"We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend upon material success but on Jesus alone." St. Frances Xavier Cabrini 

Are you an apostle of evangelization? If you are regularly praying for the salvation of loved ones, then you are such an apostle. Most people feel inadequate to actually evangelize another person face to face. But you can lay the foundation for that encounter to happen by intentionally interceding for those people. St. Monica prayed thirty years for the conversion of her son Augustine. God involves different people in the journey of a person, many of whom are never known. Trust in the power of prayer. 

Homily Second Sunday of Advent Year A

Reading 1: Last Sunday, the prophet Isaiah invited us to come to the Lord to receive instructions so that we may able to walk in the light of the Lord. Today, the Church continues to listen to the prophet Isaiah. He tells us good news of hope. Even though things may look lifeless and hopeless, like an old stump of a tree, life will bud forth, a shoot shall break forth.

This was an allusion of the future Messiah. The Spirit of God will anoint him in his humanity for his own personal growth in his relationship with God: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge and fear of the Lord. These are the same gifts we received in Baptism, so that we can delight in the Lord.

Last Sunday, Isaiah talked about peace: one nation will not rise against another. This Sunday he speaks of the harmony between human beings and the animal world. When the Messiah comes he will restore relationship between us and God and between us and all creation. The same as it was before the Fall. And the focus is to free us to come to be filled with the knowledge of God. Not only is this peace for Israel but for the Gentiles as well. Advent is a time for us to fulfill what Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection, namely, peace and harmony between God and us and us with others.

Gospel: As Isaiah was a prophet of hope, so John the Baptist is a prophet of hope. His role was to prepare the way for the Messiah. He does this by calling people into true and sincere repentance for their sins and to express this inner repentance through an external sign, baptism. But for this external sign to bear good fruit, they must turn away from sin, so that when the Messiah comes they can receive him. It will be then that they will be able to act on his word.

They are to prepare with expectation, because what the Messiah will do is baptize them in the Holy Spirit and fire. John’s baptism was a preparatory step to the greater gift that Jesus will offer, namely the Holy Spirit. Jesus will begin, like John, calling for repentance for sins which prepares the person for the grace of reconciliation and forgiveness through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Like John’s call for some fruit in a person’s life, Jesus too calls for the fruit of witnessing to what God has done for us in the power of the Holy Spirit.

How many people were baptized by John and how many of these became open to the ministry and word of Jesus? How many persevered in their walk of faith? We have been baptized, we have been forgiven, we have been fed, we have been anointed. Where is the fruit, the evidence in our lives? Advent is a new beginning, a new response, a new longing for a fresh coming of Jesus and the Spirit into our lives. But it is a times of fruit on our part.

Reading 2: Paul is also a prophet of hope. He reminds us that the scriptures are written for our instruction, so that as we hear and act on God’s word, we might have the hope, giving us endurance in the midst of life’s difficulties. The source of our endurance and encouragement is God.

As Jesus died for all, we are called to be at one with all, to be at peace.

Through this harmony and peace we praise and glorify God. Unity and peace was the prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper. The exchange of peace at Mass is not just an external ritual but needs to be a reflection of our way of life.

As Paul said: “Welcome one another as Christ welcomed you,” Advent reminds us that if there is no room for others in our heart then there is no room for Jesus there.

 "Begin nothing on earth unless it has its end in heaven; do not walk on a path that does not lead to heaven." St. Charbel

The purpose of our life and our willed destiny by God is to be with him in eternity, sharing in his divine life. If we shoot for less, the alternative is not pleasant. What if we make a decision to choose to do and embrace only what leads to heaven? Would our life be easier? Not really. But it would have a better chance of fulfilling our destiny with God. The choices we make, the path we walk on, the life we live will determine with God's grace the end of our existence. Don't settle for fool's' gold when you can have the priceless treasure.

 Second Sunday of Advent Gospel A

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 

· This call is consistent with the prophetic message of the Old Testament. John adds the urgency for the need to repent: the coming of the Messiah. Later, Jesus begins his own preaching in the same vein but adds the important message: Reform your lives and believe in the Good News.

It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. 

· Matthew wants to connect the ministry of John to that of Isaiah. Matthew also wants to show that what John is doing is fulfilling the prophetic message of Old Testament.

· How does God want us to prepare the way for the Lord in our heart during this Advent season?

· What do we need to repent of and change in so as to better respond to the Word of God?

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair  and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 

· These are the trappings of a prophet, who totally commits himself to do the work he was sent to do and to totally depend on the Lord even for his sustenance.

At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. 

· What was the difference between John’s baptism and the baptism inaugurated by Jesus? In one there is merely acknowledgement of sin so as to be better prepared to receive the Messiah. In the Sacrament of Baptism, there is the actual removal of sin and its effects in our life and the entering into the shared life of God. In the first, it is the effort of the individual that is central. In the other, it is the work of God that brings this about.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 

· John is questioning the motives of these groups. He was aware of their self-righteousness based on their relationship with Abraham. They considered themselves the pure stock, almost above sin.

· It is interesting that Jesus is going to pick up on their relationship with Abraham in his encounters with them. Jesus confronted this conviction and said: “If Abraham was your father you would have accepted me. For Abraham rejoiced in seeing me.”

Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 

· What fruit are you bearing in your life?

· Jesus uses the same idea when he talks about a good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit.  Or when he cursed the fig tree for not bearing fruit.

I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. 

· John acknowledges that he is less than the Messiah. This is not just a statement of humility but a fact in who he is and who the Messiah is; what he does and what the Messiah will do.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

· What are the qualities of fire that John is emphasizing here?

· Does not Jesus use the same language in the parable of the wheat and the weeds?

· What does God want of you in response to your reflection on this passage?

"Oh my God, forgive what I have been, correct what I am, and direct what I will be." St. Elizabeth Ann Seton 

My past is full of sin, for which I am in need of God's forgiveness. Praise God he has through the death and resurrection of Jesus! But even in the present moment, I fall short of the glory of God. I am in constant need of the grace of correction. As I hear his word and act on them, I find the needed correction of my ways. Because of my sinful nature, I am in need of the Lord's constant direction in my life, so that I can remain in union with him. I dare not walk this journey on my own without the presence of the Lord at my side. From my past history I know the consequences of separating myself from God. "I am who I am only by the grace of God.

 "There is not a single soul in whom Christ is not interested. Each soul has cost him the price of his blood." St. Josemaria Escriva

St. Paul tells us that when we were enemies, alienated from God because of sin, Jesus out of tremendous love laid down him life for each of us, as though we were the only person on earth. That is a love beyond comprehension. And it is a statement of the personal worth of each of us, worth not depended upon any good we have done, but on the infinite mercy and love of God.  If God sees us so worthy, how should we respond? Let not the shedding of his blood be in vain. Live a life that reflects gratitude by living in union with him.

