Dec 28-Jan 2: Dec 28 Monday (Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/holy-innocents/   Mt 2:13-18: 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.” USCCB video:  https://youtu.be/-Kn7aqDe8lA?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAAsw34PxZGDqnI_bBKNWa9; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

This Mass commemorates the deaths of all of those innocents killed by the order of Herod the Great in his fruitless pursuit of the “newborn king of the Jews,” as well as the deaths of the untold numbers of innocent babies slaughtered today by abortion.

The context: Herod the Great had been made the king of Judea by the Roman Empire although he was not even a Jew.  His father was an Idumean, and his mother was an Arab.  This cruel king was kept in power mainly by the Roman army. He brutally executed all suspected rivals to his throne including his wife, brother and two brothers-in-law.  No wonder he was terrified at the news that a rival king, a descendant of King David, had been born somewhere in Bethlehem, for this child could someday claim to be the legitimate king of Israel and Judea! Herod’s anger intensified when he realized that the Magi had not returned to his royal palace to report the whereabouts of the Child Jesus. Matthew says that the slaughter of the Innocents was in fulfillment of a prophecy of the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly; it is Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”  Ramah was a hill near Bethlehem and the burial place of Rachel, the wife of the patriarch Jacob. The Jews believed that she wept bitterly from her tomb when the Jews were taken as slaves by the Assyrians and later when Herod massacred the babies.

Life message: We need to raise our voice against the 21^st century massacre of the Innocents: As in other advanced countries, the cruel massacre of the innocents continues in North America by state-permitted abortion.  While Herod killed at the most a hundred children, nearly four thousand unborn babies are slaughtered in the United States every day.  They are killed because, like the infants of Bethlehem, they are inconvenient.  Children are sacrificed also for the most powerful king of the twenty-first century, Science.  Babies are killed in their embryo stage to harvest their “stem cells” for medical experiments intended to heal the illnesses of their parents and grandparents. Along with prayer, let us do everything in our power to stop this brutal murder of the helpless babies. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2020

Dec 29 Tuesday (St. Thomas Becket, Bishop, Martyr): (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-thomas-becket); https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ Lk 2:22-35: The context: Today’s Gospel presents the head of the Holy Family, Joseph, faithfully obeying God’s law given through Moses concerning the purification of the mother and the redeeming of the child by presenting Mary and the Baby Jesus in the Temple. The events recounted are those we traditionally celebrate on February 2^nd with the Feast of Presentation of Jesus. We celebrate them today in order to group all the events of Christ’s infancy within the Octave of Christmas.  Today (and on February 2nd), we celebrate a combined feast, commemorating the Jewish practice of the purification of the mother after childbirth and the presentation of the child in the Temple. It is known as the Hypanthe feast or Feast of the Purification of Mary (by the offering two pigeons in the Temple); the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (by prayers and, “five shekels to a member of a priestly family” (Nm 18:15-16; NAB; Note on Lk 22:22), to redeem or buy back the firstborn male child from the Lord); and the Feast of Encounter (because the New Testament, represented by the Baby Jesus, encountered the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna). On February 2nd we celebrate these events as a formal ending of the Christmas season. On February 2, we also celebrate the Feast of Candlemas (because candles are blessed then for liturgical and personal use).

Purification and redemption ceremonies: The Mosaic Law taught that, since every Jewish male child belonged to Yahweh, the parents had to “buy back” the child (“redeem” him), by offering lambs or turtledoves as a sacrifice in the Temple. In addition (Numbers 18:15), every mother had to be purified after childbirth by prayers and an offering made to God in the Temple. Joseph kept these laws as an act of obedience to God.

The encounter with Simeon and Anna:  By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the old, pious and Spirit-filled Simeon and Anna had been waiting in the Temple for the revelation of God’s salvation. Simeon recognized Jesus as the Lord’s Anointed One, and in his prayer of blessing, he prophesied that Jesus was meant to be the glory of Israel and a light of revelation to the Gentiles. While he blessed Mary, he warned that her Child was “was born for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against … that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed,” while “a sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Lk 2:34-35; RSV 2 Catholic). Simeon was prophesying both the universal salvation that would be proclaimed by Jesus and the necessity of suffering in the mission of the Messiah.

Life message: 1) Every Holy Mass in which we participate is our presentation. Although we were officially presented to God on the day of our Baptism, we present ourselves and our dear ones on the altar before God our Father through our Savior Jesus Christ at every Holy Mass. Hence, we need to live our daily lives with the awareness both that we are dedicated people consecrated to God, and that we are obliged to lead holy lives. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2020.

Dec 30 Wednesday: Luke 2:36-40, There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. USCCB video:   https://youtu.be/j2NFFlcgSh0?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAAsw34PxZGDqnI_bBKNWa9; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel presents Anna the prophetess who greeted the Baby Jesus as the Redeemer when Joseph presented Mary and the Infant in the Temple for the purification of the mother and for the “redemption” of the Baby Jesus.

Anna and her testimony: Anna was an eighty-four-year-old widow who spent her days in the Temple in fasting and prayer, waiting for the promised Messiah. She was rewarded with the joy of seeing her Redeemer as a Baby. In her excitement she praised God and introduced the Infant to others around her as the expected Messiah.

The Child Jesus’ growth in wisdom and the favor of God: Commenting on the last sentence of today’s Gospel St. Bede says: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, as a Child clothed in the fragility of human nature, had to grow and become stronger. But, as the eternal Word of God, he had no need to become stronger or to grow. Hence, he is rightly described as full of wisdom and grace.”

Life messages:  1)The Holy Spirit uses ordinary men and women with simple Faith as His instruments to bear witness to Christ, his ideals and teachings.

2) We need praying Annas in all our parishes to offer prayers for all the members of our parish families. Let us cooperate with the Spirit in everything. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2020

Dec 31 Thursday:Year end reflections:

1) This is a day to thank our loving, protecting, strengthening, guiding, and providing God for giving us an extension to our life till the year-end for all His blessings showered on us throughout this year.

2)    This is the last day of the year to evaluate our life in the past year.

1. a) Did we return the love we received from our family members, co-             workers, friends and neighbors? Did we practice the new and the greatest commandment          given by Jesus: “Love others as I have loved you”?
2. b) Was I a barren fig tree in the Lord’s orchard by not practicing any virtues, or a grapevine producing bitter fruits of hatred, jealousy, prejudice and intolerance?
3. c) Was I able to control my evil tendencies, sinful habits and dangerous addictions, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit living within me and invoking His assistance every day?
4. d) Did I try to see the presence of Jesus within me and within everyone who came in contact with me? Did I try to honor and respect each of them?
5. e) Was I grateful to God who extended my life to see another year, who blessed me with bodily and mental health and who healed me from my illnesses?
6. f) Did I find time every day to listen to God by reading and meditating on a portion of the Bible? Did I talk to Him in personal and family prayers?
7. g) Did I realize the truth that the gift of time is God’s precious gift, and one hour wasted or misused a day is 15 days wasted or misused in the passing year for which I am accountable?

