September 13, 2026 – Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 130 – Gospel Reflection

September 13, 2026 – Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 130 – Gospel Reflection

by | Sep 13, 2026 | Gospel Reflections, Uncategorized

First Reading: Sirach 27:30—28:7

 

Wrath and anger are hateful things,

yet the sinner hugs them tight.

The vengeful will suffer the LORD’s vengeance,

for he remembers their sins in detail.

Forgive your neighbor’s injustice;

then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.

Could anyone nourish anger against another

and expect healing from the LORD?

Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself,

can he seek pardon for his own sins?

If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath,

who will forgive his sins?

Remember your last days, set enmity aside;

remember death and decay, and cease from sin!

Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor;

remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults.

 

 

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

 

R. (8) The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

 

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

and all my being, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

 

He pardons all your iniquities,

heals all your ills.

He redeems your life from destruction,

crowns you with kindness and compassion.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

 

He will not always chide,

nor does he keep his wrath forever.

Not according to our sins does he deal with us,

nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

 

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he put our transgressions from us.

R. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

 

 

Second Reading: Romans 14:7-9

 

Brothers and sisters:

None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.

For if we live, we live for the Lord,

and if we die, we die for the Lord;

so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

For this is why Christ died and came to life,

that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

 

 

 

 

Alleluia: John 13:34

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

I give you a new commandment, says the Lord;

love one another as I have loved you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

 

Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

 

Peter approached Jesus and asked him,

“Lord, if my brother sins against me,

how often must I forgive?

As many as seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.

That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king

who decided to settle accounts with his servants.

When he began the accounting,

a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.

Since he had no way of paying it back,

his master ordered him to be sold,

along with his wife, his children, and all his property,

in payment of the debt.

At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,

‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’

Moved with compassion the master of that servant

let him go and forgave him the loan.

When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants

who owed him a much smaller amount.

He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,

‘Pay back what you owe.’

Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,

‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

But he refused.

Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison

until he paid back the debt.

Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,

they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master

and reported the whole affair.

His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!

I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.

Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,

as I had pity on you?’

Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers

until he should pay back the whole debt.

So will my heavenly Father do to you,

unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

 

 

Reflection: Forgiveness

 

Last Sunday, the major theme was looking out for one’s brethren, which obviously included patience and forgiveness for infractions to preserve brotherhood. Today, that theme is continued, which shouldn’t be any surprise for us Christians because we truly are our brother’s keeper. God continues to bless the world with thousands of newly born babies each day because God has not given up on us and has been clear about His plan to become Father to sons and daughters for the Kingdom. Since this is our Father’s plan, it would be best if we all just get with the program of loving one another as commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ.    

 

Remember that aside from giving us His life, the very reason Jesus died on the Cross was to forgive the sins of the world, and He did it because of His undying and unconditional love for mankind. Today’s Gospel is a story of a master who, after much begging for mercy from his servant, forgave the latter’s debt to him. Subsequently, the master found out that this servant didn’t pay-it-forward because he did not forgive the debt of another servant who owed him. The forgiven servant even became violent to his fellow servant-debtor. This infuriated the master and called the servant whom he previously forgave to account for everything that he owed the master. Our Christian faith declares this in the Lord’s Prayer to: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us” – because we truly have been unconditionally forgiven by our Father and will always be forgiven if we are truly sorry for our sins.  

 

Let this be our guiding principle in life because our world today can “use” all the forgiveness it can muster for the enormous hurt that needs healing now—as in, immediately. Let the world realize that it is only by the peace and forgiveness of Christ that our brokenness can be healed, and not by some pill, advice from motivation gurus who sell themselves and their products or “couch sessions” from professionals. Let all the Christian faithful of the world proclaim that Jesus gave us His peace, not the peace that the world brings or gives. It is that peace that nobody else can give but Christ and it is the peace that calms, forgives, heals and assures—an assurance that everything is under the Lord’s power.    

 

To realize during our lifetime that we have been forgiven and that we will always be forgiven if we remorsefully seek God’s forgiveness, should be the most humbling thing and should move us to be merciful and generous to others because our God is a merciful Father who is generous, slow to anger and rich in compassion.

 

 

Gospel: The Parable of the Forgiving Master

 

Saint Peter threw this question at Jesus: “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive?” To which our Lord replied: “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. In other words, we should not impose limits to our forgiveness and generosity because we too have been forgiven by God and Father for our countless transgressions against Him and to others. Our Lord’s answer simply echoes what has already been laid down in the First Reading: “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven” (Sir 28:2).

 

Why the number “7”? Remember that the number “7” has so much significance in the Jewish and Christian faiths, primary of which is the Creation story in Genesis when God creates the universe in 6 days and on the 7th day, God rests. The seventh (7th) day was meant for man to come back to God in worship and communion, and is therefore considered the day-of-rest, and “7” is deemed number of perfection. Our Lord’s expression of forgiveness amounting to seventy-seven times mention the number seven twice and is meant to evoke perfect forgiveness in imitation of our Lord and Father who forgives mankind without limit and without any conditionality. Therefore, to forgive “seventy-seven times” means to forgive without limit and without any condition attached. 

 

Also, to swear an oath when entering into covenants, which invokes the mighty name of God and sacrifice of kosher animals, is called “sheva” or to seven yourself. The lives of the sacrificed animals were intended as replacements for the lives of the parties who are expected to give their very lives for the perpetuation of the covenant, and if one or both of them fail, may they suffer the same death as the sacrificed animals.   

 

In Christianity, the 7th day from Monday, which is Sunday, is indeed the Lord’s Day. When Jesus rose from death, Christians have started to believe that the day of the Resurrection, the day after the Jewish Sabbath, became the new Sabbath because at the resurrection, the whole world was created anew. Remember that all these are necessary to realize God’s salvation plan for mankind. Man has been forgiven out of the generosity, mercy, and the undying and unlimited love God has for man, and the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday gave mankind a new beginning, a fresh start. 

 

Forgiveness is at the core of Christian life. Allow us to restate that: Forgiveness must be a way of life for those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. Our Lord’s words ought to be clear to those who do not sow forgiveness – they will be handed to torturers until there is pay back for the whole debt: “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”  

 

Yes, there is truth to the saying that “to forgive is divine” because we need the Holy Spirit to forgive those who wronged us. Without God, we simply won’t have the guidance and the courage to forgive others. But there is also a practical use in forgiving people – it becomes easy on our hearts because we unburden ourselves of the hate and anger for those who wronged us. Forgiveness also begets forgiveness and cancels debts, and because of this phenomenon, it creates an environment of peace, calm and tranquility. Because God’s forgiveness is limitless for people who truly repent, we ought to forgive our brethren without limit and let God do the judging whether there is true repentance on the part of the forgiven. There’s a saying: “Vengeance is not ours, it’s God”, and only God can forgive sins. For those who have no repentance in their hearts because they don’t believe in God’s forgiveness, the path to damnation becomes more pronounced and direct.     

 

 

Characters in Play: The Master & The Forgiven Servant 

 

Let’s start with the principle that Jesus likened the Kingdom of Heaven to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. 

 

This serves as a warning, a motivation and a proof of the Second Coming or when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead, when time gives way to eternity. It is a warning because Jesus, the King, will account us for our actions and inactions—if we fed the hungry, clothed the naked among others—or have we been merciful to others because we too have been shown mercy at the Resurrection of the Lord and during our lifetime. In other words, have we been obedient to the Word of the Lord? It is also a motivation because we who believe in Jesus are assured that our faithfulness to Him, and by abiding with Him until the end, shall be rewarded with everlasting life in heaven. Lastly, it is proof of the existence of heaven and everlasting life with God, and proof that whatever we do and say matters—that, because of our sinful and broken state, we can’t arrogate upon ourselves, with certainty and sureness of reaching heaven if we merely believe in the Jesus and proclaim in our hearts that He is Lord without actually living out our faith because sola fide or the belief that ‘once saved, always saved’, is un-Biblical and has no basis in the Christian faith. Our faith can only be made alive if we share it with others through our actions.      

 

Notice that the master is a very exacting person. He wants payment for the money owed by his debtors, and particularly, one servant mentioned in the story. The master, knowing that the servant had no means to pay the debt, wanted him and his family sold into slavery (they were acceptable practices during those times). The narrative says that the debt was substantial and it had to be satisfied or else, innocent people like family members may be made to satisfy the debt by servitude. 

