Can You Handle The Truth?

21st Sunday In Ordinary Time
23 August 2009



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

First reading Joshua 24:1-2,15-18
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem; then he called the elders, leaders, judges and scribes of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Then Joshua said to all the people, ‘If you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve, whether the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living. As for me and my House, we will serve the Lord.’

The people answered, ‘We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other gods! Was it not the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and preserved us all along the way we travelled and among all the peoples through whom we journeyed? What is more, the Lord drove all those peoples out before us, as well as the Amorites who used to live in this country. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 33:2-3,16-23

Second reading Ephesians 5:21-32
Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body – and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church.

Gospel John 6:60-69
After hearing his doctrine many of the followers of Jesus said, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’ Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, ‘Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?
‘It is the spirit that gives life,
the flesh has nothing to offer.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit
and they are life.

‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me unless the Father allows him.’ After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him.

Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’


Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

One time my friends and I were having a discussion on the topic of forgiveness. One of us confessed that whenever he prays The Lord’s Prayer, he finds it very hard to utter the lines “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us.” Often, it’s either he just speak the words softly or hurriedly so that they wont stick to his mind. Or sometimes he would not pray the Lord’s Prayer at all. Why? Because he knows that there’s someone he hasn’t forgiven but there he was asking for forgiveness. He knew God’s conditions that we would be forgiven the way we forgive others. My friend was fully aware of this. That the measure we use for others is the one God will use for us (Lk 6:38). It’s one of the many truths that Christ taught us. But how did my friend react to this truth? I think you will agree with me that the right thing to do is to forgive so that the next time he faces the Lord in prayer he will not be ashamed to ask forgiveness anymore. But he chose just to skip the prayer because of his guilt. It was easier for him to ignore the Lord’s teachings than to forgive. He could not accept the truth and walked away.

This is just a simple example of how we Christians when facing an inconvenient truth would rather ignore the teachings, or twist them according to how we want them to suit us. Like when we learned that on the last day, Christ will judge us by what we have done to the least of our brethren, we say as long as I have faith, I will be saved. Or when we justify not declaring the right taxes by saying everybody does it and we ignore the fact that it is stealing. Or when we give so many reasons to justify abortion i.e. it will be worse to let the child live a life of poverty and just ignore the fact that abortion is killing. Or when we don’t reject pornography as we encounter them everyday thinking that it is okay nowadays. This is a reason why many of us just choose to be passive Christian, non-practicing. Some even go to the point of just saying “as long as I do not do wrong to my neighbors I will be okay” as a way of justifying our rejection of Christ’s teachings.

In today’s Gospel, many of Christ’s early followers were shocked by His declaration of truth. Many chose to go the old ways and not follow Jesus anymore because they could not accept what He was teaching them. But the disciples stood firm on their faith. They chose to accept the truth and have spread the Good News about Jesus.

How do we handle the truth? Do we embrace it or do we walk away?








Lord, Give us the strength to always seek, accept, live, spread, and not walk away from the truth. Amen


Next week on God-speak
Let’s Walk The Talk

Switching Sides

20th Sunday In Ordinary Time
16 August 2009



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

First reading Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built herself a house,
she has erected her seven pillars,
she has slaughtered her beasts, prepared her wine,
she has laid her table.
She has despatched her maidservants
and proclaimed from the city’s heights:
‘Who is ignorant? Let him step this way.’
To the fool she says,
‘Come and eat my bread,
drink the wine I have prepared!
Leave your folly and you will live,
walk in the ways of perception.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 33:2-3,10-15

Second reading Ephesians 5:15-20
Be very careful about the sort of lives you lead, like intelligent and not like senseless people. This may be a wicked age, but you redeem it. And do not be thoughtless but recognise what is the will of the Lord. Do not drug yourselves with wine, this is simply dissipation; be filled with the Spirit. Sing the words and tunes of the psalms and hymns when you are together, and go on singing and chanting to the Lord in your hearts, so that always and everywhere you are giving thanks to God who is our Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the Jews:
‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,
for the life of the world.’
Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’

Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

Three weeks ago, I shared to you my thoughts about the feeding of the five thousand. This account in Jesus’ life on earth is always one of my favorites either in the religion classes, in Mass homilies, or even in bed time stories I listen to as a kid (Yes my father told us bible stories at bed time!). This is because it always presented two sides of the miracle that happened – either the miracle of sharing made by the people or the supernatural phenomenon that Christ divided the bread and fishes to feed the multitude. Almost always, just like what I have also written three Sundays ago, the former wins the argument. We can’t blame those who sided for the miracle of sharing. Aside from its call for us to share and give to our neighbors and its teaching that together we can make even the hardest task done, the supernatural phenomenon seems to tell us nothing new. We might say so what if Jesus was able to magically multiply the food brought by that boy? What lesson in life can we learn from that? We always knew that He can perform miracles much more amazing than that.

Now, I want to switch sides. Not that I give no regard to the miracle of sharing, no. I just want to emphasize something important that I believe is neglected because we concentrate on the said miracle. I am talking about doing what we need to do first, that is to seek God and follow His will. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto us. Put God above all. Like the five thousand, let’s follow Him and he will provide everything else, whether He divides the food to fill five thousand stomachs or initiate potluck among the followers, it does not matter. He will not let us down if we put Him above all.

In today’s Second Reading, St. Paul was telling us to live not as foolish but as wise, not to live in ignorance but try to understand the will of the Lord. And the wisest thing to do is to look for His kingdom, to hunger for the Lord, to hunger for the Bread of Life. Today’s Gospel reading tells us that Jesus is the bread of life. He is the living bread that came down from heaven and whoever eats this bread shall not hunger again. That it is only Him we have to seek and the rest will surely follow.