 "Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. Look forward to the future with confidence.” Pope John Paul II

Reflect on these wise words of a holy man. The past teaches us about the graces God has given us. For these we give thanks. The present is the place of God's word and grace today. Be attentive and respond by embracing them with gratitude and excitement. The future is not yet. It too will be filled with the saving works of God directed to our eternal salvation and life with God. Trust in what God has in store for us.

 "Fasting in tongue is better than fasting on food." St. John of the Cross

Why is this so? When we fast from sinning by our tongue, we offer a better sacrifice of praise to God than when we fast from food. We sometimes fail to realize how often we sin by the use of our tongue, lies, uncharitable remarks, taking the Lord's name in vain, to mention a few. Jesus said that it is not what we take in that defies a person, but what comes from within. Eating or fasting from food is indifferent. But using our tongue against another is not indifferent. God accepts our fast but desires more that we keep our tongue pure for his praise.

 First Sunday of Advent Gospel A

Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 

· This coming of the Son of Man can refer to the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the world or it could mean the coming of Jesus when we die. In each case there is a finality.

In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. 

· Despite Noah’s words and actions, the people of his day did not put any stock into what they heard and saw.  Because they did not heed the warnings and repent, they lost their lives in more ways than one. Will it be different for us?

So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.

· The reason it is probably the coming of Jesus at the time of death and not at the end of the world is that one is taken and one is left. Even then, the one that is left does not heed the warning signs.

· How many people we know have died? We know that death is inevitable. But does the death of any bring us closer to God? Does it lead us to repentance and a change of life? Or do we continue to eat, drink and be merry as if death is far from us. It is not that we are to stop living, but our life should show awareness that God may be giving us a sign to make him the center of our lives? What do you think?

Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.  Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

· How prepared are we at this moment? Are we living as if this would be our last night?  Again, not in fear or anxiety but in readiness because we want to be with God at all times.

· What do you think God wants you to do in response to his word which you just read and reflected on?

o Advent is a time of preparation for the celebration of the coming of Jesus. He came and we are preparing to celebrate the remembrance of his birth. But he is coming again at the moment of our death. We are preparing to welcome him so that we can be welcomed by him. We are preparing for his second coming in glory so that we can be with him eternally.

o Jesus is also coming in the present moment. How open are we to welcome and receive him? He comes directly in his word and in the Eucharist. He comes indirectly in the peron of another. “What you did to the least, you did to me.”

 "It can be discouraging when we fall. But do not focus only on your sins. Look to Jesus. Trust His mercy and go to Him with confidence. He will always welcome you home." Pope Leo XIV

To fall is part of our weakened nature, the result of Original Sin.  To remain in the state of sin is to play into the hand of the Evil One. But to rise, to repent and tor return to the Lord is a grace from God. He gives us the grace, because in his unconditional mercy he desires us to be one with him. Jesus himself said, "There is more joy in heaven oven one sinner who repents." We may fall into the ocean of sin, but God throws us a life preserver. The choice to sin is ours; the choice to grab hold of the preserver is also ours.

 "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." St. Augustine

Sometimes we fail to embraced this wondrous truth of revelation. In fact, the Evil One attempts to convince of the opposite. For if we believe in our heart this truth of God's personal love for us, then we would have a reason not to sin. Each of us is called to accept love and to love. That is part of our spiritual DNA. We were created, redeemed, and sanctified out of love, so that we may extend love to others. When we don't fully believe that God loves us in a unique way, we open ourselves to all sorts of problems. But when this truth is deeply rooted in our heart, then we see ourselves and life differently. God loves you as you are here and now, through and through. It is not something we have to earn. It is a pure gift.

 "You must accept your cross; if you bear it courageously it will carry you to Heaven." St. John Vianney

Our road to Heaven can be made easier if we follow the plan of Jesus. The passport on the narrow road and the key to the narrow door, both of which lead to the eternal presence of God is the cross. Both for Jesus and ourselves, the cross is doing the will of the Father in love. Sometimes our crosses are small and lite and sometimes large and heavy. Regardless, when we carry them in union with Jesus they are the building blocks that allows us to reach Heaven, by God's grace. Jesus laid the road by his death and resurrection. We are following his path.

 "Do not think that you live in this world to have fun, to become rich, to eat, drink and sleep. The end for which you were created in the first place is infinitely more noble and sublime. And it is this: to love and serve God in this life, and be that way save your soul." St. John Bosco

The world tells us one thing. Our faith tells us another. The world tells us that what we see is what we live for. Our faith tells us that we were given a definite destiny and it is not something seen by sight. The world tells us self-satisfaction is our destiny. Our faith tells us that we are meant to be with God eternally. The world lays out for us a wide road with signs pointing to what others say will make us happy. Our faith shows us a much narrow road with signs made into crosses, pointing to what God has revealed as our true fulfillment. Whom will we follow?

 "Lord, help me to live this day, quietly, easily. To lean upon your strength, trustfully, restfully. To wait for your will, patiently, serenely. To meet others, peacefully, joyously. To face tomorrow, confidently, courageously." St. Francis of Assisi

His approach to life is not something unattainable by us. It is the attitude and desire of one who seeks to be holy and pleasing to the Lord. The focus of his plan of life is the Lord. His life was not perfect. He had his ups and downs. He was ridiculed and persecuted. But in spite of all his difficulties, he chose a plan of action, a way to respond that would deepen his relationship with God. In other words, it is not the externals that make the difference, but our internal attitude and choices.

 Solemnity of the Feast of Christ the King C

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." 

· Here we have a connection with the temptation of Jesus in the desert. The focus of the question is whether Jesus is the chosen one, the Messiah of God.  If he is, they implied, he would not be in this situation. God would not allow it. This was the same sticking point the devil used against Jesus in the desert temptation.

· Imagine Jesus hearing this statement of mockery. What do you think went through his mind? Was he questioning his identity? Or rather did he embrace the fuller meaning of being the chosen one, the Messiah of God as the suffering servant of God?

Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out,

"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself."  Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews." 

· The soldiers were aware that Pilate had asked Jesus if he was a king. They even mocked him by placing a crown of thorns on his head and a purple robe on his back and a reed in his hand, while pretending to do his homage.

· What do you think Jesus was feeling as he heard the mockery intensify?

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." 

· Now, one of the criminals crucified with Jesus joins in the attack. He was not interested in whether Jesus was the Messiah or not. He was only interested in Jesus performing some miracle freeing the criminal from the cross.

The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 

· The other criminal hears the mockery of the rulers, the soldiers and the other criminal. But there is something different about him.  Though he recognizes that he is deserving of the punishment, he still has a “fear of God,” while at the same time he recognizes the innocence of Jesus.

· This man expresses his repentance for his deeds by asking God not to physically save him but to show him forgiveness and mercy.