 

However, the master condones the debt only after much begging from the servant. Clearly, the master wrote off the debt out of pity or generosity. He knew that the servant had no means to pay-off the debt and he wouldn’t have any use for additional slaves or money to be generated from the sale of slaves.

 

On the other hand, the servant who was forgiven his debt by his master turns around and demands payment from another servant who was indebted to him. At face value, there is nothing wrong in collecting a debt. But this is about forgiveness and paying it forward, not about collecting money. It is about passing on mercy and kindness to others because we all have been shown mercy and kindness by God.

 

Mankind has been forgiven his sins: past, present and future. It is God who forgave us first for the purpose of healing us and making us whole again for our heavenly destination. Our sins break us up, including our humanity and conscience, and the only thing that can make us whole again is the forgiveness of the Father, the peace of Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. But for this to work, mankind must learn how to forgive each other’s sins. Conversely, each and every one of us must always be careful not to wrong our brethren because we are a holy nation, a righteous race, just how our Father intended it to be.

 

In sum, for healing to spread, forgiveness must be passed on like a basketball; everybody has to touch the ball because we are a team. And like any other team, everybody has to get into the forgiveness game by sowing and pushing reconciliation between or among adversaries because according to our Lord’s command: “love one another”, He loved us first and we too ought to love others like Christ.     

 

 

Points of Emphasis: 

 

Accounting: Jesus likened the Kingdom of Heaven to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. Simply put, the Kingdom of Heaven has a King (it won’t be a kingdom if there weren’t a king and subjects of his domain), and the king will account his subjects for the actions or inactions they made during their lifetime. Jesus is the King and we are His subjects. As subjects, we shall be accounted not only for the things we did or did not do, but also for gifts bestowed upon us—on whether or not we used them wisely or squandered them uselessly.

 

Forgiveness: Notice what the master did to the servant he had forgiven when he found out that the latter didn’t forgive his debtor—the master, in anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.

 

Man can only forgive like Christ if he has Jesus in his heart and only if the basis is the love of Christ. God, who loves us first, forgave us through the salvation of Jesus even if we don’t deserve it: “God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). To forgive even if the wrongdoer does not deserve to be forgiven has to be the standard of forgiveness; it is how it must be. Man must love and forgive even is it hurts. This is how the world is healed—to love and forgive like Christ. 

 

 

The Woman Caught in Adultery (John 8)

 

Lastly, we invite you to recall the woman caught in adultery in St. John, Chapter 8. There was a woman, who probably was either a prostitute or simply a concubine of several married men, who was caught in adultery. The punishment for such act was death by stoning. Though there is no mention about the disparity and unfair treatment of the case since there is no mention of the “equally erring” man who the woman was caught with, the story is ripe for the topic of forgiveness and highlights the mercy and genius of our Lord Jesus. Please remember that the crime of adultery can only be committed by the sexual intercourse consummated by two persons, and one or both parties have existing impediments for legal union like marriage.

 

Side Note: Our Lord Jesus was very clear about His position regarding adultery. He said: “…everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt 5: 28). Our Lord Jesus is clear that merely looking at a woman lustfully is already guilty of adultery in his heart. This must be a warning to the male population all over the world. Good and evil are always in a constant battle for our hearts and minds. Therefore, we should be constantly mindful of our intentions and motives because these drive man into action or inaction, and these in turn are adjudged to be good or evil.  

 

The story tells us that people brought the woman before Jesus to asking if the stoning should proceed according to the Laws of Moses. Some people also did this to trap Jesus. If our Lord did not conform to the Laws of Moses, He would have been declared a traitor to the Jews and a false prophet. If, however, He did agree to the stoning, he’d be reported to the Roman authorities for ordering or agreeing to the execution of the woman, an act which should be only carried out by Roman authorities.

 

Jesus does not speak and bends down to write on the sand or on the ground. Scriptures do not mention what He wrote on the ground. Pressed for an answer by the crowd, our Lord stood up and said: “He who has not sinned, cast the first stone.”

 

And the story goes on saying that one by one the people left, starting with the elders. When the crowd left Jesus and the woman alone, our Lord asks the woman: “Where are your accusers?” “Has no one condemned you?” The woman said in reply: “No one Lord.” Our Lord said to her: “Neither do I. Go but sin no more.”

 

In today’s world of social media, when bashing seems to be fashionable because it allows people to simply vent their frustrations on others or simply play the role of the know-it-all, we can learn a lot from this story by looking at ourselves first and not be too quick to draw the gun because of the damage it brings. Jesus has forgiven us first. Let us then forgive those who wronged us because this is the only way that the hurt of world can be resolved. 

 

We have been forgiven. Therefore, we must also forgive and sin no more.

 

 

A blessed Sunday to everyone.

– Gospel reflection by Kuya Rommel Cecilio of SLRP Bible Apostolate Ministry

 

August 30, 2026 Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 124

August 30, 2026 Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 124

by | Aug 30, 2026 | Uncategorized

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 124

 

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-9

You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;

you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.

All the day I am an object of laughter;

everyone mocks me.

 

Whenever I speak, I must cry out,

violence and outrage is my message;

the word of the LORD has brought me

derision and reproach all the day.

 

I say to myself, I will not mention him,

I will speak in his name no more.

But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,

imprisoned in my bones;

I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.

 

 

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

 

R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

 

O God, you are my God whom I seek;

for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts

like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

 

Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary

to see your power and your glory,

for your kindness is a greater good than life;

my lips shall glorify you.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

 

Thus will I bless you while I live;

lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.

As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,

and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

 

You are my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.

My soul clings fast to you;

your right hand upholds me.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

 

 

Second Reading: Romans 12:1-2

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,

to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.

Do not conform yourselves to this age

but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

that you may discern what is the will of God,

what is good and pleasing and perfect.

 

 

Alleluia: cf. Ephesians 1:17-18

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

enlighten the eyes of our hearts,

that we may know what is the hope

that belongs to our call.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

 

Gospel: Matthew 16:21-27

Jesus began to show his disciples

that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly

from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,

and be killed and on the third day be raised.

Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,

“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”

He turned and said to Peter,

“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.

You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

 

Then Jesus said to his disciples,

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,

take up his cross, and follow me.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world

and forfeit his life?

Or what can one give in exchange for his life?

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,

and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”

 

Foreword

 

By way of foreword, allow us to present this note about our Lord’s call to deny one’s self for the sake of Jesus, which is another way of saying that the denial of self is for the Kingdom of God. People who heed to our Lord’s call to deny self for the sake of the Kingdom are the happiest people in the world. They swear by the formula which postulates that giving-sharing with others to better their lives equals and results to happiness.

 

People who give to others, particularly the marginalized, oppressed and neglected, find more fulfillment in life and they are those who deny themselves for the sake of others and the Kingdom of God. This is what our Lord attended to, aside from proclaiming that arrival of the Kingdom, during His public ministry some 2000 years ago and this is what Jesus calls us to for action.  

 

 

Reflection

 

Today, allow us to focus on these themes: strength amidst adversity and perseverance in the faith. In the First Reading, the Prophet Jeremiah is complaining to God for designating him herald to his countrymen when the consequence for it was threat to his life and even death of many Jews. For a proud Jew like Jeremiah, seeing the Kingdom of Judah invaded by a foreign power is painful and a sign of God’s declining love for Israel. Israel, particularly the southern kingdom of Judah, where the thrown of David was, will eventually be invaded by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 597 BC. Because of the unfaithfulness of Judah, from the Jews to their kings David, Solomon and Rehoboam, God allowed His people to be invaded by a foreign power as punishment and chastisement. 

 

It was not God’s love that diminished. God, who is pure love, will never stop loving mankind. It is man who slips into stupidity because of weakness due to sin. When man fails to trust God, it is a sign that man has trusted himself more than God and that’s when things get really bad.

 

Jeremiah was probably at that point of giving up on his prophetic mission and that is why we hear him say: “You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed. All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me” (Jeremiah 20:7). He’s practically saying that God tricked him into doing something which caused him to look foolish. How many times have we avoided doing God’s will because obeying God makes us look foolish? And when we follow His will and consequently get mocked by others for doing what is right, we act like Jeremiah – blame God for making us obey His Commandments which make us look foolish. The approval of men is more important to us than being holy. 

