Cycle A - Year 1:  

6 August 2017:  Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

Second Reading:   2 Peter 1:16-19

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 17:1-9

Transfiguration: a glimpse of Jesus' divinity!

 When things get really tough and challenging, we can find courage and encouragement in these inspiring words: "At the end of the rainbow is a pot of gold!"  Of course, we don't really expect to find that "pot of gold", even with a thousand rainbows. But this wise saying simply means that after everything you have gone through, rewards or victory may await you... hopefully.

That speaks well of the attitude of a true Christian. We cannot lose hope no matter how bad and depressing the situation may seem. Because we have the guarantee that our Lord Jesus Christ has already won the battle for us, and already awaiting to welcome us in the heavenly home.

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Lord's Transfiguration, which is really a foretaste of victory in Christ as the end of our worldly journey.

As Jesus and His disciples were travelling to Jerusalem, their journey was briefly interrupted by an experience of Jesus' transfiguration upon a mountain. There, Jesus appeared in glory with Moses, the great lawgiver of Israel, and with Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, in the presence of three of His beloved apostles, Peter, John and James. St. Matthew's account tells us that Jesus' "face shone like the sun and his clothes become white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him."

The transfiguration was a unique display of Jesus' divine character and a glimpse of the glory which Jesus had before He came down on earth in human form. In theological language, the transfiguration is an experience of "the already of the not yet" for the beloved disciples, so that the "inner circle" of Jesus' disciples could gain a greater understanding of who Jesus really is. Thus, the disciples who had only known Jesus in His human body, now had a greater realization of the deity of Christ, even when perhaps they could not fully comprehend it at that time. Nevertheless, the experience gave them the reassurance they needed, and the strength to sustain them, when later on they would hear the shocking news of Jesus' coming death.

The three apostles with Jesus never forgot what happened that day on the mountain. They bore witness to it to the other disciples and to countless millions down through the centuries.

For Matthew's readers, the account of the transfiguration confirmed that Jesus indeed was the Son of God and pointed to the fulfillment of the prediction that He will come in His Father's glory at the end of age.

In other words, the transfiguration foretells the glory of the Lord as God, and His ascension into heaven. It anticipates the glory of heaven where we shall see God face to face. And even now, through grace, we already share in the divine promise of eternal life.   

In sum, the message of the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ is that God wants to share His glory with us.

And so with the eyes of faith, we, too, experience the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist at Mass. When we actually receive Him in the Holy Eucharist, He gives us the grace to sustain us in our difficult and challenging journey through this life. Jesus in the Holy Eucharist makes light our way of the cross in this life. So receiving Jesus frequently in the Holy Eucharist is a foretaste of His resurrection, like our own experience of the "already of the not yet" in our time. It is our assurance of God's ultimate victory over sin and evil, at the end of time.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle A - Year 1:   

30 July 2017:  Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        1 Kings 3:5, 7-12

Second Reading:   Romans 8:28-30

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 13:44-52

In search of God's treasure...

Why does treasure hunting remain popular among adventure seekers? The obvious reason is because of its promise of quick wealth and so easy life after, and even fame. In modern times, "treasure hunting" may take the form of big lotteries and other games of chance, even the popular casinos.  Would you take your chance in treasure hunting?

.

This Sunday's Gospel tells us something about hunting for treasures, but for God's treasure.

Recall that our Lord Jesus Christ speaks often about the kingdom of God in His public

ministry. In the Gospel reading, Jesus uses different images in His parables to describe what this kingdom is like -- the hidden treasure, the pearl of great value, the dragnet thrown into the sea which brings in all kinds of fish.  These images were everyday life situations in Jesus' time that tell us something about the nature of God's kingdom and how we need to respond to it.

But a word of caution though, before proceeding  further. We do not like to speak of spiritual things in mercantile terms. Obviously, the kingdom of heaven cannot be purchased or earned, because it is a free gift to those who believe. But by these parables, Jesus calls our attention to the cost of discipleship. How much is the kingdom of heaven worth to you? How much are you willing to give up to have that intimate and eternal relationship with God (which really the kingdom of heaven is all about)?

