Thursday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Lucas 11:5-13. Unsa may gipasabot ni Jesus sa iyang pag-ingon: “Pangayo kamo, ug kamo hatagan; pangita kamo, ug kamo makakaplag; tuktok kamo, ug kamo ablihan.” Pinaagi niini, kita gidasig ni Jesus sa pagduol ug pagpatabang sa Iyang Amahan sa panahon sa kalisod ug panginahanglan. Isip mapinanggaong Amahan, ang Ginoo dili makatalikod kanato nga Iyang mga anak. Apan wala kini magpasabot nga makapangayo kita bisan unsa na lang diha sa atong pag-ampo. Ang Dios, nga labing nasayod unsay maayo, mohatag lamang sa mga butang nga makatabang kanato. Busa, dili kita mabalaka o mangluod kon ugaling dili ihatag sa Dios ang atong gipangayo. Hinuon, angay natong isipon nga kita giiway lamang sa Ginoo sa butang nga makadaot sa atong kahimtang.

Tuesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Lucas 10:38-42. Unsaon man nato pagdawat si Cristo diha sa atong tagsatagsa ka panimalay? Atong masabtan sa ebanghelyo nga ang Dios buot modayon dili lamang sa atong mga kasingkasing kondili diha sa atong mga panimalay. Ikalipay pag-ayo sa Ginoong Jesus kon kita, sama kang Maria, modawat kaniya ug maminaw sa iyang mga Pulong. Mahimo nato kini pinaagi sa pagtapok sa mga sakop sa panimalay matag alas 6 sa hapon (pwede sab sa laing oras) aron mag-ampo, magbasa ug mamalandong sa Pulong sa Dios. Ikalipay usab sa Ginoo kon kita, sama kang Marta, magtrabaho alang sa kaayohan sa pamilya ug mag-alagad sa mga silingan nga adunay panginahanglan. Likayan lamang nato nga mahisama kang Marta nga magreklamo samtang magserbisyo. 

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4; 2 Tim 1:6-8, 13-14; Lk 17:5-10

An elderly woman lived in one half of a duplex apartment. She was extremely poor, but a good woman. She prayed a great deal. In the other half of the duplex lived the owner, a man of no faith, no prayer, no religion. He often made fun of the old lady’s trust in God. One day this woman was praying, quite loudly, telling the Lord that she had no food in the house. The godless one heard her and decided: “I’m going to play a trick on the old gal.” He took a loaf of bread, laid it at her front door, rang the bell, and then hurriedly back to his apartment, to hear through the wall her cry of delight: “Thank you, Lord, I just knew You wouldn’t fail me.” With a devilish grin the man came back to her front door and told her: “You silly old woman. You think God answered your prayer. Well, I’m the one who brought that loaf of bread.” Undaunted, the old woman exclaimed: “Praise the Lord! He always helps me in my needs, even if He has to use the devil to answer my prayers.” (The story is by Gerald Fuller, OMI)

The readings for this Sunday teach us lessons about faith and trust in God.

In the first reading, the prophet Habakkuk complains to God: “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen!” The prophet is asking whether or not God cares for his people. There is war and violence, misery and death all around their place. The powerful Babylonians are now about to demolish the people of Israel. How can God allow things like these to happen?

Habakkuk is trying to question the loving presence of God, perhaps like many of us when we are confronted with great problems and so much pain. Remarkably, God appears not to be displeased with Habakkuk since he answers him in gentle and reassuring words. It sounds as if he is telling the prophet: “Be patient because I have a plan. I will intervene when it’s time. What I ask of you now is faith, and if you have it you will live.” 

What kind of faith does God ask of Habakkuk? The prophet believes in God’s existence; in fact, he is already imploring for divine intervention. Yet, God wants Habakkuk to develop a kind of faith that is trustful and steadfast. In the face of trials and difficulties, God would like Habakkuk to keep believing that God will not abandon his people and that he will save them in his own time.

