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Living Water– July 14, 2017 1
July 14, 2017
BUKÁS-LOÓB SA DIYÓS • OPEN IN SPIRIT TO GOD
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THEME
We bear much fruit
when our hearts be-
come rich soil for the
Word of God. WORD
Isaiah 55:10-11 ; Ps
65:10-14 ; Rom 8:18-
23 ; Mt 13:1-23
ORDER Let anyone with ears listen. (Mt 13:9)
DIRECTION
Encourage one an-
other to ponder on
God’s word through
our Word Sharing
Circles
REFLECTION
In the first reading (Isaiah 55: 10-11), we see that
the Word of God is compared to the snow and
rain that water the earth “making it bud and
flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and
bread for the eater”. The snow and rain give
moisture to the soil and in turn give life to the
plants and trees of the
earth. After accom-
plishing its purpose,
the moisture then re-
turns to the atmos-
phere and falls back to
the earth to give the
soil its needed mois-
ture. God sends His word to
us in a similar way. He
speaks his word to
accomplish whatever
is his intended pur-
pose for each and
every one of us. Jesus
is the Word and be-
cause of the power of
his word, it will not return to him void or
empty, but will do something good for those
who listen and eagerly receive it in their hearts. In the Gospel, Jesus compared people to four
kinds of soil. The first is like the hardened soil
in the footpaths where people walked making
the seeds exposed to be eaten by birds or ….P2
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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The Parable of the Sower Mt 13:3-9
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2 Living Water - January 15, 2016222
Living Water - July 14, 2017
(Cont’d from P.1)
...easily trampled by travelers. Such person is
unreceptive and not willing to accept any-
thing new. The second is like the rocky
ground who is excited upon hearing the Word
of God, but his excitement
does not last. He easily
falls upon encountering
trials or sufferings along
the way. His faith is not
rooted on the word of
God. The third is that per-
son where the word is
sown among thorns, and
the cares of the world and
lure of wealth choke the
word and accomplish
nothing in him.
The fourth is like the good
or fertile soil who received
the word, put it in his
heart and tried to under-
stand it. He nourishes
himself with the Word of
God, thus it bears fruit on
him. In one case, it may yield thirty, in an-
other sixty and another a hundredfold.
We are reminded, however, that no matter the
kind of soil that we are; God always calls us to
be part of his kingdom. He doesn’t discrimi-
nate even if He is sure that his message would
sometimes fall on deaf ears. He plants the
message just the same, and it is up to the per-
son on how he will receive and respond to his
message. God’s call needs a personal response
and different kinds of persons respond in
varying degrees. Some are excited at first, oth-
ers will react halfheartedly, and others don’t
care and will just ignore the word they heard.
They are described in the Gospel reading as
those who “look but do not see and hear but
do not listen or understand”.
Yet, self transformation is
part of our human response
to the initiative of God. If we
have been converted, healed
and at peace, then the seeds
sown in our hearts are ready
to bear fruit – thirty, or sixty
or a hundredfold. Many ob-
stacles can prevent us from
making any headway in our
struggle to live the values of
the kingdom. And we are
challenged to continue, with
the hope that the Gospel
message and the initiative
for change can grow in us
and lead us to a change of
heart. Such conversion will
empower us to initiate ap-
propriate responses to the
realities of our times especially those which
do not mirror the kind of kingdom that God
has already inaugurated in us. (Last 2 para-
graphs - Excerpts from reflection on the Par-
able of the Sower of Fr. Anthony Salas, SVD)
PROMISE “ My word shall not return to me
empty, but it shall accomplish that
which I purpose, and succeed in the
thing for which I sent it.” (Is 55:11b)
We are
reminded that
whatever the
kind of soil we
are, God always
calls us to be a
part of His
kingdom.
