HUNYO 9, 2022 - HUWEBES

Ikasampung Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon

Ebanghelyo: Mateo 5:20-26

Sinabi ni Jesus sa kanyang mga alagad: “Sinasabi ko sa inyo na kung hindi mas ganap ang inyong kabanalan kaysa sa mga guro ng Batas at mga Pariseo, hinding-hindi kayo makapapasok sa Kahariaan ng Langit. “Narinig na ninyo na sinabi sa inyong mga ninuno: 'Huwag kang papatay; dapat managot ang pumatay.' Sinasabi ko naman sa inyo: Mananagot ang sinumang nagagalit sa kanyang kapatid. Mananagot sa Sanggunian ang sinumang uminsulto sa kanyang kapatid. Nararapat lamang na itapon sa apoy ng impiyerno ang sinumang manghiya sa kanyang kapatid. Kaya sa paglalagay mo sa altar ng iyong hain at naalaala mong may reklamo sa iyo ang kapatid mo, iwan mo muna ang iyong hain sa harap ng altar at puntahan mo ang iyong kapatid para makipagkasundo sa kanya. At saka ka bumalik at ialayang iyong hain sa Diyos. “Makipagkasundo na sa iyong kaaway habang papunta pa kayo sa hukuman, at baka ipaubaya ka niya sa hukom na magpapaubaya naman sa iyo sa pulisya na magkukulong sa iyo. Talagang sinasabi ko sa iyo: hindi ka makalalabas hangga't hindi mo nababayaranang kahuli-hulihang sentimo.”

Pagninilay:

Makipagkasundo sa naka-away! Pagbibigay ng pagpapatawad sa mga nagkasala sa atin, tatak ito nang nagmamahal. Nakapakinig ako minsan sa katekista na nagpapaliwanag sa kanyang klase. Sabi niya, “Alam niyo ba na ang matinding galit sa kapwa’y maaaring katumbas na rin ng pagpatay? Kapag pinag-isipan mo ang iyong kagalit na may masamang mangyari sa kanya. Kaya, iwasan ang patuloy na pag-iisip ng masama sa kapwa.” Dagdag pa niya: “Ang utos na huwag pumatay, hindi lamang tumutukoy sa aktong pisikal, kabilang dito ang pag-iwas sa pagbibitiw ng masasakit na salita, na maaring magresulta upang mawalan ang tao ng pag-asa o masira ang kanyang loob.” Kapansin-pansin ngayon sa social media ang sobra-sobrang pagpapalitan ng hindi magagandang salita. Mga salitang naghahangad ng masama sa kapwa kahit hindi nga personal na kilala ang nagpo-post o nagme -message. Bugso ng damdamin ang pinaiiral at ipinahahayag sa mga comments section. Natural ang mag-react dahil sa hindi magandang ginawa na ating nakikita o nararanasan! Pero, kailangang suriin ang sarili, maliwanag ba sa akin kung ano ang tunay na pangyayari at ano ang ikinagagalit ko sa issue? Nag e engage ba ako sa social media para mas mapalawak ang aking pang –unawa sa paniniwala at pananaw ng iba? Handa ba akong tanggapin at respetuhin ang aking kapwa sa aming pagkakaiba? Maghatid nawa ng kabutihan at katotohanan ang aking presensiya, hindi lang sa kaharap o ka face to face ko kundi, maging sa social media. – Sr. Amelyne Paglinawan, fsp | Daughters of St. Paul

Panalangin:

Panginoon, turuan mo po akong maging mahinahon sa mga pagkakataong aking maramdaman ang aking galit nang magawa ko pa rin kung ano ang tama at kalugod-lugod sa iyo. Amen.

GOSPEL POWER l JUNE 7, 2022 - TUESDAY of 10th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Mt 5:13-16 

Jesus said to his disciples, 13“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt  has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer  good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14You  are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No  one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the  lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let  your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works  and give glory to your Father in heaven.” 

