3 Monday (The Most Holy Name of Jesus):
The context: Today’s Gospel describes the beginning of Jesus’ mission of preaching and healing in Galilee, an ideal spot because it was the most fertile land in Palestine and well-populated with 204 villages around the Sea of Galilee housing Jews and Gentiles. The Jews there largely belonged to the tribes of Asher, Naphtali, and Zebulon. The people were open to new ideas because they had been exposed to various religious beliefs and the culture of traders from all over the known world.
Preaching the Good News: Jesus started preaching
the Good News about God the Father and about God’s Kingdom. Since it was God
the King’s message, it carried God’s authority and certainty; it was “Good
News” because Jesus introduced the hearers to God His Father as a loving,
merciful, providing, and forgiving Father Who wanted to save everyone from the
bondage of sin. The message also gave the listeners the “Good News” of the
Kingdom of God or the rule of God in human lives. Continuation John’s message,
Jesus, too, invited the hearers to repentance and the renewal of their lives so
that God might start ruling their lives. Matthew identified Jesus’ preaching
and healing ministry in Galilee as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah —
Light to people living in darkness.
Life messages: 1) As Christians we have been
given Jesus’ mission to continue. 2) Hence, our exemplary, transparent lives
must be and so carry our message radiating the light of Christ’s love, mercy,
forgiveness, and spirit of humble and committed service. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Jan 4 Tuesday (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, USA ,
Religious)
The context: Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’
miraculous feeding of a great multitude. The story is told in all four Gospels
and serves as Jesus’ way of introducing to those present a merciful and
providing God. Through God’s power, Elijah gave the widow,
each day, just enough to meet her needs (1 Kgs 17:13-16). Jesus, on the other
hand, gives generously and abundantly. This miraculous feeding was meant to
remind people of God’s provision of manna in the wilderness and to prefigure
the true Heavenly Bread, which Jesus would offer His followers, for Jesus performed
this miracle just before promising the Sacrament of the Eucharist for our
spiritual feeding.
While teaching, Jesus took pity on the growing physical
hunger of those listening, and challenged the apostles to feed them. But they
had with them only five loaves of bread and two dried fish. Jesus took these,
said a prayer of blessing, broke them, and asked the apostles to distribute
them till the hungry people were fully satisfied. Since it was mid-April,
springtime in Israel, the people could sit comfortably on green grass in their
groups of hundreds and fifties. After serving a generous meal which satisfied
all, the Apostles collected twelve wicker baskets of leftover bread and fish
pieces, a vivid proof and reminder of God’s generosity in giving and a warning
to all of us not to waste God’s blessings.
Life messages: 1) We may not be able to feed the
hungry millions in the world, but today’s Gospel challenges us to do our humble
share in alleviating hunger and poverty in our neighborhood. God will amplify
our little contributions and reward our good will and generosity. 2) We need to
be thankful to God for miraculously giving us our daily spiritual bread in the
Holy Eucharist Fr. Tony(https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/22
Jan 5 Wednesday (St. John Neumann, U. S. A.,
Bishop)
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 being
seized by the people and “made King” to lead a revolt against the Romans, Jesus
promptly instructed the apostles to leave the place by boat, then dismissed the
crowd and went to the mountain to pray in solitude.
A double miracle in 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 rush of hot wind from the desert blowing through the
gaps of the Golan Heights onto the Sea of Galilee. Recognizing His Apostles’
danger, Jesus went toward their boat, walking on the stormy sea. Jesus calmed
the frightened disciples and approached the boat. As soon as Jesus got into the
boat, the storm ceased miraculously, to the great astonishment of the apostles.
Life messages: 1) Let us approach Jesus with strong
Faith in His ability and availability to calm the storms in our lives and in
the life of the Church. Church history shows us how Jesus saved the 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 from the storms of clergy sex-abuse scandals 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 in our personal lives. Experiencing Jesus’ presence
in our lives, let us confess our Faith and call out for Jesus’ help and protection
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Jan 6 Thursday (St. Andre Bessette, Religious, U. S.
A.)
Scripture explained: Today’s Gospel describes
how Jesus participated in the Sabbath prayer of the synagogue in Nazareth
(Jesus’ hometown) with a band of disciples. The Synagogue Sabbath service
always began with the “Shema’’ prayer followed by the recital of the “Eighteen
Blessings,” praising and thanking God. Then four passages from the “Torah” the
book of Law were read and explained by a priest, followed by a selection from
the Prophets, which was read and interpreted by an invited scholar, guest, or
volunteer. Finally, the prayer was concluded with a priest or the synagogue
president blessing the assembly, using the blessing from the Book of Numbers
(6:22 ff). Popular as a miracle working preacher in Capernaum, Jesus was asked
to read from the Book of the Prophets and to interpret the Scripture. Jesus,
handed the Scroll of the prophet Isaiah, opened it and read the prophecy on the
mission of the expected Messiah. Surprising everyone, Jesus declared, “Today,
this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” meaning that Jesus was
the One sent “to bring glad tidings to the poor, liberation to captives,
recovery of sight to the blind and freedom for the oppressed”—language that
reflects the Biblical year of Jubilee. The townsfolk were greatly amazed, and
many were unable to accept that the prophet Isaiah was foretelling and
describing Jesus’ Messianic mission and ministry. As Messiah of the Lord God,
Jesus’ mission was to give liberation to everyone who would listen to God’s
“Good News,” accept it and put it into practice. Luke reports that the initial
reaction of the people was surprise at the power and eloquence of this son of
their soil; the next response of a large group was to try, unsuccessfully, to
throw Jesus over the cliff on which the city was built.
