Msgr. Jesus-Romulo C. Rañada
NOURISHED BY GOD’S WORD Sunday Gospel Reflections
YEAR B
PHILIPPINES
NOURISHED BY GOD’S WORD Sunday Gospel Reflections –YEAR B © 2014 Msgr. Jesus-Romulo C. Rañada
Censor Librorum ad casum: Rev. Fr. Reynando Percival S. Flores Imprimatur: Most Rev. Antonio R. Tobias, DD Bishop of Novaliches Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture texts are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms © 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Published and distributed by Paulines Publishing House Daughters of St. Paul 2650 F.B. Harrison Street 1300 Pasay City, Philippines E-mail: edpph@paulines.ph Website: www.paulines.ph All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Cover design: Reajoy San Luis, FSP Cover painting: Pancho Piano First Printing 2014 ISBN 978-971-590–766-8
at the service of the Gospel and culture
CONTENTS FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGMENT PREFACE THE SEASON OF ADVENT First Sunday of Advent Second Sunday of Advent Third Sunday of Advent Fourth Sunday of Advent THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS Christmas Mass at Midnight Christmas Day Feast of the Holy Family Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Feast of the Santo Niño THE SEASON OF LENT First Sunday of Lent Second Sunday of Lent Third Sunday of Lent Fourth Sunday of Lent Fifth Sunday of Lent Passion of Our Lord (Palm Sunday) THE SEASON OF EASTER Easter Vigil Easter Sunday Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) Third Sunday of Easter Fourth Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday) Fifth Sunday of Easter Sixth Sunday of Easter Solemnity of Our Lord’s Ascension Pentecost Sunday ORDINARY TIME Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity (Trinity Sunday) Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi Sunday) Second Sunday
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18 23 26 30 33 36 40 44 47 50 54 58 61 66 69 73 77 80 84 87 90 93 96 99 102
Third Sunday Fourth Sunday Fifth Sunday Sixth Sunday Seventh Sunday Eighth Sunday Ninth Sunday Tenth Sunday Eleventh Sunday Twelfth Sunday Thirteenth Sunday Fourteenth Sunday Fifteenth Sunday Sixteenth Sunday Seventeenth Sunday Eighteenth Sunday Nineteenth Sunday Twentieth Sunday Twenty-First Sunday Twenty-Second Sunday Twenty-Third Sunday Twenty-Fourth Sunday Twenty-Fifth Sunday Twenty-Sixth Sunday Twenty-Seventh Sunday Twenty-Eighth Sunday Twenty-Ninth Sunday Thirtieth Sunday Thirty-First Sunday Thirty-Second Sunday Thirty-Third Sunday Solemnity of Christ the King FEASTS / SOLEMNITIES Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary Solemnity of the Annunciation Solemnity of All Saints Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
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First Sunday of Advent Mark 13:33-37 Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning, May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
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oday we begin a new Church Year and Liturgical calendar that will follow the same Church cycle of Seasons—Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, with Ordinary Time coming in between. After completing the entire Year cycle A, with last Sunday’s Feast of Christ the King, we now inaugurate the new Liturgical Year cycle B with the First Sunday of Advent. As we know, Christmas and Easter are the two great Feasts of the Church, celebrating two very important aspects of the mystery of Christ—his Incarnation and Resurrection, respectively. The Mystery of the Incarnation begins to be celebrated with the Annunciation, or the announcement by the Angel of the Lord to Mary that she would give birth to the Son of the Most High God. With Mary’s humble acceptance of God’s holy will, she immediately conceives by the power of the Holy Spirit. This foundational event culminates with the celebration of Christmas, the Feast of Christ’s Birth. Focusing on the Birth of Christ Jesus into the world, Christmas, in fact, celebrates the fulfillment of God’s long-awaited promise of salvation to His people. God’s coming into the world in the very person and life of Christ Jesus constitutes the First Advent or the First Coming. This First Advent of Christ is his Incarnation—his taking on human flesh, becoming one of us and living among us. This includes his public ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing among us; and also his passion and death on the cross to save us from our sins. The Incarnation leads to and finds fulfillment in the Resurrection of the Lord, which is celebrated as the central event of our faith. Known as the Feast of Easter, it commemorates Christ’s glorious
