Pitik-Bulag: The Fifth Gospel

We may not even be aware of it, but every single moment of our life is a witnessing opportunity regarding our faith. Our consoling words and good deeds manifest the genuineness of our faith. Thus, in our gospel today, the Lord invites us to be more conscious of our words and actions as our way of glorifying God.

Whether we like it or not, the Sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of Confirmation put us into the spot of becoming the Presence of God in our midst. We are tasked to acknowledge and proclaim the gospel in our lives. Something that we have ignored or forgotten after receiving the two initial sacraments. The two sacraments become mere rituals to be performed, but not an initiation to begin the mission as disciples of Jesus.

That is why Jesus is so honest as he speaks to us in our gospel today. He wants us to seriously take the role of apostles as living witnesses of His teachings. Our faith invites us to acknowledge Jesus as our Lord. But acknowledging Jesus is beyond passive affirmation of our faith. It requires a BOLD ACTIVE LIFE-DEFINING AFFIRMATION OF OUR FAITH through witnessing. The Lord wants us to see in our lives a LIVING GOSPEL ...boldly proclaiming His love through words and actions.

When the Lord introduces the thought that sinning against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable sin, he is simply implying the danger of our resistance to the Holy Spirit's invitation to reform our lives and make a differences in the lives of others. Conversion is not simply reforming our lives but it entails walking with Jesus and embracing his Mission . Our hardheadedness and insensitivity blocks us from reuniting ourselves to God. Our closed hearts hinder us to discover our authentic selves. In the end, we produced the yeast the Pharisees - the sin of hypocrisy. We live a double life. We confused people with our inconsistent words and actions. We regularly attend mass, yet remain insensitive to others. We beg God for forgiveness yet we resist to forgive others. We say that our family is our priority, yet we don't spend quality time with our children. We hate liars, yet we tolerate our own hypocrisy. What matters most in heaven is not our Christian Membership, but our DYNAMIC FAITH MANIFESTED IN WORDS AND ACTIONS. In our gospel, the Lord also recognizes our limitations and inclination to sins. No one is perfect. Thus, He asks us to invite the Holy Spirit in our lives for enlightenment, discernment, guidance, and strength. The Holy Spirit will teach us what we ought to say and do (Luke 12:12).

Many people will never have the chance to read the four gospels. But the only gospel they will read every day is the gospel according to you. Be aware of your words and actions. Don't be a nominal Christian. Walk the talk. Never have a dual life. Tell everyone how God changed you into a better person. Don't be shy and meek in proclaiming your faith. Be proud of it. Share it! Not only with beautiful words, but with your edifying works!