MARK 12:38-44 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 6, 2020)

MARK 12:38-44 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 6, 2020)

 

As he was teaching, he also said to them, “ Beware of those teachers of the law, who enjoy walking around in the long robes and being greeted in the market place; and who likes to occupy reserved seats in the synagogues; and the first places of feasts.  They even devour the widow’s and the orphan’s good’s while making a show of long prayers. How severe a sentence they will receive!”

 

Jesus sat down opposite the Temple treasury, and watched the people dropping money into the treasury box; and man rich people put in large offerings. But the poor widow also came and dropped in two small coins.

 

Then, Jesus called his disciples, and said to them, “Truly I say to you, the poor widow put in more than all those who gave offerings. For all of them gave from their plenty; but she gave from her poverty, and put in everything she had, her very living.”

 

POINT OF REFLECTION

 

Life looks forward nothing but investment. When one dares into investment, he is not expecting less in return instead greater than anybody doing the same kind of investment. There are the two kinds of investment for life, the short range investment and the long range investment. Short range investment for life is a kind of investment goaled only till this temporal life. While the long range investment is a kind of investment that impact life not only to this world alone but into another world after temporal death.

 

Life after temporal world seems hypothetical to those who does not know and believe Jesus as the savior and the  key figure of resurrection. If one do not believed Jesus, their mentality would be the same as that of  the mentality of the Sadducees  who believe that  life is all in this planet earth. Their investment was limited only to the life on earth in accordance to their traditions, practices, and beliefs.

 

My dear brothers and sisters, the real and most meaningful investment of greater return is the long range investment. The very nature of this investment is the teaching of the gospel, MARK 12:38-44,  “Truly I say to you, the poor widow put in more than all those who gave offerings. For all of them gave from their plenty; but she gave from her poverty, and put in everything she had, her very living.” Jesus teaches us to value less in this life and value more unto the life with the Father.

 

Putting into donation boxes all for the promotion of God’s kingdom and His people, is a long range investment. This is not only about money resources but includes primarily our investment for our faith, for our prayer, for our spiritual life.  Jesus reminded us to invest like the widow did in the Bible. That is giving from our poverty not giving from our plenty.  Truly God’s ways is not man’s ways for usually, we only give from our plenty.

 

We might also come to think by how much we are to give? The answer is “the widow put in everything she had, her very living.”  By saying this, God is telling us to invest our everything unto Him or at the very least  give from  you until it hurts.

 

In conclusion, God requires Christians to invest in faith,   prayer, spiritual growth, and if possible giving our all, or at the very least giving from our poverty until it really hurts.

MARK 12:35-37 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 5, 2020)

MARK 12:35-37 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 5, 2020)

Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said “The teacher of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David. How could that be? For David, Himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, declared: The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet! If David, himself, calls him Lord, in what way can he be his son?” Many people came to Jesus, and listened to him gladly.

POINT OF REFLECTION

Before Jesus began His teaching in the synagogue, masters of the laws were authority figures to be consulted on matters found perplexing in the Bible. But sad to note, that they were not better than ordinary Christian of today. That is why when Jesus started teaching, people came and listened in great joy. Through His teaching the mystery of life unfold which guide Christian followers in their journey of faith and love. Through His teaching, people came to know the Father who made all things under man’s stewardship.

Jesus has given His followers important aid of faith and spiritual life. These included: the Scripture which serves as the manual of life and the compass guide in a journey of a life time.. The second is the Church which serves as the house of the Eucharist which in turns assures us the ever presence of Jesus. The Church is the spiritual   community duly sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. And allowing this aid of faith and spiritual life to lead us assures everlasting life unto the father.

In conclusion, the Scripture, the Eucharist and the Church are today’s aid of faith and spiritual life so that when seriously attended would lead a life in the comfort and security of the Holy Spirit.

FORMS AND TEMPLATE 2

FORMS AND TEMPLATE 2

The forms and template 2 is  the folder directory of Mulao NHS on the incoming and outgoing reports to facilitate easy collection of needed data and other information  for future decision making.

