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“Master, I want to see!” by Fr. Jesus

We are spiritually blind, 1)when we fail to see, or to admit, our faults, our shortcomings, our pride, our selfishness; 2)when we fail to see, or refuse to see, the needs of our fellowmen, the plight of the poor, the sick, the hungry and the jobless; 3)when we fail to see Christ in our brothers and sisters, but prefer to look for him in beautiful man-made images and historic shrines.

Like with most valuable things in life, the importance of eyesight is felt when one has lost it-or is in the process of losing it. The loss of sight is quite a tragedy; it deprives a person of so many wonderful things, of so many opportunities, of so many pleasures like reading a book, watching a sunset or contemplating the beauty of nature. No wonder the blind Bartimaeus could not be stopped by the crowd.

The crowd accompanying Jesus acted like the bodyguards of a politician or a big shot. They tried to silence Bartimaeus so that he might not pester the Big Boss. But Jesus is no politician; he is no big boss, and he is not pestered by the cries of the poor. The cries of Bartimaeus for help were music to his ears.

Today’s gospel passage is significant on several accounts: First, it
is the only recorded miracle in which the name of the sick man is given-not only in Hebrew (Bartimaeus) but also in Greek (son of Timaeus). Second, this is the last miracle recorded in the gospel of Mark–prior to Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Here Bartimaeus calls Jesus “Son of David,” a messianic title, which is like a prelude of the people’s acclamation on Palm Sunday. Third, there is a fine paradox here: For about three years, Jesus has been working signs and teaching his disciples about his messianic role, but they failed to see beyond the political ruler in him. We saw in last Sunday’s gospel how James and John were merely concerned with position and prestige. It is the blind Bartimaeus who “saw” through the divinity of Jesus. As someone has said: “Bartimaeus was sightless but not blind.” The disciples were blind–even if they had eyesight.

Physical ailment is no obstacle to faith. On the contrary, it often brings people closer to God. It is spiritual blindness that weakens and even kills faith. Physical blindness is involuntary, while spiritual blindness is voluntary and self-imposed.

We are spiritually blind, 1) when we fail to see, or to admit, our faults, our shortcomings, our pride, our selfishness; 2) when we fail to see, or refuse to see, the needs of our fellowmen, the plight of the poor, the sick, the hungry and the jobless; 3) when we fail to see Christ in our brothers and sisters, but prefer to look for him in beautiful man-made images and historic shrines. Like Bartimaeus, let us approach Jesus and tell him, “Master, 1 want to see.”

Today’s gospel teaches us that, as followers of Christ, we must not drive people away from him or prevent them from coming to him–as the crowd accompanying Jesus did to Bartimaeus. They accompanied Jesus, all right, but they were not his followers; they had not grasped his spirit–the spirit of the Beatitudes, nor learned his love for the downtrodden. Perhaps they thought that Bartimaeus couldn’t talk to Jesus because he didn’t have an appointment.

Very often we, who are known in the community as “church people” (taong simbahan), think that we have the exclusive right to take part in church activities or to get the priest’s attention–and to keep other people out. Very often too, by our petty quarrels and intrigues, we turn people away from the church. To many, “taong simbahan” doesn’t mean a committed Christian, but rather a member of an exclusive and excluding circle, often characterized by a holier-than-thou attitude. It won’t hurt to do a little soul searching.

In the light of today’s gospel, let us ask ourselves: Are we leading others to Christ and to the Church, or are we driving them farther away? Are we a light for others, or are we stumbling blocks? Are we disciples or are we bodyguards?

as published on October 28, 2012, Parish Bulletin

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“The Kingdom of God is at Hand” by Fr. Jesus

Unlike earthly kingdoms, God’s kingdom is not made of gold, glitter and glamour. No castles, cavalry or courtiers there.

