Jan 27 Monday (Angela Merici Virgin,
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-angela-merici/ ): Mk
3:22-30: 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He
is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the
demons.” 23 And he called them to him, and said to them in parables, “How can
Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom
cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not
be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he
cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s
house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed
he may plunder his house.
28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven
the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes
against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”
— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” USCCB video reflections:
The context: Today’s Gospel passage gives Jesus’
crushing reply to the slander propagated by the observers from the Sanhedrin,
that Jesus expelled devils using the assistance of the leader of devils.
Jesus refutes the false allegation raised against him by the
Sanhedrin scribes with three counterarguments and a warning: 1) A house divided
against itself will perish and a country engaged in civil war will be ruined.
Hence, Satan will not fight against Satan by helping Jesus to expel his
co-workers. 2) If Jesus is collaborating with Satan to exorcise minor demons,
then the Jewish exorcists are doing the same. 3) Jesus claims that he is using
the power of his Heavenly Father to evict devils, just as a strong man guards a
house and its possessions from the thief. 4) Finally, Jesus gives a crushing
blow to his accusers, warning them that by telling blatant lies they are
blaspheming against the Holy Spirit and, hence, that their sins are
unforgivable.
Life messages: 1) Jesus teaches that we
can be influenced by the evil spirit if we listen to him and follow him. 2)
Hence, we have to keep our souls daily cleansed and filled with the Spirit of
God, leaving no space for the evil spirit to enter our souls. Fr. Tony
Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
Jan 28 Tuesday (Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Doctor of the
Church) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-thomas-aquinas/ : Mk
3:31-35: 31 And his mother and his brothers came; and standing
outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting about him;
and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for
you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking
around on those who sat about him, he said, “Here are my mother and my
brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and
mother.” USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/15QC-T2FVFc?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAFrAB3rgpm4xC_YNYqc0xt
The context: As Jesus became a strong critic of
the Jewish religious authorities, his mother and cousins came to take him to
Nazareth by force, perhaps because they feared that he would be arrested and
put to death.
Jesus’ plain statement: Today’s Gospel episode seems to
suggest that Jesus ignored the request of his mother and close relatives who
had traveled a long distance of 20 miles to talk to him. But everyone in the
audience knew that Jesus loved his mother and had taken care of her for years
before he started his public ministry. Besides, Jesus’ plain answer, “Whoever
does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother” was
actually a compliment to his mother who had always listened to the word of God
and obeyed it. Jesus was declaring, “Blessed are those who hear and keep the
word of God as she is faithfully doing” (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium,
58). Jesus was also using the occasion to teach the congregation a
new lesson about their relationship with God. Being a disciple of Jesus, or a
Christian, is first and foremost a relationship – a relationship of mutual love
and unity with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and with all who belong to
God as His children. Jesus has changed the order of relationships and
shows us here that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood.
God’s gracious gift to us is His adoption of us as His sons and
daughters. This gift enables us to recognize all those who belong to
Christ as our brothers and sisters. Our adoption as sons and daughters of
God transforms all our relationships and requires a new order of loyalty to God
and His kingdom. “Everyone who does the will of the Father, that
is to say, who obeys Him, is a brother or sister of Christ, because he is like
Him who fulfilled the will of His Father. But he who not only obeys but
converts others, begets Christ in them, and thus becomes like the Mother of
Christ” (“Commentary on St. Matthew”, 12:49-50.)
Life message: 1) Let us remember that by
Baptism we become the children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus and
members of the Heavenly family of the Triune God. Hence, let us observe our
obligations of treating others with love and respect and of sharing our love
with them in corporal and spiritual works of mercy. We are also His disciples,
and so are obliged to be hearers as well as doers of the word of God. Fr.
