Gospel for July 27, 2015 (Monday)

Mt 13:31-35

Jesus proposed another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.  It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the biggest of plants.  It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'"  He spoke to them another parable.  "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.  He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:  "I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world."

The Word in other words

Self transformation and religious conversion, being watchful and ready for the Lord's coming, demands a change of perspectives.  How does a perspective work?

Francis of Assisi literally lived Jesus' commandment of love.  True to the Gospel, he was compassionate even to the Saracens, infidels and thieves: "Come, brother robbers, we are all brothers and we have some good wine." (L.Boff, Saint Francis, 1982).  His love extended to creatures.  He would serve honey and wine to the wild bees during winter.  He would remove worms from his path so as not to hurt them,  For he believed that living things reflected their Creator's love and were thus a source of wonder and deserving of reverence.  Such a perspective influences human conduct.

Gandhi was known for his belief in ahimsa, a policy of nonviolence towards all living things.  He would not extinguish the life of mosquitoes, scorpions or snakes.  When a poisonous snake appeared in his ashram, he would pick it up and set it free in a field.  Likewise, Albert Schweitzer, a Nobel Prize winner, espoused "reverence of life," believing in its sacredness in all forms,  For him, man must be humane to all living things.  When his wife trapped some rats, he would set then free.  He himself would not catch fish, shoot birds, harm an animal or step n a flower.

These three persons shared the same perspective on nonviolence whereby they would not kill insects (Wallechinsky D. et al, The Book of Lists, 1977).  Their attitude no matter how unusual indicates that perspective in powerful.  It is intimately linked with human transformation.  Let us then embrace Jesus' perspective, his words.  In that way, we would be responding appropriately to the gospel's challenge.  Francis of Assisi was enjoying an affluent life but he radically embraced a lady, Lady Poverty, after his long illness. Leo Tolstoy's writings on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount led Gandhi to love Jesus himself and his words.  He was not a christian convert but his critics describes him as a "secret Christian".  Do we have that intense desire to love Jesus' transforming words like Gandhi?  Was there a time when I decided to become an authentic Christian? Tolstoy used to grapple with this question: "Was I merely play acting as a Christian?"  Let us be one with him in this concern.  Albert Schweitzer's decision to engage a mission in Africa and establish a hospital there was  motivated by Jesus:  Seek first the Kingdom of God.  Let us strive to feel the dynamism of the Spirit as we hear, listen and read the words of Jesus.

            -  Fr. Martin I. Mandin, SVD (SAJP, Cainta, Rizal)

Readings and Gospel for July 26, 2015 (Sunday) Fil-Mission Sunday

First Reading 
2 Kgs 4:42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing the man of God twenty barley loaves from the first fruits, and fresh grain in the ear.  Elisha said, "Give it to the people to eat."  But his servant objected, "How can I set this before a hundred?"  Elisha again said,  "Give it to the people to eat, for thus says the Lord:  You will eat and have some left over."  He set it before them, and when they had eaten, they had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

Second Reading 
Eph 4:1-6

I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace; one body and one Spirit, as  you were also called to the one  hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all an in all.

Gospel 
Jn 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (of Tiberias).  A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.  Jesus went up on the mountain and there he sat down with his disciples.  The Jewish feast of Passover was near.  When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"  He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.  Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little bit."  One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?"  Jesus said, "Have the people recline."  Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.  So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.  Then Jesus took the loaves of fish as they wanted.  When they had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted."  So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.  When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."  Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountains alone.

The Word in other words

The story of the Multiplication of Bread (Jn 6:1-14) has a special touch.  John brings in a boy with five loaves and two fish.  He fascinates me.  Among the multitude who followed Jesus the reader's attention is caught by this nameless boy with his merchandise, whom Andrew mentioned to Jesus (v9).  Surely he was there to do business.  Young though he might be, he would have been the breadwinner of his family; and his poverty made possible the Multiplication of the Bread.

Years ago, while yet working in Brazil, I came across a family of 7 children.  The eldest then was 13 years old; and their age gap averaged to a year and a half.  They all lived in a single parents' home with their mother.  At first, I thought they were all adopted; but in time I discovered that all were children of the same mother, but each one from a different father.  I struck a friendship with them, so that one evening after Mass, Marlene, the mother, briefly told me that when she first got married, her thoughts were that marriage meant forever.  But it was not even after a year that her first husband found another woman and left her.  She needed a companion to raise Roberto, her first born.  She found her second partner who left with her second child.  The story was repeated until the 7th child was born.  She was God-fearing, no doubt; regrettably, she took time to make an informed judgment.  No doubt she loved her children, for whom she worked her heart out as a laundry woman.  But it time she had to get her children take a share in the earning of their bread.

I was to travel by bus to the capital city one evening, and was about to embark for the twelve-hour journey when suddenly three of the children greeted me.  Each carried a couple of bags of fruits to sell.  We chatted for a while but I soon called their attention to the time of the night and advised them to go home.  In reply, Roberto, the eldest, said: "We have to sell all the fruits before we can go home."  Sadness became real in my heart and it left its indelible memory.  It was then 9:00 p.m. and it was winter.

I vividly recall this event as I write these lines.  Like the boy in the multiplication of bread, there are still  today myriads of children lost in the multitude finding a way to earn a living, and many become breadwinners at an early age.  On the other hand, the disciple Andrew (Jn 6:8) in the gospel story, found that the boy with the five loaves and two fish and brought not only his merchandise but also the boy himself to the Lord.  That boy was among the principal witnesses to the miracle of the Multiplication of the Bread.  His presence, as well as his bread and fish, were essential for the miracle to happen.  Yet, we should not forget that there was a disciple who brought him and his merchandise to the Lord.  Both characters together with the Lord produced the miracle.

When out of our poverty we are willing to give the best we have, and when someone recognizes what it can bring about, God can make a miracle that can transform scarcity into abundance.

