August 30, 2020, 13th Sunday after the Pentecost*“From Fear to Hope”

Lilian Hazel Corro- Navarra, MIDM (UCCP)

Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9   

Romans 12:1-2

Jeremiah 20:7-9      

 Matthew 16:21-27                       

 According to the Webster dictionary, mission means “the act of sending; the duty on which one is sent”. In the UCCP Calendar, August is mission month. Today, we meditate on the words of Scriptures when Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (NIV)

The Presence of Terror

Confronted with the reality of the global pandemic due to COVID-19, recession, depression, terrorism, bombings and killings of human rights defenders; followers of Christ may be threatened and shaken in fear.  The unjust socio-economic and political situation is like a wolf ready to devour the sheep – but still, Jesus called his disciples to follow him.

The text from the gospel according to Matthew narrates one of the last teachings of Jesus before he was arrested and killed. It tells us about following Jesus in his mission in obedience to the Father. Living for Jesus means living a life full of sacrifice, giving up comfort zones in order to serve and become a blessing to others. Being “sent” is to be present with humanity and to serve God as an act of faith and genuine commitment inside and outside our Church institutions.

Churches around the world as the body of Christ should help each other in healing the wounds from both the past and the present due to,

• Economic crises
• Gender bias
• Religion
• Racism
• Colonialism
• Oppression
• Plunder of the environment

The church should focus its priorities in spreading Kingdom values as revealed in the words and works of Christ – justice, peace and integrity of God’s creation. We need to grow in our understanding of God’s Kingdom through our belief in Jesus and living by his teachings through our actions. In this process we have to see that the world is still suffering from wounds that continue to destroy humanity and His creation.

We experience God’s blessings if we share our time and talents to our brothers and sisters especially the least and the neglected. We can unite in doing Christ’s mission even with our differences. Our common goal is for us to establish a just and humane society. Let us also remember the lives of men and women who became martyrs because of their faith and genuine service to humanity. Like Randy and Zara, we are being called out of our comfortable lives to offer our service to the people.

A Word of Hope

As a Church it is essential to be in mission by following Christ with courage to stand firm and move forward in the midst of persecution and fear.

If we will become God’s partners in doing his service to the people, then we can offer hope and truly become God’s presence in this world. This is our calling so that God’s will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.

God bless us all. Amen##

Photo taken from:https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-climate-change-global-warming-part-2-story.html

Agosto 23, 2020, Ika-12 Linggo Matapos and Pentecostes*Si Hesus: Ang Propeta, Ang Kristo

Floyd Castro, United Methodist Church

https://inductivebiblestudyapp.com/2020/01/who-do-you-believe-jesus-is/

Psalm 138:1-3, 6, 8

Isaiah 22:15,19-23

Romans 11:33-36

Matthew 16:13-20

Sa loob ng “inner circle” ng mga alagad na madalas tinatawag na “labingdalawa”, kailangang malaman ni Hesus kung paano siya kinikilala. Pagkatapos marinig at masaksihan ng maraming tao ang kanyang mga turo at gawa, hindi malayo na may mga haka-haka sila sa pagkatao ni Hesus. Dito nagsimula ang pagtatanong, “Sino raw ang Anak ng Tao, ayon sa mga tao?” (Mateo 16:13b, MBBTAG). Sinundan naman ito ng parehong tanong sa mga alagad, “Ngunit para sa inyo, sino ako?” (Mateo 16:15b, MBBTAG).

Ayon sa mga alagad, si Hesus daw marahil ay si Juan na Tagabautismo (kilalang mangangaral at pinsan ni Hesus na hindi pa nagtatagal ay pinapatay ni Herodes) o isa sa mga propeta. May malalim na karanasan ang mga Hudyo sa mga propeta. Ang mga propeta ang gumabay sa kanila sa mahabang panahon at tumulong upang marinig ang mensahe ni Yahweh sa ginta ng iba’t ibang paghihirap at pagkalimot. Bagamat mataas ang pagtingin ng mga Hudyo sa mga kilalang propetang sugo ni Yahweh, marami sa kanila ay inusig at pinapatay dahil sa dala nilang mensahe. Delikado ang buhay ng isang propeta. Kung tinitignan ng masa si Hesus bilang isang propeta, hindi malayo na “suspect”, binabantayan at pinasusundan na rin si Hesus ng mga nasa kapangyarihan.

Hindi nagbigay ng komento si Hesus kung tama o mali ang pagtingin ng mga tao sa kanya. Ni hindi niya inusisa ang dahilan ng pagkakilala nila sa kanya. Dahil kaya malayo ito sa katotohanan o baka hindi ito ang mahalaga sa kanya sa ngayon kaya’t sapat na munang malaman ang kanilang pinaniniwalaan (o inaasahan)?