3)    This is a day of seeking God’s pardon and forgiveness for our sins and failures and a day to prepare working promises for the New Year, resolving not to fall into the same sinful habits.

4)    Year end is the day to offer our life to God on the altar and pray for   extra strength and divine assistance and daily fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit every day of the New Year. (LP)

Dec 31 Thursday: Jn 1:1-18: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. 9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. 15 (John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'”) 16 And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known. USCCB video homily:   https://youtu.be/j2NFFlcgSh0?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAAsw34PxZGDqnI_bBKNWa9 ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context and the content: Bible scholars generally agree that the Prologue (1:1-18) of John’s Gospel is a hymn, the overall purpose of which is to highlight the historical and theological significance of Jesus’ origins as “Word,” “true Light,” and the “Only-begotten Son,” thus tracing his genealogy to God Himself.” The Navarre Bible commentary summarizes the main teachings in the prologue thus: 1) the Divinity and Eternity of the Word; 2) the Incarnation of the Word and His manifestation as man; 3) the part played by the Word in creation and in the salvation of mankind; 4) the different ways in which people react to the coming of the Lord — some accepting him with Faith, others rejecting him; 5) finally, John the Baptist as witness-bearer to the presence of the Word in the world.

The significance of the text: (Verses 6-9) introduce John the Baptist in a manner that clearly distinguishes him from Jesus – “John himself was not the Light, but he came to testify to the Light. The true Light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world…” Some scholars maintain that the author of the Gospel may be making such a forceful differentiation in order to counter a sect claiming that John the Baptist was the Light and the Messiah, and not simply the one testifying to the Light.  In all he did and said, the Baptist always bore witness to Jesus and Jesus’ messianic identity: “John testified to Him and cried out, saying, ‘The One Who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because He existed before me'”(John 1:15).   John 1:19-28 is an Advent and Christmas text that calls us to remember the origins and purposes of Jesus and His coming with the kind of devotion that challenges us to be witnesses for Jesus.  John the Baptist demonstrates what it means to bear witness to the true Light coming into the world.

Life messages: 1) We need to bear witness to Christ the Light: By Baptism we become members of the family of Christ, the true Light of the world.  Jesus said:  “You are the light of the world.”  Hence, our mission as brothers and sisters of Christ and members of his Church is to reflect Christ’s Light to others, just as the moon reflects the light of the sun.  2) It is especially important during the Christmas season that we reflect on Christ’s unconditional love and forgiveness.  Very many people live in spiritual darkness and poverty and lack real freedom.  There are others who are deafened and blinded by the cheap attractions of the world.  Still others feel lonely, unwanted, rejected, useless, and marginalized.  All these people are waiting for us to reflect the light of Christ and to turn their lives into experiences of joy, wholeness and integrity. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Jan 1 Friday (New Year Day: Mary the Mother of God):Lk 2: 16-21: (https://blog.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit/the-solemnity-of-mary-mother-of-god) & https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ 

Introduction: Since we celebrate the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God on New Year’s Day, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy and Peaceful New Year?  I pray that the Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary may enrich your lives during the New Year with an abundance of Divine blessings.  Today’s Feast of Mary, the Mother of God is a very appropriate way to begin a new year, reminding us to rely on the powerful intercession of our Heavenly Mother. The Church has, since 1968, also observed a yearly World Day of Peace; this year, 2021, marks the 53^rd celebration. On this day, the Church invites us to pray specially for lasting peace in the world throughout the New Year. USCCB video: https://youtu.be/Vc68p6Fk6bU?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAFrAB3rgpm4xC_YNYqc0xt

Scripture lessons summarized: Today’s first reading gives us the beautiful Divine blessing from the book of Numbers for the New Year, and the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67) begs for that blessing. In the second reading, Paul reminds the Galatians and us that God’s Son has become one of us through Mary, and that it is through Jesus that we have become the children of God. Today’s Gospel describes how the shepherds spread to all their neighbors the Good News surrounding the birth of Jesus which the angel had revealed to them, and how Mary treasured “all these things” in her heart.  The Gospel also tells us that on the day of His circumcision, the Child was given the name Jesus that had been chosen by God Himself.

Traditional belief and Church doctrine: We honor Mary primarily because God honored her by choosing her to become the mother of Jesus, the Incarnate Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Who remained God, when He took on human flesh and became Man, as stated in the Bible. The angel said to Mary: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His Name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High…” [Lk 1:31-32a; RSV 2 Catholic]  After the angel had appeared to her and told her that she was to be the mother of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth. At Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? (Lk 1:42-43; RSV 2 Catholic). Hence, the Council of Ephesus affirmed in AD 431 that Mary was truly the Mother of God (Theotokos), and in AD 451, the Council of Chalcedon affirmed the Divine Motherhood of Mary as a dogma, an official doctrine of the Holy Catholic Church.

Life messages: 1) Let us strive to be pure and holy like our Heavenly Mother. All mothers want their children to inherit or acquire their good qualities. Hence, let us honor Mary, our Heavenly Mother, by practicing her virtues of trusting Faith, obedience to the word of God, purity and humble and committed service. 2) Let us make the New Year meaningful by having everyday a) some noble thing to dream, b) something good to do, and c) Someone to love, the first-person being Jesus. 3) Let us sanctify every day of the New Year: a) by offering every morning, all the activities of the day to God for His glory, thus transforming them into prayers, b) by asking for the anointing and strengthening of the Holy Spirit to do good to others and to avoid evil, c) by remaining faithful to our family prayers and Bible reading at night, d) by asking God’s pardon and forgiveness for our sins committed during the day and e) by seeking God’s special protection during sleep. Before we sleep, let us say, “Good night, Lord,” repeating Jesus’ last words from the cross, “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.” Fr. Tony(https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Jan 2 Saturday (St. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church): (https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/2-january-saints-basil-the-great-and-gregory-nazianzen-bishops-and-doctors-memorial/) Jn 1:19-28: 19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 They said to him then, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, `Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. USCCB video: https://youtu.be/tWAj8whE_WA?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAFrAB3rgpm4xC_YNYqc0xt ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: The news reached the central Jewish religious authorities in Jerusalem that one John, the son of a Jewish priest, was preaching repentance and renewal of life to the Jews and inviting them to receive the baptism of repentance meant only for Gentiles. Hence, the Sanhedrin sent a delegation of experts to Bethany on the eastern bank of river Jordan (different from the Bethany near Jerusalem, where Lazarus lived), to discover whether John was claiming to be the expected Messiah or his forerunner Elijah, the prophet, and to ask why he encouraged the Chosen People to receive the baptism of repentance.

