"Palusot"

    

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

09 June 2024

 

First Reading: Gn 3:9-15

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 130 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

Second Reading: 2 Cor 4:13-5:1

Gospel: Mk 3-20-35

 

Reflection

By: Pietro S. Albano

 

Have you noticed that those who are caught red-handed often give palusot (excuse) rather than admit their wrongdoing? Our First Reading and Gospel today feature some characters who made excuses. When God confronted Adam for eating the forbidden fruit, he blamed Eve who then blamed the serpent. When His unconvinced relatives and the scribes saw His ministry  they branded Jesus as crazy and possessed by Beelzebul.

Making excuses did not do any good for these people. It will not do any good for us too. The scribes' accusation that Jesus had an unclean spirit was unforgivable because our Lord declared it as a sin against the Holy Spirit. Sins against the Holy Spirit "are mortal sins that harden a soul by its rejection of the Holy Spirit". This includes despair, presumption, envy, obstinacy in sin, final impenitence, and deliberate resistance to the known truth.

Though some may interpret today's Gospel as an act of disrespect to the Blessed Virgin Mary, this is not the case. Jesus knew His mother well and praised her for faithfully cooperating in God's plan of salvation. While the Eve of the Old Testament made excuses for her unbelief, the Eve of the New Testament - Mary - chose to do the will of God. Mary once said to Gabriel: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord  be it done to me according to your word"? (Lk 1:38). We have a choicr here: are we going to keep on making excuse for our foolishness or are we going to take responsibility and make amends?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, forgive us for the many times that we havd made excuses for not following You. Through the prayers and example of Mama Mary, draw us to Yourself in whom alone we find mercy and fullness of redemption. 

"Testi"

    

Third Sunday of Advent

17 December 2023

 

First Reading: Is 61:1-2A, 10-11

Responsorial Psalm: Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54

Second Reading: 1 Thes 5:16-24

Gospel: Jn 1:6-8, 19-28

 

Reflection

By: Bernard C. Borja

Friendster, anyone? Yes, I am probably one of those “people growing in wisdom” who once enjoyed reading testimonials in one of the first social media ever existed. “Pa-testi naman dyan!” A friend asked me to write something about him on his online profile where people in his friends list can read it. Not thinking much about it, I only wrote “Mabuting kaibigan.” I told him that I already wrote and posted a testimonial and asked him to also write one for me. The next day, his post came up. It was something more like a short biography. He wrote things that I used to do from our elementary days that I could barely remember especially weird things like, “Kumakain ng chalk”. Okay, I do remember munching on a piece of chalk during third grade, but I could have chosen the blackboard eraser for a soft chewy texture, right? Anyway, from the weird things during elementary, to dreams of being a rockstar musician that I once dreamed of during high school, my friend wrote like a five-page life-excerpt-thesis Friendster testimonial. It is obvious that he really enjoys writing testimonials for his friends. Most of my friends during college who read it laughed and somehow had an idea of how weird I can be. But some of them read through on how passionate and eager I was to dream of something that does not reflect my quiet and timid image. I did not even realize that, and I only looked at how weird I was and how I looked like a lizard because of being too skinny. Today, I remember how in that moment my old friend somehow shed light for me to glance at something I rarely see about myself.

Testimonials are based on truth. If it is not, then it’s just hearsay or “tsismis”. It can also be known as Feedback or Review in today’s term. Feedback or Reviews, like the ones in products being sold online, can help other people have an idea of something if it is good or bad. In short, it can make or break a person as some of his or her character is revealed. In today’s Gospel, we are reintroduced on John the Baptist’s humility, and his gladness in having the honor to testify to Jesus.