· How often have we tried to justify ourselves rather than admit our faults and seek God’s mercy?

He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

· What a powerful witness of Jesus mercy, even in the midst of his own suffering.  Maybe it was the Father’s way of reassuring Jesus that he came to save the repentant sinner not the self-righteous. Here was the first fruit of his death and resurrection.

· This event reaffirms what the psalmist said: God does not want the death of the sinner but that he repent and live.

· This also underlines the word of God to the prophet. If a wicked man turns back to the Lord and dies, he will live forever with God.

· Reflect of God’s mercy to you over the years.

· From your reflections on this passage what is God saying to you?

 "A Saint is a sinner that keeps trying." St. Josemaria Escriva

There is hope for each of us, who are sinners. Every saint struggles with the possibility of sin even at the moment of death. For the Evil One does not want God to have the final say. The main thing is not the struggle but our fidelity to the Lord. His grace is always present to give us the strength to remain faithful to him. Fear not the struggle, but keep your eyes on the Lord in the midst of the struggle. In doing so, with the help of God's grace, you can be a saint with the Lord eternally. Thus, you will fulfill your true destiny for existence. 

 "We are real contemplatives in the heart of the world. If we learn to pray the work, we will do it with Jesus, we will do it for Jesus, and we do it to Jesus. It is not difficult." St. Teresa of Calcutta

To key to sanctifying our daily tasks is our focus and intention. The normal, mundane things we do each day can just be that or they can become means to a greater holiness and union with God. All it takes is intentionality. As St. Teresa said, do it for, to and with Jesus. For example, you are driving to work or to an appointment. You can be focus on many things while you are driving. However, if you focus on Jesus, what is mundane, now becomes a holy thing. This doesn't come easy, because we have not been in the habit of approaching life's events with a focus on Jesus. It will take awareness and practice. In time, our focus on Jesus will become the underlying support of our actions.

 "We must pray without ceasing, for the salvation of mankind does not depend upon material success...but on Jesus alone." St Francis Xavier Cabrini

The first important point is that salvation depends on Jesus, his gift of redemption, not on our good works. The second important point is that God desires us to be part of his plan of salvation. How? Primarily through prayer, but also through the witness of our lives and the sharing of our faith. Through these efforts we lay a foundation for the grace of God to impact the live of one who has not yet been saved. We will only know in heaven whose lives we made an impact on. Even if we don't, we are called by baptism and confirmation to publicly witness our faith in the only Savior of the world.  Don't neglect this responsibility. 

 "Holiness does not consist in not making mistakes or never sinning. Holiness grows with capacity for conversion, repentance, willingness to begin again, and above all with the capacity for reconciliation and forgiveness." Pope Benedict XVI

Holiness is primarily a grace from God, responded to by us. When we sin, God gives us the grace of repentance and reconciliation. If we act on his grace, we will once more share in his life of holiness. When others sin against us, again God gives us the grace to forgive the other and to be reconciled. If we respond, then we enter into the holiness of God. God is holy. The more we are in in union with God, the more we will be holy.

Homily Thirty-third Sunday Year C     

Reading 1: There is a constant theme in the Old Testament and in the New Testament: identifying and separating the proud and the evil doers from those who have a reverential awe of the Lord. In Psalm 1 it is identified as two paths of life: those who follow the way of the Lord and those who follow the way of evil. In the parables of Jesus it is the wheat and the weeds, the net that brings in the good and bad fish, the separation of the sheep from the goats.

What happens to the proud, the evildoers, the goats and the weeds? They are destroyed by the blazing fire of justice. What happens to those who have reverential awe of God, the wheat and the sheep? They will rise to new and everlasting life.

The implication is that while there is time before the Day of the Lord, when the Son of justice appears, to hear the word of God and to repent and turn back to the Lord. At the same time, it is important that those who believe in the Lord remain faithful till the end.

Gospel: Here is an example of the gift of prophesy exercised by Jesus. It is one of the gifts Jesus promised the Spirit will give us, when we are filled with the Spirit, as Jesus was. Here Jesus is prophesying about the future destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. This took place less than 40 years later in 70 AD by the hands of the Romans.

While the focus of the people is to know the exact day and the details, Jesus says that is not to be our focus. Yes, there will be those who will try to say that this or that is the sign of the end. They will say they were given a message about the end. Jesus’ response is that we are not to become disturbed and distracted. Signs will take place that people will point to. Again, we are not to be distracted.

What are we to focus on? Not on the end but on being faithful witnesses to Jesus in the present moment by the way we live. There will be times of persecution for our faith; there may be times we may be challenged or questioned by others concerning our commitment to Jesus. We are to be readied to give witness to Jesus. Even if we will feel inadequate, Jesus said not to worry. He will give us the words to say, the wisdom we will need. What is this wisdom? The Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.

When we were baptized, we were told that we now shared in the life of Jesus as priest, prophet and king. That prophetic call is to be a living, conscious witness of what Jesus has done and who he is. When we were confirmed, we were anointed once more with the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, so that we can be witnesses to others of Jesus and his mighty deeds.

What are we to do when wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, famine, pestilence and other phenomena happen? Not to become fearful or distracted but to turn to the Lord and to point others to the Lord, who is calling us back to the truth and way of life that would lead to eternal glory, rather than eternal destruction.

Reading 2: No community is perfect. Each has its problems. In Thessalonica the problem was that someone had erroneously told them that the second coming of Jesus was imminent. As a result some decided that it wasn’t necessary to work. But they had to eat, so they expected other members of the community would provide for them.

Paul seeks to correct two things. We don’t know then Jesus is coming, so we need to live our lives in an ordinary way. The second thing is that we need to continue to work to provide for our daily sustenance and not depend upon others to do so for us, when we are capable.

In essence, Paul is saying don’t get distracted from focusing on that which is necessary because of the words of others. Don’t become a burden to others in the community because of personal convictions. Live as if today is the last day but live your normal life.

 "You just cross yourself more often because it guards you just like a lock on a door. Save yourselves and defend yourselves with the power of the honorable and Life-giving Cross." St Matrona the Blind of Moscow

As we are saved through the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross, so we are protected by the cross from the onslaughts of the Evil One. We don't wear a cross as a good-luck charm. We wear the cross as a proclamation of our faith in Jesus, our Savior. As Jesus defeated the Evil One by his death on the cross, so Jesus thwarts the attack of Satan by the cross. So make the sign of the cross at times of temptation, calling on the powerful name of Jesus. Let him be your shield and protector, as he fights the battle.

 "No one, however weak, is denied a share in the victory of the cross. No one is beyond the help of the prayer of Christ." St. Leo the Great

All of us are sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God because of our sinfulness. But the grace of God is greater than our weakness.  If we repent and call on the name of the Lord, the victory of the cross, namely salvation, will be ours. For God does not will the death of the sinner, but that he should live, not by his own efforts, but by the mercy of God. Our focus is not on our weakness, but on the strength given by God's mercy. Thanks be to God for his merciful grace!

