bukÁs-loÓb sa diyÓs open in spirit to god · 6/15/2018 · faith is not always something that...

Living Water – June 15, 2018 1

June 15, 2018

BUKÁS-LOÓB SA DIYÓS • OPEN IN SPIRIT TO GOD

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THEME:

We are in communion

with Christ when we

allow the word of

God to grow in our

hearts. WORD:

Ez 17:22-24; Ps 92.1-2,

12-13, 14-15; 2 Cor 5.6

-10; Mark 4.26-34

ORDER:

“Walk by faith and

not by sight.” (2 Cor

5:7)

DIRECTION:

Live out the meaning of the Eucharist by serving

Christ through acts of charity.

REFLECTION:

After Lent, the Easter season, and three Sundays

of feast days—Pentecost, Most Holy Trinity, and

Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ—the

Church returns to Ordinary Time. This Sunday’s

Gospel from Mark carries a significant message

regarding faith and the Kingdom of God.

In Mark’s Gospel,

Jesus appears reluc-

tant to reveal his

identity as the Son of

God. After perform-

ing miracles of heal-

ing, he warns those

cured to tell no one

(see Mark 1:44, 3:12,

5:43, 7:36, and 8:26).

Also, when preach-

ing, Jesus chooses to

speak to the crowds

in parables, leaving them to discern his message.

Only to his disciples does he explain the par-

able’s meaning, and he does this in private at a

later time. This Sunday’s Gospel Reading consists of two

parables about seeds. In the first, Jesus tells

those gathered that this is “how it is with the

kingdom of God.” A man scatters seed which

over time sprouts and develops. Then when the

grain is ripe, the man harvests his crop. The em-

phasis in the parable is on the seed, which ...P2

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

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2 Living Water - January 15, 2016222

Living Water - June 15, 2018

(Counsel, cont’d from P.1)

...seemingly has the power to grow on its own.

In this it is like the Kingdom of God. While on

earth, Jesus planted the seeds of the kingdom

by his life, miracles, teaching, and suffering.

However, the kingdom is not yet fully estab-

lished. Although already present in Jesus and

his group of twelve, it has yet to come to frui-

tion; just as the seed in the parable needs time

to grow, so does God’s kingdom.

The second parable focuses on the tiny mus-

tard seed. Though not the smallest of all seeds,

it is most likely the smallest that a first-century

farmer in Jesus’ part of the world would have

sown. Small as the mustard seed is, it develops

into a tree. Though the mustard tree generally

averages only nine to twelve feet in height, it

has a wide expanse and provides a nesting

place for birds. Just as the tree welcomes the

birds, so is God’s kingdom welcoming and

open to many. These parables help us discern something

about the kingdom of God and our own faith.

In God we live and move and have our being,

but God is a mystery and his kingdom, though

present, has not yet come into its fullness. To-

day, the Kingdom of God is present in the

Church. The mission of proclaiming the Good

News of the Kingdom given to the Apostles is

now given to us. But just as seeds need time to

come to fruition, so does the Kingdom of God.

That is why in the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “thy

kingdom come.” We know that it will come in

its fullness at the end of time. All we need is

faith.

Faith is not always something that is easy to

explain let alone describe. You know it is there,

even if you cannot see it. You can just feel it.

Like the cool night air, you cannot see it but

feel it around you. Yet to a person who lacks

faith, faith is something impossible to claim -

let alone offer your whole life for it. The definition of faith in Wikipedia says, "Faith

is complete confidence or trust in a person or

thing; or a belief not based on proof. It may

also refer to a particular system of religious

belief. The term 'faith' has numerous connota-

tions and is used in different ways, often de-

pending on context." In the Catechism of the Catholic church, it

states, "Abraham thus fulfills the definition of

faith in Hebrews 11:1: 'Faith is the assurance of

things hoped for, the conviction of things not

seen': 7 'Abraham believed God, and it was

reckoned to him as righteousness.' 8 'Because

he was strong in his faith, Abraham became

the father of all who believe'". When we ask ourselves what is faith and we

are able to answer that question, naturally the

following question is: do I have faith? Do I

have faith? I honestly could sit here for half

day pondering that question, taking a look at it

from all different angles.

As our faith deepens, the spiritual consolations

we may receive at the beginning can often fade

away because God wants us to love and serve

Him out of a more purified faith and love. We

should believe and follow Him not because He

makes us feel good, but because it is good and

right to love and serve Him. This can be a diffi-

cult lesson to learn but an essential one. For

faith might not always be something easy to

explain, but we can feel it and sometimes


(Counsel, cont’d from P.2)

...that is enough for we can only be in communion with Christ when we allow the word of God to

grow in our hearts. Sources: https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/liturgical-year/sunday-connection/; http://

catholicmom.com/2016/05/24/reflections-faith-part-one/

PROMISE:

“In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap.”(Ps 92:15)

THANK YOU FROM THE BYOP MINISTRY

Winston Churchill once said: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Therefore, we praise and thank the Lord for everyone who gave life to the very successful FUNDRAIS-ING DANCE-DINNER we held last Saturday, May 26, 2018.

