Aug 3-8: Aug 3
Monday: Mt 24:
22-36: And if those days had not been shortened, no one would be saved;
but for the sake of the elect they will be shortened. 23j If
anyone says to you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not
believe it. 24False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will
perform signs and wonders so great as to deceive, if that were possible, even
the elect. 25Behold, I have told it to you beforehand. 26So if they
say to you, ‘He is in the desert,’ do not go out there; if they say, ‘He is in
the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.*………………36 USCCB
video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: In today’s Gospel, Jesus is prophesying
the end of the world and his second coming in glory to judge world. He
warns his listen and not to postpone their preparations for the end of the
world, because when the end strikes unexpectedly it will already be too
late. Through this prophecy and warning, Jesus asks us, too, to be ready
to meet him as our Judge at his Second Coming, whenever that may take place,
and to be prepared to meet him and to give an account of our lives at the
moment of our death, which is also unknown to us.
We need to learn
lessons from the past: Jesus gives the example of the Flood during Noah’s time,
when people ate and drank right up to the moment of disaster. Similarly,
He goes on, in the days of Lot, people were leading their ordinary sinful lives
when fire and brimstone rained down on the wicked cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah. Only Lot and his family, who had been previously warned and
directly assisted by the angels, escaped. The same events will be
repeated at the end of the world. Some will be saved and others destroyed.
The criterion of selection will be our intimacy with Jesus in a life of
grace. Jesus wants us to understand that the Kingdom of God will be near
when wars, natural calamities, unnatural movements of heavenly bodies and
pestilences occur. Hence, we must be ever vigilant and prepared. Jesus
warns his listeners to learn from the fig tree to explain his point that we
must be prepared for the time of tribulation, his Second Coming and the Last
Judgment. Fig trees produce fruits twice a year, at Passover time and in autumn.
The sign of the ripening of their fruits is the appearance of fresh leaves on
the tree. The Jews believed that the Messiah would appear during the Passover
period, which coincides with the appearance of fresh leaves on fig trees.
Jesus also uses the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servants to warn his
listeners to remain always faithful to his teaching that they may be rewarded.
Life messages: 1) We need to stay ready always by living
holy and prayerful lives spent in doing good for others. 2) We need to
make reparation for our past sins, and to prepare our lives to meet our Savior
as our Judge by lives of penance, prayer and works of charity. (Fr. Tony) L/20
Aug 4 Tuesday (St.
John Vianney, Priest) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-john-vianney/ :
Matthew 14:22-36: 22 Then he made the disciples get into the boat
and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And
after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to
pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was
many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was
against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking
on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were
terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But
immediately he spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” 28
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.”
29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and
came to Jesus; 30 but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to
sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand
and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32..36 USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: The event presented by today’s Gospel is
the scene immediately following Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the five thousand
with five loaves of bread and two fish. Sensing the danger of having the
people make him leader of a revolt, Jesus promptly instructed his apostles to
leave the place by boat and, after dispersing the crowd, he went by
himself to the mountain to pray.
A double miracle on
the sea: When the apostles in the boat were several furlongs away from
the shore, they faced an unexpected storm on the sea caused by the hot wind of
the desert rushing into the Sea of Galilee through the gaps in the Golan
Heights. Recognizing the danger, Jesus walked on the stormy waters toward the
boat. Jesus calmed the frightened disciples as he approached the boat, allowed
Peter to do a trial walk on water, then saved him from drowning when he began
to get frightened. As soon as Jesus brought Peter into the boat the storm
ceased miraculously. The apostles recognized the presence of God in their midst
and they all worshipped Jesus.