 "Heaven is filled with converted sinners of all kinds, and there is room for more." St. Joseph Cafasso

What a comforting, hopeful word! The saints were once struggling sinners like ourselves. They are saints now because of Jesus' grace and their surrender to him. We have received the same grace as they did. But have we surrendered our life to be led by Jesus? They stumbled and failed on their journey many times, but they persisted to look and depend upon the Lord for his grace. They came to a point that they wanted nothing but Jesus. Do we desire to be with Jesus enough to get up each time we fall? Heaven awaits us. Let grace overcome our weaknesses, O potential saints.

 "Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone...We find it with another." Thomas Merton

Our true destiny is Love, who is God.  We sometimes seek love from others to fulfill us, only to learn they can't. That's not their role. Only when we love others in and because of Christ can we begin to experience fulfillment. The key is not the other, but Christ. When God commands us to love one another, it is not to leave God out but to love the other because of God, who is love. Merton also said that "no man is an island." We need each other, but more importantly, we need God. Love without God is "eros" or at best "philos". Love with God is "agape."

 "Act in such a way that your humility may not be weakness, nor your authority be severity. Justice must be accompanied by humility, that humility may render justice lovable." Pope Gregory the Great

Humility is not a popular word in today's vocabulary. Yet, it is the attitude that confused people about Jesus. They misread his humility as weakness, whereas it was that virtue was at the root of his strength. Though Jesus was God, St. Paul tells us that he humbly became man in order to do the will of the Father. Jesus knew who he was and lived in that truth, even embracing the cross of redemption. In his humility he did not lord it over others, though he was Lord. He served by laying down his life for others. He chose a life of littleness, enduring the abuse of others, so that he could teach us what life with God was all about. It is not about us, but about us in and with God.

 "If we wish to make any progress in the service of God, we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible and have no other view or end in all our actions but in the divine honor." St. Charles Borremeo

One of the lures of the Evil One is that of losing sight of our goal in life. Our daily distractions and activities can sometimes so consume us that we lose sight of the purpose of our existence. To avoid this deviation, we need to remind ourselves of the call of God in our life, namely to be his redeemed, adopted son or daughter, sharing in his life in anticipation of doing so eternally. That means consciously renewing our commitment to the Lord each day. That means being attentive to the grace of the present moment, keeping our heart rooted in the Lord. 

 "Do not foster hatred for the sinner, for we are all guilty...Hate his sins, and pray for him, so that you may be made like unto Christ, who had no dislike for sinners, but prayed for them." St. Isaac the Syrian

We serve the Lord, when we pray for those who are far from the Lord because of sin. We dishonor the Lord, when we hate any person, who is loved by God. God's grace is always available to each sinner, including ourselves. Jesus prayed for Peter, who would sin by betraying the Master. We are call to do likewise. After he sinned, Peter repented, because of Jesus' prayer. We are called to pray for those who persecute us, those who harm us, those who offend God by their actions. With the grace of God, we pray for their repentance and reconciliation. Our prayer for the sinner is like flood waters, lifting the person up to God.

 "In the difficulties which are placed before me, why should I not act like a donkey? When he is mistreated, he says nothing. When he is forgotten, he says nothing. The servant of God must do likewise."

This is true humility after the example of the Master. When he was falsely accused he did not defend himself. When he was brutally beaten, he did not retaliate. Why? He knew who he was and was not defined by what others said or did. He had freely embraced the call to be the Suffering Servant for our salvation. There is a time to defend ourselves and a time for silence. In both we seek the will of the Father, not our will or our good name. Why? We are servants of God, seeking to please him in all we say or do.

 "God doesn't love us because we are good, He loves us because He is our Father." St. John Chrysostom

Love is a gift, which is never earned, but responded to with love. It is God's nature to love freely. It is our nature to receive love and to respond in love. God' doesn't have to prove his love for us. He shows it in many ways from creation, to redemption, from adoption to glorification. It is up to us to recognize his many signs of love and to be grateful in response. If we truly know that God loves us, we would want to respond by doing that which pleases him out of love. Both the prodigal son and the angry elder son did not recognize the love of their father. Both felt that they were owed by the Father. Sometimes we feel the same way about our Heavenly Father. Everything he has is ours. He generously loves us beyond measure. We need to take our eyes off ourselves and be awed by the truth of the reality of his love. Then we will be set free.

 "Do not say that faith in Christ alone can save you, for this is not possible if you do not attain love for Him, which is demonstrated by deeds. As for mere faith: 'The demons also believe and tremble'(James 2:19)." St. Maximus the Confessor

There is no other Savior but Jesus Christ. Faith in him brings us salvation. But this faith involves doing the will of the Father. Jesus himself indicated this when he said there will be those who acknowledge him as Lord but did not do the will of the Father. What is this will? That we love others. Faith without love is like a friend only in name and not in action. Faith is the power that turns on the computer, but you need the password to activate it. It is a both/and reality. 

 "If you wish, you can be a slave of passions, and if you wish, you can remain free and not submit to their yoke; for God has created you with that power.? St. Anthony the Great

Grace and free will go together. Grace enables the grace to choose what is good, pleasing and perfect according to the will of God. Free will chooses between what is good or what is evil, in the guise of good. When we depend solely on ourselves, we will more likely make the wrong choice, based on self-focus. God's grace is always present to enable us to look beyond the self to the Other, to make the choice that is in relationship to the Other., who is our ultimate end. Will we allow grace to guide and transform us or will we allow our passions to control us?

 "If you believe what you like in the Gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself." St. Augustine

Too many people seek to pick and choose what they will believe, rather than accept and believe what God has revealed to us in his Word. They are looking for a man-made religion, rather than a divinely revealed religion. God foresaw this and promised the presence of his Spirit to guide us in  knowing and accepting the truth. Many things may be hard to accept in the Scriptures. We need to pray for the grace of faith in Jesus, so that we can embrace what he has taught us. For our faith is first in the person of God. Then, we can embrace, without the need of fully understanding, what he has revealed. 

 "God has ears only for the prayers of a humble heart." St. John Vianney

What is a humble heart? It is one which recognizes the greatness of God with gratitude and praise. The humble heart acknowledges one's total dependence upon God. At the same time, it comes before the Lord as a struggling sinner, who has failed many times, always in need of God's mercy and forgiveness. This was the attitude and stance of the Tax Collector in contrast to the arrogant Pharisee in the parable of Jesus. The prayer of the humble heart is heard and answered by God, because the person is in right relationship with God. How humble is our prayer before the Lord? 

