27th Week: Sept 30- Oct 5
Sept 30 Monday: St Jerome, Priest & Doctor of the Church
The context: Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’
criterion for greatness along with advice about the acceptance of others who do
good in ways different from ours. Jesus exhorts the spiritual leaders as well
as all believers in responsible positions in the Church to be like children,
humble, trusting, and innocent. Child-like qualities: Children are basically
innocent and honest. They are naturally humble, because they depend on their
parents for everything. They trust and obey their parents because they know
their parents love them. Hence, Jesus advises his disciples to forget their
selfish ambitions and to spend their lives serving others in all humility, with
trusting Faith in a loving and providing God. Then they will be great in the
Kingdom of Heaven.
Next, Jesus tells his disciples that there should not be any
rivalry, jealousy, or suspicion among them, as long as all hold the same
belief. In today’s passage, the apostles, upset by seeing someone who did not
belong to their group using Jesus’ name to cast out demons, complain to Jesus.
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. But there is no reason for any Christian denomination to be
jealous of another denomination because of the greater good they do for people
for the glory of God. True love seeks the highest good of our neighbor, while
envy results from selfishness and pride, and it is contrary to true Christian
love.
Life Messages: 1) We need to practice humility
in thoughts, words and actions. “Learn from me for I am meek and humble
of heart.” 2) We should not seek recognition and recompense for the
service we do for Christ and the Church as parents, teachers, pastors, etc. 3)
Trusting Faith, both causing and resulting from true humility, is essential for
all corporal and spiritual works of mercy. 4) 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.
(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Oct 1 Tuesday: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin
and Doctor of the Church:
Marie Therese Martin was born on Jan 2, 1873 as
the youngest of nine children of a watch-maker, Louis Martin, and his wife, a
lace-maker, Zelie Guerin. Therese lost her mother at 4 and four of her siblings
in their early childhood. She was the “little flower” of her father. One of her
older sisters joined the Visitation convent and three others became Carmelite
nuns. Therese joined the Carmelite convent at Lisieux at 15 with special
permission from Pope Leo XIII. She died of tuberculosis when she was 24 years
and 9 months old on September 30, 1897. Pope Pius XI declared her a saint on
May 17, 1925, just 28 years after her death. Pope St. John Paul II declared her
a “Doctor of the Church” in 1997.
Sources of her life history: 1) Autobiography of a
Little Flower (The Story of a Soul); 2) 300 letters; 3) 8- One Act
Plays; 4) 50 poems.
Secret of her Little Way and short-cut to Heaven: Do
ordinary things in an extraordinary way out of love for God, with 100%
dedication and child-like trust, being ever ready to undertake any type of
sacrifice. Convert suffering into redemptive suffering and use it for the
apostolate.
Conditions: 1) Be child-like and innocent with trusting
Faith in a loving Heavenly Father. 2) Do everything with 100% dedication as
being done for our caring and forgiving God, our Father. 3) Be ready to
undertake sacrifice for others. St. Therese offered all her sacrifices a) in
reparation for the sins of others and for her own sins b) for missionaries c)
for the conversion of sinners.
Life message: Let us follow the shortcut of
Little Flower by becoming child-like in our relationship with God by doing His
will with 100% sincerity, commitment and love.
(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Oct 2 Wednesday: The Holy Guardian Angels: The
Guardian Angel: Although the doctrine and traditional belief in the Guardian
Angel is not a dogma of Faith, it is based on the Bible. Each person’s Guardian
Angel is an expression of God’s enduring love and providential care extended to
him or her every day. Today’s prayers in the Breviary and in the Roman Missal
mention the three-fold function of the angels: a) they praise and worship God,
b) they serve as His messengers, and c) they watch over human beings.
Historical note: Devotion to the Guardian Angels began to
develop in the monasteries. St. Benedict gave it an additional impetus and St.
Bernard of Clairvaux (12th century reformer), spread the devotion in its
present form. The feast of the Guardian Angels originated in the 1500s. It was
placed on the official liturgical calendar of the Church by Pope Paul V in
1607. "By God's Providence, angels have been entrusted with the office
of guarding the human race and of accompanying every human being so as to
preserve him from any serious dangers [...]. Our Heavenly Father has placed
over each of us an angel under whose protection and vigilance we are"
("St. Pius V Catechism", IV, 9, 4).