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victory over sin and death, his exaltation after his passion and death, and his return to the Father in glory. From there he will come again as judge of the living and the dead at the so-called Second Advent of Christ the Lord. Christmas and Easter serve as the pivotal points in the year-long Christ-centered liturgical cycle. The two periods that lead to these pivotal points are Advent and Lent. Liturgically speaking, if the festal seasons of Christmas and Easter are celebratory, the seasons of Advent and Lent are preparatory and are meant to help us to dispose ourselves for a truly meaningful celebration of Christmas and Easter, with our hearts and minds and souls reformed, transformed, and renewed. As the First Sunday of Advent ushers us into the new Liturgical cycle, it is good for us to be reminded that our Christian life on earth is a pilgrimage rightly marked by the joyful anticipation of the Second and Final Advent of the Lord, i.e., His Glorious Return as Judge and King of the universe. Before returning to the Father, the risen Christ promised that he would come back to us as the Lord of all. We await Him today to gather us again and to bring us all together with Him into the blissful presence of His Heavenly Father. On that Last Day, our joy will definitely be complete and no one can take that joy away from us. With that joy will come the reward for a life of discipleship lived in loving obedience and fidelity to God, in patient and selfless service to his people amidst the many trials and tribulations of earthly existence. While the Season of Advent points us to the anticipated Christevent at the end of time, when Jesus Christ will manifest Himself as the Lord and Judge of all, the Season also reminds us of that important event several hundreds of years ago, when Christ the Lord first came to the world as a human child. He first came as one of us, but sadly found so little welcome among us. We recall this founding event of our faith, the birth of the Lord every Christmas time to remind us again and again of God’s unsurpassable love for us. Jesus personified this selfless, profoundly committed and passionately driven love that had to endure violent rejection and shocking indifference. Thus, Advent which is the season leading us to Christmas, reminds us and makes present for us the mystery of the Lord’s first coming at his birth. Christmas makes real for us the First Coming of Christ two millennia ago. At the same time, it helps us to anticipate with eagerness, but also
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with holy fear, His Second and Final Coming. While we know when and how that First Coming of the Lord took place, we have no exact idea as to when and how His Second Coming will finally occur. That is why the message of the Gospel Reading on this First Sunday of Advent is truly relevant, timely, and very significant for us. As His followers, we are reminded to stay awake always. We are called to be vigilant spiritually and morally, so that distractions will not make us forget of the Lord’s return: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” The Gospel tells us how we are to live out this attitude of “watchfulness for the Lord’s coming.” First of all, like the good and faithful servants in the parable, we too must learn to assume the duties and responsibilities which our Lord Jesus Christ entrusted to us. The primary duties and responsibilities are towards our own person, our life and well-being and that of our family. This means being responsible as regards the gifts and the talents, the time and the opportunities, the work and the apostolate, the community and the specific social group we belong to, the people, the land and the country the Lord has given us to identify ourselves with and be part of. Being responsible means doing exactly the work assigned to us, with diligence, honesty, and creativity, so that when the Lord comes unexpectedly, we can meet Him with confidence, as his servants and stewards ready to make an accounting of what we have done and how well we have done it. In view of that personal accounting, we are to adopt even now the attitude of good and faithful servants depicted in the Gospel, who are concerned, mindful, and conscientious with respect to their daily chores. We are to consider these tasks as assigned to us by the Lord himself, to be carried out faithfully for the sake of His lordship. Secondly, and more importantly, we are to think of the Lord and consider Him always. We must always remember Him as our Lord, and our relationship with Him as one of being servants, and never forget that this world, which we are committed to take care and be stewards of, belongs to the Lord and is for the Lord. This world is ultimately not ours to keep and treat as we please, nor is it our true home and permanent address. Beyond our concern for ourselves and our families, and above every earthly preoccupation, there is a God, the Almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is here for us and who ultimately cares for us and for all those we love.
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The Gospel that this First Sunday of Advent proclaims and highlights for us is that Jesus Christ the Lord is coming back into the world. Out of his love for us, he wants to remind us of this coming amidst our busy and often stress and tension-filled life, so that we can stay attuned and connected with Him as Judge and Savior of us all, and so that we can acknowledge His great love and concern for us, whom He regards as His very own. Thus, whatever task or work we do, whatever personal concern keeps us busy or preoccupied in this world, we must stay attentive to the Lord Jesus Christ exactly as our Lord, and be thankful for His abiding presence and love. We are called to be conscious that it is He who sustains us in this world, whose grace helps us to stay close and committed to Him to the end, that is, until the day of His return to our world, in majesty and glory.
