Gospel for September 25, 2015 (Friday)

Lk 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them,  "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen." Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter said in reply, "The Messiah of God."  He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised."

The Word in other words

We all love a messiah, specially a glorious one.  Our favorite stories and movies are about persons with extraordinary powers fighting and defeating the evil elements that oppress people or threaten our world.  We then feel good in the end.

We all love the messiah of Peter and the apostles, the very same messiah of the Jews and Pharisees, a powerful and conquering messiah who will liberate his people from the nations that oppress them.  Even our prayers often betray our understanding of messiah.  We often pray for a messiah who would come and destroy all our enemies and solve all our problems.

Yet for Jesus, he is Son of Man, the Ebed Yahweh.  Yes he will save his people not by the power and might but by offering his life for them.  He will overcome the powers of this world through his mercy and love.

Jesus is the Messiah  who showcased us the true face of God.  A God who loves us to the end, to God's end.

-Fr. Herman Suico, SVD (Zamboanga City, Sibugay)

September 24, 2015 (Thursday)

 Lk 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,"John has been raised from the dead": others were saying, Elijah has appeared": still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."  But Herod said, "John I beheaded.  Who then is this about whom I hear such things?"  And he kept trying to see him.

The Word in other words

When I opted to be a volunteer missionary in Liberia, West Africa, I needed to undergo a lot of preparation besides the mandatory vaccination against yellow fever.  First is emotional preparation because I would be working for the refugees and internally displaced people; second, physical preparation because I would be helping rebuild a community and that would require travelling even into the heart of the jungle; and third, spiritual preparation because I would be dealing with wounded people and victims of war.

Reaching my designated area of arrival, I was surprised to see the ravages brought about by the war.  There was no electricity, there was scarcity of food in the market, no drinking water was available, no infrastructure was standing and, on a positive note, the presence of different non-governmental organizations doing their respective social services was visible.  As a JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service) volunteer, I brought with me the vision-mission of the group.

In the first reading, the Lord reminded his people through he prophet Haggai about their responsibility.  The forgot the graces they received from the Lord.  They became complacent about their relationship with God because they had whatever they needed.  Despite all the abundance that life could offer, they were not contented at all.  There was still a vacuum: though they had their fill, they were not satisfied; though they worked hard, nothing was enough for them because they took the essentials for granted.

The people of Voinjama, Liberia may have been victims of war and conflict, but they have shown their inner strength to face the challenges ahead of them as they started to rebuild their own lives and the community that was once full of life.  Yes, they have little to go by materially but they have what they needed in order to survive, and that is their strong faith in a loving and merciful God.

- Fr. Jun Perez, SVD (Ansan, South Korea)

Gospel for September 21, 2015 (Monday) Feast of St. Matthew

Mt 9:9-13

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.  He said to him, "Follow me."  And he got up and followed him.  While he was at the table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.  The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.  Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'  I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

The Word in other words

A few years ago there was a strong movement in Europe and North America where Christians, young and old from all denominations, could live together. Rules to live by were reduced to the minimum.  The number in each group was somehow limited but workable.  In one group of 10 was a girl Linda who was working as secretary in an office.  After being a regular member for a year, she simply disappeared and no one knew where she went; everyone was a bit disturbed.  One evening the group huddled together to share about the problem.  No one really knew why she left.  After agreeing that they found Linda to be a good member of the community, they decided to do two things: 1)that they would all pray for her; and 2) if ever she would come back, no one should inquire about her disappearance.  Instead they would greet her and tell her that they missed her.  After two weeks Linda came back to the community ready to meet inquiring eyes and words of reprimand, but nothing of the sort happened.  So, taken by surprise and stuck by kindness of the community.  In the meeting she broke down, told everything.  When she came back, she said she was surprised that no one was angry at her.  She was doubting if they were concerned about her disappearance and why no one asked questions when she came back.  She felt their kindness and concern for her.  The feeling of being welcomed back revealed how good it was to be in a community like hers.