Salt and light are seemingly insignificant everyday  commodities. But they are packed with power so  essential, that life will diminish in quality without them.  Imagine a meal without salt and a night without even a spark of light!  Just as salt brings out the true flavor of food, and light enables people  to see and move about in the darkness, so should believers manifest  through their witness of life the presence of God’s Kingdom that Jesus  already inaugurated on earth by his passion, death and resurrection.  For now, this Kingdom remains a veiled reality until the designated  time for its full revelation. But God wills to make it known through  simple believers who act as salt that preserves the upside-down  values of Jesus and his choice of the path of downward mobility. As  they continue to propose the way of Jesus in today’s world marked  by excessive self-promotion and upward mobility, the lives of these  believers shine from within, enabling people to catch a glimpse of  the city on the hill, which is the still-veiled Kingdom already present  among us. 

Lord Jesus, guard our light from being extinguished by the winds of the world. Amen.

Mabuting Balita | Hunyo 7, 2022

Martes sa Ika-10 Linggo ng Taon

Ebanghelyo: Mateo 5:13-16

Sinabi ni Jesus sa kanyang mga alagad: “Kayo ang asin ng mundo. Ngunit kung mawalan ng lasa ang asin, paano pa ito mapaaalat na muli? Wala na itong silbi. Itatapon na lamang at tatapakan ng mga tao. Kayo ang ilaw ng mundo. Hindi maitatago ang lunsod na itinayo sa tuktok ng bundok. Hindi rin sinisindihan ang ilaw para takpan ng kahon, sa halip ay nilalagay ito sa isang lampara at tumatanglaw sa lahat ng nasa bahay. Gayundin naman ang inyong liwanag sa paningin ng mga tao; at makikita nila ang inyong mabubuting gawa at pupurihin nila ang inyong Amang nasa Langit.”

Pagninilay:

Mas maganda pag maliwanag di ba? Kita lahat at hindi tayo takot. Pero kung pag madilim nangangapa tayo dahil wala tayong makita at baka kung may mangyari pa sa atin. Sa ebanghelyo ngayon, inaanyayahan tayo ni Hesus na maging asin at ilaw, mga elemento na importante sa ating buhay. Maging asin tayo na nagbibigay kasiyahan at kuntento sa iba. Ilaw na gumagabay sa ating paglalakbay at hindi lamang sa atin kundi sa iba din. Parehong mahalaga at mukhang ordinaryo pero pagnawala siguradong hind maging kumpleto ang ating buhay. Walang lasa ang pagkain at ang lungkot naman pag walang ilaw. At siguradong walang mabubuhay na kahit anong organism sa mundo. Ang ebanghelyo ay nag-aanyaya din sa atin na gumawa ng tama at hindi mapagmayabang. Hindi natin inaapakan ang iba at hindi selfish sa mga bagay na meron tayo. Pag mapagbigay tayo, para tayong ilaw na kahit sa karimlan ay gumagabay. Pag tuwid na buhay ang tinatahak natin, naging ehemplo tayo sa iba at sa grasya ng Panginoon, maging daan pa tayo na matuklas din nila na ang ilaw na pinamamalas natin ay galing sa mapagmahal na Diyos. Kagaya ng asin at ilaw binabahagi natin ang ating ang grasya na bigay sa atin ng Diyos. Ika nga, “It is better to give than to receive,” dahil sigurado tayo na alam na alam ng Diyos ang bawat kilos natin. At kapag pagluluwalhati natin ay para sa Kanya, hindi Niya tayo pababayaan. Manalangin tayo, Panginoon salamat sa biyaya ng buhay at sa grasya ng bawat isa-isa. Tulungan po Ninyo kaming ituwid ang kamaliang aming nagawa at nawa’y ang aming presensiya ay maging biyaya sa iba. Inaalay namin sa Iyo ang bawat araw na dumarating sa amin at sana maging matatag pa sa hamon ng buhay. Amen. - Sr. Kayla Ventura, fsp | Daughters of St. Paul

GOSPEL POWER l JUNE 6, 2022 - MONDAY of 10th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Jn 19:25-34  

25Standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s  sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus  saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her,  he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27Then he said to  the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple  took her into his own home. 28After this, when Jesus knew that all  was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am  thirsty.” 29A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put  a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his  mouth. 30When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.”  Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 31Since it was the  day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross  during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great  solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men  broken and the bodies removed. 32Then the soldiers came and broke  the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him.  33But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they  did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side  with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. 