John’s witnessing mission: John frankly declared in all humility that he was not Elijah nor the expected Messiah nor even one of the Old Testament prophets reincarnated. Later, Jesus referred to him as “a lamp “He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light (Jn 5:35). In the spiritual life, the ideal is to become invisible, and our role as Christians is to become salt, yeast, grain, and light.  But John claimed that he was the forerunner of the real Messiah, and that his mission was to prepare the lives of the Jews to receive the expected Messiah and to bear witness to him when he should appear in public. John also explained to them that he was baptizing the Jews with water because they must be made holy through repenting of their sins and renewing their lives if they were to receive the most Holy Messiah in their midst.

Life messages:   1) As Catholic Christians, we believe in the coming of Jesus our Lord and Savior on our altars during each Eucharistic celebration. Hence, we, too, need to repent of our sins and ask God’s pardon and forgiveness on a daily basis if we wish to receive Jesus into our hearts and lives sacramentally. 2) We, too, need to renew our lives with the help of our Lord Jesus living within us, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, so that He may radiate His love, forgiveness and mercy to all around us(https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20. (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-gregory-nazianzen; & https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-gregory-nazianzen)

May Jesus be reborn in your heart and life during Christmas 2020 and every day of the New Year 2021 May He radiate His presence from within you as sharing love, unconditional forgiveness, humble service, a compassionate heart and overflowing generosity. May the Holy Babe of Bethlehem bless you with health in body and soul and grant you a peaceful and blessed New Year. I assure you of my special prayers during my Christmas Holy Masses and every day in the New Year. Fr. Tony. (Fr. Anthony Kadavil Sacred Heart Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor, 1655 McGill Ave, Mobile, AL 36604 (akadavil@gmail.com). 

PRAYERFUL CHRISTMAS GREETINGS 

May the LORD bless you and keep you!

May the LORD let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you!

May the LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

(Book of Numbers 6: 24-26)

 Dec 21-26: Dec 21 Monday (St. Peter Canisius, Priest, Doctor of the Church) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-peter-canisius : Visitation of the BVM: http://cpbcomaha.org/2020/05/visitation-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/ Lk 1:39-45: 39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, …45 USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ 

The context: The mystery of the Incarnation comes to ordinary people living ordinary lives, who have the willingness to respond to God’s call and the openness and generosity to do God’s will. Luke, in today’s Gospel, tells us how two seemingly insignificant women met to celebrate the kindness and fidelity of God.    In the Gospel, one definition of discipleship is to listen to God’s word and then carry it out. Mary did both, to become the most perfect disciple.   The incident also shows us how sensitive Mary was to the needs of Elizabeth, her older cousin, who had miraculously become pregnant in her old age.

Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. There is a saying, “He (she) who is on fire cannot sit on a chair.”  Mary, carrying Jesus and filled with the fire and empowering of the Holy Spirit, hurried to the mountain country where Elizabeth lived, thereby conveying the Holy Spirit to her cousin and her child.  Like all good Jews, Mary was prompted in everything she did by her commitment to God’s word in her life.

The paradox of blessedness.  Blessedness confers on a person both the greatest joy and the greatest task in the world.  Nowhere can we see the paradox better illustrated than in Mary’s life.   Mary was granted the blessedness and privilege of being the mother of the Son of God.  Yet, that very blessedness was to be a sword to pierce her heart:  one day she would see her Son hanging on a cross.  So, to be chosen by God is often both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow.  God does not choose us to give us a life of ease and comfort, but in order to use us for His purposes.

Life messages:   1) We should recognize the real presence of Emmanuel (God Is with Us) and say “yes” to Him:  The Visitation of Mary reminds us that, through his holy ministry, Christ continues to be present among his people.  Let us recognize and appreciate the truth that the same Christ “dwells among us” in the Bible, in the Sacraments, in the praying community, and in our souls.

2) We should convey Jesus to others as Mary did to Elizabeth.  We can make a real difference in the lives of others today by carrying Jesus to them.   For that, we must be filled with the spirit of Christ, allowing his rebirth within us.  Then Jesus will enable us to share his love with all whom we encounter, by offering them humble and committed service, unconditional forgiveness, and compassionate caring.  (Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 22 Tuesday: Lk 1:46-56: 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.” 56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ 

 The context: The Magnificat and Hannah’s song (1400 B.C.) are properly mentioned together, because the former is literarily and thematically dependent on the latter. Mary as a young Jewish girl knew Hannah’s song as it was sung on every Jewish New Year Day in the Temple and the synagogues. Both Hannah and Mary are mothers rejoicing at the birth of an unexpected child. Hannah praises God that he has seen fit to end the curse of her barrenness, while Mary glorifies the Lord because he has chosen her to bear the promised Messiah. Each knew to her sorrow that she would have to give up her son one day. Just as Hannah dedicated her child Samuel to the Lord, so Mary offered her son Jesus for our salvation. On hearing Elizabeth’s greetings, Mary sang, praising and thanking God for the great things He had done for her. He had filled her with graces, overshadowed her with His Holy Spirit and made her the mother of His Son Jesus.  Mary praised God also for the mercy He had worked by humbling the proud, by ousting the mighty from their thrones, and by exalting the lowly and filling the hungry with good things, a social, political and economic revolution.

Life messages: 1) We need to sing songs of gratitude to God as Mary did because of the great gift of life God gave us through our parents and the gift of early training we received from them in a Christian home.

2) Let us also glorify God every day through our works of charity for the gift of our particular vocation in life and the opportunities God gives us every day for doing good to others. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 23 Wednesday (St. John of Kanty, Priest) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-john-kanty/ :  (Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist )(https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/nativity-of-saint-john-the-baptist) Luke 1:57-66: 57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. 58 And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your kindred is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. USCCB video reflections:    https://youtu.be/d12ht3GCNLA?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAAsw34PxZGDqnI_bBKNWa9; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ 

The context: Today’s Gospel describes the birth and naming of St. John the Baptist, the last Old Testament prophet.  He was given the mission of heralding the promised Messiah and of preparing the Chosen People to welcome that Messiah by preaching to them repentance and the renewal of life.  John was born to the priest, Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth in their old age.  Today’s Gospel passage describes John’s birth, Circumcision and Naming ceremony.

A miraculous birth and an event of double joy: His elderly parents rejoiced in John’s birth, as he was a gift from God in their old age.  Since the child was a boy, all their neighbors rejoiced with them, and the village musicians celebrated the birth by playing their joyful music.  The Naming followed the baby’s Circumcision, and Elizabeth insisted that the child should be named John (which means “the Lord is gracious”), the name given him by the Archangel Gabriel when he spoke to Zechariah.  The mute Zechariah approved that name by writing, “His name is John.” At that action of obedient surrender to the Lord God, his speech was restored, and he loudly proclaimed the praises of God for blessing him with a son and Israel with her Deliverer, whose herald his son would be.