“Kayo po ang Cristo, ang Anak ng Diyos na buháy” (Mateo 16:16b, MBBTAG). Ito ang tugon ni Pedro sa parehong tanong ni Hesus sa mga alagad kung sino siya. Higit sa isang propeta, naniniwala o alam ni Pedro na si Hesus ang Kristo. Hindi rin ni-confirm ni Hesus kung tama o mali si Pedro bagamat nilinaw niya na ang kaalamang ito ay hindi galing sa ibang tao kundi mula sa “Ama na nasa langit”.

Kahit kanino pa galing ang kaalamang si Hesus ay ang Kristo, maglalagay ito sa alanganin sa buhay ni Hesus at sa lahat ng tagasunod niya. Kung matatandaan, nang malaman ni Herodes ang kapanganakan ng tagapagligtas, ipinag-utos niya ang pamamaslang ng mga batang lalaki sa Betlehem. Kung delikado ang buhay ng isang propeta, delikado rin ang buhay kahit na ng pinaghihinalaang Kristo.

Nitong nakaraang dalawang linggo, nasaksihan natin (at least) sa pamamagitan ng mga balita ang magkasunod na brutal na pagpaslang sa dalawang aktibista na Randy Echanis at Zara Alvares. Para sa mga hindi nakakakilala, sina Randy at Zara ay aktibista, komunista, terorista. Para naman sa mga kapamilya, kaibigan at kasama, si Randy ay isang asawa, ama, human rights worker, peasant activist at peace advocate; si Zara naman ay isang ina, human rights defender, health advocate, workers advocate at church worker.

Si Randy at Zara ay dalawa sa ating makabagong propeta. Mga propeta na nagbibigay ng pag-asa sa mga taong itinutulak sa laylayan ng lipunan habang nagpapagalit sa ilang tao na nakikinabang sa pagdurusa ng karamihan.##

August 16, 2020, 11th Sunday after Pentecost*The Unshakeable Faith of the Canaanite Woman

 

                                                           Deaconess Angie Bolinas-Broncano,PhD

                                                             United Methodist Church

 

 

 

Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

Isaiah 56:1, 6-7

Romans 11:13-15, 29-32

Matt 15:21-28

The Unshakeable Faith of the Canaanite Woman

I.  The Context 

     Jesus has entered Tyre and Sidon after his encounter with the Pharisees and the scribes who were consistently rejecting him. On his way, he met the Canaanite woman. In the Book of Deuteronomy, the Canaanites were known for their pagan and corrupt practices. Their presence in the land was perceived as a threat to Israel’s religion and morality.  Now, Jesus was getting known in the region because of his remarkable deeds. So, the Canaanite woman would somehow know who Jesus is.  The woman came crying out to Jesus. “Lord and Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” (15:22) Jesus did not say a word but the Canaanite woman kept following and begging for mercy for her daughter’s healing. Jesus did not send her away although the disciples were already annoyed asking Jesus to send her away. As a Canaanite woman, she is considered an unclean outsider and an old enemy of Israel. But her situation did not discourage her from approaching Jesus. Her persistence made Jesus respond twice. First, he explains to her that his mission is first to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (15:24). Jesus wanted the disciples and the woman to understand fully that His ministry in the short time he had on earth was very focused on Israel. On her second cry for help, the woman knelt and begged Jesus to help her. This time, Jesus likens her Gentile status to the small pet dogs who long to be fed from the table (15:26). In a short saying, the Jews are the “children” and the Gentiles are the “dogs” The children get fed first. Nonetheless, the woman’s response was very sharp and straightforward. She accepts the status of a family’s dog where even puppies enjoy crumbs from their owner’s table (15:27). The Canaanite woman was claiming a place in the household even though she is an outsider. The woman knew that the Messiah came to Israel first and all she could do is to ask for mercy as a non-Israelite. The woman explicitly engages Jesus of existing social divide of inclusion and exclusion. While her persevering attitude magnifies her understanding of Jesus’ true identity as the Messiah she did not stop there.  Believing in Jesus and in his power to heal her daughter, she got out of her cultural boundaries and claim her rightful position even if she was an outcast.   Her ultimate hope of receiving God’s mercy and grace was fully realized.