In the Gospel of John, Mary appears only at two pivotal  moments of Jesus’ life. At the wedding of Cana, she hastens  the coming of Jesus’ hour by moving him to perform his first  sign of changing water into wine. Then she reappears at the climax  of Jesus’ hour at the foot of his cross. Significantly, on both occasions,  Jesus calls her “Woman,” deliberately evoking Eve, the first man’s  companion and helper in Genesis. If the first Eve generated children  in the flesh, Mary, the new Eve, will generate children in the Spirit, as  she accepts from her crucified Son the mandate to be the mother of  all believers, represented here by the beloved disciple. 

Lord Jesus, thank you for sharing with us the most intimate human  relationship you had on earth by giving us your own mother to be our

GOSPEL POWER l JUNE 5, 2022 - SUNDAY of  Solemnity of Pentecost

Gospel: Jn 20:19-23 (or Jn 14:15-16, 23b-26) 

19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the  doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear  of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be  with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his  side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said  to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I  send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to  them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they  are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 

Luke is the only evangelist to write a sequel to the Gospel.  This is known as the Acts of the Apostles, and here, Luke  recounts the Pentecost as a separate event that occurs after  Jesus’ ascension into heaven. In the Gospel of John, proclaimed also  in today’s Mass, Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit to the disciples on the  evening of the same day that he rose from the dead. There is no need  to harmonize these two biblical accounts, because what matters most  is the essential truth that the two evangelists convey unanimously.  They tell us that the Holy Spirit is the gift that marks the victory  of Christ’s resurrection. This invisible and transforming power that  transcends space and time is the Spirit of Christ and his new way of  being among us, no longer in flesh, until the end of the age. As the  indwelling divine presence, it is through the Spirit that Christ and the  Father will make their home is us, as Jesus has promised his disciples  (Jn 14:23). 

 Lord Jesus, through your Holy Spirit, transform the face of the earth  and make us new creatures. Amen.

GOSPEL POWER l JUNE 4, 2022 - SATURDAY of 7th Week of Easter

Gospel: Jn 21:20-25  

20Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them;  he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had  said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21When Peter saw  him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 22Jesus said to him, “If  it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow  me!” 23So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would  not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is  my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” 24This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has  written them, and we know that his testimony is true. 25But there  are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were  written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the  books that would be written. 

There are varied ways of following Jesus, and each person  is called in a unique and specific way. Thus, there is no  sense in comparing one mode of discipleship with another,  for what is best for each one is the mode that the Lord indicates to  that person. Peter fulfills his discipleship by shepherding the Lord’s  flock and eventually laying down his life for it, after the example  of the Good Shepherd. The Beloved Disciple is called to be the  witness through whose faith and memory the Fourth Gospel will  be committed to writing. Peter’s unique contribution to the young  Church is his exercise of authority that unites. On the other hand,  intimacy with God and a profound sense of community are the Beloved  Disciple’s legacy. Peter dies a martyr; the Beloved Disciple lives as a  witness to a ripe old age. Both give us an example of how to follow  the Lord with an undivided heart.

Lord Jesus, help us to discover and follow the unique mode of discipleship  you have marked out for us. Amen.

GOSPEL POWER l JUNE 3, 2022 - FRIDAY of  7th Week of Easter

Saint Charles Lwanga  and Companions, martyrs

Gospel: Jn 21:15-19 

15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon  son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes,  Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”  16A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to  him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon son  of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the  third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know  everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my  sheep. 18Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to  fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you  grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will  fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.”  19(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify  God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.” 

Failure is a great teacher. The dramatic change in Peter’s  personality in this episode reflects the sobering lesson  that failure has taught him. Gone is the presumptuous  apostle who boldly declared that he would follow his Lord to the  point of laying down his life. After the threefold denial, he knows  better. Jesus completes the formative work that the experience  of failure has begun in Peter. In this intimate encounter, he heals  Peter of shame and guilt by gently drawing from him a threefold  confession of love that reverses the denial. Peter no longer trusts his  own self-conception, but humbly submits to Jesus who knows his  heart through and through. In response, Jesus renews his trust by  reconfirming Peter’s leadership. Now, Peter is ready for the mission,  because authentic mission can have no other foundation except love.