Please hover and click down below to open


                          SHARED FORMS AND TEMPLATES

MARK 12:28-34 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 4, 2020)

MARK 12:28-34 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 4, 2020)

A teacher of the law had been listening to this discussion and admired how Jesus answered them.  So he came up and asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”

Jesus answered, “The first is: Hear, Israel! The Lord, our God, is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with your entire mind and with all your strength. And after this comes a second commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two.”

The teacher of the law said to him, “well spoken, Master; you are right when you say that he is one, and there is no other besides him. To love him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifices.”

Jesus approved this answer and said, “you are not far from the kingdom of God,” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

POINT OF REFLECTION

Jesus’ life on earth was all but teaching. The teacher of the laws on the other hand, kept on following Jesus not mainly to learn from Him but to wait for opportune time to trap him for some accusation but this time they  listened  and even appreciated and admired the teaching of Jesus regarding the question about the first two greatest commandments of God.

As Jesus had told, we need to love God in four ways: Loving God with all our heart, Loving God with all our soul, Loving God with our entire mind, and Loving God with all our strength. When we say loving God with all our heart is another way of saying that we need to love God with the fullness of life. When we say loving God with all our soul is giving Him a love that cut across life on earth and life after death. This is a love that is untouched by the occasion of death. We are also to love God with our entire mind and our strength. In this loving, we need to love God with all the reasons and use our strength to best serve God throughout life. The second of this greatest commandment: loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. This is the real picture of unselfish love. You can do this by giving to others what you want to give to yourself.  Make it happen to others what we really want for ourselves. In conclusion, we can fulfill the will of the Father by doing the first and the second of His greatest commandments that is, loving God with  all  our hearts, all our soul and all our mind and strength. And the second is loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

MARK 12:18-27 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 3, 2020)

MARK 12:18-27 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 3, 2020)

The Sadducees also came to Jesus. Since they claim that there is no resurrection, they questioned him in this way, “Master, in the Scriptures Moses gave us this law: If anyone dies and leaves his wife but no children, his brother must take the woman, and, with her, have a baby,  who will be considered the child of his deceased brother. Now, there were seven brothers. The first married a wife, but he died without leaving any children. The second took the wife, and he also died, leaving no children. The same thing happened to the third. In fact, all seven brothers died, leaving no children. Last of all, the woman died. Now, in the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife? For all seven brothers had her as wife.” Jesus replied, “ is this not the reason you are mistaken, you do not understand  the Scriptures or the power of God?  When they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry, but are like the angels in heaven. Now, about the resurrection of the dead, have you never had thoughts about the burning bush in the book of Moses? God said to Moses: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is the God, not of the dead, but of the living. You are totally wrong.”

POINT OF REFLECTION

The pick-up points of this gospel reading is quite perplexing and needs prior understanding about the social standing and beliefs of the Sadducees. Sadducees were group of early elites that do not believe in resurrection after the physical death, anchored their beliefs on Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and values good relationship with the ruler to further their beliefs and tradition. This group is the liberal version of Pharisees deep stuck on the three major areas: Their of tradition, their view of supernatural, and their views on divine sovereignty and human responsibilities.

In the first place, the gospel is a question of resurrection to loosen the credit of Jesus as He immerse into the lives of human almost completely enslave of sins. They wanted to remove Jesus’ crown of popularity by letting people see that Jesus teaching is moot and not in accordance with the Laws, Torah. In other words, this somehow tries to drag Jesus down of the perplexing level of their question. Who return answer that truly caught them by surprise?

Because Sadducees does not believe resurrection, they question Jesus whose wife would a woman become after resurrection having married all the seven brothers here on earth? Jesus answer was so direct telling they were wrong and did not understand the Bible or the power of God. The logical thinking of the Sadducees was limited only on “the here and now” because they do not believe life after death. Their understanding on the Mosaic Law in the time of Moses which allowed the second brother to take the woman with no child of the first was a perpetuation of the Israelite’s tribe by way of the child. They never taught of life after death. That is why Jesus said they were wrong.

In this gospel, resurrection is real not even in the accounts of the New Testament but even more in the account of the Old Testament which was maliciously interpreted by the Sadducees in favor of their beliefs, practices and traditions. Jesus clearly speak to us, Christians, that there is life after death in Him. The mind of the Sadducees was contained in the loop of a single age and life tomorrow is a continuation of today.

