Homily Twenty-Third Sunday Year C

 

Reading 1: Who can know the mind of God? God is perfect; we are imperfect. God is uncreated Spirit; we are created body and spirit. Our body is corruptible; God is incorruptible. Because of sin we struggle to know and do the right things. We are still trying to understand the material things around us. We make a break through and there is another mystery of creation, confronting and challenging us.

 

We try to understand and fathom what is totally beyond us: the mind of God. We come to a blank wall. Why? Because our minds are limited. God wants us to perceive what is true and what is for our good, leading us to him. To do this God gives us a wisdom, the gift of the Holy Spirit, to glimpse into the mystery of God, the mystery of eternity, the mystery of God’s unconditional love. This gift enables us, not on our own but through the grace of God, to see as God perceives into a particular situation. But we still scratch only the surface.  God reveals his plan to us, but only to the extent we can embrace it in faith, hope and love.

 

Gospel: The first reading recognizes that we need God’s wisdom to know God’s plan for us. Jesus speaks that word of wisdom in the Gospel. He speaks of the centrality of God in our lives, a centrality lived in doing the will of God, even it if means embracing a particular cross in our daily life. But Jesus goes further. He says we shouldn’t begin this journey of relationship with God unless we really intend to complete the process.

 

How many people want a relationship with God, maybe for the wrong reason? They are unwilling to pay the price, to live the life, to embrace his will. There is a difference between falling short but continuing to try and between going through the motions externally while internally choosing to be far away from a deeper relationship. What is this deeper commitment? Full discipleship!

 

Discipleship is a radical following of Jesus. Central to this relationship with Jesus are three things: the Lordship of Jesus, obedience to the will of God even to the death of the self, and doing all of this out of love.

 

What does the Lordship of Jesus means? It means that nothing and no one is to be more important to the disciple than Jesus. It is the only relationship that will last in eternity. One of the questions we will be asked at the time of our death is the question Jesus asked the disciples. “Who do you say I am?” Even though Peter said the right words initially, it wasn’t until after the resurrection that he could say with understanding and love that Jesus is both Lord and Messiah.

 

For Jesus to be the Lord of our lives in fact as well as in faith, we center our whole lives on him, on the will of the Father. We choose to do so simply to return love for love.

 

Reading 2: Philemon is a convert of Paul. One of Philemon’s slaves ran away. He found Paul in another community in prison. Paul converts him with the truth of the Gospel. Paul becomes a spiritual father to Onesimus through the waters of baptism. Paul sees him now as a son, a brother and a slave of Christ.

 

By law, Onesimus was the property of Philemon. So Paul asks the former to go back to Philemon to give him the opportunity to practice his new faith by receiving him back as a brother in Christ. In other words, Onesimus belonged to Christ more than he belong to Philemon.

 

Paul believed the love of Christ was stronger than anything else and that this love would bring forth a new and stronger relationship between Philemon and Onesimus. Paul based this on the love Philemon professed for Paul and the debt he owed Paul for setting him free to experience God’s love for him. Each was able to do this because of the Lordship of Jesus.

 "Why do we keep hiding our deepest feelings from each other? We suffer much, but we also have great gifts of healing for each other. The mystery is that by hiding our pain we also hide our ability to heal. . . . We are called to confess to each other and forgive each other, and thus to discover the abundant mercy of God. But at the same time, we are so terribly afraid of being hurt more than we already are. This fear keeps us prisoners, even when the prison has no walls! I see better every day how radical Jesus’ message of love really is." (Henri Nouwen)

Is it true that I am hiding in my own prison? Is it true that I am in this prison because I am afraid of being hurt again? Does Jesus wish me to stay in my self-imposed prison or has he come to set me free? I remember when I was younger I experienced this self-isolation, trying to protect myself. Instead, I was harming myself by holding at a distance from what I really needed and wanted. Love and acceptance. It was only by God's grace that I realized that my isolation was self-imposed. God was calling me out from the darkness into the light of his love. But I had to choose to open the door of my prison and step out into the light or not. Was I hurt again? Yes. But living in the light enabled me to deal with the hurt with forgiveness and move on. True life in Christ is lived in the light not in the dark.

 Twenty-third Sunday Gospel C

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, 

· Jesus gives some reflections on the role and life of a disciple.

“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 

· The first cost of discipleship is a certain detachment from those closest to us. If it comes to making a decision which says we have to choose between Jesus and a member of our family, whom would we choose.? This is the total commitment of discipleship.

· Jesus is not asking for total separation or rejection of our family, but a realization that he alone is the Lord and no one else must be given that status in our life. He is first at all times.

· Have we had to face that point in our life, even in small matters, where following Jesus  was more important than pleasing family?

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 

· Following Jesus means readiness to accept persecution and suffering. Have we experienced this in our faith journey as a disciple of Jesus? What decisions did we make? What did we learn?

o Notice he says “his own cross.” We are not expected to carry anyone else’s cross.  Ours is tailored for us at this moment of our life.

Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?  But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.

· Sometimes we want to follow Jesus on our own terms but we do not assess the cost of disciple and our commitment to embrace it fully. Something may be worth it, but whether I am willing to pay the price may be another consideration.

