SACRIFICES IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

It seems that a sacrifice is not really much of a sacrifice when it has to do with the Kingdom of God. Anyone who gives up something — be it houses, parents, siblings, etc. — will be repaid a hundred times over in the world to come. How can we

call this a sacrifice when a person gets back a hundredfold of what they give up? The answer is quite simple. The guarantee of a reward is not necessarily going to be received in one’s earthly life. The reward is really a heavenly reality. The sacrifice involved affects our earthly pilgrimage.

There is probably a bit of showmanship to Jesus’ promise as well. The meaning of a hundredfold is not meant to be taken literally, but indicate that the reward is beyond anything we think we might deserve. I find it difficult to believe that there is a list of all the sacrifices everyone has made and that we can literally expect a hundredfold when we go to heaven. Who wants a hundred parents anyway – one pair is quite sufficient.

The very gift of eternal life is surely what Jesus is referring to in this text and others similar to it. Yes, some people take them literally when making cash donations and from all reports receive much more in return and in this life as well. This does not mean that God becomes like some sort of automatic dispensing machine that when you put in one gold coin you get one hundred back. Jesus is speaking within the context of what it means to be a faithful disciple and to leave all to follow Him. Jesus basically tells Peter that all who faithfully follow Him will not be left bereft of blessings, both in this life and the next.

God is faithful to His promises — we need not worry about being left abandoned. In fact, our reward or blessing for faithfulness is going to far exceed anything we have ever dreamed about or placed our hopes in.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

Am I willing to sacrifice my plans for the sake of the Kingdom of God? To what degree am I willing to give up all and follow Jesus wherever He leads me?

 

Jesus, keep my eyes fixed on You and Your will for my life. Help me to follow it as closely as possible so that all I do will be pleasing to You.

 

St. Leo Luke, pray for us.

 

A PAUPER AFTER ALL

 

Kneeling before Jesus, the rich, young man is apparently at the crossroad of life. He already has everything. Besides his wealth, he has three other special possessions: good breeding, good character and religious conviction.

No wonder, Jesus looks at this man with love. Clearly, this is a good candidate for a discple. Thus, Jesus challenges him, “There is one thing more you must do. Go, sell everything that you have, and give the money to the poor.” A very difficult demand. To sell your properties is already difficult; what more to give the proceeds of the sale to those who are not related to you at all? It is perhaps easier if you are to give them to your relatives or friends. But, no, the poor should be the ones to benefit from your hard-earned wealth. The disciples of Jesus should invest in heavenly treasure. This is their new security. But for that rich, young man, it is not enough. Just as he falls on his knees before Jesus, his face falls as he walks away from Jesus. He says nothing. And nothing is heard about him again.

The sad turning away of this rich, young man is one of the moving scenes in the Gospel. The things he thinks he possesses actually possess him instead. He loves his treasures so much that he could not love Jesus as his only Treasure. Thus, when he leaves, Jesus turns to His disciples and says that it is indeed very hard for the rich to enter heaven.

Jesus does not say that heaven is for the poor only. What He says is that it is difficult for the rich to enter heaven. The rich should recognize that while there is so much good that riches can do, riches can also hinder salvation. If that is the case, then who can be saved? No one. No one can save himself. Salvation is a gift that God alone can give.

The rich, young man leaves Jesus and goes back to his wealth; he misses the blessing not only of a new life but also of the wealth of a family whose bond is defined not by blood or by law but by filial obedience to God. Come to think of it, the prince is a pauper after all.Fr. Bobby Titco

 

Reflection Question:

Do I possess my wealth or am I possessed by it?

 

Save me, O Jesus, from my own wealth when it begins to enslave me. But bless me with wealth so I may be able to serve others not only more but better. You are my only Treasure now and forever. Amen.

 

St. Hedwig, Blessed, pray for us.

 

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

There are those who write about our time as the “Age of Anxiety.” They say that ours is an age marked by disquiet and misgiving. Our lives mirror the complex world we live in, and the more complicated our world becomes, the more insecure we feel about our future. The systems and structures we create and trust prove too weak under the weight of our hopes. Thus, three anxieties.