John knew that he was sent to prepare the way of the Lord. He was not the light, but somehow shed light to those who are preparing the way by repentance and baptism. The Gospel tells us how curious the people are about John that they sent Priests and Pharisees just to know more about him. Maybe they already heard some testimony from those who were baptized, but they still want to ask him themselves. Throughout his ministry, he redirects their curiosity and constantly points to the Messiah who is to come after him. All his life, I believe he never felt inferior for being a “shadow”, but he rejoices for testifying for the Lord. He knew he was not worthy, but he gladly proclaimed that the Lord God has anointed him.

If anyone today can read the Friendster testimonials I have written for my friends, they would probably just read it plainly, or scroll to the next, because it’s very short and generic. I realize now that giving testimony to someone, especially a friend, is an honor. My old friend somehow taught me about it as I reflect on those times. He took the opportunity to shed light on people’s hopeful trait despite the weirdness, and really enjoyed writing about it. Like John the Baptist, my old friend knew his assignment when giving testimonials – to take delight in having the honor to testify and shed light for others to see the good about the person he is testifying to. Today, let us rejoice in our testimony to Jesus as we prepare to share in God’s mission of bringing His light this Christmas.

Prayer

Dearest Lord, we thank You for granting us the grace of Your light for us to see ourselves in Your image. We take delight in sharing to the world all the blessings that You continue to pour unto us. We pray that in honor of being anointed to testify, may we remain humble in being generous to others and rejoice in knowing that we do Your holy will. In Jesus’ Name we pray, AMEN.

Dear Lord Jesus, as we prepare for Your birth,

Peace Be With You

   

  Second Sunday of Advent 

04 December 2022 

 

First Reading: Is 11:1-10

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

Second Reading: Rom 15:4-9

Gospel: Mt 3:1-12

 

Reflection

By: Ma. Rosalina S. Flores

 

This Second Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of peace, to which the various meanings are reflected upon in our Mass readings. In the First Reading, the prophet Isaiah prophesied the King to come who is the King of Peace. Saint Paul in his letter to the Romans gave importance on welcoming one another and living in harmony with each other. Saint Matthew highlighted Saint John the Baptist who was inviting the people to repent in order to enter the Kingdom of God through Jesus.

In today's modern world, peace is the most abused word as people define it differently and far from God's definition of peace mentioned in today's readings. Some say peace is no more violence but people are at war with the environment and those living in it. Peace is having a healthy relationship with others but cannot forgive his parents, brothers, sisters, or children. Peace is living a good life but at the expense of other people. And some would say inner peace but are actually addicted to drugs and sins.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the reason of our preparation for Christmas, is the only One who can give us genuine peace. But He requires us one thing to achieve His promised peace and that is to repent, to ask for the forgiveness of our sins, and hopefully to sin no more. That only requirement for peace is actually the hardest as we are sinners ourselves to which even after repentance, we still fall to the same sin again and again. But the good news is, Jesus is the fountain of mercy, our baby steps in going back to Him and doing good, will surely be remembered and be blessed. Jesus always wants the peace to be with us and may we aspire for peace to be with ourselves, too.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help us to repent and find Your peace. It will not be an easy task for a sinner like me but I know it is possible. Aid me in moving forward to Your mercy and may the peace be with me, Amen.

I Do Believe, Lord

Fourth Sunday of Lent 22  March 2020
First reading 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve that I have rejected Saul from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and set out. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Samuel asked, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.”

Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”

Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Second reading                                                  Ephesians 5:8-14

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Gospel                                                                   John 9:1-41

As Jesus went along, he saw a man who was blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”

They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, who had already agreed that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask himself.”

Yet again they called the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” They then asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!  We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he listens to whoever worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.”

Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped him. Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Reflection

By Fely C. Santiago

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”

  

Covid19 is real. It has filled us with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. It has really put people to a STOP. Stop socializing, stop big events, stop parties, stop going to the malls, stop businesses, stop traveling, and even have to stop Masses on Sundays! I will surely miss my daily Mass!

