Invitation, Rejection, and Acceptance

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 2:1-12.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage."
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel."
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
"Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage."
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

---

Reflection

The Epiphany of the Lord presents to us Jesus as the full manifestation of God. Being God-in-the-flesh, Jesus is the most tangible and accessible presence of God. Not only does He manifests Himself to the chosen people of Israel, but by Matthew's use of Old Testament images, led the three magi to Himself through a celestial sign of the star. Each magi representing a race known to ancient Israel, to tell us that Jesus is not only for the Jews but for all humanity.

This universalism in the Gospel speaks of how the mercy of God includes everyone. God invites every human person to Himself regardless of color or race or religion. God wants to save everyone. However, as the Gospel unravels the story, not everyone accepts the invitation with joy. Herod, insecure of the birth of the King, is filled with evil intent. The chief priests and the scribes who understood the signs and the scriptures, did not go out to search for the King.

It was the magi whom the star has invited and has heeded the call who risked all in a journey to search for Him. And when they found Him, they gave Him not only gifts fit for the King of Heaven, but above all fell before Him in adoration. They saw not only a baby, not only a King, but God in the flesh. When God has moved the heavens, and sprinkled signs and messengers through events and people in our lives, how do we heed His invitation? Will we reject it like Herod or remain indifferent like the religious leaders? Or will we like the magi, risk all to receive God's manifestation in Christ?

Jesus the Emmanuel

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 1:1-25.

Gospel Reading at Christmas Vigil Mass.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile,
fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.

---

Reflection

The long genealogy has a single purpose. It is to remind us that Jesus is the promised Christ born of David's line. He is King. He is a Jew. He is like us. He is King because he descended from a king. He is Jew because He inherited the traditions of a Jewish lineage. Above all, He is like us, because He embraced a human heritage.

It is important to stress that He is of kingly line because although as God, He is already King, He too is promised to inherit for us the promises made to David.  It is important to stress that He is a Jew, because He will perfect the covenant God made to humanity through Abraham, the father of faith. It is important to stress that He is like us, because it is in becoming man that God fully revealed Himself to us and made good His promise of being Emmanuel - God is with us.

Rejoice then because Jesus was born not only to family of Mary and Joseph, but for us all. To us is born the Savior, the fulfillment of all of God's promises. He is salvation. He is freedom from sin. And in Him is united God and humanity. Merry Christmas!

The Spirit of Advent

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:39-45.

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

---

Reflection

The first week reminded us of Christ's coming. The second, introduced to us His precursor in John the Baptist. The third week gave us a glimpse of the promise of the Spirit from Christ in John's preaching. This fourth week's Gospel reading presents to us the Spirit as the main mover behind the coming of Jesus.

It was the Spirit who moved Mary to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and the same Spirit who moved Elizabeth to sing praises for the mother of the Christ: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." But above all, it was by the power of the Spirit that the Word was made flesh. The Spirit of Advent is the spirit of repentance, the spirit of expectation, but also the spirit of joy!

The waiting is about to be concluded. Many have been moved in preparing for the coming of the Savior. John leaped in the womb. Elizabeth sang her song. Mary was made the first apostle. In all these things we join the Church in singing her praises of blessings, as we too are filled with the Spirit of Advent, a Church pregnant with expectant joy!

Leveling of Expectations

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 3:10-18.

The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.

---

Reflection

John the Baptist should be the patron of those who call themselves "social media influencers" today. He knew how to make things viral. He built up a hype around the Christ. He knew how to get his message across and people were wanting for more.

But he was also exacting. He upheld the morality expected from every good Jew. And he was also humble. He denied that he is the Christ and admitted the lack of his ministry. For this he was faithful to his mission. His mission was to exhort everyone and to introduce them to the good news of salvation.

Advent is also about us listening to our John the Baptist's and becoming John the Baptist to others. Not everyone has the talent, the looks, or the resources to become a social media influencer today. But everyone baptized has not only been baptized with water but also the Spirit. It is the Spirit that sets us afire and makes us level our expectation of the Christ. Let us allow the Spirit of Advent to raise us up to the expectations of Christ and lead others to do the same.

