May 8, 2021
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Readings for Today
Sinabi ni Hesus sa Kanyang mga alagad: “Kung kinapopootan kayo ng sanlibutan, alamin ninyong Ako muna ang kinapootan nito bago kayo. Kung kayo ay kabilang sa sanlibutan, mamahalin nito ang sariling kanya; ngunit dahil hindi kayo kabilang sa sanlibutan, at pinili Ko kayo mula sa sanlibutan, kinapopootan kayo ng sanlibutan.” John 15:18–19
Ito ay isang kaisipang dapat seryosohin: “kinapopootan kayo ng mundo.” Ibig sabihin, kung kabilang kayo sa mga inakay ng ating Panginoon palabas sa mundo. Kung gayon, sinasabi ni Jesus na kapopootan kayo ng mundo.
No one wants to be hated. No one wants to experience the wrath, persecution, attacks, or ridicule of another. Hatred is ugly, painful, and difficult to endure. But that is part of the nature of hate. It’s not only a form of persecution, it’s also a form of manipulation. Hate is an attack upon another by which the hater seeks to inflict injury and to manipulate them to change and conform to their will. The secular and unchristian “world” wants to win you over and away from God. Jesus offers this teaching, in part, to prepare us so that when we do experience hatred from the world, we will not be affected by it nor manipulated to turn from Him. Therefore, this teaching is a revelation of much mercy from our Lord.
Remember that Jesus spoke of three enemies of our soul. The flesh, the devil and the world. In this Gospel passage, to “belong to the world” means that a person allows themself to be negatively influenced by the countless lies embedded within the world. The secular media, pop-culture, biased opinions, social pressures, false images of happiness and the like seek to constantly misguide us and draw us in. We are regularly tempted to believe that fulfillment is found in money, our physical appearance, the recognition of our accomplishments, and much more. The world tells us that our opinions must conform to the secular values of the age—and if they don’t, then we are judgmental, close-minded, extremists, and should be shunned and “cancelled” or silenced.
Tunay ang mga makamundong tuksong ito at mga pamimilit, at dahil dito, ang mga salita ni Jesus ay nagpapalaya. Pinalalaya tayo ng mga ito mula sa mga pagmamanipula at panlilinlang na mararanasan natin kapag hayagan nating isinasabuhay ang ating pananampalataya upang makita ng lahat. Kapag ginawa natin ito, kapopootan tayo ng mundo. Ngunit ang pagkaalam dito ay nagdudulot ng kapayapaan sa puso kapag nangyari ito.
Reflect, today, upon these powerful and consoling words of Jesus. If you do not experience any form of hatred from the world, then this should be a concern and the cause for reflection. And if you do experience some form of hatred, know that our Lord prepared you for this and offers you His strength and courage to endure it with joy. In the end, all that matters is what our Lord thinks, and nothing else. In the end, if you experience hatred by the world in any form, know that this makes you more like Christ Himself.
Aking Panginoong pinag-usig, tiniis Mo ang pagkapoot at panunuya ng marami na nilamon ng mga huwad na pagpapahalaga ng mundo. Dalangin ko na makabahagi ako hindi lamang sa Iyong buhay ng pag-ibig at awa, kundi pati sa Iyong lakas sa mga panahong tinitiis ko rin ang pagkapoot ng mundo. Ipinagkakatiwala ko ang aking sarili sa Iyo at idinadalanging patuloy Mo akong hanguin mula sa mundo at ilapit sa Iyo. Jesus, nagtitiwala ako sa Iyo.
Mga Panalangin sa Pasko ng Pagkabuhay
Higit pang mga Pagninilay sa Ebanghelyo
Mga Pagninilay sa Inaawit na Awa ng Diyos
Mga Pagpipilian sa mga Pagbasa sa Misa
Featured images above: Christ Mocked and Crowned with Thorns By Jan Miense Molenaer
