Ang Ubasan ng Diyos

Ika-27 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

04 Oktubre 2026

 

Unang Pagbasa: Isaias 5, 1-7

Salmong Tugunan: Salmo 79, 9 at 12. 13-14. 15-16. 19-20

Ikalawang Pagbasa: Filipos 4, 6-9

Mabuting Balita: Mateo 21, 33-43

 

Pagninilay

Ni: Renato C. Vibiesca

 

Bihira ang ubasan sa ating bayan. Unang beses na nakakita ako ng ubasan sa Candon, Ilocos Sur ilang dekada na ang nakaraan. Mapusyaw na kulay berde ang kulay ng ubas sa Candon at hindi gaanong matamis nang matikman ko. Ang totoo’y wala sa kultura natin ang ubasan at iilang lugar nga lang talaga ang merong taniman ng ubas sa atin. Siguro’y dahil sa klase ng lupa o klima na hindi akma para makapagpabunga ng matamis at masarap na ubas na karaniwang ginagawang alak. Kaya’t hindi katakataka na marami sa atin ang nangangapa sa talinghagang ito sa Ebanghelyo dahil nga halos wala sa kamalayan natin ang pagtatanim ng ubas. 

Nitong nakaraang taon lamang ako namangha nang husto nang makakita ng ekta-ektaryang ubasan at nakarinig ng ilang impormasyon tungkol sa pagtatanim ng ubas. Binigyan pa kami ni Lord ng pagkakataon na makatikim ng ilang klase ng alak mula sa katas ng ubas nang mabiyayaan kami na makapaglakbay sa Europa. Natuklasan ko na masusing inaayos ng magsasaka ang ubasan mula sa paghahanda ng lupa, pagbabakod nito, pagtatayo ng mga gapangan ng baging at ugat, patubig, pruning at pagpapabunga, pamamahala ng peste at sakit ng halaman, paglalagak sa imbakan, pagpipisaan ng ani, hanggang sa metikulosong paghahanda ng sisidlan upang lalong mapasarap ang alak mula sa katas ng ubas. Matrabaho at mahabang pasensiya ang kailangan pala sa pagtatanim ng ubas at dapat na maalam o mayaman sa karanasan ang sinumang magtatanim nito upang magtagumpay. Mahabang tradisyon na nila ang hirap ng pagtatanim ng ubas.

Ang grasya ng paghahanda ng ubasan ang ibinibigay ng Panginoon sa ating lahat. Anuman ang lakbayin natin sa ating buhay ay inihanda na ng Diyos ang lahat na ating kakailanganin upang tayo’y maging matatag sa lahat ng pagsubok. Ipinagkakatiwala ng Diyos sa atin ang biyaya na Kanya mismong inihanda upang masigurong mamumunga ito nang sagana. Ang bunga nito ay hindi lamang upang sarilinin natin at maging sakim sa lahat ng biyaya nito. Itinuturo sa atin ng talinghaga na maging tapat tayo sa Diyos na nagbigay ng saganang biyaya sa ating buhay, at ibalik sa Kanya ang papuri sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggap kay Hesus na ating Panginoon. Madalas ay nabubulagan tayo ng ating sariling tagumpay at nakakalimutan na ang tunay na dahilan kung bakit natin tinatamasa ang lahat ng bungang tinatamasa.

Kaya nga’t sa bawat Misa na ating dinadaluhan, nasasaksihan natin ang sakripisyo ng ating Panginoong Hesus sa pagtanggap natin ng Banal na Dugo sa anyong alak mula sa ubasan at Kanyang Katawan sa tinapay na nagbibigay sa ating ng buhay na walang hanggan. Patunay ang Banal na Hapag sa Misa na laging masagana ang bunga na handog sa ating buhay at marapat lamang na pakumbaba nating tanggapin at paglingkuran nang tapat si Hesus upang lagi tayong pagharian ng Diyos. Amen.

Panalangin

Panginoon, maraming salamat sa ubasang ipinagkatiwala Mo sa amin. Tulungan Mo kaming palaguin ito at maibigay nang buong puso ang alak mula sa mga bunga nito. Amen.

