Sept 23 Monday (St. Pius of Pietrelcina, priest. Click
here: (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-pio-of-pietrelcina/ ):
Lk 8:16-18: 16 “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a
vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter
may see the light. 17 For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor
anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. 18 Take heed then
how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not,
even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”USCCB video
reflections: Click here: https://youtu.be/JUikjOW9AVc?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DD-uFtIWwJSoiHMmBgqLd9d
The context: Today’s Gospel passage is taken
from Luke’s version of Jesus’ teachings after he had told the parable of the
sower. It 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, move
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 experienced 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 claims that he
is the light of the world. When the light of Christ shines in our hearts, we
will be 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 will 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 loving the darkness of 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 will more 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 Jesus,
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, it certainly won’t grow, and it may
well not last at all.
Life messages: As “light of the world” it
is our duty 1) to remove the darkness from around us and 2) to show others the
true light of Jesus, his ideas and ideals through our model Christian life.
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
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Sept 24 Tuesday: Lk 8:19-21: 19 Then his
mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him for the
crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
desiring to see you.” 21 But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are
those who hear the word of God and do it.” USCCB video
reflections: Click here: https://youtu.be/HuBdlQjay0I?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DD-uFtIWwJSoiHMmBgqLd9d
The context: As Jesus became a strong critic of
the Jewish religious authorities, his mother and cousins came to take him back
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 the long distance of twenty miles, probably on foot, to talk to
him. But everyone in the audience knew how Jesus loved his mother and had
taken care of her until he started his public ministry. Besides, Jesus’
plain answer, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of
God and do it,” was indeed a compliment to his mother who had always
listened to the word of God and obeyed it. In other words, Jesus was
declaring, “Blessed are those who heard and kept the word of God as Mary was
faithfully doing” (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 58). Jesus was
also using the occasion to teach his listeners a new lesson in their
relationship with God. Being a disciple of Jesus, or a Christian, means first
and foremost having a deep, growing and personal relationship of love and unity
with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and with all who belong to
God as His children. Jesus changes the order of relationships and shows
us 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, actually or
potentially, 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 or
she is like Jesus who fulfilled the will of his Father.
Life messages: 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, we have the
obligation of treating others with love and respect and of sharing our love
with them by corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
2) Let us grow as true disciples of Jesus by becoming
hearers as well as doers of the word of God. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
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Sept 25 Wednesday: Lk 9:1-6: 1 And he called
the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to
cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal.
3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, or bag, or
bread, or money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter,
stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when
you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against
them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel
and healing everywhere. USCCB video reflections:Click here: https://youtu.be/X11PE40DqZc?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DD-uFtIWwJSoiHMmBgqLd9d
The context: Today’s Gospel describes the
commissioning of the twelve Apostles. Sent out with “power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,” they exercised their preaching
and healing mission according to the detailed action-plan given by Jesus.
Jesus’ instructions and travel tips. By his instructions, it
is clear that Jesus meant his disciples to take no supplies for the road. They
were simply to trust that God, the Provider, would open the hearts of
believers to take care of their needs. Jesus’ instructions also suggest that
his disciples should not be like the acquisitive Jewish priests of the day, who
were interested only in gaining riches. They should be walking examples of
God’s love and providence in action. The Jews supported their rabbis, and
judged doing so a privilege as well as an obligation, because hospitality was
an important religious tradition in Palestine. The apostles should choose
temporary accommodation in a reputable household, they should bless the
residents with God’s peace and they should be satisfied with the food and
accommodation they have received, without searching for better.
Life messages: 1) We, too, have a
witness-bearing mission: Each Christian is called not only to
be a disciple but also to be an apostle. As apostles, we are sent out to
evangelize the world by sharing with others, not just words, or ideas, or
doctrines, but our experiences of God and His Son, Jesus. It is through our
transparent Christian lives that we are to show the love, mercy and concern of
Jesus to the people around us. 2) We also have a liberating mission: There are
many demons which can control the lives of people around us, making them
helpless slaves —the demon of nicotine, the demon of alcohol, the demon of
gambling, the demon of pornography and promiscuous sex, the demon of
materialism and consumerism. We need the help of Jesus to be liberated from
them ourselves and to help Him liberate others from these bondages. (Fr. Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
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Sept 26 Thursday (Saints Cosmas and Damien) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saints-cosmas-and-damian/ :
Lk 9:7-9: 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done, and
he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from
the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old
prophets had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded; but who is this about whom
I hear such things?” And he sought to see him. USCCB video reflections:Click
here: https://youtu.be/2ggtqYSF2YI?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DD-uFtIWwJSoiHMmBgqLd9d
The context: Although King Herod respected and
feared John the Baptist as a great prophet, he was not converted, and he was
maneuvered into beheading John by his vengeful, intolerant, immoral and jealous
wife Herodias. When his personal staff started reporting stories to Herod about
the new prophet, Jesus, as the reappearance of Elijah the prophet, Herod
expressed his fear that Jesus was the reincarnation of John the Baptist whom he
had unjustly killed. He wanted to see Jesus, not to hear his preaching of the
Good News but in order to get rid of his fear and feelings of guilt.