Life messages:  1) We need to pray for our parents and be thankful to them for the gift of life, the training and discipline they have given us, and the love and affection they have lavished on us.  Let us ask God’s pardon if we are, or were, ungrateful to them, do/did not take proper care of them in their illness or old age or ever inflicted pain on them.

2) We need to remember and pray for our godparents who sponsored us in Baptism, which made us children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, heirs of Heaven and members of the Church.

3) We should have the courage of our Christian convictions as John the Baptist did, and we should become heralds of Christ as John was, by our transparent Christian lives. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 24 Thursday: Lk 1:67-79: 67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, 74 to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  USCCB video reflections:  https://youtu.be/7av1BY15VmQ?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAAsw34PxZGDqnI_bBKNWa9; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ 

The context: Today’s Gospel gives the prophetic hymn which Zechariah, filled with Holy Spirit, sang on the eighth day after his son John’s birth when all had assembled for his Circumcision and Naming ceremony. Although the Jews generally believed that Elijah the prophet would return to earth to prepare the way for the Messiah, Zechariah prophetically sang here that it was his son, John, who was going to prepare the way for the Messiah, Jesus.

Zechariah’s prophecy contains four steps of the Christian way we are supposed to take.

1)Preparation: Our life must be a preparation, leading us to our eternal salvation, enabling us to walk through/with/in Christ, the only sure Way.

2) Correct knowledge of the only true God: Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior who taught us that God His Father is a loving and forgiving Father Who saved us through His son Jesus.

3) Forgiveness of sins: This is the restoring of our broken relationship with God, accomplished through the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus.

4) Walking in the way of peace: Peace is not the absence of trouble. It is the fullness of everything needed for man’s highest good. Jesus instituted in his Church all the means necessary for us to attain our highest good. He gave us the Holy Spirit, the Holy Bible, the Sacraments and the centralized teaching authority of his Church, with Mary and the saints as role models and praying companions for our journey.

Life messages: As it happened to doubting Zechariah, let us be filled with the Holy Spirit by asking for His daily anointing and strengthening, and let us prophecy as Zachariah did, by conveying to others the reason for our Christmas celebration as rebirth of Jesus into our lives.  Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2020

Dec 25 Friday Christmas: A thematic homily in one page: We celebrate Christmas with a lot of rejoicing for three reasons:

# 1: First, Christmas is the Feast of God’s sending us a Savior: God undertook the Incarnation of Jesus as Godman to save us from the bondage of sin. The Hindu Scriptures describe ten incarnations of God, “to restore righteousness in the world whenever there is a large-scale erosion of moral values.” But the Christian Scriptures teach only one Incarnation and its purpose is given in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”(RSV 2 Catholic) We celebrate as “Good News” the Incarnation of God in a Baby today because we have a Divine Savior. As our Savior, Jesus liberated us from slavery to sin by His suffering, death and resurrection, and He atoned for our sins. So, every Christmas reminds us that we need a Savior every day, to free us from our evil addictions and unjust, impure and uncharitable tendencies. This Christmas also challenges us to accept Jesus in the manger as our saving God and personal Savior and to surrender our lives to Him, allowing Him to rule our hearts and lives every day in the New Year.

# 2: Second, Christmas is the Feast of God’s sharing His love with us: Jesus, as our Savior, brought the “Good News” that our God is a loving, forgiving, merciful, rewarding God and not a judging, cruel, punishing God. Jesus demonstrated by his life and teaching how God, our heavenly Father, loves us, forgives us, provides for us, and rewards us. All his miracles were signs of this Divine Love. Jesus’ final demonstration of God’s love for us was his death on the cross to atone for our sins and to make us children of God. Each Christmas reminds us that sharing love with others is our Christian privilege and duty, and every time we do that, Jesus is reborn in our lives. Let us face this question, “What does it profit me if Jesus is born in thousands of cribs all over the world and He is not born in my heart?”(Meister Eckhart, quoting St. Augustine; GoodReads). Hence, let us allow Jesus to be reborn in our hearts and lives, not only during Christmas, but every day, so that he may radiate the Light of his presence from within us as sharing and selfless love, expressed in compassionate words and deeds, unconditional forgiveness, the spirit of humble service, and overflowing generosity.

# 3: Third, Christmas is the Feast of the Emmanuel (God living with us and within us): Christmas is the feast of the Emmanuel because God in the New Testament is a God who continues to live with us in all the events of our lives as the “Emmanuel” announced by the angel to Mary. As Emmanuel, Jesus lives in the Sacraments (especially in the Holy Eucharist), in the Bible, in the praying community, and in each believer as the Holy Spirit, residing in us, transforms us into “Temples of the Holy Spirit.” Christmas reminds us that we are bearers of God with the missionary privilege and duty of conveying Jesus to those around us by loving them as Jesus did, through sacrificial, humble, committed service. Sharing with others Jesus, the Emmanuel living within us, is the best Christmas gift we can give, or receive, today. (Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ 

Dec 26 Saturday: (Martyrdom of St. Stephen, First Martyr) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-stephen/: 

Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59, Mt 10:17-22: 17 Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. USCCB video reflections:   https://youtu.be/QtXb3j8-fjo?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAAsw34PxZGDqnI_bBKNWa9; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ 

Life and death of St. Stephen: Today’s first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, describes the death of Stephen, the first martyr in the history of the Church. Stephen was a zealous Greek convert from Judaism to Christianity. He was chosen by the community and accepted by the Apostles to serve as one of the seven earliest deacons in the Church. They were meant to help meet the material needs of Greek Christian widows in Jerusalem who had complained that they were being slighted in favor of Hebrew Christian widows in the matter of Church assistance. Stephen was chosen for this ministry of helping the poor because he had good character and was filled with the Holy Spirit. But he was arrested by the Sanhedrin because he was converting numerous Jews to Christianity, and the Jewish leaders could not win against him with arguments. The jealous Jews arranged false witnesses against Stephen. These men accused him of blaspheming against Yahweh and Moses. In his final defense speech before his judges in the Sanhedrin, Stephen, inspired by the Holy Spirit as Jesus had promised all His disciples they would be when called to bear witness to Him, bravely and eloquently defended his belief in Jesus as the promised Messiah. He accused the Jews of unbelief and explained that the sacrifices and sacrificial Laws given by Moses were temporary. When Stephen suddenly announced that he could see Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father, the infuriated Jews mobbed him, dragged him out of the city, and stoned him to death. Obeying Jesus, Stephen prayed loudly for his executioners during the stoning and bore heroic witness to Jesus by his death.

