Entrance…
1.
Diosnong
Magtutudlo, “aron lamang mabuhi sa imong mga hatag.”
2.
Awit
mga Binuhat
3.
Himaya
Kanimo Kristo Jesus
4.
Pag-inambitay
5.
Buklod ng Pag-ibig (Pangilinan, Hontiveros)
6.
Pagmamahal
sa Panginoon (Hontiveros) swak sa first reading
7.
Pag-aalaala (Francisco) “Sa piging”
8.
Sa Hapag ng Panginoon (Morano
& Francisco)
9. Sa Piging na Handog (Carlos, Villaroman)
10. Sa Piging ng Panginoon (Tabuena, Hontiveros)
11. Blest Be the Lord (Schutte)
12. Come With Praise (Schutte)
13. For You Are My God (Foley)
14. Glory and Praise to Our God (Schutte)
15. The Lord Is My Light (Foley)
First Reading Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b
Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,
summoning their elders, their leaders,
their judges, and their officers.
When they stood in ranks before God,
Joshua addressed all the people:
"If it does not please you to serve the LORD,
decide today whom you will serve,
the gods your fathers served beyond the River
or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling.
As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
But the people answered,
"Far be it from us to forsake the LORD
for the service of other gods.
For it was the LORD, our God,
who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt,
out of a state of slavery.
He performed those great miracles before our very eyes
and protected us along our entire journey
and among the peoples through whom we passed.
Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19,
20-21
R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Many are the troubles of the just one,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him;
he watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Second Reading Eph 5:21-32
Brothers and sisters:
Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is head of his wife
just as Christ is head of the church,
he himself the savior of the body.
As the church is subordinate to Christ,
so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it,
even as Christ does the church,
because we are members of his body.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery,
but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.
Brothers
and sisters:
Live in love, as Christ loved us.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife loves himself.
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it,
even as Christ does the church,
because we are members of his body.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery,
but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.
Many of
Jesus' disciples who were listening said,
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe."
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said,
"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
Reflections of the Readings (Aug. 26)
My brothers
and sisters in Christ, as I look at our large gathering, I am reminded of those
who gathered around the Lord Jesus when He said, "Unless you eat the flesh
of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you." [Jn.
6:53] What would be our reaction to such words if Jesus was here today? What
would be our answer to the question, "Do you also wish to go away?"
[Jn. 6:67] Or how about the gathering in the days of Joshua? What would be our
answer to his comment, "Choose this day whom you will serve!" [Jos.
24:15]
As Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the
elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel who presented
themselves before God, [Jos. 24:1-2] we also as Christians are gathered here
before God. But this time, it is God who gathered us. For, as Jesus said, "No
one can come to Him unless it is granted by the Father." [Jn. 6:65] It is
by the grace of God the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit that we are
drawn to the Lord Jesus who is "the way, the truth and the life."
[Jn. 14:6]
Joshua's message during the First Reading echoed that we cannot serve two gods.
Jesus said the same thing. "No one can serve two masters; for (you/the
slave) will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one
and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." [Mt. 6:24]
Who were the gods of the ancestors in the region beyond the River or the gods
of the Amorites that Joshua was speaking about? Their gods were idols, [Gen.
35:4] objects of precious metals. Today, we can compare those gods to the many
worldly possession that people place over and above the one and only true God.
How many souls dedicate more time towards praising their personal property than
they do towards their personal relationship with God? How many place more value
in their car, their house, their cottage, their money, their jewelry, their
spoon or unicorn collections, their stereo system, forgetting that all these
goods were provided by the Lord God for their comfort?
