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.

Katawan ni Kristo

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

14 June 2020

First reading                                                                        Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16
Moses said to the people: ‘Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart — whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
‘Do not then forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.’

Second reading                                                                1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Though we are many, we form a single body because we share this one loaf.
The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.

Gospel                                                                     John 6:51-58

‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’

Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh
and drink my blood has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,

but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’

Reflection

By Carlo Alexis R. Malaluan

I attended one mass and the choir sang Ricky Manalo’s “Ang Katawan ni Kristo” during communion. The lyrics of the song goes this way: “Ang Katawan ni Kristo! Ang Katawan ni Kristo! Behold the Body of Christ! Rejoice, O People of God, we are the Body of Christ!”

In the Second Reading, Saint Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians poses a very good question: Is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? Is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. I must admit, that for me, the most beautiful image of the Catholic Faith is none other than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There, in different parts of the world and during the different times of the day, we are gathered together in Christ as one community of believers. In the Mass, we are no longer classified by our social status, academic attainment, political beliefs and titles. We are gathered together as one. We are the Katawan ni Kristo! We are the body of Christ! In communion, Christ calls us to none other than Himself. In the Gospel according to Saint John, Christ invites us to partake in His body so that we may remain in Him and He remain in us. Communion does not only nourish our soul but also strengthen our relationship with Christ. As if he is saying: I am all yours! I give you my entirety! 

But as a part of this Mystical Body of Christ, we are also called to be sensitive to the plight of other people – who are also, like us, members of this one body. We must  be considerate of those who suffer, for those who cry silently, for the victims of oppression, discrimination and violence. They who are wounded are the very wounds of Christ. We cannot let the cry of these people fall into deaf ears.  In simple acts of kindness and compassion, we can heal these wounds. We are not strangers to one another. We are one. As Christ continually gives Himself in the form of bread and wine, we are also called to offer up our small and insignificant selves for others maybe not in the highest altars of the cathedrals but in the altars of daily mundane life. There we will find our altars, our places of sacrifice and life. Through them, we can participate in the eternal offering of the Body and Blood of Christ. As the song reminds us: Rejoice! We are the Body of Christ.

Prayer

O EUCHARISTIC LORD! You have called us to your banquet. Make us one in Your body. Make us one Your love. Lead us to a life that gives, that loves, that offers just as You continually give, love and offer Yourself in the form of bread and wine. Amen.

A Time to Fight

Nativity of Our Lord
25 December 2019

First reading                                                                  Isaiah 52:7-10
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Second reading                                                    Hebrews 1:1-6

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

Gospel                                                                     John 1:1-18 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John . He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

(John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'”)

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is only the Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

As I look back at this year, I cannot forget how our union and the management locked horns due to dispute in our new contract. Way back in summer, the new contract was met by union members with anger, frustration, and disbelief. Views were expressed to the management, but to no avail. The last resort was to go on strike. Majority of members voted to strike which lasted for 14 days. Although I voted to strike, I did not join in at the onset for personal reasons. 

Not joining in and just carrying on with the job seemed perfect. However, the strike continued with the management not relenting to the union's cry for a much fairer contract. In my 'comfort zone', I felt perturbed. Other union members in my team (we are a few) who decided not to join the strike met together to discuss what we should do. We decided that it was time to join in because we believed that it was unfair for our other colleagues fighting out there for everyone's benefit.

And so, for a week, I joined the picket line holding a placard, joining in the singing, or playing the tambourine. I met other members of the union whom I have never met before. I also saw other colleagues who are assigned to other sites. I came across colleagues from various fields of expertise and talents (Some even brought their little kids!). It felt good being with fellow fighters because it kept the flickering candle of hope alive. After that week, the union and management came together. An agreement was made to end the dispute and to address what we were fighting for. 

Christmas, no matter how we romanticize it, is a time to get involved, to be in solidarity with others, to fight for something noble. Jesus, God's Word, did not settle in His comfort zone up above in the heavens. He, as the Gospel would put it "became flesh and lived among us". Let our actions make His presence even more felt by a world in need.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, Happy Birthday! Thank You for being born for us. Pour out Your grace upon us as we proclaim Your Good News of salvation to all. Amen.