The speaker showed slides of Protestant groups practicing devotion to the Divine Mercy. I liked that. But there was more.

I learned that a Muslim participated in the rites of the Divine Mercy group in El Salvador, Cagayan de Oro. The story goes that the Muslim just wanted to thank Jesus, the Divine Mercy, for the healing he had received.

Actually, many miracles take place at the Divine Mercy Shrine in El Salvador. Most likely, this Muslim was willing to try anything to get healed.

All these got me. This is surely an authentic devotion that Jesus Himself started. He is consistently nondiscriminatory. And why not? We ought not to be against each other just because of different beliefs.

When the Catholic Church declared 2020 a Year of Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue, the Holy Spirit must have inspired it. God wants us to unite. Cristy Galang (cristy_cc@yahoo.com)

reflect

Do you carry any prejudice for others who don’t belong to your religion? Why? What should you do about it?

Open my heart, Lord Jesus, to Your Spirit that You may lead me in all I think, do, and say. Amen.

St. Vincent de Paul, priest, pray for us.

Once again, Zechariah writes about a great hope for the future. He envisages Jerusalem, the City of Peace, as a magnet that draws all people into a new relationship with God. There are no longer borders between nations and all people acknowledge the One God.

¹ This word of the Lord of hosts came: Thus says the Lord of hosts, ² I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred to jealous wrath for her. ³ Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, and I will dwell within Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. ⁴ Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women, each with staff in hand because of old age, shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. ⁵ The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets. ⁶ Thus says the Lord of hosts: Even if this should seem impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people, shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also, says the Lord of hosts? ⁷ Thus says the Lord of hosts: Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun, and from the land of the setting sun. ⁸ I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem. They shall be my people, and I will be their God, with faithfulness and justice.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 102:16-18, 19-21, 29, 22-23

R: The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

16 The nations shall revere your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory, 17 when the Lord has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory; 18 when he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer. (R) 19 Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the Lord: 20 “The Lord looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, 21 To hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.” (R) 29 The children of your servants shall abide, and their posterity shall continue in your presence. 22 That the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion; and his praise, in Jerusalem, 23 When the peoples gather together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord. (R)

Gospel | Luke 9:46-50

St. Teresa of Calcutta was the greatest person I had the privilege to meet. She had no trappings of wealth or earthly power. In fact, she refused to have them as a part of her life. Yet there has never been anyone who received universal acclaim as Saint Teresa did for what she accomplished in her life. Her greatness was seen in her commitment to serve the poorest of the poor.

Gospel Acclamation

The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

46 An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. 47 Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.” 49 Then John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read EZEKIEL 29 - 32 today.

When I was much younger, I overheard a lot of talk from elders about a certain condition called “heart murmur.” I did not know it then but now I do. They are those strange whooshing or hissing sounds made by the heart in between beats. The problem is definitely a physical, biological one. But one also heard talk about heart murmurs that did not refer to anything physical, but emotional. These are the classic undefined but real problems of the heart.

It stands for a variety of meanings: regrets, hurt feelings, disappointments—all related to negative emotions that weigh down the heart and hang heavy on one’s shoulders. The original Greek word used was dialogismoi, which could refer to hesitations, doubts, interior struggles, dissension, or discussion that is more than an exchange of ideas between and among colleagues, in this case, the disciples of the Lord. The context does not point to something altogether positive.

It is definitely unbecoming for disciples to be discussing animatedly about who is the greater among them. But unbecoming does not mean unrealistic as it is too real—then and now. The context of the laconic Gospel passage of Luke, all written with surgical precision and directness, makes the calculations of the heart even more disappointing and eventually reprehensible.

The Lord was talking about His imminent suffering and death once He was handed to “human power.” But the very example of that raw “human power” was at play right where He was, in the persons of those He was with, His close-in followers—the disciples. They were too engrossed in the stirrings of human power to even listen or care. Like you and me, once too often, they were busy calculating. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

reflection questions

What are your heart’s murmurs and calculations? Do you listen to them?

You know what’s in my heart, Lord. You know all things. Purify me. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________