In today’s gospel we hear the opening words of Jesus at the start of his public ministry. As in a relay marathon, wherein a runner takes over the baton from another and carries on with the race, so also Jesus takes over the baton from John the Baptist after the latter was arrested to carry on with the proclamation of God’s kingdom. The first words pronounced by Jesus are the very same words pronounced by John the Baptist when he began to preach: “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.”(John Paul II took these words into the rosary’s third Mystery of Light).

The kingdom of God is at the heart of Jesus’ preaching and healing. It was precisely to establish God’s kingdom that he came into the world. Through many of his parables, he gave us a glimpse of what God’s kingdom is like; It is like the seed that is sown in different kinds of soil; like a field where the weeds and the grain grow together; like a tiny mustard seed; like yeast that is mixed with three measures of wheat flour; like a hidden treasure; like a fine pearl; like a dragnet.(Cf. Matthew 13). Jesus also compared the kingdom of God to a wedding banquet (Mt. 22:2tf.), and to ten bridesmaids(Mt. 2S:1tf.).

Through his actions, Jesus showed what God’s kingdom is made of:love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion. Healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and reaching out to repentant sinners that’s what God’s kingdom is all about. By expelling the demons from the possessed persons, Jesus showed that God’s reign was gradually expanding while Satan’s kingdom was coming to an end.

Unlike earthly kingdoms, God’s kingdom is not made of gold, glitter and glamour. No castles, cavalry or courtiers there. God does not reign over towns and cities. His throne is in the hearts of the men and women who let him in and allow him to rule over them. When we recite the Lord’s prayer and say,“Your kingdom come,”we are not asking God to send his kingdom upon us, as he might send food or rain. We are expressing our commitment to build up God’s kingdom and our willingness to be a part of it. We bring God’s kingdom about when we put ourselves under God’s rule and control. Now, the one hundred dollar question: Is God in control of my life-the whole of it? Most likely, not-not all the time, anyway.

That’s why Jesus goes on to tell us: “Repent!” Change your ways, your values, your priorities in life. Give up your idols (money, jewelry, alcohol, gambling … ). Let God take over and be in control of your life. Let him be your King.

The choice of the first apostles (second part of the gospel) could well be the topic of another homily. We, who live in an age of excellence and competitiveness, and who are extremely demanding when it comes to hiring manpower, cannot understand why Jesus chose such simple and unlearned folks to carry on the arduous task of building up God’s kingdom; why not well educated people, such as priests, levites, scribes or Pharisees? For sure, Jesus must have had his reasons. He was not after bright ideas or managerial skills. He was looking for docile and obedient hearts. And that the lowly fishermen had: “They abandoned their nets and followed him,” at once, adds St. Matthew. The learned scribes and Pharisees had only hatred and hostility towards Jesus.

As the popular saying goes: “God does not call the qualified; he qualifies the called.” St. Paul puts it in a better way: “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise; he chose the weak of the world to shame the strong” (ICor. 1:27). Everything God does has a reason.

as published on January 22, 2012, Parish Bulletin

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“The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” by Fr. John Muscat, OFM

Our unworthiness should not, and must not, stop us from availing ourselves of this divine love and from doing what we can to prove how we value and sincerely appreciate the love and goodness of the Blessed Trinity for us.

All those who would enter the new kingdom of God, the Church, were to be dedicated in the ceremony of baptism to the Blessed Trinity; they were to enter into a fellowship with the three divine Persons We are aware that we ourselves were dedicated to God in our baptism and destined to have an eternal fellowship with the Trinity in heaven. We are aware, too, of the part played by the three divine Persons in making that eternal happiness and friendship with the Trinity available to us. While the essence of the Trinity, or the way in which there can be three Persons in the one God, is a mystery which our limited minds cannot even begin to solve, we have no hesitation in accepting the existence of this deepest mystery of our religion. It was no less an authority than Jesus Christ himself who revealed it to us. With his guarantee for its truth, we are left in no doubt as to the existence of this mystery. We can safely wait for a greater, if not a complete understanding in heaven.

