OT XXV [B] Sunday (Sept 22) 8-minue homily in one page L/24

Introduction: Today’s readings invite us to become great in the sight of God by doing God’s will as Jesus did, surrendering our lives to Him in the service of others.

Scripture lessons summarized: The passage from the Book of Wisdom sounds like a messianic prophecy similar to the “Suffering Servant” prophecy in Isaiah referring to Christ’s passion. It urges us to choose the path of righteousness in spite of painful consequences. In today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 54), the psalmist prays for help against the insolent people who rise against the upright.

The second reading is in tune with the dispute in today’s Gospel, in which the apostles are competing among themselves to discover who about who will be the greatest in the coming Messianic Kingdom. In the second reading, James warns the church, and us, that selfish ambitions destroy peace and cause conflicts and war. So, James advises us to choose the path of righteousness and humble service which leads to lasting peace.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a glimpse of what walking that path of righteousness, mentioned in the first and second readings, looks like in action — welcoming and serving the vulnerable in our midst, especially defenseless children, the despairing poor, the mentally ill, and the marginalized. Jesus also teaches his apostles that child-like humility and selfless service make one great in the eyes of God.

Life messages: # 1: We must become great through humble, self-giving service. Greatness, in Jesus’ view, is found in our willingness to accept, welcome, and serve those who are considered unacceptable by reason of class, color, religion, language, wealth, or culture. We must welcome people the way a child welcomes them before he is taught discrimination. If we are to be truly great, we must be ready to accept four challenges: (1) to put ourselves last, (2) to be the servant of all, (3) toreceive the most insignificant human beings with love, and (4) to expect nothing in return. During the Holy Mass let us pray for the true spirit of service and for an attitude of love for those around us. May the Holy Spirit help us to become truly great through humble, selfless service.

2) We need to practice humility in thoughts, words, and actions: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart,” Jesus invites us. St. Augustine asks,”What is the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ?” then responds, “I shall reply: first humility, second humility, and third humility.” We should not seek recognition and recompense for the services we do for Christ and the Church as parents, teachers, pastors, etc. Trusting Faith, both causes and results from, true humility, for these two synergize, deepenin each other, and both are essential for all corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Since children reflect the innocence, purity, simplicity, and tenderness of our Lord, and since they are given the protection of a guardian angel, we are to love them, train them, and take care not to give scandal to them. We need to try to treat everyone with love and respect because, “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life” (St. Basil), CCC # 336.

OT XXV [B] Sunday (Sept 22): Wis 2:12, 17-20; Jas 3:16–4:3; Mk 9:30-37

Homily starter anecdotes: #1 “The most powerful woman in the world!” At the screening of the film Mother Teresa during the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations in 1983, the Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar rose from his seat to introduce St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa), to an elite gathering of the representatives of all member countries of the U.N. He needed only one sentence for his introduction:  “I present to you the most powerful woman in the world!” (Hers was the power of humble and sacrificial Christian service!) On March 3, 1976, conferring on Mother Teresa the highest honor of India’s Vishwa Bharati University, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, who was at that time Prime Minister of India, said: “I feel myself dwarfed when I stand before this holy and mighty woman who heroically showed the world how to practice Christian love in sacrificial and humble service.” For many years, the world watched, admired, and loved this small, elderly nun, always dressed in a blue-bordered white sari, as the incarnation of humble and sacrificing Christian service.  She was the living proof of Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel that real greatness lies in serving others. She did this with love and compassion. Beginning in 1962, she was given several awards, national and international, in recognition of her greatness, attained through the humble service given to the “poorest of the poor.”  —  On Sept. 5, 1997, the day of the death of this saint who lived with us, practicing what Jesus commanded His disciples to do, Pope St. John Paul II said: “Mother Teresa marked the history of our century with courage.  She served all human beings by promoting their dignity and respect, making them feel the tenderness of God.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

# 2: Dr. Charles Mayo polishing the shoes of his guests: There’s a story told about Dr. Charles Mayo who, with his father and brother, founded the world-famous Mayo Clinic. Some European medical experts were visiting the clinic and were staying as guests at Dr. Mayo’s home. In their own countries it was the custom of these gentlemen to place their shoes outside the bedroom doors for a servant to polish. As Dr. Mayo was headed to bed, he noticed shoes lined up outside the rooms of his guests, but it was too late to wake up any of the servants. With a sigh he picked up all of the shoes, hauled them to the kitchen, and spent half of the night polishing them. — Here is an example of what Jesus tells you and me in today’s Gospel “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Msgr. Arthur Tonne). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

# 3: The first shall be the last: The Greeks had a story of a Spartan called Paedaretos. Three hundred men were to be chosen to govern Sparta and Paedaretos was one of the candidates. When the list of the successful was announced his name was not on it. “I am sorry,” said one of his friends, “that you were not elected. The people ought to have known what a wise officer of state you would have made.” “I am glad,” said Paedaretos, “that in Sparta there are three hundred men better than I am.”  — Here was a man who became a legend because he was prepared to give to others the first place and to bear no ill-will, as Jesus demands in today’s Gospel. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Introduction: Today’s readings invite us to become great in the sight of God by doing God’s will, as Jesus did, surrendering our lives to Him in the service of others.

 The Scripture summarized: The passage from the Book of Wisdom sounds like a messianic prophecy similar to the “Suffering Servant” prophecy in Isaiah, referring to Christ’s passion. It urges us to choose the path of righteousness in spite of painful consequences. In today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 54), the psalmist prays for help against the insolent people who rise against the upright.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a glimpse of what walking that path of righteousness looks like in action — welcoming and serving the vulnerable in our midst. These include, among others,  defenseless children, the despairing poor, the mentally ill, and the marginalized. Jesus also teaches the apostles that only child-like humility and selfless service make one great in the eyes of God. In today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 54), the psalmist prays for help against the insolent people who rise against the upright, reminding us to take hold of the central Truth and gift of our Faith: “Behold, God is my helper! / The Lord sustains my life,” so that we can act accordingly: “Freely will I offer You sacrifice; / I will praise Your Name, O LORD, for Its GOODNESS” (Ps 54:6. 8.).    In the second reading, James  deals with the problem that had caused the dispute among the apostles (over who would be the greatest among them in the coming Kingdom), which we hear about in today’s Gospel. James (the Less) warns us that selfish ambitions destroy peace and cause conflicts and war, and he advises us to choose the path of righteousness and humble service which leads to lasting peace

The first reading (Wisdom. 2:12, 17-20) explained.  The Book of Wisdom was written around 100 BC for “the Diaspora,” — the Jews living in pagan cities such as   the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria. Today’s passage is considered to be a messianic prophecy of Jesus’ fate at the hands of Jesus’ own people, presenting Jesus as a “Suffering servant.” Referring to a righteous sufferer, the passage points to Jesus’ crucifixion and tells us how the world often ill-treats those who strive to live justly and do God’s will.  Bible scholars consider this as a reference to a conflict that was developing among the Jews living in Alexandria, between those who were trying to keep their Faith pure and those who were adopting pagan Greek customs.

The second reading (James: 3:16 – 4:3) explained: James is emphatic about the contrast between spiritual wisdom and earthly wisdom. The apostle states that conflicts and disputes come from our inordinate desires, worldly cravings and selfish ambition.  It is precisely this kind of conflict that appears in the Gospel when the apostles argue about who will be highest in the Kingdom of God. James contrasts this kind of jealousy and selfishness with the wisdom from above that produces a harvest of righteousness.

Gospel exegesis:  The context: Jesus was returning to Capernaum after journeying incognito through the Northern Province of Galilee, avoiding crowds and teaching the apostles.  Mark presents Jesus as giving three predictions about His coming suffering and death, the first appearing in chapter 8, the second in chapter 9, and the third in chapter 10.   The response by Jesus’ disciples to each of these prophecies was a disappointmen to Jesus.Their three refusals to accpept the truth of what Jesus was prophesying rose from their assumption that Jesus was, of course, going to be a political, wealthy, powerful, military messiah who would usher in an earthly kingdom where they would be rih and powerful because they were so close to him! These wishful dreams would not permit their minds to take in the Reality Jesus was teaching them—that the Kingdom would be brought to birth in His own blood poured out on the cross as He willingly laid down His Life in sacrifice, in order to free all of us human beings from sin and death.   In chapter 8, Peter rebukes Jesus for speaking so, and he responds sharply, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God but of men!” (Mk 8:33)    In chapter 9, (the first part of today’s text), an argument arises among the disciples as to who among them is the greatest.   In the third passage (chapter 10), James and John foolishly ask Jesus to give them seats on his right and left, when Jesus comes to power.  “The grumbling of the other ten disciples at the request of James and John surely implies that they have shared the same hopes of authority and privilege as have the sons of Zebedee.” (Carl W. Conrad; http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/Mark/mk8tr.html). The second part of today’s Gospel describes what happens when Jesus returns to Peter’s house in Capernaum and explains to the apostles what true greatness is.

The Christian criterion of greatness: Jesus says that people who serve humbly are the greatest. He uses a play on an Aramaic word that can mean either servant or child.  Presenting a child before them, Jesus explains that one who wishes to be the first among them must be a servant to all.  True greatness to which they, and we, are being called, consists in serving one’s fellow men and is never self-centered.  Instead, true greatness lies in the ability to see and respond to the needs of others, and it presupposes compassion and sympathy. The two conditions of true greatness to which Jesus calls  us are humility and service. This calling, vocation, to humble, loving service belongs to the Church as a whole and to every member of the Church individually.    In other words, the Christian vocation is an apostolate of bearing witness to Christ through loving, humble service to all we encounter.   Christian history teaches us that whenever the members of Christ’s Church have forgotten or ignored this call to service, the Church has suffered. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, gives us this motto on service: “Do all the good you can; By all the means you can; In all the ways you can; In all the places you can; At all the times you can; To all the people you can; As long as ever you can.”

The paradox of the first becoming the last: Here, Jesus stands conventional wisdom on its head:    the truly great person is a diakonos − a deacon − a servant − a person who spends his/her day taking care of other people! What does it mean when Jesus states that those who want to be the first must be the last? Probably, Jesus is speaking of His own life and death in this spirit of His being a servant and considered the last, the loser. Jesus wants the apostles to substitute their ambition to rule (thus becoming the first), with the ambition to serve (thus becoming the last). We are all supposed to be serving, whatever our position or role in the society, the family, or the Church may be, because true greatness lies in being like Jesus, the loving, humble servant or slave of all.

Welcoming children. “It may appear that Jesus’ teaching about innocence and welcoming the insignificant (vv. 33-37) is out of place in the context of His passion prediction (vv. 30-32). However, the prediction of his coming death was actually elucidated by Jesus’ lesson regarding the child and vice versa. Talya or child in Aramaic can also mean servant. To behave as a talya (servant) and to welcome even someone as insignificant (according to the standards of that time) as a talya (child) is to learn the reason for the cross (vv. 31-32) and its lesson of discipleship” (Sánchez files). In Greek also, the usual term for “children” [παις, pais] is the same term generally used for “slaves.” By this play on words, it seems clear that, as much as Jesus is counseling His followers to welcome children in His name, he  is also asking us, the Christian community, to welcome “servants [of the Gospel],” in the same way that they would welcome Jesus.  (Dr. Watson).  By setting a child before them, Jesus asks them to be like that child, suggesting the importance of   innocence and humility. The trusting innocence of a child’s heart is the place where believers can meet both Christ and God. Besides, a child represents the most powerless member of any society, a person who has no power, no influence; a person who can be controlled, abused, or neglected by others.   By introducing the example of a child, Jesus also shows us that, when serving others, we must be careful to serve the least important.   This means that the Christian must show hospitality to those who have no social status: the outcast, the sinner, the sick, and the feeble.  In other words, the Christian must serve all of God’s children, regardless of whether they are friends or foes. Why? Because such people represent Jesus in our midst, and, hence, they must be welcomed, respected, and helped. The passage also tells us that Christians must care for the unwanted, neglected, abused, and ignored.

Life messages: # 1:  We must become great through humble, self-giving service.    Greatness, in Jesus’ view, is found in our willingness to accept, welcome and serve those who are considered unacceptable by reason of class, color, religion, language, wealth, or culture.   We must welcome people the way a child welcomes them before he is taught discrimination.   If we are to be truly great, we must be ready to accept four challenges: (1) to put ourselves last, (2) to be the servant of all, (3) to receive the most insignificant human beings with love, and (4) to expect nothing in return.  During the holy Mass let us pray for the true spirit of service, for an attitude of love for those around us.  May the Holy Spirit help us to become truly great through humble, selfless service. St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) puts it like this: “Be the living expression of God’s kindness through humble service; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile and kindness in your warm greeting.” Here is the motto of the Missionaries of Charity, the order of nuns founded by Mother Teresa:

The fruit of Silence is Prayer.
The fruit of Prayer is Faith.
The fruit of Faith is Love.
The fruit of Love is Service.
And the fruit of Service is Peace.

2) We need to practice humility in thoughts, words, and actions. “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart,” says Jesus to all of us.  “What is the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ?” St. Augustine asks, and then responds, “I shall reply: first humility, second humility and third humility.” We should not seek recognition and recompense for the services we do for Christ and the Church as parents, teachers, pastors, etc. Trusting Faith resulting from true humility is essential for all corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Since children reflect the innocence, purity, simplicity, and tenderness of our Lord, and since they are given the protection of a guardian angel, we are to love them, train them and take care not to give scandal to them. We need to try to treat everyone with love and respect because, “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life,” (St. Basil) CCC # 336.

JOKES OF THE WEEK # 1: Remember potato salad and jokes:   Tony Campolo, used to say, “If you ever start to feel proud, thinking that you are somebody great, just remember that soon after your body has been lowered into the grave, your family and friends will be eating potato salad and telling jokes, and you’ll be history.”

# 2: More My Size! George Washington Carver, the scientist who developed hundreds of useful products from the peanut: “When I was young, I said to God, ‘God, tell me the mystery of the universe.’ But God answered, ‘That knowledge is reserved for Me alone.’ So, I said, ‘God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.’ Then God said, ‘Well, George, that’s more nearly your size.’ And He told me.”

# 3: A horrible mistake: “Father, I have a besetting sin, and I want your help. I come to Church on Sunday and can’t help thinking I’m the prettiest girl in the congregation. I know I ought not think that, but I can’t help it. I want you to help me with it.” The pastor replied, “Mary, don’t worry about it. In your case it’s not a sin. It’s just a horrible mistake.”

#4: Prime minister’s humility: Winston Churchill was once asked, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?” “It’s quite flattering,” replied Sir Winston. “But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I were being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big.”  

#5: “I am proud of my humility!”: Do you have humility like the man who wrote the best-selling books, Humility and How I Attained It and The Ten Most Humble Men in the World and How I Chose the Other Nine?

# 6: Remember this old Sunday school song containing the basic servant-living theology: J.O.Y., J.O. Y. Tell you what it means: Jesus first, yourself last, and others in between.

# 7: The humble pastor: Did you hear about the pastor who prepared a great message on humility.  But he was waiting for a bigger congregation to preach the sermon to! Another pastor was given an award for humility. A week later, the congregation took the award back because the pastor displayed it in his office!

USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK: (The easiest method to visit these websites is to copy and paste the web address or URL on the Address bar of any Internet website like Google or MSN and press the Enter button of your Keyboard).

1)Fr. Nick’s collection of Sunday homilies from 65 priests & weekday homilies: https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies

2) Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org/featured-homilies/ (Copy it on the Address bar and press the Enter button)

3) Fr. Geoffrey Plant’s beautiful & scholarly video classes on Sunday gospel, Bible & RCIA topics:   https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant20663)

• Brant Pitre’scommentary on Cycle B Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-B
• Agape Catholic Bible Lessons: http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/
• Study on O. T. XXV [B] readings: http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/mark9b.htm
• Sermons from Seattle: http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_jesus_loves_all_the_little_children_of_the_world.htm
• Kurt’s Favorite Catholic Links: http://www.psalm40.org/catholic/
• Are Catholic doctrines biblical? http://usccb.org/bible/understanding-the-bible/study-materials/articles/bible-at-core-of-catholic-beliefs.cfm
• Scripture Catholic: https://www.scripturecatholic.com/

16 Additional anecdotes:

1) “There are no professionals in dying.” In George Seaton’s film The Proud and the Profane, the steps of a young nurse are traced to a place called Iwo Jima where her husband had been killed in World War II.  She goes to the cemetery where her husband lies buried and turns to the caretaker, a shell-shocked soldier, who had seen her husband die.  “How did he die?” she asks.  “Like an amateur,” he replies.  “They teach you how to hurl a grenade and how to fire a mortar, but nobody teaches you how to die.  There are no professionals in dying.” — Most of us prefer to avoid the subject of death.  It’s a taboo subject.  We pretend that we are going to live forever.  But the only way we can keep up that pretense is through massive denial.  Woody Allen said, “When I die, all I want is just a few of my good friends to gather around the casket and do everything in their power to bring me back to life.” Everyone dies – that we can accept.  But somehow, we think we will be the exception. Jesus knew of the innate fear in the heart of the disciples concerning death, His death and theirs.  Jesus also knew that they would all pay a terrible price for their future ministry.  So, in today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the apostles that He is going to become the Messiah by His death and Resurrection. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

2) Beethoven’s Piano: On a visit to the Beethoven Museum in Bonn, a young American student became fascinated by the piano on which Beethoven had composed some of his greatest works. She asked the museum guard if she could play a few bars on it; she accompanied the request with a lavish tip, and the guard agreed. The girl went to the piano and tinkled out the opening of the “Moonlight Sonata.” As she was leaving, she said to the guard, “I suppose all the great pianists who come here want to play on that piano.” The guard shook his head. “Paderewski [the famed Polish pianist] was here a few years ago, and he said he wasn’t worthy to touch it.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 3) “Baby, tell me what God feels like.”  Soon after the birth of her brother, four-year-old Sachi began to ask her parents to leave her alone with the new baby. Worried that she might feel jealous and want to hit and shake the newborn, her parents said no. But the little girl’s pleas to be left alone with her brother became more urgent, and since she treated the baby lovingly and gently, her parents decided to allow it. Delighted, Sachi went into the baby’s room and closed the door, but it opened slightly, allowing her curious parents to peek in and listen. They watched as their daughter put her face close to her baby brother’s and whisper, “Baby, tell me what God feels like. I’m starting to forget.” (Dan Millman, Chicken Soup For the Soul, Health Communications, Inc., Deerfield Beach, FL: 1993). — The innocence of this little four-year-old-girl is disarming, particularly to adults grown crusty and cynical with age. When Jesus recommended that the apostles emulate the little child set in their midst, Jesus reminded them of the innocence that they had long since outgrown. Indeed, their innocence had been replaced by ambition as to who was most important among them. By offering the example of the child and by calling them to be the servants of all, Jesus challenged them to rethink their attitude toward Him, toward God and toward one another. Those who would rank first among them as leader must become the least among them. (Sanchez files). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

4) “Franz Josef, a poor sinner in need of the mercy of God”—This is a story that I have often heard told in various forms over the years, and that I recently had the opportunity to verify in person during a visit to the Franciscan Church in Vienna: For 900 years, members of the mighty Hapsburg dynasty ruled over large parts of Central and Eastern Europe—an area that would sometimes be known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The majority of the Hapsburg rulers (including the last reigning Hapsburg, the Empress Zita, who died in 1989) are buried in the subterranean crypt of a Church (the Kapuzinergruft) run by the Capuchin order of Franciscan monks (the crowned skull at left is part of one of the Hapsburg coffins).  Hapsburg funerals were distinguished by a particularly solemn and evocative ritual. As the funeral procession approached the (closed) Church doors, an imperial dignitary would knock and seek admittance. “Who is it who seeks entrance?” a monk would call out from within the Church. “It is His Royal Highness, Franz Josef, by the grace of God Emperor of Austria and Hungary,” the dignitary would answer; the monk would reply, “I do not know him.” A second time, the dignitary would knock, and a second time the monk inside would ask who sought entry to the Church. “His Serene Majesty, the King of Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia and Galicia, the Protector of Jerusalem and the Grand Duke of Tuscany and Krakow…” (the list included more than 30 titles)—to which the monk again replied, “I do not know him.” A third and final time, the official knocked on the doors, and the monk once more asked the identity of the person seeking admission to the church. This time, however, the official answered humbly, “Franz Josef, a poor sinner in need of the mercy of God”—at which point the doors of the Church were swung open, the funeral procession was allowed to enter, and the Requiem Mass could begin.  (Father Gerry Pierse, CSsR;) http://www.bible.claret.org/liturgy/daily/sundays_pierse/cycleB/B_25thSunOT.htm) –The model of greatness in the kingdom of God, presented by Jesus in today’s Gospel, is the powerless child. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

5) Persecution of the just: Elie Wiesel, Jewish writer and Nobel Peace Prize winner tells a disturbing story in one of his books about Auschwitz. As soon as children arrived by train at Auschwitz, together with the elderly and the sick, they were immediately selected for the gas chamber. On one occasion a group of children were left to wait by themselves for the next day. A man asked the guards if he could stay with the children during their last night on earth. Surprisingly, his request was granted. How did they spend that last night? He started off by telling them stories in an effort to cheer them up. However, instead of cheering them up, he only succeeded in making them cry. So, what did they do? They cried together till daybreak. Then he accompanied the little ones to the gas chamber. Afterwards he returned to the prison yard to report to work. When the guards saw him, they burst out laughing. — The story has most of the ingredients of our reading. In it we see the brazenness of the evil-doers, the persecution of the innocent, and the apparent triumph of evil, which is the subject of the first reading. The man’s heroic act of service towards the little ones shines out in the darkness of Auschwitz. He risked his life to befriend the little ones. He had no answers to give them, no salvation to offer them. All he could do was suffer with them and accompany them on their last journey. Though he was an ordinary person with no rank or status of any kind, he was undoubtedly the greatest person in that sad place on that sad occasion. What made him great was his goodness. (Flor McCarthy in Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

6) “If you had not gone to feed the people, I would have left!”(Story for children): 1: A story is told about a Monk who longed to see Jesus in person, and who prayed every day that Jesus would appear to him. Each day he prepared a meal for the many hungry people who came to the gate of his monastery.  Then one day, as he was about to serve a meal to the hungry people, Jesus appeared to him in the kitchen.   At that moment, the bell at the gate rang, telling the monk that the hungry people had arrived. The monk was in a real dilemma:  should he stay and speak with Jesus or go and serve the hungry people.   The bell rang again, and the monk quickly made up his mind.  He hurried to the gate and served the meal he had prepared.   When he had finished, he was saddened by the thought that he had turned his back on Jesus.  When he returned to the kitchen, however, he found Jesus there waiting for him.  “Lord,” he said, “I thought that you would have left when I went to feed the people.”  “No,” Jesus replied, “If you had not gone to feed the people, I would have left!” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

7) “I cannot lift my arms or bend my knees.”   Once upon a time there was a squire who longed to be a knight. He wanted to serve his king and be the most honorable and noble knight who ever lived. At his knighting he was so overcome by dedication that he made a special oath. He vowed to bow his knees and lift his arms in homage to his king and him alone. This knight was given the task of guarding a city on the frontier of the kingdom. Every day he stood at attention by the gate of the city in full armor. Years passed. One day as he was standing at attention guarding his post, a peasant woman passed by with goods for the market. Her cart turned over spilling potatoes and carrots and onions everywhere. The woman hurried to get them all back in her cart. But the knight wouldn’t help the poor woman. He just stood at attention lest he break his vow by bending his knees to help pick up the woman’s goods. Time passed and one day a man with one leg was passing by and his crutch broke. “Please help me noble knight,” he requested. “Reach down and help me up.” But the knight would not stoop or lift a hand to help lest he break his vow. Years and decades passed, the knight was getting old. One day his grandson came by and said, “Grandpa pick me up and take me to the fair.” But he would not stoop lest he break his vow to the king. Finally, after years the king came to visit and inspect the knight. As the king approached the knight stood there at attention. The king inspected him but noticed that the knight was crying. “You are one of the noblest knights I have ever seen why you are crying?”   “Your majesty, I took a vow that I would bow and lift my arms in homage to you, but I am unable to keep my vow. These years have done their work and the joints of my armor are rusted. I cannot lift my arms or bend my knees.”   With the loving voice of a parent the King replied, “Perhaps if you had knelt to help all those who passed by and lifted your arms to embrace all those who came to you, you would have been able to keep your vow to pay me homage today.”  — Do you want to be God’s number one? Then practice stooping. Practice the art of humility. Reach down to give a hand to someone in need. Sacrifice your wants for the needs of another. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

8) Episcopal careerism vs child-like innocence: Father John R. Donahue, (www.americamagazine.org): The Gospel reminds the Church today of the dangers of ambition and posturing for positions of power. In recent years the genie of ecclesiastical ambition has been again let out of the bottle, so much so that Cardinal Gantin, dean of the College of Cardinals and former prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, deplored episcopal careerism and said he was shocked by bishops seeking promotion from smaller to larger dioceses (America 6/19/99), a view echoed two months later by Cardinal Ratzinger … Yet the pilgrim Church of God’s people continues the work of justice, and the unprotected and vulnerable are welcomed and protected. Jesus has many unnamed companions today as He follows the path of self-giving for others that leads through death to resurrection.  Only humility exalts. (Geneva Notes). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

9)  King Oscar II, monarch of Sweden and Norway at the turn of the century, enjoyed visiting schools and talking informally to the pupils. Calling on a village school one day, the king asked the pupils to name the greatest kings of Sweden. The answers were unanimous: Gustavus Vasa, Gustavus Adolphus, Charles XII. The teacher was embarrassed with the response, so she leaned over to one little boy and whispered something in his ear. “And King Oscar,” proclaimed the child. “Really? And what has King Oscar done that is so remarkable?” asked the King. ” I-I-I don’t know.” stammered the confused child. “That’s all right, my boy,” said the king. “Neither do I.” (Denis McBride; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 10) All God’s Children: There is a legend told about Abraham in the Mideast. According to the legend, he always held off eating his breakfast each morning until a hungry man came along to share it with him. One day an old man came along, and of course Abraham invited him to share his breakfast with him. However, when Abraham heard the old man say a pagan blessing over the food, he jumped up and ordered the old man from his table and from his house. Almost immediately, God spoke to Abraham. “Abraham! Abraham! I have been supplying that unbeliever with food every day for the past eighty years. Could you not have tolerated him for just one meal?” — We are all children of God. God has no grandchildren! (Jack McArdle in And that’s the Gospel Truth; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 11)  “Do you know who I am?”: When Nelson Mandela was a student lawyer in Johannesburg, he had a friend whose name was Paul Mahabane. Mahabane was a member of the African National Congress (ANC), and had the reputation of being a radical. One day the two of them were standing outside a post office when the local magistrate, a white man in his sixties, approached Mahabane and asked him to go buy him some stamps. It was quite common in those days for a white person to call on a black person to perform a chore. Paul refused. The magistrate was offended. “Do you know who I am?” he said, his face turning red with anger. “It is not necessary to know who you are,” Mahabane replied. “I know what you are.” The magistrate boiled over and exclaimed, “You’ll pay dearly for this,” and then walked away. — That white man was convinced that he was superior to Mahabane simply because he was a magistrate. And it had become second nature to him to expect others, especially if they were black, to serve him, ignoring the fact that both were God’s children. (Flor McCarthy in New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

12) “It can be hard work at times, but I enjoy it.”  In Ireland, foster care is the preferred option for children and young people in care. Foster families open their homes to a child or young person who comes to live with them. This can be for a short time, until the birth families are in a position to provide safe care for their child, or in some circumstances children/young people will need to be in care for a longer period of time. There was a woman in Dublin who in 1988 started short-term fostering; she works for a Catholic Adoption Agency. She receives the baby when he/she is two or three days old, and usually has the baby for three months. Then the baby is taken back by the natural mother, or adopted, or goes to long-term fostering. This dear woman, by no means well-off, has fostered in a short time, over forty babies. She says, “It can be hard work at times, but I enjoy it.” She enjoys it because she does it with love. —“Anyone who welcomes one of these little children, welcomes Me”, would be a fitting epitaph of her life. (Flor McCarthy, New Sundays and Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

13)  Pope St. Gregory the Great, the servant of all:   Pope St. Gregory I (reigned September 3, 590- March 12, 604) is one of the only two popes to whom the faithful have assigned the adjective, “the Great” (the first was Pope St. Leo I “the Great” (reigned September 29, 440 — November 10, 461. [Richard P. McBrien Lives of the Popes, (New York: HarperCollinsPublisher, 1997}, pp. 96-9; 75-77] If the term “great” is appropriate for a most of colossal ability and effort who accomplished many wonderful things, it is well applied to St. Gregory. Born to a noble Roman family in the sixth century, he was first engaged as a public official in a Rome and an Italy that were almost falling apart because of the invasions of Germanic peoples from the north. Then he turned away from governmental work and became a monk. But the then-reigning pope did not allow him to remain long in the quiet of his beloved monastery. He sent him as papal ambassador to the emperor at Constantinople. When Gregory returned to Rome, he showed such skill as a churchman that in 590 AD he himself was elected pope, though he tried to avoid the office, fearing its heavy responsibility. Because he was so conscientious, his thirteen years as pope proved a Godsend for the Church and for Europe. His influence was wide in a hectic era. He was in regular contact with the Frankish rulers of France. He sent St. Augustine of Canterbury to preach Christianity to the Angles and Saxons in Britain. He organized the defense of Italian cities against the Germanic Lombards. He did not hesitate to upbraid the Roman emperor at Constantinople for his acts and oppression. Meanwhile, in an Italy that was impoverished and fatherless, he became its leader, seeing to it that the farmers were treated justly, the Jews were defended, the poor were fed and clothed –- even at the cost of selling the silverware of the churches. Nor did he forget his spiritual duties. He was a great preacher, a writer of popular spiritual books, a reformer of Church personnel and a reviser of the liturgy (the Gregorian chant of the Church gets its name from him). At the end of his life Gregory was ill and reduced to skin and bones, but he still kept on. Why? Because he considered himself not the lord of God’s people, but (as he always signed himself) the “Servant of the Servants of God.” That is why he merited the title “the Great.” — As today’s Gospel reminds us, “If anyone wishes to rank first, he must remain … the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).(Father Robert F. McNamara). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

14) Why would Jesus choose a young child as a role model (in effect) for what it means to be “servant”? Jesus is really challenging his followers to reconsider the cultural “wisdom” of first century Palestine! This was an “honor and shame” society, and “humility” was definitely not the “in” word! But this is what Jesus urges the apostles to embrace: a willingness to serve others, rather than to compete for more “honor.” My brother deacons and I have a special fondness for the word “servant” used in this Gospel (Mk 9:35), because this is where our word diakonos or “deacon” comes from. A “servant” is one who obeys and humbly accepts a servant relationship with all humankind. But this is not limited just to Deacons! ALL Christians are called to be “servants,” just like Christ. This is what real and true Discipleship is all about. To “obey” means to “listen” (Lat., obedire), to be open to anything that God might ask you to do to build up the Body of Christ. It means submitting and consecrating your will to Jesus Christ. To be “humble” means to live with a spirit of deference, putting your gifts and talents at the disposal of others, rather than vying for privileges and recognition. So, when Jesus chose to identify Himself with a young child as an example of what He meant by “servant,” it was a radical break with cultural expectations. Children had no legal status, no honor, and no rights whatsoever. The message was clear: if you want to be a Disciple of Jesus, and agree to Jesus’ life of obedience and humility, then you will be risking – even anticipating – being ignored, reviled, and maybe even attacked (1st Reading: Wis 2:12,17-20). But with Jesus as a role model, what else could you expect? No one is greater than his Master. (Deacon). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

15) “GOD UPHOLDS OUR LIFE IN MOMENTS OF SUFFERING AND DEATH AND CARRIES US TO ETERNAL LIFE!”: This is an amazing true story, about the mother of a 10-day old baby who one day heard an explosion. The mother ran into the bedroom, but the baby wasn’t there. She was puzzled to see the window open—it was a very cold night—but before she could make the connection between the empty crib and the open window, a fire engulfed the bedroom and the mother rushed out of the house with the other children. The baby was never found; and the investigators eventually concluded that the fire consumed the baby. But the mother never believed it. Six years later, the mother happened to be attending a birthday party. There she met a bright-eyed, energetic six-year-old girl who looked very much like her own children; and she began to feel that this child might be her daughter. So, pretending the little girl had gum in her hair, she actually pulled a few strands of hair and then contacted the police. The police lab tested the hair samples and found that the girl’s DNA matched the mother’s. The little girl was indeed her daughter had been kidnapped six years before, and that the kidnapper had set fire to the bedroom to distract from the abduction.  — Now the point of this bizarre yet true story is simple Evil and suffering mysteriously befall the innocent family –- all of a sudden the baby disappears, but the mother never gives up on finding her child. And despite all kinds of disappointments and discouragements, she continues to hope. And almost miraculously she finds her daughter six years later. In a similar way, God loves us and never gives up on us –- in the midst of evil and suffering, problems and difficulties, failures and disappointments, threats, and fear to the point of death. When we are lost to God or wander away, God relentlessly pursues us, and God pursues us until God catches up with us and leads all of us to our ultimate destiny. So, with great Faith and Hope in God we proclaim, “God upholds our life in moments of suffering and death and carries us to eternal life!” (Fr. Lakra). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 16) To such as these: It was a hard but heroic task for Catholics in Elizabethan England to keep up the practice of their Faith. By law, everybody was supposed to belong to the Anglican State Church. Therefore, the only solution for Catholics was to have priests go around in disguise from place to place, offering Mass in private homes at no small risk. The English Catholics did receive spiritual rewards for their spiritual daring. Jesuit Father William Weston, one of the courageous English missionaries, tells the story of a fascinating thing that occurred at a Mass celebrated in a secret “Mass-house” by his fellow Jesuit Father Leonard Hyde. Father Weston got the account from Father Hyde himself. This Mass was offered around the end of 1685. Among the householders and Catholic friends who attended, with great devotion, there was a small child. The child, evidently a boy, watched wide-eyed all that was going on at the altar and among the participants. At the end of Mass, he went up and tugged his mother’s skirt. “Mother, Mother” he said. “What’s the matter, child?” the mother asked him. “Didn’t you see? Didn’t you see?” “See what?” she replied. “That wonderful little Baby! It was so beautiful … like nothing you have ever seen before. Uncle priest put it in Father’s mouth. Father took it, and it disappeared. Oh, what a pity!” He kept repeating “Oh, what a pity!” It was clear that he was deeply moved, and most sad to have the beautiful Infant that he saw in the consecrated host disappear. — When Jesus’ disciples tried to keep the little children from clustering about him, they were doubtless trying to spare Him annoyance. But what He saw in the little ones was mankind at its most innocent. Only if grownups retained or recovered this innocence of eye, could they hope to look on God face-to-face! “It is to such as these,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “that the kingdom of God belongs.” One day in 1685 He lifted the veil of eternity for a moment to prove His point. (Father Robert F. McNamara). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/). L/24

“Scriptural Homilies” Cycle B (No 51) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle A homilies, 141 Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  under CBCI or  Fr. Tony for my website version. (Special thanks to Vatican Radio website– http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020)  Fr. Anthony Kadavil, Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Joseph  M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507

September 16-21; Sept 16 Monday: [Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian,
Bishop, Martyrs] For a short biography, click here: (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-cornelius) & https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-cyprianLk 7:1-10: 1 After he had ended all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 Now a centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death. 3 When he heard of Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue.”6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7 therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, `Go,’ and he goes; and to another, `Come,’ and he comes; and to my slave, `Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.

Context: Jesus’ healing of the centurion’s slave, described in today’s Gospel, shows us how God listens to our Faith-filled prayers and meets our needs. Matthew (8:5-13) indicates that the centurion came to Jesus personally. Centurions were reliable, commanding officers, brave captains in charge of 100 soldiers in Rome and 80 soldiers in first century AD Palestine. They were the backbone of the Roman army. According to Luke’s account (Lk 7:1-10), this centurion loved the Jews, respected their religious customs, built a synagogue for them, loved his sick servant, trusted in Jesus’ power of healing, and was ready to face the ridicule of his fellow-centurions by pleading before a Jewish rabbi.

The remote healing: The centurion asked Jesus to shout a command, as the centurion did with his soldiers, so that the illness might leave his servant by the power of that order. Jesus was moved by the centurion’s Faith-filled request and rewarded the trusting Faith of this Gentile officer by performing a telepathic healing. When we ask for the intercession of the saints, we are like the centurion, acknowledging that we are not worthy, by our own merits, to stand before the Lord and bring Him our request.

Life message: 1) We need to grow to the level of the Faith of the centurion by knowing and personally experiencing Jesus in our lives. We do so by daily meditative reading of the Bible, by our daily personal and family prayers, and by frequenting the Sacraments, especially the Eucharistic celebration. The next step to which the Holy Spirit brings us is the complete surrender of our whole being and life to Jesus whom we have experienced, by rendering loving service to others, seeing Jesus in them. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/24

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 17 Tuesday:[Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church] For a short biography, click here:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-robert-bellarmineLk 7:11-17: 11 Soon afterward he went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report concerning him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

The context: Today’s Gospel presents one of the three stories in the Gospel where Jesus brings a dead person back to life. The other stories are those of Lazarus and of the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue leader. Today’s story is found only in Luke. Nain is a village six miles SE of Nazareth, and it is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible. The scene is particularly sad because the mother in this story, who had already lost her husband, has now lost her only son and her only means of support.