 Each of us has a mission in life. Jesus prays to his Father for his followers, saying, “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18 NRSV). We seldom fully realize that we are sent to fulfill God-given tasks. We act as if we have to choose how, where, and with whom to live. We act as if we were simply dropped down in creation and have to decide how to entertain ourselves until we die. But we were sent into the world by God, just as Jesus was. Once we start living our lives with that conviction, we will soon know what we were sent to do. Henri Nouwen

As disciples of Jesus Christ, baptized and anointed, we have been given a mission. First, to be concerned and convicted about our eternal salvation begun in baptism. But secondly, to be concerned and convicted of the need to share with others the Good News of Salvation in the power of the Holy Spirit. Some may say, "Who me." Yes. God has many divine appointments for you to complete his mission, but waits for you to yield yourself to follow the lead of the Lord. Your role is to lead others to Jesus, who will convict and convert the other. But you are an instrument. Do not be afraid of your testimony concerning what Jesus has done in your life. Be humble and bold and watch what God will do.

 "Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices." St. Teresa of Avila

Only faith and the realization of the most important gift that one can enjoy will acknowledge this statement. The truth is that God is our all. To possess God or better still to be possessed by God is the greatest grace one can desire in life. Unfortunately, our sinful nature and our eternal enemy try to convince us otherwise. There is always the forbidden fruit in our lives, which looks attainable and temporarily satisfying. But then the truth sets in. God never stops reminding us that he alone can satisfy the true, deepest longings of our hearts, which is to live forever, free from all pain, suffering, temptation and trials. Once we allow God to possess us, then we are on the way to the fullness of that grace.

Homily: Thirtieth Sunday Year C

Reading 1: There are four groups of people listed in the reading whose prayer is heard by God: the weak, the oppressed, the orphan and the widow. What do they have in common? They serve God willingly; their prayer is humble; they are totally dependent upon God. Their prayer is not a matter of words, but an attitude of the heart. They acknowledge who God is and who they are in relationship.

God is said to be the God of justice, who judges justly and affirms the right. Normally, we think of justice due to us. But in reference to prayer, it is the justice due to God. Because he is God and we belong to him. We owe him praise, adoration, thanksgiving, honor and glory. This is due him. When these come from a sincere heart that recognizes the truth and lives in the truth, then a person is open to receive God’s blessings.

To serve God willingly is to recognize that he is the Master/Lord of our lives. We owe all to him from creation and sustaining us in existence to redemption, to sanctification and life eternal with him. We have no right to any of these. They are not ours by justice but by mercy. God does not need our prayers or service, but we need God just to be. We are not self-sufficient. Our sufficiency is in God.

Does our prayer reflect our dependency upon God? Does it reflect our sincere awareness of the majesty and awesomeness of God? Does it reflect our heart?

Gospel:  The prayer of the lowly and the prayer of the self-righteous. Both prayed to the same God. Both prayed out of their relationship with God.  Why was the prayer of one heard and responded to but the other did the expected response?

The self-righteous one focuses on the self and not the Other, on distortion rather than the truth. To show that his prayer was really words directed, not to God, but to himself and those around him.  His relationship with God was based on what he did, not on what God did in his life. He shows that he is not dependent upon God. Instead God should be impressed with his piety and accomplishments. What was he looking for from God? That God would bless him for being such a self-generated good person. But what was one of the flaws of his prayer, besides being self-conceited was that he looked down with contempt on the tax collector.

 In contrast, the tax collector recognizes the truth. He has sinned by his actions and life-style. He recognizes his own unworthiness to come into God’s presence. All he could do is admit he was a sinner and throw himself upon the mercy of God, who owed him nothing. He spoke the truth and acknowledged the truth. The psalmist said: the prayer of a contrite and humble heart will be heard by God.

Of the two, which on reflects our prayer before God? Do we pray because we believe God owes us something? Or do we pray for his mercy because we know that we are sinners who deserve chastisement in hope of his mercy.

Reading 2: The first reading said: “He who serves God willingly is heard.” What does St. Paul say about this? When he was on trial for preaching the word of God, no one supported him, but abandoned him. “The Lord stood by my side and give me strength.” He knew that he was called by God to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to the Gentiles. He knew first-hand the difficulties and sufferings he was enduring, as he sought to fulfill God’s call. He knew that his goal was to be with God forever in heaven.

He knew that his end of life was approaching quickly. He said at the beginning of the reading: “I am being poured out as a libation.” His sufferings and struggles were not in vain. The one constant for him was that God was with him. His focus was to complete the work of God. “God will continue to rescue me and bring me safe into his heavenly kingdom.”

What is God’s call for us? Are we serving God willingly? Are we convinced that no matter what, God will not abandon us?

 "Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips and the world in your heart." St. Ignatius of Antioch

This is in line with the words of the Prophet Isaias, whom Jesus quoted as the sin of some of the Chosen People. Paraphrasing, he said this people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Just saying the name of Jesus doesn't make us a true disciples of his. What is the key to a true disciple is if Jesus is the Lord of our hearts. We worship him both on our lips and in our hearts. We serve him both externally and internally. We don't have two masters. Which one will it be for us: Jesus, our Lord, or the world, our lord?

 Thirtieth Sunday Gospel Reflections C

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.  

· Have we found ourselves at times falling into this same mind-set?

"Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.  

· Jesus was fond of using extreme ends of the spectrum to show the contrast. Here we have the externally devoted religious person and the external public sinner.

The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ 

· Do you hear the self-righteousness of the Pharisee? The focus was on him. His religious works gives him superiority in his eyes over others. It is almost like God should be grateful to him rather than seeing his need for God.

· “Took up his position” Where do you think he stood in the Temple to pray? Why do you think he took that position? Was he there to satisfy himself or God?

o He presumed that his adherence to traditional forms of external piety is an automatic guarantee of divine blessing. He sadly overlooked his need for God’s mercy.

But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' 

· What opposite position did the tax collector take? Where did the truth lie between their two positions and words?

o He recognized that he was a sinner. So he pleaded for mercy from God, not as a merit but as a gift.

· Our sinfulness is greater than our deeds of goodness many times. If, as we believe that God sees the heart, do you understand the attitude we need to have when we come before the Lord in prayer?

I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

· If humility is truth, what is Jesus saying? We can impress others, but God sees us as we are. Even the Pharisee was a sinner in need of the mercy of God. In that sense he and the tax collector were on the same level before God. What made the difference was one recognized his need for God’s mercy and the other did not.

· How do we apply this parable to our own way of life before God and others?

 "Be a Catholic: When you kneel before an altar, do it in such a way that others may be able to recognize that you know before whom you kneel." St. Maximillian Kolbe 

There is a difference between external show and internal faith. The difference is in the reason I am doing a particular action. One is done that others may see and think well of me. The other is done to profess my faith in the God who loves me beyond measure. Our faith is to be a light that shines before others, so that they glorify God for his goodness to us. We are reminded of the importance of being conscious and deliberate in our actions, especially towards the Lord. Give him the reverence due him as our Lord and Savior. 