 

Whenever we have a goal which we desperately want achieved in life, we’ll do everything to meet it and if we make salvation as our main life goal, we should even work at it with our all and get at it until the end of our mortal existence, for our sake and the sake of those we love.

 

The question is: How important is everlasting life to us? How important is it for us to obey God even in the face of ridicule or even hostility from men who disagree with your faith?     

 

We are not saying that our present existence in this world is not important. In fact, God created life to be good, beautiful and meaningful. It is in living the life that God wants us to live that makes this world beautiful and worth living. It is in doing God’s will that makes life wonderful and admittedly, challenging.

 

However, doing God’s will includes holding on to the faith even if the world is pressuring us not to. The world seems to be beset with evil but all that can’t overcome the light which is in the world—Jesus, the Light of the World. Our job as baptized Christians is to keep that light burning by making it shine in us so that we can bring it to those who are in darkness. 

 

Like Jeremiah, we too complain when times get tough. Some of us even start to complain at the slightest hint of difficulty. Amazingly, Jeremiah told the Lord God that he was duped by the Lord himself into “accepting” the job of being a prophet. He was probably thinking that if he did a good job at preaching, God wouldn’t allow his nation of Judah to be invaded by the Babylonians because of His infinite mercy. But it was God who used the Babylonians to conquer Judah to render divine judgment on Israel for their transgressions against the Lord (see Jeremiah Chapter 21). It wasn’t just an issue of mercy. It was also an issue about divine justice and insofar as our all-knowing God is concerned, mercy and justice converge into His power and wisdom that they produce the intended result, according to the divine plan. Israel was judged because, like their ancestors before them, they broke the Covenant with God with their sins.    

 

Being mocked for prophesying God’s Word and seeing his country get invaded by a foreign power, Jeremiah was jolted to his core. But it was God’s grace that kept him going and he had the sole privilege of saving the Ark of the Covenant by hiding it in a cave in the desert, away from enemy hands. For a period of about 500 years, the Ark was never found until it resurfaced in the person of our Blessed Mother Mary, who is the Ark of the New Covenant. 

 

Some say, if God seems harsh on you, know for sure that He loves you because the lessons we learn from the difficulties in life should bring us closer to Him who surely provides us with the way out of any difficulty when we call upon His most holy name.

 

Let us learn from the story of Jeremiah. Obeying God can get difficult but the reward is everlasting life. Never question God’s perfect wisdom. For convenience and expediency, blind obedience to God’s will is required of every Christian. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gospel: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

 

We enjoin you to note these words in sequence: DENY, TAKE UP and FOLLOW. 

 

First and foremost, one must will it in his heart to come after Jesus because only Christ can give us the power to deny ourselves and take up our crosses for the sake of others. Those who deny themselves by putting others first or taking up one’s cross for the sake of Jesus is a sign of love for Jesus and others, and love identifies us as disciples of Christ. It is one thing to believe that Jesus is God and Messiah, the one sent by the Father to save mankind. It is another thing to believe, come after Christ and follow Him until the end. 

 

In this world of ‘give-and-take’ or “I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine”, one who is contemplating of denying himself and taking up his cross for the sake of others might ask: What’s in it for me?

 

This appears to be a valid question if the standard you apply is what this world uses, which is the hedonistic and materialistic perspective. But in our Christian faith, the simple answer to this question is everlasting life—the fulfillment of a divine promise for being faithful to Christ, for being steadfast to the causes of good, justice and mercy. In other words, at the end of a life of denying self and taking up one’s cross for the sake of the Kingdom of God is life without end in the company of Jesus Christ. Jesus and a life with Him in Heaven is the reward and nothing comes close to it. 

 

In fact, the way to everlasting life is Jesus Christ himself (John 6:14); a life of abiding in Him who seeks nothing else but to have communion with us. This is the reason why we say that to come after Christ, we need to deny ourselves and take up our crosses because this was what Jesus did to save mankind. He was an innocent victim but He agreed to the crucifixion out of His undying love for mankind. The Crucifixion is the ultimate sign of denying self and taking up one’s cross – literally, dying on the Cross. Ironically, the Cross of death also became the Cross of life because from the Cross, Jesus gave us His life. And for those of us who truly believe that Jesus is Lord, this is the life He is daring us to live. To be true followers and disciples of Christ, we must follow His example of selflessness and love for others. It is in this way that God is glorified.

 

Denying self and taking up one’s cross is about charity, mercy and kindness. Therefore, one who wishes to follow Christ must learn and live out a life of charity, mercy and kindness. Absent these virtues in living out one’s life, following Christ becomes a mere show, a membership in some organization which aims at social interaction, not one which builds family relations and communion with our Lord.         

 

Looking at today’s Gospel in the backdrop of Jeremiah, the Lord Jesus is daring us to make a leap of faith, one that does not falter, fade or doubt. It is an all-or-nothing deal because what is at stake is everlasting life. Everlasting life is indeed a reward of a lifetime and something really worth dying for.

 

 

Second Reading

 

Saint Paul reminds us about Jesus’ dare to come after Him by denying ourselves, taking up our crosses and following Him. He said: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.”

 

To put ‘redemptive value’ on our sufferings, the suffering which pleases God, we must offer our ‘bodies as a living sacrifice’. We may have our individual bodies to offer in doing holy things which are pleasing to God but in reality, there is only one body of sacrifice to offer to God because all our holy efforts are united to Him who bridged the gap between God and man, our incarnate Lord Jesus Christ. We are one Church and Body of Christ. Therefore, all our holy deeds are united with Him who is Head of the Church – Jesus. 

 

How can we be righteous? Here’s Saint Paul’s tip from today’s Second Reading: “Do not conform yourselves to this age…” To be pleasing to God, one must act based on truth. By “truth” we mean conformity to the teaching of Jesus and the Church. In other words, we must conform not to what this world says but to the Word of God.

 

Conformity to this age is seeking acceptance from men instead of doing God’s will even if it goes against the norms and wishes of men. If our conformity is geared towards acceptance from or by people who we perceive as important, even if what the principles they espouse are against Christian morality and the teachings of the Church, then St. Paul’s caution was true all along—it was true before and still true today. Should we to be pleasing to people just to find acceptance in their group over being holy and pleasing to God? The answer to this question is a no-brainer.

 

Lastly, St. Paul says: “…be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

 

It is only by having the mind of Christ in us that we can be transformed like Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. This does not happen overnight. It is a lifetime of prayer so that whatever we do and say is infused with holiness and redemptive value. This is what daily conversion is all about – to persevere until the end with Jesus by our side, and in the end we find that Jesus is also our destination and reward of everlasting life.

 

 

A blessed Sunday to everyone. 

– Gospel reflection by Kuya Rommel Cecilio of SLRP Bible Apostolate Ministry

 

Aug 9, 2026 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Gospel Reflection

Aug 9, 2026 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Gospel Reflection

by | Aug 9, 2026 | Gospel Reflections, Uncategorized

August 9, 2026 

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 115

 

First Reading: 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a

 

At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.
Then the LORD said to him,
“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by.”
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

 

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14

R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

I will hear what God proclaims;

the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation

 

 

Second Reading: Romans 9:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are Israelites;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

 

Alleluia: Cf. Ps 130:5 

Alleluia, alleluia.

 

I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits for his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

 

Reflection

 

Second Reading 

“For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh.”

 

At first glance, Saint Paul seems to have a death wish and he’s being patriotic enough to commiserate with his fellow Israelites in being cursed. Why is he saying that the Israelites are cursed? It is because they have been cut off from Christ by not recognizing that He is the promised Messiah from God. 

 

But St. Paul has another purpose in saying this. He is also telling us that Christ is God and to be cut off from God, like what happened to his Israelite ancestors, is truly a curse. Jesus performed miracles and preached about the Kingdom of God like no other person has ever done before and there will be no one else like him. Yet, they still failed to see the truth despite the fact that Jesus came into this world as one of them. This is without a doubt a failure of epic proportions on the part of the Israelites which warrants divine cursing—those who refuse to acknowledge the very person of God, who came to His very own people, can no longer be His people because of their rejection. God continues to love Israel and each and every soul who will live on earth. But to reject God despite revealing Himself is a fait accompli—and this means, God will not force Himself to anyone who rejects Him.

