Mabuting Balita | Hunyo 21, 2022

Martes sa Ika-12 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Ebanghelyo: Mateo 7:6, 12-14

Sinabi ni Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad, “Huwag ibigay ang banal sa mga aso o itapon ang inyong perlas sa mga baboy, at baka yapakan nila ito at balikan kayo at lapain. Kaya gawin ninyo sa iba ang gusto ninyong gawin sa inyo, ito ang nasa Batas at Mga Propeta. Pumasok sa makipot na pinto sapagkat malapad ang pintuan at malawak ang daan papunta sa kapahamakan, at marami ang pumapasok doon. Napakakipot naman ng pintong papunta sa buhay at mabalakid ang daan at kakaunti ang mga nakakatagpo rito.”

Pagninilay:

Sa ating pang araw-araw na buhay marami tayong pinagpipilian at ginagawang desisyon. Karamihan sa mga ito’y tungkol sa mga ordinaryong bagay lamang, tulad ng kung tutuloy ka ba sa iyong pupuntahan o hindi, bibili ka ba ng bagong t-shirt o pantalon . Pero ang ilan naman sa mga ito’y may di matatawarang malaking epekto sa buhay, para sa sarili man o sa ating kapwa. Ang isa sa pinakamahalagang desisyon na kailangan nating gawin, ay ang pagpili ng landas na tatahakin sa ating buhay. Ito na marahil ang pinakamabigat nating responsibilidad bilang tao. Dahil sa malaking pagmamahal ng Diyos, ipinagkaloob Niya sa atin ang kalayaang piliin kung paano gugugulin ang buhay na ipinahiram lamang Niya sa atin. Sa Mabuting Balitang narinig natin, inilahad ni Jesus ang dalawang landas na pwede nating pagpilian. Ang malawak at malapad na daan na madaling makita at tahakin at ang makipot na daan. Sa malapad na daan, hindi na nangangailangan ng kakaibang tiyaga at sakripisyo, kaya naman kaakit-akit ito sa mata ng nakararami. Pero sa dulo ng landas na ito, pawang kapariwaraan lamang ang naghihintay sa atin. Ang makipot na daan naman, mabalakid at hindi madaling tuntunin, nakakatakot pasukin, ay hindi karaniwang pinipiling tahakin. Pero ang pumipili rito ay nagtatagumpay sa huli dahil sa kabutihan ang kanyang hahantungan. Mga kapatid, tunay na akma ang turo ni Jesus para sa atin na araw-araw kailangang mamili sa pagitan ng mabuti at masama. Totoong mahirap gawin ang tama, dahil sakripisyo at pagbabago ng sarili ang hinihingi nito sa atin. Di hamak na mas madaling piliin ang malawak na daan dahil, sa pagtahak nito, sarili lamang nating kagustuhan ang sinusunod natin. Pero kung ating pagninilayan, mas mahirap tahakin ang malapad na daan dahil ang kaligayahang dulot nito ay pansamantala lamang at maaari pang ikapahamak ng ating kaluluwa. Samantala, ang makipot na daan ang tunay na “madali,” dahil mapayapa mo itong tatahakin kasama ang Panginoon.

- Rev. Fr. Januarius Ma. Paglinawan, MMHC | Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross

Panalangin:

Panginoon, akayin Mo po ako sa landas na matuwid. Tulungan Mo po akong tahakin ang makipot na daan patungo sa buhay na ganap at kasiya-siya. Amen.

GOSPEL POWER l JUNE 20, 2022 

Monday of 12th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Mt 7:1-5 

Jesus said to his disciples, 1 “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. 2 For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”

W hile moral discernment also involves judgment and is necessary for day-to-day living, the judgment Jesus means here is passing a verdict of condemnation on others. When we do this, we are acting on a very limited, mostly external knowledge, for we have no access into a person’s interiority where one’s deepest motivations reside. Since this domain is accessible only to God, the right to judge anyone belongs to God alone. We, too, will be judged whenever we judge others because we are usurping God’s prerogative. Our desire to pass a verdict on another will backfire on us, because it is an attempt to play God. The amusingly exaggerated image of a beam stuck in the eye is a caution against scrutinizing others when one does not even examine oneself. A person whose life is unexamined is bound to have a distorted vision of reality and is unqualified to correct others

Lord Jesus, align our vision with yours, so that we may see the weaknesses of others with the same compassion with which you see ours. Amen.

