The context: It was winter, probably the time of
the Jewish Feast of Dedication, and Jesus was walking on the east side of the
Temple in Jerusalem. The Jews gathered around him and asked him if he were the
promised Messiah. Instead of giving them a straight answer, Jesus told them
that he was the Good Shepherd and explained to them his role as such.
Role of Jesus as our Good Shepherd: Introducing
himself as the Good Shepherd of his flock, Jesus makes three claims in today’s
Gospel. 1) He knows his sheep and his sheep hear his voice. Jesus knows each
one of us, our needs, our merits, and our faults. He loves us as we are, with
all our limitations, and he expects us to return his love by keeping his words.
He speaks to us at every Mass and in every Sacrament, as well as and through
the Bible, through our pastors and our parents, through our friends, and in
events of our lives. 2) He gives eternal life to us and all his sheep by
receiving us into his sheepfold through Baptism. He strengthens our Faith by
giving us the Holy Spirit in Confirmation. He supplies food for our souls in
the Holy Eucharist and in the Divine words of the Holy Bible. He makes our
society holy by the Sacrament of Matrimony and through the Sacrament of Orders,
keeps His Church holy and increasing in numbers and sanctity by keeping His
priests faithful, trusting, loving and obedient, united in a single, unbroken
line — from Christ and the Apostles through history — until the end of the
world when Christ will judge the world and bring His Church safely Home to the
Father for ever in Heaven. 3) He protects his sheep by placing them in the
loving hands of his mighty Father. Without Jesus to guide us and protect us, we
are easy prey for the spiritual wolves of this world; these
include Satan, as well as the seven deadly sins of pride, avarice, envy,
gluttony, anger, lust and sloth.
Life messages: Today’s Gospel challenges us to
be good shepherds to those entrusted to our care and to be good sheep in Jesus’
sheepfold, namely the Church. 1) We become good shepherds by loving those
entrusted to us, praying for them, spending our time and talents for their
welfare, and guarding them from physical and spiritual dangers.
2) We become good sheep in our parishes a) By
hearing and following the voice of our pastors through their homilies, Bible
classes, counselling, and advice. b) By taking the spiritual food given by our
pastors through regular and active participation in the Holy Mass and by
frequenting the Sacraments, prayer services, renewal programs and missions
offered. c) By cooperating with our pastors, giving them positive suggestions
for the welfare of the parish, encouraging them in their duties, occasionally
offering them loving, constructive criticism, and, always, praying
for them. d) By daily prayers for good pastors and all their needs and
intentions.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
April 28 Tuesday: St. Peter Chanel, Priest, Martyr Jn
10:22-30:
The context: It was December during the week of
the Jewish Feast of the Rededication of the Temple or Hanukkah, a
week with the year’s shortest days and longest nights. The feast was also known
as the Festival of Lights because during this feast the
Jews lighted lamps representing the Mosaic Law and put them in the windows of
their homes. Hanukkah served as a remembrance ofthe cleansing
and rededicating of the Temple and its altar by the Jewish military commander
Judas Maccabaeus in the year 165 BC, after he had liberated Jerusalem from the
control of the Seleucid Kings of Syria. (It was the Syrian King Antiochus IV
Epiphanes who had profaned the Temple and its altar and so rendered it unclean
and needing complete rededication). It when he was teaching in Solomon’s
portico during Hanukkah, that the Jews plotted to trap Jesus by
asking him to declare whether or not he was the promised Messiah.
Jesus’ reply: 1) Jesus charged the Jews with
unbelief and challenged them to believe in his Messianic and Divine claims by
assessing his miracles objectively and truthfully instead of blindly holding to
their own personal ideas about the promised Messiah as a wondrous military
leader and political liberator. Who would destroy Rome and make JERUSALEM the
Capital of the World! 2) Then Jesus pinpointed the cause of the stubborn
unbelief demonstrated by those Jews who were hostile to Jesus — “The works
that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; 26 but you do not
believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.” Now, Faith and
eternal life cannot be merited by man’s own efforts: they are a
priceless Gift of God. Those who believed in Him (the disciples and followers),
were in the process of accepting and living out this priceless Gift from God
which those Jews who called him “enemy” were stubbornly refusing to accept it
from his hands. . 3) Jesus then assured his sheep – those who hear and follow
him, walk in his Way, that is, try to live out their Faith in him by keeping
His commands. — that they would have eternal life and would not perish because
they were protected by God his Father Who is stronger than the Evil One. 4)
Finally, Jesus declared, “I and the Father are One” (Jn 10:30) .
