25th Week: Sept 20-25:
Sept 20 Monday (St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Paul Chong Ha-sang, and companion Martyrs):
The context: Today’s Gospel passage is taken
from Luke’s version of Jesus’ teachings after telling 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 to be 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 Jesus’
light, the tiny bit of wisdom and understanding that we’ve already gained will
grow and grow with God’s 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. Jesus 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/)
Sept 21 Tuesday (St. Mathew, Apostle, Evangelist):
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 a 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 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 but the young disciples, “Why does your master eat with tax collectors
and sinners?” Jesus, coming to the rescue of the disciples, cut in,
and answered the question, in terns of healing: “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, “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 the Church, to be 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/)
L/21
Sept 22 Wednesday:
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 these instructions,
it is clear that Jesus meant the apostles 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 the apostles 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. They should choose temporary
accommodation in a reputable household, they should bless the residents with
God’s peace, and they should be satisfied with whatever food and accommodation
they receive, and not search 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 ourselves and to help Jesus liberate
others from these bondages. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/21
Sept 23 Thursday (St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest):
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 Jesus 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 Jesus’ ideas and ideals and 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/)
L/21
Sept 24 Friday:
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 the 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
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 the apostles did not know Who He really
was, then His entire ministry, suffering and death would be useless.
Hence, Jesus 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 Jesus through the
daily, meditative reading of the Bible, by talking to Jesus through daily,
personal and family prayers, by offering Jesus our lives on the altar in frequent
attendance at Holy Mass, by being reconciled with Jesus every night, asking
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/21
Sept 25 Saturday:
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 Jesus’ 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 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 Jesus 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 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 death through the
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/)