· How important is following Jesus to you? Are there any limitations or restrictions or conditions you are placing on your response? If the call is from Jesus, do we accept his call unreservedly or conditionally?

  In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

· What does this mean?

· Recall the time the rich young man came to Jesus and ask what it took to gain eternal life. Jesus said basically he should keep the commandments of love. The man said he was doing this but asked what more is needed. Jesus said that he should seek holiness and total dependency on him, go and free himself of all obligations and possessions and come and follow him totally. The man could not because he could let go his possessions.

· Discipleship is not necessarily physical poverty but definitely spiritual poverty where nothing else matters in one’s life but Jesus and being and serving him.

· How do we apply these sayings of Jesus in our own life today?

 “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16).

As Christians, we are to strive to have the mind of Christ as the guiding principle governing our thoughts, words and deeds. This is a high order but not an impossible one, once Jesus is truly the Lord of our lives. Our perspective of life changes. How? We begin to strive to think, feel and act as Christ did. We begin to love others as Christ did and does. We take his admonition as commands as we seek to forgive as he did and serve others as he did. In other words, Jesus becomes not only our role model but our  guide in all we do. 

St. Paul said, in another place, "have this attitude in you which was in Christ Jesus". What was this? He had a truly servant heart, obedient to the will of the Father in all things, even to the death on the cross. High order for us who are so weak and fallible, but again not an impossible expectation.. What would happen if today we begin to ask the question, "What would Jesus want me to do in this situation"? Over a period of time we may see how better to have the mind of Christ as our guiding principle and standard of measure. For the opposite is true. If Jesus is not our guiding is, who is?

 "With fear and trembling work out your salvation," (Phil 2:12) St. Philip Neri used to say, that he who does not seek, above all things, the salvation of his soul, is a fool. Jesus has saved us and has shared his own divine life with us, so that one day we may be with him in eternal glory, praising God with all of the angels and saints. But our salvation in not assured, unless we are responding to the grace of salvation. In fact, is salvation your top priority? How will you know? In your daily activity and choices do you see and judge things as how they will impact  your eternity? Like Martha we can be busy about many good things, but fail to be focused on the one thing that is necessary, our relationship with Jesus. That doesn't mean we are to stop working, but that we refocus why we are doing what we are doing in the light of our salvation. Leon Bloy once said: "The saddest thing is to die not being a saint." Your choice: to be a saint or a fool.

 "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1Cor 1:24)

St. Paul connects these qualities of Jesus to his death and resurrection. To the ordinary, unbelieving person, death on a cross is a sign of weakness not power. In fact, Paul says it becomes a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. But for those who have faith, it shows the power of God. Through his death by crucifixion, Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity. What looks to the ordinary eye as weakness, is in fact strength. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "God reveals his fatherly omnipotence....by his infinite mercy, for he displays his power at its height by freely forgiving sins." (CCC 270). The truth of this mystery becomes more evident to St. Paul as he cried to the Lord to take the thorn from his side. God's response: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Then St. Paul writes: "I will gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor 12:9)

The same is true for us. In our struggle with sin, we find ourselves weak. But when we learn to turn to God, his grace, his power is sufficient for us. I have learned to say, "Jesus, I love you" when I am struggling. And in this acknowledgment of my weakness and inability to overcome on my own, I find that in Christ, in his power, I can be strong and faithful.

 

Homily: Twenty-second Sunday Year C

 

Reading 1: What is humility? We are who we are in the eyes of God and no more. If we embrace this truth, then we will be loved by God and will find favor with God. The humble and the contrite heart, the psalmist says, the Lord will not turn away.

 

The problem is that we don’t live in this truth of who we really are. Instead, we often seek to be other than. And this is the source of our sin: pride.  Adam and Eve were not satisfied with being who they were, creatures under and from God—blessed, honored, loved and sharing God’s divine life. They desired to be equal to God, knowing good and evil, being in total control of their life with God.

 

David, in spite of all that God did for him and given him—raising him from the life of a shepherd to the honor of being king—wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to take to himself what was not his, the wife of another man.

 

On the other hand, Mary exemplified humility. When God revealed his mighty plan by which he had chosen her to be the Mother of the Savior by the power of the Holy Spirit she answered “I don’t understand, but I trust in you.” She didn’t think of herself but of her cousin Elizabeth, who was with child. She went to help her. She saw herself, not as the chosen Mother of God, but as cousin going to help her cousin in need.

 

Gospel: Jesus spoke often about the attitude of the heart. He said where your heart is there is your treasure. He said what comes from the recesses of the heart is what makes a person defiled, not what goes into the person. He marveled at the widow’s mite. She gave from her sustenance in comparison to the largess of the rich who gave from their surplus.

 

Here, the attitude of the heart of the invitee and the inviter is the focus. To take a place of honor or to be invited to a place of honor. Jesus has been invited to dine at the home of a rich Pharisee. Jesus noted that probably people were trying to position themselves in the place of honor close to Jesus. To do so, they thought, would give them a sense of prestige from others.

 

Humility is an attitude of the heart, which helps us to keep in check that pride within us that sees ourselves more than we are in the eyes of God and others. We look for honor and recognition. We seek affirmation and praise from others. The focus is ourselves because we have not accepted the truth about ourselves. We live in a world of make-belief, of smoke and mirrors, rather than in reality. The world doesn’t revolve around us.