 

Saint Paul came to know that God’s salvation exclusively came through Jesus Christ. In fact, the words of our Lord in the Gospel are pretty straightforward with regard to salvation and here are some verses to reflect on:

 

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40), or

 

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44), or

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6), and 

 

“And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

 

It may have been well for the Israelites to have realized and seen that salvation came from their very own countryman because salvation comes from the Jews (see John 4:22). It is regrettable that the Jews rejected Jesus as their promised Messiah from God. We can only imagine what could have been the result had they accepted Jesus as the promised Savior. This is not an accusation or condemnation of the Jews. It is merely a statement of fact. Their rejection was prophesied by our Lord himself before it happened and a lament: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, `Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ (Matt 23: 37-39) 

 

The elevated status of the Jews as God’s chosen people and the first to receive the Covenant gifted them with things which no other people or tribe on earth ever received like their revered ancestors and prophets who saw and were able to talk to God. However, all these blessings were rendered naught because of their failure to receive the Promised Salvation from God – our Lord Jesus, the Christ. Saint Paul continues by saying that the Israelites received, to the exclusion of others, “the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”

 

For St. Paul, being chosen by God is a tremendous blessing. It comes with both privileges and responsibilities. The Israelites “had” the unique status of being chosen to be our elder brother in the faith, and they were consecrated to be the priests of the world, mediating between God and mankind. The Messiah came and was incarnated into the Jewish race, and this should have sealed their priestly status forever as a reward for their having received the Covenant first to the exclusion of others.

 

By virtue of God’s will, the Israelites have been adopted as sons and daughters of the Kingdom. Because of this, they worshipped the One True God of the universe in the Jerusalem Temple, unlike those cultic tribes or nations who worshipped the sun, moon or other creatures like animals. The Israelites had everything for their salvation but they rejected the culmination of their promised liberation with the coming of the savior – Jesus, son of Joseph the carpenter and Mary his mother, who was one of their own and continues to be one with mankind forever so that we could be one like Him. 

 

For us today, let us reflect on these words of St. Paul which unequivocally says that to know God and the One whom he sent is a great blessing and completes what have been theirs since the start of salvation history. The Israelites believed that Jesus was not the promised Messiah and that is why they rejected Him. To reject Jesus as God and Messiah is indeed a curse because to reject Him is also a rejection of the Father and Holy Spirit.

 

The New Israel

 

Our Lord once said: “…whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:50).

 

Doing or obeying the will of the Father in Heaven is what qualifies a person to be considered a brother, sister or mother of our Lord Jesus, a part of God’s kingdom. However, please note that doing what our Lord has commanded us to do is also doing the will of the Father because Jesus is in the Father. Remember also that Jesus does not speak on his own authority: “For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me” (John 12:49-50).

 

Therefore, Israel is indeed God’s chosen nation and family. They are a nation which gathered in worshipping the One True God. It is a church which does the will of the Father and His will is for all to be saved by coming to know the one whom He sent – Jesus. The New Israel is the Church founded by Jesus himself, and it is the Church which professes faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a universal faith which is led by priests who dispense actual grace from God called “Sacraments”. The Catholic Church is the New Israel.

 

Gospel

 

Today’s Gospel comes right after the story about the ‘Feeding of the Five Thousand’ with five (5) loaves of bread and two (2) fishes. Imagine the “high” or elation the Apostles were riding on because of the miracle that just happened – they have just participated in the distribution of the miraculously multiplied loaves and fishes to their countrymen who were hungry and tired from following Jesus around.

 

After the feeding, the Lord set the disciples on a boat. It was evening and the boat was already a few miles away from the shore. The account says that the boat was being tossed by strong winds and waves. Everybody in the boat was probably panicking. There were no water floatation devices then to keep people alive when they go overboard. 

 

In ancient times, bodies of water were always regarded as death traps and the abode of dangerous creatures. For Jesus’ disciples to be on a relatively small boat being tossed by strong winds and waves, at night, it would have been horror for them. Yet our Almighty and all-knowing Lord set them on that boat ride, and we now know why – to test their faith. Similar to Elijah in the First Reading, who was running away from persecution, those on the boat were in a life-threatening situation.

 

The question is: How can one find God in the midst of actual and ongoing trouble or disaster? At the moment of threat upon one’s life, do you still have time to look for God and is that the first thing one should do instead of fight or flight?     

 

At about 3 o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them walking on water. They shouted in fear: “It is a ghost“. During a storm at sea, when one sees an entity of glimmering light walking on the water, such could really be a terrifying experience because you’re in a “real pickle” from fear of the storm and fear of what creatures are under the water.

 

Then the panicking Apostles hear these firm and assuring words: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.“

 

This assuring, comforting but firm command from our Lord Jesus evokes so much that it would take an entire lifetime just contemplating on it, and such lifetime for reflection would be time well spent when coupled with Christian action. 

 

It is a command, a directive from Jesus for the Apostles to take courage in whatever they are tasked to do because the Lord is our Immanuel; he is God with us. Those who absolutely trust our Lord know that no one is spared from the horrors of this world.

 

Like the Apostles who were in a boat and cast to sea (in truth, a lake) by our Lord himself, we too experience fear because of things we do not know and things we have no control over. Fear breeds distrust—distrust of others and even of self. The fear and hesitation to overcome obstacles, challenges and problems in life are things which constantly present themselves in our lives. However, those who trust in the Lord also know that even when storms and big waves come our way, we know that God will never abandon us because He has indeed liberated us from sin and death—the greatest obstacle to mankind. God is simply bigger than anything and everything.

 

Sensing that it can only be Jesus who can walk on water in a storm, St. Peter begs Jesus: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Our Lord, who can’t refuse a request for the sake of our faith and being closer to him, says: “Come.”

 

How much do we really trust the Lord? Is it big enough to move mountains like the Lord pointed out: “…if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20-21). Mustard seeds are small and this means that our Lord Jesus is not asking much faith from us because our faith in Jesus can always grow if we want to get closer to God and Jesus. To will to get closer to Jesus means trusting in our Lord who knows us better than we can know our self.

 

Our Lord bids Peter, our first pope, to come into the water where He is at. It is like going through a really difficult test of one’s faith in Jesus before we can settle our nerves and move. The world will always make us doubt ourselves. It will always be critical about our actions. It will always tempt us to be popular and join the mainstream which usually subscribes to hedonism and follows the Nike mantra: “just do it”. Here, Jesus is calling us to be courageous and in some cases, courageousness even in the face of stupidity and conflict. Siding with the Lord and fighting for the faith can really be harmful to one’s health. But this is the reason why our Lord Jesus says “take courage, it is I” and “come” – to come to Jesus requires courage because the world even terminates those who are out to do the right things.

 

At first, Peter gains success in walking on the water but he starts to sink because his faith begins to waiver when he gets frightened by the strong winds and big waves. Peter cried out to Jesus: “Lord, save me!” a typical petition to our Lord in times of trouble. It is the right petition and frame of mind, no doubt. In times of so much difficulty and challenge, there should be no other person whom we should run to except God.

 

However, the reply of our Lord Jesus to Peter sounds ordinary when in fact it is not. The Lord caught Peter by the hand and said: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Our Lord is saying that with total and absolute faith in God, anything is possible. Connected to God, we have the power to move mountains because Jesus is with us (see Matt 17:20). Why do you think these words were spoken by our Lord: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).

 

Jesus is worthy of our total and absolute trust simply because He is the Son of God.

 

A blessed Sunday to everyone.

– Gospel reflection by Kuya Rommel Cecilio of SLRP Bible Apostolate Ministry 

 

June 28,2026 -Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 97 – Gospel Reflection

June 28,2026 -Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 97 – Gospel Reflection

by | Jun 28, 2026 | Uncategorized

First Reading: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a

 

One day Elisha came to Shunem,

where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.

Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.

So she said to her husband, “I know that Elisha is a holy man of God.

Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof

and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp,

so that when he comes to us he can stay there.”

Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.

 

Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?”

His servant Gehazi answered, “Yes!

She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.”

Elisha said, “Call her.”

When the woman had been called and stood at the door,

Elisha promised, “This time next year

you will be fondling a baby son.”

 

 

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19

 

R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

 

The promises of the LORD I will sing forever,

through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.

For you have said, “My kindness is established forever;”

in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

 

Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;

in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.

At your name they rejoice all the day,

and through your justice they are exalted.

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

 

You are the splendor of their strength,

and by your favor our horn is exalted.

For to the LORD belongs our shield,

and to the Holy One of Israel, our king.

