17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) / Fil-Mission
Sunday
First Reading: 2 Kings 4:42
Second Reading: Ephesians 4: 1-6
Gospel: John 6:1-15
One of the stories that inspired me to join the SVD was
the story about a missionary who visited a village for the first time in
Africa. He said that he experienced culture-shock. As a sign of courtesy to the
chieftain, he had to suck the breast of the chieftain’s aged mother. I joined
the SVD not to experience that (LOL) but that story strongly opened my eyes to
the missionary endeavors of the Catholic Church. I came to realize that indeed
there are people who offered their lives entirely to the Lord and His mission.
I highly salute those people! That is why, when the Lord invited me to join Him
in His vineyard, I accepted it with joy and the rest is history.
Every last Sunday of July, we celebrate here in the
Philippines the Fil-Mission Sunday. It is dedicated to the missionary arm of
the Catholic Church in the Philippines, the Mission Society of the Philippines
(MSP). The Fil-Mission Sunday is our act
of solidarity in the undertakings of the MSP. The second collections during
this day will also be given to them to help spread the Good News in all parts
of the world.
One of the two Bible stories that really made a mark
during my childhood is our gospel for today. When I was a little kid, my dear
elder cousin (God bless him and his family+) read before me the story of the
multiplication of the loaves and two fishes, complete with picture
illustrations! In the illustrations, it showed an exhausted crowd. The apostles
were in crisis because they don’t have enough to feed them. Out of the blue, a
child offered his five loaves and two fishes. Jesus took them, gave thanks, and
ordered them to be distributed. When they had their fill, there were twelve
baskets left-over.
The first reading is also similar with the gospel. There
was a drought in the land and a man from Baal-Shalisah offered his bread and
wheat for the people of God. The servant who was asked to distribute the food
wondered how could it feed a hundred
people. Prophet Elisha just said, “They shall eat, and there shall be some
left-over.” Indeed, there were some left-over!
These two readings clearly showed us the value of
generosity. A boy initiated to give in the gospel and another man gave what he
had in the first reading. Giving is our sacred duty. During the time of the early Christians,
generosity was the their trademark. There is a very heartwarming story about
this: when a drought set in Jerusalem and the poor ones were in danger of
starvation, the Christian community of Antioch initiated a collection for the
poor. How consoling it must be for the starving community to know that they
could rely on their Christian brothers and sisters, even those far away, like
the one in Antioch who gave material as well as spiritual support.
During the time of Vatican II, our dear bishops discerned
what can we do as a Philippine Church to help in the mission of spreading the
Good News. The fruit of their collective discernment gave birth to the Mission
Society of the Philippines in 1965. We are no longer only a receiving country
of missionaries from abroad. We are now a mission-sending country. We become a
nation that generously shares its missionaries to all parts of the world. Every
Filipino, wherever he is, is a missionary!
How consoling it must be for other countries who are in need of
missionaries to know that they could also rely on their Filipino brothers and
sisters in terms of spiritual and material support.
But more magnificent than our act of giving is God’s act
of self-giving. God is God, but he chose to become flesh to dwell among us. He gave His all to make us closer
to Him. And when he gives – he gives it in good measure, pressed down, and
shaken together, and running over. The people who were present ate to their
stomach’s delight, and yet there are still left-over!
I thought that if I enter the seminary, I will lose my
family. But no, my friends and families even multiplied and became hundredfold.
God is indeed generous!
I thought that if I am assigned to a poor parish, I will
become thin. But no, I become filled with food…nurturance and love. God is
indeed generous!
I thought that if I become a priest, there will be no
more chance for me to become a newscaster. But no, God gave me more. He made me
a Good News-caster. God is indeed generous!
Friends, let us start to give. God is indeed generous! He
gives in good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over.
May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish
before the light of the Word and the Spirit of Grace, and may the Heart of
Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen.
