April 28, 2013
5th Sunday of Easter Year C
Liturgical Color : WHITE
“A SERVICE OF LOVE IN THE LORD JESUS”
ENTRANCE SONG:
1.
Awit Mga Binuhat
2.
Pag-inambitay
3.
Bayan Umawit
4.
Magsiawit sa Panginoon
5.
Praise God
6.
Sing a New Song
FIRST Reading ACTS
14:21-27
After Paul and Barnabas had
proclaimed the good news
to that city and made a
considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium
and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of
the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in
the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to
undergo many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.”
They appointed elders for them in
each church and,
with prayer and fasting,
commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through
Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at
Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to
Antioch,
where they had been commended to
the grace of God
for the work they had now
accomplished.
And when they arrived, they
called the church together
and reported what God had done
with them
and how he had opened the door of
faith to the Gentiles.
RESPONSORIAL Psalm PS 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
R. (cf. 1) I will praise your
name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and
merciful,
slow to anger and of great
kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his
works.
R. I will praise your name for
ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you
thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless
you.
Let them discourse of the glory
of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for
ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them make known your might to
the children of Adam,
and the glorious splendor of your
kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all
ages,
and your dominion endures through
all generations.
R. I will praise your name for
ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
SECOND Reading REV
21:1-5A
Then I, John, saw a new heaven
and a new earth.
The former heaven and the former
earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, a new
Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from
God,
prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband.
I heard a loud voice from the
throne saying,
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with
the human race.
He will dwell with them and they
will be his people
and God himself will always be
with them as their God.
He will wipe every tear from
their eyes,
and there shall be no more death
or mourning, wailing or pain,
for the old order has passed
away.”
The One who sat on the throne
said,
“Behold, I make all things new.”
GOSPEL JN
13:31-33A, 34-35
When Judas had left them, Jesus
said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified,
and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in
himself,
and God will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you
only a little while longer.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also
should love one another.
This is how all will know that
you are my disciples,
if you have love for one
another.”
REFLECTION OF THE READINGS:
Welcome my
brothers and sisters in Christ to today's celebration of the Fifth Sunday of
Easter. When considering Easter Sunday as a starting point for the spiritual
journey of new converts, we come to perceive that during the liturgical
calendar, the Spirit of God leads the souls towards a gradual spiritual growth.
For us who have been Catholics for a number of years, this same spiritual
process serves the purpose of reminding us of what we have already been taught
during previous years so we may continue to be enriched in the knowledge and
understanding of our Faith.
Reviewing the
past few weeks, on Easter Sunday, we proclaimed that the Lord Jesus had indeed
risen. On the Second Sunday of Easter, the liturgical readings opened our eyes
to the early history of the Christian Church. The following Sunday, we were
reminded of our loyalty to the Lord Jesus. Last week, we reflected on Jesus as
the Good Shepherd, hearing His voice and following Him. Today, in the next step
towards our spiritual growth, we are called to reflect on our service of love
in the Lord Jesus.
During the
Gospel Reading, we all heard the Words of Jesus when He gave us a new
commandment, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one
another." [Jn. 13:34] To this, Jesus added, "By this everyone will
know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." [Jn.
13:35] By shining in love towards one another, others will know that we are the
disciples of Jesus.
These Words of
Jesus remind us of the words that are found in the First Letter of John.
"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who
loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God,
for God is love." [1 Jn. 4:7-8] "God is love, and those who abide in
love abide in God, and God abides in them." [1 Jn. 4:16]
"Those
who say, 'I love God,' and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those
who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom
they have not seen. The commandment we have from him (Jesus) is this: those who
love God must love their brothers and sisters also." [1 Jn. 4:20-1]
My brothers
and sisters, the love that we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ is
but a reflection of the love that we have for God. If we love God, we seek to
please Him in all things. To please God, we must obey the commandment of Jesus
to love one another. By our obedience to this commandment, our love is
perfected in the Lord Jesus so the heavenly Father may love us as He loves His
only begotten Son.
Perfect love
unites the children of God, (pause) without exception. If biological brothers
and sisters are divided among each other, where is the love of God? If parents
disown their children or the children continuously disobey their parents, where
is the love of God? If a family is divided and no one is doing anything to
reunite it in the love of God, where is the love of God? It is not in the
family and it is not in those who know the family and remain silent to the
division that harbours anger, hatred, violence, verbal abuse and all the works
of Satan.