Pagganap sa Tungkulin

Ika-33 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Nobyembre 16, 2025

 

Unang Pagbasa: Malakias 3:19-20a

Salmong Tugunan: Salmo 98:5-6, 7-8, 9

Ikalawang Pagbasa: 2 Tesalonica 3:7-12

Mabuting Balita: Lucas 21:5-19

 

Pagninilay

Ni: Renato C. Vibiesca

 

Kaliwa't kanan ang dagok sa buhay natin dahil samu't saring sakuna ang dumaan sa ating bayan at itinuturing na ngang delubyo ito ng ilan tulad ng malalakas na lindol, sunod-sunod na bagyo't baha, at malawakang kagutuman. Binabagabag din tayo ng giyera sa iba't ibang panig ng mundo at banta sa seguridad sa sarili nating bansa. Naglalabasan din ang mga bulaang propeta na nagsasabing gugunawin na ang mundo. Pero sa Ebanghelyo ngayon, pinapaalalahanan tayo ng ating Panginoong Hesus na kung mananatili tayong tapat sa pananampalataya sa Kanya, hindi tayo dapat matakot dahil ang Diyos mismo ang ating sandigan na magliligtas sa atin. Ang totoo, hindi naman talaga natin alam kung kailan ang eksaktong araw ng paggunaw ng mundo o kahit nga ang oras ng ating kamatayan mismo, ngunit ang sigurado ay ang pag-ibig ng Diyos sa ating mga nananampalataya. Kaya nga hindi tayo natatakot kung sumapit ang araw na ito, bagkus pinapaigting natin araw-araw ang pananalig sa Diyos.

Bilang paghahanda, hindi natin inaabangan ang mga senyales sa langit, sapat na ang paggampan natin ng ating mga tungkulin sa buhay nang may pagmamahal at pag-aalay sa Diyos. Kung ikaw ay estudiyante, sapat na ang pag-aaral nang mabuti; kung ikaw naman ay padre de pamilya o ina ng tahanan, sapat na ang patuloy na paghahanapbuhay at masigasig na pag-asikaso sa pangangailangan ng pamilya; kung ikaw ay nagtatrabaho sa pamahalaan, sapat na ang maging matapat na lingkod-bayan sa araw-araw. Ang mumunting kabutihan natin sa araw-araw na pamumuhay ang magsisilbing magandang senyales ng paghahanda at pagmamahal natin sa Diyos. Ang mga salita ng ating Panginoong Hesus sa Ebanghelyo ang patunay na hinding-hindi tayo pababayaan ng Diyos kung sumapit na nga ang araw na iyon.

Panalangin

Panginoong Hesus, nananalig kami sa Iyong pangako na hinding-hindi Mo kami pababayaan sa oras na sumapit ang aming kamatayan. Biyayaan Mo kami ng grasya ng pagmamahal sa Iyo sa araw-araw sa pamamagitan ng paggampan namin ng aming mga tungkulin para sa mga mahal namin sa buhay. Amen.

The Good Harvest

    

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

23 July 2023

 

First Reading: Wis 12:13, 16-19

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16

Second Reading: Rom 8:26-27

Gospel: Mt 13:24-43

 

Reflection

By: Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

 

Last Sunday's Gospel talked about the different kinds of soil to where the seeds fell as the sower went out to sow, putting emphasis on the rich soil that bears a hundredfold. Today, Jesus again proposed another parable, and this time it is about the kinds of harvest to which good seeds definitely produce good harvests.

We often hear the saying "Kapag may itinanim, may aanihin" (When something is planted, something is reaped)". But it is not enough that we reaped something, we should aim to have good harvests. Try to ask the farmers and you will know that they plant the good seeds, put up water irrigation, use pesticides as needed ensuring to have a good yield in the harvest season. Their work does not end in planting, instead, they exert constant effort to have a good reap.