 "And if at times we seem to have hit rock bottom, let us remember that is the place from which God is able to begin a new creation." Pope Leo XIV

The Israelites felt that they were at rock bottom many times. And God in his mercy would deliver them from their dire situations. Upon the death of Jesus, the disciples felt in the same place of emptiness. Jesus' resurrected appearances stirred their faith once more. Have you ever been at the point in your life? If so, you can go in either of two directions: despair or hope. One is a temptation, the other a grace. The Evil One wants us to give up and to think that God has abandoned us. God, on the other hand, wants to do something new in our life, thus the grace of hope. In our darkest hours, God is there for us. Continue to wait upon him. How long? Only God knows.

 "Let me attain pure light. Only on my arrival there can I be fully a human being." St. Ignatius of Antioch

What is "pure light", if not heaven? I was made to be in the eternal light of heaven. There I will be "fully a human being." Many fear death! Is it because they are not in relationship with God, the Beginning and End of our existence, the perfection of our humanity? Yearning to be with God is not morbid, but should be the desire of our heart. As long as I am away from the Lord, I remain uncomplete and susceptible to sin. Like St. Paul we should yean to be with the Lord, unless the Lord desires us to stay here, working for him longer. Day by day, we are being drawn into that "pure light"; day by day we are being perfected in love. Our hope is that when our journey ends, we will begin a new life with God eternally.

 "God made us for joy. God is joy, and the joy of living reflects the original joy that God felt in creating us." St. John Paul II

If God created us in joyful love and has made us for eternal joy, how does the attitude of joy play in our daily life style? How joyful are we? Is my joy called to be a witness of the joy of the Lord? So often we let sadness and depression rule over us. Our focus is on the mud of the earth rather than the blue sky above.  Because of our sinful nature, joy doesn't come automatically. It must be practiced. How? By remembering and responding to the great ways that God has loved us, which produces joyful gratitude. With St. Paul, I "rejoice in the Lord, always." This joy allows us to participate even now in the eternal joys that await us.

Homily: Twenty-ninth Sunday Year C

Reading 1: The power of prayer. Human power unsupported by God is not power at all. Human power—Joshua and the Israelites were waging war against the Amaleks.  Human power supported by prayer was effected, as was Moses interceding before God for the Israelites. When Moses tired, the enemy had the best; when he persisted, Israel was powerful. Moses wasn’t called by God to fight the battle with the Amaleks with the sword, but with the weapon of prayer.

When we pray, God helps us always. It may not be in the way we desire or expect, but God will respond. The greatest intercessory prayer was the prayer of Jesus from the cross. This prayer was the gift of his life for our salvation. With arms outstretched he was obedient to the Father out of love even to the death of the cross.

We heard a few weeks ago Paul exhorting that we should raise our hands, praying for the needs of others. Our prayer is sustained when others join us in that prayer, like Aaron and Hur holding Moses’ arms. It was the persistent intercessory prayer of this community of three that gave the impetus and power of God to Joshua and his troops to overcome their enemies.

Our prayer of intercession is pleasing to God for it reflects our love for the one we are praying for. It is a reflection of the centrality of God and our dependency upon God for all things. Intercessory prayer does not change God’s mind, but allows us to be part of God’s plan for the person or situation. To intercede, someone has said, is to stand in the gap.

Gospel: Again, the theme of persistence in prayer. In Luke there are certain classes of people who are vulnerable and marginalized. He shows Jesus reaching out to them and ministering to them or using them as examples in his teachings.

Here it is a widow, who has a just cause against her adversary. She is totally bereft and dependent on God for her survival. The judge, who hears her case, gives her no immediate satisfaction or resolution. But she persistently approaches the judge with her case. He finely gives in to her request.

Jesus says that his Father is not like the judge, for God cares for us and our needs. He wants the best for us. However, he wants us to be persistent as a sign of that we have no one but him to take care of our needs and the needs of others. It is our faith in him as a loving Father that allows us to be persistent in our prayer.

The disturbing statement is the last: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” What does faith and prayer have in common? We pray to God because we believe and are committed to him. The persistency is also in faith, even if we do not have all the answers. Our faith in God does not waver because thanks happen to good people or our prayer was not fully answered the way we wanted.

Our persistence in prayer is predicated on who God is and not on ourselves or what God does or does not do.  The persistency is not just in the asking for something but in coming to God, expressing our acceptance, acknowledgement, dependency upon God. We come because he is God.

Reading 2: Paul gives us two points. Remain faithful to the Word of God, which is capable of giving us wisdom for salvation through faith in Jesus. We need to read and reflect on the Word of God for different reasons, but especially that we may be competent and equipped for the work of the Gospel.

The second point is that we need to share with others the Word of God for their up building and salvation.

 "Let us do our part, and God will then do what He wills. This is God's cause, and all will end well. My hope is in Him; do not be distressed." St. Teresa of Avila

God invites us to participate in his works, not that he needs us, but that he may show his glory through us. In his timing and according to his plan, God will bring about the good he desires. There are times we become anxious that things are not moving as we had hoped and in the ways we had hoped. That is not our decision. God calls us to be faithful and wait upon him, while doing what he has asked us to do. God promised Abraham many descendants, but the patriarch had to wait upon the Lord, even when he and his wife were beyond childbearing. The Israelites waited for centuries for the coming of the promised Anointed One. So, if God is doing something through us, we must wait upon him. The vision will have its fulfillment.

 Twenty-ninth Sunday Year C Gospel

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. 

This parable is found only in the Gospel of Luke.

This encouragement to pray always is also found in 1 Thess 5:17. 

How often we find ourselves in this state of mind. We pray and nothing  happens. So we practically stop praying. This happens because we don’t believe that God hears us. In this parable Jesus teaches us the importance of continuing to pray even if there seems at the moment to be no response.

He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ 

Widows were often powerless and vulnerable at that time. Many depended on the support of others, mainly family. 

Maybe the reason the judge seemed to ignore her was that her adversary may have been a rich friend of his whom he didn’t want to alienate.

For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,  because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” 

As she persisted in her petition, the parable urges us to be persistent in our prayer. We should persevere in faith and tirelessly petition God for our needs. 

       She is pleading, not for a handout, but for justice, that which is due to her. The judge was acting indifferent, at first, to her need which was a violation of justice. He eventually caved in because of her persistence and what she was asking for was her due. 

The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.  Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?  I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.”

God will come to our aid, not because we are pestering him, but because our persistence reflects our trust and faith in him.

But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

That is a haunting question. In spite of the difficulties of our human life, will our faith in him as our Lord and God, continue to be present, even when our prayers do not seem to be answered? How strong is your faith in the midst of tragedy and struggles?

