The Word God Spells

Matthew 8: 5-17
Gn 18:1-15 / Lk 1:46-55

Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me.
(Matthew 8:8-9)

What does it take to be Christ’s soldier?
Intelligence? Strength? Courage? Honor?
No, it just takes complete surrender,
With Faith for shield, meekness for armor.

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached Him with an appeal, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home, paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter my house; say only the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those following Him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and from the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour, his servant was healed.

Reflection

The centurion was a Roman officer in charge of a hundred soldiers. As commander, he knew the power that one in authority wielded, and having heard about the power Jesus had over demons and disease, he believed that Jesus could heal his servant with nothing more than a command. So it was not necessary to trouble the Lord to come to his house. Besides, he respected the sensitivity of the Jews about entering pagan households (and getting defiled). He also addressed Jesus as “Lord” even though all Jews looked upon Roman soldiers with fear and awe, especially centurions. For his humility and great faith, Jesus told him, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that moment, his servant was completely healed.

Whenever we receive our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, we are reminded of that Roman centurion as we pray, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive You; say only the word, and I shall be healed.” By His Word we have been called, by His Word we have been healed and restored, and worthy to receive Him in Holy Communion.

A constant prayer to God is for the grace to become a worthy soldier of Christ. This world is a constant battleground of good against evil, that we must resolve to fight for the values and ideals of Christ, with our faith in Him as our “shield and buckler”. Like the centurion who showed great faith in the authority of Jesus, we must also aspire for “a faith like none other found in Israel.” (Mt.8:10) There are many battles to fight in this life for us to win such an accolade from our Lord. In the meantime, what is most important is first to forge the armor of humility, for there lies the true worth of a good soldier. Jesus was immediately won over by the Roman centurion, but not by his power and authority, but by his humility and his compassion for his servant. The soldier’s approach was one of surrender, begging for the life of his slave. This is the lesson that our Lord imparts to us that we may become a true soldier.

You have shown us in today’s Gospel, Lord, that it is not only by our faith that our prayers are answered, but by our compassion and intercession for the sake of others. Grant us the grace of humility to see that whatever our position or power, we are nothing and can do nothing without Your help. Amen.

Matthew 16:13-19
Acts 12:1-11 / Ps 34:2-9 / 2 Tm 4:6-8.17-18

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
(Matthew 16:19)

Thank God for the opportunity
Of being stewards for His kingdom;
The Word of God as our ministry,
With His authority and wisdom.

When Jesus went into the region of Caesaria Philippi He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-19)

Reflection

Jesus entrusted to St. Peter the “keys to the kingdom of heaven” as the symbol of the Church’s authority and doctrinal infallibility. All authority and wisdom come from God. They are the fruit of faith. God has given them for a divine purpose. The few who are called to serve are given the tools for the harvest. God never leaves them on their own. His Spirit always guides all their undertakings for His kingdom. That is why they can speak with authority because He imbues them with His wisdom.

It is a sacred privilege to share in the work of the Lord’s ministers, our bishops and priests, whose authority emanates directly from God. “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” This passage is a strong admonition for them to safeguard all the spiritual graces that Jesus has entrusted to them in the ministry of the sacraments. How fortunate we are to have the Lord’s ministers to provide us what we need for our spiritual benefit – practically for free. It should only be natural for us to accord the reverence due them as God’s holy ministers.

We never lose anything when we serve in the Lord’s vineyard, whether as speaker, discussion leader, prayer intercessor, or servant. In fact, we gain more. In preparing a talk, personal testimony, or writing these Gospel reflections, the Holy Spirit gives insights which are gifts of wisdom! In a small way, we should feel like St. Peter, whenever we are privileged to receive inspiration from the Holy Spirit. And when we have delivered a talk, we can also feel like St. Paul who “has fought the good fight and finished the race.” (2 Tim.4:7) “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed.” (2Tim.4:17)

To everyone involved in the ministry of the Word, the work is the reward itself because the manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s gifts are such precious influences. We believe our Lord’s words that “flesh and blood has not revealed (these to us), but (our) heavenly Father.” (Mt.16:17) What a joy it is to know that like the disciples of Jesus, we too are being sent by the Lord in spreading the Good News of salvation.