Let us reflect on the meaning and message of these parables about the kingdom of God.

The message of comparing the kingdom of God with a hidden treasure or valuable pearl is that God's kingdom is so valuable that everything else must be sacrificed for it. The meaning of "kingdom" here is not a place or a physical location; rather the "kingdom" is a direct and close relationship of ourselves with God. So that to accept God's kingdom we are challenged to give up something important to us, like certain personal ambitions perhaps, or to abandon certain bad habits or ways of life, to take on a discipline and self-denial that are not always easy. Because there is no other way to true peace of mind and heart in this life, and to glory in the life to come. But in the end, it is worth any sacrifice to possess God's kingdom and to live in friendship and communion with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Particularly the last parable describes the kingdom of God as a great net that catches various kinds of fish, some worth keeping and some not. The point of the parable is to remind us that there will be judgment day to separate the good and bad catch. The "fish" worth keeping are those who have realized and accepted the supreme importance of the kingdom of God in their lives, and who have tried with all their strength to conduct themselves according to God's way of life. In other words, the kingdom of God allows both saints and sinners in this life (like the message of last Sunday's parable of the weeds and the wheat). The Lord gives to every person the time and opportunity to become more and more transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.

Yet we must also remember that the time given to us for transformation is not meant to be forever. Our lives on earth will come to an end. Therefore, Jesus reminds us today in this last parable that we must put God's kingdom first in our list of priorities. And if we do this, we will be counted among the "fish" that are worth saving.

This Sunday is also Fil-Mission Sunday. Let us pray for the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP) and all Filipino missionaries all over the world who continue the work to preach the kingdom of God to every people.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle A - Year 1:  

23 July 2017:  Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Wisdom 12:13, 16-19

Second Reading:   Romans 8:26-27

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 13:24-43

God waits patiently!

What are parables?  If you read your bible regularly, you know that parables represent a key part of the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, forming approximately one third of His recorded teachings.

To go back to our opening question, Jesus's parables are seemingly simple and memorable stories, often with imagery of common and everyday events or realities, which convey deep meanings or truths that are central to the teachings of Jesus about God's kingdom.

On the sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus continues to preach to His disciples about the kingdom of God through parables. For this Sunday, the Gospel reading tells us three of such parables, but all with the same central theme. Let us reflect on the first Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat.

The gist of the parable:

A farm owner sows good seed of wheat into his field. At night time, his enemy comes and sows weeds all through the wheat. So that when the crop begins to grow, the weeds grow as well. The farm workers ask the owner if they should pull up the weeds. The farm owner responds: "No, if you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat along with them. So let them grow together until harvest."

The meaning of the parable:

The farm owner represents God Himself who sows only good seeds; but the weeds, or the presence of evil in our world, comes from the heart of men and women who choose not to obey Him.

The Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat proclaims the patience of our heavenly Father towards us. He decides to let the good and the bad seed co-exist. And so God allows the sun and the rain to fall on both the good seed and the bad seed. But the good seed God constantly nourishes with an abundance of grace, in order to let it grow, become strong, and bear much fruits. 

What lesson then does this parable teach us? Well, the message of the Gospel is that God's patience is really directed at our salvation. God patiently waits for the harvest, bearing even with slow growth but also making room for repentance.

Our response to God's amazing patience and mercy should be a change of heart and a desire to change our lives and live completely  for Christ. We should be overwhelmed by God's merciful love and radically commit ourselves to seek His will in every aspect of our lives.

In other words, we should be willing to stand tall among the weeds in our world and produce the abundant harvest of virtue, prayer, and charitable deeds.

So in the Eucharist at Mass, let us pray for the grace of patience with one another's shortcoming and to heed God's call for a change of heart and repentance. For God in His great mercy, constantly invites us back to Him after we wander. He is remarkably, and truly, our patient God.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle A - Year 1:  

16 July 2017:  Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 55:10-11

Second Reading:   Romans 8:18-23

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 13:1-23

Faith that grows a bountiful harvest!

Any farmer worth his salt, so to say, knows that you reap what you sow, literally. But even so, there is really no guarantee that when you sow you will reap something in the future. Because something may go wrong, when nature takes its natural course.

