Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle

A
One of the qualities of the great teachers: is to say a lot with few words. Isa sa katangian ng isang
magaling na guro ay ang magsabi ng marami sa kaunting salita. Another quality is using images,
because the human mind tends to remember better what it can associate with images. Isa pa
katangian ay gumamit ng mga gumamit ng larawan sapagkat ang isipan ng tao ay madaling
makaalala kapag may larawan. Another quality is to give examples that are easy to remember,
especially if those who listen have to count only on their ears to keep the treasure that they want
to communicate. Isa pa sa katangian ay ang mag bigay ng halimbawa na madaling maalala lalo na
ung mga kaaya-aya sa pandinig na madaling matandaan at magamit sa pakikipag usap.

According to these criteria we must classify Jesus Christ among the best of the best teachers. Kung
ating pag babasihan ang katangian na ito si Jesus ay mabibilang sa isang magaling na guro. His
simple, close, deep, easy-to-remember comparisons truly fulfill the function of continuing to teach
us long after the echo of his words has faded. Ang kasimplehan, malapit, malalim at madaling
maalalang na paghahambing ay tunay na kapakipakinabang na hangang sa ngayon ay patuloy na
kanyang salita ay umuugong hagang sa mawala.

Today in the Gospel we have two of the most famous comparisons of Christ. Ngayon sa Ebangelio
may dalawang sikat na paghahabing ni Jesus. In which he expresses; what does he want from us:
kung saan ay kanyang ipinahayag. The comparison is simple but incredibly profound; that we
ought to be light and that we ought to be salt. Ang paghahabing ay simple pero madaling
matatagpuan; na tayo ay ginagawang liwanag at asin. Let's try to learn something from these
simple words: if Christ sends his disciples as light, it is because there is something that must be
illuminated. Subukan natin na may matutunan galing mga simpleng salita na ito: kung si Kristo ay
isinugo ang kanyang mga alagad upang maging liwanag, dahil sa may kinakailangan maliwanagan.

Within the Christian perspective, it is not possible to think of the world as if it were a garden of
delights, or as if it were a valley of peace. Sa pamantayan ng mga Kristiano, hindi imposibleng
isipin na ang mundo ay isang magandang harden o katulad ng bundok ng kapayapaan. If the world
needs light, it is because there is darkness and every disciple of Christ must have among the
clearest accounts that wherever he goes he will always find some darkness. Kung ang mundo ay
kinakailangan ng liwanag, ito ay dahil sa mayroon kadiliman at sa lahat ng mga tagasunod ni Kristo
kinakailangan ng maliwanag pagkaunawa na kahit saan pumunta ay makatatagpo ng
dilim.Anywhere, any culture, any person. Whether it is in the man or in the woman, whether it is
in the child or the in old man, whether it is in the north or in the south, whether it is in the poor or
in the rich. Kahit saan, ano man ang kultura, sino ka man. Kahit sa lalaki man o babae. Kahit sa bata
o matanda. Kahit ito ay sa timog o hilaga, kahit mahirap o mayaman.

Always Christian´s must be willing to find some darkness. Laging ang Kristiano ay handa sa
kadiliman. Christ warns us so that we are not one of those who simply go around lamenting,
complaining and justifying themselves. Si Kristo ay nagbigay ng babala na tayo ay hindi basta
katulad ng iba na mahilig, magdamdam, magreklamo at lagi na lang humahanap ng masisi.
Because the next step that one takes, after lamenting the terrible state in which the world is in, is
to shut oneself away with that egoism that is depressed and sad. Ito ay dahil sa mga susunod na
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle
A
bahagi pagkatapos magdamdam sa mundong ito, sa pagiging makasariling nakadarama ng
depresyon at kalungkotan.