Today, as we honor the Blessed Trinity, our predominant thought must be one of gratitude to each of the three Persons for all they have done and are still doing for us. First to God the Father, who in his love planned not only our creation as intelligent human beings, the highest and noblest of his creatures on earth but planned to give us adopted sonship as well. Secondly let us show our deepest gratitude to the all-obedient, all-loving Son of God, who carried out to the letter the divine Father’s plan for our adoption, by sharing with us our humanity so that we could share in his divinity. Thirdly, let us be eternally grateful to the Holy Spirit-the fruit of the love of Father and Son-who has come to dwell in the Church and in each member of the Church, in order to fill our hearts with a true love of God, and to direct our faltering steps toward the everlasting happiness which awaits us beyond the grave.

We know only too well how unworthy we are of this love of the Blessed Trinity which has been poured out on us. The greatest saints were unworthy of this infinite love. Our unworthiness should not, and must not, stop us from availing ourselves of this divine love and from doing what we can to prove how we value and sincerely appreciate the love and goodness of the Blessed Trinity for us. In return for this love, Christ asked us, his followers, to keep his commandments. This is the one genuine proof we can give of our gratitude for all that these three Persons have done for us.

We are so weak that we often let the passing things of this world turn our thoughts and actions away from God and from our own eternal interests. We forget Christ and his commandments at times and let the world rule our hearts and minds. However, even for sinners like us there is hope and encouragement in the infinity of God’s love. Let us not forget it: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit know all our weaknesses, they knew them before they arranged to make us sharers in their own eternal happiness. They know, also that those of us who try and try again to rise above our human weakness will finally share with them their heaven.

This possibility is open to all of us. The Blessed Trinity will exclude nobody from heaven. If some fail, the fault will be entirely and completely their own. May God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit grant us the courage and strength to overcome our human weaknesses! May they give us the grace to live and die in their love so that we may share their eternal kingdom of happiness!

as published on June 3, 2012, Parish Bulletin
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“The Power of God’s Word” by Fr. Greg Redoblado, OFM

The Church would like us to focus our attention on the Bible, God’s very word, and to examine ourselves and see if we are truly
concerned with fostering an encounter with Christ.

In our Gospel this Sunday, Mark relates that people were astonished at
Jesus’s teaching because he taught them with authority. The rabbis and pharisees at that time needed to quote Moses and other prophets to gain authority for their teaching but Jesus needed no backing up. His words made things happen because “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them”(Lk 7:22). In fact, in the gospel today even the unclean spirits listen to him. Yes, his words are powerful because he is the author himself – he is the very word of God. As John’s Prologue says, “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God … and the word became flesh”(John 1:1). The word became incarnate, God-with-us, Emmanuel!

My brothers and sisters, we celebrate today National Bible Sunday. The
Church would like us to focus our attention on the Bible, God’s very word, and to examine ourselves and see if we are truly concerned with fostering an encounter with Christ, who gives himself to us in his word (Verbum Domini,73).

First, let us be reminded of the power of God’s word in Jesus. In the
letter to the Hebrews it says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4: 12) Let us not underestimate the power of God’s word. It is Jesus not only speaking. It is Jesus himself who speaks with authority! For the last two thousand years, God’s word has changed and transformed peoples’
hearts. We know of many great sinners who became saints. We just celebrated this week, the conversion of St. Paul, “who was transformed from being a persecutor of Christ into a vessel of his
grace”. God’s word cuts through our hearts and will surely transform us if we humbly listen to it. Let us then say with the responsorial for this day, “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”.

Second, believing in Jesus’s powerful words, let us become instruments
in the proclamation of God’s words to others. Let us announce his words in every way we can but also competently and effectively. Yes, let us pray and support all those who are primarily
entrusted with the proclamation of God’s word especially our Pope, all
the bishops, priests, religious and missionaries. But let us also do our part in growing in the knowledge of the Bible and make God’s word the center of our families and the source of our relationships. Do our families read, study, pray, live, share, and celebrate God’s word?