              -  Fr. Bernard Espiritu, SVD (New Zealand)

Gospel for July 25, 2015 (Saturday)

Mt 20:20-28

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.  He said to her, "What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom."  Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you are asking.  Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?"  They said to him, "We can."  He replied, "My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, (this) is not mine to give but is for those whom it has been prepared by my Father."  When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers.  But Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt.  But it shall not be so among you.  Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The Word in other words

There is a story about the lovable, good old Pope John XXIII.  On his way home to the Vatican, he made a surprise visit to the nuns of the Holy Spirit congregation.

The whole community led by their superior came out to meet their VIP guest.  "And who are you?"  the amiable pope asked the portly sister, leading the community members.  Visibly nervous, she blurted out, "Your Holiness, I am the Mother Superior of the Holy Spirit!"  The pope said, "I didn't know the Holy Spirit has a Mother Superior.  Lucky for you, Sister; I am just the Servant of the Servants of God."

In today's gospel, Jesus teaches about leadership and servanthood.  The apostles were discussing about who was the greatest among them.

Jesus, sensing their ambitions and "jockeying" for position, called them together and gave them a lecture on greatness.  He had to repeat a fundamental theme of his teaching.  The idea of authority common at that time, to which the apostles clung, was that of absolute power- "lording it over others."

"It cannot be that way with you,"Jesus stressed.  "Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve and whoever wants to rank first... must serve the needs of all."  The disciple must be like the Master "who came not to be served, but to serve."  Thus, authority as servanthood applies to authority figures like parents, teachers, employers, superiors.

Ask yourself; Do you aspire for titles and high positions for the wrong motives like enjoying the honors, perks, and privileges, as well as the adulations, if not flatteries, of people?  As superiors or employers, do you use your authority to stifle dissent or put down talented constituents out of jealousy?

In God's plan, authority is servanthood.  And to serve is to reign.


                     -  Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD (CKMS, QC)

Gospel for July 24, 2015 (Friday)

Mt 13:18-32

Jesus said to his disciples, "Hear then the parable of the sower.  The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.

The seed sown on rocky ground is the who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.  But has no root and lasts only for a time.  When some tribulations or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.

The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.

But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

The Word in other words

Jesus proclaimed His teaching to people in agricultural villages.  They were then acquainted with the different kinds of soil on which farmers would strew the seed.  Hence, when He told them about the different kinds of people who would receive His word, he readily used the parable of the sower.

A person who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it is like a road where the seed can not grow; animals easily steal and run away with it.  The second type of soil is the rocky ground where the seed cannot take roots initially with joy but, like "fair and weather friends," one the tempest of tribulation, persecution or suffering comes they immediately fall away.

The third type of soil is full of thorns.  Just as the thorns choke the plants, so the thorns of worldly anxiety and alluring riches chose those who accept the word spinelessly.  They may have understood the word but they do not have that faith in God and trust in His loving care enough to overcome temptations and resist worldly enticements.

The fourth kind of soil is the rich soil where the seed will grow, take root, and bear much fruit.  This is the image of a person who receives  the Lord's teaching, understands and reflects on it, interiorizes it and makes it a part of his life.

To which image of a soil do we fit it?  Are we like a footpath where the seed can not take roots?  Or like the rocky ground where the word is received without conviction?  Or like the ground with thorns which chokes our faith with worldly cares and endless anxiety? Or are we like the rich soil which grasps His word with our whole being equipped with a faith firmly grounded on reason?  Our trust in His unconditional love and fatherly care is the anchor that keeps us steady and at peace in the midst o the trials and tribulations of this life.

            -  Fr. Ernesto Lagura, SVD (USC, Cebu City)

Gospel for July 23, 2015 (Thursday) Feast of St. Bridget

Mt 13:10-17

The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"  He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.  To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  This is why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look by do  not see and hear but do no listen  or understand.'  Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says, 'You shall indeed hear but not understand you shall indeed look but never see.  Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them.'

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.  Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

The Word in other words

Fr. Alphonse, itinerant missionary, was known to be a good hunter.  He knew how to combine his pastoral work in the villages and the thrill of chasing wild animals still abundant in the forest.  He had the cross on one hand and the rifle on the other hand.  His parish priest eagerly waited for him on Sunday evening when he came back with wild animals for food.

I discovered the secret of his success years later when I succeeded him.  He did not hunt alone.  He was always accompanied by his loyal companion, a native of the village.  In the forest, at night, despite his powerful headlights and sophisticated weapon, Fr. Alphonse saw only the leaves.  It was the native hunter with his sharp eyes who saw the prey camouflaged in the thickets.  He could see many things that our hero could not see.  Also, his ears can hear and distinguish more sounds than Fr. Alphonse's ears.  What made the difference?  The native hunter has attuned eyes and ears since childhood enabling him to see and hear the animals better than an ordinary person.

Jesus spent most of his time preaching and teaching.  He spoke in parables drawn from the simple realities of life.  Large crowds of people listened to him.  Many understood and discovered the treasures of his words.  But others did not understand.  They could not grasp their deeper meaning.  here were even those who, because of prejudice, deliberately closed their hearts to him.  Therefore they were not aware of the presence of God's kingdom.  Some even have the impression that they lived in hell.  The reality of the kingdom of heaven is a mystery.  It is like the forest full of colors and beautiful sounds, of plants and animals, BUT it is perceivable only by trained eyes, attentive ears and disposed hearts.  It is in our midst, it is growing, it is changing lives of people freeing them from all kinds of chains.  Happy the person who lives the reality of kingdom of heaven!  With eyes of faith they see the many wonders of God.

               -  Fr. Xene Sanchez, SVD(Congo)

Gospel for July 22, 2015 (Wednesday)

Jn 20:1-12, 11-18

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him."

But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.  And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been.  And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"  She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him."  When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?  Whom are you looking for?"  She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him."  Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher.  Jesus said to her; "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.  But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what he told her.

The Word in other words

Our Indian confrere, Father Ittoop Panikulam, SVD, recently preached a retreat in Tagaytay which helped us appreciate better Mary of Magdala.  Mary was the first witness to the risen Lord.  She was charged by Jesus to become his first missionary, the first preacher of the resurrection, to the apostles themselves.

