Made known from the housetops

Thursday,
January 26, 2017
3rd Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: 2 Tim 1:1-8
Gospel: Mark 4:21-25

Jesus said to the crowds, “When the light comes, is it to be put under a tub or a bed? Surely it is put on a lamp stand. Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light. Listen then, if you have ears!”

And he also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. In the measure you give, so shall you receive and still more will be given to you. For to the one who produces something, more will be given, and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

A Dutchman feels he needs to confess, so he goes to a priest. “Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. During WWII, I hid a Jewish man in my attic.” “Well, that’s not a sin”, the priest answers. “But I made him pay me 20 dollars for each week he stayed,” the man confesses. The priest replies, “I admit that wasn’t good, but I suppose you did it for a good cause”. “Oh thank you Father; that eases my mind. Father, I have one more question.” “What is it son?” the priest asks. “Do I have to tell him the war is over?” (From the internet).

There is a parallelism between the twist of this story and the way we harbor pagan attitudes. The war is over a long time ago and yet the Dutchman is still harboring a Jew in his attic. The era of paganism is over yet we still harbor pagan attitudes. Let’s talk about marriage and baptism – two of our most popular sacraments.

The way we conduct our church weddings make observers wonder whether we really want the sacrament or we just want its pompous ceremony. If we are really after its sacramental benefits, we should not postpone church wedding until we have saved so much money for a lavish celebration. What could be said of civil weddings? If marriage is such an important undertaking to us, we should be asking strength and blessing from God in the sacrament of matrimony, not from a judge in a civil ceremony.

Our baptismal rites aren’t done any better. Baptism rites turn our churches into market places. Good that the drinkers among our guests prefer to go ahead to the venue of reception than add to the confusion around our baptismal fonts. If we are really after the spiritual benefits derived from the sacrament, why are we choosing baptism godparents on the basis of money and power rather than on the basis of spiritual maturity?

We may successfully hide wrong motives from people, but not from God. Soon the whole world will know. “Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light”. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM.

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