And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” – Mark 3:11

         Did you read that? Even unclean spirits fall down before Jesus and shout, “You are the Son of God!”

       I know of many “unclean people” — drug users, alcoholics, gamblers, adulterers, corrupt politicians, thieves, swindlers, cheaters, liars, gossipers, etc. Yet, they too have fallen down before Jesus and have believed.

      Two things to note here: First, it’s very possible to believe and profess your faith yet continue with your unclean practices. (The classic band Yano referred to these kinds of people as “Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo,” or hypocrites for short.) Second, you have hope if you are this kind of a person.

       I know because I, too, am unclean. I, too, at times, am one of those hypocrites. Yet, unclean as I am, I will not stop believing

       Because by God’s pure mercy, especially through the sacrament of reconciliation, I am made clean again. Forgiven, I continue to live, to love, and to serve Him by His grace.

      Profess your faith. Act out your faith. And by His mercy this New Year, be clean again. Alvin Barcelona (apb_ayo@yahoo.com)

Reflection:Do you know of “unclean people” who continue to profess their faith? Be careful not to judge them. You may be one of them.

Lord, help me to genuinely proclaim my faith in my day-to-day life. But if I fall, let me run to Your mercy and love that I may be clean again.

St. Fillan, pray for us.

Jesus is the only True Mediator between God and humanity. Jesus alone is fully divine and fully human. Only Jesus can bring the blessing of salvation to us from heaven. He bridges the created and eternal dimensions of existence. This is the wonder of the Incarnation — God becomes one of us. Even though we are sinners, God engaged us through His Incarnate Son and so delivered us from sin and death.

25 Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them. 26 It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. 27 He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests, but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law, appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever. 8:1 The main point of what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up. 3 Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are those who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They worship in a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, as Moses was warned when he was about to erect the tabernacle. For God says, “See that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 6 Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry as he is mediator of a better covenant, enacted on better promises.

R: Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

6 [7] Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not; 7 [8] then said I, “Behold I come.” (R) “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, 8 [9] To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!” (R) 9 [10] I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O Lord, know. (R) 16 [17] May all who seek you exult and be glad in you, and may those who love your salvation say ever, “The Lord be glorified.” (R)

The people were attracted to the message of Jesus because He lived what He proclaimed. Let us remember the power of the lived witness. This is why martyrdom will always be a special gift to the Church. The willingness to die for what we believe in — in the religious and secular spheres — has always been considered the highest form of commitment and witness to our faith. In John 15, Jesus said that we can have no greater love than to lay down our life for each other.

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.

7 Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. 8 Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. 9 He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. 10 He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. 11 And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” 12 He warned them sternly not to make him known.

think: How do you testify to God’s teaching amidst a pressing crowd?

Read the Bible in one year  Mark 9-12

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

HOLY CHURCH, SINFUL MEMBERS

At one priestly ordination rites, the ordaining prelate, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, “shocked” the congregation when, in addressing the candidates, he said, “During the rite of scrutiny, your seminary rector publicly confirmed, ‘After consultation with the whole people of God and of those in charge of their formation, I attest that these young men are found worthy.’ But I must tell you, ‘You are not worthy!’” The Archbishop was not being sarcastic. He was being realistic, and the reason can be found in today’s First Reading.

       We continue to read today the treatise on the priesthood. We are reminded that we have such a High Priest in Jesus who is “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and higher than the heavens” (v. 25). With such lofty credentials set by the High Priest, who could rise to the bar of expectations? It is so easy to fall into despair looking at how sinful and corrupt modern priests can be, as well as Christians who bear Christ’s name. It is easy to fall into a summary dismissal of everything and everyone connected with the faith, as evidenced by many disillusioned Catholics who have stopped going to Mass because the Church is “full of hypocrites,” so they claim.

       But why do we go to church and listen to God’s Word? We go to Mass not because we are holy. On the contrary, we go to church because we need to be forgiven, to be reminded of His Word, to be strengthened by His Body and Blood. As Pope Francis would always say, the Church is not a museum of saints; it is a field hospital for sinners. Let us not judge the holiness of the Church in those who have fallen short of the standard. As the wise saying goes, “Do not leave Jesus because of Judas.”

       Surely, we should continue to be indignant when priests and Christians give Christianity a bad witness. The duty to live up to the dignity of our calling remains. But we maintain that the Church is holy not because of the priests and its members. The Church is and continues to be holy because our High Priest is Jesus. This certainly is good news and a guard from discouragement. Fr. Joel Jason

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

Have you alienated yourself from the Church because of erring Church members? Know that in the end, you are also the one who stands to lose.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Amen.