To Peter Jesus was very formal: "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"  But to Mary of Magdala, Jesus simple said, "Mary".  While Jesus's single word "Mary!" suggests a continuation- what had happened had not affected their relationship.  All the apostles have deserted Jesus but Mary's love endures.  Peter's love for Jesus seems at first to have fragility of that of a fair weather friend, but Mary's love was what Meister Eckhard called fisherman's hook that catches the fish and will not let go.

This love, Father Ittoop suggested, sustained Mary through her anguish between the "absence of the Master and the presence of the living Lord."  Jesus found Mary again after his resurrection.  Waiting for Christ's return, how can we prepare ourselves so Jesus will find us?  How can we become even more living witnesses to the presence of the Risen Lord?

Father Ittoop called Mary and icon of love.  Icons, the fruit of much prayer and fasting, are not simply pictures but rather manifestations of the presence of the truth that they convey, and are held generally to be powerful channels of divine grace.  Mary's love and the closeness of Jesus to her must therefore show the quality of Jesus' love for us and how much he wants to come to us, and invite us to know and to love Jesus in return.  We can know and love Jesus through the Church- through Scripture, the Sacraments, prayer, and of course, each other.  A final word from Father Ittoop: "Mary Magdalene's message to us is: 'Be men and women who are on fire with love of Jesus Christ.'"

                       -  Fr. Alan Meechan, SVD (Naujan, Or. Mindoro)

Gospel for July 21, 2015 (Tuesday) Feast of St. Lawrence

Mt 12:46-50

While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him.  (Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.")

But he said in reply to the one who told him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.  For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."

The Word in other words

When the highly-contested race for the 2014 NBA MVP was still raging between LeBron James and Kevin Durant, both tried to remove the pressure from each other.  Kevin would say: "Let's just sit back and judge basketball as we play it; not just LeBron and myself.  Just enjoy it."  James for his part would have said: "I don't play for what people expect for me to do anymore.  Just want to play well and be the best.  That's my mindset."

Jesus faced during his earthly mission many cultural mindsets and expectations.  One of them was the pressure of a closely-knit family and clan.  They were expected to be always together.  Since this must have impeded him many times and even disallowed him to enjoy the love of his heavenly Father, he tried to break away from that tight box.  And to drive home the point of the importance of doing the will of his heavenly Father, he built on and around his family ties and raised it to another level.  He did this by extending  the scope of his family and clan.  His larger circle of brother, sister and mother would now be all those who do the will of his heavenly Father.

How refreshing it is to experience that God's family can be defined as the band of persons who consider themselves as brothers because they rally around one common cause.  I experienced this while in Madrid during the height of the outpouring of aid for the typhoon Haiyan victims.  During a radio interview where the Madrilenos tried to experience their concern and assured us of their help, the radio commentator said emphatically: "Hoy, todos somos Filipinas!"(Today, we are the Philippines!)  That was a moment when more than even we transcended blood ties and understood the larger scope of our common humanity.

Widen your circle of brothers and sisters and you would have done the heavenly Father's will, too.

                -  Fr. Jun Castro, SVD (Madrid, Spain)

Gospel for July 20, 2015 (Monday) Feast of St. Apollinaris

 Mt 12:38-42

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, " Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."  He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign Jonah the prophet.  Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.  At the judgement, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here.  At the judgement the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends to earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here."

The Word in other words

An acquaintance is discerning to enter the convent.  What she is waiting for is a sign so that she can decide.  A friend is thinking of migrating to Canada and is likewise praying for a sign.  Another friend has received several marriage proposals from her boyfriend, but until now she is still waiting for a sign.

The demand for a sign is common to one's expression of belief.  We ask for a sign to make certain that our desires are God's desires.  We look for a sign as an assurance, a confirmation that our decisions coincide with what God wants.

In our gospel today, people are looking for a sign.  They are clamoring not merely for a sign, but for a sign coming from Jesus (v.38).  They might have heard so much about him that they would like to witness his miraculous signs, maybe because they would like to be assured that He is truly God.  Interestingly, what Jesus does to pacify them is to make them remember Jonah's experience in the belly of a whale for three days and three nights, and connect this to his future "in the heart of the earth" (v.40).  Jesus intentionally recalls this event to inculcate in them that if those who believed in Jonah's preaching repented and were saved, so will those who believe in him be saved, because he will go to the realm of the dead to conquer death.  Hence through him, those who will believe will also rise to heaven.  This is the invitation of Jesus to his listeners.

Thus, we may be asking signs from him for the sake of serenity in this life, but we should not lose sight of the greatest sign offered to us by him: life with him in eternity.

               -  Fr. Ross Heruela, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)

Gospel and Readings of July 19, 2015 (Sunday)

First Reading
Jer 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock  of my pasture- oracle of the Lord.  Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.  I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have banished them and bring them back to their folds; there they shall be fruitful and multiply.  I will raise up shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear or be terrified; none shall be missing- oracle of the Lord.
   
See, days are coming- oracle of the Lord-
when I will raise up  a righteous branch for David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name to be given him:
"The Lord our justice."

Second Reading
Eph 2:13-18

But now in Christ Jesus you who were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.  For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it.  He came and preached peace to you  who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Gospel
Mk 6:30-34

The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.  He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat.  So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.  People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.  They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.  When the disciples embarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things."

The Word in other words

Jesus wants us to also to serve and love others selflessly and unconditionally.  I feel we only need to consider how much of the basic elements of time, treasure and talents we are willing to put into our actions in order to serve others and assess the intensity of our love for them.

                        -  Fr. Patricio R. delos Reyes, Jr,, SVD (Tacloban City)

Gospel for July 18, 2015 (Saturday)

Mt 12:14-21

The Pharisees went out and took counsel against him to put him to death.  When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.  Many (people) followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known.  This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight;  I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.  "He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.  A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory.  And in his name the Gentiles will hope."

