From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. – Ephesians 4:16

       I feel most loved when people around me give me feedback. I smile when it’s positive, and I reflect and try to change when it’s negative. But it’s different when this feedback is in the form of hearsay from people you least expect.

       A friend hesitantly approached me one day because he wanted to tell me about another friend named Jude, who spoke ill about me while the latter was getting drunk at a party. With a willingness to change, I listened to the story.

         Jude made fun of me and started to speak nasty things about me in front of the partygoers. I was hurt because he was a good friend, and worse, the others who heard it laughed at my expense.

         I felt deep sorrow for Jude. He needs love, compassion and deep acceptance, and even though it hurt, I clearly couldn’t turn my back on him. To this day, Jude and I are still buddies, but of course, I take precautionary measures to protect myself.

         We all have our own “Judes” to love. Isn’t that what God calls us to do — not to give up on our neighbor, despite their faults and imperfections? That’s why as Christ is the head, let’s build one another in love and compassion. Migs Ramirez (migoy3@gmail.com)

Reflection: Who are the people in your life whom God is inviting you to love and care for?

Jesus, teach us to do the same to the difficult people in our lives.

St. Antonio de Sant’Anna Galvao, pray for us.

No two people have exactly the same gifts. This is an important truth to remember particularly if we are prone to jealousy or envy, and also if we tend to compare ourselves with others in an unhealthy way. God gifts each of us as He sees fit and in a way that is best for us. Can we accept that He knows what’s best for our lives?

7 Brothers and sisters: Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore, it says: “He ascended on high and took prisoners captive; he gave gifts to men.” 9 What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower regions of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 11 And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the holy ones for the work of  ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood to the extent of the full stature of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. 15 Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.

R: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

1 I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the Lord.” 2 And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. (R) 3 Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. 4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. (R) According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. 5 In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. (R)

Let us not spend our time finding fault in others or judging that their sinfulness has brought disaster upon them. It is easy to look at the faults of others and it may be easy to find our own as well. However, admitting and accepting our faults can be a whole different reality. True repentance is impossible without humbly accepting the fact that we are sinners and in need of God’s grace.

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion that he may live.

1 Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. 2 He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? 3 By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! 4 Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them — do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? 5 By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” 6 And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, 7 he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ 8 He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; 9 it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

think:  True repentance is impossible without humbly accepting the fact that we are sinners and in need of God’s grace.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Isaiah 9-12

UNTIL WE REACH THE STATURE OF CHRIST

Paul must have seen so many of those athletic competitions in progressive Corinth during his time. He spoke often about discipline, training, asceticism, and everything about “running the race” and “winning the prize” that he must have been very familiar with doing everything so as to win an earthly prize.

       Anyone who has joined a team to play ball and compete with other teams knows what it takes to even have a chance of making it to the semi-finals.

       The word that immediately comes to mind is “training.” But training alone does not clinch it. Individual talents and skills are not enough to put a team to the pinnacle of victory. Something more than just individual capacities is needed. This time around, what springs to mind is “teamwork.”

       St. Paul should know. There was a time he was not a team player. He acted single-handedly as Church persecutor at one time. After his dramatic conversion, he did become part of a tag team of disciples, and referred to himself as one “born out of the normal course” as an Apostle. As a team player, he even had the courage to call the attention of his team leader, Peter, when the latter was clearly in the wrong. Together, the college of Apostles learned. Together, they grew, building up the Body of Christ.

       As a band of brothers, their aim was clear: to attain the unity of faith. As a band of believers, their goal, too, was focused — mature manhood, all the way towards attaining the full stature of Christ.

       I have always been a poor athlete. Being competitive in that department was not exactly my forte. But athlete or not, I knew one thing early on about life in general — that for us “to get there,” we all need to learn to do things “together.”

       In this journey called life, be it in sports or in the spiritual life, we all need help and support from each other. We all need one another as we run towards fullness of stature in Christ! Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How are you as a team player? Do people normally want you in their team or not? If not, look into yourself to see why that is so.

Lord, help me find a team that would support me in my journey to You.