Social Anxiety. Is the world a safe place to live in? What will be the next epidemic? When will we have peace?

Religious Anxiety. Does God care at all? Why is there suffering in a world created by a loving God? Will the Church endure the scandals she faces?

Personal Anxiety. Is my life going down the drain? Will I lose my job? How about my family? Why am I lonely?

Jesus tells us, “I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, or about your body and how you are to clothe it.”

But let’s be honest. His words do little to dispel our worries. Praying for our daily bread does not make food fall from heaven, does it?

Jesus does not say that being His disciple means living in a carefree, worry-free world. Jesus is against the kind of anxiety that consumes us and makes us believe that God does not care about us at all. As His disciples, Jesus invites us to see beyond our anxieties and look up to a God who cares for us. Easier said than done, yes. No one said it is easy to do anyway. Jesus does not tell us to ignore our worries. He advises us instead to place them within the framework of our childlike trust in God who is our Father.

Let us set our hearts on the Kingdom first and everything will fall into their proper places. We will view things from the perspective of the same Kingdom. No matter what happens, we will still be bigger than all our anxieties combined, because God is greater than our hearts. Fr. Bobby Titco

 

Reflection Question:

What are my anxieties in life? Do I place them within the framework of my childlike trust in God my Father?

 

“Deliver us, Abba, from all evil,and make us grow in charity each day. In Your mercy, keep us free from sin and protect us from anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus the Christ. For the kingdom, and the power, and the glory are Yours now and forever. Amen.”

 

Blessed Mark Barkworth, pray for us.

BE CHILDLIKE

Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” One day, a famous lawyer visited his former classmate who dropped out from law school and ended up in a farm. When he arrived, his classmate was out in the field, tilling the land. Upon seeing him, the lawyer loudly spoke, “Classmate, if only you finished law school just as I did, you would not have to work out here under the scorching heat of the sun. Look at me, I am always well groomed, my clothes are clean and I have my own car!” “My friend,” replied the farmer, “do you see those rice stalks? Think well, those stalks are standing straight because they have no grain, but the stalks heavy with grain cannot help but bend.”

I remember once, someone approached me and said, “Father, I have misgivings against you.” “Why?” I asked, for I sincerely did not know what I did to offend her. And she said, “You did not mention my name in the Mass when you thanked those who made the fiesta a success. I am one of the major sponsors, have you forgotten?” Honestly, I felt pity for her. It seems that many of us want to appear great in the eyes of other people. Thus, Jesus warns us that unless we become like little children, we cannot enter God’s Kingdom.

But why a child?

First, aside from being cute, a child is weak. A child becomes strong only when somebody helps him. This is precisely the point Jesus is making in the Gospel: We have nothing to boast — we are weak and sinful but loved by no less than God Himself.

Second, a child is truly disarming because he is simple and honest with himself. A child is not naturally judgmental. The same is true with God. He does not discriminate between saints and sinners, good and bad, rich and poor. Despite our sins, God still sees the goodness He has planted in our hearts.

Third, a child is a growing possibility. A child is a sign of hope. Only he whose hope never dies enters God’s Kingdom.

Let us be childlike, but never childish.Fr. Bobby Titco

 

Reflection Question:

Am I childlike or childish?

 

Dear God, I am Your child. Let me always live as Your child. Increase my faith in Your Fatherly care. Never allow self-conceit to reign in me, but let me continue growing into what You intend me to become. I want to be home with You forever someday. Amen.

 

St. Nestor, pray for us.

THE ORIGINAL PLAN

Today’s Gospel makes us face a burning issue: divorce. When divorce strikes, the tragedy is worse than a raging fire: entire households are ruined.

When God created man, what He had in mind and heart was not a single individual named Adam. Adam is not really a proper name of a person. It came from the Hebrew word adamah, meaning “from the earth.” Thus, it is more correct to say that Adam tells us how the first man was created: from the dust of the earth. What God had in mind and heart when He created the first man was humanity. Adam embodies the entire humanity. Thus, God gave man a particular mate: woman. Isha is the Hebrew word for woman, while man is ish. Isha came from ish. Later on,isha was called Eve which, in Hebrew, eva, literally means “mother of all the living.” In marriage, the two become one body. Marriage alone captures the original completion of the entire man in one body. This original vision of uniting and completing was what Jesus had in mind in the Gospel today.