The Word in other words

A big number of people of various sorts (about 600,000 men) left Egypt to escape from the dictatorship of the Pharaoh.  This represents the Church and the diversity of its members all over the world.  The Church today has been under attack in countries where Christians are minorities, especially in Muslim countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.  Most of them have been forced to leave their homes in haste to save their lives and families when attacked by the aggressors.  Symbolic of this is the unleavened bread that they brought with them on their journey.  Because of their unexpected departure, they had to leave the material comforts of their homes to seek freedom and liberty.  But they always bring their faith with them wherever they go and bear witness to the people whom they meet.  It is amazing to see how the Christian migrant workers bear witness to their faith in the affluent countries where the practice of religion is no longer a priority.  Filipino migrants for example fill their churches on Sundays.  Without them, many churches would have been closed and would serve only as museums.  Because of their faith, the Christians are always available to answer the call of their God, manifested in the person of Jesus Christ.

The gospel shows the Pharisees plotting to kill Jesus.  Their jealous hearts blinded their eyes from seeing the good things Jesus was doing.  Their minds were closed to Jesus' new interpretation of the law.  Jesus avoided them but continued to cure the sick and warned them not to make him known.  Was Jesus afraid of them?  St. Matthew answered this question by long citation from the prophet Isaiah which is an important key to the understanding of the personality of the Savior.  Jesus Christ is the true "servant" of God, the  "beloved" of the Father!  Does this reality give us joy and inspire us to become true servants of God?

The saving role of  Jesus is not only for those people who have the chance to receive the gospel; it is for all the nations who are loved by God in Jesus Christ whose mission is universal.  What marvelous vocation of Jesus: the vocation to love.  His role is to heal wounds, to give hope, not to let a small flame in one's life die, and to encourage sinners to go back to God.

                       -  Fr. Popo Perey, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)

Gospel for July 17, 2015 (Friday)

Mt 12:1-8

At that time Jesus was going through a field of grain on the Sabbath.  His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.  When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath."  He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat?  Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests serving i the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?  I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.  If you knew what this meant, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned these innocent men.  For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

The Word in other words

In many and various ways, Matthew wanted to show that Jesus was the New Moses.  Moses as we know was the one to whom God gave the law in Sinai.  Matthew shows, in his gospel, that Jesus came to fulfill the Law God gave to Moses, by teaching a new principle of interpretation.  The prevailing principle then was "be pure" because of God is pure.  For Jesus, however, the principle "be merciful" as God is merciful.  By quoting the Prophet Hosea: "I desire mercy not sacrifice"(6:6), he indicates by what principle to judge the following or observance of the law.  The end and purpose of every law is to help so that the true image of God may emerge from within every human being.  This is what Jesus tried to do and in so doing he revealed who he really was--- the fulfillment of the law.

                    - Fr. Magdaleno Fabiosa, SVD (VCR, CKMS, QC)

Gospel for July 16, 2015 (Thursday) Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Mt 11:28-30

Jesus offers an invitation: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

The Word in other words

The effects of modern technology may two-sided.  Home appliances may shorten time spent in cooking, washing, cleaning and other household chores, but this "saved" time is often wasted in front of the television and the computer at home.  At the office, plenty of productivity time is lost answering e-mails and reading facebook posts and messages.  Mobile phones give digital access to social networks and real-time news.  But this ubiquitous accessibility of technology causes constant stress, which disrupts relaxation and recovery.  It encourages gadget addiction, which eventually hampers real social communication and personal encounter.

As if people in today's hectic world are not strained enough from the pressures of family and career work, many are yet faced with mounting and seemingly never-ending workloads.  We are expected to balance the demands between our jobs and ourselves.  We are torn apart between wants and needs.  Oftentimes personal creative projects are overtaken by practical concerns.  When unchecked, many stressed people suffer from burnout, feeling depleted and devoid of interest.  They often don't see any hope for positive change, nor do they find any exit from their stressful situations.

Jesus invites the burdened to come to him, because "his yoke is easy and his burden is light."  How does this apply to the modern predicament of work overload?  Jesus offers a change of mentality.  His gospel allows us to reassess our priorities.  Do we live in order to work or do we live for bread alone?  Can't we switch of our gadgets without feeling left out and take time to meditate and pray?  A healthy holistic spirituality entails taking care of our soul and body.  Jesus seems to tell those who are trapped in the web of modern entanglements to adopt healthy ways of eating, exercising, and sleeping.  Take a daily break from technology.  Even Jesus himself took him to pray and be alone after his public ministries.  Hermann Hesse, a German poet and novelist, once wrote, "Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself."  In this inner sanctuary, one may find God.

              -  Fr. Simon Boiser, SVD (Hamburg, Germany)

Gospel for July 15, 2015 (Wednesday) Feast of St. Bonaventure

Mt 11:25-27

At that time Jesus said in reply, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.  Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.  All things have been handed over to me by my Father.  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son wishes to reveal him."

The Word in other words

A visiting friend told me of her experience when she visited one of our communities in the north.  When requested by one of the Sisters to bring the community to a place for a funeral, my friend readily agreed.  The Sister promised to direct the driver since she had previously been assigned to that place.  When it seemed that they were lost, another Sister suggested that they inquire from the people they passed by, but the confident Sister insisted she knew the place.  In the end, they were not able to find their way and had to go back home instead.

It is against this way of thinking that Jesus warns us in today's Gospel.  Jesus does not condemn intelligence.  In fact, it is one of God's gifts to us.  What Jesus condemns is our arrogance in thinking that, because of this gift of intelligence, we know better and therefore no need for further instruction, or that we don't have anything to learn from others anymore.

Through the attitude that Jesus enjoins us to acquire today, we can be open to another message of the Gospel; that, however advance is our intelligence, it is only Jesus who reveals God to us.  It is our Christian conviction that it is in Jesus Christ alone that we see what God is like, and that Jesus can give knowledge to anyone who is humble and trustful enough to receive it.

                 - Sr. Arlene F. Lobitana, SSpS (Manila)

Gospel for July 14, 2015 (Tuesday) Feast day of St. Camillus de Lellis

Mt 11:20-24

Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.  But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum; 'Will you be exalted to heaven?  You will go down to the netherworld.  For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

The Word in other words

A HEART OF STONE!  Is that what you have?  Do you have a cold and unfeeling heart?  In the gospel today, Jesus expressed His disappointment with the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum for the hardness of their hearts.  In these towns, Jesus performed "mighty deeds" but the people rejected His works,  Jesus then compared these towns to the cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom.  These cities were symbols of immorality, perversion, pride, and sin.  Had the people of these cities heard the works of Christ, their repentance would have been swift and profound.  But the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, in spite of seeing the works of Jesus, did not repent. In the gospel, Jesus us about conversion and warns us of the danger of being repentant.