 

Our true self will be known by ourselves and others by our selflessness for the sake of others. There is a genuine love of the other, a genuine concern for the other, trusting in God’s care and providence for me, while seeking to respond to God’s command of love for the other above my own desires and wants.

 

Reading 2: While humility keeps before us our true self as struggling sinners always in need of God’s mercy, the author of Hebrews reminds us how privileged we are. Though we are sinners, who deserve the wrath of God, God allows us to experience him in a personal, real way, simply because he loves us.

 

The people of the Exodus in the Old Testament were not able to approach the Mount of the Lord because of their sinful, rebellious hearts nor hear his voice. On the contrary, we are privileged to be able to approach the Lord because of Jesus our Mediator, whose blood was shed for the remission of our sins. We can come into the Real Presence of the Lord; we can offer a perfect sacrifice; we can receive the Body and Blood of Jesus—not because we are worthy or deserving, but simply because of God’s mercy and love.

 

 

 "Christians must be on guard against the spirit of worldliness that confuses and blurs the lines between what is good and what is evil. The Holy Spirit brings you to God and if you sin, the Holy Spirit protects you and helps you to get up. But the spirit of the world brings you to corruption, to the point that you can’t distinguish between what is good and what is bad; it is all the same, everything is the same.” (Pope Francis)

All of us are constantly confronted with the Spirit of God's lead and the spirit of world's attractions. Sometimes the latter is very subtle and gradual in its influence in our lives. Many people externally look like they are following the lead of the Holy Spirit in their lives, but in reality internally they are worldly at heart. Jesus reminds us that we are in the world but not of the world. When we are both in and of the world then we have a worldly spirit dictating to us our values. Jesus addressed this in his distinction between the narrow gate and the wide gate or the narrow road and the broad road. The narrow road  is that of following the lead of the Holy Spirit. It is the road of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to the will of the Father. The broad road is that of following the lead of the world, which distracts us from the Lord. The former leads to eternal life with God. The latter leads to eternal destruction. Do we find in  our hearts any residue of this worldly spirit? Do we see ourselves struggling with it but still keeping our eyes on the Lord?

 Twenty-second Sunday Gospel C

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor.  A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.  Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.  For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”  

· What is our attitude at functions and events to which we are invited?

· What is humility? Here are some thoughts:

“Humility isn't thinking little of self; it isn't thinking of self at all.”

“That the virtue of humility consists in the knowledge of certain truths, I had already recognized. These truths are: that I am nothing, that I can do nothing but sin, that I depend on God for everything--for existence, conservation, movement, and grace. What is more, I am most happy in my dependence on God, and I prefer to depend entirely on God rather than on myself.” (St. Anthony Mary Claret)

“It is proof of deep humility if one realizes that he is condemned without guilt and yet suffers in silence.  This is an excellent imitation of Christ, who innocently suffered for our guilt.” (St. Theresa)

                “One day I was wondering why God so loves the humble when it suddenly and                unexpectedly struck me that this must be because he is the supreme Truth and                humility is truth.” (St. Theresa of Avila, (Interiof Castle, VI,10)

“If we were humble, nothing would change us--neither praise nor discouragement. If someone were to criticize us, we would not feel discouraged. If someone were to praise us, we also would not feel proud.” (Mother Teresa)

Then he said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

· How do we apply this saying to ourselves?

· Is humility an attitude of the heart and mind, seeing ourselves through the eyes of God? As Francis of Assisi says: “I am who am as God sees me and nothing more.” Being whom God sees me to be and being that person is true humility.

 

"It would be well if we were in the habit {83} of looking at all we have as God's gift, undeservedly given, and day by day continued to us solely by His mercy. He gave; He may take away. He gave us all we have, life, health, strength, reason, enjoyment, the light of conscience; whatever we have good and holy within us; whatever faith we have; whatever of a renewed will; whatever love towards Him; whatever power over ourselves; whatever prospect of heaven. He gave us relatives, friends, education, training, knowledge, the Bible, the Church. All comes from Him. He gave; He may take away. Did He take away, we should be called on to follow Job's pattern, and be resigned: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord." [Job i. 21.] While He continues His blessings, we should follow David and Jacob, by living in constant praise and thanksgiving, and in offering up to Him of His own." (John Henry Cardinal Newman)

 

Sometimes we fail in this most important aspect of our relationship with God. We take for granted what we should never forget, God’s many blessings.  A grateful heart opens one to greater blessings. And the opposite is likewise true. A complacent, forgetful heart blocks itself from receiving more. The former helps us to see God as the loving Father he is. The latter shows us as spoiled children, treating God as a sugar daddy. Gratitude shows maturity of character. How do you want God to see you? A spoiled, ungrateful creature or a grateful son or daughter for all he has done for you?