When some Pharisees asked Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He did not ridicule the Law of Moses but explained that it was a compromise for human sinfulness. Just as a person’s body cannot be divided without killing the same person, so is the permanence of matrimonial bond. What God unites in marriage, man cannot and should not separate through divorce. Marriage is a lifetime covenant. Jesus wanted to protect women from becoming disposable possessions of men. The issue is not only about religion but very much about justice and human dignity, too.

The sacrament of matrimony is the marriage between three, not two, individuals: the man, the woman, and Christ Jesus who, in the midst of threats against family life, keeps on reminding and helping husband and wife to cling to God alone who, in the first place, created and made them one. Fr. Bobby Titco

 

Reflection Question:

Is my view on marriage truly according to the teachings of the Catholic Church where I belong?

 

O God, author and origin of love, keep all spouses faithful to one another. Let generosity and respect reign in their marital love and may they serve as the best examples for their children on Christian discipleship. Amen.

 

St. Ananias II, pray for us.

 

DON’T BE THREATENED

Sometimes we easily feel threatened by a new face. Or we tend to be exclusive no matter how we claim to be inclusive. We are oftentimes not better than the disciples who reported to Jesus that they stopped a man from casting out devils in Jesus’ name simply because he did not belong to their group. But Jesus was quick to point out to them: “Whoever who is not against us is for us.”

Jesus welcomes all who may contribute for the advancement of God’s Kingdom. The work of the Kingdom, not only the scope of the Kingdom, is vast. Let anyone who wishes to join the workforce join. Let no one among those who already belong to the workforce drive away any newcomer.

The feeling of being threatened by a new face is a real human experience. What do we do when we experience it in our Christian communities? Remember three important things.

First, the vineyard and the work are not ours. They belong to the Lord. Only He can say who is in and who is out. Whoever He welcomes, we must likewise welcome.

Second, we ourselves were once newcomers who hoped that we would be accepted by the old timers. Our coming might have threatened them, too, but we proved them wrong. We just wanted to serve in God’s Kingdom.

Third, if a newcomer indeed is a danger to the work of the Kingdom, God has ways to thwart whatever harm he might cause. If he is not God-sent, he will never last. But if he is, we will be refusing God Himself.

The community of disciples that Jesus envisions is not a clique; it’s never intended to be an exclusive group of snobbish, self-righteous followers of the Lord. The community of the Lord’s disciples welcomes all who desire to belong to it with the joy of the Lord Himself.

Is this your community?Fr. Bobby Titco

 

Reflection Question:

Who threatens me? Why? Lord Jesus, You envision Your community as a threat that welcomes all those who wish to belong to it.

 

Grant me the same joy You have for the new members of my community. As You rejoice over their growth and success in the work of the Kingdom, may I also rejoice and affirm them. Make me slow to criticize but quick to praise. Amen.

 

St. Zebinus, pray for us.

STRANGE CHAIR

Today’s liturgy is called the “Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.” The feast is as strange as the choice made on who first sat on that “chair.”

The first to sit on the chair that we honor today is Peter, an uneducated fisherman from Bethsaida. He was an unlikely choice for a president of a country or a chairman of the board for a global organization, but he was God’s choice to be the prince of the Apostles and the visible head of the Church. Such choice was easily evident to Jesus as He Himself said, “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of hell can never hold out against it….”

The chair of Peter is not Peter’s. It is God’s chair on which He made Peter sit, not bought by Peter for himself. Just as the choice of Peter was God’s, so does the chair we now remember is His.