GOSPEL POWER l JUNE 19, 2022 - SUNDAY

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Gospel: Lk 9:11b-17 11…

Jesus spoke to the crowd about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured. 12The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.” 13But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish – unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15They did so and made them all sit down. 16And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

We, human beings, are creatures of transcendence. Though earthbound, we are destined for eternity. And while our bodies are fed with material food, our spirits hunger for immaterial nourishment. From this perspective, we can read symbolically the disciples’ admission of inability to provide food for the crowd in the deserted place. This deserted place represents our awareness of being destined for something greater but unable to reach it by ourselves. We are incapable of satisfying our existential hunger. God alone can provide the food that will sustain us in the journey across the deserted places of our present limited existence, towards the eternity that beckons and awaits us. Jesus multiplies food for the crowd in the deserted place, representing God’s provision of the only sustenance capable of strengthening us for the journey. God’s own Son, born in Bethlehem, “the house of bread,” is the food set for us, to impart to us God’s very life 

Lord Jesus, you are God’s answer to our existential hunger. May the sacramental gestures of consuming your body and blood intensify our faith and deepen our relationship with you. Amen.

GOSPEL POWER l JUNE 18, 2022 

Saturday of 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Mt 6:24-34 

Jesus said to his disciples, 24“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. 25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32for it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

God and mammon are worlds apart. To attempt to bridge the two worlds by serving both is to live with a divided heart. Division is always painful, the source of much tension and anxiety, for the human heart is made for only one Master — its Maker — and will remain restless, aimless, and devoid of meaning until it fulfills this purpose of its existence. All other masters, especially money, enslave and possess the hearts they lure to their service. Only at the service of the Maker will human hearts experience both liberation and fulfillment. To seek first the Kingdom of God and his justice is to discover our God-given mission in life and to pursue it with all our energies. This is single-heartedness. And those of us who dedicate ourselves single-heartedly to God’s purposes are assured of being provided for, because the Father’s Kingdom is one of providence and blessedness. Lord Jesus, grant us the grace not to be lured to the service of lesser gods especially money with its empty promises. Amen.

GOSPEL POWER l JUNE 17, 2022 

 Friday of 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Mt 6:19-23 

Jesus said to his disciples, 19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; 23but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” 

We are only passersby on this earth, journeyers on our way to a trans-worldly homeland. Accumulating earthly treasures as we go will slow us down and unnecessarily delay the progress of our journey. Preoccupation with protecting our amassed treasures from bandits and the elements will rob us of peace and prevent us from appreciating the beauty of the journey. Most importantly, it will divert our attention from our fellow travelers, whose companionship offers us precious opportunities to store up the treasures that truly matter. At the journey’s end, we will only abandon the material treasures we have uselessly carried around and protected from threats. As we reach our destination, nothing will be of value but the immaterial treasures gathered from our God given mission of reaching out to others in loving, life-nourishing relationships. It makes sense to ask ourselves every day: “Where is my heart today?” 

Lord Jesus, draw our hearts toward the treasures that will outlast this passing world. Amen

GOSPEL POWER l June 16, 2022 - Thursday of 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Mt 6:7-15 

Jesus said to his disciples, 7“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” 

Prayer is, first and foremost, a relationship-of-trust. In a relationship, words are not always necessary, because hearts can communicate in the language of silence. Jesus assures us that the Father is on the lookout for our needs, even if we do not articulate them in words. We are asked only to open our heart and give the Father full access to it. That is what trust is all about. But so that we may not multiply words, thinking that we have to convince God, Jesus teaches us the essential words that arise from the relationship-of-trust. Obedience is the proof of trust — “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Since God is Father to many children, the Lord’s prayer also connects us with multitudes of brothers and sisters in a network of relationships held together by the Father’s love and strengthened by our willingness to mediate to one another God’s forgiveness.

Lord Jesus, you did not only give us a model-prayer but empowered us to connect with God and intimately call him “Abba, Father.” Amen.

ST. NORBERT l PATRON OF THE KINGDOM OF BOHEMIA

Feast Day: JUNE 6

Today, we shall introduce to you a religious order in the Church not working in the Philippines, but is active in 23 countries around the world. This order of canons regularis called Premostratensian or Norbertines, after their founder, St. Norbert of Xanten. They are involved in education, university chaplaincy, and work for the youth. St. Norbert was born in Xanten, Germany. He studied and accepted the ordination to the subdeaconate. As a subdeacon, his work was to sing the Divine Office at the church, but he paid someone a small fee to do this job for him since he was appointed a religious counselor to Emperor Henry V in Cologne. With his high salary, he followed an undisciplined life. He avoided being ordained to the priesthood and declined an appointment of higher office from the Church. But the Lord had some special designs for him.