Biblical teaching: Today’s Gospel (Mt 16:10), clearly
states that even children have their Guardian Angels: "See that
you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in Heaven
their angels always behold the face of my Father Who is in Heaven.” Psalm
91:1 teaches: “For He has given His angels charge over you, to keep you in
all your ways.”
Life messages: 1) The conviction that we are each
protected by an angel is an encouragement against our baseless fears and
unnecessary anxieties. 2) The thought that a messenger from God is constantly
watching our thoughts, words and deeds is an inspiration for us to lead holy
lives and to do good for others and avoid evil. 3) We need to be grateful to
God every day, thanking Him for His loving care given us through His angel.
(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Oct 3 Thursday:
The context: Today’s Gospel describes the
sending forth of another group of 70 or 72 paired disciples by Jesus to prepare
towns and villages for Jesus’ own arrival there. Sent out with power and
authority from Jesus, they exercised their preaching and healing mission
according to Jesus’ action plan. Jesus sent out seventy disciples, just as God
had Moses commission 70 elders to be prophets in Israel. (Nm 11:24-25). Their
ministry anticipates the Church’s mission to the nations. Jesus’
instructions and travel tips. Elisha gave similar instructions when he sent his
servant on a pressing mission (2 Kgs 4:29). By these instructions, it is clear
that Jesus meant the disciples to take no supplies for the road. They were
simply to trust that God, the Provider, would open the hearts of believers to
take care of their needs. Jesus’ instructions also suggest that the disciples
should not be like the acquisitive priests of the day, who were interested only
in gaining riches. They were to be walking examples of God’s love and providence.
The Jews supported their rabbis and judged doing so a privilege as well as an
obligation, for hospitality was an important religious tradition in Palestine.
The Apostles and disciples were to choose temporary accommodation in a
reputable household, they were to bless the residents with God’s peace, and
they were to be satisfied with the food and accommodation they received, not
search for better.
Life messages: 1) We have a witnessing mission: Each
Christian is called, not only to be a disciple, but also to be an apostle. As
apostles, we are sent out to evangelize the world by sharing with others, not
just words, or ideas, or doctrines, but our experiences of God and His Son. We
are to make Jesus “visible” through our transparent Christian lives, showing
the people around us the love, mercy, and concern of Jesus for them. 2) We also
have a liberating mission: There are many demons which can control our lives
and the lives of people around us, making us and them helpless slaves —the
demon of nicotine, the demon of alcohol, the demon of gambling, the demons of
pornography and promiscuous sex, the demons of secularism, materialism, and
consumerism. We need the help of Jesus to be liberated from these demons
ourselves and to help Him liberate others from these bondages. 3) We have a
supporting mission: According to Catholic tradition and Canon Law (Canon 222
#1), Christians are obliged to contribute to the Church from their earnings to
help to support the clergy, to provide for the necessities of liturgical
worship, and to equip the Church to minister to the needy (CCC #2043,
2122). (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Oct 4 Friday; Saint Francis of Assisi] St. Francis of
Assisi (1182-1226)
(Giovanni Francesco Bernardone) is the best known and the
most loved thirteenth century Italian saint. He was born in Assisi, Italy, the
son of a rich merchant. His father, Pedro Bernardone, was a rich cloth
merchant. As a carefree young man, Francis loved singing, dancing and partying.
He joined the local militia (which was defeated in a city-against-city battle),
was imprisoned for one year and returned home ill, as a changed man. He marked
his conversion by hugging and kissing a leper. While at prayer in the Chapel of
St. Damiano, he heard the message: “Francis, repair my Church because
it is falling down.” Francis took the command literally, as referring
to San Damiano, and got money by selling goods from his father’s warehouse to
repair it. His father was furious and publicly disowned and disinherited
Francis. Francis promptly gave back to his father everything except his
hairshirt1 and started living as a free man, wearing sackcloth and begging for
food. Possessing nothing, he started preaching, and living out the Gospel of
Jesus literally. Strangely enough, a few youngsters were attracted to Francis’
way of life and joined him.