Lord, thank You for giving us the Bread of Life. May we always seek first to fill our hunger for You above all. Amen!

The Jesus Fans Club

19th Sunday In Ordinary Time
09 August 2009



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

First reading 1 Kings 19:4-8
Elijah went into the wilderness, a day’s journey, and sitting under a furze bush wished he were dead. ‘O Lord,’ he said ‘I have had enough. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down and went to sleep. But an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked round, and there at his head was a scone baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. But the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank, and strengthened by that food he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 33:2-9

Second reading Ephesians 4:30-5:2
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God who has marked you with his seal for you to be set free when the day comes. Never have grudges against others, or lose your temper, or raise your voice to anybody, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ.

Try, then, to imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.

Gospel John 6:41-51
The Jews were complaining to each other about Jesus, because he had said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ ‘Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph’ they said. ‘We know his father and mother. How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus said in reply, ‘Stop complaining to each other.
‘No one can come to me
unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,
and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They will all be taught by God,
and to hear the teaching of the Father,
and learn from it,
is to come to me.
Not that anybody has seen the Father,
except the one who comes from God:
he has seen the Father.
I tell you most solemnly,
everybody who believes has eternal life.
‘I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the desert
and they are dead;
but this is the bread that comes down from heaven,
so that a man may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,
for the life of the world.’

Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

Whenever I write something funny in my blogs (especially when I write them in Tagalog) my friends would say I write like Bob Ong. Whenever I write Bible reflections, my friends would say I write like Bo Sanchez. This often made me want to write a book and wish that either of them would endorse it. I thought that if only Bob or Bo would say at the back cover of my book that “this guy is a copycat; gaya-gaya; no originality” then my book would become a best seller.

I have a friend named Leo. We call him Leo Groban. I think you guessed why. Because whenever he sings Josh Groban songs in our karaoke nights, he really gives justice to his idol’s works and live up to the nickname we gave him.

And there is this kid I know who likes Kobe Bryant so much. And whenever he plays ball with other kids, he would shout the name “Kobe Bryant” as he drives into the hoop as if it were the words of a game announcer over a megaphone.

Why do I write like Bob Ong or Bo Sanchez? Why does my friend sing like Josh Groban? And why is this kid trying to emulate Kobe?

It’s because they’re our idols. We like them so much sometimes we even love them as much as we love their work. And because of this we surround ourselves with their works. We read all their books, buy their CDs, watch their games, and follow every story about them on TV and on the internet like what a real fan does. That is why unconsciously we imitate them because they are already part our system.

Ephesians 5:1 tells us to become imitators of God. Tough act to follow? You bet! Sometimes I still deliberately ask myself “What would Jesus do?” in making choices just to make sure. And when I do that, I always make the right choice. But how do we know what Jesus would do?

Why not become His fan! Yes, a Jesus fan! Why not familiarize ourselves with His works? His biography along with some clippings, documentary and fan mails about Him are compiled in one bestseller. It is called The Bible. There are film adaptation of this book too. All block-busters! What else do you need? A CD soundtrack? Posters? Action figures? What about go to His gigs and fans’ days? They’re called sacraments, fellowships, outreach programs, retreats. We can also make friends with other Jesus fans and surround ourselves with friends who can bring us closer to Him. Let us be His fans! After all, what He has done for us is incomparable to what our earthly idols can do.

It is only then when we become certified fans do we familiarize ourselves of His style. It will be easy to know what He would do in a particular situation. But for the meantime, if you’re still a new Jesus fan, don’t worry, Jesus gave us His number and He can be reached 24/7 if the need to show-off your Jesus-moves arrive! Just dial 7-7-2-9 (P-R-A-Y) and He will guide us to make the right choices according to His ways!

Now, before I end this fan-mail…err… reflection, think about our lives as a book we are now writing, or a CD we are recording, or a film we are directing. Yes, an autobiography. On judgment day, how would you like Jesus to sign the back label of your work, endorsing it to the Father with words “This guy is my copycat!” Now that’s what I call a best seller, a multi-platinum, and a block-buster… in Heaven!

Now, about my friends’ comments that I write like Bob and Bo… Okay, I just made that up. I am actually just a fan who wishes I could write like them!







Lord Jesus, thank you for being the best example for us to follow. May we be able to familiarize ourselves more of Your Jesus-styles and practice more of Your Jesus-moves. May we impersonate You more. Amen!

Next week on God-speak
Switching Sides

A Knight's Tale

18th Sunday In Ordinary Time
02 August 2009



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

First reading Exodus 16:2-4,12-15
The whole community of the sons of Israel began to complain against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness and said to them, ‘Why did we not die at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we were able to sit down to pans of meat and could eat bread to our heart’s content! As it is, you have brought us to this wilderness to starve this whole company to death!’

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now I will rain down bread for you from the heavens. Each day the people are to go out and gather the day’s portion; I propose to test them in this way to see whether they will follow my law or not.

'I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel. Say this to them, “Between the two evenings you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have bread to your heart’s content. Then you will learn that I, the Lord, am your God.”’

And so it came about: quails flew up in the evening, and they covered the camp; in the morning there was a coating of dew all round the camp. When the coating of dew lifted, there on the surface of the desert was a thing delicate, powdery, as fine as hoarfrost on the ground. When they saw this, the sons of Israel said to one another, ‘What is that?’ not knowing what it was. ‘That’ said Moses to them ‘is the bread the Lord gives you to eat.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 77:3-4,23-25,54

Second reading Ephesians 4:17,20-24
I want to urge you in the name of the Lord, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live. Now that is hardly the way you have learnt from Christ, unless you failed to hear him properly when you were taught what the truth is in Jesus. You must give up your old way of life; you must put aside your old self, which gets corrupted by following illusory desires. Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth.

