The Treasure We Seek

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 26 July 2020
First reading 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life f your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.

Second reading                                                          Romans 8:28-30

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Gospel                                                                         Matthew 13:44-52

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old".

Reflection

By Jose Paulo Gonzales

In today’s Gospel, we are given more parables to describe the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the Parables of the Treasure in the Field and the Pearl of Great Price, we see the true value of the Kingdom of Heaven; so great it is a price that once we find it, we would relinquish all else to keep it.

The Kingdom of Heaven is of such great value that the riches of this world would not match it—all with its eternal glory. But as valuable it is a treasure, there is a great challenge to complete: we must yearn; we must pursue to find it. Truth be told – there is a likelihood that one may stumble upon treasure by pure chance, but he sure increases the probability by seeking treasure every day! And this is where it is great to read between the lines—the lessons given by the parables. There is far too great a harvest, but only few willing to labor (Matthew 9:37), so we must not tire out in doing good, for our harvest will come if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).  

The Parable of the Net closely resembles the Parable of the Wheat in last Sunday’s Gospel; it presents us with a dichotomy of personalities: one group whose goodness can be likened to quality-catch fish, and the other, the evil, resembling the fish to be thrown out. The parable calls us to be like quality-catch fish: that with our good works, we would be good finds ourselves, just like the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price.

Parables about the Kingdom of Heaven sure do give us a wealth of analogies to better understand God’s Kingdom—His reign. They also give us great parameters to determine if we conform to the behaviors of one who can be likened to such treasures. It is my hope that we more closely, day by day become like the treasure we seek so earnestly to find! It is the Holy Spirit who can help us in this daily endeavor.   

Prayer

Abba, thank You for giving us a treasure worth giving up all else just to secure, a great pearl whose quality we should try to harness within ourselves, and good fish whose so being a good catch we should try to be, ourselves.

We could only wait with expectant hope about the glorious eternal life that is about to unfold. Thank You for giving us a great future to hope for. May You always be with us and patiently, unyieldingly help us as we yearn for it with good works.


May our good works and exaltation of You be perpetually pleasing to You as our humble sacrifices, in Jesus’ most holy Name, Amen.

The Culmination of Our Reaping

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 19 July 2020
First reading Wisdom 12:13, 16-19

For who will say, “What have you done?” or who will resist your judgment?
Who will accuse you for the destruction of nations that you made?
 Or who will come before you to plead as an advocate for the unrighteous?

For neither is there any god besides you, whose care is for all people, to whom you should prove that you have not judged unjustly; nor can any king or monarch confront you about those whom you have punished.

You are righteous and you rule all things righteously, deeming it alien to your power to condemn anyone who does not deserve to be punished.
For your strength is the source of righteousness, and your sovereignty over all causes you to spare all.
For you show your strength when people doubt the completeness of your power, and you rebuke any insolence among those who know it.
 Although you are sovereign in strength, you judge with mildness, and with great forbearance you govern us; for you have power to act whenever you choose.
Through such works you have taught your people that the righteous must be kind, and you have filled your children with good hope, because you give repentance for sins.

Second reading                                                          Romans 8:26-27

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Gospel                                                                          Matthew 13:24-43

Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'”

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds ar the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

Reflection

By Jose Paulo Gonzales

The Gospel for today gives us three parables that describe the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God has been laid out in different stories to characterize it faithfully, but in our Catechism classes, we learn that the Kingdom of God is the reign of God.

Parables pertaining to the Kingdom of God typically present us with ranges of behavior, some we should veer away from, but one we should emulate. 

In the first parable in today’s Gospel, the wheat can be likened to the good, and the weeds, the evil. 

In the second parable, the good have been likened to a mustard seed which, while at first is unnoticeable, can grow up to be the most magnificent of trees—being of such great function with its size and sturdiness. 

The third parable likens the good to the leaven in the bread, which, although sporadic and separately spread at first, can still permeate the whole and transform the bread, making it rise.

Today’s Gospel gives us insightful takes on how we could be as children of God. As wheat, we are planted in the world with the weed. We have read in the Bible how we should not conform to the pattern of the world (Romans 12:2), but to be in it to spread the Word (Mark 16:15), to be the salt that does not lose its taste (Matthew 5:13), and the light that shines good deeds to others for the Father’s glory (Matthew 5:14-16), not only ours. We could start as small as the mustard seed, or as sporadic as the leaven in the bread, but if we grow, develop some more, and pursue, we could still deliver what God has called us to do.