In the gospel today. we heard the Pharisees complaining about Jesus who was eating and drinking with tax collectors.  The newly converted Matthew must have felt uneasy with the remark which was actually an insult to his chief guest, Jesus.  When Jesus answered the accusation saying, "I want mercy, not sacrifice," Matthew must have been relieved.  It is always the case that when we hear the words of Jesus, we feel delivered from evil.  Like St. Matthew, let us follow where Jesus leads us and find our home in him.

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

Gospel for September 15, 2015 (Tuesday) Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Lk 2:33-35

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister. Mary the wife of Cleofas, and Mary of Magdala.  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your Mother."  And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

The Word in other words
"I'm expecting a baby and I've just found out that he is suffering from Down Syndrome (DS).  I'm really scared: what kind of life will my child have?"  Thus opens the heart-warming youtube video clip addressed to a woman in real life expecting a baby with Down Syndrome.  The video allays the woman's fears with a stirring message from 15 wonderful people with DS.  "Dear future mom, don't be afraid, your child will  be able to do many things." "He'll be able to hug you," one says, "He'll be able to speak and tell you that he loves you," another one says, "Dear future mom, your child can be happy."  The message of the video strongly contrasts the fact that about 90 percent of unborn children diagnosed with DS are killed by abortion.

Today, after yesterday's feast of the exaltation of the cross, we are invited to journey back in time with Mary as she embraces her crosses in union with Christ's salvific role.  The circumstances around Mary's pregnancy were difficult enough for the expectant mother.  The nativity story was far from being postcard perfect.  And now, 40 days after the birth of Jesus, Simeon prophesies: "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce..."  To the young Mary these words must have evoked a great fear of the unknown.  True, the angel at the Annunciation told her not to fear- but after nine months of wonder, anticipation, and fulfillment these words were shockingly harsh.  We are told that Mary "pondered all these things in her heart"- and somehow she believed that everything would be well; how, she had no inkling yet.  She had many lessons yet to learn and sorrows yet to bear before that glorious Easter morning when her Son stood radiant before, as if saying, "Mom, your child is happy!"

Mary, our Lady of Sorrows, will teach us too, to embrace our immeasurably smaller crosses, to trust in God's infinite love, and to look beyond our fears so we can share in Christ's redemptive work.  With Mary we can learn to be persons of strength, contemplating in silence, standing in faith and love, particularly in times of darkness and suffering.

- Fr. Oliver Quilab, SVD (Germany)

Gospel for September 14, 2015 (Monday) Triumph of the Cross

Jn 3:13-17

No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.  And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

The Word in other words

During a retreat I attended in Chile many years ago, our preacher was an old Jesuit priest who was well-known moral theologian.  At one point Fr. Aldunate looked at us and said with conviction:  "It was not the death of Jesus on the cross that saved us."  He paused, perhaps thinking that we were surprised at his words.  Indeed, we were surprised and were trying to figure out what he meant.  Then he continued:  "It was the LOVE with which Jesus embraced his death on the cross that saved us."

The Feast of the Triumph of Cross which we celebrate today is about the triumph of Love.  Jesus gave a supreme witness to love during his most bitter suffering. When we are afflicted with great pain caused by those who despise us, our great temptation is to choose the path of anger and hatred.  Pain seduces us to employ violence and seek revenge in order to eradicate that which torments us.  In other words, it is very hard to be loving and forgiving when we are immersed in the bitter sorrows of life.  Love seems to be an absurd road to tread when we fall victim to this world's injustice.  It seems impossible to love our enemies, to pray for our persecutors, and to forgive them sincerely from the heart,  But that is what Jesus consistently showed us throughout his life, most especially when he was hanging on the cross.  What seems humanly impossible and unbelievable became a shining reality on the cross.  Jesus offered his life out of love for his friends and enemies.  He rejected the strong and persistent enticements of power, anger and hatred.  Not without struggles and difficulties, he chose the path of love and forgiveness until death.  His death was not in vain because his love was far stronger than death.  His love bore the faith of indestructible life: the resurrection.  His love has saved us, because Jesus, despite the pains we had given him, did not condemn nor give up on us, but rather continued to invite us to accept his untiring love.  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta once said: "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

The real triumph and definitive victory in our life is when we are able to put love in everything that we do, no matter how small or insignificant it may appear.  In his beautiful reflection on love, St. Paul affirms that we may give up our body to be sacrificed or burned, but if we do it without love, then it is worth nothing.  Without love, we are nothing.  Do you want to share the victory of Christ?  Then you have be willing to love as Jesus has loved us.  You have to embrace your cross until then end.  This is very difficult, but not impossible.