Christmas Day John 1:1-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’” From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son of God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.
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hose of us who had attended the Misa Aguinaldo last night heard the story of the birth of Christ as vividly told by the Evangelist Luke—with details about Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph and the child being born in a manger, the shepherds and their flock, the Angel with glad tidings of the Messiah’s birth, and the multitude of angels praising God and heralding peace on earth. None of those details appear in the account of the Evangelist John. The version of John conveys a core message which is very similar to Luke’s, but written in a more profound and symbolic language. His approach here is highly theological and draws heavily from the wisdom tradition of the Old Testament. Today’s Gospel pericope forms part of the Prologue to the Gospel of John (Chapter 1), and tells us something about the unfathomable Mystery of the Incarnation—of the “Word of God becoming flesh.” John is referring to “God the only Son, ever at the Father’s side,” who becomes a human being (Incarnation) in order that God may be made fully known to all (Revelation). Those who come to believe in this Wordbecome-flesh are to be given the power to “become children of God.” Long before His Incarnation, the Word of God already existed. He was present from the beginning, even before the creation of the world. That same Word of God is the very Principle by which Creation is ordered; it is the Life in which everything else finds life, and the only Light in which humans can truly see. Against the background of this truth, the Evangelist also tells us of the arrival of John, identifying him as the “man sent from God” as a witness to testify to the light so that through him all might believe. The Evangelist then contrasts John the Witness with Christ the Light. Although Christ the Light is not yet explicitly named, He is actually the One for whom the man John is sent to testify as the One and Only true Light to come into the world. The Evangelist speaks of mixed reactions to the coming of the Word of God. His own people unknowingly rejected Him. But there were some among them “who did accept Him” and these were the ones to whom “he gave power to become children of God”. These children of God “were born not by natural generation, nor by human choice, nor by a man’s decision but of God.” Together with the Evangelist himself, these believers, born again in the Spirit, professed, “We saw his glory; the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” Again, the Evangelist alludes to the impact that the presence of this Son had on them: “From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace.”
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John the Evangelist opens his version of the story of Christmas with the very same words with which Genesis, the first book of the Bible, begins: “In the beginning...” It is like telling us that Christmas is a new creation. God begins something new by sending his own Son— thus “the Word became flesh” and “made his dwelling among us.” This new beginning is also being offered to all of us. The broad strokes of the Evangelist’s pen depict two groups of people and their reactions to the incarnate Word: one group rejects Him, while another group welcomes Him. We, too, are invited to position ourselves and decide where we really would want to belong, if we want to be included in the current of the new beginning. By placing ourselves definitely on the side of those who accept Him and believe in Him, we are ushered to a new level of being—from living our existence in darkness to moving toward the Light; from being children of the world with all its vainglory, to being sons and daughters of God’s glory. Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, and it is in Him and through Him that we can indeed be born again and become children of God. In truth, Christmas is not just about celebrating the feast of Christ being born in our midst; it is also about celebrating the beginning of our being born again in Him and through Him. This is the reason He has come to us, why He became flesh and dwelt among us—in order for us to finally be able to die to our old sinful selves and to be born anew in the grace and Spirit of Christ, and thus become God’s own children.
Second Sunday of Lent Mark 9:2-10 Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So, they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.