The Repentance Preached by John

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 3:1-6.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

---

Reflection

The second Sunday of Advent introduces to us the precursor of the Redeemer, one who prepares the way of the Lord, and his message that paves the Lord's way. John the son of Zechariah is called the Baptist because of the baptism of repentance that he preached. He knows the Lord is coming and He is tasked to prepare for it.

Repentance is the preparation required from those who wait for the Lord. It is the straightening of what was skewered by sin. Every valley of ignorance will be filled and every mountain of pride be laid low. All flesh will see the salvation of God because God Himself would make Himself known to all men. Everyone will know God.

In the same way that the Gospel situates John's preaching during the temporal reigns of Tiberius, Pilate, Herod, Philip and Lysanias, we are also challenged to repent in our concrete life situations. Who and what things still rule over us? What are our favorite sins that we allow to enslave us? Repentance is not just lip service to change. It is a concrete change, an about-face from all sin. Advent invites us to repent and so open and free ourselves to the knowledge that is to come with Christ.

Vigilance at the Coming

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 21:25-28, 34-36.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

---

Reflection

Our redemption is at hand. The Advent season picks up from the cues of the previous liturgical year and presents the same expectations. Something new is coming our way. There will be great changes and signs. The Gospel reading does not mean to scare us. Instead, it reminds us to be courageous and hopeful. For the shaking of all the powers of heaven is a reminder to every Christian that redemption is near.

We are waiting for our redemption. To be redeemed means to be ransomed from captivity. We are waiting for the coming of a Savior who will pay the ransom for us. The reading tells us that ransom is sure to come, that is why we need keep hope in our hearts. For the birth of this Savior is also the birth of our redemption.

Yet we are not to wait passively. We are challenged to prepare for His coming. For everyone will have to deal the moment of His coming. Everyone will have to stand before the Savior when He comes. Our very lives must be prepared for Him. The season of Advent is upon us. The Church calls us to be vigilant.

A Different Kind of King

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 18:33B-37.

Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

---

Reflection

There was a great confusion on the identity of Jesus even until hours before His death. Pontius Pilate could not comprehend why this religious leader should die for the title of "King". Jesus was fast becoming a nuisance to public order. The Jewish religious leaders appear to be irrational in their attacks against Him. What is more troublesome is Jesus' own peaceful acceptance of what is happening. Is Jesus a King or not?

We, like Pilate, often fall into the trap of boxing Jesus in our concept of King. Jesus is a different kind of King. He is not troubled by the evils of His trials. He knows everything is in place. Even when He looks powerless He is still in control. Knowing His true identity and purpose gives Him confidence that defies human courage.

He was not after political power. He was not after religious superiority. This King came calling for His sheep, sheep who are able to recognize His true identity. This is His Kingdom: the relationship between Shepherd and the sheep steeped in a love that subjugates all things.

The Church at the end of the liturgical calendar ties up together the end and the beginning of the year - that Christ is King because everything begins and ends with Him. His Kingdom is not spatial but existential, not only temporal but eternal. For anyone who accepts Christ as King, that is, who allows Jesus' love to shape His very being, allows this King to shape his very existence and share in His eternity.

Changes The End Brings

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 13:24-32.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

---

Reflection

The end is always something that snaps us back to the reality of how fleeting life is. Our Sunday Gospel reading reminds us of the end of days which marks the transformation of the old order into the order of the Son of Man. What was old is totally transfigured into something new, reconfigured to the design of the Word who does not change, who remains faithful, and whose words will not pass away.

Jesus invites us to be sensitive to the signs of the times. The very seasons of life will tell us the proximity of the new age. Its coming is totally veiled in mystery - only the Father knows the time, if only to humble us that no human foreknowledge could grasp the final fulfillment of God's design. We are humbled in our ignorance but also spurred to always keep watch and be ready for the end.