The Rembrandt Banquet Hall was wonderfully set-up, the food was delightfully filling, the music had everyone move to the groove, and everyone was up and about! We would like to thank the BLD Toronto/SFX-OSG dancers, the generous donors, and most especially to ALL dancers of the night for sharing a fun-filled night, and a groovy time! Special thanks are due to the following ever-efficient and creative peo-ple: BYOP members, Butch and Volet Adaoag, Al and Sol Crisostomo, Nito and Joni Cruz and Fran and Baby Pulumbarit for contributing greatly to the overwhelming turnout. You, guys, all came together like a brand-new machine (not that anyone is old *wink*) I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone’s un-paralleled support to the event’s cause of providing educational assistance to less fortunate children. Thank you for being in-

struments of God’s love and hope! Initial reports indicate that we raised $10,239 in the said event! This amount will help at least 34 high school BLD-BYOP ministry Scholars go through at least one year of schooling- most of them belonging to the most marginalized sector. Aid will be coursed through the missionary nuns of the Immaculate Mary Queen of Heaven Missionaries (IMQHM) in the Philippines, under the sponsorship of the BLD-BYOP. The honor and glory in this fundraiser belongs to our Lord alone, who made it happen for the benefit of the poorest of the poor children in the Philippines. The ministry understands that we all have our daily lives to worry about and to make a living for, but we thank YOU most for sharing your time and resources with us, to give life to the less fortunate chil-dren in our motherland. May your support to our Ministry and to our causes never sever, and may the Good Lord bless us always, to be able to share His light, love, and life more.

BLD-BYOP MINISTRY

https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/liturgical-year/sunday-connection/11thsundayinordinarytimebsundayconnectionhttp://catholicmom.com/2016/05/24/reflections-faith-part-one/http://catholicmom.com/2016/05/24/reflections-faith-part-one/



W hile the universal church celebrated the solemnity of the Holy Trinity, the BLD-OSG GVO Guelph (St. Joseph Prayer Group), rejoiced in jubilation for the success of their Marriage Encounter Class #2 last May 25-27, held at

the Valley of the Mother of God in Mono, Ontario. Led by Fr. Terence Fay, Associate Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Toronto, Olie & Menchu Ealdama and Joey & Susan Linsao, the eight participants of M.E. Class #2, were elated, joyful and grateful with their “encounter” with our Lord, from the wisdom, sharing and witnessing of the Pastoral Team, a testimonial of God’s love, mercy, heal-ing and forgiveness. “It was a wonderful and unforgettable weekend. We enjoyed the wonderful teaching from Father Fay and was touched by the heartfelt sharing of the Ealdama and Linsao couples”, sentiments shared by Brian and Julia McCullough, one of the graduates of the ME Class #2.

GVO-Guelph Marriage Encounter #2 “Let His mighty and sweet, sweet name be praised forever!!”


“Had I known it was going to be this great, I should have joined last year’s ME. We never thought it was going to be this awesome”, exclaimed by Ramon and Joanne Quintano, another couple-graduate and parents of Angelo Quintano, an active member of our parish, Singles & Youth Ministry and coordinator of our GVO Youth Praise Minis-try. Truly, it was another testament of God’s love and a blessed affirmation of His plan for us. Like a river of love, the weekend flowed smoothly, with everyone working as one, united familyinspired by the Holy Spirit. The commitment and selfless dedication of the Sponsoring class and auxiliaries under the leadership of Minh and Trang Le, as Head Coordinator, Ejay and Kaye Desepeda (Study Team), Siby and Felicita Verghese (Piety Team), Elmer and Cynthia Santiago (Action Team), and Ed and Susan Reyes as M.E. #1, Shepherd Couple, was an inspiration and a true reflection of God’s love, kindness and humility. Rey and Mary Ann Repaso, Treasury Ministry Coordinators, were appointed as GVO-St. Joseph Guelph M.E. #2 Class Shepherd Couple with Roland & Josie Cruz, Brian & Julia McCullough, Peter Pazhayakattu & Reena Pinhero and Ramon and Joanne Quintano as Class Coordinators. The success of our second Marriage Encounter would have not been possible without the guidance and support of our Mission Stewards, Willie and Vivian Saguil, our Community Shepherd Couple, Rome and Phoebe Ouano, together with our brothers and sisters from BLD Toronto District and other OSG Prayer Groups.

Truly it was weekend to be grateful for, a true blessing in-deed for although the “laborers were few, the harvest was plentiful”, where the Lord provided all our needs. Let His mighty and sweet, sweet name be praised forever !!! By: Ed and Susan Reyes

GVO-Guelph Marriage Encounter #2 “Let His mighty and sweet, sweet name be praised forever!!”



Newly Installed 5-Pt. Committed Disciples: (L-R) Ralph Taton, Paul Tan, Arlene

Buzon-Tan, Jean Caniedo, Evangeline Abad, Susan Valledor, Jeremiah Valledor

Incoming FE#21 Class Shepherds with Philip and Clarita Malolos: Angelica dela

Cruz, Alain dela Cruz, Aaron dela Cruz, Traci dela Cruz

May the blessings, the favor, and the love of the Lord be

upon you always!!

bukÁs-loÓb sa diyÓs open in spirit to god · 6/15/2018 · faith is not always something that...

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