Gaining to Give

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 4 August 2019
First reading Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23

“Vanity of vanities!” says the Teacher, “vanity of vanities! All is vanity. Even one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.”

Second reading                                                          Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11

Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

Gospel                                                                         Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

Reflection

By Jessa Janelle Padilla

Nowadays, we tend to idolize money than God. We are living for material/earthly things which are just temporary. We disregard living our our real purpose or mission in life.

Our Gospel for today teaches us that what we have now can’t be brought to our graveyard or even the afterlife. Why most of us focus on becoming rich regardless of the legality of how we obtain it? Are we not aware that everything we have is just temporary and borrowed? We are just caretakers of what we have and as caretakers we must learn to value it and even share it with those in need. Anytime, our possessions will be taken away from us.

As I read my readings for my graduate studies, I was inspired by Antonio Meloto (the founder of Gawad Kalinga). Meloto is a devout Christian with a mission in life: to help the poor. He didn’t hesitate to live in the slums with criminals, drug addicts, and poor His agenda is to make them feel that they are loved and cared for in spire of still belonging to a harsh society. He uplifts them and provides ‘Kalinga’ (help) to change their life’s point of view. Can we ask ourselves if we too are willing, like Meloto, to live with those kinds of people? Most of us will say a Big NO. But wait, they are just victims of the harsh society and deprived from having the basic needs. For those reason they were forced to become such kind of people. Our mission as Catholics is to understand them instead of judging them. Giving care and love than driving them away. Let’s help them to rehabilitate themselves with our little act of kindness and understanding.

The desire to achieve and have everything is normal and okay with a note that we need to share it. Sharing is caring. My father taught me that I must not become greedy. I must be contented on what God provides us and share His blessings with those in need. As I grew up, I’ve learned the values of caring and sharing what I have with other people. My father always remind me that I must be thankful because God never fails to bless us abundantly.

Let us be not like the brother or the rich man in our Gospel today who only focused on gaining and not even know how to share. They only focused on themselves. My brothers and sisters, richness doesn’t define who we really are. The way we treat people regardless of our status in life defines us. God teaches us to share and a little act of kindness is worth a thousand grand. 

Prayer

Lord, enlighten our hearts to be generous and not greedy, to learn the value of sharing and caring.  May we not just focus on gaining but rather value giving. May we also live our lives for heavenly desire and not for earthly things. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen

Pagpasok sa Tahanan ng Diyos

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

14 October 2018

First reading                                                                  Wisdom 7:7-11
I prayed, and understanding was given me; I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to sceptres and thrones, and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her. Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem, because all gold is but a little sand in her sight, and silver will be accounted as clay before her. I loved her more than health and beauty, and I chose to have her rather than light, because her radiance never ceases. All good things came to me along with her, and in her hands uncounted wealth.

Second reading                                                     Hebrews 4:12-13

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

Gospel                                                                     Mark 10:17-30

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'”

He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age-houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions-and in the age to come eternal life.”

Reflection

By Nats Vibiesca

Si St. Francis of Assisi agad ang naiisip ko sa tuwing naririnig o nababasa ang Ebanghelyo tungkol sa mayamang lalaki na sinabihan ni Jesus na ipagbili ang lahat ng kanyang ari-arian at ipamigay sa mahihirap ang pinagbentahan kung gusto niyang magkaroon ng kayamanan sa langit. Siyempre nalungkot ang lalaki dahil napakayaman niya.  Samantalang ang santong si Kiko, hubo’t hubad na lumakad sa kalsada (buti’t nakatalikod siya sa pelikula) dahil ipinamigay niya ang lahat ng kanyang kayamanan sa mga mahihirap, kaya nga galit na galit ang tatay niya, at pati ba naman balabal o anumang saplot niya’y ipinamigay rin. Pero ‘pag ginawa natin ngayon ang maghubo’t hubad sa kalsada kagaya ni Kiko, sasabihing baliw ka o kaya’y huhulihin ka ng mga pulis dahil exhibitionist ka. Pero teka? Ano nga ba’t kayhirap gayahin ang ginawa ng santong si Kiko? 

Pagkatapos kong maisip si St. Francis at mapagnilayan ang ginawa niyang sakripisyong pagtalikod sa karangyaan at saka sumunod kay Jesus, samu’t saring katanungan naman ang babagabag sa ‘kin. Halimbawa’y lahat ba ng mayaman ay mas mahihirapang makapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos? Marami naman akong nakilalang mayayaman na talaga namang napakabuti at napakabanal. O, ibig sabihin ba’y ang lahat ng mahirap ay mas madaling makakapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos? Pero marami rin namang mahirap na nalugmok na sa kasalanan at patuloy na tinatalikuran ang paanyaya ng Diyos sa kanila. 