Life message: St. Stephen teaches us how to bear witness to Christ bravely in our lives, when our Faith and its practice are questioned or challenged. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Visit https://www.frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed homilies. Dec 14 Monday (St. John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor of the Church) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-of-the-cross : Matt: 21: 23-27: 23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, `From heaven,’ he will say to us, `Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, `From men,’ we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. USCCB reflections: https://youtu.be/rr67_HBah2o; Catholic Daily Reflections: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: After casting out the animal-merchants and money-changers from the Temple immediately after the Palm Sunday procession, Jesus started teaching in the Temple courts. Hence, the chief priests and elders of the people approached Jesus, questioning his authority to enter the city in a triumphal procession, allowing the children to acclaim him, curing the sick, casting out merchants and moneychangers and teaching in the Temple area. It was a trap. If Jesus claimed that his authority was Divine, as the Messiah, he would be charged with blasphemy. If he claimed that his authority was human he would be arrested as a mad zealot damaging the simple Faith of the people in the Temple and what it stood for. Since Jesus did not want to risk his life and mission a few days ahead of time, he silenced them by asking a challenging counter-question about John the Baptist and his message – was this from God or man? Was this Divine or human? If they answered Divine, the questioners would be asked to explain why they did not accept John’s message and his witness-bearing that Jesus was the Messiah. If they answered human, they would have to face the anger of the crowd who had accepted John as a prophet. Hence, they kept silent, opting for a shameful self-humiliation.

Life message: In religious matters we should not ask the question whether our stand is safe, politically correct, or useful. Instead, we need to stand for truth with the courage of our Christian convictions even if it costs our life. (Fr. Tony) (https://www.frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 15 Tuesday: Matt: 21: 28-32: 28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went. 30 And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him. USCCB reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; Catholic Daily Reflections: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Jesus entered Jerusalem, which was to be the scene of all the Passion events he had predicted. After he had cleansed the Temple with prophetic indignation and had started teaching in the Temple area, the priests and the elders approached him and asked for his credentials to teach. Jesus used the parable of two imperfect and disobedient sons to give them a wake-up call. Through this parable, Jesus gave them the warning that, because of their pride and their refusal to obey God’s call to repentance, they would exclude themselves from God’s Kingdom, while the tax-collectors and sinners would repent of their sins and would be accepted there.

In the parable, a man who has two sons tells both to go out to work in the vineyard. The first says he will go but he does not. The second says he won’t go, but later regrets his refusal and goes to work. The second son who first refused to go to work in the vineyard represents the tax collectors and sinners, while the first son who agreed to work but did not go represents the scribes and the Pharisees. The parable gives us the warning that it is our final decision for or against God that is most important, because we are rewarded or punished according to it. The message of the story is crystal clear. There are two very common classes of people in this world. First, there are the people whose profession of Faith is much better than their practice. Second, there are those whose practice is far better than their profession. The ideal son for this parable would be a son who accepted the father’s orders with grace and respect and who unquestioningly and fully carried them out as Jesus did his Father’s will.

Life messages: 1) We need to lead a responsible Christian life, saying “yes” to God. We should become men and women who profess our Faith in word and deed, knowing that, “Not all those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but those who do the will of my Father Who is in Heaven.” 2) The Christian way lies in performance, not just promise, and the mark of a Christian is obedience, graciously and courteously given. (Fr. Tony) (https://www.frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 16 Wednesday: Luke 7: 18-23: 18 The disciples of John told him of all these things.19 And John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 20 And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” 21 In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight. 22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.” (Cfr Matt 11: 2-6) USCCB reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; Catholic Daily Reflections: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: John the Baptist sent a few of his disciples to Jesus to clarify whether he was truly the fiery Messiah John had described, then introduced to the people. Jesus encouraged John the Baptist to cast away the popular expectations about the Messiah and simply to accept Jesus’ healing and preaching ministry as the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah.

Explanations by Bible scholars as to why John sent his disciples to Jesus: 1) John knew that Jesus was the Christ and, as a prisoner, he wanted his disciples to follow Jesus as their new master. 2) John began to doubt Jesus’ identity as the promised Messiah. The silent healing, preaching, saving, and empowering ministry of Jesus was a surprise to John and to those who expected a fire-and-brimstone Messiah. Nor did Jesus conform to popular Jewish beliefs about a wealthy, warrior-politician Messiah who would bring political, social, and economic deliverance to Israel. Instead, Jesus pronounced blessings on the poor in spirit, the meek, and peacemakers (5:1-11). He called his disciples to love their enemies (5:42-48). Furthermore, Jesus moved away from Jerusalem, the home of the Temple and the center of religious authority and began his ministry in Galilee among the common people (4:12). John had proclaimed the power of the coming Messiah to bring in a new age, and instead, he found himself imprisoned in the dungeon of Herod’s prison fortress at Machaerus, southeast of the Dead Sea, wondering why the expected Messiah was not setting him free as Isaiah (61:1) had predicted.

Life messages: 1) We need to learn how to survive a Faith-crisis: If John the Baptist, even after having had a direct encounter with Jesus the Messiah, could come to the point of question, doubt and revision of his Faith, then so can we. 2) Let us remember the truth that all our Christian dogmas are based on our trust and Faith in the Divinity of Jesus who taught them. It is up to us to learn our Faith in depth and to remove our doubts. (Fr. Tony) L/16 (Fr. Tony) (https://www.frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 17 Thursday: Mt 1:1-17: 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Ammin’adab, and Ammin’adab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Bo’az by Rahab, and Bo’az the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uri’ah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehobo’am, and Rehobo’am the father of Abi’jah, and Abi’jah the father of Asa, 8 and Asa the father of Jehosh’aphat, and Jehosh’aphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzzi’ah, 9 and Uzzi’ah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezeki’ah, 10 and Hezeki’ah the father of Manas’seh, and Manas’seh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josi’ah, 11 and Josi’ah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoni’ah was the father of She-al’ti-el, and She-al’ti-el the father of Zerub’babel, 13 and Zerub’babel the father of Abi’ud, and Abi’ud the father of Eli’akim, and Eli’akim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eli’ud, 15 and Eli’ud the father of Elea’zar, and Elea’zar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. USCCB reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; Catholic Daily Reflections: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Starting with a genealogy was the Jewish way of beginning a biography because the Jews gave importance to the purity of the lineage which made them part of God’s Chosen People. For a noble Jew, the line must be traceable back through five generations, and for a Jewish priest traceable back to Aaron. Matthew presents Jesus’ human ancestry, indicating that salvation history has reached its climax with the birth of the Son of God through Mary by the working of the Holy Spirit. The Jewish genealogies followed the male line. Hence, Joseph, as the husband of Mary, was the legal father of Jesus, and the legal father was on a par with the real father regarding rights and duties. Thus, it is through Joseph, his legal father, that Jesus became the descendant of David. Since the Jews generally married within their clan, the early Fathers of the Church believed that Mary also belonged to David’s family. As a legal son of David, Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecies. The genealogy of Jesus Christ in today’s Gospel is carefully arranged into three groups of fourteen generations each. The three groups are based on 1) the rise of Israel to a great kingdom under David and Solomon, 2) the fall of the nation in the Babylonian exile and 3) the raising of the nation after the exile. The three groups symbolically represent the creation of man in God’s image, the loss of man’s greatness in Adam’s sin and the regaining of greatness through Christ Jesus.

