AD SENSE

June 8-13: 10th Week – Year 2


June 8 Monday: Mt 5:1-12: 1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. USCCB video reflections: 

The context: The Beatitudes” form the introductory part in Mathew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount. They are the heart of the Sermon on the Mount, as the Sermon on the Mount is the heart of the whole Gospel, or the “Compendium of Christian Doctrine.” This sermon contains the most essential aspects of Christian behavior that we need to live out, if we are to reach Christian perfection. In essence, the Beatitudes both fulfill and complete the Ten Commandments.
Bombshells: In both Matthew and Luke the Beatitudes have been called a “series of bombshells” or blinding “flashes of lightning followed by deafening thunder of surprise and shock,” because Jesus reverses our “natural” assumption that happiness lies in riches, power, influence and pleasure.  We believe in personal pride; Jesus blesses poverty of spirit. We seek pleasure; Jesus blesses those who mourn. We see the prosperity of aggressive people; Jesus blesses the meek. We love good food and drink; Jesus blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Thus, Jesus instructs his disciples in the paradoxical   blessedness of poverty, hunger, sorrow and persecution. In poverty, we recognize God’s reign; in hunger, His Providence; in sorrow, true happiness; and in persecution, true joy. In other words, the blessed on Jesus’ list are the poor in spirit, the compassionate, the meek, the merciful, the clean of heart and the peacemakers and those who are willing even to be insulted and persecuted for their following of Jesus in action.
Life messages: 1) We need to respond to the challenge of the Beatitudes in daily life.  The Beatitudes propose to us a way of life, inviting us to identify with the poor, those who mourn, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst after justice. 2) They challenge us to be compassionate people, to be men and women who are pure in heart, and to become peacemakers in our dealings with one another, in our families and in the society at large, even when this approach to things exposes us to ridicule and persecution. 3) Let us remember that each time we reach out to help the needy, the sick and the oppressed, we share with them a foretaste of the promises of the Beatitudes here and now.  Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/L/20

June 9 Tuesday (St. Ephrem, Deacon, Doctor of the Church) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-ephrem/ : Mt 5:13-16:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. USCCB video reflections:
  The context: Today’s Gospel passage is taken from the Sermon on the Mount where, using two simple metaphors, Jesus outlines the role of Christians in this world. The Christian’s task is to be the salt of society, preserving, reconciling, adding flavor, giving meaning where there is no meaning, and giving hope where there is no hope.  Every Christian also has to reflect the light borrowed from Christ and radiate around him or her that light in the form of love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and humble service.
The salt of the earth:  In the time of Jesus, salt was connected in people’s minds with four special qualities. (i) Salt was connected with purity because it was white and it came from the purest of all things, the sun and the sea. Hence, it was the common ingredient in the sacrifices offered to God by the Jews and pagans.  (ii) Salt was the commonest of all preservatives in the ancient world. It was used to prevent putrefaction of meat, fish and fruits in pickles.  (iii) Salt lends flavor to food items (Job 6:6). Salt was used to season food. (iv) Salt was also used sprinkled on charcoal or dried horse dung to keep fire burning evenly in an oven for a longer time.
The light of the world: (i) A light is something which is meant to be seen.  (ii) A lamp or light is a guide to make clear the way.  iii) A light can often be a warning light, telling us to halt when there is danger ahead.  iv) Light is a source for warmth and heat.
Life messages: 1). As the salt of the earth, the Christian must be an example of purity, holding aloft the standard of absolute purity in speech, in conduct, and even in thought.
2) As the salt of the earth, the Christian must have a certain antiseptic influence on life and society, defeating corruption, injustice and impurity and making it easier for others to be good.
3) As salt, we have to preserve Christian cultural values and moral principles. As salt, we have to improve the tone of society (“season” it), preserve Faith, and extend the fire of the Holy Spirit through evangelization efforts. 4) As light of the world Christians are expected to reflect the Light borrowed from Christ and radiate that light in the form of love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and humble service. 
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/L/20