 

 

"To be a Christian is one of the most wondrous and awful gifts in the world. It is, in one sense, to be higher than Angel or Archangel. If we have any portion of an enlightened faith, we shall understand that our state, as members of Christ's Church, is full of mystery. What so mysterious as to be born, as we are, under God's wrath? What so mysterious as to be redeemed by the death of the Son of God made flesh? What so mysterious as to receive the virtue of that death one by one through Sacraments? What so mysterious as to be able to teach and train each other in good or evil?" (John Cardinal Henry Newman)

 

How much do we cherish this gift, given to us unmerited by Jesus? My response to this great gift opens up doors of grace. Because I am a Christian, as an adopted son or daughter of God, I can share in the Body and Blood of Jesus. I have the privilege of being a Temple of the Holy Spirit, sharing in God’s Divine Life now, and hopefully eternally. As a Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit, I am anointed and empowered to witness Jesus to others. At the same time, to whom much is given, much will be required. Am I living as a Christian, according to the teachings of Jesus? I am a Christian by God’s grace. I respond to this privilege both by grace and choice.

 Galatians 2:19b-20

"I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me. I still live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:19-20)

 In the scriptures we read about many people who were zealous for the Lord. The most important example was Jesus. In cleansing of the Temple he was fulfilling the prophetic word of the Lord found in Psalm 69:9: "Zeal for your house has consumed me." What is zeal? St. John Cardinal Newman expressed it thus: "Zeal...an earnest desire for God's honor, leading to strenuous and bold deeds in his behalf; and that in spit of all obstacles." He goes on to say: "A man cannot be said to be in earnest in religion, till he magnifies his God and Savior; till he so far consecrates and exalts the thought of him in his heart, as an object of praise, and adoration, and rejoicing, as to be pained and grieved at dishonor shown to him, and eager to avenge him."

This was the zeal that consumed Jesus. He wanted to do the will of the Father and to rectify sin, the affront to the Father, through the gift of his life on the cross. Are our hearts on fire for the Lord? Do we want to please him above all things, no matter the cost? This zeal is a grace from the Holy Spirit. Pray for this grace. Begin to act upon it, first by dealing with sin in our own life and and then react to the sin of the world. God will present the opportunities for us to zealot for him.

 

Homily Twenty-First Sunday Year C

 

Reading 1: Isaiah is prophesying about the future plan of God. This is the beginning of what will later be known as God’s plan for universal salvation. Though he has chosen the Israelites—the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be his Chosen People—to see his glory through many sings and wonders, God plans to extend his choice to all nations, who likewise will come to see God’s glory.

 

God had revealed to the Chosen People that there is no other God but the I AM. Once that reality was sealed in their hearts, God chose them to his messengers of this truth to all the nations. God will even use the infidelity of the Israelites—not living up to their covenant with God—to disperse them to many nations. There they will proclaim the glory of God. As a result, these will to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice.

 

God will make some of them priest. No longer with the priesthood of the Old Testament will suffice. A new priesthood will be established. The Old Testament priesthood was inherited, passed on from father to son. The new priesthood will be ones chosen by God. This prophesy was fulfilled in Jesus, who is the Savior of all and who established the priesthood of the New Covenant through a personal call.

 

Gospel: The theme of salvation continues.  Who will be saved? When this question was asked of Jesus, he didn’t answer it directly. The focus of his teaching is not who nor how many will be saved, but will I be saved.

 

Salvation is a response to a grace. Jesus through his death and resurrection has saved all, but not all will choose to be saved. They will not be willing to do what is necessary to respond to the grace of God given to them. Jesus makes it clear that just to be known as his followers or to know about him, is not enough. In another Gospel account he makes it clearer. It is not the one who knows of him, but the one who does the will of his Father will be save.

 

Then Jesus indicates that just because they were of the Chosen People. God will reject those who reject Jesus as the Lord and Savior of the world. Instead, God will invite others, who are not descendants of Abraham to experience the grace of salvation.

 

The words we don’t want to hear from God at the time of death and judgment is, “I do not know you. Depart from me.” That means salvation is a gift that if I don’t respond to and embrace, then I will love the eternal inheritance God had for me with him.

 

The key is, having been told about Jesus, have we come to a personal knowledge and commitment to Jesus as the Lord of our lives with all that means?  Peter’s journey is a model for us. After knowing about Jesus from his brother Andrew, after spending quality time with Jesus, when asked question number one, “Who do you say that I am?  Peter was able to answer, “You are the Christ.”  But the second question that Jesus asked Peter was the key to Peter’s eternal life. Jesus asked Peter, after the Resurrection, “Do you love me”?  Or more to the point, “Are you so in love with me that I am the Lord of your life.”?

 

Reading 2 Paul reminds us that part of our embrace of the grace of salvation involves submitting to the disciple of the Lord, as he forms us as his adopted sons and daughters. No one enjoys discipline, but discipline done in love bears much fruit. Paul thus tells us to endure our trials as discipline from God, transforming us.

 

We see the here and now. God sees our potential. We see our brokenness and weakness. God sees the possible end result. We cannot see or understand the end. God never loses sight of it for us. The end is our salvation, eternal life with him.