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here were twelve apostles, and from among them, three were often given special mention in the Gospels as companions of Jesus in particular episodes. Unofficially, they seem to have been chosen to witness closely the manifestation of Jesus and know for themselves the secret of who Jesus truly was—the Beloved Son of God whom they should all listen and pay attention to. Those three disciples were Peter, James, and John. Accordingly Jesus brought them “up a high mountain apart by themselves.” And there “he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white.” The three knew that the vision they had of Jesus was not only extraordinary; it was simply divine. Moreover, they saw two other very important figures of their religious history—Moses and Elijah, who appeared with Jesus and were conversing with him. Feeling enthralled and afraid at the same time, Peter, as spokesman of the disciples, awkwardly tried to express their delight at what they were experiencing for the first time ever. He proposed that they all stay there and savor that incomparably new and uplifting experience. Yet, suddenly, a cloud came over them. It must be quite reflective of the
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cloud of glory that appeared to the people of Israel and accompanied them in the desert by day, thus manifesting to them God’s glorious and ever abiding presence. The cloud cast a shadow over them and from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” But just as swiftly as their vision of Jesus with Moses and Elijah faded, so was their vision of the cloud, and suddenly “they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.” This strange yet fascinating experience which the three disciples had of Jesus on the mountain, happened only after Jesus had begun teaching all his disciples about his imminent passion, death, and resurrection. The three disciples were chosen apparently because they, along with the others, had been vehemently opposed to and resentful of the idea that the Christ—a title which they already enthusiastically applied to Jesus—had to endure suffering and death. In other words, they could not accept the idea that their Master would suffer and die, probably because they were afraid of what this could also mean for them as his disciples and followers. Unfortunately, even the trio, and Peter in particular, did not grasp what “rising after three days” meant. In short, their minds were closed and they obstinately refused to listen, even to their own Master’s teaching about his imminent passion and death. Hence on the mountain, the truth regarding his identity, which lay in the supremely incomparable relationship he actually enjoyed with the Father, was opened and unveiled to them, exclusively shared with them. It was God Himself who, first of all, in Jesus’ baptism, manifested to His Son the personal love and delight He had in him, “you are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”. Now, this same God and loving Father of Jesus actually made known to the chosen disciples of His son—Peter, James and John—who this Son of His truly was. Hence, referring to Jesus and indicating him right out to them, God said, “my beloved,” and urged the disciples to “listen to him.” God the Father Himself revealed His Son Jesus to them in a way they never, in their wild imagination, ever expected, and God further instructed them to obey His Son. That privileged moment of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain top should have been enough assurance for them to believe in Jesus, to listen to him, to put their trust in him, and to accept his teaching without question. Was that unique experience not enough to make them ground their total devotion and confidence in
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him, confirming if not surpassing even their own initial, concrete, but still minimal knowledge of him? But “as they were coming down from the mountain,” they were compelled by Jesus “not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” Thus, out of obedience to their Master, the three kept “the matter to themselves,” even though they were already questioning among themselves “what rising from the dead meant.” Hence, the secret of Jesus’ true identity as the Son of God and the Beloved of the Father was kept till the end. On this Second Sunday of Lent, as we immerse ourselves more deeply into the Church’s forty-day retreat in preparation for the celebration of the Paschal Mystery—Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection—we are invited to reflect on the grace of being Christians, that is, the grace of knowing who Jesus truly is—the Beloved Son of God. At the same time, and more importantly perhaps, we are also asked to understand and to respond wholeheartedly to the challenge that this special knowledge entails—to listen to Jesus more intently, to obey him more earnestly, and to follow his teachings more faithfully. Central to this teaching is accepting suffering and pain, even dying to ourselves, as part and parcel of our discipleship. Just as Jesus accepted his own suffering and death as the way to new life with God, so we too are invited and challenged to die to ourselves and embrace all the pain and suffering it entails, to die to our pride and selfish ways in order to gain entry into the true divine glory that awaits us. There, in dying to our old selfish selves, lies our own transfiguration and transformation. Only through the death to our old and false selves can we start anew and truly live as God’s children, obedient and faithful like Jesus, God’s Own Beloved Son.