There are two important ages to consider in this regard, the so called as “this age” and “that ages.” The “this age” is our life here and now. While the “that ages” is the resurrected life as the son of God.  Sadducees mind was loop on “this age” and does not understand life on “that age."

Death is the gate way of resurrection unto Jesus as the son of the Father in heaven. Notice that early believer happily give-up their lives for the works of Jesus because they knew that they would be resurrected back to life like angels of God in heaven.

Finally, while Sadducees was trying to fall down Jesus using very difficult question that even them does  not understand, Jesus made it not into their favor. Instead, He turns it into an opportunity to further the cause of the Father’s kingdom by clarifying and assuring the reality that death is the gateway of resurrection.

MARK 12:13-17 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 2, 2020)

MARK 12:13-17 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 2, 2020)

They sent to Jesus to some Pharisees with the members of Herod' party, with the purpose of trapping him by his own words. They came and said to Jesus, " Master we knew that you are truthful; you are nit influence by anyone, and your answers do not vary according to who is listening  to you, but truly teach God's way. "Tell us, is it against the law to pay taxes to Caesar? Should we pay them or not!" 

But Jesus saw through their trick and answered, " Why are you testing me?  Being me a silver coin and let me see it." They brought him one and Jesus asked, Whose image is this, and whose name?

They answered, " Caesar's." Then Jesus said, " Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God, what is God's."  and they were greatly astonished.

POINTS OF REFLECTION

The Pharisees wanted to trick Jesus so that he would end up saying that could damage and ruin his name against authorities. But as they carefully present their logic Jesus knew it was a trick and Jesus said "give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."  

They  were caught in  great astonishment and leave Him upon hearing His response. In deed  Jesus was able to keep himself from the pitfalls of planned destruction or self demolition.

What is the meat of the gospel? We are living in a deceitful and judgmental world. Many of those who are around  waited for a perfect timing like lion ready to lark its prey. Others are judgmental, giving and publicizing their impartialities without  the merit of the due process of law. 

Furthermore, the tax collection of silver coin reminded us to get our income from a legitimate source only. Honest income is hard to spend. Wise spending brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be prudent in  our daily spending. Do not spend more than your earning because you may find it hard to meet both ends causing you to go around helplessly and vulnerable to financial sharks. In this case, you will end up into serious financial trouble in the future which will make life more difficult to paddled on.

PRAYER

Lord, holy is your name and great is your love.  Thank you for the teaching and wisdom of  the day. Forgive my trespasses as I forgive those who  trespassed against me. Grant me oh God courage and wisdom to review my ways of living and spending and reprogram according to your light and guidance to better my ways of living ahead. Amen

Mark 12:1-12 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 1, 2020)

Mark 12:1-12 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (June 1, 2020)

Using parables, Jesus went on to say, “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press and built a watch tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenants and went abroad. In due time, he sent a servant to receive from the tenants the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized the servant, struck him and sent him back empty-handed. Again, the man sent another servant. They also struck them on the head and treated them shamefully. He sent another, and they killed him. In the same way they treated many others: some they beat up and others they killed. One was still left, his beloved son. And so, the last of all, he sent him to the tenants, for he said, ‘They will respect my son.  But those tenants said to one another,’ This is the one to inherit the vineyard. Let’s kill him and the property will be ours.’ So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”And Jesus added, “Have you not read this text in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the keystone; this is the Lord’s doing, and they marvel at it?” They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

POINTS OF REFLECTION

The world is a  wonderful and amazing creation of God jam-packed with abundance. In Genesis 1:28 “ And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply,  and replenish the earth, and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”It is clear that God created man to dominate upon the earth. We are given the authority to take control of the things around us and return to God his share for the promotion of his kingdom in heaven.

This is about being the steward of God’s  gifts to all of us.  We came from nothing and we really are nothing without God who created us in his image and likeness. When someone  is totally hook into the world because of  owning success and taking so much pride of it, tendency is, he/she might forget that what he/she has is not actually  his/her  but owned by the Father. We come into this world with nothing and nothing we will bring when life come to its end.  