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

 

 

Second Reading: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11

 

Brothers and sisters:

Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus

were baptized into his death?

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,

so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead

by the glory of the Father,

we too might live in newness of life.

 

If, then, we have died with Christ,

we believe that we shall also live with him.

We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;

death no longer has power over him.

As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;

as to his life, he lives for God.

Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin

and living for God in Christ Jesus.

 

 

Alleluia: 1 Peter 2:9

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation;

announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

 

Gospel: Matthew 10:37-42

 

Jesus said to his apostles:

“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 a righteous man

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 the little one is a disciple—

amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

 

 

Reflection

 

How much do we put our trust in God? 100%, 50%, as needed, enough, on and off? Putting our total trust in God takes a lifetime to learn, hoping that we can indeed endure until the end. Life throws us curveballs and it is during these moments, or moments which shake our very core that will tell us that we need God more to be with us. 

 

In the First Reading, the Prophet Elisha, a man of God, declares to a humble couple in Shunem which has been kind to him but having difficulty in having a child, that they will have a child a year from his visit. For the childless couple, to accept and believe such a bold prediction, even from a man of God, takes courage and faith. It was a most welcomed prophecy, no doubt, one which creates feverish anticipation for the couple but at the same time, teaches us to put our total trust in God.

 

In the Second Reading, Saint Paul teaches with the force of doctrine that all who are baptized in Christ are also baptized into His death. This means that we died with Christ so that we can live with Him forever. In other words, if Christ gave away His life to save mankind, we who are His followers have been bought by Christ with His blood and are therefore owned by Him in Covenant relations. We, in turn, are duty bound to die to our self and serve others, just like what our Lord did. 

 

Death may be a natural physical consequence of life, which needs to be accepted and faced upfront. But no one in his right mind and under normal circumstances would willingly and hastily march to his death, if there are chances to prolong life. Why do you think people seek the services of doctors—to get cured, no doubt! Therefore, being Christian means that one must die to self for Christ so that we can live for Christ and be with Him forever. Please note that there is no dying to one’s self in heaven. The “dying” is all done on earth while we’re still alive and it is done for the service of others through Christ. We simply have to trust that in dying to one’s self, we shall be with God forever, and that there is truly life after death.

 

And in the Gospel, Jesus tells us to seek first communion with Him. Everything else will follow. We must put our trust in God all the time and make Him center of our being. We cannot attend to the concerns of the day if we do not put God first in our lives.        

 

So, for the believers in God, do we trust Him enough and if so, how much do we trust Him? Who is God in our own lives? Is He just some deity looking down on us from a distance or is He real and actively participating in everyday life? 

 

If He’s not God, or someone who cannot be trusted completely, then there is really nothing to hope for and there simply is no sense in what Jesus said: “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14: 2-3).

 

 

First Reading

 

“This time next year you will be fondling a baby son.” (2 Kings 4:16)

 

The verse quoted elicits so much theology but prominent among them are these:

 

First, life is a gift from God. God alone is the author of life. Man and woman are made instruments of procreation as a gift for those who commit to each other in spousal and covenant relations. In other words, a marriage blessed by God should always be intact and let no man cast it asunder. Outside of spousal and covenant relations, the sacredness of procreation is set aside and demeaned. The birth of a child should always be looked upon as a gift or reward for a couple who swears love to each other for life. It must also be seen as proof that God has not given up on us and the world because He is still bringing in more life into the world.

 

Between a man and a woman, sexual intimacy may just be a satisfaction of urges and appetites. However, taken in the context of marriage and without artificial contraception, it is elevated into an act of worshipping God because it is His will for human life to flourish. Therefore, what is supposed to be an act of worship, if done outside the very intention of it becoming holy, is an act of desecration and mockery of God; in other words, sinful.

 

Second, God is a Father who fulfills His promise and He never reneges on them. His word is always efficacious and realizes the very intention of the words. When God speaks, it is always for the sake of man and God speaks through His Word, Jesus. Therefore, when He utters His word, it will surely come true, as it is written: “…so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). In fact, God’s plan has already been completed the moment Jesus uttered those life-saving words from the Cross, after sipping the cheap wine from the hyssop branch: “It is finished” (John 19:30). Our Lord’s blood and death on the Cross seals the New and Covenant and the guarantee is no less than His very own life.

 

Third, the message of hope cuts through the story of Elisha and the couple from Shunem because the birth and coming of a child always signifies hope for mankind and Jesus is our hope for everlasting life. This means that mankind can hope because of Jesus. All these stories of hope in the Bible with prophecies of the coming of a child must point us to the arrival of our only hope for salvation and everlasting life – Jesus, who said that in His Father’s house there are many rooms and that He ascended to the Father to prepare the rooms for those who have hoped in Him. 

 

The Prophet Elisha promised a child to the couple who had been showing him much generosity and care. The story tells us that a couple had a difficulty in having a child. With God’s providence and countenance, the said couple was rewarded with a son because they have shown generosity and care for a messenger of God. At this point, allow us to immediately get into the connection with the Gospel when it says: “Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward…” (Matt 10:41). The childless couple was rewarded with a bundle of joy – a child, something they have been privileged to bear and have been waiting for throughout their lives. God truly rewards those who love and trust Him until the end: “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7: 7-8).

 

We can certainly draw from the experience of Abraham and Sarah when God promised them a child who shall play a big part in the arrival of the child of promise, Jesus: The LORD said, “I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son” (Genesis 18:10). Abraham, at an old age and married to a woman who was way beyond menopause, was still dealt with a miracle of fatherhood with Isaac. Because of this, Abraham became ancestor and father-in-faith of Jews, Christians and Muslims. This is proof that God can make anything out of nothing and His will can never be thwarted. God’s will is for all men to be saved and live a life in communion with Him forever.  

 

 

Second Reading

 

“We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). 

 

This verse is one of the most significant statements in Pauline theology: that baptism saves us because we are incorporated into the Body of Christ and therefore, we too must die in Christ in order for us to rise into new life with Him. If St. Peter declares that “baptism saves you now” (see 1 Peter 3:21), we really need to put a premium on the importance of baptism in the life of every Christian and follower of Christ. What St. Paul said becomes really significant—that before we live in the newness of life in Christ, we should die with Him first so that we could resurrect with Him on the last day. 

 

Our baptism means that we must die to ourselves and totally surrender our lives to our Savior. He is the only one who can give us new life because He is life personified: “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25). If and when we die to ourselves in fulfillment of our baptismal vows, we shall surely be resurrected into new life because God’s words are true.

 

Dying to ourselves means that we empty ourselves of things and concerns that prevent us from being closer to Jesus; in other words, living the holy life by not sinning because at every temptation, we pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. The process is to empty ourselves so that we can free up “our space” for Jesus because He is our life principle and everything that He said and taught must be what a “constitution” is to all democratic countries – an organic law from which all laws emanate from.

 

Remember, to follow Christ also means to stand on being a Christian in our world which unfortunately chooses to become secular every day, a world which chooses to push God out of the equation. As Christians, we are called to spread the Gospel in this world which is getting hungrier each day because it does not feed on the Word of God.

 

 

Gospel

 

“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” (Matt 10:37-38).

 

Our Lord’s declaration in the quoted verses is shocking and earthshaking but doctrinal, to say the least. On the human plane, Jesus may even sound selfish here because he is telling us that if we really love Him, we should love Him more than our own parents. This seems to make no sense because He was also the one who gave us our parents and told us to love our neighbor like we love ourselves (Mark 12:31). And, there is the New Commandment of: “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). So why does Jesus give us the instruction to love Him more than we love our own parents?     

 

The simple answer is: Because Jesus is love personified; Jesus is the source of love and true love can only come from Him because He already gave us His very life in the greatest act of love the world has ever witnessed. 

 

In order for us to love and give love, we must first tap from the only source of true love – Jesus. The principle is – we can’t give what we don’t have; in other words, we can’t share Jesus with others if we don’t have Jesus with us.

 

Jesus is not saying that we should love Him more for His sake or just because He is an egoistic or narcissistic God. He is saying that we should love Him more because it would to our best interest and benefit if we did so. 

 

Admittedly, there are different kinds and levels of love. But the love that conquers all, the love that heals all wounds and the love we truly need more of now is the unconditional type of love (known as “agape” in Greek). Yes, this is the kind of love shown by Jesus on the Cross because He died to payoff sins which were committed against God. He had no sin but it was He who had to pay the price with His life in order for man to be saved. This is a case of injustice dwelt upon a just man in order to save the unjust. If this does not spell unconditional love from our Lord and God towards mankind, we wouldn’t know what true love is.