Finally, the transforming power of God’s word should not only be seen in one’s personal conversion. It confronts not only the evil deep within us but also the ‘demons’ in our society and the
world. We are not only to announce the Good News of the reign of God but also denounce what is evil around us. If one of the missions of Jesus was to cast out unclean spirits, let us also exorcise the
evil of corruption, violence and injustice in our society and the world. The problem with us Catholics is that we express our faith with so much external ritualisms and forget that the goal of
our faith in God’s word is to transform our lives and the evil reality around us.

as published on January 30, 2012, Parish Bulletin
About Fr. Greg and a few of his Reflections

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“The Power of “Ouch” To The Power of Touch” by Fr. Joel

If we can only join hands and solidify our efforts, then, we can alleviate hunger, injustices, economic imbalance, and other man-made calamities that threaten human life and all other life-forms.

Can we really blame God for the sufferings and miseries of people?
This is the desperate dirge that Job asks of God. He felt that he was punished for no reason. He was helpless, totally deprived of hope and living in deep difficulty, hard-pressed and shattered. His three friends told him to ask pardon from God for his past transgressions. But Job couldn’t find any! Is God just? The conclusion however of the book of his life tells us of something – a total redemption. Yet,we were offered by Job an opportunity to examine and address the same most difficult situations and questions we too had asked of God. This is the same attitude that God wants us to adopt and fight the evil which is the root of all the sufferings and miseries we experience here on earth. How did Jesus respond to all these human tribulations in our gospel today?

We were told in the gospel that when Jesus was informed that the mother-in-law of Peter was sick, he immediately goes to her, and “takes her hand, helps her up” until she became well. Is our attitude in this case consistent with that of Jesus? Do we have this kind of patience and compassion? Said expression in New Testament’s expression is for “Resurrection”. And Jesus is giving his disciples a preview of what will transpire in the future to a believer like Peter’s mother.

Mark is teaching us a clear lesson in the gospel story. The woman who is ill is representative of a victim herself who is burdened by inhuman conditions but because of Jesus’ grace, she was healed. Notice how the mother-in-law of Peter begins to serve them
afterwards. It is an indication of total healing and liberation. And this should be the same for us. Therefore, if we have been healed by Jesus, then, we have to work for him and serve others as well. We have to give life to others and share our nicest stories of redemption to others. Who from among us has this power to go back to Jesus and say, “Thank You!”.

As we celebrate Pro-life Sunday, let us remind ourselves of the many
situations where Jesus rescued us, consistently giving us life despite our misgivings. Jesus values our life in total commitinent. Can we be life-givers as well?

The second part of the gospel (v. 32-34) tells us how Jesus cured all the inflicted people brought to him. It was not some kind of a cheap miracle that was performed. There was no sensationalism at all. He even told them not to tell anyone about all these. Let us be aware of the possible sensationalism of “healers and healing powers” happening in our times. We have to be very discerning. We have to pray and center, rather, our attention on Jesus, who alone can heal us. Even the Blessed Mother told us about this.

We know for a fact that Jesus did not solve all the problems of his time. He showed us the way on how we can heal others, and be healed ourselves. His curing the sick people is a clear sign that given this faith of ours, we can heal others too. Remember the many times he told the sick people, “Your faith has healed you”?This is the same scenario that was affirmed in Job. His faith in God helped in restoring everything he had lost, and so much more. If we can only join hands and solidify our efforts, then, we can alleviate hunger, injustices, economic imbalance, and other man-made calamities that threaten human life and all other life-forms.

The last part of the gospel tells us of Jesus who is in constant encounter with the Father through prayer. If we want everything in our life to conform to God, then we have to constantly meet God in prayer. Prayer is uttering our highest regard for God and putting into action the desire of His heart for us. It is not simply requesting Him to perform a miracle of healing for us. It is possessing our hearts with the light of his faith in order for us to withstand the demands of our relationship with Him. Prayer is God, who is moving our life to its greater glory. Job possesses his life with prayer, and he found his reward. Likewise, for St. Paul, it is not in monetary rewards but in the joy that he found helping
many to come into salvation. If we experience so many sufferings, let us always remember Jesus’ power of touch. Let us keep the faith in us.

as published on Feb. 5, 2012, Parish Bulletin

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“If You Will, You Can Make Me Clean” by Fr. John Muscat, OFM

He died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins and to make us clean from all our diseases and He was resurrected so that we will be living His saving victory over death – sin, here on earth and forever in heaven.

