Bias

Fourteenth Sunday in

Ordinary Time

4 July 2021 

 

First Reading: EZ 2:2-5

Responsorial Psalm: PS 123:1-2, 2, 3-4

Second Reading: 2 COR 12:7-10

Gospel: MK 6:1-6

 

Reflection

By: Grace Madrinan

 

"A prophet is not without honor except his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." - MK 6:4

Whenever I read today's Gospel, I feel bad for Jesus. I could not believe how impossible those people were back then. Have they not seen His miracles?

I was too quick to judge but then I realized I was just like Jesus' neighbors. There was a friend who just published an e-book and asked for my "endorsement" a few times already and I keep delaying it. My excuses? "I was too busy". "I kept on forgetting". But when I paused and reflected on it, I realized that deep inside I was jealous. I was too proud to admit that she accomplished something I wanted to do for a long time. I am just hiding the excuse that her work was not "good enough" to be promoted.

So when I snapped out of my pride, I finally got to read my friend's book and promoted it to my friends. I was no longer half-hearted when I said it was a good book, because it is. I just had to have the humility to remove my bias.

Maybe that's how it was during Jesus' time. Their neighbors were probably jealous of the attention He was getting and could not admit that the Son of God rose among them and they were too blind to see.

Prayer

 

Father, free me from my bias  and let me see the potential of every person as You would want me to see. Make me an instrument of your encouragement to pursue good work. Amen.

 

 

Bulag na Kayabangan

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

28 October 2018

First reading                                                                  Jeremiah 31:7-9
Thus says the Lord: “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel.”
“See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here. With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”

Second reading                                                     Hebrews 5:1-6

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people.

And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you;” as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Gospel                                                                     Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Reflection

By Nats Vibiesca

Kapag bulag ka, kayhirap makakita ng tutulong sa iyo. Hindi joke ‘yun. Napapansin ko kasi na ang mga namamalimos na bulag sa bangketa ay madalas na dinadaanan lang, hindi pinapansin, walang nakikialam, walang nagmamalasakit tumulong. Sa dinami-dami ng mga dumadaan, iilan lang ang magbibigay-limos. Maitatanong mo nga kung sino ba talaga ang bulag, ang pulubi o ang mga nagdaraan? Tulad ng kuwento sa Ebanghelyo, walang pumapansin sa bulag na si Bartimaeus, kahit pa nagsisisigaw na siya, nainis pa nga ang mga tao sa ingay niya kaya’t pinatatahimik ito. Naramdaman ni Jesus na sinsero ang paghingi ng tulong ng bulag kaya’t pinatawag siya nito.

Dalawang bagay ang gusto kong ibahaging pagmumunimuni: una, ang tungkol sa lihim na kayabangan ko; ang pangalawa nama’y tungkol sa mga kaawa-awang pulubi sa kalsada. Lahat naman siguro ng tao’y may kayabangan sa sarili, may mga sobrang yabang nga lang talaga na kapag nagsalita ay super bagyo o sa kilos ay tipong talbog ang lahat sa paligid kahit pa matapakan ang kapwa. Ang sa akin ay kayabangang tago. Hindi kasi ako masalita at may pagkamahiyain pa. Pero sa isip ko, sa loob-loob ko, ako dapat ang bida, ako dapat ang pinakamagaling. Ang nakikita ko lang ay ang sarili ko. Kaya sa sarili ko, ako ang mataas at ang lahat ay mababa; ako ang bida, sila ang talunan; ako ang may kapangyarihan, lahat sila’y  mahina. Ang problema, kung ano ang iginigiit sa isip, iyon din ang naisasapuso, at ang malala ay lumalabas ito sa kilos. Ang punto ko’y kung mayabang ako sa loob, ganoon din sa gawa.  Kaya’t anumang pagpapapansin ng mga maliliit na tao, dedma lang sa mga mapagmataas na tao. Hindi nga makikita ng mga mayabang na tao (tulad ko) ang sinumang nangangailangan ng tulong kahit pa nagsusumigaw na ito sa harap nila. Sa gabi, bago matulog, pagkatapos ko balikan ang mga kayabangan sa aking sarili, naghuhumiyaw ako sa Diyos na humihingi ng tulong upang maiwaksi sa araw-araw ang lihim na kayabangan. Tanging si Jesus ang siguradong makakarinig ng aking pagsusumamo kung tapat ang dalangin ko. 

