Linggo, October 20, 2013. Ang Mabuting Balita (Lukas 18:1-8) Homily #1 1 Isinalaysay ni Jesus ang isang talinhaga upang ituro sa kanila na dapat silang laging manalangin at huwag mawalan ng pag-asa. 2 Sinabi niya, Sa isang lunsod ay may isang hukom na walang takot sa Diyos at walang iginagalang na tao. 3 Sa lunsod ding iyon ay may isang biyuda. Lagi siyang pumupunta sa hukom at sinasabi, Bigyan po ninyo ako ng katarungan sa aking usapin. 4 Tinanggihan siya ng hukom sa loob ng mahabang panahon, ngunit nang magtagal ay sinabi ng hukom sa sarili, Kahit akoy walang takot sa Diyos at walang iginagalang na tao, 5 ibibigay ko na ang katarungang hinihingi ng biyudang ito, sapagkat lagi niya akong ginagambala at baka mainis pa ako sa kapupunta niya rito. 6 At nagpatuloy ang Panginoon, Pakinggan ninyo ang sabi ng masamang hukom na iyon. 7 Ngayon, ipagkakait kaya ng Diyos ang katarungan sa mga minamahal niya na dumaraing sa kanya araw-gabi? Sila kayay paghihintayin niya nang matagal? 8 Sinasabi ko sa inyo, agad niyang ibibigay sa kanila ang katarungan. Ngunit sa pagbabalik ng Anak ng Tao sa daigdig na ito, may makikita pa kaya siyang mga taong sumasampalataya sa kanya? Homily #1 Pagmumuni-muni: “Makulit ka ba?” Kapag 20 años raw ang babae, ganito ang dasal: “Lord, bigyan mo naman ako ng mapapangasawa. ‘Yung pogi at mayaman ha.” Kapag 25 años naman, ganito ang dasal: “Lord, bigyan mo ako ng mapapangasawa ha. Kahit hindi mayaman basta may trabaho please”. Kapag 30 na, ganito raw: “Lord, please bigyan Mo po ako ng mapapangasawa. Kahit hindi pogi basta mabait, okay na.” At kapag 35 at pataas na ang edad, ganito ang dasal: “Lord, naman, kahit na sino, ibigay Mo na.” Papaano kaya kung hindi naibigay ang matagal mo ng hinihiling sa pagdarasal? Ano ang gagawin mo? Isang bata ang malapit ng magbirthday at hiniling niya kay Hesus na sana ay regaluhan siya ng isang iPad. Araw-gabi siyang nananalangin at nagsisimba bawat Linggo upang hingin sa Diyos ang hiling niyang birthday gift. Laking pagkadismaya niya sapagkat tila nagbibingi-bingihan ang Diyos sa kanyang panalangin. Malapit na ang kaarawan nya at walang senyales na may gadget na darating. Noong bespiras ng birthday nya ay nagkaroon ng kaunting kaguluhan sa Simbahan. Nawawala ang estatwa ng Mahal na Birhen na isasama sana sa prusisyon! Sa halip ay isang sulat ang nakita ng kura paroko sa lugar na pinagpapatungan ng estatwa. Binasa niya ang sulat at ganito ang nakasaad. Padz, pakisabi kay Kuya Jesus na... kapag hindi Nya ibinigay ang hiling kong iPad ay hindi ko rin ibabalik ang nanay Nya! Kahanga-hanga ang simpleng pananampalataya ng babae at ng bata sa kuwento. Ang araw-araw nilang pagsusumamo na sana ay maipagkaloob sa kanila ang kanilang hinihiling ay nagpapakita lamang ng katotohanang sinasabi sa Ebanghelyo ngayon: huwag tayong manghinawa sa ating panalangin at paghingi sa Diyos ng ating mga kinakailangan. Kung minsan ay nagtatagal ang Diyos sa pagsagot sa ating mga kahilingan. Kung minsan ay iba ang sagot Niya sa ating mga kahilingan, Hindi ito dahilan upang panghinaan tayo sa ating paghingi. Mas madaling tanggapin ang kasagutan ng Diyos kung ito ay hinihingi ng isang puso na marunong magpasalamat. Kapag kaya nating pasalamatan ang Diyos sa mabuti at masamang kaganapan sa ating buhay ay mas madaling matanggap anuman ang ibibigay Niya sa atin. Kaya nga bago humingi ay dapat marunong muna tayong magpasalamat sa Kanya! Humiling tayo ng may pagpupursigi at pagpapakumbaba. Kung minsan ay sinusubukan lamang Niya ang ating pananampataya. Kung ang masamang hukom sa talinhaga ay pinagbigyan ang kahilingan ng babaeng balo ay paano pa kaya ang ating Diyos na lubos ang kabutihan! Kaya wag tayong magsawang humingi lalo na kung ito ay makabubuti sa ating kapwa at hindi lamang para sa ating sariling kapakanan. Hindi natin pwedeng madaliin ang Diyos. May sarili Siyang panahon. Pero pwede natin siyang kulitin. Huwag tayong magsawang kulitin ang Diyos sapagkat gusto Niya ang ganitong uri ng panalangin. Sa pamamagitan ng ating mapursiging pananalangin ay malayo ang ating mararating at maraming kaluluwa ang ating maililigtas! Nakipagkulitan ka na ba sa Diyos? (Sinipi mula sa mga dahon ng Homiliya ng mga pari. Kung ito’y nakabuti sayo, pwede mong ibahagi sa iba upang lumaganap ang Ebanghelyo.) Homily # 2 There were researches and studies since the mid 1990’s made by scientists in some universities of U.S.A. on the effects of prayer on health. The results of the research are very interesting. In May 1999 the Demography magazine published the findings of studies about the effects of prayer. The study was carried out on 22,000 people over nine years. Those who attend church weekly live 10% longer than those who do not. Recently Duke University released the results of a study on 4,000 people over the age of 65. Those who prayed regularly had significantly lower blood pressure than those who did