This Sunday you are encountering not just the healing power of Christ but also the mercy that goes with it and the justice, which God brings, for the fullness of the human being, whom he created in his perfect image. Healing for Jesus was not a problem as he is the author of life and the healer of all beings but the most interesting part of it is Christ touching the sick person. We are all touched by God through Christ in the holy sacraments of baptism, reconciliation and communion. We all carry in us the plan of salvation and mystical love of Christ to his Church, as we are the parts of this mystical body, which is the Holy Mother Church. The touch of Christ in our lives is to make us whole in body and soul, to bring peace and unity, to build families and societies and to let no one be isolated no matter who you are or what you do. WE ARE ALL THE FRUIT OF GOD’s LOVE.

Man was made to live in the society of his fellowmen. His nature needs the comfort and the sustaining support of his family and neighbours. To be isolated from them, to be compelled to live a life apart must be the hardest lot that could befall a human being. This was the sad lot of lepers at the time of the Old Testament and well into the New Testament days as well. Thanks to the progress of medicine and of Christian charity, there are hardly any cases of complete isolation today. There are cures for all infectious and contagious diseases, including most forms of leprosy, today. There are medical means of protection against infection and contagion which means that patients need not be in strict isolation. They can be visited and consoled by their relatives, friends and charitable neighbours, and their cross of suffering in loneliness is lightened for them.

There are, however, other cases of isolation not caused by any disease but rather resulting from lack of thought or lack of true fraternal charity on the part of men. There are elderly people in hospitals and in homes for the aged whose relatives are all dead and who have no one to visit them or to cheer them and help them to carry their cross. Here is an occasion for the true Christian to put his religion into practice. “I was sick and you visited me,” Christ says to the just on the last day. Yes, if we visit and console a fellowman, a brother of Christ, we are visiting and consoling Christ. There are, thank God, a few who practice this very necessary form of charity, but many more are needed.

There are also individuals and sometimes families in almost every community, who seem to be isolated or left coldly to themselves. It may be partly their own fault – they show no inclination to mix with their neighbours, they may even resent any intrusion on their privacy – but this does not excuse the truly Christian neighbour from trying to make such individuals or families feel at home and welcome in their neighbourhood. The charitable person will find ways and means of integrating such people into their local community, and of making life less solitary and therefore, more bearable for them.

“If you will, you can make me clean” was the prayer in faith of the leper. This is the only purpose for which Jesus was born for us, just to make us clean in HEART, BODY AND SOUL. He died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins and to make us clean from all our diseases and He was resurrected so that we will be living His saving victory over death – sin, here on earth and forever in heaven.

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for your loving healing touch today.

published on February 11, 2012, Parish Bulletin
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“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser” by Fr. John Muscat, OFM

Having the ordinary comforts of life and the possession of some of this world’s goods, is not wrong or anti-Christian, but the natural temptation is to get more and more of these comforts and riches, and the point is soon reached where this becomes the only purpose in life.

The words of consolation and encouragement which our Lord spoke to his Apostles on Holy Thursday night were intended to console and encourage all his followers for all time. They encourage and console us today, and we need encouragement to persevere on the road to heaven. Living a truly Christian life is never easy. We have always the attraction of the world, and the temptations by the agents of evil, to make that life less easy still. But in our own day these difficulties have increased a hundredfold. The attractions of this world have been multiplied by the increased comforts, pleasures and means of self-indulgence which science and technology have put within our reach. Human nature, always inclined to choose the easiest way out, has been given so many means of escape from the strain of self-control that even for a fervent Christian it is frequently very difficult to avoid these worldly allurements.

