Our Gospel for January 26. The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1-20
On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.  And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

And when he was alone,those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.He answered them,
“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand,in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

Ang Talinghaga Patungkol sa Manghahasik

Marcos 4:1-20

 1Nagsimula muling magturo si Jesus sa tabi ng lawa. Pinagkalipumpunan siya ng napakaraming tao, kayat siya ay sumakay at umupo sa bangka na nasa lawa. Ang karamihan naman ay nasa lupa sa tabi ng lawa. 2Tinuruan niya sila ng maraming bagay sa pamamagitan ng mga talinghaga. Sa kaniyang pagtuturo, sinabi niya sa kanila: 3Makinig kayo! Narito, lumabas ang manghahasik upang maghasik. 4Nangyari na sa kaniyang paghahasik may binhing nalaglag sa tabi ng daan. At dumating ang mga ibon mula sa langit at tinuka at inubos ang binhi. 5Ang iba ay nalaglag sa lupang mabato na walang gaanong lupa at ito ay kaagad na sumibol sapagkat hindi malalim ang lupa. 6Ngunit nang sumikat ang araw, ito ay nalanta at dahil ito ay walang mga ugat, ito ay natuyo. 7May binhi namang nalaglag sa dawagan. Lumago ang mga dawag at nasiksik ito kaya hindi namunga. 8Ang iba ay nalaglag sa matabang lupa. Ito ay tumubo, lumago at namunga. May namunga ng tatlumpu, may namunga naman ng animnapu at may namunga ng isangdaan.

 
 9Sinabi niya sa kanila: Ang may pandinig ay makinig.

 
 10Nang nag-iisa na si Jesus, ang mga nasa palibot niya, kasama ang labindalawang alagad ay nagtanong sa kaniya patungkol sa talinghaga. 11Sinabi niya sa kanila: Ang makaalam ng hiwaga ng paghahari ng Diyos ay ibinigay sa inyo. Ngunit sa kanila na nasa labas, ang lahat ng mga bagay ay ginagawa sa talinghaga. 12Ginawa ko ito sa ganitong paraan upang:
      Sa pagtingin, sila ay makakakita ngunit hindi
      makakatalos. Sa pakikinig, sila ay makakarinig
      ngunit hindi makakaunawa. Kung hindi gayon,
      sila ay manunumbalik at ang kanilang mga
      kasalanan ay mapapatawad.

 
 13At sinabi niya sa kanila: Hindi ba ninyo nauunawaan ang talinghagang ito? Paano nga ninyo malalaman ang lahat ng talinghaga? 14Ang manghahasik ay naghahasik ng salita. 15Ang binhing nahasik sa daan ay ang inihasik na salita. Nang ito ay napakinggan ng tao, agad na dumating si Satanas at kinuha ang naihasik na salita sa kanilang mga puso. 16Gayundin yaong naihasik sa batuhan. Nang marinig nila ang salita agad nila itong tinanggap na may galak. 17Dahil walang ugat sa kanilang sarili, ang mga ito ay pansamantalang nanatili. Nang dumating ang paghihirap at pag-uusig dahil sa salita, kaagad silang natisod. 18Iyon namang naihasik sa dawagan ay yaong mga nakakarinig ng salita. 19Ang pagsusumakit sa kapanahunang ito, ang pandaraya ng kayamanan at ang mahigpit na paghahangad sa ibang mga bagay ay pumasok sa kanila. Ang mga ito ang sumiksik sa salita at naging sanhi ng hindi pagbubunga. 20Iyon namang naihasik sa matabang lupa, sila ang nakikinig at tumatanggap sa salita. Sila ay nagbubunga, ang isa ay tatlumpu, ang isa ay animnapu at ang isa ay isangdaan.

Our Gospel for January 25. The Commissioning of the Eleven

Mk 16:15-18

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.
 
