Pinupuno Tayo ni Hesus

    

Ikatlong Linggo ng Pasko ng Pagkabuhay

14 Abril 2024

 

Unang Pagbasa: Gawa 3:13-15, 17-19

Salmong Tugunan: Ps 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9

Ikalawang Pagbasa: 1 Jn 2:1-5a

Mabuting Balita: Lc 24:25-48

 

Pagninilay

Ni: Bro. Emerson C. Maala

Sa aking patuloy na paglalakbay sa probinsya ng Palawan, nakilala ko si Tatay Teofisto. Isang lider laiko sa kanilang kapilya. Masayang ibinahagi sa akin ni tatay Teofisto ang kanyang karanasan kung papaanong siya ay naging isang lingkod ni Kristo. Siya ay isang dating lasenggo at malayo ang loob sa kanyang pamilya. Nagbago raw ang kanyang buhay nang makilala niya si Hesus. Isang araw daw ay isinama siya ng isang kaibigan sa isang Parish Based Orientation Seminar (PBOS) at doon ay naengganyo hanggang sa maging isang laiko ministro at lider laiko ng kanilang kapilya. Tuwing umaga, siya ay masigasig na pupunta sa kapilya upang magdasal ng santo rosaryo bago pumunta sa bukid. Pagbabahagi niya, "Brad, simula nang makilala ko si Hesus, pakiramdam ko pa rin na marami akong naging pagkukulang, pagkukulang sa Kanya at sa aking Pamilya. Kaya araw-araw din akong nagrorosaryo dahil nararamdaman ko na Siya din ang patuloy na nagpupuno at yumayakap sa akin."

Sa mabuting balita, ipinakita ni Hesus ang patuloy na pagpupuno at pagyakap Niya sa mga apostol sa kabila ng kanyang dinanas na pagpapakasakit, kamatayan, at muling pagkabuhay. Bagamat nawala ang mga apostol sa mga huling sandali ni Hesus dahil na rin sa takot, na kahit si San Pedro na unang nagsabi na hindi niya iiwan ang Panginoon ngunit kanyang itinatwa nang maka-ikatlong ulit, hindi ito naging dahilan para na magpakita sa kanila si Hesus at sila'y patuloy na mahalin. Ang pagpapakita sa kanila ni Hesus ay tanda ng patuloy na pagpupuno at pagyakap ni Hesus sa kabila ng mga naging kakulangan ng mga alagad.

Dahil pa rin sa matinding takot, hindi nauunawaan ng mga Apostol ang mga pangyayaring ito. Nagugulumihanan, nalilito, at hindi alam kung anong nangyayari. Ngunit nang makipag-usap na sa kanila si Hesus, naintindihan nila ang lahat ng bagay, "Kinakailangang magbata ng hirap at mamatay ang Mesiyas at muling mabuhay sa ikatlong araw." 

Panalangin

Sa ating buhay, marami na rin tayong naging pagkukulang: nagkulang tayo bilang mga Anak, bilang mga magulang, bilang mga Kristiyano, o kaya naman ay bilang mga tao. Maaaring ang ilan sa atin ay bumalik sa mga dating gawain ng kasakiman, panlalamang, at panlilinlang.

Kaya patuloy rin tayong pinapaalalahanan nina San Pablo at San Juan na "magsisi at magbalik-loob sa Diyos upang pawiin Niya ang ating mga kasalanan.” Dahil sa kabila ng ating mga pagkukulang, pinupuno at niyayakap pa rin tayo ni Hesus bilang kanya. Amen.

The Vineyard

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Oct 5
First reading                                        Isaiah 5:1-7
Let me sing to my friend the song of his love for his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug the soil, cleared it of stones and planted choice vines in it. In the middle he built a tower, he dug a press there too. He expected it to yield grapes, but sour grapes were all that it gave. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I ask you to judge between my vineyard and me. What could I have done for my vineyard that I have not done? I expected it to yield grapes. Why did it yield sour grapes instead? Very well, I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge for it to be grazed on, and knock down its wall for it to be trampled on. I will lay it waste, unpruned, undug; overgrown by the briar and the thorn. I will command the clouds to rain no rain on it. Yes, the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel, and the men of Judah that chosen plant. He expected justice, but found bloodshed, integrity, but only a cry of distress.

Psalm                                                Psalm 79:9,12-16,19-20

Second reading                               Philippians 4:6-9

There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it 
with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can 
understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, fill 
your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and 
pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or 
worthy of praise. Keep doing all the things that you learnt from me and have been taught by 
me and have heard or seen that I do. Then the God of peace will be with you.

.

Gospel                                          Matthew 21:33-43

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son” he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.” So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:
It was the stone rejected by the builders
that became the keystone.
This was the Lord’s doing
and it is wonderful to see?
‘I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.’

Reflection

By Beth Eguia

Today’s reading is about the Parable of the Vineyard. The Vineyard represents “us,” as the Kingdom of God.

Before He created man, He made sure everything was in order. He created the moon, stars, the sun, sky, water, land, animals, all fruit bearing trees, etc.  And then He created us in His very own image and likeness. That means God loves you and me so much that we are almost perfect in everything.

But how do we re-pay His love, His kindness, His generosity to us? Have we lived our lives in accordance with His teachings? Are we good models to others, living decent, honest, truthful lives? Have we used our gifts and talents for the greater good of others not just for our own selves? Do we give back to God what belongs to Him in the form of tithes? Do we take care of our bodies, eating the right kind of food, engage in exercise and having a healthy lifestyle?

These are simple questions that I have to ask myself every day before I sleep, to account myself before the Lord because I never know the time He will come. I admit I am guilty to some of it. I may or may not be aware of it. The good thing is, God gives me reminders. He could use other people, a movie that I’m watching, or situations in life for me to realize that I must be doing something wrong. And He will enlighten me to repent and have confession.