Having the ordinary comforts of life and the possession of some of this world’s goods, is not wrong or anti- Christian, but the natural temptation is to get more and more of these comforts and riches, and the point is soon reached where this becomes the only purpose in life. When this sad stage is arrived at God and our future life are forgotten; this world becomes our idol and our prison. The temptations which the agents of evil put in Christ’s way are also multiplied today. The communications media are now very technically improved and perfected and can be, and sometimes are, a means for good. Unfortunately more frequently they are the channels of bad example. The evil deeds of humans have more “news value” than their good deeds. And it is so much easier to follow the bad example! Permissiveness, rejection of authority, glorification of unlawful sexual indulgence, drug addiction, and other such crimes are placed before the minds and the eyes of the youth of
today, and are unfortunately copied by far too many.

It is indeed hard to swim against the current; it is so much more pleasant to allow oneself to be carried along without effort by the rushing tide. But when there are rocks and shoals ahead, the thoughtless and ease-seeking swimmer will end in grief. Our Lord has warned us today, as he warned his first followers, to abide in him, to remain closely united with him, as is the branch to the vine, if we hope to bear fruit worthy of heaven. He promises us that if we remain closely united to him, that is, if we strive daily to keep his commandments, he will be ever ready to answer our requests, and to heed all our prayers. The sincere prayer today of everyone who is trying to lead a Christian life is for the grace to overcome the allurements of the world, the flesh and the devil. Let us take courage, then. Christ has promised to remain beside us during life if only we stay close to him. While we remain healthy branches of the vine, Christ, we will be on the road to heaven. Our daily tasks, our work as well as our prayer, our recreations as well as our rest, our joys as well as our sorrows, will give glory to God and prove that we are worthy to be called disciples of Christ.

published on May 6, 2012, Parish Bulletin
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“Wealth or Kingdom?(Mk 10:17-30)” by Fr. Joel

…a disciple who followed him will receive a hundredfold as much; houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children, and lands, along with persecutions, and in the age to come, life everlasting (v.30). The rewards mentioned by Jesus are a “great reversal” of the sacrifices and sufferings a disciple will endure for a moment, but which will end in the gratifying life that awaits at the gate.

Is following Jesus an easy one? What should be sacrificed? What reward awaits the follower? This Sunday’s Gospel of Mark is part of the second instructions of Jesus to His disciples on their Way to Jerusalem. His teaching is about riches, reminding the disciples on the importance of discipleship. This final section consists of three parts.

The Story of the Rich Man ( v. 17-22 )

This part of the gospel has generated many interpretations down the centuries. Said interpretations have tried to modify this very difficult teaching, that even the rich man left, very sad. The story revolves on the question: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This paved the way for Jesus to remind him of the tenets of the Decalogue that talks on human relationships. But something is demanded from this reminder – radical discipleship. And this entails giving everything that one possesses, which is not limited to material possessions alone.

I guess, the difficulty lies on the aspect of detachment. After all, I am not in my proper frame of mind if I have given myself all these years working for my keep; then, in a sudden turn of events, I will give away what I valued most in life? But this is really the point. “Am I willing to sacrifice?” For truly, wealth can be a hindrance
in following Jesus, but the rewards of his being a disciple are greater than the sacrifices.

Instructions to the Disciples (v.23-27 )

Can mere renunciation of wealth guarantee our salvation? The personal instructions of Jesus to his disciples, which became public,
emphasize the power of God and faith in Him, being the ways to salvation. These two spiritual elements are very important because they will usher the followers/disciples of Jesus to a more
fulfilling life, as servants of God. Renunciation therefore, with reliance on Him as our ultimate Redeemer, will assure us of eternal rewards. With this assurance given us, we need to follow therefore the spirit of Jesus and his ways. We should make it a point in our
lives to have Him at the very center of our relationship. When we make him our guidepost in achieving spiritual ends, we need to redirect our lives in accord to his direction. Jesus is our salvation, and therefore, we should lead others towards him. By making him our model for living, it will surely be easier for us to pass through the narrow gate, for he will be there to widen the gate
for us. Therefore, with renunciation of material wealth comes the follow up responsibility of how we can really give everything to God, including our own selves. This is the way He showed us, how to become more than less, to be a man for God and for others and not
only for ourselves.

