Internal Storms

    

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

23 June 2024

 

First Reading: Jb 38:1, 8-11

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31

Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:14-17

Gospel: Mk 4:35-41

 

Reflection

By: Pietro S. Albano

In today's Gospel, a storm almost swamped the boat where Jesus and His disciples were. While the disciples were frightful, the Lord "was in the stern, asleep on a cushion" (Mk 4:38). Pierre Marie Dumont commented "For us Christians, this boat represents more particularly the Church, which will have to confront many storms along its voyage until the end of time, storms in which external forces are unleashed, but also unfortunately, even more dangerous internal storms."

Early this month, Saint Joseph de Gagalangin Parish (Tondo, Manila) was in the eye of an internal storm. Fr. Alfonso "Al" Valeza, its parochial administrator was removed from office and suspended from exercising his priestly faculties due to his persistent defiance. Obedience is one of the vows made by priests during their ordination. To make matters worse, some of his supporters came to his defense to the point of disrespecting a retired bishop who came to the parish office to meet up with the priest.

Storms like the above can hurt or even dishearten us. Like the disciples, we cry, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" (Mk 4:38). Jesus' power of calming the storm shows that He cares. Believing that He cares, these storms can make us better Christians. Indeed, as St. Paul tells us, "whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Cor 5:17).

Prayer

Lord Jesus, even the wind and the sea obey You. Our disobedience has contributed to the internal storms besetting Your family, the Church. Filled with awe on Your power, transform us into a new creation: a people who will live no longer for ourselves, but for You. We pray in particular for Fr. Al and for Saint Joseph de Gagalangin Parish. Grant them the grace to overcome these storms. Amen.

Humble Beginnings

    

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

16 June 2024

 

First Reading: Ez 17:22-24

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16

Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:6-10

Gospel: Mk 4:26-34

 

Reflection

By: Pietro S. Albano

 

You may have heard stories of how a big organisation such as a school, hospital, or community started from humble beginnings. The Church is no different. Who would imagine a small band of common people would serve as the nucleus of the Church spread all over the world?

God favours humble beginnings. In the First Reading, God desired to plant a tender shoot on top of a mountain. In the Gospel, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to seeds. On their own, shoots and seeds would seem to be useless. Keep them and they will rot. Plant them and they will grow and bear fruit. Indeed, "Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs" (Ez 17:23) and "when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come" (Mk 4:29).

In a rat race culture, we oftentimes grow impatient. We see problems besetting the Church and we want solutions, now. We pray, but more in our own terms and not God's. We act as though we are the main actors of the show. Our readings remind us that God is in control and that He is the main actor. "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain" (Ps 127:1). All that is required of us is to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7)

Prayer

Lord Jesus, may the seeds of Your Gospel take root and bear fruit in our hearts and in the hearts of those around us. Amen.

How To Truly Love God?

    

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

29 October 2023

 

First Reading: Ex 22:20-26

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51

Second Reading: 1 Thes 1:5c-10

Gospel: Mt 22:34-40

 

Reflection

By: Anton B. Ocampo

 

Throughout the course of history, the Lord God has repeatedly shown His love for humanity. Despite humanity falling into sin, which was caused by the disobedience of Adam and Eve, not once has God became tired or had enough of showing His love for us. Yes, humanity does not deserve the love of God because of our sinful nature. In spite of that, God chose to truly love us. This was the main reason why in various Churches, we see images of the Suffering Christ such as the Black Nazarene and Crucifixes or images of Christ dying on the Holy Cross which are either usually displayed on the main or side altars. We are constantly being reminded by these images of the great love God has for us. Because of His great love for us, God came to this world to save us through Christ Jesus who died on the Cross for our sake and rose from the dead on the third day. 

As Christians, we are also called to express our true love and devotion to God. The readings for this Sunday focuses on this topic  teaching us that true devotion, worship, and adoration for the one true God comes only from those who truly love Him. No one can just plainly say that they truly love God and leave it at that with no action to back it up. 