 "Give your light to my lantern, I beg you, my Jesus, so that by its light I may see that holy of holies which receives you as the eternal priest entering among the columns of your great temple. May I ever see you only, look on you, long for you; may I gaze with love on you alone, and have my lantern shining and burning always in your presence." St Columban

What is that light for my soul that makes a difference in my life, which gives purpose to my life? Is it not the grace of his love, which enables me to see with eyes of faith the Beginning and End of my existence? When God's love transforms me, then I will desire him alone. My transformed human love will have found its fulfillment in loving the One who loves me totally as I am and for my perfection. God commands us to love him not for his sake but for our fulfillment. Fall in love with God and you will be satisfied.

 'Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible for you to do." St. John XXIII

Sometimes we allow our past failures to determine our present life. "I have tried that and it doesn't work."  This attitude leads to a sense of futility and hopelessness, which is detrimental to any spiritual growth. We fail to see that there are still possible things that can be accomplished.  Don't be blinded by the past. Ask God for the grace to see what is still possible for us to do in life.  A person may be bed ridden, but the person can still intercede, offering the suffering of age for the needs of others. If St. Paul had remained in his past failure as a persecutor of Christians, he would never have become the Apostle to the Gentiles. Only God knows what he still has in store for each of us to do. Be attentive to his grace.

 "Life is to live in such a way, that we are not afraid to die." St. Teresa  of Avila

Many people are afraid of death because of what might lie ahead of them. Is it death or judgement that they are afraid of? They are afraid because their life has not been in union with God. Rather than change their life-style, they continue to act the same. As morbid as it may sound, the Desert Fathers would have a skull in their cell, so that they would keep death always before them. Jesus reminds us that we don't know the hour or day of our demise. This is not as important as to live a life pleasing to God, so that when our life's thread is severed, we will be with the Lord.

 "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." St. Francis of Assisi

This adage of the Saint can apply to many efforts in our life. Take prayer for an example. Some people feel that it is impossible for them to pray for an hour each day. But if they start with fifteen minutes and then extend it to thirty minutes, they could reach what seemed impossible at first by the grace of God. The impossibility was only in their mind, not in action. The same thing can apply to other things, say for instance our habitual sin. What we can't overcome on our own, can be overcome with our dependency on the help of God. The saints are witnesses of this.

Homily Twenty-eight Sunday Year C

Reading 1: What is unusual about the first reading is that Naaman is a pagan, who has leprosy. He hears of a prophet in Israel, who has healed. He goes to him. Instead of coming out to Naaman, Elisha sends a servant to tell Naaman to go to the Jordan river and plunge in seven times. Initially, Naaman was angry. He expected that his rank as an official of the King of Assyria would warrant the prophet to come and pray over him and heal him. Instead, he was told to go do an ordinary thing, which he could have done in his own country.

However, he was urged by his attendants to do what prophet told him, in other words, be submissive and obedient.  He does and he is healed.  He returns to the prophet to pay for his services. Elisha refuses. The healing was to bring Naaman to the revelation that the God of Israel was the true God.  He is now a changed man, not only physically but spiritually. He has had a conversion.  He asks to take dirt from Israel back to Assyria so that he can offer sacrifice and worship to the God of Israel. 

Jesus uses this event later on to emphasize that just like Elisha only healed a pagan and not his own, so Jesus will not be able to heal in his own Nazareth because of their lack of faith. Obedience to the word of God leads to faith and conversion.

What can we learn from this event? When God moves in a mighty way in our lives how vocal and public are we in praising and thanking God? Did our life change?

Gospel: Again, we have the healing of lepers.  To be a leper was to be relegated to a life of isolation and slow painful death.  Their community is one another. When the ten asked to be healed, Jesus puts their faith to a test. He tells them to go to the Jewish priest who would attest to their healing. This was a double test of obedience: obey the Law of Moses which required this and obey the word of Jesus without seeing any results immediately.

Once healed they were to give thanks to God by offering a sacrifice. One man of the ten, a Samaritan, went further. He came back to thank Jesus.  Like Naaman, he recognized what God had done through Jesus, the new Elisha, through the ministry of word. Not only was he healed he was converted. As a result, he received an additional and greater gift than the other nine. He received the grace of salvation. Ten were physically healed. One was additionally healed spiritually. How often like the nine we are satisfied with the physical and missed the greater spiritual gift God has for us?

We are all spiritual lepers, for we are all sinners. We are all in need of spiritual healing. The one that can heal us is Jesus. He does that in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and in the Sacrament of Eucharist. How grateful are we when we receive absolution and when we receive Jesus’ Body and Blood? Is our gratitude superficial or profound? Is our life any different afterwards than before? The healed leper was given a new lease on life. Now he did not have to live in isolation and shame, in guilt and rejection. Jesus wants to do the same for us.

Reading 2: Paul never took his faith in Jesus for granted. He was willing to embrace sufferings for it. In spite of his imprisonment for the sake of the Gospel, Paul still preached the saving plan of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Why? Because he wanted all to be saved. Nothing matter to Paul, not life or death. The only thing was that he would come to a deeper sharing in the life of Christ. He desired to keep pushing forward, seeking the prize of eternal salvation and life with God, which Jesus promised to those who made him the Lord of their lives and were obedient to do his will in all things. Paul knew in faith that Jesus’ promises were true and that God was faithful to his promises.

So much is going on in our lives: new directions, old fears, apprehensions, and great uncertainties. Always, there is sadness and joy, fear and love, resentment and gratitude; there is nervousness about next week, next month, next year. Yes, there is so much going on beneath our feet that we are wondering if we can keep walking on all these waves. But Jesus is with us here and now. As long as Peter keeps his eyes fixed on Jesus, he can walk on the water. Problems are small and fears bearable when we know who calls us. The Lord looks into us, smiles, stretches out both his hands, and invites us to get out of the boat: “Come to me, be not afraid.” Henri Nouwen

Like Peter we tend to allow our fears and inabilities to rule over us. We see the impossible with human eyes rather than the possible with the eyes of faith. We fail to realize and actualize the call of Jesus. He would not call us if he didn't want to show us what is possible only in him. We are so use to trusting in ourselves and not in him and so we sink into nothingness. But if we learn to keep our eyes on the One who saves us, then we will see what is possible only in him.

 Twenty-eight Sunday Gospel C

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”

· Because lepers were unclean, they were not allowed either in the Temple or in the Synagogue. They were ostracized from others, less in contact, they would render others ritually unclean. For the most part, they lived outside in their own community. 

· Notice their cry: “Have mercy on us!” They probably had heard of Jesus’ healing ministry.  Hearing he was coming through their area, they hastened to meet and petition for healing.

