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)

Feast of the Archangels

John 1:47-51

Today, the Church honors the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. One would notice that each of these names ends with el, a Hebrew word for God. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael carry the name of God and remind us of His active, loving presence in our lives.

The name Michael in Hebrew means “Who is like God?” In the Book of Revelation, the archangel Michael leads a group of angels in a fierce battle against Satan and company (12:1-17). Michael’s army successfully expels the rebellious angels from heaven. In the Book of Daniel, Michael is acknowledged as the protector of the people of Israel. Hence, tradition honors him as the great defender of the Church against the forces of evil.

Gabriel’s name in Hebrew means “The Power of God.” Some theologians suggest that Gabriel is better translated as “God has shown himself mighty” to show the dynamic action of God through the angel. In the gospel, it is Gabriel who announces to Zechariah the birth of John the Baptist (Lk 1:19) and to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35). According to tradition, the archangel Gabriel is the same angel sent by God to Gethsemane to strengthen Jesus in his agony (Lk 23:43).

In Hebrew, the name Raphael means “God's healing” or “God's medicine”. Again theologians suggest that the better translation is “God has healed.” Raphael is the angel who cures Tobit of blindness and frees Tobias’ wife from demonic possessions (Tob 3:17). Tradition would assign to Raphael the supreme task of providing medicine and healing to people’s afflictions.

In our Bible, only these three archangels are called by name. Other Hebrew writings, however, would mention the names of other archangels: Uriel means “God is my light”, Jeremiel means “May God show mercy”, Sariel means “God has reckoned”, Raguel means “Friend of God”, and Phanuel means “the Face of God.” All of these names express God’s active involvement in the life of His people.

The Jesuit priest, Joseph Galdon, suggests that from the manifestations of angels, we can construct a beautiful theology of God. “It’s a theology of concern. God watches over us with a Father’s love. God speaks to us when we are confused and in trouble. He fights on our behalf when sin and evil seem to surround us on every side. God heals us when we are hurt and in pain.” We, therefore, learn something of what God is all about because of the personalities of angels.

Today, the archangels remind us of our own vocation as ministers of God’s people. We are not angels because we are not pure spirits. Yet, we can be angels in the sense that we also are ministers of God. We can identify with Michael, Gabriel and Raphael because we, too, work for God and for the Church. Like Michael, let us honor God by opposing Satan and all evil spirits in the world. Like Gabriel, let us serve God by strengthening others in their weakness. And like Raphael, let us revere God by providing healing and comfort to people’s pain and suffering.

Saturday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 9:43-45

After Jesus prophesied his coming passion and death, the apostles were deeply troubled. Yet, despite their confusion, they did not try to clarify the thing with Jesus because, as the gospel says, they were afraid. Afraid of what? Commentators suggest that the apostles feared to know the consequences of the Lord's inevitable sacrifice to their life as disciples. They asked no question because they didn't want to know the painful truth – that they, too, would soon suffer the same fate with their Master.

Indeed, it is true that one of the fears of people is to know the truth. For example, we are afraid to know the real status of our health, and for this, we sometimes would refuse to go to the doctor for a medical check up. We are also afraid to know the truth about ourselves, and so, we would not ask feedbacks from people. Psychologists would even tell us that one of the reasons why people are afraid to be alone, to pray and to reflect deeply is the subconscious fear of knowing their real selves, their insecurities and wounds.

Today, we are called to possess the virtue of courage to face the truth. Jesus categorically declared: “The truth will set us free.” It is only in facing the truth that we could see the things in us that need improvement. It is likewise in knowing the truth that we could face death with courage and prepare for that inevitable meeting with the loving and merciful Lord.