One day in the spring of 1115 as he rode his horse, a thunderbolt from a sudden storm struck his horse’s feet. He was thrown down from the animal and was unconscious for nearly an hour. From this accident, his faith deepened and he renounced his appointment from Emperor Henry and returned to Xanten. There he started a life of prayer and penance, became very devoted to the Holy Eucharist and to Our Lady.  He also placed himself under the direction of an abbot in Cologne. He founded the Abbey of Furstenberg, donated part of his personal property, and placed the Abbey under the direction of the Abbot. He was 35 years old then and asked to be ordained to the priesthood. He adopted a very strict discipline that it became destructive to his first three disciples. He then sold all his property, and gave them to the poor. He visited Pope Gelasius II who gave him the permission to become an itinerant preacher.

Norbert preached throughout western Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and northern France. He was already credited with a number of miracles as he helped some needy clergy, particularly demoralized and lonely priests, and those not following strictly the vow of celibacy. At the Council of Reims, in October 1119, Pope Calixtus II requested Norbert to establish a Norbertine group in the Diocese of Laon, France. It was December 25 1120, when Norbert established the Canons Regular of Premontre. For a Rule, he chose the Rule of St. Augustine and added some Cistercian practices, with the idea of a monastic ministry. Norbert chose a valley named Premontre as their monastery, that is why they are called Premostratensian. He started with 13 disciples and the following year they were already 40 in number. Their Constitution was approved in 1225 by Pope Honorius II. He also established the Third Order of St. Norbert. He was successful in combatting a Eucharistic heresy in Antwerp thus he was proclaimed “Apostle of Antwerp.” In 1126, Pope Honorius II made him archbishop of Magdeburg. As he tried to reform the lax discipline in his diocese, many assassination attempts were made against him. When Norbert died in Magdeburg on June 6, 1134, the canons of the cathedral and of St. Mary’s Abbey both claimed his body, but it was buried in the Norbertine Abbey. On May 2, 1627, the body was finally brought to Prague where it remains today, kept in a glass-fronted tomb. Norbert was canonized by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. His statue appears, among the 140 statues of saints and martyrs, above the Piazza colonnade of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He is depicted holding a ciborium due to his love for the Eucharist.

“St. Norbert, you changed from being worldly to being a holy man, help us overcome our worldly inclinations and imitate your holy life.”

Am I aware of my inclinations and habits that are not pleasing to God?

Mabuting Balita | Hunyo 20, 2022

Lunes sa Ika 12 Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Ebanghelyo:  Mt 7:1–5

Sinabi ni Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad, “Huwag humatol at di kayo hahatulan. Kung paano kayo humatol sa inyong kapuwa, gayon din naman kayo hahatulan, at susukatin kayo sa sukatang ginamit ninyo. Bakit mo tinitingnan ang puwing sa mata ng iyong kapatid? At di mo pansin ang troso sa iyong mata. Paano mo masasabi sa iyong kapatid: ‘Halika, at aalisin ko ang puwing sa iyong mata,’? Mapagkunwari! Alisin mo muna ang troso sa iyong mata, at saka mo makikita kung paano aalisin ang puwing sa mata ng iyong kapatid.”

Pagninilay:

Mapagpalang araw mga kapanalig! Maganda ang paalala sa atin ng Mabuting Balita ngayon. Wag maging mapanghusga base sa panlabas na anyo o kilos ng isang tao. Una, dahil hindi naman natin alam kung anong nasa sa loob ng ating kapwa. Hindi natin alam kung ano ang nag-udyok sa kanyang gawin ang isang bagay lalo na kung ito ay hindi sang-ayon sa ating paniniwala o expectations. Sabi nga ni San Pablo sa sulat niya sa mga taga-Roma (2:1-3) na kung pano mo hinihusgahan ang iba ay para mo na ring hinusgahan ang sarili mo dahil ginagawa mo rin ang ginagawa ng hinuhusgahan mo. Hindi man natin aminin o itago man natin ito sa iba --- lahat ng ito ay hindi lingid sa Diyos. Siya na nakakakilala sa buong pagkatao at nakakaalam ng laman ng isip at puso ng bawat isa sa atin. Sabi nga--- ang mga taong mapanghusga ay kulang ang kamalayan o pagkilala sa sarili. Dahil kung titinginan muna natin ang ating mga sarili--- mahihiya tayong manghusga ng iba… mahihiya tayong humarap sa Diyos. Pero higit pa rito ang punto ng Mabuting Balita sa atin ngayon. Sinasabi din sa atin ni Jesus na palawakin ang pag unawa sa iba habang patuloy niya tayong binibigyan ng pagkakataon na harapin ang ating mga pagkukulang. Nais ni Jesus na akayin tayong lahat sa landas ng katotohanan at pagbabalik-loob sa kanya sa pamamagitan ng pagsisi at pagtutulungan tungo sa kabutihan at kabanalan.