The haunting conscience: Herod Antipas was one of the
several sons of Herod the Great, the King of Israel who had divided his kingdom
among four of his sons. Herod Antipas ruled over Galilee and Perea from 4
BC to 39 AD. The conscience of this immoral oriental tyrant Herod started
destroying his peace of mind when he realized the heinousness of his crimes of
an illicit and immoral relationship with his niece and sister-in-law, Herodias,
in gross violation of Mosaic laws, and his cooperation in the murder of John
the Baptist. His discomfort led him, not to repentance, but to the fear that
John had come back from the dead to punish him, a fear that might have prompted
Herod’s wish to see Jesus in person. His wish was finally realized when Jesus
was dragged to him during Jesus’ trial before Pilate. But Jesus did not yield
to Herod’s demand for a miracle and kept silence.
Life messages: 1) We need to keep our conscience
clean by repenting of our sins and being reconciled with God and His Church.
Otherwise, our sins will haunt us, making our lives miserable. 2) It is
necessary that we should have a clear understanding of who Jesus really is. We
need to see, experience and accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. Such
an acceptance should lead us to a total adoption of his ideas and ideals and
his way of life. Otherwise, we will be like Herod, who resembled the
people who flock to healing services today, looking for miracles but not for
Jesus. If our following of Jesus causes in us no change that transforms our
souls and radiates Jesus outward from us, our attempts to have mountain-top
experiences will be meaningless and vain. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
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Sept 27 Friday (St. Vincent de Paul, priest) Click
here: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-vincent-de-paul/ :
Lk 9:18-22: 18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone the
disciples were with him; and he asked them, “Who do the people say that I am?”
19 And they answered, “John the Baptist; but others say, Elijah; and others,
that one of the old prophets has risen.” 20 And he said to them, “But who do
you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 21 But he charged
and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of man must suffer
many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and
be killed, and on the third day be raised.” USCCB video
reflections: Click here: https://youtu.be/2U_VFXwDXGI?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DD-uFtIWwJSoiHMmBgqLd9d
The context: Today’s Gospel passage is the first
of the three times when Jesus foretells his Passion, death and
Resurrection. It consists of two sections, the Messianic confession of
Peter and the prediction of his Passion by Jesus.
Jesus as the Christ, our Lord and Savior: Today’s Gospel
explains the basis of our Faith as the acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, our
Lord and Savior. It also tells us that Christ Jesus became our Savior by
his suffering, death and Resurrection. According to Matthew (16: 13-19),
and Mark (8: 27-30), this famous profession of Faith by Peter took place at
Caesarea Philippi, at present called Banias, twenty-five miles northeast of the
Sea of Galilee. Jesus realized that if his disciples did not know who he
really was, then his entire ministry, suffering and death would be
useless. Hence, he decided to ask a question in two parts. 1) “What is
the public opinion about me? “and 2) “What is your personal opinion? “Their
answer to the first question was: “Some say John the Baptist; but
others say, Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets has risen.” Peter
volunteered to answer the second question, saying: “You are the Christ of
God.” But Jesus charged and commanded them to tell this to no
one and predicted his Passion and death.
Life messages: Let us experience Jesus as our Lord:
1) We experience Jesus as our personal Savior by listening to him through the
daily, meditative reading of the Bible, by talking to him through daily,
personal and family prayers, by offering him our lives on the altar in frequent
attendance at Holy Mass, by being reconciled with him every night, asking his
pardon and forgiveness for our sins, and by receiving the Sacrament of
Reconciliation whenever we are in mortal sin. 2) The next step is the
surrender of our lives to Jesus by rendering humble and loving service to
others with the strong conviction that Jesus is present in every person. (Fr.
Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
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Sept 28 Saturday (St. Wenceslaus, Martyr),Click
here: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-wenceslaus/ St.
Lawrence Luiz and companions, Martyrs): Lk 9: 43-45: 43 And all
were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at
everything he did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink
into your ears; for the Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men.”
45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them,
that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this
saying. USCCB video reflections: Click here: https://youtu.be/JHf949PDztI?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DD-uFtIWwJSoiHMmBgqLd9d
The context: Coming down from the mountain after
His Transfiguration, Jesus healed an epileptic boy. Today’s Gospel begins
with the reaction of the crowds to this cure: “and all were astonished at
the majesty of God.” But Jesus uses this occasion of high popularity
to explain that, in order to reveal his real majesty, “the Son of Man
is to be delivered into the hands of men.”
The least understood prediction of suffering and death: In
fact, Jesus foretold three times his great suffering through betrayal,
rejection, and the punishment of a cruel death. The Apostles could not take it
in because they were dreaming of a political messiah in Jesus. Besides, Jesus
showed his glory to three of them on the mountain and baffled everyone by
instantly healing an epileptic boy whom the Apostles could not heal, so
plainly, no one could do this to him by their own power. In addition, Jesus’ disciples
were really frightened by such a prediction, perhaps fearing the same fate for
themselves. They may also have been ignorant of the “Suffering Servant”
prophecy of Isaiah, where the Messiah was pictured as making atonement for
sins through his suffering and death. When Jesus called himself the “Son of
Man,” the Apostles got the impression of the Messiah coming in glory as
described by Daniel.
Life messages: 1) Jesus paid the ransom for our
sins by his blood and freed us from the tyranny of sin and fear of death. Jesus
defeated the powers of death through his Resurrection. Hence, it is our duty to
live and die as free children of God, freed from all types of slavery to sin,
evil habits and addictions. 2) We should ask Jesus for help to carry our daily
crosses in the same spirit of atonement for our sins and those of others that
marked Jesus’ willing, sacrificial sufferings and death for all of us. (Fr.
Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
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