Life messages: 1) We need to accept and support, lift up, and correct the bad members of our family, acknowledging the truth that every family has some black sheep. Jesus’ genealogy mentions a harlot named Rahab, an adulteress named Tamar and a Moabite Gentile woman named Ruth. We need to remember that God can bring good out of the worst persons and circumstances. 2) We need to appreciate our membership in the Divine family of God by Baptism and behave as holy children of a Holy God. (Fr. Tony) (https://www.frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 18 Friday: Mt 1:18-25: 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 …25 USCCB reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; Catholic Daily Reflections: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel focuses on the story of the Virgin Birth, which is at the heart of our Christmas celebrations. It focuses also on the person and role of St. Joseph. In today’s Gospel, Matthew sees in the passage from Isaiah one of the most descriptive and definite prophecies foretelling that the future Messianic King, Christ, will be born as a descendant of David. In order for Jesus to fulfill this promise, Joseph had to, and willingly did, accept Jesus as his son, making Jesus a descendant of David because Joseph was a descendant of David. Matthew makes it clear that Jesus was not the biological child of Joseph. But because Joseph was the husband of Mary at the time Jesus was born, Jesus was legally the son of Joseph and, thus, a descendant of David in his royal line. Luke tells us of Mary’s obedience (Luke 1:38), and Matthew shows us Joseph’s obedience. Luke tells the story of the angel’s appearance to Mary (Luke 1:26-38), but Matthew tells us only that the child was from the Holy Spirit.

God’s message through His angel: This is the first of three occasions on which an angel appears to Joseph in a dream. The angel commands Joseph to take Mary as his wife. Mary’s role is to bear a son, and Joseph’s role is to name him. By naming him, Joseph makes Jesus his son and brings him into the House of David. Joseph’s hallmark is obedience — prompt, simple, unspectacular obedience. Joseph’s obedience allows Jesus to be adopted as a true Son of David; it is Mary’s free consent to the will of God that allows Jesus to be born Son of God. In the end, Joseph takes Mary as his wife, in spite of his fears, and he claims her son as his own by naming him. In spite of his earlier decision to divorce this woman quietly, Joseph nurtured and protected and watched over and loved both Mary and her child.

Life messages: 1) Like Joseph, we need to trust in God, listen to Him and be faithful. Like Joseph and Mary, we are called to be faithful, and to trust in God. Let us talk to Him and listen to Him speaking through the Bible.

2) Let us try to imitate Joseph and Mary, the humblest of the humble, the kindliest of the kindly, and the greatest-ever believers in God’s goodness and mercy and welcome Jesus into our hearts and lives not only at Christmas but all year long. (Fr. Tony) (https://www.frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 19 Saturday: Lk 1:5-25: 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. …. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” 18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. 20………………25; USCCB reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; Catholic Daily Reflections: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: We recall two advents and two angelic messages during the Advent season, namely, the advent of John the Baptist and the advent of Jesus. The first was preceded by the Archangel Gabriel’s informing Zechariah the priest that a son whom he was to name John would be born to him and his barren, aged wife. The second is preceded by the Archangel Gabriel’s message to Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph, asking her consent to become the mother of Jesus. Today’s Gospel describes how Zechariah got the Divine message from the Archangel Gabriel in the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem while Zechariah was offering incense.

Zechariah was one of the 1800 priests serving the Temple of Jerusalem. They were divided into 24 groups of 75 each. Thirty priests of each group were to serve the Temple for worship services each day and only one of them got the rare chance of offering incense inside the Holy of Holies. It was while performing this priestly function that Zechariah received the vision of the angel and was given the message about his having a son in his old age. Zechariah was given, as the sign he demanded, a temporary punishment of muteness for his lack of Faith in God’s message delivered by Gabriel.

Life messages: 1) We should not take our small misfortunes as big tragedies. We should imitate Zechariah who remained optimistic, continuing in prayer and service in the Temple.

2) We need to get rid of the barrenness of our heart, cleanse it daily, liberate it from evil attachments and prepare it for the rebirth of Jesus. 3) We need to be good parents and grandparents, offering incessant prayers for our children and grandchildren. (Fr. Tony) (https://www.frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Visit http://frtonyshomilies.com  for missed Sunday or weekday homilies. Fr. Tony

Dec 7-12: Dec 7 Monday (St. Ambrose, Bishop, Doctor of the Church): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-ambrose Lk 5: 17-26: 17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.  18 And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.  20 ……. 26 .. (Cfr. Mt 9: 1-8). USCCB reflections:  https://youtu.be/1aqVBJogCY4  Daily Catholic reflections: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ 

The context: Beyond showing his authority over temptation, over the lives of men, over nature, over demons and over sickness, in today’s Gospel we see Jesus demonstrating a new form of authority – his authority to forgive sins. Jesus miraculously restores a paralyzed man to health. The healing episode presents Jesus as God Incarnate, sent to save us, restore us and make us new. So we have to look beyond the boundaries of our religious experience if we are to appreciate the healing and forgiving operation of our God in newer and newer ways.

Many kinds of sickness were seen by the Jews as punishment for one’s personal sin or the sins of one’s parents. This man’s paralysis was also seen by the people around him as a punishment for some sin in his own life or in the lives of his parents.  It was a common belief that no sickness could be cured until sin was forgiven. For that reason, Jesus had first to convince the paralyzed man that his sins had been forgiven. Once Jesus granted the paralytic the forgiveness of God, the man knew that God was no longer his enemy, and he was ready to receive the cure which followed. It was the manner of the cure which scandalized the Scribes.   By forgiving sin, they thought Jesus had blasphemed, insulting God, because forgiving sin is the exclusive prerogative of God. In addition to showing Jesus’ own direct connection to God, this healing demonstrates the fact that we can never be right physically until we are right spiritually, that health in body and peace with God go hand in hand.

Life messages: 1) We need God’s forgiveness to live wholesome lives. The heart of the Christian Faith is the “forgiveness of sins.” In the Creed we say, “I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.” While we have the power to forgive others, we need to be forgiven ourselves by the One who has the authority to forgive. In Jesus we see this authority, the same authority He gave to his Apostles and so to his Church. 2) Today’s Gospel gives us an invitation to open ourselves to God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and to hear from in the priest’s words the voice of Jesus speaking to the paralytic: “Your sins are forgiven.” 3) The Gospel also instructs us to forgive others their sins against us and to ask God’s forgiveness for our daily sins every day of our lives. (Fr. Tony) L/20

Dec 8 Tuesday (Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary Lk 1: 26-38: Mary’s prophecy given in her Magnificat, “Behold all generations will call me blessed,” was fulfilled when the Catholic Church declared four dogmas of Faith about her: 1-The Immaculate Conception, 2-The Perpetual Virginity, 3-The Divine Maternity, 4-The Assumption. The Immaculate Conception is a dogma based mainly on Christian tradition and theological reasoning. It was defined in 1854 by Pope Pius IX as a dogma of Faith through Ineffabilis Deus. Definition: From the first moment of her conception, Mary was preserved immune from original sin by the singular grace of God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race. (CCC #491). This means that original sanctity, innocence and justice were conferred upon her, and that she was exempted from all the evil effects of original sin, excluding sorrow, pain, disease and death which are temporal penalties given to Adam. (Catholic Encyclopedia).

