7th Week: Feb 21-26
Feb 21 Monday: (St. Peter Damien, Bishop):
The context: Today’s Gospel passage describes an
exorcism and healing which Jesus performed after coming down from the mountain
of Transfiguration.
Why did the Apostles fail to heal the epileptic? The
father of the epileptic boy complained to Jesus about the inability of the
apostles to cure his son. They failed to heal the boy because 1) although they
had been given the power of healing, they failed to vitalize or activate it by
prayer as Jesus did; 2) they did not have strong, trusting, and expectant Faith
in God’s power; 3) as Jesus remarked, exorcism requires not only healing power
but also a life of prayer and penance. Jesus heals the epileptic by a word of
Divine command: Jesus demanded strong Faith from the boy’s father
as a condition for healing. Immediately the father of the child cried out and
said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Then Jesus commanded the
evil spirit, using His Divine authority: “You dumb and deaf
spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again.” As
the evil spirit left the boy, he was healed of his epilepsy.
Life messages: 1) God will work daily miracles
in our lives, provided we pray with trusting Faith. 2) Jesus offers us freedom
from bondage to sin, evil habits and addictions. 3) Let us make full use of the
protection and help God offers to those who seek Him with Faith in His power
and trust in His mercy. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Feb 22 Tuesday (Chair of St. Peter the
Apostle):
By celebrating the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter we honor
the mission of teacher and pastor conferred by Christ on Peter and continued in
an unbroken line down to the present Pope. We also celebrate today,
the unity of the Church, founded upon the Apostle Peter, and we use this
occasion to renew our submission to the Magisterium or teaching authority of
the Roman Pontiff, extended both to truths which are solemnly defined ex-cathedra, and to all the acts of the ordinary Magisterium. Like the
committee chair, this chair refers to the occupant, not the furniture. Its
first occupant stumbled a bit, denying Jesus three times and hesitating to
welcome Gentiles into the new Church. Some of its later occupants have also
stumbled a bit, sometimes even failed scandalously. So, the feast reminds us
that the Vicar of Christ needs the prayer support of all the Catholics. This
feast also gives us the occasion to give thanks to God for the mission He
entrusted to the Apostle Peter and his successors.
It is also is the feast of a relic long reputed to be St.
Peter’s actual throne or the Cathedra Petri. On the feast, 110
candles illuminate the reliquary that contains it. This relic has been
venerated by the faithful since the fourth century. Previously reserved in the
Baptismal Chapel of what is referred to as the Old St Peter’s Basilica, built
by Emperor Constantine around 333AD, today it can be found encased in a
reliquary — the bronze throne built by Bernini and enshrined in the apse of St
Peter’s Basilica. The throne is supported by the statues of four Doctors of the
Church: two from the West, St Augustine and St Ambrose, and two from the East:
St John Chrysostom and St Athanasius, beneath the well-known stained-glass
image depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove. In medieval liturgical custom, the
Pope was enthroned on the relic for part of his coronation ceremony and used it
as his liturgical throne in the Basilica on the feast. Ever since, Bernini’s
artwork covering the Chair is considered as the reliquary with the wooden
Chair inside it as the relic. The last time the relic was exposed was in 1867
by Blessed Pius IX on the eighteenth centenary of the martyrdom of Ss. Peter
and Paul. Kings of old sat on thrones and ruled. Peter’s chair is a symbol of
his authority from Jesus to rule the Church. This feast reminds us that Jesus
bestowed on Peter a special place among the Apostles. He was one of the three
who were with Christ on special occasions, such as the Transfiguration of
Christ and the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemani. He was the only Apostle to
whom Christ appeared individually on the first day of the week, the day of the
Resurrection. Peter, in turn, often spoke on behalf of the Apostles. When Jesus
asked the Apostles, “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” Simon
replied, “Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Mt 16:16)
And Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to you: That you are Peter [Cephas, a rock], and upon this rock [Cephas] I will build my Church [ekklesian], and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:13-20).
