The Word God Spells

Mark 10: 17-27
1 Pt 1: 3-9 / Ps 111: 1-2, 5-6, 9, 10

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.
(Mark 10:25)

What worth are all the world’s treasure
If in the end I lose my soul?
Strive for the prize beyond measure:
God’s kingdom, our eternal goal.

As Jesus was starting out on his way again, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.’ ” The man said, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus looked straight at him with love and said, “You need only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” When the man heard this, his face fell, and he went away sad, because he was very rich. Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at His words, so Jesus went on to say, “My children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.” At this the disciples were completely amazed and asked one another, “Who, then, can be saved?” Jesus looked straight at them and answered, “This is impossible for human beings but not for God; all things are possible for God.” (Mark 10:17-27)

Reflection

A young man we knew whose family’s estate must be worth over a billion pesos committed suicide quite recently. “Why would anyone who practically has everything do such a tragic thing?” I asked a close friend. He replied, “Mong, sometimes those who have everything are really the ones who have nothing.” How wise those words are. Having so much wealth can reduce the value of everything else, until there is nothing left worth appreciating, or being grateful for. In the end it might be one’s great wealth that will cause him to lose the most important thing of all – the pearl of great price, eternal life in God’s kingdom. “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?” (Mt.16:26).

In today’s Gospel of Mark, Jesus was not against wealth per se. What He was condemning was one’s attachment to his wealth. Too much preoccupation with our possessions distract us from what is most essential: our right relationship with God and neighbor. It’s not money but our love of money that is the root of evil. As Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Mt.6:24). One will inevitably displace the other. And the man who puts his trust in his money can never be happier than a poorer man who puts his trust in God. “Sleep is sweet to the laboring man, whether he eats little or much, but the rich man’s abundance allows him no sleep” (Eccl.5:11).

There is an exception, however, for some very wealthy people who live happy and fulfilled lives. They are those who are not obsessed with their fortunes, but with the mission that their fortunes entail. They know that they are merely God’s stewards, and they have a grave responsibility to use their resources for the benefit of many. Philanthropists find joy in giving because they see the good that their wealth can do. Proverbs says, ”Honor the Lord with your wealth… then will your barns be filled with grain, with new wine your vats will overflow” (Prov.3:9-10). Depending on our attitude towards wealth, it can either be a blessing or a curse. Out of His love for him, Jesus was offering that man a rare chance to gain His eternal blessing. But out of his love for money, the man walked away, a lost soul.

May we never be presumptuous like that man to think that we can “inherit” Your kingdom, Lord God; instead, we pray daily for Your kingdom to come, and Your will be done in our life, so that we may grow in Your grace, and be free from all earthly desires. Amen.

Mark 9: 41-50
Jas 5: 1-6 / Ps 49: 14-20

I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
(Mark 9: 41)

Do not drive away from your door
The poor, the sick and unwanted;
Might be Christ we chose to ignore,
What if He takes us for granted?

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9: 41-50)

Reflection

In his homily at yesterday’s noon mass, the Nigerian priest asked the parishioners if they were aware that a miracle had happened that day. Answering his own question, he said simply, “You woke up this morning. That’s the miracle.” His point was if not for the grace of God in our lives, we could just as well be one of those lives snuffed out by a cyclone, an earthquake, a tsunami, a terrorist’s bomb, or by the number one killer in the world today, a heart attack. But we were all safe and healthy in that peaceful house of God, witnessing and partaking of another miracle, the transformation of an ordinary bread into the living Body of our Savior. And we never gave it a thought; we just took it all for granted.

We are thankful for a glass of cold water offered on a hot afternoon, but just as easily take the favor for granted afterwards. But Jesus said He will not forget — that person “will certainly not lose his reward.” In the same manner, we may not give pause to the kind of example we show to the “little ones” — the insignificant people in our lives, like our servants in the house, the office janitor or lowly clerk, the fruit vendor at the corner street, the beggar knocking on our car window, or even our own children. But it is our very attitude towards these “little people” — whether we build up their hope in a loving God, or tear it down by our prejudice and indifference — that will determine our standing with God. We can never take their presence in our lives for granted, because Jesus is in every one of them.

As Christian leaders, we have a grave responsibility to build up the faith of subordinates or people over whom we have influence, directing them towards the kingdom of God. We can do this by having a forgiving spirit, by honest business dealings (Be Honest Even if Others are Not!), by kind and encouraging words we speak, by being generous to those who seek our help, and by sharing the Word of God to the spiritually famished. These are the little things that matter, that we must never take for granted, because God can use them to make miracles in other peoples’ lives.