In other words, Jesus reveals that He is One in substance with the Father as
far as Divine Essence or Nature is concerned, but He also reveals that the
Father and the Son are distinct Persons.
Life messages: 1) When doubts about our Faith
haunt us, let us try to read more about our Faith, to consult Catholic experts
in our locality or reliable Catholic sources on the Internet, and to pray for
the light of the Holy Spirit. 2) Let us find protection from the temptations of
the Evil One in the sheepfold of the Church by frequenting the Sacraments of
Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist, by meditative reading of the Bible, by
personal prayers, and by works of charity.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
April 29 Wednesday: St. Catherine of Sienna, Virgin,
Doctor of the Church: Jn 12:44-50:
The context: Today’s Gospel text, taken from
John’s Gospel, is a passage from the last public discourse of Jesus before his
arrest and crucifixion. The main ideas in the passage are 1) Jesus’
relationship with the Father; 2) Jesus’ role as the Light and Life of the world;
and 3), the criteria for His final judgment of us – Heaven or Hell
1) Jesus teaches us that he is one with the Father and he is
the image of his invisible Father. Because He is one with the Father, the
Father speaks through him and operates through him. Hence, those who accept
Jesus and his message accept God the Father’s message.
2) Jesus claims that he is the Light and Life of the world.
Psalm 27 exclaims, “The Lord is my Light and my salvation!” As
Light, Jesus removes the darkness of evil from the world and from our souls,
shows us the correct way to go in life, and gives us the warmth of his sharing,
sacrificial love. As Light, God’s Word enables those with eyes of Faith to
perceive the hidden truths of God’s Kingdom. As the Life of the world, Jesus,
by his words, produces the very Life of God within those who
receive these words with Faith. 3) At Death, we are rewarded or punished
eternally based on whether or not we accept Jesus and his teachings and, if we
have chosen Jesus, whether or not we live our lives accordingly.
Life messages: 1) As Christians, our duty is to
reflect and radiate the light of Jesus in the darkness of the evil of this
fallen world around us by acts of sharing love, kindness, forgiveness, and
humble service. 2) Let us ask for the strength of the Holy Spirit to choose
Christ and his ideals every day and to reject everything contrary to Christ’s
teachings. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
April 30 Thursday: St. Pius V , Pope: Jn 13:16-20:
The context: Today’s Gospel is the second part of the
explanation Jesus gave to his disciples after washing their feet before the
Last Supper. He promised his disciples that that whoever listened to them would
be listening to him as well, provided his preaching disciples became the humble
servants of others. Gospel lessons: In the first part of
today’s Gospel, Jesus emphasizes the fact that the hallmark of his disciples
must be their readiness and generosity in offering humble and sacrificial
service to others, because that was the model Jesus had given them by his life
and brought home to them by washing their feet and commanding them (and us) ,
to do likewise for each other. It is by serving others that we become great
before God. In the second part of today’s Gospel, Jesus shows his apostles how
to treat people who are unfaithful and disloyal. Jesus hints at the betrayal of
Judas by quoting Psalm 4:9: “He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against
me.” Instead of distancing himself from Judas, Jesus offers him
reconciliation, showing him more affection by washing his feet and by giving
him a morsel of bread dipped in sauce with his own hand. Finally, in the third
part, Jesus gives us the basis for apostolic succession, stating that one who
receives his apostles and messengers receives him, thereby receiving God the
Father who sent Jesus.
