I Am All Those Places

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 13

First reading Isaiah 55:10-11

Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

Psalm                                                                          Psalm 64:10-14

Second reading                                                      Romans 8:18-23


I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed,
which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was
not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was
made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to 
decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till
now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not
only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we 
wait for our bodies to be set free.

Gospel                                                                     Matthew 13:1-23

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

  He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

  Then the disciples went up to him and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,

see and see again, but not perceive.

For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,

their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,

for fear they should see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their heart,

and be converted

and be healed by me.

‘But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.

  ‘You, therefore, are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’

Reflection by Fidji Rivera-Sarmiento

There’ll be days that I’m a cold concrete road, superficially receiving God’s Word. I call it“tinanggap, ngunit hindi niyakap.” Introspectively, I guess that pretty much comes from spiritual egotism; the “alam-ko-na-‘yan” attitude. Or, blame it on boredom especially when I can already predict where the homily is heading to. Or when someone invites me to a charismatic fellowship, and I’d ask, “What’s the topic?” Then, I’d quip, “Ah, alam ko na ‘yan, ganito mangyayari d’yan,” while bursting that person’s bubble, sounding condescending, and actually being accurate.

Or how about those times that I’m that rocky path, “high na high kay Lord,” joyfully receiving God’s Message, praising Him even in the midst of trials. But here comes the super trial and I crumble like a delicate pulvoron, falling down in wee bits, as in “durog na durog.”

Then comes the lure of worldly wealth AND anxiety, and I transform into a thorny ground. Yes, I accept Jesus in every way, giving Him all the corners of my life. “Pero may kondisyon.” 

                               “Jesus, help me earn I want to upgrade my phone.” 

                           “God, I’ll be selfish to that beggar today. Nagbanat ako ng buto, dapat s’ya rin.”

                               “Diyos ko, paano na? Oo, nakaraos ako ngayon, eh bukas?”

                               “Sorry God. Can’t attend Mass today. I.Need.My.Full.Day.Rest.”

                               “Pakialam ko. Basta wala akong ginagawang masama.”

That’s me, serving two gods. Or in more concrete terms, “Namamangka sa dalawang ilog.”

But despite being hard-hearted, spiritually weak, and balimbing to God and the devil, I can be that rich soil, humus and all, earthy, tended with TLC by bulate, fertilized and moist. I try my very best to digest God’s Word and face any challenge head on with full battle gear, with His promises in my heart. I bask in Jesus’ grace, mercy, and compassion. I acknowledge my limitations and strive every single day to be the daughter God ought me to be. In the end, I come victorious in God in spite of all my mistakes and shortcomings.

I know I myself am God’s work in progress. So in the meantime, the road sign says, SLOW DOWN. CONSTRUCTION GOING ON.

Prayer

Dear Father Gardener, Thank You for planting in me a love for Your Kingdom. Thank You for being patient with me. Thank You for watering the seed in my heart with Your Compassion. Thank You for Your Promises; they energize and encourage me all the time. I humbly ask for forgiveness for the times I ignore You; each time I hesitate to accept You; and when I think highly of the gifts You have endowed me Lord. Continue to work on me God. I accept all the trials that make me become who You want me to be.  Amen.

Nowhere But Here...In Christ's Embrace

First Reading: Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges, and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: "If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

But the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among the peoples through whom we passed. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21

Second Reading: Eph 5:21-32

Brothers and sisters:

Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

Gospel: Jn 6:60-69

Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father."

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

Reflection

By Fidji Rivera-Sarmiento

May I be honest and say that I’m at the lowest point in my life right now. I would not go into details, but I am trying to alleviate my depression through the Lord’s Words and through praying to our Mother Mary.

Inner emotional pain is much worse than any physical pain there is, for me. Mind you, I have 3 kids and this emotional ache, if I may call it such, does not compare to giving birth. There is a concoction of feelings of being neglected, of loneliness, of desperation, and even regret that makes you feel like your innards will bulge into your chest. It so palpable that my eyes just want to shut off, I wanted to sleep all the time. But being the mother of 3, all under 7, you know that I cannot just lock the door and nurse my spirit’s wounds, more so cry my eyes out. I have to be strong, to keep it together, and be the sun in the eyes of my kids.

And each time I feel like throwing myself to the floor, I remind myself of Jesus’ promises. I soak myself in the grace of the Lord though praying and reading the Bible. If at times I cannot stop crying, I immediately go to the Blessed Sacrament, and instantaneous relief and comfort fills me up. I have to stand firm and be the person the Lord ought me to be. I have to pick up myself and go to Jesus, for there is nowhere else to go. I can seek friends who I can party with; or maybe find a new sport that I can exhaust all my energy on; or go on a shopping spree to temporary lift me up. But I realized that I have to go through this phase and just completely trust the Lord’s will.

So for you out there, who may be undergoing the same phase as I am, know that you are not alone. I pray that the Lord touches your soul, as much as I felt His Hands on my head, giving me a pat, validating my efforts. I pray that you too may find comfort in His promises, and by seeking inspiration from His Mother who surrendered everything to God. May we always mouth, “Your will be done,” and to totally trust His plans. Complete and utter trust. No more worrying. No ifs and buts. This is what the Lord is asking of you, to believe in His mercy. No human embrace or words can surpass what the Lord has for you. He will give you the comfort you long for and the peace that passes all understanding. There is nowhere to go but to the Lord who’s always ready to welcome you into His arms.

Now ask yourself:

1. Have I sought band-aid remedies for my difficulties?

2. Have I replaced praying with partying and playing?

3. Have I forgotten how the Lord loves me so much?

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for always being available to embrace us when we need Your comfort and love. Thank You for giving us Your mother, Mama Mary, who also inspires us to surrender ourselves to the Father’s will. Amen.

*Tip from a wounded soul: Surround yourself with people who also believe in the goodness of the Lord. If you are the kind who needs to be in a company of friends, seek a community you can pray with. Should you rather want to be alone, like I am now, reading will help you a lot. Do away with your tablets in the meantime and smell the scent of real books, turning each page with a hopeful heart. Bring the Bible everywhere you go. Nothing compares to the comfort of knowing that God will fight the battle FOR you. In the end, try to write. Journaling, blogging, and laying your emotions out help a ton. May God bless you as His plans continue to unfold.