 

In Jesus’ words, unconditional love means “carrying your own cross daily.” Otherwise, we can forget calling ourselves His disciples if we don’t learn and practice carrying our crosses daily.

 

Let

us end this with Jesus’ own words: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

 

 

A blessed Sunday to everyone. 

– Gospel reflection by Kuya Rommel Cecilio of SLRP Bible Apostolate Ministry

 

June 21, 2026 – Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 94 – Gospel Reflection

June 21, 2026 – Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 94 – Gospel Reflection

by | Jun 28, 2026 | Gospel Reflections, Uncategorized

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13

Jeremiah said:

“I hear the whisperings of many:

‘Terror on every side!

Denounce! let us denounce him!’

All those who were my friends

are on the watch for any misstep of mine.

‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,

and take our vengeance on him.’

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:

my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.

In their failure they will be put to utter shame,

to lasting, unforgettable confusion.

O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,

who probe mind and heart,

let me witness the vengeance you take on them,

for to you I have entrusted my cause.

Sing to the LORD,

praise the LORD,

for he has rescued the life of the poor

from the power of the wicked!”

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35

R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.

For your sake I bear insult,

and shame covers my face.

I have become an outcast to my brothers,

a stranger to my mother’s children,

Because zeal for your house consumes me,

and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

I pray to you, O LORD,

for the time of your favor, O God!

In your great kindness answer me

with your constant help.

Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;

in your great mercy turn toward me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;

you who seek God, may your hearts revive!

For the LORD hears the poor,

and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.

Let the heavens and the earth praise him,

the seas and whatever moves in them!”

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Second Reading: Romans 5:12-15

Brothers and sisters:

Through one man sin entered the world,

and through sin, death,

and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—

for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,

though sin is not accounted when there is no law.

But death reigned from Adam to Moses,

even over those who did not sin

after the pattern of the trespass of Adam,

who is the type of the one who was to come.

But the gift is not like the transgression.

For if by the transgression of the one the many died,

how much more did the grace of God

and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ

overflow for the many.

Alleluia: John 15:26b, 27a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord;

and you also will testify.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 10:26-33

Jesus said to the Twelve:

“Fear no one.

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 denies me before others,

I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

Reflection

Problems are all part of life. Obviously, this is not something unbeknownst to people who have reached puberty or adolescence and beyond. Except for the exceptionally blessed, no one is spared from them, not even the holiest characters in the Bible were not spared from problems nor were the mighty saints of the New Testament able to escape them, starting with St. John the Baptist. Pragmatism teaches that the sooner we discover the root of the problem and the quicker we accept and confront it, may afford us the best situation to look for solutions.

On the other hand, fear is often felt because of “the unknown”. What is unknown to us is usually a cause of worry and fear. We always like to control things in our life not because we are control freaks but we prefer surety of outcomes or results. Achieving our goals as a result of careful planning and preparation provides us with the feeling of success knowing that our efforts were not wasted.   

Rules, standards or parameters are enacted and enforced in society precisely to create order and prevent excesses. In fact, when excesses occur in society, or when people are abused or placed in positions of disadvantage due to the overreach of others, which are usually to benefit only a select few, stricter rules are laid down immediately so that the excesses are contained forthwith.

What are we trying to say? Even before the fall in the Garden, God was already a law giver when He laid down a proscription for man to follow—that they may eat from any tree except of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This prohibition that God gave, which Adam and Eve disobeyed, in itself speaks volumes and invites man to practice and conduct themselves with restraint, self-control and temperance, not for God’s sake but for mankind sake. In life, we simply can’t do anything (specially the bad deeds) that our hearts desire without suffering consequences for ourselves and for others. We were meant to be accountable for our actions or inactions because we ought to think about others too and not only ourselves. Imagine an earthly life of absolute boundlessness, when people escape responsibility because there are no rules to enforce. Conversely, imagine a world filled with people who think about others a lot. What a world that would be.       

However, we shouldn’t cower in fear of what society imposes or regards as norms or standards for living life. Not everything you hear especially in social media is what it seems and worth trusting. We always have to go back to basic standards of humanity like truth, justice, equality and freedom. In fact, we are even called to fight for these standards because they have been proven to benefit mankind in the atmosphere of defending liberties and freedoms. Truth, justice, equality and freedom are principles which are subsumed into Christianity because it believes and teaches that man should be free and not be afraid, and recognized as equal by another in freedom and truth.   

First Reading

The first part of the reading pictures the Prophet Jeremiah somewhat expressing fear of persecution from the enemies of God’s Word or those who can’t accept God’s commandments because to obey God requires abandoning illicit pleasures. In other words, a life of debauchery and hedonism will always run counter with Christian principles which preach things like temperance, discipline and charity. Christianity is about giving one’s life for the beloved.

Like many prophets, Jeremiah (whose mighty name translates to “the Lord exalts”) was tasked to preach a message of repentance and hope to the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. Other prophets might have brought God’s justice upon Israel’s enemies but no matter how you look at it, all prophets were destined by God to do one basic thing: to gather the lost sheep of Israel and bring them back into covenant relations with God. Jesus was the final prophet in the list. 

God kept on sending prophets to Israel because they kept on sinning. The biggest sin of them all was the sin of idolatry, which was unthinkable due to Israel’s close and personal encounter with the God of the universe. After having been constituted as a nation and after having been rescued from Egyptian bondage for over 400 years, and after having been propelled to international status under King Solomon, with strong diplomatic relations with other kingdoms, they still kept on courting false gods—which was an abomination and truly unexpected for a nation who was handpicked by God to be His nation, to the exclusion of others.

Sending of prophets is one of those underrated things about God’s mercy and love for Israel. Imagine if God didn’t ordain a select group of men and women to speak on behalf of the Lord? He sent prophets because He simply wants us to go back to him by hearing His message from those He sends. Being with God here and in the next life is what life is all about. Man refuses to get closer to God because we keep on pursuing lesser things in life—things which only feel good and temporarily satisfying for our material needs but are really lesser in value in terms of living the holy life and salvation.   

Our world is and will always be filled with temptations which make us veer away from truth and charity. However, like the Israelites and Jews of old, we can always push temptations aside by listening to God’s word and praying. Life on earth is a test of our resolve because the forces of evil are constantly seeking the ruin of our souls. We will all be tested and we will all be judged on whether or not we trusted God until the end. Listen to Jeremiah’s prayer in the First Reading: “O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart…” (Jeremiah 20:12). 

If God put His prophets and saints to the test when fulfilling their missions, who are we to be spared from testing? Being born into the earth and living one’s life is the mission. The key is to ask God what our mission is for the sake of the Kingdom and our salvation.   

The standards for life have been set before us but God is not forcing anyone to side with Him, not even the prophets and saints. Our free will allows us to choose what we want to stand on and God won’t force us to any side. However, those who choose evil or those who reject God will find out in the end that they made the wrong choice and what awaits them is everlasting suffering. 

When the Bible says that God avenges the death of those who obeyed him at the hands of evil men, we shouldn’t use human standards and imagery in finding out how they were avenged because God is divine and does not act like humans do. But God does avenge the death of those who obey His will with the assurance that they would be rewarded with everlasting life in God’s company – and this is all that matters.  

Even a prophet like Jeremiah prayed for the fall of Israel’s enemies when he petitioned God in this way: “…let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause” (Jeremiah 20:12). Unfortunately, God’s punishment was for Judah and was already set in motion. Jeremiah even witnessed the fall of Jerusalem into the hands of the Babylonians. Because of this invasion, Jeremiah hid the Ark of the Covenant in a cave, never again to be seen by human eyes until the arrival of Blessed Virgin Mary, when St. Gabriel the Archangel announced that she would become the “Theotokos”, the God bearer. The Blessed Mother is the new Ark of the Covenant.  

The lesson: Away from God, there is death; in God and with God, there is life. Let us find comfort in today’s verse in the First Reading: “Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!”

Second Reading

In today’s Second Reading, St. Paul reminds us about the Father sending us the final and definitive prophet, in the person of His only begotten Son Jesus, who is the Word of God. The Father did not spare His only begotten Son from the mission of saving mankind. There will be no other prophet or messenger who will come after our Lord Jesus. Let us not be deceived about those who claim that they were sent by the Father and are here to draw people into their flock, preaching things which are not according to the Catholic faith. 