The parable of the vineyard, teach us not to forget that God owns everything in us including our position. There are times that God would ask us something in return of all the blessing we have enjoyed and consumed  in this life.  Thou shall not refuse or steal from God what is intended for Him for he might punish and take everything in favor of others who faithfully give their share to the Lord for the glory of his kingdom.

Many look at these things in the material perspective but do not forget that God has given us the three T’s –time, talent and treasure. Many would say “How could I give for I do not have much in this life? That thing is a third only of what God has given us. We still have time and talent which are the maker of treasure. If we cannot give material things, then I am sure we can share our time and talent if we want to. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can share our time in  service to the Lord. We can use some of our time to proclaim his word. And if we are blessed with a good voice, we can sing to the Lord. If we can dance well, then go worship and dance to the lord. It is said that while God has given us a lot of everything including time and talent,  let be our way of honing these talents our gift to God. How we used it to further God’s kingdom is an  important share God really wants from us.  

MODIFIED ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE FOR SY 2020-2021

The social pressure of Pandemic COVID 19 pose  a great challenge to  DepEd officials for the School Year 2020-2021. Their prime concerns are health safety and wellbeing of the learners, teachers and non-teaching personnel without compromising education of the Filipinos  even in this trying times.

Though the local government authorities had lifted up Enhance Community Quarantine into General Community Quarantine, the fact is COVID 19 curve is still raising causing parents, learners, and DepEd employees in state of reservation for their own safety. Their worries about the present situation is critical perhaps greater than that of the security measures plotted not to compromise education amidst the current crisis.

Regardless of one’s feelings and emotion brought about by the pressing situation, DepEd has laid down a concrete plan for the safety of all.  This plan includes the pre-opening of classes until the post ending of classes. But the crucial of all is the pre-opening of classes activities like in the conduct of enrollment  for SY 2020-2021 knowing the prevalence of COVID 19 victims in the nearby localities. But according to them, all of these should not hold back the flight of education hence Deped have this Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) for this school year.

DepEd has prepared the so called Modified Enrollment Process (MEP) to smartly get around the enrollment activities amidst COVID 19. The conduct would be in the Digital and/or in the physical platforms.  Digital platform is a platform that utilizes social media technology and equipment to conduct remote enrolment process. Physical platform is a platform that utilizes facilities and tools duly set-up in strategic locations by the Enrollment Focal Persons (EFP) with the assistance of the school’s stake holder in the conduct of enrollment. These two platforms do not come as the school head’s option but may be a combination depending on the actual situation and setting of the school relative to the location map of the learners.

There are two focus group of learner’s subject for the modified enrollment procedure. These are the Incoming learners   (IL) and Existing learners (EL). The Incoming learners includes the Grade 7 learners, the transferees and the Balik-aral learners who do not have any record yet in the school. This group of learners is referred to as un-enrolled and needs to accomplish the enrollment form and the survey form attached in DO. #7 S. 2020. They will be enrolled virtually through the available social media such as online enrollment, google forms, face book page, email, tele-enrollment, SMS messaging and telephone calls. In the event that virtual option is not possible due to resources limitation,  physical enrollment would be the last option under the guidance and facilitation of the Enrollment Focal Person (EFP) as assigned by the school head.  In contrary, Existing learners are those who were in the school for the previous school year with no academic issues and promoted to the next higher level. This group of learners is referred to as pre-enrolled learners which need to accomplish only the enrollment survey form virtually under the facilitation and management of the previous teacher advisers. The learners submission of the student survey forms will change their pre-enrolled status into officially enrolled status. Sourcing out of data in the survey form shall be done only in a remote way via social media platform or simple saying online procedure.

Part of the very important preparation prior to the enrolment period is the proper assignment of teachers according to the task they are to do during the enrolment period. A teacher could be Teacher led enrolment or an Enrolment Hotline Focal Person. Teacher- led were the previous adviser of the previous student who were promoted to the next higher level for they already have their records. These teachers are responsible to enroll their students in the LIS system and to contact them to source out information for their survey forms via social media. The Enrolment Hotline Focal Person are the non advisory teachers assign to entertain queries and  facilitate the Grade 7, transferee, and Balik aral enrollment.  