Teaching on Giving up Riches (v.28-31 )

What is now the reward for accepting the invitation of Jesus? Jesus gave the response to this query that both in the present and in
the future, a disciple who followed him will receive a hundredfold as
much; houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children, and lands, along with persecutions, and in the age to come, life everlasting (v.30). The rewards mentioned by Jesus are a “great reversal” of the sacrifices and sufferings a disciple will endure for a moment, but which will end in the gratifying life that awaits at the gate.

As our Church launches the Year of the Faith, let us be encouraged by the inspiring words of reminders from Jesus, keeping ourselves focused on how we can journey as a COMMUNITY IN FAITH, willing to undergo persecutions but with hearts open to the gates of HOPE towards HIM. We pray that may our lives continue to witness the FAITH that we have embraced.

published on October 14, 2012 Parish Bulletin

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“Honoring God with the Heart”, by Fr. Jesus

In today’s gospel, Jesus argues with the Pharisees and the scribes, inviting them to look beyond the letter of the law and to discover the spirit of the law. He explains to them, and to us too, that true religion does not consist in the mere performance of external rituals and external cleanliness; rather it is a matter of internal righteousness. Having clean hands and clean attire is fine; but it is by far more important to have a clean heart.

A newly-installed bishop who held a doctorate in Canon Law gave his first talk to the priests of his diocese. He told them: “From now on, this diocese will be ruled by Canon Law.” An old priest who was hard of hearing leaned towards a younger priest sitting beside him and asked, “What did he say?” Raising his voice for everybody to hear, the priest replied, “The bishop says that henceforth this diocese will be ruined by Canon Law.”

Rules and laws are good and helpful so long as they remain a means to achieve an end. Once they become ends in themselves, laws and rules can indeed ruin people. And that is precisely what happened to the Scribes and the Pharisees: They turned rules and traditions into absolutes–to be observed blindly, no matter what. For them, religion consisted in faithful and blind compliance with the letter of the law.

In today’s gospel, Jesus argues with the Pharisees and the scribes, inviting them to look beyond the letter of the law and to discover the spirit of the law. He explains to them, and to us too, that true religion does not consist in the mere performance of external rituals and external cleanliness; rather it is a matter of internal righteousness. Having clean hands and clean attire is fine; but it is by far more important to have a clean heart.

Jesus often berated the scribes and Pharisees because of their superficiality, that is, for remaining at the level of externals. He called them “whitened sepulchers,” clean on the outside but full of rottenness within. In today’s gospel, he applies to them the words of prophet Isaiah 29:13: “This people honors me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.”

These words of prophet Isaiah invite us all to do some soul-searching. Are we not in many respects like the Scribes and Pharisees? Our religion is a Sunday morning affair. Once we are done with our Sunday “obligation,” we go back to do our own thing. There is a story about some hold-uppers preying on bus passengers. While they were divesting the passengers of their valuables, the bus passed in front of a church; when the hold-uppers saw it, they made the sign of the cross.

Our celebration of the sacraments, especially weddings, has become a mere social affair, a fashion show of sorts, rather than an encounter with the Lord. The Church is much to blame for allowing this to happen. We bless our new homes, of course, but then we turn them into a venue for holding mahjong sessions or drinking sprees. We bless our new car, but then we show no respect for traffic rules. We have endless superstitions, particularly those connected with the dead; for instance, when bringing their remains to the church for blessing, we argue about which should go first, feet or head; and yet, when they were alive, we never encouraged them to go to church.

