29th Week: Oct 23-28
Oct 23 Monday:
The context: Jesus told the parable of the
foolish rich man as a response to a Jew who had asked Jesus’ help in solving
his dispute with his brother concerning their paternal inheritance. By relating
this parable, Jesus warns us against all types of greed, because greed takes
our life’s focus away from God and away from serving and loving other people.
Instead, greed directs all our energy and attention to fulfilling the self,
making our wealth the basis of our security. Jesus also warns us against the
temptation to place our dependence upon material things because “one’s life
does not consist of possessions.”
The teaching: Through this parable Jesus teaches the
audience the folly of greed and selfishness. He declares that the criterion for
Heavenly bliss is not earthly wealth but how we share what we have with others.
In the parable, God calls the rich man “fool” because 1) he has evicted God
from his heart, enthroned money instead, and worshipped his wealth; 2) he has
also evicted his brothers and sisters in need from his heart because there is
place in it only for his wealth; 3) he has filled his heart with himself and
has become greedy; 4) he has forgotten that he will die one day and lose all
his possessions.
Life messages: 1) We need to share our blessings with
others because all these things have been loaned to us by God, and so we are
accountable for their use. We must be generous in sharing our time, our
treasure, and our talents, the three elements of Christian stewardship. 2) We
need to control our greed because it diverts our life and energies from loving
God and from serving and loving Him in other people to loving ourselves alone.
Our greed takes different shapes and forms. For some it may be the desire for
the approval and praise of others. For others it is the uncontrolled desire for
power, control or fame. For a few others it takes the form of desire for
excessive and sinful indulgence in eating, drinking, gambling, drugs or sexual
activities. Hence, let us rely on the strength of God to free us from all forms
of greed. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
The context: Today’s passage from Luke’s Gospel
is one of three eschatological discourses in the Gospel. It gives us one of the
two “Master – Servant” parables. It emphasizes the necessity of Faith and
vigilant preparedness in the lives of Christ’s followers. Since a Jewish
wedding feast could last a week, the servants had ample time to take their rest
before the master’s return. Garments tied up about the waist are an image of
readiness in the Scriptures because the Jewish soldiers wore full-length
garments while Roman soldiers wore kilts, which enabled them to run at full
speed when they had to. Jesus wants his disciples to be ready to do God’s will
at every moment, by loving others through humble and sacrificial service.
The interpretation: In the parable, the chief characters are
a master (representing the risen Jesus), and his servants (Jesus’ followers).
According to the Fathers of the Church, Jesus’ words in this passage have two
senses. In the narrower sense, the words refer to the Second Coming of Jesus,
but in the broader sense they refer to the time of our own death, when God will
call us to meet Him and to give Him an account of our life on earth. Since the
precise time of either is unknown to us, the proper attitude for us is constant
watchfulness. Since we cannot be sure about the day of our death, we should do
our present work perfectly every day, and not leave it undone, half-done or
postponed.
Life messages 1) We need to stay vigilant and
ready to face the Lord through prayer. One of the traditional means for
remaining alert is prayer. The most important elements in prayer are listening
to God (1 Kgs 19:11-12) and talking to Him. This means we have to
set aside a quiet time every day during which we can tune our ears to God’s
message of love, harmony, and peace, and respond to Him. 2) We need to wait for
the Lord who appears to us in different disguises every day. We must wait for
the Lord in our daily lives by learning to see Jesus in the least of our
brothers and sisters. In other words, we must be prepared to serve Jesus
whenever, and in whatever form, Jesus appears. What we discover in serving,
loving, and helping other people is that God invariably comes to us through
them.
(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Oct 25 Wednesday:
The context: Today’s passage from Luke’s Gospel
is the second of three eschatological discourses in the Gospel. After Jesus’
exhortation to vigilance, Peter asks a question (v. 41). Responding to Peter,
Jesus tells the second “Master – Servant” parable and the parable of the
treasure and the thief. These stories emphasize the necessity for Faith and
vigilant preparedness in the lives of Christ’s followers. Jesus wants his
disciples to be ready to do God’s will at every moment, rendering humble and
sacrificial service to others.
The interpretation: In the parable, the chief characters are
a master (representing the risen Jesus), and his servants (Jesus’ followers).
Jesus’ words in this passage, understood in the narrower sense, refer to the
Second Coming of Jesus. Taken in a broader sense, they refer to the time of our
own death, when God will call us to meet Him and to give Him an account of our
life on earth. In the first part of today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us what our
real treasure should be and how we are to keep it safe. That treasure is our
share in the Life of God Himself (the state of sanctifying grace), which is
given us in the Sacrament of Baptism, and Jesus’ promise of eternal life. But
this treasure can be stolen by the devil or lost by our lack of vigilance in
the midst of temptations. Jesus warns that we should be vigilant, like dutiful
servants. What Jesus teaches us through this comparison is that our
relationship with God the Father and Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit must
constantly be strengthened and deepened by our prayers, our Sacramental life,
and the reading of Holy Scripture. It is God Who daily gives us the grace and
strength to remain faithful, and He will reward our faithfulness.