In the gospel, the apostles ask Jesus: “Increase our faith.” The apostles themselves realize their need for a more solid kind of believing in order to persevere in following the Lord. Real faith is necessary considering the fact that it is not easy to understand the radical teachings Jesus (e.g., leaving home and families, daily carrying of the cross, forgiving one another and loving one’s enemies). It is even more difficult to follow the Lord’s way of life (e.g. living simply, serving the poor, teaching the ignorant, touching lepers, exorcising demons and challenging authorities).

The Lord says in reply: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea.’ And it would obey you.” Jesus compares faith with a tiny mustard seed, whose power does not depend on its size but on its great potential hidden within itself. Faith, even when it is little, has the capacity to do unbelievable things in the life of individuals and communities.

The use of the image of a small mustard seed also suggests that the quality of the faith is more important than its quantity. We might think that the more we know theology, the more prayers we recite, or the more religious organizations we join, the stronger our faith becomes. Such is not necessarily true.

In the gospel of John, the Lord says: “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do . . .” (Jn 14:10-12). Somehow, these words will help us understand the kind of faith that we need to develop in our lives. Faith is our unqualified acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of humankind. Our faith is genuine if we believe in the person of Jesus, his salvific words and actions, and if we trust in his absolute power over darkness and sin. The believer would manifest meaningfully this faith by participating in the saving works of Jesus.

In the Mass, let us also ask God to increase our faith. And as we try to face with courage our own problems in life, let us not forget that our difficulties can never equal the sacrifice of Jesus which he offered for our sake.

A young married man thought he knew the meaning of faithfulness and love, until his attractive and affectionate wife was seriously injured in an automobile accident. Instead of coming home after work to a well-prepared dinner and the responsive love of a vibrant woman, he found that he had to be housekeeper and nurse during the long weeks of her convalescence. He slowly went from generous service to impatience, almost exasperation. He resented the heavy burden that had been placed upon him, as he forgot that he had married for better or for worse, in sickness as well as in health.

During one of his darkest moments, his father pointed out that his wife, weak and frustrated on a bed of pain, had not uttered a single word of complaint. His father added these simple words: “Your wife is a very strong woman. If your roles were reversed, don’t you believe that she would not hesitate to do anything for you?” Later that night, the husband stood over his sleeping wife with tears in his eyes and prayed for forgiveness. He resolved that he would be faithful to her, no matter what. (The story is from The Word Made Flesh by Charles E. Miller)

Saturday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Lucas 10:17-24. Unsa man ang mas mahinungdanon – ang kalampusan dinhi sa kalibotan o ang pasidungog sa Ginoo didto sa Iyang gingharian? Ang 70 ka mga tinun-an namalik gikan sa usa ka malampusong misyon ug mahinangpon silang nagpahibalo kang Jesus mahitungod sa ilang mga nahimo. Unya, si Jesus miingon kanila: “Ayaw kamog kalipay tungod kay ang mga yawa mipatuo kaninyo; paglipay hinoon kamo kay ang inyong mga ngalan nahisulat didto sa langit.” Pinaagi niini gitudloan kita ni Jesus nga walay pasidungog ug kalampusan nga mahimong ibaylo sa ganti sa kinabuhing dayon. Nindot kini nga pahimangno tungod kay aduna ra bay mga tawo nga andam mobuhat og daotan aron mapasidunggan. Ibaylo lang nila ang langit sa mga pasidungog ning kalibotan.

Thursday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Lucas 10:1-12. Nganong kinahanglan kitang mangayo’g dugang nga mga alagad sa Simbahan? Si Jesus miingon: “Ang anihon daghan apan diyotay ra ang mangangani. Busa pag-ampo kamo sa Tag-iya sa anihon aron magpadala siyag dugang pang mamumuo nga moani niini.” Gipahinumduman kita ning ebanghelyo nga ang kalibotan sama sa usa ka umahan nga adunay daghang anihonon, nga sa ato pa, adunay daghang tawo nga dalhonon ngadto sa Dios. Kulang kaayo ang mga mangangani tungod kay gamay ra man ang interesadong motrabaho sa mga butang nga para sa Dios ug para sa Iyang Simbahan. Kinahanglan nato nga mag-ampo alang sa dugang mangangani, dili lang mga pari kondili mga Kristiyano nga nakasabot sa ilang papel dinhi sa kalibotan isip asin ug kahayag para sa katawhan.