There is power in the familiarity of the cross. These are
the words of Fr. John Korapi in his talk about pain and suffering. He said that
there are no shortcuts although what he went through he wouldn't wish on
anybody and what he is doing right now he won't be able to do if he hadn't been
through what he went through. God permits evil for a greater good. He said that
on the day after the wake of the 9/11 tragedy there were no records of any
abortion in New York
at that time. The pain of the cross is essential and can't get away or escape
from it. When we look at the Son of God crucified on the cross we see evil and
cruelty but through it we were all saved. The gate of heaven was closed when
our 1st parents (Adam & Eve) fell into sin. In Gen 3:23-24 "The LORD
God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from
which he had been taken. When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the
garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to
guard the way to the tree of life." The price of sin is death but through
the death of Jesus we were once again given access to heaven. The cross is the
way to power and victory. We have to fight a good fight all the way to the end.
There is an unbelievable power in the cross which is a conduit of grace.
Today's readings prepare for us the most sanctified and holiest week ever known
to mankind, the week that changed the world. We don’t call any other week all
throughout the year, holy only this week. It is a week like no other. This is
where our attention should be fixed, on Jesus giving up Himself for the
institution of Holy priesthood and servanthood by suffering, dying and rising
from the dead. It is written that on the day Jesus died, the veil in the temple
of the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom. If this was done by a person
the tear could have been from bottom to top considering the thickness of the
veil but God was the one who rent that veil from top to bottom. This is to tell
us that He no longer dwell in the sanctuary but in the body of Jesus and became
the temple of God Jerusalem
as a lamb without blemish to be sacrificed in the eyes of Israel . He goes beyond to a New
Jerusalem which opened for us the frontier from earth to heaven. The word of
God never fails. It has always been a source of enlightenment, assurance and encouragement
especially at times when we needed it the most. It has been consistently living
up to what it stands for from Ephesians 6:17 as sword of the Spirit. Also in
Hebrews 4:12, "Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper
than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and
marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart." We can
always prove this to be true if we will constantly consult the word of God in
the daily readings, we will find that it always perfectly fits the situation
that we are presently in for we have a God who knows everything that is going
on with us, is always around and never leaves us.
Only to God should we rely for all our needs. If at the end
of it all, when we've exerted our efforts and placed our best foot forward,
still things do not work the way we expected and planned it to be then be at
peace knowing that God has no boundaries and the real best is yet to come. God
surpasses all bests and always have something great in store for us. The
ignorance of our faith is ignorance about Jesus. Today’s 1st reading
also tells us the prophecy of the passion as foretold 500 years or more before
the time of Jesus and give us an account of Judas’ betrayal. We are confronted
with the fact that there are very troubling aspects that go with sin. We can
see in Matthew 16:22 that the apostles were distressed. In John’s gospel
there’s an account of deep emotions that troubled Jesus whenever He encounters
death and betrayal. We’ve also experienced this in our own lives especially
when people intentionally deceive us. These could be very disturbing but the
Good News is that Jesus’ passion is about to conquer evil and death. We should
take note that in both accounts of Matthew and John’s gospel this betrayal when
satan entered the mind of Judas happened at the Feast of the Passover. This is
also the time when Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and taught the apostles
of this Most Blessed Sacrament. The Eucharist is the heart of our faith and the
very foundation of Jesus’ work. It is the goal of satan to attack our
Eucharistic faith and take us away from it. Satan wanted to influence us and
make us abandon this great sacrament that Jesus Himself instituted at the Last
Supper. When we leave God we will succumb to another power. This is what satan
is watching out for in order to maneuver his entrance into our hearts by using
greed and lust. We must not lose sight of the cross because it is where the
glory of God is revealed. It is made manifest in the love of the Son. Death is
conquered by life eternal in the revelation of glory through obedience to the
Father’s will. Satan is conquered. In John’s gospel we can see the betrayal of
Judas in contrast with Peter’s denial. It is an interesting contrast because
Judas betrays him, deeply regrets and tries to repent but what’s lacking was
the return to our Lord. Peter turns back to Jesus while Judas despairs. He did
not accept God’s mercy. We’re all sinners but do we repent and turn back or do
we keep going along the path of sin. Often times in our confessions we have
repeated sins but the beauty of confession is that we keep on turning back to the
Lord. We keep the hope alive through the sacrament that gives us the grace to
keep coming back to our Lord. Though, we never want to commit sin, It’s a
terrible thing to sin because it is a betrayal of Jesus. Let us pray that we
continue to have faith in Him and accept His mercy. This reminds me of the
Catholicism lecture by Atty. Jess Moya in St. Martha's Church about the
principle of "Sola Fide" or faith alone. The title of the talk is
"Rebutting the principle of protestantism:"Faith alone" (Sola
Fide). The speaker said that as Catholic Christians we have a responsibility to
spread the word of God and impart it to as many people as possible. We are
encouraged to know more about our faith and not be complacent. There is big
responsibility in our hands to not just accept things as they come but be able
to handle and understand it well. It can build up our confidence in God and
love Him best. It has become my offering to the Lord that I write my personal
reflections of the daily bible readings. As I commit this daily to the Lord I
have always prayed that someday I can announce these same words in today's 1st
reading. Amen. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 50:4-9
...I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my
beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting ...The Lord GOD is my
help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that
I shall not be put to shame. 8 He is near who upholds my right; if anyone
wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him
confront me. 9 See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?