The predictions of change that are celestial in proportion may sound scary but they speak of the magnitude of the change that God is about to bring. However, the Gospel also reminds us that such change is not abrupt. It has already begun. It began in when the Word became flesh, and continues as all that is flesh is reunited to the Word. The celestial changes should be foreshadowed by how much we ourselves are changing and preparing to receive our end, who is the Word, Jesus Christ.

Contributing What We Value

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12:38-44.

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."

He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."

---

Reflection

The contrast between the widow and the rich people tells us that God looks at the proportion of our generosity. We can choose to be generous but too often our generosity have limits. We run into the temptation of giving only what comfort allows. Jesus made the poor widow the standard of generosity. She gave even in her poverty and she gave everything she had.

The scribes, those well-versed in the scriptures in Jesus time, is the Gospel reading's negative example. Instead of giving, they hoard honor and riches. This opposition and contrast reminds us of the generosity expected of a Christian. We go through life not hoarding but giving. We are not to give from our surplus. We are to give from what we value.

The widow impressed Jesus because she mirrored what Jesus would do on the cross. He gave everything He had. As disciples of Christ, we are all spiritually poor by ourselves and Jesus invites us to drop in our last two small coins. What do we value most that we still need to give to the Lord?

A Hierarchy of Love

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12:28B-34.

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

---

Reflection

The question which among the commandments tells us two things: one, that there are many commandments; and two, among these stands one that precedes all others. The Jews follow the Mosaic Law which contains 613 commandments that dictate on morals, worship, relationships, and even their diet. It was understandable that they should wonder which of these is the most important.

But life is not just about rules and procedures. To live is to live for something. True Christian discipleship possess meaning and purpose which shapes the whole of life. For Jesus, the main meaning of life, of the law, of discipleship, is a two-sided expression of love - the love of God and neighbor. Love shapes the kingdom of God.

There is no greater commandment than the command to love. Love sits at the highest throne in the kingdom. It gives the Christian his identity. It gives the law and commandments its spirit.

Sight for sight

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 10:46-52.

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

---

Reflection

Bartimaeus was physically blind but he believed in Jesus. Though blind, he saw with the eyes of faith. His was a faith that was beyond superficial. For despite having others trying to silence the voice of his faith, he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Deprived of sight, he put everything in his voice. We can say that he put voice to his faith, not only audibly but above all in fighting against all odds just to reach Jesus.

Jesus was impressed by this. Having heard the faint call, Jesus answered back with a call. The cry for help was answered with an invitation to come. For most of us, faith awakens in dire situations; but always for God, it begins when He calls and invites us. Taking from His Father’s heart, Jesus asks, “what do you want me to do for you?”

Bartimaeus responds from the depths of his heart. He revealed to Jesus what he wanted the most - the gift of sight. Jesus opened his eyes by telling him that his eyes of faith opened his eyes of sight. Faith does not only gives us sight in the darkest of moments but in the light of Christ, it allows us to redirect our journey from our own with that of Jesus like Bartimaeus who started following Him after he regained his sight.

Service Above All

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 10:35-45.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 
He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?" 
They answered him, "Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." 
Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. 
Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" 
They said to him, "We can." 
Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared." 
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. 
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt. 
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. 
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

---

Reflection

Jesus continues to overturn ideas about the Kingdom. “It shall not be so among you.” He contrasts the way Gentiles exercise authority with the ideals of the Kingdom. How is authority exercised in the Kingdom of God? We look to Jesus who incarnates these ideals: "for the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The Kingdom is hierarchical not by way of merit or power, but rather in the level of service offered to other people. Here we have a service of authority, where authority is exercised with the primary aim of serving others. This giving of one's self in service is the hallmark of the Kingdom and exemplified by Jesus on the cross. It is not only an example but also an invitation, even a plea, that in the Christian community each member is at the service of all.

While people admire power and honor, Christians are to exemplify service and self-giving. This is how the Kingdom contrasts the world we live today.

Wealth and the Kingdom

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 10:17-30.

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? 
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother." 
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." 
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!" 
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. 
All things are possible for God." 
Peter began to say to him,
"We have given up everything and followed you." 
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

---

Reflection

It was difficult for the Jews to comprehend that wealth can be an obstacle to the Kingdom. In their religious tradition, prosperity is a sign of divine favor. If a wealthy man is highly favored by God then why is it difficult for him to enter the Kingdom? Jesus, a sign of contradiction, overturns all this religious pre-conceptions and points out that not even wealth is an assurance of heaven.

