The Word God Spells

Luke 21: 12-19
Dn 5:1-6.13-14.16-17.23-28 / Dn 3:62-67

This will result in your giving testimony to them.
(Luke 21:13)

Be prepared for “persecution”
When we are called to testify
To the Good News of salvation,
By which our Lord we glorify.

“Before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your giving testimony to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.”

Reflection

God allows that we go through trials and persecutions because He knows that these will lead us to give witness to our faith. The word “witness” is translated from the Greek word marturion, from which we get our English word “martyr”. The term means “he who serves as testimony or proof.” Thus, the early Christians were called martyrs not because of their persecution, but because of the testimony of their faith, for which they were willing to give up their lives. God allowed their trials to make them worthy of Himself, “As gold in the furnace, He proved them, and as sacrificial offerings He took them to Himself.” (Wisdom 3:6) It was Tertullian who said it so well: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.”

We are fortunate that we do not live during the age of Christian persecutions; nor in the present time when we have to prove our faith as other Christians do in places like Saudi Arabia or China, where the practice of one’s religion is strictly prohibited or regulated. But wherever we are, we are still called to give witness to our Lord Jesus, especially during times of personal turmoil, grief, or financial crisis. It is in times of extreme distress that true faith emerges.

All of us are called to give witness, or to share our life testimony about God’s miracle in our lives, especially those who are in the renewal. Many regard this as the modern version of the Christian persecution, because the greatest fear of most people is to stand at the podium in front of an audience. It will do them well to heed the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel: “I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” (Lk.21:15) Yes, as we have heard in many a sharing, it is the Holy Spirit that speaks through us; we have nothing to fear.

Father God, in times when we are put to the test on account of Your Name, grant us the grace to be bold in our ministry. Renew our spirit that we might bring glory and honor to You. We pray for all those Christians who are suffering persecution and death for the sake of the Gospel. Empower them with Your Holy Spirit to persevere in their faith. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Luke 21: 5-11
Dn 2:31-45 / Dn 3:57-61

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
(Luke 21: 10-11)

No stone upon a stone or throne
Can last on earth in God’s design,
Take heed, the Word of God alone
Will stand until the end of time.

People were speaking about how the temple was adorned with precious stones and votive offerings when He said, “As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And they asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?” And he said, “Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.” (Lk. 21: 5-11)

Reflection

Most of the predictions that Jesus made in today’s Gospel have already taken place in this decade. The world has seen two great earthquakes in the past few years: the October 8, 2005 temblor in Pakistan, where more than 70,000 people perished, and the earthquake in the west coast of Northern Sumatra in December 26, 2004, which caused a giant tsunami that claimed the lives of more than 280,000 people in several countries along the coast of East Asia. Wars have been fought by Israel against some of its Arab neighbors, and the United States invaded Iraq more than four years ago. Famines have ravaged countries in the continent of Africa, and pestilences like AIDS, SARS, and the bird flu virus continue to plague several countries in Asia and Africa. Only the “terrors and great signs from heaven” have not yet occurred, and unless the world is soon transformed from its evil ways, this last could be the worst kind of cataclysm that will hit the earth from the skies. Millions of years ago, the world was transformed when a giant meteor collided with our planet. Most of the animal species like the dinosaurs disappeared, and it took several millenia before the earth became habitable again.

Our Lord Jesus was not merely talking about the destruction of the Jewish temple. He was also warning us about His second coming. The signs of the “end times” have started. And, as He predicted, “…many will come in My name, saying ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’” And indeed, a great number have been deceived. (Lk.21:8) It puzzles me no end to watch on tv how thousands of people are mesmerized by a womanizer, who flaunts his wealth which comes from their tithes as casually as he quotes verses from the Bible.

While many are led astray by these false prophets, others in the true Church still do not take these dire warnings seriously, and continue in their complacency. Sadly, only a few take the Word of God to heart, and strive to sanctify their lives.

Help us, Father, to discern Your Word, and make us steadfast in following Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Grant us the grace to persevere against the chaos and deceptions of this world. Amen.

