Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    

Ika-15 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

14 Hulyo 2024

 

Unang Pagbasa: Amos 7, 12-15

Salmong Tugunan: Salmo 84, 9ab-10. 11-12. 13-14

Ikalawang Pagbasa: Efeso 1, 3-14

Ebanghelyo: Marcos 6, 7-13

 

Pagninilay

Ni: Renato C. Vibiesca

 

Sa maraming paraan at biyaya ng Diyos, lahat naman tayo ay tinatawag ni Hesus at ipinadadala sa iba’t ibang misyon sa buhay. Sa Mabuting Balita, ipinapakita sa atin ang dapat na maging halimbawa ng mga Apostol kung papaano tayo gagampan sa ating lakbayin bilang mga Kristiyano. Ibinibilin ni Hesus na maging simple lang sila (pinagbawalan pa nga na magdala ng kung anu-ano, light packer ika nga) kahit na ipinagkaloob sa kanila ang maraming kapangyarihan ng Diyos upang tulungan ang mga tao. Pero papaano kung ang mga pari at obispo mismo natin na nagsisilbing mga Apostol ng ating panahon ay kayraming “excess baggage” na dalahin sa buhay? Gagayahin din ba natin sila?

Halimbawa ang pagkakaroon ng maraming mamahaling sasakyan ng ilang kaparian na ang madalas na katuwiran ay donated lang naman daw iyon ng isang mayamang pilantropo o politiko. Naalala ko ang isang mabuting halimbawa ng isang pari mula sa isang relihiyosong kongregasyon na madalas sumasakay ng jeep papunta sa kanyang misyon at kung minsan ay nakikita pa naming nakasabit sa jeep kung wala na talagang upuan, kahit pa may mga sasakyan naman ang kanilang kongregasyon. “Mas maraming mahalagang misyon ang sineserbisyuhan ng mga sasakyan namin kaya mas pinipili ko na mag-jeep na lang”, ang sabi ng paring ito. Kalaunan ay nahalal siya ng kanilang kongregasyon na maging Superior pero hindi pa rin siya bumili ng sarili niyang kotse at kaya pa rin niyang mag-jeep kung kinakailangan.

May naging boss naman ako sa trabaho na isang pari na napaka-cool, parang hindi siya pari ang sabi ng ibang tao. “Father, nasa langit na ba ako?” Naitanong ko ito noon kay Fr. G sa kanyang opisina dahil parang nakalutang na kami sa ulap mula sa kapal ng usok na galing sa kanyang paninigarilyo. Ang totoo, napasindi rin ako ng yosi bago kami nag-usap sa mala-ulap niyang opisina. Isa kasi ito sa bisyo ko noong aking kabataan (na madalas ka-jamming ko pa si Father “cool” sa pagyoyosi). Pero mababait naman po kami nina Father G noon dahil mga kuwento at karanasan base sa Ebanghelyo ang isinusulat namin at inilalathala sa komiks. Teka? Paano nangyari ‘yun, puro bisyo pala kayo at Gospel pa naman ang isinusulat n’yo? Ito ang komento na ayaw naming marinig noon. 

Minsan namang napasabay ako sa sasakyan ng isang pari papunta sa Cordillera, bago bumiyahe paakyat ng bundok ay bumili ng isang kahong alak na Gin ang pari. Nagulat ako dahil napakarami namang alak ang binili niya at binulungan niya ako na para raw iyon sa mga kasama niyang pari dahil sobrang lamig sa bundok. Pero totoo nga na napakalamig sa kabundukan kaya’t napatagay din ako, kaso nalaman ko na gabi-gabi pala nagpapainit ang ilang pari. Naalala ko tuloy ang isang pari sa aming Parokya sa Tundo na gabi-gabi naming nakikitang nakainom kahit napakainit ng panahon, pero mabait naman siya at hindi kami sinesermunan.

Dahil sa mataimtim na pananalangin, pagsisikap at grasya ng Diyos, natatanggal natin ang mga bisyo o mga “excess baggage” na ito. Pero habang tayo’y naglalakbay at naglilingkod sa bayan ng Diyos, patuloy na nilalapitan tayo ng mga tukso at samu’t saring bisyo na pilit sumasama sa ating paglalakbay. Ang masasamang bisyo, maliit man o malaki, mga karangyaang sinasarili natin, mga burloloy o sobra-sobrang palamuti sa ating katawan o pamumuhay ay nagsisilbing “excess baggage” sa ating buhay Kristiyano.  Nagkakaroon ng mas malaking pakinabang ang mga “excess baggage” na ito kung naipapamahagi sana ang katumbas na halaga nito sa mga mas higit na nangangailangan sa buhay.

Panalangin:

Panginoong Hesus, tulungan Mo kami at ang mga lingkod ng bayan sa aming lakbayin, lalo na ang mga Kaparian at lahat ng nagsisilbi sa simbahan, upang tunay na maihatid ang Iyong Mabuting Balita sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mabuting halimbawa. Amen.

The Ultimate Remedy

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 23 February 2020
First reading Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.

Second reading                                                          1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy and that temple you are.

Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”

So let no one boast of men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apol’los or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; and you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Gospel                                                                          Matthew 5:38-48

Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Reflection

By Benj Santiago

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.”

I believe that each one of us has learned early in life through catechism that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.  But undeniably one time or in many occasions we had violated someone, or even our own body. 

Drug abuse, murder, rape, and many other forms of violence against the temple of the Holy Spirit abound around us, in our country, in the community we live in, and even in our own families.  In spite of the fact that we know that God’s Spirit dwells in each one of us. 

Greed, lust, materialism, and hatred are most common cause that push one to destroy the other. 

But all is not lost. There is still hope.In Leviticus 19:18 it says “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”. The ultimate remedy is LOVE. As we enter the season of Lent, it is a great reminder to repent and turn away from our sins. It won’t be an easy battle. Thus, we need to invoke the Holy Spirit that dwells in us to make love to reign in our hearts. 

Prayer


Come Holy Spirit and change our ways of sinfulness. Let love reign in our hearts for ourselves and for all the people we meet and interface with. This we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Gospel Way of Life

First Reading: Wis 7:7-11

I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her; because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire. Beyond health and comeliness I loved her, and I chose to have her rather than the light, because the splendor of her never yields to sleep. Yet all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

Second Reading: Heb 4:12-13

Brothers and sisters: Indeed the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.

Gospel: Mk 10:17-30

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments:

You shall not kill;

you shall not commit adultery;

you shall not steal;

you shall not bear false witness;

you shall not defraud;

honor your father and your mother."

He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

Reflection:

Mark Vertido

Following Jesus is not an easy task. It takes a heart and a determined will to follow Christ in everything. Today’s Gospel shows our tendency to be inconsistent to our faith. The rich man himself cannot accept the invitation of Christ because of its consequences that would change his life. It is really difficult at times to change one’s lifestyle in just a snap. The process may be difficult but Christ invites us more and more to follow the Gospel way of life.

Many holy men and women throughout the ages were inspired by the message of today’s Gospel. One of which is Saint Francis of Assisi, whom I consider as my favorite Saint. Let me talk about his life since every October 4 we celebrate his memorial.

If there was a man who would have followed Jesus in renouncing material possessions and the world, it would be Francis of Assisi. Radically, Francis renounced all forms of materialism and solely depended on God’s Providence. Slowly, Francis attracted followers who would like to live the Gospel way of life of chastity, poverty and obedience – the Jesus Way. Today, they are collectively known as the Franciscan family with numerous branches throughout the world.

I, myself, have been greatly influenced by St. Francis since my younger years (it is then not amazing that he is called the most loved Saint of all times). That influenced went as far as trying to be a Secular Franciscan but I needed to discontinue because of school. Some would say that the life such of St. Francis is a crazy one but nothing has changed. The call of Jesus in the Gospel does not change. And in fact, we are called to be more obedient to Christ as materialism increases in this world which causes great individualism among people.

For more than five months now, I am living here in Metro Manila. From the province where I had experienced simplicity of life, suddenly I am witnessing how materialism and individualism corrupt the values of the people especially the young. It is good to note that the Gospel passage this Sunday from Mark is also found in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospel. And according to Matthew, this rich man in the Gospel is a young person.

It saddens me to observe among many students, selfishness and lack of initiative to respond quickly to the plea of our brethren. We might see some on television helping and so but that is not the real story. The real story is inside the schools. It is not believable that students could not give anything to other people. It is no wonder that even solidarity for social advocacies are not even entertained. And much more, many students do not even give importance to their education. What is happening to them?

Jesus says that it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God and it is easier for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle. It is wrong to think that to be rich is bad. Richness is a blessing from God Himself and He contradicts Himself if He will forbid riches to people. Jesus instructs us to use wisely our riches for the good of others. We do not need to take hold of our riches and keep it for ourselves forever. If we are selfish, we are closing our palms to receive greater blessings from God. And there is no greater blessing than to receive the promise of entering the kingdom of God. If we close our hands, we are also denying God to guide us to His kingdom.

Applying the Gospel in our life, I am reminded of a quote saying, “Live simply that others may simply live.” This affirms what the Gospel tells us to be. Let us not be bothered by our riches rather let us be bothered how to live according to God’s will. Our life is not measured by material things or achievements which are likened to our breath, vanished by the blow of the wind. God wants us to live in simplicity so that the riches we have may be shared to others.

During the Year of Faith, let us live out what it means to be followers of Christ. To be a Christian means to be obedient to the will of Christ. The Blessed Mother is always the perfect example for obedience to the will of God. Living life to the fullest does not mean to live all its pleasures, but to walk with our own sufferings and the sufferings of others. That is life living the Gospel. “From Gospel to life, and life back to the Gospel.”

Commitment: Open your arms to the needy and live life according to the Gospel.

Prayer

Loving Father, help us to become Your true disciples. Give us determination and will to accomplish the unique plans that You have set for us. Teach us to live the Gospel way of life and to respond to the needs of our brothers and sisters. May we become dependent to Your Divine Providence rather than to material things. Inspired by Your Word, may we live simply that others may simply live. Amen.