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Living Water– July 14, 2017 3
July 14 1st Reading …...Dennis/Mila Calim Psalm ………….Nati Albano 2nd Reading …..Geena Feliciano July 21 1st Reading …Jackie Cristini Psalm ………..Mert/Nimfa Geronimo 2nd Reading....Cora Montilla July 28 1st Reading ….Manny/Nilda Raymundo Psalm ………...Nestor/Cielo Naluz 2nd Reading …Bing/Emma Ongteco
July 2017 Lectors
In Matthew 13: 9-12 it is said: “ „Let
anyone with ears listen.‟ Then the disci-
ples came and asked Jesus, „Why do you
speak to them in parables?‟ He answered,
„To you it has been given to know the se-
crets of the kingdom of heaven, but to
them it has not been given. For to those
who have, more will be given, and they
will have an abundance...” Jesus often used parables to teach people and to make a point. Parables do not define
things precisely, but use comparisons to point us in the direction of an understanding
of how God works. The meaning of parables is never too obvious, and indeed, the pur-
pose of parables is not to settle issues, but to challenge us to think more deeply about
the issues. That is the goal - parables raise more questions than answers. They help us
see beyond the obvious into the deeper meaning that Jesus had in mind. So take time to read and reread a parable. If the parable can be found in more than one
Gospel, read that version too. Think about what Jesus might have had in mind when he
was telling that parable. Talk to God in the quiet of your heart. (Excerpted from the Loyola Press, a Jesuit Ministry)
Parables - Seeing Beyond the Obvious
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4 Living Water - January 15, 2016444
Living Water - July 14, 2017
In Matthew 13:3-9, Jesus spoke of the Parable of the Sower to a
huge crowd gathered by
the Sea of Galilee. After
He spoke, most of the
people went back to
their daily routine…their
lives unchanged. Yet, a
handful who heard Him
were touched by His
Word in such a way that
their lives were never
the same again. And it
was through this hand-
ful of faithful witnesses that the Gospel of Je-
sus Christ spread throughout the earth.
On July 7, thirteen BLD disciples were offi-
cially installed: eleven as 5-Pt Committed Dis-
ciples and one couple as Class Shepherds of
ME No. 42. All 13 were part of that huge
crowd that gathered at the Sea of Galilee to
hear Jesus speak. Like seeds in Jesus’ parable,
they all found their way into good earth and
into the soft soil of open hearts. And through
God’s grace, they sprouted and grew to be-
come the new BLD evangelists ready to go out
into the world and spread the Good News.
From seeds to sowers, the cycle of transforma-
tion thus begins anew. This cycle will con-
tinue for as long as there is good earth where
we can go. And indeed, there is enough good
earth to keep us go-
ing…to keep us
reaching into our
pouch of seeds and
casting them about.
Yet, we need to keep
our focus on what
God has entrusted us
to do. Our work is to
stride the fields and
cast the seeds. We
water them and lay
their foundations,
but we must always
remember that it is
God, in His mercy and grace, who causes the
seeds to sprout and to grow until they are ripe
for us to harvest.
It is this undeniable truth that gives us a clear
sense of what our mission is and where we
stand in God’s grand plan and purpose. Re-
calling the prayer of Bishop Oscar Romero, he
said: “We are workers, not master builders.
We are ministers, not messiahs….Our work
may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a
step along the way, and an opportunity for
the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”
This is what drives us to keep doing our small
part and doing it with tenacious humility and
uncompromising love . And this is what will
propel us as a community to spread the Gos-
pel of Christ in the years to come. ...P5
From seeds to sowers... By Mon/Len Carluen
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Living Water– July 14, 2017 5
To the 13 tenaciously humble BLD evangelists and God’s new sowers of seeds…
Congratulations!! May the Spirit guide you as you walk God’s fields and cast
your seeds on good earth!!
L-R Above, 5-Point Committed Disciples: Jun/Emily Corillo,
Jun/Janet Canale, Irene Pelayo, Julia/Louie de Belen,
Ed/Amy Lorenzana, Cris/Muriel Desa. Right Photo, ME#42 Shepherd Couple: Frank/Grace Gujol
...the cycle of transformation begins anew!
