23 Monday (Saint Vincent, Deacon and Martyr- USA)
Saint Marianne Cope, Virgin -USA):
Day of Prayer for the Legal white or violet Protection of Unborn Children (USA):
The context:
Today’s Gospel passage gives Jesus’ crushing reply to the
slander propagated by the observers from the Sanhedrin, that Jesus
expelled devils using the assistance of the leader of devils. Jesus
refutes the false allegation raised against him by the Sanhedrin scribes with
three counterarguments and a warning:
1) A house divided against itself will perish and a country
engaged in civil war will be ruined. Hence, Satan will not fight against Satan
by helping Jesus to expel his co-workers.
2) If Jesus is collaborating with Satan to exorcise minor
demons, then the Jewish exorcists are doing the same.
3) Jesus claims that he is using the power of his Heavenly
Father to evict devils, just as a stronger man can tie up the strong man who
has guarded all his possessions, and take all the strong man has
acquired. The evil one, the strong man, has muh of the world as a guarded
possession, but Jesus is stronger that the evil one and will destroy the captor
and free the captives. – by dying on the cross in willing sacrifice to save all
of us,
4) Finally, Jesus gives a crushing blow to his accusers,
warning them that by telling blatant lies they are blaspheming against the Holy
Spirit and, hence, that their sins are unforgivable (unless, of course,
they repent).
Life message: 1) Jesus teaches that
we can be influenced by the evil spirit if we listen to him and follow him.
Hence, we have to keep our souls daily cleansed and filled with the Spirit of
God, leaving no space for the evil spirit to enter our souls.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
24 Tuesday: (Saint Francis de Sales,
Bishop and Doctor of the Church)
The context: As Jesus became a strong
critic of the Jewish religious authorities, his cousins, taking Mary His mother
with them (though she supported him and all he was doing) to get a hearing by
Jesus and take him to Nazareth by force, perhaps because they feared that he
would be arrested and put to death, and that they might be next Jesus’
plain statement:
Today’s Gospel episode seems to suggest that Jesus ignored
the request of his mother and close relatives who had travelled a long distance
of 20 miles to talk to him. But everyone in the audience knew that Jesus
loved his mother and had taken care of her for years before he started
his public ministry. Besides, Jesus’ plain answer, “Whoever does the will
of God is my brother, and sister, and mother” was actually a compliment
to his mother who had always listened to the word of God and obeyed
it. Jesus was declaring, “Blessed are those who hear and keep the word of God
as she is faithfully doing” (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 58).
Jesus was also using the occasion to teach the congregation a new
lesson about their relationship with God. Being a disciple of Jesus, or a
Christian, is first and foremost a relationship of mutual love, service, and
unity with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and so with all who
belong to God as His children. Jesus has changed the order of
relationships and shows us here that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh
and blood. God’s gracious gift to us is His adoption of us as His sons and daughters.
This gift enables us to recognize all those who belong to Christ as our
brothers and sisters. Our adoption as sons and daughters of God
transforms all our relationships and requires a new order of loyalty to
God and His kingdom. “Everyone who does the will of the
Father,” that is to say, who obeys Him, is a brother or sister of Christ,
because he is like Jesus who fulfilled the will of his Father. But he who not
only obeys but converts others, begets Christ in them, and thus becomes like
the Mother of Christ” (“Commentary on St. Matthew”, 12:49-50.)
Life message: 1) Let us remember that by Baptism we
become the children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, and members of the
Heavenly family of the Triune God. Hence, let us observe our obligations
of treating others with love and respect and of sharing our love with
them in corporal and spiritual works of mercy. We are also His disciples,
and so are obliged to be hearers as well as doers of the word of God.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Jan 25 Wednesday: (The Conversion of Saint
Paul the Apostle)
Paul, the “Apostle to the Gentiles” and the greatest
missionary of the Apostolic age, was a Roman citizen by his birth in Tarsus (in
Cilicia), and a Jew born to the tribe of Benjamin. His Hebrew name was Saul.
Since he was a Pharisee, Saul was sent to Jerusalem by his parents to study
the Mosaic Law under the great rabbi Gamaliel. As a student, he also
learned the trade of tent-making. He was present as a consenting observer at
the stoning of Stephen. But Saul was miraculously converted on his way to Damascus
to arrest the Christians. After that, Saul, now called Paul, made several
missionary journeys, converted hundreds of Jews and Gentiles and established
Church communities. He wrote 14 epistles. He was arrested and kept in prison
for two years in Caesarea and spent two more years under house arrest in Rome.
Finally, he was martyred by beheading at Tre Fontane in Rome). Paul’s
spiritual journey was a spiritual experience (Mysica), that produced a transformation
(Metanoia) and impelled him to assume a mission of evangelization (Missio).
Today we celebrate the feast of the conversion St.