June 10 Wednesday: Mt 5:17-19: 17 “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. USCCB video reflections: 
The context: Today’s Gospel passage, taken from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, presents Jesus as giving the highest compliments to the Mosaic Law. Ironically, Jesus himself would be falsely condemned and crucified as a Law-breaker. Jesus says that the Old Testament, as the word of God, has Divine authority and deserves total respect. Its moral precepts are to be respected because they are, for the most part, specific, Divine-positive promulgations of the natural law. But Christians are not obliged to observe the legal and liturgical precepts of Old Testament because they were laid down by God for a specific stage in Salvation History.  In Jesus’ time, the Law was understood differently by different groups of the Jews to be 1) The Ten Commandments 2) The Pentateuch 3) The Law and the Prophets or 4) The oral (Scribal) and the written Law.
Jesus’ teaching: Jesus, and later Paul, considered the oral Law as a heavy burden on the people and criticized it, while honoring the Mosaic Law and the teachings of the prophets. At the time of Jesus, the Jews believed that the Torah (Law given to Moses), was the eternal, unchangeable, Self-Revelation of God. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says that he did not come to destroy the Torah but to bring it to perfection by bringing out its inner meaning because He IS the ultimate self-Revelation of God, the Lawgiver. That is why the Council of Trent declared that Jesus was given to us, “not only as a Redeemer, in whom we are to trust, but also as a Lawgiver whom we are to obey” (“De Iustificatione,” can. 21).  Jesus honored the two basic principles on which the Ten Commandments were based, namely the principle of reverence and the principle of respect. In the first four commandments, we are asked to reverence God, reverence His holy Name, reverence His holy day and reverence our father and mother. The next set of commandments instructs us to respect life, the marriage bond, one’s personal integrity and others’ good name, the legal system, another’s property and spouse, and one’s own spouse. Jesus declares that he has come to fulfill all Divine laws based on these principles. By “fulfilling the law,” Jesus means fulfilling the purpose for which the Law was given: that is, justice (or “righteousness,” as the Scriptures call it – a word that includes a just relationship with God).
Life messages: 1) In obeying God’s laws and Church laws, let us remember these basic principles of respect and reverence. 2) Our obedience to the laws needs to be prompted by love of God and gratitude to God for His blessings. 
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/L/20

June 11 Thursday (St. Barnabas, Apostle)
:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-barnabas/ 
Mt 5:20-26:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of  fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 ..26USCCB video reflections:
The context: For the Scribes and the Pharisees, the external fulfillment of the precepts of the Mosaic Law was the guarantee of a person’s salvation. In other words, a man saved himself through the external works of the Law.  Jesus rejects this view in today’s Gospel passage, taken from the Sermon on the Mount.  For Jesus, justification or sanctification is a grace, a free, strengthening gift from God. Man’s role is one of cooperating with that grace by being faithful to it, using it as God means it to be used. Jesus then outlines new moral standards for his disciples.
Control of anger: Anger is the rawest, strongest and most destructive of human emotions. Describing three stages of anger and the punishment each deserves, Jesus advises his disciples not to get angry in such a way that they sin.
1)  Anger in the heart (“brief stage of insanity” Cicero)It has two forms: a) a sudden, blazing flame of anger which dies suddenly. b) a surge of anger which boils inside and lingers, so that the heart seeks revenge and refuses to forgive or forget. Jesus prescribes trial and punishment by the Village Court of Elders as its punishment.
2) Anger in speech: The use of words which are insulting (“raka“=“fool”), or damaging to the reputation (“moros” = a person of loose morals). Jesus says that such an angry (verbally abusive) person should be sent to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religion’s Supreme Court, for trial and punishment.
3) Anger in action: Sudden outbursts of uncontrollable anger, which often result in physical assault or abuse. Jesus says that such anger deserves hellfire as its punishment. In short, Jesus teaches that long-lasting anger is bad, contemptuous speech or destroying someone’s reputation is worse and harming another physically is the worst.
Life messages: 1) Let us try to forgive, forget, and move toward reconciliation as soon as possible.  St. Paul advises us “Be angry (righteous anger), but do not sin” (Eph 4: 26).  2) When we keep anger in our mind, we are inviting physical illnesses like hypertension and mental illnesses like depression. Let us relax, keep silence when we are angry, and pray for God’s strength for self-control.
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/L/20