Ano nga ba ang ibig sabihin ng “Makapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos”? Hindi ba’t laging hangad ng Diyos na ang tao’y maging masaya? Kung kapiling ang Diyos, sigurado ang kasiyahan, hindi ba’t kasama sa Kaharian ng Diyos ang maging masaya tayo? Masama bang maging mayaman? Dahil kapag naging mayaman ay mahihirapan na nga bang makapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos? Hindi na ba tayo dapat gumawa ng paraan para yumaman? Sino nga ba ang taong ayaw maging mayaman? Exempted na si St. Francis. Parang ayoko na tuloy tumaya sa lotto. Hangad ng Diyos na maging masaya tayo at kung nakukuha natin ang mga bagay na kailangan natin sa buhay nang hindi natatapakan ang ibang tao, hindi ba’t sobrang kasiyahan ang dulot nito? 

Ang suspetsa ko’y ang tinutukoy ni Jesus na mayayaman na mahihirapang makapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos ay ang mga taong sobrang yaman na at nakukuha ang lahat ng pangangailangan at labis na luho sa buhay, pero sobrang ganid pa rin sa pagpapayaman sa pamamagitan ng pagwawalanghiya sa kanilang mga trabahador kung sila’y negosyante, na hindi ibinibigay ang tamang pagpapasweldo o tamang benepisyo sa mga tauhan o kaya’y sobrang magpatubo ng kanilang produkto at serbisyo kahit pa ang buong pamayanan ang magsakripisyo, silang mayayaman na walang pakialam sa kahirapan na nararanasan ng mga tao sa paligid nila, silang nilulustay nang todo-todo ang anumang yaman kahit masakripisyo ang ibang tao o maging kalikasan, sila ang mga kinain na ang prinsipyo at dangal para lang makamkam ang ari-arian ng iba, silang mayayaman na handang gawin ang lahat ng panloloko sa kapwa o kahit pa pumatay ng tao makuha lamang ang kapangyarihan sa bayan.   

Lumaki ako sa Tundo at nakasalamuha noon ang maraming isang-kahig-isang-tuka sa buhay. Madalas na naririnig ko noon sa kanila’y magsusumikap talaga sila sa paghahanapbuhay para makaahon sa buhay (hindi para yumaman) dahil gusto raw nilang tulungang maiangat din ang iba pang mahirap. Hindi nakapagtataka ito dahil naranasan namin kung papaano ang magdildil ng asin, naramdaman kung papaano masaktan sa pagkakataong kung minsa’y kahit asin at kanin ay walang-wala. Kaya nga laging buhay na buhay ang bayanihan sa lugar ng mahihirap; kapansin-pansin na likas na matulungin sila dahil lagi silang nakaalalay sa nangangailangan; kung minsa’y hindi na nga kailangan humingi pa ng tulong ang kapwa nila mahirap dahil napakasensitibo nila sa pangangailangan ng iba at kahit walang-wala’y siguradong gagawa ng paraan para makatulong; totoo ang pananampalataya nila sa Diyos kaya’t walang humpay ang pananalangin; karaniwan ang paghahangad ng kung ano lamang ang kailangan at hindi ganid sa pera para magkaroon ng anumang luho sa katawan; at kung naliligaw naman ng landas ay laging hinahanap ang paraan para makabalik sa tamang daan.  

Alam ni Jesus na hindi totoong tamad ang mga mahihirap. Laging nasa isip kasi nila ang makaahon sa buhay upang matulungan ang kapwa, ngunit kahit anong pagsusumikap nila ay hirap na hirap umasenso dahil nga sa kawalan ng oportunidad. Sa bansa nati’y laging ang mga makapangyarihang mayayaman na ganid sa pagkamkam ng anumang ikayayaman nila ang nagkokontrol ng oportunidad kahit pa gawing alipin ang mga manggagawa. 