Tony Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
Jan 29 Wednesday: MARK 4:2-30: Jan 29 Wednesday: Mk
4:1-20: 1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very
large crowd gathered about him so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the
sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them
many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! A
sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and
the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had
not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil; 6
and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered
away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and
it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth
grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty-fold and sixty-fold and a
hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10
…..19 https://youtu.be/qEgq6qnePMU?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAFrAB3rgpm4xC_YNYqc0xt
The context: Today’s Gospel passage gives us the
parable of the sower, the seeds sown, and the yield depending upon the type of
soil. It is the first parable of Jesus in the New Testament about the Kingdom
of Heaven. It is also a parable interpreted by Jesus himself. This parable was
intended as a double warning: to the hearers to be attentive, and to the
Apostles to be hopeful about Jesus’ preaching in the face of growing opposition
to Jesus and his ideas. Jesus wants them to open their hearts generously to the
word of God and then to put that word into practice. The sower is God, the
Church, the parents, the teachers, and we ourselves. The seed sown is the
high-yielding word of God which is “a sharp sword” (Is 49:2), “two-edged sword”
(Heb 4:12), and “fire and hammer” (Jer 23:29).
Soil type & the yield: The hardened
soil on the footpath represents people with minds closed because of
laziness, pride, prejudice or fear. The soil on flat rock
pieces represents emotional types of people who go after novelties without
sticking to anything and are unwilling to surrender their wills to God. “I
will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh” (Ez
11:19). The soil filled with weeds represents those who are
addicted to evil habits and evil tendencies, those whose hearts are filled with
hatred or jealousy, and those whose greed focuses on acquiring money by any
means and on enjoying life in any way possible. The good
and fertile soil represents well-intentioned people with open minds and
clean hearts, earnest in hearing the word and zealous in putting it into
practice. Zacchaeus, the sinful woman and the thief on Jesus’ right side, St.
Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Francis Xavier, among others, fall
into this category of the good soil.
Life message: Let us become the good soil and
produce hundred-fold yields by earnestly hearing, faithfully assimilating and
daily cultivating the word of God we have received, so that the Holy Spirit may
produce His fruits in our lives. Fr. Tony Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
Jan 30 Thursday: Mk 4: 21-25: 21 And he
said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed,
and not on a stand? 22 For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest;
nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23 If any man has ears to
hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Take heed what you hear; the
measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you.
25 For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what
he has will be taken away.” USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/aK3vezyhlLY?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAFrAB3rgpm4xC_YNYqc0xt
The context: Today’s Gospel passage is taken
from Mark’s version of Jesus’ teaching after he had told the parable of the
sower. Jesus reminds us that we are the light of the world and that our
duty is to receive and radiate around us Christ’s light of love, mercy,
compassion and forgiveness.
The image of light and lamp: Lamps help people to see and
work in the dark, and their light prevents our stumbling and falling down. For
the Jews, Light represented the inner beauty, truth and goodness of God. God’s
Light illumines our lives with Light, celestial joy and everlasting peace. The
glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds at Bethlehem (Lk 2:9). Paul
recognized the presence of God in a blinding Light (Acts 9:3; 22:6); God
“dwells in inaccessible Light” (1 Tim 6:16). That is why Jesus claimed that he
was the Light of the world. When the Light of Christ shines in our hearts, we
are able to recognize who we are, who our neighbors are and who God is and to
see clearly how we are related to God and our neighbors. When we live in
Christ’s Light, we do not foolishly try to hide truths about ourselves from
ourselves, from our neighbors, or from God. Christ’s Light will also remind us
of the consequences of our sinful ways and bad habits.
The paradox of the rich getting richer: In today’s Gospel,
Jesus makes the comment “for to him who has, more will be given,”
following the warning “Take heed how you hear….” Jesus is telling us
that if we listen to him with open minds and open hearts and walk in his Light,
the tiny bit of wisdom and understanding that we’ve already gained will grow
and grow with his help. If, on the other hand, our hearts are closed to him,
even the little bit of wisdom that we think we’ve got will be lost. Jesus is
not talking about money or wealth in any form. He is talking about the extent
and depth of our connectedness to God. If we are already deeply rooted in God,
our spirits will grow larger, richer, and fuller by the day. But if our
connection to the Lord is only superficial, our spirits certainly won’t grow,
and our connection to Him may well not last at all.