June 12 Friday: Mt 5.: 27-32:  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body  be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole  body go into hell.  31 “It was also said, `whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’  But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her and adulteress; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus outlines a new moral code for his followers, which is different from the Mosaic moral code. He insists that adultery, the violation of the Sixth Commandment, is also committed through willfully generated evil and impure looks, and evil thoughts and desires purposely created and held in the mind.
Interpreting Jesus’ words about self-mutilation.  Our hands do not themselves sin, but are made the mind’s agents for sin according to what we touch and how we touch, in lust or greed or violence. Our eyes become agents of sins according to what they look at. In recommending mutilation of eyes and hands, Jesus is not speaking literally because we have more sins than we have body-parts. Besides, even if all offending parts were removed, our minds — the source of all sins — would still be intact, causing us to sin by thoughts and desires.  So Jesus teaches us that, just as a doctor might remove a limb or some part of the body like an infected gall bladder, an inflamed appendix, cancerous colon sections, etc., in order to preserve the life of the whole body, so we must be ready to part with anything that causes us to commit grave sin or which leads to spiritual death (the “near occasions of sin.”) Hence, these warnings are actually about our attitudes, dispositions, and inclinations.  Jesus recommends that our hands become agents of compassion, healing and comfort, and that our eyes learn to see the truth, goodness and beauty that are all around us.
Clear teaching on divorce: According Matthew’s account, adultery is the only ground for sanctioning divorce. Based on the NT teachings given in Mk 10:1-12, Mt 5:31-32; Mt 19:3-9; Lk 16:18; and 1 Cor 7:10-11, the Catholic Church teaches that Marriage is a Sacrament involving both a sacred and legal contract between a man and a woman and, at the same time, a special Covenant with the Lord.  “Divorce is also a grave offense against the natural law.  Besides, it claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death….”  Divorce is immoral also because it introduces disorder into the family and into society” (CCC #2384, 2385).Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/L/20
June 13 Saturday (St. Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-anthony-of-padua/ : Mt 5:33-37:: 33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’  34 But I say to you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply `Yes’ or `No’; anything more than this comes from evil. USCCB video reflections:
The context: Jesus outlines a new moral code for his followers in his Sermon on the Mount, different from, and superior to, the Mosaic moral code. According to the teachings of Jewish rabbis, the world stands fast on truth, justice and peace; hence, liars, slanderers, scoffers and hypocrites will not enter Heaven. The rabbis classified two types of oaths as offensive to God: 1) frivolous oaths using God’s name to support a false statement, because this violates the second commandment. 2) evasive oaths using words like Heaven, Jerusalemmy head, because God is everywhere, and He owns everything.
Jesus’ teaching: Be righteous; be men and women of integrity and character. If one is honest in one’s words and deeds, there is no need for one to support one’s statements and transactions with oaths or swearing. “How forceful are honest words”! (Job 6:25). An oath is a solemn invocation of God (“So help me, God!”) to bear witness to the truth of what one asserts to be the case or to the sincerity of one’s undertakings in regard to future actions. It is necessary and admissible to ask God’s help in the discharge of an important social duty (e.g., President’s oath of office) or while bearing witness in a court of law (“I will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me, God”). In other cases, Jesus teaches, “Say ‘Yes,’ when you mean ‘Yes.’ and say ‘No,’ when you mean ‘No,’ (Mt 5:37). That is, He invites us to live in truth in every instance and to conform our thinking, our words and our deeds to the truth.
Life messages: 1) Let us be true to God, to ourselves and to others. 2) Let us allow God’s word of truth to penetrate our minds and heart and to form our conscience.
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/L/20