Today, the Church celebrates the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. It is the third year of the celebration since Pope Francis established it in January 2021 that the fourth Sunday of July of each year be dedicated to our grandparents and the elderly as it is near the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. Our Gospel reading today also fits the celebration as our elders are one of the examples of good harvests. They have aged healthily, blessed with wisdom, and competed well in their life's journey here on earth.

Just like our elders and farmers, may we double our hard work to become good harvests at the judgment day. Remember that Our Lord has made us good from the time we are conceived and continued to cultivate us to become good with His sacraments and teachings hoping that although the enemy plants weeds in the night, may we still emerge as good yield at the harvest time. This we can do, when we constantly seek Jesus in our life and reconcile with Him when commiting sin, knowing that He is good and forgiving.

Prayer

Lord, help us to become good harvests. Surely, we will experience many downfalls on the road, but help us to get back on track comforted with Your mercy and unconditional love for us. This we ask in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Small Seeds...Bountiful Harvest!

“ Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”

- Saint Augustine

First Reading: Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4

O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and thou wilt not hear? Or cry to thee "Violence!" and thou wilt not save? Why dost thou make me see wrongs and look upon trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.

Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14

Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel in the power of God, Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

Gospel: Luke 17:5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, `Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down at table'? Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

Fans like me have just witnessed dreams fulfilled in the recently concluded talent show The Voice of the Philippines. I have been following that show since the blind auditions. And every week, the showcase of talent is really something I do not regret spending my time with.

In that program the artists are grouped into four teams headed by a coach. But there is another division in there that we don’t really care about. In fact, I only noticed it because it is something I can relate with our Gospel topic for this Sunday.

What I am talking about is that in every episode, we see the aspiring singers on one side, which is the stage, and the coaches on the other side. While some of the contestants are already professionals in their field, still we cannot deny the fact that they are nothing (yet) compared to what the four people on the other side have already accomplished. These four coaches are superstars, big names in the industry.

But we know that these coaches did not reach their status overnight. They were once like these contestants trying their best to become somebody someday. And mere talent did not put them where they are right now. It took them years to perfect their craft through hard work and determination.

Same is true with many successful individuals. May they be people in sports, showbiz, employment, business, or in any other fields.

Often times, we admire these people. And we want to be like them. But the problem is we want to be like them at an instant. We want Manny Pacquiao’s wealth and popularity without receiving the same punches every bout. Not to mention his gruesome training. We want to be a LeBron James without being a reserve first. We want to be a Gary V., yet we haven’t even joined single amateur singing contest.

Even at work, sometimes we hate our bosses because we feel that we can do just as much as they can, yet they earn ten times our salaries. They earned it through years of hard work.

Good news is they all started small. Like all of us did.

We just have to keep on planting those small seeds every day. Even if it seems like nothing is happening, let us just keep on planting the right things. Keep on improving our skills. Keep on practicing. Keep on doing good to our customers and subordinates. Keep on improving those relationships that seem impossible to heal. Keep on investing a little of your income every month.

And one day we will harvest big.

Same is true with our faith.

Don’t be discouraged that you do not know much about your faith right now.  
Don’t be discouraged that you cannot even defend your faith because your faith is still very small.
Don’t worry if you think you have very little talent to contribute to your parish or community.
Don’t worry that you have very little treasure to share.
Don’t worry that you barely have time to serve.

Put all these little things together, every day, non-stop. Plant all those small mustard seeds of yours everyday even if it seems like nothing is happening.

You’ll be surprised that one day, you can already deliver a talk in your community. One day, you’ll give even more than 10% of your income to God’s works on earth. One day, you will discover or improve your talents and you’ll be a very important contributor in Church. One day, you’ll have all the time in the world to serve.

But do not wait until all these are with you before you serve. Do it now. With whatever little you have. Let’s start small. But let’s dream Big. Work Hard. Plant everyday.

And one day harvest will come.

Big!

Prayer

Father, we thank you for the little mustard seed of faith that You have placed in our hearts. May we be able to plant these seeds every day and every day and every day until the time You give us a bountiful harvest. Amen!