 "You hear people complaining about this present day and age because things were so much better in former times. I wonder what would happen if they could be taken back to the days of their ancestors--would we not still hear them complaining? You may think past ages were good, but it is only because you are not living in them.? (St. Augustine)

St. Augustine lived between 354 AD and 430 AD. He heard the same complaint then that we hear even today. It is the complaint that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Each age has its strengths and weaknesses. We are called to remember the past and learn from the past but not to yearn for it. It had its own problems. When people talk about the "good old days", they remind me of the Israelites in the desert. God was purifying and transforming them in preparation to entering the Promised Land. But they longed for the pleasures of Egypt, always complaining and looking back. Like Lot's wife, many of them were frozen in time. God is purifying and transforming us as we traverse through our "desert". But instead of yearning for the "good old days", he would want us to look to "days to come", sharing life with him forever in glory in our true Promised Land. It is better for us to stop complaining and instead give praise to God for what he is doing now in our lives.

 Twenty-first Sunday Gospel C

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.  Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”  

· Jesus focuses the question not on how may are to be saved, but on the individual who should be concerned whether he/she will be saved.

· What are you doing consciously to respond to the grace of salvation offered you by Jesus through his death and resurrection? Is salvation a focus of your life?

He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. 

“Salvation depends first on God’s grace, then on our cooperation and obedience. Jesus here stresses the difficulties of the spiritual life, where few will enter God’s glory while the door remains open.”

After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from. And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.  Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ 

· How do you apply this to your life right now? Is knowing Jesus or being his disciples enough?

· What more is Jesus asking of us?

· Is there an urgency in Jesus’ message? Since we do not know when the door will be shut, how should we respond?

· The four words we don’t want God to say to us are: “I don’t know you!”

· In another Gospel Jesus says, “It is not those who say, Lord, Lord, who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father.”

· What is the narrow gate Jesus is talking about? Is it the same as the narrow road that few travel?

o The un repentant will be shut out from God’s blessings..

And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.  For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” 

· Jesus is speaking to his own people, the Jews. He is indicating that others—the non-Jews—will respond to his message and experience the life God. Some of the Jews became complacent about their relationship with God. Have we become complacent?

· How do we apply this to ourselves and others?

Jesus reminded us that we are in the world but not to be of the world. While in the world we are to recognize and celebrate the beauty and goodness of God's creation. We are not called to possess or be possessed or abuse that which is good and beautiful, only to admire and be grateful to God. Henri Nouwen said: "The great struggle facing you is not to leave the world, to reject your ambitions and aspirations, or to despise money, prestige, or success, but to claim your spiritual truth and to live in the world as someone who doesn’t belong to it. . . . All the good things our world has to offer are yours to enjoy. But you can enjoy them truly only when you can acknowledge them as affirmations of the truth that you are the Beloved of God."

Only when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, as Paul tells us, then whether we  have or do not have material possessions is not the issue. Rather the issue is whether we are possessed by Jesus, who is our beginning and end. The world is only a place of passage. It is not our destination. As such, as we move on in our earthly journey, we need to avoid becoming enamored and distracted by its offerings lest we detour and become lost. No, journey with our eyes ever on the prize, life with Jesus eternally.

The world is only evil when you become its slave. The world has a lot to offer—just as Egypt did for the children of Jacob—as long as you don’t feel bound to obey it. The great struggle facing you is not to leave the world, to reject your ambitions and aspirations, or to despise money, prestige, or success, but to claim your spiritual truth and to live in the world as someone who doesn’t belong to it. . . . All the good things our world has to offer are yours to enjoy. But you can enjoy them truly only when you can acknowledge them as affirmations of the truth that you are the Beloved of God. The truth will set you free to receive the beauty of nature and culture in gratitude, as a sign of your Belovedness. That truth will allow you to receive the gifts you receive from your society and celebrate life. But that truth will also allow you to let go of what distracts you, confuses you, and puts in jeopardy the life of the Spirit within you.

 "It was necessary that she who preserved her virginity inviolate in childbirth should also have her body kept free from corruption after death. It was necessary that she who carried the Creator as a child on her breast should dwell in the tabernacles of God. It was necessary that the bride espoused by the Father should maker her home in the bridal chambers of heaven. It was necessary that she, who had gazed on her crucified Son and been pierced in the heart by the sword of sorrow which she had escaped in giving him birth, should contemplate him seated with the Father. It was necessary that the Mother of God should share the possessions of her Son, and be venerated by every creature as the Mother and handmaid of God." (St. John Damascene)

The mystery of God's plan! As Jesus, the sinless God Man, suffered death but did not suffer the effects of death, namely corruptibility of the Body, is in heaven with a glorified Body, so Mary, sinless by God's grace, did not suffer corruptibility of the Body, died and was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven. On the other hand, because we are redeemed sinners, though we will die, if we die in Christ, we too will have our bodies reunited with our souls at the resurrection of the body. Though our bodies will suffer corruption in the tomb, if we die in Christ, we have the faith assurance, underscored by Jesus' resurrection and ascension and Mary's assumption, that our bodies one day will be glorified in eternity. We thank God for his divine plan, which fulfills the purpose of our existence. We were predestined, as Paul tells us, as sons and daughters, sharing in his divine life, to be with God, giving him praise and glory eternally. This is our inheritance.

 Obedience can look upon in two ways as St John Cardinal Newman reflects. On is the excellent one: obedience on habit. The other is the more human way: obedience on custom. "The one is of the  heart, the other of the lips; the one is in power, the other in word; the one cannot be acquired without much and constant vigilance, generally not without much pain and trouble; the other is the result of a mere passive imitation of those whom we fall in with." 

