30th Week: Oct 25-30:
Oct 25 Monday:
The context: Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus healed a woman in the synagogue who had been suffering for 18 years from what seems to have been curvature of the spine.
People in those days believed that she was possessed by a spirit which drained her strength. Jesus felt sympathy for her, called her to his side, laid his hands on her and said: “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” Immediately she was made straight, and she praised God.The reaction: Instead of joining the healed
woman in praising God, the ruler of the synagogue, in his zeal for fulfilling
the Law (cf. Ex 20:8; 31:14; Lv 19:3-30), publicly scolded the people for
seeking healing on a Sabbath day, indirectly blaming Jesus as a
Sabbath-breaker. Jesus reacted promptly, accusing the ruler of hypocrisy and
explaining that Sabbath rest was meant for doing acts of charity. Jesus asked
the ruler why taking out cattle and asses for drinking water was no violation
of Sabbath and releasing a poor woman from Satan’s bond was a violation of the
Sabbath ban on work.
Life messages: 1) Many of us are bowed down with
the burdens and worries of our lives. Many of us are weighed down and held
captive by terrible burdens that we carry in solitary sadness like some
terrible secrets or a paralyzing fear or some unconfessed great sins. 2) We are
often affected by spiritual deafness which makes us incapable of hearing God
speaking to us, or by spiritual dumbness which causes inability to proclaim our
Faith in public. 3) We can also suffer from the spiritual leprosy of sins and
possession by the evil spirit of addiction to sinful habits. 4) Jesus is ready
to place a healing hand on us and liberate us if we approach with expectant
Faith and fervent prayer during the Eucharistic celebration. (Fr. Tony) https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/21
Oct 26 Tuesday:
The context: Today’s Gospel contains two of
Jesus’ one-line parables about the Kingdom of God. The parable of the mustard
seed probably shows that Gentiles in the Church will one day outnumber Jews.
The parable of the yeast indicates that all are invited to salvation, and the
Gentiles, who were considered evil, like yeast, will enable the Church to grow.
The small beginnings and great endings: Using a pair of mini
parables, the mustard seed and yeast, Jesus explains how the Kingdom, or Reign,
of God grows within us by the power of the Word of God and the power of the
Holy Spirit living within us. When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and
allow Jesus’ word to take root in our hearts, we are transformed and made holy
by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. In the parable of the mustard
seed, the primary point of comparison is the contrast between the smallness of
the seed and the greatness of the result (“the largest of plants”). The
life-principle in a small mustard seed enables it to grow into a large bush by
a slow but steady process. The microscopic yeasts within a small piece of
leaven transform a thick lump of dough overnight into soft and spongy bread.
Christianity had a small beginning, like a mustard seed or yeast, with Jesus
and a band of twelve Apostles in a remote corner of the world. But through the
power of the Holy Spirit living in individual Christians, Christianity has
become the largest religion in the world, spreading in all countries and
embracing all races of people.
Life messages: 1) We need to allow the Holy
Spirit to transform us from our evil ways and tendencies to living a life of
holiness; from unjust and uncharitable conversation to speaking with God and
listening to Him (prayer); from gossiping about people and a judgmental
attitude to showing compassion for others and supporting them with consoling,
encouraging, and inspiring words and deeds.
2) We need to act like yeast influencing
the lives of others around us: Just as Christianity in the past transformed the
status of women, children, slaves, the sick, and the poor by the power of
Jesus’ Gospel, so we, as Christians in our time, have the duty to transform the
lives of people around us by leading exemplary lives through the grace of God,
according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/21
Oct 27 Wednesday:
The context: Continuing the fateful journey to
Jerusalem, Jesus answered the question about how many would be saved by
answering four presumed questions: Who will be saved? How? Why? When? Jesus
clearly explained that anyone who entered through the narrow gate of
sacrificial serving and sharing love would be saved. Jesus also admonished His
followers to concentrate on their own salvation rather than on other people’s
salvation. Explanation: When the Jewish questioner asked Jesus,
“How many will be saved?” he was assuming that the salvation of God’s Chosen
People was virtually guaranteed, provided they kept the Law. In other words,
the Kingdom of God was reserved for the Jews alone, and Gentiles would be shut
out. Jesus declared that entry to the Kingdom was never an automatic event
based purely on formal religion or nationality. What Jesus is saying is that
Salvation is not guaranteed for anyone. In order to be “saved” one has to live
and to die in a close loving relationship with God and with others. Then Jesus
added two conditions: a) Eternal salvation is the result of a struggle: Hence,
we are to “keep on striving to enter.” b) We must enter through the
“narrow gate” of sacrificial and selfless service. Our answer to the question:
“Have you been saved?” should be: “I have been saved from the penalty of sin by
Christ’s death and Resurrection. I am being saved from the power of sin by the
indwelling Spirit of God. I have the hope that I shall one day be saved from
the very presence of sin when I go to be with God.”
Life messages: 1) We need to make wise decisions
and choose the narrow gate when God gives us the freedom to choose. That is, we
need to choose consistent denial of self and the steady relinquishing of sinful
pleasures, pursuits, and interests. 2) We need to check our track on a daily
basis. The parable of the locked door warns us that the time is short. Each day
sees endings and opportunities missed. “Opportunity will not knock twice at
your door.” Let us ask this question every day: How much did I strive today to
enter through the narrow gate of sacrificial and serving love in action? (Fr.
Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/21
Oct 28 Thursday (Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles):
Simon the Zealot was the brother of Jude and
James the Lesser and, with them, was chosen by Jesus to become an apostle. His
name appears in all four Gospels in the list of apostles. (According to
tradition, Simeon, Jude, and James the Lesser were sons of Clophas (Alphaeus),
a cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus and hence cousins of Jesus). In order to
distinguish him from Simon Peter, this Simon is called Simon the Zealot,
probably because of his great zeal for the Jewish Law and its practice. The
Zealots among the Jews were a Maccabaean rebel group of patriotic Jews who
would only acknowledge Yahweh as their King. Therefore, they refused to pay
taxes to the Roman Empire and were determined to fight against any foreign
rule. Some of the Fathers of the Church think that it was Simon’s marriage
celebration in Cana of Galilee at which Jesus transformed water into wine. As
an apostle and admirer of Jesus, Simon was transformed into a zealous
evangelizer who preached in Egypt, Ethiopia and Persia and, along with his
brother Jude, suffered martyrdom.
Jude or Judas Thaddeus: He was the brother of
James the Lesser and Simon the Zealot. The three were probably cousins of Jesus
on his mother’s side. Jude was the one who asked Jesus at the Last Supper why
he did not manifest himself to the world as Jesus had done to his disciples.
Jude wrote one Epistle to the Churches in the East and preached in Judea,
Samaria, Idumea, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya. He was martyred by stoning. He
is venerated as the patron saint of seemingly impossible cases because a) in
his Epistle he stresses the importance of perseverance in harsh and difficult
circumstances; b) he was a close relative of Jesus; and c) he was ignored
(since he shared the name “Judas” with Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus).
According to some first century Mesopotamian legends, he performed miracles
that outshone those of the local sorcerers and magicians and cured a local king
of leprosy.
Life message: We share the mission of the
Apostles – the mission of preaching the Good News — by bearing witness to
Christ’s love, mercy, and spirit of forgiveness and loving service to all,
through our transparent Christian lives. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21
Oct 29 Friday:
The context: Since Jesus was invited to a
Pharisee’s house, and since it was the Sabbath, the food had been cooked the
day before the Sabbath (because cooking was work), and kept hot till the
Sabbath. During the meal in a Pharisees’ house Jesus felt sympathy for a man
suffering from dropsy (distension of abdomen with water, usually the result of
liver and kidney infection from recurrent attacks of malarial fever, common in
Palestine)and, after asking the lawyers and Pharisees whether it was lawful to
heal on the Sabbath, and getting silence for an answer, healed him, For the
Pharisees this was a gross violation of Sabbath law. No wonder they considered
Jesus as a reckless Sabbath-breaker for doing seven healings on Sabbath! Jesus
challenged them, asking if they would not save their son or ox on a Sabbath if
the child or the animal had an accidental fall into a well, a rhetorical
question for which the answer was yes. They remained silent.
The purposes of the Sabbath: The Sabbath was intended by God
to be: 1) a day of worship and of praising and thanking God for His goodness,
providence, mercy, and blessings; 2) a day for teaching God’s law to the
children; 3) a day of rest from normal work, 4) a day for socializing with the
members of the family and neighbors and 5), a day for doing works of charity in
the community.
Life messages: 1) We need to observe Sunday as
the Lord’s Day by actively participating in the Eucharistic celebration and
various ministries in the parish, by sending the children to Sunday schools,
and by instructing them in the Catholic Faith and by socializing with the
members of our family and neighbors.
We are also encouraged to engage in active works of charity
in our parish and community – visiting the sick and praying for their recovery,
comforting them, and encouraging them with words and deeds and, if possible and
needed, with financial help. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/21
Oct 30 Saturday:
Introduction: Today’s Gospel teaches us the need
for true humility and the blessedness of generous sharing with the needy. It
warns us against all forms of pride and self-glorification. It presents
humility, not only as a virtue, but also as a means of opening our hearts, our
minds, and our hands to the poor, the needy, the disadvantaged and the
marginalized people in our society – the personal responsibility of every
authentic Christian.
Though a guest of honor at a dinner party, Jesus explained
the practical benefits of humility, connecting it with the common wisdom about
dining etiquette. The Master advised the guests to go to the lowest place
instead of seeking places of honor, so that the host might give them the place
they really deserved. Jesus’ words concerning the seating of guests at a
banquet should prompt us to honor those whom others ignore, because if we are
generous and just in our dealings with those in need, we can be confident of
the Lord’s blessings.
Life Messages: 1) We need to practice humility in our personal and social life: Humility is based on the psychological and spiritual awareness that everything I have is a gift from God and, therefore, I have no reason, on that account or any other, to elevate myself above others. On the contrary, I must use these God-given gifts to help others. 2) True humility requires us neither to overestimate nor to underestimate our worth. 3) We must admit the truths that we are sinners, that we do not know everything, and that we do not always act properly. Nevertheless, we must also recognize that we are made in the image and likeness of God, and that we are called to help build the kingdom of God with our God-given gifts. 4) We are of value, not because of those gifts, but because we are loved by God as His children and have been redeemed by the precious Blood of His Son Jesus. 5) The quality of humility that Jesus is talking about has a sociological dimension too. For Jesus is inviting us to associate with the so-called “lower classes” of the society — even the outcasts. Jesus invites us to change our social patterns in such a way that we connect and serve with agape love the homeless, the handicapped, the elderly, and the impoverished — the “street people” of the world. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/