Life message: As “light of the world” it
is our duty to remove the darkness from around us and to show others the true
Light of Jesus, his ideas and ideals from our model Christian life.Fr. Tony
Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
Jan 31 Friday (John Bosco, Priest):
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-john-bosco/ Mk
4:26-34: 26 Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the
Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed upon the ground, 27 and
should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he
knows not how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear,
then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts
in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 30 And he said, “With what can we
compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like
a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of
all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the
greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the
air can make nests in its shade.” 33 With many such parables he spoke the word
to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them without a
parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. USCCB
video reflections: https://youtu.be/MgCqMKjl51k?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAFrAB3rgpm4xC_YNYqc0xt
The context: Using the mini parables of the
growth of wheat seeds and mustard seeds in the field, Jesus explains the nature
of the growth of the Kingdom of God or rule of God in human beings and human
societies.
In the case of both wheat and mustard seeds, the initial
growth is slow and unnoticeable. But within days a leafy shoot will emerge, and
within months a mature plant with numerous branches and leaves, flowers and
fruits will be produced. The growth is silent and slow but steady, using power
from the seed in the beginning and transforming absorbed water and minerals in
the later stages. Jesus explains that the Kingdom of God grows this way in
human souls. The Kingdom of God is the growth of God’s rule in human hearts
that occurs when man does the will of God and surrenders his life to God. It is
slow and microscopic in the beginning. But it grows by using the power of the
Holy Spirit, given to us through the Word of God, the Sacraments and our
prayers. Finally, God’s rule in the human heart transforms individuals and
communities into God’s people, doing His will in His kingdom.
Life message 1) As we learn God’s will from His
words and try to put these words into practice, we participate in the growth of
God’s Kingdom on earth, a growth which will be completed in our Heavenly life.
But we need the special anointing of the Holy Spirit to be doers of the word of
God, so let us offer our lives before God every day, asking for this special
anointing. Fr. Tony Kadavil
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
Feb 1 Saturday: Mark 4:35-41: 35 On that
day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other
side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as
he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great storm of wind arose, and
the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38
But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to
him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the
wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there
was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”
41 And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, “Who then is this,
that even wind and sea obey him?” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: Mark’s emphasis on Jesus’ wondrous works
helps him to reveal Jesus’ true Messianic identity. The role of God in calming
the storms of life is the central theme of today’s Gospel. By describing
the miracle, Mark also gives the assurance to his first-century believers that
nothing can harm the Church as long as the risen Lord is with them. The
incident reminds us today to keep Jesus in our life’s boat and to seek his help
in the storms of life.
The storm: The Sea of Galilee is lake thirteen miles
long from north to south and eight miles broad from east to west at its widest.
It is notorious for its sudden storms. When a cold wind blows from the
west, the valleys and gullies and hills act like gigantic funnels, compressing
the winds and letting them rush down to the lake to create storms with violent
waves. Unable to control their fears in just such a storm, the disciples woke
Jesus, accusing him of disregarding their safety. Jesus’ response was
immediate. First, Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea into
perfect calm to the great astonishment of his disciples. Then only did he
reproach them for their lack of Faith.
Life messages: 1) We need to welcome Jesus into
the boat of our life. All of us are making a journey across the sea of time to
the shore of eternity, and it is natural that, occasionally in our lives, we
all experience different types of violent storms: physical storms, emotional
storms, and spiritual storms. We face storms of sorrow, doubts, anxiety,
worries, temptations and passion. Only Jesus can give us real peace in the
storm of sorrow or console us at the loss of our dear ones.
2) When the storms of doubt seek to uproot the very
foundations of our Faith, Jesus is there to still that storm, revealing to us
His Divinity and the authority behind the words of Holy Scripture. He gives us
peace in the storms of anxiety and worries about ourselves, about the unknown
future and about those we love. Jesus calms the storms of passion in people who
have hot hearts and blazing tempers. Fr. Tony Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