Recall the parable of the two sons.  The father asked the one son to do something. He said he wouldn't, then repented and did what he was asked to do. The father asked another son to do something. He said he would, but did not. The obedience of the heart flows from a committed relationship with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit.  The obedience in word flows from a self focus, based on what I will get out of it. The obedience of the first Adam proved to be lip service only until what he thought was a better option turned up. The obedience of the second Adam left no room for personal options  He was always yes, as St. Paul tells us. We are called to follow the example of Jesus who was obedient to the Father because of love. 

 "Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14) On reflecting on this St. John Cardinal Newman wrote: "If holiness be not merely the doing a certain number of good actions, but is an inward character which follows, under God's grace, from doing them, how far distant from that holiness are the multitude of men."

Holiness is will of God for us. He created and redeemed us, sharing his divine life, so that we may be holy as he is holy. We don't earn holiness. It is a grace from God. Yet, we are called to respond to his grace. The fundamental response is love: the love of God and the love of those whom God loves. This love is expressed in thoughts, words and deeds. The more love is our basic motivation in life, the more we are growing in the life of holiness. Holiness is the fulfillment of our existence. It is the litmus test of our whole life. Holiness is God's life reflected in our lives. Isn't this the light which Jesus commands us to show forth to others? Even when we are growing in holiness, we still feel far from God, otherwise we may cease growing in love. The saints reflect this in their lives. In turn it made them strive for greater holiness through love. "Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy", if you wish to see God.

 

Homily: Twentieth Sunday Year C

 

Reading 1: Jeremiah is a foreshadowing of Jesus. God sent him to warn the Israelites of the consequences of their sinning against God and not living up to their covenant commitment. God told Jeremiah that the word he will speak to the people will be a hard message for them to accept.

 

Before he went in the name of the Lord, God told Jeremiah that he would suffer greatly at the hands of the people. In our reading we heard one of the sufferings Jeremiah endured. Because of the word he will speak to them, even though it was true, they would reject it and him. It was because they refused to listen to the Lord, they should surrender to their enemy, who was attacking Jerusalem. This was for their chastisement from God.

 

The leaders and the people turned against Jeremiah. They sought to silence him by throwing him into a deep muddy well to die. But God rescued him through the concerns of some, who had accepted the fact that Jeremiah was indeed a prophet from God. What Jeremiah had predicted came true. Jerusalem was captured and many of the people were sent into exile. But this was not the end of the story. Those who remained asked Jeremiah to seek God’s plan for them. He did, even though he knew they would not act on it. This too came true. When told what God wanted them to do, they refused to act on it. They chose their own plan and experienced the consequences predicted by Jeremiah.

 

Their rebellious hearts were hardened to the word of God. No matter how many times they heard the word of God and saw what happens when it is not followed, they still repeated the same action. Have we acted the same as they did? We have heard the word of God, but choose our way instead.

 

Gospel: As Jeremiah was sent to the rebellious Israelites, Jesus has been sent by the Father to call mankind back to God, to reconcile the hardened hearts to God through his death on the cross. Out of love he chose to give his life, so that we have a share in God’s own divine life. Jesus, knowing the price he was to pay to accomplish the will of the Father, chooses with loving zeal the will of God. His desire is not cruel death of the cross, but the full embrace of the Father’s will out of love for the Father and us.

 

The fire Jesus has come to cast on the earth is this authentic, selfless love. The baptism, the immersion into his upcoming passion is freely embraced. Even so, he knows that, as the response of the Israelites to Jeremiah’s words were negative on the part of many, he will experience the same rejection. In fact, I believe that one of the temptations Jesus experienced in his agony in the Garden was the Evil One telling him that his death on the cross will have no impact in the lives of millions of peoples. He was being a fool, believing it would make a difference. Jesus’s response was: “Father, not my will but yours be done.”

 

This brings us to the reality of the second part of today’s Gospel. What does Jesus mean when he says family members will be divided against each other? A response to Jesus’ gift of love through his death is to accept him as Lord of our lives. In doing so, there will be those, even in our own family, who will react negatively towards us as a result. Whom will we submit to? The Lord or our family?

 

Reading 2 The author of Hebrews encourages us. 1) recall the many witnesses of faith and love who remained faithful to God in spite of their difficulties. 2) Continue to respond to Jesus by ridding ourselves of our many sins, which hold us back from the fuller life God has for us. 3) Keep our eyes on Jesus, who has shown us love beyond measure. 4) Keep your eyes on the prize and persevere in the race toward the prize, eternal life. As we keep our eyes on the Lord, remember his sufferings on our behalf, sufferings that include the shedding of his blood from scourging, being crowned with thorns, being stripped of his clothes, being nailed to the cross and the piercing of his side. In our resistance to sin, we have not yet had to shed our blood.  But in doing all of this Jesus put to lie of the Devil, that it will not make a difference to people, if Jesus died. In responding to Jesus we are saying it has made a difference in my life. For this reason, we continue to run the race, so that one day, with his grace, we may receive the crown of glory.

