11/02/2025
LARO NG BUHAY: ANG TUNAY NA LABANAN
Mk 7:14-23
Homily for Wednesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time,
12 February 2025
Opening of the SSC-R, Manila Sports Intramurals
My dear Sebastinians, as we open our Intramurals, today’s Gospel invites us to reflect on a different kind of competition—the spiritual battle within. Jesus, in today’s reading, challenges the Pharisees’ obsession with external purity—yung pagiging malinis sa panlabas pero marumi sa loob. He reminds us that what truly defiles a person is not what enters the mouth, but what comes from the heart.
The Pharisees had strict dietary laws—rules on what was clean and unclean. Today, modern Jews call this kosher, while Muslims refer to it as halal. These traditions were meant to set boundaries for holiness, but Jesus saw how these laws were being used to judge people’s moral worth. Ang problema? Hindi naman lahat kayang sumunod! Only the rich could afford to be picky about food. The poor? Wala silang choice. Kakainin nila kung anong meron.
Kaya siguro nagtawanan ang mga tao nang sinabi ni Jesus: “Paano madudumihan ang kaluluwa kung ang pagkain ay dumadaan lang sa tiyan at pagkatapos ay inilalabas sa kubeta?” Kita niyo? Kahit si Jesus may sense of humor! But His message was serious: real defilement comes from within—from anger, envy, arrogance, greed—mga bagay na sumisira sa puso at relasyon natin sa iba.
As we begin our Intramurals, let’s ask ourselves: Sa larangan ng buhay, anong laban ang pinaghahandaan natin? We train hard for sports, conditioning our bodies, disciplining ourselves para manalo. Pero paano naman ang ating puso at espiritu? Pinapabayaan lang ba natin na maipon ang galit, inggit, yabang, at kasakiman sa loob natin?
Ang examination of conscience ay parang spiritual training—hindi lang ito pang-Lenten season, kundi dapat araw-araw nating ginagawa. It’s a way to keep our hearts pure and ready para sa tunay na laban—ang laban laban sa kasalanan at pagiging makasarili.
St. Augustine once said, “Conquer yourself and the world lies at your feet.” Ang tunay na tagumpay ay hindi lang panalo sa palakasan, kundi panalo sa sariling kahinaan. If we do not master ourselves—our emotions, our desires, our pride—how can we truly win in life?
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us that true virtue lies in habituation of the good. Sabi niya, “The highest perfection of human life consists in the mind being detached from bodily things.” Sa madaling salita, ang tunay na lakas ay hindi lang pisikal, kundi ang kakayahang kontrolin ang ating damdamin at piliin ang tama kahit mahirap.
St. John Bosco, who dedicated his life to forming young people, reminds us, “Do good while you still have time.” Sa Intramurals, we push ourselves to excel and compete, but in life, the real goal is to do good, to lift others up, and to grow in love and virtue. Hindi lang ito tungkol sa pagiging pinakamahusay, kundi sa pagiging mabuti.
Commitment and excellence are not only displayed in sports, but also in our studies and in how we serve others. As students, faculty, and staff, we are called to deliver quality service, not just in academics but in the way we treat one another. When we train our minds in the classroom and discipline our hearts to be kind and just, we are preparing ourselves for real-life battles—ones that require patience, resilience, and integrity. Excellence is not just about being the best in competition, but about being the best version of ourselves in service to others.
Kaya ngayong Intramurals, habang nagpapatibay tayo ng katawan, bigyan din natin ng oras ang pagpapalakas ng ating loob at pananampalataya. Before every game, take a few moments and ask yourself: Ano ang nasa puso ko ngayon? Mayroon ba akong galit na kailangang pakawalan? May kasakiman ba akong hinahayaang maghari sa akin? Let’s practice spiritual conditioning, the same way we build physical endurance.
So, as we celebrate sportsmanship and teamwork this week, let’s not forget the bigger battle—the one happening inside us. Hindi sapat ang malakas at mabilis—mas mahalaga ang malinis at mapagmahal. Kaya ngayon, mga minamahal kong Sebastino, bago kayo sumabak sa laro, tanungin mo ang sarili mo: Paano ko paghahandaan hindi lang ang laban sa palakasan, kundi ang laban ng tunay na buhay—ang pagiging mas mabuting tao sa harap ng Diyos, sa aking pag-aaral, at sa aking paglilingkod sa iba?