Let’s not forget that Christ is also the one who was sent to undo the sin of Adam. If Adam sinned by eating from a forbidden tree, Jesus conquers sin by dying on the Tree of Life—the Cross. This is the reason why St Paul mentions: “Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law.”

Our faith is clear in saying that all have sinned because each and every person born in this planet inherits Adam and Eve’s sin of disobedience via the ‘original sin.’ It is because of this sin that the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. Without original sin, Jesus would not have come to undo what Adam failed to do. 

In fact, Jeremiah’s petition and expectation to avenge the souls of those persecuted for God was realized by the coming of Jesus our Lord. God fulfilled His promise of saving mankind from the clutches of death out of love, goodness and mercy. In gratitude, we ought to live our lives spreading love, goodness and mercy towards others.

By giving us Jesus Christ, God gave us everything we ever needed and necessary in life – in this life and in the next. No sin is unforgivable if repentance is from the heart.

Gospel

The Gospel today starts out with a bit of a warning saying that God knows, sees and hears everything. Therefore, we shall all be accounted for whatever we do and say on this earth. Those who obey and hold on to God’s Word until the end will be rewarded, while those who do not shall be judged and punished. 

And there is this: “…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” (Matt 10:28). If this does not scream accounting and judgment for the things we do and say after we die, then God’s justice has been misunderstood. 

There is evil in this world and it is disguised in very attractive wrappings and ribbons. But Jesus, being the Word of God, cuts through all these outer coverings to expose evil for what it really is. In one short phrase, our Lord’s New Commandment is the all-out offensive to counter any evil: “Love one another.” 

It truly becomes a choice between two sides and two sides only – good and evil – when our Lord said: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

To deny Jesus before others means that we have freely, consciously and even unabashedly done evil and we even justify it to be right and good instead of calling it evil. When this happens, the Father will also deny those who denied His Son. To be denied by God is the end for those who deny Jesus.

Let’s us pray that God never permits us to be away from him now and at any point in our lives. All praise and all thanksgiving to God for being our Father.

A blessed Sunday to everyone and Happy Father’s Day to all fathers.   

– Gospel reflection by Kuya Rommel Cecilio of SLRP Bible Apostolate Ministry

January 26, 2025 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Gospel Reflection

January 26, 2025 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Gospel Reflection

by | Jan 25, 2025 | Gospel Reflections, Uncategorized

January 26, 2025

 

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 69

 

Reading I: Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

 

Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,
which consisted of men, women,
and those children old enough to understand.
Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate,
he read out of the book from daybreak till midday,
in the presence of the men, the women,
and those children old enough to understand;
and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform 
that had been made for the occasion.
He opened the scroll
so that all the people might see it
— for he was standing higher up than any of the people —;
and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God,
and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, 
“Amen, amen!”
Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD,
their faces to the ground.
Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,
interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.
Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe
and the Levites who were instructing the people
said to all the people:
“Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep”—
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks,
and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;
for today is holy to our LORD.
Do not be saddened this day,
for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”

 

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15

 

R. (cf John 6:63c) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
            refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
            giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
            rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
            enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
            enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
            all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
            find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

Reading II: 1 Cor 12:12-30 or 1 Cor 12:12-14, 27 (abbreviated)

 

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.
If a foot should say,
“Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body, “
it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
Or if an ear should say,
“Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body, “
it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?
If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God placed the parts,
each one of them, in the body as he intended.
If they were all one part, where would the body be?
But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you, “
nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”
Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker
are all the more necessary,
and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable
we surround with greater honor,
and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety,
whereas our more presentable parts do not need this.
But God has so constructed the body
as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,
so that there may be no division in the body,
but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it;
if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.
Some people God has designated in the church
to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

 

Alleluia: Cf. Lk 4:18

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel: Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21

 

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events
that have been fulfilled among us,
just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning
and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,
I too have decided,
after investigating everything accurately anew,
to write it down in an orderly sequence for you,
most excellent Theophilus, 
so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings
you have received.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom 
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
            The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
                        because he has anointed me 
                        to bring glad tidings to the poor.
            He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
                        and recovery of sight to the blind,
                        to let the oppressed go free,
                        and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

Reflection

 

Today’s Readings, Responsorial Psalm and Gospel point to man’s encounter with God through holy worship and why we must keep the traditions of our faith. Saint Paul made mention of this when he said: “…stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). The Bible is part of our written tradition and its pages contain the oral tradition of the Church. Those pages were caused to be written for liturgy and posterity – so that it may be passed on from generation to generation. The Bible, as we know it now, is an heirloom if you may because it was compiled by the authority of the Church, for the Church and to be read in the Church.

 

The First Reading and the Gospel, portrays to us that God’s Word is read before the congregation in a liturgical setting while in the Second Reading, Saint Paul reminds us that all of us are endowed with gifts from the Holy Spirit to be shared with our fellowmen and contributed back to the Church, which is nothing less than the family and kingdom of God. The Church is, among others, a Christian tradition because all the members are called to make it grow by making disciples of all nations. Therefore, our individual gifts from the Holy Spirit, when contributed properly, are meant to call others into the Church because by those gifts, they see Christ in us. It should make others believe and hope in Christ.  

 

It is true that the faithful are encouraged to read the Bible all the time for spiritual growth and piety. In fact, there are even indulgences given for prayerfully reading the Bible daily. However, today’s Readings and Gospel highlight the fact that holy Scriptures are part and parcel of liturgical service and worship to God. In case you hadn’t noticed, the Bible is filled with instructions from God for worship which were given for our sake, out of His unconditional love for us. The Book of Leviticus, which is filled with instructions for the Levite priesthood, is an example of this. 

 

In Exodus, God gave instructions on how the Passover should be celebrated. There, you’ll discover a long list of things to do that you can’t just consign to memory. There are simply so many of them. The Passover “…shall be for you a memorial day and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance forever (Ex 12:14). They have to be written so that succeeding generations could memorialize and perpetuate it for future generations. Like any other tradition in the Jewish faith, the Passover had to be passed on because it is part of their identity as God’s chosen people.

 

For us Christians, the Mass is our tradition. It is also our worship. We would not have understood and memorialized the Last Supper of Christ if we didn’t even bother to read the Old Testament and had discovered that the said event was not only the new Passover in the New Testament, it was also obedience and compliance to God’s faithful words: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 24 & 1 Corinthians 11). If the Passover was intended as a memorial of the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, the Last Supper was intended as a memorial of the man’s liberation from sin and death. The Last Supper, read together with the Crucifixion on Good Friday and the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, completes the work of salvation of our Lord. All of these rightfully deserve our worship of Him who paid so dearly to give us new life and to perpetuate that which our Lord instructed us to do.

 

If these things weren’t recorded for the purpose of remembrance and perpetuation of events, they would’ve been forgotten and died a natural death due to trivialization and unfaithfulness to orthodoxy, and that would have been the greatest disaster that fell on mankind.      

 

To worship God is right and just. It is also fitting and proper. Because we were created in the image and likeness of God, and because He gave us life, it is only natural for us to worship and serve Him. We go back to Him regularly by reading what He has said and worshipping Him according to His ordinance and will. In worship, there must be solemnity and purpose, and it must always point to the divine. To trivialize and vulgarize what is and should be divine is the very definition of apostasy and sacrilege.

 

In the very pages of the Bible, particularly in the Gospel of Luke and Saint Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, we have been commanded, because of love, to remember Him in the breaking of the bread and drinking of the wine in liturgy. And that includes, reading aloud, before the congregation, what He taught us from the very beginning because He is the Word of God as the Bible is also included in our written tradition.    

 

Saint Paul made it clear when he said: “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17).

 

First Reading

 

Today, we come across the story of the handing down of God’s law (Commandments) by Ezra the priest before the twelve tribes of Israel. It was read aloud before them – men, women and even children who could already comprehend. After it was read, the people of Israel declared that everything that the Lord God was asking of them to do, they will follow and obey:

 

“Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak till midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.” (Nehemiah 8: 2-3)

 

Notice that the reading of the God’s law is spearheaded by a priest of God and read aloud before God’s people in assembly, including children. 

 

This particular account most probably took place on the Festival Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year, which is the first day of the seventh month in the Jewish calendar called “Tishri”, and usually coincides in September of our Gregorian calendar.