Sometimes, we are like the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida.  We receive abundant blessings from God and yet we remain indifferent to His goodness.  Sometimes, we are like the people of Capernaum,  God makes us feel so loved like His favorite children yet we remain cold and proud.  Today the gospel invites us to look into our own hearts.  Do you have a heart of stone of do you need a "new heart"?

Read again the gospel for today.  Recall the times when you felt like the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.  Ask God for the grace of conversion.  As you pray, remember the words of Ezekiel 36:26: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

                      -  Fr. Jose Honorio P. Mateo, SVD (Paraguay, South America)

Gospel for July 13, 2015 (Monday) Feast of St. Henry

Mt 10:34-11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles, "Do not thing that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.  I have come to bring not peace but the sword.  For I have to set a man 'against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household.'

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for sale will find it.

"Whoever receives your receives me, whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.  Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one these little ones to drink because he is a disciple- amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

The Word in other words

In the year 1204 a man named Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, an Italian heir to a wealthy businessman, renounced his worldly life after experiencing spiritual conversion, and chose to be with the poor begging at St. Peter's Basilica.  He gave all his belongings to the poor and chose to wear a beggar's cloak.  His peers mocked him and made his father furious who later drove him out of their household.  In a dream he encountered Christ who said, "Go and repair my house which, as you can see, is falling apart."  Francis , as he is now popularly known, would later become one of the most venerated religious figures in history. (Wikipedia)

In today's gospel, Jesus is telling us that to follow Him is not an easy task.  If we choose to follow Him and be His disciples, here is no other way but to carry our own crosses.  Though crosses may differ in size and weight, a disciple is expected to carry a heavier cross, being sent like a sheep among wolves.  A disciple should be prepared to be mocked, ridiculed, rejected, persecuted and should even be ready to die for the sake of Christ.

According to the CIA's World Factbook (July 2012 est), there are 2.2 billion Christians in the world.  How many of us, like St. Francis of Assisi, are ready to give up everything for the sake of Christ?  How many of us have the guts to choose good over evil, to be honest and not corrupt, to be faithful to our vows and not break them, to work hard to make a living and not steal, to be humble and not proud, to be simple and not extravagant?  How many of us would rather choose to forgive than seek vengeance, and to turn the other cheek rather than retaliate?  How many of us care enough to give their time, talent and treasure to care for the oppressed and the victims of injustice?

Would you choose to be a disciple?  That might be easier said than done.

                   -  Br. Jong Jacela, SVD (Cainta, Rizal)

Gospel and Readings for July 12, 2015 (Sunday) 15th Week of Ordinary Time

First Reading
Am 7:12-15

To Amos, Amaziah said: "Off with your, seer, flee to the land of Judah and there earn your bread by prophesying! But never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple."  Amos answered Amaziah, "I am not a prophet, nor do I belong to a company of prophets.  I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamores, but the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lords said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'"

Second Reading
Eph 1:3-14

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ, with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.  In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he garnered us in the beloved.  Fulfillment thought Christ.

In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.  In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the misery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.  Inheritance through the Spirit.

In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.  In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption of God's possession, to the praise of his glory.

Gospel Reading
Mk:6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.  He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick- no food, no sack, no money in their belts.  They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.  He said to them,  "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until  you leave from there.  Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them."  So they went off and preached repentance.  They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

The Word in other words

As I was preparing this reflection, I read the sharing of Fr. Sisoy Cellan in Sambuhay.  Fr Sisoy is an SVD missionary who is presently assigned in Kenya.  I would like to relate to you some of his thoughts on mission which is just about the theme of today's gospel.  By the way, Fr. Sisoy used to be my student in philosophy when I was the regent of Christ the King Mission Seminary, our college-seminary at E. Rodriguez, Q.C.

Fr. Sisoy shared a story where an old woman approached an SVD missionary stationed at a remote mission area in Kenya.  Among other things, this woman was asking for food.  Our SVD confrere handed her some unga (ground maize), and told her it was all he could give her.  Then woman thn replied: "If you missionaries cannot give us what we need, then why are you here?" For Fr. Sisoy it was a biting and even unfair remark.  However, it was worth reflecting on.  Once again the remark of the woman led him to examine his reason for doing mission in Kenya.  He thus posed the question: "If we missionaries cannot give what people ask of us, then what are we to them?"

In today's gospel, Jesus sent his apostles to minister to people and to their needs.  He also instructed them how mission must be conducted in simplicity and with single-mindedness.  In particular, he sent them in pairs.  There is wisdom in this mission strategy- to do mission as a team.  Today, in the Church, pastoral ministry has to be a team ministry if it has to be efficient.  Gone are the days of the rugged individualistic type of missionaries.  Team ministry is not just a pastoral strategy; it is also an effective aspect of witnessing.

Fr. Sisoy speaks of team ministry in doing mission on another front.  This team ministry is in the form of partnership between the Filipino missionaries sent abroad and the Philippine Church He writes:

We represent the Philippine Church in our mission here in Africa.  We carry with us our identities as Filipino Christians into the mission field.  We become the living expression of the Philippine Church's commitment to mission.  Hence, we wish to see our brothers and sisters in our motherland taking concrete stand for us missionaries, supporting and giving assistance to Filipino missionaries who are away from home.  If such concrete assistance is pursued vigorously, then the question of the old woman will have been answered already.

We thank GOd that the Philippines has become the mission-sending Church and we thank in a special way our courageous Filipino missionaries who have braved the difficult and challenging mission in all parts of the glob.  St. Joseph Freinademetz, the first SVD missionary to China, was sustained in his difficult mission among the Chinese by the conviction that, despite differences in culture, languages and ways of life, there is one language that everybody speaks and understands: it is the language of love, the language of God's love.

                 - Fr. Raul Caga, SVD (DWS, Tagaytay City)

Gospel for July 11, 2015 (Saturday) Feast of St. Benedict

Mt 10:24-33

Jesus said to his Apostles,  "No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master.  It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!

Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.  What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. "And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.  Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?  Yet no one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.  Even all the hairs of your head are counted.  So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.  Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.  But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."

The Word in other words

When we were younger, my cousins and I were fond of using the term "Don't panic" whenever we find ourselves in a panic mood like studying for the exams or doing a house chore.  I remember also teasingly saying these words whenever my father would ask me to do something.  It would make him a bit furious, and the next thing I knew is him approaching me with a belt on hand!

The very words at the beginning of this day's Gospel,  "Jesus said to his disciples" introduces His instructions to his disciples.  Today He is telling us at least three things:

1.  No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, for the slave to become like his master.  As baptized, our life stories, more so our joys and victories, should always be seen as something we have learned from the teachings and examples of Jesus.  If you feel that other people, and not you, are advancing in riches and wisdom, if you feel that you are not becoming more patient and generous and maturing in faith, don't panic! Life is a mission, mission is a lifetime.

2.  What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.  If you have truly understood what it means to faithfully do God's will, you'll agree that following Jesus is not a joy ride.  HE continues to invite you and me, "Take up your cross and follow Me."  It is in these "moments of the cross" when we encounter tribulations and darkness that He in turn faithfully whispers to us, "Don't panic."

3.  So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.  When you find yourself down and hurt; when you're tempted to hate rather than to understand and forgive; when in doubt and afraid, remember, don't panic! "I have loved you with an everlasting love ad that will never change, even if you do."  Then again, "I will always be there for you, you are my precious one."

                         -  Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD (CT Manila)

Gospel for July 10, 2015 (Friday)

Mt 10:16-23

Jesus said to his Apostles, "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.  Beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.  When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say.  You will be given at that moment what you are to say.  For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.  Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.  You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.  Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

The Word in other words

The discourse of Jesus in today's gospel is prophetic.  He tells us what the Christians in some places are experiencing: incomprehension, contradictions, and persecution.

When this happens we know that "it was in the program."  But Jesus also asks something from us: "the wisdom of simple courage which leads to fidelity up to its final consequences, and the prudence that does not look gratuitously for conflict and resolution" (Segundo Galilea)

A few years back I had the chance of joining the  "footsteps of St. Paul's pilgrimage" (Greece, Turkey, and Italy).  In that pilgrimage not only did I see the actual missionary route of St. Paul, but I was able to imagine and feel profoundly the difficulties, persecutions and sufferings he endured, as well as the loneliness, frustrations, and disappointments he overcame.  Amidst those ruined structures which were then magnificent and imposing amidst those beautiful places that we've seen, were also landmarks where St. Paul was challenged, insulted, derided, maligned and put into prison because of Christ.  We know very well from the letters of St. Paul and from Church history how the Christian communities that he had established in those regions suffered the same fate.

But what stood out from all these was the strong faith of the early Christians, their wisdom that led to fidelity till the end.  St. Paul said: "Trials of every sort come to us, but we are not discouraged.  We are left without answer, but we do not despair; persecuted but not abandoned, knocked down but not crushed (2 Cor 4:8-9)

In the same way, as Christians, let us be aware of the fearful scenario that awaits us as followers of Christ.  Yet. let us develop a strong faith in Jesus, so that no matter what happens we hang on to Him.  Like the woman after the super typhoon Yolanda who was seen praying inside the Palo cathedral, we can say: "My faith is stronger than Yolanda."

                  -Fr. Eliseo Yyance, SVD(DWC, San Jose, Occ. Mindoro)

Gospel for July 9, 2015 (Thursday)

Mt 10:7-15

Jesus said to his Apostles, "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.  Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.  Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.  The laborer deserves his keep.  Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave.  As you enter a house, wish it peace.  Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words - go outside the house or town and shake the dust from your feet.  Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than that for that town."

The Word in other words

Jesus was very clear in the instructions that his followers were to follow as they went to proclaim the kingdom.  They were to have complete trust in the Lord as they shared God's healing power.  As missionaries of peace, they were to be generous having received so freely from the Lord.

Once a group of us, priests and religious sisters and brothers, were sent incognito to "smokey mountain", the garbage dump in Cebu City, to give witness to our brothers and sisters living there  We were instructed not to wear any sign that we were priests or religious; even the sisters were to go without their habit.  We were to wear T-shirts or sports shirts with rubber slippers or rubber shoes.  Much as we tried to be like the people of smokey mountain, our shirts were simply too white and clean, and even our rubber slippers too neat to fit their culture.  Still we were thrilled that we were able to present ourselves in disguise.  The sound of so many flies flying and the pungent smell of the burning waste hit us strongly, but the simplicity of the people and their warm welcome made up for our feeling of discomfort.  There were without pretense, so considerate and natural were they, apologizing for having no seats to offer to us.  Then one of them told us how happy there were that we came because early that morning a priest told them that priests, sisters, and brothers were coming to visit them.  What a bombshell! We all had a big laugh about our disguise.

We went to smokey mountain to bring Christ along, but we discovered Christ with the people.  In their simplicity we could feel the joy in the midst of poverty.  We learned from them how to trust the Lord always in whatever situation we are in life

            - Fr. Carlos Lariosa, SVD (Radio Veritas Asia, QC)

Gospel for July 8, 2015 (Wednesday)

Mt 10:1-7

Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out to cure every disease and every illness.  The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.  Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.  Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  As you go, make this proclamation: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The Word in other words

Jesus called His twelve disciples, gave them authority over unclean spirits and all manner of diseases and commanded them to go out and proclaim the Good News: "The Kingdom of God is at hand."

During His time on earth, Jesus gradually revealed the vision and demands of the Kingdom of God.  God's Kingdom brings transformation, especially the transformation of human relationships.  It grows gradually as people learn to love, forgive, and serve one another.  With the outpouring of the Spirit at baptism, we are empowered to proclaim and witness the Good News of God's Kingdom.

Another important aspect of God's Kingdom is its universality.  It is everyone's concern- individuals, communities, parishes, families and society.  Working to establish God's Kingdom means acknowledging  and promoting God's activity in everyday life.  As we say in the Our Father, it is about forgiving one another and working for liberation from all forms of evil.