Luke 21: 1-4
Dn 1:1-6.8-20 / Dn 3:52-56

While Jesus watched the wealthy bringing their offerings to the temple, He noticed a poor widow go up to the treasury to put in two small coins.
(Luke 21: 1)

To those who practice charity,
God’s blessings flow abundantly;
With grateful hearts let’s strive to be
God’s gifts of generosity

As He looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their offerings into the temple treasury. He also noticed a poor widow putting in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people have all made offerings out of their surplus wealth; but she out of her poverty has offered all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)

Reflection

The widow’s contribution demonstrates the lesson that our Lord is imparting, that it is not so much what we give that counts, but what we are willing to give up. It is the spirit behind our giving that gives our gift its worth. There are two reasons we can think of why the widow decided to part with her last two coins. The first is out of gratitude. In spite of her poverty, she wanted to express her gratitude to God for some blessing(s) that she might have received. The other reason is her strong faith. She firmly believed that by giving everything to God, He would surely reciprocate her sacrifice by giving back to her ten times or even more than what she had surrendered. She had complete faith in God’s providence and generosity.

Today’s Gospel of Luke teaches us several things about the gift of giving. The first is, it doesn’t matter whether we are rich or poor, we must never neglect our obligation to support our church, as the widow did for her temple. The amount is not as important as the sincerity of our intention. The second lesson we learn today is, we must give with total trust in the Lord’s Providence, believing that the cornucopia of God’s bounty will always be available to us. If we really have genuine faith in God, then we should harbor no doubt that He will open the floodgates of heaven to fill all our needs. The third thing to remember is this – “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also get a generous harvest. God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” (2 Cor.9:6,8) By being generous to others, we become God’s answer to their prayers.

Finally, we have learned that those who have less in life seems to have more in wisdom. This is God’s justice. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5:3)

Lord, may the words of St. Paul apply in all our dealings: “The One who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” (2 Cor. 9:10) Amen.

Luke 20: 27-40
1 Mc 6:1-13 / Ps 9:2-4,6,16,19

God is the God of the living and not of the dead, and for Him all are alive.
(Luke:20:38)

No one on earth can give direction
The way that Jesus Christ has given;
Our belief in the Resurrection
Will assure our passage to heaven.

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked Him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.’ Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’ For they no longer dared to ask him another question. (Luke 20: 27-40)

Reflection

On the question about the resurrection in today’s Gospel reading, I am reminded of the homily by a young MSP priest in our parish, who gave a very lucid explanation about the vow of celibacy in Holy Orders, and why Catholic priests, and all martyrs and saints represent the kingdom of God. He explained that like the angels and souls in heaven, priests and nuns do not marry, as they all mirror the purity and blessedness of God. It also gives emphasis to the divine plan that the sole purpose of marriage is the procreation of children, and the propagation of life here on earth. And then, with a touch of humor, he added in the vernacular, “E kung may mag-aasawa pa rin sa langit, aba, luging-lugi na kami nyan!” This brought the whole congregation in stitches.

Hope and its fruits of joy and peace do not come from this world. Like faith, it is a gift freely given by God to those who are deserving. It cannot be given to one whose heart is bothered by sin, because one is a kin of love, and the other of hate. A sinner must first be freed from his bondage through the sacrament of Penance – asking the Lord for the forgiveness of his sins, and in turn forgiving his enemies before he can expect to receive the gift of hope. It might take a little time to acquire it. One has to have patience and perseverance. But it’s certainly worth the wait — what joy it is to possess the hope in our Lord Jesus Christ and the resurrection!

Father in heaven, thank You for giving us Jesus, Your beloved Son. Because of Him, everything has life. His resurrection from the dead has given us the hope of eternal life. We thank You also for the gift of Faith, without which we would have fallen into despair. Though You remain a great Mystery to us, Your gift of Faith is more than knowledge, and though we do not see clearly now, we believe that one day Your great mystery will be revealed to us. This is our fervent hope. Amen.

Luke 19: 45-48
1 Mc 4:36-37.52-59 / 1 Chr 29:10-12

My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.
(Luke 19:46)

This temple has been purified
By blood of Jesus crucified.
Remember if it’s stained again,
Christ’s death would then have been in vain.