Lord Jesus, may failure be for us, too, a learning experience that will  mold us into the persons God wants us to be. Amen.

GOSPEL POWER l JUNE 2, 2022 - THURSDAY of 7th Week of Easter

Saints Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs

Gospel: Jn 17:20-26  

Jesus looked up to heaven and said, 20“I ask not only on behalf of  these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their  word, 21that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am  in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you  have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given them,  so that they may be one, as we are one, 23I in them and you in me,  that they may become completely one, so that the world may know  that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved  me. 24Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may  be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me  because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25“Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know  you; and these know that you have sent me. 26I made your name  known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with  which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” T he unity of believers can never be a human achievement  resulting only from the horizontal effort to connect with  one another. Jesus prays for it because he knows that it can  only be given from above. It is a divine gift that entitles believers to  participate in the divine communion of the Father and the Son. That  is the only genuine unity, and the world is incapable of offering it or  taking it away. What does Jesus’ wish and prayer that believers may  be where he is, entail? Jesus rests in the bosom of his Father and has  never left that secure dwelling even when he became flesh and lived  among us. This is where he wishes and prays that believers will be,  for that is the fountainhead of the unity that will convince the world  of Jesus’ true origin. Lord Jesus, bind us in unity, so that our common witness as believers may convince the world that you come from God. Amen.

Mabuting Balita | Hunyo 6, 2022

Lunes sa Ika-10 na linggo ng Taon | Ang Mahal na Birheng Maria, Ina ng Sambayanan

Nangakatayo naman sa tabi ng krus ni Hesus ang kanyang ina at ang kapatid na babae ng ina niya, si Mariang asawa ni Cleofas at si Maria Magdalena. Kaya pagkakita ni Hesus sa ina at sa kanyang mahal na alagad na nakatayo sa tabi, sinabi niya sa ina: “Babae, hayan ang anak mo!” Pagkatapos ay sinabi naman niya sa alagad: “Hayan ang iyong ina.” At mula sa oras na iyo’y tinanggap siya ng alagad sa kanila. Pagkaraan nito, nakita ni Hesus na natupad na ang lahat ngunit kailangang maganap ang isa pang kasulatan at sinabi n’ya: “Nauuhaw ako.” May sisidlan naman doon na puno ng mapait na alak kaya ikinabit nila sa isang isopo ang esponghang ibinabad sa alak at idiniiti nila sa kanyang bibig. Pagkasipsip ni Hesus ng alak, sinabi n’ya: “Natupad na.” At pagkayuko ng ulo, ibinigay n’ya ang espiritu. Ayaw ng mga Judio na manatili sa krus ang mga bangkay sa Araw ng Pahinga. Paghahanda ng Paskuwa noon, kaya mas dakila pa ang Araw na iyon ng Pahinga. At hiniling nila kay Pilato na baliin ang mga binti ng mga nasa krus at saka alisin ang mga bangkay. Kaya pumaroon ang mga sundalo. Binali nila ang mga binti ng una at pati ng ikalawa na kasama niyang ipinako sa krus. Pagsapit naman nila kay Hesus, nakita nilang patay na siya kaya hindi nila binali ang kanyang mga binti. Gayunma'y sinibat ng isa sa mga sundalo ang kanyang tagiliran at umagos ang dugo at tubig. Ang nakasaksi ang nagpapatunay, at totoo ang kanyang patunay. At siya ang nakaaalam na totoo ang kanyang sinasabi kaya maniwala kayo.