We are called through baptism to be disciples of Christ.  Being a disciple of Jesus is about the values we live by, the attitudes we have as we go about raising a family, earning a living, or being involved in church or community activities.  The transformation of society doesn't just take place in the church.  It happens also in the marketplace where people are meeting, doing business, debating, and even relaxing.  We can ask ourselves if we, as believing followers of Jesus, are putting into practice our commitment to the Gospel or if we have an impact on any sphere of life.

All of us have been given a share in the same Spirit, at baptism and confirmation, to enable us to be disciples, announcing the Good News, in our day, time, and place.  The context of each one's life is unique but it contains the opportunities for living out the faith, witnessing to the presence of Jesus in our lives an in our hearts and, as a result, influencing whatever sphere of life we are in.

                                  - Fr. Alex Muana, SVD ( South Africa)

Gospel for July 7, 2015 (Tuesday)

Mt 9:32-38

As [Jesus and his disciples] were going out, a demoniac who could not speak was brought to him, and when the demon was driven out the mute person spoke.  The crowd were amazed and said, "Nothing like this has even been seen in Israel."  But the Pharisees said, "He drives out demons by the prince of demons."

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.  At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, " The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."

The Word in other words

The central message of the public ministry of Jesus Christ is the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus did it in some definitive ways.  One, by preaching with authority; second, by forgiving sins; third, by healing the sick; fourth, by raising the dead to life; and fifth, by driving out demons.  Added to these are other miracles He performed.  All of these, no doubt brought amazement to the people.  Jesus then was a raising star, the center of attraction, the apple people's eyes. However, while gaining the attention and affection of the people, Jesus also gained opposition from the Pharisees.  Jesus for them was not a blessing but a great threat, a threat to their identity, to their religious traditions, including their fame.  Here was somebody who had the guts to challenge traditions and practices.

Sometimes, we are like the Pharisees in a way.  We are not happy about the achievements of others, we speak ill things about them and instead of affirming what is good in other people, we tend to condemn them.  Such attitude destroys the grace of God working in our midst.  The challenge then of the Gospel is that, first, let us not underestimate other people; second, let us mot overestimate ourselves. If we say God is with us, then it is also possible and true that God is also with other people.  With that, we also proclaim the Kingdom of God in our own little ways! Jesus our Lord finally teaches us to be compassionate in dealing with others especially the sick and the poor.  With compassion, we can be instruments of healing, not instruments of brokenness.

Gospel for July 6, 2015 (Monday) Feast of St. Maria Goretti

Mt 9:18-26

While (Jesus was speaking to the crowd), an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, "My daughter had just died.  But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live."  Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.  A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak.  She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured."  Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you."  And from that hour the woman was cured.

When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping."  And they ridiculed him.  When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose.  And news of this spread throughout all that land.

The Word in other words

Today's Gospel text has parallel accounts in Mark 5:21-43 and in Luke 8:40-56.  I take all three together in meditation as well as the reading from Genesis 28:10-22.  They serve as the guide for my path today and the whole of my life.

I note that the number 12 is mentioned or alluded to.  Twelve years is the age of the little girl who was sick and then died.  Twelve years is how long the woman who touched the cloak or the hem of the cloak of Jesus has been suffering hemorrhages.  And Jacob who is the main character in the first reading from Genesis would be famous, among other things, for having twelve sons- who would eventually become the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Twelve, Biblical scholars tell us, is considered a perfect number, symbolizing God's power and authority.  In the Gospel, Jesus, Son of God, exercise this power and authority over sickness (of the woman with hemorrhage) and death (of the daughter of the official).  The healing that comes from Jesus is in His touching (taking the hand of the dead girl) and in His being touched (by the woman in the crowd).

Today, I invite the Lord Jesus to come to me and conquer whatever sickness I may have, and whatever death I may experience.  Today, I invite Him to be and continue to be the Master of my life.  Today, I ask You, Lord, to help me realize the grounds and places where You are, just as Jacob did, to touch with love and healing whoever and whatever You send my way.  I pray that when I am touched by anything or anyone, Your grace and love in me is passed on.  Today, I ask for a similar sensitivity to persons and things around me that You exhibited when the little girl arose from her death bed.  Mark and Luke say that the very first thing You said to the parents of the girl was to give her something to eat. Ah, what sensitivity.  Ah, what grace.  Today, through me, may such grace, love, and healing take place in my part of the world.

               - Fr. Roderick C. Salazar, SVD (CKMS, QC)

Gospel and Readings for July 5, 2015 (Sunday)

First Reading
Ex 2:2-5

As he spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard the one who was speaking say to me:  Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.  Their children are bold of face and stubborn of heart- to them I am sending you.  You shall say to them:  Thus says the Lord God.  And whether they hear or resist- they are a rebellious house- they shall know that a prophet has been among them.

Second Reading
2 Cor 12:7-10

Because of the abundance of the revelations. Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.  Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness."  I will rather boast gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Gospel
Mk 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.  When the Sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogues, and many who heard him were astonished.  They said, "Where did this man get all this?  What kind of wisdom has been given him?  What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!  Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joset and Judas and Simon?  And are not his sisters here with us?"  And they took offense at him.  Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house."  So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.  He was amazed at their lack  of faith.  He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching.

The Word in other words

I find it hard to understand the Gospel today, probably today because of cultural differences between the thinking if the Jews and the Filipino mind.  Among us for example, when someone successful or famous comes back and visits his/her hometown, the whole town will prepare and give that person a joyous welcome.  The people feel proud to be part of that person's success and fame.

With Jesus, it was the opposite.  He was met with murmuring and great prejudice.  Instead of pride Jesus encountered suspicions and disbelief.  "Where did his wisdom come from?  Is he not the carpenter?"

Like jealous and hatred, prejudice could lead to murder.  So strong could prejudice be that a prejudiced person can choose to remain blind in front of glaring facts.  Somebody calls it "self-inflicting blindness."  Being blinded, he or she strikes like a serpent to an unknowing suspect.