Basis in Tradition and Scripture: (A) From tradition: The Immaculate Conception is a dogma originating from sound Christian tradition. Monks in Palestinian monasteries started celebrating the feast of the Conception of Our Lady by the end of 7^th century. The feast spread as the Feast of Immaculate Conception in Italy (9^th century), England (11^th century), and France (12^th century). Pope Leo VI propagated the celebration and Pope Sixtus IV approved it as a feast. Finally, in 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception to be a Dogma of Faith. Mary herself approved this in 1858 by declaring to Bernadette at Lourdes, “I am the Immaculate Conception”. (B) From Holy Scripture: 1- God purified the prophet Jeremiah in the womb of his mother and anointed John the Baptist with His Holy Spirit before John’s birth. (Jer 1:5 — “Before I formed you in the womb of your mother I knew you and before you were born, I consecrated you”). Hence, it is reasonable that God kept the mother of His Son free from all sins from the first moment of her origin. 2- The angel saluted Mary as “full of grace.” The greeting means that she was never, even for a moment, a slave of sin and the devil. 3- Gen. 3:15– “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and hers; He will strike at your head while you strike at His heel.” The woman stands for Mary, and the promise would not be true if Mary had original sin. (C)-Argument from reason: 1-If we were allowed to select our mother, we would select the most beautiful, healthy and saintly lady. So, did God. 2-The All-Holy God cannot be born from a woman who was a slave of the devil, even for a moment in her life.

Life messages: 1) Every mother wants her children to inherit or acquire all her good qualities. Hence, our Immaculate and holy Heavenly Mother wants us to be holy and pure children.

2) Let us honor her by practicing her virtues of Faith, obedience and total commitment to her mission. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/feast-of-the-immaculate-conception/) (Fr. Kadavil) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20 (USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm)

Dec 9 Wednesday (St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-juan-diego Mt 11: 28-30: 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” USCCB reflections https://youtu.be/7VWiEm211DM; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2020/12/08/laying-down-your-burdens-3/ 

The context: In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers rest to those who labor and are burdened, if they are ready to accept his easy yoke and light burden. For the Orthodox Jew, religion was a matter of burdens, namely, 613 Mosaic laws and thousands of oral interpretations, which dictated every aspect of life. Jesus invites the overburdened Israel, and us, to take his yoke upon our shoulders. In Palestine, ox-yokes were made of wood and were carved to fit the ox comfortably. The yoke of Christ can be seen as the sum of our Christian responsibilities and duties. Jesus’ yoke is light because it is given with love. It is the commandment to love others as Jesus did. Besides, the yoke of Christ is not just a yoke from Christ but also a yoke with him. So, we are not yoked alone to pull the plow by our own unaided power. We are yoked together with Christ to work with him using his strength. Jesus is inviting each one of us to be yoked with him, to unite our life with him, our will with his will, our heart with his heart. By saying that his “yoke is easy,” Jesus means that whatever God sends us is made to fit our needs and our abilities exactly.

The second part of Jesus’ claim is: “My burden is light.”  Jesus does not mean that his burden is easy to carry, but that it is laid on us in love. This burden is meant to be carried in love, and love makes even the heaviest burden light.  By following Jesus, one will find peace, rest, and real refreshment. We are burdened with many things: business, concerns about jobs, marriage, money, health, children, security, old age_, and a thousand other things. Jesus is asking us to give him our burdens and take on his yoke. By telling us, “Take my yoke . . . and you will find rest,” Christ is asking us to do things the Christian way. When we are centered in God, when we follow God’s commandments, we have no heavy burdens.

Life messages:  1) We need to be freed from unnecessary burdens: Jesus is interested in lifting off our backs the burdens that drain us and suck the life out of us, so that he can place around our necks his own yoke and his burden, that bring to us, and to others through us, new life, new energy, new joy.

2) We need to unload our burdens before the Lord. One of the functions of worship for many of us is that it gives us a time for rest and refreshment, when we let the overheated radiators of our hectic lives cool down before the Lord. This is especially true when we unload the burdens of our sins and worries and evil addictions on the altar and offer them to God during the Holy Mass. (Fr. Kadavil) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 10 Thursday (Our Lady of Loretto): Lk 1: 26-38: (https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/new-optional-memorial-our-lady-loreto/)m Pope’s decree: December 10 of 2019 was the first time that Our Lady of Loreto was celebrated in the General Roman Calendar. On October 7 the decree was pronounced by Pope Francis to be a reoccurring Optional Memorial for the Universal Church.

Traditional belief and the importance of Mary’s home: Tradition holds that a small house located in the basilica of Loreto, Italy is the actual home of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a small, one-room house, measuring 30 x 13 feet. It is composed simply of stones and mortar found in Palestine and hand-chiseled in a style consistent of the time of Jesus. This was thought to be the home of Saints Anne and Joachim, Mary’s parents. The Immaculate Conception occurred in this house. It is here that the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, and with her “ Fiat” the Incarnation happened in this very house. This was also the house that the Holy Family lived in Nazareth after returning from their time in Egypt. Jesus lived here until he was 30 and began his public ministry. Here also is where St. Joseph died.

Legendary historical background of Loreto home: Since apostolic times this house was a place of pilgrimage and worship. In 313 AD Constantine built a basilica around the Holy House of Nazareth to protect it. The basilica was destroyed by the Saracens in 1090, but the Holy House was untouched. Another basilica was built during the twelfth century, but this was destroyed by Moslems in 1263 during the Crusades. The Holy House was again unharmed. When the Christians were driven completely out of the Holy Land in 1291, the Holy House disappeared from Nazareth and suddenly appeared in modern day Croatia. It is said that angels transported it. The house was again moved (by angels) on December 10, 1294 (hence the date of the new Optional Memorial), due to the Muslim invasion of Albania. According to the legend, the house landed first in Recanti, Italy, but soon after moved for a third time to its present location in Loreto, Italy. The east wall contains an altar with the inscription: “Hic Verbum Caro Factum Est“ (Here the Word was made flesh). Above the altar is a statue of Our Lady of Loreto. The current statue of Mary over the altar in the house is a replica of an ancient one made from cedar of Lebanon, one of the so-called “Black Madonnas” due to the burning of candles and incense for hundreds of years. The original statue was destroyed by fire and replaced by another similar statue made from cedar from the Vatican in the 1920s.