The Chair of St. Peter symbolizes two of the tasks that Peter and his successors, the popes, have. The pope should be an effective agent towards dialogue and a tireless teacher of the truths of the Kingdom. Sitting on the Chair of St. Peter is to be the servant of all, a servant of dialogue, a servant of the Truth, a servant of the Lord. A priest from Bukidnon told me a funny story. When Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales became bishop of Malaybalay, Bukidnon, he tried

to speak some Cebuano to the local faithful during one of his first Masses. He said, “Ani-a ako aron maglingkod kaninyo.” For half a second there was silence in the cathedral; then, laughter accompanied by a warm round of applause. The good archbishop spoke in Cebuano but mixed it with the Tagalog word, maglingkod. Maglingkod in Cebuano means “to sit down.” Thus, when translated, his words literally meant, “I am here to sit down on you.” Certainly, it was not what he wanted to convey. But the good archbishop served the Diocese of Malaybalay well, even risking his life in the fight against illegal logging, not sitting down, but moving about and bending low on several instances as he dialogued and taught. Fr. Bobby Titco

 

Reflection Question:

A chair is such a strange symbol of service. But perhaps not, if we think of service as the real meaning of being chosen by God to occupy His chair.

 

“Make me a servant, humble and meek. Lord, let me lift up those who are weak. And let the prayer of my heart always be ‘make me a servant today.’” Amen.

 

St. Raynerius, pray for us.

A MORON, AN AVENGER OR A CHRISTIAN

Reflection Question:

Am I a moron, an avenger or a Christian?

 

Flood me with Your love, O Lord, the love that forgives me and restores me in Your grace. As You forgive me, may I have the strength and generosity to forgive those who sin against me. I refuse to be a moron. I do not desire revenge. I want to be a Christian in life until death and beyond. Amen.

 

St. Colgan, pray for us.

 Fr. Bobby Titco

JUST A STOPOVER

Life is often seen as a journey where the road is not always smooth and straight. There are rough and bending paths, marked with detours and even U-turns. We sail seas and swim rivers, enter tunnels and explore forests. But there is nothing more overwhelming than the mountains in our life.

No one can ignore a mountain. By its very nature, a mountain is imposing. We can cross or go aroundit. We can conquer it or it can conquer us. Conquering a mountain means climbing it. Cursing it means being conquered by it.

Jesus climbs a mountain today. He does not take the longer but easier way by going around it; He makes the difficult choice of scaling it. Jesus does not allow His mountain to conquer Him; He conquers it instead. Mountains are not only peaks along our way; they can also be crossroads. Every crossroad is a moment of crisis. Depending on how we respond to it, a crisis may mean grace or disgrace, blessing or chastisement, a bend or a block, a beginning or an end. The same is true with our mountains in life.

Today, on top of a mountain, we hear a voice from a cloud, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved. Listen to Him.” We hear the voice and the voice wants us to listen. Let us give in to it. Let us listen to Jesus, the Word of that voice.

By climbing His mountain, Jesus tells us that we should climb ours. After climbing His mountain, Jesus goes down from it. Mountains are not meant to be anyone’s permanent  address. The breathtaking view from the top of a mountain can be tempting for anyone to pitch his tent there and forget that he is just passing by as he makes his journey called “life.” Jesus shows us that reaching the top of our mountains is not yet conquering them. Going down from them is. For a mountain is worth climbing only if it is possible to go down from it.

Today, we make a stopover on top of a mountain. We listen. Then, we go down to move on. Fr. Bobby Titco

 

Reflection Question:

What do I do with my “mountains”?

 

Climb with me, O Jesus, the mountains in my life. Let me hear over and over again the voice of the Father, affirming me that I, too, am His  child. Embrace me with Your holy radiance that I may be strengthened to move on in my journey of discipleship. And when my life is done, take my hand and bring me to Your holy mountain. Amen.

 

St. Odran, pray for us.

PDA: PLEASE DREAM AGAIN

Reflection Question:

P – Pray. It teaches you what to dream for and how to make it come true.

D – Discern. It tells you when God needs you to put your dreams aside.

A – Act. Don’t just dream. Wake up and make your dream come true!

 

Educate my dreams, O Lord. Teach me what to dream and how to make it come true. Christify my dreams, O Lord. Help me dream as You dream: ready to sacrifice myself for others when needed. Grant my dreams, O Lord. Bless my initiative and sustain me in my efforts in cooperating with Your grace to make my dreams come true. Amen.

