Jesus sends his disciples to announce the Good News of God’s Kingdom and cast out demons and heal the sick. With a great deal of trust and courage they obey Jesus and venture into the unknown. They take nothing and go two by two in their mission. The disciple is never alone as the Lord chooses another to accompany him. Because of their “yes” the Lord’s message spreads and the world begins to change.
Evaluating the dismal results, a parish evangelization team realizes that focusing on mission logistics leads to the message becoming buried. Getting engrossed with the means leads to neglect of the Good News!
Fidelity to the core of our baptism allows God to carry out His mission through us. We don’t have to worry about material needs. The almighty opens the hearts of believers to provide for His preachers. The important thing is to obey the Lord and proclaim the Good News. We preach His Cross and find consolation and joy in our trials.
We accomplish God’s work as community and always with reference to His will to preach the Kingdom of God. In His name, we cast out demons and heal the sick!
Heavenly Father, we do not rely on human resources in our ministry. You will always provide for whatever it takes to be Your humble and faithful disciples. We trust You in word and deed as one Body of Christ, united in spirit and in truth. We receive communion with fervor and allow You to make us channels of Your healing love so that others may find hope, freedom and life in the Kingdom You prepare for all of us.
Brothers and sisters, we witness to the joy of the Gospel in word and in deed. Amen.
Days before the departure for our Parish Mission in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur, I made sure that all I need were in my ‘bags’. I doubled checked my things to be sure that I have not forgotten anything. My bags were full and heavy as I loaded them into our mission vehicle. When I arrived in the area, I realized that I brought a lot of useless things.
At home and at school, I was trained to be prepared and self-sufficient. Hence, it became natural to me to make myself ready, prepared for anything to happen, and independent.
Yet, Jesus reminded his Apostles to bring what was only most essential as they were sent to cure the illnesses of the people, to bring life and forgiveness, to bring blessing and peace to many homes.
I find this quite harsh and truly difficult. However, there is wisdom behind the words of Jesus. Our desire to be prepared, to be independent and self-sufficient would sometimes come from our deep anxiety of what would come next.
But what if a circumstance would not allow us to have any preparation? What if an event would surprisingly come and we have nothing to bring but go ahead with nothing? Surely, this will make us insecure and helpless.
This reminds me of Joseph who was stripped of anything he had. He was sold as a slave to the Egyptians by his own brothers. He was seduced by the wife of his master and then, imprisoned unjustly. He was forgotten in the prison for 13 years.
Nonetheless, Joseph remained faithful and trustful to God despite those terrible and horrible events in the life. Joseph remained calm and discerning as a person. As Joseph had nothing with him in his journey to Egypt as a slave, Joseph also did not hold any grudges and bitterness in his heart. He did not let his anger, resentment and hatred to burden and overpower him and prevent him from discovering and doing what God prepared for him. This is how Joseph found himself to be the savior of his own family and of many peoples when famine hit the world. God prepared him for this so that in Joseph, forgiveness shall be granted and life shall be given.
Jesus invites us today also, as he urged also his disciples in the Gospel, to take what is most essential in life by having a childlike trust in the providence of God. We are called to get rid of our unnecessary baggage behind whether physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual so that we will be able to welcome the goodness of God through other people.
This is the reason why Jesus told the Apostles not bring anything so that they too will be able to welcome the generosity of God through the generosity of the people. Joseph was also grateful for those people who helped him and especially to the Pharaoh who gave him freedom and responsibility to bring life to many peoples.
Let us allow ourselves then, to be helped by others. In return, let us also allow ourselves to be of help to those who are in need so that through us, God’s generosity will overflow. In this way, we shall be able to bring healing, life, forgiveness and peace into our homes and communities. Hinaut pa.
As He returns to heaven Jesus wants us to be His voice, His hands and His feet. He wants us to continue His work in the world. Often we are half-hearted, doing just enough to get by. This is not what Jesus wants. He tasks us to teach others all that He teaches us! What He freely gives to us, we are to freely give to everyone. Why does Jesus go from one town to another announcing the Good News? So many grope blindly in the darkness. They need Jesus. They need us to speak about Jesus and give Him to them. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the Apostles fearlessly go to the streets to proclaim Jesus. Their example edify us and their zeal is a blessing to us!