II.  The Unshakeable Faith of the Canaanite Woman

     The Jews rejected Jesus, but the Gentiles accepted him. And this time Jesus responded with emotion: “Dear woman, you really do have a lot of faith…” Her faith was rewarded. Her daughter got healed. The Canaanite woman is a clear example of how an ordinary, simple, poor, and outcast woman can be included in the Lord’s table. No restrictions, no rejection, no boundaries of what Jesus can do even to the least of his sisters, that salvation is for everyone. But the religious leaders who were blinded by their arrogance and greed for power, has rejected Jesus and failed to recognize the need for their own salvation. How many of our leaders in our times have rejected, ignored, and even ridiculed God’s offer of salvation, healing, restoration, and reconciliation? Many of our leaders wallow in luxury depriving the poor and those in the margins, the basic needs for food, shelter, jobs, health care, and education. 

     The reality of the pandemic only exposes the viciousness, the corruption, and indifference of our leaders.  Worst, they took advantage of the pandemic to amass more wealth, abuse their authority, show their sheer negligence and apathy to the people’s welfare and well-being, and their utmost disregard for civil liberties and human rights.     

      Just like the Canaanite woman, women of today do not just accept their unmerited sacrifices and miseries and would not take their dehumanizing situation silently, especially if they are losing their children and their loved ones in a very inhuman way. They are moving forward, breaking boundaries of gender and cultural stereotypes, and seeking peace, justice, the security of food and jobs, safety of our children, and the well-being of others. 

      The faith of the Canaanite woman gives us hope that God’s work is not yet finished. That we as a church need to take the message of grace to the world, to people who are seeking salvation and mercy. Our prophetic tasks continue. God listens to our prayers and petitions. Our government is subject to God’s authority and therefore, accountable to God and God’s people. The Kairos moment will come when “God will drag strong rulers from their thrones and sends the rich away with nothing” (Luke 1:52:53).

As Jesus said, “Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get.” 

---

 

August 9, 2020, 10th Sunday after Pentecost*God is here and there is hope

Fr. Joey Ganio Evangelista, MJ

1 Kings 19:9, 11-13

Ps 85:9-14

Romans 9:1-5

Matthew 14:20-33

The things happening around us right now seem more like elements from a sci-fi thriller. An unknown virus killing people from all walks of life: young, old, women, men, rich, poor; medical experts unable to control its spread and scientists racing against time to make a vaccine; people panicking and rushing to stores and supermarkets to buy food and supplies; and world leaders helpless in the face of a pandemic. All of these are ingredients of a sci-fi thriller that we would normally watch to escape the humdrum of real life. Reality check. That sci-fi thriller is now our reality and the humdrum of what used to be real life is now a memory we all want to go back to. The bad news is we are unable to turn this reality off just like a movie. This is life now wherever we go. There is no escaping it. This is the new normal.

People often ask, “When will this all end?” My honest response is, “I do not know.” I do not know of anyone who has information with regard to the timeline of this pandemic. Even scientists dare not give a timeline as to when this pandemic could end. Their wise counsel is often how to avoid being infected and how to prevent and contain outbreaks. Only someone with a delusional disorder would dare predict the end of this global crisis. It is easy to despair during such times because the unknown far outweighs that which we have knowledge of. Fear could easily overwhelm us because we are no longer in control. Despite what humanity has achieved through the centuries and the short decades just before this pandemic, we were beginning to think that we had somehow sorted everything out. There were still some unknowns here and there but nothing that science could not decipher in time. Covid-19 is now making us rethink all that.

Where is God in all this? There would be doomsayers who would claim that God had sent this virus to punish humanity. As Christians we know that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). God most certainly is not in this virus. There are those who are putting all their faith in the development of a vaccine that they have become oblivious to everything and everyone to the point of making the vaccine their god. There a number who have made the economy their god willing to sacrifice the health of people on the altar of economic growth firm in their belief that money will make this pandemic go away. And there are those who are tempted to think that they are faraway from God because they are no longer able to frequent their church as they had used to. So, where is God in all this? The story of Elijah reminds us that God is not in power that can destroy mountains, shake the earth nor in power that can destroy everything. Elijah found God in a tiny whispering sound. In the midst of this pandemic, where is God? God is in every act of kindness that we extend to the people around us especially those who have lost much. In the midst of all the efforts that are being done to defeat this virus, in the midst of all the fear, doubt, desperation, anger, and frustration, an act of kindness is like a tiny, insignificant whispering sound. And yet it is there where hope springs anew. God is there.