Last, but certainly not the least, we must never take the danger of sin lightly. In fact, Jesus tells us to treat it ruthlessly. Better to be maimed and blind in life, than be whole and end up in hell. Thus we must cut off all worldly practices in our life: what we do, where we go, and what we see (pornography?) How unfortunate for many, that these are the things they just take for granted.

Instill in us the fear of hell and the hope of heaven, dear God, so that we may see each day in our life as a miracle of Your loving grace, and strive to live according to the Gospel values of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

John 6: 22-29
Acts 6: 8-15 / Ps 119: 23-24, 26-27, 29-30

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
(John 6:27)

Seek God not in signs or raptures,
Nor in material needs fulfilled;
Find Him in the Mass and Scriptures,
The covenant that He has sealed.

The crowd that Jesus left behind saw that He had not gotten into the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’

Reflection

The “food that endures for eternal life” that Jesus was referring to was His own flesh and blood, transubstantiated in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. God “set His seal” on this ‘Covenant’ when at the Last Supper, our Lord Jesus said, “This cup (of wine) is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you” (Lk.22:20).

There is food for the body and food for the mind. There is also food for the soul. There is good food that nourishes well, and bad food that only makes us sick. There are good books and magazines that empower and inspire, and pornographic smut that only pollute our minds. We must be able to discern well the kind of foods that we consume for our body, mind and spirit. Our choices determine the kind of person we are, as well as the condition of our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. For instance, choosing a meatless diet can be very beneficial to one’s health. But more important than a safe diet, the constant reading of the Bible, and other spiritual books and magazines, and watching spiritual programs on cable t.v. like EWTN can nourish and keep healthy not only our minds, but our spirits as well. Above all, regularly partaking of the Body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist can make us spiritually fit and strong.

There’s a great divide between the physical and the spiritual, and like the Jews in Jesus’ time, we tend to seek the miraculous manifested in material things (like the multiplication of the loaves). As long as life is good, we have no problem in believing. But it is really in facing the storms in life when true faith is developed, and it is in persevering, in being steadfast in our belief in Him no matter what the circumstances we are in that is the real miracle of Christ in our lives.

Lord, strengthen our faith, as we partake of One Bread in Jesus Christ, and as we grow together as one people, adoring You, our One God, Who nourishes us all. Amen.

John 1: 45-51
Rv 21:9-14/Ps 145:10-13,17-18

Before Philip called you I saw you under the fig tree.
(John 1:48)

Like Nathaniel we sometimes doubt,
We don’t believe until we see...
God touched our hearts we soon found out
Sin kept us bound, Christ set us free.

When Philip became a follower of Jesus, he went to his friend Nathaniel, and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” When he asked Philip if there was anything good that could come from Nazareth, he told Nathaniel, “Come and see.” When they came to Jesus, Nathaniel was surprised by the Lord’s greeting: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (Jn.1:47). Jesus told him that before Philip called him, He had seen him under a fig tree. He was amazed that the Lord had known his thoughts (he was probably praying under the fig tree), and thus exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” To which Jesus assured him, “You will see greater things than this.”

Reflection

Nathaniel at first showed prejudice against Nazareth, a small poor village known to be a sanctuary of thieves and rebels at that time. But when he met Jesus, the aura of power and wisdom emanating from the Lord overwhelmed him and convinced him of His Messiahship. This was a grace from Jesus Who knew the secrets of his heart.

It is perhaps human nature to be biased or doubtful when someone tells us about his wonderful experience. We just have to see for ourselves before we believe. Face to face with Jesus, Nathaniel came to know the Lord and believed. It was not the same with Jesus. He was nowhere near Nathaniel, but He “saw him under the fig tree.” And even before he came to Him, Jesus already saw the secrets of his heart. “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (Jn.1:47).

We, who are followers of Christ may not have any visual experience of Jesus, our Savior, but we have “seen” Him as the living Word of God in Scriptures, and receive Him constantly in the Holy Eucharist. God has also revealed Him to us in many events in our life. Many of us first encountered Jesus through the power of His Holy Spirit. We were emotionally uplifted, many of us to tears and speaking in tongues, and even unconsciousness. But that was just for starters. As Jesus promised, “You will see greater things than this.” Once we have learned to persevere in our faith and trust in our Savior, we will also experience the many little miracles that God will manifest in our lives if only to acknowledge our faithfulness and draw us closer to Him. Then we no longer need to see with our eyes and understand with our mind. Because we have accepted with our heart.