Too often we follow what’s popular in our society. The media gives us experts who see religion as out-of-style and proudly attract attention to themselves and forget God. We’d rather trust ordinary people who think religion is important. They have no degrees but know they need God and urge us to go to God and pray. A poor mother often teaches her children more about God than expert professors. It is simple mothers who believe and tell their children to help those in need as Jesus teaches. It is the hard-working families who keep the faith alight in the deepening darkness around us. Many say they don’t know enough theology to discuss it. You don’t need to discuss. Simply invite others to come to Mass with you and pray. Then, introduce them to the Pastor. God will do the rest!
Heavenly Father, we tend to avoid what is good if it seems to threaten peace. We tend to keep quiet about injustice or wrongdoing of a co-worker. We close our eyes to abuse and lack of accountability of a community leader as it is the politically right thing to do. Our silence means giving consent. We are sheep going astray. We are sorry. Remind us to be faithful to our calling and persevere in our work for You. You want us to be firm in Your ways. You want us to be right in Your eyes, never to compromise our Christian values just so we will be politically right to the majority. It’s never enough to find Jesus. You also want us to bring Him to others with courage. Help us bear witness to Him by truly living out our faith. Make us zealous witnesses among our peers in every life situation!
Father, You want us to share in Your work and be part of Your cause. Strengthen our dedication to Your work without bending the truth. Make us instruments of Your plan to save everyone. You command us, “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News”.
Blessed are we, brothers and sisters, if we respond, “Here I am, send me, Lord!”
Somehow these insights and thoughts offer us much deeper meaning and appreciation of our faith in the Lord’s resurrection. Easter proclaims the Lord has indeed risen. And this would mean that our risen Lord is not only alive in us but also He is not finished yet. After his death, then, and in His resurrection, His mission for our salvation was just getting started, not yet finished, and is still work in-progress. His suffering and death must have finished already, but our salvation through Him is still going on. Ours is a salvation story with the risen Lord, not of sad “endings and goodbyes” but rather of hopeful “beginning and to be continued”. Easter thus proclaims the risen Lord is not finished yet, and still just getting started. So Abangan, Be ready. There are yet more to happen and much better to yet to come in our Christian lives from now on and beyond.
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension during Easter season. As what was described in our readings today, church tradition has it that forty days after the risen Christ have made Himself known appeared to the Apostles and stayed with them, given them many proofs of the resurrection, worked many miracles and had spoken to them and taught them of the Kingdom of God, the risen Lord now brought them into a high mountain. There, Jesus gave them his last words, blessed them, and he was lifted before their eyes, and a cloud received Him taken out of their sight. Such event is now what we Christians believe and proclaim the second glorious mystery: the Ascension of the Lord – the risen Jesus Christ has ascended into heaven, and seated at the right hand of the Father.
Perhaps the best way to appreciate its meaning is to see the Lord’s Ascension, not from what had happened to Jesus and his disciples but from what Jesus said to his disciples. As our gospel suggests the Lord’s Ascension is the moment when the risen Lord blessed and commissioned His disciples to be his witnesses to the world and to continue the Mission he had begun. In the Lord’s Ascension, we remember then the event when Jesus has now entrusted to His disciples all the good things he had begun. In other words, Jesus was handing down the responsibilities and sharing on the task of proclaiming the Good News to His disciples. It is just like Jesus saying in these words, “Guys, I have already done my part. This time, rise to the occasion and do your part. Go now, go ahead, move on to the world and proclaim that you are my witnesses and that I have given you the authority to share what you have experienced and learned from me, so that others may also enjoy what have you have enjoyed with me. By the way, don’t forget to believe that I chose, trusted, and have sent you, for we can continue to do great things, if you believe in me and remain in my love. Go now and do your part, for I have already done and yet still doing my part.”
Like Easter message, Lord’s ascension is about our Salvation not as a story of sad “endings and goodbyes” but rather of “beginnings and to be continued.” It is also about not mission-accomplished, but rather “mission still-on going in us & through us”, and “mission-delegated to us” as well. Remember as the risen Lord ascended, the disciples went forth to do their tasks to preach everywhere while the Lord worked with them. Our salvation then is not a one-man operation but rather a joint-team effort, community-endeavor and church mission. And Lord’s ascension also reminds us that our collaborative mission with the risen Lord is not all about looking at the sky but rather about working with our Lord in lifting up our endeavors to our Father.
During Easter season, we are called to believe in the Good News of Lord’s resurrection. Now, as we celebrate His Ascension, we are called to witness our faith in the risen Lord. Now is the time for us, Christians, not to look up but stand up and rise into the occasion and do our part in sharing and living our lives as witnesses to the Good News of Christ’s Redemption.