Life messages: 1) Let us approach Jesus with strong Faith in
his ability and willing availability to calm the storms in our lives and in the
life of the Church. Church history shows us how Jesus saved his Church from the
storms of persecution in the first three centuries, from the storms of heresies
in the fifth and sixth centuries, from the storms of moral degradation and the
Protestant reformation movement in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and
the storms of sex abuse scandals of the clergy in the twentieth and
twenty-first centuries. 2) Let us ask Jesus to protect us when we face storms
of strong temptations, storms of doubts about our religious beliefs, and storms
of fear, anxiety and worries about the future, as in the present Covid-19
pandemic, in our personal lives. 3) Experiencing Jesus’ presence in our lives,
let us confess our Faith in him and call out for his help and
protection. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
Aug 5 Wednesday (Dedication
of the Basilica of St. Mary Major) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/dedication-of-saint-mary-major-basilica/ :
Mt 15:21-28: 21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the
district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region
came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is
severely possessed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his
disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after
us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And
he answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the
dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from
their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your
faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed
instantly. (Cfr Mark 7 24-30) USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: In the Gospel, Jesus demonstrates that
salvation is meant for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews. By healing
the daughter of a Gentile woman as a reward for her strong, trusting Faith
expressed by her patient, persistent prayer, Jesus shows us that God’s mercy
and love are available to all who call out to Him in Faith.
This is one of the two
miracles of healing Jesus performed for Gentiles. The other is the healing
of the centurion’s servant (Mt 8:10-12). These miracles foreshadow the future
preaching of the Gospel to the whole world. Jesus first ignored both the
persistent cry of the woman and the impatience of his disciples who wanted him
to send the woman away. He then tried to awaken true Faith in the heart of
this woman first, by ignoring the request and then, by an indirect refusal. We
notice that the woman was refused three times by Jesus before he finally
granted her request the fourth time. Her patient persistence was rewarded, and
her plea was answered. Jesus was completely won over by the depth of her Faith,
her confidence and her wit and hence responded delightedly, “Woman,
great is your Faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
Life messages:1) We need to persist in prayer with
trustful confidence. Christ himself has told us to keep on asking Him for
our needs: “Ask and you shall receive. “Asking with fervor and
perseverance demonstrates our “great Faith.” 2) We must realize and remember
that we do not always get exactly what we ask for, but rather what God
knows we actually need, and what is really best for us, at the
time most appropriate to meet our need. 3) We need to pull down the
walls of separation we have built between ourselves and others
and share in the universality of God’s love. Today’s Gospel reminds
us that God’s love and mercy are extended to all who call on him in Faith and
trust, no matter who they are. It is therefore fitting that we should
pray that the walls our pride, intolerance and prejudice raise, should crumble.
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
Aug 6 Thursday TRANSFIGURATION
OF THE LORD
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/transfiguration-of-the-lord/ : Mt
17: 1-9: After six days, Jesus took with him Peter and James and
John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. 2 And he was
transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments
became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah,
talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are
here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses
and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud
overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard
this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. 7 But Jesus came and
touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 …9 USCCB video
reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’
Transfiguration during prayer on a mountain. It invites us to welcome the
transformation of our lives caused by the Holy Spirit and to radiate
the grace of the transfigured Lord around us by our Spirit-filled lives.
The primary purpose of Jesus’ Transfiguration was to consult his Heavenly
Father and to ascertain His plan for Our Lord’s suffering, death and
Resurrection. The secondary aim was to make his chosen disciples aware of
his Divine glory so that they might discard the worldly ambitions planted in
their notions of a conquering political Messiah and remain faithful to him
during his trial and the execution which would follow. The
location of the Transfiguration was probably Mount Hermon in North Galilee,
near Caesarea Philippi.
The
event: While praying, Jesus was transformed into
a shining figure clothed with heavenly glory. Representing the Law
and the Prophets, Moses, the great Law-giver, and Elijah, the great
prophet, appeared, speaking with Jesus in His glory. These representatives of
the Law and the Prophets, in their lives on earth, foreshadowed Jesus who
is the culmination of the Law and the Prophets. Then “a bright
Cloud overshadowed them, and a Voice from the Cloud said, ‘This is My
beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.’” God
revealed Jesus as His Son — His beloved — the one in whom He is
well pleased and to whom we must listen.