 The human life has three parts, gradually rising, namely the first is good, the second is better, and the third i s the best. The first part is the life of nature. It is good because God created it good. However, this is lost by death. The second is the life of grace. It is better, since we share in God's divine life. However, this is lost by sin. The third is the life of glory. This life will be eternally fulling in the presence of God. (Adapted from St. Vincent Ferrer)

While living our earthly life are we focused on the life of glory? Or do we spend our energies limiting our horizon to just trying to survive here and now? While we share in the life of God by his grace, do we recognize that deadly sin, which separates us from God, will prevent us from the life of glory? If this is the best life, shouldn't it be the one that gets the greatest attention, while not neglecting the other two? This realization and commitment separates the saint from the sinner. Why be satisfied with failure, when we can have the crown of glory? It is not for lack of grace, as much as it is a lack of proper response.

 Twentieth Sunday  Gospel C

Jesus aid to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!  

· What is this “fire” Jesus is referring to? It is a zeal for the Gospel message and life.

· Do you have this “fire” at the core of your being?

· What do you need to reignite this fire in you?

There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! 

· What is this “baptism” Jesus is referring to? It is his imminent suffering and death on the cross.

· This is the baptism Jesus was speaking of when John and James asked to sit at his right and left. Cf Mk 10:38.

· Can you embrace the mystery of the cross in your life?  With the same surrender as Jesus? What prevents you?

 Do you think  that I have come to establish peace on the earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division.  From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

· This is a strange statement for Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to make. What does he mean?

· Part of the life of the disciple is to choose to follow Jesus as Lord and Master even if it means to become at odds with family members.

· Have you ever experienced this division in your family because of your commitment to follow Jesus?

· Have you ever had to compromise to please others while knowing that this is not what Jesus wanted you to do?

· What application do we make in our lives from this passage?

o The “fire” will keep Jesus at the center of our lives, during any struggles we have with others because of our relationship with Jesus

 "I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God." (St. Dominic)

This seems to be one of the consistent teachings of many of the saints. The world, the flesh and the devil try to entice us to seek to do always the greater things, to never being satisfied until we have achieved this goal. This road is broad and leads to destruction. The saints (following the example of the Lord) teach us the narrow way that leads to eternal life with God. It is doing everything for the "greater glory of God", or as St. Therese taught: the little way of love. Many have sought to conquer the word, never satisfied, but always wanting more territory, more power, more treasures. To what end? They failed to realize that when they die, none of this will matter. Many have walked the path of seeking the will of God and doing all in love. Their heart was centered in God, who was their treasure. The two paths of life. Which will we choose?

 “God is there in these moments of rest and can give us, in a single instant, exactly what we need. Then the rest of the day can take its course, under the same effort and strain, perhaps, but in peace. And when night comes and you look back over the day and see how fragmentary everything has been and how much you planned that has gone undone and all the reasons you have, to be embarrassed and ashamed: just take everything, exactly as it is, put it in God’s hands and leave it with Him. Then you will be able to rest in Him – really rest – and start the next day, as a new life.” (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross)

She is urging us to do two things. First, to begin the day with a time of prayer with the Lord, presenting him our day.  Second, at the end of the day spend some time again with God, giving him whatever happened during the day, thanking him for his presence and love, and leave it all in his hands. There is nothing you can do to change the day. The next day is a new gift from God. Learn to live it in a way that is pleasing to the Lord in spite of all your imperfections. You belong to him and all you have is a gift from him. 

 “We are each of us like a small mirror in which God searches for His reflection” (St. John Vianney)

God created us in his own image and likeness. Are we reflecting his image in our words and actions? God redeemed us through Jesus' death and resurrection. He adopted us as his children, sharing his own divine life with us.  As God looks at us will  he see his life vibrant in us? Will he see his love motivating us in our relationship with others? If God does not see his image in us in life, how will he see his image in us in death? To those in whom he does not see his image, he will say, "Out of my sight." He will not be condemning us unjustly, but confirming our decision not to reflect him in our life.  What hinders the image of God to be reflected in us? Sin. Sin is like the muck on the mirror. Remove the muck and the mirror is able to reflect God's image. This is a life time process.  Be who you are and whose you are, so that God's image will be reflected clearly and brightly in your lives.

 

Homily Nineteenth Sunday Year C

 

Reading 1: “The night was known beforehand.” This was the night of the Passover, when God delivered his people from their bondage in Egypt. God revealed himself first to Moses, then through the many plagues, then to the people.

 

When he instructed them to slaughter a lamb, splash its blood on their doorpost, eat the roasted lamb in a stance of getting ready for a journey, they did so. God then struck down the Egyptians and passed over the houses of the Israelites. Then God led the people out of Egypt.

 

The key word in this phrase in this reading is: “They put their faith.” This faith gave them courage. Because they followed the instructions of God, they experienced the power and deliverance of God.

 

The Book of Wisdom, written many years after the event, gives the glorified version. Their faith wasn’t always as strong as portrayed. They also feared God whose power they had witnessed in the ten plagues. They had a “here and now faith”, as we realize from the rest of their forty years exodus journey with God in the desert. They murmured, complained, rebel and were disobedient. And yet God called them back to himself because of who God was and because of his plans for them. Their faith was foraged through the fire of many test and trials.

 

Is our faith in God any different?