The closing of the First Reading from the Book of Joshua tells us that the
people were prepared to make a firm commitment in serving the Lord, "for
He is their God." [Jos. 14:18] He is the Lord God who brought their
ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did
great signs in their sight. He is the Lord God who protected them all the way
they went and among the people through whom they passed. [Jos. 14:17-8]
He is the same Lord God who brought our ancestors, including each and everyone
of us, out of the kingdom of darkness. He is the same compassionate Lord God
who, through the Sacrament of Baptism, delivered each and everyone of us from
the slavery of sin. [Rom. 6:6] He is He who has done great signs in our sight
to manifest His Divine Presence in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic
Church. He is the same Lord who "yearns jealously for the spirit that He
has made to dwell in us," [Jas. 4:5] protecting His Church throughout its
history so the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [Mt. 16:18]
For those of us who do not wish to go away, choosing to serve the Lord God,
what must we do? St. Paul answers that question in today's reading from the
Letter to the Ephesians.
We are to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God
in Christ has forgiven us. [Ephes. 4:32] During the past few years, we have
heard a number of messages from the authorities of the Catholic Church. We had
messages that called for the forgiveness of the debts to the poor countries. We
heard messages that called for the forgiving of sentences to show mercy towards
prisoners in the hope of their conversion. These are perfect examples of the
love of Christ. For if we cannot share our wealth with the poor by forgiving
their debt, how can we call ourselves Christians? If we cannot show mercy
towards prisoners by forgiving their sentences, how can we call ourselves
Christians? Did Jesus teach us to execute Divine Wrath on our brothers and
sisters or did He tell us to turn the other cheek? [Mt. 5:39] For it is the act
of love that changes the heart, not the act of oppression and revenge!
We are called to be imitators of God, as beloved children. [Ephes. 5:1] As
Jesus came to serve, we are called to serve one another. Jesus said,
"Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant
be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor." [Jn. 12:26] How do we
serve the Lord Jesus? Jesus answers that question. "For I was hungry and
you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a
stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick
and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me." [Mt.
25:35-6]
Love is also manifested in the matrimonial relationship. Wives are to be
subject to their husbands [Ephes. 5:22] and husbands are to love their wives,
[Ephes. 5:25] just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. As
the Church is subject to Christ, the husband is subject to the Church. All
these truths have been revealed to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in
the writing of the Holy Bible. While everyone is subject to someone of higher
authority, this does not give the authority to the Church to abuse its power,
nor to the husband to abuse his power. In love, we are to grow in holiness as
brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to grow in holiness so the husband can
present his wife to God in a beauty that is equal to the splendour in which
Christ will present the Church to the heavenly Father, without a spot or
wrinkle or anything of the kind. [Ephes. 5:27]
We are all members of the Body of Christ. [Ephes. 5:30] As such, our membership
requires that we tend to those under our authority in the same way as we take
care of our bodies. No one hates his body. He nourishes it and tenderly cares
for it, just as Christ does for the Church. The Pope, as our spiritual father,
nourishes us with spiritual food, caring for us as Christ cared for us. The
Bishops nourish and care for their dioceses. The priests nourish and care for
the sheep in their parishes. Husbands nourish and care for their wives who in
turn nourish and care for their children. And each one of the aforementioned
does so by humbly serving the other.
During today's reading from the Gospel of John, we heard Jesus say,
"Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have
no life in you." [Jn. 6:53] Through those words, Jesus was preparing the
way for the revelation of His continued Divine Presence in the world through
the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Jesus was saying, that unless we receive
the Living Bread, the Holy Eucharist, we have no life in us.
Most likely, when Jesus spoke those words, none understood them for the Last
Supper and the Resurrection had not yet come to pass. Like many said,
"This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" [Jn. 6:60] Because
of this, many of his disciples turned back, no longer going about with Jesus.
But those who had faith in the Lord, those who had been called by the Father,
they trusted in Jesus. They trusted that in time, their hearts would be open to
what Jesus was saying. They were disposed as Peter was when he said,
"Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come
to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." [Jn. 6:68]
In His teachings, Jesus said, "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh
is useless." [Jn. 6:63] These words are echoed in The Letter of James
where it states: "The body without the spirit is dead." [Jas. 2:26]
Among many other truths that Jesus was preaching, He was teaching that the new creation
that we received during the Sacrament of Baptism, is the means through which we
receive eternal life in the Kingdom of God. For, "no one can enter the
kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit." [Jn. 3:5] No one
can enter the Kingdom of God unless they were born again and have received the
indwelling Holy Spirit.
