Striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. – Ephesians 4:3

        We felt that the service crew were rude when we had our breakfast at a fastfood restaurant near our hotel. Because we spoke a different English accent and they couldn’t understand us completely, they showed discourteousness by sighing in disgust. My friends, some of them first-timers in Hong Kong, were a little dismayed. But our negative experience with the locals was erased by a lady at the elevator.

       Recognizing that we were Filipinos, this Cantonese woman hollered, “Mabuhay! Kumusta kayo?” (Greetings! How are you?) She even ended with “Pogi ka” and “Maganda ka!” (You’re handsome and beautiful.) We encountered her not only early in the morning, but late in the evening, too. That was God’s way of cheering us up.

     At times, we stereotype people, even those close to us, our co-workers, household help and others. Often, this results to disdain and derision. But God loves all people even if they are not of the same faith. Because we are called to be Jesus’ disciples, we should love them, too. We will not just have peace with other people, but also with ourselves. Donna España (donna.espana@yahoo.com)

Reflections: Let the peace of Christ be the source of unity and understanding.

Paul encourages the Ephesians and addresses a couple of issues. First comes the inspiration to lead a life worthy of their calling, to seek the unity of the Spirit in their community, and build unity based on the communion of the Triune God. Let us examine our commitment to unite our own communities and ensure that we remain faithful to the Gospel.

1 Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, 3 striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: 4 one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R: Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

1 The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. 2 For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. (R) 3 Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in his holy place? 4 He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. (R) 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior. 6 Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. (R)

Jesus challenges us to be attentive to the signs that influence our reasoning and choices. We are experts on the signs of the weather but we hardly follow the signs that indicate the moral path in life. Let us study the moral truths that affect our lives so that we will know what to do when the time comes for us to make crucial decisions.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

54 Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain — and so it does; 55 and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot — and so it is. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time? 57 Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. 59 I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

think: Let us examine our commitment to unite our own communities and ensure that we remain faithful to the Gospel.

Thank You Lord for: __________________

READING THE SIGNS

Every time we meet interesting people, we tend to ask about their stories and preferences, and see if we have something in common with them. If we find some similarities, we also start to open up about ourselves that, in a way, creates bonds that could lead to friendship.

       Making friends is easy but keeping real ones is a challenge. To maintain our good relationships, we read each other through actions and words. We try to calculate our steps and make sure that our newfound friend enjoys our company and feels comfortable with us.

       The very moment we are at ease with someone, we also start to loosen up, sometimes prompting actions that know no boundaries. In our unguarded moments, we act irresponsibly that could hurt our friend in the process. And this is where familiarity breeds contempt.

         In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us of how we should read signs. We read other people’s attitude but we fail to read our actions or what we have become. Likewise, the Jews in Christ’s time can discern that the signs rightly point to Jesus. However, they failed to realize how stubborn their hearts had become. By stubbornly holding on to their archaic beliefs, they let go of their Savior whose arrival they have waited for a very long time.

       Stubbornness of the heart is a spiritual sickness which we can change with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who frees our hearts from irrational prejudices and ushers us towards our faith in Christ. With this, our faith in our Savior is affirmed and this gives us confidence to call God our Father.

          The Holy Spirit bears the fruit of love in our lives. With love in our hearts, we can see beyond what our naked eyes can see, discern more what our intellect often overlooks, and understand that it is faith in God that gives meaning and purpose to our lives. Fr. Sonny Cotiamco

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you believe more in the signs that your eyes could see rather than what the Spirit tells you in your heart?

Lord, let me listen more to what You dictate in my heart than what the world is telling me. Amen.