 

Reading 2: “Faith is confident assurances concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see.” Faith is based on a relationship and on the conviction that the person I believe in is worthy of trust.

 

It was Abraham’s conviction that God had revealed to him his many promises. Because of this relationship and who God was, Abraham believed in the promises even though he did not see the promises fulfilled fully. It was faith that sustained Abraham and Sarah, who waited for a child even though they at times tried to take things in their own hands. It was faith that sustained Abraham when God told him to slay Isaac, who was his hope for the future.

 

However, the relationship with God was stronger than Abraham’s human desire to follow his human instincts. Abraham believed but never saw his many descendants, only Isaac. He believed though he never saw the many blessings that would come upon his descendants. He believed though he did not experience the extent of the land to be given. His faith was not in the promises but in the person of God, in whom he put his faith.

 

Gospel: Did you hear the promise? Your Father will give you the kingdom which is eternal life with him. If we believe and have hope to see this promise fulfilled, what must we do? Live in such a way that shows what our true treasure is. “Where your treasure lies, there your heart will be.” Is our treasure in material things or spiritual? Is our treasure in others or in God? Is it on what we can see, feel or what is unseen? Are we servants waiting for the Master to return or are we the one in charge? Are we the faithful, farsighted servant or the wicked servant?

 

The second key idea in this Gospel is the focus of our faith. We put our trust in God’s promises because of who God is. We express this faith by living in a way that shows we are anticipating and expecting his return either in death or at the end of time. We want to be ready to welcome him as we act in faith and live in hope.

 

The third key idea: “When much has been given, much will be required.” How much has been given us by God? What are we doing with it? Are we a people of faith and commitment or are we a people with a loss of memory of the bountiful blessings we have received?

 St. Catherine of Genoa said one day to the Lord: "My God, you wish me to love my neighbor, but I can love no one but you." The Lord said to her in answer: "My child, he that loves me loves whatsoever I love."

Do we love whomsoever the Lord loves  or do we love only those easy for us to love? The Lord loves the sinner though he detests the sins. The Lord loves each person he has created, because he created them. Do we have a right to choose some and not others? God's love is not selective, whereas ours sometimes is. If we are going to be in union with God, then our love needs to reflect his love without qualifications. Even though that may, at times, seem hard for us, it is the way to eternal life. It is the narrow way that God  has designated for his disciples to follow and live. To love is to wish the best for the other and not wish the other harm. To love the other is to entrust that person into the merciful arms of God. We are not the judge of who is worthy or not of love. But we are responsible to love whomsoever and whatsoever the Lord loves.

 Nineteenth Sunday  Gospel C

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. 

· Why do you think the Father is pleased to give us the kingdom? What is involved in receing the Kingdom of God.?

            “Do not be afraid” is a common message of God both in the Old and New Testaments.

Sell your belongings and give alms.  Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. 

· What does Jesus mean by this last statement? What is your heart really centered on? What is in fact your heart’s desire? Is it God, or is it to survive in the present moment?

Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.  Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.  Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.  You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” 

· Do you have an expectation of Jesus’ coming again? Do you really want him to come anytime soon?  What if he came tonight, are you ready?  Will he find you prepared to receive him?

Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?  Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.  Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property.  But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. 

· What is the key point of Jesus’ teaching?

· Do we know what Jesus expects of us? Are we doing it?

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

· How much has God given us? Does he have a right to expect much from us? What are we doing with these gifts?

 I had a friend who if he heard something about another couldn't refrain from telling others. It went from his ear through his mouth, rather than in one ear and out the other. The word of God tells us "Have you heard a word against your neighbor? Let it die with you." (Ecclesiastes 19:10) How often we fail in true charity by speaking gossip, by slandering others. We don't think of it as such. Jesus says: "Do to others what you want them to do to you." Do we want people to gossip about us, to slander our good name? Then we should not participate in this sinful act. Paul tells us: "Whatever you say or do, do it in the name of Jesus, giving glory to the Father through him." Can we truly say we are doing it in the name of Jesus, when we speak badly about another. "He who is without sin, cast the first stone." So, the next time we hear something negative about another, some "juicy gossip", let it die within, rather than continue to give it life by speaking it. Then we will be glorifying God, rather than offending him.

 We are called to be rich in the matters which pertain to God. When we were baptized, we were adopted as sons and daughters of God, who gave us the down payment of our future inheritance. What is that? We were incorporated into a intimate relationship with God, who gave us a share in his own divine life. We were told when the white garment was placed on top of us that we are to keep this white garment, symbolizing our share in the divine life, until the day of judgment. Since it is a down payment, it means that we can grow in our relationship with God and deepen  the divine life given us. This occurs when we receive the Eucharist and when we receive absolution in Confession.  Far be it for us to seek to enter the wedding banquet without the wedding garment. Far be it for us to have been given even one talent and go and bury it.

When we die, what will our spiritual "bank account" look like? Will God say to us "You fool! what did you do with the gift I gave you at the time of your  baptism? Out of my sight.!" Or will he say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. I now give you the fullness of your original inheritance, life with me in glory." It is an inheritance which we can give to no one, not even our children. What we can give them is the example of a life lived for, in and with Christ, with the hope they do not waste their God-given inheritance. Check your spiritual bank account.