Gospel John 6:24-35
When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’

Jesus answered:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs
but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.
Do not work for food that cannot last,
but work for food that endures to eternal life,
the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you,
for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’

Then they said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’ So they said, ‘What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus answered:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven,
it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven,
the true bread;
for the bread of God
is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.’
‘Sir,’ they said ‘give us that bread always.’ Jesus answered:
‘I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never be hungry;
he who believes in me will never thirst.’

Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

When I was 10 years old, I applied to join the Knights Of The Blessed Sacrament a.k.a. the altar boys in our parish in Pampanga. During our orientation meeting, the knight commander asked “Why do you want to become a knight?” All of us would answer “We want to serve God!” almost in unison. Then we would hear other knights and squires ask with smirks in their faces “Are you sure not just to impress girls?” Every neophyte replied with conviction, “No Sir!”

A few years ago, we had this community program at work where we teach the out-of-school youth who wanted to continue their studies through a government placement exam. We went to their communities every weekend and tutor them on different subjects until the exams take place. The reception by the students, the barangay officials, and the parents was warm. Although most students take the courses seriously, still I could find one or two who were taking the project lightly. I couldn’t help but think if they were there to learn or just for the free food, supplies and shirts that were also provided.

Just recently, a friend approached me and said he wanted to join me in my Catholic charismatic fellowship. I remember him saying “I heard so much about the speaker and I am curious about how good he is.” I told him that he is not always the speaker. “Oh is there a way to know? Coz he’s the point why I wanted to attend” continued my friend. “If he’s the only reason why you want to go there, then just watch him on TV every Sunday, listen to him on the radio daily, catch him on the web 24/7, or just read his books and magazines!” Oh how I wanted to tell him that! But it’s good I was able to control myself or else I became an instrument in stopping one soul to experience a wonderful celebration of God’s love.

In our Gospel reading for today, Christ questioned the motives of the multitude who were following Him. Is it because of their faith or is it because the food satisfied them? Is it spiritual hunger they wanted to fill or is it physical?

Friends, I invite you to examine ourselves. Why do we join outreach programs? Is it really to help the needy or to post pogi pictures in Facebook? Why do we join a fellowship? Because we want to experience God or because it is “cool” and it is the “in” thing? Why do we join a “singles” group? To find someone who will join you in “couples” someday? Why do we prefer a young priest from an old one who could barely utter the texts from the Missal? What if we don’t like the priest? Are we just going to skip that Mass? Why do we even pray? Out of duty or out of love and gratitude? Do we have the right purpose in doing things? What are our reasons in doing good works either spiritual or material? Do we have the right motives? I will let you answer these and many other questions you may add because only you, my friend, with the help of the Holy Spirit, know yourself, your reasons, your purpose and your motives.

By the way, we might not have admitted or realized it then, but yes, most neophyte altar boys (or even the older ones) were there to impress girls. That includes me. Oh, we were just kids! The important thing is we learned as we grow up that there is a higher reason than just to impress anybody. That is to impress God.









Lord, Grant that we may find You as the reason in everything we do! Amen!

The Miracle Of Sharing

17th Sunday In Ordinary Time
26 July 2009



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

First reading 2 Kings 4:42-44
A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing Elisha, the man of God, bread from the first-fruits, twenty barley loaves and fresh grain in the ear.’ ‘Give it to the people to eat’, Elisha said. But his servant replied, ‘How can I serve this to a hundred men?’ ‘Give it to the people to eat’ he insisted ‘for the Lord says this, “They will eat and have some left over.”’ He served them; they ate and had some left over, as the Lord had said.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 144:10-11,15-18

Second reading Ephesians 4:1-6
I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.

Gospel John 6:1-15
Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee – or of Tiberias – and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover.

Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, ‘Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’ He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do. Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, ‘There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted. When they had eaten enough he said to the disciples, ‘Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing gets wasted.’ So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves. The people, seeing this sign that he had given, said, ‘This really is the prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself.

Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

“Magagawa natin ang lahat ng bagay
Ang lahat ng bagay sa mundo
Ilang bagay ay di magagawa
Ang di magagawang nag-iisa

Kung tayo’y magkakaisa
Malulutas lahat ang problema
Isang magandang kinabukasan
Puno ng kasiyahan!”

This is a song we used to sing in my Religion class in grade school. We enjoyed singing the song especially when we added actions to it. But I never understood what it meant. I was confused with the words nag-iisa and magkakaisa. For me they had one and the same meaning, that is to be alone or by yourself. I always find it funny that in the 2nd and 3rd lines it says I cannot do one thing alone but in the 4th and 5th lines it says that if I am alone (my wrong understanding), all problems will be solved. But being a shy boy that time, I never asked older people to help me understand the lyrics.

It was only during the first People Power Revolution that I learned what magkaisa meant. And so was the meaning of that song that used to confuse me. And I believe it has the same message as our Gospel reading for today, that is the miracle of sharing. One thing that was even clearly exhibited to me twenty years later by a friend and officemate, Tere.

Tere belongs to the sector we now call young urban professionals or yuppies. She rents a house, gives to her folks, enjoys a night out with friends and able to save just enough for small investments for the future. She lives a simple yet happy and secured life. Though simplicity is how I describe her lifestyle, Tere has this habit of celebrating her birthdays like some celebrities do. No, I am not talking about the grand celebration like the recent party of a boxing champion’s mom. Tere actually throws parties in orphanages. The program lineups include feeding the children, a little singing and dancing, and gift giving. But where does she get all the money to spend? I think you know the answer. It’s through sharing. Tere asks friends to contribute to her cause and miraculously collects enough to hold her grand party. Yes she is definitely like a celebrity to the eyes of those children and to the eyes of God.