Where is the
love of God when a nation is divided? The innocent are murdered. The children
are orphaned. The women are raped. The refugees go hungry. The homes are
destroyed. The drinking water is poisoned. Is this a service of love in the
Lord Jesus?
Where is the
love of God when the unborn are aborted? The life of the elderly and the sick
is ended. The seniors are abandoned by their relatives. The state enforces the
death penalty. The rich rob the poor. Those claiming to be christians are
killing each other in the name of God. Is this a service of love in the Lord
Jesus?
My brothers
and sisters in Christ, who are we deceiving? Are we not deceiving ourselves?
When the abnormal has become the norm, are we shining in a service of love in
the Lord Jesus? Indeed, who are we deceiving but ourselves?
During today's
First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the praiseworthy
service of love that the Christians had for each other in the Lord Jesus. Paul
and Barnabas continued on their mission from town to town, "strengthening
the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith."
[Acts 14:22]
Repeating the
words of Paul and Barnabas, this is what they said, "It is through many
persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God." [Acts 14:22] When
they were telling the believers that they must persevere through many
persecutions, Paul and Barnabas were not telling them to be the cause of each
other's persecution. They were not telling them that the Christians should be
divided among each other and killing each other as is seen in some countries
today. No, the persecutors were the non-believers, those who rejected Jesus
Christ as the only begotten Son of God.
While it is
very disturbing to see non-believers persecute Christians, how much more
disturbing it is when those who are persecuting the Christians are those who
claim to be Christians themselves. While they may bear the name of Christian,
there is no doubt whatsoever that they are not Christians because they do not
have the love of God in them. They are not Christians because they do not love
their brothers and sisters in Christ. Nor do they know God because the love of
God is not in them!
To shine in a
service of love in the Lord Jesus is to imitate the saints of the Church such
as St. Paul. In his love for Jesus, he appointed elders to lead the believers
in each church. With prayer and fasting, he and Barnabas entrusted them to the
Lord in whom they had come to believe. And when they completed their mission,
they called the church together and related all that God had done with them and
how he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles.
Witnessing to
the power of the Holy Spirit by the grace of the Heavenly Father, they shared
their spiritual joy with their brothers and sisters in Christ. By doing so,
they were strengthening the faith and hope of the believers. Surely, God
blessed all of the Christians who were present. He provided them with the
opportunity to hear of His Almighty power as the eternal Lord.
It is the same
today. When a missionary comes from a foreign land and relates his personal
experience of the goodness of the Lord God towards the new converts, those who
are present, they are blessed by the Lord. For the Lord God provides them with
the opportunity to hear first hand of all the awesome wonders that have been
performed by His Spirit in the Most Holy Name of Jesus Christ.
Today's Second
Reading from the Book of Revelation helps us to understand the purpose of the
progressive development of the spiritual wonders of God within the Holy
Catholic Church.
In his vision,
while in the spirit [Rev. 1:10] in a state of ecstacy, John saw a new heaven
and a new earth. [Rev. 21:1] What was this new heaven and this new earth? It
was the glorious arrival of the long awaited "salvation and the power and
the Kingdom of our God and the authority of His Messiah." [Rev. 12:10]
Through the
Blood of the Lamb, [Rev. 12:11] the Kingdom of Heaven was regained when Michael
and his angels fought against the dragon who was defeated and casted out of
Heaven. [Rev. 12:7-9] At the same time, through the Blood of Christ, the
spiritual Kingdom of God, invisible in nature, descended on earth. Those who
qualify to enter the Kingdom of God are those who are born again of water and
Spirit [Jn.3:5] through the Church Sacrament of Baptism. Through their new
creation, they become members of the Body of Christ, the Kingdom of God on
earth.
As Jesus said,
"What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is
spirit." [Jn. 3:6] "The hour is coming, and is now here, when the
true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father
seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in spirit and truth." [Jn. 4:23-4]
(References to
the human spirit: Job 32:8; Prov. 18:14, 20:27; Ecc. 3:21; Ezek. 11:19, 36:26;
Zech. 12:1; Mt. 26:41; Lk. 8:55; Jn. 3:6; Rom. 8:15; 1 Cor. 2:11)
Through the
newly created nature that we have all received during the Sacrament of Baptism,
we were admitted into the invisible Kingdom of God on earth so we may worship
God in spirit and truth. The earth is not the same anymore. Once, Satan was its
ruler. Now, through the Blood of Christ, the earth is being transformed. With
each new Baptism, the number of the children of God continues to grow and grow.
