March 9-14: March 9
Monday (St. Frances of Rome, Religious) Video:
March 9: Lk
6:36-38: 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.37 “Judge
not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned;
forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you; good
measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your
lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” USCCB
video reflections: https://youtu.be/Y5ou8upoCjQ?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAoMqHc4moKtTJSI6gsth32
The context: In
today’s passage, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs his
followers to be merciful, non-judgmental, forgiving and generous. He condemns
our careless, malicious, and rash judgments about another person’s behavior,
feelings, motives, or actions. St. Augustine explains it thus: “What do you
want from the Lord? Mercy? Give it, and it shall be given to you.
What do you want from the Lord? Forgiveness? “Forgive, and you will be
forgiven.”
Reasons why we should not judge others: 1) No one except God is good
enough to judge others because only God sees the whole truth, and only He can
read the human heart; hence, only He has the right and authority to judge
us. 2) We are often
prejudiced in our judgment of others, and total fairness cannot be expected
from us. 3) We do not see
all the facts, the circumstances, and the power of the temptation, which have
led a person to do something evil. 4) We
have no right to judge others because we have the same fault as, and often to a
more serious degree than, the one we are judging (remember Jesus’ funny example
of a man with a wooden beam in his eye trying to remove the dust particle from
another’s eye?) St. Philip Neri commented, watching the misbehavior of a
drunkard: “There goes Philip but for the grace of God.”
Life message: 1)
We should leave all judgment to God and practice mercy and forgiveness,
remembering the advice of saints: “When you point one finger of accusation at
another, three of your fingers point at you.” Let us pay attention to the
Jewish rabbi’s advice: “He who judges others favorably will be judged favorably
by God. Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
March 10 Tuesday: Mt
23:1-12: 1Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his
disciples, 2saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken
their seat on the chair of Moses. 3Therefore, do and observe
all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they
preach but they do not practice. 4They tie up heavy burdens
hard to carry, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a
finger to move them. 5All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6They
love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, 7greetings
in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ 8As for you, do
not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all
brothers. 9Call no one on earth your father; you have but one
Father in heaven. 10Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one
master, the Christ. 11The greatest among you must be your
servant. 12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever
humbles himself will be exalted.” USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/O0IJfJAEjpw?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAoMqHc4moKtTJSI6gsth32
The context: For
Jesus, it was the third day of the very first “Holy Week” in Jerusalem, a day
of controversy and personal attacks. Jesus was under fire and lashed
out at the religious leaders of Israel for rejecting Him as the
Messiah, and he pronounced eight woes against the religious leaders, calling
them hypocrites and publicly humiliating them because they were more concerned
about self-promotion than serving others. USCCB video
reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
Three sins of the Scribes and Pharisees: Jesus raises
three objections to the Pharisees: (1) “They do not practice what they teach”
(v. 3). They lack integrity of life and fail to practice what they preach,
namely, justice, mercy and charity. (2) They overburden the ordinary
people (v. 4). The scribes and the Pharisees, in their excessive zeal for God’s
laws, split the 613 laws of the Torah into thousands of rules and
regulations affecting every movement of the people, thus making God’s laws a
heavy burden. (3) “They do all their deeds to be seen by others” (v. 5).
Jesus accuses the scribes and Pharisees of seeking the glory that rightly
belongs to God. They express their love of honor in several ways, thereby
converting Judaism into a religion of ostentation: (a) “They make their
phylacteries broad and their fringes long” (v. 5). b) They “love to have
the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues” (v.
6). (c) They “love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to
have people call them rabbi” (v. 7).
Life messages: 1)
We need servant-leaders in a serving community: The Church is a
servant-community in which those who hunger, and thirst are to be satisfied;
the ignorant are to be taught; the homeless are to receive shelter; the sick
are to be cared for; the distressed are to be consoled; and the oppressed
are to be set free. Hence, leaders should have a spirit of humble
service in thought, word and deed. 2) We need to live the Faith we
profess. Our Faith tells us that we are all brothers and sisters, children
of the same Heavenly Father. Hence, we should always pray for each
other. Instead of judging the poor, we should be serving them both directly and
through our efforts on behalf of economic justice. Instead of criticizing
those of other races, we should be serving them both directly and through our
efforts on behalf of racial justice. Instead of ignoring the homeless, we
should be serving them through efforts to supply them with adequate
housing. 3) We need to accept the responsibilities which go with our titles.