The Christian according to the eye of our teacher, of our divine teacher; is that we should not be a
complaint box. Ang mga Kristiano sa mata ng ating guro, ang banal na tagaturo; ay hindi maging
tagareklamo sa isang kwarto. What are you complaining about if Christ already told you from the
beginning that wherever you go, you are going to find some darkness? Ano ba ang reklamo mo?
Kung simula umpisa ay sinasabi sayo ni Kristo kung saan ka tutungo, ikaw ang makatatagpo ng
kadiliman?

I am a religious myself and live in a community called Missionaries Servants of the Word, let me
tell you that I have found some self-contradictions and in some occasion a scandal. Ako ay isang
reliheyoso at nakatira sa komunodan ng mga misionero na likod ng Salita o MSP, hayaang mo
sabihin ko na merong tumataliwas sa aming buhay reliheyoso tulad ng mga iscandalo sa ilang
pagkakataon. I hope that no one is scandalized, but if you go to the Vatican, you will find some
darkness. Sana ay hindi kayo ma iskandalo, pero kung pupunta kayo ng vatican, kayo ay
makakatatagpo ng kadiliman. If you are thinking of changing to a sect (Iglesia ni Cristo, Jehovah's
Witnesses, etc.) Kung kayo ay nagiisip na lumipat ng ibang sekta katulad ng iglesia ni Cristo,
jehova, kung ano man). because the Catholic Church seems very terrible to you, go ahead. Ito ay
dahil sa ang simbahan ay mukhang masama para sayo, sige ipagpatuloy mo. But there, too, the
darkness will meet you. Pero meron din kadiliman sa pipiliin mo. Then you will find that in those
sects or groups that lamented and complained so much, the same or worse things happen than in
your original spiritual house. Mahahanap mo din iyan sa mga sekta na mapipili mo at katulad ng
pagdaramdam at pagrereklamo ay mararanasan mo o baka mas higit pa sa naranasan mo nung
nasa katoliko ka. In other words, the solution is not to complain or run away, the solution is to be
light. Sa makatuwid, ang sulosyon ay hindi mag reklamo o tumakbo, kundi ay maging liwanag.

Being light implies being different, Christian´s is not called to blend in, to dissolve, to cowardly
disappear anonymously. Maging liwanag ibigsabin ay maging iba, ang Kristiano hindi ibigsabihin ay
makihalo, o mawala, o maging duwag na hindi makilala. Time and again the popes have reminded
and taught us that we ought to learn to go against the multitude. pinaaalalahanan tayo ng santo
papa at tinuturuan na hindi makiisa sa kung ano ang mas nakararami. For a Christian it is normal to
be different; light differs from darkness. Because the other possibility is to " blend in ", to be one
more copy. Para sa mga Kristiano ,normal ang maging iba, ang liwanag ay iba sa dilim. Dahil ang
ibang posibilidad na mapasama sa nakararami ay panggagaya. If you are not going to be different,
you are going to be the same. And now I ask you a question: are you sure you want a repetition of
what you dislike? Kung ikaw ay hindi magiging iba, ikaw ay hindi magiging katulad. At ngayon ako
ay may tanong; ikaw ba ay sigurado na gusto mong ulitin ang mga bagay na hindi mo gusto. If your
answer is no, then you have to prepare to be different. And that means: prepare for disagreement,
ridicule, disqualification, contempt, persecution, even in the best of cases, martyrdom. Kung ang
sagot ninyo ay hindi, ngayon kailangan nyo maging handa maging iba. Ibigsabihin: maging handa
sa hindi pagsang-ayonan, kakaiba, hindi tangap, pag- aalipusta at maging sa pagka marter.
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle
A
Here in the Philippines, there are so many Catholic schools and Catholic institutions, and I ask
myself a question: are they preparing the youth to be different, unique? Dito sa Pilipinas,
maraming Katolikong paaralan, at mga katolikong istablishimento, kung kaya't akoy nagtanong sa
aking sarili: hinahanda ba nila ang mga kabataan maging iba, at naiiba? To face the fact of being
different, without pedantically believing yourself to be better than others. Upang harapanpin ang
pagiging iba, kahit na hindi iniisip na mas magaling kisa sa iba. This is where we remember Saint
Paul when he says: “Who confers distinction upon you? What do you possess that you have not
received? But if you have received it, why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?” (1 Cor 4, 7)
and we also remember Paul's second reading of today in which despite bringing the gospel, the
power of God, he himself appears weak and humble. Let's be different without believing ourselves
to be superior then others.