In the First Reading, the Lord God Himself directly states that He despises affliction and oppression of the innocent. No one deserves to be oppressed and abused. God values everyone, no matter what race or group they belong to. Taking advantage of others, especially the lowly, is despicable in the eyes of the Lord God. In the Second Reading, the Apostle Saint Paul reminds the Thessalonian Christians to follow their example in order for their love and relationship with God to continue to grow and deepen. Now, we must remember that this lesson Saint Paul the Apostle teaches in the Second Reading is not only for the Thessalonian Christians at the time but for us who form the one true Church in the present day. We also have many Saints who form the Communion of Saints. They are examples that we must follow as Christians who form Christ’s Church. In the Gospel, Jesus recites the greatest commandment in response to a question posed to Him by a scholar of the law. As stated, one must also love their neighbor as themselves aside from loving God. Love of God and love for neighbor are connected to each other and cannot be separated. 

Genuine love for the Lord God is reflected and expressed in the words of the Psalm for this Sunday: “I love you, Lord, my strength” (Psalm 18:2). If these words in the Responsorial Psalm are our wish, we must begin by discerning what the will of God is. We must humbly open our hearts and ears to the will of God and obey it. By doing this, we make the words in the Responsorial Psalm our prayer. We will be able to express our true love, devotion, and adoration for the Lord with our actions, thoughts, and words. 

Prayer

Teach us to truly love You, O Lord, You who has loved us first. Make Your will for us known so that we will be able to humbly obey it and express our true love, devotion, and worship for You. Amen. 

The Word that Builds Us Up

 Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

23 January 2022

 

First Reading: NEH 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Responsorial Psalm: PS 19:8, 9, 10, 15

Second Reading: 1 COR 12:12-30 or 1 COR 12:12-14, 27

Gospel: LK 1:1-4, 4:14-21

 

Reflection

By: Pietro S. Albano

 

I was shocked to hear how one Filipino politician used the Bible - Jesus' crucifixion to be exact - as a strong case to re-impose death penalty in the country. A prominent bishop has countered this politician's arguments in the hope that he would be enlightened with his wrong interpretation of Sacred Scriptures.

Today is the Sunday of the Word of God, a time we celebrate, study, and proclaim Sacred Scriptures. In the First Reading, Ezra the priest proclaimed and interpreted the Law of God to the Israelites. Nehemiah brought to a close the proclamation of God's Law by telling the people "Do not be sad: the joy of the Lord is your stronghold." These words of encouragement became real in the person of Jesus who, in today's Gospel, read from Isaiah's prophecy: "The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for He has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, and to  blind the new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord's year of favor."

Confusion is not the purpose of God's Word. Rather, it aims at comforting, uniting, and healing a divided and wounded world. God's Word is meant to build us as Christ's Body as mentioned in the Second Reading. To achieve these aims, the Church Magisterium is charged of studying and interpreting the Word of God. Proper and right study are needed before one can proclaim the Bible. With all due respect to that politician, using God's Word as an argument for something against God's will is not acceptable. As we celebrate God's Word this weekend, let us do our part in rediscovering the graces of studying, believing, and living it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You willed that Your Word would become flesh and dwell among us to comfort, unite, and heal us. As we celebrate Your Word this Sunday, grant wisdom to our Church leaders and teachers that they may assiduously study, interpret, and proclaim Sacred Scriptures for the edification of Your people. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

A Sacrament of Christ

Thirty-third Sunday in

Ordinary Time

14 November 2021 

 

First Reading: DN 12:1-3

Responsorial Psalm: PS 16:5, 8. 9-10, 11

Second Reading: HEB 10:11-14, 18

Gospel: MK 13:24-32

 

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

 

Know that he is near.

Jesus spoke to His disciples about His second coming. There is a sense of fear that one would feel as Jesus mentioned the destruction of the sun, moon, and stars. After this scene, Jesus will come in glory and will send His angels to gather those who remained faithful to Him until the end. 

