Our Call

For flesh and blood[d] has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

13 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi[a] he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist,[b] others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 [c]Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood[d] has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,[e] and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.[f] Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”-Matthew16:13-19

Today is the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. They have sacrificed much for the propagation of the Christian faith. As Jesus called these two men for the ministry, Jesus calls us too to continue the ministry in anyway we can - as priests, religious men and women, and as lay members. What can we do? What does God want us to do for others? How can we spread and share Christ?

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Reject or Accept?

Miracles happen everyday.

24 And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. 25 [a]Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. 26 [b]It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. 29 They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went away.-Luke4:24-30

Elijah and Elisha are two prophets of the Old that inspired me. The widow of Zarephath and her son are about to die because of the famine. All that is left is a small amount of oil and a little amount of flour enough to make a last meal. However, Elijah asked for their generosity, and in turn asked God that the "jug of oil never run dry, and the jar of flour never run empty" during the famine years. Elisha cured Naaman, a great soldier inflicted with leprosy, and that disease is known to be incurable for a long time. Two stories of hope and miracle. God will always send people to help us. But what will be our reaction? Are we going to reject help? Or, are we going to accept it even if it meant depriving ourselves?

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Self-sacrificing

Flexibility.

30 The apostles[a] gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. 31 [b]He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. 32 So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 33 People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.34 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.-Mark6:30-34

One mentor once mentioned that I was a "Black and White" person. If it's time to work, then I'll work. If it's time to rest, then I'll rest. But when "gray areas" occur (like a sudden change of schedule), I'm easily disoriented and sometimes peeved. The Gospel reading spoke of the apostle's return from their missionary work. Since Jesus was aware of their journey and tiredness, He gave them rest. But because of the number of people, no rest happened nor a time to eat. Going to a deserted place, they found people still waiting for them. Will there be rest? No. But instead of getting irritated or disappointed, Jesus was touched and moved with pity. Instead of resting, He taught them many things. Jesus is inviting us all to grow in patience and understanding. Sometimes, our personal needs are nothing compared to the needs of others.

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Center Stage

He must increase. I must decrease.

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”[a]-John3:22-30

The Gospel reading is all about one thing: HUMILITY. The voice of humility easily dies away when one succumbs to greed, power, fame and ambition. "Why should I give it up?" "Why must I go away and give my power to another?" Such are the thoughts of one who cannot let go of worldly prestige.

In our local town, a family dynasty was thriving. The mother or the son was elected to be the town mayor. Some say that they are not really "working" but are just passing their work to a "little mayor" who did everything for them. The mayor promised a supporter that she is willing to pass on the power to this supporter since she has held on to the position for a great many years already. Then, quite suddenly, the mayor changed her mind. Rather than giving the power to the supporter, she forced her son to replace her as mayor. Yes, honor is lost. Giving others a chance to serve, is lost. There is only greed, power, fame, money, prestige and ambition to be considered.

John the Baptist reached the "rock star" status also. Once upon a time, he was thought of as a Messiah or The Prophet. But he remained humble. Then Jesus came. Instead of John holding on to his followers and not giving up his position, he humbly submitted himself and was willing to bow out and decrease so that Jesus will increase. John was willing to exit so that Jesus - The Bridegroom - will take the center stage. When did we show true humility in our lives?

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Ministry continues

Love God and one's neighbor.

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[a]

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.-Luke4:14-22

Jesus shares the ministry on us all. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us too, and has bestowed us with gifts necessary to do the work He entrusted to us. Yes, we too must proclaim good news to the poor. And the poor is not only found in the streets, but is also found everywhere like in broken families. Jesus sends us to proclaim freedom for the prisoners. And the prisoners are not only found behind bars, but are also seen everywhere like those who were prisoners of addiction, or those trapped in an abusive and/or violent relationships. Jesus sends us to recover and restore the sight of the blind. And the blind is not only those without eyesight, but also found everywhere like those who lost sight of what is good and bad. Jesus sends us to free the oppressed. And the oppressed can be the men and women who toil hard for meager pay. Yes, 2015 is a year of the Lord's favor on us all. The Lord's favor, however, may come in different forms and guises. Are we open to receive God's favor in our life?

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Where to?

The ministry continues.

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles—

16 the people living in darkness

have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death

a light has dawned.”[a]

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,[b] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.-Matthew4:12-17,23-25

I cannot help but compare the way Jesus withdrew and how we - ordinary people of the world - withdraw. When Jesus withdrew to Galilee, the ministry continues. He preached, taught, proclaimed the Good News, healed the sick, freed the demon-possessed, and so many miracles and wonders. But what about us? When we withdraw from the world or from loved ones because we are pained or hurt, who benefited from it? Did we also learn how to forgive? Does moving on mean carrying the anger and hatred to the grave? Does moving on mean forgetting the circumstances but remembering the pain always? Jesus is teaching us the right way to withdraw - and it doesn't mean shutting everybody out of our life. Rather, it is facing the present with Him to help us.

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