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”


Nagpakita si Jesus sa mga Alagad

Marcos 16:15-18

Sinabi niya sa kanila: Humayo kayo sa buong sanlibutan. Ipangaral ang ebanghelyo sa lahat ng nilikha. Ang sinumang sumampalataya at mabawtismuhan ay maliligtas. Ang sinumang hindi sumampalataya ay hahatulan. Sa mga sumasampalataya ay susunod ang mga tandang ito: Palalabasin nila ang mga demonyo sa aking pangalan. Makakapagsalita sila ng mga bagong wika. Makakadampot sila ng mga ahas. Kapag uminom sila ng anumang bagay na nakakamatay, hindi sila mapipinsala niyaon sa anumang paraan. Ipapatong nila ang kanilang kamay sa may mga karamdaman at bubuti sila.

Our Gospel for January 24. Jesus and Beelzebul

Mark 3:22-30
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and
“By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
“How can Satan drive out Satan? 
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them.But whoever  blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said,  “He has an unclean spirit.”


Paanong Napalabas ni Satanas si Satanas

Marcos 3:22-30
Ang mga guro ng kautusan na dumating mula sa Jerusalem ay nagsabi naman: Nasa kaniya si Beelzebul. Sa pamamagitan ng pinakapinuno ng mga demonyo ay nagpapalayas siya ng mga demonyo.

 
Pinalapit ni Jesus ang mga tao sa kaniya at nangusap sa kanila sa mga talinghaga. Paanong mapapalabas ni Satanas si Satanas? Kapag ang isang paghahari ay mahati laban sa kaniyang sarili, ang paghaharing iyon ay hindi makakatayo. At kapag ang isang sambahayan ay mahati laban sa kaniyang sarili, ang sambahayang iyon ay hindi makakatayo. Gayundin, kung si Satanas ay maghimagsik laban sa kaniyang sarili at mahati, hindi siya makakatayo kundi iyon na ang kaniyang wakas. Walang makakapasok sa anumang paraan sa bahay ng isang taong malakas at magnakaw at manira ng kaniyang ari-arian. Malibang magapos muna niya ang taong malakas saka pa lamang niya mananakawan at masisira ang bahay na iyon. Katotohanang sinasabi ko sa inyo, lahat ng kasalanan ay ipapatawad sa mga anak ng tao at ang anuman pamumusong. Ngunit ang sinumang mamusong laban sa Banal na Espiritu ay hindi patatawarin kailanman. Nanganganib siya sa walang hanggang kahatulan.

 
Sinabi ito ni Jesus sapagkat sinasabi nila: Mayroon siyang karumal-dumal na espiritu.

Is It Possible You Practice Idolatry? by Rick Warren

The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. Mark 4:18-19 (NLT)

"Now, listen carefully, when something crowds God out of my heart, you know what it's called? It's called an idol."

God wants more than just a little piece of your heart. He wants your whole heart.

Jesus talked about how easy it is to let your heart become so overcrowded that you have no room for God. He says there are those who hear God's word, but they become overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get, and eventually the stress strangles what they heard - so nothing comes of it.

This is why some people can go to church week-after-week and year-after-year and yet there is little change in their lives. The seed that is planted through the Word on the weekend isn't able to grow because there is no room in the heart.

Now, listen carefully, when something crowds God out of my heart, you know what it's called?  It's called an idol.  An idol is anything that takes the place of God in my heart. And the Bible says there should be no idols in our hearts.

Idolatry doesn't mean you have a little statue that you kneel before and pray. An idol can be your career.  An idol can be your boyfriend.  An idol can be making money.  An idol can be a dream.  An idol with can be your marriage. Anything that is more important to you than God is an idol.

The Bible says, "Be still, and know that I am God!" (Psalms 46:10 NLT) Here's a rough translation: sit down and calm down. You can resign as the general manager of the universe and it's not going to fall apart. You may be so busy putting irons in the fire, that you're about to put the fire out.

Jesus is telling us to get rid of the clutter in our hearts and make room for his pervasive presence in our lives.

Our Gospel for January 23. Jesus Started Preaching.

Matthew 4:12-23

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,  the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”At once they left their nets and followed him.He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.
He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.