The Kingdom of God afterall is God’s gift. No man can claim a right to it. No man can buy it for himself. No one buys himself into heaven. The only way to enter the Kingdom of God is to become God’s child in the image of the Son. To be in the image of the Son means to follow Jesus’ self-emptying, to follow Jesus’ lifestyle, to follow Jesus’ mission. This self-emptying, this dying to one’s self is impossible for us unless we allow God to teach us.

The Kingdom is gained only when we have divested ourselves of our wealth and the most precious thing we possess - the self. It is something difficult, something that goes against human instinct. Yet, we do not despair, because in our difficulty, Jesus looks at us with love in His eyes, and encourages us, to gain the wealth that is really beyond all wealth.  

Beautiful Tension

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 10:2-16.

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,

"Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" 

They were testing him.

He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" 

They replied,

"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce

and dismiss her."

But Jesus told them,

"Because of the hardness of your hearts

he wrote you this commandment. 

But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother

and be joined to his wife,

and the two shall become one flesh.

So they are no longer two but one flesh. 

Therefore what God has joined together,

no human being must separate." 

In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. 

He said to them,

"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another

commits adultery against her;

and if she divorces her husband and marries another,

she commits adultery."

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,

but the disciples rebuked them.

When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,

"Let the children come to me;

do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to

such as these. 

Amen, I say to you,

whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child

will not enter it."

Then he embraced them and blessed them
placing his hands on them.

---

Reflection

The Church has always upheld the dignity of Marriage as a divine institution that unites man and woman. The beautiful thing about marriage is that it is not just a choice made by both man and woman. Jesus pointed out that Divine Will deigned to unite man and woman in marriage: “... what God has joined.” This points out to us the unitive nature of God. He unites all things together.

Young people often ask what are the signs of doing God’s Will. God’s Will seeks to bring out unity and harmony in all things. Love unites the many into one. It makes something beautiful out of differences. It transforms contrast into complementarity. With man and woman made differently, God has designed their differences to make a beautiful whole.

God is not in discord but He exists in the beautiful tension of complementary unity. Especially in marriage, where the man and woman find themselves different more than the same, there God is working to bring out the complete face of His love. Human love must learn to live with beautiful tension in order to learn what divine love is all about.

A Wholeness of Unity and Integrity

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48.

At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ, 
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"

---

Reflection

A tribal mentality runs the risk of alienating others just because they are different from us. The disciples thought that they were an exclusive club of disciples empowered by Jesus. Jesus reminded them that the work of God is bigger than human associations. God works through all and in all, and transcends human boundaries. After all, the Spirit, like the wind, goes wherever it wills.

God works and saves humanity in its wholeness. He relates to each one of us regardless of color, gender, age, shape, or size. His working hand does not splinter into the diversity of humankind, but unites them in His Son. Though different, all of us are united in One Faith in Jesus. In the same way that the diverse is united in one, so must each member be singular in his own discipleship.

As individual Christians, we are called to unity not only with others but above all ourselves. Christian discipleship is a single-hearted act. Not one part of us should withheld our full communion in Jesus. We all belong to Christ, different though we are. We all belong to Christ, in all that we are.

The Real Face of Glory

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 9:30-37.

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it. 
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” 
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?” 
But they remained silent.
They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest. 
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” 
Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

---

Reflection

Jesus was prophesying His Passion and Death to His disciples to prepare them for His moment of glorification. Sadly, the Twelve were blinded by their concept of glory they preoccupied themselves with ascendancy over the rest. Jesus’ message was lost in their ambitions.

Jesus then sat down, the pose for a teacher, to point out to them the real face of glory. Real glory is found in real service. It is the service epitomized in the image of the suffering Jesus on the cross. It a service that exacts the payment of one’s life. In dying on the cross, Jesus served everyone His life. The Twelve had to understand this well.

