"Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christin communities. Pope Leo IV

As we enter into the Lenten season of grace and conversion, Pope Leo provides us with a plan of action. How often our speech is our downfall! It is like an unbridled horse that can take us to perilous situations. Using words from St. Paul, if we can't say something in love and in the name of Jesus, then we must not say it. It will not give glory to God. If we put the admonitions of the Pope into practice, then the love of God will be able to transform our hearts to resemble his great, sacrificing love.

 "Countless people experience their existence as dull, boring, stagnant, and routine. They lack vitality, a deep desire to be alive. For them, every day is just another day, often filled with many things to do, but seldom offering profound human satisfaction. This is the experience of living without bearing fruit. But fortunately, some men and women have a deep sense of their value - precisely because they are in touch with the life-giving quality of their existence. Their joy brings forth joy, and their peace brings forth peace. They make us aware of the holy contagiousness of all that lives." Henri Nouwen

What makes the difference between the two different experiences? I think it is the awareness of God in the second group. That awareness includes the love God has for them and their value in his eyes. They are aware that he delights in them. Their existence is not routine, but a response to the Lord. Thus, the joy and peace. They have a purpose for being and living each day. They seek to fulfill that purpose to the best of their ability. This attitude is a choice that needs to be made consciously in the midst of the routineness of life. In choosing to be joyful, they become a light to others. Which existence do you desire?

 "Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in his love than in your weakness." St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

What does this say to you, about your relationship with God? Sometimes we are not sure that God loves us enough, in spite of the many ways he has shown us his love in the past. Sometimes we focus more on our weaknesses that on his power. Yet, the more we surrender ourselves to him, the more the words of St. Paul will ring true. "In him I can do all things, who strengthens me." What I can't accomplish on my own, God can do through me. The signs and wonders in the lives of the Saints attest to this. God waited for Mary's Yes, before the Spirit overshadowed her and the Word became flesh. He awaits our Yes as well.

 

Homily: Sixth Sunday Year A

 

Reading 1: This first reading sets the tone for the other two readings. God gives us free will to choose between life and death, good and evil, lasting fire (symbol of eternal separation from God) or soothing water (symbol of the life with God). Our choice will be based on self-gratification or love of God, trusting in our self or trusting in the Lord. He doesn’t causes us to act unjustly or gives us license to sin. Instead, he gives us the grace to know right from wrong, which is his wisdom.

 

If we choose God’s ways because of his grace, God will confirm our choice. This is eternal life with him. If we choose to satisfy ourselves in spite of God’s commands, in spite of his grace, God will confirm our choice. This is the second death, eternal alienation from the Good which is himself.

 

Many people feel that freedom equates license to do anything they want. Rather, true freedom is to choose that which will be beneficial to our eternal happiness. Our eternal happiness is to be in relationship with God. Our eternal unhappiness will be not to be in relationship with God. So choose life or choose death.

 

Gospel: Jesus gives us examples of human wisdom and the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God is found in the Commandments, which he has come to fulfill. How? In the words of Pope Francis, through a higher justice and a more authentic observance.

 

Human wisdom concerning the commandments came from the interpretation of the scribes and Pharisees. They emphasized rote observance and outward conduct. Jesus said our way of life must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.

 

This is how we are to fulfill the commandments, by going to the root which focuses on the intention of the human heart. In other words, human wisdom just goes through the motions and does the actions, without necessarily believing or caring. On the other hand, the wisdom of God says that the fulfillment of the commandments come from the act of love. This is how the commandment is acted on and embraced.

 

I have heard often in confession: I didn’t kill anyone. But Jesus says” you can violate the command of God without physically taking another’s life. We can kill in our speech and in other actions.

 

Human wisdom asks: how can you forgive someone who has hurt you deeply? The wisdom of God says: be reconciled first before you come to offer sacrifice to the Lord through worship.

 

Are we motivated by authentic love of God and love of others in our thoughts, words and deeds? Then we are fulfilling the commands of God. If not, then we are only going through the motion but our heart is far from God. Are we following the wisdom of the world or the wisdom of God? Are we asking God regularly to give us his wisdom: to see how he sees things or are we listening to the wisdom of society and present culture?

 

Reading 2: The first reading said “Vast is the wisdom of the Lord; he is almighty and all-seeing.” We have a natural gift of wisdom and spiritual gift of wisdom. It is this spiritual wisdom that Paul refers to. Human wisdom may tell us to look to our own interest above others. Human wisdom and the world’s wisdom may tell us that we have a right to happiness at all costs. If something makes you happy, if it gives you pleasure, if it enhances you even if others suffer, you should feel free to do it. Human wisdom says might makes right.

