June 10 Monday (Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the
Church): Gen 3:9-15, 20; Acts 1:12-14; Jn 19:25-34): One of the
most recent architectural additions to Saint Peter’s Square is the mosaic of
Mary “Mother of the Church,” with the inscription Totus Tuus, yet
another sign of Saint John Paul II’s great love for our Lady. On Saturday,
March 3, 2018, Pope Francis declared that, henceforward, the Monday after
Pentecost Sunday will be celebrated as the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of the Church. The Memorial will be observed annually and has been added
to the General Roman Calendar, the Roman Missal, and the Liturgy of the Hours
with the Holy Father’s wish that this new feast day foster Marian piety and the
maternal sense of the Church. Pentecost was the birth of the Church – the
Mystical Body of Christ.
As mother of Christ, the Head of the Church, Mary
is also the Mother of the Church, for she was with the apostles for that great
event. In Catholic Mariology, Mother of the Church (Mater
Ecclesiae) is a title, officially given to Mary at the closing of
the Second Vatican Council, by Pope Paul VI. The title was
first used in the 4th century by Saint Ambrose of
Milan. The same title was used by Pope Benedict IV in
1748 and then by Pope Leo XIII in 1885. Blessed Paul VI
made the pronouncement of the title Mother of the Church during his speech upon
the closing of the third session of the Second Vatican Council on November 21,
1964: “For the glory of the Virgin and our consolation, we proclaim Mary the
Most Holy Mother of the Church, that is, the Mother of the whole People of God,
both the faithful and the pastors.” Later, the title was also used by Pope St.
John Paul II and is also found in the Catechism of the
Catholic Church which states that Mary joined in bringing
about the birth of believers in the Church, who are members of its head.” (CCC 963).
“At once virgin and mother, Mary is the symbol and the most perfect realization
of the Church.” (CCC 507).
Pope St. John Paul II used the encyclical “Redemptoris
Mater” to explain how Jesus gave his mother to the care of John the
apostle and how she became the mother of the whole church. The Pope said, “in
her new motherhood in the Spirit, Mary embraces each and every one in the
Church, and embraces each and every one through the Church.” Pope Benedict
XVI addresses the issue of the relationship between Roman Catholic
Mariology and ecclesiology quoting the theologian Hugo Rahner,
SJ, that Mariology was originally ecclesiology. The Church is like
Mary. The Church is virgin and mother, she is immaculate and carries the
burdens of history. She suffers and she is assumed into heaven. She is carrying
the mystery of the Church. That is why in 2018 Pope Francis decreed
that the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church be
inserted into the Roman Calendar on the Monday
after Pentecost and that it be celebrated every year. The decree
was signed on 11 February 2018, the memorial of Our Lady of
Lourdes, at the 160th anniversary of the Lourdes
apparitions. The decree was issued on 3 March 2018.
As St. Augustine once said: “Mary is more blessed because
she embraces Faith in Christ than because she conceives the flesh of
Christ.” As St. Ambrose taught, “The Mother of God is a type of the Church
in the order of Faith, Charity, and the perfect union with Christ.” She
serves as the ultimate role model for all Christians in her willingness to cooperate
with God’s will. So, while we rightfully acknowledge her as the Mother of God,
the Theotokos, we also acknowledge her sanctity and her willingness
to do God’s will. This is why another ancient name attributed to her will
officially appear on the Church’s calendar for the first time this
year. “The Cross, the Eucharist, and the Mother of God are
three mysteries that God gave to the world in order to structure, fructify, and
sanctify our interior life and lead us to Jesus.” (Cardinal Robert Sarah,
Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments). Let us honor May the Mother of the Church by imitating her virtues
of faith, humility ant total surrender. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2019
June 11 Tuesday (St. Barnabas, Apostle): 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.
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. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2019
June 12 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.
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, he himself would be 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 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. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2019
June 13 Thursday (St. Anthony of Padua, Priest,
Doctor of the Church): 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 ..26
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)
one should be sent to the Sanhedrin, or 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 and keep silence when we are
angry and pray for God’s strength for self-control. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2019
June 14 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.
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). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/19
June 15 Saturday: 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.
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, Jerusalem, my 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. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2019