But amidst all these fear, anxiety, and uncertainly, we need to keep the faith. And the word from the Responsorial Psalm gives us hope. “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side. With your rod and your staff that give me courage.” We may be walking right now in the dark valley. We do not know where we are going. We do not know when the light will shine again. We are afraid. It’s so dark. It’s so scary.  But one thing is for sure, the Lord is our Shepherd. He will take care of us. He will carry us through this. He will never abandon us. He will guide us. He will heal us. He never fails. He is our Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. He will provide us with strength, with courage, and yes even provide for our food every day. So there is no need for panic buying! He is always with us and will surely take us out of this darkness we are experiencing right now. We just have to believe. Keep trusting the Lord. Hopefully this experience will bring us closer to God our Father. 

Maybe this is also the time that the Lord is calling everyone to pray, to go back to Him, to put Him again on the Throne, to humble ourselves and submit to the will of our Heavenly Father. His very own Son our Lord Jesus Christ submitted to the will of His Holy Father.  This is really the essence of Lent: to repent and go back to God. Really at the end of the day, we are not in control. This Covid19 does not exempt anyone. Whether you are the president of a country or an ordinary citizen you can get affected. But I truly believe in Romans 8:28 “all things will work for good to those who LOVE the Lord.” So we just have to stay in faith. One day, this too will pass and we can look forward to the Resurrection, Easter Sunday where suffering will end. We will be triumphant because the Lord is our Shepherd!

Prayer

Father God, thank You for allowing us to experience darkness in our lives. To experience suffering so we realize we are not in control. Thank You that You are our God who never fails us, who loves us, and who is very merciful to us. Forgive us our sins and humble ourselves before You. Fill us with Your love and mercy so we can also share this love and mercy to others. Increase our faith and trust in You. All this we pray, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

#Don’t Stop Bilibid

Second Sunday of Advent
08 December 2019

First reading                                                                  Isaiah 11:1-10
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Second reading                                                    Romans 15:4-9

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God so that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name.”

Gospel                                                                     Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'”

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Reflection

By Theresa Ballo

It’s common for people to judge the sins of others while excusing their own “minor flaws.”  At some point in our lives, we all do this. It’s a normal defense mechanism, wherein we improve our own self-esteem by magnifying the mistakes of others while at the same time minimizing and excusing our own. Sometimes we denounce “wordly” sins while excusing our own more “acceptable” sins of pride, selfishness or lack of love.

If we are doing this to people in our circle, what better judgment can we give to persons in conflict with the law? What would be your initial feeling when you will be surrounded by men who are sentenced to prison for twenty years and more? Would it be easier to condemn them because of the crimes they have committed? 

Last November 29, together with our Grade 9 students, we had a service interaction at the Medium Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa. A month before this day, two of my colleagues and I went there for the ocular inspection. Initially, I was curious and excited in this experience. I have experienced visiting city jails but the main national prison is a first. We interacted with the Education Unit so basically all the inmates we met are all students also. I never felt that my safety was compromised inside. I met polite, talented and God-fearing men. I listened to some of their stories and how their experience inside the prison made them realize the value of their parents, the importance of education and the mercy and compassion of God. Those students/men believe that only by the grace of God they will be free from guilt for the crimes they committed and endure the miserable situation of Philippine prison as they serve their sentence. 

Day after this service interaction is the recollection of our students. I facilitated one section for this whole day recollection. As we processed their experience in Bilibid, we also explore on their own sinfulness, bars, repentance and forgiveness. This was my second year of running this Christ Behind Bars module yet I could not help myself to shed a tear while the students are engaging a dialogue of expressing their own hurts, prejudices and offenses as well. Afterwards, comes healing and openness to forgive and acknowledge the presence of a loving Father that remains faithful to them.

As I lay myself to sleep that day, I think of my own sinfulness and surrender them to God and relentlessly ask Him for mercy and forgiveness. I pray for our society, that we become more accepting of individual differences and initiate restorative justice for people who are in conflict with the law. I recalled one of the hashtags given by a group of students, #DontStopBilibid (don’t stop, believe it) because they realized that their partner inmates are still hopeful of their future no matter how hazy it may appear now and with their renewed relationship with God, nothing is impossible. Indeed, Advent is a good time for each of us to examine our own conscience and ask ourselves, what troubles me? Which of my actions are hurtful, dishonest and demeaning to others? What can I do to restore my relationship with God and others?