I admire Tere. She is like the boy who first gave his five loaves and two fishes to the Lord which later on multiplied through the miracle of sharing. She is such a good role model of a friend that I wish I could emulate in the future (don’t worry, I’m starting).

Bayanihan, pakikisama, pakikiramay pagkakaisa – we call it by different name. We Filipinos have shown this trait in different ways, big or small. We cannot do most of the corporal works of mercy alone. But when we share no matter how small we can give, we will be able to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and the imprisoned or help in burying the dead.







Lord, thank You for letting us touch the lives of other people. May we continue to perform miracles through the miracle of sharing. Amen!


Next week on God-speak
A Knight’s Tale

Something Good to Cap a Busy Day

16th Sunday In Ordinary Time
19 July 2009



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

First reading Jeremiah 23:1-6
‘Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered – it is the Lord who speaks! This, therefore, is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds in charge of my people: You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them.

Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds – it is the Lord who speaks! But the remnant of my flock I myself will gather from all the countries where I have dispersed them, and will bring them back to their pastures: they shall be fruitful and increase in numbers. I will raise up shepherds to look after them and pasture them; no fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost – it is the Lord who speaks!

‘See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –
when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,
who will reign as true king and be wise,
practising honesty and integrity in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel dwell in confidence.
And this is the name he will be called:
The-Lord-our-integrity.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 22:1-6

Second reading Ephesians 2:13-18
In Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law. This was to create one single New Man in himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single Body and reconcile them with God: in his own person he killed the hostility. Later he came to bring the good news of peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. Through him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father.

Gospel Mark 6:30-34
The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.


Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

It was 9pm. I was still in the office due to long meetings, demanding tasks, and other unfavorable surprises at work. There was even a heavy downpour outside and I had to commute home as I already missed our 7pm shuttle service (obviously). Calling this a long day is an understatement. I couldn’t wait to get home and rest my already weary and aching body.

Just as I was walking to get to the nearest jeep terminal, I received a call from a neighbor-friend. She was rushed to the hospital earlier that day and she asked if I could lend a hand by bringing her some personal things, her medical cards, medicine, etc. from her apartment. She had no relative in town and I was the closest she had for a family.

What a bad timing it was! Right?

Well, good thing is, instead of thinking negatively about the situation, I told myself “Finally, something good to cap the day!” I thought of it as an opportunity to help someone really in need. I did not have anything at that moment but my precious little time that I so much wanted to use for a good-night sleep. And to give that away to my neighbor (literally) is really the best thing to happen that day.

So I went to the hospital to get her keys, then broke into her apartment (with the land lady’s presence of course ) and went back to bring what she needed. By the way, this was Cavite. There were no cabs and no jeep due to the late night and heavy rain. I just hired a tricycle to get to my destinations.

Going back more than ten years ago, when I still work in Makati, I also had a similar situation. I was rushed to the hospital at midday and later had to undergo appendectomy. My family was in distant Pampanga and I was relatively new to the city and had no friends yet at work and in Metro Manila. So I called my land lady and my cousin, who worked nearby, for help. I didn’t know what kind of day they had at work, yet they were there to lend me a hand.

In today’s Gospel, our Lord did not mind using his time of rest to nourish the souls of the multitude who followed Him thereby setting an example for us that truly, when it comes to helping our neighbor, there is no such thing as a bad time!





Thank You, Lord, for giving us the opportunity to show kindness to our neighbors. May we always have the strength, time, and resources to respond to Your call for duty. Amen!

Next week on God-speak
The Miracle Of Sharing

Don’t Do All The Talking

15th Sunday In Ordinary Time
12 July 2009



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

First reading Amos 7:12-15
Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, ‘Go away, seer;’ get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple.’ ‘I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets,’ Amos replied to Amaziah ‘I was a shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 84:9-14

Second reading Ephesians 1:3-14
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.
Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ,
to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,
determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ
for his own kind purposes,
to make us praise the glory of his grace,
his free gift to us in the Beloved,
in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.
Such is the richness of the grace
which he has showered on us
in all wisdom and insight.
He has let us know the mystery of his purpose,
the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning
to act upon when the times had run their course to the end:
that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head,
everything in the heavens and everything on earth.
And it is in him that we were claimed as God’s own,
chosen from the beginning,
under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things
as he decides by his own will;
chosen to be,
for his greater glory,
the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came.
Now you too, in him,
have heard the message of the truth and the good news of your salvation,
and have believed it;
and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise,
the pledge of our inheritance
which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own, to make his glory praised.

Gospel Mark 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.


Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

Have you ever wished you know more about the Catholic Church that we are in – its catechism, history, both the bright and the dark sides, and teachings based from the Bible? Have you ever wished you can always defend your faith against detractors?

I have. Always!

But in the past I was passive about it. I never had the initiative to really learn more about my faith. I was content about what I have learned being an altar boy during my teenage years and never really nurtured my knowledge. That passiveness ended only when I actively got involved as a moderator for the mailing list of a Christian rock band and later on became a staff for a production group organizing concerts for foreign Christian bands in the Philippines. Most of our members are non-Catholics so I find it a must to be very knowledgeable and articulate about my beliefs.