Ang pangalawang bagay sa pagmumuni ko’y ukol sa mga kaawa-awang mga pulubi sa kalsada (kahit hindi bulag). Silang laging umaasa na mapansin ng mga taong nagdaraan at mabigyan kahit man lang barya.  Ang iba’y nangingiming tumulong sa mga pulubi dahil baka raw sindikato lang o may mga taong nasa likod ng kanilang pamamalimos. Kung minsan ay naiinis ang mga taong nakakakita sa kanila lalo na kung may mga bitbit pang mga bata o sanggol bilang pagpapaawa. Ipinagbawal pa nga sa batas ang pamamalimos at mismong pagbibigay ng limos, masakit daw sa mata ang makitang nakakalat sila sa kalsada. Pero teka muna! Hindi lahat ng pulubi sa kalsada ay sindikato o gumigimik lang para kaawaan. Karamihan sa kanila’y totoong nangangailangan ng tulong, silang wala na talagang matakbuhan kahit pa pilitin nilang magsumikap upang magkaroon ng marangal na pagkakakitaan pero pinagsamantalahan lang ng ibang tao. Ang nakalulungkot ay sa dami nilang naging tahanan na ang kalsada’y hindi sasapat ang kakaunting tao na tumutulong sa kanila o may pagkakataong wala talagang nagmamalasakit. Ngunit heto ang rebelasyon ng Diyos sa atin sa Ebanghelyo ngayon at para bagang sinasabi Niya sa ating mga dumadaan: Binulag na kayo ng inyong labis na pagmamahal sa sarili kaya’t hindi na ninyo maaninagan man lang ang mga taong nasa harapan ninyo na humihingi ng saklolo; walang-hanggang awa ang ibibigay Ko sa kanilang mga tapat sa pananampalataya at masigasig na humihingi ng tulong. 

Ito rin naman ang pag-asa nating lahat, kung masigasig din tayong hihingi ng tulong sa Diyos at tapat na mananampalataya sa grasya na ipagkakaloob sa atin na makakitang muli, dahil tayo naman talaga ang totoong bulag.


Sa huli, tulad ng bulag na agad pinagaling, kailangan din nating sumunod kay Jesus. Totoong lagi tayong pinapagaling ni Jesus at madaling sabihing susunod na tayo sa Kanya, ngunit lagi rin namang mahirap isakatuparan ang pagsunod o kung minsan pa’y muli tayong naliligaw ng landas. Kung sakaling manumbalik ang ating pagkabulag, wala naman tayong ibang matatakbuhan, kundi ang pagbabalik natin sa ating pananampalataya, paghingi ng awa at grasya ng Diyos upang magpanibagong sigla ang ating paningin. 

Prayer

Ama, maraming salamat po at Ikaw ay hindi bulag sa aming mga pangangailangan. Tulungan mo po kaming magising sa aming kayabangan at magkaroon ng pusong tunay na nagmamalasakit sa aming kapwa. Sa ngalan ni Jesus. Amen.

The Mango Tree

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

23 September 2018

First reading                                                                  Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
[The wicked say to each other], “Let us lie in wait or the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; for if the righteous man is God’s child, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. Let us test him with insult and torture, so that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected.”

Second reading                                                     James 3:16-4:3

Where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your ravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.

Gospel                                                                     Mark 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples came from the mountain and began to go through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.

He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Reflection

By Art B. Reyes

Two trees are planted by the road side next to each other. One a mango and the other a big acacia tree. The mango with greener leaves bore sweet and juicy mangoes which attract many people to rest under its shade and equally enjoy its sweet fruit. While the acacia tree was just one with several branches and lush leaves but does not bear fruits.