Knowing these holy truths, what do we want to do? Do we also wish to go away?
Or should we choose this day who we will serve? Whatever we choose, we must
make sure that it is the right decision because there is no second chance once
we are called to appear before the Lord Jesus in judgment. Whatever we choose,
we better make sure we do it with a sincerity of heart for we cannot serve two
masters. Whatever we choose, we better pray that it is in answer to the calling
of God the Father, He who is our assurance of the blessed hope in the adoption
and inheritance of the children of the Lord.
This week, let us reflect upon our commitment towards the Lord Jesus. Let us
dread just the thought of Jesus asking us, "Do you also wish to go
away?"
Offertory…
1.
Daygon Ikaw Ginoong Dios (Koro
Viannista)
2.
Mugna sa Dios
3.
Aniang Among Halad
4.
Isang Pagkain, Isang Katawan, Isang Bayan (San
Pedro)
5.
Pag-aalay (Francisco)
6.
Unang Alay (Magnaye)
7.
Earthen Vessels (Foley)
8.
Prayer of Rupert Mayer (Francisco)
9.
Take our Bread (Wise)
10.
To Be Your Bread (Haas)
Communion…
1.
Ang Dios Magbalantay, prioritize stanza 2.
2.
Si Jesus Ang Dalan, swak sa Ebanghelyo
3. Kini Mao’ng Akong Lawas,
“dawata kini… langitnong kalan-on”
4. Magsaulog Kita Karon, “Sa
kauhaw ug kagutom, ang Ginoo nagapakaon.”
5. Awit ng Pag-asam (Hangad)
6.
Ang Tanging Alay Ko
7.
Kapuri-puri Ka (Que)
8.
Huwag Kang Mangamba (Pagsanghan, Francisco)
9.
H’wag Mabalisa (Calasanz, Hontiveros)
10.
H’wag Mangamba (Francisco)
11.
Ito ang Aking Katawan (Isidro & Ramirez)
12.
Liwanag ng Aming Puso
13.
Liwanagan Mo, Hesus
14.
Manatili Ka (Francisco)
15.
Pag-alabin Aming Puso
16.
Pagkakaibigan (Cenzon, Abad-Santos)
17.
Pag-ibig Ko (Cenzon)
18.
Sa Diyos Lamang Mapapanatag (Isidro, Que)
19.
Sa ‘Yo Lamang (Borres, Gan, Francisco)
20.
Saan Kami Tutungo (Macalinao, Hontiveros) Best
choice.
21.
Tanging Yaman (Gan, Francisco)
22.
All I Ask of You (Norbet)
23.
Be Not Afraid (Dufford)
24.
Come to Me All Who are Weary (Schutte)
25.
Come With Me Into the Fields (Schutte)
26.
God of Love (Schutte)
27.
God of Silence (Francisco)
28.
Here I Am, Lord (Schutte)
29.
I Love the Lord (Aquino)
30.
In Him Alone (Francisco)
31.
Prayer of Saint Francis (Temple)
Recessional…
1.
Kinsa?
2.
Ang Tawag
3.
Pagbanwag
4.
Tanda ng Kaharian ng Diyos
(Moreno, Francisco)
5.
Humayo Kayo (Pangilinan,
Hontiveros)
6.
Humayo’t Ihayag (Francisco,
Catalan, Go)
7.
Magpasalamat Kayo sa Panginoon
(Ramirez)
8.
O Bayan ng Diyos (Aquino)
9.
Sino’ng Makapaghihiwalay
(Anunciata)
10. All My Days (Schutte, Murray)
11. I Will Sing Forever (Francisco)
12. Pilgrim’s Theme (Go, Francisco)
13. I am the Bread of Life (Toolan)
14. Throughout All Time (Haas)
Have a blessed
weekend brothers and sisters J