Today's Gospel on the Parable of the Sower, and the seed, has something to do with farming and agriculture, and may provide helpful tips on our every day life as practicing Christians.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is a great teacher and many came to Him to listen and learn. He

used simple teaching methods, based on ordinary every day life to point to another order of reality. Among these is the use of parables, which are short stories and images take from everyday life of His time to convey hidden truths about the kingdom of God. Because a good image and vivid illustration can speak more loudly and clearly than many words, and thus capture the imaginations of His audience more powerfully.

What does the Parable of the Sower, and the seed, say to us about God's kingdom? What is its relevance to our every day life?

The Parable of the Sower, and the seed, is addressed to those who can hear God's word, either through reading the Holy Bible or through the official teaching of the Church. Our response to God's word is liken to the fate of a seed that is planted in different kinds of soil. It either grows to produce much fruits, or just withers and dies.

Jesus Himself explains the meaning of this parable to the disciples. Let us reflect on its message:

Some hear God's word without understanding it, or even totally ignoring it (like the seed that fell on the path; the birds came and ate it up);

Others receive God's word but only for a while. Eventually they get tired and give up altogether (like the seed that fell on rocky ground without roots and lasts only for a time);

Still others do listen to God's word, try to live by it but then get distracted or tempted by worldly pleasures and glory (like the seed sown among thorns and the thorns eventually choked it);

And then there are those who truly listen to God's word to understand it, live by it, and thus produce bountiful harvest of authentic Christian living of love and service to others.

Thus, the lesson of the parable is clearly that God is looking for a bountiful harvest. But it is up for us to respond responsibly with full freedom to God's invitation.      

For we are both the soil and the seed. God's Word has been sown within us, so we must cultivate the ground of our hearts in order to be transformed in the Lord and more fully reflect His image and likeness. We are called to grow in holiness and progressively reflect the risen life of Jesus Christ to the world.    

In other words, it is our personal choice how the "seed" of faith grows in our lives. If we want it to grow into a living faith we need to nourish it in the rich soil of our hearts. As any good farmer knows, we must prepare the soil by receiving the Word within our hearts and minds and heeding its call to action to produce bountiful harvest.

In the Eucharist, let us pray that we listen and understand God's word in order to become good and practicing Christians, so that God as the Farmer can truly look forward to a bountiful harvest in our lives.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle A - Year 1:  

9 July 2017: Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 11:25-30

The Lord is our helping hand!

Life is a journey. And to get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.

In our journey through life, we are faced with challenges, sufferings and trials that at times it seems tempting to just give up. And some actually do give up. But life is meant to be a challenge, because challenges make us grow. We don't grow when things are easy; we grow when we face challenges.

Christians are not spared from  these challenges and trials, from pains and discomfort they suffer in their attempt to be faithful to Christ's teaching. It seems like we keep falling into the same temptation over and over again. In other words, it is hard and difficult to live authentic Christian life in today's world.

In our daily life, the media overwhelms us with even more challenging and depressing news, like corruption in government, criminality, high prices of basic commodities, catastrophic natural disasters, terrorism in parts of Mindanao, and wars in some parts of the world.

It is not surprising, that sometimes we ask where is Christ in the world fraught with wars and violence, so much sufferings and challenges, even in our own family, or sectors of our family, torn by disagreement and anger?

But in reality, Christ is with us in this journey of life. It is us who find countless reasons to avoid Christ or choose to ignore Him. It is us who deliberately take Christ out of our lives because we do not want to follow His path to avoid the difficult demands of discipleship.

The Good News is that our Lord Jesus Christ insists that we come to Him when our

hearts are burdened. The Lord speaks to us this week through the Gospel of St. Matthew. Jesus offers us a way out. We are encouraged by Christ Himself in the concluding sentences of today's Gospel: 

"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 yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." (Mt 11:28-30)

For the truth is the human heart remains restless, even amidst all satisfactions and comforts that this world offers. Because true peace and happiness is found in Jesus alone, when we live in Him and for Him. Because God is always our helping hand, and travels with us in this journey through life, in the Holy Eucharist.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!