Daily Gospel: February 24, 2014

As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John and approached the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?"
Someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so."
He said to them in reply, "O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me."
They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth.
Then he questioned his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" He replied, "Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
Jesus said to him, " 'If you can!' Everything is possible to one who has faith."
Then the boy's father cried out, "I do believe, help my unbelief!"
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!"
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, "He is dead!"
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, "Why could we not drive it out?"
He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer."

Mark 9:14-29.  

Credits to: Dailygospel.org

Daily Gospel: February 23, 2014

Jesus said to his disciples: «You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.
You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:38-48.  

Credits to: DailyGospel.org

Daily Gospel: February 22, 2014

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

- Matthew 16:13-19

A Move To Challenge

This video simply amazes me on how other people bravely express their creativity and deliver the truth behind the practices that are rampant in our society. As Patriots of our country let us try to look into this video and be equipped with the sensitivity we need in order to see a better view on what really is corruption.

Daily Gospel: February 12, 2014

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, «Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.")
When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them, "Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles.
From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile."
Mark 7:14-23.

Daily Gospel: February 11, 2014

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

- Mark 6:53-56

A Generation of Corrupt

Corruption might be one of the most rampant activities here in our country and its already a fact that all of us are suffering because of it. If you try to ask one Filipino on who to blame, many would simply say its the politicians, the police and everyone who holds authority and power. But another question should be raised, are we really that guilt-free?

Last Monday, I attended a general assembly wherein the person who gave the supposedly inspiration message gave us short background and details about corruption in the simplest sense.

She started by narrating an incident where they happen to buy some construction materials in a local hardware and after securing the materials and paying it, the cashier asked them on what amount should be written in the official receipt. She also added the confidence of the cashier upon telling that as if its commonly done. From that concrete manifestation of corruption, she then concluded that corruption is so rampant and as of the moment, its no longer necessary to hide it.

She also added that the simplest act such as becoming late even for the fact that the time of arrival was agreed-upon was indeed a form of corruption especially when someone came there ahead of time and you arrived a couple of hours late. In that given instance, you already stole someone's precious time. The one who's punctual might have used his/her time for another productive thing, but instead he/she wasted it simply because your late.

While taking all of those in, I was moved into reflection and I started to recall all of those instances where I did in fact committed corruption. Some obvious circumstance would be keeping the change whenever the cashier gave me excess, or taking advantage of the resources of other people. Even cheating in the classroom is a form of corruption. Another would be borrowing someone's things and not returning it in due time, taking advantage of the so called "bugs", "glitch", "hack" in computers is also a form of corruption.

As you can see, wherever we turn to, we can indeed name such acts. And right now, I am pretty sure you can already count how many corrupt acts you did commit today or perhaps in the past week. With that, I believe you already know where to start the fight against corruption. Yes, you're right. It should start with you. For again, Integrity starts with I.

I just hope that this simple article would really open our eyes to a broader and simplest sense of corruption. and many many many thanks and credits to Ma'am Beth Arcena Director of the Arrupe office of social formation, Ateneo de Davao University for simply giving that message to all of us.