanggang ngayon ay may mga ganitong uri pa rin ng tao. Mga taong ginagamit ang kanilang mga talino, kapangyarihan at matataas na tungkulin sa maling paaraan upang makapang-api o makapang-abuso ng kanilang kapwa.

Ang pagtulong sa ating kapwa at pagbibigay ng abuloy sa simbahan at iba’t-ibang organisasyon ay ginagawa ng kusang-loob. Hindi ito ginagawa para magpasikat at makakuha ng atensyon ng publiko. Hindi dito nasusukat ang ating katapatan at pagmamahal sa Diyos. Wala ito sa laki o liit, ang mahalaga ay ibinibigay natin ito ng may KUSANG-LOOB.

 Sabi nga ni Mother Teresa…

“ It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.”

Paano nga ba tayo sinusukat ng Diyos ayon sa ating pagkatao? Sinusukat Niya ang ating pagkatao sa pamamagitan ng laki ng ating puso. Hindi sa pamamagitan ng dami ng kayamanan, mataas na antas ng pamumuhay, mataas na pinag-aralan, kapangyarihan at kasikatan. Ang pagsukat ng Diyos sa atin ay naayon sa kalinisan ng ating kalooban. Pagiging tapat sa Kanya, pagiging mababang-loob, may pagmamahal at pagmamalasakit sa kapwa.

Ang Diyos ay hindi nang-uuri at wala Siyang “ favoritism “. Lahat tayo ay pantay-pantay sa Kanyang paningin kung kaya huwag tayong mainggit sa mga taong lulong sa bisyo ng kasikatan at kapangyarihan. Dahil sa oras ng kamatayan, Diyos lamang ang tanging huhusga sa lahat ng ating ginawa. Mabuhay tayo ng walang “ yabang sa katawan “. Dahil wala naman tayong maaaring ipagmalaki sa Diyos, lahat ng tinatamasa natin dito sa lupa ay Kanyang pahiram lamang, maging ang ating buhay ay hiram din lamang. Wala tayong pag-aari sa mundong ito. Huwag tayong mabuhay at masilaw sa kasikatan at mga materyal na bagay na nagpapasaya sa ating katawang-lupa. Huwag rin nating gawing pamantayan ang pera sa pagbibigay ng respeto sa ating kapwa. Dahil kailanman hindi ito ang naging sukatan ng Diyos upang tayo ay Kanyang mahalin at ituring na Kanyang mga anak.

Prayer:           

Panginoon, tulungan mo po kaming maging mapagkumbaba. Palayaain mo po ang aming mga puso sa pagkabulag sa kayamanan, kapangyarihan, karunungan at kasikatan. Iwaksi nawa namin ang kasakiman, panghuhusga, kawalang malasakit sa aming kapwa at pag-iisip na kami ay angat sa iba. Ang mga pag-uugaling ito ay magdudulot sa amin ng kapahamakan. Tularan nawa namin ang kababaang-loob ng Iyong anak na si Hesus at isabuhay ang Kanyang mga turo. Amen.

The Joy of Working in the Lord's Vineyard

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
18 September 2011


Come, let us rejoice in the Lord: let us acclaim God our salvation, alleluia.

First reading Isaiah 55:6-9
Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near.
Let the wicked man abandon his way,
the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him,
to our God who is rich in forgiving;
for my thoughts are not your thoughts,
my ways not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.
Yes, the heavens are as high above earth
as my ways are above your ways,
my thoughts above your thoughts.

Psalm: Psalm 144:2-3,8-9,17-18

Second reading Philippians 1:20-24,27
Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something more; but then again, if living in this body means doing work which is having good results-I do not know what I should choose. I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and be with Christ, which would be very much the better, but for me to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need for your sake.
Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ.

Gospel Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’

Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

A friend once posted rants on Facebook about how she hated a certain manager. I really did not know where all the hatred came from, but some of her descriptions of the manager were cruel slave driver, dictator, and monster.

Then I told another friend who have also read the angry outburst, “Isn’t it nice to think that when we get to heaven, there will be a reversal of roles between us and those who oppressed us, a.k.a. our cruel bosses? That is, if they ever get to heaven!”

Laughter followed.

Of course, we were just trying to make fun of the comments of our upset friend and our bosses whom we may not like but never hated.

Unconsciously, we were actually describing what we thought about heaven which is a place where justice is served. We were thinking that the more we serve God, the greater our rewards will be. That the earlier we become real Christians, the higher our ranks in heaven. We thought that Mother Teresa will have more comforts in heaven than, let’s say, the crucified thief (popularly known as St. Dimas) because Mother Teresa dedicated all her life in the service of the Lord, while St. Dimas was a criminal who was only converted on the eleventh hour of his life.

If you have the same thinking as my friend and I used to have, then today’s Gospel reading is very hard to accept. In fact, even after reading it several times it is still very hard to understand. Maybe because it goes against our standards as humans.

But that’s the point. God’s standards are different from our standards. All we can do is obey and trust in His promise of what is waiting for us in heaven. But how is heaven described in the Bible? I ran a search in the Internet for descriptions of heaven as presented in the Bible and there were many results. But all of them suggest that heaven is a place where joy is far greater than all the bliss on earth put together. Where the mere presence of God is already an ecstasy we could not even imagine. Therefore, our ideas of rewarding what is due a person’s service is nothing compared to what is waiting for us in heaven.

But if you still think a righteous person who has served God’s people all his/her life must get more rewards in heaven than someone who served later in his/her life, why not think about bringing the kingdom of heaven on earth?

The joy of serving for all those years, the joy of being able to bring more people closer to God, and the joy of helping people feel heaven on earth (both spiritually and materially) are, by themselves, rewards. Oh how I wish I have discovered my current Christian Community a long time ago! Not because I am expecting more rewards in heaven. But because, I could have been in the right direction in my spiritual life earlier in my life and I would have helped many people by now in bringing them closer to God. Also, I wouldn’t have missed the joy of offering my youth in His service and of His people.

But now is not yet too late. Decades from now, as I reflect on my life, I will be able to say that I am glad because I was one of the first laborers chosen to work in God’s vineyard a long time ago.

Father, thank You for hiring me to work in Your vineyard. May the fruits of our labor bring a taste of heaven to Your people here on earth. Amen!