And it shall continue to do so until such time as every human being has been
baptized to receive the new creation and "the indwelling Holy Spirit in
our hearts as a first instalment." [2 Cor. 1:22] Then, it shall be said
that Satan has completely lost his kingdom. Christ will have conquered him by
crushing death itself.
The new heaven
and the new earth are spiritual domains that are here now, coexisting with our
world. They are the fulfillment of God's promise through Isaiah. "I am
about to do a new thing." [Is. 43:19] "For I am about to create new
heavens and a new earth." [Is. 65:17] Now some may say that the new heaven
and the new earth are not here. These are yet to come. But this is not the
case. Listen to the Words of God from today's reading.
"I saw
the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne
saying, 'See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as
their God.'" [Rev. 21:2-3] The reading says, "The home of God is
among mortals." It does not say, "It is now among immortals."
Once we have passed on from this life and we have entered the Heavenly Kingdom
of God, we will have become immortals.
While it
cannot be denied that God is present in Heaven, in this specific passage of the
Holy Bible, it is a reference to the Divine Presence of God on earth in the
Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and His dwelling in the Sacred Tabernacle.
Through the Holy Eucharist, God is among mortals. He dwells with us as our God.
Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is fulfilled the promise of Jesus
to the Samaritan woman, that "the hour is now here when we as true
worshippers are worshipping God the Father in spirit and in truth, such being
pleasing to God." [Jn. 4:23-4]
In this case,
when the Holy Bible speaks of death being no more, mourning and crying and pain
being no more, these things having passed away, such a description is of the spiritual
nature of the newly created human spirit that we have received during the
Sacrament of Baptism. Our new creation cannot experience spiritual death
because it is of the seed of God. [1 Jn. 3:9]. As the angels have no need of
food or drink, our human spirits cannot hunger or thirst because of their
spiritual nature. Our spiritual nature cannot feel pain because pain results
from the physical nature. Through our new creation is fulfilled the promises of
the Lord God.
The
description of the new creation, the new earth, the new heaven, [Rev. 21:1] the
new heart, the new human spirit, [Ezek. 11:19-20, 18:31, 36:26-7] the
indwelling Holy Spirit, [Ezek. 11:19-20, 18:31, 36:26; Jer. 24:7, 31:33; Heb.
10:16] these are all the high point of the Book of Revelation. "If anyone
is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away;
everything has become new!" [2 Cor. 5:17]
When the Holy
Bible states that the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God is a
Holy City, it tells us that it has a Divine origin. God is the Architect and
the Builder of the city. [Heb. 11:10]
My brothers
and sisters in Christ, in the Book of Revelation, there is only one place where
God Himself speaks. His Words are, "See, I am making all things new."
[Rev. 21:5] God is making all things new for us so we may shine in our service
of love in the Lord Jesus.
Through our
membership in the Mystical Body of Christ which includes the Kingdom of God on
earth, we are drawn to love and worship God as we were created to love and
worship Him. Through our spiritual growth during our daily personal
relationship with God, we obtain the necessary graces for the love of God that
is in us may shine towards our brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore,
through God's creation of new things, we are justified and sanctified so our
service of love in the Lord Jesus may shine towards our brothers and sisters as
it was meant to shine.
OFFERTORY:
1.
Mugna sa Dios
2.
Gasa sa Gugma
3.
Pag-aalay
4.
Paghahandog ng Sarili
5.
One Bread, One Body
6.
Take our Bread
COMMUNION:
1.
Kini Maong Akong Lawas
2.
Balaan nga Gugma
3.
Gugma ang Dios
4.
Pagkakaibigan
5.
Pagkabighani
6.
Kahanga-hanga
7.
Kaibigan, Kapanalig
8.
God of Love (Schutte)
9.
Here in this Place (Haas)
10. How
lovely is your dwelling place (Aquino)
11. Love
is the Answer (Hannisian)
12. We
Remember (Haugen) Stanza 4 ang priority.
RECESSIONAL:
1.
Ang Tawag
2.
Pag-inambitay (if not used in entrance)
3.
Tanda ng Kaharian
4.
Ito ang bagong Araw
5.
All my Days
6.
I will Sing Forever
7.
My Heart’s Thanksgiving