 

If Jews are called to gather and read aloud the creation account and law of God during Rosh Hashanah, it is no wonder that the First of January is a holy day of obligation for Christians to gather at Mass since Christianity indeed takes from Jewish traditions. Besides, it is always good to thank God and ask for His blessings at the start of everything that we do in life.   

 

The First Reading continues: Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, “Amen, amen!” Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground. Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could understand what was read (Nehemiah 8:6).

 

The account unmistakably tells of a liturgical service because of the following elements present thereat – blessing from priests who mediates between God and man, a congregation who assents to the blessing and mediation by proclaiming “Amen”, the gesture of humble prostration in recognition of the presence of the divine and offering of self to the divine and the reading of the law of God and Scriptures.  

 

May we again point to the fact about the importance of Scriptures and that they should be read aloud before the people of God during liturgical services because it is part of tradition.

 

National Bible Month Catechesis: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21).”

 

This passage makes for very interesting catechesis about the Bible because with these verses, our Lord Jesus himself referred to Scriptures, specifically Isaiah Chapter 61, Verse 4. And to top it all, He even says that what He just read is already fulfilled, implying that He is the fulfillment of the prophecy. That must have been some declaration which must have drawn drastic reactions. In fact, several verses later, the congregation started asking who Jesus was and some of those who knew Him commented that He is none other than Joseph’s son, a carpenter and an ordinary but God-fearing man. You can hear the slight contempt that they had because they couldn’t imagine that a son of a lowly carpenter from Nazareth would have the balls to say that the prophecy from Isaiah is fulfilled and He is the fulfillment of it all. People in the congregation would have been angry because anybody who makes such a claim and is not a lunatic is saying that He comes from Heaven. Their doubting minds would have easily considered this blasphemous.   

 

Notice that Jesus read from the Old Testament because the New Testament has yet to be written, preached and canonized by the Church. Let’s unpack this story a little more. 

 

Jesus went to a synagogue in Nazareth for Sabbath service and prayers. Strictly speaking, Jewish worship can only be done in Jerusalem where the Temple is because that is the only place where animal sacrifice is offered for worship, for supplication, thanksgiving and atonement for sins. True worship requires sacrifice. Since the time of Noah, “clean animals” were already being sacrificed to God by His chosen people. What is done at synagogues all over the world, on the Sabbath, is the reading from the Old Testament, homily, prayers and fellowship – in short, worship without sacrifice. Notice that these things are similar to what Catholics witness at Mass, and this clearly highlights the Jewish roots of the Catholic faith. There is one stark difference though – The Eucharist, which is the perpetual thanksgiving sacrifice of Jesus to the Father.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Mass is the only true worship to God because we offer Jesus, the Lamb of God (John 1:29; Rev 4:6), as the only pure and worthy sacrifice to the Father in the Eucharist (in holy thanksgiving), through His ministerial priesthood, as we partake of Him in Holy Communion as one body in Christ (Romans 12:5). Saint Paul said: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1Corinthians 10:16-17). To “worship” God only with the reading of Scriptures, homily and prayers does not comply with the Last Supper command of: “Do this in remembrance of me.” 

 

Jesus, the Eternal High Priest of Heaven and earth, offers Himself as the only worthy, pure and perpetual sacrifice to the Father. The suffering and death of our Lord on Good Friday is the perpetual thanksgiving sacrifice that, by its nature, never ends even if all of the elect and saved are already in Heaven because thanksgiving to the Father will never end and should not end. Therefore, every Mass is a thanksgiving for the salvation Jesus won for us all. It is NOT about sacrificing Jesus over and over again because His thanksgiving sacrifice had already been done on Good Friday. However, the benefit of the thanksgiving of Jesus to the Father on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday, including remission of all our sins, is something that will go on forever due to its eternal characteristic since it was meant to forgive all sins and give thanks to the Father forever – something which does not end and will never end even when time gives way to eternity.   

 

Therefore, the Mass is the liturgy which represents the never ending liturgy already going on in heaven since before the world began, and in fact connects to the said heavenly liturgy as a uniting worship when the congregation on earth joins with the congregation of angels and saints in heaven. From another perspective, we say that the Mass does not repeat the unrepeatable sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary; instead, it is a divine link into the eternal liturgy happening in heaven for the benefit of those who are on earth and purgatory.    

 

Going back to the story, Jesus was allowed by synagogue leaders to read Scriptures in front of the congregation. He was handed the scrolls and read a passage from Isaiah which we now know as Chapter 61, Verse 24 (remember, there were no chapter breaks and verse designations then): “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Isaiah 61:24, Luke 4:18-19). Then, Jesus says these explosive but hope-filled words: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).

 

Reading & Announcing Holy Scriptures  

 

Since the invention of writing instruments and media like papyrus, the Israelites put down in writing pretty much everything that God has said and done in salvation history. God has caused men to write down His message.

 

Reading from Holy Scriptures was not new to the Jews during the time of Jesus. Ever since God commanded Moses to make sure that His ordinances were taught and read to Israel with regularity, Israelites-Jews relied on the writings of the prophets and messengers to remind them about God’s commandments and ordinances because “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3: 16-17).

 

When the Israelites were at the foot of Mount Sinai, God instructed Moses to tell the House of Jacob (referring to the nation of Israel) to pass on His words and ordinances to the children of Israel (Exodus 19:6). So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD had commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” (Exodus 19:7-8).

 

In connection with the Great Shema in Deuteronomy, God said to Israel: “And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).

 

Christianity picked up the tradition of reading and announcing from Holy Scriptures from the Israelites-Jews because like them, we need to be reminded of what God has said and done because everything is for our benefit. With more reason that we should listen to Jesus (Mark 9:2–13; Matthew 17:1–13; Luke 9:28–36) and obey Him because He is the Word of God (John 1:1; Rev 19:13) incarnate. Reading and announcing God words is usually done with worship.

 

In the Gospel today, Jesus reads from Holy Scriptures, following the tradition of the Israelites-Jews, because He is the Son of Man and a faithful Jew from the tribe of Judah. But He is also the only begotten Son of the Father, the Lamb of God and the Word of God who fulfills all the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament. This is the reason why He had all the right to say: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God in the flesh, is actually telling us that it was He who spoke those words way back in Isaiah 61:24 and it is He who stands in front of the congregation at Nazareth to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37) and the fulfillment of the promises of the God in the Old Testament. Jesus is Truth (John 14:6).

 

Reflection: Help Spread the Word & Make This World A Better Place 

 

The story tells us one simple and straightforward point – God is true and His mighty Word, Jesus, is Truth himself – Jesus is Truth incarnate.  The Bible is called the Word of God because in all its pages, books, chapters and verses appear Jesus, the Word of God, and “All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being” (John 1:3).

 

The Bible has been canonized by the Church in the fourth century for the purpose of spreading the Gospel (the good news), and the message is this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

 

To believe in Jesus means that all those who profess to be Christians must make Him Lord and King of their lives. Anything less than this kind of loyalty and discipleship is an insult to Jesus because He never held anything back and He gave away His life just to save us from eternal death.

 

To believe in Jesus means loving Him more and to love Him more each day is all about daily conversion. It is about changing our minds and hearts so that they are always in-tune with what God wants. The pages of the Bible provide us with so much information about Jesus. In fact, God calls us into covenant and deeper relationship with Him through the pages of Holy Scriptures because the Bible speaks God’s Word.

 

With today’s technology, there is no more excuse not to read the Bible daily because there are several dozen apps which offer free download of the Bible into your phones and devices, IOS or Android. Just make sure you download the Bible with 73 Books: 46 in the Old and 27 in the New Testament.

 

We can make this world a better place if we stop relying on politicians and candidates as if they are the only solution to problems. In Jesus, we can make a difference if we only start believing, thinking and acting like the Lord. Jesus is our salvation and here we dare say, the only solution to all our problems if we only start believing. Therefore, if you still believe in the power of the name of the Almighty Word of God, please do your part and help in spreading the Gospel to all those you encounter daily in your life. Start by reading the Bible so that you can impart the Word of God to others and maybe, just maybe, we can start infecting others with something which goes viral again – not Covid-19, but with the Gospel.

 

A blessed Sunday to everyone.     

– Gospel Reflection by Kuya Rommel Cecilio of SLRP Bible Apostolate Ministry