SR. REAJOY, FSP

Mabuting Balita | Hunyo 19, 2022

Kabanal-banalang Katawan at Dugo ng Panginoon

Ebanghelyo: Lk 9:11b-17

Nagsalita si Hesus sa mga tao tungkol sa kaharian ng Diyos at pinagaling din niya ang mga nangangailangan ng lunas. Nang humahapon na lumapit sa kanya ang Labindalawa at sinabi sa kanya, “Paalisin muna ang mga tao para makalakad sila, papunta sa mga nayon at bukod sa paligid. Nang makapaghinga at humanap ng makakain.” Sapagkat nasa ilang na lugar na tayo rito. At sinabi sa kanila ni Hesus, “Kayo ang magbigay ng makakain.” Ngunit sinabi nila, “Wala kaming anuman kundi limang tinapay at dalawang isda. O baka naman kami pa ang pupunta at bibili ng pagkain para sa lahat ng taong ito?” May mga limanlibo kalalakihan doon. Kaya sinabi ni Hesus sa kanyang mga alagad, “Paupuin Ninyo sila sa mga grupong tig-lilimampu.” Ganito nga ang kanilang ginawa at pinaupo ang lahat. At kinuha ni Hesus ang limang tinapay at dalawang isda, tumingala sa langit at binasbasan ang mga ito. Pinag pirapiraso at binigay sa kanyang mga alagad, para ipamahagi sa mga tao. Kumain at nabusog ang lahat. At tinipon nila ang mga natirang pira pirasong labindalawang basket.

Pagninilay:

Ipuprusisyon sa lanas ng simbahan ang Santisimo Sakramento o Blessed Sacrament. Babasbasan ng pari ang lahat na madadaanan ng prussyon at lahat ng makikibahagi sa pagdiriwang. Hindi ito ginagawa Linggo-Linggo. Ngayon lamang sa natatanging Kapistahan ng Corpus Christi inilalakad ang Katawan at Dugo ni Cristo sa mga lansangan, palapit sa pamayanan, pilit tayong inaabot, sapagkat mahalaga tayo sa kanya. Sa ebanghelyo pinakain ni Jesus ng tinapay at isda ang limanlibong katao. Sa pagtatapos ng salo-salo, labindalawang sisidlan ang ang napuno ng mga lumabis na pagkain. Huwag natin kalimutan nab ago nagsimula ang pagsasalo sa pagkain, pinaupo muna ni Jesus ang madla at tinuruan ng maraming bagay. Kung isinunod ni Jesus ang pagpapakain sa mga tao, ito’y bahagi pa rin ng kanyang pagtuturo sa madla. Ipinakita niya na may matinding pagkagutom ang tao, hindi lamang sa material kundi sa mga katotohanang espirituwal. Ang mga matiyagang nakinig kay Jesus nang buong araw ay hindi nag-abang ng ayuda. Naroon sila dahil nakasilip sila ng bagong pag-asa sa katauhan ni Jesus. Kakaiba ang estilo ng pagtuturo niya. Tinatanggap niya ang lahat maging mga kasalanan, at inaakay niya sila sa bagong buhay. Patunay ito na sabik ang tao na mabuhay kay Jesucristo. Sa malaking salo-salo, kinuha ni Jesus ang limang tinapay at dalawang isda. Tumingala siya sa langit. Pinagpira-piraso niya iyon, ibinigay sa mga alagad at ipinamahagi sa mga tao. Sa pagbabalik-tanaw nhg mga Kristiyano, naunawaan natin ang pakay ni Jesus. Hindi lamang tinapay at isda ang ibinahagi niya kundi ang kanyang mismong sarili. Nakita ito ng mga apostol sa Huling Hapunan. Nakikita pa rin natin ito sa Eukaristiya, kung saan tinatanggap natin ang katawan at dugo ni Kristo. Tinatanggap natin ang buong buhay ni Jesukristo. Sa ating paglalakbay sa lupa, tandaan natin na may banal tayong hantungan at si Jesus ang kasama nating naglalakbay patungo doon. Tularan natin siya na tumanggap at niyakap ang buhay niya ditto sa lupa, nagpasalamat sa Ama sa lahat ng oras at ibinahagi ang sarili sa kanyang kapwa tao.

Word and Songs | Father's Day and Finding Hope

with Sr. Rose Agtarap, fsp