Paul (described thrice in the New Testament: Acts chapters 9, 22, and 26) an event
which revolutionized the history and theology of the early Church. Saul of
Tarsus, because of his zeal for the Jewish law and Jewish traditions, became
the most outrageous enemy of Christ and his teaching, as the apostles started
preaching the Gospel. Saul consented to the martyrdom of Stephen, watching the
cloaks of the stoners. After the martyrdom of the holy deacon, the priests and
magistrates of the Jews raised a violent persecution against the Christian
communities at Jerusalem, and Saul was their fanatical young leader. By virtue
of the authority, he had received from the high priest, he dragged the
Christians out of their houses, chained them and thrust them into prison. In
the fury of his zeal, he applied to the high priest and Sanhedrin for a
commission to take up all Jews at Damascus who confessed Jesus Christ and bring
them bound to Jerusalem to be properly punished. He was almost at the end of
his journey to Damascus, when, at about noon, he and his company were suddenly
surrounded by a great light. As Saul fell to the ground, he heard a voice say,
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul answered, “Who are you, Sir?”
And the voice said, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now, get up and
go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Saul rose and, blind,
was led by his companions into Damascus. The Lord sent a Damascus disciple
named Ananias to heal and instruct Saul. Ananias entered the house and, obeying
Jesus’ orders, laid his hands on Saul and prayed over him so that he might
regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately something
like scales fell from Saul’s eyes. He regained his sight, got up, was baptized
and, having eaten, recovered his strength. Saul had realized the truth
that Jesus was the mysterious fulfillment of all he had been blindly pursuing.
He could easily identify Jesus with Jesus’ followers. He stayed several days in
Damascus with Christian disciples and started teaching in the synagogues that
Jesus was the promised Messiah and the Son of God.
Life message: Saul’s conversion into Paul
teaches us that we, too, need conversion and the renewal of our lives by
a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, which will enable us to bear
witness to Christ, as St. Paul did, by exemplary lives.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
26: Thursday: (Saints Timothy and Titus,
Bishops)
The context: Today’s Gospel passage is
taken from Mark’s version of Jesus’ teaching after he had told the parable of
the sower. Jesus 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 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 recognized 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 that he is the Light of the world. When the Light
of Christ shines in our hearts, we are 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 do 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 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, more will 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 his
Light, the tiny bit of wisdom and understanding that we’ve already gained will
grow and grow with his help. If, on the other hand, our hearts are closed to
him, 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. He 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, our spirits certainly won’t grow,
and our connection to Him may well not last at all.
Life message: As “light of the
world” it is our duty to remove the darkness from around us and to show
others the true Light of Jesus, his ideas and ideals from our model Christian
life.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
27: Friday: [Saint
Angela Merici, Virgin]
The context: Using the mini-parables of the
growth of wheat seeds and mustard seeds in the field, Jesus
explains the nature of the growth of the Kingdom of God or rule of God in human
beings and human societies. In the case of both wheat and mustard seeds, the
initial growth is slow and unnoticeable. But within days a leafy shoot will
emerge, and within months a mature plant with numerous branches and leaves,
flowers and fruits will be produced. The growth is silent and slow but steady,
using power from the seed in the beginning and transforming absorbed water and
minerals for energy in the later stages. Jesus explains that the Kingdom of God
grows this way in human souls. The Kingdom of God is the growth of God’s rule
in human hearts that occurs when man does the will of God and surrenders his
life to God. It is slow and microscopic in the beginning. But it grows by using
the power of the Holy Spirit, given to us through the Word of God, the
Sacraments, and our prayers. Finally, God’s rule in the human heart transforms
individuals and communities into God’s people, doing His will in His kingdom.
Life message 1) As we learn God’s will from His
words and try to put these words into practice, we participate in the growth of
God’s Kingdom on earth, a growth which will be completed in our Heavenly life.
But we need the special anointing of the Holy Spirit to be doers of the word of
God, so let us offer our lives before God every day, asking for this special
anointing.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
28 Saturday: (Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest
and Doctor of the Church)
The context: Mark’s emphasis on Jesus’ wondrous works
helps him to reveal Jesus’ true Messianic identity. The role of God in calming
the storms of life is the central theme of today’s Gospel. By describing the
miracle, Mark also gives the assurance to his first-century believers that
nothing can harm the Church as long as the risen Lord is with them. The
incident reminds us today to keep Jesus in our life’s boat and to seek God’s
help in the storms of life.
The storm: The Sea of Galilee is lake thirteen miles long
from north to south and eight miles broad from east to west at its widest. It
is notorious for its sudden storms. When a cold wind blows from the west, the
valleys and gullies and hills act like gigantic funnels, compressing the winds
and letting them rush down to the lake to create storms with violent waves.
Unable to control their fears in just such a storm, the disciples awaken Jesus,
accusing him of disregarding their safety. Jesus' response is immediate. First,
Jesus rebukes the winds and the sea, producing perfect calm, to
the great astonishment of his disciples. Then only does he reproach them for
their lack of Faith.
Life messages: 1) We need to welcome Jesus into the
boat of our life. All of us are making a journey across the sea of time to the
shore of eternity, and it is natural that, occasionally in our lives, we all
experience different types of violent storms: physical storms, emotional
storms, and spiritual storms. We face storms of sorrow, doubts, anxiety,
worries, temptations, and passion. Only Jesus can give us real peace in the
storm of sorrow or console us at the loss of our dear ones.
2) When the storm of doubts seeks to uproot the very
foundations of our Faith, Jesus is there to still that storm, revealing to us
His Divinity and the authority behind the words of Holy Scripture. He gives us
peace in the storms of anxiety and worries about ourselves, about the unknown
future, and about those we love. Jesus calms the storms of passion in people
who have hot hearts and blazing tempers.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