Lord, let us see with our hearts what we cannot see with our eyes. Amen.

Matthew 20: 1-16
Jgs 9:6-15/Ps 21:2-7

What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Don’t I have the right to do as I please with my money? Why be envious of my generosity?
(Matthew 20:14-15)

Though unfair at first it may seem,
Who can ever fathom God’s ways?
Not by merits are we redeemed,
But only by His loving grace.

A landowner went out to hire workers for his vineyard. A just salary of one silver coin was agreed upon with the hired laborers. In the course of the day, the landowner decided to hire additional laborers 4 times at different hours of the day. At the end of the day, he instructed his manager to pay all of the laborers the same rate, beginning with the last and ending with the first. Those who toiled longest expected to receive more, and grumbled when they received the same pay as those who worked less. “These last hardly worked an hour, yet you have treated them the same as us who have endured the day’s burden and heat.” But the owner replied, “Friend, I have not been unjust to you. Did we not agree on one silver coin a day? Don’t I have the right to do as I please with my money? Why be envious of my generosity?”

Reflection

The laborers who grumbled failed to appreciate the generosity of their employer and show gratitude for their livelihood because they had a misplaced sense of justice. Who knows the landowner might have given them extra pay when they were paid last if they had not grumbled but expressed their gratitude and appreciation instead?

We cannot compare the world’s standard of fairness to God’s brand of justice. This is evident in the benevolent landowner who decided that a living wage must be paid his workers not so much for the length of time rendered, but more importantly for them to be able to support their family’s needs in a way consistent with human dignity.

In this parable, the landowner clearly represents God, and the vineyard as His kingdom. The twin lessons that our Lord wants to impart here is that 1) salvation does not come in different degrees, but is the same for all men; and 2) it is by God’s grace that His workers are rewarded, just as it is by grace that we serve Him in the first place. The question is not how God qualifies or rewards those who work for His kingdom, but how we respond to the challenge to serve Him when His invitation comes. We must all be ready to grasp the opportunity for service, and rejoice in whatever reward is forthcoming. God alone knows the value of every individual’s service for His kingdom. But we can rest assured that when the rewards come from our gracious Lord, they will not only be just, but generous.

Try Me in this, says the Lord of hosts: if I do not open the floodgates of heaven, to pour down blessings upon you without measure (Mal. 3:10). Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Matthew 10: 24-33
Gn 49:29-33; 50:15-24 / Ps 105

Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
(Matthew 10:31)

When trials come, and strifes won’t cease,
We sometimes doubt if God is near;
It’s simply faith that brings us peace,
Restores our hope and conquers fear!

Jesus said, “A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. . . Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. ‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10: 24-33)

Reflection

What our Lord Jesus is telling us in today’s Gospel is that the only thing to fear in our life is being separated from the love of God. As long as we are in His good graces, fear should have no place in our heart. Of course this is easier said than done, because being human, we have the tendency to be anxious or afraid about many things in life. But Jesus assures us that we are precious in the eyes of God, far more than any of His creatures on earth. And for as long as we acknowledge Him as the Central Figure in our life, then He will increase our faith, and our stronger faith will drive away all fears.

Jesus’ enemies tried to malign Him with the lie that His powers were of Beelzebul. But He assures us that we have nothing to fear from liars, because the Truth will always prevail. “Nothing covered will not be uncovered, nothing secret that will not become known.” A foolish member of our fitness club, too monied for his own good, thinks that he can hide his extramarital affair from his wife. Another older and wiser member commented, “You can never hide smoke when you’re building a fire.” And guess who’s going to get burned later on? And even if he’s smart enough not to get caught, the fun or pleasure can’t be worth the constant fear of being discovered. And that fear is nothing compared to the fear the fellow should have of “Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Fear and anxiety are unnecessary baggages that we can discard if we only strive to live a life of truth. Peace reigns in a person with a clear conscience. Nothing in this world can give us true peace (or happiness); it can only come from being righteous in the eyes of God.

Teach us, Lord, never to be in fear of anything as long as we abide by all Your laws. Keep us from ever falling into sin so that we will never be anxious or afraid again. Trusting in Your loving mercy, keep us always pure and obedient. Amen.