WORD ALIVE
When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991 causing great devastation to Zambales and Pampanga provinces, many deemed it as God’s wrath over two “cities of sin” located within those provinces.
The Mt. Pinatubo tragedy may be compared to the ones mentioned in the gospel of this 3rd Sunday of Lent. One of these was a construction accident wherein 18 innocent people were crushed to death by a falling tower in Siloam (Lk 13,1-9).
Like the people in the gospel, we may be tempted to think that the victims of the falling tower were punished for their sins or meted a divine retribution; “gaba” in Visayan parlance.
But Jesus warns us that it is not for us to judge people and their sins.
Rather than judge the victims of tragedies or their perceived causes, we should learn from their experience by reminding us that we, too, will face eternal damnation. “You will all come to the same end unless you turn away from your sins,” Jesus says.
“Why must we reform? Or, why don’t we change or get rid of our sins?
The simple answer is because sin and evil deeds are abominable before the eyes of God. For instance, sin in the form of graft and corruption causes poverty in our country when unscrupulous officials steal from the coffers of the government. Instead of covering up our faults, instead of justifying ourselves or blaming others, let us face the truth about ourselves and make the necessary step to reform — before it’s too late.
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In the family, a husband who’s philandering can be the cause of quarrels and conflicts which sometimes end in marital breakup.
On the other hand, a wife who constantly nags her husband can provoke him to the extent of driving him away from the house.
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Aren’t these wrongdoings what God is warning us against not only in today’s gospel but also in the 10 commandments? The trouble is that we prefer to follow our will rather than God’s will like: “Do not kill… steal…commit adultery…covet a neighbor’s wife and so on.”
God’s commands are not there to curtail our freedom nor meddle in our personal life but rather serve as our guide to do what’s good for us and our country.
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There’s a story about a commanding officer of a ship who saw, through a foggy night at sea, what appeared to be the lights of another ship heading directly toward him.
He instructed his signalman to contact the other ship by light with this message: “Change your course 10 degrees to the north. I am an admiral.”
“Message received,” came the reply, “but you must change your course to the south.” This infuriated the admiral. He signaled back, “I am a battleship, so change your course to the north or else...” To which came the reply: “I am a lighthouse. Change your course.....or else you fall to destruction!
The admiral signifies us humans and the lighthouse that of God. If we do not change our direction to God’s course, we are headed to perdition.
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Laugh one another. A corrupt policeman always extorted tong (bribe) from traffic violators. One weekend, he attended an LSS (Life in the Spirit Seminar). When he returned to his post, he no longer asked for tong but "love offering."
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Woman confessing to a priest: “Father, next in line is my husband. You know, these are his sins …” Priest: Excuse me, Ma’am. Why are you confessing his sins?
Woman: I was just giving you an orientation – you know, he might lie to you.
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‘7 Last Words.’ The SVD Mission Communications Foundation, Inc., will telecast on ABS-CBN or Kapamilya Channel the “7 Last Words” on Good Friday, April 18 at 12 noon-3 p.m. Join us at the Divine Word Shrine in Christ the King Seminary, E. Rodriguez Blvd., QC and reflect on Jesus’ Last Words.
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By the way…we sent out solicitation letters for advertisement placements and donations for the TV program. May we hear from you?
Email: belsvd@gmail.com.