So I did the very fundamental first step in achieving my new found goal -- I prayed. I asked God what he wanted me to do to be His spokesperson. The list He gave me is quite long and I am still barely halfway in accomplishing them. No, God did not instruct me to “take nothing but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in my belt.”Nor did God tell me to “stay in the house of those who welcome me and shake the dust off my feet when I leave those who will not accept me.” Rather, God instructed me to do something I haven’t done before -- to attend a prayer group, and later a charismatic community. He also told me to search for books and websites where I could learn more about the Catholic faith. And then He even sent someone to personally invite me to attend a Catholic community. And guess what, I was even invited to contribute to this website!

Yes, God still sends us to preach in our own little way even by just being good examples of Christian living. Just like with any other intentions, all we need to do is open and surrender our hearts in prayer and listen to His voice. Yes, don’t do all the talking. Let God speak and listen. Then be obedient and magnificent things will happen.

By the way, God still sends us in twos. He lets the Holy Spirit be our partner in fulfilling our mission.







Father, Thank you for speaking to me through prayers! Thank you for making me an instrument in proclaiming Your Kingdom! May this humble beginning be the start of something big in the fulfilment of our mission on earth! Amen.


Next week on God-speak:
Something Good to Cap a Busy Day

Healing Within Our Reach

13th Sunday In Ordinary Time
28 June 2009



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

First reading Wisdom 1:13-15,2:23-24
Death was not God’s doing,
he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living.
To be – for this he created all;
the world’s created things have health in them,
in them no fatal poison can be found,
and Hades holds no power on earth;
for virtue is undying.
Yet God did make man imperishable,
he made him in the image of his own nature;
it was the devil’s envy that brought death into the world,
as those who are his partners will discover.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 29:2,4-6,11-13

Second reading 2 Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15
You always have the most of everything – of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keenness for any cause, and the biggest share of our affection – so we expect you to put the most into this work of mercy too. Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty. This does not mean that to give relief to others you ought to make things difficult for yourselves: it is a question of balancing what happens to be your surplus now against their present need, and one day they may have something to spare that will supply your own need. That is how we strike a balance: as scripture says: The man who gathered much had none too much, the man who gathered little did not go short.

Gospel Mark 5:21-43
When Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered round him and he stayed by the lakeside. Then one of the synagogue officials came up, Jairus by name, and seeing him, fell at his feet and pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life.’ Jesus went with him and a large crowd followed him; they were pressing all round him.

Now there was a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years; after long and painful treatment under various doctors, she spent all she had without being any the better for it, in fact, she was getting worse. She had heard about Jesus, and she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his cloak. ‘If I can touch even his clothes,’ she had told herself ‘I shall be well again.’ And the source of the bleeding dried up instantly, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint. Immediately aware that power had gone out from him, Jesus turned round in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ His disciples said to him, ‘You see how the crowd is pressing round you and yet you say, “Who touched me?”’ But he continued to look all round to see who had done it. Then the woman came forward, frightened and trembling because she knew what had happened to her, and she fell at his feet and told him the whole truth. ‘My daughter,’ he said ‘your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.’

While he was still speaking some people arrived from the house of the synagogue official to say, ‘Your daughter is dead: why put the Master to any further trouble?’ But Jesus had overheard this remark of theirs and he said to the official, ‘Do not be afraid; only have faith.’ And he allowed no one to go with him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. So they came to the official’s house and Jesus noticed all the commotion, with people weeping and wailing unrestrainedly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and crying? The child is not dead, but asleep.’ But they laughed at him. So he turned them all out and, taking with him the child’s father and mother and his own companions, he went into the place where the child lay. And taking the child by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha, kum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’ The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.

Reflection
By Grace Madrinan

There were two healing miracles shown in today’s Gospel. The first healing was on the woman suffering hemorrhages, and the second one was on the girl brought back to life.

The woman and the little girl were healed quite differently. The woman was healed by touching the Master’s clothes in the midst of a crowd and without His consent, while the little girl was brought back to life by Jesus Himself. But in both of these accounts, it tells us about faith.

The healing that happened to the woman suffering from hemorrhages confirmed that faith saves. She believed in the holiness of Jesus enough that just by touching Him will cure her. She did not demand more time with Him, probably because she feels she is not worthy to be given that attention. But still just by the touch of His cloak, the woman was healed. Jesus did not even utter a word, nor gave permission. This tells us how generous Jesus is, His healing is open for all, limitless like a well of water free for all to drink.

The healing that happened to the little girl on the other hand, confirmed that Jesus makes the impossible possible. All people thought that the child was dead and they ridiculed Him for saying she was only asleep. Before the healing even took place, he pushed away the non-believers and took only His disciples and the child’s parents into the room where the girl was. I believe Jesus did that because He knew that their faith will perfect the healing. This only tells us that when two or more faithful ones assemble towards one desire, they will witness great healing.

Two healing miracles both summarize the same thing. Healing is possible where faith is abundant.




Father, we thank You for the gift of healing ever present, within our reach. We are sorry for the times we have doubted Your presence. In every day of our lives, may we be filled with faith to see even the littlest miracles around us. Amen.

Be Still

12th Sunday In Ordinary Time
21 June 2009



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

First reading Job 38:1,8-11
From the heart of the tempest the Lord gave Job his answer. He said:
Who pent up the sea behind closed doors
when it leapt tumultuous out of the womb,
when I wrapped it in a robe of mist
and made black clouds its swaddling bands;
when I marked the bounds it was not to cross
and made it fast with a bolted gate?
Come thus far, I said, and no farther:
here your proud waves shall break.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 106:23-26,28-32

Second reading 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
The love of Christ overwhelms us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, then all men should be dead; and the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them.

From now onwards, therefore, we do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh. Even if we did once know Christ in the flesh, that is not how we know him now. And for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here.

