Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Jude Thaddeus, Naga City | v.3, n.26 | issn 2599-5030 | 24 to 30 June 2018
giya sa prayer meeting
WHO IS JOHN THE BAPTIST?
W
henever we invite a speaker, we look for someone who can best introduce him. He need not know the guest speaker that well, but at least, he must be refined, entertaining, and dressed for the occasion. Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the man chosen by God to introduce the greatest guest speaker of humanity, Jesus. We wonder what made God choose John the Baptist. First, John was not refined. His words John was a man of great courage. He was were not polished. They were blunt definitely not a diplomat nor a politician. and straightforward. In other He never minced his words. To SUNDAY words, he would not qualify for a the Pharisees and Sadducees, he REFLECTION diplomat. Second, he was not said: “You brood of vipers”. To entertaining. He was not that type Herod, he said: “It is not lawful for you to of preacher who would employ take your brother’s wife.” stories from popular telenovelas to get the John was faithful to his job description. It attention of his audience. He would even was written even before his birth. His battle attack his audience. Lastly, he was never cry was: “Repent and believe in the gospel”. dressed for any occasion. He was a To those who have two tunics, he said: “share wilderness man, a Tarzan. He ate locusts to the one who has none”. To the tax with wild honey and clothed himself with collectors, he said: “stop collecting more than camel’s hair. what you ought to collect”. To the soldiers, he On the other hand, we cannot deny his said: “stop using your power to extort from success. Whatever people thought of him, the people but be content with your wages”. he attracted large crowds, and made great John was the conscience of the people. impact on them. Even Herod was reluctant He was a ‘voice who cries out’, not a ‘voice to hurt him. And even if he did not perform who only murmurs’ for fear of earning the miracles, people followed him because ire of the powerful. True, he baffled the everything he said made sense. hearts of many and even caused division. Who was John then? John was a man of For want of harmony, John had to be great humility. In spite of his popularity, beheaded. For the sake of peace, his head he never took advantage of stealing the had to be offered on a silver platter. scene from Jesus. Instead, he said: “Behold, We are not a perfect church. Many the Lamb of God.” Sometime after he times, we want to hide our sins by sweeping baptised Jesus, John said of him: “He must them under the rug. We prefer quick increase; I must decrease.” He knew very harmony at the expense of genuine healing. well his position in the Kingdom. He was Like St. John the Baptist, you are heralds the voice, not the word. He was the of Jesus, prophets of our time. Strive to servant, not the master. WHO IS JOHN.../next page
markos 5:21-43 Domingo 13 (Taon b)
“A
n daragita kong aki agaw-buhay na…” Si Jairo tagapag-ataman kan Sinagoga. Kaapil nya an mga Hudiyong kalaban ni Jesus. Alagad, dai sya nag-alangan o natakot na maglukmô sa pamitisan ni Jesus sa pakimaherak. Dawa LECTIO halangkaw an pusisyon DIVINA nya sa komunidad, dawa sya makapangyarihan, dai nya ikinasupog an saiyang aksyon. Dakula an tiwala nya na si Jesus an makakatabang sa saiyang aki. Kasuarin ko inagihan an agaw-buhay na ekspiryensya asin mayo akong dinulukan kundi si Jesus sana?
“Kun madùtan ko lamang an saiyang gubing, makakaligtas ako.” An babae daing ngaran. Mayo syang halaga sa banwaan. An saiyang helang nakakapaati sa gabos. Dai sya pwedeng lumaog sa sinagoga, o maglaog sa trabaho, o makiiba, ta an sisay man na saiyang madùtan maaatian nya. Siring sa dauton, bako sana an helang an saiyang problema, kundi an pagsiblag saiya kan kumunidad. Kausarin ako nakamati na hinabuan kan sakong pamilya/kapwa/kumunidad? Ano si ginibo ko?
“Daragita, sinasabihan taka, bangon!” Kinaptan ni Jesus an aki. Dai nya dapat ini ginibo huli ta sya magigin maati sa mata kan mga Hudiyo. Alagad, dai ini sinunod ni Jesus. Dai sya natakot sa sasabihon saiya kan iba. Imbes na sya maatian kan gadan na aki, binangon nya ini asin binuhay. Patotoo ini kan kapangyarihan ni Jesus asin an saiyang pagpahalaga sa buhay nin sisay man, magin mayaman o dukha. Sa panahon na ini nin garadanan, guràno kahalaga an buhay kan tawo para sako, ano pa man an estado nya sa banwaan? 4