While we are planted with the weed and grow with the weed, we may suffer for a while in doing good, but we should not tire of doing good, for in the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). While we have small achievements and blessings from the Lord to celebrate here on earth, the culmination of our reaping is at the appointed time of harvest—the end of days. 

Prayer

Lord, thank You for giving us Your parables so we could understand Your Kingdom better. As the wheat, please help us become quality harvest. As the mustard seed, please help us so that even if we start small, we still achieve the good You called us to do.

Please help us in our daily walk in life so we become more and more like Jesus, the perfect example of faith and good works.

May we radiate You forever even with our humble works, in Jesus’ most holy Name, Amen.

Glorifying Jesus in the Saints

Solemnity of All the Saints

November 1, 2015

First reading
Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14 ©

I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

  After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

  One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

---

Psalm	Psalm 23:1-6 ©

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

  the world and all its peoples.

It is he who set it on the seas;

  on the waters he made it firm.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

  Who shall stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart,

  who desires not worthless things.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

He shall receive blessings from the Lord

  and reward from the God who saves him.

Such are the men who seek him,

  seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

---

Second reading	1 John 3:1-3 ©

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,

  by letting us be called God’s children;

  and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him,

  therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God

  but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;

all we know is, that when it is revealed

  we shall be like him

  because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope

  must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

---

Gospel Acclamation	Mt11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened

and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel	Matthew 5:1-12 ©

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;

  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

  they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

  they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

  they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful:

  they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart:

  they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers:

  they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

Reflection

By Edgardo Tulabut

I was to hail a bus in Cavite on my way to my home province of Pampanga when I decided to drop by a DVD sale. This was the All Saints’ Day break many years ago and I extended my vacation leave to a whole week. Although I know it will only be what it is called now as “staycation” because I was only using up my unused leaves and I just wanted to rest. Therefore, there might be some time for a DVD or two; or maybe a movie marathon. As I was busy browsing through the titles, the sales lady offered me their special “horror” packages.

I told her, “Are you kidding me? Every channel on TV is screening horror films nowadays and you offer me horror films?” Of course we are already “suki” that’s why I can say those things to her directly.

Yes, everything on TV was horrifying, glorifying the dark side instead of what the occasion is supposed to be.

There are several write ups one can read on the origins of Halloween, may it be it is Christian origin, Celtic, pagan, or something else…. And I am not going to discuss them here. What I know is that as far as Christians are concerned, Halloween is supposed to be the eve of All Hallows’ Day or All Saints’ Day—The Feast of All Saints.

We should be celebrating the lives of saints and how they can lead us to lives pleasing to God;  not giving glory to the prince of darkness through horror films, trick or treat, and monstrous outfits.

Though little by little, many groups are now doing things differently to counter the western Halloween celebrations. One of them is the Holy Rosary Parish in Angeles City where every year they sponsor a parade for children dressed up as their favorite saints. I know there are also many organizations advocating this. I hope there will be more.

Today’s second reading says “The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”

Let us tell the world about Jesus. Let us tell the world that we do not glorifying the evil one. A simple denouncing  of the distorted image/celebration of Halloween can be a good start. I know it may be hard, especially for those with kids. But for sure there will be ways.

Or maybe a simple social media greeting of “HAPPY FEAST of ALL SAINTS” will do for now. This is for everyone to know that before the western influence, before commercialization, and before this becoming a social activity and a family reunion, it was first of all a CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN celebration of the FEAST OF ALL THE SAINTS.

Prayer

Father God, We glorify You and You alone are our God.  Help us denounce all evil deeds even in simple acts. In Jesus' name, Amen.

All the Saints in heaven, pray for us!

Limitless Love

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Feb 23
First reading Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18

The Lord spoke to Moses; he said: ‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:

  ‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.

  ‘“You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’

Psalm                                                                            Psalm 102:1-4,8,10,12-13
Second reading                                                        1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple.