Second Sunday of Easter
Divine Mercy Sunday John 20:19-31 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
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he Second Sunday of Easter is also called Divine Mercy Sunday. It highlights God’s mercy made manifest in Christ’s Paschal Mystery. Christ Jesus, crucified-yet-risen, is God’s mercy shown to us and to the whole world. The Gospel reading today reflects this divine truth and invites us to celebrate and enter into this mystery,
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as it narrates the Risen Lord’s first encounter with his disciples after his death. The Evangelist John tells us that this took place “on the evening of that first day of the week,” which was the very first hazy Easter Sunday. The circumstances were unusual, for “the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews.” And yet, “Jesus came and stood in their midst.” “Peace be with you” were the first words that came forth from the lips of the risen Lord. This wish of peace addressed to his estranged disciples was supposed to banish the shame and fear inflicted by the recent events. Remember that the last intimate encounter they had with Jesus before his crucifixion and death was at the Last Supper. At that time, almost all of them pledged their loyalty and their dear life to him, but when Jesus was arrested, fear for their own safety got the better of them. Peter denied him, and the rest, except for one, turned their back on him and left him all alone to endure the violence and cruelty of his persecutors, which climaxed in his shameful death. On the evening of the very day that Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples were still dealing with the trauma they all went through. They still needed to come to terms with what really happened there to their Master and to themselves. They also had to process the nagging feelings of guilt and shame. As if that was not enough, they now had to make sense of the reports of Jesus’ missing body. Fearing the reaction of authorities who could put the blame on them, and so, seize them, put them away, and even make them suffer the same fate that had befallen their Master, the disciples could only huddle closely and hide themselves in an enclosed upper room. And then suddenly, without any warning or any one of them ever expecting, from out of nowhere came Jesus who stood in their midst. He greeted them as though nothing tragic had occurred, not even admonishing them for their denial and abandonment of him. All that he had for them was an expression of love, sympathy and reconciliation, “Peace be with you.” Here in the presence of the crucified-yet-risen Christ, we truly come to see the radiance, depth and broadness of God’s mercy. In the words of St. Paul, “while we were yet sinners… Christ died for us… while we were enemies we were reconciled to God…” (Rom 5:8) The Gospel continues the Easter narrative, “When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.” Jesus, the risen Lord, let his disciples see his hands that bore the marks of the nails and his
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side which carried the laceration of the spear that pierced it. For the disciples it meant only one thing—this Jesus now standing alive in their midst, was the same Jesus crucified but now risen from the dead. Hence, they “rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” Divine mercy, as shown in the crucified-yet-risen Lord’s words and gestures of peace and reconciliation, brought the disciples twofold joy: first, joy at seeing him alive again; and second, joy of being forgiven. Jesus repeated his greeting of peace and followed this up immediately with the words of commissioning: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” God the Father sent Jesus His Son to repair the rift caused by sin and to restore the rapport between Him and humanity. The coming of Jesus into the world was envisioned to bring peace to the world, offer forgiveness, and effect reconciliation, healing, fellowship and communion. Jesus’ life and ministry, his passion and death, formed God’s own peace-offering to the world, the sublime sacrifice that was meant to bring all of humanity back to God and back to one another. Just as Jesus received this mission from the Father, so now Jesus commissioned his disciples, letting them participate and have a share in his mission. In effect, he asked them to take up the same purpose and mission for which he lived and died. But knowing that this task would be impossible to accomplish with their mere human strength, “he breathed on them,” that is, he re-created them and gave them new life, empowering them to carry forward this sublime mission. Thus, from their own old selves, from out of their weaknesses and failures, prideful ambition, and selfishness, would emerge new persons— loving, selfless, strong, enduring, patient and responsible. He said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of the Risen Lord himself, would become the disciples’ Spirit as well— source of their new life, new strength, and their newfound courage and determination. Moreover, their work and mission was to be centered on forgiveness, healing and reconciliation. As they themselves were mercifully forgiven by the Lord, so now they would show mercy and bestow forgiveness on others as well. They would not be the source but merely channels of the mercy and pardon coming from the Lord himself, the heralds and agents of his healing love. Hence, he says, “whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
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Divine mercy, who is Jesus Christ himself, the crucified-yetrisen Lord, brings us peace and joy. This gift of peace and joy, this grace of healing forgiveness and reconciliation carry with them the corresponding task, commitment and responsibility to be heralds and agents of the same peace, joy, mercy, forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation to all. As we celebrate the Feast of the Divine Mercy on this Second Sunday of Easter, may we too, show with our lives and in our lives God’s mercy for His people who, like ourselves, have sinned against God, and against one another, and who might have been deeply hurt and disappointed. Ultimately the strength and courage to forgive and grant peace to persons who have offended us do not come from ourselves, but from God alone, from Christ Jesus crucified but now risen and abides with us through His Holy Spirit. In the end, we are simply, grace-filled channels of divine peace and reconciliation to other people, graced agents of the same mercy and forgiveness shown us by God in Christ. Unless we realize this truth and accept the mission of mercy that comes from the Lord, our joy as His disciples will never be complete. Only when we learn to show mercy to others, to forgive them—in and by the Power of the Spirit of the Crucified yet Risen Christ—will we in turn have true peace and experience profoundly the joy that comes from the Lord.
