Sept 21 Monday (St. Mathew, Apostle and Evangelist) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-matthew/ : Mt 9:9-13: 9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 10 And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: Today’s Gospel episode of Matthew’s
call as Jesus’ apostle reminds us of God’s love and mercy for sinners and
challenges us to practice this same love and mercy in our relations with
others. The call and the response: Jesus went to the tax-collector’s station to
invite Matthew to become his disciple. Since tax-collectors worked for a
foreign power and extorted more tax money from the people than they owed, the
Jewish people, especially the Pharisees, hated and despised the tax collectors
as traitors, considered them public sinners, and ostracized them. But Jesus
could see in Matthew a person who needed Divine love and grace. That is why,
while everyone hated Matthew, Jesus was ready to offer him undeserved love,
mercy and forgiveness. Hence, Matthew abandoned his lucrative job, because, for
him, Christ’s invitation to him, to become Jesus’ follower, was a promise of
salvation, fellowship, guidance and protection. Scandalous partying with
sinners. It was altogether natural for Matthew to rejoice in his new calling by
celebrating with his friends who were also outcasts. Jesus’ dining with all
these outcasts in the house of a “traitor” scandalized the Pharisees, for whom
ritual purity and table fellowship were important religious practices. But they
asked, not Jesus Himself, but the young disciples, “Why does your master eat
with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus, coming to the rescue of his
disciples, cut in, and answered the question, stressing his ministry as
healer: “Those who are well do not need a physician; the sick do.” Then
Jesus challenged the Pharisees, quoting Hosea, “Go and learn the meaning of
the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’” (Hosea 6:6). Finally,
Jesus clarified his position, “I did not come to call the righteous,
but sinners.” [After the Ascension, Saint Matthew remained for over
ten years in Judea, writing his Gospel there in about the year 44. Then he went
to preach the Faith in Egypt and especially in Ethiopia, where he remained for
twenty-three years. The relics of Saint Matthew were for many years in the city
of Naddaver in Ethiopia, where he suffered his martyrdom, but were transferred
to Salerno in the year 954].
Life messages: 1) Jesus calls you and me for a
purpose: Jesus has called us through our Baptism, forgiven us our sins, and
welcomed us as members of the Kingdom. In fact, Jesus calls us daily through
the Word and through his Church, to be his disciples and, so, to turn away from
all the things that distract us and draw us away from God. 2) Just as Matthew
did, we, too, are expected to proclaim Christ through our lives by reaching out
to the unwanted and the marginalized in society with Christ’s love, mercy and
compassion. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
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Sept 22 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: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: As Jesus became a strong critic of
the Jewish religious authorities, his cousins, bringing his Mother with them
(as a wedge in the door, so Jesus would listen to them?) 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. It also dismissed, without
mentioning them, all claims kindred might make which would interfere with His
Messianic Mission. 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 in absolute,
unquestioned, first place. 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
two-fold obligation to treat others with love and respect and to share 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 23 Wednesday: (St. Pius Pietrelcina, Priest) (www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-pio-of-pietreocina/ (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: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
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. 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. 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. The Apostles should be
walking examples of God’s love and providence in action. They 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/)
L/20
Sept 24 Thursday (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: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
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, 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 25 Friday: 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: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
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/)
L/20
Sept. 26 Saturday (Saints Cosmas & Damien) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saints-cosmas-and-damian/ :
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: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
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.”
Jesus’ least understood prediction: His coming 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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