In saying this, Jesus made St. Peter the head of the entire community of believers and placed the spiritual guidance of the faithful in St. Peter’s hands. A symbol of this authority is the “cathedra,” a bishop’s throne or chair in a cathedral. Peter delivered the first public sermon after the Pentecost and won a large number of converts. He also performed many miracles and defended the freedom of the Apostles to preach the Gospels. He preached in Jerusalem, Judaea, and as far north as Syria. He was arrested in Jerusalem under Herod Agrippa I, but miraculously escaped execution. He left Jerusalem and eventually went to Rome, where he preached during the last portion of his life. He was crucified there, head downwards, as he had desired to suffer, saying that he did not deserve to die as Christ had died. The date of St. Peter’s death is not clear. Historians estimate he was executed between the years 64 and 68. His remains now rest beneath the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Feb 23 Wednesday (St. Polycarp, Bishop, Martyr)
The context: Ecclesiastical structures and lines
of authority were not as clearly defined in the early Church as they are now.
There were several Christian communities in big cities, each established by a
different evangelist with different preachers, and each with its own practices.
Rivalries could develop among them. In such circumstances, perhaps the incident
and instruction of Jesus presented in today’s Gospel passage was recalled. In
the passage, the Apostles complained about someone using the name of Jesus for
healing the sick. They were upset at seeing someone who did not belong to their
group using Jesus’ name to cast out demons. They were under the false
impression that healing and exorcism in Jesus’ name was their sole right. They
had forgotten the truth that God can use anybody as an instrument of healing.
This was the “closed mentality” which they copied from the teaching habits of
the Scribes and the Pharisees who reserved the Torah and it is teaching only to
the Jews.
“Whoever is not against us is for us:” Jesus
gives an ecumenical affirmation telling his disciples that there should not be
any rivalry, jealousy or suspicion as long as all hold the same belief. Since
the present-day divisions in Christianity are substantive, rising from
differences over the basic tenets of Faith, today’s Gospel passage does not
apply to them. However, Jesus’ instruction invites all Christians who accept
him as Lord and Savior to work together for the common welfare of all,
especially the poor, the sick and the marginalized. There is no reason for any
Christian denomination to be jealous of another denomination because of the
greater good they do for people for God’s glory. True love seeks the highest
good of our neighbor while envy results from selfishness and pride contrary
to true Christian love.
Life message: 1) Let us not try to prevent
anyone from doing good to others because of envy or jealousy. Envy and jealousy
are sinful because they lead us to sadness over what should make us rejoice.
True love always seeks the highest good of the neighbor. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Feb 24 Thursday:
The context: After cautioning his disciples
against jealousy and envy, Jesus explains to them the rewards for good works
and warns them of the punishment reserved for scandal-givers. Jesus
promises a reward for even the smallest act of charity for two
reasons: 1) in performing the action, we are recognizing the truth that the
beneficiary belongs to Jesus and that Jesus lives in him or her. 2) We perform
the action as an expression of our gratitude for the numerous favors we have
received from God.
The seriousness of scandal: Jesus tells scandal-givers that
suffering a dire punishment like drowning in the deep sea with a millstone hung
around their necks would do them less harm than they will suffer for committing
the horror of giving scandal to one of His “little ones.” This is because 1)
every scandal causes a chain reaction, resulting in the victims’ abusing and
giving scandal to others in turn, adversely affecting the whole community in
the process. 2) Scandals, like the sexual abuse of children, lead many to
serious sins and lead both victims and scandal-givers away from Faith and
religious practices. What does Jesus mean by amputation? Jesus teaches that,
just as a doctor might remove an infected hand or leg or some other part of the
body in order to presearve the life of the whole body, so we must be ready to
part with anything that causes us to sin and which leads us to spiritual death.
This means that we should abandon certain evil habits, bad friendships and
undue attachments to avoid giving serious bad example and committing grave
sins. Jesus does not teach that we should literally cut off
hand or foot or pluck out our eye. Rather, using a Semitic idiom, he teaches
that the most important aspect of our life is our Faith, and that it is better
to suffer any calamity rather than to lose this precious gift.