There are three stages of the so called modified enrollment process. These are the pre-data collection stage, data collection stage and data retrieval  stage. Pre data Collection is a stage in which the school head should designate the Teacher-led and the Enrolment Focal Person (EFP). Teacher led are the teacher advisers of the previous learners responsible for the enrolment of their students and source out information needed in the survey. This stage also includes the proper dissemination of the school enrollment procedure via social media and includes as will the participation of the stakeholders. It is also in this stage where enrollment advocacy mechanism should be highlighted. This includes the posting of Tarpaulins in a strategic location, Posting of enrollment information using the social media, flyers distribution and tapping of the school PTA official. The second is the data collection stage which includes the collection of data among teacher adviser for the previous year, through the Initiative of parents/ guardians, and through the established of digital and physical platforms. The third and the last stage is the Data collection stage which focuses on the analysis and evaluation of the data gathered.

In totality, the modified enrollment process of deped does not just cater continuous education in the way it use to be sometimes in the past but partially diverge into a research base adjustment founded on overwhelming evidences. This greatly depends on the accuracy of data collection implementation process to return almost exact data to the DepEd central office as bases for decision making relative to the fast changing situation that we are in. All has a great role to play during the three stage of this modified enrolment process.

JOHN 20:19-23 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (May 31,2020)

JOHN 20:19-23 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (May 31,2020)

On the evening of that day, the first day after the Sabbath, the door were locked where the disciples were because of their fear of the Jews. But Jesus came, and stood among them, and said to them, “Peace with you!” Then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples, seeing the lord, were full of joy. Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you! As the Father sent me , so I send you.” After saying this, he breath on them. “ Receive the Holy Spirit! Those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”

POINT OF REFLECTION

Today’s gospel is a perfect resemblance of the world under the threat of COVID 19. Almost all locked themselves in fear of their lives. This was of the same feeling of Jesus’ disciples when they locked themselves in fear of their lives against the Jews on the first day after Sabbath day. They were in great trouble because Jesus was not with them. They were eaten by their insecurities and worries because they have under estimated the power of God to take control. But Jesus took it all when he suddenly appeared in their midst and greeted “ Peace be with you!” and showed with them his hands and his side. There and then, all of them were full of joy.

In a situation of great fear and danger only Jesus can gave us fullness of joy. He alone can make us alive and courageous in the despair of this world.

In this time of crisis, the world seems to disappear from us. Many were kept in loneliness most specially if we lost sight unto Jesus. The period of quarantine is an opportune time for us Christians to find joy in Jesus. Lets make this isolation day a unification day unto Jesus so that when the new normal begins we will start it on fire by the breath of the Holy Spirit. This is so because Jesus send his disciples as the Father sent him as we are in this generation.

JOHN 15: 26-164a GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (MAY 18, 2020)

MAY 18, 2020

GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION

JOHN 15: 26-164a

From the Father, will send you the Spirit of truth. When this Helper has come from the Father, he will be my witness, and you, too, will be my witness, for you have been with me from the beginning.

I tell you all this to keep you from stumbling and falling away. They will put you out of the synagogue. Still more, the hour is coming, when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God; they will do this, because they have not known the Father or me. I tell you all these things now so that, when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you about this in the beginning, because I was with you.

POINT OF REFLECTION

Being in the cause of proclaiming the good news is never easy.  If Jesus was crucified, then would believers and torment of the Christian followers. But despite all this and across generations, Christian believers became stronger and stronger in their faith. Amidst persecution, steadfast with  the mighty Helper, the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit is the helper from the Father coming down on Jesus behalf  while He left for a while to prepare our rooms in the Father’s house in heaven.  There was never a single moment  in our lives that we are left unattended by the Father. He will not allow anyone of us go astray.

As early disciples and followers were  gone after and persecuted, we will also share the same fate with them but not  in a way like  before. Our own version of persecution and torment are our personal struggles of this life. The challenges, problems, failures and worries that we have are the new version of persecution. We need to be careful about this things for it will affect our being much more on our soul. But similar to what the early disciples had done, we will overcome them with the presence of the Holy Spirit in order to win the kingdom in heaven.