MONDAY OF THE 22ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)

LUKAS 4:16-30. UNSA MAN ANG MISYON SA MGA KRISTIYANO KARONG PANAHONA? Pinaagi sa bunyag, kita gidihogan aron ipadayon ang misyon ni Kristo, nga karon nagpabilin nga susama niini: Pagdala sa Maayong Balita ngadto sa mga kabos, mga binilanggo, mga buta, mga nilutos ug sa tanan nga may panginahanglan. Si Santa Teresa sa Avila nagpahinumdum kanato nga ang Ginoo naglaum kanato: “Si Kristo, sa kalibotan karon wala nay lawas kondili ang imoha, wala nay kamot kondili ang imoha. Imoha ang mga mata nga iyang gamiton sa pagtan-aw sa kalibotan uban sa kalooy. Imoha ang mga tiil nga iyang gamiton sa paglakaw ug pagbuhat og maayo.” Ang mga Kristiyano diay adunay misyon sa pagdala sa gugma ni Kristo ngadto sa matag tawo nga ilang ikahinagbo ug ikaila karong higayona.

22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)

Dt 4:1-2, 6-8; Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27; Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

        

In the gospel, Jesus criticizes the scribes and the Pharisees because they honor God only with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. The Lord sees something hypocritical in the way these people observe the Law since they concern themselves so much with external practices of their religion but not with interior matters of their heart. For Jesus, the cleanliness of the hands is far less important than the purity of the heart. “For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly” (Mk 7:21-22).

Like the scribes and the Pharisees, we also could deeply involve ourselves with external aspects of religion and forget its interior demands. We also might find the outer, visible matters of life much easier to deal than the inner world of the heart. Attending Sunday masses, saying the rosaries, giving gifts to the poor, comforting the sick, visiting prisoners, etc. are important expressions of religion. Yet, there is an interior world that shapes and gives meaning to these practices which must not be taken for granted. We need to ask ourselves: What is the attitude or disposition of our heart when we worship God or when we help the poor? It is not enough that we pray; we have to pray earnestly. It is not enough that we give; we need to give generously or without strings attached.

The second reading says that pure and undefiled religion consists in this: “to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (Jas 1:27). The believer must listen to the Word of God and put it into practice. He or she also must keep his or her heart uncorrupted by worldly things and pleasures. In the practice of religion, therefore, “being” is as important as “doing.” The character of the believer is fundamental for the goodness of his or her actions.

The verses of our Responsorial Psalm are traditionally called “entry-psalms.” In biblical times, they were sung by pilgrims as they approached the temple. The verses remain relevant for us because they describe the persons who are acceptable to God: “Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors; in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent” (Ps 15:2-5).

We all need to pray that we will live justly and righteously in the eyes of God and of people.

Perhaps you recall the story of the blacksmith who gave his heart to God. Though conscientious in his living, still he was not prospering materially. In fact, it seems that from the time of his conversion more trouble, affliction and loss were sustained than ever before. Everything seemed to be going wrong.

One day a friend who was not a Christian stopped at the little gorge to talk to him. Sympathizing with him in some of his trials, the friend said, “It seems strange to me that so many afflictions should pass over you just at the time when you have become an earnest Christian. Of course, I don’t want to weaken your faith in God or anything like that. But here you are, God’s help and guidance, and yet things seem to be getting steadily worse. I can’t help wondering why it is.”

The blacksmith did not answer immediately, and it was evident that he had thought the same question before. But finally, he said “You see here the raw iron which I have to make into horse’s shoes. You know what I do with it? I take a piece and heat it in the fire until it is red, almost white with the heat. Then I hammer it unmercifully to shape it as I know it should be shaped. Then I plunge it into a pail of cold water to temper it. Then I heat it again and hammer it some more. And this I do until it is finished.”

“But sometimes I find a piece of iron that won’t stand up under this treatment. The heat and the hammering and the cold water are too much for it. I don’t know why it fails in the process, but I know it will never make a good horse’s shoe.”

He pointed to a heap of scrap iron that was near the door of his shop. “When I get a piece that cannot take the shape and temper, I throw it out on the scrap heap. It will never be good for anything.”

He went on, “I know that God has been holding me in the fires of affliction and I have felt His hammer upon me. But I don’t mind, if only He can bring me to what I should be. And so, in all these hard things my prayer is simply this: Try me in any way you wish, Lord. Only don’t throw me on the scrap heap.”

(The story is told by Lynell Waterman)

FRIDAY OF THE 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)

MATEO 25:1-13. UNSA MAN NGA PAGPANGANDAM ANG ATONG PAGAHIMOON ALANG SA PAG-ABOT SA GINOO? Ang Sambingay sa mga Dalaga adunay tubag niini. Si Kristo mao ang pamanhonon; ang Simbahan mao ang pangasaw-onon. Ang pag-abot sa kaslonon posible nga malangan; apan kita, nga mga dinapit sa kasal, kinahanglan nga kanunay'ng andam. Ang lampara maoy simbolo sa atong pagtoo; samtang ang lana mao ang atong mga maayong buhat. Ang pagtoo nga walay buhat usa ka patay'ng pagtoo, sama nga ang lampara nga walay lana dili makasiga. Aron maandam kita sa pag-abot sa Ginoo, atong sundon ang mga maalamong dalaga diha sa sambingay. Padaghanon nato ang atong dalang lana, nga sa laing pagkasulti, ang atong mga maayong buhat, aron sa pag-abot ni Kristo maabtan kita nga may dalang kahayag.

SAINT MONICA

UNSA MAY ATONG IKASULTI SA BABAYE NGA NAKABANA OG TAWONG TAMPALASAN, NAKAUGANGAN OG NGIL-AD OG BATASAN, UG NAKAANAK OG LALAKING BABAERO? Sa mata sa kalibotan, ang maong babaye makalolooy ug walay swerte. Apan, sa kaso ni Santa Monica, ang maong kahimtang nahimong grasya tungod kay kini man ang nakapasantos kaniya. Wala niya tugoti ang kangil-ad sa pagkatawo sa iyang bana, ugangan ug anak nga makatakod kaniya. Nagpabilin siyang pasensyoso, mahigugmaon, ug maampoon. Ang iyang kaayo ug gugma sa kaulahian nagmadaugon tungod kay pinaagi niini ang iyang pagano nga bana ug ugangan nidawat kang Kristo ug nahimong Kristiyano. Labaw sa tanan, pinaagi sa iyang mga luha ug pag-ampo, ang iyang anak nga si Agustin nakakita sa kahayag, nahimong pari, obispo ug, labaw sa tanan, santo.

THURSDAY OF THE 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)

MATEO 24:42-51. ANDAM NA BA KITA SA PAG-ABOT SA ATONG KAMATAYON? Kasagaran kanato dili andam; ang uban wala gyoy plano nga mangandam. Daghan ang dili ganahan mag-estorya sa realidad sa kamatayon tungod kay giisip nila kini nga “taboo” o butang nga dili angay’ng hisgotan. Aduna puy patoo-too nga kon ang tawo maghisgot og kamatayon, madali ang iya mismong kamatayon. Dili kini tinuod. Ang ebanghelyo nagtudlo mahitungod sa kamatayon – usa ka realidad nga angay’ng atubangon, dili ilimod; pangandaman, dili baliwalaon. Ang kamatayon gipakasama sa usa ka kawatan tungod kay moabut kini sa panahon nga wala nato damha. Tungod niini gihagit kita nga mahisama sa usa ka sulugoon nga matarong ug matinud-anon sa mga buluhaton. Kon mahimo nato kini, gantihan kita sa Dios og kinabuhing dayon.