Kahit pa nasasanay na sa mga pagtitiis ang mga mahirap, nakatuon pa rin sa kung papaano iraraos nang marangal ang isang araw, subalit anu’t anuman ang mangyari’y hindi nakalilimutang ialay sa Diyos ang anumang dagok ng buhay, sapagkat ang paniniwala nila’y anumang lakas at pag-asa upang lumaban sa hirap ay biyayang galing din sa Panginoon, at nakakasumpong naman talaga ng kaligayahan sa biyaya ng Diyos. Kaya’t nakita ko na maraming masayahing tao sa Tundo o kung saanmang mahihirap na komunidad. 


Ito nga talaga ang misteryo ng buhay, ang naghihikahos pa ang may napakataas na dignidad sa hanapbuhay at sila ang kadalasang nakakaranas ng tunay na kaligayahan sa buhay.  Ang pagbibigay ng tunay na kaligayahan sa mga mahihirap ang rebelasyon ng Diyos sa atin sa Ebanghelyo, dahil walang hanggang ang Kanyang awa, ang pinakamaliit na nilalang ang Kanyang laging kinakalinga. Mahirap sigurong maunawaan ito ng mga mayayaman kung nakatuon na lamang sa pagpapanatili o pagpapayaman pa lalo ng anumang bagay sa mundo kahit pa natatapakan na ang ibang tao. Kung magmagandang loob naman at maisip na mamahagi rin ng kayamanan sa mahihirap, ano’ng silbi ng pamimigay ng kayamanan, kung hindi naman sila susunod kay Jesus at mananatili lamang sa buktot na gawain? Ang panawagan ni Jesus sa Ebanghelyo ay huwag nating kalimutan ang mga maralita, ibigay natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya upang matulungan ang mga nangangailangan. Pagkatapos ay talikuran na ang anumang kasamaan at ituon nating lagi ang pansin sa pagsunod sa Kanya. 

Ang mensahe ni Jesus ay babala at grasya rin hindi lang sa mga mahihirap kundi upang bigyang pagkakataon din ang mga mayayamang nakaligtaan na ang maliliit nilang kapwa at ang pagsunod sa Diyos.  

Prayer

O butihing Ama sa langit, maraming salamat sa lahat ng mga biyaya at pagkakataong ibinibigay Mo sa amin upang kami ay makatulong sa aming kapwa. Nawa’y patuloy kaming magkaroon ng kakayahan at pagkakataon na makapagbahagi ng Iyong pagmamahal sa aming kapwa sa ngalan ni Jesus. Amen.

Abundance or Poverty

“ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

First Reading: Prov. 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31

When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

Second Reading: 1Thess. 5:1-6

Concerning times and seasons, brothers, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night. Then people are saying, "Peace and security," then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.

Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30

" It will be as when a man who was going on a journey  called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents;  to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five.  He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' (Then) the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more. 'His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy. 'Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back. 'His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'

 Reflection
by Elizabeth Eguia

Life is what we make it. How we think, what we believe our life will be, will definitely happen.  I am one of the living proofs of this. More than six years ago, I had financial difficulty. I didn’t have a stable job. It went to a point when I was penniless, spent most of my savings and became dependent on my younger sister’s support. I was depressed and I felt ashamed considering my younger sister was just giving me budgeted money.  I cannot buy what I want. I cannot go to places on my own wherever and whenever I wanted to. In short, I felt trap. I felt I don’t have other place to go.

But the good news about this is, God has guided me in this troubled times. He really works in mysterious ways. He can make difficult situations turn into opportunities to make you the best person that you can be. And to make you realize there is a God who listens and who knows our heart's desire. At that time prayer was my weapon, my only source of strength as I face each day. When you feel depressed or in a negative mood, what happens is that the positive energy cannot flow inside us. So we need to condition our minds, our hearts, and our souls that everything will turn out great in spite of all this.

God’s guidance led me to make plans on what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. You will just be amazed of the doors of opportunities He will open for you and you just have to execute all the plans you have made. It did work for me.  Today, I have improved a lot financially speaking and became wiser by God’s grace compared to six years ago. All these are through our gracious God only! I wouldn’t have done it if wasn’t for Him, for the events, the people He has used to make me a better person.

Today’s Gospel is focused on abundance and poverty. God loves us so much that He has entrusted to us different blessings. It is only up to us to use them wisely. It doesn’t matter what's your current status in life right now. Whether you are rich or you are poor, He has allotted something to each one of us. That is how special we are to Him. Two key ingredients that we should not forget are: to thank God before the blessings come, when the blessings are continuously outpouring, and even after the blessings are received. Secondly, give back to God a portion of the blessings He has given us.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, we praise and glorify You for the gift of abundance You have given to each one of us. Grant us wisdom to use them wisely and make it grow a hundred or a million fold to help others and give back to You all the glory. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

Be Rich and Still Get to Heaven

6th Sunday In Ordinary Time
14 February 2010


We are God’s people, the sheep of his flock: come, let us worship him, alleluia.