In his message on the Fifth World Day of the Poor, which we celebrate today, Pope Francis wrote:  “The face of God revealed by Jesus is that of a Father concerned for and close to the poor. In everything, Jesus teaches that poverty is not the result of fate, but a concrete sign pointing to His presence among us. We do not find Him when and where we want, but see Him in the lives of the poor, in their sufferings and needs, in the often inhuman conditions in which they are forced to live….[B]elievers, when they want to see Jesus in person and touch him with their hands, know where to turn. The poor are a sacrament of Christ; they represent his person and point to him.” We do not know the day or hour of Jesus’ Second Coming. However, we can prepare for it by reaching out to His least brothers and sisters, the poor in our midst. The Holy Father warns us: “Today, in fact, in the more economically developed areas of the world, people are less willing than in the past to confront poverty. The state of relative affluence to which we have become accustomed makes it more difficult to accept sacrifices and deprivation. People are ready to do anything rather than to be  deprived of the fruits of easy gain. As a result, they fall into forms of resentment, spasmodic nervousness and demands that lead to fear, anxiety and, in some cases, violence.  This is no way to build our future; those attitudes are themselves forms of poverty which we cannot disregard. We need to be open to reading the signs of the times that ask us to find new ways of being evangelizers in the contemporary world. Immediate assistance in responding to the needs of the poor must not prevent us from showing foresight in implementing new signs of Christian love and charity as a response to the new forms of poverty experienced by humanity today.”

• What new signs of Christian love and charity must the Church implement to address poverty?
• How can the poor help you get ready for the Lord’s Coming?

• What is the difference between almsgiving and mutual sharing?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word today. Help us realize that we too are poor because only in this way will we truly be able to recognize them, to make them part of our lives and an instrument of our salvation. Amen.

 

The Lord at Work

The Ascension of the Lord 

13 May 2018

First reading                                                                      Acts 1: 1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Second reading                                                        Ephesians 1:17-23

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Gospel                                                                     Mark 16: 15-20

Jesus said to his disciples, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

As he lay dying, St. Dominic de Guzman told his confreres "Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life." Indeed, the religious congregation Dominic founded has been existing for the past 802 years, devoted to preaching and for the salvation of souls. For me, St Dominic proved true to his word. He continues to animate his spiritual sons and daughters up to this day.

St. Dominic's heavenly help mirrors the Lord's abiding presence in the Church. Having fulfilled the Father's will, Jesus returns to heaven and "sat down at the right hand of God." His Ascension though should not be interpreted as leaving His followers on their own. As our Gospel reading tells us, "...they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them ..." (Emphasis mine).  The continuous growth of the Church through the centuries attests to this. 

There are moments when it seems that our involvement in the parish or our Christian living in a secular society is fruitless, and we just want to give up. The apostles and other early followers of Christ were in the same boat. The Lord's Ascension is a wake up call: Jesus is with us in the middle of the storms that hit us. "If God is for us, who can be against us?", wrote St Paul (Romans 8:31). 

Jesus is working with us. All we have to do is to remain open and hopeful.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we entrust to You our life and vocation. Work in and through us, for the glory of the Father. Amen.

Maybe it's the Founder

Second Sunday of Easter 
(Divine Mercy Sunday)

08 April 2018

First reading                                                                       Acts 4:32-37
The whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the feet of the apostles.

Second reading                                                        1 John 5:1-6

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,
and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know
that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his
commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers
the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.

Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus
is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus
Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood.
And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

There are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood,
and these three agree. If we receive human testimony, the testimony
of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified
to his Son.

Gospel                                                                     John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Reflection

By Gary Tulabut

In September of 2014, a scandal hit a giant shopping mall because one of its tenants was not diligent enough to do a 100% inspection of their incoming merchandise to make sure nothing offensive is printed in any of the pieces of apparel they sell. I am talking about the “a snuggle with a struggle” print of a shirt which was a reference to rape. Of course this is unacceptable! And, as a disclaimer, nothing in the next words that you will read here is ever meant to justify that mistake.