The Servant of all gave us an example of humility, a humility that can only come from a child, from the Son. For while he was at the top of the mount of Calvary, He did not sit there as King but one who was at the bottom carrying the weight of the world. The glory of God is found in Jesus’ service of love. Like He did with the Twelve, Jesus calls us to follow His example.

Personal and Decided Faith

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 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 of the prophets." 
And he asked them,
"But who do you say that I am?" 
Peter said to him in reply,
"You are the Christ." 
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, 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 beings 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."

---

Reflection

Different people take Jesus differently. Our experience of Jesus does not only shape our idea of Him but even our own biases may work for or against Him. Jesus wanted a personal answer from His disciples so He asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Christian discipleship is rooted in our personal conviction of who Jesus is.

Such conviction is needed because Christian discipleship is not a walk in the park. Ahead the path lies a long, thorny, and winding road, and on top of one’s shoulders rests the cross. A personal conviction on the identity of Jesus must lead to a personal decision to follow Him. We cannot be Christians by name alone, we have to be Christians through and through.

Jesus cannot just be a brother, a healer, a friend, a teacher or a prophet. He has to be the Christ for every Christian. This is the very revelation of His person. He is the anointed Savior who must undergo His Passion and Death in order to save us. His calvary cannot be separated from His resurrection. A Christian knows this, and thus follow Christ in death and in life.

Rituals, Openness and the Messiah

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 7:31-37.

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis. 
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd. 
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly. 
He ordered them not to tell anyone. 
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it. 
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well. 
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

---

Reflection

There are Catholics who dismiss rituals in the Church. Those allergic to rituals in our liturgy should take note that Jesus was ritualistic too. When he healed the deaf man in today's Gospel reading, He accompanied the healing with actions. The act of healing was played out in discrete actions of touching and a verbal command to "be opened!" These rituals are prophetic signs - they point to a greater reality that is happening.

Prophecy in the Bible is not just about predicting the future but pointing to a reality that is beyond the physical signs we encounter. At its heart is handing down to people the Word of God, His will and message. Jesus today is depicted as the Prophet, who acts prophetically but unlike the prophets of old, acts in His own Divine capacity as the Son and Messiah. St. Mark presents Jesus as renewing Creation when he alludes creation story's "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good,"  (Genesis 1:31) with "he has done all things well," but also using Isaiah's Messianic prophecy (Isaiah 35:5) to say that the Messianic time has arrived.

The Messiah comes with great power and prophecy. He performs acts of healing: the deaf will hear and the mute will speak - a sign that He will overturn all evil in the world. Jesus calls us today to be open to Him, to unblock the ears of one's heart that we may hear, and to unfurl one's tongue that we too may prophecy in His name. For us who have been touched by God's grace, the joy of encountering Christ compels us to spread the joy of the Gospel.

The “Hugot” of the Christian

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23.

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. 
—For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace 
they do not eat without purifying themselves. 
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. —
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?" 
He responded,
"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."

He summoned the crowd again and said to them,
"Hear me, all of you, and understand. 
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.

"From within people, from their hearts,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile."

---

Reflection

This Sunday’s Gospel presents to us a controversy between the Pharisees and Jesus’ disciples. Apparently, Jesus’ disciples have not been following the ritual traditions of purification in the Jewish religion. The Pharisees, who are strict observers of the law, point this out to Jesus in the belief that what these rituals are the true expressions of worshipping God. Not doing them means forsaking God.

Jesus turns around the debate by pointing out to the Pharisees that it is not what we do that makes us pleasing to God but rather the sincerity of our hearts that flows to our actions. For Jesus, it is important that a person worships God through his actions because those actions are motivated by love that comes from the person’s heart. A loving and merciful heart that expresses itself in acts of charity is true worship of God.

In Filipino pop culture, “hugot” means drawing out from one’s deepest emotions. Like Jesus, we Christians draw out our actions from our deep love for God and for our neighbor. Rituals themselves are not bad but they become meaningful when they are motivated by love and meant for love. For Jesus, we worship not in empty rituals but in love expressed and made felt.