First reading Jeremiah 17:5-8
The Lord says this:
‘A curse on the man who puts his trust in man,
who relies on things of flesh,
whose heart turns from the Lord.
He is like dry scrub in the wastelands:
if good comes, he has no eyes for it,
he settles in the parched places of the wilderness,
a salt land, uninhabited.
‘A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord,
with the Lord for his hope.
He is like a tree by the waterside
that thrusts its roots to the stream:
when the heat comes it feels no alarm,
its foliage stays green;
it has no worries in a year of drought,
and never ceases to bear fruit.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 1:1-4,6

Second reading 1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20
If Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.
But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.

Gospel Luke 6:17,20-26
Jesus came down with the Twleve and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon Then fixing his eyes on his disciples he said:
‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.
Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.
‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.
‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’

Reflection
By Benj Santiago

“If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world”

In my business and at the same time apostolate as missionary for spreading financial literacy, I meet different kinds of people with varied levels of education and financial standing. It’s a pity that many people romanticize poverty. They say it is okay with them to be poor for they are closer to Jesus that way. They do not want to be rich for it will take away their chance to enter heaven, as if there are no rich people in heaven.

St. Paul is very clear in his teaching to people in Corinth. He said that we need to hope in Christ not just for our temporal needs of this world but for our everlasting life in heaven. This does not mean that we must be poor or we must not be rich so we can enter heaven. It simply means that for whatever we strive for in our life, and beyond, we put our hope in Christ.

I meet a lot of people happy and rich people, whose main aim to be rich, is to be able to help more people with what they have. They are rich not because they are greedy of wealth, but because they want to share more of what they have to less fortunate. They are extremely happy now, and I’m sure they’ll be happier when they reach their final destination: heaven.

Heavenly Father, we ask You to bless us with wisdom to put our hope in Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord for whatever temporal things we long for on earth, that may lead us to heaven
Amen.

Next week on God-speak
Repentance and Forgiveness

Giving All I Have

32nd Sunday In Ordinary Time
8 November 2009




Come, let us worship Christ, whose bride is the Church.
First reading 1 Kings 17:10-16

Elijah the Prophet went off to Sidon. And when he reached the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks; addressing her he said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a vessel for me to drink.’ She was setting off to bring it when he called after her. ‘Please’ he said ‘bring me a scrap of bread in your hand.’ ‘As the Lord your God lives,’ she replied ‘I have no baked bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am just gathering a stick or two to go and prepare this for myself and my son to eat, and then we shall die.’ But Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, go and do as you have said; but first make a little scone of it for me and bring it to me, and then make some for yourself and for your son. For thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel:
“Jar of meal shall not be spent,
jug of oil shall not be emptied,
before the day when the Lord sends
rain on the face of the earth.”’
The woman went and did as Elijah told her and they ate the food, she, himself and her son. The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 145:6-10

Second reading Hebrews 9:24-28

It is not as though Christ had entered a man-made sanctuary which was only modelled on the real one; but it was heaven itself, so that he could appear in the actual presence of God on our behalf. And he does not have to offer himself again and again, like the high priest going into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own, or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began. Instead of that, he has made his appearance once and for all, now at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself. Since men only die once, and after that comes judgement, so Christ, too, offers himself only once to take the faults of many on himself, and when he appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to reward with salvation those who are waiting for him.

Gospel Mark 12:38-44

In his teaching Jesus said, ‘Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive.’
He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.’

Reflection
By Mayzelle Atienza

“… but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”

The Ondoy disaster which flooded most of Metro Manila brought out a lot of modern-day heroes and philanthropists! It was a time of great giving and people were saying that Christmas came early for the Philippines because of the heightened spirit of giving! The Gospel for today though, further qualifies what real giving is – giving out of one’s wealth vs. giving everything ‘one has to live on’.

I remember at the height of the flooding with so many millions of pesos pouring in, one particular news item struck me; a well-known sports celebrity gave Php 1Million for the victims of Ondoy. It was big news; after all, 1 Million pesos will go a long way in helping so many people but the story doesn’t end there, at least for me, since several months back that same sports celebrity lost Php1 (or so) Million pesos on a billiard game -- his actual net worth was in millions of dollars! I am not really judging since I am in no position to judge and I struggle with this myself – not in that million-peso magnitude but in my daily decisions on what to give to God, to my family, to my friends and to my community. What is my ‘two small copper coins’? Am I giving out of my excess or out of my poverty? Am I giving all I have to live on or am I giving only what’s convenient?