As Christians, we are and to be God’s gospel to be preached to all nation. Each one of us do have our own special mission in life. It is our responsibility to be what God has intended us to be here in this life now. Do our part in fulfilling our life-mission God called us to be.
So, rise up to the occasion, be responsible for our salvation, work with the risen Lord, take all our chances to preach our gospel of Christ to all nation, and do our part for the future of our salvation in our church nations and the world, especially during these pandemic times. Only then that our Salvation Saga with Christ lives on. So be it. Hinaut pa unta. Kabay pa. Siya nawa. Amen.
You must be familiar with our own inconsistencies like for example, being a devout Christian in the Church but a vicious neighbor at home. Or being a devout Catholic on Sundays, but a corrupt person at work. Or observing faithfully religious devotions and practices but dishonest and unfaithful in our relationships. These are some of our inconsistencies that perhaps where we could ourselves.
To be trapped in this kind of way of life makes us similar to the Pharisees who were only after gaining praise and recognition from others but filled with insecurities and evil intentions deep within. However, being a Christian, to be a Catholic is not just limited with our explicit observation of rituals, doing devotional practices and prayers. Our very identity rests on who God is to us. For us to discover and understand this a bit deeper, let us explore more our readings this Sunday and grasp God’s invitations for us, as Christians and at the same time as citizens.
Prophet Isaiah in our first reading tells us who God is. Twice, Yahweh said, “I am the Lord and there is no other.” It affirms the power of God and that all others are subjected to him. Yahweh is supreme for in Him everything came into being. He is the source of all riches, all things and all life. That is why, King Cyrus of Persia who was considered by the Hebrews at that time, as God’s anointed, was only a subject to God’s power. Cyrus was chosen by God even though Cyrus did not know God.
Thus, our highest praise and worship only belongs to God who has called us and who blessed us with so many things. Our psalm also affirms this as it says, “Give the Lord glory and honor.”
St. Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians gives us the hint on how to give true glory and honor to God. It is through “preaching the Gospel” in words and in deeds. This is our calling, the vocation of every Christian, of every believer of Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel, Jesus reminded us of our identity, duties and responsibilities as we are to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar (which means the Emperor of Rome) but to give God what belongs to God. Yes, we are citizens of this Republic but we are also Christians.
It means that…
We have the duty to give due respect to our political leaders. To support and to cooperate with the leaders of the land. But remember, “they are not gods,” they are not to be worshipped.
Thus, we are called to be responsible citizens of our country by exercising our rights as to vote during elections and even to protest when a law or a leader becomes oppressive to the people.
We are called also to participate and cooperate in ways that will make our society peaceful, harmonious, just and progressive. We are called to do our duties well as citizens and to exercise justice and responsible leadership especially with those who are working in the government.
But remember that we too are Christians. We are called to preach Christ, to preach the Gospel by our life, whoever we are and wherever we are.
Are you a vendor, a driver, a teacher? You are called to preach the Gospel. Are you an engineer, a nurse, doctor, a lawyer? You are called to preach Christ. Are you a Tanod, Brgy Captain, a City Councilor, Mayor, Congressman? You too are called to preach the Gospel and to give glory and honor to God who has blessed you, who gave you influence, your family and friends and all the things you are enjoying now.
Each of us is called to give glory and honor to God by our words, our deeds, through our professions, through our work and role in our society. It is in this way that we will be able to give to God what is due to Him.
This call that we share as Catholic Christians of our country reminds us of what we celebrate today, the World Mission Sunday! This Sunday tells us that we priests, deacons, and religious are not the only ones who are called to preach the Gospel but each one of us. We who experienced and witnessed God’s goodness and mercy are called in the mission of preaching and spreading Christ to all, not just in our words but also in our actions.
This identity makes us different from the rest of other Christian denominations because the call to preach the Gospel of Christ is not only limited in our Eucharistic celebration. My faith and your faith, is not only confined within the walls of our Church for an hour on Sundays.
Our Christian belief, our confidence in the risen Christ calls us to actively participate and to involve ourselves in all aspects of human life and the whole community not just in the spiritual aspect but also in cultural, social, economic and political aspect of life. This is the beauty of being a Christian and a citizen.
May we always remember this and become true Christians in the way we live our life, in the way we perform our work and in the way we relate with others and with one another so that we will be able to give God what truly belongs to Him and become true to our identity as Christians and citizens. Hinaut pa.
A DOSE OF GOD TODAY 