Gospel Mark 4:35-41
With the coming of evening, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’ They were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’


Reflection
By Grace Madrinan

I am rather ashamed to say that in spite of everything that God has blessed me with, I still lack faith. It may not have been obvious to some, but my mind goes in circles each time I am faced with uncertainties. The little faith that I have is shaken. What if my plan won’t work? What if something happens to me? What if they don’t like it? What if…what if? The list of questions is endless.

I am not apart from the disciples when Jesus said to them in today’s Gospel, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" Ouch! Hit me big time. Reminded me of an instance last week where I found myself lost in an unfamiliar place in an unholy hour. I was stricken with panic at the thought of being grabbed in one of the dark alleys. But God sent His ‘good samaritans’ to come in to my rescue. A jeepney driver and his wife gave me directions on what to ride and they dropped me on a well-lit busy street. The driver’s wife even accompanied me to the tricycle station and gave strict instructions to the driver on which road we should take to avoid the unsafe routes. That night, I have witnessed how God’s hand took me to safety.

You know what, I was actually thinking that the storm in today’s Gospel may not really be as violent as the disciples thought -- perhaps, it may be a little furious than usual? But because fear overcame them, the waves looked bigger and the storm grew stronger. That’s how I am, too. I react hastily to adversity to the point that it overwhelms me.

When God ordered the wind to be ‘quiet’ and ‘be still’, I believe He asks us to do the same. Quiet. Be still. I heard a lay preacher who once told that the product of silence is prayer, and the product of prayer is faith. He pointed that the word ‘silent’ is actually an anagram for ‘listen’. It is only when we are silent that we can listen to God’s voice, “Be still and know that I am God”.





Father, thank You for rescuing us in times of adversities. May we learn to keep still and listen to Your direction, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Desire to Become One

Solemnity Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus
19 June 2009



Come, let us adore Christ’s Sacred Heart, wounded for love of us.

First reading Hosea 11:1,3-4,8-9
Listen to the word of the Lord:
When Israel was a child I loved him,
and I called my son out of Egypt.
I myself taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them in my arms;
yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them.
I led them with reins of kindness,
with leading-strings of love.
I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek;
stooping down to him I gave him his food.
Ephraim, how could I part with you?
Israel, how could I give you up?
How could I treat you like Admah,
or deal with you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils from it,
my whole being trembles at the thought.
I will not give rein to my fierce anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again,
for I am God, not man:
I am the Holy One in your midst
and have no wish to destroy.

Psalm or canticle Isaiah 12:2-6
Behold, God is my salvation:
I will be confident, I will not fear;
for the Lord is my strength and my joy,
he has become my saviour.
And you will rejoice as you draw water
from the springs of salvation.
And then you will say:
“Praise the Lord and call upon his name.
Tell the peoples what he has done,
remember always the greatness of his name.
Sing to the Lord, for he has done great things:
let this be known throughout the world.
Cry out with joy and gladness, you who dwell in Zion.
Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Second reading Ephesians 3:8-12,14-19
I, Paul, who am less than the least of all the saints have been entrusted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. Through all the ages, this has been kept hidden in God, the creator of everything. Why? So that the Sovereignties and Powers should learn only now, through the Church, how comprehensive God’s wisdom really is, exactly according to the plan which he had had from all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is why we are bold enough to approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him; This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name:

Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.

Gospel John 19:31-37
It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:
Not one bone of his will be broken;
and again, in another place scripture says:
They will look on the one whom they have pierced.


Reflection
By Grace Madrinan

I am deeply moved with this prayer from St.Paul (Eph 3: 14-19), “…that He (God) may grant you in accord with the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Whenever I read prayers such as this from the Bible, it felt as though I was a part of the audience whom the apostles declared it to thousands of years ago. I can feel the intensity of their words. Come to think of it, we are really an extension of that audience which God had carefully planned it for. And I just feel blessed to have that privilege of being handed these passages from the holy ones we wanted to emulate.

I believe this prayer completely summarizes what God wanted for us: faith, love, and wisdom. We need faith to sustain the power of the Spirit in our lives, which in turn would give us the necessary strength to accept our mission. We need love to be the motivation of all our actions: love of God, love of self, and love of our neighbors. And we need wisdom to purify our intentions, to choose that which glorifies God and not men.

But then again, we might think, “Is this even possible? This can only be done by Saints. Is there still a chance of a Saint in our times?” But I came across a good explanation on becoming a Saint from the reflections of Father John Sherlock, OMI as told to him by his mentor. It says, “All that is necessary to become a Saint is to want to become one. Don’t you believe that God will make you what He created you to be, if only you will consent to let Him do it? All you have to do is to desire it.” In that case, we only have to desire it and God will lead the rest!







Father, thank You for giving us the Bible and all the Saints who served as Your medium to declare Your unfathomable love for us. Like the Saints, may we desire to become one, allowing Christ to always dwell in our hearts. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto Yours.

A Fresh Set of Eyes

Solemnity of Corpus Christi
14 June 2009


Come, let us worship Christ, the bread of life.

First reading Exodus 24:3-8
Moses went and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. In answer, all the people said with one voice, ‘We will observe all the commands that the Lord has decreed.’ Moses put all the commands of the Lord into writing, and early next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve standing-stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he directed certain young Israelites to offer holocausts and to immolate bullocks to the Lord as communion sacrifices. Half of the blood Moses took up and put into basins, the other half he cast on the altar. And taking the Book of the Covenant he read it to the listening people, and they said, ‘We will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey.’ Then Moses took the blood and cast it towards the people. This’ he said ‘is the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you, containing all these rules.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 115:12-13,15-18

Second reading Hebrews 9:11-15
Now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer are sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement and they restore the holiness of their outward lives; how much more effectively the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit, can purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God.