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6 Living Water - January 15, 2016666
Living Water - July 14, 2017
Casting Seeds as Ninong & Ninang A BLD-Toronto Recruitment Initiative
Why?
As we come to a critical crossroad in our community’s history and
launch the Ninong-Ninang Recruitment Initiative, it is timely that the
Gospel reading this week is about the Parable of the Sower. At the onset, the parable brings out a painful truth: that the number of
seeds that are lost on rocky ground always outnumber those that
thrive on rich soil. This appears evident in the experience of BLD-
Toronto and its Outreaches: Out of the more than 3000 graduates who
went through our various encounter programs during the last 26
years, only about 300 remain active today. And yet, true as this may
seem, that is not the point of the Parable. The whole point of the par-
able is to focus not on our loss, but on our gain. And that gain is em-
bodied in every soul that was touched by BLD Toronto through the
years — you, me, our new members, our seasoned disciples, our eld-
ers, and each one who holds a personal stake in the divine purpose of
our community. Indeed, the Parable of the Sower gives a clear sign at the crossroad. It
is God’s word exhorting us to keep reaching into our pouches and
casting those seeds of new possibilities so we can gain a hundredfold
more. It is a challenge posed to each one of us to embrace our com-
munity’s new Recruitment Initiative and do our small part, knowing
that our Lord will faithfully fulfill His promise and do the rest: “My
word shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I
purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Is 55:11b) The sign is clear...and the choice is ours to make.
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Living Water– July 14, 2017 7
How does it work?
Casting Seeds as Ninong & Ninang A BLD-Toronto Recruitment Initiative
NINONG - NINANG: It’s about doing our small part, so that the Lord’s grace can enter and do the rest.
This Recruitment Initiative was launched to target the upcoming ME#42
Weekend on September 9-10, 2017. If successful, it will be used as a template
for future Encounters.
Following the lead of the DCS and DLCs, all ME couples are encouraged to
group themselves into Ninong-Ninang sets. Each set will be comprised of two
couples and tasked with the following:
Recruit at least 1 couple-candidate for ME#42.
Act as principal sponsors for their candidate/s.
Individual BLD members (Singles or Solo Parents) who wish to participate in
this program are enjoined to group themselves in sets of 4.
All Ninang-Ninang Pairings/Sets are to be registered with the Recruitment Task
Force headed by Olie Ealdama.
As sponsors, each Ninong-Ninang Set is requested to:
Subsidize the ME fees of candidates by contributing $25.00 per couple
(or a total of $50.00 per Ninong-Ninang couple-pairing). With all things con-
sidered, this Initiative will bring the ME fees down from $225.00 to $80.00
per couple for the ME#42 weekend in September.
Provide continuous support to ME candidates and graduates through a
ministry of presence and good witnessing.
Corollary to this initiative, BLD-Toronto will streamline the delivery of its
ME Program by cutting unnecessary costs and timetables. For ME#42, the
live-in program will start Saturday, instead of Friday evening.
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Living Water - July 14, 2017
Let us celebrate
the beauty of summer,
the blessings of Community,
the glory of God’s creation!
SATURDAY, JULY 29, 2017
MARY LAKE SHRINE PARK 13760 Keele Street, King City ON
2017 BLD COMMUNITY PICNIC
PRAI
SE BE
TO YO
U
LAUDATO SI’
On Care for our Common Home
FROM THE SPONSORS OF THE
2017 COMMUNITY PICNIC:
WE WILL HAVE A TABLE SET UP
AT THE BASEMENT HALL FOR
THE NEXT 2 FRIDAYS TO
ACCEPT PRIZE DONATIONS FOR
GAMES.
GIFT-WRAPPED DONATIONS
WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED.
PLEASE INDICATE IF YOUR
DONATIONS ARE FOR KIDS,
YOUTH OR ADULTS.
OUR HEARTFELT THANKS FOR
YOUR GENEROSITY. WE LOOK
FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT
THE PICNIC.