And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” 

· Notice he doesn’t touch them as he had done before. He doesn’t say, “Be healed.” By his command, he was telling them that if you believe that I have healed you, go to the priests to confirm it.

· Jesus said this because only when they have recovered, and fulfilled the Levitical requirements, could they be reinstated into the life of the people. 

· At the moment there was not change in their condition. They came as lepers and they left as lepers. What was different was the conviction in their hearts that Jesus had done something.

As they were going they were cleansed.  

· This is not the first time that people left Jesus, believing in his word and latter their faith in Jesus’ word was confirmed. Recall the Centurion who came seeking the health of his servant, or the woman whose daughter was possessed. 

And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.  He was a Samaritan. 

· The first thing to note is that one of them returned, glorifying God with gratitude and faith in Jesus. How often we experience God’s mercy and grace but do not respond with gratitude! 

· In fact, should not our whole day be a prayer of gratitude to God for all his blessings just that day? Gratitude opens us up to the more that God desires to give us.

· The second thing to note is that Jesus points out that the one who returned with gratitude was not a legalistic Jew, but a Samaritan who was to the Jews a scum. 

· God shows no partiality, for all are his sons and daughters, which is how we are to treat others.

Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?  Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

· The other nine were healed and were satisfied. One returned thanks and experienced the further grace of God, salvation. 

· Jesus wants not only to heal our bodies but to bring the healing grace of salvation for our souls. 

· As you reflect on this passage, what applications can you make in your life? 

· What is God saying to you?

 "As much as you love your worst enemy this is the measure of your love for God." St Isaac the Syrian

Wow! How do we measure our love of God? Not how many prayers we say or how much fasting we do or how much penance we undertake. The measuring stick of love is reflected in the Scriptures in the parable of the Good Samaritan. He reached out to care for an injured Israelite, whom he would avoid as an enemy. But his love of God was greater than his human, cultural thinking. God made the measure of our love for him very clear, when he commanded us to love our enemies, to do good to those who injured us, to forgive those who speak badly about us. Why? Because he, who is love, loves those who have wronged him. When we were enemies of God because of our sins, Jesus showed his love by dying for us that we may live eternally. If we are grateful to God, then we will love our enemies.

 "When a soul has come to hate sin and has delivered itself as far as it can to the power of virtue, it undergoes a transformation, by receiving the grace of the Spirit. Then it is healed, restored and made holy new. This is what the Lord wants when he says: whoever wishes to be first and great among you must be the last of all and a servant to all." St. Gregory of Nyssa

To hate sin is to put God first in our life. To hate sin is to seek holiness through the transforming power of God's grace. To hate sin is to desire the will of God to be fulfilled in our life. What is that will of God from all eternity? Why did God create us? St. Paul tells us that "we were chosen in Christ to be holy, blameless in his sight, to be full of love and to share in his divine life praising his glory."  Many people straddle the fence with one foot clinging to sin and the other dabbling in virtue. They will not grow in virtue because they are still not ready to flee from sin. Their hearts are more open to the voice of the Tempter than to the voice of the God who created and loves them beyond measure. Flee from sin less its tentacles engulf you.

 "My whole life is a battle between me and me--between me as I am and me as God wants me to be." St. Nikolaj Velimirovic

This is an interesting but true insight. Normally, we would think that our battle is between us and the world that is opposed to God. While this is true, we fail to realize the other greater battle between my fallen humanity and my identity as a child of God. God had and has a plan for my life when he created me. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus set us free from the old self of sin to become the new creature, reflecting God's glory. Even though we have been set free, the old self never gives up. It dies very slowly. The new self, a child of God, grows slowly through these inner conflicts. But for the grace of God, we have no hope. But with the grace of God, the new self grows more and more into the image and life of Christ, Desire and act with resolve to be the person God wants me to be.

 "The business of eternal salvation is to us the most important of all affairs, but it is also the most neglected by Christians." St. Alphonsus Liguori

We must be reminded of this reality. As Jesus said: "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, but in the end lose his life?"  Our destiny is not this world, but the world to come with God. But many Christians know this in their head but their heart and lives reflect a different story. Some Christians are hoping that they can focus on this life primarily and at the end be able to think about the next life. Eternal salvation is nothing to gamble about. We have been saved by Jesus. But will we be saved depends on how we respond to the grace given us by God. Is it our primary focus or an afterthought? Live your present life always in view of eternity with God.

Homily Twenty-seventh Sunday Year C

Reading 1: We do not understand the ways of the Lord or the timing of the Lord. The prophet Habakkuk sees the violence and ruin around him. He witnessed the continual sin of the Chosen People, who rejected God’s ways. He cries to God to intervene with his justice. God’s answer is that he will chastise his people by letting their enemies overcome them and take them into exile. But after a time they will be restored

This is the vision that God tells the prophet to write down. He is then to wait upon the Lord’s timing. The prophet’s acceptance and obedience to the word of God is expressed at the end of his Book. For though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit appears on the vine, though the yield of the olive fails and the terraces produce no nourishment, though the flocks disappear from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the LORD and exult in my saving God.

In the New Testament, Peter’s Letter speaks to the question of why has Jesus delayed in his second coming. Peter said that Jesus is not delaying as much as he is giving the world time to repent and turn back to him. This is the time of mercy. But the day of judgement will come in God’s timing and way.

What is God looking to see in our lives? He tells Habakkuk at the end of our reading: “The just one who is righteous because of faith shall live.” It is faith put into practice that God desires to see in those who heed his word.

Gospel: Faith can be seen from the point of acceptance and belief in the mysteries God has revealed to us. This is the virtue of theological faith. In faith we believe that God is one and triune in persons, that Jesus is the Son of God and Son of Man, who through his death and resurrection has saved us from our sins. This is the faith we will proclaim in the Creed.

The faith spoken in our reading is the exercise of faith. It is the exercise of that faith with is the gift of the Holy Spirit which Paul speaks of in his Letter to the Corinthians. It was this faith that enable Peter to step out of the boat and to begin to walk on water. It was this same faith that moved Peter to say to the crippled man, “Rise up in the name of Jesus Christ.” And the man was healed.

We are called to exercise both aspects of faith: the virtue and the gift. In this response of faith, we are fulfilling our role as servants of the Lord, obeying him in all things. We are doing nothing more than what is expected of us.

Reading 2: Paul tells us to “stir up into flame the gift of God” we received through the imposition of hands. In Baptism and Confirmation

we were anointed with the oil of Chrism as disciples and witnesses of Jesus Christ. The Spirit we have been given is not a spirit of fear, but the power to witness the love of God poured out upon us.

How often we hesitate to act in the power of the Holy Spirit! We have the gift of faith but not the conviction in the power of God. We allow the fear of failure or the concern about what others think to hold our faith in check. To this Paul says: “Bear your hardship with the strength that comes from God.”