 

But there is another type of wisdom, which comes from God. This wisdom is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, given by God to us in Baptism and renewed in Confirmation. What is this wisdom? Paul says the Spirit reveals to us the depths of everything, even the depth of God. This gift of wisdom enables us to know and to see things as God does; in other words, we are able to know in a given situation the will of God.

 "Glow with the brightness that comes from the good example of a praiseworthy and blameless life." St. John of Capistrasno

In the Gospel Jesus said as a disciple we are to be a light to the world, so that our good deeds may give glory to God. St. John of Capistrano says that our good deeds should be "a praiseworthy and blameless life." This is in line with the words of St. Paul. He said that "God chose us in Christ Jesus to be holy, blameless in his sight and full of love." In other words, the holiness of our lives is the best light for people to see, not so much as our deeds and actions. Why are we so drawn to the Saints? Is it not because of their life of holiness in spite of the circumstances of their daily lives? Yet, they were the last to recognize their life of holiness. So it is with us. Our holiness of life will be the attraction bringing others to Christ.

 Sixth Sunday of the Year Gospel A

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 

• The law and the prophets stand for the whole of the Old Testament. Jesus came to fulfill the Mosaic Law and the OT prophesies. The New Covenant includes and concludes the Old Covenant; it both perfects it and transforms it.

• Jesus’ teaching does not reject the old law and the prophets; instead, it illumines the meaning God intended the OT ultimately to have.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

• The righteousness that Jesus is talking about is that holiness which is based on love and not following the rules out of obligation. The scribes and Pharisees were seeking righteousness through strict observance of every detail of the many laws imposed by tradition and interpretation. Jesus is calling his followers to do all out of love of God and love of others.

 

You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,' will be answerable to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.

• Jesus begins a series of contrasting ways the righteousness of the religious leaders and the righteousness of his disciples will be different. He underscores his own authority as the Son of God, as the new Moses and Lawgiver. 

• Not only is murder wrong but so is the anger that seeks revenge and other unloving hurtful words towards a child of God. 

 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

• How often do we celebrate Mass with non-forgiveness in our heart! How can our offering be acceptable to God with such a block within us. We need to forgive in our heart so that God may forgive us.

You have heard that it was said,  You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

• Adultery is a serious sin. But so is the lust of our heart and eyes and the lingering impure thoughts of our mind. 

It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife -  unless the marriage is unlawful -  causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

• In another area, Jesus said that divorce was permitted in the Old Law because of the hardness of heart of the people. But that is not God’s plan and purpose for a marriage that is sealed before him.

Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one."

• Jesus forbids oath swearing for private purposes. Many times we name God as part of our swearing. This is against the Second Commandment.

• We should speak the truth at all times. 

• How do we relate our life against these actions? Where do we fall short? What needs to be done to bring about the righteousness which Jesus seeks in the lives of his disciples?

 
"For me to a saint means to be myself. Therefore, the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and of discovering my true self...God leaves us free to be whatever we like. We can be ourselves or not, as we please. But the problem is this: since God alone possess the secret of my identity, He alone can make me who I am. or rather, He alone can make me who I will be when I at last fully begin to be. The seeds that are planted in my liberty at every moment, by God's will, are seeds of my own sanctity." Thomas Merton

 God created me to be with him forever in glory. But he gave me a free will to choose whether to be with him or not. We can become our true self or be lured by our false self. To become our true self, I seek my identity in God. To run after the false self is to run after illusions and shadows that lead me away from God. Then when I die, God will reveal to us the self he willed us to be. Will our final reality match that image? If it does then we have found our identity in God and will be with him eternally. If not, we then will live eternally in the emptiness of the  darkness and illusions of the false self away from God. In the words of the Old Testament: "Choose life or choose death."

 "I would rather die and come to Jesus Christ than be king overt the entire earth. Him I seek who died for us; Him I love who roe again because of us." St. Ignatius of Antioch

He had his priorities straight. Do we? He knew that it was Christ who created him, sustained him, redeemed him and sanctified him. He knew that whether he lived or died he belonged to Christ. No earthly title or material possession would satisfy him ultimately. Only God, his beginning and end. Therefore, he ordered his life with God as the ultimate desire and lasting end. Life is too short. How sad it will be for us to spend our lives on what is fleeting and end our lives spiritually destitute! 

 "The world is a fleeting shadow. Only God is the reality." St. Charbel

It is easy for us to chase after shadows and fail to recognize the only reality that matters, namely the one, eternal God. We seek the creature but not the Creator. Why? It is easier for us to see the shadow with our human eyes. We can only see God with the eyes of faith. But the day may come that our human eyes will grow dim and fail us, but the eyes of faith will remain. Seek the Lord, while he may be found, so that you can see the shadows through his insight.

