Siding with the Truth

Gospel
27 September 2009
26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mk. 9:38-43,45,47-48

By: Ramir Dimaunahan

I was once invited by a friend to watch a basketball championship game with him at Cuneta Astrodome. My friend is an avid fan of Ginebra. The team is playing for the title that night with San Miguel as their opponent. We are there to cheer Ginebra but unknown to my friend i am a fan of San Miguel. So as not to disappoint my friend, who after all paid for our tickets and the hotdogs, i cheered at every basket made by Ginebra while i silently rooted for San Miguel as well.

The two teams played with intensity and the fans were delighted till the final buzzer. Ginebra went on to win the game and the championship, but that did not bother me because i am neutral with the two teams that night.

On matters of faith, however, such is not the case. We can only be either for the good or for evil, light or darkness, love or sin. There is no middle ground here. We cannot afford to be indifferent. We cannot be neutral.

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells the apostles “For whoever is not against us is for us”. Our conscience and the word of God direct us to the side of Truth. And though in life at times we drift away from the Truth, we can always return through the sacrament, by the mercy of God. The challenge to us is to stay with the Truth by casting out our sins.

Ramir Paz Dimaunahan has been an active parish servant of St. Vincent de Paul parish, having served as president of Children of Mary (Vincentian Marian Youth) and chair of PREX in the same parish. He also volunteers for Caritas Manila, helping in the RJ ministry. He serves as VIce President of Technical Sales in a Metro Manila firm.