Life messages: 1) Let us prove that we are true
disciples of Jesus by rendering others humble and loving service today. 2) Let
us learn to be reconciled with those who offend us by unconditionally pardoning
them, by wishing them the very best, and by keeping them in our prayers. Fr.
Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
May 1 Friday: Feast of St. Joseph the Worker: Jn
14-1-6)/Alternate Mt 13:54-58:
Introduction: Today we celebrate the liturgical
feast of St. Joseph the Worker to honor St. Joseph, to highlight the dignity
and importance of labor, and to honor the workers who are dignified by their
labor and who bring Christ to their workplace. This is the second feast of St.
Joseph; the first was the feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary and the patron
of the universal Church which we celebrated on the 19th of March.
History: In response to the May Day Celebrations
of workers in the Communist countries where workers were considered mere “cogs
in the machine,” Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St.
Joseph the Worker to Christianize the concept of labor, to acknowledge
the dignity of labor and to give all workers a role model and heavenly patron.
Theology of work: The Bible presents God as a
worker (Gen 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth.”) Who is engaged in the work of creation and providing for His
creatures. God the Father assigns His Son Jesus the work of human redemption
and gives the Holy Spirit the work of our sanctification. That is why Jesus
said: “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work (John 5:17). Further,
after the horendous fall of Adam and Eve, it was God’s command that man should
work: “You have to earn your bread by the sweat of your brow” (Genesis
3:19). Jesus showed us the necessity and nobility of work by working
in Joseph’s carpentry shop until he started his public life of a preaching and
healing ministry. The workers are important and their work noble, not only
because they obey God’s command to work, but also because they sustain and
promote social welfare and the progress of societies.
Joseph as an exemplary worker: Joseph worked to
support his family by helping his neighbors, using his skill in carpentry. He
was a just worker, honest in his trade of buying wood, selling his finished
products, and charging for his services. He was a working parent laboring hard
to support his family. He was a praying worker who prayed in all his needs, got
answers from God in dreams on important occasions, and kept God’s presence in
his workshop. He was an obedient worker who obeyed the Mosaic Law of Sabbath
rest and spent the day of rest to take Jesus to the local synagogue and to
teach Jesus God’s Law given through Moses.
Life messages: 1) Let us appreciate the dignity
of all forms of work and all types of laborers as they glorify God and promote
the welfare of society. 2) Let us be sincere and committed to our work as St.
Joseph was, working in the constant awareness of the presence of God. 3) Let us
love our work and convert it into prayer by offering it for God’s glory. (Fr.
Tony)
May 2 Saturday: St. Athanasius, Bishop, Doctor of
the Church:
Jn 14:7-14 (from Cycle B,
4/26/2024)
Scripture lesson: In today’s Gospel selection,
Jesus answers Philip’s request at the Last Supper, revealing the unity and
oneness (TriUnity) of the Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity — the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus clarifies the abiding presence of each
Person of the Holy Trinity in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Hence, Jesus is the visible expression of the invisible God. Jesus
identifiesHimself totally with the Father. At every moment he has done what the
Father has asked him to do (Jn 5:30; 8:28-29,38). So, in order to see
what God looks like, we have only to look at Jesus, and in order to hear how
God speaks, we have only to listen to Jesus. In Jesus we see the perfect love
of God – a God Who cares intensely, and Who yearns for all men and women, loving
them to the point of laying down his life for them upon the Cross. Jesus has
made visible a God Who loves us unconditionally, unselfishly, and perfectly. If
we put our trust in Jesus and believe in him, Jesus promises that God the
Father will hear our prayers when we pray in Jesus’ Name. That is why Jesus
taught his followers to pray with confidence, Our Father who art in
heaven ..give us this day our daily bread … (Mt 6:9,11; Luke 11:2-3).
Life message:1) We believe that God dwells within our
souls in the form of His Holy Spirit, making us each the temple of God where we
have the indwelling presence of the Triune God, the Father and the Son and the
Holy Spirit living. 2) Hence, it is our duty to live always aware of the real
presence of God within us and to adjust our life, accordingly, doing good to
others and avoiding evil.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
