Monday, April 8, 2013

Gospel Reflection



April 08, 2013
Monday – Year of Faith – Easter Season
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
by Rev. Fr. Prudencio 'Jun' T. Solomon, Jr., Parochial Vicar, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto Parish, Sampaloc, Manila
12:15PM Mass, Mary, Queen of Peace Shrine (Our Lady of Peace Quasi Parish/EDSA Shrine)
                         
Reading 1 Is 7:10-14; 8:10

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us!”

Responsorial Psalm PS 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11

R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Reading 2 Heb 10:4-10

Brothers and sisters: It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins. For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Gospel Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

HOMILY

Marahil ang iba po sa inyo ay nagtataka kung bakit natin ipinagdiriwang ang Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Kadalasan, ito ay March 25. Ang simpleng paliwanag lamang po ay sapagkat ito po ay pumatak sa isa sa mga araw ng Semanta Santa. At sa ating pagdiriwang po ng Simbahan, mas nakatataas po ang pagdiriwang ng Semana Santa kaya po ito ay nausog. At pagkatapos po ng Linggo ng Pagkabuhay ay mayroon po tayong Octave of Easter na isang linggo pagkatapos ng Easter Sunday. Ito rin po ay mas nakatataas sa kahit anong kapistahan kaya po muling nausog ang pagdiriwang ng Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. At ngayon po natin ipinagdiriwang ang kapistahang ito.

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, mga ginigiliw kong mga kaibigan, may isang kawikaan sa wikang Latin na ang sabi ay "Nemo dat quod non habet." Ang ibig sabihin po nito ay, "One cannot give what one does not have." Walang sinuman ang makapagbibigay o makapagbabahagi ng anumang bagay na wala sa kanya. Halimbawa po, papaanong ang isang tao ay makapagbibigay ng limang piso kung sa kanyang bulsa ay wala siya kahit isang singko. One cannot give what one does not have.

Sa ating Ebanghelyo ay narinig natin na si Maria ay dinalaw ni Anghel Gabriel. Taglay ng anghel na ito ang isang mabuting balita na kanyang inihatid. At ano ang kanyang ibinigay kay Maria? Ito ay ang balita na si Maria ay magiging ina ng Anak ng Kataas-taasan. At si Maria din ay may ibinigay din po. Ang ibinigay niya pagkatapos niyang matanggap ang balita na siya ay magiging ina ng Anak ng Diyos ay ang kanyang pag-sang-ayon, ang kanyang 'oo'. Ibinigay niya ang kanyang sarili. Ibinigay niya ang kanyang positive response sa anghel.

Mga ginigiliw kong mga kapatid, katulad ni Maria, noong tayo ay bininyagan, ang sagisag rin ng Banal na Espiritu ay taglay natin sa ating pangalan bilang Kristiyano. Ang ibig sabihin po nito ay taglay natin si Hesus. Dala dala natin si Hesus. Nasa atin si Hesus. Kaya nga ang hamon sa atin sa pagdiriwang na ito ay ibahagi natin, ibigay natin kung ano ang meron tayo. At meron tayong walang iba kundi si Kristo. Tayong lahat ay tinatawagan ng Ebanghelyong ito, sapagkat ito'y hindi lamang ibinabalita kay Maria kundi sa atin din, na taglayin natin ang Panginoon. At hindi lamang natin ito sarilihin ngunit atin ding ibigay, ibahagi at dalhin sa iba.

Mga kapatid, we have something in us. Actually, not something, but someone. We have the Lord in us. Let us carry Him, let us give Him, let us share Him to others. 'Yan ang ating misyon bilang isang Kristiyano - mga tagapagdala ni Kristo. Tandaan po natin, hindi natin maibibigay ang wala tayo. At sa atin bilang isang Kristiyano, sa pamamagitan ng binyag, ay taglay natin si Hesus. Ibahagi natin, dalhin natin, ibigay natin si Hesus sa ating kapwa. Amen.