- Fr. Edwin Fernandez, SVD (DWC, Vigan)

Readings and Gospel for September 13, 2015 (Sunday)

First Reading
Is 50:5-9

The Lord God opened my ear;
I did not refuse,
did not turn away.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who tore out my bread;
My face I did not hide
from insults and spitting.
The Lord God is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
Therefore I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He who declares my innocence is near.
Who will oppose me?
Let us appear together.
Who will dispute my right?
Let them confront me.
See, the Lord God is my help;
who will declare my guilty?
See, they will all wear out like a garment, consumed by moths.

Second Reading
Jas 2:14-18

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and had no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?  So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  Indeed someone might say, "You have faith and I have works."  Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.

Gospel Reading
Mk 8:27-35

Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.  Along the way he asked his disciples.  "Who do people say that I am?"  They said in reply, "John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter said to him in reply, "You are the Messiah."  Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priest, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.  He spoke this openly.  Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.  At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan.  You are thinking not as God does, but as human being do."

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.

The Word in other words

In our seminary days, being formed for the priesthood meant that we must learn to "take up our cross daily, and deny ourselves."  It meant learning how to live simply and to live without the things that can make life easy and comfortable.  This was aimed to prepare us to endure harsh living conditions in the so-called mission frontiers.  We saw how seminarians who came from affluent families had a difficult time living simply and eventually dropping out when they realized they were not meant for that kind of life.  During weekends and summer vacations we were encouraged to spend time with people in the far flung barangays of Cavite, Mindoro, and other places.  We lived with them and they were happy to have us with them.  For some of us, it was an eye opener to see how simple and poor people live.  For me personally it strengthened my resolve to give my life to serve God's people as an SVD missionary.

When Jesus exhorts us to "lose our faith for his sake," he is inviting us to leave behind a life of riches and material comfort.  He is inviting us to discovery the true riches that can be found only in a life of selfless service.

It does not mean, however, that in this consecrated way alone can a man save his life.  Our former classmates who did not make it to the priesthood were able to discover other ways of following Christ.  They learned how to deny themselves and take up their daily cross.  The SVD is especially happy with the establishment of the Lay Society of Saint Arnold Janssen, initiated by former SVD seminarians.  With their motto of "Faith transforming life" and their activities linked with the various apostolates of the SVD, they showed another way of being disciples of Christ.

Gospel for September 12, 2015 (Saturday)

Lk 6:43-49

Jesus said to his disciples, "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles.  A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but do not do what I command?  I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listen to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against the house but could not shake it because it had been well built.  But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house without a foundation.  When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.

The Word in other words

Inside the Divine Word Retreat House in Sunnyside, Baguio City there is a grapefruit tree that bears robust fruits yearly.  The puzzling thing is that these well-ripen fruits are bitter and sour.  Even the ripe grapefruits fallen from the other side of the fence taste the same in spite of their "Davao pomelo-like" appearance.  My wonderment came to a halt when one of the lay ministers at the Pink Sisters' Convent old me that bitter and sour grapefruits were common in the area because there was something wrong with the soil there.

The Lord in today's Gospel speaks of two similes, namely, that a good tree bearing good fruits is like a good person bearing good deeds and a person who listens to the Word is like a person who builds his house on a strong foundation.  I therefore view the bitter grapefruits at the retreat house as due to untilled and untreated soil.  Converting the soil to something productive would be like laying a foundation on a solid rock.

Today, the Lord is speaking of solid foundations in our lives.  He is inviting each one of us to place our faith-foundation in him, the "Rock of all Ages."  Faithful discipleship would then be the fruit we will bring about,

- Fr. Emil Pati, SVD(San Fernando, La Union)