Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

THE WORD

Ez 43,1-7 / Mt 23,1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens (hard to carry) and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.  All there works are performed to be seen.  They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

IN OTHER WORDS.

The Scribes and Pharisees were faithful to Yahweh by following, to the letter, the Mosaic Law or Torah, their road to holiness. They wanted their fellow Jews to recognize and respect them as men of the law and of Yahweh. Those who did not belong to their exclusive club were second-class citizens.

Jesus announced love as the one commandment of God. We must love God above all and our neighbors as ourselves. St. Paul says, he who loves, keeps all the commandments. However, on many occasions, the human written law says one thing and the law of love says another. Which law will you follow? When Jesus healed somebody on a Sabbath, the Jews were scandalized because the Mosaic Law forbade work on the Sabbath. Jesus then told the crowd that a loving person, shall follow the spirit – not the letter – of the law. “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” So Jesus told the crowd to do what the scribes and Pharisees said but reject what they practiced.

When we proclaim the Good News of Jesus, we should always remember the primacy of the law of love. Love for others is a condition and a prerequisite for the effectiveness of our witnessing to the Word. If we have no love for others, we are nothing. As an old song goes, “Without love, I am nothing, nothing at all.” And what is nothing cannot teach or preach! When our actions and relationship with others are without love, others will not hear the voice of what we are and do. But if we love, we can call God “our Father,” we shall soar with Jesus; His spirit will lead us on, by the Power of His Love.

• Fr. Ernie M. Lagura, SVD | USC, Cebu

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.

	Production : Fr. Carlos Maria de Guzman, Jr., SVD and Staff of Logos Publications
	Cover Design : Malou E. Domingo
	Liturgical Calendar : Fr. Atilano Corcuera, SVD
	Production Consultant : Fr. Gerardo del Pinado, SVD
	Scriptural Texts : New American Bible and Daily Roman Missal
	Cover artwork based on photos by Fr. Bar Fabella, SVD
	Published by : Logos Publications, Inc. 1916 Oroquieta St., Sta. Cruz, Manila
	Email Address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
	Telephone : +63 2 711 1323
	Fax : +63 2 732 273
	Copyright © 2015 Society of the Divine Word

 

THE WORD

Ez 37,1-14 / Mt 22,34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them (a scholar of the law) tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and the first commandment.  The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

IN OTHER WORDS

The greatest commandment as stated in today’s Gospel would seem at rst glance a commandment we can easily say and do. To love God with ALL heart, soul, and mind implies a commitment to spend all your life for God. It is an ideal that most of us can only do part of the time. We are often distracted and tempted by many things and often fail. Perhaps even the most saintly among us cannot say that they can declare 100% compliance to this directive. I am reminded of the archer who wanted to hit a lofty goal but could not. But at least by aiming high, his arrow would land at a high point. In the same way when we keep this commandment as our goal, we can also reach the heights of glory. I think that the second greatest commandment – love of neighbor, enables us to fulfill in a way, the greatest commandment. Our declaration of love for and faith in God becomes credible and visible only when we do concrete actions of good towards our brothers and sisters.

God becomes visible in our neighbors in every one, especially the poor and less privileged. And although we may not be perfect, we pray that our eff orts may become pleasing to God. Some of us join the religious life as priests, brothers, and nuns so we could give more time to ful lling these commandments. Those who are married or remain single, can also nd time and diff erent methods of loving God through our neighbor. Loving one’s family may be suffi cient for most. To go beyond would be a challenge, but something admirable - showing that one can forget himself and follow the example of our Lord.

• Fr. Gil Alejandria, SVD | CTManila

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.

	Production : Fr. Carlos Maria de Guzman, Jr., SVD and Staff of Logos Publications
	Cover Design : Malou E. Domingo
	Liturgical Calendar : Fr. Atilano Corcuera, SVD
	Production Consultant : Fr. Gerardo del Pinado, SVD
	Scriptural Texts : New American Bible and Daily Roman Missal
	Cover artwork based on photos by Fr. Bar Fabella, SVD
	Published by : Logos Publications, Inc. 1916 Oroquieta St., Sta. Cruz, Manila
	Email Address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
	Telephone : +63 2 711 1323
	Fax : +63 2 732 273
	Copyright © 2015 Society of the Divine Word

 

THE WORD

Ez 36,23-28 / Mt 22,1-14

Jesus again in reply spoke to [the chief priests and the Pharisees] in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”

Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.