Titles and polite forms exist to remind each of us of our specific
responsibilities in society. Hence, let us use everything we are and have
in a way that brings glory to God, by serving His children. Fr. Kadavil
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
March 11 Wednesday:
Mt 20:17-28: 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up
to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21
And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these
two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your
kingdom.” 22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you
able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23
He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my
left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by
my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two
brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the
rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over
them.26 USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/nDg5wrSdwDk?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAoMqHc4moKtTJSI6gsth32
The context: We
celebrate the feast of James the apostle on July 25th. James was the son of
Zebedee the fisherman and Salome, Mary’s sister (Mt 27:56). John the apostle
was his brother. The two, with Simon Peter, made up Jesus’ inner circle of
disciples who were given the privilege of witnessing the Transfiguration, the
raising to life of the daughter of Jairus and Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane. Jesus
called James and John “sons of thunder,” probably because of their
volatile character and high ambitions. Later, James was known as James the
Greater to distinguish him from James the Less who
wrote the epistles and led the Jerusalem Church community. James the Greater
was probably the first apostle martyred by Herod in an attempt to please the
Jews (Acts 12:1-3).
The Gospel episode: The incident in today’s Gospel describes
how ambitious, far-sighted and power-crazy James and his brother John were in
their youth. They sought the help of their mother to recommend them to Jesus in
their desire to be chosen as the two cabinet ministers closest to Jesus when he
established his Messianic kingdom after ousting the Romans. But they picked the
most inappropriate moment to make this request because Jesus had just predicted
his passion and death for a third time.
Jesus’ response: Jesus instructed them that it was the
spirit of service which would make his disciples great because he himself had
come” not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom
for many.
Life message: 1: The
leaders in Jesus’ Church must be the servants of all as Mary was (“Behold
the handmaid of the Lord”). That is why the Pope is called “the servant
of the servants of God.” The priesthood of the ordained priests is called
the ministerial priesthood because the duty of ordained
priests is to give spiritual services to the people of God who share the royal
priesthood of Christ by their Baptism (Rev 1:6; cf. 1 Pt 2:5,9). Church leaders
must be ready to serve others sacrificially with agape love in
all humility. In other words, leaders among Christians must be humble, loving,
selfless and “the servants of all.” Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
March 12 Thursday:
Luke 16:19-31 “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and
fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay
a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what
fell from the rich man’s table; moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/3Y5-QAiSqw8?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAoMqHc4moKtTJSI6gsth32
The context: The
main theme of today’s Gospel is the warning that the selfish and extravagant use
of God’s blessings, including personal wealth, without sharing them with the
poor and the needy, is a serious sin deserving eternal punishment. The
rich man’s punishment was not for having riches, but for neglecting the
Scriptures and what they taught.
Objectives: Jesus told this parable to condemn the Pharisees
for their avarice (love of and greed for money), and for their lack of mercy
and compassion for the poor. He also used the parable to correct the
Jewish misconception that material prosperity in this life is God’s reward for
moral uprightness, while poverty and illness are God’s punishments for
sin. The parable further reminds us that we will be judged (private
judgment) and rewarded or punished immediately after our death. The parable finally
offers an invitation to each one of us to be conscious of the sufferings of
those around us and to share our blessings generously with the needy.
One-act play: The parable is presented as a one-act play
with two scenes. The opening scene presents the luxurious life of the
rich man in costly dress enjoying five-course meals every day, in contrast to
the miserable life of the poor, sick beggar living on the street by the rich
man’s front door, competing with stray dogs for the crumbs discarded from the
rich man’s dining table. As the curtain goes up on the second scene, the
situation is reversed. The beggar, Lazarus, is enjoying Heavenly bliss as
a reward for his fidelity to God in his poverty and suffering, while the rich
man has been thrown down into the excruciating suffering of Hell as punishment
for not doing his duty of showing mercy to the poor by sharing with the beggar
at his door the mercies and blessings God has given him.