 

Blessed William Harrington, pray for us.

Fr. Bobby Titco

SATAN

Reflection Question:

Who is the Satan in my life? What is the Satan in my life? Am I a Satan, too?

 

Deliver me, Jesus, from any Satan in my life. Deliver from me those I am a Satan to. Let nothing and no one hinder me from following the Father’s will. You are my inspiration and strength to do so. Amen.

 

St. Habet Deus, pray for us.

Fr. Bobby Titco

A SECOND TIME, A SECOND TOUCH

Reflection Question:

How does Jesus touch my life?

 

Touch me, O Jesus, as many times as I breathe each day. For without Your touch, nothing will have meaning in my life and I will die. Touched by You, transform me to be Your loving touch on others. Amen.

 

St. Jeremy, pray for us.

Fr. Bobby Titco

HARDENED HEART

Reflection Question:

Do I have a hardened heart?

 

Lord, change our stony hearts into hearts of flesh. Touch our hearts always to keep them warm. Grace our hearts so that they may always be what they are supposed to be. Make us love You more and more each day. Help us love one another as You love us. And keep our hearts loving and true. Amen.

 

St. Georgia, pray for us.

Fr. Bobby Titco

JESUS ON THE WITNESS STAND

Reflection Question:

How truthful am I?

 

Lord, You do not only know the truth; You are also truthful. You are the Truth. In my desire to become like You, heal me from all my lies and make me more truthful than before. Let me be Your sign in the world by the kind of life I live. Amen.

 

St. Nostrianus, pray for us.

Fr. Bobby Titco

LESSONS ON COMMUNITY LIFE

Reflection Question:

How am I in my community?

 

While You call us individually and personally, Jesus, You gather us in communities. There are no perfect communities, I know, dear Lord, but despite the imperfections of our communities, let Your light shine through them and Your love reign over them. Teach and help us to love, respect and serve You in one another. Amen.

 

Blessed Archangela Girlani, pray for us.

Fr. Bobby Titco

A MEAL FOR ALL

Reflection Question:

What is my view on exclusive celebrations of the Eucharist?                

 

Lord Jesus, You invite all men and women to Your table. You offer Yourself to all. May we keep our Eucharistic celebrations authentic in their fellowship. Perform Your miracle again — this time, not on bread and fish, but in our hearts. Make our “breaking of bread” truly a breaking of ourselves for others. Amen.

 

St. Febronia, pray for us.

Fr. Bobby Titco

THE OLD VIOLIN

Reflection Question:

The hand of the Master continues to play with old dusty violins. If I cannot hear the music He’s playing, can I be deaf or playing deaf?

 

Open not only my heart, O Jesus. Open my whole life to Your Spirit and make Your Spirit dwell in me more powerfully. Use me to open closed lives and, with Your Spirit, heal their wounded hearts. Play through me Your sweet music, though I may be an old violin. Amen.

 

St. Jonas, pray for us.

Fr. Bobby Titco

THE HUGE ROCK

Reflection Question:

What do I do with the rocks in my life?

 

Lord, I surrender my whole life to You. Direct my every move and make me conquer all the “rocks” in my life. May I never be a “rock” that hinders others from having a meaningful encounter with You. But when I turn to be one, help them conquer me instead. Amen.

 

St. Trumwin, pray for us.

Fr. Bobby Titco

WHAT’S WITHIN

Reflection Question:

Am I hurt?

 

Cleanse me, O Jesus. Make me clean within and without. Humbly I come to You. Your words convict me. Have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

 

St. Michael Febres Cordero, pray for us.

Fr. Bobby Titco

LAUGHTER FROM DEEP WITHIN

Reflection Question:

Do I hear a laughter from deep within me?

 

Let me not play deaf, O Lord, to the laughter from deep within me. Make me recognize my hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Help me cast them away and live not only more truthfully but also always humbly. Amen.

 

St. Kigwe, pray for us.

Fr.Bobby Titco