Prayer

Lord, help me to take time to acknowledge my own sinfulness daily. Grant me humility of heart and help me to be an instrument of repentance for others.  May I always receive Your words in love and offer them in the form of love that is most effective.  Amen.

Joy in Repentance

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time 15 September 2019
First reading Exodus 32: 7-11, 13-14

The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”

But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'” And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

Second reading                                                          1 Timothy 1:12-17

I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Gospel                                                                         Luke 15: 1-10

All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Reflection

By Benj Santiago

“Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

I believe our God is a loving and merciful God. When I sin, it is I who hides away from Him. And when we hide or stray away from Him, He is the One who looks for us, like the shepherd or the woman Jesus mentioned in His parables today.

God knows how fragile and sinful we are. This is why He instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation or what we know as Confession. Every time I go for Confession, I feel unburdened and cleansed. There is joy in my heart. And I believe as mentioned in Luke 15:10, “there is joy before the angels of God”. I am assured that God will continue to welcome me with open arms, is very happy when He finds me when I stray away. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we praise and glorify You! Thank You for being a loving and merciful Father. Grant us a repentant heart that we may always seek and stay in Your love. This we ask in Jesus Name, Amen!

Unwelcoming

Fourth Sunday of Lent 31 March 2019
First reading Joshua 5:9-12

The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day. While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Second reading                                                         2 Corinthians 5:17-21

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Gospel                                                                         Luke 15:1-2, 11-32

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable:

“There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.

When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and nobody gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”‘ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe ” the best one-and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'”

Reflection

By Bernard M. Borja

I have a friend who is now happily serving at a church he longed to belong to. But before he was able to serve, he went through a lot of challenges and ridicule. During his younger years, he spent his time with vices such as womanizing and health abuse. At 19 years old, having a wife and two kids did not stop him from continuing his vices. His family experienced emotional and physical abuse from him and after several years, his family left him. Few years past and he became worse that even his friends went to distance themselves from him. Feeling all alone and depressed, he then realized he was so tired. A simple prayer came out from him as he whispered, "Lord, I want to go home." He got so tired of all the things he pursued for his own satisfaction. He got tired of abusing the people around him especially those closest to him. He got tired of being alone and left out. There were only two ways that he was thinking on how we wants to go home. One is to take his own life and end it all so he can be home to wherever he thinks he might belong. He chose the other way which is to go back to the church where his family and friends belong. But when his former friends saw him there, they said many things to him such as "You don't belong here." and "Baka masunog ka dito (You might get burned here.)"

How easy it is for us to "excommunicate" people who we think have no hope of turning away from their wicked ways. And it is even easier for us to judge people who wanted to come home to God who are in the same family as we are in.

Jesus' message of repentance is still clear in our Gospel. The tax collectors and sinners draw near to listen to Jesus and this may be considered as their first step toward repentance. But those who are "serving" at the temple did not like how Jesus welcomes these people. Just like in the parable, when the elder son spoke to his father and said, "This son of yours...", he is somehow forgetting his relationship as his brother. He forgot that even though the younger son spent all his inheritance, he once belonged to the same house he is in. If we look closely in our society today, this is similar to what is happening. My friend who chose to come home almost gave up and thought of going back to his vices because of those people who were unwelcoming. Sometimes the very people who are always with God, and who has God's everything, are the ones who dissipate the blessings that were always meant for everyone. People think that the greater blessings are only meant for those who are in the house of God. This is somehow true because God has longed for us all to be part of His family. But to think that the riches of the Kingdom of God will only be inherited by the rich in spirit alone is dire. Worse is when we also think that we have always been doing the righteous things, not realizing that we also sin because of the things we did not do for our brother or sister.

