18th Week: Aug 4-9:
Aug 4 Monday; Saint John Vianney, priest.
Mt 14:13-21: The context:
Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ miraculous feeding of a
great multitude. The story is told in all four Gospels and serves as Jesus’ way
of introducing those listening to a merciful and providing God. This miraculous
feeding was meant to remind people of God’s provision of manna in the
wilderness and to foreshadow the true Heavenly Bread which Jesus would offer
those who listened, believed, and chose to receive. Moses, Elijah, and Elisha
had all fed people without the benefit of resources. The present miracle
resembles particularly the one performed by Elisha in 2 Kgs 4:42-44.
Jesus took pity on the growing physical hunger of his
listeners as they listened and challenged the apostles to feed them. They
brought him what they had — five loaves of bread and two dried fish. Jesus took
these, said a prayer of blessing, broke them and asked the apostles to
distribute them. Since it was mid-April, springtime in Israel, the people could
sit comfortably on green grass in groups of hundreds and fifties as Jesus
asked. After serving a sumptuous meal, which satisfied everyone’s hunger, the apostles
collected twelve wicker baskets filled with leftover bread and fish pieces, a
vivid demonstration of God’s generosity in giving.
Life messages: 1) We may not be able to feed the
hungry millions in the world, but today’s Gospel challenges us to do our humble
share in alleviating hunger and poverty in our neighborhood. God will amplify
our little contributions and reward our good will and generosity. Let us be
thankful to Jesus for feeding us spiritually with the word of God and with the
Holy Eucharist. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Aug 5 Tuesday: Dedication of the
Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome:
Mt 14:22-36: The context:
The event presented by today’s Gospel is the scene
immediately following Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the five thousand with five
loaves of bread and two fish. Sensing the danger of having the people make him
leader of a revolt, Jesus promptly instructed his apostles to leave the place
by boat and, after dispersing the crowd, went alone to the mountain to pray.
A double miracle on the sea: When the apostles in the boat
were several furlongs away from the shore, they faced an unexpected storm on
the sea caused by the hot wind of the desert rushing into the Sea of Galilee
through the gaps in the Golan Heights. Recognizing the danger, Jesus walked on
the stormy waters toward the boat. Jesus calmed the frightened disciples as He
approached the boat, allowed Peter to do a trial walk on water, then saved the
apostle from drowning when he panicked. As soon as Jesus brought Peter into the
boat the storm ceased miraculously. The apostles recognized the presence of God
in their midst, and they all worshipped Jesus.
Life messages: 1) Let us approach Jesus with strong
Faith in his ability and willing availability to calm the storms in our lives
and in the life of the Church. Church History shows us how Jesus saved his
Church from storms of persecution in the first three centuries, storms of
heresies in the fifth and sixth centuries, storms of moral degradation and the
Protestant reformation movement in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and
storms of sex abuse scandals of the clergy in the twentieth and twenty-first
centuries. 2) Let us ask Jesus to protect us when we face storms of strong
temptations, storms of doubts about our religious beliefs, and storms of fear,
anxiety, and worries about the future, as in the Covid-19 pandemic, in our
personal lives. 3) Experiencing Jesus’ presence in our lives, let us confess
our Faith in him and call out for his help and protection. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Aug 6 Wednesday: Transfiguration of the Lord: Lk
9:28-36:
The context: In the Transfiguration story in
today’s Gospel, Jesus is revealed as a glorious figure, superior to Moses and
Elijah. The primary purpose of Jesus’ Transfiguration was to allow Him to
consult his Heavenly Father and ascertain His plan for His Son’s suffering,
death and Resurrection. The secondary aim was to make his chosen disciples
aware of his Divine glory, so that they might discard their worldly ambitions
and dreams of Jesus as a conquering, political Messiah and might be
strengthened in their time of trial. On the
mountain, Jesus is identified by the Heavenly Voice as the Son of
God. Thus, the Transfiguration narrative is a Christophany, that is, a
manifestation or revelation of who Jesus really is. Describing Jesus’
Transfiguration, the Gospel gives us a glimpse of the Heavenly glory awaiting
those who do God’s will by putting their trusting Faith in Him.
Life messages:(1) The “transfiguration” in the Holy
Mass is the source of our strength: In each Holy Mass, the bread and wine we
offer on the altar become “transfigured” – more properly, transubstantiated —
into the living body and blood of the crucified, risen and glorified Jesus.