 "Therefore. every Christian should be a living book in which the teaching of the Gospel can be read." St. Joseph of Leonessa

Jesus was clear about the life of those who would be his disciples. "By this they will know you are my disciples, by the love you have for one another." "You are the light of the world. Let your light shine so that others may see the works of my Father." Is it obvious to others that we are followers of Jesus, not by the wearing of a medal, but by the deeds of our lives? Are our words and actions reflected of our life in Christ? As we recognize the faults of our past, we are called by Jesus to a conversion of heart and a new commitment as his disciples. Let our lives be a living Gospel of love and service, of holiness and justice.

 

Homily Fifth Sunday Year A

 

Reading 1: What is this light which shall break forth like the dawn and the wound be quickly healed? The chosen people have just returned from exile. They are being called back to covenant living. This involves feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, not rejecting the needy, removing oppression, false accusations and malicious speech. In other words, they are called by the prophet to turn away from sin and to do what is good and loving in the eyes of God.

 

But what is this light that will dispel the darkness in their hearts? It is the presence of God who reminds them “Here I am!” when they do that which is right and just. The light is their relationship to God, which when they are faithful to the covenant will be manifested through their relationship with one another. That light also will be experienced through the providential care and protection of God.

 

The darkness is the result of personal and communal sin. The light is the result of turning away from sin and living according to the commands of the Lord, especially in our relationship to one another.

 

Gospel: As disciples of Jesus we are called to make a difference in the world around us by transforming the blandness of life without God with the seasoning of our witness, the witness of love, faith and hope. As salt adds a special flavor to food, so we are called to share our faith with others.

 

Following up on the first reading, we are also called to be alight in the world of darkness that surrounds us by our deeds of love and service. These deeds done for the right motive will give glory to God.

 

To be a follower of Christ is not always easy. We can become discouraged and tired. We can try to measure our value by success and effectiveness. We can become tasteless like the old salt. We can allow our light to become dim and even go out by not being whom God calls us to be.

 

It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables my weak light to become brighter and my dash of salt to enable my wavering witness to be effective. We need to pray daily for the Holy Spirit to use us as a disciple/witness for the glory of God.

 

There is a deepening, invading darkness of sin and error in the world. My life must be a light dispelling the darkness, making a difference, even though I do not perceive it.  Otherwise, the influence of the darkness will seek to extinguish the light.

 

Reading 2: Having come to Corinth from Athens, Paul changed his pastoral tactic. He realized that the power of the Gospel was not in his human wisdom and logic, but in revealing the truth of the central mystery which transforms lives: the death and resurrection of Jesus.  It is faith in God’s power through this saving act that delivers and renews us.

 

Paul believed this with his whole heart, but he needed the failure of his experience in Athens to remind him. This was the light which went off within him. This was the message which would bring life to others. He allowed the power of the Holy Spirit to take his simple message and to touch people’s lives. In this way Paul was a light to the Gentiles.

 

Paul did not preach a prosperity gospel but Jesus Christ crucified and risen. He wasn’t an impressive preacher. He had some speech impediment. But the message that he proclaimed was anointed by the Holy Spirit, who convicted his hearers to the core.

 "I Would sooner fail standing  by the truth than succeed by remaining silent." St. Sebastian

Many of us fail in our role as disciples because we remain silent rather than speak the truth. We are afraid of the consequences to our reputation, to our position, to our relationship with the other person. But there is another more important relationship and that is with God. In speaking the truth in love, we may offend another human person, but in remaining silent, we will offend God. The other person may judge us in this life. God will judge us in eternity for eternity. Jesus spoke the truth, even though he knew he would suffer rejection and ultimately condemnation. Peter failed to speak the truth when questioned about his relationship with Jesus. Ask God for the grace to speak the truth rather than to remain silent. 

 "Act today in such a way that you need not blush tomorrow." St. John Bosco

We don't always consider the consequences of our actions. With a narrow vision we only think of the illicit joy of the present moment. Jesus warned us that what is done in secret will be brought to light. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of God. If we don't want to be embarrassed before the Lord in the future, then avoid anything that could cause us this unbearable embarrassment. Live in the light of truth and goodness, thus avoiding the darkness of sin and alienation.

 "Guard your eyes since they are the windows through which sin enters the soul." St. John Bosco

Custody of the eyes is one of the spiritual tools in our journey to God. We can't prevent images from appearing before us, which are contrary to our relationship with God. These are the darts hurled at us as temptations by the Devil. It is what we do with these images that makes the difference, whether we remain in union with God or separate ourselves from him. One of the ways to practice custody of the eyes is when we become aware of such images, not to focus on them, but to say "Jesus, I love you." That way our focus is on Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Like anything else, custody of the eyes takes practice and discipline, along with the grace of God.