Prayer

Dearest Lord, thank You for today’s Gospel Reading. We humble ourselves before You for we are sinners. Forgive us dear Lord for the many times that we used our time, talents and treasures for own benefits only. Forgive us Lord for not living holy lives. We admit our mistakes and ask for Your pardon. Help us to get up again. Help us to live each day being the best that we can be, to be that fruitful vineyard seeking only Your greater glory dear God. This we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Time Has Come to Repent

“ The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him: "See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals that were with you and came out of the ark. I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth." God added: "This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings, so that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all mortal beings.

Resp. Psalm: Psalms 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Second Reading: 1Peter 3:18-22

For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God  for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Gospel: Mark 1:12-15

At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

Reflection

By Benj Santiago

“After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “”This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.””(Mk 1:15)

Jesus’ public ministry began after John the Baptist had been arrested. The message He had was very clearly stated on verse Mk1:15. What John was preaching about the Savior and Messiah is at hand, is already being fulfilled by Him. But sadly, He was not recognized and people continue to look for the Promised Messiah. Even to this age and time, not everyone knows or they simply refuse to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Even in Israel, where He was born, raised and preached, He is not acknowledged as the Messiah.

Even in our midst, among those who profess to be Christians or Catholics, Jesus is professed as Lord and Savior with the mouth, but is actually denied through actions and deeds. There is so much trickery, deceit, corruption, hatred, greed, malice, sinfulness that wraps up the world. I, myself fall victim to these deadly sins despite the fact that I know Jesus is our Messiah. But I believe in His great mercy and forgiveness. All I have to do every time I sin is to repent and believe that He really loves me and He shall wipe away all my sins. His promise is eternal and all I have to do to indeed be saved is to repent and believe in His gospel.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we praise You and we thank You for giving us Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ to be our Messiah, our Savior. And we thank You Lord Jesus for Your unending mercy and forgiveness that all we have to do is repent and believe and we shall be saved! Thank You Lord Jesus. Thank You! Amen.

Action

Bring a friend to church! Invite them to have their confession. Have the sacrament of reconciliation too!

Chances

Third Sunday of Lent
07 March 2010


Come, today, and listen to his voice: do not harden your hearts.

First reading Exodus 3:1-8,13-15
Moses was looking after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law priest of Midian. He led his flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the shape of a flame of fire, coming from the middle of a bush. Moses looked; there was the bush blazing but it was not being burnt up. ‘I must go and look at this strange sight,’ Moses said, ‘and see why the bush is not burnt.’ Now the Lord saw him go forward to look, and God called to him from the middle of the bush. ‘Moses, Moses!’ he said. ‘Here I am,’ Moses answered. ‘Come no nearer,’ he said. ‘Take off your shoes, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers,’ he said, ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ At this Moses covered his face, afraid to look at God.
And the Lord said, ‘I have seen the miserable state of my people in Egypt. I have heard their appeal to be free of their slave-drivers. Yes, I am well aware of their sufferings. I mean to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that land to a land rich and broad, a land where milk and honey flow, the home of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.’
Then Moses said to God, ‘I am to go, then, to the sons of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” But if they ask me what his name is, what am I to tell them?’ And God said to Moses, ‘I Am who I Am. This’ he added ‘is what you must say to the sons of Israel: “I Am has sent me to you.”’ And God also said to Moses, ‘You are to say to the sons of Israel: “The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name for all time; by this name I shall be invoked for all generations to come.’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 102:1-4,6-8,11

Second reading 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-12
I want to remind you, brothers, how our fathers were all guided by a cloud above them and how they all passed through the sea. They were all baptised into Moses in this cloud and in this sea; all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink, since they all drank from the spiritual rock that followed them as they went, and that rock was Christ. In spite of this, most of them failed to please God and their corpses littered the desert.
These things all happened as warnings for us, not to have the wicked lusts for forbidden things that they had. You must never complain: some of them did, and they were killed by the Destroyer.
All this happened to them as a warning, and it was written down to be a lesson for us who are living at the end of the age. The man who thinks he is safe must be careful that he does not fall.

Gospel Luke 13:1-9
Some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, ‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’
He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard, “Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”’

Reflection
By Fely Santiago

“The Lord is kind and merciful”…

Our Lord indeed gives us many chances to repent and renew our lives that we may bear fruit. Just like the fig tree in the Gospel reading today, the vine dresser begs for one more year of care to see it if will grow. Mercifully, God gives us every chance to repent and follow Him because He loves us so much. The vine dresser is Jesus who, in His great love, offers us still more time to mend our ways, to be converted and live as true Christians.

In our many years with the Magis Deo Marriage Encounter Community and Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals, we have heard and seen so many testimonies of God’s unconditional love and mercy. How an erring husband with ABS-CBN (alak, babae, sugal – cabaret, beerhouse, nightclub) vices suddenly turns his life around because of an encounter with a kind and merciful God. How a drug-dependent son finds a new meaning in life because of a forgiving and loving God as seen through a forgiving and loving family. And many more stories of how the Lord has shown kindness and mercy to a “fruitless” son or daughter. God is always ready to forgive and to give us more time as long as we ask with a sincere desire to change.

But we cannot take His mercy lightly or for granted. That’s why in the gospel the vine dresser asks for another year. We may not have another year! We need to repent now because we never know when our time comes. Jesus is always present within our hearts to purify and transform us into His likeness. Let us allow Him to convert our hearts that we might reflect His light in the world!


Lord help us not to delay Your call for a change of heart. In this season of Lent, renew our mind, heart and spirit that we may also lead others to you. May we not abuse your kindness and mercy. Amen.

Next week on God-speak
Open Arms