Loving Father, mold our hearts and our minds that we may find joy in giving, not from our excesses and from what is convenient but allow us to truly give, out of everything we have to live on. Amen.







Next week on God-speak
Prepare Rather Than Fear

Ephphatha

23rd Sunday In Ordinary Time
06 September 2009



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

First reading Isaiah 35:4-7
Say to all faint hearts,
‘Courage! Do not be afraid.
Look, your God is coming,
vengeance is coming,
the retribution of God;
he is coming to save you.’
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
the ears of the deaf unsealed,
then the lame shall leap like a deer
and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy;
for water gushes in the desert,
streams in the wasteland,
the scorched earth becomes a lake,
the parched land springs of water.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 145:6-10

Second reading James 2:1-5
My brothers, do not try to combine faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord, with the making of distinctions between classes of people. Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, beautifully dressed and with a gold ring on, and at the same time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes, and you take notice of the well-dressed man, and say, ‘Come this way to the best seats’; then you tell the poor man, ‘Stand over there’ or ‘You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.’ Can’t you see that you have used two different standards in your mind, and turned yourselves into judges, and corrupt judges at that?

Listen, my dear brothers: it was those who are poor according to the world that God chose, to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.

Gospel Mark 7:31-37
Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it. Their admiration was unbounded. ‘He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.’

Reflection
By Fidji Rivera - Sarmiento

I am an 80s baby. By the time I came to realize where I live, and that my country is the Philippines, it was already the EDSA revolution. I still remember back in preschool, when my teacher asked us to wear yellow, and I was tasked to sing Magkaisa. Whenever I watched the television, though it felt at that time that we as a people were victorious over some villain, I always sensed that my country was (and still is) poor. Poor in such a way that we are very unlike the United States and the European countries, and that Japan was a place where some of my classmates’ parents work. Of course, after having Sibika at Kultura (Civics & Culture), and Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) in school, I learned that we are even a third world country. My questions back in high school are still questions today. Let me share them with you.

1. Why is the Philippines poor?
2. Has poverty become our culture? Has it been the part of the Filipino psychology?
3. Is there a connection between our being Christians and being in the poverty line?
4. Is money really the root of all evil, or is it how money rules one’s life?
5. Have we taken Jesus’ words literally, so much so that we subconsciously chose to remain poor to see the kingdom of God? And then complain that most of our country is hungry and dissatisfied with the government?
6. Why do people blame the government for their misfortunes?

I know that for some of you, these queries are very immature, yet they have evolved to complex ones, try reading about this topic online (Philippines’ culture of poverty). But the premise remains the same. Some might also think that I am siding over the government, for which I truly am not. I am neither pro nor anti-government. But why have we remained poor? Deaf? Blind? Crippled, even when Jesus has already commanded, Ephphata!” meaning “be opened”?

Poverty has never been, and will never be a hindrance to any success. This has been such a cliché, and it seems that some Filipinos have never learned that, after watching so many episodes of Maalaala Mo Kaya, or Negosyete even. It seems to me, that after all, we have remained the Juan Tamad, waiting for the apple to fall from the tree, just like we are waiting for the government to wave its wand and turn this country upside down. Try passing by a squatters’ area where you can see tables and tables of men (and women, too) doing nothing productive. They drink, play bingo, gossip, and blame the government for their mishaps.

It is high time, that we stand up and become proactive. We have all the right tools in our bag – we are Christians; we are intelligent and creative; we are humble and we know suffering and sacrifice like no other; we are resilient Filipinos.






Father,
Today, we especially pray for our country. That we realize that the change we have been yearning for lies within us. It is not upon the government, or our employers but it is upon ourselves, and how we strive to be better Christians each day and contribute to the society. May we stop the blame game, but rather take the initiative in being productive on our own and be accountable to each Filipino. May we use the talents that you have endowed us, and think of creative ways to enrich ourselves in order to help our kapwa Pinoy (fellow Filipino). May we realize that being poor does not mean being financially poor, but rather poor in spirit, humble and obedient to Your Will. In the end, may we remain open to You and always heed to Your Call – “Ephphata!” This we pray through Mary our country’s Beloved Mother. Amen.