Daily Reflection | Gospel Reading | RVA

THE WORD

Col 1: 24–2.3 / Lk 6: 6–11

On another sabbath he went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up and stand before us.” And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?”

Looking around at them all, he then said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

IN OTHER WORDS

The Scribes and the Pharisees are a most pitiable lot. In the Gospel, they were closely waiting and watching Jesus if He would cure on the Sabbath so they could lay a charge against Him. It is quite incredible that they never said a good thing about Jesus. Never. Wala. Zero. Since they were blinded by pride and envy, they were always on the lookout for a flaw, a fault, a failure, an imperfection, a weakness. In the end, they plotted and succeeded to kill Him. Tragic figures.

Finding and picking faults in others is a subtle, destructive business. It distorts one’s view of things, destroys relationships, degrades the other person, and debases one’s soul.

It is amazing how people can be so stingy with appreciation and praise. The fact is, praising people is the most effortless thing to do. It doesn’t cost one penny to express one’s admiration and appreciation. It doesn’t harm one to say a good word or two about one’s officemate or colleague. It doesn’t make one less admirable or commendable if one acknowledges the greatness in others. Nor does it inconvenience one to applaud the other person’s successes and accomplishments.

Any yet, at the great cost of energy, worry, and time, people always look for a ripple of weakness in the serene ocean of goodness.

It is said that praise is never entirely undeserved. So don’t hesitate to utter it. All you need is sincerity—that’s all. Don’t be sparing or grudging with your approving words. Go ahead. Say it. Blurt it out.

You will never fail to discover something good in others to speak about. Be generous with your positive comments and kind remarks. Tell all and sundry about the good things and virtues you hear and see in others.

Gossip about the others’ positive points and fine qualities, and praise them profusely and sincerely.

The world is like an arid land in dire need of benevolence and magnanimity. Let’s sprinkle it with cool water of praise and approbation. Let’s shower it with refreshing drops of sincerity and kindness. Let the rain of appreciation fall on everyone we meet, and let a thousand flowers of goodwill sprout and bloom.

• Raymun J. Festin, SVD (CKMS, QC)

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.

	Production : Fr. Carlos Maria de Guzman, Jr., SVD 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 © 2012 Society of the Divine Word

 

THE WORD

FIRST READING Is 35: 4–7

Say to the fearful of heart:
Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
With divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then the eyes of the blind shall see,
and the ears of the deaf be opened;
Then the lame shall leap like a stag,
and the mute tongue sing for joy.
For waters will burst forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the Arabah.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water;
The abode where jackals crouch
will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus.

SECOND READING Jas 2: 1–5

My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs? Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?

GOSPEL READING Mk 7: 31–37

Again he left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)

And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

IN OTHER WORDS

One Saturday morning I was presiding over a Mass in a convent quite popular among pilgrims. I was all alone, without ministers, and the church was full. Immediately I thought that I would have a problem at the distribution of communion. Fortunately there were some sisters in the church. So when communion time came, I announced, “May I request two young sisters to help in the distribution of communion.”

The first sister who came forward was probably the oldest in the community. I was amused, thinking that the Lord was humoring me because I personally knew the old sister; she was also hard of hearing. Anyway, I handed her the ciborium and proceeded to give communion together with another younger sister. In the middle of the communion rite, I accidentally spilled three consecrated hosts to the ground. At that time my eyes were opened. I realized how much I had underestimated the old deaf sister, for it was I who acted blindly and carelessly. I whispered a short prayer to the Lord whom I was holding in my hands. “Sorry, Lord,” I said, “But thanks for opening my eyes and ears.”

The Gospel today speaks to us: “Ephphata!” Let us be opened to our weaknesses and “blindness,” so that we could welcome God’s mercy and light in our lives.

• Atilano Corcuera, 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.

	Production : Fr. Carlos Maria de Guzman, Jr., SVD 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 © 2012 Society of the Divine Word

 

THE WORD

Col 1: 21–23 / Lk 6: 1–5

While he was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

IN OTHER WORDS

When I was in grade 5, we had a family-neighbor who were Seventh-Day Adventists. Their family life was characterized by strict observance of the sabbath day (for them, Saturday), so that starting on Friday evening there would be no more noise and manual labor in their house.

On one occasion, the mother of that family asked a man who happened to be also our neighbor, “Why don’t you Catholics observe faithfully your Sabbath day (for us, Sunday)? You work and play even on that day! Look at the family whose house is adjacent to ours; they seem to be unmindful of the commandment ‘Thou shall keep holy the sabbath day!’ Are you Catholics like that?” Pragmatically, the man replied: “Manang, that family is poor; hence, they really have to go to work, otherwise they will go hungry the next day!” The man left without further discussion with the woman.

Our gospel of today presents to us that kind of scenario. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread, which (was) not lawful…and (he) gave some to his companions?”

For Jesus, observing the law to the letter does not matter much; it is the spirit of it which is important, because the law can kill but the spirit of the law gives life.

Gathering my thoughts on the gospel, I said to myself, “No doubt, the answer of that man - my neighbor - though simple, has sense. Hunger for ordinary food is taken seriously by Jesus so that religious laws may be set aside” (Sacred Space 2010).

• Eliseo Yyance, SVD (DWC, San Jose, Occ. Mindoro)

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.

	Production : Fr. Carlos Maria de Guzman, Jr., SVD 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 © 2012 Society of the Divine Word

 

THE WORD

Col 1: 15–20 / Lk 5: 33–39

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. (And) no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

IN OTHER WORDS

Mismatch and incompatible are the words by which we usually describe couples who don’t share the same color, height, intellectual level and economic status. However, we can’t deny that we have seen couples whose differences, incompatible gestures and mismatched faces have been dramatically transformed and eventually look similar as they live together for a longer period of time. Incompatibility is gradually transformed into similarity and they become truly one and the same.

Incompatibility and transformation are the first two words that come to my mind as I read the readings of today. In the first reading, Paul’s letter to the Colossians shows the image of Christ as the image of the invisible God. Paul wants to emphasize this reality to those who deny and consider Christ as the incompatible image of God. But Christ, who co-exists with the Father, insists that “I and my Father are one.” “Whoever sees me sees my Father.”

In the gospel, we discover the incompatible outlooks of Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees are quick to notice the faults of Jesus’ disciples. For his part, Jesus is quick to defend what his disciples have done, saying, “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one” and “No one pours new wine into old wineskin.” Christ’s message, as the new wine, is incompatible with and cannot be put into the old worldview of the Pharisees who consider sinners as outcasts. But Jesus sees sinners as potentials for transformation. That’s why Jesus deals with sinners with compassion. What Christ does reminds us of the basic Christian tenet: hate the sin but love the sinner. 

A Costa Rican bishop once said: “La espiritualidad no se enseña sino se contagia.” Roughly translated, spirituality ought not to teach but to infect. Christ deals with sinners so that people will slowly get infected with his conviction and spirituality. May Christ’s contagious spirituality continue to infect those who are considered by many as spiritually incompatible so that sinners and righteous alike will someday share in the same banquet prepared by Christ. 

• Semei Rebayla, SVD (Veruela, Agusan del Sur)

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.

	Production : Fr. Carlos Maria de Guzman, Jr., SVD 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 © 2012 Society of the Divine Word