I learned about that scandal, not from the news but, from social media (Where else?). It was not even a friend’s post but that of an acquaintance sharing a news article. She placed her own caption with the shared article.  I do not remember the exact words but I think the caption read, “And to think this mall plays the Angelus every 6 and 12 o’clock…”

My first thought after reading that was, “so if I pray the Angelus regularly, I cannot make mistakes.”

Sad to say, the world is very watchful of us Christians, especially of those of us in the limelight. People are very critical of us that every mistake we make is a blow against the image of the Church ourselves.

They do not understand that we hate the sin but we love the sinner. And that we will try our best to make the sinner repent and go back to God’s ways rather that condemn him/her forever.

Even we lay people are sometimes critical of our Church leaders and some religious people that some would leave the Church when they become disappointed in any of the members or leaders.

Friends, yes we strive to be perfect because our Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48.) But I believe God Himself gave us the room to make mistakes. Look at King David. As a young shepherd who was about to fight Goliath, he picked up five stones (1 Samuel 17:40.) Why five and not one? Isn’t God by his side that one stone is enough to defeat Goliath?

There were quite a bunch of our Bible heroes who were not perfect. Moses killed an Egyptian and buried him in the sand; Jonah was stubborn. Paul persecuted Christians; David had his general killed so he could get the soldier’s wife as his; Solomon was a womanizer. Matthew was a tax cheater. Peter was hard-headed and boastful; He also denied Jesus three times; and the list goes on.

Today, in the Gospel, we see Thomas committing a mistake of doubting the Lord’s resurrection. (Peter also had his faith tested when he was walking on the water, but I wonder why it was only Thomas who was nicknamed Doubting Thomas.) Anyway, Thomas was forgiven and was lectured by Jesus about his lack of faith. But he remained to be one of the pillars of the early Church.

Friends, the almost 2000-year history of the Church has been bombarded with mistakes, scandals even. Thomas' honest mistake was nothing compared to them. Other denominations should even thank the Catholic Church because they do not need to commit the same mistakes that the early Church had done.

But despite all these humiliations, the Church remains standing strong.

I don’t think it’s because of our flawed leaders both now and in the past.

I think it’s because of the Founder.

Prayer

Thank You Father for allowing us to commit mistakes. But more so, thank You for your forgiving love. May the faith of Your Church be on You and not on Your stewards. In Jesus' mighty Name. Amen.

Choose the Path to Humility

Christ the King Nov 23
First reading                                       Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17

The Lord says this: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view. As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep, so shall I keep my sheep in view. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness. I myself will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest–it is the Lord who speaks. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.

  As for you, my sheep, the Lord says this: I will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and he-goats.

Psalm                                               Psalm 22:1-3,5-6
Second reading                               1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28
Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet. And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.

Gospel                                         Matthew 25: 31-46

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
  ‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
  ‘Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.” Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”
  ‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’

Reflection

By Gary T.

Politics, unhealthy competition, envy, gossips and intrigues, back-biting, and all sorts of negativity – you will not find them in religious communities, right?

Wrong! Because the evil one uses these very tools to destroy the Church that is why they will always be around like airborne virus ready to infect the vulnerable ones. Double the triumph for Satan if the victims are supposed to be those promoting Christian values. Sometimes even just mere misunderstandings will be used by the devil to destroy our good relationships with our brethren.

Because of clashes in personalities involved, my friends’ newly formed community was not spared from these issues. Just as they started to be very active in service, doing what they were supposed to do a long time ago, there were misunderstanding among them, questioning each other’s motives.

The good thing is, when they were about to confront one another, each one loaded with his ammo of attacking and defensive words against one another, cool heads prevailed. The Holy Spirit intervened. And each one chose the path of humility even though he might not admit that he is the one in the wrong. Each one just asked for forgiveness and everything went back according to how God wanted His children to be.

Christ is the King of the universe, yet He was born in a manger, was a carpenter, and came from a place no one believed good would come from. He is king, yet He served the poor, the oppressed. He is king but He washed and kissed the feet of His disciples. He is king yet His throne was a cross and His crown made of thorns.

If the King of heaven and earth chooses the path to humility, I don’t see any reason why we cannot do the same in doing God’s business on earth.