The following are the main thoughts discussed in the said
talk.
I. Man needs to be saved because of his fallen nature. (Rom
7:21-24 & CCC 1949)
-Man is dominated by greed, pride and lust (CCC 407 & 1
Jn 5:19 ) The devil has acquired a certain domination (Gal 5:19) and we are
engaged in a battle that has been won but does not stop there since we have to
always put on our guard for the enemy does not rest. He called the whole
process of being saved as "justification" .
II. "Man is
saved by God's grace alone based on CCC 1996.
-The question is how does the grace of God become an active
part of our life or "by what are we justified?" The example he gave
here was a newborn baby who is baptized. A baby has not merited anything yet
but is saved by the mere act of being baptized. He mentioned about Martin
Luther's despair about his salvation which led him to formulate the doctrine of
justification by "Faith alone"
He misunderstood the Bible passage Rom 3:28 which mentioned faith alone apart
from works of the law. Paul in this letter to the Romans was pertaining to the
Jewish Law which is being practiced during their time like circumcision,
washing of the hands and the like which are practices that can not really
justify a person. Faith alone doctrine states that justification simply means
being "delared righteous" We can not just be declared righteous but
be made righteous by not continuing to sin.
III. Justification actually means being "made
righteous" i.e. it entails the sanctification of his whole being (CCC
1989, 1990, &1995) We are justified not by faith alone nor by works alone.
Justification has its stages i.e. initial and progressive. Initial justification
takes place at our baptism. We still have a tendency to backslide and during
the hour of death is the period of intense spiritual battle over our soul. That
is why we need to mature in our faith.
IV. Certainty of Salvation
"Once saved, always saved?" If we believe in this it tends to put off our
guard. (1 Jn 5:13-14) We should say instead "I know I am saved, still
being saved and will continue to be saved." Justification is a life long process as
stated by Paul in 1 Cor. 4:3-5, 9:27. In Phil 2:12 Paul also encouraged us to
work out our salvation with fear and trembling. For the enemy is waging war on
us and we need to be very aware of this and claim God's protection over us at
all times. (Eph.6:11-12)
V. Epistles against works?
There have been some misunderstanding of the following bible
verses:
Rom. 3:28 (Obedience of faith) We know we are saved, still
being saved and will continue to be saved as stated by Paul in 1 Cor. 4:3-5,
9:27. In Phil 2:12 Paul also encouraged us to work out our salvation with fear
and trembling. For the enemy is waging war on us and we need to be very aware
of this and claim God's protection over us at all times. (Eph.6:11-12) When Martin
Luther based his belief on faith alone on this specific verse he failed to see
that Paul in addition to what he said was attacking the Jews with regards to
their ceremonial laws and that it’s not enough to just hear the law but to
observe it. (Rom 4:5 Total adherence) An example he gave was attending the mass
not just as an obligation but with the heart. Consider it a privilege and do it
for the love of God. He said we are saved by grace not by works but we obtain
the grace of God by good works and the motive is mercy (Eph. 2:8-9 and Titus
3:5)
VI. Epistles supporting "Works"
Here are several bible passages cited to us by Atty. Moya
that support the need for us to cooperate and work with God. James 2: 14-22
& 24 say that faith without action is dead. From the gospel of Matthew:
What must I do to be saved? (Mt. 19:16-21) When the rich man asked this
question he was told to keep the commandments and he said he already did so
Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor for he is very
attached to his possessions that he has to let go of all attachments. We are
also called to keep our fire burning for the Lord so that we don't end up like
the 5 virgins in the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Mt 25:1-13. The same
principle applies with the Parable of the Talents or Silver pieces that we have
to cultivate the goodness in ourselves and let it grow. It is also very clear
from Mt. 25 31-46 which mentions about the last judgment that we can not just
accept the Grace of salvation but need to do our part, too since it is specifically
stated that whatever we have failed to do will go to eternal punishment. Also
it is stated in Mt 7:21-27 that we need to live His words because not everybody
who says "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven for there is a need
to turn away from our wrongdoings. He said that there is no dichotomy between
Christ and His doctrine. If we really believe in God then we also need to do
what He teaches. The will of God will never take us to where the grace of God
will not protect us. God knows exactly and with perfection what is being
allowed to happen to us in our lives at this precise moment. God's purpose for
us is simply perfect. He wants to show us things that only we can understand by
living what we are living and by being in the place we are now. In the midst of
all these unsightly things there should always be a burning flame of hope that
God will never forsake nor abandon. We should always maintain our confidence in
God and never lose hope and courage in the great love that God has for us. The
ignorance of our faith is ignorance about Jesus. We may sometimes think that
evangelization is just work for the priests and the religious. It is not
limited to them but anyone who is baptized should take on this responsibility.