Thank You, Lord for the assurance of Your kingdom that we have received from Sts. Peter and Paul, whom we honor today, through our pope, bishops and priests. Thank You also for the precious opportunity of sharing in their work. Amen.

Matthew 7: 21-29
Gn 16:1-12.15-16 / Ps 106:1-5

Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
(Matthew 7:24)

Nothing to fear in evil’s wake,
God’s Word is my firm foundation;
No rains or flood, or winds can break
My faith in His firm protection.

Whatever we do in this life has no merit or substance unless we do it according to the will of the Father. “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name? Did we not drive out demons in Your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in Your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’” (Mt.7:22-23)

Reflection

It is not what we accomplish for the Church or for our Brotherhood that guarantees our ticket to heaven. Salvation is a grace freely given by God to His worthy servants. Nothing we do can ever qualify us to merit this grace. In fact, it is by God’s grace that we have come into the renewal; and all our good deeds are simply the fruits of what we have already received. They are outpourings of our gratitude to God for having led us into this new life in Christ.

Sometimes, in their ‘spiritual exuberance’ some brothers and sisters in the renewal begin to feel that they have special graces from God, like healing or discernment, or even the gift of prophecy. One sister excitedly related how she led a small group in casting out an evil spirit from a possessed woman. When I showed interest in this struggle against a supernatural force, she started to share how the Lord would speak to her when she went into a trance. It was time to excuse myself to find the toilet. At another time, a matronly sister who is active in many religious organizations told a priest in the hearing of others in the group, “Father, I think I am ready to meet my Creator after all the things I have done for the Lord these many years.” The priest smiled at her and said, “Only the Lord knows when we are ready; we can never be the judge of our own worthiness to enter His kingdom. We can only hope and pray that the things we are doing and have done are according to His will.”

Our faith is a house we must build on the firm foundation of God’s will. Whatever we do, we must pray to Him first for guidance, lest like Abraham’s wife , Sarai, we might misinterpret God’s plan and take matters into our own hands, and produce the wrong result, like the illegitimate son of Hagar, Ishmael, who became Abraham’s first born instead of Isaac (Gen.16:1-6).

Help us Lord to persevere, though Your ways we cannot always understand; make us see that in all things, Your Will alone is our command. Amen.

Matthew 7:15-20
Gn 15:1-12.17-18 / Ps 105

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves.
(Matthew 7:15)

They’ll excite your curiosity,
Beware how they pervert the truth;
Their creed harks on prosperity,
You’ll recognize them by their fruit.

So how do we recognize these false prophets? Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” (Mt. 7:16-20)

Reflection

In his second letter to Timothy, St. Paul had warned about such false prophets with their heretical teachings. He said, “For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine; but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth, and will be diverted to myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). This prophecy is now evident in such popular “New Age” religions like the Unification Church, Scientology, Hare Krishna, etc.

These modern-day cults share common techniques of disorientation and mind control (meditation, TM), and usually attract followers among disillusioned Christians and non-traditionalists. Their meditation techniques and tenets promise self-control and tranquility, and are drawn from a mixture of eastern mysticism, psychology, and enough Christian doctrine to delude their recruits. This New Age Movement boasts that its leaders have developed intimate relationships with God and they experience visions, encounters and conversations with the Supreme Being. But the clearest proof that this movement comes from the Prince of Lies is its teaching that there is no need to strive for sanctification or holiness because God loves you no matter what you do. According to its adherents, sin is just a human weakness that God in His goodness will tolerate. This clearly contradicts God’s Word that we read in Psalm 5:5-6: “You are not a God who delights in evil. . . you hate all who do iniquity.”

Let God’s Word in the Bible be our guide: “Even if an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one which you have received from us, let him be accursed.” (Gal.1:8) “Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, whether by word, or by our epistle.” (2 Thess. 2:15)

May Your Word and Spirit be our constant protection against all false prophets. Amen.

Matthew 7: 6, 12-14
Gn 13:2.5-18 / Ps 15:2-5

Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before swine…
(Matthew 7:6)

The Word of God’s not for all men
Who think life in this world’s enough.
We know our way to heaven when
The road is narrow, steep and rough.