  Make no mistake about it: if any one of you thinks of himself as wise, in the ordinary sense of the word, then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise. Why? Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As scripture says: The Lord knows wise men’s thoughts: he knows how useless they are; or again: God is not convinced by the arguments of the wise. So there is nothing to boast about in anything human: Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life and death, the present and the future, are all your servants; but you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.

Gospel                                                                         Matthew 5:38-48

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.

  ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

Reflection by Rosalinda Markell

Reflecting on today's Gospel, I came across these words:  "The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit, he has ceased to be wise and to do good.  He devices wickedness on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not abhor evil.  Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens.  Your faithfulness reaches the clouds." (Psalm 36:3-5)

In this psalm, David contrasted the way of life of unbelievers and believers. In conclusion, he affirmed that God will protect and sustain the faithful and punish and destroy the wicked. According to David, the unbelieving person is one who has "no fear of God before his eyes."

Regardless of the circumstances of life, whether we are in a moment of sanity or going through a time of trials such as being bullied at work, made a laughing stock in the neighborhood, persecuted for one's belief, victimized by others' gossip, and the like, let's hold on to God’s love which is always a beacon of hope, ever-present and inexhaustible source of strength and confidence. God's love for us is limitless. Do not worry if people say bad things against you, stay humble, and do not be disturbed. "And when you are disturbed, do not sin, ponder it on your beds and just be silent." (Psalm 4:4). Retaliation is out of the question here.  As the saying goes "Live and let live" or, much better "Let go and let God"! A word of caution though.  When Jesus tells us to bear with one another, it doesn't mean we simply accept evil as something normal.  We must endure evil without compromising our sense of sin. For example, bribing government officials would seem to be norm to fast track our request and stealing might be the easiest way to get rich, but they are still evil.

Prayer

Whenever we hear the things that people are saying about us, heavenly Father, we want so much to set the record straight!  We realize that we have two alternatives, to identify and confront the source, or to let it go and let the truth become self-evident. Please show us what the wisest course of action to take. Then please help us to follow through with confidence, knowing that You are ultimately in control of the situation. We pray, Lord, for enlightenment of our minds, soul, and spirit, and we ask You to please bless us all, even those who persecute us.   Amen.

No Yeast Required

“ I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

First Reading: Acts 10:34, 37-43

Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,  "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. What has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses  of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and (in) Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised (on) the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.  To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name."

Resp. Psalm: Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

You must know how even a small amount of yeast is enough to leaven all the dough, so get rid of all the old yeast, and make yourselves into a completely new batch of bread, unleavened as you are meant to be. Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed; let us celebrate the feast, then, by getting rid of all the old yeast of evil and wickedness, having only the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Gospel: John 20:1-9

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him." So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths  there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

Reflection
By Pietro S. Albano

"Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed; let us celebrate the feast, then, by getting rid of all the old yeast of evil and wickedness, having only the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

Yeast has, for thousands of years, been used in the production of bread and alcoholic beverages.  It converts carbohydrates into carbon dioxide and alcohols. Carbon dioxide is the gas that, when released, makes our ordinary dough 'grow'.

Apart from the taste, what attracts us most of the time to any bread or pastry is their size. Sometimes though, our expectation isn't met.  "Puro hangin lang," (It's all empty air.) we would lament of what we bought from the shop.

There are moments when our lives too are just full of air - no substance and therefore no life.  We may be rich with material things, but we may still be poor in God's sight. We may be able to buy anything in this world, but of what use will it be if the money came from something illegal or immoral? We may be knowledgeable, well versed in many things including the Bible, but don't know how to practice what we know. Puro hangin lang!

At times, we can get blinded by our madness for power, wealth, prestige, etc. so much so that we start to look down on others. Our heads swell, but our hearts become little. In the end, others would call us Mahangin (boastful).

As we celebrate the Lord's Resurrection, let's get rid of being mahangin. We don't need yeast, let alone the yeast of evil that St Paul tells us. What we need is Jesus! End of story!

And if we have Jesus, I'm sure we'll become a people of substance who will speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15).  

Happy Easter!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You have risen from the dead in fulfillment of the Father's will.  You have defeated death, You have conquered sin and evil.  Strengthen us in our baptismal promises to weed out the wickedness and hypocrisy in our heart so as to prove the others our belief in You.  May Mary, our Mother, intercede for us. Amen.