Jesus continues to proclaim the Kingdom of God through the parable of the prodigal son. God always runs toward us to welcome us back when we repent. God also pleads with us to forgive each other and celebrate how we are found after being lost. Before Jesus died on the cross, he pleaded to Our Father saying, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." What if Jesus would plead to us with the same words, like the father in the parable, whenever our hearts are hardened to forgive our brother or sister? Should we open our hearts and welcome them if Jesus would say to us, "Please forgive him/her because he/she does not know what he/she was doing."? Or would we behave like the elder brother in the parable?

We must remember that when God calls us to repent, he also calls us to feast and to rejoice. God awaits for us and always sees us from afar when we come home. He also wants us to see from afar our brothers and sisters who wants to come home, for us to welcome them and celebrate because they have been found after getting lost. 

Prayer

Dear God Our Father, we thank You for Your generosity as You continue to give us every blessings and riches in Your kingdom. Open our hearts to share these graces to our brothers and sisters especially to those who want to come home to You. We also pray for the grace to ask forgiveness to those whom we have offended because of committed and omitted mistakes. May we welcome You in our hearts as we commemorate the passion of Your Son this Lent. We also ask Mama Mary for her guidance and intercession as we look up to her, overflowing with God's inspiration, to repent and amend our life. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

One Last Plea

Third Sunday of Lent 24 March 2019
First reading Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

Second reading                                                         1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12

I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness. nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as a warning, but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Gospel                                                                         Luke 13:1-9

Some people came and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them-do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next ear, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'”

Reflection

By Bernard M. Borja

Have you ever asked someone give you one last chance? It could be to prove them  that you are right or they are wrong, or simply to redeem yourself? Have you ever been in a situation when you have to ask someone a chance, in behalf of your loved one, and took all the responsibility to guarantee that your loved one would be better? I believe this is what Jesus did for us, and continues to do for us. 

One of the messages of Jesus to the people is repentance. To turn away from their evil ways and, and return to the good. Several times during His ministry Jesus was asking the people, through His preaching and parables, to repent. It seems like it is more than just asking, but a plea to the people because Jesus brings the Kingdom of Heaven and He wants the people to receive it by repenting. Up to the time when He entered Jerusalem, Jesus was still pleading to the people to repent and forgive each other. But when everything seems to lose hope, while many people were still continuing their wicked ways, Jesus pleaded to God our father. Nailed on the cross, Jesus begged His Father for mercy and forgiveness for the people especially those who crucified Him. Even in His suffering and death, He still gave His all to cultivate us and hoped that we shall bear good fruit in the future, just like the fig tree in the parable. 

The message of repentance is preached by the prophets from the Old Testament, to the apostles after Christ’s commissioning, and still continues up to present day. But it has always been a challenge for the people to turn away from the things they used to do. And it is a greater call for us to do what the gardener did in the parable: to take responsibility in hoping that people just need a chance to be cultivated,and bear fruit. This can clearly be seen in our country today. 

I have seen people do wrong things, regret it, and are trying hard to do good. I know about some people continuing to do sinful things and not having any regret of doing it. I have heard stories of people living in their evil ways, some still have a chance to turn back, but some have been cut off and denied the chance to repent. All people, no matter how long they have lived in their evil ways and how dreadful their ways are, have been given a chance to repent through the mercy of God, and the plea of Jesus Christ. One could be a petty thief, a liar, a greedy official, an abusive person, even a drug addict, but Jesus continues to ask us return to our good ways, to our true selves. We must therefore never take for granted Jesus the gardener's last plea to God the vineyard owner not to cut us down and nourish us to be better.

Prayer

Dear Father, we praise You for Your mercy and compassion through our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that we may be able to receive Your Kingdom through our repentance. Help us to forgive one another as we plead for a chance to turn from our sinful ways, and be able to come back to Your loving embrace. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.