One day, the mango tree having grown so proud of its appearance, looked down on the acacia tree and said to it, "Look at me, I am so beautiful with many fruits. Everyone goes to me to taste my produce. I am the best tree out here!"

The next day, a group of men arrived, they all came under the mango tree and plucked all its fruits. They picked them so roughly that they broke many branches and leaves making the tree unhealthy. After they left, the mango tree looked ugly, ashamed and was in pain. The acacia tree said, "See how pride has eroded you and your beauty, while I am standing here safe and sound. I even provide shade to them who took the life out of you."

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reprimanded His disciples who were arguing as to who among them was the greatest. Jesus pointed out that neither one of them was the greatest. He took this chance to teach them to be humble like a little child. “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and servant of all.”

In pursuit of greatness, we as human beings want to be significant. We want to be “somebody” in the society. We want to be the one who drives the fanciest car, the one with the latest mobile phone, the one with the most expensive luxury bags, etc. We want to achieve something, and ultimately get the recognition. In the end we want to be powerful so we hang out with the important people in our community and treat them extraordinarily because they are “somebody”. On the contrary, we turn a blind eye on the poor, the weak, the unheard, the vulnerable.

Is it wrong to be proud of our hard earned accomplishments? No, until when we start saying “Look at me, look at what I’ve accomplished! And you?” If we think that we are better than other people we cut ourselves off from them. This makes us insensitive to their needs and we may even take advantage of and use them for our own interest. God gave us our gifts and our abilities. But when we selfishly use them, we cut God out of the picture.

If we are to follow the Lord, we must walk humbly with Him. To walk humbly means that our relationship with God is the center piece of our journey and we are His faithful followers. We must journey respectfully, equally, and truthfully with all of our other brothers and sisters.

Prayer

Lord, give me the courage to submit myself to Your good and loving will. Conceal pride from us, and clothe us with humility.  Teach us to be gentle and lowly in heart so we may seek not our own good only, but also the good of our neighbors. Amen.

What Matters Most

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time  31 July 2016    

First reading

Ecclesiastes 1:2,2:21-23

Vanity of vanities, Qoheleth says. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity!

  For so it is that a man who has laboured wisely, skilfully and successfully must leave what is his own to someone who has not toiled for it at all. This, too, is vanity and great injustice; for what does he gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights? This, too, is vanity.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89:3-6,12-14,17

Second reading
Colossians 3:1-5,9-11

Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.
  That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.

Gospel	Luke 12:13-21

A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’
  Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?.” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’

Reflection
By Arthur B. Reyes  

On his death bed, Alexander the Great summoned his generals and told them his three ultimate wishes:

“I want the best doctors to carry my coffin to demonstrate that, in the face of death, even the best doctors in the world have no power to heal.”

“I want the road to be covered with my treasure so that everybody sees that material wealth acquired on earth, stays on earth.”

“I want my hands to swing in the wind, so that people understand that we come to this world empty handed and we leave this world empty handed.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is not preaching against wealth but how wealth is to be acquired and utilized. There is nothing wrong with amassing fortunes, as the land owner wanted to do. It is normal for us humans to strive for riches because we need to provide for our loved ones. However, when we are distracted with our material needs, we tend to forget to include God in our plans.

There are three obstacles to our faith according to St. Ignatius – it is wealth, honor, and pride. He himself experienced how people wanted wealth badly so that they would be highly regarded and respected, and pride in what they possess. But we know things can change very quickly. We may become ill, lose our job, our business turns sour.

At the end of our life, God will not measure us by how many cars we had, how big our house was, or how much money we earned. Share with others our talents, our love, our time because by giving to others we are giving back to God. And when we include God in all of our plans, we are also giving God the glory.

In the end what matters most is not how much treasures we hold in our hands but how we used our heart to uplift others.

  Prayer

Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to desire You as my treasure. Help me to make good use of the material riches You give me that I may use them for Your glory and for the good of others. Amen.