A Time for Feasting

Luke 5: 33-39
1 Cor 4:1-5 / Psa 37

Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.
(Luke 5:34-35)

Nothing will last, but in its place,
The old will be replaced by the new;
Leave the comfort of tested ways,
And choose the path taken by the few.

They said to Him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” He told them this parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ” (Luke 5: 33-39)

Reflection

What Jesus was telling His critics was that there is a time appropriate for everything. His presence among them was akin to a grand wedding celebration, a time when the kingdom of God was being proclaimed, when all kinds of illnesses were being cured, when evil spirits were being cast out, when the wisdom of God was being shared, and all for free! Why would anyone think of fasting during such a joyous occasion? Then our Lord added ominously, “But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” This in reference to His coming passion and crucifixion in Calvary.

Jesus was not disparaging the value of fasting as a form of spiritual discipline. In fact He Himself fasted for forty days in the desert in preparation for His ministry. He even instructed His listeners on the proper way to fast: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting… when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen” (Mt.6:16-18). Our Lord was simply pointing out that “There is an appointed time for everything… A time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance… A time to rend, and a time to sew” (Eccles. 3:1,4,7).

In the same manner, “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one.” Or “pours new wine into old wineskins.” There is an inseparable dichotomy in all things old and new, and distinct from each other they must always remain. Just like the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible. Jesus never violated the traditions of the prophets or the laws laid down by His Father through Moses. But neither did He compromise His new teachings just to conform to those customs and traditions. Nor did He criticize the old. In one parable, He told His disciples, “Every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old” (Mt.13:52).

Today’s Gospel is telling us that all things undergo change, and although we must always respect ancient customs and traditions, we must practice time-tested values in the context of the present, and not remain in the comfort zone of the past. God’s love, after all, is dynamic, forward-looking, and creative. So must our faith be.

Thank You, dear God for making us understand that after our sorrows and difficulties there will be times to be joyful and be full of hope; for there is a reason and there is a season for everything that happens in our life, and it is enough that we put our trust and confidence in Your Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Peter’s Obedience

Luke 5: 1-11
1 Cor 3:18-23 / Psa 24

Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.
(Luke 5:10)

Woe to those who do not listen,
But worse for those who don’t obey
All the laws that Christ has given,
Alas, they’ll never find the Way.

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around Him and listening to the word of God, He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him. (Luke 5: 1-11)

Reflection

This fishing expedition by the sea of Galilee which brought in such a large number of fish happened after Jesus had preached to the multitude of people gathered at the shores of Gennesaret. As Jesus had predicted, Simon Peter would also be “catching” a great number of converts to the early Church after he preached the Word of God at Pentecost. They accepted his message, were baptized, and “about three thousand persons were added that day” (Acts 3:41).

We can see that aside from Jesus, the other main character in this story is Simon Peter, whose boat Jesus chose as a pulpit to teach the people on the shore. St. Luke gives us a vivid picture of the man’s character – outspoken, and yet humble, and most important of all, obedient. He did not hesitate to do as Jesus instructed, even though as an experienced fisherman, he knew that if they had not caught anything all night, it was virtually impossible to catch anything in the daytime. Because of his obedience he and his companions received the gift of faith, which enabled them to leave their livelihood, and begin a new life with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Book of Deuteronomy enumerates God’s numerous blessings to those who follow His will, and are obedient to His decrees. Here are some selected verses: “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands… You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country… The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. He will establish you as His holy people, as He promised you on oath, if you… walk in his ways. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD… The Lord will make you the head, not the tail… you will always be at the top, never at the bottom” (Deut 28:1,3,8-10,13). Let us never hesitate to obey when we hear His call, and like St. Peter, we may experience the wonders we have never seen in our life before.

Father God, we submit everything in our life to You, because You are all-knowing and all-loving; You know best what is best for us, and we will never go wrong if we only obey all Your commandments. As Jesus has taught us, obedience is our salvation, and in His word we have come to believe. Amen.

Healing of Mother-in-law

Luke 4: 38-44
1 Cor 3:1-9 / Psa 33

I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.
(Luke 4:43)

Jesus showed His great compassion
Curing all kinds of affliction.
Let’s continue His healing mission
By praying for other’s salvation.

Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So He bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ. At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for Him and when they came to where He was, they tried to keep Him from leaving them. But He said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4: 38-44)

Reflection

Just as He cast out the evil spirit earlier in the synagogue with a simple command, Jesus also rebuked the high fever of Simon’s mother-in-law, and she was likewise healed. We see the power of God’s word in Jesus, His Word made flesh. He displayed this “verbal” power in other instances, even by long distance, such as the healing of the Centurion’s servant (Mt.8:13), and the Canaanite woman’s daughter (Mt.15:28). Jesus could have used this same method of healing to all who came to Peter’s door, and in fact to all the sick people throughout Judea, tired as He was after preaching in the synagogue and dealing with the demoniac. But this was clearly not His preferred manner of healing. Full of compassion, He went out to the masses of sick people, and laid His hands on them to heal them. Full of love for them, Jesus worked all night, hardly taking a rest, because at daybreak He went to a solitary place to pray.

Much as He was needed to finish His healing in Capernaum, Jesus knew He had a more important mission to attend to, and that was to “preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent” (Lk.4:43). The healing of the spirit took precedence over the healing of the body. Our Lord knew He only had a very limited time to accomplish the purpose for which He was sent by the Father, and His ministry of healing was certainly not His main calling, but a corollary of His Messiahship. Jesus came to heal the world of its sinful infection. As we often read in some of the Gospel narratives, Jesus would say, “Your sins are forgiven” before He cured the afflicted person. This was because the ailment could be just the symptom of the more virulent disorder, which was sin. Like the prophets Jonah and John the Baptist who preceded Him, the main message that our Lord Jesus delivered to the world was, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!” This is the Good News in today’s Gospel that Jesus wants to convey.

Like Simon’s predicament, I am also asking for prayers for my ailing mother-in-law, Edna, who suffered a brain hemorrhage last week. My wife Ollie has been with her in a hospital in San Pablo, Laguna, and may stay longer depending on her condition. But I believe in the compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the power of prayers, and so I take this occasion to ask you to pray for Mama Edna’s complete recovery.

Lord Jesus, with just a word from You, illness goes away, and the afflicted at once recovers. Grant that thru our prayers and petitions, our sick loved ones may be healed and fully recover, to serve You and be witnesses of Your great love. Amen.

Resisting Evil Spirits

Luke 4: 31-37
1 Cor 2:10b-16 / Ps 145

With authority and power He orders evil spirits and they come out!
(Luke 4: 36)

Be firm in faith, to God submit,
From all the world’s pleasures abstain;
Strengthened by His Holy Spirit,
Freedom from evil is our gain.

Then Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at His teaching, because His message had authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

“Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. (Luke 4: 31-37)

Reflection

The evil spirit could not withstand the presence of the Divine. Its ourburst was its only defense against the fear of destruction. Wily as its master, Satan, it thought that it could appease Jesus by affirming Him as “the Holy One of God!” But being God, Jesus was not taken in by this deception, and immediately determined to free the demon-possessed man from its power. “Come out of him!” and the spirit obeyed.

There are many passages in the Bible that warn us about the presence and power of evil spirits in this world. Demons are very real, although for their devious purposes, they prefer to remain imperceptible to man. St. Peter wrote: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” (1 Pet 5:8-9a). And we must pray to the Holy Spirit for discernment to recognize their deception. St. John warned in his first letter: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 Jn 4:1). St. Paul also wrote the same caution: “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Cor 11:14-15).

How then do we protect ourselves and our children from being “kidnapped” by these spirits of evil? St. James provides a simple answer: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Ja 4:7). Submission to the power of God means surrendering completely to His will, and in total faith, believing in His power, guidance and protection. Reading the Bible regularly (everyday, if possible) fortifies this assurance. The Word of God in Psalm 91 promises, “No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your home. He will command His angels to guard you in all your ways” (Ps 91:10-11). Constant prayers also provide strong assurance of divine help in times of spiritual struggle. Of course it need not be said that we must also take a more proactive stance against the forces of darkness. Knowing, for instance, that the devil always exploits the weakness of the flesh, it is only prudent to avoid occasions of worldly pleasures. Pride is another weakness, so we must strive to walk in a spirit of humility. Greed is another worldly addiction, so we must counter it with a spirit of kindness and generosity. In effect, we must walk in the spirit and character of our Lord Jesus Christ as the best way to submit ourselves completely to God, our Father.

We believe, O Lord, that no evil spirit can withstand Your presence in our life. We therefore humbly ask You to make our home the sanctuary of Your Holy Spirit, so that we may never have to be anxious about the devil’s influence again. We pray for this in the Holy Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rejection in Nazareth

Luke 4: 16-30
1 Cor 2:1-5 / Ps 119:97-102

…no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
(Luke 4:24)

Everytime we give in to sin
We cast Christ out from His “native place”.
Lord, let Your Spirit live within,
And be with us in all our days.