The parents, for their part, do you prepare your sons and daughters? so that sometimes they are
the only one in a classroom who knows that there is merit in being honest, who knows that there
is merit of being a virgin until marriage, who knows that there is merit in repaying what one is
given, who knows that there is merit in letting opportunities and advantages pass if they are from
the darkness. Parents, do you prepare your children for that? Do you prepare your daughters to be
the only ones who think about things that no one else believes in? That's what it means to be
different.

Today's first reading shows us how we have to be different, it's not arrogance, we already said
that, it's not believing one's better. The prophet Isaiah explains to us very well: “Share your bread
with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own”.

To be different and to be light is evidently to be an expression of an abundant good even of an

unexpected good, of an undeserved good. A Christian cannot limit himself to paying with the same
payment; “to smile only at those who smile at me” and “to invite only those who invite me”. You
don't need to be a Christian for that. There is a reason for the so-called “Law of Retaliation”: “an
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” it´s a custom and practice that covers all cultures. You don't
need to be a Christian for that. But to give more than what I receive, to melt the ice of indifference
with fire of attention and closeness and compassion, to return with blessing the curse that I
receive and to return with kindness the aggressiveness that I receive. For that, Jesus is needed.

This is why one Jesus needed and that´s why one cannot do anything without Jesus. But the one
who has Jesus and the one who works in this way and the one who is abundant in mercy, becomes
a reference, becomes an inspiration, becomes a light.

Last point: Christ also speaks to us about salt and there are various reasons that interpreters and
scholars often say why this comparison is made. Some say: “because salt helps preserve food”. It
does not allow the edibles to go bad. It is valid. Who is going to help ensure that a sacrosanct
institution called marriage is not corrupted or is not completely corrupted? The disciples of Christ
evidently, because the others are useless. The politician (I speak of Mexico) as a politician, is no
hope for anyone. Because the way in which politics is currently practiced; It is not one in which the
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle
A
politician leads his people, but in which the people go ahead and the politician goes behind,
reading the polls: "let's see what the people want" and then he tells them: "I'm going to give this
or that”. And of course, those politicians are not leaders but followers. He is not going to fight for
anything worthwhile, except his electoral wealth, for nothing else he´s going to fight.

So, who is going to stop the family from being corrupted? Those who believe in Christ. Who will
fight for the embryos and fetuses? Those who believe in Christ. Those who know what each
human life is worth.

Another interpretation: it comes from the fact that salt produces an impact; the proper verb is to
sting. It stings, the salt stings and that salt that has that effect, that has that impact and that
causes that discomfort is also an example for the disciple, because the disciple of Christ must also
learn to bother precisely because he knows that he´s different.

But nevertheless, I like the last interpretation better: salt gives flavor. We as Christians are not
simply moralists, who walk around with our index finger extended saying: "I don't like this", "this is
very bad", "this is crap", "this must be rejected". As Christians, it is convenient for us and for the
world, even if we are castoff, to discover the true flavor of things. It is not simply defending the
marriage because it´s under attack. It is showing that a marriage in Christ is beautiful, that people
see a Christian marriage and say: "That is beautiful." The same is with the priest, the priest must
be faithful to his vocation not only so that he is not accused of being corrupt, but because his
testimony must show the joy, the flavor that life achieves when it is lived well. That is, we have to
show that life has a flavor, the flavor of love.

What a great teacher Jesus Christ is, the best and how good it is to recognize ourselves as his
disciples and to learn to be light and to begin to be salt.