Life messages: (1) The transfiguration by
transubstantiation in the Holy Mass is the source of our strength. In the Holy
Mass, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus.
Hence, just as the Transfiguration of Jesus was meant to strengthen the
apostles in their time of trial, each Holy Mass should be our source of
Heavenly strength against our own temptations, and a source of renewal for
our lives. In addition, each Holy Communion should transform us both internally
and externally. 2) God gives us a message of Hope in Jesus’
Transfiguration. In moments of doubt, despair and helplessness, Jesus’
Transfiguration reminds us of our own coming transfiguration in Heaven, and helps
us to reach out to God to hear again His consoling words, “This is my beloved
son/daughter in whom I am well pleased.” (Fr. Tony) L/20
Aug 7 Friday (St.
Sixtus II, Pope and companions, Martyrs) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-sixtus-ii-and-companions/ , St.
Cajetan, Priest: Matthew 16: 24-28: 24 Then Jesus told his
disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up
his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and
whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a
man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man
give in return for his life? 27 For the Son of man is to come with his angels
in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has
done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste
death before they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” USCCB
video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: After Peter made his famous declaration
of Faith in Jesus as God and Messiah, Jesus plainly warned his
disciples about his approaching suffering and death and his promised his
Resurrection. But the apostles were unwilling to accept such a fate for their
Master. Peter even took Jesus aside and prayed, “God forbid, Lord! This must
never happen to you!” It was after Peter’s protest that Jesus declared
three conditions of the discipleship which he expects from his followers.
We hear them in today’s Gospel.
Conditions of
Christian discipleship: 1) Deny yourself 2) Take up your cross. 3) Follow
Me. Denying oneself means evicting the self, with its selfish thoughts and
desires, from one’s heart. It also means cleansing the heart of all bad habits
and evil tendencies. Finally, it means enthroning God in one’s cleansed
heart and surrendering one’s life to God’s service by serving
others. Carrying the cross means willingly accepting the pain involved in
serving others sacrificially. It also means spending our time, talents, wealth
and health for others until it hurts us. Cross-bearing is also our
sacrificial sharing of God’s blessings with others. Further,
it includes our doing penance to make reparation for our sins and to grow
in self-control. Carrying one’s cross becomes easier and more meritorious when
we accept life’s crosses as loving gifts given by a loving Father. The
comparison of our light crosses with the heavy crosses given to others should
make us grateful. Finally, we should carry our crosses, praying for Heavenly
strength. “Follow Me” means the disciple should be ever ready to obey as Jesus
directs him or her through his words in the Bible and through the teaching
authority he instituted in the Church.
Life message: We need to love the cross, wear the cross,
and transform the God-given crosses of our life into the instruments of our
salvation by working with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
Aug 8 Saturday (St.
Dominic, Priest) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-dominic/ :
Matthew 17: 14-20: 14 And when they came to the crowd, a man
came up (Matthew 17: 14-20): 14 And when they came to the
crowd, a man came up to him and kneeling before him said, 15 “Lord, have mercy
on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls
into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your
disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless
and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear
with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came
out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus
privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them,
“Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a
grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, `Move from here to
there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” USCCB
video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: When Jesus came down from the mountain of
the Transfiguration along with Peter, John and James, the father of an
epileptic son knelt before Jesus and asked Jesus to heal his son. The father’s
complaint was that the other nine disciples of Jesus waiting for their master
to come down from the mountain could not heal the boy.
The healing: After
expressing impatience with the crowd for their lack of Faith, Jesus rebuked the
demon and cast him out of the boy. Later when the apostles asked Jesus why they
had been unable to do the same although they had been given the power of exorcism,
Jesus pointed out their lack of Faith. Jesus said further that even a small
amount of Faith would enable them to do great things. Faith moving
mountains was a Jewish phrase meaning that God can remove all
difficulties for one who places his trusting Faith in Him.
Life message: We will be able to solve our problems and
many of the problems of our fellow-human beings if we place our trusting Faith
in God’s power and goodness and ask for His strength in prayer. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
