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!

Heart of the Matter

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Sept 7
First reading                                         Ezekiel 33:7-9

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, I have appointed you as sentry to the House of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, warn them in my name. If I say to a wicked man: Wicked wretch, you are to die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked man to renounce his ways, then he shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death. If, however, you do warn a wicked man to renounce his ways and repent, and he does not repent, then he shall die for his sin, but you yourself will have saved your life.’

Psalm                                                Psalm 94:1-2,6-9

Second reading                             Romans 13:8-10 

Avoid getting into debt, except the debt of mutual love. If you love your fellow men you have 
carried out your obligations. All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall 
not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single 
command: You must love your neighbour as yourself. Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your 
neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.
.

Gospel                                          Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said, ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between 

your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take 

one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain 

any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to 

listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.

‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever
you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.

‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there

with them.’

Reflection

By Theresa Ballo

Have you ever tried to correct a friend’s misbehaviors? Did he listen to you or accuse you of not being able to understand him? Did you somehow follow Jesus’ instructions to His disciples? If not, do you think the outcome would have been different?

To serve again in the parish has been a great challenge for me. The Catholic Youth Organization in St. Joseph de Gagalangin Parish welcomed and loved me when I was a problematic teenager. I was 16 then and just like any normal teenager out there, I was experiencing a lot of crises. Our elders listened and journeyed with me as I passed by every stage. After college, I left Gagalangin for an adventure. Three years after, I went back home, to my family and to the parish.

However, this time, I am a seasoned member and part of the “elders” and now sharing responsibility to a more challenging set of youth members. Youth, who are exposed to a great deal of societal pressures yet still chose to serve God and be with Jesus in the humblest way they can. Speaking from a third person viewpoint, I admire the youth of St. Joseph Parish, theirs are raw talents shared wholeheartedly in the Church. Being with them, I tell you is not smooth-sailing. It is a roller-coaster ride! I guess, in all relationships we have, conflicts are inevitable. We have to learn how each conflict should be handled with care -- which we can learn from today’s readings.

The Gospel talks about sin, relationship, conversation and restoration. It is about acknowledging sin yet choosing to love that person still. Not in human ways but in Jesus’ ways.

First step is to talk personally to the person. There is a secret ingredient to this. First, you have to be a person whom the offender trusts. It will just sound nosy and judgmental if you correct the act immediately. This is a quiet conversation, a humble one. It does not have to be announced to the whole group that you’re going to talk to this person. It is placing yourself in the other person’s shoe rather than being critical. This is not an interrogation or gossiping but an informal interaction of encouraging the best from each other.

Remember when Jesus called Martha’s attention when He visited her and Mary? How about the mistress and the prostitutes in the Bible? How did He handle Peter’s denial? Jesus consistently immersed himself to these people and gently pointed out their shortcomings, offered forgiveness and continued to have a relationship with them.

After doing this step and the person still doesn't see the wrong in what he/she is doing or doesn't see any need to stop the act, move up to the next step--call witnesses. After a private conversation, two or three persons are invited along. This is the tricky part now. If not handled with care, it may appear ganging up a person.

I’m sure Jesus having said this, didn't mean creating a forum to scourge people. After all, He already accepted crucifixion and who are we to humiliate and put someone in public scrutiny? When we bring in a witness, he/she has to be someone with more spiritual wisdom and experience, someone who can listen carefully to both sides.

If the conflict can’t still be resolved after doing the third step, the Gospel said to make the matter public before the Church. I strongly believe that the Church here refers to a community of believers. This is where the community seeks God’s help to intervene. The goal remains to restore and not to push people out of God’s mercy even when the reading says, treat them as tax collectors and pagans. How did Jesus treat Matthew and the other tax collectors in the bible? Isn't it that He called them to be His disciples and ate with them in their house?