Pagninilay:

Maituturing na dakila ang bokasyon ng isang ina sapagkat sa pagbubuntis palang niya sa kanyang anak at lalo na kung iipapanganak niya na ito, kalahati ng buhay niya ay nasa hukay na. sa madaling salita sa panganganak ng isang pwede niya itong ikamatay. At hindi lamang sa panganganak natatapos ang misyon ng isang ina dahil pagkatapos niyang ipanganak ang isang sanggol kailangan niya itong banatayan magdamag. Kailangan niyang painumin ng gatas mula sa kanya kung itoy nagugutom. Kailangan niyang palakihin ng mabuti ang kanyang anak at disiplinahin para lamang ito magkaroon ng may magandang buhay. Sa ating ebanghelyo narinig natin na inihahabiliin ni Hesus ang ina kay San Juan. Ito ay paghahabilin ni Hesus kay Maria sa atin. Bago namatay ang ating Panginoong Hesukristo ipinako nya na mawawala man siya dito sa mundo ay ibibigay niya ang banal na Spirito Santo para patuloy parin niya tayong gagabayan. At habang nakapako si Hesus sa Krus wala siyang ibang inisip kung di ang kapakanan parin natin. Kaya hindi lang presensya ng Banal na Spirito Santo ang iniwan niya sa atin kung di ang presensya ng kanyang ina. Mga kapatid, ang paghahabilin ng Ating Panginoong Hesus sa kanyang pinakmamahal na ina sa atin ay isang patunay na kailanman walang momento ng buhay natin na iniwan tayo ng Dios. Lumapit tayo sa ating ina na si Maria dahil kailanman hindi tayo mawawala dahil siya ang magdadala at magtuturo ng daan patungo kay Hesus. - Fr. Baste, SSP | Society of St. Paul

ST. WILLIAM OF PERTH l PATRON OF THE ADOPTED CHILDREN

Feast Day: MAY 23

Friends, have you heard about the saint who is venerated as patron of adopted children? Well, our saint for today, St. William of Perth is that holy person. He is also called St. William of Rochester. St. William was born sometime in the 13thcentury, in Perth, one of the important towns of Scotland at that time.  Nothing is said about his childhood, except that he came from a good Christian family, so he was baptized and confirmed. His parents must have died early and he was left alone in this world. When he grew up, he was a little bit wild, confused about the right thing to do and influenced by bad companies. When he reached adulthood, he fortunately met someone who taught him how to be a good Christian: to love God, obey His commandments and love one’s neighbor. For his livelihood, William became a baker. He was accustomed to keep one-tenth of the baked bread daily, and distributed them to the poor and hungry. William became a prayerful man and went to Holy Mass daily. He used to go to church before the light and spent some of his time outside the church to pray. One morning, he found near the door of the church, an abandoned child. He took him by the hand and brought him with him for Mass. After the Mass, he went around the vicinity of the church to see if the child had a companion, but he was practically alone, so William took him home, gave him food and made him feel at home. They got along well together and he decided to adopt him. The child named David grew up and William sent him to school. He also taught him his own trade. Consequently William’s business flourished and he was financially successful. Sometime later, William took a vow to visit the Holy Land. He set out with David and they found the trip enjoyable. They stayed three days at Rochester and planned to proceed the following day to Canterbury, and from there to Jerusalem. William did not know that David was planning something evil against him. With robbery in view, since William’s trade was successful, David wanted to kill his benefactor and take possession of his bakery. David intentionally led William to a short-cut road, then felled him with a blow on the head and cut his throat. David ran away and left the dead body on the roadside. The dead body was seen by a mad woman who had a garland. She placed it on the head of the corpse and afterwards put the garland on her own. Miraculously, the touch was divinely powerful. The woman was instantly cured of her madness. She ran to the nearby convent of monks and reported what she had discovered. On hearing her story, the monks of Rochester took the corpse and carried it to the cathedral and buried it. Immediately, William was honored as a martyr because he was going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land when he died, and because of the miracle to the mad woman. The event attracted crowds of pilgrims. A small chapel was built at the site of the murder and it became a shrine. In 1256, Lawrence of St. Martin, Bishop of Rochester, obtained the canonization of William from Pope Alexander IV and later he was proclaimed patron of adopted children. The shrine became a popular place of pilgrimage, second only to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket. The feast of St. William is celebrated on May 23.  “St. William, we beg you to pray for children that they may respect and love their parents and obey them.”How do I show my love and respect for my parents and elders?