God’s Laws and Love

Matthew 5: 17-19
Deut.4:1,5-9 / Psa 147

Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:19)

Those who prefer not to obey
God’s laws forfeit heaven’s treasure,
Those who submit will find the way;
Obedience is love’s true measure.

Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter, or the smallest part of a letter, will by any means disappear from the Law until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5: 17-19)

Reflection

Jesus always emphasized the sacredness and validity of Scriptures. “Not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law until all things have taken place.” (Mt.5:18) Obedience to God’s laws and love are the two recurring themes in His teachings, two vital keys that are needed to open the gates of heaven. His love has transformed us, but we still need God’s decrees and ordinances in Scriptures to guide us to His kingdom. Together with the guidance and inspiration from the Holy Spirit, we strive to follow and learn God’s Word assiduously. In the process, we earn the gifts of the Holy Spirit which we employ to spread His Good News to others. It becomes our major preoccupation, our mission, our joy and our life.

The love that our Lord Jesus imparts to us is the most potent tool in our formation. It transforms our mediocrity into a passionate desire to keep God’s commandments. Love inspires humility and obedience to the law, and makes it easy to submit ourselves to authority, to be receptive to its teachings. Love for our Brotherhood makes submission sweet and natural. We know the difference between obedience dictated by fear and obedience dictated by love. We submit to our elders not because we fear them, but because we love them. Obedience also comes easy because in our Brotherhood we experience our spiritual growth in the truths of the Gospel, and we credit this to the teachers of our community. St. Peter wrote, “Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere mutual love, love one another intensely with a pure heart.” (1 Pet 1:22)

Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments… He who has received My commandments, and keep them, is the one who loves me…If a man loves me, he will keep my words…He who loves me not keeps not my commandments.” (Jn.14:15-24)

The books of the Old Testament have never become antiquated or insignificant even in this present age. Contrary to what unbelievers say, the laws of God, like the Ten Commandments will never become obsolete. They are in fact absolute, and will never change. Honoring one’s parents, the sanctity of life, the sacredness of sex and marriage, the worship of One God, respecting the property of others, honesty in one’s dealings—these are all, like God Himself, timeless and unchanging.

Those who fear the Lord disobey not His words; those who love Him keep His ways. (Sir.2:15) Let me never forget Your laws in my life, dear God, as long as I live. For they are the light that keeps me from stumbling, the discipline that I need in order to grow strong in my faith, and persevere in times of trials and suffering. Amen.

The Measure of Our Faith

Matthew 18: 21-35
Dn 3:25.34-43 / Ps 25

Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
(Matthew 18:33)

How we forgive is the measure of
The kind of faith that we proclaim;
By showing mercy we can prove
That God’s forgiveness we can claim.

Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21-35)

Reflection

Many of us continue to struggle between our unwillingness to forgive a grave injustice done to us and the demand of Christ’s discipleship to follow His example. As fallen creatures, we try to reason that the wrong done to us must be rectified first, or at least the offender must show some remorse before we can learn how to forgive. But our Lord Jesus never set any conditions when He forgave sinners, and even His torturers in Calvary, when He prayed to the Father, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk.23:34). He even commanded that we should pray for those who persecute us if we truly desire to become children of God (Mat. 5:44-45). He wants us to rise above our human nature and childish imperfection: “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mat.5:48).

When Jesus taught us the perfect prayer, He showed us the direct correlation between being forgiven and our own willingness to forgive others in turn. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Mat.6:12). How can we ask God to cancel our debts of sin when we cannot cancel the much smaller debt owed us by our fellow servant in our community?

Our capacity to forgive is the measure of our faith in God. It defines our transformation and journey towards the Divine. Jesus was not exaggerating when He said we must forgive seventy-seven times. The great number simply implies that forgiveness has no limit, and in fact we are to practice and master it as a Christian’s way of life. Surely in our lifetime God has forgiven us for our sins more than seven hundred times! How then can we refuse to forgive a neighbor, a relative, an elder, a friend or even an enemy whenever the occasion calls for it? In God’s eyes, our bitterness and feelings of injustice must have seemed so childish and ridiculously exaggerated, compared to the torture and death that His own Son had to endure for the forgiveness of all our sins.