As defined by one of the speakers in this year’s Kerygma Conference, humility or meekness is not weakness, but rather it is strength under control!

Prayer

Father, grant us the wisdom to always choose humility in dealing with our brethren especially if we are leaders of your communities so that we may become good examples to those who we are discipling. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Heart of the Matter

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Sept 7
First reading                                         Ezekiel 33:7-9

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, warn them in my name. If I say to a wicked man: Wicked wretch, you are to die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked man to renounce his ways, then he shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death. If, however, you do warn a wicked man to renounce his ways and repent, and he does not repent, then he shall die for his sin, but you yourself will have saved your life.’

Psalm                                                Psalm 94:1-2,6-9

Second reading                             Romans 13:8-10 

Avoid getting into debt, except the debt of mutual love. If you love your fellow men you have 
carried out your obligations. All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall 
not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single 
command: You must love your neighbour as yourself. Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your 
neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.
.

Gospel                                          Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said, ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between 

your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take 

one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain 

any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to 

listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.

‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever
you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.

‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there

with them.’

Reflection

By Theresa Ballo

Have you ever tried to correct a friend’s misbehaviors? Did he listen to you or accuse you of not being able to understand him? Did you somehow follow Jesus’ instructions to His disciples? If not, do you think the outcome would have been different?

To serve again in the parish has been a great challenge for me. The Catholic Youth Organization in St. Joseph de Gagalangin Parish welcomed and loved me when I was a problematic teenager. I was 16 then and just like any normal teenager out there, I was experiencing a lot of crises. Our elders listened and journeyed with me as I passed by every stage. After college, I left Gagalangin for an adventure. Three years after, I went back home, to my family and to the parish.

However, this time, I am a seasoned member and part of the “elders” and now sharing responsibility to a more challenging set of youth members. Youth, who are exposed to a great deal of societal pressures yet still chose to serve God and be with Jesus in the humblest way they can. Speaking from a third person viewpoint, I admire the youth of St. Joseph Parish, theirs are raw talents shared wholeheartedly in the Church. Being with them, I tell you is not smooth-sailing. It is a roller-coaster ride! I guess, in all relationships we have, conflicts are inevitable. We have to learn how each conflict should be handled with care -- which we can learn from today’s readings.

The Gospel talks about sin, relationship, conversation and restoration. It is about acknowledging sin yet choosing to love that person still. Not in human ways but in Jesus’ ways.

First step is to talk personally to the person. There is a secret ingredient to this. First, you have to be a person whom the offender trusts. It will just sound nosy and judgmental if you correct the act immediately. This is a quiet conversation, a humble one. It does not have to be announced to the whole group that you’re going to talk to this person. It is placing yourself in the other person’s shoe rather than being critical. This is not an interrogation or gossiping but an informal interaction of encouraging the best from each other.

Remember when Jesus called Martha’s attention when He visited her and Mary? How about the mistress and the prostitutes in the Bible? How did He handle Peter’s denial? Jesus consistently immersed himself to these people and gently pointed out their shortcomings, offered forgiveness and continued to have a relationship with them.

After doing this step and the person still doesn't see the wrong in what he/she is doing or doesn't see any need to stop the act, move up to the next step--call witnesses. After a private conversation, two or three persons are invited along. This is the tricky part now. If not handled with care, it may appear ganging up a person.

I’m sure Jesus having said this, didn't mean creating a forum to scourge people. After all, He already accepted crucifixion and who are we to humiliate and put someone in public scrutiny? When we bring in a witness, he/she has to be someone with more spiritual wisdom and experience, someone who can listen carefully to both sides.

If the conflict can’t still be resolved after doing the third step, the Gospel said to make the matter public before the Church. I strongly believe that the Church here refers to a community of believers. This is where the community seeks God’s help to intervene. The goal remains to restore and not to push people out of God’s mercy even when the reading says, treat them as tax collectors and pagans. How did Jesus treat Matthew and the other tax collectors in the bible? Isn't it that He called them to be His disciples and ate with them in their house?