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a den of thieves.” And every day He was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests and the scribes and the leaders of the people were seeking to put Him to death; but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose, because all the people were hanging on His words. (Luke 19:45-48)

Reflection

Today’s short Gospel account of Luke about the cleansing of the temple inspires us to see that life is a continuous process of purification. Most of the time it may involve pain and rejection, but it is necessary to purge our temple of all materialistic or venal influences if we want to reach the level of holiness that God calls us to attain.

It also tells us how serious a crime against God’s sacred institution is when we defile it with the commerce of a marketplace. Imagine mammon taking precedence over worship in the sacred place of worship? Such insult only deserves swift punishment!

My “house” used to be a “den of thieves”. All sorts of sins and vices once took quarters in it, and on my own efforts I could not rid it of its many iniquities. The vilest thief that once ruled the place was the sin of concupiscence, and many trusting hearts did that thief steal to satisfy its lust. Then one day, Jesus came and decided to take lodgings in my heart. By the simple principle of displacement, all the thieves were driven out. By the power of His Word and His indwelling Spirit, this house has now been swept clean; the Lord has made it into a temple of His graces.

“By wisdom a house is built, by discernment the foundation is laid; by knowledge its storerooms filled with riches of every kind, rare and desirable.” (Prov.24:3-4) These are what the Lord has done, and “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come.” (Psalm 23:6)

You tell me in today’s Gospel, Lord, that my house, this temple of Your Holy Spirit must always be a house of prayer, because there is always the danger that without prayers my body can turn into a ‘den of thieves’. Help me to be vigilant in my prayers, because to be faithful to Jesus is victory, as falling into sin is defeat. Come, Holy Spirit, always abide in my heart. Amen.

Luke 19: 41-44
1 Mc 2:15-29 / Ps 50

As Jesus drew near and saw the city (of Jerusalem), He wept over it, saying, “If only you knew today what makes for peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.”
(Luke 19:41)

If Christ could weep for all our sins
And even died for our salvation,
Should we not wonder what it means
To recognize His visitation?

As Jesus drew near and saw the city (of Jerusalem) He wept over it, saying, “If only you knew today what makes for peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will raise a palisade against you and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)

Reflection

It comes as a big surprise to read Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, when just before He entered the city, the crowds were throwing their cloaks on his path and praising God with joy, proclaiming, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord… peace in heaven, hosannah in the highest!” (Lk.19:36-38). How could such a triumphant entry suddenly turn into an occasion of grief? This moving passage in the Gospel of Luke certainly provokes some insights on the true nature of our Lord Jesus Christ.

First of all, we all know that God is omniscient, and Jesus, being the Son of God, saw the terrible destruction that would befall Jerusalem forty years into the future, when the great armies of Rome would lay siege on the city and devastate it, “leaving no stone upon another stone.” His compassionate and loving nature as God and as a sensitive human being drove Him to tears, overcome with pity for the obstinacy and pride and the Jews’ lack of faith that would lead to their ruin. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus lamented with a similar prophecy, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets, and stone those sent to you, how often I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned, desolate” (Mt. 23:37-38).
Secondly, today’s Gospel passage reveals the passion that Jesus had (and still has) for sinners. He shed copious tears because the people He loved rejected Him as their Savior. Even though He had foreknowledge of His coming pains and death in Calvary, it was not because of the injustice, fear, or self-pity that Jesus felt such deep sorrow, but His great concern for the loss of so many souls. Such is the great love that God has for sinners that their unrepentance literally drives Him to tears.

In yesterday’s reflection, we highlighted the “third type” of Christians, the majority of God’s children who are still uncommitted, in terms of establishing a more personal relationship with Christ, our Lord. It is for them that Jesus pines for and weeps, because more than anyone, He knows how vulnerable we are unless our lives are anchored on His Word and in the sacraments of His Church. He alone knows how devious the enemy is, and what sin can do to those who take God’s love and mercy for granted.

Today we see how Jesus is both God and man. He loves more deeply, and feels more intensely than any human being can. Is it any wonder then that He experiences so much pain and sorrow over a sinner’s refusal to accept Him?

Grant, Lord God, that we may never take Your great love for granted, lest we fall into the same fate as those unfaithful Jews who rejected our Lord Jesus Christ. We repent of all our sins, and pledge our lives to Your holy will. Amen.