The story of Jesus walking on the water toward his disciples as they were being tossed about by the waves urges us to bring this hope to the many people who are today being tossed about by the waves of fear, doubt, desperation, anger, and frustration because of this global pandemic. It is not enough that we know where God is in this pandemic; like Jesus, we are being sent to bring this hope to those who are in most in need of it even if they doubt. God is a God who comes to us first. Jesus came walking toward his disciples and calmed the wind despite their fear and doubt. In the midst of the incessant rise of infections both locally and globally, Christians are admonished not to cower in fear while our boat is tossed about by uncertainty, we are called to step out of the boat to help and not allow fear to overwhelm us. The greatest challenge for us is to rethink how to help people in need in the face of a highly infectious disease.

The many frontliners in this global crisis are showing us the way. Despite the high risk to themselves and to their loved ones by extension, they have not ceased helping the sick, accompanying the lonely, feeding the hungry, giving the thirsty to drink, consoling those who are grieving, and being there even when they should have been with their families. They do this with no fanfare and without counting the cost. Laboring quietly, their sole aim that their patient gets better. As we are tossed about by uncertainty and fear, Jesus comes to us in our frontliners assuring us that all will be well. Their silent labor of love, selflessly coming to the aid of Covid-19 patients, reminds us that God is here and there is hope. We are invited to do the same.

Joey Ganio Evangelista, MJ

Malita Tagakaulo Mission

Diocese of Digos

Malita, Davao Occidental

Artwork: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/walking-on-water-anne-cameron-cutri.html

August 2,2020*Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time *An invitation to abundant life

Sr. Maureen Catabian, RGS

Isaiah 55:1-3
Psalm 145: 8-9, 15-18
Romans 8: 35, 37-39
Matthew 14: 13-21

“I will make with you an everlasting covenant”

Our God is marvelous and awesome. Truly a God of abundance. A God who is the Creator of the universe (now Megaverse) took a grand risk in Loving us His creation by establishing a covenant with humanity- and everlasting at that! “I will make with you an everlasting covenant” – no fixed or definite time which is yet to come in the future or will expire in time. But is a timeless “Now” which is always present at each moment all the time. Such everlasting covenant is an invitation to abundant life!

Isaiah says : “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come,buy wine and mild without money and without price.” With these prophecy of Isaiah, I Imagine a world where there is no hunger because all things are available for All – for free because it is flowing from God’s abundance because of His eternal covenant with us!
The prophet Isaiah continues: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” Looking at our world now, I also want to ask- Why spend your money to produce arms and weapons that kill? Why not instead spend on healthy food and safe water to prolong life? Or good education that liberates us from ignorance? Or build modest comfortable homes available for all to sustain human dignity? Instead, why are there individuals, families and communities who feed and survive on trash? The prophecy continues: “Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” Isaiah is prophesying against the global issue of Food insecurity and global inequality!

The Letter of Paul to the Romans asserts – “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?” Nothing is supposed to separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus, we are in communion with God. In the Eucharist where we receive the body and blood of Christ daily we are made one with God. God’s abundant love and mercy will keep us united with Him – in an everlasting covenant. Therefore, God is the only ground of our being. Nothing less.

But how come many of our brothers and sisters are separated from God’s love due to famine, distress, hardship, persecution, displacement, violence , poverty and death. Simply because, we have systematically broken our relations with this God of life and abundance. Our governments have created structures and supported systems which aggravated this separation by worshiping the god of mammon in the altar of profit. As we can see, the coronavirus pandemic has nakedly exposed and is slowly breaking down all these propped up global economic structures and systems that dehumanizes the world. We cannot breathe anymore!

In the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus had compassion to the great crowd who followed him, he summons the disciples “They need not go away; you give them something to eat”. Taking the five loaves and two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” The good news is clear. Jesus in communion with the Father has brought providence and abundance. Humanity in communion with the God of Justice can bring liberation to peoples from the shackles of untold suffering and oppression due to inequality. The disciples on the other hand, started from doubt and insecurity when they replied “we have nothing here but five loaves and two fish”. Yet, what the disciples received from Jesus, they gave to the crowds. Then, they took up what was left over of the broken pieces. Everything was shared. So they (more than five thousand men with women and children) all went home nourished well and contented. Indeed, the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. And we shall breathe again!

Artwork:https://www.google.com/search?q=five++bread+and+2+fish+painting&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj4sbiX6vnqAhXUA6YKHTA5DyEQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=five++bread+and+2+fish+painting&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1D5_wNY9Y4EYJeaBGgAcAB4AYAB5QWIAcgRkgEJMi0xLjUtMi4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=VEglX_i3KdSHmAWw8ryIAg&bih=665&biw=1273&rlz=1C1CHZL_enCA705CA705&hl=en