We could go on and on listing the inconsistencies of our so-called “split-level Christianity” that cause some people to ask: How come our country, the only Catholic country in Asia, is so full of graft and corruption, violence, scandals, pornography, drug addiction, etc.? Obviously, because our religious practices remain at the level of externals and have no bearing on our life and values. “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

May these words of Jesus help us realize that true religion consists, not in the performance of certain external rituals but, above all, in forging a personal relationship with the Lord—one that shapes and permeates our core values and our behavior, our personal as well as our professional undertakings.

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“Lord, to Whom Shall We Go? You have the Words of Eternal Life”, by Fr. John

A true Christian, who realizes and appreciates what the Son of God has done and is still doing for him, will try always to make himself less unworthy, for not even the greatest saint was worthy to partake of this act of divine love.

Last Sunday we read of the murmurs of objection among the multitude,
the ordinary people. “How could this man,” they had said, “give us his flesh to eat?” They looked on him as a man who was promising to give them his human flesh, as it then was, to eat. “Who could accept this?”, they asked. Christ did not explain, he simply went on to demand “faith in his word.” He had come down from heaven, he was more than mere man, he had the words of eternal life.

Today we read of objectors among his “disciples,” the outer band of followers who had been continually with him for sometime now. They were a group distinct from the Apostles. Their reason for objecting was the same as that of the multitude – they thought he was a mere man. He knew of their lack of faith and told them so: “some of you do not believe,” but he made no attempt to remove this obstacle. He simply referred again to his divine origin and the divine knowledge he possessed.

The “disciples”, who murmured, evidently saw nothing but a man in Christ. It was very natural, therefore, what they could not accept his saying that they should eat his body and drink his blood. Thus, it seems most probable that when Christ says they lacked “faith,” he had given them sufficient proofs that he was more than a man. These individuals among the disciples, however, refused to open their minds to these proofs, therein was their guilt. Their minds were earth-bound and were determined to remain earth-bound. Faith is a gift of the Father, as Christ says to those disciples: “no one can
come to me unless it is granted him by the Father,” but the Father has offered them this gift and they have refused to accept it, otherwise they would not be guilty.

No one who accepts Christ for what he is, the Son of God in human
form, has any difficulty in believing that he left us himself in the Eucharist as a sacrifice and a sacrament. This does not mean that we understand this gift of Christ in all its details. It was an act of divine power and as such beyond full human comprehension. However, we can understand enough about the actuality of the Eucharist because we accept the words of Christ, who “has the words of eternal life,” even though its innermost nature escapes us. We are doing no violence to our intelligence when we accept as fact from a trustworthy witness, what we cannot prove or confirm for ourselves.
No more trustworthy witness than Christ ever existed. In Galilee he
promised to give his body and blood—in the Eucharist—to be our spiritual nourishment—communion—and our means of offering an absolutely pleasing sacrifice to God every time his body and blood are made present by the words of his ordained ministers.

He fulfilled that promise at the Last Supper. He gave to his Apostles and their successors the power to repeat this act of divine love when he said, “Do this in memory of me.” When Simon Peter answered Christ’s challenge—”will you too go away?”—he spoke not only for his fellow-Apostles that day with, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” but for all Christians who really believe that Christ was the incarnate Son of God. Peter, be it noted, made his act of faith before he was fully convinced of the divinity of Christ, but he was already convinced that Christ was close to God and spoke nothing but the truth.

Many of us may need to examine ourselves as regards the full and
effective use we make of that gift. Every time we attend at Mass do we realize that Christ is offering himself to his Father for our sanctification and the sanctification of the world? Do we realize that we, through his minister at the altar, are offering infinite thanksgiving, infinite atonement, infinite adoration, infinitely effective petition, to our Father in heaven through the sacrifice of his divine Son in the Mass? Are we always worthy to act this part?

Are our consciences fit to allow us to partake of this sacrifice in Holy Communion? A true Christian, who realizes and appreciates what the Son of God has done and is still doing for him, will try always to make himself less unworthy, for not even the greatest saint was worthy to partake of this act of divine love.

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