You cannot bring earthly things to heaven

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?"Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions."Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?'And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!"But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?'Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God."

Reflection:

Human as we are. We intend to accumulate wealth for our needs. However, sometimes the accumulation of wealth is not only for our needs but to feed our greed. Jesus cited a parable which reminds us whatever wealth do we have now cannot be brought to heaven. We cannot bring them to our grave. So, instead of accumulation of wealth, we must share it to others. Share our blessings so that we can enter the kingdom of God.

Whoever is first will be last, whoever is last will be first

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

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him 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:

This particular gospel is really applicable to all. Sometimes we work really hard for a certain thing but others get it first than you who have done its best for it. This is so because time and circumstance are not ours. However, wonderful things are given to those who work harder. What Jesus really meant is that it is not him to Judge whoever wants to enter the kingdom of God. It is only the Father who can determine in the last day whoever enters the Kingdom. Jesus gave a clue that if you wanted to enter the Kingdom of God and be great, you have to serve all.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10:1-9.

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.

He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.

Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.

Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.

Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.'

If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another.

Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

Reflection:

It is quite puzzling of what really meant for this gospel. What is the meaning of the number seventy-two? Why number seventy-two? Anyways, whatever will be the meaning of that number be that as it may. The most important word of Jesus in the gospel is 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you'. It means the kingdom of God is now in our hands, hence, we should do something about it. We should be laborers of God. We must be the harvester for God. We know that we should serve God by bringing people to God. Bringing them to God means we should spread the gospel by our good deeds and show the people that we love God above all.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11:42-46.

The Lord said: "Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others.Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces.Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk."Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, "Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too."And he said, "Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them."

Reflection:

The act of Jesus were not meant to insult us about what we were doing. He reminded us to be serious of what we are doing in the church and to other people. If you do alms giving, do it from the bottom of your heart; if you do tithings, do it because you are responsible for it; if you do worshipping God, do it all for the glory of God. Do not just do it because you wanted to show it for others, so others would believe that you are a good person.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11:37-41

After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat.The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you."

Reflection:

Sometimes we are very particular with our cleanliness outside but deep inside us we forget to be cleaned. Jesus statement does not mean we will forget to be cleaned as part of our hygiene. We will maintain our hygiene as this part to maintain healthy, however, we must put importance to our cleanliness inside so that everything will be clean for us.

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.

September 21, 2016

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9:9-13. 

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 

While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.

The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. 

Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

Reflection:

Sometimes we tend to dissociates with the sinners. We are so judgemental and self righteous. We often believe that we are more good than others. We don't like to accompany with persons whom we believe are sinners because we might be influenced by them. But Christ is very specific with His mission here on earth. "He come not to call the righteous but sinners". As followers of Christ, we must also do what Christ has done. We should convince those people whom we believe are sinners to come back to Christ and live a modest and Christ-centered lives.

Secrets will always come out

Monday, September 19, 2016

Monday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 8:16-18.

Jesus said to the crowd : "No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed ; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. 

For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. 

Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away." 

Reflection:

The Gospel is very clear that whatever secret do you have will come out. So, do good always because people will rejoice to those who are good but the evil one will be cursed. Whatever goodness you do will make you proud but the evil thing you have done will put you in shame.