Sabado sa Ika-27 nga Semana sa Ordinaryong Panahon

Lucas 11:27-28

Kining usa ka babaye nahingangha sa mga gibuhat ni Kristo – sa iyang pagpanudlo, pagpanambal ug paghimo og mga milagro. Wala niya malikayi ang paghunahuna unsa kadako ang garbo nga bation sa inahan aning talagsaon nga tawo. Siya nakaingon, “Pagkabulahan sa babaye nga nagsabak ug nagmatuto kanimo!” Gitubag ni Jesus ang maong magdadayeg sa pag-ingon, “Bulahan ang mga tawo nga naminaw sa Pulong sa Dios ug nagpuyo niini.” Kining maong tubag magpahinumdum kanato sa laing okasyon kanus-a si Jesus mideklara nga ang iyang ilhon nga inahan ug mga igsoon mao kadtong magasunod sa kabubut-on sa Dios (Lk 8:21).

Daghan ang maghunahuna nga kining bahina sa Kasulatan makapaubos sa bili sa papel ni Maria isip inahan ni Jesus. Apan, sa pagkatinuod, ang mga pulong ni Jesus naghimo kang Maria nga mas labing dalaygon tungod kay siya man ang labing nindot nga modelo sa usa ka tawo nga magmatinud-anon sa Ginoo. Sa iyang pagka-inahan sa Anak sa Dios, si Maria wala nahimong mapahitas-on; hinuon, nagpabilin siyang mapaubsanon ug masinugtanon sa kabubut-on sa Ginoo.

Karong adlawa gitawag kita nga magbaton sa hiyas sa pagkamatinud-anon sa atong pagkasumusunod ni Kristo. Ipakita nato sa kalibutan nga kita sakop sa pamilya ni Kristo dili lamang sa ngalan kondili sa atong binuhatan.

Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 11:15-26

After some people accused him of driving out demons by the power of Be-el'zebul, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach people about the supreme value of unity. First, the Lord says, “If Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?” Then, he adds, “Whoever is not with me is against me; and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Both the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan need unity to prevail over the other.

The battle between the power of light and the power of darkness would be decided by how united their forces are. Satan would not prevail over God because the Trinity (Father, Son and Spirit) are closely bonded in love. But Satan's army could win many of us in the world because we are divided and disintegrated in many ways. That is why Jesus in the gospel admonishes us to remain united with him; otherwise, we scatter. Saint John Chrysostom was right when he said: “What wall or fort, strongly built with well-compacted and large stones, is so impregnable against the assaults of an enemy, as the united band of people joined by mutual love and sealed by oneness of mind.”

Today's gospel challenges us to learn the virtue of Christian solidarity. Like the first community of believers, let us walk together with one heart and one soul (Acts 4:32), loving and serving one another in the name of Christ.

Hwebes sa Ika-27 nga Semana sa Ordinaryong Panahon

Lucas 11:5-13

Lisod sabton kining giingon ni Kristo nga “Pangayo ug kamo hatagan” tungod kay nasayod kita nga dili tanan nga atong pangayoon diha sa pag-ampo ihatag sa Ginoo. Adunay mga tawo nga wala mahatagi og trabaho, balay, kapikas, awto, ug kaayohan sa sakit bisan sa kadugay na nga pag-ampo. Ang uban gani magmahay na sa Ginoo tungod kay murag wala panumbalinga sa Dios ang ilang mga pag-ampo. Unsa man diay buot ipasabut sa “Pangayo ug kamo hatagan”?

Una sa tanan, ang pwede ihatag sa Ginoo mao lamang kadtong mga butang nga dili makadaot kanato. Mao kini ang punto ni Jesus sa iyang pag-ingon: “Kinsa mang amahana ang mohatag og bitin sa anak nga mangayog isda?” Ang Dios magdumili sa paghatag kanato sa butang nga atong gipangayo kon masayod siya nga kini dili makaayo sa atong kinabuhi. Dugang pa niini, ang pag-ampo nga dili gayud ihikaw sa Ginoo kanatong tanan mao ang presensya sa Espiritu Santo. “Kon kamong mga daotan makamao mohatag sa maayong butang ngadto sa inyong mga anak, labaw pa unya ang inyong Langitnong Amahan nga mohatag kaninyo sa Espiritu Santo.”

Karong adlawa, gihagit kita nga makamao nga mangayo sa labing bililhon butang diha sa pag-ampo. Dili nato kalimtan sa pagpangayo sa Espiritu Santo tungod kay Siya lamang maoy maghatag kanato og kalinaw panahon sa kagubot, kusog panahon sa katalagman, kahibalo panahon sa kalibog, ug katagbawan panahon sa kakulangon.

Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 11:5-13

The disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, and the Lord says, “When you pray, say ‘Father, holy be your name.’” In prayer, we need to approach God as little children or as humble and receptive believers. God is the reason of our being and becoming, and He knows perfectly what is good for us. Actually, we don’t need to tell Him what to do to us because He knows what we need even before we ask Him. Nevertheless, Jesus encourages the disciples to say, “Give us today our daily bread.” When we pray, we include not only our personal needs but also the needs of other people. Intercessory prayers remain important because they are our way of showing love and concern for family, relatives and friends. Interestingly, Jesus also recommends that we pray for our enemies, perhaps to show that we don’t keep hatred in our hearts.

