Bahay-Dalanginan

Kapistahan ng Pagtatalaga sa Palasyong Simbahan sa Laterano, Roma

Nobyembre 09, 2025

 

Unang Pagbasa: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12

Salmong Tugunan: Salmo 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

Ikalawang Pagbasa: 1 Corinto 3:9c-11, 16-17

Mabuting Balita: Juan 2:13-22

 

Pagninilay

Ni: Renato C. Vibiesca

 

Para sa mga aktibong Katoliko o Kristiyano, alam na natin na hindi lamang ang gusali o batong istruktura ang tinutukoy kapag sinabing simbahan, kundi ang sambayanan ng Diyos. Sa katesismo, nalaman nating tatlo ang sambayanan ng Diyos, ang Simbahang Nagtagumpay, Simbahang Nagdurusa, at ang Simbahang Nakikibaka. Magkaka-ugnay ang tatlong sambayanan ng Diyos dahil kailangan nila ang isa’t isa. Pero hindi ko na iisa-isahing ipaliwanag ito dahil mas personal ang gusto kong ibahaging pagninilay ngayon. Nanaginip kasi ako kagabi at nagpakita sa panaginip ko ang aking kaibigang namayapa na at isa pang kaluluwa na hindi ko kilala. Sa panaginip ko, nasa compound kami ng Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA), sa dati naming pinapasukan bilang alagad ng tagapaglathala ng Gospel Komiks, Catholic Digest at iba pang babasahin. Hinabol ko ang aking kaibigan nang dumaan sa harap ko at iba pang kasama naming nagdiriwang ng anibersaryo ng pagkakatatag ng CFA; Rocel Siena ang pangalan niya at sa panaginip ko nga ay alam kong patay na siya o kaluluwa na lang ang nakikita ko. Binati ko siya nang maabutan at kinamayan ko pero parang nag-aalangan siyang iabot ang kanyang kamay na mabilis ko namang kinuha at napansin kong malambot ito. Napansin ko ring kumikinang ang balat niya sa mukha. Sinabi ko sa kanya na buti’t pinayagan siya ng Diyos na makabisita muli sa lupa at ang sagot niya ay “siyempre kaibigan kita”. Tuwang-tuwa ako pagsabi niya noon, pero alam ko na nanghihingi siya ng panalangin. Nagtanong ako sa kanya kung totoo nga bang may Purgatoryo dahil gusto kong malaman kung dapat ko nga ba silang ipagdasal, pero hindi siya sumagot. Siguro’y limitado lamang ang salitang pinahintulutan ng Diyos na sabihin niya. Ang sumagot ay ang isa pang kaluluwa na kasama niya pero hindi ko siya kilala, ang sabi niya ay “mula sa kinalalagyan namin ay napakahirap makarating sa langit”. Pagkasabi niya noon, nagising na ako at naunawaan ko na kinakailangan natin talaga silang ipagdasal upang makasama na rin nila ang Simbahang Nagtagumpay na kapiling ang Diyos. Dapat nga talagang walang patid na ipanalangin natin (bilang Simbahang Nakikibaka) araw-araw ang Simbahang Nagdurusa (kaluluwang nasa Purgatoryo) dahil tayo lamang ang inaasahan nila. Bago nga pala ako nagising, nasabi ko kay Rocel na huwag niya kaming kalimutang ipagdasal din sa Diyos kung nanduon na siya sa Langit. Kaya nga marami sa ating mga mahal sa buhay na namayapa na sinasabihan nating ipagdasal din tayong nakikipaglaban pa sa mundong ito dahil naniniwala tayo na marami na sa ating mahal sa buhay na kapiling na ang Diyos.

Samantala, nakakalungkot namang makita na ang simbahang gusali na dinadalanginan natin ay nalalapastangan na ng mga negosyante. Maraming simbahan sa Europa ngayon na kailangang magbayad muna bago ka makapasok sa loob at napalitan na ang pagiging sagradong dalanginan nito sa mabilisang pagbisita ng mga turista para alamin lamang ang kasaysayan o mamangha na lamang sa disenyo't sining ng mga rebulto't santong nakapinta, o mamalas ang arkitektong istilo nito na para bang bumisita sa isang museo. Madami ring ibinebentang produkto na nagsisilbing souvenir sa paligid ng simbahan. Sa Pilipinas, hindi pa naman natin ginagawang museo ang mga simbahan at kalimitang bulaklak at kandila lang ang nabibili sa harap ng simbahan. Kung nawala ang respeto natin sa dambanang dalanginan, naglalaho rin ang pagmamahal natin sa ating Diyos na laging gustong tumulong sa atin na manalangin sa kanyang dambana.

 

Panalangin

Panginoong Hesus, paalalahanan mo kaming lagi na irespeto ang Iyong simbahang dalanginan upang araw-araw naming idulog sa Iyo ang mga namayapang kapatid namin upang makapiling Mo na sila sa Iyong Kaharian. Amen.

Waiting for Salvation

Feast of All the Faithful Departed
02 November 2019

First reading                                                                  Isaiah 25:6-9
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day, ‘Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’

Gospel                                                                     Mark 15:33-39, 16:1-6

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day, the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

After sharing my reflection on God's glory last month, I had an interesting conversation with one of my colleagues in our Rosary group regarding what happens when we die. He asked me if the soul would go straight to heaven or will have a stopover in purgatory. I told him I don't know. We both agreed though that when the soul does go to purgatory, there is hope that that soul will someday go to heaven. Unfortunately, if the soul goes to hell there is no chance for it to go to heaven. Which is why we need to pray for those in purgatory so that they will soon be enjoying the presence of God. 

November is a time to remember all those who have died. There are those who made us laugh, feel loved, and inspired us. I am sure they will be on top of our list of people to pray for. However, there are those who may have hurt us, those we did not get along with, and those who rejected our love. Inspired by Jesus' forgiveness, let us also pray for them. This can oftentimes be difficult, but let's place them in the hands of God who knows what is best for us. Finally, there are those we do not know at all who may have no one to pray for them. Out of Christian charity, let's remember them too.

This month is also a time to think of our own death. Going back to the conversation I had with my colleague, I encouraged him to keep on praying for ourselves, particularly when our time is up because the Devil is doing everything it can, even in our last moment, to snatch us from God.  If he did that to Jesus (who turned him away at every instant, in the desert, in the Garden of Gethsemane, in Calvary), he will do the same thing with us who follow Christ.

Jesus passed on from death to new life. Like the people in this First Reading today, let us look forward, be glad, and rejoice in the Lord's salvation!

Prayer

Loving Father, You sent Your Son Jesus to save us from sin and death. Raise to new life all the faithful departed. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.