JFK said, "Here on earth, God's work must truly be our own." Nothing
should ever stop us from being part of the work of God. God made man in His own
image and likeness. (Gen 1:26) In this context we need to define personhood
well and know the perils of limited definition. It could be classified into 2
definitions, nominal and real. Nominal definition of personhood is decided by
man. It is approaching something that we don't know but we already have the
answer. We make decisions and play God. The dangers of this definition of a
person are:
1. nominal- when we deny to identify a person as a real person. Example is
abortion, when doctors deny the fact that at the moment of conception a person
already exists. 2. real but limited - We do not deny but identify them as persons but with lesser worth like the sick and terminally ill. Just because they are old, weak and sick they deserve to die as in the case of euthanasia.
3. full and real but limited - Kills people as in the Holocaust.
The whole principle involved here is discovery and deciding. When our approach is discovery then we are being lead to the events in our life with a sense of total surrender, trust and faith in the Lord's
We should ascribe to the real definition of personhood. It answers the question what, how and what is it meant to be. Our approach in life to achieve faith and righteousness is by discovery and through an authentic Christian life. It is discovery in the sense that we are open to the intention and purpose of God for us. With a seeking and expectant faith we should allow God to lead us in discovering what is ahead of us and prepared by God. The approach should be in a manner of discovering what God's intention is and respecting it. Checklist of Evangelization.
1. Do we see God as the Primary agent?
God is the Primary Agent of Evangelization. It is not about us but about God.
2. Do we see Evangelization as everyone's responsibility?
We must not end up like the
3. Do we communicate God's love?
4. Is total human betterment part of the ministry?
5. Do we respect other traditions?
God does not take sides. There is an equal opportunity for all but we have to make sure that we are on God's side. We need to rid ourselves of any triumphant or arrogant attitude towards people of other faith. The Abrahamic religion has a common denominator which is belief in God. We are not the sole professor of truth. We need to listen for God's revelation from others, too not only from us.
6. Does our love go beyond Catholic borders?
The
7. Is our approach ecumenical?
We do not have the monopoly of God because the Good News has no border and dealt with a common faith.
8. Do we use all available media?
The best media is our own life, no need for TV. The example of how we live our life is the best means to evangelize. Walk the talk.
9. Do we fully utilize existing groups?
Ministries that renew and energize members.
10. What is our total image?
We've got to maintain a wholesome image unlike the Crusaders, though they were able to convert many to the faith, the spread of the Good News was carried out using the sword or violence.
We must take extra care in projecting the right image as
Good Messengers of the Good News. We should not have any fear or hesitation in
carrying out the task that the Lord has given us. In our commitment to
follow the Lord there are times when we encounter disappointments. We can say
that serving God is not lying on a bed of roses, though God rewards those who
obey Him we have to realize that we too must share in the passion of Christ if
we truly are His followers. For we know that the Lord in His great love, is always there for
us. What matters most is that we always call on God and allow His saving
power to rescue us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34R: Lord, in your great love, answer me.
7 [8] For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. 8 [9] I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons, 9 [10] because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me. (R) 20 [21] Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak, I looked for sympathy, but there was none; for consolers, not one could I find. 21 [22] Rather they put gall in my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (R) 30 [31] I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving 32 [33] “See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! 33 [34] For the LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
Though, Jesus knows the outcome of our actions and even
warned Judas in the following words: “It would be better for that man if he had
never been born.” He said this within the context of His hope on the slightest
probability of Judas to listen to His warning and not betray Him. The
implication of His response, when Judas his betrayer said in reply "Surely
it is not I, Rabbi?" and answered, "You have said so.", is that
Jesus will always respect our decisions and He will never be an imposing God.
He will always give us the benefit of the doubt. No matter what destiny has
brought us, we always have a choice and the freedom to decide. We are no
different from Judas whenever we succumb to impatience. Judas may have gotten
impatient with the existing condition of their life at that time. He was
thinking that he needed to act aggressively in order to achieve his end at all
cost. We may not realize it but we sometimes succumb to the same attitude of
Judas when we resort to means that are clearly not pleasing to God. We need to
stay firm in our conviction and faith in God. "Life is God's gift to us.
What we make of it is our gift back to God. We only pass this way once. We
better know life's reason and purpose. Our ultimate happiness depends on it.
Life is a terrible thing to waste. At the end of the day, we should all leave
this world a better place than the way we found it." Judas could have been
saved or maybe he is. We actually never know for we are not here to judge
people and say who is saved or not. The grace of God is so great that we really
never know. But apart from it, what we should really be concerned about is the
truth that we are called to cooperate in God's saving grace. Have faith working
in love (Gal. 5:6; Cor 13:1-3) In conclusion it is said that we are saved by
God's grace alone through faith that works in love. Amen. Hallelujah!
Matthew 26:14-25
14 One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to
the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him
over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, 16 and from that time on
he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. 17 On the first day of the Feast
of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you
want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city
to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws
near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” ’ ” 19
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. 20 When
it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were
eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 Deeply
distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is
not I, Lord?” 23 He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish
with me is the one who will betray me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is
written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It
would be better for that man if he had never been born.” 25 Then Judas, his
betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have
said so.”
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