Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Jude Thaddeus, Naga City | v.3, n.46 | issn 2599-5030 | 11 to 17 November 2018
THE GOD WHO IS NOTHING BUT GIVING
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n the patriarchial world of the Bible, being a widow presents the most difficult time for a woman. Her status in the community is reduced. Things turn for the worse when the ability to meet financial needs is diminished. The only way a widow could survive is for her son to support her. Yet God, through the biblical authors, often use their predicament to teach us valuable spiritual insights. of flour will never empty nor will the jug of In the first reading and the Gospel oil run dry. this Sunday, we read of two widows who This is the paradox of Jesus which appears have done exemplary acts to please God to be counterintuitive for most people. Do and therefore meriting our emulation. In you want your life to increase? Give it away. the first reading, the non-Jew widow Do you want your faith to increase? Share it. of Zarepeth gave all the remaining Do you want your joy to be food she and her son had because SUNDAY she trusted the word of the REFLECTION complete? Make others joyful. Your being increases in the prophet Elijah and the promise of measure you give it away. the Lord. She risked not being able The flip side of this truth is when we to eat by feeding first the man sent by cling to the wretched substitutes for God like God. The widow in the Gospel also gave money, sex, pleasure, power and honor, we all that she had out of her poverty in order can hoard and hoard but we could never have to support the work of God’s priests in enough. The scribes and the pharisees were in the Temple. the classic hoarding mode for attention and At the very bottom of their lives when honor. All the buzz that these things offer they both had nothing, the widows were quickly wear off. At worst, they earned the invited to give: first, a small cupful of water to drink and then some bread. The widow in ire of Jesus. If you hit rock bottom in life, look for the the Gospel gave all the money that she had presence of the Lord. He will always invite for the temple tax. Yet in these trying you to do one thing: to give. This is the path moments, God’s wisdom shone brightest. The scriptures unfold before us a profoundly to the fullness of life and joy Let us keep these two widows in mind, rich spiritual truth. When we are linked to this week, and do what they did. Give and be the God who is nothing but giving, then we happy. 4 fr. francis a. thor dilla can give and give and never run out. The jar
Yahweh reigns for ever, your God, Zion, from age to age.
ps 146:10
giya sa prayer meeting
marko 13:24-32 Para sa Domingo 33, Taon B
“A
lagad sa mga aldaw na iyan…?” Ini pagrumdom kan pagpakò ki Jesus sa kalbaryo. An saldang nagdiklom, an bulan dai nagtaong liwanag, asin an mga bituon nagkararata. Buot sabihon, ini sarong dakulang LECTIO pangyayari sa kasaysayan DIVINA kan tawo, asin an Dyos an nagpapangyari kaini. Ini an kasaysayan kan pagtubos, an kasaysayan kan satong kaligtasan. Pàno ko sinasabot asin isinasabuhay an sakong pagtubos?
“Dangan mahihiling an Aki kan Tawo, padigdi, sa mga panganuron, sa dakulang kapangyarihan asin kamurawayan…” Si Jesus nabibitay sa krus, mayong kalaban-laban. Alagad, sa saiyang kaluyahan mahihiling an saiyang kapangyarihan asin kamurawayan. An gabos na katawuhan saiyang tiniripon sa tanda kan krus. Bilang mga kalag na tinubos ni Jesus, kita man nakakaarog sa saiya. Huli kan satong mga kaluyahan, kita nabibiyayaan ni Jesus tanganin magin mabisa an satong pagbalangibog kan saiyang ebanghelyo sa paagi kan satong simpleng pagkabuhay. Kasuarin si huri kong pag-orgulyo kan sakong sadiring kakayahan asin napanlingaw ako sa Dyos?
“An langit asin daga maglilipas, alagad an mga tataramon ko dai masusudya.” Dawa kita tinubos na ni Jesus, bako ining garantiya na mayo nang maabot na mga pagsakit. Totoo man nanggad, narugba an templo asin nagpuon an persekusyon kan mga Kristyano kan panahon na isinurat ini ni San Marko. Gabos ini kabtang kan buhay Kristyano. Sa lambang persekusyon, igwa LECTIO / to last page