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)