Gospel Reflection

September 05, 2013

Thursday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. David "Dave" T. Concepcion
(Spiritual Director, Holy Apostles Senior Seminary, San Carlos Pastoral Formation Center, Guadalupe, Makati City)
5:30PM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)

Reading 1 Col 1:9-14

Brothers and sisters: From the day we heard about you, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Responsorial Psalm PS 98:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

R. (2) The Lord has made known his salvation.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.

Gospel Lk 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them.  They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

HOMILY

Maybe you can still remember that experience when your parents asked you to do something, and in the midst of your fear, you did it. Dahil takot na takot ka, dahil sabi ng Tatay mo, sabi ng Nanay mo, ginawa mo. Magandang example diyan 'yong swimming, ano? Sabi ng magulang mo, "Talon!" Takot na takot ka. Either nanlalamig ka o takot kang malunod. Pero tatalon ka rin. Naalala n'yo pa ba 'yon? What made you do it? And perhaps the simple answer that you would say is 'because I trust my parents'.

Trust. Now, looking at the Gospel, what do you think made Simon follow Jesus and move his boat a little deeper into the sea, after working all night long and catching no fish?

My dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, it's good to ask ourselves. What gave people the authority to tell us what to do? Some of them is because they are in a position. If the policeman will tell you to stop, you will stop. If you go to the doctor or the dentist, and the dentist will ask you to open your mouth, you will open your mouth. Why? Because he is the dentist. It's authority founded on the position.

But Jesus is not a fisherman. He is a carpenter's son. How come a carpenter's son can tell a fisherman to lower their nets? It's not about position. The First Reading tells us that we can only have good works if we have a knowledge of God. There is no relationship without certain knowledge. There must be a certain level of knowledge, in order to have a certain level of trust.

Kung may nanliligaw sa inyo, sasagutin n'yo na ba kaagad? Hindi. Ipagtatanong n'yo muna. 'Yong mga magulang, kapag ang mga anak nila ay nililigawan, ang tanong, 'Taga saan ba 'yan? Sino'ng magulang niyan?' Hindi pwedeng ngayon lang tayo nagkita eh ok na agad tayo. Palagi ko pong sinasabi ito. Your grades or your Transcript of Records maybe can get you a job, but your character can keep you your job. Your good looks can find you a wife or a husband, but only your character can keep your marriage. Alam po ninyo 'yan. Hindi pwedeng puro daldal na lang. 'Yong iba, dinadaan ang tiwala sa salita, sa magandang mukha, magnanakaw pala. Di po ba? Maganda pong suriin 'yan.

There must be knowledge so that we can trust somebody. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit hindi mo ibinibigay sa ibang tao, ang tiwalang meron ka sa iyong mga magulang. Trust is something that we have to earn; we cannot demand this from people.

It is good to ask, my dear brothers and sisters. Throwing the pendulum on the other side - what prevents you from trusting God? Magandang tanong 'yan. Ako ba ay talagang nagtitiwala sa Diyos? Kung hindi ako nagtitiwala, ano ang mga dahilan kung bakit hindi ako nagtitiwala sa Diyos? Sa mga pamilya, gaano ba kalaki ang tiwala mo sa iyong asawa, sa iyong anak? Sabi nila, napakadaling sirain ang pagtitiwala, pero napakahirap ibalik. Kung nawala na ang tiwala, paano mo ito ibabalik, hindi po ba?

Maganda pong pagtuunan ng pansin ang ating mga pagbasa, ano po? The Latin word 'audire' is the same word that says 'to hear' or 'to listen', and the same word that says 'to obey'. You cannot obey someone you would not want to listen to. You can only obey someone who you are willing to listen to, di po ba? Paano mo susundin ang isang taong ayaw mong pakinggan? Kahit kailan ay hindi ninyo susundin ang isang taong ayaw ninyong pakinggan. Hindi dahil sa ayaw mong marinig, kundi ayaw mo lang pakinggan, di po ba? Marahil ay pagtuunan din po natin ng pansin - ako po ba ay katiwa-tiwala?

Mga minamahal kong mga kapatid, minsan, parang 'lima singko' na lang ang tiwala ngayon, ano? Sa dinami-dami ng kalokohang nangyayari, naghihinala ka na. Ang nakakatakot ay napakadali nating maloko ng mga taong maayos ang damit, maganda ang mukha, mabango....Dahil hindi natin alam na magkaibang-magkaiba ang laman ng puso, sa hitsura ng mukha. Sabi nila, 'Ayusin mo ang mukha, hindi ibig sabihin na maayos ang puso. Pero ayusin mo ang puso, at ang mukha ay naaayos.'

Simon knew Jesus Christ and trusted Him. That is why Simon listened to Jesus, and followed Him. What Jesus was able to gain from the heart of Simon Peter is not simply the authority to say, "I am God", but He is a man worthy of trust.

As we continue with this celebration, let us ask the Lord's grace and to pray for our own family - that we may be able to live in love and in trust. Sana merong tunay na pagmamahal at pagtitiwala na nagsisimula sa sarili nating tahanan. Huwag ninyong aasahan na merong ibang taong magtitiwala sa inyo, kapag sa sarili ninyong pamilya ay hindi kayo mapagkakatiwalaan.