Life message: 1) We need to remain vigilant and ready to face the Lord, mainly through prayer (listening and talking to Him). Daily prayer will help us to wait for the Lord in our daily lives 2) Prayer will also give us the Heavenly strength to serve Jesus whenever, and in whatever form, he appears. What we frequently rediscover every time we serve, love and help other people is that God comes to us through them (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Oct 26 Thursday:
In today’s gospel we have some apparently strange
statements by Jesus: 1) “I have come to set the earth on fire, and
how I wish it were already blazing!” In Jewish thought, fire is almost
always the symbol of judgment. So, then, Jesus regarded the coming of his
kingdom as a time of judgment. Besides, Jesus asserts that his word burns
things up, reduces things to cinders, and clears things out so that new things
can grow. The Gospel is the Fire that gives both light and heat, warms the
hearts of God’s people, and causes their hearts to burn within them. By
teaching the Gospel in the power of the Spirit Jesus cleanses the minds and
hearts of those who believe in Him. “Baptism” and “fire” were used together
when John declares that Jesus will baptize with the Holy
Spirit and fire (3:16b). 2) “There is a baptism with
which I must be baptized.” The Greek verb baptizein (GSN0907)
means to dip. In the passive it means to be submerged. Often it is used
metaphorically. For instance, it is used of a ship sunk beneath the waves. That
is the way in which Jesus uses it here, meaning that he must have a terrible
experience through which he must pass; and his life is full of tension until he
will pass through it and emerge triumphantly from it. The cross is ever before
his eyes as is his death to give a ransom for many. 3) “Do you think that I
have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather
division.” How can this be? Jesus is the prince of peace. The
multitude of Heavenly hosts sang on the night of his birth, “Glory to God in
the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rest.” (Lk
2:14). The Prophet Isaiah (Is 9:5) referred to the
Messiah as the “Prince of Peace.” But Jesus’coming would
inevitably mean division; in point of fact it did. That was one of the great
reasons why the Romans hated Christianity–it tore families in two: those who
accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and others who hated Jesus and his teachings.
The essence of Christianity is that loyalty to Christ has to take precedence
over the dearest loyalties of this earth and that causes division in families.
Life message: We need to have the courage of our Christian convictions in what we believe, based on the word of God in the Holy Bible as taught by the Church Jesus founded, and expressed in what what we practice. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Oct 27 Friday:
The context: Some of Jesus’ Jewish listeners,
particularly among the leadership, lacked the necessary good will and upright
intention to listen to him and believe. Hence, they just closed their eyes to
the light of the Gospel preached by Jesus. They knew the signs of the Messiah’s
coming as announced by the prophets. In fact, they had heard Jesus’ preaching
and witnessed his miracles. But their pride and prejudice prevented them from
arriving at the logical conclusion that Jesus was the Messiah. Hence, in
today’s Gospel, using a vivid illustration from first century Palestinian
weather forecasting, Jesus points out the urgency of getting right with God
before it is too late.
Palestinian farmers and fishermen studied the sky, observing
the color and shape of the clouds, the direction and strength of the wind, and
so on, to forecast the weather. The wind from the west came from the
Mediterranean Sea and so brought rain. The south wind blew in from the desert
and so brought hot weather. The “signs of the times” are the earliest
appearances of events. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that God is in all things,
“by essence, presence, and power,” and that God providentially cares for every
aspect of His creation. Therefore, we should expect to see signs of His
presence and activity in nature, in history, and in human affairs. Jesus
challenges his hearers to read the signs of the Messianic time in his preaching
and healing ministry, and then to act accordingly. It is urgent that we get
reconciled with God while His grace, love, and mercy are available for complete
transformation. Next, Jesus asks them to judge for themselves what is right,
urging them to solve issues here and now by getting reconciled also with their
fellow men every day, instead of incurring God’s punishment at the end of our
lives.
Life messages: 1) It is time for us to read the
clear signs of God’s call for repentance and renewal of life coming through
Jesus, and to respond by a change of heart and behavior. 2) In the same way,
forgiveness and reconciliation should be a high priority for us. There should
be no place in our lives for vindictive law-suits in this litigation-crazy
period, because each of us stands in constant need of God’s help, mercy and
forgiveness. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Oct 28 Saturday: (Saints Simon and Judas, 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) and Mary, a
cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus, and hence they were 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/)