The very essence of today’s Gospel is to untiringly believe in goodness. As Mother Teresa says, “Love until it hurts no more”. This is a call to recognize and eliminate sin and to love the sinner at the same time. The journey has to go hand in hand. You might be confused and asks, what about tough love? Tough love especially about parenting is to make the other person know your purpose. A father cannot say to his son, “Since you sinned, you’ll not be my son for a month or until you finally change your ways.” God’s love that manifests in the people we encounter everyday is one that listens and give chances. It is always noteworthy to remember that our purpose for correcting one’s mistake is to cut the sin not the relationship with the sinner, which remains to be the heart of the matter.

Prayer

Almighty Father,t hank You for always giving us a life of second chances. It may seem redundant already that we keep on sinning but still Your mercy teaches us what forgiveness means. In moments of great danger, You give us signals to slow down and stop. Give us the wisdom to share the right blend of being accountable to our neighbor’s wrongdoings. May the Holy Spirit fill our hearts so that our intentions would be pure and our ways would be gentle. Amen.

Reverse Self-Righteousness?

First Reading: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18

Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it; and do not trust to an unrighteous sacrifice; for the Lord is the judge, and with him is no partiality. He will not show partiality in the case of a poor man; and he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. He will not ignore the supplication of the fatherless, nor the widow when she pours out her story. He whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted, and his prayer will reach to the clouds. The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist until the Most High visits him, and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment. And the Lord will not delay, neither will he be patient with them, till he crushes the loins of the unmerciful and repays vengeance on the nations; till he takes away the multitude of the insolent, and breaks the scepters of the unrighteous;

Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 17-19, 23

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. At my first defense no one took my part; all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the message fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Reflection
By Gharri Tulabut

One of the few things that stopped me in the past from accepting and pursuing higher responsibilities in my charismatic community is the thought that my past misdeeds made me unworthy to become a servant of God.

Yes I know that for every saint, there is a past and for every sinner, there is a future as they say. I was also aware that the Church is for the sinners, that doctors are for the sick (primarily).

Still I feared that if people who knew me in the past would see me, let’s say, leading a worship or delivering a talk, they might say “I know this person. How dare he speak and act like that? Don’t we know how sinful this person is?” It’s not even about me. I am more worried that it will have a negative effect to the reputation of my community and, especially, of the Church.

But that was before I got hold of an old issue of Kerygma magazine which had on the second page what seems to be a list of the qualifications of the then leaders of the Light of Jesus community. Their leader was a former porn addict. One of them had many girlfriends despite being married. Another was a former hit man of a fraternity. And the list goes on.

The first thing that came to my mind as I read that page was “Wow, I belong here. Pwede pala!”

So I joined this community and I am glad that they really seek those who are going the wrong way. They accept whatever you are, not judge you but just accept you and make friends with you with the hope that you yourself, with help of God, would realize how to change for the right direction.

So now I am thinking that I might be able to use my (not really very) dark past to be an example for others that there is hope to change. That God loves us no matter what mistakes we had. And that there are people who do not look at our past and are willing to be our friends and to be associated with “sinners” like me.

I really want to make myself as an example for those who are currently spiritually lost. But I still could not do that. Not until I get the proper training or mentoring to do it. Because I am afraid I would become what I would call as a reverse self-righteous person. I might be boasting already of my previous sins to the point that I might be delivering a wrong message.

What if I let people know that I was chain smoker before but now I already quit (just an example). What if they say, “We’ll just follow your way. We’ll just quit later just like you did.”

Or what if I confess that I engaged in sexual immorality in the past (again, just an example). I might send the wrong message that it’s okay to enjoy these worldly things first and just change later.

Until I am confident enough to tell my next of kin about my previous sins, I’ll just keep my mouth shut in public for now. But maybe to help individuals who are already in those situations, with the guidance from the Holy Spirit, I will help by using myself as an example.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for loving us unconditionally. May we always do the same and not be judgmental  to our brethren no matter what their past mistakes are so that we will lead them to You and not the other way around. Teach us Lord not to be self-righteous when we speak. And may our works glorify You always. Amen!