He brings a new covenant, as the mediator, only so that the people who were called to an eternal inheritance may actually receive what was promised: his death took place to cancel the sins that infringed the earlier covenant.

Gospel Mark 14:12-16,22-26
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, his disciples said to Jesus, ‘Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the city and you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, and say to the owner of the house which he enters, “The Master says: Where is my dining room in which I can eat the passover with my disciples?” He will show you a large upper room furnished with couches, all prepared. Make the preparations for us there,’ The disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he had told them, and prepared the Passover.

And as they were eating he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it,’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.’

After psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives.


Reflection
By Grace Madrinan

I love our Catholic faith. I love the colorful traditions, the different festivities and most of all, the Eucharist. The way we celebrate Mass is universal and distinct. One time, I read a fellow Catholic who wrote that he loved it that he was able to attend a Mass in Italy, as if he understood the language. The same exact feeling of warmth came to him each time the host is raised up during communion. He felt God’s love and commitment to His promise as he receives Jesus’ body and blood through communion.

I admit that I did not feel as involved in the Mass before as I am today. Like any other random Catholic Christian, I attended the Mass like an obligation. But when I attended a Mass in another country with a different setting a few years back, it opened my eyes to the beauty of the Eucharist. At that time, the consecration rite was sung all through out. The ceremony was so solemn that it broke me to tears. I was introduced to that feeling of awe, and I realized that the whole Mass is a celebration of love. It is like a serenade of God to His beloved Church. And the offering of bread and wine is the center of His love. Each time His body and blood are raised, it is a reminder of His covenant that Jesus already died for our sins. All we need to do is to receive His offer of salvation.

It pinched my heart that all that time, I was attending the Mass like a zombie – lifeless and clueless of the beauty of the celebration. Good thing, I still have all the chances to savor His vow through every Mass from then on. I agree that attending it may be a bit of a struggle at times. Often our hearts may not be attuned at the moment, or maybe the homily is boring and most of the times, the activities have grown too familiar. I remembered one priest who said that during the Eucharist especially when the host is raised up, you should look at it as if it is Christ Himself who is offering His body and blood to you. All it takes is a fresh set of eyes and an open heart, witnessing it all as if seeing it for the first time.






Father, we thank You for giving us Your Son, Jesus who offered His own body and blood for the salvation of mankind. May we remember His sacrifice at the Eucharist with utmost reverence and love. Amen.

Co-heirs of Christ

Solemnity of The Most Holy Trinity
07 June 2009

Come, let us worship God, one in Trinity and a Trinity in One.

First reading Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40
Moses said to the people: ‘Put this question to the ages that are past, that went before you, from the time God created man on earth: Was there ever a word so majestic, from one end of heaven to the other? Was anything ever heard? Did ever a people hear the voice of the living God speaking from the heart of the fire, as you heard it, and remain alive? Has any god ventured to take to himself one nation from the midst of another by ordeals, signs, wonders, war with mighty hand and outstretched arm, by fearsome terrors – all this that the Lord your God did for you before your eyes in Egypt?

‘Understand this today, therefore, and take it to heart: the Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other. Keep his laws and commandments as I give them to you today, so that you and your children may prosper and live long in the land that the Lord your God gives you for ever.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 32:4-6,9,18-20,22

Second reading Romans 8:14-17
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.


Gospel Matthew 28:16-20
The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’


Reflection
by Grace Madrinan

I almost wanted to turn off my television because of the unending news coverage on the obscene scandal that flourished in all forms of media these days. Details that should have been kept private are exposed. If there’s something good that has come out of it, it may be that of an example of how ugly sin can be -- how a moment of earthly sinful pleasure can cost a lifetime of shame to you and your family.

My initial reaction to the scandal was not apart from the others – I feel ashamed for them and judged them harshly. But later on as the numerous stories unfold, I pity them. I realized that they are no different from us who are sick, who also commit such grave sins. The only difference is that they are media personalities who can’t be overlooked, which makes it much more difficult for them to rectify their mistakes. For us, we just have to confess and resurrect ourselves from our sins. But for them, they will continue to be subjected to scrutiny by many watchful eyes, just like a laboratory specimen.

This then should trigger us to look into ourselves more closely. Have we done our roles to nurture our Spirit enough not to fall into the same pit? Have we done our parts in keeping His commandments? Haven’t we in any way, caused any of His flock to sin? The verse from the second reading struck me the most, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” If we are co-heirs of Christ in heaven, we would give more compassion to the sinners, like Jesus did. If we are Christ’s disciples, we should not have watched or forwarded the scandal videos to our friends and caused them to sin. As Christians who were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, we should spread love not sin.





Father, we ask for Your forgiveness if we, instead of bringing them to You, may have caused our brothers and sisters to sin. May we abide by Your commandments as Jesus taught us and be driven by the Holy Spirit all the days of our lives. Amen.

The Silent Helper of the Lord

PENTECOST SUNDAY
31 May 2009



Alleluia! The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world. Come, let us worship him, alleluia.

First reading Acts 2:1-11
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely’ they said ‘all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome – Jews and proselytes alike – Cretans and Arabs; we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 103:1,24,29-31,34

Second reading 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13
No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.

Gospel John 20:19-23
In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.

‘As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.’
After saying this he breathed on them and said:
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.’

Reflection
by Grace Madrinan

For some reason, my friend was not in good terms with his manager. Just seeing her gets his head to a boil, how much more talking to her for an hour! His exasperated face is still very vivid in my memory, and still amuses me each time. Yet the moment he sings this song, his face lightens up. After a few moments, he is ready to face his manager composed and coherent. It was a mystery to me back then.