Life messages: 1) We need to have salt in our
lives: Jesus declares that, as the salt of the earth, our duty is to purify, preserve
and give flavor to people’s lives by using the blessings given to us instead of
leading others to sin by bad example. 2) As salt penetrates what it is placed
upon, let us penetrate the society around us, radiating Jesus’ love, mercy,
forgiveness and spirit of service. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/22
Feb 25 Friday:
The context: King Herod had married his
brother’s wife, Herodias, violating the Mosaic Law. John the Baptist showed
courage in condemning the king in public and lost his head for it. In today’s
Gospel, the Pharisees were setting a trap for Jesus asking whether he agreed
with his cousin John’s position on divorce. Jesus used the occasion to declare
unequivocally that the bond of marriage comes from God, and that it is
permanent and indissoluble: “What God has joined, man must not separate.” Today’s
Gospel gives Christ’s explicit teaching on marriage and divorce, the Divine
origin of marriage, the sacredness of family life and the indissolubility of
marriage.
Jesus’ explanation of Mosaic sanction: Jesus explains that
Moses’ permission for divorce was only a temporary concession to control the
growing rate of divorce in his time, by introducing a law-governed divorce.
Jesus adds that it was because of the hard-heartedness of the Jewish men that
Moses allowed such a concession. By denying the man’s right to divorce, Jesus
places the husband and wife on an equal footing in marriage and teaches that no
Mosaic regulation dealing with a temporary situation can alter the permanency
and unity of marriage.
Jesus’ clear teaching on divorce: Jesus reminds us that his
doctrine goes back to the original intention of God. Citing the book of
Genesis, Jesus proves that God made us male and female and commanded that “the
two shall become one flesh.” He then draws the conclusion that “they
are no longer two, but one body” – partners with equal rights – and
declares that no man is allowed to separate what God has joined together (Mt
19:6).
Catholic teaching: Based on the NT teachings
given in Mk 10:1-12, Mt 5:31-32; Mt 19:3-9; Lk 16:18; and 1 Cor 7:10-11, the
Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a Sacrament involving both a sacred
and a legal contract between a man and a woman and, at the same time, a special
Covenant with the Lord. “Divorce is also a grave offense against
the natural law. In addition, it breaks the contract, to which the spouses
freely consented, to live with each other till death…… Divorce is immoral also
because it introduces disorder into the family and into society” (CCC #2384,
2385).
Life messages:1) Let us keep all families of our
parish in our daily prayers. The mutual understanding and appreciation of the
spouses, their openness and frankness, their spirit of sacrifice, adjustment,
tolerance, their willingness to ask pardon and give pardon, their generosity in
forgiving and forgetting – all these help to make a marriage permanent. 2) Let
us also pray for all divorced men and women in the parish and also for those
who have married again without an annulment, and welcome them as active members
of the parish, although the latter cannot receive Holy Communion. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Feb 26 Saturday:
The context: Today’s Gospel passage describes
one of the loveliest incidents in the Gospel story. Jewish mothers used to
bring their children to the great rabbis that they might pray over the
children, especially on their first birthday. Naturally, mothers wanted the healing
touch and blessing of the most popular rabbi, Jesus. In an attempt to protect
their Master from the crowd of mothers and noisy children, the Apostles started
rebuking them. The passage describes Jesus’ reaction and teaching.
Childlike qualities for entrance into Heaven: By showing his
displeasure at the rough reaction of his apostles, Jesus made it clear that
everyone is equally important to him as a child of God. The mothers came to
Jesus because he was affable, jovial and approachable. Jesus decided to use the
occasion as a teachable moment. He taught his disciples that entry into Heaven
demands the childlike qualities of humility, innocence, obedience, total trust
in a loving and providing God, confidence in the essential goodness of people,
and readiness to forgive and forget. “To be little you have to believe as
children believe, to love as children love, to abandon yourself as children
do…, to pray as children pray” (St. J. Escriva).
Life messages: 1) Let us live in the awareness that we are the children of a loving and providing Heavenly Father and that by Baptism we are members of God’s family. Hence, we are expected to behave well every day as worthy children of a Holy Father. 2) Let us pray for all children in our families and for all our young parishioners and let us find time to cooperate in the parish ministries meant for children and young people. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
