Pointless Obedience

    

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

01 September 2024

 

First Reading: Dt 4:1-2, 6-8

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

Second Reading: Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Gospel: Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

 

Reflection

By: Bernard Borja

 

A well-off man organized an outreach event on a weekend with his friends to help the people in the slum area of the city. During the outreach, an elder woman asked the organizer why he is doing it. The man answered, “It is what our private association has been doing every year. We give donations to the poor because we have been blessed with more than we deserve.” The woman asks the man again about his own reason why he does it aside from the association’s yearly event. The man arrogantly answered, “Why do you question the one who is helping you? Can you just accept what we are giving? Maybe that is why you poor can never be successful in life. You always complain even if it is for your own good!”

A young lady is having her driving exam along with her friend. The instructor then asked a question to test her, “Two people are crossing the street. One is walking slow because he is old. The other is a young kid who is running ahead. What do you hit first?” The young lady smiled and winked at her friend to assure her of a correct answer. She then confidently said to the instructor, “Well, the old person already had a long life, but the kid still has a long life ahead. So, I would hit the old one.” The instructor and her friend could not believe what she said. When the instructor walked away shaking her head, her friend said, “That’s not and will never be the right answer! You should have answered ‘you hit the brakes!’ Why would you even think of hitting a person?” The young lady replied, “Shimenet (She may not) like the content of my answer, but I am answering.”

There are many times when we are too confident, and even proud, that we are not doing anything wrong. We oftentimes think that we are above others who do not follow rules. How many of us have been devoted to offering tithes and services in our community thinking that we are doing more than enough to help the ministries? How many of us feel proud joining an outreach for the poor on a Sunday, only to loathe the commuters who are waiting for a bus on a busy highway because they are blocking the driving lane where we are in? Are we even aware of how we “obey” the rules thinking that we are doing good, but forget how we should build our relationship with God?

Jesus rebuked the people who are so rooted in tradition but are not mindful of how God wants His people to obey His commandments in a loving way. We may eat a meal after carefully washing our hands, but if we waste food or even indulge more than we need to, we are missing the point of valuing food as grace. When we donate hard earned money to the church but despise the poor for not paying taxes, we fail to realize the true meaning of giving. Even if I go to mass every day, or receive the sacrament of reconciliation frequently, if I keep on looking down on people who does not follow rules or laws, this may hinder me in building a better relationship with God.

Everything that is good came from God. Saint Paul said that every perfect gift is from the Father, who planted the word of truth in us. He wants to be doers of the word, not just hearers. This is where we need to be aware of our freedom to choose what is good and loving. Jesus said, “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” We are all created by God to be good and loving. It is what we do that makes us good or not. If I see injustice in our society but not speak against it, I am choosing to be unjust and letting the goodness that God planted on me decrease. As we become aware of the good nature within us, may we be reminded how Jesus leads us to have a better relationship with God, for us to understand more and obey His commandments in a loving way.

Prayer

Loving Father, we come to You in our unclean state to ask for Your mercy and compassion. Grant us the grace of awareness of the good in us so that we may choose more of the loving way that Jesus taught us. Help us to find Jesus in every person that we meet and let them guide us in building a better relationship with ou. This we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord, AMEN.

Connect Not Discriminate

    

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

11 February 2024

 

First Reading: Lv 13:1-2, 44-46

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 32:1-2, 5, 11

Second Reading: 1 Cor 10:31-11:1

Gospel: Mt 1:40-45

 

Reflection

By: Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

 

Leprosy as described in the Bible is a contagious disease that caused people living with it be isolated from the society. Up until now, though leprosy is already curable, the stigma remains.

It was in 2015 when I was enlightened about the illness after being the staff assigned on the partnership between the Girl Scouts of the Philippines and Philippine Leprosy Mission, Inc. It is the discrimination that impacts the life of the leper more than the complication of the disease.

Our First Reading and Gospel for this Sunday show us the clear picture of the suffering a leper has to endure because of his state of uncleanliness. Moved with compassion, Jesus made the leper clean so he may be reconnected with his community.

On February 14, Valentine's Day is Ash Wednesday, and we will officially begin the season of Lent. Let us examine ourselves, our lives, our relationships. What are the circumstances that we tend to discriminate others? When was the last time we are moved with pity to help our fellow human being? In this age of modern connectivity, can we actually say that we become more connected with one another?

Inspired by Jesus' example in today's Gospel, may we empathize with the people suffering from discrimination. Let us embrace and love our neighbors regardless of their illness, status, physical looks, beliefs, or ideologies.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to end any form of discrimination made worse by our selfishness and indifference. May You open our eyes to see the reality, our ears to hear the silent suffering, our hands to welcome those in need, and our hearts to love especially those already forgotten by the society. All these we ask in Your Mighty Name, Amen.

Cleanliness

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
09 December 2019

First reading                                                                  Genesis 3:9-15, 20
The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.”
Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

Second reading                                                    Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.

He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.

With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.

Gospel                                                                     Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel as sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

One of the first things we learned at home is cleanliness. We take a shower, we wash our clothes, we tidy our room, etc. Being clean produces a sense of order in our lives and in those around us. An old saying goes "Cleanliness is next to godliness". 

On the other hand, uncleanliness puts people off. Imagine going to work without having washed. Think of walking on the streets with uncollected garbage piled up, wearing stained clothes, eating contaminated food, listening to fake news against a person, or enjoying a luxurious life at the expense of others? Uncleanliness ruins everything.

By eating the forbidden fruit, our first parents have become unclean. By their disobedience, they have ruined everything that God has in mind for them and for the rest of mankind. Thankfully, God loves us and wants us to be saved. By preserving Mary from original sin from the moment she was conceived in her mother's womb, God prepared Mary for an important mission: to be the mother of the Promised Saviour. 

Today's feast gives us hope that God will clean up the mess caused by sin and restore everything according to His plan. Mary, full of grace, said her fiat wholeheartedly to God's revolutionary action. He is calling us too. Are we going to roll up our sleeves and tidy up or are we just going to sit on the fence?

Prayer

Loving Father, thank You for the gift of Mary's Immaculate Conception. Through her intercession, remove all that blights our relationship with You and with others. Amen.