30th Sunday, Oct 30 to Nov 4
Oct 30 Monday:
The context: Today’s Gospel tells us how, in the
synagogue on a Sabbath, Jesus healed a woman who had been suffering for 18
years from what seems to have been scoliosis or curvature of
the spine. People in those days believed that she was possessed by a spirit
that 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 the Sabbath ban on work and releasing a poor woman from Satan’s bond was.
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 the 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 Him in the
Sacrament of Reconciliation if needed, and in the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass
with expectant Faith and fervent prayer during the Eucharistic celebration.
(Fr. Tony) https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Oct 31 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 prophesies 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 ask and 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/)
Nov 1 Wednesday: (All Saints Day):
The feast and its objectives: All baptized
Christians who have died and are now with God in glory are considered saints.
All Saints Day is intended to honor the memory of countless unknown and
uncanonized saints who have no feast days. Today we thank God for giving
ordinary men and women a share in His holiness and Heavenly glory as a reward
for their Faith. This feast is observed to teach us to honor the saints, both
by imitating their lives and by seeking their intercession for us before
Christ, the only mediator between God and man (I Tm 2:5). The Church reminds us
today that God’s call for holiness is universal, and that all of us are called
to live in His love and to make His love real in the lives of those around us.
Holiness is related to the word wholesomeness. We grow in holiness when we live
wholesome lives of integrity truth, justice, charity, mercy, and compassion,
sharing our blessings with others.
Reasons why we honor the saints: 1- The saints
put their trust in Christ and lived heroic lives of Faith. St. Paul asks us to
serve and honor such noble souls. In his Epistles to the Corinthians, the
Philippians, and Timothy, he advises Christians to welcome, serve, and honor
those who have put their trust in Jesus. The saints enjoy Heavenly bliss as a
reward for their Faith in Jesus. Hence, they deserve our veneration of them. 2-
The saints are our role models. They teach us by their lives that Christ’s holy
life of love, mercy, and unconditional forgiveness can be lived, with God’s
grace, by ordinary people from all walks of life and at all times. 3- The
saints are our Heavenly mediators who intercede for us before Jesus, the only
mediator between God and us. (Jas 5:16-18, Ex 32:13, Jer 15:1, Rv 8:3-4,). 4-
The saints are the instruments that God uses to work miracles at present, just
as He used the staff of Moses (Ex), the bones of the prophet Elisha (2Kgs
13:21), the towel of Paul (Acts 19:12), and the shadow of Peter (Acts 5:15) to
work miracles.
Life messages: 1) We need to accept the
challenge to become saints. Jesus exhorts us: “Be made perfect as your Heavenly
Father is Perfect” (Mt 5:48). St. Augustine asked: “If she and he can become
saints, why can’t I?” (Si iste et ista, cur non ego?).
2) We take the shortcuts practiced by three
Teresas: i) St. Teresa of Avila: Recharge your spiritual batteries
every day by prayer, namely, listening to God and talking to Himii) St.
Therese of Lisieux: Convert every action into prayer by offering it to God
for His glory and for the salvation of souls, and by doing God’s will to the
best of one’s ability. iii) St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother
Teresa): “Do ordinary things with great love.”
Nov 2 Thursday: (All Souls Day);
All Souls’ Day is a day specially set apart that we may
remember and pray for our dear ones who have gone for their eternal reward and
who are currently in a state of ongoing purification.
Ancient belief supported by Church tradition: People
of all religions have believed in the immortality of the soul and have prayed
for the dead:
1) The Jews, for example, believed that there was a place of
temporary bondage from which the souls of the dead would receive their final
release. The Jewish catechism Talmud states that prayers for
the dead will help to bring greater rewards and blessings to them. Prayer for
the souls of the departed is retained by the Orthodox Jews today who recite a
prayer known as the Mourner’s Kaddish for eleven
months after the death of a loved one so that he/she may be purified.
2) First century practice: Jesus and the apostles shared
this belief and passed it on to the early Church. “Remember us who have
gone before you, in your prayers,” is a petition often found inscribed
on the walls of the Roman catacombs (Lumen Gentium-50).
3) The liturgies of the Mass in various rites dating from
the early centuries of the Church include “Prayers for the Dead.”
4) The early Fathers of the Church encouraged this
practice. Tertullian (AD 160-240) wrote about the anniversary
Masses for the dead, advising widows to pray for their husbands. St.
Augustine (AD 354 – 430) remarked that he used to pray for
his deceased mother, remembering her request: “When I die, bury me
anywhere you like, but remember to pray for me at the altar” (St. Augustine of
Hippo, Confessions, Book 9, Chapter 11, Section 27).
5) The Synods of Nicaea, Florence and Trent encouraged the
offering of prayers for the dead, citing Scriptural evidences to prove that
there is a place or state of purification for those who die with venial sins on
their souls.
Theological reasoning: According to Rv 21:27: “nothing
unclean shall enter Heaven.” Holy Scripture (Prv 24:16) also teaches that
even “the just sin seven times a day.” Since it would be
contrary to the mercy of God to punish such souls with venial sins in Hell,
they are seen as entering a place or state of purification, called Purgatory,
which combines God’s justice with His mercy. This teaching is also contained in
the doctrine of the Communion of Saints.
Biblical evidence: 1) II Maccabees, 12:46 is the
main Biblical text incorporating the Jewish belief in the necessity of prayer
and sacrifice for the dead. The passage (II Mc 12:39-46), describes how Judas,
the military commander, “took up a collection from all his men, totaling
about four pounds of silver and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin
offering” (II Mc 12:43). The narrator continues, “If he had not
believed that the dead would be raised, it would have been foolish and useless
to pray for them.” 2) St. Paul seems to have shared this traditional
Jewish belief. At the death of his supporter Onesiphorus, he
prayed: “May the Lord grant him mercy on that Day” (II Tm: 1:18). Other
pertinent Bible texts: Mt 12:32, I Cor, 3:15, Zec 13:19, Sir 7:33.
The Church’s teaching: The Church’s official
teaching on Purgatory is plain and simple. There is a place or state of
purification called Purgatory, where souls undergoing purification
can be helped by the prayers of the faithful (Council of Trent). Some modern
theologians suggest that the fire of Purgatory is an intense, transforming
encounter with Jesus Christ and his fire of love. They also speak of Purgatory
as an “instant” purification immediately after death, varying in intensity from
soul to soul, depending on the state of each individual.
How do we help the “holy souls”? The Catechism
of the Catholic Church recommends prayer for the dead in conjunction
with the offering of the Eucharistic Sacrifice and also encourages “almsgiving,
indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead” (CCC
#1032). Let us not forget to pray for our dear departed, have Masses
offered for them, visit their graves, and make daily sacrifices for them. God
can foresee and apply the merits of our prayers, penances, and works of
charity, even years after their death, done for our departed dear ones, in
favor of our deceased dear ones, at the moment of their deaths.
Nov 3 Friday: (St. Martin de Porres, Religious): For
a short biography, click here:
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/)
Nov 4 Saturday: (St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop):
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.
At a dinner party where Jesus was a guest of honor, he
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 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. True humility requires us neither to overestimate nor to underestimate our worth. 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. We are of value, not because of those gifts, but because we are loved by God as His children and redeemed by the precious Blood of His Son Jesus. 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 with 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/)
