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THE WORD

Rom 1: 16–25 / Lk 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.”

 

IN OTHER WORDS

I recently went to the reception of a friend’s wedding, and we were treated to a six-course formal banquet. There were a lot of utensils on the table, but a rule of thumb for these affairs would be to start using the spoons and forks from the outside in. As the meal progressed, I could not help but recall the Middle Eastern adage that states: “What does a man want of a spoon when God has given him so many fingers?”

When we sit down for meals, there are times na mas masarap magkamay habang kumakain (it is better to eat with bare hands). During the time of Jesus, instead of using spoons and forks, people would also eat with their hands. As prescribed by the Jewish laws of hygiene, it is important to wash and clean the hands before sitting down for a meal. We clean our hands, washing away dirt and grime before eating, whether at a formal dinner with a variety of cutlery, or at the beach with family and friends. This is for our benefit, and for those we sit down to eat with.

It may appear that Jesus was bypassing the rules, but Luke’s account was written for the Gentile readers who may not be familiar with the Jewish culture. The evangelist here tries to make sure that not only is the outside appearance clean, but the inside disposition is clean also.

If we merely follow rules and regulations, we might lose the real essence of what we do and just comply with the requirements. Outside appearance is important, but it is the inside disposition that is necessary. Jesus challenges us to go beyond what can be seen, and find out how it must be truly applied within: to be clean not only in our external appearance, but also in our internal disposition, as we follow the rules and truly worship the Almighty.

  • John Ferdinand Cruz, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)

The Word in other words 2015

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

Rom 1: 1–7 / Lk 11: 29–32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

 

IN OTHER WORDS

Regarding blindness, the internet has the following, among others, to say: The inability of the people to recognize Jesus in their midst is correlate to what is called inattentional blindness which is simply defined as the failure to notice a fully visible, but unexpected object because attention was engaged on another task, event, or object. This phenomenon is related to but distinct from other failures of visual awareness such as change blindness, repetition blindness, visual masking, and the attentional blink. In most cases, studies of inattentional blindness involve a single critical trial in which an object appears unexpectedly while observers are performing their task. At the end of the trial, observers are asked a series of questions to determine whether or not they saw the unexpected object. (http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Inattentional_blindness) Aside from the sign of Jonah directed towards the Ninevites, Jesus dismissed other demands for signs because he himself was the definition of such a request.

For God so loved the world that He sent his only Son so that whoever believes in Him will have life eternal (Jn. 3:16). This alone is more than enough as a manifestation that our God in Jesus is intimately reaching out to us.

In the sacraments alone, Jesus allows himself to be visible, which is more than any sign we could imagine, but some of us fail to recognize His very presence thinking that he is a distant God. Thus, inattentional blindness is not only true in the world of the academe but much more in the spiritual realm.

  • Jun Javines, SVD (USC, Cebu City)

The Word in other words 2015

The Word in other words 2015

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 Wis 7: 7–11

Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne,
And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
Because all gold, in view of her, is a bit of sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and beauty I loved her,
And I chose to have her rather than the light,
because her radiance never ceases.
Yet all good things together came to me with her,
and countless riches at her hands.

SECOND READING Heb 4: 12–13

Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.

GOSPEL READING Mk 10,17–30

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.’” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.”

 

IN OTHER WORDS

From time to time, one goes through low moments. With the increasing demands and requirements in school, one cannot help but feel pressed on from every side. On my way to the class hall one morning, a Benedictine monk greeted me, “Coraggio!” (Italian for “Courage!”) I was surprised. I could only manage a smile. Then I realized that probably he saw on my face the signs of worry, anxiety, problems and troubles. It was a greeting that seemed perfect for someone who was embattled and weary. When he uttered that greeting of courage, I felt truly consoled.

Sometimes one goes through the routine and rituals of everyday life. Even if one can design a perfect system or order, yet one continues to long for depth, meaning and happiness. In the Gospel today, we encounter a young man concerned about his search for eternal life. In his riches, one wonders what else there is for him to ask, seek and knock for. He already has everything in life. His moral state is even regularly checked. Indeed, he is quite remarkable for a young man. But Jesus points out one thing he lacks: the spirit of “giving” or “sharing.” He has an accumulation of gifts. His heart is right in following all that is good, and noble and proper. But there is this “one thing” that breaks his heart. He can not let go of his possessions. He does not have the “coraggio” to give up his wealth, perhaps afraid of losing everything that he considers his own. So, instead of opening his palm to receive grace, the hand seems to have balled into a clench fist. Unwilling. Unyielding. Sad.

There is fear in letting go because the human tendency is to be anxious of losing and being left with none. Jesus is clear, however. He emphasizes that alongside the effort is the grace of God’s provision. For his part, Peter stressed a very valid human expression of the fear of loss as though he was asking what would become of him after having abandoned everything. Jesus then oriented Peter to the generosity of a God who will not abandon His children.

  • Ferdie Bajao, SVD (Rome, Italy)

The Word in other words 2015

The Word in other words 2015

The Word in other words 2015

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

Jl 4: 12–21 / Lk 11: 27–28

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

 

IN OTHER WORDS

A handsome and intelligent boy, who received many awards in his school, overheard the conversation of his mother and her friend: “Mare, how blest (fortunate) you are to have such a very intelligent and talented son as Johnny!” The mother, obviously so proud of her son, exhibited a big smile and said, “Thank you very much, Mare!” Then the boy respectfully approached the two, kissed his mom’s cheek saying, “Thanks, mom!” and disappeared.

Had the Blessed Virgin Mary been there in the crowd and heard that woman shouting to Jesus, “Blest is the womb that carried you and the breast that nursed you”, how would she have reacted? I am very sure that Mary must have been proud of her son, Jesus. But with the response of Jesus: “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it,” what would have been her feelings?

Firstly, however, did Jesus by this remark intend to put down his mother? Certainly, it is difficult to imagine Jesus putting his mother to shame. He was not an insensitive, disrespectful son. How then are we going to understand this short verse? Reading the text alone could really lead one to think of an ungrateful and disrespectful Jesus. So, here we need the help of biblical scholars. Raymond Brown, a famous biblical scholar, et al., in their bookMary in the New Testament, explained that the word menoun (translated in the text as “rather”) can also mean “yes, but even more.” So, the text can also be understood in this way: “Yes, but even more blessed are they who hear the word of God and observe it.” In this sense, Mary was doubly blessed: for being the mother of Jesus and, even more than that, for having heard the word of God and kept it. (Today’s Living Word).

Like us who feel happy and proud of our earthly mother, Jesus must have been very proud of his mother too. But Jesus was evenmore proud of her because she, Mary, does “hear the word of God and observe it”, making her the icon of a disciple. May we,then, love Mary as the Mother of our Lord and our mother also, and learn from her to listen to God, pondering His words, keeping them in our hearts and faithfully observing them like she did, until the end of our earthly pilgrimage.

Mary, Mother of God and Model Disciple of Christ, pray for us!

  • Ernesto Salvar, SVD (DWFC, Davao City)

The Word in other words 2015

The Word in other words 2015

The Word in other words 2015

The Word in other words 2015

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.

 

More Articles ...

  1. October 9, 2015 Friday
  2. October 8, 2015 Thursday
  3. October 7, 2015 Wednesday
  4. October 6, 2015 Tuesday
  5. October 5, 2015 Monday
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