The very essence of today’s Gospel is to untiringly believe in goodness. As Mother Teresa says, “Love until it hurts no more”. This is a call to recognize and eliminate sin and to love the sinner at the same time. The journey has to go hand in hand. You might be confused and asks, what about tough love? Tough love especially about parenting is to make the other person know your purpose. A father cannot say to his son, “Since you sinned, you’ll not be my son for a month or until you finally change your ways.” God’s love that manifests in the people we encounter everyday is one that listens and give chances. It is always noteworthy to remember that our purpose for correcting one’s mistake is to cut the sin not the relationship with the sinner, which remains to be the heart of the matter.

Prayer

Almighty Father,t hank You for always giving us a life of second chances. It may seem redundant already that we keep on sinning but still Your mercy teaches us what forgiveness means. In moments of great danger, You give us signals to slow down and stop. Give us the wisdom to share the right blend of being accountable to our neighbor’s wrongdoings. May the Holy Spirit fill our hearts so that our intentions would be pure and our ways would be gentle. Amen.

Reverse Self-Righteousness?

First Reading: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18

Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it; and do not trust to an unrighteous sacrifice; for the Lord is the judge, and with him is no partiality. He will not show partiality in the case of a poor man; and he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. He will not ignore the supplication of the fatherless, nor the widow when she pours out her story. He whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted, and his prayer will reach to the clouds. The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist until the Most High visits him, and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment. And the Lord will not delay, neither will he be patient with them, till he crushes the loins of the unmerciful and repays vengeance on the nations; till he takes away the multitude of the insolent, and breaks the scepters of the unrighteous;

Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 17-19, 23

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

For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. At my first defense no one took my part; all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the message fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

One of the few things that stopped me in the past from accepting and pursuing higher responsibilities in my charismatic community is the thought that my past misdeeds made me unworthy to become a servant of God.

Yes I know that for every saint, there is a past and for every sinner, there is a future as they say. I was also aware that the Church is for the sinners, that doctors are for the sick (primarily).

Still I feared that if people who knew me in the past would see me, let’s say, leading a worship or delivering a talk, they might say “I know this person. How dare he speak and act like that? Don’t we know how sinful this person is?” It’s not even about me. I am more worried that it will have a negative effect to the reputation of my community and, especially, of the Church.

But that was before I got hold of an old issue of Kerygma magazine which had on the second page what seems to be a list of the qualifications of the then leaders of the Light of Jesus community. Their leader was a former porn addict. One of them had many girlfriends despite being married. Another was a former hit man of a fraternity. And the list goes on.

The first thing that came to my mind as I read that page was “Wow, I belong here. Pwede pala!”

So I joined this community and I am glad that they really seek those who are going the wrong way. They accept whatever you are, not judge you but just accept you and make friends with you with the hope that you yourself, with help of God, would realize how to change for the right direction.

So now I am thinking that I might be able to use my (not really very) dark past to be an example for others that there is hope to change. That God loves us no matter what mistakes we had. And that there are people who do not look at our past and are willing to be our friends and to be associated with “sinners” like me.

I really want to make myself as an example for those who are currently spiritually lost. But I still could not do that. Not until I get the proper training or mentoring to do it. Because I am afraid I would become what I would call as a reverse self-righteous person. I might be boasting already of my previous sins to the point that I might be delivering a wrong message.

What if I let people know that I was chain smoker before but now I already quit (just an example). What if they say, “We’ll just follow your way. We’ll just quit later just like you did.”

Or what if I confess that I engaged in sexual immorality in the past (again, just an example). I might send the wrong message that it’s okay to enjoy these worldly things first and just change later.

Until I am confident enough to tell my next of kin about my previous sins, I’ll just keep my mouth shut in public for now. But maybe to help individuals who are already in those situations, with the guidance from the Holy Spirit, I will help by using myself as an example.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for loving us unconditionally. May we always do the same and not be judgmental  to our brethren no matter what their past mistakes are so that we will lead them to You and not the other way around. Teach us Lord not to be self-righteous when we speak. And may our works glorify You always. Amen!