Jesus went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom. And He stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ I tell you the truth,” He continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way. (Luke 4: 16-30)

Reflection

The Sabbath day had started well enough. Jesus was given the special privilege of reading a passage from the prophet Isaiah, the words of which were full of hope, (good news… freedom… vision… the Lord’s favor). His audience was pleased by His words and spoke well of Him, and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips. They even showed their pride by saying, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” So why did our Lord intentionally antagonize everyone in His village by recalling the events of the past when Yahweh God rejected Israel in favor of the Gentiles? Elijah and Elisha were two of the greatest prophets of Israel, but they were persecuted by their own people, and so they brought salvation and healing to a Sidonian widow and a Syrian general, most hated by the Jews! Naturally, upon hearing this, the whole synagogue went into a frenzy, and violently executed Jesus’ self-fulfilling prophecy.

Jesus had two important reasons for putting aside His popularity and the praise of men, and risking His own safety instead by His scathing words. First, He was simply telling the truth to the faces of His town mates. The truth may hurt, but they needed to know about their flaws and failures. They only wanted Him to perform wonders in their midst, but did not care about His Good News and His messiahship. They were too proud about their tradition, to the exclusion of the Gentiles and Samaritans, to whom salvation would eventually be given, and of which they would be deprived, unless they believed in Jesus and repented. Secondly, Jesus willingly chose the path of rejection by the Jews because this was the way to the cross in Calvary, and the realization of His life’s mission. As the greatest of all the prophets, He was in fact fulfilling God’s plan of salvation for all men, which was ironically precipitated by the rejection of His people, and the betrayal of one of His own apostles.

Jesus is telling us in today’s Gospel passage of Luke (which was addressed more to the Gentiles than to the Jews), that if we have to be prophets of God’s Word (and we, as Christians should be), we must be prepared to face rejection by friends and relatives. The modern world refuses to abide by the values of the Gospel, and people are uncomfortable when they are reminded about identifying with the poor, the sick, and the downtrodden. But this is the message of the Gospel, and Jesus said, “The poor will always be with you” (Mt. 26:11). He also said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who came before you” (Mt. 5:11-12). Let us be bold, therefore, in proclaiming the Gospel to others, and condemning what is unjust and immoral, even if it is not the most popular or favorable thing to do.

Lord God, we would rather be unpopular in the eyes of the world as long as we know that the things we say and do are most pleasing to You. Amen.

Putting Talents to Work

Matthew 25: 14-30
1 Cor 1: 26-31 / Ps 33: 12-13, 18-21

For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
(Matthew 25:29)

For the talents God’s entrusting
May we gainfully parlay,
So that we may be deserving
Of His joy on Judgment Day.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to a third one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went away. The man who received five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with small things; I will put you in charge of greater things. Come and share your master’s joy!’ The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with small things; I will put you in charge of greater things. Come and share your master’s joy!’ Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Should you not then have put my money in the bank, so that when I returned I could have got it back with interest? Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw this useless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30)

Reflection

In common with the two earlier parables (Faithful and Unfaithful Servants, & Parable of the Ten Virgins), the predominant message is still diligence in service. In this third parable however, Jesus adds the value of talents. The talent was a measure of gold or silver representing a large amount of money. The wise master gave his servants varying amounts according to their abilities, and sure enough, the servant with the least ability did not produce anything with his talent. Our Lord seems to be telling us in this parable that God’s gifts are the equivalent of opportunities that God sends our way for us to make full use of our abilities. But we must not feel proud of our accomplishments, for even our abilities came from God. As St. Paul wrote in the first reading, “It is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification and redemption, so that as it is written, ‘Whoever boasts should boast in the Lord’.” (1 Cor.1:30-31)

As servants in God’s household, we are all given different opportunities according to the call of our ministry. Some of us are gifted with a melodious voice or prowess with a musical instrument, so God gives us the opportunity to praise Him in harmonious songs. Some of us are gifted speakers, and so we have the privilege of giving testimony to God’s saving grace in our transformed lives. Some of us have the ability to give good counsel, so we should not wonder when people with emotional troubles find their way to our doors. Even problems not of our own making may turn out to be opportunities for our spiritual growth. So, if ever we feel that we are taking on more responsibilities than the next guy, we should not complain, but instead, we should rejoice, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.” Like the first two servants, let us employ God’s gifts with haste and hard work, because when our Lord returns, we can only share in our Master’s joy!

Lord, it is because of Your love, and the talents that You have given us that we serve You in our ministry. Teach us to be more discerning in every event that comes our way, to know whether it is an opportunity to propagate Your love, or merely for our own aggrandizement. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.