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 1:14-20 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.
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he arrest and imprisonment of John the Baptist on orders of the wicked king Herod, put his flourishing public ministry to an abrupt end. But his arrest and imprisonment did not render the land totally void of a prophetic witness. Mark tells us that after his arrest “Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God.” Historically speaking then, the end of John the Baptist’s ministry coincided with the beginning of Jesus’ own ministry. There are indications, however, that at some point, initially, at least, there was an overlap in their ministries (see for example, John 3:23-26; John 4:1-3; Luke 7:18-23) and that a public meeting between the two, apart from Jesus’ own baptism by John at the Jordan, could have also occurred (see John 1:29ff). Nonetheless, Mark tells us that the real coming out of Jesus in public happened just after the arrest of John. That is why from the Christian biblical-theological point of view, John the Baptist is portrayed as the forerunner of Jesus, his ministry serving as the immediate preparation for the ministry of Jesus. Thus, when Jesus came to Galilee after the arrest of John, he showed himself also to be God’s herald and more. His proclamation goes: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.” Jesus saw his own coming and presence as the fulfillment of God’s promise, a sign that salvation now has truly come upon His people: God’s reign of justice, love, and peace is being
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inaugurated by him. Repentance of one’s sins and the acceptance of this good news as preached by Jesus was the response expected of those to whom this good news had been proclaimed. There is consistency between Mark’s attempt to shroud in secrecy Jesus’ true identity and his portrayal of the people as totally unaware of who Jesus really was. The Gospel-in-person was in the midst of his own people, inaugurating the reign of God on earth, but they did not have the slightest inkling. For what is God’s reign other than God’s will being adhered to and followed by God’s own subjects? With Jesus, there was no question about that: the will of God was what mattered to him, the one that absolutely ruled and prevailed in his life; indeed, for him it was life itself. As the Gospel of Mark shows, the reign of God finds concrete and full realization in the person of Jesus himself, in his life and ministry, and in the decisions and choices that eventually led to his death. Moreover, we see in Mark that the mission of Jesus was not meant to be a lone endeavor. He needed collaborators and so he summoned certain individuals to help him out in the proclamation of the same Gospel. Hence, Jesus’ arrival in Galilee was immediately followed by the call of the disciples whom he would form for the mission. Mark tells us that as Jesus passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two pairs of brothers, Simon and Andrew and James and John. He summoned them and invited them, “Come after me,” promising to make them “fishers of men.” The initial formation of the community of disciples, almost coincided with Jesus’ proclamation of the Gospel of salvation. For, in a significant way, discipleship and mission go hand-in-hand. The disciples are to be formed and developed for this very purpose: to proclaim the Gospel. For these simple and ordinary men, this meant a big turning point in their life, a significant shift from being FISHERMEN to being FISHERS OF MEN. They would move from their usual uncomplicated business of gathering fish to embrace the new and unfamiliar task of gathering men and women for God. Their world and workplace would likewise expand from the familiar but limited Sea of Galilee to the boundless and completely uncharted waters of the world. Jesus’ coming to Galilee was just the beginning of his saving ministry, the inauguration of the reign of God on earth. This Jesuscoming and kingdom-inaugurating act continues even today, with us
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NOURISHED BY GOD’S WORD — YEAR B
and for us. The time and place where we find ourselves becomes the concrete setting and occasion for Jesus’ own real coming into our lives, into our world, and with him dawns upon us, too, the reign of God. We hear him announcing the reign of God to us as he announced it then, calling us to repentance and inviting us to accept his person and his message. Yet, beyond this fundamental summon, he comes to us also with the more challenging invitation: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.” In other words, he calls us to follow him, to become his disciples; that is, to become apprentices and learners of the art and science that he alone as Master and Lord knows—saving men and women of the world for God. The question for us is this: are we open and ready to respond positively to his call? Are we prepared to change and leave our own comfort zone? Are we willing to learn from Jesus and to become like him in patiently and lovingly summoning men and women for God?