One faith-shaking experience for me had been when good friends suddenly passed away. These people had been serving God for a long time in significant ways. Then, in a blink of an eye, they are gone. 

These instances made me wrestle with my faith. I asked, “Lord, why? You need them to spread Your love to many, but why bring them home already? I imagine them doing a lot more for Your Kingdom here on earth . . . Why, Lord?” 

For the longest time I had believed that death is a loss. A loss of a great life. A loss of a wonderful story yet to be written. But my faith crisis ended when I came to terms with the truth about death.

We continue our story to eternity with Jesus on our side.And that is what victory over death is. Arun Gogna (gognuts@yahoo.com) 

reflect

Jesus conquered death for you. Will you win with Him?

I pray, Lord, for the soul of (names of those who died). May they rest in peace with You forever. Amen.

St. Agnes of Bohemia, pray for us.

First Reading | Sirach 27:4-7

The Book of Sirach reminds us that the proof of a religious way of life is found in a person’s witness to the truths of the faith they proclaim. The faith a person proclaims is credible by looking at the fruits of their life, as well as the fruits of the community to which they belong. We live in the age of authenticity where people listen to witnesses, not preachers. 

⁴ When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one’s faults when he speaks. ⁵ As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in his tribulation is the test of the just. ⁶ The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of his mind. ⁷ Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then people are tested. 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16

R: Lord, it is good to give thanks to you. 

² It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, Most High, ³ to proclaim your kindness at dawn and your faithfulness throughout the night. (R) ¹³ The just one shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow. ¹⁴ They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. (R) ¹⁵ They shall bear fruit even in old age; vigorous and sturdy shall they be, ¹⁶ declaring how just is the Lord, my Rock, in whom there is no wrong. (R) 

Second Reading | 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 

Paul reminds us in today’s reading that not only do we live as redeemed men and women; we need to believe that Christ has truly risen from the dead. This is the fundamental truth of our faith, and without it, all that we believe and profess has no basis. “We believe that Jesus rose from the dead” is the foundation of our Christian faith. Let us pray every day to be faithful in living out this truth. 

⁵⁴ Brothers and sisters: When this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵ Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 

Gospel | Luke 6:39-45 

We must live in the truth so we may be effective and authentic in proclaiming it. People will not tolerate hypocrisy or lack of transparency. This means we cannot hide behind other people and their faithfulness as we proclaim the Gospel. We have to live our faith to the fullest—without any shortcuts—if we want to be taken seriously when we proclaim God's Word to others.

Gospel Acclamation

Shine like lights in the world as you hold on to the word of life.

39 Jesus told his disciples a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰ No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. ⁴¹ Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye. ⁴³ “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. ⁴⁵ A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read 2 JOHN today.

Seeing Our Own Blindness

When we listen to homilies, we think the message is for others, never for ourselves. “Thank you, Father. I wish my husband is here. Your homily is perfect for him!” “Thank you,” I replied, “How about you? What did you learn?” She paused, then said, “Basta, Father, ang ganda ng homily mo!” then she left. 

Jesus talks about the worst kind of blindness—seeing others’ blindness but never realizing one’s own. This hypocritical blindness is incurable unless the person acknowledges that blindness. What makes this worse is that people with this blindness tend to reinforce each other’s prejudices. Like the blind leading the blind, they try to fix others while feeling good at the thought of being better than them or not being blind themselves. Doesn’t this sound familiar among groups? 

Removing the speck from another’s eye while having a plank in our own is laughable. Rather than immediately criticizing others, it would be good to ask ourselves: Why did I react that way? What was triggered in me? Oftentimes, we are triggered by our unconscious self-hate and insecurity. When we criticize others, we assure ourselves and muster some degree of superiority—sadly, at the expense of others. Even when we occasionally coat our criticisms with “out of our loving concern” premise, our motivations creep out and reveal themselves to betray us.

The good tree bears good fruits. The rotten tree bears rotten fruits. A good heart sees the good and uses what he sees to understand the bad in the other. This allows him to understand and accompany the other rather than criticize him. The fruit of any tree reveals what kind of care (and heart!) he has had. Fr. Bros Flores, SJ

reflection questions

What irritates you about others? How does this reflect your own insecurity and self-discontentment?

My Lord Jesus, allow me today to see the good in myself and in others so that I may understand, accept, and lovingly correct or affirm others as You did. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________________