Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

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THE WORD

Is 1,10-17 / Mt 10,34-11,1

[Jesus said to the Twelve,] “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.  For I have come to set a man ‘against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household.’ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

IN OTHER WORDS

In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks “of not bringing peace” upon the earth in view of his radical call to discipleship. He calls us to follow him, serve him and imitate his way of life. Responding to this call entails in us a total change in our way of thinking, living, and behaving. It can cause a great deal of pain and suffering to us and to our families like what happened to St. Francis of Assisi when he renounced all his wealth and family inheritance to follow JESUS’ call to a life of poverty.

This is the gospel call today – to make a sincere decision to follow JESUS in all his ways, and to give ourselves completely to Him without turning back no matter what consequence it might entail to us and to others.

Everyday, there is always something to which we are called and dared to respond: a hungry and poor man; our deteriorating prayer life; our lack of faithfulness to the sacraments; someone we have been refusing forgiveness; that nagging urge to commit, as religious and priests, to serving him in his mission to the world.

More often, to respond to most of these needs demand only a little pain, a little cross to carry, and a little discomfort in our lives. Fortunately, the more we respond, the more we nd peace, joy,

fulfillment and happiness in our hearts rather than turbulence and sadness. Today, let us prioritize our Lord and his calls in our life. We simply cannot imagine the joy and the peace that come with doing it. Let us do it now.

  • Fr. Gerry Donato, SVD | DWS, Tagaytay

The Word in other words 2016

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

THE WORD

FIRST READING: Dt 30,10-14

Moses said to the people: Because you will obey the voice of the LORD, your God, keeping  the commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God, with your whole heart and your whole being.

For this command which I am giving you today is not too wondrous or remote for you.  It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who will go up to the heavens to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may do it?” Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may do it?” No, it is something very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.

 

SECOND READING: Col 1,15-20


He is the image of the invisible God,
the fi rstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the fi rstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
[through him], whether those on earth or those in heaven.

 

GOSPEL: Lk 10,25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him halfdead.

A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

 

IN OTHER WORDS

The Palestinian Israeli conflict that hugs the headlines of newspapers in the world every now and then has been there since the partition of Palestine in 1947. This is a relationship of mutual retaliation; the Israeli with their sophisticated arms and the Palestinians with their suicide bombers.

The hatred that this situation has generated runs in the blood of both people especially those who have lost loved ones in the unending mutual retaliation.

I cite this contemporary phenomenon because it could help us approximate an understanding of the message of today’s gospel. What the Jews felt when they heard this parable where a Samaritan (Palestinian) came to the aid of a Jew is the same dislocating feeling Israelis would feel today when they hear that it was a Palestinian who came to the rescue. The Samaritan/Palestinian behaved as neighbor to the Jew who fell among robbers. Samaritan/Palestinian as my neighbor is an impossibility to a Jew. These words: Palestinian neighbor to Jews cannot be and should never be connected together.

Jesus who himself was a Jew knew of the deep seated cultural conflict between Samaritans and Jews. Was Jesus then insensitive or bereft of feeling and understanding when he insisted on this message of love of neighbor to his fellow Jews? He could have used a politically safer example.

In this parable Jesus was proclaiming the very heart of his message, the reason why he was sent by his Father – to bring the message of the Kingdom, of God’s unconditional love to all his creatures because he is Father to us all. To understand this central message of Christianity is to experience first that God is truly Father to me personally and to all my fellow human beings. This and no other is why we should love our neighbor. Without this experience it is almost impossible to understand, much less, live the injunctions to love the neighbor. Matthew in his gospel clearly teaches that our love for the neighbor is God’s basis for deciding who and who will not be part of his Kingdom.

Because I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was naked, I was in prison, I was needy and you did this to me. It is in that same gospel where Jesus also gives us another impelling reason to love the neighbor. . Whatever you do to the least of your neighbor, you do it to me.

Before, people thought that heaven was a place reserved for a chosen few, especially those who lived holy and saintly lives. With this injunction to love the neighbor, God has opened the gates of heaven for everybody, not anymore to a chosen few. All of us are surrounded with neighbors all our waking hours. With this injunction to love the neighbor all of us are given by God the keys to enter heaven. Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do it also to me.

  • Fr. Magdaleno Fabiosa, SVD | USC, Talamban, Cebu City

The Word in other words 2016

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

 

THE WORD

Is 6,1-8 / Mt 10,24-33

[Jesus said to the Twelve,] “No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

“And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever deniesme before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

 

IN OTHER WORDS

We are precious in the Lord’s eyes. He said: “Do not be afraid. The Father is taking care of you.” We are also very important. He said: “Do not be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.”

These words are pertinent to my experience as a 58-year old believer and a 27-year old ordained priest. In helpless situations where my faith was tested, I only repeated: “God will provide.”

The first time I experienced God’s providence was when I was preparing to enter the seminary.

All set to go, I discovered my father was hospitalized and eventually died. I spent my savings to help defray his hospital bills. I was helpless, but I still wanted to enter the seminary. An MIC sister who told me: “Don’t worry. God will provide.” came to my rescue. Hurdling the hassle of searching for a place, I was accepted in Christ the King Seminary. The rest is history.

Every time I was in dire need God always provided for me. Our house was destroyed - the SVD assisted me financially to build a new one. My brother was killed while I was on retreat in preparation for perpetual profession - I was dispensed from the retreat and allowed to go home for the burial.

The parishes I was assigned to were poor but when preparing for important celebrations, money was never a problem. One thing I was sure though: I remained poor. I realized that God gave me the things I needed, no more, no less.

The Father indeed takes good care of his people. He wants to save everybody. He even sent his on to rescue us from the slavery of sin. He will surely take care of us as he said: “Not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.”

  • Fr. Rodrigo Salac, SVD | HNU, Tagbilaran City, Bohol

The Word in other words 2016

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

THE WORD

Hos 14, 2-10 / Mt 10,16-23

[Jesus said to the Twelve,] “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.

Beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, ee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

 

IN OTHER WORDS

When a Society of the Divine Word missionary is about to be sent out to the mission, the superior prays for him in this way:

O Lord, look kindly on these your servants: NN.

The Church and the Society of the Divine Word send them forth as messengers of salvation and peace, marked with the sign of the cross (Rite of Blessing and Sending of Missionaries).

Jesus sent out his first missionaries, saying: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.” The twelve disciples were to go into the

lion’s den so to speak – sa lungga ng mga ulupong, in Filipino. In the Old Testament, serpents were associated with wisdom and doves with stupidity. The prophet Jonah whose Hebrew name means “dove” was anything but a prophet. Despite his simple-mindedness, Nineveh repented. At times, God’s grace can work well in one’s naivite. As Saint Paul said, “We are fools for the sake of Christ” (1 Cor 14:10).

To be wise as serpents and simple as doves may mean in today’s language to have both good IQ and EQ. The best example is Saint Paul. As a student of the great Rabbi Gamaliel II, he was intellectually prepared for the mission. He also had good human sensitivity. When a famine hit Jerusalem, he spearheaded a collection for the poor (1 Cor 16). When misunderstandings arose among members of a community that he helped found, he intervened, preaching love and reconciliation (1 Cor 13). When he was punished without a trial, he invoked his Roman citizenship and demanded an audience before the Roman emperor in Rome (Acts 25:11). He was simple; but he was also wise.

  • Fr. Randy Flores, SVD | DWST, Tagaytay City

The Word in other words 2016

An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.

 

 

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  5. July 3, 2016 Sunday
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