Pope Innocent III had a vision of a small man in sackcloth
supporting on his shoulder the leaning walls of St. Johns Lateran — the
Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist
and John the Evangelist, built AD 340; this first public Church in
Rome was the Pope’s Cathedral Church as Bishop of Rome, and so the visible
center of the Roman Catholic Church! When Francis approached the Pope to ask
for permission to form a religious order which would live out the Gospel in
poverty, the Pope recognized the “little man” in his dream and
gave him approval. Subsequently, Pope Innocent approved the Religious Order
begun by Francis, namely the Friars Minor [Lesser Brothers] which practiced
Charity as a fourth vow along with Poverty, Chastity and Obedience. Soon, the Franciscan
Order became very popular, attracting large numbers of committed youngsters.
The friars traveled throughout central Italy and beyond, preaching and inviting
their listeners to turn from the world to Christ. Francis sent missionaries to
preach in other European countries and England. In his life and preaching,
Francis emphasized simplicity and poverty, relying on God’s providence rather
than worldly goods. The brothers worked, or begged, for what they needed to
live, and any surplus was given to the poor. Francis wrote a more detailed
Rule, which was further revised by new leaders of the Franciscans in ways that
changed Francis’ initial vision, so Francis gave up leadership of the Order and
retired to the mountains to live in secluded prayer. There he received the
Stigmata (the five wounds of Christ), on September 14th, two years prior to his
death. Francis became partially blind and ill during his last years. He died at
Portiuncula on October 4th, 1226 at the age of 44 and was canonized in two
years. Francis called for simplicity of life, poverty, and humility before God.
In all his actions, Francis sought to follow, fully and literally, the way of
life demonstrated by Christ in the Gospels. He loved God’s gifts to us of
nature, animals, and all natural forces, praising God for these “brothers and
sisters.” One of Francis’s most famous sermons is one he gave to a flock of
birds during one of his journeys. "From that day on, he
solicitously admonished the birds, all animals and reptiles, and even creatures
that have no feeling, to praise and love their Creator." Francis
is well known for the "Canticle of Brother Sun" written late in the
his life, when blindness had limited Francis’ ability to see the beauties of
the outside world. The canticle demonstrates Francis’ unfailing appreciation of
the beauties of this created world, and reveals his soul, alive with love for
God Who created this world and gave it to us for joy.
Life messages:
1) Let us learn to
practice St. Francis’ spirit of detachment, that we may be liberated from our
sinful attachments, addictions, and evil habits. In poverty, one makes oneself
available for the Kingdom. Once the goods are no longer one’s own, they become
available for all, for goods are made to be shared. 2) Let us preach the Good
News of Jesus’ love, mercy and forgiveness as St. Francis did, by imbuing the
true spirit of the Gospel, loving all God’s creation, and leading transparent
Christian lives radiating Jesus all around us.
Fr Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Oct 5 Saturday: Saint Faustina Kowalska, Virgin; Blessed
Francis Xavier Seelos, Priest; The context: Today’s Gospel describes
how the seventy disciples, sent by Jesus to prepare people in the towns and
villages He was going to visit, returned joyfully to Jesus who rejoiced aloud
at the success of their preaching and healing mission. This passage of the Gospel
is usually called our Lord's "hymn of joy." Jesus rejoiced to
see how humble people understood and accepted the word of God.
The teaching: Jesus declares that the right reason for
rejoicing must be the hope of reaching Heaven by doing the will of God at all
times, and that this is more important than working miracles. He also gives his
disciples a warning against taking pride in the success of their mission. Jesus
repeats his claim that he is God, equal in everything with his Father and that
only he can reveal God his Father to others. Then he congratulates his
disciples at their good fortune in living to see, hear, and experience the
Messiah in their midst, a privilege which generations before them would have
rejoiced to receive.
Life messages: 1) We have received the same mission as that given to the seventy disciples — to preach Jesus as Lord and Savior. We may have success as well as failure. But we, too, have reason to rejoice even when our attempts at evangelization are not visibly successful because we are assured of a great reward in Heaven. 2) We are more blessed than the apostles and hence we have more reason to rejoice because we have the presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, we can hear him through the Gospels, and we can experience him through prayers and Sacraments. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