Jesus could not let his healing touch flow into unbelieving hearts.  He waits with enduring patience for a change of heart.  Meanwhile he moves on and seeks more fertile grounds to scatter the seeds of his kingdom.

                   - Fr. Atilano Corcuera, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)

Gospel for July 4, 2015 (Saturday) Feast of St. Elizabeth of Portugal

Mt 9:14-17

Then the disciples of John approached him and said,  "Why do we and the Pharisees fast (much), but your disciples do not fast?"  Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?  The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.  No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.  People do not put new wine into old wineskins.  Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.  Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."

The Word in other words

"Are you a KJ (kill joy)?"  Jesus must have asked John's disciples.  Fasting is done for varied reasons including health, discipline, atonement for sins, and even to "coerce" others.  However, when one is in and with Jesus, the only meaningful act of fasting would that of fasting from work.  When one is with Jesus, work is a feast where one has so much to do- for others and His Kingdom.  Didn't He say "I have food no one knows about" (Jn 4:32)?  Hence, eating is necessary to replenish the energy spent for others.  Fasting (from work, that is, or simply RESTING) becomes inevitable for the sake of the next round of service in and out for the Lord!  Didn't Jesus advise His disciples "to come away from work to a distant place to rest" (Mk 6:31)?  Even machines have to be stopped to keep from overheating.  This fasting from work thus has consequences to one's health.  Without rest one suffers from burnout.  Work will always be there, but rest and prayer are essential for us to be able to sustain our zeal for the work.  But we know that the disciples of John did not fast like that.

Secondly, fasting comes easy when "the bridegroom" dies.  That's what we call grieving, when one's energies go so slow that either one just wants to cry and the appetite seems to have left us too.  Besides, when the reason for the fast is gone, as in death, the reason for all the celebration dissipates into thin air; one really needs to sit down and feel "the blow" of the loss.  We may even feel like we have worked for nothing!  Hence, our fasting on Good Friday.

And of course, we know why the Church maintains fasting on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, one of the only two days in our church calendar in which we are required to fast.  This one seems to be the only acceptable reason: atonement and conversion from our sins.  Even Scriptures attest to this "powerful" coercive act of man which God looks so mercifully upon, remember the experience of the Ninevites in the book of Jonah?  We can never force God, by fasting, to do things our way.  Hence, when we fast so that we understand God's will for us, God is not coerced.  In fact, we go by the ways of God!

                       - Fr. Bernardo R. Collera, SVD (DWC, Legazpi, Albay)

Gospel for July 3, 2015 (Friday) Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

Jn 20:24-29

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord,"  But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks again put my hand into his side, I will not believe."  Now a week later his disciples were again and inside and Thomas was with them.  Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said,  "Peace be with you."

Then he said to Thomas,  "Put your fingers here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe."  Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and have blessed."

The Word in other words

Dear Thomas,

Allow me to send you this letter across the centuries because I have some points to clarify and sentiments to express.

You were absent when the Lord appeared to your fellow disciples gathered together behind locked doors on the very day he rose from the dead.  When you came back to the Group and they told you exultantly, "We have seen the Lord!" were you not feeling sorry for having been away from your community just at that glorious moment?  Did you not perhaps come to realize that there is indeed a blessing in being with one's community even (or, especially?) when there is cause for grief?

"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."  That was your (proud?) retort, Thomas.  So for you to see is to believe, right?  But if one sees already, one does not have to believe anymore, right also?  Take  your fellow disciples, for instance.  Their word to you was not,  "We believe in the Risen Lord,"but, "We have seen the Lord!" Is it not so that there in heaven where you are now, there is no need for faith anymore, nor for hope?  Because what you believed in and hoped for you now possess.  Yes, you now enjoy the Beatific Vision!  Truly then what remains is Love, the greatest of the Three.

But really, Thomas, from my vantage point, I find it truly amazing why you were so incredulous of your Rabbi's resurrection, and why this Easter event should have caught all of you in the group by surprise.  My reason?  Simply this: On the least three different occasions Jesus made a rather solemn statement that he would be killed but that on the third day he would rise again.  Were you not listening to him- you his disciples?  His enemies remembered that statement and so they ran to Pilate to get him to station guards at his tomb lest his followers steal his body and make people believe that he, indeed, rose from the dead.  Yes, Jesus' important declaration registered in the minds of his enemies but not in the minds of his friends!  Isn't that truly amazing?

Like the good friend that he was to you, Jesus obliged:  he appeared to your group again a week later, this time with you, Thomas, present.  He utters the same greeting: "Peace be with you!"  And now he confronts you, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving." I wonder, did you still bother to put your finger into the nail marks and your hand into his side?  I suppose not anymore, there was no need for that anymore.  Here is the objective evidence at its purest!  Yes, objective evidence- isn't that the criterion of truth?  The bastion of unbelief that you were should now have really crumbled.  And so , out of the depths of your heart, you cried ou: "My Lord and my God!" I am touched to the core of my being with your heartfelt cry.  I see it as the total surrender of unbelief, of pride, of arrogance on your part.  It was both an act of faith and an act of humility.

Than you, Thomas, for your profession of faith, "My Lord and my God!"  Should I not say also, thank you for bot being so quick to believe?  For you, by that very fact, provided a firmer foundation to our faith in the resurrection, based as it is now not only on the testimony of several who readily believed, but also on the testimony of one who did not readily believe.  Yes, I believe in the resurrection on the word of trustworthy witnesses.  Isn't that what faith is?  As the Risen One told you yourself, "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

You know what?  I have made your "My Lord and my God!" my own profession of faith.  Each time I visit the Blessed Sacrament, looking at the tabernacle, I would say, "My Lord and my God!"  At eah elevation of the Sacred Species at Mass I would say, "My Lord and my God!"  On receiving Holy Communion, and believing that the Real Presence is now in my heart, I would say , "My Lord and my God!"

Thank you, my Friend!  I honor you not as the "Doubting Thomas", as you are often referred to, but as the Firm Believer in the Resurrection of the God-man.  Please pray for me!

Gratefully yours,
Dong Alpuerto, SVD

                    -  Fr. Dong Alpuerto, SVD (USC, Talamban, Cebu City)