Life messages: 1) We need to receive Christ’s
freedom, live it and pass it on to others: As members of Christ’s Mystical
Body, we share in the freeing, saving mission of Jesus. But we are captives of
sin. We need Christ to set us free. We are often blinded by our evil habits,
addictions and need for financial security. Once we receive true liberation
from Christ, we are meant to share it with those we encounter in our daily
lives, families, neighborhoods, parishes and workplaces. 2) We need to let the
power of the Holy Spirit fill us, and stay ready to have miracles done through
us. Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus performed miracles because He was filled
with the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us be ready to become Spirit-filled
instruments of Christ’s saving freedom. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Jan 7 Friday (St. Raymond, Penyafort, Priest)
The context: Today’s Gospel shows us Jesus
touching a man sick with a severe case of leprosy and healing him instantly.
Biblical “leprosy” rarely indicated Hansen’s disease (leprosy proper); mostly,
the term referred to skin diseases like ringworm, psoriasis, leukoderma, vitiligo, and
some types of skin cancer.The suffering of lepers in Biblical times was chiefly
due to the way they were treated by the religious society of the day (Interpreter’s
Bible); lepers were treated as sinners deserving no mercy, because they
were seen as being punished by God with their contagious disease. The leprosy
given by God as a punishment to Moses’ complaining sister Miriam (Nm 12:10-15),
to Gehazi, the greedy servant of the prophet Elisha (2 Kgs 5:20 ff), and to the
proud the King Uzziah (2 Kgs 15:5; 2 Chr 26:16-21), supported the Jewish belief
that leprosy was God’s punishment for sins. Lepers, like sinners, were deemed
unclean, unfit to be counted among a people who considered themselves “a
kingdom of priests, a holy nation” (Ex 19:6). “Leprosy” was also a terrible
disease becauseits victims were separated from their families and society.
Mosaic restrictions on lepers: The Mosaic Law, as given in Leviticus, demanded
that, first, the priest declare the leper unclean, and then that the leper
should a) keep his garments rent and his head bare, b) muffle his beard, c) cry
out, “Unclean, unclean,” and d) dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.
As a rule, when a Jewish leper was healed, he had to go to the local priest for
confirmation that he was now clean and was permitted to mix with the general
public.
Life Messages: 1) The strong Faith of the sick
man prompted him to violate the Mosaic Law prohibiting him from joining a crowd
and approaching Jesus. The sympathy and mercy of Jesus prompted Jesus to
violate the Mosaic Law which forbade anyone to touch an untouchable leper.
Thus, Jesus teaches the lesson that the essence of Christianity is to touch the
untouchable, to love the unlovable, and to forgive the unforgivable. 2) By
sending the cured man to the priests to get their certification of his freedom
from disease, Jesus teaches us that we should pray for healing and, at the same
time, go to the doctors who share God’s wisdom in healing. Healing normally
happens when man’s skill combines with God’s grace. Fr. tony(https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Jan 8 Saturday:
The context: Today’s Gospel passage shows the
loveliness of John the Baptist’s humility. John was responding to his disciples
who complained that many among them were deserting John to join the new
preacher, Jesus, whom John had baptized.
John’s explanation: John told them plainly who he
really was and what his mission was. He told them that he was only a forerunner
of the Messiah and that his mission was to prepare a people for the Messiah by
preaching repentance. He was challenging his hearers to receive the baptism of
repentance as their first step in renewing their lives, so they could welcome
Jesus the Messiah into their lives. John explained further that his role was to
be the “friend of the Bridegroom” (shoshben); the Bridegroom was Jesus.
As the shoshben arranges the meeting of the bride and groom,
arranges the details of the wedding, presides over the wedding, guards the
bridal chamber and leaves happily, John prepared the Bride, namely, the Jewish
nation, for receiving her Bridegroom, Jesus the Messiah, by baptizing the
people who were willing to repent and then baptizing Jesus and introducing
Jesus to the people as the “Lamb of God.”
Life messages: 1) Our mission, as St. Francis de Sales puts it, is to “bloom where we are planted.” God has given a unique mission to each one of us, and we are expected to accomplish that unique mission by receiving God’s strength through the various means Jesus has instituted in his Church. “No one can receive anything except what has been given from Heaven.” 2)True humility and trusting Faith in God are necessary for us to accomplish our life’s mission by using God’s freely given gifts. Fr. Tony; (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)