Thank You, Lord, for making us realize that we have no other option but to forgive. You told us to pray for those who have offended us so that they may be freed from the bondage of sin, and the enmity that the evil one wants to propagate may be destroyed. Take away whatever grudges we may still be harboring within. Amen.

The Penalty for Indifference

Luke 16: 19-31
Jer 17: 5-10 / Psa 1

If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
(Luke 16:31)

By ignoring somebody’s need
Our salvation may come too late;
Live modestly, and please take heed,
Who may be begging at our gate.

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” (Luke 16:19-31)

Reflection

The Gospel of Luke does not relate how the rich man or Lazarus died, but the way the rich man lived, feasting on rich foods every day, and Lazarus, with nothing to eat, the former probably died of a stroke or a heart attack, while the latter from sickness and/or malnutrition. This is the only parable of our Lord where he gives a name, Lazarus, to a mere beggar, in stark contrast to a wealthy but nameless man that the Jews, particularly the Pharisees considered as more favored. And as if to emphasize His intimacy with the underprivileged, Jesus used the name of His beloved friend.

This parable in fact, consists of many contrasting elements: the very wealthy man vs. the very poor beggar, compassion vs. indifference, heaven vs. hell, their vast chasm of separation vs. the intimacy in Abraham’s bosom, etc. More than anything else, the story’s reversal of fortunes harks back to the lessons that Jesus had been teaching His followers earlier, that “Fortunate are you who are poor, the kingdom of God is yours,” and “Fortunate are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.” (Lk.6:20, 21) And Jesus showed in this parable that it was precisely because of the rich man’s preoccupation with his wealth that he had no compassion for Lazarus, the beggar, which led to his own fallen state. Finally, even the rich man’s fate in hell has a message to relay – if not to his five surviving brothers, at least to us who are reading this Gospel passage today – that there is indeed a place of eternal torment that we must all strive to avoid by practicing the Good News of Jesus to the poor and the downtrodden. It is not wealth or poverty that will determine our final destiny. It is simply our choice to practice mercy, or to ignore the poverty and suffering around us. It is our choice to believe and repent, or to continue pursuing our worldly, selfish ends. It is our choice to listen to the Word of God and His evangelists in the Bible, otherwise, we will never be converted even if someone rises from the dead.

During this season of Lent, may we be more mindful of the poor in our midst, Lord, and may we be more generous in giving alms, because in truth, we should be the ones grateful to them, because in their humility of begging, they provide us the opportunity of receiving Your graces. Amen.

Who is the Greatest?

Matthew 20:17-28
Jer 18: 18-20/ Ps 31: 5-6. 14. 15-16/ Mt 20: 17-28

Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.
(Matthew 20:26)

When we serve for our salvation
Don’t put your seat above the rest;
To be meek in our intention,
Is to be sure we serve Him best.

Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” He asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:17-28)

Reflection

Instead of jockeying for positions of authority or power, Jesus told His apostles that they should seek the opportunity to serve others (like a slave) in order to become great in God’s kingdom. Service is the best antidote against selfishness, just as personal ambition is its manifest expression.

Victor Frankl, a prisoner and survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, observed that the prisoners who were most helpful to others were the ones who persevered, and sustained their strength and sanity till the end of their captivity. There is something about serving others that gives meaning to the saying that “the more you give, the more you will receive.” Men and women of power, prestige and status never reached their golden years of fulfillment like Mother Teresa or Pope John Paul II did.

There is a story told by a sister in our community about a lady psychologist and accomplished ballet dancer that she met, whom we will call Cherry. At the peak of her career, she contracted a rare skin disease and ovarian cancer. When her doctor told Cherry that she had only two years left to live, she decided to spend the rest of her life helping the least of God’s children. She took into her care children of the poor who were lame, paralyzed, handicapped, malnourished, or retarded. She taught them how to play the piano, read, do housework, and helped them financially with their studies, giving them hope and dignity. Cherry dedicated the remainder of her life to serving the poor, giving them a better chance in life, and in return her life was extended for another fifteen years. She gave up her life for Jesus, but in the process she gained it back, for as our Lord said, “whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Mt. 10:39)

Lord, make me a servant of Your kingdom, because it is in seeking to serve You through others that I can be great in Your Father’s eyes. AMEN.