Intercessory prayers, no matter how significant, should not take all of our prayer time. On the contrary, prayer must be more of listening than of talking. It is in silencing ourselves that we could understand the will of God in our lives. Spiritual directors would tell us that the best form of prayer is bible reading or “lectio divina” – hearing God speaking to us in scriptures.

Today's gospel encourages us not only to possess the virtue of prayerfulness but also to learn the art of praying. Learning how to pray well would demand that we set a specific time during the day for bible reading and reflection. It doesn’t have to take too much time; even 15 minutes would already be meaningful. Find yourself a place that you cannot be disturbed – a private room, a small chapel or a garden. Start by invoking the Holy Spirit and by praying for enlightenment. Then, read a part of the bible (the gospel of the day is highly recommended) and follow it up with a moment of silence. In your reflection, you may ask these guide questions: What is God telling me in the gospel today? What does He want me to do? What does He want me to become? After your brief reflection, offer prayers for your friends and loved ones. Then, you may close your prayer time with an “Our Father”, a “Hail Mary” and a “Glory be.”

Martes sa Ika-27 nga Semana sa Ordinaryong Panahon

Lucas 10:38-42

Ang managsoon nga Marta ug Maria mga suod nga higala ni Jesus. Sa pagduaw sa Ginoo sa ilang panimalay, matag usa kanila nagpakita og lainlaing pamaagi sa pag-alagad kaniya. Si Marta nagkapuliki sa pag-andam og pagkaon; samtang si Maria naminaw sa mga pulong sa Ginoo. Sa kaulahian, mas gidayeg ni Jesus ang gihimo ni Maria kay siya maoy nakapili sa mas bililhong bahin.

Sa estorya, atong masabtan nga ang mas bililhong bahin mao ang pagpakig-uban, ang pagpakighinabi ug, labaw sa tanan, ang pagpaminaw sa mensahe sa Ginoo. Kini mao ang espiritu sa pag-ampo, nga kon ubanan sa dakong pagsalig, maoy makapahimuot pag-ayo sa Dios. Ang pagtrabaho para sa Dios maoy tawag sa matag Kristiyano. Sa ebanghelyo, gipadala ni Kristo ang mga tinun-an aron pagsangyaw sa Maayong Balita. Apan sa wala pa kini mahitabo, gidapit una niya ang mga tinun-an nga makig-uban kaniya (Marcos 3:14). Ang maong panahon sa pagpakig-uban bililhon kaayo aron nga ang kasingkasing ug hunahuna sa mga tinun-an mahisubay una sa kasingkasing ug hunahuna ni Jesus sa dili pa sila magsugod sa pagsangyaw.

Karong adlawa gihagit kita sa ebanghelyo nga magbaton sa mga hiyas sa pagkamaampoon ug pagkamakugihon. Ang makanunayong pag-ampo maoy magsiguro nga ang tanan natong buhaton mahisubay gayod sa kabubut-on sa Dios.

Monday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time

Lk 10:25-37

“Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The gospel tells us that the lawyer who asked Jesus this question did not mean well. He wanted to discredit the Lord, perhaps by proving to the people that he was more knowledgeable about the law than Jesus himself. Aware of the malicious intent of the interrogator, Jesus threw back a question to him: “What is written in the law?” The lawyer was quick to reply, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Every Jew during Jesus’ time knew this commandment, but not all, of course, took this by heart or put it into practice. Thus, Jesus said to the lawyer, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” Knowledge about the law of God does not mean anything if the person himself does not observe it in his life.

“Who is my neighbor?” Quite remarkably, Jesus did not address this question. By narrating the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Lord clearly suggested that the better question to ask is, “Who should I be a neighbor to?” The first question is about other people and how am I going to classify them; while the second is about me and how am I supposed to treat others. The Samaritan was the good neighbor of the dying man on the road because he stopped to save his life.

Today, the gospel inspires us to make our love as wide and as inclusive as the love of God. There is no outsider in God's heart for His love is unconditional. In the same spirit, let us be a good neighbor to every person in need, regardless of that person's social status, political and cultural beliefs, or religious affiliation.

Feast of the Guardian Angels

Mt 18: 1-5, 10

The Catholic Church teaches that every child of God is protected by a personal guardian angel for a lifetime, from the cradle to the grave. Guardian angels, whose presence we recognize and honor today, are God’s manifestations of love, care and protection for each one of us. They are individually appointed by God to take care of a soul on earth. The responsorial antiphon says: “He has put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.”

When we were little, our parents and Catechists taught us this beautiful prayer: “Angel of God, My guardian dear, To whom God’s love commits me here, Ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.” Jesus wishes us to keep a childlike attitude, and it only is fitting that we continue to say the “Guardian Angel Prayer” everyday of our lives. In the gospel, the Lord Jesus assures us that our guardian angels always have direct access to our Father in heaven.

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die. “Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don’t turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later.

(The story is from an unknown author)