Life messages: 1)
We are all rich enough to share our blessings with others. God has
blessed each one of us with wealth or health or special talents or social power
or political influence or a combination of many other blessings. The parable
invites us to share what we have been given with others in various ways instead
of using everything exclusively for selfish gains. 2) We need to remember that
sharing is the criterion of Last Judgment: Matthew (25: 31ff), tells us that
all six questions Jesus will ask each of us when he comes in glory as our judge
are based on how we have shared our blessings from him (food, drink, home,
mercy and compassion), with others. Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
March 13
Friday: Mt 21: 33-43, 45-46: 33 Matthew 21:33-46 : 33
“Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set
a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it
out to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season of fruit drew
near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; 35 and the tenants
took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he
sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. 37
Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, `They will respect my son.’ 38 But
when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, `This is the heir; come,
let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and cast him
out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard
comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put
those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them,
“Have you never read in the scriptures: `The very stone which the builders
rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord’s
doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom
of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits
of it.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they
perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 But when they tried to
arrest him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a
prophet. USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/yUreQLtDIR4?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAoMqHc4moKtTJSI6gsth32
The context: Told
by Jesus during Passover week, the parable of the wicked tenants is
actually an allegorical “parable of judgment,” accusing the Pharisees of
not producing the fruits of repentance and renewal of life which God expected
from them as leaders of His Chosen people. “I expected my vineyard to
yield good grapes. Why did it yield sour ones instead?” The
parable also explains the necessity of our bearing fruit in Christian life
and the punishment for sterility and wickedness. The meaning of the
parable: As an allegory, this parable has different meanings. Like the Jews,
the second- and third-generation Christians also understood God as the
landlord. The servants sent by the land-owner represented the prophets of the
Old Testament. They were to see that God’s chosen people produced fruits of
justice, love and righteousness. But the people refused to listen to the
prophets and produced the bitter grapes of injustice, immorality and
idolatry. Further, they persecuted and killed the prophets. As a final
attempt, the landowner sent his son, (Jesus) to collect the rent (fruits of
righteousness) from the wicked tenants (the Jews). But they crucified him and
continued to lead lives of disloyalty and disobedience. Hence, God’s vineyard
was taken away from His Chosen People and was given to a people (Gentile
Christians) who were expected to produce the fruit of righteousness. The
parable warns us that if we refuse to reform our lives and become
productive, we also could be replaced as the old Israel was replaced
by us, the “new” Israel.
Life messages: 1)
We need to be good fruit-producers in the vineyard of the Church. Jesus
has given the Church everything necessary to make Christians fruit-bearing.
Having already received the Gift of Life in Baptism, we find we also have the
following: a) the Bible to know the will of God; b) the priesthood to lead
the people in God’s ways; c) the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the remission
of sins; d) the Holy Eucharist as our spiritual food; e) the Sacrament of
Confirmation for a dynamic life of Faith; f) the Sacrament of Matrimony for
the sharing of love in families, the fundamental unit of the Church, and
g) the Sacrament of Holy Orders by which the priesthood of Jesus is continued
on earth and will be continued until the end of the world We are expected make
use of these gifts and to produce fruits for God. 2) We need to be good
fruit-producers in the vineyard of our family. By our mutual sharing of
blessings, by our sacrificing of our time and talents for the welfare of
all the members, by our humbly and lovingly serving others in the family, by
our recognizing and encouraging each other, and by our honoring and gracefully
obeying our parents, we become producers of “good fruit” or good vine-branches
in our families. Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
March 14
Saturday: Lk 15:1-3.11-32: Tax collectors
and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what
He had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering:
«This man welcomes sinners and eats with them». So Jesus told them this parable:
«There was a man with two sons. ……… But this brother of yours was dead, and has
come back to life. He was lost and is found. And for that we had to rejoice and
be glad’». USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/TLcIFrhYwb0?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAoMqHc4moKtTJSI6gsth32
The context: Chapter
15 of Luke’s Gospel has been called “the Gospel within the Gospel,” because it
is the distilled essence of the Good News about our Heavenly Father. The whole
chapter is essentially one complete parable, the “Parable of the Lost and
Found,” with three illustrations: the story of the lost sheep, the story of the
lost coin and the story of the lost son. These parables remind us that we have
a God Who welcomes sinners and forgives their sins when they return to Him with
genuine contrition, resolved to reform. In addition, He is always in search of
His lost and straying children.
The lost son: This parable speaks about the deep effects of
sin, the self-destruction of hatred and the infinite mercy of God. This is a
story of love, of conflict, of deep heartbreak, and of ecstatic joy. The scene
opens on a well-to-do Jewish family. With the immaturity of a spoiled brat, the
younger son impudently extracted his share of the coming inheritance from his
gracious father. He sold out his share and then squandered the money in a
faraway city. Then, bankrupt and starving, the prodigal son ended
up feeding pigs, a task that was forbidden to a Jew (Leviticus 11:7;
14:8). Finally, when he “came to his senses” (v. 17), he decided to return
to his father, asking for forgiveness and begging to be given the status
of a hired servant. When he saw his son returning, however, the
father ran to him, embraced him, kissed him and gave him a new robe,
a ring and new shoes. The father also threw a great feast for him, to
celebrate his return, killing the “fatted calf’” reserved for the
Passover feast, so that all might rejoice at the wanderer’s return.
Life messages: 1)
We need to meet the challenge for self-evaluation: If we have been in sin,
God’s mercy is seeking us, searching for our souls with a love that is
wild beyond all imagining. God is ready to receive and welcome us back no
less than Jesus welcomed sinners in his time. We should also ask God for the
courage to extend this forgiveness to others who have offended us.
2) Let us confess our sins and regain peace and God’s
friendship. The first condition for experiencing the joy and relief
of having our sins forgiven is to see them as they are and give them
up. We have to be humble enough to recognize that we need God’s forgiveness to
be whole. Fr. Kadavil (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20