Just as Jesus’ Transfiguration strengthened the Apostles in their time of
trial, each Holy Mass should be our source of Heavenly strength against
temptations, and our renewal of Christian living. (2) Each time we receive one
of the Sacraments, we are transformed: For example, Baptism transforms us into
sons and daughters of God and heirs of Heaven. Confirmation makes us temples of
the Holy Spirit and warriors of God. By the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God
brings back the sinner to the path of holiness. (3)A message of encouragement
and hope: In moments of doubt and during our dark moments of despair and
hopelessness, the thought of our future transfiguration in Heaven will help us
to reach out to God and to listen to His consoling words: “This is My
beloved Son; listen to Him.” Let us share the glory of His Transfiguration
with all we encounter. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Aug 7 Thursday: Saint Sixtus II, Pope and
martyr, and companions, martyrs & Saint Cajetan, priest:
Mt 16:13-23: The context:
Today’s Gospel passage is the first of the three times when
Jesus foretold the coming passion, death, and Resurrection. The passage
consists of two sections: the Messianic confession of Peter and Jesus’ prophecy
of a swiftly approaching passion and death.
Jesus as the Christ, our Lord and Savior: Today’s Gospel
explains the basis of our Faith as the acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, our
Lord and Savior. It also tells us that Christ Jesus became our Savior by His
suffering, death, and Resurrection. This famous profession of Faith by Peter
took place at Caesarea Philippi, at present called Banias, twenty-five miles
northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus realized that if the apostles did not
know Jesus’ real identity, then the whole of the entire Messianic ministry,
ending with Jesus’s willing suffering and death, would be useless. Hence, the
Teacher decided to ask a question in two parts. 1) “What is the public
opinion about Me?” 2) “What is your personal opinion?” Their
answer to the first question was: “Some say John the Baptist, others
Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Peter
volunteered to answer the second question saying: “You are the Christ
(Messiah), the Son of the living God.“ Jesus confirmed Peter’s insight as a
special revelation from God. “No mere man has revealed this to you, but
my Heavenly Father.”
Life messages: 1) Let us experience Jesus as our
Lord and Savior and surrender our life to Jesus. We experience Jesus as
personal Savior by listening to Jesus through the daily, meditative reading of
the Bible, by talking to Jesus through daily, personal and family prayers,
frequenting Holy Mass and offering to Jesus our lives on the altar, being
reconciled with Him every night, asking Jesus’ pardon and forgiveness for our
sins and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently, especially
whenever we are in mortal sin. 2) The next step is the surrender of our lives
to Jesus by rendering humble and loving service to others with the strong
conviction that Jesus is present in every person. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Aug 8 Friday: Saint Dominic, priest:
Mt 16:24-28: 24
The context: After Peter made his famous
declaration of Faith in Jesus as God and Messiah, Jesus plainly warned his
disciples about his approaching suffering, death and Resurrection. But the
apostles were unwilling to accept such a fate for their Master. Peter even took
Jesus aside and prayed, “God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to you!”It
was after Peter’s protest (and Jesus abrupt response), that Jesus declared the
three conditions of the discipleship which he expects from his followers. We
hear them in today’s Gospel.
Conditions of Christian discipleship: 1) “Deny
yourself” 2) “Take up your cross.” 3) “Follow Me.”
Denying oneself means cleansing the heart of all
bad habits and evil tendencies and evicting the self, with its selfish thoughts
and desires from one’s heart. It also means enthroning God in one’s cleansed
heart and surrendering one’s life to God’s service by serving others.
Carrying the cross means willingly accepting the
pain involved in serving others sacrificially. It also means spending our time,
talents, wealth, and health for others until it hurts us. Cross-bearing is also
our sacrificial sharing of God’s blessings with others. Further, it includes
our doing penance to make reparation for our sins and to grow in self-control.
Carrying one’s cross becomes easier and more meritorious when we accept life’s
crosses as loving gifts given by a loving Father. The comparison of our light
crosses with the heavy crosses given to others should make us grateful.
Finally, we should carry our crosses, praying for Heavenly strength.
“Follow Me” means the disciple should be
ever ready to obey as Jesus directs him or her through his words in the Bible
and through the teaching authority he instituted in the Church.
Life message: We need to love the cross, wear
the cross, and transform the God-given crosses of our life into the instruments
of our salvation by working with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Aug 9 Saturday: Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross,
virgin and martyr:
Mt 17:14-20:
The context: When Jesus came down from the
mountain of the Transfiguration along with Peter, John, and James, the father
of an epileptic son knelt before Jesus and asked Jesus to heal his son. The
father’s complaint was that the other nine disciples of Jesus waiting for their
master to come down from the mountain could not heal the boy.
The healing: After expressing impatience with the crowd for
their lack of Faith, Jesus rebuked the demon and cast him out of the boy. Later
when the apostles asked Jesus why they had been unable to do the same, although
they had been given the power of exorcism, Jesus pointed out their lack of
Faith. Jesus said further that even a small amount of Faith would enable them
to do great things. “Faith moving mountains” was a Jewish
phrase meaning that God can remove all difficulties for one who places trusting
Faith in Him.
Life message: We will be able to solve our problems and many of the problems of our fellow-human beings if we place our trusting Faith in God’s power and goodness and ask for His strengthening in prayer. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