Before I attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar, I was not aware of how the Holy Spirit played a role in our faith. I am familiar with the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. I knew that the Father loved us so much that He sent His Son to the world so that we may believe in Him and be saved. And I knew how our Lord Jesus Christ died for us in the cross and rose on the third day. I can clearly picture them in my mind. As for the Holy Spirit, the only illustration I got from the Bible is the ‘tongue of fire’ during Pentecost.

But later on I realized that the Holy Spirit is always present wherever the Son is. It may not have a distinct face, as it take on many forms, but it have a distinct presence. It is the tears when you repent during a confession, the lightness of heart when you sing praises during worship, the flood of inspiration when you give advice to a friend in conflict and the compassion when you give alms to the needy … the Holy Spirit is at work. It is the driving force that moves us to action, the silent Helper of the Lord.

So whenever we are in trouble, weakened and in doubt, we need only call on the Holy Spirit and soon the fire will come rushing in to awaken our weary heart. We just have to prepare our hearts and minds to be overwhelmed by Its presence, and be ready to be led to wherever our mission is.






Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we rely on You to fire up our hearts, instill to us a burning passion to do Your will. Amen.

Bearers of Your Light

Ascension Sunday
24 May 2009



Alleluia! Come, let us worship Christ the Lord as he ascends into heaven. Alleluia!

First reading: Acts 1:1-11
In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is’ he had said ‘what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’

Now having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.’
As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them and they said, ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 46:2-3,6-9

Second reading: Ephesians 4:1-13
I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.

Each one of us, however, has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. It was said that he would:
When he ascended to the height, he captured prisoners,
he gave gifts to men.

When it says, ‘he ascended’, what can it mean if not that he descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things is none other than the one who descended. And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.

Gospel: Mark 16:15-20
Jesus showed himself to the Eleven, and said to them: ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’

And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.

Reflection
by Grace Madrinan

When I joined our local parish choir, my initial intention was to serve the community through music. But through the years, I got more than what I bargained for. My appreciation for the living Eucharist deepened while at the same time, found a second family with the choir. We became brothers and sisters -- one family as they call it. We are solid as a group and has kept to heart our service to the parish that we even volunteered to assist in the on-going church projects.

But as much as there are people who admired our service, there are also people who are not as ecstatic. We were treated with indifference and even discredited our good intentions. But despite all of that, our group remained humble and faithful to our service, and even fired up with more motivation to extend our service beyond music.

Recalling one of the lines in the Gospel today, where Jesus prayed to the Father, “I gave them Your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, any more than I belong to the world.” When we stood firm to remain true servants of the Church, those with worldly motives may not understand, or may even hate us. We may be shaken at times, but recalling the Good Shepherd’s prayer in today’s Gospel, who should we fear? His prayer for protection is always present, the kind of protection that does not necessarily restrict or completely hide us from the world -- but the kind that guide us so that we will not swerve away from our true calling as servants of God and disciples of His words.

Each of us is called to remain and be bearers of the truth. And in doing so, it is almost definite that there will be attempts to bring us down. But we can be assured that God will protect us and keep us equipped to surpass each trial with flying colors.




Father, we are indeed privileged to be given the opportunity to serve You. Keep us consecrated in Your truth so that we can continue to be bearers of Your light. Amen.

God’s Favored Ones

6th Sunday of Easter
17 May 2009



The Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

First reading Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48
As Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his feet and prostrated himself. But Peter helped him up. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘I am only a man after all!’ Then Peter addressed them: ‘The truth I have now come to realise’ he said ‘is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.’

While Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit came down on all the listeners. Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were all astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit should be poured out on the pagans too, since they could hear them speaking strange languages and proclaiming the greatness of God. Peter himself then said, ‘Could anyone refuse the water of baptism to these people, now they have received the Holy Spirit just as much as we have?’ He then gave orders for them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterwards they begged him to stay on for some days.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 97:1-4

Second reading 1 John 4:7-10
My dear people,
let us love one another
since love comes from God
and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,
because God is love.
God’s love for us was revealed
when God sent into the world his only Son
so that we could have life through him;
this is the love I mean:
not our love for God,
but God’s love for us when he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

Gospel John 15:9-17
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’

Reflection
by Grace Madrinan

My friends sometimes tease me as ‘malakas sa Diyos’ (God’s favored one). Maybe because they see the many blessings I received. Most of which are answered prayers. From the simplest ones like finding a convenient ride home, to the more serious ones like complete healing – all I received by the grace of God.

Although I feel flattered at times to be associated as ‘God’s favored one’, I don’t want to think of it that way because I know God does not play favorites. As Psalm 23 states, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”. Therefore, we have everything we need, and He provides at the perfect time we need it.

Come to think of it, aren’t we all God’s favored ones? He sent us His only son to be the light of the world. And if that’s not enough, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. After rising on the third day, He came back to the disciples and prepared them for His mission to spread His Gospel of love, which we now enjoy.

In today’s Gospel, one of my favorite lines states, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete”. What this means to me is that Jesus had so much joy receiving the words from the Father that He wanted us to experience that same joy. He no longer considered us as slaves, but as His friends. And as His friends, we gained the privilege of learning what Jesus heard from His Father, first hand.

As friends of Jesus, we must do our part of fulfilling what He desires for us. And that is to remain in His love. It is already with high esteem to be called as Jesus’ friend, it is only fitting to act according to His commandments.

Remember the saying that sometimes we tend to look almost like our friend whom we are always with? I hope we can look more like Jesus everyday.






Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us. In every moment of our lives, may You find us worthy to be called Your friends. Amen.