21st Week: Aug 23-28:
Aug 23 Monday (St. Rose of Lima, Virgin):
The context: It is the third day of the original “Holy Week” in Jerusalem, a day of controversy and personal attacks. The Master is under fire, and challenges the religious leaders of Israel, pronouncing the first three of the eight woes Jesus would levy levies against the religious leaders, calling them hypocrites and publicly humiliating them.
The Judeo-Christians of Matthew’s early Christian community argued that the Gentile Christians should follow all Torah laws, oral laws and oral traditions. Matthew’s account reminds them of the criticism Jesus laid against the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel passage. Sins of the Scribes and Pharisees: Matthew 23 gives us the Master’s scathing condemnation of the Jewish leadership, expressing the rolling thunder of Jesus’ anger and sorrow at the hypocrisy or double standard of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus levels three accusations against the Pharisees: 1) they do not practice what they preach, 2) they adopt a very narrow and burdensome interpretation of the Torah, and 3) they seek public acknowledgment and glory for themselves rather than for God. Jesus calls them hypocrites because i) although they know that the essence of religion is loving one’s neighbors, seeing God in them, they teach that external observance of man-made laws alone is the real essence of religion; ii) although they are zealous missionaries in inviting converts to Judaism, they overburden the converts with man-made laws and regulations as the essence of Judaism; and iii) they try to bluff God by misinterpreting the Law and misleading the people. Jesus gives the example of swearing and accuses them of cleverly evading binding oaths and solemn promises by falsified interpretations.Life message: 1) What Jesus wants is a pure
heart, with no element of deceit. We should not follow the dog-in-the-manger
policy of the Pharisees by not keeping God’s commandments ourselves and not
allowing others to keep them. 2) Let us avoid frivolous swearing and
oaths and all forms of hypocrisy and superstition in our religious life.
(Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
Aug 24 Tuesday (St. Bartholomew, Apostle)
The context: In today’s Gospel of John (John
1:43-51), Nathanael, also called Bartholomew or “son of Tholomay,” is
introduced as a friend of Philip. He is described as initially being skeptical
about the Messiah coming from Nazareth, saying: “Can anything good come out
of Nazareth?” But he accepts Philip’s invitation to meet Jesus. Jesus
welcomes him saying, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no
guile!” (RSV2 Catholic) Jesus’ comment, “Before Philip called
you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you”(RSV 2 Catholic), is
probably based on a Jewish figure of speech referring to studying the Torah because the rabbi used
to give Bible classes for small groups under the shade of fig trees. Nathanael
immediately recognizes Jesus as “the Son of God” and “the King of
Israel.” Nathanael reappears at the end of John’s Gospel (John
21:2), as one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Tiberius after
his Resurrection from
the tomb. The Gospels thus present Bartholomew as a man with no malice and
lover of Torah with openness to truth and readiness to accept the truth.
Nathanael was the first Apostle to make an explicit confession of Faith in
Jesus as the Messiah and as the Son of God.
Life messages: 1) Let us pray for the grace to
love the word of God as Bartholomew did. 2) Let us also pray that we may accept
the teaching of the Bible and the Church with open heart and open mind, without
pride or prejudice.
(Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/ (L/21)
Aug 25: Wednesday (St. Louis) St. Joseph
Calasanz, Priest
The context: Today’s passage, again taken from
chapter 23 of Matthew’s Gospel, gives the seventh and eighth accusations made
against the Pharisees on the third day of the original “Holy Week” in
Jerusalem, as Jesus addressed them in the Temple precincts. Jesus told them
plainly that they were whitewashed tombs containing rotten stuff inside.
Hypocrisy exposed: Jesus compared the scribes
and Pharisees to the tombs on the sides of the road leading to Jerusalem. In
preparation for the three major Jewish feasts, the Scribes and Pharisees used
to have these tombs whitewashed, so that the pilgrims would not be ritually
defiled by unknowingly walking over one. In this seventh charge, Jesus accused
the Pharisees of moral filth, of hiding injustice and immorality inside themselves
and covering the corruption with “whitewash” — the pretenses of piety and
religious fervor. In his eighth and final indictment, Jesus also criticized
their false zeal in decorating the old monuments and rebuilding new monuments
for the past prophets who had been persecuted and murdered by the forefathers
of the Pharisees because these modern Pharisees had neither learned nor been
changed by the messages of the now-dead prophets.
Life messages: 1) We need to be men and women of
integrity and character without any element of hypocrisy in our Christian life.
2) We should not make a show of holiness and religious fervor when we are not
internally holy. Here is St. John Chrysostom’s (4th century)
comment on the matter: “You have been counted worthy to become temples
of God. But you have instead suddenly become more like sepulchers, having the
same sort of foul smell. This is dreadful. It is extreme wretchedness that one
in whom Christ dwells and in whom the Holy Spirit has worked such great works
should turn out to be a sepulcher, a place for death, carrying a dead soul – a
soul deadened by sins, a soul paralyzed – in a living body
(Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/ (L/21)
Aug 26 Thursday:
The context: The central theme of today’s Gospel
passage is the necessity for Faith and vigilant preparedness in the lives of
Christ’s followers. The passage contains a pair of short parables in which the
chief characters are a master (representing the risen Jesus), and his servants
(Jesus’ followers, ourselves). Jesus warns the disciples that they must be
prepared at all times because the Son of Man will come at an unexpected hour.