The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast ‘Whomever you find.’  The servants went out to the streets and gathered all they found bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But then the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.  He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’

But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

IN OTHER WORDS

In today’s parable, Jesus compares heaven to a wedding banquet. The king is God the Father, and the son at the banquet is Jesus who came on his own but was rejected (John 1:11). It is the Jews that held the invitation to the kingdom, but refused to believe it. Prophets, like John the Baptist, were murdered. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70 was interpreted as prophecy, as God’s reprisal against the murderers.

The wedding invitation has been extended to the Gentiles, strangers, to us Filipinos, to all, both good and bad. However, the wedding garment is a concern and a point of reflection for us. The man is caught wearing his old clothing and learns about his offense the hard way as he is booted out of the celebration.

For me, this is Jesus’ way of teaching us the inadequacy of self-righteousness. As the king provided wedding garments for his guests in the parable, God has provided salvation for us humankind.

This means that the wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ, and we have to wear it unless we want to miss the celestial wedding feast. The Lord concludes the parable with an unhappy thought that “many are invited, but few are chosen.” In other words, many people get the call of God, but only a few notice it.

• Fr. Jose Rivas Suson, SVD | University of San Carlos

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.

	Production : Fr. Carlos Maria de Guzman, Jr., SVD and Staff of Logos Publications
	Cover Design : Malou E. Domingo
	Liturgical Calendar : Fr. Atilano Corcuera, SVD
	Production Consultant : Fr. Gerardo del Pinado, SVD
	Scriptural Texts : New American Bible and Daily Roman Missal
	Cover artwork based on photos by Fr. Bar Fabella, SVD
	Published by : Logos Publications, Inc. 1916 Oroquieta St., Sta. Cruz, Manila
	Email Address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
	Telephone : +63 2 711 1323
	Fax : +63 2 732 273
	Copyright © 2015 Society of the Divine Word

 

THE WORD

Ez 34,1-11 / Mt 20,1-16

Jesus said to his disciples, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.  Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market place, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?  Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.

IN OTHER WORDS

What often catches attention in today’s Gospel is the landowner’s generosity, God’s generosity. It would also be good to reflect on the disastrous effects of envy or jealousy.

1. Envy hinders us from seeing other people’s goodness/ giftedness.

I had a classmate in Christ the King Seminary who went through formation with difficulty but eventually graduated with honors in Theology. When a former classmate heard of this, he was aghast and sarcastically remarked: “Is this real?” When we let envy get in the way, we hardly see the capacity of others to improve. We seem to be imprisoned in our negative experiences.

2. Envy hinders us from recognizing that we belong to a bigger family.

When we are envious we become so concerned with ourselves that we fail to accept that we belong to a bigger community where one’s success is also everybody’s and where the failure of one is also the failure of the whole group. Why can’t we rejoice in another’s excellence? Why can’t we accept that this person is also my brother or sister? In baptism, we were incorporated into God’s big Christian family where we now belong.

3. Envy can be a sign of immaturity

With children, when you are present to one, you have to be present to the other, otherwise you are just instigating jealousy and chaos. When we were kids we could not allow that some were more privileged than us. Sometimes, though, we are still acting like kids. We don’t want to be called immature but could it be that we haven’t outgrown our immaturity?

No wonder, Jesus said in the Gospel, ‘Are you envious because I am generous? May we become generous too in everything just like the landowner in our Gospel.

• Fr. Gerry E. Paat, SVD | SVD Postulancy, 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.

	Production : Fr. Carlos Maria de Guzman, Jr., SVD and Staff of Logos Publications
	Cover Design : Malou E. Domingo
	Liturgical Calendar : Fr. Atilano Corcuera, SVD
	Production Consultant : Fr. Gerardo del Pinado, SVD
	Scriptural Texts : New American Bible and Daily Roman Missal
	Cover artwork based on photos by Fr. Bar Fabella, SVD
	Published by : Logos Publications, Inc. 1916 Oroquieta St., Sta. Cruz, Manila
	Email Address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
	Telephone : +63 2 711 1323
	Fax : +63 2 732 273
	Copyright © 2015 Society of the Divine Word