Jesus said, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.”

Reflection

Once we are in the community of our choice, happily enjoying the warm camaraderie of a support group, we are encouraged to sponsor others (friends, relatives or business associates to join our brotherhood. But we find that many people scoff at the prospect of being recruited into the fold. The standard answer to our invitation is “I’m not yet ready,” or “I really don’t have the time.” We can only hope they realize soon that no one in this life has the luxury of time.

One has to sift through the grain and the chaff. Not all men are as receptive to God’s Word as we would like to believe. Most of those who turn away are addicted to the pleasures and leisures of this world. It is not to everyone that we are called to evangelize, but we are expected to be more discerning with whom we bring the Word of God to. As our Lord tells us, not many will choose the hard road of conversion and the narrow gate of trials, because the lure of the wide and spacious road of temporal pleasures is too strong for many to resist. We know that it is the difficult path that leads to life, and we should only be so grateful to God that we have been called to take it. Hard as His Way might be, it will toughen our sinews and steel our resolve to withstand the temptations of the enemy.

At times, though, we must not give up inviting a prospect or couple whom we believe would be a good asset to our community. Everytime I saw my friend Moli, a lay minister in our parish, I kept inviting him and his wife Raquel to join us in our breakfast fellowship. My persistence eventually paid off, and soon they were attending our breakfast as often as they could, and eventually took the 9-week BCLP for full membership. Seeing this couple now, happily serving the Lord in our brotherhood, I feel glad knowing that the pearls I threw then were not wasted.

As God’s privileged few, let us share the wisdom that the Lord has given us to those who are more deserving. It’s futile to convince those who are deaf to the Good News that we bear and blind to Christ’s light that we wish to share. They have chosen a different path from ours, and unfortunately, that is their fate. Our other important mission is to strengthen each other in our community, so that those who have already responded to God’s call will not be lured outside once more.

Guide me Lord to find deserving laborers for Your vineyard: those who walk without blame, who speak truth from their heart, and do what is right. (Psalm 15:2-3) Amen.

Matthew 7: 1-5
Gn 12:1-9 / Ps 33:12-13,18-19,20,22

Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, & the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
(Matthew 7:1-2)

In judging, give the credit due,
The weak deserves some merit too.
The less of prejudice in you,
The more the love of God shines through.

Jesus said, “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye but do not perceive the beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a beam in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)

Reflection

Being a judge in our country’s trial courts can be a daunting task that requires a fair amount of intelligence, hard work, patience, courage, prudence, and integrity. It is a grave responsibility because our judges know that one day, they will also be judged for all the decisions they handed down affecting the lives of other people.

Our eldest brother is a judge in a regional trial court. All of his nine surviving siblings hold him in high esteem for his keen sense of fairness and his proven integrity. His example gives hope that most of our honorable ‘men in black’ uphold the same ideals in our judicial system, notwithstanding some rumours to the contrary.

One such judge who handed a fair and favorable decision changed the life of a young member of our brotherhood from Cagayan de Oro city. Bro. Jun shared how one day, while he was still in college, a tragic vehicular accident scarred his growing years. He was driving in the rain when a woman suddenly ran across his path to flag a passing jeepney. Bro. Jun and his companion rushed her to the nearest hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival. The cause of death was severe hemorrhage from hitting her head on the pavement. His parents negotiated with the family of the victim to compensate them financially for their loss, but the amount the bereaved husband demanded was beyond what Bro. Jun’s parents could raise. The case went to court. After two years, the presiding judge decided that Bro. Jun was innocent of the charges filed against him (homicide), because there was no intent to kill.

We had invited my brother judge to the BCBP breakfast fellowship where Bro. Jun gave this life testimony. Later, I asked my brother how he would have decided if he had been the judge in that case. Not being aware of all the circumstances in the case, he could not give his personal opinion, but he said he would have admonished the driver of the vehicle and his parents to be magnanimous in victory and compensate the family of the victim with their original offer. Indeed my brother showed that our sense of justice must always ruled by compassion.

Grant us the grace, Lord, to be more compassionate in judging those who are prejudiced against us, even if we know we are in the right, just as You have been compassionate to us in our sinfulness. Amen.