Humble Service for Greatness

Matthew 23: 1-12
Isa 1:10, 16-20 / Ps 50

The greatest among you must be your servant.
(Matthew 23:11)

When we start feeling like a king
That’s the time when we will stumble
Into our lives what God may bring
Let’s just thank Him and be humble.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23: 1-12)

Reflection

In today’s Gospel, Jesus told His disciples to obey the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, but not to do what they did, “for they do not practice what they preach.” By transforming the Ten Commandments into more than 500 rules and regulations, they had put heavy burdens on men’s shoulders. Their faith was superficial, only for show, putting importance on the external rather than what is in the heart. Instead of looking after the spiritual needs of the people, they maneuvered to get places of honor in banquets and assemblies, and sought important titles, like ‘rabbi’, ‘father’, or ‘teacher.’ Our Lord denounced them for their hypocrisy and extolled those who serve as the greatest of all.

It has been noted that in many religious organizations, status can clash with service. There is a need to check ourselves that our ministry is not merely status seeking. We can become so engrossed in our responsibilities that without being aware of it, the feeling of being indispensable in our service or community can set in. Christ never suggested that leadership in His Church entails privilege. On the contrary, He had always emphasized carrying our cross to follow Him. “It is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Mt. 7:14)

Even in our quest for spiritual growth, our sense of piety or righteousness may cause us to stumble, especially when we start comparing ourselves to others. It is always prudent to remember that self-importance never puts anyone in good stead. This is the precious lesson that our Lord is imparting to us in today’s Gospel. The more important our tasks and our goals, the more we must strive to assume the role of a servant or slave. As St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians, “Let each of you humbly consider the others as more important than yourselves” (2:3). Jesus tells us to be like little children if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven. The ‘little ones’ go about without any hypocrisy or boastfulness, and they are completely dependent on their parents for all their needs.

May we never grow smug in the knowledge that we lead others in our ministry, Lord, because ‘pride goes before disaster, and a haughty spirit before a fall’ (Prov.16:18); help us to grow in Your example of humility in service to be worthy of You. Amen.

Predisposed to Forgive

Luke 6: 36-38
Dn 9: 4b-10 / Psa 79

For the measure with which you measure, will in return be measured out to you.
(Luke 6:38)

The good in some we may discount
If we always tend to criticize;
We all shall be called to account
At the judgment seat of Jesus Christ.

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure, will in return be measured out to you.” (Luke 6:36-38)

Reflection

After teaching His disciples how to treat their enemies, Jesus next taught them how to treat their own friends who have offended them or behaved wrongfully. And His message consisted of: mercy, forgiveness, generosity and discernment. First of all, our Lord cautions us not to be judgmental. To be able to reject all kinds of injustice and unrighteousness, we must learn instead how to be discerning of what is good and evil. Through faith in God’s justice, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to determine what is right and wrong. Then we can teach, encourage and rebuke with authority. But it is always in humble supplication and a heart predisposed to mercy that we will receive this gift of sound judgment. Jesus told His disciples, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I am sorry,’ forgive him.” (Lk.17:3-4) We must never tolerate what is wrong, but we must always be predisposed to forgive, even the unrepentant wrongdoer.

I sensed that something unpleasant must have happened when my wife Ollie came home last Thursday from her regular Mother Butler’s sewing session. She said she was considering to slow down with her production of priest’s vestments like stoles and altar tablecloths so she could have more time with her other activities. Urged to explain, she said she felt depressed because one of her stoles was tampered with in an attempt to alter her monochromatic style by stitching other colors over the design. No question it was a very unethical, if not unjustified way of “improving” the job of a co-worker, and what made Ollie feel more offended was the seeming nonchalance of her unit’s members about the incident. We both agreed that what transpired was not right, but instead of protesting and making an issue about it, the better path would simply be to forgive. Most times, it is better to be kind than to be right.

Have a merciful heart, rather than a judgmental one; forgive rather than condemn; and give of ourselves with compassion, without counting the cost. If we can do these, then our merciful and forgiving Father in heaven will pour out His immeasurable generosity into our life. This is our Lord’s firm and dependable promise.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for teaching us that there is only one standard by which we can judge others, and that is by judging our own motives. Do not let what we hear or see in the world be our basis when we decide. Help us instead to be able to discern by listening to our heart, where we want You to reside. Amen.