not. Those who attended religious services had healthier immune systems. More findings from Duke University and from Dartmouth and Yale Universities show that people in hospital who never attend church regularly have an average stay in hospital three times longer than those who do attend church regularly. Elderly people who never or rarely attend church have a stroke rate almost double that of those who do go to church. Studies in Israel show that religious people have a 40% lower death rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer. So the data is there, the secret is out of the bag, prayer works. The Gospel today speaks about praying always and praying without ceasing. Why did Jesus say that we have to pray always and without ceasing? Jesus knew that prayer is good for us, we had to wait almost 2000 years for the scientists to discover the same but Jesus knew and so he emphasized the importance of prayer. There are many other reasons why Jesus said to keep on praying. Sometimes when we pray for something our intentions are not always good. Sometimes our intentions in prayer are selfish and need to be purified and by praying for some request over a long time our intention is purified. Often you would hear sick people who went to places where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared, like Lourdes, say that although they did not receive physical healing they received the grace of acceptance. And also the problem with many of us is that we stop praying when our prayers are not answered or when our prayers are already answered. Unlike St. Monica, she prayed always for the conversion of her son St. Augustine until his conversion and even until her death. I read something like this that St. Monica lived in Tagaste in North Africa which is called Algeria today. Monica and her husband Patricius had three children, Augustine, Navigius and Perpetua. Navigius was always a good son, and Perpetua became a nun and abbess. But Augustine was different. As a teenager he was influenced by the loose living of his companions. When he was studying in Carthage he decided to take a mistress. Augustine was, as we would say now, such a brat that he even once said to Monica his mother that there would be no problems between them if she gave up her faith! After that Monica was so desperate that she went to a bishop who advised her to be patient. From then on she stayed as close as possible to Augustine and she prayed and fasted for his conversion. When Augustine was 29 he moved to Rome to teach rhetoric and then he moved to Milan where he received a position teaching rhetoric. Monica moved to Milan after him. Augustine often heard Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, preaching and this is probably what sowed the seed of faith in his heart. All the prayers of his mother Monica for his conversion were now beginning to be heard after many years of seemingly being unheard. Augustine began to study the New Testament and especially Paul. He was close to being baptized but could not take a decisive step. His soul was crying out for conversion but his body said no! “Lord make me chaste but not yet” describes Augustine at this stage. The turning point came when one day Augustine read a passage from Rom 13:13-14 “put on the Lord Jesus and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.” Augustine described in his Confessions telling his mother that his struggle was over. She leaped for joy and understood that God had given Augustine more than she had begged. Augustine was baptized by Bishop Ambrose of Milan and he and Monica decided to return to North Africa. While waiting in Ostia, the port of Rome, to catch a boat back home, Monica said to Augustine, “I have no further delight in anything in this life…There was one thing for which I desired to linger a little while in this life, that I should see you a Catholic Christian before I died…Why am I still here?” Five days later Monica caught a fever and went into a coma and died after nine days. Augustine devotes many passages of his Confessions to his mother and all he owed her. Augustine went on to become a priest at the age of 36 and a bishop at the age of 41 and was Bishop of Hippo in North Africa for 35 years. One example of the influence Augustine has on the Church is that in the Catechism of the Catholic Church there are more quotations from Augustine than from any other writer. And all of this is due to the persistent prayer of his mother St Monica. It is not easy to pray without ceasing. In fact it is not easy to pray at all. When you find yourself in such a situation, try these different kinds of prayer called ACTSS or Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication and Silence. BANGON BOL-ANON!!!! Gina & Allan
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 17:34:54 +0000
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