Historical truth: In 1900, the Pope’s physician, Joseph Lapponi, discovered documents in the Vatican archive, stating that in the 13th century a noble Byzantine family, the Angeli family, rescued “materials” from “Our Lady’s House” from Muslim invaders and then had them transported to Italy for the building of a shrine. The name Angeli means “angels” in both Greek and Latin. Besides, a coin minted by a member of the Angeli family was also found in the foundation of the house in Loreto. In Italy, coins were often inserted into a building’s foundation to indicate who was responsible for its construction. Hernce the legend that the Mary’s house was miraculously transported by ‘angels” from Palestine to Italy. Thus historically, Loretto house is a replica of Mary’s hose in Nazareth. (https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/did-angels-really-carry-the-holy-house-of-mary-to-loreto-italy-25088)

Liturgical significance: The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy points out that the Advent liturgy celebrates Mary “in an exemplary way…it exalts her faith and humility with which she promptly and totally submitted to God’s plan of salvation; it highlights her presence in the events of grace preceding the birth of the Savior.” We just celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a feast that celebrates Mary’s preservation from original sin at the moment of her conception. Her sinlessness was a necessary preparation for being the Mother of God, which “harmonizes perfectly with many of the salient themes of Advent (Dir. Pop. Piety).” For the feast of Our Lady of Loreto, we are remembering the Blessed Virgin Mary in this Holy House, where the Immaculate Conception and Incarnation both occurred. This celebration will help everyone, especially families, young people, religious, to imitate the virtues of the perfect disciple of the Gospel, the Virgin Mother who, conceiving the Head of the Church, also welcomed us with Him.(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 11 Friday (St. Damasus I, Pope, Martyr) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-damasus-i : Matt 11: 16-19: 16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates, 17 `We piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon’; 19 the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” (Cfr. Luke 7: 31-35).USCCB video reflections: blob:FC47F643-0E6F-4F89-AF4F-4A2577B6F90D 

The context: The message of John the Baptist and the message of Jesus fell on deaf ears and met with stiff resistance from the self-righteous Scribes and the Pharisees because of their jealousy, prejudice and spiritual blindness. Hence, they attributed the austerities of John the Baptist to the devil and Jesus’ table fellowship with sinners as gluttony, evidence contraindicating any messianic possibility. In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares these Scribes and Pharisees to irresponsible street-children.

Dog-in-the-manger attitude: Jesus compares the attitude of the Scribes and the Pharisees to that of street-children who want to entertain themselves by playing wedding and funeral songs. They divide themselves into two groups. But when one group proposes to sing wedding songs and asks the other group to dance, the second group will propose funeral songs and ask the first group to carry one of them on their shoulders as they act out a funeral procession. In the end both groups will be frustrated. Jesus states that the Scribes and Pharisees act exactly like these irresponsible and immature children because of their pride and prejudice. Jesus criticizes the unbelieving Jews for not listening either to John the Baptist, who preached a message of austerity and repentance, or to Jesus, who preached the good news of love, mercy and salvation.

Life messages: 1) Jesus’ parable about disappointed playmates challenges us to examine whether we are buffet Catholics with selective hearing, so that we hear only what we want to hear. Jesus’ message of the kingdom of God is Good News and it produces true joy and spiritual freedom for those who will listen, but it is also a warning for those who refuse to listen and close their minds. 2) Hearing the Gospel implies the total acceptance and assimilation of what we hear and the incorporation of it into our daily lives. Like the generation of Jesus’ time, our age is marked by indifference and contempt, especially in regard to the things of Heaven.  Indifference dulls our ears to God’s voice and to the Good News of the Gospel. Only the humble of heart can find joy and favor in God’s grace. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

Dec 12 Saturday (Our Lady of Guadalupe, U.S. A.): (https://blog.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit/our-lady-of-guadalupe Lk 1: 26-38 or 39-47: https://youtu.be/lRcl-rvn8bQ?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAAsw34PxZGDqnI_bBKNWa9

Most of us know the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 9, 1531, an elderly Indian man named Juan Diego (57) had a vision of Mary, the mother of Jesus, at Tepeyac, a poor Mexican Indian village outside Mexico City. Mary directed Juan Diego to tell his Bishop to build a Church in Tepeyac. The Spanish Bishop, however, dismissed the Indian’s tale as mere superstition. But to humor Juan Diego, the Bishop demanded that the visionary bring some sort of proof. Three days later, the Virgin Mary appeared again and told Juan Diego to pick the exquisitely beautiful roses that had miraculously bloomed amidst December snows, and take them as a sign to the Bishop. When Juan Diego opened his poncho (tilma) to present the roses to the Bishop, the flowers poured out from his poncho to reveal an image of the Virgin Mary painted on the inside of the poncho. That image hangs today in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City and is venerated by thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. This apparition occasioned the conversion of nine million Indians to Christianity in twenty years. Saint John Paul II, who in 1979 became the first pope to visit the shrine in Mexico City, described the Guadalupe event as “the beginning of evangelization with a vitality that surpassed all expectations.  It is estimated that ten million pilgrims visit the Basilica every year. The original Church was built in 1533 at la Villa de Guadalupe, the second in 1556 and the third in 1709. The 488-year-old (in 2019) Guadalupe apparition is not only one of the earliest Marian apparitions, but also the only time in history that Our Lady has shared her portrait. Our Lady not only appeared as an indigenous woman, but she also recruited an indigenous native from Cuautitlán to proclaim her message. The Virgin of Guadalupe was declared the Patroness of Latin America by Pope St. Pius X (1907). In 1945, the year that World War II ended, Pope Pius XII looked at the suffering, fragmented world and declared Our Lady of Guadalupe patroness of the Americas. Pope St. John XXXIII (1961) and Pope St. John Paul II (1979) called her Mother of America and Star of Evangelization.

Life messages:   1) The story of the apparition tells us how Jesus, as Emmanuel, and Mary his mother, want to be among us, especially among the poor, the downtrodden and the marginalized in society who have neither voice nor political or social influence. That is why Our Lady appeared to a poor Indian in a village, not as a white woman but as a brown-skinned Indian princess, speaking his native Nahuatal language, and why Mary did not appear to any of the Spanish overlords. God wanted the Basilica in honor of Jesus’ mother built in the village, not in the city. 2) The vision challenges us to listen to the ordinary people who do not look or act like important people and to treat them with reverence. While it is true that God loves each and every one of us, there is a special place in God’s heart for the poor and the powerless – God’s preferential option for the poor. So, the feast challenges us to see and serve Jesus in the poor and the broken-hearted in our communities. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20 (USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm)