The Fifth Gospel
Living a Double Life
October 15, 2020
Ibalik sa May-ari ang Nararapat
October 18, 2020PITIK-BULAG: The Fifth Gospel
We may not even aware of it, but every single day of our lives is a witnessing opportunity to all regarding our faith. Upon waking up in the morning until we hit the bed in the evening, the good works we do manifest the genuineness of our faith. Thus, in our gospel today, the Lord invites us to be more conscious of our words and actions as our way of glorifying God.
Whether we like it or not, the Sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of Confirmation put us into the spot of becoming the Presence of God in our society. We are tasked to acknowledge and proclaim Jesus in our lives. Something that we have ignored or forgotten after receiving the two initials sacraments. The sacraments then become mere rituals to be done, but not a mission to undertake as disciples of Jesus.
That is why Jesus is so honest as he speaks to us in our gospel today. He wants us to seriously take the role of apostles as living witnesses of His teachings. Our faith challenges us to acknowledge Jesus as our Lord through our words and actions. But acknowledging Jesus is more than a passive affirmation of our faith. It requires an ACTIVE AFFIRMATION OF OUR FAITH through witnessing. The Lord wants us to see in our lives a LIVING GOSPEL …boldly proclaiming His love through words and actions.
When the Lord introduces the thought that sinning against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable sin, he is simply implying the danger of our resistance to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to reform our lives. Our hardheadedness blocks us from reuniting ourselves to God. Our closed hearts hinder us to discover our authentic selves. In the end, we produced the yeast the Pharisees – the sin of hypocrisy. We live a double life. We confused people. We regularly attend mass and pray the rosary, yet are not sensitive to the needs of others. We beg God for forgiveness yet we resist to forgive others. We say that our family is our priority, yet we don’t spend quality time with our children. We hate liars, yet we tolerate our own hypocrisy. In our spiritual life, what matters most in heaven is not our Christian Membership, but our DYNAMIC FAITH MANIFESTED IN WORDS AND ACTIONS. In our gospel reading, the Lord also recognizes our limitations and inclination to sins. No one is perfect. Thus, He insists on the importance of inviting the Holy Spirit in our lives for discernment, guidance, and strength. The Holy Spirit will teach us what we ought to say and do (Luke 12:12).
Many people will never have the chance to read the four gospels. But the only gospel they will read every day is the gospel according to you. Be aware of your words and actions. Don’t be a nominal Christian. Walk the talk. Never have a dual life. Tell everyone how God changed you into a better person. Don’t be shy and meek in proclaiming your faith. Be proud of it. Share it! Not only with beautiful words, but with your edifying works!
– Fr. Wilfredo M. Samson, SJ
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October 17, 2020 – Saturday
Gospel Reading: Luke 12: 8-12