According to the Fathers of the Church, Jesus’ words in this passage have
two senses. In the narrower sense, the words refer to the Second Coming of
Jesus, but in the broader sense they refer to the time
of our own death, when God will call us to meet Him and to give Him
an account of our life on earth. Jesus wants all of us to be ready at
every moment to do God’s will by loving others through humble, sacrificial
service.
Steadfast Faith and eternal vigilance: In the first part of
this discourse, prior to today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the disciples the
need for constant vigilance, using the mini parable of the thief and the
treasure. We should not lose our treasure of Divine grace or close relationship
with Jesus, like the man who awoke one morning to discover that a thief
had stolen his wealth in the night. In the second part (today’s Gospel),
Jesus exhorts the disciples to be steadfast in their Faith and ever vigilant.
When he had to be away from home, a master would make a servant his steward and
entrust to him the management of the household. A trusted steward was expected
to run his master’s house well, to govern the master’s servants, and to
administer the master’s estate. When his master was not at home, a wise and
trustworthy steward was ever vigilant. He prepared himself for his master’s
return at any time of the day or night by always doing his duties
faithfully. Jesus illustrates the same point by using another mini parable of
the foolish and wicked steward who got drunk and was caught red-handed by his
master.
Life message: 1) These parables encouraging “wakefulness” and “preparedness” are addressed to all believers. Since the time of our death is quite uncertain, we, too, must be ever ready to meet our Lord at any moment. Our Master should find us carrying out our tasks of love, mercy and service, rather than leaving things undone or half-done or postponed. He should also find us at peace with God, ourselves and with our fellowmen (Eph 4:26) (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/ (L/21)
Aug 27 Friday (St. Monica):
The context: Today’s parable, taken from
Matthew’s Gospel, brings the usual warnings about preparation for the end
of our own world, the end of our own times, and our own passage to another
world. The parable tells us that a searching, watching, and growing heart
is essential for a lively, dynamic Faith in God; it also asks us whether
we are ready for these events and how we are preparing for them.
The parable: Since a wedding was a great occasion, the whole
village would line up at the sides of the road to wish God’s blessings on the
bride and groom in procession. The invited ones would join the
procession, which started from the bride’s house, and ended at the groom’s
house to take part in the week-long celebration. Since the bridegroom might
come to the bride’s house unexpectedly, the bridal party had to be
ready at any time, with virgins carrying lighted torches and reserve oil
in jars. The five foolish virgins who could not welcome the groom’s
party lost not only the opportunity of witnessing the marriage ceremony,
but also of participating in the week-long celebration that followed. The
local meaning is that the foolish virgins represent the “Chosen People of God”
who were waiting for the Messiah but were shut out from the Messianic
banquet because they were unprepared. The universal meaning is
that the five foolish virgins represent those who fail to prepare for the end
of their lives and for the Final Judgment. They do not put their Faith in Jesus
and live it out by keeping Jesus’ Commandment to love others as Jesus Himself
did.
Life messages: 1) We must be wise enough
to remain ever prepared: Wise Christians carefully make their daily
choices for God. They are ready to put the commandment of love into
practice by showing kindness and forgiveness. 2) Let us be sure
that our lamps are ready for the end of our lives: Spiritual readiness,
preparation and growth come as a result of intentional habits built into one’s
life. These include taking time for prayer and being alone with God;
reading God’s Word; leading a Sacramental life; cooperating with God’s grace by
offering acts of loving service to others; practicing moral faithfulness, and
living always in loving obedience to Him
(Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/ (L/21)
Aug 28 Saturday (St. Augustine, Bishop, Doctor of
the Church)
The context: The three parables in the
twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew (The Wise and Foolish Virgins, The Talents, The
Last Judgment) are about the end times, the end of the world, and the end of
our lives. The parable of the talents is an invitation for each one of us to
live in such a way that we make the best use of the talents God has given us.
Then, at the hour of our death, God will say: “Well done, My good and
faithful servant! Come and share the joy of your Master.” The parable
challenges us to ask the questions: Are we using our talents and gifts
primarily to serve God? Are we doing everything we can to carry out God’s will?
The story: A very rich person, about to set off on a journey, entrusted very
large sums of wealth (talents), to three of his slaves, each according
to his personal ability: five, two, and one. Through skillful
trading and investing, the first and second slaves managed to double their
master’s money. Afraid of taking risk and lazy by nature, the third slave
buried his talent in the ground. On the day of accounting, the
master rewarded the two clever slaves (“Come, share your master’s
joy.”), but punished the third slave whom he calls “wicked and slothful”
(v. 26). Life messages: 1) We need to trust God enough to make
use of the gifts and abilities we have been given. Everyone is
given different talents and blessings by God. So, we should ask ourselves how
we are using our particular gifts in the service of our Christian community and
the wider society. 2) We need to make use of our talents in our parish. We
should be always willing to share our abilities in the liturgy, in Sunday
school classes and in social outreach activities like feeding the hungry,
housing the homeless, visiting the sick and the shut-ins. 3) We need to
trade with our talent of Christian Faith: All of us in the Church today have
received at least one talent. We have received the gift of Faith. Our
responsibility as men and women of Faith is not just to preserve and “keep” the
Faith but to live it out daily and pass it on faithfully to the next generation
in our family and in our parish community.
(Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