Jesus’ touch of human kindness: Jesus was visibly moved by the sight of the weeping widow, perhaps because he could foresee his own mother in the same position at the foot of his cross. His compassionate heart prompted him to console the widow saying: “Do not weep.” Then Luke reports, “He touched the bier and when the bearers stood still, he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother,” and participated in her indescribable joy. There were instances in the Old Testament of people being raised from death, by Elijah (1 Kgs 17:17-24), and Elisha (2 Kgs 4:32-37). Jesus’ miracle took place near the spot where the prophet Elisha had brought another mother’s son back to life again (see 2 Kgs 4:18-37). These miracles were signs of the power of God working through His prophets. In the case of the widow’s son in today’s Gospel, the miracle showed the people that Jesus, like Elijah and Elisha, was, at the least, a great prophet.

Life messages: 1) St. Augustine compares the joy of that widow to the joy of our Mother, the Church, when her sinful children return to the life of grace: “Our Mother the Church rejoices every day when people are raised again in spirit.” 2) The event also reminds us to have the same love and compassion for those who suffer that Jesus had. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/24

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 18 Wednesday: Lk 7:31-35: 31 “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, `We piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.’ 33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, `He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of man has come eating and drinking; and you say, `Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”

The context: The message of John the Baptist and the message of Jesus fell on deaf ears and met with stiff resistance from the scribes and the Pharisees who listened with pride, jealousy, prejudice, suffering from spiritual deafness. Hence, they attributed the austerities of John the Baptist to the devil and saw Jesus’ table fellowship with sinners as “evidence” that he was a glutton and a drunkard – both “testifying” that Jesus’ reputation and silent Messianic claims were patently false.

Dog-in-the-manger attitude: Jesus compares the attitude of the Scribes and the Pharisees with that of street-children who want to entertain themselves by acting out 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 refuse, proposing funeral songs instead, and asking the first group to act as a funeral procession, carrying one of them on their shoulders. In the end both groups will be frustrated. Jesus states that the scribes and Pharisees, because of their pride and prejudice, act exactly like these immature, irresponsible children. Jesus criticizes the unbelieving Jews for not listening either to John the Baptist, who preached a message of austerity, repentance, and God’s judgement on unrepentant sinners, or to Jesus, who preached the Good News of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and salvation.

Life messages: 1) “Ignore and correct”: Some people will criticize us as they criticized Jesus and John the Baptist, even when we do good, correct things with the best of intentions. The best response is to ignore the critics, while examining our actions and correcting anything wrong we may find in them. But hearing the Gospel implies the total acceptance and assimilation of what we hear and the incorporation of it into our daily lives. We should not be “selective listeners,” hearing only what we want to hear, and doing only what we like. 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/24

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 19 Thursday:Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin and Doctor of the Church] For a short biography, click here:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-hildegard-of-bingen.Lk 7:36-50:: 36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house, and took his place at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?” 41 …43 …

The context: The central theme of today’s Gospel is an invitation to repent, do penance, and renew our lives, instead of continuing to carry the heavy baggage of our sins. This Gospel celebrates the gift of God’s forgiveness. Our God is a God Who always tries, not to punish, but to rehabilitate, so that we may be made whole and experience inner peace and harmony. The sinner at the feet of Jesus: The Gospel story tells of a woman of the streets who washes Jesus’ feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, and perfumes them with costly oil. In sharp contrast, the host, Simon the Pharisee, has purposely omitted these Jewish customs of welcoming a guest. When one invited a Rabbi to one’s house, it was normal to place one’s hand on his shoulder and give him the kiss of peace, to bathe his feet (Palestine is a very dusty country), and to burn a grain of incense or put a drop of attar of roses on his head. Jesus contrasts Simon’s rudeness with the prostitute’s public expression of repentance, and says that the repentant woman’s sins are forgiven because “she has loved much.” By telling the short parable of the two debtors, Christ teaches us two things–His own Divinity and His power to forgive sins. The parable also shows the merit the woman’s love deserves and underlines the discourtesy implied in Simeon’s neglecting to receive Jesus in the conventional way.

Life messages: 1) We can accept or reject the mercy of God: We are challenged to accept or to reject the mercy of God. We often share Simon’s mentality by displaying an attitude of lovelessness and harshness toward those around us. We need to love Jesus because Jesus is the one and only Savior who has died for our sins. 2) We need to be grateful to our forgiving God: Our serious attempts to avoid the near occasions of sin will be both the proof of our sincere repentance and the expression of our gratitude to the merciful God who has forgiven our sins. 3) We need to cultivate a forgiving attitude towards our neighbor: Although it is not easy, we must learn to forgive those who hurt us if we want to be able to receive the daily forgiveness we need from a merciful God (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/24

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 20 Friday: [Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng
Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs]: For a short biography, click here:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saints-andrew-kim-taegon-paul-chong-hasang-and-companions

Lk 8:1-3: 1 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

The context: Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus began his preaching and healing ministry in the company of the twelve Apostles and a group of women volunteers. Luke’s Gospel pays special attention to women. The female following of Jesus was out of the ordinary at the time and in the place where Jesus lived. In those days, strict rabbis would not speak to a woman in public, and very strict ones would not speak to their own wives in the streets or public places! In his Gospel, Luke provides the Blessed Virgin Mary’s recollections of her own history with Jesus whom she outlived, describes several women around Jesus, like Elizabeth, Mary’s kinswoman, the prophetess Anna, the sinful woman, Martha and Mary, the crippled woman, the woman with hemorrhage, the women who supplied the needs of Jesus and his Apostles out of their own resources, and, in the parables, the woman kneading yeast into the dough, the woman with the lost coin and the woman who tamed the judge.

The ministry and the associates: Jesus started preaching the “Good News” that God His Father is not a judging and punishing God, but a loving and forgiving God Who wants to save mankind through His Son Jesus. Luke mentions the names of a few women who helped Jesus’ ministry by their voluntary service and financial assistance. Some among them were rich and influential like Joanna, the wife of King Herod’s steward, Chuza. We meet Joanna again among the women who went to the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection (Lk 24:10). Some others like Mary of Magdala followed Jesus to express their gratitude for his healing of them. This mixture of different types of women volunteers, all attracted by the person and message of Jesus, supported his Messianic Mission by providing food and other material assistance to Jesus and the Apostles, who proclaimed the Gospel by word and deed and by their communal and shared life. It is nice to know that our Lord availed Himself of their charity and that they responded to Him with such refined and generous detachment that Christian women feel filled with a holy and fruitful envy (St. Josemaria Escriva). At crucial moments, Jesus was better served by the women disciples than by the men.

Life message: 1) The evangelizing work of the Church needs the preaching of the missionaries and preachers, feeding and leading the believers in parishes. This work also needs the active support of all Christians by their transparent Christian lives, fervent prayers and financial assistance. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/24

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 21 Saturday: [Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist]: For a short biography, click here:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-matthew/ Mt 9:9-13:: (9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 10 And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The context: Today’s Gospel episode of Matthew’s call as Jesus’ apostle reminds us of God’s love and mercy for sinners and challenges us to practice this same love and mercy in our relations with others. The call and the response: Jesus went to the tax-collector’s station to invite Matthew to become a disciple. Since tax-collectors worked for a foreign power and extorted more tax money from the people than they owed, the Jewish people, especially the Pharisees, hated and despised the tax collectors as traitors, considered them public sinners, and ostracized them. But Jesus could see in Matthew a person who needed Divine love and grace. That is why, while everyone hated Matthew, Jesus was ready to offer him undeserved love, mercy, and forgiveness. Hence, Matthew abandoned his lucrative job, because, for him, Christ’s invitation to become Jesus’ follower, was a promise of salvation, fellowship, guidance, and protection. Scandalous partying with sinners. It was altogether natural for Matthew to rejoice in his new calling by celebrating with his friends who were also outcasts. Jesus’ dining with all these outcasts in the house of a “traitor” scandalized the Pharisees, for whom ritual purity and table fellowship were important religious practices. Cleverly, they asked, not Jesus, but the young disciples, “Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus, coming to the rescue of the disciples, cut in and answered the question in terms of healing: “Those who are well do not need a physician; the sick do.” Then Jesus challenged the Pharisees, quoting Hosea, “Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’” (Hos 6:6). Finally, Jesus clarified, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” [After the Ascension, Saint Matthew remained
for over ten years in Judea, writing his Gospel there in about the year 44.
Then he went to preach the Faith in Egypt and especially in Ethiopia, where he
remained for twenty-three years. The relics of Saint Matthew were for many
years in the city of Naddaver in Ethiopia, where he suffered his martyrdom, but
were transferred to Salerno in the year 954].

Life messages: 1) Jesus calls you and me for a purpose: Jesus has called us through our Baptism, forgiven us our sins, and welcomed us as members of the Kingdom. In fact, Jesus calls us daily, through the Word and through the Church, to be disciples and, so, to turn away from all the things that distract us and draw us away from God. 2) Just as Matthew did, we, too, are expected to proclaim Christ through our lives by reaching out to the unwanted and the marginalized in society with Christ’s love, mercy, and compassion. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/24

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

OT XXIV [B] (Sept 15) (Eight-minute homily in one page) L-24

Introduction: Today’s Gospel explains the basis of our Faith as our acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God and our Lord and Savior. It also tells us that Christ Jesus suffered, died, and rose again, to become our Savior. Finally, it outlines the three conditions for Christian discipleship, namely, denying oneself, taking up one’s cross, and following Jesus.

Scripture lessons summarized: Jesus saw aspects of His own life and mission foreshadowed in Isaiah’s Servant Songs. Hence, a large portion of the Third Song of the Suffering Servant is presented as the first reading today, while in the Gospel, Jesus foretells his passion, death, and Resurrection for the first time, in response to Peter’s profession of Faith in him as God’s Messiah and Savior. Like the servant described in today’s first reading, Jesus’ lived a life of radical obedience and conformity to God’s will. Thus, the Servant passage provides background for the revelation of Jesus as the suffering Messiah. In today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 116), the Psalmist invites us to turn to the Lord for help amidst the trials of this world. It is in God that we will find deliverance from trouble and relief from our afflictions. (Ps 116). Today’s second reading, taken from the Letter of James to the Church, reminds us that suffering is not only something to be accepted but also something to be alleviated. James explains how our Faith in Jesus, the Messiah, should help us to alleviate the sufferings of others by our works of mercy, both corporal and spiritual. In the Gospel, in response to Peter’s profession of Faith in Jesus as God’s Messiah and Savior, Jesus foretells, for the first of three times, his passion, death and Resurrection which lie ahead. Today’s Gospel consists of two sections: 1) the Messianic confession of Peter, who acknowledged Jesus as “the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God.” and 2) Jesus’ prediction of his passion, death and Resurrection, followed by Jesus clear teaching on the three conditions of Christian discipleship: “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Life Messages: 1) Jesus wants to become a living, present Reality for us, loving us, forgiving us, helping us, transforming our lives and outlook, and building a personal relationship with each of us. The knowledge of Jesus as Lord and personal Savior needs to become a living, personal experience for each Christian drawing each of us to loving response. The relationship deepens and grows as we listen to Jesus through the daily, meditative reading of the Bible, speak to Jesus in our daily, personal and family prayers, offer Jesus our lives on the altar in the Holy Mass and seek reconciliation with Jesus, asking forgiveness for our sins every night and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In the Eucharistic celebration today, we are celebrating and experiencing in our lives the death and Resurrection of Christ, the Messiah, our Lord and personal Savior.

2) We need to surrender our life to Jesus Whom we experience as our Lord and Savior: The next step is the surrender of our lives to Jesus Whose love we have experienced by rendering humble and loving service to others with the strong conviction that Jesus is present in every person. The final step is to praise and thank God in all the events of our lives, good and bad, realizing that God’s love shapes every event of our lives.

OT XXIV [B] (Sept 15) Is 50:4c-9a; Jas 2:14-18; Mk 8:27-35 (L-24)

Homily starter anecdotes: # 1: Baby powder and Christian powder: When Yakov Smirnoff, a comedian, first came to the United States from Russia he was not prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores. He says, “On my first shopping trip with my friend, I saw milk powder; you just add water water, and you get milk. Then I saw orange powder; you just add cold water, and you get orange juice. And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to myself, ‘What a country!’” — Smirnoff was joking on a comedy show. But some televangelists preach just such “instant” Christian transformation, leading to eternal salvation. According to this belief, when someone surrenders one’s life to Christ, accepts Christ as one’s personal God and Savior and confesses one’s sins to Jesus, there is an immediate, substantive, in-depth, miraculous change in one’s habits, attitudes, and character and one becomes instantly eligible for eternal salvation. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as Christian powder, and disciples of Jesus Christ are not instantly born. They are slowly raised through many trials, suffering, and temptations. They are saved by their faithful and lifelong cooperation with the grace of God, given to all of us for doing good and avoiding evil and for obeying His commandments. In today’s Gospel, Jesus explains what his disciples should do: “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” [Adapted from James Emery White, Rethinking the Church, (Baker, 1997), p. 55-57.] (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

# 2: “Who do you say that I am?” When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (with no lunch break), he arrived at a Church barbecue. It was late afternoon, and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman who was serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line. “Excuse me,” Governor Herter said, “do you mind if I have another piece of chicken? “Sorry,” the woman told him. “I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person.” “But I am starved,” the governor said. “Sorry,” the woman said again. “Only one to a customer.”Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around. “Do you know who I am?” he said. “I am the Governor of this state.” “And do you know who I am?” the woman answered. “I am the lady-in-charge of the chicken. Move along, Mister.” — In the above story, the governor and the lady-in-charge of the chicken, each tries to exert authority over the other by revealing his/her identity — who each is — and emphatically demanding,” Do you know who I am?” In the Gospel Reading of today from St. Mark, Jesus asks the apostles the same very question as regards His identity (“Who do you say that I am?”), but in a completely different context. For, Jesus was not exerting personal authority over them, but asking of these men who had shared Jesus life for an extended time a simple and straightforward question. (Fr. Lakra) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

# 3: Shakespeare and Jesus. It was the 19th century British essayist, Charles Lamb, who snatched the 17th century playwright William Shakespeare from his undeserved obscurity, returning him to the limelight of fame. Charles Lamb was once involved in a discussion on the question of who the greatest literary genius of all time had been. Two names finally emerged: William Shakespeare and Jesus of Nazareth. Lamb put an end to the debate when he said: “I’ll tell you the difference between these two men. If Shakespeare walked into this room right now, we would all rise to greet him, but if Christ came in, we would all fall down and worship.” — There is the essential difference between the Man from Nazareth and all the other great people you can think of. Jesus Christ is God, and all others, no matter what their deeds, are but fools strutting on the stage for a brief time and then exiting. Today’s Gospel describes who Jesus really is and gives us the unique conditions for Christian discipleship. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Introduction: Today’s Gospel explains the basis of our Faith as our willing acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God and our Lord and Savior. It also tells us that Christ Jesus suffered, died, and rose again to become our Savior. Finally, it outlines the three conditions for true Christian discipleship, namely, denying oneself, taking up one’s cross, and following Jesus. Jesus saw aspects of His own life and mission foreshadowed in Isaiah’s Servant Songs. Hence, a large portion of the Third Song of the Suffering Servant is presented as the first reading today, while in the Gospel, Jesus foretells His passion, death, and Resurrection for the first of three time, in response to Peter’s profession of Faith in Jesus as God’s Messiah and Savior. Like the servant described in today’s first reading, Jesus lived a life of radical obedience and conformity to God’s will. Thus, the Servant passage provides background for the revelation of Jesus as the suffering Messiah. In today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 116), the Psalmist invites us to turn to the Lord for help amidst the trials of this world. It is in God that we will find deliverance from trouble and relief from our afflictions. Today’s second reading, taken from the Letter of James to the Church, reminds us that suffering is not only something to be accepted but also something to be alleviated. James explains how our Faith in Jesus, the Messiah, should help us to alleviate suffering in others by our works of mercy, both corporal and spiritual. Today’s Gospel consists of two sections: 1) the Messianic confession of Peter, who acknowledged Jesus as “the Christ (Messiah,) the Son of the living God,” and 2) Jesus’ prediction of his Passion, death and Resurrection, followed by a clear teaching on the three conditions of Christian discipleship: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

First reading: Isaiah 50:4c-9a, explained: In the middle section of the book of the prophet Isaiah, in chapters 40-55, there are four short passages which scholars have called the Songs of the Suffering Servant. In the original author’s mind, the servant was probably a figure for the people of Israel, or for a faithful remnant within the people. In their original context, the songs were probably composed to help Israel see itself in the role of the servant. Through degradation and suffering, Israel could become for the rest of the world God’s message of liberation and salvation. But Jesus saw aspects of His own life and Messianic mission foreshadowed in the Servant Songs. Hence, this section of the third song is presented as the first reading today, while in the Gospel, Jesus foretells for the first time (of three), His passion, death and Resurrection, after Peter has professed his Faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Savior. Jesus identifies Himself and mission with the sorrowful figure of humiliation and suffering, the Lord’s suffering servant. Like that servant, Jesus’ life is one of radical obedience and conformity to God’s will. Thus, the Servant passage provides background for the revelation of Jesus as the suffering Messiah.

Second Reading: James 2:14-18, explained: Today’s reading, taken from the Letter of James to the Church, reminds us that suffering is not only something to be accepted but also something to be alleviated. James tells us that our Faith in Jesus the Messiah should be expressed in alleviating others’ suffering through works of mercy, both corporal and spiritual. In other words, professing Faith in the Divinity of Christ as our Redeemer is useless, unless we practice that Faith in genuine deeds of the love, mercy, forgiveness, and humble service which Jesus lived and demonstrated. As Christians, we are obliged to meet the material needs of poor persons and to alleviate their sufferings. We should respond concretely to the needs and sufferings of our fellow humans. Otherwise, our Faith is all talk and no action: “Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James is not refuting the Pauline doctrine of salvation by Faith but warning us that a lifeless or an unlived Faith has no power to save (v. 14) us from judgment.

Gospel exegesis: The context: This Sunday we begin a series of seven Sunday Gospel readings from Mark’s account of the journey of Jesus and the apostles from northern Galilee to Jerusalem. Along the way Jesus gave them instructions about His identity and what it meant to follow Him (discipleship). Today’s Gospel, relates the first of Jesus’ three prophecies of his coming passion, death, and Resurrection. This instruction consists of two sections: the Messianic confession of Peter, and Jesus’ prediction of His Passion, death and Resurrection, followed by a clear teaching on discipleship.

Two pertinent questions in a pagan pilgrimage center: In Matthew and Mark, Jesus asked two questions about His identity. The incident occurred at Caesarea Philippi, presently called Banias, twenty-five miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee. This city was founded by King Philip, the son of Herod the Great, to perpetuate his own memory and to honor the Roman emperor Caesar. It was situated on a beautiful terrace about 1150 feet above sea level on the southwest slope of Mount Hermon overlooking the Jordan valley. The city was a great pilgrimage center for pagans because it held temples for the Syrian gods Bal and Pan, the Roman God Zeus, and a marble temple for the emperor Caesar. Jesus realized that if the apostles did not know who He really was, then the entire Messianic Mission of ministry, suffering and death would be useless. Hence, Jesus decided to ask a question in two parts.

The first question: “What is the public opinion?” Their answer was, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” John the Baptist was so great a figure that many Jews, including Herod their king, thought that John’s spirit had entered the body of Jesus. Elijah, the greatest of the prophets was believed to be the forerunner of the Messiah. [“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes”(Mal
4:5).] It was believed that, before the people went into exile, Jeremiah had taken the Ark of the Covenant and the altar of incense out of the Temple, and hidden them away in a lonely cave on Mount Nebo; before the coming of the Messiah, he would return and produce them, and the glory of God would come to the people again (2 Mc 2:1-12). In 2 Esdr 2:18 (an apocryphal work), the promise of God is: “For thy help I will send my servants Isaiah and Jeremiah.” The phrase, “one of the prophets,” suggested that Jesus had a ministry like that of the former prophets. When the people identified Jesus with Elijah and with Jeremiah they were, according to their lights, paying Jesus a great compliment, for Jeremiah and Elijah were the expected forerunners of the Anointed One of God. When they arrived, the Kingdom would be very near indeed.

The second question: “What is your personal opinion?” For the first time in their relationship, Peter, speaking for the other disciples, declared publicly: “You are the Christ (Messiah) the Son of the living God.” Peter was the first apostle to recognize Jesus publicly as the Anointed One (also translated Messiah or Christ). Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah.To say thatJesus was the Christ, the anointed one of God was to say that He was the Immanuel, the Salvation of God — God who became Man to save sinners! It is evident that Jesus was well pleased with Peter’s answer, for Jesus first pronounced a blessing upon Peter, the only disciple in the Gospels to receive a personal blessing. “Blessed are you, Simon son of John!” Next, Jesus confirmed Peter’s insight as a special revelation from God. “No mere man has revealed this to you, but My Heavenly Father.”However, Jesus was quick to explain to the disciples that, instead of being a political Messiah who would reestablish the Davidic kingdom after ousting the Romans, Jesus was the suffering Messiah who would redeem mankind by death and Resurrection. Like the Suffering Servant in the first reading, Jesus accepted suffering out of fidelity toward the One Whom He called Father, as part of the Messianic mission. Jesus’ example provides a challenge for us all to accept the mystery of the cross when our turn comes to follow the Suffering Servant and Suffering Messiah.

No suffering, no death, please: The Jewish religious tradition did include a certain amount of suffering and rejection on the part of its religious leaders. One finds this in several references to Moses and the prophets (Ex 16:2; 17:2-4; Jer 11:18-19; 20:7-10; Mt 23:37). The concept of suffering or self-sacrifice as having a saving effect was also present in the Jewish tradition (Ex 32:32; Is 53:5, 10, 12). But it received explicit expression in Christian Messianism, not only in the Gospels, but also in the Acts of the Apostles (8:32), and in the Epistles (Rom 5:6-8; Gal 3:13; 1 Pt 2:24-25). Jesus rebuked Peter when Peter tried to dissuade Jesus from such a course. For Jesus, this was yet another temptation in the guise of a close friend’s counsel. It tested Jesus’ commitment to the mission which His Heavenly Father had entrusted to Him. “Jesus rejected the term ‘Messiah’ if it meant a political, nationalistic leader. Jesus consistently rejected that program as a diabolical attempt to divert him from His God-given mission.” (Reginald Fuller).

The three conditions for Christian discipleship: To counter the opposition expressed by Peter and to emphasize the fact that Jesus was not the political, conquering Messiah of Jewish expectations who would bring perfect peace and justice, put an end to all suffering and death, and provide perfect joy and happiness in this world, Jesus turned to the wider audience of the crowd gathered with his disciples at Caesarea Philippi and emphatically declared the stringent conditions to be met by his disciples. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” Christian discipleship demands honesty of a disciple in order for him to practice self-control (“to offer our bodies as a willing sacrifice to God”), willingness to suffer, and readiness to follow Jesus by obeying Jesus’ commandment of love. A) Denying self: This means, with God’s grace, evicting selfish thoughts, evil desires and tendencies from our heart and filling it with God. In addition, also with God’s grace, it means cleansing ourselves of all evil habits, enthroning God in our hearts, and sharing Him with others. B) Carrying of the cross with Jesus: First, this means gracefully accepting that suffering without bitterness, as a part of our lives. Second, it means that we may not, in our suffering, pass on any bitterness to those around us. Third, it means that we must accept some other deaths before our physical death, that we are invited to let some parts of ourselves die. Fourth, it means that we must wait for the resurrection to receive the eternal reward for our suffering. A Christian life of service is carrying one’s cross in the footsteps of Jesus. Our sufferings become the cross of Jesus with its saving power when we suffer with Jesus by dying to our self-centeredness through serving others selflessly, enduring physical or mental pain and illness without complaint, and offering these sufferings to God in reparation for sin. We also offer penitential practices to God for the same intentions for ourselves and for the world. C) Following Jesus: This means that, as followers of Christ, we should live our lives according to the word of God by obeying what is commanded by Jesus. Jesus’ predictions about Christian suffering would have had particular meaning for Mark’s audience who would experience their fulfillment in both the horrors of the Jewish war against Rome and the persecution under Nero, when Christians were used as torches to light Nero’s garden.

Life Messages: #1: We need to ask ourselves Who Jesus is and what Jesus means to us. Founder of a religion? Revolutionary Jewish reformer? One of the great teachers? Son of God and personal Savior? This can perhaps be broken down into other questions: “How do I really see Jesus? Is Jesus a living experience for me, walking with me, loving me, forgiving me, helping me and transforming my life and outlook? What difference does Jesus make in my life? Have I really given my life to Jesus? Are there areas where I have excluded Jesus, where my life is not noticeably different from the lives of those who see Jesus as irrelevant? Who do we say that Jesus is through our daily life? Who do we say that Jesus is when we are in the presence of those who don’t know Jesus, those who aren’t interested in Jesus? What does the way we live and behave say about who Jesus is? Is the joy, the love, the peace that we find in Jesus reflected in the way we live our lives? We are gathered here today in the Name of Jesus. We have not come together to celebrate a continuing memorial for a merely good man who died long ago. We are here to celebrate the death and Resurrection of Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, the Messiah, our Lord and personal Savior, in this Eucharistic celebration in which we encounter directly the Living God. “The salvation which Christ has already won for all is not yet complete. It must be accepted, embraced and acted out in the free lives of believers today.” (Catechism for Filipino Catholics).

2) We need to experience Jesus as our Lord and Savior and surrender our life to Jesus. The knowledge of Jesus as Lord and personal Savior needs to become a living, personal experience for each Christian. This is made possible, with the grace of God, by our listening to Jesus through the daily, meditative reading of the Bible, by our talking to Jesus through daily, personal and family prayers, by our offering of our lives to the Father through Jesus on the altar in the Holy Mass, and by our being forgiven by and reconciled with Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The next step is the surrender of our lives to Jesus through rendering humble and loving service to others, with the strong conviction that Jesus is present in every person. The final step is to praise and thank God in all the events of our lives, good and bad, realizing that God’s love shapes every event of our lives.

# 3: We should be ready to take up our crosses and follow Jesus. Do we have enough Faith to offer up a genuine sacrifice for Christ’s sake? Can a Church in today’s self-centered culture ask its people to sacrifice something for the sake of the Gospel? Jesus’ challenge to all would-be disciples requires more than a “feel-good” spirituality. A true disciple asks, “Am I willing to sacrifice something for the God Who loves me?” What made it possible for first-century Christians to choose a martyr’s death? What has kept generations of Christians from losing Faith and falling apart when confronted by the violence and hatred of this world? Can we offer even the day-to-day sacrifices asked by Jesus when they demand things we don’t want to do? Can we sacrifice some of our time in order to visit Jesus in a homeless shelter nusing home, or soup kitchen? Can we sacrifice our job security and refuse to “go along” with a policy that is unjust? Can we sacrifice our need to be in control and let Christ do with us what He will? Can we refuse to let our children watch television programs filled with sex and violence?

JOKES OF THE WEEK

# 1: “Who do you say that I am?” On Sunday morning a man showed up at Church with both of his ears terribly blistered. So, his pastor asked, “What happened to you Jim?”
“I was lying on the couch watching a ball game on TV while my wife was ironing nearby. I was totally engrossed in the game when she went out, leaving the iron near the phone. The phone rang, and keeping my eyes on the TV, I grabbed the hot iron and put it to my ear.”
“How dreadful,” gasped the pastor. “But how did the other ear get burned?”
“Well, you see, I’d no sooner hung up, the guy called back!” — He just didn’t get it. Lots of folks never get it and never understand how life really works, even at the simplest levels. That’s why Jesus is pressing His followers — and us with a challenging question in today’s Gospel: “Who do you say that I am?” (Msgr. Dennis Clarke).

2) “I see millions of stars:” The story is told of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson on a camping trip. As they lay sleeping one night, Holmes woke Watson and said, “Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see.” Watson said, “I see millions of stars.” Holmes asked, “And what does that tell you?” Watson replied, “Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. And what does it tell you?” Holmes answered, “Someone stole our tent!” –Some people are great at speculative knowledge but when it comes to its implication for practical living, they score zero. Such is Peter in today’s Gospel.

USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK:(The easiest method to visit these websites is to copy and paste the web address or URL on the Address bar of any Internet website like Google or MSN and press the Enter button of your Keyboard).

1)Fr. Nick’s collection of Sunday homilies from 65 priests & weekday homilies:https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies

2) Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org/featured-homilies/ (Copy it on the Address bar and press the Enter button)

3) Fr. Geoffrey Plant’s beautiful & scholarly video classes on Sunday gospel, Bible & RCIA topics: https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant20663)

4) Dr. Brant Pitre’s commentary on CycleB Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-B

5) Agape Catholic Bible Lessons: http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/

6) 6)The Catholic Information Service : http://www.catholic.net/ Where is it in the Bible? https://www.catholicbible101.com/thetencommandments.htm

7)About Catholics: http://www.aboutcatholics.com/ 8) Catholic Spirit: http://thecatholicspirit.com/ 9) Catholic culture: http://www.catholicculture.org/ 10) Vatican on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

34- Additional anecdotes:

1) Who do you say I am? Jeremy Bowen could not be more wrong, and Bono could not be more right! Bowen, the presenter of a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) documentary on Jesus Christ, said, “The important thing is not what Jesus was or what he wasn’t – the important thing is what people believe him to have been. A massive world-wide religion, numbering more than two billion people follows his memory – that’s pretty remarkable, 2,000 years on.” (Alex Webb, “Looking for the Historical Jesus,” BBC News Online, March 26, 2001.) On the opposite end of the spectrum, Bono, lead singer of the rock group U2, asked if he believes the claim of Jesus’ Divinity is farfetched, replied with this statement: “No, it’s not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually, Christ doesn’t allow you that. He doesn’t let you off that hook. Christ says: ‘No. I’m not saying I’m a teacher. Don’t call Me teacher. I’m not saying I’m a prophet. I’m saying: ‘I’m the Messiah.‘ I’m saying: ‘I am God Incarnate.’ So, what you’re left with is: either Christ was who He said He was – the Messiah – or a complete nutcase. [Michka Assayas, Bono: In
Conversation with Michka Assayas
(New York: Riverhead, 2005), p. 108.] Bowen could not be more wrong, and Bono could not be more right! Who Jesus is, what He said, and what He did are the foundation of Christian Faith. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

2) Larry King to interview Jesus Christ: Barbara Ann Walters, the first female evening news anchor on The ABC Evening News and ABC commentator on news specials, once asked the CNN talk show host Larry King, “If you could interview anyone in history, who would it be?” King replied with unguarded honesty: “Jesus of Nazareth.” Her next question was, “If you could ask him one question, what would it be?” After a brief pause, he responded, “I think I would like to ask him, ‘Were you truly virgin born?’ — because if He was, that would change everything.” Larry King was correct. If the accounts of the Virgin Birth and the bodily Resurrection of Jesus are true, then they change everything. It means that He was more than a man; consequently, His words are absolutely authoritative. It means that what He said about life and death, God and the devil, sin and salvation, and heaven and hell is true. — Today’s Gospel describes the great profession of Faith made by Peter recognizing Jesus as the Christ, the promised Messiah, and the Son of the Living God. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

3) “Who do Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Islam say that I am?” The first two groups claim to be Christian, and Islam speaks about Christ. But all of them have a confused Christology. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly called the Mormons, incorporates the Lord’s name in its title, but its beliefs about Jesus are fatally flawed. A basic compendium of the Mormon gospel, entitled Mormon Doctrine, was written by apostle Bruce Redd McConkie, an influential Mormon theologian. According to McConkie, Mormons believe that “Lucifer, the son of the morning, is our elder brother, and the brother of Jesus.” The Journal of Discourses, a 26-volume Mormon publication presenting public sermons by many early Mormon leaders, includes such statements as this: “Jesus, our elder brother was begotten in the flesh by the same character that was in the Garden of Eden, and who is our father in Heaven.” The same volumes assert, “Jesus was married at Cana of Galilee and had many wives … he also had many children.” From these writings, it is clear that the Mormons fail the test when it comes to answering Jesus Christ’s question, “Who do you say I am?” (v. 29). Ask the Jehovah’s Witnesses, “Who do you say Jesus is?” The Jehovah’s Witness publication, New Heavens and New Earth, declares by way of response, “Michael the Archangel is no other than the only begotten Son of God, now Jesus Christ.” Consider the religion of Islam. Ask the Muslim who Jesus is and the answer we get from official publications is “Jesus was no more than a mortal whom Allah favored and made an example to the Israelites. They are unbelievers who say God is Messiah, Mary’s son” (Sura 43:59, Quran). Until people see Jesus as Peter did, as “the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” they miss the mark. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

4) “She thinks I’m real!” A waitress at a restaurant was taking orders from a couple and their young son. The father and mother gave their luncheon selection and gratuitous instructions as to what was to be substituted for what, and which dressing changed to what sauce. When she finally turned to the boy, he began his order with a kind of fearful desperation. “I want a hot dog-” he started. And both parents barked at once, “No hot dog!” The mother went on. “Bring him the Lyonnais potatoes and the beef, both vegetables, a hard roll and . . .” The waitress wasn’t even listening. She said evenly to the youngster, “What do you want on your hotdog?” He flashed an amazed smile, “Ketchup, lots of ketchup, and-and bring a glass of milk.” “Coming up,” she said as she turned from the table, leaving behind her the stunned silence of utter parental dismay. The boy watched her go. Then he turned to his father and mother and with astonished elation said, “YOU KNOW WHAT? She thinks I’m real! She thinks I’m real!” [The
Pastor’s Story File (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651;
970-785-2990).] — When we answer this question like Peter, when we accept Jesus as the Messiah and Savior of our lives, then all that Jesus taught, all that Jesus promised, all that Jesus preached becomes real in us. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

5) “Voxpopuli, vox Dei”?: “Jesus asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets’ ” (vv. 27b-28). “”i means “The voice of the people is the voice of God.” It is the foundational philosophy that stands behind every system of democracy that has ever been established. But, is it true? Are the people, always right? Indeed, we can ask, “Are the people, ever right?” Consider, for example, these confused determinations by people some consider “experts”: a) IBM: Thomas Watson, president of IBM, said when IBM unveiled its first computer, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” Or, this: “We went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, built with some of your parts, what do you think about funding us? Or, pay our salary and we’ll come work for you.’ And they said, ‘No.’ So, we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, ‘Hey, we don’t need you. You haven’t even finished college yet.'” That was Steve Jobs speaking about attempts to get Atari and Hewlett-Packard interested in a computer model later called Apple! Imagine, computer giants like Atari and Hewlett-Packard missed it! b) Telephone: In 1876, an internal memo circulated among Western Union executives. It originated with the head of that company and read in part, “The so-called ‘telephone’ device is a fad. It has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value.” c) FedEx: Fred Smith submitted a term paper proposing the reliable overnight delivery of packages using a fleet of airplanes. His Yale business professor returned that term paper with a grade of ‘C’ on the top and this comment below: “This concept is interesting and well-written, but in order to earn better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.” Fred Smith left Yale and founded FedEx! d) Mrs. Fields’ Cookies: Debbi Fields pitched an investment banker to help her find funding for a start-up, mall-based cookie store called Mrs. Fields’ Cookies. The banker replied, “A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you are planning to make.” e) The Beatles: A Liverpool music group called The Beatles auditioned for a Decca Records’ agent in 1962. He told them, “We don’t like your sound. Frankly, guitar music is on the way out.” There are many more examples to demonstrate that the voice of the people – even the voice of the leaders among the people – is not guaranteed to be right or reliable. The majority is often wrong. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

6) A menu of sorts: In today’s Scripture lesson of a question and answer, we’re given a menu of sorts. We’re given a menu and then we’re to make a choice which reminds us of two restaurant orders. a) A woman went into a restaurant and ordered the breakfast special, “I want my pancakes well done,” she said. “You need to cook them all the way through and golden brown on both sides. Use the light syrup because the regular syrup is too sweet. Make the bacon crisp and thin, not oily or soggy and put it on a separate plate. The eggs must be over-easy, not broken or runny.” “And would you like butter or margarine?” asked the waitress. The woman answered, “Oh, it doesn’t matter; I’m not that picky.” (Parables, Etc.). b) A guest in an expensive seaside-hotel breakfast room called room service one morning and placed a breakfast order: “I want two boiled eggs, one of them so undercooked it’s runny, and the other so overcooked, it’s about as easy to eat as rubber; also grilled bacon that has been left on the plate to get cold; burnt toast that crumbles away as soon as you touch it with a knife; butter straight from the deep-freeze so that it’s impossible to spread; and a pot of very weak coffee, lukewarm.” The person taking the order said, “I’m sorry, sir, but that’s a rather strange and complicated order, and it might be a just little bit difficult to fill.” To which the guest replied, “Oh, but that’s exactly what you gave me yesterday!” [The Pastor’s Story
File (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651;
970-785-2990), February1998).] (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

7) “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” We must carry a cross to remind us that we are responsible in part for the cross that Jesus carried. When Rembrandt painted his famous work of the crucifixion called “The Three Crosses” which now hangs in the Louvre in Paris he did something most unusual. Among the faces in the crowd beneath the cross, he painted himself. That was his way of saying that he could not envision the crucifixion without admitting that he had a participation in it. Unfortunately, there are some who never see that. They identify with the Christ on the cross, rather than the Rembrandt in the crowd. –That haunting old Negro spiritual gives the refrain “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” The emphasis is on the you. If we were to be perfectly honest, we would have to answer, “Yes, I was there. Yes, I had a role in this.” It is only as we come to that understanding that we can then sing the last part of the hymn: “Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.” I must so identify with the event of the crucifixion as to see myself in the story. It is not simply His story; it is our story as well. That is why Jesus challenges us in today’s Gospel to take up our crosses and follow him. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

8) “Deny yourself and take up your cross“: The University of Chicago did a five-year study of leading artists, athletes, and scholars. Directed by Dr. Benjamin Bloom, the research was based on anonymous interviews with the top twenty performers in various fields. These people included concert pianists, Olympic swimmers, tennis players, sculptors, mathematicians, and neurologists. Bloom and his team of researchers from the University of Chicago probed for clues as to how these achievers developed. For a more complete picture, they interviewed their families and teachers. The report stated conclusively that drive and determination, not great natural talent, led to the extraordinary success of these individuals. Bloom noted, “We expected to find tales of great natural gifts. We didn’t find that at all. Their mothers often said it was another child who had the greater talents.” What they found were extraordinary accounts of hard work and dedication: The pianist who practiced several hours a day for seventeen years; the swimmer who rolled out of bed every morning at half past five to do laps for two hours before school, etc. [Dr. Denis E. Waitley, Winning the Innovation Game (New York: Berkley Books, 1986).] In another study, when the nation’s top achievers were asked to rate the factors they consider most important in contributing to their own success, hard work emerges as the highest-rated factor. Not talent or luck but hard work. Psychologists followed the careers of violinists studying at the Music Academy of West Berlin. By the time they were 18, the academy’s best students had already spent about 2,000 more hours in practice, on average, than had their fellow students. That is denying yourself and taking up a cross. Business Guru Tom Peters recalls a wonderful story of a musician, it may have been cellist Pablo Casals, who died at almost one hundred years of age. The morning he died he was downstairs practicing at 6:00 a.m. “That’s just lovely,” says Peters. — It is lovely, if being the best at what you do is important to you. — So we have a choice. We can heed part of Jesus’ words, “Deny yourself and take up your cross,” and have all the success this world has to offer. And there’s nothing really wrong with that. Jesus wants us to be the very best of whatever we choose to be, as long as it does not cost us our souls. There is a better way, however. Use Jesus as your guide – accept the rest of the quotation,”…and follow Me!” Follow Jesus. Deny yourself by giving yourself for others in Jesus’ Name. That’s where real happiness lies. That’s what ultimate success is all about. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

9) Through the Cross and a fellow-believer, he found the strength: Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his non-fiction, autobiographical trilogy, Gulag Archipelago, described his life in a Siberian prison. At one point he was so physically weak and discouraged that all he could hope for was death. The hard labor, terrible conditions, and inhumane treatment had taken their toll. He knew the guards would beat him severely and probably kill him if he stopped working. So, he planned to help them by simply stopping his work and leaning on his shovel. But when he stopped, a fellow Christian reached over with his shovel and quickly drew a sign of the cross at the feet of Solzhenitsyn, then erased it before a guard could see it. — Solzhenitsyn later wrote that his entire being was energized by that little reminder of the hope and courage we find in Christ through the cross. It was a turning point. Through the cross and a fellow believer, he found the strength and the hope to continue. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

10) The Cross symbolizes Faith, Hope and Love: The people of Lithuania take their cross-bearing a little more seriously than we do. For them, the cross symbolizes Faith, Hope, and Love. There are crosses are everywhere in the countryside, on roads, in city parks and village squares. Communities and individuals erect crosses to bring them health and to commemorate events like weddings, births and christenings. Crosses are also erected to commemorate historical events. One of these is the Baltic Way, in which millions of people linked hands stretching across the Baltics from Estonia to Lithuania on August 25, 1989. About 9 monuments commemorate this extraordinary event. The nation’s pride is the Hill of Crosses, located north of Siauliai. Lithuanians erected crosses there as early as the mid-19th century. The Soviet government couldn’t tolerate that kind of spiritual expression, so they totally destroyed the hill in 1961, then again in 1973 and 1975. But people kept erecting more crosses, until in 1980 their destruction stopped. Today the crosses number in the thousands. They are different sizes and shapes, some simple, some ornate, but they immortalize Lithuania’s troubles, misfortunes, joys, hope, love, and Faith. (Http://lithuanian-american.org/folklife/crosses.htm) For the Lithuanian people, the cross is more than a symbol in the Church. It is symbol for the world to see, a symbol that will not go away. It is a symbol of sacrifice, a sacrifice that gives each and every one of us Hope and Faith and courage. (Billy D. Strayhorn, At Cross Purposes). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

11) “Those who lose their life for My sake, and for the sake of the Gospel, will save it.” When Communist forces invaded Vietnam in the 1950s, Hien Pham, like many Vietnamese Christians, was arrested and jailed for his beliefs. After his release from prison, Pham made plans to escape Vietnam. He secretly began building a boat. Fifty-three fellow-Vietnamese made plans to escape with him. One day, four Vietcong soldiers came to Pham’s house and confronted him. They heard he was planning an escape. Was it true? Of course, Hien Pham lied to them. If he had told the truth, the Vietcong might have killed him and arrested the other fifty-three people. — But after the soldiers left, Pham felt very uneasy. Had God really wanted him to lie? Didn’t he trust that God would provide for him under any circumstances? Even though it made no logical sense, Pham believed that God wanted him to tell the truth, even at the risk of his own life. So, Hien Pham resolved that if the Vietcong soldiers returned, he would confess his escape plans. Hien Pham chose to bear a particular cross, the cross of honesty. He chose to sacrifice what he had seen as “safety” for faithfulness. He finished building his boat, and his friends made the final plans for their daring escape. To their horror, the Vietcong soldiers returned and demanded to know if the escape rumors were true. Hoping against hope, Hien Pham confessed his plans. Can you imagine his surprise when those four soldiers replied, “Take us with you!” That evening, Hien Pham, his fifty-three friends, and four Vietcong soldiers made a daring escape under cover of night in a homemade boat. But that’s not the end of the story! They sailed straight into a violent storm. Pham reports that they would have all been lost, if it hadn’t been for the expert sailing skills of, you guessed it, the four Vietcong soldiers. The escapees landed safely in Thailand. Eventually, Hien Pham emigrated to the United States, where he made a new life for himself. [Ravi Zacharias. Deliver
Us from Evil (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1997), pp. 191-194.] He proved the truth of verse 35: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and that of the Gospel will save it.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

12) “Get behind me Satan:” It’s encouraging to know that someone of Peter’s stature and importance in the early Church, could walk the walk so well with his foot in his mouth! What we have to remember is that Peter was human, and even the greatest of humans make mistakes. — Henry Ford changed the world. He changed how things are assembled, marketed and how we travel. But did you know he forgot to put a reverse gear in the first car he invented? Not only that, but he didn’t build a door wide enough to get the car out of the building he built it in. If you go to Greenfield Village, you can still see where he cut a hole in the wall to get the car out. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

13) 12% of Americans are “highly spiritually committed.” According to research conducted by George Gallup, 12% of Americans are “highly spiritually committed.” They are those who truly understand what Jesus meant when he said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” Gallup says the members of this group are “a breed apart from the rest of the populace in at least four ways: 1. They’re happier. 2. Their families are stronger. 3. They’re more tolerant of people of different races and religions. 4. They’re community-minded.” — They’re involved in service to others. That is cross-bearing that really makes a difference. (Rev. King Duncan) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

14) “Where were you during the critical days of the struggle?” During the dark days of World War II, England had a great deal of difficulty keeping men in the coal mines. It was a thankless kind of job, totally lacking in any glory. Most chose to join the various military services. They desired something that could give them more social acceptance and recognition. Something was needed to motivate these men in the work that they were doing so that they would remain in the mines. With this in mind, Winston Churchill delivered a speech one day to thousands of coal miners, stressing to them the importance of their role in the war effort. He did this by painting for them a mental picture. He told them to picture the grand parade that would take place when VE Day came. First, he said, would come the sailors of the British Navy, the ones who had upheld the grand tradition of Trafalgar and the defeat of the Armada. Next in the parade, he said, would come the pilots of the Royal Air Force. They were the ones who, more than any other, had saved England from the dreaded German Luftwaffe. Next in the parade would come the Army, the ones that had stood tall at the crises of Dunkirk. Last of all, he said, would come a long line of sweat-stained, soot-streaked men in miner’s caps. And someone, he said, would cry from the crowd, “And where were you during the critical days of the struggle?” And then from ten thousand throats would come, “We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.”

June 24-29: June 24 Monday (The nativity of St. John the Baptist): For a brief biography click onhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/nativity-of-saint-john-the-baptist/ Lk 1:57-66, 80: 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.

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 miraculously 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. Appealed to by the gathered people, the mute Zechariah approved that name by writing, “His name is John.” At Zechariah’s action of obedient surrender to the Lord God, the priest’s speech was restored. At once Zechariah loudly proclaimed the praises of God Who had blessed him with a son who would serve as Herald for the long-awaited Deliverer of Israel, the Messiah of God.

Life messages: 1) We need to pray for our parents and be thankful to them for the gift of life, the training, and the 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 Jesus’ Mystical Body, 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 the Baptist was, by our transparent Christian lives. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/24

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

June 25 Tuesday: Mt 7:6, 12-14: 6 Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before swine lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you. 12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. 13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

The context: Today’s Gospel passage, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, speaks about the proper use of holy things, the “Golden Rule” we have to obey, and the less-traveled narrow way we need to take in our Christian lives.

1) Jesus advises his listeners to use holy things in a holy manner. The Jews had a statement in their Scriptures, (“Do not put a golden ring in the nose of a pig or on the ears of a dog” Prv 11:22), which is parallel to Jesus’ statement, “Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine” (Mt 7:12)The Jews understood the injunction to mean the exclusiveness of their religion, which meant that they should not teach the Law to the Gentiles. The early Church interpreted Jesus’ statement in its earliest catechism,the Didache, to mean that only the baptized should approach the Eucharistic table. This view is reflected in the canons of the Oriental Churches, introducing a command in the text of the Mass before Eucharistic prayer, “Let the catechumens, hearers and unbelievers quit,” and a serious warning before Holy Communion, “Holy things are for holy people.” 2) The statement of the Golden Rule, “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them” (Mt 7:12),is Jesus’ positive contribution to ancient and negative Jewish principles, meaning that real Christianity consists in doing good to others by loving service and works of mercy. 3) Enter by the narrow gate:Supplementing the instructions given by Moses (Dt 30:15-20), Joshua (Jos 24:15), and Jeremiah (21:8), Jesus challenges his followers to “enter by the narrow gate and take the hard way that leads to life.”

Life message: 1) Let us learn to reverence and respect holy things in a holy manner. 2) Let us do to others what we wish them to do to us. 3) Let us choose Jesus’ narrow way of sacrificial love and humble service. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/24

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

June 26 Wednesday: Mt 7:15-20: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. 18 A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will know them by their fruits..

The context: In today’s Gospel passage, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives his Church a warning against false prophets and their false doctrines. Jesus compares them to wolves in sheep’s clothing and tells us we can recognize them by observing the lives they lead and the doctrines they teach.

False and true prophets: The Old Testament speaks of false prophets and how they mislead God’s people. Jer 23:9-40 is a classic example. The prophet condemns the false prophets of Baal. The Old Testament gives three signs of true prophets: a) they honor God and promote the worship of the one true God; b) they care for the poor; c) they fight for justice. Modern false prophets in the Church try to remove the cross from Christianity, dilute sin, and avoid teaching about God’s judgment while teaching that morality is relative which God abhors: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who change darkness into light and light into darkness” (Is 5:20). They try to separate the people of God from the Magisterium of the Church. But modern true prophets lead exemplary and righteous lives, obey God’s laws and the Church laws, and demonstrate the virtues of Faith, Hope, Charity, Justice, Prudence, Fortitude, and Temperance. In addition, they produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). The pre- Vatican II Baltimore Catechismexpanded this passage from Galatians to Twelve Fruits: “Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Benignity [Kindness], Goodness, Long-suffering [Patience] Mildness [Gentleness], Modesty, Continency, Chastity [three effects of Self-Control].

Life message: 1) As Christians, we participate in the prophetic role of Christ. Hence, we have the duty of leading others to Christ by our exemplary Christian lives. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

June 27 Thursday: [Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and
Doctor of the Church]:For a brief biography click onhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-cyril-of-alexandria/ : Mt 7:21-29: 21 “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’ 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; 25 ….29

The context: Today’s Gospel is the concluding part of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus gives us two warnings: 1) that we must match our profession of Faith with actual obedience to the will of God, and 2) that we must build our life on the firm foundation of his teachings. Jesus warns us against hypocrisy and challenges us to make a radical commitment to his word by putting it into action.

Criterion for entrance to Heaven: In the first part of the Gospel for today, Jesus asserts that fidelity, both in Faith and in its practice, is what gives one admission into the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is speaking about the future leaders in his Church who will prophesy, cast out demons, and accomplish deeds of power in the cause of Christ without stopping to reflect on whether they are obeying Jesus and living according to his ideals. Fine words can never be a substitute for fine deeds. We may deceive men with our words, but we cannot deceive God who reads our hearts. That is why the Apostle James advises us in his epistle, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (James 1: 22).

The obedient wise man and the disobedient fool: Jesus contrasts a wise man who practices what he believes with a fool who does not practice his religious beliefs, using the images of one man who built his house on firm rock and another who built his house on loose sand in summer, right in the rainy season flood-plain of a river.

Life messages: 1) We need to build our family on a strong foundation: There can be no great marriage and no great family without a solid foundation, and that foundation begins with the husband and wife doing and being the love of Christ for each other and for their children. The members of the family must love one another the way Jesus wants us to love, to forgive each other as he teaches and practices on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing!”), and to become servants of one another the way Jesus was to everyone.

2) We need to synchronize our living with our profession of Faith: The test of our Sunday worship is the effect it has on us during the rest of the week in our homes, schools, and workplaces and the way it influences our relationships with friends and neighbors. The great test is the care, consideration, and sensitivity we show to our neighbors, many of whom would otherwise lack affection, words of encouragement, and forgiveness. Fr. Tony L/24:

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

June 28 Friday (Saint Irenaeus, Bishop, Martyr, and Doctor of the Church): For a brief biography click onhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-irenaeus/

Mt 8:1-4:1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; 2 and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3 And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.”

The context: Today’s Gospel describes Jesus healing a leper as soon as he had finished his Sermon on the Mount and come down the mountain. In those days, all skin diseases were considered leprosy, and leprosy was known to be highly contagious. Hence “lepers” were separated from their families and considered socially and ritually unclean. In addition, they were treated as sinners who had been punished by God with a contagious disease. The punishment given to Miriam, the complaining sister of Moses (Nm 12:9-10), to Gehazi the greedy servant of the prophet Elisha (II Kgs 5: 27) and to the proud king Uzziah (Chr 26:19) supported this Jewish belief. As a general rule, when a Jewish leper was healed (from any of the skin diseases considered as leprosy), he had to go to the local priest to have him confirm that the healed one was now clean and was permitted to mix with the general public.

Jesus rewards the trusting Faith of a humble leper: It is such a leper who has the courage to approach Jesus in public with trusting Faith in Jesus’ power to heal him. In all humility he kneels down and says to Jesus, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” Jesus violates a social taboo by touching the leper, as he heals him with a single command, “I will; be clean.”

Life message: 1) We all need healing from our spiritual leprosy. Although we may not suffer from physical leprosy, we all suffer from the “spiritual leprosy” of sins. It is sin that we carry with us that keeps us unclean. Jesus, our Savior, wants to heal us. Since Jesus is not afraid to touch our deepest impurities, and knows all of them better than we do, let us not try to hide them, nor fear to confess them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Just as the lepers cried out to Jesus for healing, let us also ask Jesus every night before we go to sleep to heal us from the spiritual leprosy of sins, and let us approach Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation whenever we are in grave sin. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/24

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

June 29 Saturday: (Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles): For a brief biography click onhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saints-peter-and-paul/Mt 16:13-19: 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven

Peter and Paul are the principal pillars of the Church. Today we celebrate the feast of their martyrdom. Peterwas son of Jona and brother of Andrew. He was a professional fisherman from Bethsaida, a fishing town on the Lake of Galilee or Gennesaret. He might have been a follower of John the Baptist. It was his brother, Andrew, who introduced him to Jesus, and Jesus who changed his name from Simon to Cephas or Peter. Jesus made Peter the leader of the apostles. At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus promised to make Peter the head of the Church, and the risen Jesus confirmed Peter’s precedence. It was the Holy Spirit through Whose Presence and Power, Peter’s speech on the day of Pentecost, inaugurated the active life of the Church. Peter made missionary journeys to Lydda, Joppa and Caesarea Maritima. He also offered the decisive argument settling the question of Gentile converts and the Jewish Law at the first Council in Jerusalem. He wrote two epistles to the whole Church, and he was martyred in Rome by crucifixion under the emperor Nero.

Paul,the “Apostle to the Gentiles” and the greatest apostolic missionary, was a Roman citizen by birth, as he had been born in the Roman colony of Tarsus. His original name was Saul. As a Pharisee, he was sent to Jerusalem by his parents to study the Mosaic Law under the great rabbi Gamaliel. As a student, he learned the trade of tent-making. He was present at the stoning of Stephen and “consented to” this deed (Acts 8:1). But he was miraculously converted on his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians. He made several missionary journeys, converted hundreds of Jews and Gentiles and established Church communities. Paul wrote 14 epistles. He was arrested and kept in prison for two years in Caesarea Maritima and lived under house arrest for two more years in Rome. Finally, he was martyred by beheading at Tre Fontane in Rome.

Life Messages: 1) Just as Peter and the other apostles did, we must open our eyes, ears, and hearts wide to see, hear and experience the Risen Lord coming into our life in various disguises, circumstances, and events, reminding us of our mission to proclaim the Good News in deed and in word. 2) We need to love, obey, and pray for Pope Francis and the bishops and priests who are the successors of Peter and the Apostles as they continue the work of the Risen Lord with and for us. 3) Each one of us has a unique mission in the church, as a believer, parent etc., and we are challenged to undertake and fulfill it. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/24

For additional reflections: Click on https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections.

Pentecost [B] (May 19) Sunday (8-minute homily in one page) L-24

Pentecostliterally means 50th. It is a feast celebrated on the 50th day after the Passover feast by the Jews and a feast celebrated on the 50th day after the feast of the Resurrection of Jesusby Christians. The Jewish Pentecostwas originallya post-harvestthanksgiving feast. Later, the Jews included in it the remembrance of God’s Covenants with Noah after the Deluge and with Moses at Mt. Sinai

The event: On the day of Pentecost: 1) The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary as tongues of fire. 2) The frightened apostles were transformed into fiery preachers and evangelizers and were given the gift of tongues by a special anointing of the Holy Spirit. 3) The listeners experienced a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit through the apostles’ gift of tongues: they heard Peter speaking in their native languages. 4) The early Christians became powerful witnesses and brave martyrs for their Faith in Jesus.

The role of the Holy Spirit in Christian life: 1) As indwelling God, the Holy Spirit makes us His Living Temples (I Cor 3:16). 2) As strengthening God, the Holy Spirit sustains, enlightens and supports us in our fight against temptations and in our mission of bearing witness to Christ by our transparent Christian lives. 3) As sanctifying God, the Holy Spirit makes us holy through the Sacraments: a) Through Baptism He makes us children of God and heirs of Heaven. b) Through Confirmation, He makes us temples of God, warriors, and defenders of the Faith. c) Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, He enables us to be reconciled with God by pardoning our sins. d) Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, He gives us spiritual nourishment by changing bread and wine into Jesus’ Body, Blood Soul, and Divinity, through Epiclesis. e) Through the Sacraments of the priesthood (Ordination) and matrimony (Marriage), He makes the Church community holy. 4) As teaching and guiding God, the Holy Spirit clarifies and constantly reminds us of Christ’s teachings and guides the Magisterium of the Church in presenting Christ’s teachings correctly. 5) As listening and speaking God, the Holy Spirit listens to our prayers, enables us to pray, and speaks to us, mainly through the Bible. 6) As Giver of gifts, the Holy Spirit pours out on us His gifts, fruits, and charisms, thus enriching the Church.

Life messages: We need to permit the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives: 1) by constantly remembering His Holy Presence and behaving well; 2) by praying for His daily anointing so that we may fight against our temptations and control our evil tendencies, evil habits, and addictions; 3) by asking His daily assistance to pray, listening to God through meditative Bible reading, and talking to Him by personal, family and liturgical prayers; and 4) byasking the help of the Holy Spirit to do good for others and to be reconciled with God and others every day.

Pentecost [B] Acts 2:1-11; I Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13; or Gal 5:16-25, Jn 20:19-23

Homily starter anecdotes:

1) “Well, Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore.” It happened in Galveston, TX. A woman was cleaning the bottom of the cage of her parrot Chippie with the canister vacuum cleaner. She was not using an attachment on the tube. When the telephone rang, she turned her head to pick it up, continuing to vacuum the cage as she said, “Hello,” into the phone. Then she heard the horrible noise of Chippie being sucked into the vacuum. Immediately she put down the phone, ripped open the vacuum bag, and found Chippie in there, stunned but still alive. Since the bird was covered with dust and dirt, she grabbed it, ran it into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held the bird under the water to clean it off. When she finished that, she saw the hair dryer on the bathroom sink. She turned it on and held the bird in front of the blast of hot air to dry him off. A few weeks later, a reporter from the newspaper that originally published the story went out to the house to ask the woman, “How’s Chippie doing now?” She said, “He just sort of sits and stares.” — Today’s Gospel tells us that was what happened to the apostles. They all were traumatized by the arrest and crucifixion of their master and bewildered by his post-Resurrection appearances and his command to prepare for the coming of his Holy Spirit.   Many of us can identify with Chippie and the apostles. Life has sucked us up, thrown cold water on us, and blown us away. Somewhere in the trauma, we have lost our song. Hence, we, too, need the daily anointing of the Holy Spirit to keep us singing songs of Christian witnessing through agápe love. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

2)  Treasure within: An old beggar lay on his deathbed.  His last words were to his young son who had been his constant companion during his begging trips.  “Dear son,” he said, “I have nothing to give you except a cotton bag and a dirty bronze bowl which I got in my younger days from the junk yard of a rich lady.”  After his father’s death, the boy continued begging, using the bowl his father had given him.  One day a gold merchant dropped a coin in the boy’s bowl and he was surprised to hear a familiar ring.  “Let me check your bowl,” the merchant said.  To his great surprise, he found that the beggar’s bowl was made of pure gold.  “My dear young man,” he said, “why do you waste your time begging?  You are a rich man.  That bowl of yours is worth at least thirty thousand dollars.” —  We Christians are often like this beggar boy who failed to recognize and appreciate the value of his bowl.  We fail to appreciate the infinite worth of the Holy Spirit living within us, making each of us His Temple and sharing His gifts, fruits, and charisms with us.  On this major feast day, we are invited to experience and appreciate the transforming, sanctifying, and strengthening presence of the Holy Spirit within us.  This is also a day for us to renew our promises made to God during our Baptism and Confirmation, to profess our Faith, and to practice it.  (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

3) “Lower your bucket– taste and see”: More than a century ago, a great sailing ship was stranded off the coast of South America.  Day after day the ship lay there in the still waters with not a hint of a breeze.  The captain was desperate; the crew was dying of thirst.  And then, on the far horizon, a steamship appeared, headed directly toward them.  As it drew near, the captain called out, “We need water!  Give us water!”  The steamship replied, “Lower your buckets where you are.”  The captain was furious at this cavalier response but called out again, “Please, give us water.”  But the steamer gave the same reply, “Lower your buckets where you are!”  And with that they steamed away!  The captain was beside himself with anger and despair, and he went below.  But a little later, when no one was looking, a yeoman lowered a bucket into the sea and then tasted what he brought up: It was perfectly sweet, fresh water!  For you see, the ship was just out of sight of the mouth of the Amazon.  And for all those days they had been sitting right on top of all the fresh water they needed! —  What we are really seeking is already inside us, waiting to be discovered, waiting to be embraced: the Holy Spirit of God Who has been living within us from the moment of our Baptism.  The Holy Spirit is saying to us at this very moment from deep in our heart, “Lower your buckets where you are.  Taste and see!” Come, Holy Spirit!  Fill our hearts and set us on fire!  Amen. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 # 4: Babel Tower of confusion  and the Pentecost Spirit of unity: The people used language to promote a human agenda (Gen 11:3-4). So, God confused tongues into many different languages (Gen 11:7). The result was disunity (Gen 11:6-7). At the Tower of Babel, God scattered the human family across the face of the earth in judgment (Gen 11:9). But on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit used language to announce the mighty works of God (Acts 2:14-41). Thus the Holy Spirit caused people speaking many different languages to understand one Gospel message (Acts 2:5-11). The result was unity (Acts 2:41). Pentecost was the beginning of the reunification of the whole human family.  The Holy Spirit drew redeemed men and women from across the face of the earth into God’s New Covenant expressed in the Church Jesus founded on Peter, the appointed servant/leader of the Apostles, and brought that Church to active life,  empowering the Apostles as they spread the Church to the ends of the earth.  (Acts 1:8; 2:37-41). (Rev. Michal E. Hunt) & https://www.calledtocommunion.com/2010/05/pentecost-babel-and-the-ecumenical-imperative/ (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Introduction: The Jewish Pentecost: Both the Jews and the Christians now celebrate Pentecost.  The Feasts of the Passover,  of Tabernacles, and of Pentecost are the three major feasts of the Jews.  For each, every male Jew living within twenty miles of Jerusalem was legally bound to go to Jerusalem to participate in the feast.  The word Pentecost is Greek for pentecostes which means “fiftieth.” The feast received this name because it was celebrated fifty days after the Feast of the Passover.  Another name for the Jewish Pentecost is Shebuot or “The Feast of Weeks“ (the “week” of seven Sabbaths between Passover and Pentecost).  It was originally a day of thanksgiving for the completion of the harvest.  During Passover, the first omer (a Hebrew measure of about a bushel), of barley was offered to God.  At Pentecost, two loaves of bread were offered in gratitude for the harvest.  Later, the Jews added to the Feast of Pentecost the element of Yahweh’s Covenant with Noah, which took place fifty days after the great deluge.  Still later, they made this feast an occasion to thank God for His Sinaitic Covenant with Moses, which occurred fifty days after the beginning of the Exodus from Egypt.

The Christian Pentecost: Pentecost marks the end and the goal of the Easter season.  For Christians, it is a memorial of the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and the Virgin Mary in the form of fiery tongues, an event that took place fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus.  The Paschal Mystery — the Passion, the Death, the Resurrection, and the Ascension of Jesus – is culminated with the sending of the Holy Spirit by the Father at the request of His Son on Jesus’ disciples and Mother, Mary. The feast also commemorates the official inauguration of the Christian Church through the Spirit-guided apostolic preaching of St. Peter, which resulted in the conversion of 3000 Jews to the Christian Faith. Pentecost is, thus, the official birthday of the Church. But years ago, This Rock Magazine (now Catholic Answers) reported that there were 34,000 Protestant denominations which means that, on the average, more than sixty-nine new denominations had sprung up every year since the Reformation began in 1517.  So, whose birthday is it anyway?  We say Pentecost is the birthday of the Church Jesus established nearly 2,000 years ago. — Today’s Scripture readings remind us that Pentecost is an event of both the past and the present.  The main theme of today’s readings is that the gift of the Holy Spirit is something to be shared with others.  In other words, the readings remind us that the gift of the Holy Spirit moves its recipients to action and inspires them to share this gift with others.

The first reading (Acts 2:1-11): The selection from Acts for today describes in detail the miraculous transformation that took place during the first Pentecost, thus fulfilling Jesus’ promise to his apostles that they would receive “Power from on high.”   There was first “a noise like a strong driving wind.”  Then there were “tongues as of fire” resting on the disciples and Mary, filling each of them with the Holy Spirit.  The first manifestation of the apostles’ reception of the Holy Spirit came immediately, as the formerly timid, frightened men burst out the door and began to proclaim the Good News of Jesus! Then, everyone there (regardless of their many different native languages), was able to understand the Apostles’ proclamation of the Good News about the salvation of mankind, “in his own tongue.”  The Jews in the crowds came from sixteen different geographical regions.  The miracle of tongues on Pentecost thus reverses the confusion of tongues wrought by God at the Tower of Babel, as described in Genesis 11.  Later, the Acts of the Apostles describes how the Holy Spirit empowered the early Christians to bear witness to Christ by their sharing love and strong Faith.  This “anointing by the Holy Spirit” also strengthened the early Christian martyrs during the period of brutal persecution that immediately followed, as it has done through the centuries and as it does today for the thousands of Christians presently under attack for their Faith who hold fast to it, drawing on the Power of the Holy Spirit as they live and as they die.

In the Refrain for the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 104), we pray, “Lord, send out Your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth,” asking God for a “fresh anointing” of the Spirit for all of us.

In the second reading (I Cor 12:3-7, 12-13), St. Paul explains how the sharing of the various spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit enriches the Church.  He refers to the varieties of gifts given to the Church as coming from the same Spirit Who activates all of them in Christians for the common good.  They are described as the gifts, fruits, and charisms of the Spirit.  They may take different forms like prophecy, teaching, administration, acts of charity, healing, and speaking in tongues; they may be granted to and reside in different persons like apostles, prophets, teachers, healers, and so on.  Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit in his Letter to the Galatians: “What the Spirit brings is … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (5:22-23a).  He continues, “Since the Spirit is our Life, let us be directed by the Spirit” (5:25).  Paul insists that these spiritual gifts are to be used in the present time for the benefit of others, for the common good, and for the building up of the Body of Christ.

In today’s Sequence, the Church repeats her payer of invitation to the Holy Spirit (Veni Sante Spiritus), asking Him to come to us all now and detailing the effects His presence and His gifts will have on all of us, if we choose to receive them.

Today’s Gospel relates how the Risen Jesus gave his apostles a foretaste of Pentecost on the evening of Easter Sunday by appearing to them, sending them to carry on the mission given to Jesus by his Heavenly Father, then empowering them to do so by breathing upon them and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit….” On the day of Pentecost, Jesus fulfilled his promise to send to them the Advocate or Paraclete. This gift of the Spirit would enable the Apostles to fulfill Jesus’ commission to preach the Gospel to all nations.  Today’s Gospel passage also tells us how Jesus gave to the Apostles the power and authority to forgive sins.  “Receive the Holy Spirit.  For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained” (Jn 20:23).  These wonderful words, which bind together inseparably the presence of the Holy Spirit with the gift of forgiveness, are referred to directly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  But they have a much wider meaning.  Those words remind us of the Christian vocation we all have — to love and forgive as we have been loved and forgiven in the world of today, which is often fiercely judgmental and vengeful.

The Role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and of the Church: How beautiful is the thought that the Holy Spirit lives within us!  Saint Paul reminds the Corinthian community of this fact when he asks, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (I Cor 3:16).  It is the Holy Spirit who develops our intimacy with God.  “God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, ‘Abba!‘ (‘Father!’)” (Gal 4:6).  “God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (I Cor 12:3).  Moreover, we know that it is the Holy Spirit Who teaches us to pray (Rom 8:26).  By the power of the Spirit, we also know the Lord Jesus through His Church.  Pentecost Sunday is the birthday of the Church, for it was the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and Mary that brought the Church into full active life on earth, and it is the Holy Spirit Who still enlivens, enlightens, guides, and sanctifies the Church; the Holy Spirit will continue to do these things and more until the end of the world, the Judgment  of all humanity, and the presentation by the Father of the Purified Church, the “Bride of the Lamb” to Jesus, His Son and our Lord.  The Psalm refrain for this Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 104) says it well: “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.”  We know Jesus through the Sacramental Mysteries of the Church, and Holy Spirit is at the heart of the Sacramental life of the Church.  Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders are the Sacramental Mysteries through which people receive the seal of the Holy Spirit.  It would be impossible for us to receive Jesus in the Eucharist without the descent of the Holy Spirit at the Epiclesis of the Divine Liturgy.  Even the forgiveness of sins comes through the Holy Spirit (Jn 20:21-23).  The Holy Spirit both confirmed the apostles in Holy Orders as priests and empowered them to forgive sins by His Power, a work which He continues today in each of our priests.

The action of the Holy Spirit in the daily lives of Christians: The Spirit is that Paraclete (a Greek word that is translated Counselor, Comforter, Helper, Encourager, or Enabler), Who quietly works in us and through us every day behind the scenes in the basic activities of our lives and the lives of the people around us. He is there in all His fullness wherever people worship and pray in the Name of Jesus. When we believe and trust in Jesus, we have that Faith through the Holy Spirit’s work in us, filling us with Himself and His Gifts. The Holy Spirit leads us to turn away from our self-worship and sinfulness, reassuring us that we are still loved in spite of our sin, and reminding us that Jesus died on a cross just to remedy the effects of those moments when we rebel against God’s Way. It is the Holy Spirit Who confronts us and urges us to take a good look at ourselves and where we are heading, to make a U-turn, to leave the old behind and to try something new. The Holy Spirit is not afraid to challenge us and stretch us to go and do things for Christ – things we have never done before or ever imagined ourselves doing! He’s the One Who says to us, “Stop being so self-focused. Stop looking into yourself all the time and being depressed by what you see or fooling yourself into thinking that what you see in yourself is enough to get you through! Look up, look away, look to Jesus and let Him turn your around; let Him take control!” “The feast of Pentecost celebrates the unseen, Immeasurable Presence of God in our lives and in our Church – the Ruah Who animates us to do the work of the Gospel of the Risen One, the Ruah Who makes God’s will our will, the Ruah Who IS God living in us and transforming us so that we may bring His life and love to our broken world.  God “breathes” His Spirit into our souls that we may live in His life and love; God ignites the “fire” of His Spirit within our hearts and minds that we may seek God in all things in order to realize the coming of His reign.” (Connections). Through Baptism and Confirmation, and in the presence of the believing community gathered in prayer, we are “indelibly sealed” and “empowered” by the Holy Spirit, who now dwells within us (CCC #698).

The Holy Spirit, the Helper is quietly at work everywhere in our lives.  We meet Him: in the sincere concern of a friend for our health; in the generosity of those who give us so much help; in the inner strength we discover in times of crisis; in those moments when we admit that we have been wrong; in the making of a tough choice; in the resilience of people who face one bad thing after another; in times when we have dared to love even though it was hard to do so. The Holy Spirit, the Helper, is quietly at work.  We find Him: in taking on responsibilities that we once thought beyond us; in refusing to let the greed of society take over our soul; in giving thanks always, even though times have been hard; in  rising above past failures and putting past hurts behind us; in finding the Central Core of Peace in the midst of turmoil; in an adult patiently teaching a child self-esteem and self-control; in the person sitting quietly beside a hospital bed; in a parent praying for a troubled son or daughter. The Spirit calls us to repent, that is, to “think again” and turn our lives around. We hear Him as He calls us to Faith and invites us, again, to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus. Whenever we look to the Holy Spirit, He is within us as our Helper, always assisting us to be what God made us to be.  The Holy Spirit helps us to be truly great by becoming servants to one another. Likewise, the Spirit deepens our awareness of Jesus loving us as He lives in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit Who gathers us around the cross of Jesus; Who changes our lives, helping us to be more patient and forgiving; Who enables us to seek new beginnings in our relationships with one another; Who urges us to let the power of God’s love have the final say over the conflicts and difficulties we get into. The Indwelling Holy Spirit is available to us every moment of every day as we face and make our constant choices between remaining self-centred and becoming the God-cantered people, the Spirit is calling us to become in Christ.

Life messages:  1) We need to permit the Holy Spirit to direct our lives:  a) by constantly remembering and appreciating His Holy Presence within us, especially in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation;  b) by fortifying ourselves with the help of the Holy Spirit against all types of temptations;  c) by seeking the assistance of the Holy Spirit in our thoughts, words, and deeds, in the breaking of our evil habits and substituting for them habits of Goodness and Love;  d) by listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to us through the Bible and through the good counsel of others; e) by fervently praying for the gifts, fruits, and charisms of the Holy Spirit; f) by renewing our lives through the anointing of the Holy Spirit; and g) by living our lives in the Holy Spirit as lives of commitment, of sacrifice, and of joy.  We are called to love as Jesus loved, not counting the cost. As Saint Paul exhorts us, “Walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Gal 5:16, 25).

2) We need to cultivate the spirit of forgiveness.  The feast of Pentecost offers us the chance to look at the role which forgiveness should play in our dealings with others.  Thus, we are challenged to examine our sense of compassion, patience, tolerance, and magnanimity.  Learning to forgive is a lifelong task, but the Holy Spirit is with us to make us agents of forgiveness.  If we are prepared on this day of Pentecost to receive the Holy Spirit into our lives, we can have confidence that our lives will be marked by the Spirit of forgiveness.

3) We need to observe Pentecost every day.  “It will always be Pentecost in the Church,” affirmed Saint Oscar Romero, Archbishop of El Salvador, on Pentecost Sunday 1978, “provided the Church lets the beauty of the Holy Spirit shine forth from her countenance.  When the Church ceases to let her strength rest on the Power from above which Christ promised her and which He gave her on that day, and when the Church leans rather on the weak forces of the power or wealth of this earth, then the Church ceases to be newsworthy.  The Church will be fair to see, perennially young, attractive in every age, as long as she is faithful to the Spirit Who floods her, and she reflects that Spirit through her communities, through her pastors, through her very life” [The Violence of Love, (Farmington, PA: The Plough Pub. Co.,  1998).] [Archbishop Oscar Romero was beatified May 23, 2015 by Pope Francis who canonized him October 14, 2018, the same day he canonized Pope Paul VI] Archbishop Romero’s declaration reminds us — as does today’s Gospel — that Pentecost is not just one day, but every day.  Without breath, there is no life.  Without the Spirit, the Church is a field of dry, dead bones. The Venerable Fulton J. Sheen once said about the Church, “Even though we are God’s chosen people, we often behave more like God’s frozen people–frozen in our prayer life, frozen in the way we relate with one another, frozen in the way we celebrate our Faith.” [Bishop Fulton J. Sheen was declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI in June, 2012.] Today is a great day to ask the Holy Spirit to rekindle in us the spirit of new life and enthusiasm, the fire of God’s love.  Let us repeat Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman’s favorite little prayer, “Come Holy Spirit:”

“Come Holy Spirit
Make our ears to hear
Make our eyes to see
Make our mouths to speak
Make our hearts to seek
Make our hands to reach out
And touch the world with your love.  AMEN.” 

[Cardinal Newman was beatified September 19, 2010 by Pope St. John Paul II; he was canonized October 13, 2019 by Pope Francis]

4) We need to be Spirit-filled Christians: Spirit-filled people acknowledge their weaknesses, ask for the strengthening, anointing and guidance of the Holy Spirit every morning, ask for His forgiveness every evening, and pass on that forgiveness to those who sin against them. Spirit-filled people are praying people. Paul encourages us, “Pray on every occasion as the Spirit leads. For this reason, keep alert and never give up; pray for all God’s people” (Eph 6:18). Spirit-filled people are praying and worshipping God in their families and parishes. They try to grow continually in their Faith, and they seek out every opportunity to discover Christ and what it means to be children of God. Spirit-filled people are people who allow the Spirit to change their lives through their daily reading of the Bible and their frequenting of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist.  Spirit-filled people speak words that heal, restore, make people happy and build people up, instead of tearing them down. Spirit-filled people pass on the love of God to the people living around them by their acts of kindness, mercy and charity. Hence, let us ask the Holy Spirit for a spirit of love instead of hate, a spirit of helpfulness instead of non-cooperation, a spirit of generosity instead of greed, and a spirit of gentleness in place of our spirit of ruthlessness.

Joke of the week: The seven gifts in day-to-day life: A. The Gift of Wisdom

1) Four-year-old Amanda was taken to the doctor’s office with a fever.  The doctor looked in her ears and asked, “Who’s in there?  Donald Duck?” She said, “No.”  He looked in her open mouth, “Who’s in there?  Mickey Mouse?” Again, she said, “No.”  He put his stethoscope on her heart and asked, “Who’s in there?  Barney?” — Amanda replied, “No, Jesus is in my heart.  Barney is in the pocket of my underwear.”

2) “Where there’s smoke…” There is an old joke about a man who asked his pastor whether it was okay to smoke while he prayed. His pastor said, “Absolutely not! When you pray, you should be completely devoted to prayer!” So the man went to another priest, but he changed his question, “Would it be okay to pray while I smoke?” “Yes, of course” was the answer.

3) Qualifications?  Several years ago in Germany,  a Bishop was questioning the children who were about to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation: “Who can administer the sacrament of confirmation?” he asked. A young girl answered: “Any bishop, once he’s attained the age of reason!”

1. B) The Gift of Understanding:

1) A kindergarten teacher was observing her the children in her classroom while they drew pictures.  She would occasionally walk around to see each child’s artwork.  As she came to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, “I’m drawing God.” The teacher paused and said, “But no one knows what God looks like.” — Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing the girl replied, “They will in a minute.”

2) “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the Church, would that get me into Heaven?” I asked the children in my Sunday School class. “NO!” the children all answered. “If I cleaned the Church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?” Again, the answer was, “NO!” “Well, then, if I were kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into Heaven?” I asked them again. Again, they all answered, “NO!” “Well,” I continued, “then how can I get into Heaven?” A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!”

1. C) The Gift of Counsel:

 A Deal? Just after receiving his driver’s license, a Lutheran minister’s son wanted to talk about using the family car.  “I’ll make a deal with you,” his father said.  “Bring your grades up, read your Bible more often, and get a haircut.  Then you may use the car once or twice a week.”  A month later the question came up again.  “Son,” the father said, “I’m proud of you.  I see you studying hard and reading your Bible every day.  But you didn’t get a haircut.”  After a moment’s pause, the son replied, “Yeah, I’ve thought about that.  But Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair.” — “True,” the father replied, “but maybe you noticed that they walked wherever they went?”

D)The Gift of Fortitude:

 Weather-wise? A mother refused to permit her little boy to go for a picnic with his classmates.  On the day of the picnic, howev–   But he sighed and confessed, “It’s too late Mummy! I’ve already prayed for rain on the school picnic day!”

1. E) The gift of knowledge:

 1) It’s what you know… The story is told of a man who went to the priest and said, “Father, I want you to say a Mass for my dog.” The priest was indignant.  “What do you mean, say a Mass for your dog?” “It’s my pet dog,” said the man.  “I loved that dog and I’d like you to offer a Mass for him.” “We don’t offer Masses for dogs here,” the priest said.  “You might try the denomination down the street.  Ask them if they have a service for you.” As the man was leaving, he said to the priest, “I really loved that dog.  I was planning to give a five-thousand-dollar stipend for the Mass.” And the priest said, — “Wait a minute!  Why didn’t tell me that your dog was Catholic?!”

2) Tax-bite A little boy wanted $100 badly and prayed for two weeks, but nothing happened. Then he decided to write a letter to the Lord requesting the $100. When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to the Lord, USA, they decided to send it to the White House so the President could have a look at it. The President was so impressed, touched, and amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5.00 bill, as this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy. The little boy was delighted with the $5.00, and sat down to write a thank-you note to the Lord. He wrote: “Dear Lord, Thank You very much for sending me the money. However, I noticed that for some reason You had to send it through Washington, DC, and those jerks deducted 95%.”

3. The Two Ushers. Six-year-old Angie an her four-year-old brother Joel were sitting together in Church.Joel giggled, sang, and talked out loud. Finally, his big sister had had enough. “You’re not supposed to talk out loud in church” “Why? Who’s going to stop me?” Joel asked. Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, ”See those two men? They’re HUSHERS! Now keep still!:”

F) The gift of piety:

“Out of sight, out of mind! A pious man, who had reached the age of 105 suddenly stopped going to synagogue. Alarmed by the old fellow’s absence after so many years of faithful attendance, the Rabbi went to see him. He found him in excellent health, so the Rabbi asked, “How come after all these years we don’t see you at services anymore?”  The old man lowered his voice. “I’ll tell you, Rabbi,” he whispered. “When I got to be 90, I expected God to take me any day. — But then I got to be 95, then 100, then 105. So, I figured that God is very busy and must have forgotten about me, and I don’t want to remind Him.

1. G) The gift of fear of the Lord:

Safety first! Do not ride in automobiles: they are responsible for 20% of fatal accidents.  Do not stay home: 1% of all accidents occur in home.  Do not walk on the streets or sidewalks: 14% of all accidents occur at such times.  Do not travel by air, rail, or water: 16% of all accidents happen on planes, trains or boats.  — Only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in Church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders.  Hence, the safest place for you to be at any time is at Church!!!

USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK (For homilies & Bible study groups) (The easiest method  to visit these websites is to copy and paste the web address or URL on the Address bar of any Internet website like Google or MSN and press the Enter button of your Keyboard).

1) Fr. Nick’s collection of Sunday homilies from 65 priests & weekday homilies: https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies

2) Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org/featured-homilies/ (Copy it on the Address bar and press the Enter button)

 3) Fr. Geoffrey Plant’s beautiful & scholarly video classes on Sunday gospel, Bible & RCIA topics:   https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant20663)

4) Dr. Brant Pitre’s commentary on Cycle  B  Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-Biblical basis of Catholic doctrines: http://scripturecatholic.com/

5) Agape Catholic Bible Lessons: http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/

YouTube Videos on the Pentecost

• Catholic video: https://youtu.be/FvLFQhQplKs
• https://youtu.be/7TyCwUrR_OM
• https://youtu.be/FIJrk9-dtRE
• https://youtu.be/FvDf6WqxWeY

         5) Fr. Don’s video homily collections: https://sundayprep.org/prep-videos/  

         6) Video Sunday-Scripture study by Fr. Geoffrey Plant:

https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant2066

          7) Who is Holy Spirit? Jimmy Akins:  https://youtu.be/obfFIIjJ3t4

          8)Bishop Barron on the Holy Spirit: https://youtu.be/1INut0Gi09Q

36-Additional anecdotes:

1) The Spirit of God is the melody that energizes the Church: In the last years of his life, the great cellist and conductor Pablo Casals suffered greatly from rheumatoid arthritis and emphysema.  At 90, he was badly stooped, and his head pitched forward; his breathing was labored.  He needed the help of his wife, Marta, to get dressed in the morning.  Marta would then help him shuffle into his studio where he would, with great difficulty, arrange himself on the piano bench.  Casals would then manage to raise his swollen, clenched fingers above the keyboard. A visitor describes what he saw next one particular morning: “I was not prepared for the miracle that was about to happen.  The fingers slowly unlocked and reached toward the keys like the buds of a plant toward the sunlight.  His back straightened.  He seemed to breathe more freely.  Now his fingers settled on the keys.  Then came the opening bars of Bach’s Wohltemperierte Klavier [Well-tempered Clavier], played with great sensitivity and control . . . He hummed as he played, then said that Bach ‘spoke to him here’ – and he placed his hand over his heart. Then he plunged into a Brahms concerto and his fingers, now agile and powerful, raced across the keyboard with dazzling speed.  His entire body seemed fused with the music; it was no longer stiff and shrunken but supple and graceful and completely freed of its arthritic coils. Having finished the piece, he stood up by himself, far straighter and taller than when he had come into the room.  He walked to the breakfast table with no trace of a shuffle, ate heartily, talked animatedly, finished the meal, then went for a walk on the beach.” (From Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient: Reflections on Healing and Regeneration by Norman Cousins). — Like music that inspires and exhilarates, the Spirit of God is the melody that energizes the Church, uniting our many different voices into the song of the Love of God.  God has formed us into a community, or Church, an instrument for bringing His life and love into our world.  But what makes our Church more than just a gathering of good people is His “Breath” infusing the Church with the music of His Divinity.  Today we celebrate that presence.  In Jesus’ breathing the new Life of  the Holy Spirit upon the assembled disciples on Easter night, the Community of the Resurrection — the Church — takes flight.  That same Holy Spirit continues to “blow” through today’s Church giving life and direction to our mission and our ministry to preach the Gospel to every nation and in this way, to immerse all of humanity in the music of God’s love. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

2) Paderewski immortalizing a boy’s music: Once, a mother took her five-year-old son with her to a concert by Ignace Paderewski, the great Polish pianist. The mother and her son got their seats close to the stage. Then the mother met her old friend and got involved talking with her. She failed to notice that her son had slipped away to do some exploring. At the right time the lights dimmed and the spot light came on. Only then did the mother see her five-year-old son on the stage, sitting on the piano bench, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little star.” Before she could retrieve her son, Paderewski walked on to the stage. Walking over to the piano, he whispered to the boy, “Don’t stop! Keep playing.” Then, leaning over the boy, Paderewski reached out his left hand and began to fill in the bass. Later, he reached around the other side of the boy and added a running obbligato. Together, the great maestro and the tiny five-year-old mesmerized the audience with their playing. —  The image of the great maestro and the tiny five-year-old at the piano makes a fitting image of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples. On the first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit whispered encouragement to the disciples. The Holy Spirit transformed the feeble efforts of the disciples into something powerful. (John Pichappilly in The Table of the Word; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

3)  Why are the Swiss watches gone? If in 1968 someone had asked which country would dominate watch-making in the 1990s, most people would have said Switzerland. This is because Switzerland had dominated the world of watch- making for the preceding sixty years. They had led the search for new ways to manufacture better and more durable watch parts. They had developed the best waterproofing techniques. In fact, in 1968 the Swiss made 65% of all watches sold in the world, and laid claim to 90% of the profits. However, by 1980 in Switzerland, watchmakers had been laid off by the thousands and the Swiss controlled a paltry 10% of the watch market. Why? The Swiss had ignored an important new development, the Quartz Movement. Ironically, it was  a Swiss who invented the Quartz movement, but the innovation was rejected because the resulting watch had no mainspring or knob. That was too much of a paradigm shift for them to embrace. It was too new and too strange. –Today’s text from Acts tells of a powerful paradigm shift in the People of God demanded by “God’s deeds of power,” the miraculous activities that accompanied the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and Mary, the Mother of God and of the Church. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

4) Speaking the same language: In 1887, Dr. Ludwig Zamenhof, a Polish linguist, constructed a new language that could be shared by people throughout the world.  The artificial language Dr. Zamenhof created is called Esperanto, “the language of hope.”  The name signifies hope for humankind that a common language might heal the divisions that exist among the different peoples of the earth. — The feast of Pentecost is the Church’s celebration of her unity and universality in the Holy Spirit, and so some of the readings used express this in terms of language.  Dr. Zamenhof’s invention of Esperanto as a universal language has been followed by the establishment of the United Nations Assembly and simultaneous translation, by Summit meetings of the heads of nations, by cultural exchanges, and by the revival of the Olympic Games. — But Pentecost is more than a work of human creation, more than a work of art and music. Pentecost is a new outpouring of God’s Spirit into our hearts to kindle in us the fire of his love (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

5)  All Mr. Yates needed was suddenly provided. During the Great Depression, a man by the name of Yates owned a sheep ranch in West Texas. Day by day he grazed his sheep and wondered how he was going to pay his bills. It was in the middle of the Depression, and even government subsidies would not give him enough income to break even. Then one day an oil company came to town. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well on Mr. Yates’ land. At 1,115 feet, they struck oil to the tune of 80,000 barrels a day. All Mr. Yates needed was suddenly provided. — When I read that old story, one that Bill Bright tells, I wondered if it might be a parable of our spiritual life. “All I have needed Thy hands have provided,” sings the hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. That is a parable of our spiritual life. The power we need to become what God intended us to be is already in our souls in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

6) “Oh, it sleeps about eighty.” A family driving a large camper pulled up in front of the Church just as the pastor started toward home. Desiring to be friendly, the pastor introduced himself and expressed his admiration for the camper. The man of the family told him rather proudly: “This camper sleeps eight people.” Then he asked: “What is the capacity of your Church, Pastor?” The beleaguered pastor replied rather glumly, “Oh, it sleeps about eighty.” — It is embarrassing sometimes how little the modern-day Churches resemble the Church that first Pentecost: the sound of a wind-storm, tongues of fire, disciples speaking in different languages, thousands being added to the Church and lots of excitement – excitement everywhere! (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

7) “I’m gonna run her through that thing one time.” Two brothers grew up on a farm in a rural area near Cairo, Georgia. One brother took to education like a duck to water. He graduated from Georgia Tech and became a renowned engineer in Chicago. The other brother was content to stay home and farm. Some years later, the learned brother was invited to give a speech in Atlanta at the Peachtree Plaza Hotel. He had not seen his brother in a long while so he invited him to bring his family to the hotel and spend a little time with him. The rural brother had never been in a town bigger than Cairo. He and his wife and son piled into their pickup truck and headed for Atlanta. After a terrifying drive on the interstate highways, they pulled up in front of the Peachtree Plaza. The farmer left his wife in the truck. He and his son went inside to check in. Just inside the entrance were a number of elevators. The farmer had never seen one before. He watched a large, very plain, middle-aged lady step inside one of those little rooms. The doors closed. After about a minute, the doors opened and out stepped a young lady who was a vision of loveliness. The farmer’s eyes bugged out. Quickly he punched his son and said, “Boy, go get your Maw. I’m gonna run her through that thing one time!” — At Pentecost, a ragged aggregation of misfits was transformed into a disciplined cadre of spiritual storm troopers. The wimps became warriors! (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

8) Wilma Rudolph winning Olympics gold medals: Neil T. Anderson, in his book Victory over Darkness, tells a thrilling story about a little girl born with major health problems which left her crippled. She had a large, wonderful Christian family. Her mother used to tell her. “If you believe, God will make it happen. You will be able to run around like your brothers and sisters.” She took her mother’s counsel to heart and began to believe that God could heal her. She practiced walking without her braces with the aid of her brothers and sisters. On her twelfth birthday, she surprised her parents and her doctors by removing her braces and walking around the doctor’s office unassisted. She never wore the braces again. Her next goal was to play basketball. The coach only agreed to let her play as a means of getting her older sister on the team. One day she approached the coach and promised him if he would give her an extra 10 minutes of coaching each day, she would give him a world-class athlete. He laughed, but seeing she was serious, half-heartedly agreed. Before long her determination paid off. She was one of the team’s best players. Her team went to the state basketball championships. One of the referees noticed her exceptional ability. He asked if she had ever run track. She hadn’t. He encouraged her to try it. So after the basketball season she went out for track. She began winning races and earned a berth in the state championships. At the age of 16, she was one of the best young runners in the country. She went to the Olympics in Australia and won a bronze medal for anchoring the 400-meter relay team. Four years later in Rome she won the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and anchored the winning 400-meter relay team “all in world-record times.” Wilma Rudolph capped the year by receiving the prestigious Sullivan Award as the most outstanding amateur athlete in America. Her faith and hard work had paid off. [Neil T. Anderson, Victory over Darkness (Ventura, California: Regal Books, 1990), pp. 107-108.] — In a sense, that is what Pentecost is about. People opened themselves to the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit empowered them to do things they never dreamed possible. Pentecost is about empowerment: “a small group of folks turned the world upside down.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

9) In yachting, getting the wind means everything!  Rev. Alan Walker of Australia often tells about the race of the sailing yachts in which Australia finally defeated the USA for the prized America’s Cup. For 132 years, the cup was kept and defended by the United States. Again, and again there were challenges for the cup, but each time it was retained by the USA. Finally, in 1983 Australia mounted a serious challenge. The event took place as scheduled, and after six races, the two yachts were deadlocked at three wins each. Now the whole world seemed to take notice. Australia was alive with anticipation. The sporting world was focused on the race. The day came for the final race. After more than 100 years, the United States was in danger of losing its very precious cup. Thousands of people came to watch the race. Television cameras were ready to beam the race by satellite around the world. The crews were ready. The boats were polished. The yachts pulled into place at the starting line. All was ready but the wind was light and the start difficult. Throughout the race the skills of the skippers were tested; a small error at the next-to-last leg allowed Australia to make use of a breeze and windshifts to overtake America; the final leg was a “duel of tacking” using wind skillfully, and the race was won by Australia with a margin of 41 seconds. — In the life of the Church, the wind – the Power of the Holy Spirit alone provides power, energy life, but the Church at all levels must ask for and then use wisely all these gifts of the Spirit if it is to win the world for Christ.. (Wikipedia  supplied the facts of the race). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

10) Torch and Bucket: There is the story of a man who saw an angel walking down the street. The angel was carrying a torch in one hand and a bucket of water in the other. “What are you going to do with that torch and that bucket of water?” the man asked. The angel stopped abruptly, looked at the man and said, “With the torch, I’m going to burn down the mansions of Heaven, and with the bucket of water, I’m going to put out the fires of hell! Then we’re going to see who really loves God.” — The angel’s point is that many people obey God’s Commandments out of fear of punishment of Hell or hope of reward in Heaven. They don’t obey Him for the reason Jesus gives in today’s Gospel: they don’t obey them out of love. “If you love me,” Jesus says in today’s reading, “you will obey my commandments.” (Mark Link in Sunday Homilies).  (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

11) Do you belong to a Pentecostal church? During the Italian occupation of Ethiopia in the days of Mussolini, Christian believers suffered considerable persecution. In his book, Fire on the Mountains, Raymond Davis tells of the Holy Spirit’s Pentecostal Gift of Love demonstrated by believers for each other during this period of affliction, which in turn made a major impression on unbelievers. For example, no provision had been made by the invading army to feed the prisoners they had taken. This was the responsibility of relatives and friends. Christians in the prisons had no problem, though. They were well cared for by friends and family. In fact, so much food was brought them by fellow believers and Church groups that enough remained to feed the unbelieving prisoners also. This observable love, vibrant though nonverbal, brought many to seek the Lord. Such love had previously been unheard of. As a result the word spread far and wide. Non-believers sought out believers to learn more about the Christian Faith. When prisoners who had come to know Christ while in jail were released, they went back home and attended the nearest Church. [Leslie B. Flynn, You Don’t Have To Go It Alone, (Denver, Colorado: Accent Books, 1981).]   — It is only right, then, that we should pray that we might be a “Pentecostal” Church, if we understand what that means. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

12) “I need to know if you “Pentecostal.” The well-known author and preacher, Fred Craddock, tells a rather funny story about a lecture he was giving: A few years ago, when he was on the West Coast speaking at a seminary, just before the first lecture, one of the students stood up and said, “Before you speak, I need to know if you are Pentecostal.” The room grew silent. Craddock said he looked around for the Dean of the Seminary! He was nowhere to be found. The student continued with his quiz right in front of everybody. Craddock was taken aback, and so he said, “Do you mean do I belong to the Pentecostal Church?” He said, “No, I mean are you Pentecostal?” Craddock said, “Are you asking me if I am charismatic?” the student said, “I am asking you if you are Pentecostal.” Craddock said, “Do you want to know if I speak in tongues?” He said, “I want to know if you are Pentecostal.” Craddock said, “I don’t know what your question is.” The student said, “Obviously, you are not Pentecostal.” He left. — What are we talking about this morning? Is the Church supposed to use the word Pentecost only as a noun or can it be used as an adjective? And so I ask you: Are you Pentecostal? If the Church is alive in the world, it is Pentecostal. The Church is alive if we are in one accord, if we are sharing our blessings with the less fortunate ones, if we are joined together in prayer, and if we are repenting people asking forgiveness from God and others every day. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

13) “It was the Holy Spirit.” Fr. Bob Spitzer, a Jesuit priest who was the president of Gonzaga University for 12 years tells about a powerful prayer to the Holy Spirit. It involves asking for the healing of hurts and memories, not just for one’s own self, but for those one has harmed, always seeking forgiveness. He tells the story of making an offhand comment that afterwards he regretted. Unable to call the man, he went to the chapel and asked the Holy Spirit to heal any harm he had done. A few days later, something extraordinary happened.  Fr. Spitzer ran into the man walking on the campus, and the man said, “You know Father, I’ve been thinking about what you told me.  At first, I was kind of angry, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized what you were getting at.  You actually helped me a great deal.”–  As Fr. Spitzer remarked later: “It was the Holy Spirit!” (http://www.magisreasonfaith.org/files/pdfs/spitzerbio.pdf). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

14) The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of communication:  There have been numerous books written on the difficulty that men and women have in communicating. It has been estimated that women say something like 6,000 – 8,000 words a day and that men utter 2,000 – 4,000 words a day. At the end of the day the man has spoken his 4,000 words and doesn’t want to communicate any more. He simply wants to sit quietly, watch TV and go to bed. A woman most likely won’t have spoken her 8,000 words for the day yet. She may have 2-3,000 words to go and uses them to share every event of the day. This conversation may sound familiar. Wife: Hi darling …it’s good to see you home. How was your day? Husband: Good. Wife: I heard that you were going to finalize that big deal today. How did it go? Husband: Fine. Wife: That’s good. Do you think the boss will give you a raise? Husband: Maybe. Wife: Hey! Today I found out that I’m pregnant. Husband: That’s good. and so on… and then she goes on to tell everything that happened in her day. — The Holy Spirit communicates with men and women equally through the Holy Bible and inspires them and guides them in their communication with God. May God’s Spirit guide and help us as we go out from here today and give us the courage and power to speak his Word to others.  (Rev. Gerhard) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

15) Come, Holy Spirit: There was, in Europe, a period of human history called the Dark Ages. It started in about the fifth century and continued for the next 600 years. You might say it was a 600-year depression – food was scarce, people lived hand-to-mouth – and Western civilisation barely hung by a thread. The one bright spot was the local Cathedral. Building Cathedrals, even in small towns, gave work to thousands of people. These buildings became the cultural, social, and spiritual centres of life. Murals, stained glass windows, sculptures, and pageantry helped teach the great stories of the Bible at a time when very few people could read. With this in mind, some of the cathedral builders chose to impress on the people the meaning of Pentecost. In the great domed, richly painted ceilings were a number of small carefully disguised doors. During Mass on Pentecost when the whole town was gathered in the cathedral, some unlucky parishioners were drafted to climb up on to the roof. At the appropriate moment during the liturgy, they would release a live dove through the one of the small doors. This dove would swoop over the congregation as a living symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit. At the same time the choir boys would make whooshing noise, the doors in the ceiling would be opened again and this time rose petals would be showered on the congregation, symbolizing tongues of flame falling on the worshippers below. —  You can imagine the impact that this had on those medieval Christians whose lives were drab and hard! They might not have been able to read about Pentecost from the Bible but nevertheless this visual demonstration must have left a lasting impression. (Rev. Gerhard). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

16) Together they finished the race. Derek Redmond ran in a semi-final of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Halfway round the track this British athlete collapsed with a torn hamstring. But he was determined to finish the race, and he struggled to his feet. Derek’s Dad got up out of the stand, and he broke his way through security. His Dad picked up his crying son, and together they finished the race. — That man did what the Holy Spirit does for us. It’s when we are spiritually exhausted, when we find ourselves giving into the spirit of slavery again and again, when we can’t pray, when we don’t want to pray, when our Faith is just not strong enough –-  when there is no way we can finish the race — that is when the Spirit picks us up and drags us to the finish line. (Rev. Gerhard). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

17) Some Pentecost traditions: Some parishes have begun encouraging people to wear red clothing on Pentecost, since red is the liturgical color of the day. — This reflects the old custom of decorating homes and churches with colorful flowers on this day. In Poland, for example, and among the Ukrainians, Pentecost is sometimes called the “Green Holiday,” and in Germany the “Flower Feast.” In some Latin countries, there is the term Pascha Rosatum, Latin words that mean “Pasch [“Easter,” we would say] of Roses.” And in Italy there is the name Pascua Rossa, meaning “Red Pasch [“Easter,” again],” inspired by the red vestments worn on Pentecost. Medieval Christians liked to dramatize the Pentecost symbols of the dove and flames of fire. Historical accounts tell us, for example, that in France, when the priest intoned the words “Come, Holy Ghost,” trumpets would blow, signifying the violent wind of which the Scriptures speak. In other countries, choirboys would hiss, hum, make odd noises with wind instruments, and rattle their benches. Then from a hole in the wall above, called “The Holy Ghost Hole,” a great swinging disk with a beautiful image of a dove would descend, and remain suspended above the middle of the church. From the same opening in the wall would follow a shower of flowers, representing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and water symbolizing Baptism. In the thirteenth century, French cathedrals would release white pigeons inside the buildings, and drop roses from the Holy Ghost Hole. Some towns in central Europe even dropped pieces of burning straw, representing the flaming tongues of Pentecost. This last custom eventually found disfavor, as more and more churches and worshipers caught fire, spiritually and literally. (Fr. Hoisington). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

18) “Did you and Grandma ever get into any fights?” A little girl asked her grandfather, “Did you and Grandma ever get into any fights?” The grandfather replied: “We don’t talk about it very often, but there was a time when we were not getting along very well. We seemed to be picking on each other a lot and finding all kinds of things to argue about and really getting on one another’s nerves. Well, one day I came in from the garden and I heard a voice upstairs. I went to the stairs and heard your grandmother telling God what she could not bring herself to tell me.” “Well, what did you do?” asked the granddaughter. “I quietly walked up the stairs,” he replied, “and knelt down beside her and told God my side of the story. And from that day to this, we have never had a problem which we couldn’t resolve by talking it over with each other and with God.”– Do you think the Holy Spirit was active in that couples’ marriage? There can be no doubt! Conflict will always remain part of every relationship. The fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control – will always remain critical for happy relationships with others. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

19) The Holy Spirit clean-up job: The Holy Spirit not only gives life but even brings dead bones to life. In Greek mythology, we read about the demi-god Hercules, son of Zeus and Alcmena. He was noted for his strength and was commanded by the King (whom he was serving in expiation of a crime), to clean the stables of Augeas, which housed 3000 oxen. The stable had not been cleaned for 30 years and Hercules was told to do the job within a day. This was a herculean job to complete. He could not do it by his own enormous power, so he directed the river Alpheus to run through the stable and so completed the task. — The apostles themselves did a great job of cleaning and giving life to people by serving as conduits for the Holy Spirit Who moved through the Apostles and into all who were willing to listen to their words and receive Him into their lives.  (Elias Dias in Divine Stories for Families). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 20) Unseen Guest: Rossini was a great composer of beautiful music, and the King of France, in gratitude and to honor him, presented Rossini with a watch which he kept in his showcase with great pride. One day he showed it to his friend. His friend was surprised to know the real worth of the royal watch. He touched a button on the watch and a beautiful photograph of Rossini popped up. All stood in awe! — Rossini had had the watch for several years and but had never realized its value and importance. Many people do not know much about the Holy Spirit and His importance in our lives. (Elias Dias in Divine Stories for Families; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 21) “Life after Delivery?” In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?” The other replied, “Why, of course! There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.” “Nonsense” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”  The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more  light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouth. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.” The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.” The second insisted,  ”Well, I think there is something, and maybe it’s different from life here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.” The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.” “Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.” The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists, then where is She now?” The second said. ”She is all around us. We are surrounded by Her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.”  Said the first: “Well I don’t see her, so it is only logical that she doesn’t exit.” To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and listen, you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.” — Today is Pentecost: The Church’s birthday! “Before Pentecost, the disciples were unsure of what they were to do next, and spent most of their time in hiding. After Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit, they understood their mission to spread the Good News of Jesus, and they had the courage to come out of their hiding and speak openly about who Jesus was, and what he had accomplished by his dying and rising.” (http://www.staugustinechurch.net/homilies/pentecostSundayhomily.htm) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

22) The Shakespearean Advocate who saved a life: One of the popular comedies of William Shakespeare   is The Merchant of Venice.” Antonio, a successful merchant of Venice, got into trouble because of his generosity. His friend Bassanio asked Antonio for a loan. Antonio agreed, but, as all of his assets were tied up at sea, the two went to Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. Shylock agreed to lend them 3000 ducats, but only if Antonio would sign a bond offering a pound of his flesh if the loan were not repaid in three months’ time. Antonio assented to the arrangement. Unfortunately, Antonio suffered losses and was not able to keep his word. The case reached the court. Shylock refused Bassanio’s offer of 6,000 ducats, twice the amount of the loan. He demanded his pound of flesh from Antonio. Everyone present at the scene pleaded for the life of Antonio. But Shylock was adamant that he wanted  that the bond be honored, demanding that court order Shylock to extract the pound of flesh. At that very moment, a young  Advocate arrived, offering to serve as Defense Lawyer for the case of Antonio.  In due course, the Defense Advocate argued that the bond allowed Shylock to remove only the flesh, not any drop of “blood”, of Antonio. Thus, if Shylock were to shed any drop of Antonio’s blood, his “lands and goods” would be forfeited under Venetian laws. — The young  Advocate stepped in at a moment when Antonio was in utter hopelessness. He was sure that he would lose his life. But the Defender’s arguments and reasoning brought hope to Antonio who began to be reassured. In this crisis, the presence of an Advocate brought great change to the troubled life of Antonio. — The disciples of Jesus, too, were in great hopelessness after the Ascension of Jesus. The message of Resurrection gave them hope and courage. However, that lasted only for forty days. After the Ascension they waited in Jerusalem following Jesus’ instructions, and they prayed. Then came the great miracle. They found the Great Advocate in their midst.  The Holy Spirit descended upon them  as tongues of fire, confirming their hopes and igniting their courage. It was the Holy Spirit Who transformed the ignorant men into possessors of Divine Wisdom. It transformed the cowards into heroes and desperate men into dreamers. (Fr. Bobby Jose) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

23) Carnal versus Spiritual: There was once an Eskimo who used to take his two dogs for a bet-fight in the town square. One was a black dog the other was white. The people gathered week after week to see the dogs fight and bet heavily on the outcome. On some days, the black dog won, and on others the white prevailed. No matter which dog won, the Eskimo made money. The secret behind his duping of the people was that he would feed well the dog which he wanted to win. — Do you feed your spiritual self and keep it strengthened by the daily anointing of the Holy Spirit to win over the carnal person? “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” (Daniel Sunderaj in Manna for the Soul; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 24) Film: Being John Malkovich: In the very strange 1999 surrealist movie, Being John Malkovich, someone discovers a portal into Malkovich’s mind, enabling visitors to see and experience things through his body and to influence his actions. He becomes aware of what’s happening and finds the portal himself. At the climax of the movie, there is a bizarre but powerful scene when he enters the portal, being swept down a dark tunnel with a roaring sound to emerge as a participant/observer in his own world. He discovers that everyone has his face and his voice, and every word spoken is in his name.– Connections with the Pentecost story? 1) The paradox of the Creator entering His own creation by an unexplainable power; the potential of the portal to connect people in an unprecedented kind of indwelling. 2) But the exploitation of the portal by those who find it — selling access, allowing it to be used to violate someone’s integrity — reminds me of all who abuse the gift of the Spirit for their own ends or to manipulate others. 3) Seeing the face of Malkovich everywhere reminds me of the Spirit making Jesus present through us in a new and all-encompassing way. We are recognizably Christ-like, though still ourselves, and all we say and do is “in his Name.” It’s a frightening moment in the movie, because Malkovich has no wish to become omnipresent as a Christ-figure, but the image is powerful. (Marnie Barre, “Film insights” in The Text this Week; quoted by Fr.  Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 

25) Holy-Roller Service: A little girl was visiting her grandmother in a small country town in the Southern United States. They attended a very emotional religious service, where people expressed their feelings by jumping about and shouting; it was what we might call a “Holy Roller” service. The little girl asked her grandmother if all that jumping meant the Holy Spirit was really there. Her grandmother said. “Honey, it don’t matter how high they jump up! It’s what they do when they come down that will tell you if it’s the real thing!” — It would be good if we were a little more enthusiastic about our religion, but what matters is what we do in everyday life. Does the Holy Spirit have a practical effect on our daily life? In what way? (Gerard Fuller in Stories for all Seasons; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

26) High tide of the Holy Spirit: A ship strayed off course near San Diego some years back. It became stuck in a reef at low tide. Twelve tugboats were unsuccessful in their attempts to budge it. Finally, the captain instructed the tugs to go back home. He sighed, “I’ll just be patient and wait.” He waited until high tide. All of a sudden, the ocean began to rise. What human power could not do, the rising tide of the Pacific Ocean did. It lifted that ship and put it back into the channel. — Something like that happened to the early Church on the Day of Pentecost. They were all together in one place, waiting, wondering, praying, when suddenly the tide of Holy Spirit rolled in and they were transformed. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

27) Niccolo Paganini on one string:  The renowned Italian violinist, violist, cellist, guitarist, and composer, Niccolo Paganini, was due to perform one night in a very prestigious Concert Hall in Paris. Even as he walked on to the stage, the audience stood up and cheered with irrepressible excitement and heart-warming esteem. Resting his violin under his chin, the celebrated musician began to play with such dexterity and brilliance that the audience listened with spellbound silence. Suddenly one string of the violin snapped. But the consummate professional was not deterred. On the contrary, he continued to play with three strings, and the music was just as fascinating and impressive. Moments later a second string snapped; and minutes later the third. The audience gasped in stunned disbelief. What was Paganini going to do? Would he bow and leave regretfully? Without losing his cool, the famous maestro raised his hand, called for silence and announced: “Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to hear Paganini on one string.” What followed thereafter literally took everyone’s breath away – the performance was flawless, the music exquisite, the entertainment heavenly and just on one string! Such is the incomparable touch of the Master’s hand. — This extraordinary story aptly describes the singular and marvelous role of the Spirit in our personal lives. (J. Valladares in Your Words, O Lord, Are Spirit, and They Are Life; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

28) Why Isn’t the Holy Ghost Included?  A woman wrote to Reader’s Digest. She wanted to tell about an experience that she had when she took a young girl from India to Church with her. It was the eleven-year-old girl’s first exposure to a Christian worship service. The young lady’s parents were traveling on business and had left her in the care of their American friends.  The little Hindu girl decided on her own to go with the family to Church one Sunday.  After the service was over, they went out to lunch. The little girl had some questions. She wondered, “I don’t understand why the West Coast isn’t included, too!”  Her Christian friends were puzzled and asked, “What do you mean?”–  She responded, “You know. I kept hearing the people say, ‘In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the whole East Coast.’” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

29) Different gifts, the same Giver: Max Herr, aged 75, retired in March, 1981 after 52 years as the official Vatican clock-winder. Pope St. John Paul II received this German-born clockmaker and his family in a special audience at the time of his retirement. There are some 50 pendulum clocks in the Vatican. Since 1929, Herr had made the rounds every Friday winding and resetting them. When they or the many non-pendulum clocks needed repair, he would clean and overhaul them. Six popes had been his friends, and he had many “professional” memories of them. Pope Pius XII used to have him set all the clocks fifteen minutes ahead. Pope St. Paul VI found ticking clocks a distraction, so he kept only one timepiece in his rooms: a small alarm clock he had used since seminary days. American friends gave John Paul II a grandfather chime clock when he was installed as Pope. — Max Herr was certainly not the most important figure in the central offices of the Catholic Church. But the role he played in the Vatican, however humble, was expert and indispensable. The popes are called by God to save eternal souls, but they must do their work in a world where time rules. In a sense for 52 years this German clockmaker had kept the whole Church going! — That is what St. Paul meant when he said, “There are different gifts but the same Spirit; there are different ministries but the same Lord.” Whether great or small, we should all be happy to use our God-given talents for the benefit of others. “To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Cor 12:7. Today’s second reading). –(Father Robert F. McNamara. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

30) “Now you know where God lives.” (In a Reader’s Digest’s article, quoted by Fr. Simplicio Apalisok in his homily book, an author tells how as a child, he was captivated by the sight of an old man prayerfully peering into an old cistern. Intrigued about what the old man was looking at, the boy edged up to the cistern and tried to see over the ledge. The old man held him with his shovel-like hands helped him over the ledge of the wheel. “Do you know who lives there?” the old man asked. The frightened boy shook his head. “God lives there. Look!” but the boy only saw his reflection in the still water. “But that’s me,” said the boy. — “That’s right,” said the old man. “Now you know where God lives.” (https://justmehomely.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/pentecost-sunday-year-b/)(https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

31) Teilhard de Chardin , Karl Rahner and Hans Küng  on Pentecost: “The day will come,” said Teilhard de Chardin, “when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire.” — In a sense, the annual feast of Pentecost is another opportunity, placed in the path of the believer, for discovering and participating in the ever-present fire which is God’s love. Pentecost rounds out and climaxes the Easter event. All that we have remembered and celebrated, viz., Jesus’ saving death, His Resurrection and His Ascension to glory, all of these sacred events took place so that the Holy Spirit might be unleashed upon the world. As Karl Rahner (The Great Church Year, the Crossroad Pub. Co., New York: 1994), once explained, “Pentecost calls us to the realization that the Center of all reality, the innermost Heart of all infinity, the Love of the all-holy God, has become our Center, our Heart. God is ours. God has been given to us as gift, without reserve. God has made our own the joy, freedom, knowledge, and peace of the Divine life” Hans Küng (Why I Am Still a Christian, Abingdon Press, Nashville TN: 1987) suggests that before the power of the Holy Spirit can truly take hold, all contrary spirits must be exorcized… to “… make room for the Spirit who is both tender and strong, who reconciles and unites.” (Sanchez Files). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

32) Aggiornamento:  Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (1881-1963) was the third of the 13 children born in a poor Italian family in 1881. As he was very intelligent, after being consecrated as a bishop in 1925, he was sent served as a papal delegate in Bulgaria, Turkey, and France. In 1953 he became the Patriarch of Venice as well as a cardinal. When Pope Pius XII died on October 9, 1958, Roncalli was elected pope at the age of 77 under the name John XXIII. He was considered a transitional pope, and nobody expected much from him. — However, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he surprised the world by convening Vatican Council II and asking the faithful to pray for a new Pentecost. He believed that only with a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit could the Church be renewed and updated (aggiornamento). That was why he asked the people to pray for a second Pentecost like the first one. (Fr. Jose P CMI) . (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

33) Poor diocese became rich by revenues from donated land: Sara Tracy was born on December 6, 1827 in New York City. She was the heiress to the vast fortune of her brother, Edward Tracy. While on a trip to Rome in 1899, she happened to meet Bishop Patrick James Donahue  of Wheeling West Virginiaon the ship by which they were traveling to Italy. Tracy spoke with Donahue during their trip on a personal matter. As they disembarked the ship, Tracy handed a check of $5,000 to Donahue for the needs of the diocese. She would continue to support the diocese during her lifetime and would, at her death, leavethe residue her entire estate to Bishop Donahue. The proceeds from this estate bequest allowed the establishment of Wheeling Jesuit College (later Wheeling University), the building of numerous facilities across the diocese, as well as the establishment of numerous outreach ministries. The investments were especially valuable for the lands that produced oil and natural gas revenues over the years. Bishop Mark E. Brennan was the first bishop to fully disclose and list the value of the investments from this fund. As of 2020, the investments from securities and mineral rights exceeded $286 million dollars, annual royalty revenues were $13.9 million dollars, with total revenues from investments exceeding $15 million dollars for the year, 2020. (Wikipedia). — The Holy Spirit indwelling  in each baptized Christian makes him or her richer and holier than what any worldly deposit can give. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

34) Unknown underground oil reserves; There is story about a donation of acres of barren land given to her diocese by an old rich lady which recently started supporting the poor diocese with millions in oil revenue when the oils companies detected millions of tons of oil underground. This story is now validated as reported by Google as follows: (The Archdiocese of Oklahoma had acres of donated barren land which all of a sudden became a source of great income because of the oil reserves underground. In Oklahoma and Texas, Reuters found 235 oil and gas leasing deals signed by the Catholic Church since 2010. Church authorities are receiving royalty rates of 15 to 25 percent, Reuters reports. But the Church’s direct links to the fossil fuels industry through the Oklahoma and Texas lease deals highlight a potentially deeper moral dissonance in the wake of the pope’s unambiguous attack on human-caused climate change. Of the 165 Church lease deals signed since 2010 in Oklahoma, one quarter were granted by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Reuters reports, “with most of the rest granted by the Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma and the St. Gregory’s Catholic University of Oklahoma. Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul S. Coakley signed the most recent deal on Sept. 3, giving privately held oil company Comanche Resources rights to operate on 160 acres in Major County in exchange for 18.75 percent of the value of the oil and gas produced. A review of audited statements issued by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City between 2010 and 2013 showed that the oil and gas royalties made up 2 percent of total revenue, or $1.6 million, over that period. That share peaked in 2012 at 5 percent, or $704,399, according to the audited statements. The other Oklahoma institutions did not provide data). — We Christians are mostly ignorant of the great untapped energy of the Holy Spirit living in our souls ever since our baptism). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).L/24

35) The sequence for Pentecost, the “Veni, Sancte Spiritus”

Come, Holy Spirit;

shine in us with the heavenly light of Your own radiance.

Come, Father of the poor, come, Gift-giver,

come, Light of hearts.

You, gentle Guest of the soul, are the surest Consoler,
cooling our fever-heat.

You are Rest when we labour, relief in searing heat,

Solace when we weep.

O most blessed Light!

Fill the secret inward spaces

of the hearts that turn towards You.

Without Your mysterious glory,

nothing in human spirits is free from poison.

Wash what has become soiled in us;

moisten what has dried out;

heal whatever is wounded.

Make supple what has stiffened,

melt what is frozen in us,

straighten what has become bent.

To us who believe in You, who trust in You,

give Your seven-fold gifts of healing.

Grant, as Your gift, the fruits of virtue;
grant, as Your gift, salvation at the end;
may Your gifts bring undying joy.

Amen, alleluia!

36) In simple and powerful imagery – Mexican poet Amado Nervo, puts it as follows:

Alone we are only a spark, but in the Spirit we are a fire.

 Alone we are only a string, but in the Spirit we are a lyre.

 Alone we are only an anthill, but in the Spirit we are a mountain.

 Alone we are only a feather, but in the Spirit we are a wing.

Alone we are only a beggar, but in the Spirit we are a King. L/24

 “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle B (No 31) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle C  & A homilies, 141 Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  of Fr. Nick’s collection of homilies or Resources in the CBCI website:  https://www.cbci.in.  (Special thanks to Vatican Radio website http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020)  Fr. Anthony Kadavil, Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Joseph  M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507

At the cathedral in Chartres, the figure of Jesus is surrounded by seven doves, symbolizing these seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. The Messiah will be filled up with all of the powers and energies of God’s Spirit. (Bishop Barron).

8 things to know and share about Pentecost– (Jimmy Akins, EWTN apologist)

http://jimmyakin.com/?attachment_id=18268Where did the feast of Pentecost come from, what happened on it, and what does it mean for us today? Here are 8 things to know and share .. . The original day of Pentecost saw dramatic events that are important to the life of the Church.But where did the feast of Pentecost come from? How can we understand what happened on it?And what does it mean for us today?

Here are 8 things to know and share about it . . .

1. What does the name “Pentecost” mean?

It comes from the Greek word for “fiftieth” (pentecoste). The reason is that Pentecost is the fiftieth day (Greek, pentecoste hemera) after Easter Sunday (on the Christian calendar).

This name came into use in the late Old Testament period and was inherited by the authors of the New Testament.

2. What else is this feast known as?

In the Old Testament, it is referred to by several names:

• The feast of weeks
• The feast of harvest
• The day of first-fruits

Today in Jewish circles it is known as Shavu`ot (Hebrew, “weeks”).

It goes by various names in different languages.

In England (and English), it has also been known as “Whitsunday” (white Sunday). This name is presumably derived from the white baptismal garments of those recently baptized.

3. What kind of feast was Pentecost in the Old Testament?

It was a harvest festival, signifying the end of the grain harvest. Deuteronomy 16 states:

You shall count seven weeks; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you first put the sickle to the standing grain.

Then you shall keep the feast of weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God [Deuteronomy 16:9-11a].

4. What does Pentecost represent in the New Testament?

It represents the fulfillment of Christ’s promise from the end of Luke’s Gospel:

“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high” [Luke 24:46-49].

This “clothing with power” comes with the bestowal of the Holy Spirit upon the Church.

5. How is the Holy Spirit symbolized in the events of the day of Pentecost?

Acts 2 records:

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

This contains two notable symbols of the Holy Spirit and his activity: the elements of wind and fire.

Wind is a basic symbol of the Holy Spirit, as the Greek word for “Spirit” (Pneuma) also means “wind” and “breath.”

Although the term used for “wind” in this passage is pnoe (a term related to pneuma), the reader is meant to understand the connection between the mighty wind and the Holy Spirit.

Concerning the symbol of fire, the Catechism notes:

While water signifies birth and the fruitfulness of life given in the Holy Spirit, fire symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit’s actions.

The prayer of the prophet Elijah, who “arose like fire” and whose “word burned like a torch,” brought down fire from heaven on the sacrifice on Mount Carmel.

This event was a “figure” of the fire of the Holy Spirit, who transforms what he touches. John the Baptist, who goes “before [the Lord] in the spirit and power of Elijah,” proclaims Christ as the one who “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Jesus will say of the Spirit: “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!”

In the form of tongues “as of fire,” the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself. The spiritual tradition has retained this symbolism of fire as one of the most expressive images of the Holy Spirit’s actions. “Do not quench the Spirit” [CCC 696].

6. Is there a connection between the “tongues” of fire and the speaking in other “tongues” in this passage?

Yes. In both cases, the Greek word for “tongues” is the same (glossai), and the reader is meant to understand the connection.

The word “tongue” is used to signify both an individual flame and an individual language.

The “tongues as of fire” (i.e., individual flames) are distributed to and rest on the disciples, thus empowering them to miraculously speak in “other tongues” (i.e., languages).

This is a result of the action of the Holy Spirit, signified by fire.

7. Who is the Holy Spirit?

Here is a video I made on that subject…

8. What does the feast of Pentecost mean to us?

As one of the most important solemnities on the Church’s calendar, it has a rich depth of meaning, but here is how Pope Benedict summarized it in 2012:

This Solemnity makes us remember and relive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the other disciples gathered in prayer with the Virgin Mary in the Upper Room (cf. Acts 2:1-11). Jesus, risen and ascended into Heaven, sent his Spirit to the Church so that every Christian might participate in his own divine life and become his valid witness in the world. The Holy Spirit, breaking into history, defeats aridity, opens hearts to hope, stimulates and fosters in us an interior maturity in our relationship with God and with our neighbor.

ADVENT IV (B) (Dec 24) (Eight-minute homily in one page) L/23

Introduction: Today’s readings focus on the circumstances leading up to the first coming of Jesus, the event which sets the pattern for his coming to us now and at the end of time. The Gospel stresses the key role of Mary in the work of our salvation. In addition, today’s Scripture texts describe God’s promise to David and its fulfillment in Jesus, the Son of David. They also tell us that God’s preparation for the coming of Jesus was full of surprises. (Add an anecdote)

Scripture lessons: The unfolding of God’s plan of salvation though history has contained many surprises. The first reading surprises us by telling of God’s promise to David that he would have a long line of royal descendants culminating in a final King, Jesus Christ. In the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 89), the Psalmist recalls all of God’s promises and surprises us, describing God’s promise to David and his descendants in terms of a Covenant. The second reading surprises us with Paul’s explanation of the unveiling of God’s plan for human salvation through Jesus. In today’s Gospel, the Angel Gabriel surprises Mary with seven announcements. i) Even as a virgin betrothed to Joseph, she will become a mother. ii) She will become a mother through “the Holy Spirit [Who] will come upon you, and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you.” iii) The angel continues, “Therefore, the Child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God.” iv) She is to “name the child Jesus,” which means Savior. v) God will make Him a King and, as a descendant in the line of David, vi) “He will rule over the House of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.” vii) As a Divine sign, Elizabeth, Mary’s aged barren cousin is six months pregnant, “for,” says Gabriel, “nothing shall be impossible with God!” The Gospel narrative also surprises us by reminding us that God’s promise is best fulfilled not in buildings, or even in great kings like Solomon, but rather in humble souls like Mary who trusted in God’s promise.

Life messages: 1) We need to say a courageous and generous “yes” to God: True obedience comes from a free choice made in the light of what is true and good. Such a self-surrender often requires a great deal of courage because it can involve going against the tide of social expectations. True obedience also aims at putting oneself at the service of something/Someone that is greater than oneself, accepting what God clearly wants us to do or what He wants to do through us. It is by saying, with Jesus and Mary, a wholehearted and totally unconditional “Yes” – “Fiat! May it be done in me,” to Jesus that he will be re-born in each of us, or maybe even born in me for the first time. By my saying “Yes,” Jesus will be born or re-born in others, too. 2) We need to try to learn God’s plan for our lives: The Good News in today’s Scripture message is not only that God is making provision for the salvation of His people, but also that He has a plan for each individual person. In many cases, our work for God seems rather ordinary, but each ordinary task which we carry out fits into God’s plan in ways that we cannot yet understand. God desires not only the skill of our hands and talents but the love of our hearts. The Babe in the Manger reminds us of what God has done and is still doing for us. What are we doing for Him in return? Let us show our gratitude to God by living as true followers of Christ: “Behold, here I am, Lord! I come to do Your will.”

ADVENT IV (Dec 24) (II Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a,16; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38)

Homily starter anecdotes 1) “Mary did you know?” One of the most beautiful of the modern Christmas songs was written by a man who is best known, perhaps, as a comedian. His name is Mark Lowry. Lowry is also a musician of some note. He performed for many years with the Gaither Vocal band. In 1984 he was asked to pen some words for his local church choir, and he wrote a poem that begins like this, “Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water? Mary, did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?” A few years later guitarist Buddy Greene added a perfectly matching tune and a wonderful song was born. “Mary, did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod? Mary, did you know when you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God!” Each of the little couplets touches the heart in a wonderful way. “Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation? Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?” The song’s been around now for nearly two decades. Listen for it on the radio. The most popular version is sung by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AQM2rszMAfY) “Mary, did you know . . . ?” How could Mary have known what was happening to her with all that would follow when the angel Gabriel came to her long ago? Only Luke tells this story, and we have it in today’s Gospel. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 2) Nothing is Impossible for God! Mrs. Marie Norton of Elmira, New York, died in the fall of 1951, admired and praised by all who had known her. Before she had any children, she was afflicted with cancer, and physicians advised her against becoming pregnant. But Marie decided to ignore advice and leave matters in God’s hands. She went ahead and brought ten children into the world, and they were healthy children. When her brother-in-law lost his wife, she took his children in, too. It was no easy chore to keep house for such a brood, but she did it and was also her own cook and laundress. Had Marie’s malady vanished? By no means. For thirty-five years she was under treatment for malignancies and submitted to as much radium therapy as her body could tolerate. Forty-two times she went under the surgeon’s knife. After Marie’s death her son-in-law’s mother wrote a letter to the paper in praise of Mrs. Norton. “As I observed her giving, besides services, joy and sunshine … to us all, it has left me with a new reverence, a feeling that I have witnessed something this sick world needs today… an assurance that God does hear and answer those who love and trust Him.” Yes, He hears and He gives us of Himself: the supreme Christmas gift is His beloved Son. “… For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke, 1:37. Gospel of the day). (Father Robert F. McNamara) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 3) The FBI and the White House staff: The FBI agents conducted a raid in a psychiatric hospital that was under investigation for medical insurance fraud.   After hours of reviewing thousands of medical records, the dozens of agents were terribly hungry.  The chief in charge of the investigation called a nearby pizza parlor with delivery service to order a quick dinner for his colleagues.  Here is the recorded text of the conversation:  Agent: Hello. I would like to order 19 large pizzas and 67 cans of soda. Pizza Man: And where would you like them delivered? Agent: We’re over at the psychiatric hospital, and we are all FBI agents, and since we have locked the front door to help our operations, you will have to go around to the back to the service entrance to deliver the pizzas. Pizza Man: A group of FBI agents calling from the psychiatric hospital that I should come with 19 large pizzas and 67 cans of sodas through the back door? Agent: That’s right, and it is very urgent. We’ve been here all day and we’re starving. I have my F.B.I. checkbook right here. Will you show up soon? Pizza Man:  I don’t think so. Agent: Why? Pizza Man:  Because last week it was President Trump who ordered pizzas from that psychiatric hospital for his White House staff! I shall ask your doctors to give you stronger medicines to ward off your F.B.I. hallucinations and to help you sleep well.  Bye.” Click. Bzzz. The feeling that the Pizza Man had as he participated in that conversation may have been something like what the teenaged Mary felt at the beginning of her encounter with the angelic messenger on the day of the Annunciation. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

4) “I’m the president of 7-UP!” Three men were pacing nervously outside the delivery room at a hospital when the head nurse came out beaming. To the first she said, “Congratulations, sir, you are the father of twins.”
“Terrific!” said the man, “I just signed a contract with the Minnesota Twins and this’ll be great press.”
To the second man the nurse said, “Congratulations to you too. You are the father of healthy triplets!”
“Fantastic!” he said. “I’m the vice-president of 3-M Company. This’ll be great P.R.!”
At that point the third man turned ashen and ran for the door. “What’s wrong, sir? Where are you going?” called the nurse. As he jumped into his car, the man shouted, “I’m dashing to my office to resign. I’m the president of 7-UP!”

That’s exactly what Mary was feeling as she listened to the angel spell out what God wanted of her: “Virgin birth?! Are you crazy? Who’s going to believe that? I’ll be stoned to death as soon as the neighbors see I’m pregnant! Dear God, what are you asking of me?” (Msgr. Dennis Clarke) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Introduction: Today’s readings focus on the circumstances leading up to the first coming of Jesus, which sets the pattern for his coming to us now and at the end of time. The Gospel stresses the key role of Mary in the work of our salvation. The focus of today’s liturgy is the Davidic covenant, the promise of a throne that will last forever, which appears in the First reading in the Responsorial Psalm, and in the Gospel, where the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that “the Lord God will give (her son) the throne of David his father.”
Thus, today’s Scripture texts describe God’s promise to David and its fulfillment in Jesus, the Son of David. They also tell us that God’s preparation for the coming of Jesus was full of surprises. The First reading surprises us by telling of God’s promise to David that he would have a long line of royal descendants culminating in a final King, Jesus Christ. God’s response to David’s wish (to build Him a Temple), is that God will do more for David (build an everlasting dynasty) than David could ever do for God. In the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 89), the Psalmist recalls all of God’s promises, and surprises us by describing God’s promise to David and his descendants in terms of a Covenant. Today’s Gospel surprises us by telling us that this King would be born to an ordinary virgin, not by means of sexual relationship, but through the Holy Spirit, and that the Son of God, Jesus, would become Incarnate as a descendant of David. This would occur through Joseph, Mary’s betrothed husband and the legal father of her son, as Joseph was “of the House of David.” The Gospel narrative surprises us also by reminding us that God’s promise is best fulfilled not in buildings, or even in great kings like Solomon, but rather in humble souls like Mary, who trusted in God’s promise.  The second reading also surprises us with Paul’s explanation of the unveiling of God’s plan for human salvation through Jesus. Thus, the unfolding of God’s plan of salvation though history has contained many surprises.

First reading (2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16) explained: The historical background: Moses had led God’s people in their escape from Egypt around the year 1250 B.C. Joshua led them on an invasion of Palestine around 1220. Judges ruled them from 1200 to 1025. The last Judge, Samuel, anointed for them their first King, Saul, around 1030. David succeeded Saul in 1010. David’s first step was to capture Jerusalem from the Jebusites and make it the political capital of his kingdom. Once David had completed the building of his palace, he wanted a more beautiful house to accommodate the Ark of the Covenant representing God’s presence in the midst of His chosen people. For over 200 years, the Ark of the Covenant had been a “mobile shrine,” kept in a tent so that it could be easily carried to any place to which the people moved or where Yahweh’s special presence was needed. David wanted to build a special Temple in Jerusalem to house the Ark. He may have hoped that making Jerusalem the religious center of Israel would ensure the continued loyalty of all twelve tribes.

Though the prophet Nathan initially accepted David’s plan, as we heard in the first reading, he eventually returned to inform the king that Yahweh was more concerned with turning David’s family into “My House” than with residing in a “house” Himself. In other words, God’s presence in families is more important than is His presence in buildings. That is why the Lord spoke to David through his prophet Nathan, promising him a line of kingly successors that would last forever.  God said that David was not to build a house for God; rather God would build a “House” for David! And so He did. The Son of God, born of David’s lineage, is that house. The kingly line of David’s lineage finds its everlasting fulfillment in Christ.  God kept His promise by establishing the family of David securely on the throne of Israel forever. God allowed the descendants of David to serve as kings of Israel in unbroken succession. But in the 6th century BC, the Babylonians conquered Judah and ended the succession of Davidic kings, prompting Israel to look for a different kind of fulfillment of God’s promise to David. In other words, Israel began to look for the Messiah, a descendant of David who would come at the end of time to eradicate evil from the world.  We find the beginning of the fulfillment of this hope  in  today’s  Gospel  where  the angel tells Mary that the son she is about to conceive will sit on “the throne of his father David, and reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Lk. 1: 32-33). The text reminds us that we are not on earth to do things for God, but to reflect and build on what God is doing for, and through us.

Second Reading, (Romans 16:25-27) explained: Since St. Paul had not founded the Church of Rome nor visited it earlier, his letter to the Romans was a kind of introduction of himself to the Christians in Rome and a partial synthesis of his theology. The section of   Paul’s Letter to the Romans which we read today is a prayer praising God for revealing through the Gospels, “the mystery kept secret for long ages,” to all nations. In other words, God worked through His chosen people in the past, and He can and will work in and through the Gentiles through the risen Jesus. The Church has selected this prayer in the final week of our preparation for Christmas to remind us of the sublime facts commemorated at Christmas, namely, how, in becoming man, Christ elevated our nature by uniting it with His own Divine nature and made us adopted children of God with a claim to eternal life and the possibility of sharing in God’s Kingdom forever.

Gospel exegesis: The context: Luke was a Gentile converted by St. Paul at Troas about AD 50. Later, he became a fellow-worker with Paul in spreading the Faith. Luke’s Gentile Christian community lived a generation or more later than the apostles, after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70.  Since they were not Jews, Luke had to explain to them how Jesus was the Messiah promised to the Jews by God through the prophets.  Luke’s account also explains how the Messiah had his human origin while retaining His Divine nature.  In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke shows  us how Jesus continued to operate among his apostles and in the early Church.  Today’s narrative of the infancy of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel was intended to teach the Gentile converts their Christian heritage and to keep them focused on their new religion’s mission. This “Annunciation” of the birth of Jesus also established Jesus in good-standing among the Jews, since King David, presented as Jesus’ ancestor, was the most revered early King and the original Messiah (literally, “anointed as king” and earthly savior of the nation of Israel).

The unique selection of Mary and Gabriel’s unique salutation: Judaism and Christianity recognize seven archangels: Raphael, Gabriel, Michael, Uriel and three others whose names are uncertain—a source of debate by theologians for centuries. Gabriel is the messenger archangel. “… a virgin engaged to a man”: in ancient Palestinian Judaism, marriage was a two-step process, beginning with a ceremony of betrothal (generally when the young woman was only in her early teens), and concluded a year or so later with the formal wedding ceremony, when the bride was escorted from her parents’ home to that of her new husband. Nevertheless, their “betrothal” was considerably stronger than our modern term “engagement” suggests: sexual activity by either the man or the woman during this period was considered adultery (punishable by death), and if either partner died before the actual wedding, the survivor was considered as having been widowed. In the two annunciations described in Luke’s Gospel, neither Elizabeth (Zechariah’s wife) nor Mary appears to be a likely candidate for motherhood.  Elizabeth is too old and Mary is a virgin engaged to Joseph, of the house of David (v. 27). Joseph’s betrothal to Mary was   binding, and it made Mary his legal wife. The angel’s salutation to Mary, “Hail, full of grace,” reminds us of God’s words to Moses at the burning bush, “I will be with you” (Ex 3:12);  the angel’s salutation Gideon, “The Lord is with you, you  mighty  warrior” (Jgs 6:12);  and  the  Lord’s  assurance  to Jeremiah, “Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee” (Jer 1:8). In place of the formal Jewish salutation “shalom,” the word, “chaire,” was used, most probably because of its primary meaning: “Rejoice, [favored one =full of grace”]. Luke says that Mary is perplexed by Gabriel’s greeting, “Rejoice, blessed one!” (Greek), translated as “Hail, full of grace.” Mary is addressed as “full of grace,”: Mary is filled with God’s favor and graciousness, something which she has in no way earned, but which was given as a gratuitous gift by God.   Mary is told by the angel Gabriel, the messenger of God that the Lord is literally with her: she is the new Ark, a tent and temple. God is literally and physically in her, and thus she is the greater house of God promised to David.

Angel’s annunciation with seven surprising messages: . In today’s Gospel, the Angel Gabriel surprises Mary with seven announcements. i) Even as a virgin betrothed to Joseph, she will become a mother. ii) She will become a mother through  “the Holy Spirit [Who]  will come upon you, and the Power of the Most High [Who] will overshadow you.” iii) The angel continues, “Therefore, the Child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God.”  iv) She is to “name the child Jesus,” which means Savior. v) God will make Him a King and, as a descendant in the line of David, vi) “He will rule over the House of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.” vii) As a Divine sign, Elizabeth, Mary’s aged barren cousin is  six months pregnant, “for,” says Gabriel,   “nothing shall be impossible with God!” The Gospel narrative also surprises us by reminding us that God’s promise is best fulfilled not in buildings, or even in great kings like Solomon, but rather in humble souls like Mary who trusted in God’s promise.

Mary’s perplexity versus Zechariah’s doubts:  Mary’s question, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” is natural, very much like Zechariah’s, “How will I know that this is so?  For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years” (1:18).  However, the angel struck Zechariah mute for his unbelief because Zechariah asked for a sign — tangible proof that the angel was telling the truth!  Mary’s question, on the other hand, springs from an understandable confusion.  She simply asked for clarification. She already believed that “nothing is impossible to God,” so she listened with Faith. Mary was fully aware of the significance and consequences of the angel’s message. In a flash, she recognized the new challenges that would emerge in her betrothal and the crisis into which this pregnancy could throw both families (see Dt 22:13-21 and Nm 5:11-31). That is why the angel reminds Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God.”  God will “empower” her (“the spirit will come upon you“) and “protect” her (“overshadow you“), two duties of a Middle Eastern husband.

The Virgin Birth: The Apostles’ Creed includes two very important phrases describing the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The Creed declares two specific statements about God becoming human. Statement One: He “. . . was conceived by the Holy Spirit . . . ” Statement Two: He was ” . . . born of the Virgin Mary . . . ” In Luke’s Annunciation scene, we are face-to-face with one of the major doctrines of the Christian Faith – the Virgin Birth.  There are two great reasons for accepting this dogma: (1) The clear literal meaning of this passage in Luke and Mt 1:18-25, is that Jesus was to be born of Mary without a human father.   (2) It is natural to argue that if Jesus was, as we believe, a very special Person, he would have a special entry into the world, and since this conception is the work of God’s direct power, Mary’s virginity is unaffected as is her integrity before her natural husband. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v. 35). God is physical in Mary, conceived as human, her very flesh, by the power of the Most High, making Mary the temple, the greater “house” promised to David.  The word “overshadow” is also used at the Transfiguration (9:34) and in a story of Peter’s healing ministry (Acts 5:15).  In all these places the verb clearly refers to Divine presence and power.  “Overshadowing” is a way in which God acts, mysteriously but truly, in a person’s life.  The angel makes it clear that the child “will be holy” and “will be called Son of God” (v. 35).  The word “virgin” appears three times in this passage, which shows that Luke clearly intends to emphasize Mary’s sexual purity as seen in Jesus’ virgin birth.

Son of David and Son of God: The child Mary would bear would not only be a distant grandson of David – he would be God’s own Son. “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David… “ How will Jesus inherit the throne of David? It did not happen in his earthly lifetime. It happened in his death and resurrection. Mary is told by the angel Gabriel, the messenger of God, that the Lord is with her. Much more intimate than God’s presence to David, the Lord is literally with her.  On several occasions, Luke   uses the phrase ” Most High” to refer to God (1:76; Acts 7:48; 16:17), so that “Son of the Most High” means “Son of God.”   Luke uses this title several times to refer to Jesus (1:35; 22:70; Acts 9:20).  “….  “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (vv. 32b-33).  This is a fulfillment of the promise that God made to David, who wanted to build a Temple for God as described in today’s first reading.   God forbade David to build the Temple, but said, “The Lord will make you a House…  I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a House for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sm 7:11-13).  Knowing that David’s son, Solomon, built a Temple, it is natural to assume that the offspring who “shall build a house,” refers directly to Solomon.  However, the complete fulfillment of the promise was not to be found in Solomon but in Jesus, since   Solomon built a Temple that stood for only 379 years (966 BC – August, 578 BC), whereas   Christ will build “a House not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor 5:1).  For Jesus to be the ”Son of David” in a real sense—for the royal blood to flow in His veins—it was necessary that His mother be personally descended from the family of that ruler, because Jesus had no father according to the flesh. St. Paul implies this in Romans 1:3; II Timothy 2:8) and Hebrews 7:14. St. Ignatius of Antioch, St Irenaeus, St. Justin Martyr, Tatian, Tertullian, and subsequent writers represent Mary’s Davidic origin with all desirable clearness.  Seventeen verses in the New Testament describe Jesus as the “son of David.” Christ (the Messiah) was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the seed of David (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Jesus is the promised Messiah, which means He had to be of the lineage of David. Matthew 1 gives the genealogical proof that Jesus, in His humanity, was a direct descendant of Abraham and David through Joseph, Jesus’ legal father. The genealogy in Luke 3 traces Jesus’ lineage through His mother, Mary. Jesus is a descendant of David by adoption through Joseph and by blood through Mary. “As to his earthly life [Christ Jesus] was a descendant of David” (Romans 1:3). Primarily, the title “Son of David” is more than a statement of physical genealogy. It is a Messianic title. When people referred to Jesus as the Son of David, they meant that He was the long-awaited Deliverer, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”   It is ironic that Zechariah, who asked for a sign, got one that deprived him of speech until what had been foretold him had come to its full completion (1:20), while Mary, who did not ask for a sign, was given one that bout gave her and her family joy and prompted her to go to the assistance of her  aged kinswoman.  If Mary wanted to know how she could bear a son while remaining a virgin, she need only to look to her kinswoman Elizabeth who, despite her age, was pregnant, Gabriel tells her.    If God could create new life in old woman, He could surely do the same in a young virgin.  “For nothing will be impossible with God” (v. 37).  Again, Luke adopts OT language.  When the Lord announced the impending birth of Isaac, Sarah laughed.  The Lord responded by saying, “Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?” (Gn 18:14 — see also Jesus’ comment at Luke 18:27).  This is truly Gospel – Good News – for those of us who find ourselves in impossible situations.   As we walk with the Lord, however, we need to remember that for God, no situation is beyond redemption.

“May it be done to me according to your word.” Mary does not require confirmation but responds in Faith. She agrees to carry out the Word Gabriel has addressed to her. Her response again calls forth OT language — Abraham’s “Here I am” (Gn 22:1) — Isaiah’s “Here am I, send me” (Is 6:8) — Hannah’s “Think kindly of your maidservant” (1 Sm 1:18) — Samuel’s “Here I am” (1 Sm 3:4).  Raymond Brown says “Mary’s response qualifies her as Jesus’ first disciple.  Subsequent references to her are consistent with this pattern (Luke 1:45ff; 8:19-21; 11:27-28; Acts 1:14).  Her humble acquiescence to the will of God commends itself to every believer: “’Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let what you have said be done to me.’“ Mary is thus presented as the perfect disciple. Those who find out what God wants of them and accept His message as Mary did are Jesus’ true followers. Those who only hear the Word but never put it into action are deceiving themselves. Christian Faith is a matter of continually making Jesus a part of our lives.

The significance of Mary’s yes: Jesus’ earthly existence begins with Mary’s “Yes” in today’s account of the Annunciation.  Although we normally regard the birth of Jesus as the beginning of God’s presence among us, the Church teaches that His presence among us began with the conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit which took place at the moment that Mary agreed to be the mother of Jesus. If Mary had said “No,” instead of “Yes,” history might have been different – although we know that God’s plans would not have been frustrated. Mary’s “Yes,” changed her life and the  whole world. Her obedience to God’s call changed her life and the lives of all of us.   How many times have we said “No,” to God? How different would things be – for us and for others – if we had said “Yes,” to Him more often? “The Blessed Virgin Mary was the first human person who could say of Jesus, ‘This is my body, this is my blood.’ She was the first altar of the Incarnation’s mystery. Her body a fitting temple, she was the prime analogate for those who know and live the mysteries of transubstantiation. Was she not, then, the first priest, the first minister of the sacrament of the real presence?” (Fr. Kavanaugh S. J. ).

The frightening consequences of Mary’s “Yes”: Mary’s choice was no easy one. As a teenage girl, betrothed but not yet married to Joseph, she was being asked to become pregnant by a Heavenly Source. Betrothal was regarded as a full commitment to one’s future spouse, and for such a girl to lose her virginity was tantamount to adultery, a sin punishable by death.

Life messages: 1) We need to say a courageous and generous “Yes” to God as Mary did.  True obedience comes from a free choice made in the light of what is true and good. It often requires a great deal of courage, because it can involve going against the tide of social expectations. True obedience also aims at putting oneself at the service of something/Someone that is greater than oneself by accepting what God clearly wants us to do, or what He wants to do through us. Jesus’ own moment of greatness, like his Mother’s, came when He said “Yes,” to his Father in Gethsemane, and Jesus’ own obedience is our model. Will we surrender to God and allow God to do what, from our human point of view, seems impossible?  Will we surrender our agenda, our will and our kingdom to God and allow God’s agenda, will and Kingdom become a reality for and through us?  It is by saying, with Jesus and Mary, a wholehearted and totally  unconditional  “Yes,”  to  God  that Jesus will be re-born in each  of us  – or  maybe even born in us for the first time. By my saying “yes,” Jesus may well be born or reborn in others too.

2) We need to try to learn God’s plan for our lives: The Good News in today’s Scripture message is not only that God is making provision for the salvation of His people, but also that He has a plan for each individual person. Just as God called Mary, He calls every mother to raise her child in the awareness of God’s nurturing presence, His unconditional love, and His guiding commandments.   In many cases, our work for God seems rather ordinary, but each ordinary task which we carry out fits into God’s plan in ways that we cannot yet understand. God desire not the skill of our hands and talents alone, but the love of our hearts.  The Babe in the Manger reminds us of what God has done and is still doing for us. What are we doing in return? Let us show our gratitude to God by living as true followers of Christ: “Behold, here I am Lord, your humble and grateful servant. Let it be done to me according to Your word.”  St. Francis said, “We are the mother of Christ when we carry him in our heart… and we give birth to him through our holy works which ought to shine on others by our example.”

3) Life messages from the Dominican mystic Meister Eckhart:  i)  “What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture?” Mary’s “Yes” that brought Christ to the world is not just a “memory event,” such as recalling Babe Ruth or Tiger Woods setting records to remember. Instead, it ought to lead us to ponder how to imitate her: how can I bring Christ to the daily world that I live and participate in? Do I reflect Christ in what I say and do? Am I a true disciple, like Mary the model disciple? ii) A second question that Meister Eckhart asks: “What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son . . . does not take place within myself?” When God comes to dwell within us at our Baptism, we are empowered to live the Christ-life, one oriented to loving God and neighbor. Do I see that orientation in my own heart, or am I still oriented to selfishness? Do I humbly submit to all of the teachings of the Magisterium of the Church, without exception, so that its wisdom can grow in my heart? In summary, in a sense our personal meditation can parallel Mary’s journey: have I truly given an unqualified “Yes” to Jesus in my own life, and what is the best way for me to bring this Good News to my own little world?

JOKES OF THE WEEK: 1)  It’s also hard being a virgin: Five-year-old Olivia, and her best friend, Claire, were participating in a nativity play at school. Claire was playing Mary, and Olivia was an angel. Before the show, a young boy was going around the dressing room repeating, “I’m a sheep, what are you?” Each child responded politely, including Olivia, who proudly declared she was an angel. The boy then turned to Claire, still struggling into her costume with her mother’s help, and repeated the question to her: “I’m a sheep, what are you?” Claire simply said, “I’m Mary.” Realizing he was face to face with a lead character, he felt he needed to justify his own role. “It’s hard being a sheep, you know,” he said with all the seriousness of a 5-year-old actor with a big part. Claire’s equally serious response was humorously profound. “Yes,” said Claire innocently, “but it’s also hard being a virgin, you know.”

2) “Were you really born of a virgin?”  Television interviewer Larry King was asked if he could only interview one person in history, who would it be.    Larry said, “Jesus Christ.”     “And if you could only ask Him one question, what would it be?”     “Were you really born of a virgin?”     The reporter asked, “Why would you ask that question?”     King replied, “Because that would define history for me.”

3) Again, a Catholic president in the U. S.? When my Baptist friend was a young teenager, President Kennedy ran for office. There was near hysteria in some places about the dangers of having a papist in office taking orders from the Vatican. Not long after the election, a little elderly lady was at the post office to buy stamps. The clerk said, “What denomination?” She adamantly said, “Baptist, but I didn’t think it would come.

4) Discerning vocation. The young man is discerning his possible vocation, so he asks a friend which order he should join. His friend answered, “How about maybe either the Dominicans or the Jesuits? Both orders are filled with good and holy men.”  “Yeah,” the discerner answered, “but, what exactly are they? What’s the difference?” “Well,”  said the friend,  “the Jesuits were founded in response to the threat of Protestantism. The Dominicans were formed to combat the Albigensian heresy.”  “Okay, but which one is better? “the discerner demanded. “Well, I really couldn’t say” said the friend, “but how many Albigensians ya got living in your neighborhood?”

5) St. Philip Neri’s “Morning offering: Lord, watch your Philip today. If not, your Philip will betray you before the end of the day”

USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK: (The easiest method  to visit these websites is to copy and paste the web address or URL on the Address bar of any Internet website like Google or MSN and press the Enter button of your Keyboard).

1)Fr. Nick’s collection of Sunday homilies from 65 priests & weekday homilies: https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies

2) Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org/featured-homilies/ (Copy it on the Address bar and press the Enter button)

3) Fr. Geoffrey Plant’s beautiful & scholarly video classes on Sunday gospel, Bible & RCIA topics:   https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant20663)

• Brant Pitre’scommentary on Cycle B Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-Biblical basis of Catholic doctrines: http://scripturecatholic.com/ ……
• Agape Catholic Bible Lessons: http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/

  19- Additional anecdotes:

1) From Anthony de Mello, a story on Emmanuel: “Excuse me,” said a small river fish that happened to reach the ocean to a larger fish he saw there, “You are older than I, so can you tell me where to find this thing they call the ocean?” “The ocean,” said the older fish “is the thing you are in now.” “Oh, this? But this is only salty water. What I’m seeking is the ocean,” said the disappointed fish as he swam away to search elsewhere. Today’s Gospel introduces God as Emmanuel, one living with us. Our Christmas celebration should enable us to experience this God within us and all around us. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

2) “My search is over.” I like the story about a professor who sat at his desk one evening working on the next day’s lectures. His housekeeper had laid that day’s mail and papers on his desk, and he began to shuffle through them, discarding most to the wastebasket. He then noticed a magazine, which was not even addressed to him but had been delivered to his office by mistake. It fell open to an article titled “The Needs of the Congo Mission.” Casually he began to read when he was suddenly consumed by these words: “The need is great here. We have no one to work the northern province of Gabon in the central Congo. And it is my prayer as I write this article that God will lay His hand on one – one on whom, already, the Master’s eyes have been cast – that he or she shall be called to this place to help us.” Professor Albert Schweitzer closed the magazine and wrote in his diary: “My search is over.” He gave himself to the Congo. That little article, hidden in a periodical intended for someone else, was placed by accident in Schweitzer’s mailbox. By chance he noticed the title. It leaped out at him. Chance? Nope. It was one of God’s surprises. This morning we focus on one of the greatest surprises that ever there was, the surprise that took place when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to a young teenager,  Mary. Gabriel piled one surprise upon another. Mary and Joseph’s Christmas tree had more astonishing surprises than any couple on earth had ever experienced. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 3) “What will we do with this baby Jesus?” Wade Burton tells about a man who was riding a bus from Chicago to Miami. He had a stop-over in Atlanta. While he was sitting at a lunch counter, a woman came out of the ladies’ restroom carrying a tiny baby. She asked the man, “Will you hold my baby for me, I left my purse in the restroom.” He did. But as the woman neared the front door of the bus station, she darted out into the crowded street and was immediately lost in the crowd. The man couldn’t believe his eyes. He rushed to the door to call the woman, but could not see her. What should he do? Put the baby down and run? When calmness settled in he went to the Traveler’s Aid booth, and they soon found the real mother. The woman who had left him holding the baby was not the baby’s mother. She had taken the child, perhaps to satisfy a motherly urge to hold a child. The man breathed a sigh of relief when the real mother was found. After all, what was he to do with a baby? In a way each of us is in the same situation as this gentleman. We are left with the question, “What will we do with the Baby?” Have we really come to terms with the fact that this Baby is not simply extraordinarily gifted, but that he is himself a gift from the heart of God? (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 4) “Didn’t you get my E-mail?” As a little girl climbed up into Santa’s lap, Santa asked the usual, “And what would you like for Christmas?” The little girl just stared at Santa with her mouth open and horrified look on her face for a minute, and then she gasped: “Didn’t you get my E-mail?” That had to have been the same sort of horrified look that Mary must have had on her face when the Angel (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).of the Lord appeared to her and spoke to her about God’s purpose for her life. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

5) “You shall name him Jesus.” Some names are unfortunate. I heard about a man who joined the Navy. His name was Tonsillitis Jackson. The Navy couldn’t believe it, so they did a check on him, and discovered that indeed his name really was Tonsillitis Jackson. What’s more, he had brothers and sisters who were named: Meningitis, Appendicitis, Peritonitis, and Laryngitis. A sense of identity, a sense of destiny, comes with the conferring of a name. And that is the kind of name that was given to Jesus as we read in today’s Gospel. It conferred upon him a destiny, a vocation that he was to fulfill for us. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

6)  “Do not be afraid!” It’s an obvious understatement to say we live in a day of great fear. The language of “terror” has become the motivating mantra of our day. I did a Google search for the word “fear,” and I came up with a fascinating site called “The Phobia List”—pages of phobias, A to Z. Everything from Alliumphobia—the fear of garlic and Lachanophobia—the fear of vegetables to Zemmiphobia—the fear of the great mole rat. It even lists Ecclesiophobia—the fear of church and, get this, Homilophobia—the fear of sermons! You can even get a poster of the “Phobia List” which will cover your entire wall. We all have our own phobia lists, and the list can be as fresh as the morning papers:  Daily bad news from the auto industry, uncertainty about the present and future course of Covid 19 and its economic repercussions, about the state of the economy or personal security. A questionable course in Iraq, Afghanistan … wherever, with no clear sense of how long all this will go on, when  or how  it will end. Fear of bird flu or bad weather or a bitter diagnosis from the family doctor. Add to that, fear-mongering TV preachers and politicians who use talk of terror for political gain until the fear of terror becomes its own terror. And add to that, panic-driven newscasters who can’t even give the weather without fear-filled, bated breath. It all leads to what Jane Spencer in the Wall Street Journal refers to as the “fear system” of our day. Into that maze of fear, we have the audacity to read the word of the angel to Mary: “Do not be afraid!” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

7) “You are pregnant”: In January of 2002, a hospital in London, England, mistakenly sent letters to over 30 unsuspecting patients informing them that they were pregnant. The hospital’s computer system, which normally is used to send form letters telling people that their operations have been postponed, was in the hands of a clerical worker who hit the wrong key. And so, instead of informing patients about a rescheduled procedure, the computer sent identical form letters telling the recipients that they were “great with child.” Among the recipients of the letters were six elderly men. (“Hospital Tells Elderly Men They’re Pregnant,” Reuters, London, (Jan. 10).  Can you imagine the surprise of those six men? “Your doctor at Such-and-Such hospital is pleased to inform you that you are expecting a baby!” Quite a shock, to say the least! Some of the women were probably surprised as well. “How can it be?” some of them may have asked. “That’s not possible! I think I’m going to be sick!” There was possibly some high anxiety in the homes of some women patients who received this letter. Don’t you think Mary, the mother of Jesus, experienced troubling thoughts when the angel of the Lord first appeared to her? Mary was a virgin engaged to be married. She had never been with a man – even the man she was to wed. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

8) “Favored by God with stress points?”: Years ago a psychologist named Thomas Holmes developed a scale for measuring stress. He assigned numerical values to events that cause stress such as the loss of job, moving to a new city, a new relationship. Dr. Holmes even included Christmas on his stress list. He decided that just a normal Christmas was worth a hefty 14 stress points. Some of you understand. You’re up to 15 or 20 stress points right now. A writer by the name of Bridget Kuhns took Dr. Holmes’ scale and applied it to Mary. Holmes calculated that any pregnancy earns 40 points: an unwanted pregnancy, add 20 more. A change in living conditions (Mary stayed three months with Elizabeth), earns 25 more. Marriage to Joseph: 50 points. A change in financial status: 38 points. Surely there must have been words between them when she discovered that he had not made reservations at the inn: score 35 points for an argument with a spouse. And then the birth – 39 points: 16 for a change in sleeping habits; 15 for a change in eating habits. Not to mention all those uninvited guests: shepherds and angels coming and going and wise men from the East. Psychologist Thomas Holmes says that people get sick when they reach 200 points on his stress scale. Ms. Kuhns calculates that Mary’s ordeal earned her a record 424 points. http://home.gci.net/~stjohn1/sermons/2001/dec23.01.htm. — This, of course, does not even include the flight to Egypt. Or even more important, the experience of watching her beloved son die as a common criminal on a cross. Is this what it means to be favored of God? Evidently being favored of God does not protect you from life’s bumps and bruises. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

9) “$500 for information on the missing cat.” Remember the story about the guy who hated his wife’s cat? He just hated that cat with a vengeance, but his wife loved the cat. One day, the cat disappeared. His wife was grief-stricken, so the man put an ad in the newspaper: “$500 for information on the missing cat.” His friend saw the ad and said to him: “Wow! $500 for word on the cat that you hated…that’s pretty risky, isn’t it?” With a sly, knowing twinkle in his eye, the man responded: “It’s not so risky when you know what you know.” We know the end of the story. Life is not so scary when you know what you know. We know God keeps his promises and sends a Savior. We know Jesus comes and his name is called Emmanuel, meaning “God with Us.”) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

10) “He’s out moose-hunting.” There was a story years ago in the Canadian version of the Reader’s Digest of a large moose that wandered into a residential area in Calgary, Canada. The moose ended up on the lawn of a lady named Lorna Cade. A Fish and Wildlife officer was dispatched to try to coax the magnificent animal back into the wild. After two hours of absolutely no progress, the officer finally shot the moose with a tranquilizer dart. The moose bolted down a lane and eventually collapsed on another nearby lawn. The reporters who had been following this event interviewed the lady at the house where the moose collapsed. They asked her what she thought about the moose which had passed out on her lawn. “I’m surprised,” she answered, “but not as surprised as my husband will be. He’s out moose-hunting.” — Her husband had gone out looking for moose and a large moose had come to him. That is the message of Christmas. While humanity spends its time seeking after God, God comes to us in the Baby of Bethlehem. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 11) Remember Humphrey, the humpback whale? Humphrey became a national celebrity in 1985 when he made his way into the San Francisco Bay and headed up the Sacramento River into fresh water which, of course, could have been fatal for him. Each evening a large local television audience would tune in for the latest update on Humphrey’s plight. Then national media coverage began and the whole country watched the ensuing story. None of the traditional herding techniques were working and the world held its breath as Humphrey appeared to be dying. His skin was graying and he was becoming more and more listless. As a last-ditch effort, Dr. Bernie Krause, who had recorded the sounds humpback whales made while feeding suggested using them as a possible way to lure Humphrey out. No one knew if this would work, but it was their last shot at saving him. A speaker was lowered over the side of a boat, the sounds of other humpback whales were played, and everyone stood quietly while the eerie songs reverberated through the hull. Suddenly, Humphrey emerged from the water at the bow of the ship right where the speaker was playing, and gazed at the startled crew. The Captain quickly started down the river with Humphrey following close behind. As they approached the San Francisco Bay, and the water gained in salinity, Humphrey was visibly excited and began diving deeply to everyone’s delight and amazement. It was like the climax to a Hollywood film. The air was filled with helicopters and the river banks were lined with thousands of spectators all cheering Humphrey on to freedom. Don’t you think that’s interesting? They failed using various methods to lure Humphrey to turn around. Nothing worked until he heard the recorded sounds of other humpback whales. I guess it takes a whale to talk to whales!  — Now imagine God’s dilemma. God sought to communicate His love and His purpose for humanity through the Law and through the Prophets, through Scripture, and through the worship of the Hebrew people in the Temple of Jerusalem. But still the people did not get it. We did not know how much God loves us and that God’s ultimate plan was for us to love one another. So God did the only thing left. God became one of us in the Baby in the manger. God came to us when, intellectually, we could not reach up to Him. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 13) “Somewhere, somehow, set things right.” On the wall of the museum of the concentration camp at Dachau is a moving photograph of a mother and her little girl being taken to a gas chamber at Auschwitz. The girl, who is walking in front of her mother, does not know where she is going. The mother, who walks behind, does know, but there is nothing, absolutely nothing, the mother can do to stop this tragedy. In her helplessness, she performs the only act of love left to her. She places her hand over her little girl’s eyes so that at least she will not have to see the horror which faces her. When people see this picture in the museum, they do not move quickly or easily to the next one. You can feel their emotion, almost hear their cries, “O God, don’t let that be all there is. Somewhere, somehow, set things right.” — Luke’s word to us this day is that God hears those prayers, and that it is into just such situations of hopelessness and helplessness that the power of God is born. It is there that God invests His treasure, lifting up the lowly and filling the hungry with good things — setting things right. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

14)“Have you found him?”  Here is another Anthony de Mello story. The young hermit (sannyasi) came to the master in hermit robes and asked. “For years I have been seeking God. I have sought him everywhere that he is said to be: on mountain peaks, the vastness of the desert, the silence of the cloister, and the dwellings of the poor.” “Have you found him?” the master asked. “No. I have not. Have you?” What could the master say? The evening sun was sending shafts of golden light into the room. Hundreds of sparrows were twittering on a nearby banyan tree. In the distance one could hear the sound of highway traffic. A mosquito droned a warning that it was going to strike…And yet this man could sit there and say he had not found God. After a while the young hermit left, disappointed, to search elsewhere. Since God can be found everywhere, we must continually look for Him and especially, perhaps in the most difficult places. That is why in the first reading today; God tells David that He cannot be contained in a man-made Temple. As we prepare to celebrate the reality of Christmas, the feast of Emmanuel,  (God-With-Us), let us be prepared to recognize the God whose presence can be known and experienced in the (https://frtonyshomilies.com/). distressing problems of life.

15) Partners in God’s great work of salvation. A priest tells a story from the 1940s that illustrates this truth particularly well. He was attending the funeral of the pastor of Holy Trinity, then a national German parish, in Boston. In the vestibule he had met a gray-haired layman and they got to conversing. The layman said to him: “This dead pastor converted me, and yet I never got closer to him than any of the pews are to the pulpit. “During the First World War, I was a government agent. Remember how we were taught then to hate everything German? Even on the restaurant menus, sauerkraut became Liberty Cabbage. “Anyway, I could speak German and I was assigned to listen to the sermons here every Sunday morning. Somebody was afraid that this pastor might be subtly sabotaging our war effort by taking sly shots at patriotism. “I never heard one word that was unpatriotic. “But Sunday after Sunday I heard a brief, clear, attractive presentation of some point of Catholic doctrine. “I became more and more interested in the Catholic Church and I decided to investigate further. “So I went to another rectory (I could not go to this pastor, because I was practically ‘casing‘ him) and took a series of instructions. “I was baptized and have been a Catholic ever since. “The man we are burying today never knew what I have told you, but when I read about his death in the newspaper, I thought I should come to say thanks. He doesn’t need it, but it makes me feel better.” So often, that’s how God works: if we just faithfully fulfill His will for us each day, He makes us partners in His great work of salvation. (“Ten Responsible Minutes” by Joseph Manton, C.SS.R, p49/E- Priest.) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 16) Reminders that God is in charge: One eloquent reminder is from the life of St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesians, who died in 1888. He began a ministry for poor boys and orphans that taught them a trade during the day and gave them school and Faith instructions in the evening. Every day he would spend time with the many boys in his school, and every morning he would hear confessions before breakfast. It was a common occurrence for the saint to point out in the confessional sins that the boys had forgotten or were afraid to confess. One day in 1848 St John was celebrating Mass in honor of the Feast of the Annunciation. The small church was filled with 360 boys and young men. When the time came for Holy Communion, he went to the tabernacle to remove the Hosts. To his great surprise he discovered that only 8 Hosts were reserved there – not nearly enough for the large congregation. Many people present, including Giuseppe Buzzetti [boot-SEHT-ee], who would later become one of the first Salesian priests and who was the altar server during that Mass, saw John Bosco’s predicament and wondered what would happen. The saint removed the 8 Hosts from the tabernacle and began distributing Holy Communion. As the young Giuseppe followed the priest with the paten, he was amazed to watch as the ciborium continued to fill up with Hosts, miraculously allowing for everyone present to receive Holy Communion. God sends miracles like these every once in a while to boost our confidence, to remind us that nothing is impossible for him.(therealpresence.org]E- Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 17) God’s House, God’s Housemaid: Three stonecutters were involved in building work. When asked what they were doing, the first one replied, “I’m breaking stones!” The second answered, “I’m earning a living!” The third exclaimed, “I’m building a house for God!” Like the third stone-cutter, in today’s first reading King David desires to build God’s House. But, let’s ask: who really builds whose house? And ultimately, who is God’s perfect housemaid? The symbol of “house” is significant in the first reading. Since he is living in a palace while the Ark of the Covenant rests in a tent, David tells Prophet Nathan of his desire to build God a House. However, God asks, seemingly sarcastically: “Are you the man to build Me a House?” The Bible says that it was David’s son, Solomon – not David – who was chosen to build God’s House (see I King 5:2-5). Yet, reminding David of all the blessings he received, God promises, “The Lord will make you a House.”
(Francis Gonsalves in Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

18)“Joy to the World”: In the prologue to his book Joy, William Schutz tells how the birth of his son Ethan inspired him to write the book. Ethan begins his life by giving joy to his parents. The joy continues as Ethan sees, touches, tastes and hears things for the first time. But something happens to Ethan as it does to all of us. Somehow his joy diminishes with growth, never to return fully. Schutz wrote his book to help readers recapture some of this joy. Like Ethan, Jesus, too, begins his life by giving joy. Even before he is born his very presence brings joy to people. –Even when we cannot achieve our full human potential in some of those areas Schutz outlines, we can still experience a profound interior joy because Jesus is in our midst. The power of his presence enables us to endure any difficulty, transcend any trial or overcome any obstacle. His presence can bring peace where there is anxiety, sharing where there is selfishness and dreams where there is despair. Isaac Watts was right when he composed a Christmas carol entitled “Joy to the World!” Indeed, there is real joy in the world at Christmas time because the Lord is come. He is Emmanuel, God with us! (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

19) “BEHOLD, I AM THE HANDMAID OF THE LORD. MAY IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.” A Persian legend runs that a certain king needed a faithful servant, and two men were candidates for the office. He took both at fixed wages, and his first order was to fill a basket with water from a neighboring well, saying that he would come in the evening and see their work. After putting in one or two bucketful’s, one man said, “What is the good of doing this useless work? As soon as we put the water inside the bucket with several holes, it runs out. The other answered, “But we have our wages, haven’t we? Our master may have his plans.” “I am not going to do such fool’s work,” replied the other. Throwing down his bucket, he went away. The other man continued until he had drained the well.  Looking down into it, he saw something shining—a diamond ring. “Now I see the use of pouring water into a basket with holes,” he cried. “If the bucket had brought up the ring before the well was emptied, it would have been found in the basket. Our work was not useless.” — Christians must believe that their divine Master knows what is best, and obey his commands, and in due time they will know and understand. Mary understood this and obeyed God in all humility, starting in the Annunciation. (Fr. Lakra). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

20) Surprise gift opened by bomb squad: Years ago, TIME magazine reported on a 2-foot-long, 40-pound package that arrived at the post office in Troy, Michigan, addressed to a Michael Achorn. The post office phoned Achorn’s wife, Margaret, who cheerfully went to accept it. As she drove the package back to her office in Detroit, she began to worry. The box was from a well-known mail-order house, but the sender, Edward Achorn, was unknown to Margaret and her husband, despite the identical last name. What if the thing was a bomb? Fearing the worse, Margaret telephoned postal authorities. The bomb squad soon arrived with eight squad cars and an armored truck. They took the suspected bomb in the armored truck to a remote tip of Belle Isle in the middle of the Detroit River. There they wrapped detonating cord around the package and, as they say in the bomb business, “opened it remotely.” When the debris settled, all that was left intact was the factory warranty for the contents: a $450 stereo AM-FM receiver and tape deck. Now the only mystery is who is Edward Achorn and why did he send Michael and Margaret such a nice Christmas present? We live in a cynical age — an age of terrorists and corporate charlatans. Who can talk of angels and humble maidens and divine revelation in the same breath to such a generation? Yet, on such a foundation does our faith rest.(Sermons.com). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).L/24

“Scriptural Homilies” Cycle B (No 5) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle A homilies, 141 Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  under CBCI or  Fr. Tony for my website version. (Special thanks to Vatican Radio website– http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020)  Fr. Anthony Kadavil, Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Joseph  M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507

OT XXIV [A] (Sept 17) Sunday (Eight-minute homily in one page)

Introduction: . Our readings for this Twenty-Fourth Sunday concern forgiving those who wound us and being reconciled with them. All three readings today remind us of the path to forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation and challenge us to walk this, the only Way to Life. (An anecdote may be added here)

Scripture lessons summarized: Sirach, in the first reading, reminds his listeners that if they don’t heal and forgive and show mercy, they can’t expect to receive mercy from God in return. It is unwise to nurse grudges and wise to forgive because our life span is very short and our eternal destiny is decided by how we forgive, how we work for reconciliation with those who wound us, and how we render humble and loving service to them. In today’s Psalm, (Ps 103), the Psalmist sings, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness.” In the second reading, Paul reminds us that we have to forgive others because we belong to Christ who, by his own example in forgiving those who killed Him, taught us how we must forgive in our turn. Since we humans are related to each other as brothers and sisters of Jesus, we are in the family of God, so hatred and bitterness toward anyone should have no place in our hearts. In today’s Gospel, through the parable of the two debtors, Jesus teaches us that there should be no limit to our forgiveness and no conditions attached to our reconciliation. We represent the greater debtor in the parable because we commit sins every day and, hence, we need God’s forgiveness every day. But we must forgive in order to be forgiven. Jesus explains, after teaching us the prayer Our Father, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father also will forgive you. “

Life messages: 1) We need to forgive, forget, and be reconciled: In the light of eternity and considering the shortness of our span of life, harboring old grudges is pointless. The forgiveness that we offer others is the indispensable condition which opens our hearts to love and makes it possible for us to receive God’s forgiveness and to pray meaningfully: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” What God expects from us, He offers us grace to accomplish in us: His Own limitless forgiving and a willingness to overlook faults and to keep on loving even in the face of insults.

2) We may never forget the hurt we have experienced, but we can, with His ongoing grace, choose to forgive and pray for our offenders. As life goes on and we remember an incident that was hurtful and roused great anger in us, we need to remind ourselves that, with God’s grace, we have already forgiven the one that hurt us. Time does heal memories. Forgiveness finally changes us from being prisoners of our past to being liberated and at peace with our memories. Forgiveness allows us to move beyond the pain, the resentment, and the anger. When we forgive, we make the choice that heals. We can forgive the offender by wishing him God’s blessings and by offering that individual to God by simply saying, “Help so-and-so and me to mend our relationship.” When we withhold forgiveness, we remain the victim. When we offer forgiveness, we are doing it also for our own well-being.

OT XXIV [A] (Sept 17): Sir 27:30–28:7; Rom 14:7-9; Mt 18:21-35

Homily starter anecdotes: # 1: “Adopt an orphaned Muslim child and raise him as a Muslim in your Hindu family”:  In the motion picture of the life of Gandhi, there is a scene in which a Hindu father whose child has been killed by a Muslim comes to Gandhi in great grief and remorse. Out of a sense of retribution he has killed a Muslim child. He now kneels before Gandhi asking how he can get over his guilt and regret. Gandhi, who is gravely ill, tells the man that he must go and adopt a boy and raise him as his very own son. That request seems reasonable but then comes a requirement: In order to find inner peace, the Hindu man must raise the boy to be a Muslim. Overwhelmed at the inconceivable thought of raising a son as a Muslim, the man leaves Gandhi’s room in total disarray. Later, however, he returns and again kneels beside Gandhi’s bed. He now understands. He must take the hostility from his heart and replace it with love. That kind of forgiveness is more than passive resignation to a bad situation. By the grace of God we can use forgiveness as a positive, creative force bringing light into a darkened world.( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

# 2: “I spoke to a brother whom I have pardoned.” Forty years ago (1981) there was an attempt on the life of Pope St. John Paul II. Fortunately, the Pope lived. After he recovered, he shocked the world when he made a visit to Rome’s Rabbibia Prison on Christmas Day to see the man who had attempted to assassinate him. Millions watched on television as the Pope, on Christmas Day, visited with Mehmet Ali Agca, who only two years before had tried to assassinate him. The white-robed Pope and jean-clad terrorist huddled in the dark prison cell for 20 minutes, talking in low voices that could not be heard. When he emerged John Paul explained, “I spoke to a brother whom I have pardoned.” We will never forget the headline the next week in Time Magazine, “Why forgive?”– That is a good question, one that has been asked for centuries. Today’s readings give the reasons. Three months after the terrible attack of September 11, 2001, Pope St. John Paul II, in his message for the annual World Day for Peace, taught clearly that there can be no peace without justice, and there can be no justice without forgiveness. That’s a message that has gone largely unheard and unheeded on all sides of today’s conflicts. It’s kind of like what Chesterton said about Christianity itself – it hasn’t been tried and found wanting; it’s been found difficult and left untried. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

# 3: Unforgiven sins according to Dostoevsky and Shakespeare:  Dostoevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment deals with unforgiven sin. The novel is little more than the tale of a young, poor, Fascist student who murders a rich, old lady so he can get her money and continue his studies. But the student, hounded by guilt, pursued by his sins, finally confesses his crimes and is punished. Eloquently, so eloquently, Dostoevsky shows us what the real world is really like, a world where sin comes due like all debts and must be paid in full as the creditor comes calling us to account. The same is true of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. A man is killed so Macbeth can usurp the crown, and Lady Macbeth, tormented by her part in the murderous sin, is driven to insanity. She pitifully raises her hands imagining them still to be stained with blood, and frets, “Will these hands ne’er be clean?” Can’t we identify with Dostoevsky’s and Shakespeare’s characters? We are sinners as they were. Some of us owe a lot. Some are sin-indebted a little. But each of us, like the debtors in the Gospel text, must settle accounts with the King, God Almighty Himself. Forgiveness Is Available. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

Introduction: This past Monday,  September 11, was the twenty-second anniversary of an event that Americans consider one of the most significant in the nation’s recent history. It has become one of the epic historic events, equivalent to the founding of the United States, the ending of the conflict between the North and the South, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the ending of World War II, and the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. On September 11, 2001, America met the challenge both to their freedom as a free people and to their willingness to accept and use the grace of forgiveness God wanted to give them  so they could  obey the command of Lord Jesus Christ to offer forgiveness to all, even to their enemies. But forgiveness is not an easy gift to give. Our readings for this Twenty-Fourth Sunday concern forgiving and being reconciled with those who wound us.  All three readings today remind us of the path to forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation and challenge us to walk this path with Jesus, the only Way to Life.

The Gospel specifically emphasizes two ideas. The first idea, found in Jesus’ reply to Peter’s question, is that the disciples of Jesus must forgive one another always (“seventy times seven times” = without limit). The second idea, found in the parable, is the communal dimension of forgiveness.

First Reading (Sir 27:30–28:7) explained. The Book of Sirach was written around 180 B.C. by a wise Jew, Jesus Ben Sira, or Sirach. By this time in Israel’s history, the great theological battles about monotheism have ended, the kings have come and gone, and the Exile is a distant memory. The prophets have been silent for a long time, and many Jews are living in cities where pagans are in the majority. In these circumstances, the writer teaches the Jews how to live a good life, what moral and spiritual choices one should make, how awful wrath and anger are, and how, in spite of this, the sinner “hugs them tight.” Release them and let them go, he says. “The vengeful will suffer Yahweh’s vengeance; for He remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.” Sirach reminds his listeners that if they don’t lay aside anger, forgive, and show mercy to an offender they can’t expect to receive much forgiveness and mercy when they face God. This teacher of wisdom tells us how to avoid Divine retribution. God treats us the way we treat each other. Today’s passage says, in various ways, that it’s unwise to nurse grudges and wise to forgive. It concludes by reminding us of our own death: “Remember your last days, and set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults.” This reading prepares us for today’s Gospel passage, the familiar parable of the unforgiving steward, in Mt 18:21-35.

Today’s Psalm, (Ps 103), speaks beautifully about God’s forgiving love. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,” we sing in the Psalm Refrain, while the Psalmist insists, “The Lord is gracious and merciful,/ slow to anger and of great kindness;// The Lord is good to all,/ and compassionate toward all His works.” Since healing of the body is the outward sign of inner forgiveness, restored physical health means restored relationships with God.

Second Reading (Rom 14:7-9) explained: The context of this passage is a discussion of relations between the strong and the weak members of the Church. This discussion was occasioned by tensions in Rome between the Gentile Christians who were liberal in their attitude toward the Law and the Jewish Christians who were scrupulous about legal observances. They were the strong and the weak, respectively. Paul urges mutual tolerance. The strong, in particular, should respect the scruples of the weak. The fundamental principle here is that no Christian exists by himself or herself, but only in relation to the Lord, the risen and exalted Kyrios, that is, Christ, and therefore in relation to other Church members, who are equally related to the Kyrios — all of us adopted brothers and sisters to Jesus,  and so brothers and sisters to each other. Paul reminds us that we live and die for Jesus Christ who, from his cross pardoned his crucifiers, among whom we must include ourselves, for Jesus died for the sin of all mankind.  In this way, Jesus teaches us by stunning example to forgive those who wound us.   Then too, since we humans are related as adopted brothers and sisters of Jesus, we are members of God’s family in whose hearts hatred and bitterness should have no place. “No one of us lives for oneself,” the Apostle writes, “and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

In today’s Gospel, through the parable of the two debtors, Jesus teaches us that there should be no limit to our forgiveness and no conditions attached to our reconciliation. “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

Gospel exegesis: (A) “Seventy times seven times!”: Jesus’ parable of the ‘unforgiving servant’ is found only in the Gospel of Matthew, where it is intended to be a moral exhortation for the Church on the need for forgiveness. Peter asked Jesus how often he ought to forgive his brother, and then answered his own question by suggesting that he should forgive seven times. It was the Rabbinic teaching that a man must forgive his brother three times. The Biblical proof for this was taken from the first and second chapters of Amos where we find a series of condemnations on the various nations for three transgressions (Am.1:3, 6, 9; Am.1:11, 13; Am.2:1, 4, 6). From this it was deduced that God’s forgiveness extends to three offenses, and that He visits the sinner with punishment at the fourth. Also, seven was a holy number to Jewish people, symbolizing perfection, fullness, abundance, rest, and completion. Peter expected to be warmly commended.  But Jesus’ answer was that the Christian must forgive “seventy times seven times.” In other words, there is no reckonable limit to forgiveness.

(B) The lessons taught by the parable: (1) We must forgive in order to be forgiven. Jesus explains this after teaching the prayer, Our Father, saying, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mt 6:14-15). James offers this warning in different words: “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy” (Jas 2:13). This means that Divine and human forgiveness go hand in hand.

(2) We represent the greater debtor in the parable. We commit sins every day and, hence, need God’s forgiveness every day. In the parable, the first servant (a top official of the king), owed his master 10,000 talents, an incredible debt. 10,000 is the highest number used in reckoning, and the talent is the largest currency unit in the whole of the Near East. The modern equivalent would be about ten million dollars! Surely Christ is exaggerating here because, according to Roman tax records of the time, all Israel’s taxes for one year amounted to about $800,000. We are told that this was an amount equivalent to 15 years of wages to a laborer in that day. The first servant would have taken 15 years to pay off the debt while the other only, three months of work.   What Jesus means is that this man was hopelessly indebted. The accumulated sum of all our sins makes us greater debtors before God than the first debtor in the story. But God is ready to forgive us unconditionally. The sum total of all the offenses which our brothers and sisters commit against us is equivalent to the small debt of the second debtor in the parable, namely 100 denarii, one denarius being “the normal daily wage for a laborer” (NAB note). 100 denarii could have been carried in a pocket, and it was one five-hundred thousandth of the debt which the first servant owed.  Our own merciless behavior towards our fellow human beings is both shocking and sad; it resembles that of the forgiven first servant who turned toward his fellow servant in the same household and refused to forgive a much smaller debt. The moral of Jesus’ story is that members of the community must treat one another as God has treated each of us. Here is a Divine call to throw away the calculator when it comes to forgiveness.  We must choose the more honorable path and forgive one another “from the heart.” Jesus’ instruction echoes Lv 19:17: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart . . . you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” We have been forgiven a debt which is beyond all paying – the debt of the sin of all mankind which brought about the death of God’s own Son – and, if that is so, we must forgive others as God has forgiven us. Having experienced forgiveness at the hands of God and God’s people, we are then called, and given grace, to forgive those who wound us in our turn and so make it possible for others to  experience God’s Mercy through us.  If we refuse  that grace and cling to our anger, we have Jesus’ promise, “… if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

(3) Peter’s question resonates within us: “How often should I forgive?” Jesus’ answer comes in the form of an idiom, “seventy times seven times,” which means that, at all times and in all places, we are to embody God’s forgiving grace. Forgiveness involves more than absolution of guilt. It involves reconciliation – the mending of our past, now-fractured, relationships and the healing of our mutual brokenness. It involves intentional work to heal and be reconciled with another. God awakens in us the wholeness that invites us to share in His holiness. Healing, reconciliation, and forgiveness, acting together, sketch a way of life embodying an ever-deepening friendship with God and with one another.

(4) Forgiveness does not mean condoning evil: Neither in God nor in the Christian community, do forgiveness and reconciliation mean the indefinite tolerance of evil and unjust behavior. The king was perfectly ready to forgive the senior official. But how could reconciliation take place when the official later behaved in such an abominable way to a brother? We can be ready to forgive the sinner indefinitely, but we must fight against sin without counting the cost. God and the Church can forgive the repentant sinner, but they cannot condone unrepented behavior that is a source of real evil and suffering. God cannot be reconciled with the sinner who chooses to stay in sin, nor can the Christian community fully incorporate a member who refuses reconciliation and the healing of the behaviors that offend against truth and love. With God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, forgiveness is easily available to the individual Christian, but along with the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we must seek a mutual healing of wounds and a real change of mind and evil behavior.

(5) Catechism on forgiveness: The gates of forgiveness are always open to anyone who turns away from sin (CCC #982). Everyone must be tireless in forgiving each other both the petty and the serious; the charity of Christ demands it (CCC #2227). It is our own heart that binds us to heaven or hell, just as the “merciless servant” discovers in today’s Gospel (CCC #2843).

6) Scripture warnings of our need to experience and show mercy: 1) Matt 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins

2) Matt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

• Matt 7:2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
• Luke 6:37Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
• Matt 18:35This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.
• James 2:13For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. But mercy triumphs over judgment!
• Sirach 27:30The vengeful will suffer the Lord’s vengeance, for He remembers their sin in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Can anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Can anyone refuse mercy to another like himself and then seek pardon for his own sins? Remember your last days —  set enmity aside. Remember death and cease from sin. Think of the Commandments, hate not your neighbor, remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults.

Life messages: 1) We need to forgive, forget, and be reconciled: In the light of eternity and the shortness of our span of life, harboring old grudges is pointless. Neighbors who remained hostile and unforgiving till their death are buried a short distance from one another in the same cemetery. Our ability and willingness to forgive are the measure of the depth of our Christianity. The forgiveness that we offer others is the indispensable condition which makes it possible for us to receive God’s forgiveness and to pray meaningfully: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Let us remember St. Francis of Assisi’s prayer: “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” Our failure to offer pardon means that we have forgotten God’s goodness or have not fully appreciated the unconditional forgiveness we have received from Him. What God expects from us, and offers us grace to give, is limitless forgiving with the ability and willingness to overlook faults and to keep on loving even in the face of insults.

2) “Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” Incidents of simple human frailties challenge each of us on a personal level. We need to find healing for painful family relationships. We need to find forgiveness for/from an employer and for/from a friend who has deserted us. We need to find forgiveness for the teacher who may have judged us wrongly. We need to find courage to stop, to be silent, and to pray for grace when we find ourselves in conflict with the one we most trusted, so that we may answer with compassion — not counter-attack nor recriminate, but seek  the reasons for what we experience as a betrayal, that we may resolve the issue, be reconciled, and  forgive one another  without conditions.

3) We need to think more of the advantage of forgiving: Let us forgive the person who has wronged us before the hatred eats away at our ability to forgive. It will not be easy, but God is there to help us. We can do this by offering that individual to God, not sitting in judgment on him or her, but by simply saying, “Help so-and-so and me to mend our relationship.” Whatever the hurt, pain, disappointment, fear or anger that we may be feeling, we need to say, “God, I give this over to You. I can’t take care of it, but I know that You can. What would You have me to do?” And then listen. This isn’t merely being passive – or passing the buck to God. In fact it’s just the opposite. This kind of prayer and this kind of listening has to give birth to action, but it’s action that realistically acknowledges God’s Lordship, and trusts that, through God’s power, we can do all things, even the impossible . . . like forgiving. Alexander Pope once said, “To err is human, to forgive, Divine.” Believe it – because God alone is the Divine! When we withhold forgiveness, we remain the victim. When we offer forgiveness, we are doing it also for our own well-being. Forgiveness allows us to move beyond the pain, the resentment, and the anger. We always have a choice: to forgive or not to forgive. When we forgive we make the choice that heals.

 4) We may never forget the hurt we have experienced, but we can choose to forgive. As life goes on and we remember an incident that was hurtful and caused great anger, we need to remind ourselves that with God’s grace we have already forgiven the one that hurt us. Time does heal memories. Time can dull the vividness of the hurt and thus the memory will fade. We must never let the person who hurt us own us. Forgiveness finally changes us from prisoners of our past to freed children of God, at peace with Him, with each other, and with our memories. Now we can see that those who cause such destruction and pain are sinful suffering men and women  who need the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ.

JOKES OF THE WEEK

1) A woman testified to the transformation in her life that had resulted through her experience in conversion. She declared, “I’m so glad I got religion. I have an uncle I used to hate so much that I vowed I’d never go to his funeral. But now, why, I’d be happy to go to it any time.”

2) In a recent issue of Reader’s Digest, Janey Walser wrote these words: “I once worked in a grocery store and often assisted elderly people when they came in. One woman shopped nearly every day, asking for just a few items each time. After a month, she said to me, “I suppose you wonder why I’m here so often. You see, I live with my nephew. I can’t stand him, and I am not going to die and leave him with a refrigerator full of food.”

3) Two little brothers, Harry and James, had finished supper and were playing until bedtime. Somehow, Harry hit James with a stick, and tears and bitter words followed. Charges and accusations were still being exchanged as their mother prepared them for bed. She said, “Now boys, what would happen if either of you died tonight and you never had the opportunity again for forgiving one another?” James spoke up, “Well, OK, I’ll forgive him tonight, but if we’re both alive in the morning, he’d better look out.”

4) A catchy little epigram by Sarah Hewit:

Every day I pass the Church,
I stop and make a visit,
For fear that when I’m carried there
The Lord will say, “Who is it?

    USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK (For homilies & Bible study groups) (The easiest method  to visit these websites is to copy and paste the web address or URL on the Address bar of any Internet website like Google or MSN and press the Enter button of your Keyboard).

1) Fr. Nick’s collection of Sunday homilies from 65 priests & weekday homilies: https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies

2) Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org/featured-homilies/ (Copy it on the Address bar and press the Enter button)

3) Fr. Geoffrey Plant’s beautiful & scholarly video classes on Sunday gospel, Bible & RCIA topics:   https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant20663)

4) Dr. Brant Pitre’s commentary on Cycle A Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-Biblical basis of Catholic doctrines: http://scripturecatholic.com/

• 5) Agape Catholic Bible Lessons: http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/Bible base of Catholic teaching: http://www.catholic.com & http://socrates58.blogspot.com/
• Where is that in the Bible?http://www.catholicbible101.com/thebible73or66books.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0Kx-7ijJmJo
• Talk on Contraception: http://www.realcatholictv.com/contraception/
• Two debtors: https://youtu.be/cvrgEBJbddI
• Video Sunday-Scripture study by Fr. Geoffrey Plant: https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant2066

 “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle A (No. 51) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

34 additional anecdotes

1) “Now Abraham Lincoln belongs to the ages.” In his sermon “Loving Your Enemies,” Martin Luther King, Jr., described an event from history: When Abraham Lincoln was running for the presidency of the United States, there was a man who ran all around the country speaking ill of Lincoln. He said a lot of unkind things. “You don’t want a tall, lanky, ignorant man like this as the President of the United States!” However, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. When the time came for him to choose the Secretary of War, he looked across the nation, and decided to choose a man by the name of Mr. Stanton. When the president made this proposal before his advisors, they were surprised: “Mr. Lincoln,” the senior adviser said, “Are you a fool? Do you know what Mr. Stanton has been saying about you? Did you read all of those derogatory statements that he made about you?” Abraham Lincoln stood before the advisors around him and said: “Oh yeah. I know about it; I read about it; I’ve heard him myself. But after looking over the country, I find that he is the best man for the job.” Mr. Stanton did become the Secretary of War. Later, when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, one of the greatest statements ever made about him was by this man, Mr. Stanton. After describing the nobility of the president, his spirit of unconditional forgiveness and the integrity of his character in superlatives, Stanton emphatically added, “Now Abraham Lincoln belongs to the ages.” If Abraham Lincoln had hated Stanton, and acted accordingly, Stanton might well have gone to his grave hating Lincoln and Lincoln might have gone to his grave hating Stanton. But through the power of Abraham Lincoln’s forgiving love, God was able to redeem Stanton. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

2)  “Richard, I want you to know that I love you and I forgive you.” Before her death, Judy Lawson became the spiritual Mother of scores of hardened criminals. On her last Mother’s Day, according to Bill Myers, she received 40 Mother’s Day cards from former criminals whose lives she touched. Her prison ministry began eighteen months after her son was brutally murdered. She knew it was God’s will for her to forgive the murderer, and she had spoken the words, but she continued to harbor ill will toward the man who had robbed her of her son. She had agreed to never say “no” to God, so when she heard Him saying, “I want you to love the man who killed your son,” she had no choice but to fight the natural rage boiling up and to practice Christian love and forgiveness. While visiting a prison to support a friend at a parole hearing, she came face-to-face with the murderer. Controlling her inner struggle in faith, she spoke to the man. “Richard,” she said, “my name is Judy Lawson–you murdered my son and I want you to know that I love you and I forgive you.” The man began sobbing and the prison guards had to remove her from the facility. She sent the murderer letters. He sent them back. But she continued to write. Her family said, “Stop.” Her pastor said, “Stop.” But her God said, “Continue.” Soon, God’s grace broke through and the vicious killer and the victim reconciled and began a ministry together with Judy proclaiming grace and forgiveness to inmates. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

3) Are you ready to forgive your neighbor? Graham Staines, an Australian missionary, along with his family, was working among the socially outcast lepers in the state of Orissa, India. On January 23, 1999, he along with his two little sons – Philip and Timothy, were brutally burnt alive in their jeep by a group of Hindu fundamentalists led by one Dara Singh. The aftermath of this gory incident was nationally televised. What moved us to tears when we watched TV was the sight of Mrs. Staines asking Jesus to forgive her husband’s murders. She prayed that Jesus might touch the heart of these men (murders) so that they might not do to others what they had done to her husband and children. — In the brutal murder of Mr. Staines and his children by Dara Singh and his gang, we see the triumph of barbarism, and in the forgiveness of Mrs. Staines, we see the triumph of Faith and goodness; we see in her forgiveness the triumph of the human spirit touched by Christ. (John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

4) Loose cannon inside the ship in storm: French author Victor Hugo has a short story titled, “93.” In the midst of this tale, a ship at sea is caught in a terrific storm. Buffeted by the waves, the ship rocks to and fro, when suddenly the crew hears an awesome crashing sound below deck. They know what it is. A cannon they are carrying has broken loose and is smashing into the ship’s sides with every list of the ship. Two brave sailors, at the risk of their lives, manage to go below and fasten it again, for they know that the heavy cannon on the inside of their ship is more dangerous to them than the storm on the outside. — So it is with people. Problems within are often much more destructive to us than the problems without. Today, God’s word would take us “below decks” to look inside ourselves concerning the whole matter of forgiveness. (Stephen M. Crotts / George L. Murphy, Sermons For Sundays: After Pentecost (Middle Third): The Incomparable Christ, , CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Quoted by Fr. Tony Kayala). .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

5) “Why don’t people forgive?”  You may remember Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick. The most prominent character is the cruel, obsessive, vengeful Captain Ahab, skipper of the ship. He hates Moby Dick, the great white whale, with a terrible passion. Every waking hour is consumed with the question of how to destroy this leviathan that has crippled him. Soon we see that it is not Moby Dick that is the victim of Captain Ahab’s hatred but Ahab himself. In his obsession he kills everything around him – the whale, the crew and finally himself. — How could anyone let rage get so out of control? Why do we find it so hard to forgive? Obviously the first answer is that the pain is too deep. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

 6) “I left my anger and regret at the gates of that prison.” Pete Peterson was appointed U.S. ambassador to Vietnam in the late 1990s. Long before that, however, Peterson had served six years as a prisoner of war in the dreaded “Hanoi Hilton” prison camp. He endured unspeakable brutality, starvation, and torture at the hands of his captures. They robbed him of six years of his life he will never get back. Never. And when asked how he could return to this land as an ambassador, he replied, “I left my anger and regret at the gates of that prison when I walked out in 1972. I just left it behind me and decided to move forward with my life.” [Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda: Live in the Present, Find Your Future by Dr. Les Parrott, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003).] — “How many times may my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?” asked Peter. “As many as seven times?” Jesus answered him, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times.” .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

 7) “It’s a list of people I plan on biting before I die.” A man was bitten by a dog. Later it was discovered that the dog had rabies. This was back when there was no cure for rabies. His doctor brought him the bad news. “Everything possible will be done to make you comfort­able,” he said, “but we can’t offer any false hope. My best advice to you is to put your affairs in order as soon as possible.” The man very calmly got out a piece of paper and began furiously writing. The doctor said: “What are you doing, making out your will?” He said: “Oh no, I’m writing out a list of people I’m going to bite.”  — Our subject today is forgiveness. How many times must I forgive someone who has hurt me, abused me, exploited me? That is Simon Peter’s question. How many times? Would seven times be enough? .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

8) “I have many more bridges to build”: Once upon a time two brothers, who lived on adjoining farms, fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a conflict. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence. One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s tool box. “I’m looking for a few days’ work” he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?” “Yes,” said the older brother. “I do have a job for you.”  “Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor; in fact, it’s my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do him one better.”  “See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence –an 8-foot fence — so I won’t need to see his place or his face anymore.” The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.” The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, and his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge — a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all — and the neighbor, his younger brother was coming toward them, his hand outstretched. “You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.”  The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hand.  They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder. “No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother. —  “I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have many more bridges to build.” (Fr. Eugene Lobo S. J.) quoted by Fr. Lakra. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

9) General Patton learned to forgive: They said that World War II mili­tary hero George Patton couldn’t or wouldn’t control his temper as a young officer. Patton once ordered a mule shot. Why? It had gotten in the way of his jeep. He forced mem­bers of an antiaircraft unit to stand at attention for being sloppily dressed, despite the fact that they had just beaten off an attack, and some of the men were wounded. In one notorious incident, he slapped a hospitalized, shell‑shocked soldier, and denounced the man for being a cow­ard. Patton’s commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, did not believe that Patton lacked self‑control, only that he was refusing to practice it. He ordered Patton to publicly apologize for slapping the soldier, put Patton on probation, and postponed his promotion to general. — Notice this: after this reprimand by Eisenhower, there were no more reports that Patton committed acts of emo­tional or physical abuse during the two remaining years of World War II. In other words, Patton could control himself when motivated to do so. [Joseph Telushkin, The Ten Commandments of Character (New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 2003), pp. 37-38.] .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

10) Forgiveness extended to the wife of the murderer of President Kennedy: A couple of days after President Kennedy was tragically gunned down in Dallas, Texas, a Presbyterian church from the state of Michigan wrote to the wife of Lee Harvey Oswald. They had heard that she wished to stay in America and learn the English language. They took it upon themselves to write to her and invite her to come to their community with the promise of finding her a home that she might get a fresh start on a productive life. Unfortunately, many persons both in the local community and from around the nation got wind of this plan and began writing many critical letters about their offer to this widow. One person probably described the situation most correctly when she said, “I never heard of a Church doing anything like this before.” — She knew that forgiveness is not often found even in a group of believers who could probably best be called and known as “sinners anonymous.” Forgiveness is so hard. Forgiveness is very difficult unless we follow the example of Christ. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

11) “No, that man was my deadly enemy.” During the Revolutionary War, at the town of Ephrata there lived a very reputable and highly respectable citizen who had suffered an injury from a worthless and vile man in their town. This wicked man enlisted in the army, and there lived up to his evil record in civil life. Presently he was arrested for a serious offense, convicted by a court martial and sentenced to be hanged. The news of the sentence got back to Ephrata. Then that citizen whom this convicted man had wronged set out for the army, walking all the way to Philadelphia and beyond. When he found his way to President Washington’s headquarters, he pleaded for the life of this convicted man. Washington heard him through and then said he was sorry, but he could not grant the request. But seeing the disappointment in the man’s face when he turned to go, Washington said, “Are you a relative of this man?” The man said, “No.” “Then,” said Washington, “are you his friend?” “No, that man was my deadly enemy.” — Nothing that we must forget and forgive and let go is even remotely close to what God has had to overlook and forgive in us. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

12) Hostility index and death rate: There was an interesting study conducted by the Gallup Organization and reported in 1994. In this study, Philadelphia ranked first among U.S. cities on what was called the “hostility index.” The hostility index was based on a nine-question scale that asked people how they felt about such things as loud rock music, supermarket checkout lines, and traffic jams. Other cities on the hostility top five were New York, Cleveland, Chicago, and Detroit. Perhaps you saw in the newspapers just a few months ago that New York City has a much higher death rate than average from coronary disease. At the bottom of the hostility index were Des Moines, Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle, and Honolulu. Medical experts looking at the results felt it was no coincidence that the cities that rated high on the hostility index also had higher death rates. Commenting on the study, Dr. Redford Williams of Duke University Medical School said, “Anger kills. There is a strong correlation between hostility and death rates. The angrier people are and the more cynical they are, the shorter their life span.” [Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers. Craig Brian Larson, ed. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1996), p. 17.] — Dr. Robert R. Kopp puts it this way: grudge-holders are grave-diggers and the only graves that they dig are their own. Or as John Huffman once said, “The world’s most miserable person is one who won’t forgive. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

13) “But how can I keep the sun from going down?” Richard W. DeHaan tells the story of a little boy who had a fight with his brother. As the day passed, he refused to speak to his brother. At bedtime, their mother said, “Don’t you think you should forgive your brother before you go to sleep? The Bible says we should not let the sun go down on our wrath.” After some perplexed reflection, the boy replied, “But how can I keep the sun from going down?” [Herb Miller, Actions Speak Louder than Verbs (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989).] — We can all appreciate what he is saying, but the truth is that nurtured resentment hurts most the one who nurtures it. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

14) “Perhaps, you would prefer, after all, to take the money?” There is a story about a judge in a middle‑eastern country who was trying to resolve a difficult case. The wife of a deceased man was asking for the death sentence to be imposed upon the man who had killed her husband. It seems that while he was in a tree gathering dates, the man had fallen upon the woman’s husband and fatally injured him.

“Was the fall intentional?” the judge inquired. “Were these men enemies?”

“No,” the woman replied. “Even so,” she said, “I want my revenge.”

Despite the judge’s repeated attempts to dissuade her, the widow demanded the blood price to which the law entitled her. The judge even suggested that a sum of money would serve her better than vengeance. No dice. “It is your right to seek compensation,” the judge finally declared, “and it is your right to ask for this man’s life. And it is my right,” he continued, “to decree how he shall die. And so,” the judge declared, “you shall take this man with you immediately. He shall be tied to the foot of a palm tree; and you shall climb to the top of the tree and throw yourself down upon him from a great height. In this way you will take his life as he took your husband’s.” Only silence met the judge’s decree. Then the judge spoke: “Perhaps,” he said, “you would prefer after all to take the money?” She did. (http://www.dbcity.com/churches/res/01‑08‑06.htm). .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

15) “Fred Snodgrass, 86, Dead; Ballplayer Muffed Fly in 1912.” Fred Snodgrass was a successful baseball player for the Giants, but he was remembered for one of his failures. In the 1912 World Series, he dropped a pop fly. His error set up the winning run, for the next batter hit a single. Consequently, the Giants lost the game and the Series. When he died in 1974, the New York Times printed this headline: “Fred Snodgrass, 86, Dead; Ballplayer Muffed Fly in 1912.” — Sixty-two years later, and yet they could not forget his mistake. Never mind the fact that Fred later became mayor of the city of Oxnard, California, was a successful banker and rancher and raised a fine family. He dropped a pop-up in the 1912 series, and they couldn’t forget his mistake. How different from Christ who not only forgives our mistakes but forgets them!  Forgiveness is not easy; but it is always the will of God. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

16) “I went and sowed seed in my enemy’s field that God might exist.” The Norwegian writer Johan Bojer, in The Great Hunger, tells of a man whose little child was killed by a neighbor’s dog. Revenge would not long satisfy this man, so he found a better way to relieve the agony of his heart. — When a famine had plagued the people and his neighbor’s fields lay bare and he had no corn to plant for next year’s harvest, the troubled father went out one night and sowed the neighbor’s field, explaining: “I went and sowed seed in my enemy’s field that God might exist.” .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

17) “You know that it is in my power to pardon you?” A captive was once brought before King James II of England. The King chided the prisoner: “You know that it is in my power to pardon you?” The scared, shaking prisoner replied, “Yes, I know it is in your power to pardon me, but it is not in your nature.” –The prisoner had keen insight to know that unless we have had a spiritual rebirth we have no nature to forgive. The good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is that it is both in the power and the nature of Jesus to forgive and to pardon. Yes, Jesus doesn’t forgive the sin as much as he forgives us. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

18) They had been praying for him all night. Ron Lee Davis, in his book, A Forgiving God in an Unforgiving World, tells about a moment when God’s remarkable spirit of forgiveness became real to him. His best friend Jim had been hit and killed while out riding a motorcycle. The driver of the car, Mr. Smith, simply hadn’t seen Jim in time and had plowed right into him. As Ron drove to visit Jim’s parents, he struggled with anger against Mr. Smith. He was amazed to discover, however, that Jim’s family felt only compassion for the man who had accidentally killed their son. In fact, the first question they asked when Ron walked through the door was, “Do you know how Mr. Smith is doing?” They had been praying for him all night. [Ron Lee Davis, A Forgiving God in and Unforgiving World, p.13. Used in “In His Own Words: Your Sins Are Forgiven” by C. Thomas Hilton, The Clergy Journal (October 1998), p. 30.] There are people like that in this world. They forgive those who have done them wrong. They are called Christians. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

19) War of the Roses : In a real life parallel to the movie War of the Roses,  a couple waged a battle of mayhem. It all began when the husband canceled one vacation trip too many for his wife. She expressed her disappointment by pouring bicarbonate of soda into the fish tank, wiping out his rare tropical fish. A long argument followed. Finally, he grabbed a selection of his wife’s diamond jewelry and threw it into the garbage disposal. She responded by flinging all his stereo equipment into the swimming pool. He then doused her $200,000 wardrobe – fur coats, designer gowns and all – with liquid bleach. Then things began to go downhill. She poured a gallon of paint all over his $70,000 Ferrari. So he kicked a hole in a $180,000 Picasso original she loved. She had just opened the sea cocks of his 38 foot yacht, causing it to sink at its dock, when the couple’s daughter came home and saw what had been going on. She called the police. They were powerless to do anything. It was not illegal for the couple to destroy their own property. Eventually the family lawyer managed to arrange a truce. [William A. Marsano, Man Suffocated by Potatoes, (New York: New American Library, 1987).] Unhappy marriages probably produce the largest number of houses of spite. Divorce doesn’t help. A recent survey showed that many divorced couples still feel rejected a decade after the breakup. Though they marry again, they stay angry and bitter. Forty-one percent of the remarried woman were still furious at their first husbands a decade later. Thirty-one percent of the men felt the same. — How do we let it go? How do we keep our resentment and anger from destroying us? Simon Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother? Seven times?” That is certainly a relevant question. .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

20) “The Woman Who Beat the Ku Klux Klan.”  Beulah Mae McDonald is a black woman who has earned a reputation as “The Woman Who Beat the Ku Klux Klan.” On March 21, 1981, Mrs. McDonald had a dream in which she saw a steel-gray casket sitting in her living room. Every time she tried to move closer to the casket, someone told her, “You don’t need to see this.” But Mrs. McDonald knew that she did have to see it. And when she awoke from her dream, the first thing she did was to look in the other bedroom where her youngest son Michael was supposed to be sleeping. He was not there. When the boy didn’t come home the next morning, Mrs. McDonald knew that something was wrong. The phone rang. The caller said, “They had a party here, and they killed your son. You better send somebody over.” A few blocks away, in a racially mixed neighborhood, about a mile from the Mobile, Alabama, police station, they found Michael McDonald’s body hanging from a tree. Around his neck was a perfectly tied noose with 13 loops. On a front porch across the street, watching police gather evidence were members of the United Klans of America, one of the largest and most violent of the Ku Klux Klans. Looking across the street, Bennie Jack Hays, the 64-year-old Titan of the United Klans, said, “A pretty sight. That’s gonna look good on the news. Gonna look good for the Klan.” The men who killed Beulah Mae McDonald’s son thought they would go free. But they were wrong. Not only did the young black man’s killer receive the death penalty, but Mrs. McDonald won a seven-million dollar lawsuit which broke the back of this hate group which is driven by the power of Satan. Mrs. McDonald was a single mother who had to raise her children alone and in poverty. She says this about raising her children: “I wasn’t able to get everything for them, but I let them know the value of things.” Her method of childrearing was that of love and religion. On Sunday morning, Mrs. McDonald would take her family to Church in the morning and remain there all day. “I’m a strong believer,” she explains. “I don’t know about man, but I know what God can do.” It was the power of God that enabled Beulah Mae to do that which would have been impossible for an unbeliever. Her faith in God enabled her to forgive even those who had murdered her son. At the civil trial, one of the Klansmen implicated in the crime named Tiger Knowles turned to Mrs. McDonald. They locked eyes for the first time. Knowles spoke of the seven million dollars which he and the others were going to have to pay as the consequence of their crime. “I can’t bring your son back,” he said sobbing and shaking. “God knows if I could trade places with him, I would. I can’t. Whatever it takes — I have nothing. But I will have to do it. And if it takes me the rest of my life to pay for it, any comfort it may bring, I hope it will.” By this time, the jurors were crying. The judge had tears in his eyes. — Then Beulah Mae McDonald said these words: “I do forgive you. From the day I found out who you all was, I asked God to take care of y’all, and He has.” Who among us could show that kind of forgiveness? The answer is that none of us could ever do it without faith in God. [“The Woman Who Beat the Klan,” New York Times Magazine (November 1, 1987), pp. 26-39.] .( https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

21) Power to forgive: Corrie ten Boom lived in Amsterdam in the Netherlands during World War II. Her family owned a watchmaker’s shop. When the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, her family began to help Jews, who were systematically being rounded up and sent to death camps. Eventually someone turned the family in, and they were sent off to concentration camps. Corrie and her sister, Betsy, were sent to the infamous Ravensbruck camp. Only Corrie survived the family ordeal. After the war she travelled about Europe, lecturing on forgiveness and reconciliation. After one talk in Munich, Germany, a man came forward to thank her for the talk. Corrie couldn’t believe her eyes. He was one of the Nazi guards who used to stand duty in the women’s shower room at Ravensbruck. The man reached out to shake Corrie’s hand. Corrie froze, unable to take his hand. The horror of the camp and the death of her sister leaped back into her memory. She was filled with resentment and revulsion. Corrie couldn’t believe her response. She had just given a moving talk on forgiveness, and now she herself couldn’t forgive someone. She was emotionally blocked, unable to shake the guard’s hand. As Corrie stood there, frozen, she began to pray silently. —  At that moment, she said, her hand, as if empowered by another source, took the guard’s hand in true forgiveness. At that moment, she discovered a great truth. It is not on our own forgiveness that healing in our world hinges, but on His. When Jesus commands us to love our enemies, he gives along with the command the grace we will need to forgive them. (Mark Link in Sunday Homilies). .(https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

22) “I use your toothbrush!” A certain married couple had many sharp disagreements. Yet somehow the wife always stayed calm and collected. One day her husband commented on his wife’s restraint. “When I get mad at you,” he said, “you never fight back. How do you control your anger?”

The wife said: “I work it off by cleaning the toilet.”

The husband asked: “How does that help?”

She said: “I use your toothbrush!” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

23) When did your last forgive? You may remember the story of the grandmother celebrating her golden wedding anniversary who told the secret of her long and happy marriage. “On my wedding day, I decided to make a list often of my husband’s faults which, for the sake of the marriage, I would overlook.” A guest asked the woman what some of the faults she had chosen to overlook were. The grandmother replied, “To tell you the truth, I never did get around to making that list. But whenever my husband did something that made me hopping mad, I would say to myself, “Lucky for him that’s one of the ten. Application: When was the last time it was very difficult to forgive? If we did forgive, how did it feel? (Gerard Fuller in Stories for all Seasons; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 24) God’s forgiving love: Perugini, an Italian painter of the Middle Ages, stopped going for confession because he felt that people stayed away from the Sacrament hoping to confess just before they died as a kind of ticket to Heaven. Perugini considered it sacrilegious to go to confession if, out of fear, he were seeking to save his skin. Not knowing his inner disposition, his wife inquired whether he was not afraid of dying unconfessed. Perugini replied, “Darling, my job is to paint and I’ve excelled as a painter. God’s profession is to forgive and if God is good at his job as I’ve been at mine, I’ve no reason to be afraid!”-The book, “An Interrupted Life,” is the beautiful testament of a Dutch Jewess, Etty Hillesum (27), who died in the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. — Despite the sufferings she underwent she wrote: “It’s too easy to turn your hatred loose on the outside, to live for nothing but the moment of revenge… Despite all the suffering and injustice, I cannot hate others.” She forgave her tormentors because of her communion with a compassionate God. (Francis Gonsalves in Sunday Seeds for Gospel Deeds; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

25) Forgiveness given by the Lebanese hostages: When their ordeal as hostages in Lebanon had come to an end, most of the more than a dozen men, who were held for all or part of eight years (AD 1984-1991), committed their experiences to writing. Their books contain accounts of desperate loneliness, brutal torture, incessant interrogations and emotions which ran the gamut from rage to fear, from resentment to hope, from hatred to forgiveness. One of the hostages, Brian Keenan, recounted “Each of us had to reach inside himself to find that which was necessary to survive.” For Catholic priest, Reverend Lawrence Martin Jenco, captured in 1985, survival included forgiving those who made pain and abuse an integral part of each of his nights and days. In the published report of his experiences (Bound to Forgive, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame: 1995), Rev. Jenco traced what he called his pilgrimage to reconciliation and forgiveness. “One day in Rome”, wrote Rev. Jenco, “within days of my release from captivity, a paparazzi shouted at me from a distance, ‘Father Jenco, what are your feelings toward the terrorists who held you?’ I responded without much thought: ‘I’m a Christian. I must forgive them’.” Then he realized the lengthy process which had enabled him to offer this almost glib, automatic response. Forgiveness had not come easy. How does a person forgive being forcibly abducted, thrown into a car trunk and robbed of five hundred and sixty-four days of life? How does a person forgive being gagged with a dirty rag, wrapped from head to foot with packing tape? How does a person forgive being stripped of clothing and chained to a radiator? How can being kept for six months in dark isolation and deprived of food and water for days at a time be forgiven? How can a person forgive another who deliberately breaks his glasses, leaving him unable to see? How can being kicked and beaten until senseless be forgiven? How can a person forgive another who sprayed toxic chemicals in his mouth to prevent his snoring? How? But, Rev. Jenco was able to forgive his captors and abusers because he kept, uppermost in his mind and in the depths of his heart the teachings of Jesus. He wrote, in what he called his hostage journal, all the scripture texts he could remember concerning forgiveness. Among these texts were a section of today’s first reading: “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven” (Sirach 28:2), and from today’s Gospel: “Each of you must forgive his brother from his heart” (Matthew 18:35). As Rev. Jenco noted, “Writing these passages was the easy part, making them incarnate was no easy task.” The fact that he had accomplished this difficult task was evident in the conversation Rev. Jenco had with one of his guards named Sayeed. It was near the end of his captivity, although Rev. Jenco had no way of knowing that he would soon be released. Sayeed, who had brutalized him many times, had begun to call Rev. Jenco “Abouna”, an Arabic name meaning “dear father.” Sayeed asked if Abouna remembered the first six months of his captivity. Rev. Jenco responded that he did remember all the pain and suffering he and his brother hostages had endured at the hands of Sayeed and the other guards. Then Sayeed asked in a quiet voice, “Abouna, do you forgive me?” Overwhelmed by this question, the still blindfolded Rev. Jenco recognized Sayeed’s question to be a call from God. Could he let go of his anger and vindictiveness? He realized that he was being challenged to forgive unconditionally, not just one wrong but hundreds of instances of persecution and abuse. He realized that he could not forgive Sayeed on the condition that he change his behavior or conform to other values. When he, at last found words to respond to Sayeed, Rev. Jenco said, “Sayeed, there were times when I hated you. I was filled with anger and revenge for what you did to me and my brothers. But Jesus said on a mountain top that I was not to hate you. I was to love you. Sayeed, I need to ask God’s forgiveness and yours.” After forgiving Sayeed, Rev. Jenco felt free and empowered by God’s word. Those same words empower us today. When we make our own the message of this Sunday’s readings, then the challenges to forgive, which are part of our everyday lives can be met. (Patricia Datchuck Sánchez). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

26) Two Million Dollar Mistake: John D. Rockefeller built the great Standard Oil empire. Not surprisingly, Rockefeller was a man who demanded high performance from his executives. One day, one of those executives made a two-million-dollar mistake. Word of the man’s enormous error quickly spread throughout the executive offices, and the other men began to make themselves scarce, not wanting to cross his path. One man didn’t have any choice, however, since he had an appointment with the boss. So, he straightened his shoulders and walked into Rockefeller’s office. As he approached Rockefeller’s desk, he looked up from the piece of paper on which he was writing. “I guess you’ve heard about the two- million-dollar mistake our friend made,” he said abruptly. “Yes,” the executive said, expecting Rockefeller to explode. –“Well, I’ve been sitting here listing all of our friend’s good qualities, and I’ve discovered that in the past he has made us many more times the amount he lost for us today by his one mistake. His good points far outweigh this one human error. So, I think we ought to forgive him, don’t you?” (Dale Galloway, You Can Win with Love, in The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Charles Swindoll, Word Pub., p. 215). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 27) “I give you the power to forgive.” Think, for example, the case of Timothy McVeigh, who admitted to the terrorist bombing in Oklahoma for which he showed no remorse. The evening before he was executed, various survivors and relatives of survivors were interviewed. I was struck with the sense that those who thought that his execution was going to bring them a sense of closure and peace were deceiving themselves. Far more reasonable was the ‘unreasonableness’ of a father whose daughter was killed in the disaster. He had already come to peace and closure. He had found the grace to let it go and believed that Timothy McVeigh should not suffer the death penalty. For this grieving father, even McVeigh’s life sentence was not to punish him, but to give him a chance, perhaps gradually, slowly to see the light and repent of his crime. He remarked that he and his family had no more energy for grievance and retribution. They had to go on living and wanted McVeigh to have the same chance. (John Pichappilly in The Table of the Word; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 28) Bridging the Gap: Even before the six-day war, Israel and Jordan had been mutual enemies. But in the summer of 1994 King Hussein of Jordan and the late Prime Minister Ytzhak Rabin of Israel (assassinated November 4, 1995), signed a peace accord. They said they did so that their children would not need to fight any more. To prepare the way for the signing of the peace treaty, Israel’s foreign minister, Simon Peres, crossed the Dead Sea by helicopter to end nearly half century of enmity. He was the first high-ranking official from Israel to openly visit Jordan. He said, ‘It took us a mere 15-minute to ride over. But it took us 46 years to arrive at this time and this place of peace and promise.’ On signing the treaty King Hossain said, “Out of all the days of my life, I don’t believe there is one such as this.” —  Peace is a process. So too is reconciliation. They both take time. (Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday Holy Days and Liturgies’ quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

29) Forging community of the forgiven: Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been a driving force in promoting peaceful relations among the various political factions in his native South Africa. Aware that forgiveness and mutual respect for the differences of others are necessary to any peaceable union, he once said, “We witness… by being a community of reconciliation, a forgiving community of the forgiven.” Moreover, Archbishop Tutu declared that the community of believers, who are both salt and light for the world, have no other choice but to serve its needs. Said he, “We must transfigure a situation of hate and suspicion, of brokenness and separation, of fear and bitterness. We have no option; we are servant to the God who reigns and cares.” In chapter fourteen of his letter to the Roman Church, Paul acknowledged that there were factions and differences within the community which threatened its unity. == Like Archbishop Tutu, Paul reminded his readers that their belonging to God, in both life and death, meant that they should conduct themselves as responsible servants. As such, they were to treat one another with the same quality of love and understanding as they themselves experienced in their relationship with God. (Sanchez Files). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

30 Those who forgive best are those who are forgiven. The following personal reflection of Mario Estrella, my former student and member of the religious congregation Opifices Christi is insightful. When I was working as one of the training officers of the different training programs of the Department of Education, I had made a decision that was detrimental to the mandate of the Department to provide continuous service to teachers and principals. My immediate superior called it to my attention when he discovered my irresponsibility and incompetence. I thought I would be reprimanded and incriminated for negligence and my conduct, which was unbecoming to a government employee. The superior asked me if I was guilty of the offense and I replied affirmatively. He surprised me when he asked, “If I keep you in your present capacity, can I trust you in the future? “I replied, “I am sorry, sir. I have learned my lesson and you surely can trust me again.“ He must have detected the sincerity of my repentance. “I am not going to press charges anymore, and you can continue in your present responsibility,” he said. He told me then that he had once succumbed to the same situation, but he was given mercy and was asked to learn from it. His position now in the Department can attest how far he has gone because of the opportunity accorded to him. Truly, according to Steve Goodlier, those who forgive best are those who are forgiven.– The story is centered on the fruit of forgiveness. Forgiveness multiplies when freely given to the offender. Whether we like it or not, something good may come out from the experience and could probably change the person for the better. (Lectio Divina). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 31) Wasn’t bullying wrong? The following is a personal testimony of forgiving a neighbor’s injustice: I entered high school after eight years of home-schooling. I knew very few people and had just lost a leg to cancer, so I was worried about how the other students would treat me. As if to confirm my worst fears, an upperclassman deliberately tripped me as I walked down the hall on my artificial leg and then made fun of me. When I told my mom what had happened, she cried. Years have passed, and a few weeks ago I got an unexpected message online. It was from the upperclassman. He tracked me down to say how guilty he has felt about that day and wanted to know if I would forgive him. I wasn’t sure. Would forgiving him be tantamount to condoning his actions? Wasn’t bullying wrong? I talked it over with a few friends, and the advice was split. But then I remembered that God forgives and loves me despite much greater shortcomings than those displayed by that bully. So it was not my place to withhold forgiveness. It was not my job to evaluate the merits of his apology or decide whether he deserved forgiveness. I wrote him back and told him that it was no big deal. Because really, it wasn’t. And I’m certainly not going to let a bully trip me up in my relationship with God. (cf. Joshua Sundquist in Daily Guideposts 2015, p. 373).  (Lectio Divina). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

32)  Debts in Roman Society: In the ancient world, cruel treatment was practiced against debtors, often without regard to the debtor’s ability or intention to repay. In Athens prior to the establishment of democratic rights, a creditor could demand slave labor of his debtor or of members of the debtor’s family as surety of payment.  Roman law provided punishment by imprisonment to the debtors. The reason for imprisonment and cruel treatment was to force the debtor to sell whatever property he might secretly own, or to have the debtor’s relatives pay his debt. The creditor would demand slave labor of the entire family so that the debt might be worked off. There were legal restrictions to prevent extreme cruelty, but in spite of the laws the entire system of debts and sureties was recklessly abused in the ancient world. The prophets frequently condemned violations of the laws. (James R. Davis, The Unmerciful Servant, Quoted by Fr. Tony Kayala). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 33) Forgiven: Too Poor to Pay: When the books of a certain Scottish doctor were examined after his death, it was found that a number of accounts were crossed through with a note: “Forgiven–too poor to pay.” But the physician’s wife later decided that these accounts must be paid in full and she proceeded to sue for money. When the case came to court the judge asked but one question. Is this your husband’s handwriting? When she replied that it was he responded: –“There is no court in the land that can obtain a debt once the word forgiven has been written.” And that is the good news that the Gospel offers us this morning….( Quoted by Fr. Tony Kayala). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

34) Keeping up a nodding acquaintance: Sarah Hewit Frier was the niece of Father Augustine Hewit, C.S.P., associate founder, in 1858, of the famous American religious order, the Paulist Fathers. Through her Paulist connection, she became acquainted, as a girl, with the great American convert, journalist and philosopher, Orestes A. Brownson. But apart from having famous kith and kin, Sarah achieved a bit of glory on her own as the author of a catchy little epigram. A few years before her death in 1953 she wrote these wise and witty lines which all of all would do well to remember and act on: “Every day I pass the Church,/
I stop and make a visit, // For fear that when I’m carried there/ The Lord will say, “Who is it? ”  — “…Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay and cease from sin!” (Sirach, 28; 6, Today’s first reading). If your day is hemmed with prayer, it is less likely to unravel. (Father Robert F. McNamara). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/). L/23

 “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle A (No. 51) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle C  & A homilies, 141 Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  of Fr. Nick’s collection of homilies or Resources in the CBCI website:  https://www.cbci.in.  (Special thanks to Vatican Radio website http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020)  Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Jogi M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507

Sept 11-16: Click on http://frtonyshomilies.com for missed homilies):

Sept 11 Monday: Lk 6:6-11:6 On another Sabbath, when he entered the synagogue and taught, a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And he looked around on them all, and said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The context: Today’s Gospel describes a miraculous healing performed by Jesus one Sabbath as a public violation of Sabbath laws, in order to prove that God’s intention for the Sabbath was for His people to do good and to save life rather than to do evil or to destroy life. The incident and the reaction: Ex 20:8 and Dt 5:12 instructed the Jews to keep the Sabbath holy. But the scribes and the Pharisees hadamplified God’s law on the Sabbath, misinterpreting it and making it burdensome for the common people through man-made laws. Jesus wanted to demonstrate in public the original intention of God in declaring Sabbath holy. For Jesus, the Sabbath was a day of rest on which Israelites were meant to adore God, to learn and teach His laws, and to do good to/for others. Hence, Jesus took the liberty of healing a man with a withered hand in the local synagogue immediately after the worship service, thus infuriating the scribes and the Pharisees.

Life messages: 1) Our Catholic “Sabbath” observance of participating in the Eucharistic celebration on Sunday is meant to recharge our spiritual batteries for doing good to/for others and avoiding evil. 2) Our Sunday observance is further meant to be an offering of our lives to God on the altar, to praise God, to thank Him for His blessings, to ask God’s pardon and forgiveness for our sins, to present our needs before the Lord, and to participate in the Divine Life by receiving Holy Communion. 3) It is finally a day to spend with the members of the family and to help our neighbors in the activities of our parish and neighborhood. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 12 Tuesday: (The Most Holy Name of Mary) Lk 6:12-19: In those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles; 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. 17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; 18 and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19….

The context: Today’s Gospel passage gives a short account of the call of the Apostles and of the preaching and healing mission of Jesus. Jesus was the first missionary, sent by His Father with the “Good News” that God his Father is a loving, merciful, and forgiving Father Who wants to save everyone through His Son, Jesus. Today’s Gospel describes how this First Missionary selected and empowered twelve future missionaries as Apostles to continue his mission.

Special features: Jesus selected very ordinary people, most of them hard-working fishermen with no social status, learning, or political influence. Jesus was sure that this strange mixture of people would be very effective instruments in God’s hands. Matthew was a hated tax collector serving the Roman Empire, while Simon the Cananaean was a Zealot, a fanatical nationalist or terrorist of those days, determined to destroy Roman rule by any means. The others were mostly professional fishermen with a lot of good will, patience, and stamina. It was only Jesus‘ love for them and their admiration and love for Jesus that united them. Jesus selected them after a night of prayer and gave them His own Divine powers of healing and exorcism and made them a key part of His own Messianic mission of preaching the “Kingdom of God.”

Life Messages: 1) God wants to show us that a calling for ministry, or a vocation to priestly or religious life or family life, is an initiative of God. 2) As Christians we have the same mission that Jesus entrusted to his Apostles. 3) We fulfill this mission of preaching the word of God, primarily, by living out Jesus’ teachings and by promoting and helping world-wide missionary activities of the Church. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 13 Wednesday: (St. John Chrsostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church): For a short biography, click here: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-chrysostomMk 4:1-20: 1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil; 6 and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty-fold and sixty-fold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 …..19

The context: Today’s Gospel passage gives us the parable of the sower, the seeds sown, and the yield depending upon the type of soil. It is the first parable of Jesus in the New Testament about the Kingdom of Heaven. It is also a parable interpreted by Jesus himself. This parable was intended as a double warning: to the hearers to be attentive to, and to the Apostles to be hopeful about, Jesus’ preaching in the face of growing opposition to the Master and his ideas. Jesus wants all of us to open our hearts generously to the word of God and then to put that word into practice. The sower is God, the Church, the parents, the teachers, and we ourselves. The seed sown is the high-yielding word of God which is “a sharp sword” (Is 49:2), “two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12), and “fire and hammer” (Jer 23:29).

Soil type & the yield: The hardened soil on the footpath represents people with minds closed because of laziness, pride, prejudice, or fear. The soil on flat rock pieces represents emotional types of people who go after novelties without sticking to anything, and are unwilling to surrender their wills to God. “I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh” (Ez 11:19). The soil filled with weeds represents those who are addicted to evil habits and evil tendencies, those whose hearts are filled with hatred or jealousy, and those whose greed focuses on acquiring money by any means and on enjoying life in any way possible. The good and fertile soil represents well-intentioned people with open minds and clean hearts, earnest in hearing the word and zealous in putting it into practice. Zacchaeus, the sinful woman , the thief on Jesus’ right side, St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Francis Xavier, among others, fall into this category of the good soil.

Life message: Let us become the good soil and produce hundred-fold yields by earnestly hearing, faithfully assimilating and daily cultivating the word of God we have received, so that the Holy Spirit may produce His fruits in our lives. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 14 Thursday: (The Exaltation of the Holy Cross): For a short account, click here: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/-Exaltation-of-the-Holy-CrossIntroduction: We celebrate this feast of the Exaltation of the Cross for two reasons: (1) to understand the history of the discovery and recovery of the True Cross and (2) to appreciate better the importance of the symbol and reality of Christ’s sacrificial love, namely, the cross in the daily life of every Christian.

History:The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is one of twelve “Master feasts” celebrated in the Church to honor Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master. This feast is celebrated to memorialize the first installation of the remnants of the true cross of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher at Mount Calvary, September 14, AD 335, and its reinstallation on September 14, AD 630. The original cross on which Jesus was crucified was excavated in AD 326 by a team led by St. Helena, the mother of the first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine. The Emperor built the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Calvary, it was consecrated on September 14, AD 335, and the remains of the cross were installed in it by Archbishop Maccharios of Jerusalem. After three centuries, the Persians invaded Jerusalem, plundered it of all valuables and took with them the relic of the Holy Cross. In AD 630, Heraclius II defeated the Persians, recaptured the casket containing the holy relic, and reinstalled it in the rebuilt Church, which was destroyed by Muslims in 1009. The crusaders rebuilt it as the present Church of the Holy Sepulcher in 1149. The largest fragment of the holy cross is now kept in Santa Croce Church in Rome. The first reading today (Nm 21:4b—9) describes how God healed the complaining Israelites through the brazen serpent. The second reading Phil 2:6-11) reminds us that Jesus, “ humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” In today’s Gospel, answering the question raised by Nicodemus, Jesus cites the example of how, when the Israelites were in the desert, the impaled brazen serpent (representing the healing power of God), which God commanded Moses to raise, saved from death the serpent-bitten Israelites who looked at it (Nm 21:4-9). Then Jesus explains how He is going to save the world by dying on the cross.

Life messages: 1) We should honor and venerate the cross and carry it on our person to remind ourselves of the love God has for us and the price Jesus paid for our salvation.

2) The cross will give us strength in our sufferings and remind us of our hope of eternal glory with the risen Lord. With St. Paul, we express our belief that the “message of the cross is foolishness only to those who are perishing” (1Cor 1:18-24), and that we should “glory in the cross of Our Lord” (Gal 6:14).

3) We should bless ourselves with the sign of the cross to remind ourselves that we belong to Christ Jesus, to honor the Most Holy Trinity, and to ask the Triune God to bless us, save us and protect us from all danger and evil.

4) The crucifix should remind us that we are forgiven sinners and, hence, we are expected to forgive those who offend us and to ask for forgiveness whenever we offend others or hurt their feelings. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/). L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 15 Friday: ( Our Lady of Sorrows or Mother of Sorrows) For a short account, click here: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/our-lady-of-sorrows/: Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35:

Today we remember the spiritual martyrdom of the Mother of Jesus and her participation in the sufferings of her Divine Son. Mary is the Queen of martyrs because she suffered in spirit all Jesus suffered during His Passion and death, her spiritual torments were greater than the bodily agonies of the martyrs, and Mary offered her sorrows to God for our sake. The principal Biblical references to Mary’s sorrows are found in Lk 2:35 and Jn 19:26-27. Many early Church writers interpret the sword prophesied by Simeon as Mary’s sorrows, especially as she saw Jesus die on the cross. In the past, the Church celebrated two feasts to commemorate separately 1) the spiritual martyrdom of the Blessed Virgin Mary throughout her life as the mother of Jesus and 2) her compassion for her Divine Son during his suffering and death. The devotion to the Seven Dolors (sorrows) of Mary honors her for the motherly sufferings she endured during the whole life of Jesus on earth.This devotion started with a vision given to St. Bridget of Sweden in the thirteenth century. In 1239 the seven founders of the Servite Order took up the sorrows of Mary who stood under the Cross as the main devotion of their religious Order. Originally, this day was kept on the Friday before Good Friday. It was Pope Pius XII who changed the date of the feast to the 15th of September immediately after the feast of the Triumph of the Cross. (The nineteenth-century German mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich claimed to have received a vision in which Mary actually kisses the blood of Jesus in the many sacred places on the way of the cross. In his film, The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson, inspired by this vision, pictures Claudia, Pontius Pilate’s wife, secretly handing Mary cloths to collect the blood of Jesus from the streets of Jerusalem).

The seven sorrows:There are seven times of great suffering in Mary’s life. These events remind many parents of their personal family experiences of sorrow and mourning for their dear children. 1) Hearing the prophecy of Simeon, 2) Fleeing with Jesus and Joseph into Egypt to escape Herod’s soldiers sent to kill Jesus, 3) Losing the Child Jesus in Jerusalem, 4) Meeting Jesus on the road to Calvary, 5) Standing at the foot of Jesus’ Cross, 6) Receiving the Body of Jesus as it is taken down from the Cross, and 7) The burial of Jesus.

Life message: 1) On this feast day let us pray for those who continue to endure similar sufferings that they may receive from God the strength that they desperately need to continue to carry their spiritual crosses. Let us try to enter into the sorrowing hearts of the mothers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Nigeria and other terrorist-haunted nations and the mothers in the United States and other countries grieving for their children, soldiers and civilians alike. 2) Let us also remember with repentant hearts that it is our sins which caused the suffering of Jesus and Mary. [“At the
cross her station keeping, / Stood the mournful
mother weeping, / Close to Jesus to the last. // Through her heart, his sorrow
sharing, / All his bitter anguish bearing, /
Now at length the sword has passed.” (Stabat
Mater)] (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 16 Saturday: (St. Cornelius, Pope and St. Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs) (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-cornelius) John 17:11-19: 11 And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you did send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.

In today’s Gospel passage, taken from Jesus’ high-priestly prayer, Jesus prays in particular, for those disciples who are sharing the meal with him. Jesus prayed for the victory, unity, protection, and consecration of his disciples. (i) Jesus prayed that they might find victory by living out their Christianity in the rough-and-tumble of life. The disciples must win the world for Christ by living out their Christianity within the world. They must bear witness to Christ through their transparent Christian lives, reflecting Christ’s love, mercy, forgiveness, and spirit of humble service. (ii) Jesus prayed for the unity of his disciples. The world cannot be evangelized by competing Churches, and that is why Jesus prayed that his disciples might be as fully one as He and the Father are One. Christian unity is determined by whether and how well we love one another, and whether we reflect the love of God in Christ for the world. (Eph 4:4–6: … one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call; d5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;e6one God and Father of us all, Who is above all and through all and in all).(iii) Jesus prayed for His Father’s protection for his disciples from the attacks of the Evil One. If the disciples of Christ fall, it is because they try to meet life with their own strength alone, and do not remember the presence of their protecting God and seek His help. (iv) Jesus prayed that his disciples might be consecrated in the truth. (a) GOD alone IS TRUTH, and ‘Consecrate’ means to set apart for a special task (Jer 1:5; Ex 28:41), namely to live out and to bear witness to His TRUTH in our lives; (b) ‘Consecrate’ also means to equip a man with the qualities of mind, heart, and character which are necessary for that task. God has chosen us and dedicated us for His special service of loving and obeying Him ourselves and of bringing others to do the same. c) He has not left us to carry out that great task with only our own strength, but by His grace He fits us for our task, if we place our lives in His hands.

Life message: 1):We need to understand, appreciate, cooperate with, and pray with and for each other: The denominations are a reality.There is no use in our blaming each other for the historical events which caused these divisions in Christ’s Body. What we can do is to learn sympathetically about the doctrinal similarities and differences among the members of our Christian community and learn to love each one and cooperate with the members of all denominations in all ways possible. 2) Let us pray fervently that God may show us how to proceed in building true and lasting Christian unity without sacrificing TRUTH, the basic Christian principles and teachings. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

OT 23 [A] (Sept 10th Sunday) (8-minute homily in one page)

Introduction: The common theme of today’s readings is God’s command concerning our spiritual responsibility and individual accountability for others in our families, parishes, and community. This accountability arises from our identity as God’s children. As brothers and sisters in Christ, then, we become each other’s “keepers,” and take on a painful, triple responsibility. We must lovingly and prudently correct each other when we err, forgive those who offend us, and ask forgiveness from those we have offended.

Scripture readings summarized: In the first reading, God tells Ezekiel that he is to be a “watchman for the house of Israel,” obliged to warn Israel of moral dangers. If Ezekiel should refrain from speaking God’s word given to convert the wicked, God will hold Ezekiel responsible for the death of the wicked.

In the second reading, St. Paul points out that the love we should have for one another should be our only reason for admonishing and correcting the sinner.Love seeks the good of the one who is loved. Therefore, we should admonish one another so that we all may repent and grow in holiness.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches that true Christian charity obliges a Christian, not only to assist his neighbors in their temporal and spiritual needs with material help and prayer, but also to aid with correction those brothers and sisters who have damaged the community by public sin. If the erring one refuses a one-on-one, loving correction by the offended party, then the Christian is to try to involve more people: first, “one or two others,” and eventually “the Church.” Finally, Jesus mentions the efficacy of community prayer in solving such problems, for Christ is present in the praying Christian community.

Life messages: 1) We are our brother’s/sister’s keeper. Modern believers tend to think that they have no right to intervene in the private lives of their fellow believers. Others evade the issue saying, “As a sinner, I don’t have the moral courage or the right to correct anyone.” But Jesus emphatically affirms that we are our brothers’ keepers, and we have the serious obligation to correct others. We need to offer advice and encouragement to our friends, neighbors, and coworkers when it is needed, and loving correction, in private, for a personal offense where that is possible.

2) We need to gather in Jesus’ name and work miracles: Today’s Gospel reminds us of the good we can do together, and of how we can do it. Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” If any group of us gather, work, and act with the Holy Spirit guiding us, we will become much more than simply the sum of our numbers. Today, Jesus makes it clear how important we are, one to another. One in Christ, our community can draw on God’s power to make His healing, life-giving love, more effective among His people.

OT XXIII [A] (Sept 10): Ez 33:7-9; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20

Homily starter anecdote#1: “Fraulein, will you forgive me?” Corrie ten Boom often thought back over the horrors of the Ravensbruck concentration camp. How could she ever forgive the former Nazis who had been her jailers? Where was love, acceptance, and forgiveness in a horror camp where more than 95,000 women died? How could she ever forget the horrible cruelty of the guards and the smoke constantly coming from the chimney of the crematorium? Then in 1947 Corrie was speaking in a Church in Munich, and when the meeting was over, she saw one of the most cruel male guards of Ravensbruck coming forward to speak to her. He had his hand outstretched. “I have become a Christian,” he explained. “I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein, will you forgive me?” A conflict raged in Corrie’s heart. The Spirit of God urged her to forgive. The spirit of bitterness and coldness urged her to turn away. “Jesus, help me,” she prayed. Then she knew what she must do. “I can lift my hand,” she thought to herself. “I can do that much.” As their hands met it was as if warmth and healing broke forth with tears and joy. “I forgive you, brother, with all my heart,” she said. Later Corrie testified, “it was the power of the Holy Spirit” Who had poured the love of God into her heart that day. (Garrie F. Williams, “Welcome, Holy Spirit.” Copyright (c) 1994) — I don’t know any other way true forgiveness can take place. We turn our hurt over to God. We ask God for the ability to forgive.

#2: “I must forgive”: Sister Helen Prejean, in her book Dead Man Walking, tells the real story of Lloyd LeBlanc, a Roman Catholic layman, whose son was murdered. When he arrived in the cane field with the sheriff’s deputies to identify his son David’s body, LeBlanc immediately knelt by his boy’s body and prayed the Lord’s Prayer. When he came to the words: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” he realized the depth of the commitment he was making. “Whoever did this, I must forgive them, I resolved,” he later told Sr. Prejean. LeBlanc confessed that it had been difficult not to be overcome by the bitterness and feelings of revenge that welled up from time to time, especially on David’s birthday. But for the rest of his life, forgiveness was prayed for and struggled for and won. He went to the execution of the culprit Patrick Sonnier, not for revenge but hoping for an apology. Before sitting in the electric chair Patrick Sonnier, the murderer said, “Mr. Le Blanc, I want to ask your forgiveness for what I did,” and Lloyd LeBlanc nodded his head, signaling forgiveness he had already given. — Today’s Gospel reminds us and challenges us to continue on the path to forgiveness and reconciliation.

# 3: Ancient Jewish rules on fraternal correction: Among the preserved writings of the ancient Essenes (a sect of Palestinian Judaism) is a Manual of Discipline, the rules of which governed and safeguarded the integrity and holiness of the community. One section of the manual, concerning communal correction, reads as follows: “They shall rebuke one another in truth, humility, and charity. Let no one address his companion with anger, or ill-temper, or obduracy, or with envy prompted by the spirit of wickedness. Let him not hate him but let him rebuke him on the very same day, lest he incur guilt because of him. And furthermore, let no one accuse his companion before the congregation without having first admonished him in the presence of witnesses” (1 QS 5:24-6:1). Similar guidelines regarding community discipline are found in the rabbinic writings. A consensus of scholars believes that the procedure outlined by the Matthean community in today’s Gospel may have been influenced by these earlier sources. –Today’s Gospel passage reflects the early Church’s concern for the spiritual well-being of each of its members and specifies that the responsibility for that well-being be shouldered by each believer. As with any important undertaking, the process of communal correction (vv. 15-17) will, no doubt, be exercised more justly and mercifully when it is permeated by prayer and the accompanying Divine presence. In fact, praying for those who have strayed from the truth should probably be the first (but not only) step in any spiritual rescue effort. (Sanchez Files).

Introduction: The common theme of today’s readings is the impact of our membership in the Church on our “private” lives. Being members of the Church means we belong to the single Body of Christ and form a community of brothers and sisters in Christ. We are, therefore, the “keepers” of our brothers and sisters, for each one of us is important to all the others in our Faith community. That is why we have to be meaningfully present to, and take responsibility for, other people. Inhuman behavior against defenseless people, like child-abuse, elder-abuse or spouse-abuse, is something about which we need to be really concerned, to the point of taking appropriate action to protect the victims. This individual responsibility in a Christian society includes, as today’s readings remind us, our responsibility for each other. Perhaps the most painful obligations of watchful love are fraternal correction and generosity in forgiving and forgetting injuries

Scripture readings summarized: In the first reading, God tells Ezekiel that he is to be a “watchman for the house of Israel,” obliged to warn Israel of moral dangers. If Ezekiel should refrain from speaking God’s word, intended to convert the wicked, God will hold Ezekiel responsible for the death of the wicked. Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 95), urges sinners to hear God’s Voice, not to harden their hearts, and to remember that He is the One Who made us, and the Rock of our salvation. In the second reading, St. Paul points out that the love we should have for one another should be our only reason for admonishing the sinner.Love seeks the good of the one who is loved. Therefore, we should admonish one another so that we all may repent and grow in holiness. In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches that true Christian charity obliges a Christian not only to assist his neighbors in their temporal and spiritual needs with material help and prayer, but also with correction and counsel for an erring brother or sister who has damaged the community by his or her public sin. If the erring brother refuses a one-on-one loving correction by the offended party, then the Christian is to try to involve more people: first, “one or two others,” and eventually “the Church.” But harsh words and an aggressive attitude have no place in a Christian community. Finally, Jesus mentions the efficacy of community prayer in solving such problems, for Christ is present in the praying Christian community. The whole thrust of the passage is that we should all work towards reconciliation rather than punishment.

The first reading (Ezekiel 33:7-9) explained: In today’s first reading, the Lord God defines the role of an Old Testament prophet. The prophet is Ezekiel who was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar and brought from Jerusalem to Babylon in 597 B.C., together with King Jehoiachin of Judah (Ez 1:1-3), and most of the nobles of the country. “You, son of man,” Yahweh addresses His prophet, “I have appointed you watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear Me say anything, you shall warn them for Me.” Like a watchman, the prophet exists only for the good of others, in this case, those deported with him from Israel to Babylon. He is to give them God’s words, to challenge them, and to correct them from time to time, so that if they should go wrong, the responsibility would be theirs. Here, Ezekiel gets straightforward orders from Yahweh, assigning responsibility to him and to the people, with no ifs, ands, or buts tolerated. God charges Ezekiel with the responsibility of remaining faithful to his prophetic mission, confronting the wicked with their own wickedness as the Lord God instructs him. In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls the Church to the same responsibility for confronting the sinful. Very few people in the world today would consider themselves accountable and responsible for anything that happens in the society, but the truth is that we are. For, as Christians, we are all God’s prophets, God’s representatives, God’s watchmen, set on elevated places to give warning of approaching danger to our brothers and sisters. The prophets of all times have a grave responsibility for their people’s salvation. None of us can retire from the task of being watchmen. As Ezekiel is appointed watchman over the house of Israel in today’s first Reading, so Jesus in the Gospel today establishes His disciples as guardians of the new Israel of God, the Church (see Gal 6:16). They have the power to bind and loose, to forgive sins and to reconcile sinners in His name (see Jn 20:21-23). (Scott Hann).

The second reading, (Romans 13:8-10) explained: After finishing his treatment of doctrinal questions on Christ and our relationship with him, Paul used to write an application of the doctrine to the day-to-day behavior of the congregation receiving the letter. In today’s reading, after urging the Christian converts of Rome to obey their lawful civil authorities, and after discussing the inability of the Mosaic Law to save anyone, no matter how well he may keep it, Paul adds such an application. He seems to be saying, “You still want the Law? I’ll give you the real law! Love one another. That fulfills the law.” If God is not known and loved, there can be no basis or motive for true love of neighbor. It is only the Presence of God in each human being and the recognition of others as God’s children that can form a sound basis for the love of our neighbors. In short, love is the basis of the law, and we fulfill the law by loving our neighbor. Paul reminds us that love requires that we should watch out for one another’s souls, and love specifies the way our watchful care of one another should be exercised. Mutual and self-giving love is to be the motivation which guides all rescue efforts, whether physical or spiritual.

Gospel exegesis: Today’s Gospel deals with the relationship of members of the Church to each other and highlights one of the most painful responsibilities that we have towards others, namely fraternal correction. Matthew expands a saying of Jesus, originally concerned primarily with forgiveness (compare the shorter version in Lk 17:3-4), into a four-step procedure for disciplining members in the new eschatological Community of the Church. In the seventeenth century, the great Anglican priest and poet John Donne reminded us, “No man is an island, entire unto himself.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus instructs his disciples about relationships among members of the Church, because through Baptism we assume a serious responsibility for our fellow-believers. Suppose a son or daughter, friend or acquaintance, relative, neighbor, even parent or teacher, does “something wrong” to us, whether the sin is of commission or omission. By outlining a four-step process of confrontation, negotiation, adjudication and excommunication, Jesus tells us how to deal with and finally mend a broken relationship within the Christian fellowship.

1) Confrontation: The worst thing that we can do about a wrong done to us is to brood about it. Brooding can poison our whole mind and life, until we can think of nothing else but our sense of personal injury. We mustn’t gossip either. Hence, the first step proposed by Jesus to the one who has been wronged is that he should go to meet the offender in person, and point out lovingly, but in all seriousness, the harm he has done. This first stage is designed to let the two people concerned solve the issue between them. If it works out at that level, that is the ideal situation. “You have won back your brother.” Abraham Lincoln said that only he has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.

2) Negotiation: Suppose the first step does not resolve the situation and the person refuses to admit wrongdoing and continues the bad behavior injuring both himself as well as the one he has injured. This creates a problem, for example, among young persons, where a friend steals or shoplifts, uses drugs or drinks excessively, hangs around with a bad crowd, plans to run away, contemplates suicide or abortion, or just “goofs off” in school. Here, the second step is to take one or two other members of the Church along with the wronged person to speak to the wrongdoer and to act as confirming witnesses. The taking of the witnesses is not meant to be a way of proving to a man that he has committed an offence. It is meant to assist the process of reconciliation by emphasizing and explaining calmly the gravity of the situation. Nowadays, we call that an “intervention” and the group may also include a qualified third party – counselor, teacher, priest or physician. The Rabbis had a wise saying, “Judge not alone, for none may judge alone except God.”

3) Adjudication: If the negotiation step does not resolve the situation either, the third step is to have the whole Church or community of believers confront the wrongdoer. The case is brought to the Christian fellowship because troubles are never amicably settled by going to a civil court of law. Further, the Church provides an atmosphere of Christian prayer, Christian love and Christian fellowship in which personal relationships may be righted in the light of love and of the Gospel. Finally, in matters of honor and shame, the community is the final arbiter, for the community suffers from the wrong.

4) Excommunication: If the offender chooses to disregard the believing community’s judgment, the consequence is “excommunication.” This means that if none of the three steps has brought a resolution of the situation, then the wrongdoer should be treated like “a Gentile or a tax collector.” That is, the wrongdoer should be put out of the Church with the hope that temporary alienation alone may bring the erring person to repentance and change. The sinner is expelled because every obvious case of unrepented sin denies the Gospel’s power and the Church’s mission of reconciling sinners to God and to the community. But the excommunication should be carried out with genuine grief (1 Cor 5:2), not with vindictive glee over another’s “fall” or self-righteous pride.

Many Scripture scholars think that Jesus would not have suggested this step, and that it is a personal addition by Mathew. They wonder how this type of expulsion can be squared with Jesus’ openness to sinners, including corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes, or with the story of the Prodigal Son. But let us remember that Jesus’ reception of these people depended on their change of heart and the abandonment of their sinful ways, for only these responses enabled them to be reconciled with, and able to receive and respond to the love of God and of the community. Jesus concludes the action plan by stating that all his disciples have authority to “bind or loose,” that is, to settle conflicts and legal cases between community members. In addition, Jesus gives the assurance that when the Church community gathers in Jesus’ name, in the spirit of prayer, to hear a legal case, Jesus is there to guide and ratify the procedure.

Four requisites for fraternal correction recommended by “Doctrinal Outlines.” Four things that can make the spiritual work of mercy of “admonishing the sinner” or fraternal correction effective rather than destructive are supernatural outlook, humility, consideration, and affection. Fraternal correction is only to be given because we are convinced God wants it for the sake of the person we are correcting and those affected by him. We pray about him and for him, asking the Holy Spirit if He wants this correction made and how it should be made. That is what a supernatural outlook enables us to do. Humility is necessary because we are sinners ourselves and fail in many ways. We could just as easily have the same fault, and we certainly have other imperfections. Nevertheless, God wants us to help each other. It is also necessary to be considerate, that is, to say what we have to say in the least hurtful way possible but without beating around the bush. It is so easy to humiliate another, and no one likes being corrected. Finally, the correction should be given out of love and concern. The motive for the correction is the true good of the others, not the corrector’s own benefit. That is true affection.

The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 4, conclude their remarks on today’s Gospel thus: “The perspective of evangelical discipline remains that of forgiveness. A community is Christian in the measure in which all know and want themselves to be responsible for the good of each member. This concern about others’ salvation must be at the heart of every cell of the Church, especially the heart of the family. This is why charitable correction is a duty that, although, difficult, devolves on everyone.”

Life messages: 1) We are keepers of our brothers and sisters: Modern believers tend to think that they have no right to intervene in the private lives of their fellow believers; so they pay no heed to the serious obligation of encouraging an erring brother or sister to give up his or her sinful ways. Others evade the issue saying, “As a sinner, I don’t have the moral courage or the right to correcsomeone else.” But Jesus emphatically affirms that we are our brothers’ keepers, and we have the serious obligation to correct one who has injured us in order to help our neighbors retain their Christian Faith and practice, especially through our model Christian lives. Have we offered advice and encouragement to our friends and neighbors and co-workers when it was needed, and loving correction in private where that was possible? Let us admit the fact that a great part of the indifference to religion shown by our young men and women is due to lack of parental control, training, and example. If the children of Christian families grow up as practical pagans, it is mainly because the Christian Faith has meant little or nothing to their parents. It is a well-known fact that when parents are loyal to their Faith in their daily lives, their children will, as a rule, be loyal to it.

2) Gather in Jesus’ name and work miracles: Today’s Gospel reminds us of the good we can do together, and of how we can do it. Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” If any group of us will gather, work, and act with the Holy Spirit guiding us, we become much more than simply the sum of our numbers. Two becomes more than two, and three becomes more than three. The sum of our individual ideas, resources, and abilities becomes much more because of the synergy that God’s Presence provides. In our Faith community, we act together so that we may help one another in God’s Name, thereby multiplying our resources and ability to do what God calls us to do. Today, Jesus makes it clear how important we are, one to another. Through our links to one another in Christ, a capacity rises in our community, enabling us to draw on God’s power to make healing and life-giving love more effective among us, His people. We come together, we stay together, we work together –- in our Lord’s Name, bringing to focus the Presence of God and unleashing the power of the Spirit –- to transform our lives and the lives of all God’s children. When we gather in Jesus’ name, the action opens our hearts to allow Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, to be a part of us and of what we do. That is what we experience at each Eucharist—we in Him and He in us.

JOKES OF THE WEEK:

# 1: A pastor preached a wonderful sermon, saying we should love our enemies. And, when he got through he asked, “Is there anybody in the audience who can truthfully say that he or she has no enemies?” An old gentleman got up right underneath the pulpit, and he said, “Father, I ain’t got no enemies.” So, the Pastor tells the congregation, “Let’s listen. This man has the secret. He can teach us something. Go ahead, sir, now tell us how we do that.” “Oh,” he said, “it ain’t hard. You see, I’ve outlived all those rascals.”

# 2) Grandma’s list: There was the grandmother celebrating her golden wedding anniversary who told the secret of her long and happy marriage. “On my wedding day, I decided to make a list of ten of my husband’s faults which, for the sake of the marriage, I would overlook.” A guest asked the woman what some of the faults she had chosen to overlook were. The grandmother replied, “To tell you the truth, I never did get around to making that list. But whenever my husband did something that made me hopping mad, I would say to myself, “Lucky for him that’s one of the ten.”

# 3:  Or would you be more like the woman who was bitten by a rabid dog, and it looked as if she was going to die from rabies. The doctor told her to put her final affairs in order. So the woman took pen and paper, and began writing furiously. In fact, she wrote and wrote and wrote. Finally, the doctor said, “That sure is a long will you’re making.” She snorted, “Will, nothing! I’m making a list of all the people I’m going to bite!”

# 4: One New Year’s Eve at London’s Garrick Club, British dramatist Frederick Lonsdale was asked by Seymour Hicks to reconcile with a fellow member. The two had quarreled in the past and never restored their friendship. “You must,” Hicks said to Lonsdale. “It is very unkind to be unfriendly at such a time. Go over now and wish him a happy New Year.” So Lonsdale crossed the room and spoke to his enemy. “I wish you a happy New Year,” he said, “but only one.”

USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK (For homilies & Bible study groups) (The easiest method  to visit these websites is to copy and paste the web address or URL on the Address bar of any Internet website like Google or MSN and press the Enter button of your Keyboard).

1) Fr. Nick’s collection of Sunday homilies from 65 priests & weekday homilies: https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies

2) Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org/featured-homilies/ (Copy it on the Address bar and press the Enter button)

3) Fr. Geoffrey Plant’s beautiful & scholarly video classes on Sunday gospel, Bible & RCIA topics:   https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant20663)

4) Dr. Brant Pitre’s commentary on Cycle A Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-Biblical basis of Catholic doctrines: http://scripturecatholic.com/

5) Agape Catholic Bible Lessons: http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/

6)      Official details of all U.S: dioceses& parishes: http://www.usccb.org/dioceses.shtml

7)      The New American Bible on your “desk top” for ready reference& copying: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/

8) http://thecatholicdefender.webs.com/  (Catholic apologetics)

40 additional anecdotes

(Why do we use anecdotes in homilies? )1) Because they tell us forcefully how today’s Gospel challenged and changed the lives of people. 2) Mt 13: 34: All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable)

1) “Don’t allow them to turn you again into their prisoner!'” When Bill Clinton met Nelson Mandela for the first time, he had a question on his mind: “When you were released from prison, Mr. Mandela,” the former President said, “I woke my daughter at three o’clock in the morning. I wanted her to see this historic event.” Then President Clinton zeroed in on his question: “As you marched from the cellblock across the yard to the gate of the prison, the camera focused in on your face. I have never seen such anger, and even hatred, in any man as was expressed on your face at that time. That’s not the Nelson Mandela I know today,” said Clinton. “What was that about?” Mandela answered, “I’m surprised that you saw that, and I regret that the cameras caught my anger. As I walked across the courtyard that day, I thought to myself, ‘They’ve taken everything from you that matters. Your cause is dead. Your family is gone. Your friends have been killed. Now they’re releasing you, but there’s nothing left for you out there.’ And I hated them for what they had taken from me. Then, I sensed an inner voice saying to me, ‘Nelson! For twenty-seven years you were their prisoner, but you were always a free man! Don’t allow them to make you into a free man, only to turn you into their prisoner!'” [Tony Campolo, Let Me Tell You a Story (Nashville: Word Publishing, 2000).] — You can never be free to be a whole person if you are unable to forgive. You see that, don’t you? There are many people who are imprisoned by their own anger, their own hurt, their own inability to let go of the past and move on. Here’s the other thing we need to see about forgiveness: THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE YOU CAN FIND THE ABILITY TO FORGIVE. It is at the throne of Christ.

2) Jackie Joyner-Kersee formula: Jackie Joyner-Kersee, one of the world’s best female athletes, who holds the world record in the heptathlon, and is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and her husband, Bobby, have a unique solution for discussing problems. Off the side of their house is an office which they’ve designated the “Mad Room.” Whenever they have a serious disagreement, Bobby and Jackie go to the “Mad Room” to discuss it. Neither is allowed to leave that room until the matter is settled. — What a great idea! This couple is committed to making certain their conflicts do not smolder and get out of hand. They understand that Jesus was right in warning us that who is right is sometimes not as important as maintaining communication.

3) “What a Friend We Have in Jesus!” There was a Church where the pastor and the minister of music were not getting along. As time went by, this began to spill over into the worship service. The first week the pastor preached on commitment and how we all should dedicate ourselves to the service of God. The music director led the song, “I Shall Not Be Moved.” The second week the pastor preached on tithing and how we all should gladly give to the work of the Lord. The director led the song, “Jesus Paid it All.” The third week the pastor preached on gossiping and how we should all watch our tongues. The music director led the song, “I Love to Tell the Story.” With all this going on, the pastor became very disgusted over the situation and the following Sunday told the congregation that he was considering resigning. The musician led the song, “O, Why Not Tonight?” As it came to pass, the pastor did indeed resign. The next week he informed the Church that it was Jesus who led him there and it was Jesus who was taking him away. The music leader led the song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus!” — Is there anybody you have trouble getting along with? Today’s Gospel teaches how to proceed.

4) Marshall Tito and Bishop Sheen: In a little church in a small village, an altar boy serving the priest at Sunday Mass accidentally dropped the cruet of wine. The village priest struck the altar boy sharply on the cheek and in a gruff voice shouted, “Leave the altar and don’t come back.” That boy became Tito, the Communist leader. In the cathedral of a large city in another place, another altar boy serving the bishop at Sunday Mass also accidentally dropped the cruet of wine. With a warm twinkle in his eyes, the bishop gently whispered, “Someday you will be a priest.”  Do you know who that boy was? Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen. — How do you deal with others who have caused problems for you? Jesus has the answer in today’s Gospel: with straight talk, due process, but most of all, with grace.

5) Childish stupidity:  Here are some clippings from the national media: — In one of those good news/bad news things, school officials in Boston, mirroring a national trend, report that fighting by boys in school yards is down. Picking up the slack, unfortunately, are girls, who are resorting less to name-calling and more to punch-throwing. Equal opportunity stupidity, I guess. [The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1998 (Dublin, NH: Yankee Publishing, Inc., 1997]. — Some years back there was a report in the press that Turkish Airlines had fired pilot Altan Tezcan and co-pilot Erdogan Gecim. It seems these two were flying 240 passengers from Bangkok to Istanbul when they got into a fist fight in the cockpit while arguing over the plane’s altitude. It’s important that we choose our battles. Endangering a plane-load of passengers by fighting over who’s right is irresponsible. — In September 1996, Mark E. Mire was convicted in Baton Rouge, La., for shooting to death a man in a bar in 1994 because the man had said Mire’s dog was ugly. My guess is that this was drunken stupidity. — A few years ago, at the Daytona 500, NASCAR legend Richard Petty was in third place going into the last lap. All at once the car in second place tried to pass the No. 1 car on the final stretch. This caused the first car to drift inside and forced the challenged driver onto the infield grass, and slightly out of control. What happened next was incredible. The offended driver pulled his car back onto the track, caught up with the leader, and forced him into the outside wall. Both vehicles came to a screeching halt. The two drivers jumped out and quickly got into an old-fashioned slugging match. In the meantime, third-place Petty cruised by for the win. [Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, The Misfortune (New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1988), pp. 125-126]. Good ol’ boy stupidity. — Wouldn’t it be great if we could take interpersonal hostility out of life? Wouldn’t it be great if we could live in peace and harmony with all people? Well, Jesus tried to help us out with this. “If your brother sins against you,” said Jesus, “Go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.”

6) Why does the Church refuse to provide discipline for her members?  When a sixteen-year-old stays out all night drinking, then drives home, a father disciplines him with grounding. When a student cuts class, is late with papers, and turns in inferior work, a college professor disciplines him with failing marks. When an employee is lazy and is caught pilfering company goods, his boss disciplines him by firing him. At the businessman’s club, a member who skips meetings and refuses to join in service projects is disciplined by dismissal from club membership. A Church member having an adulterous affair – what happens? Nothing. A Church member who has not attended worship in six months and has no legitimate excuse except a busy social schedule – what happens? Nothing. A pastor, hard-working and faithful, yet is being slandered by a mean-spirited and disgruntled Church member – what happens? Absolutely nothing. Indeed! The question is, why does the Church refuse to provide discipline for her members? — One reason is that we are ignorant of what the Scriptures say, verses like the text in Mt 18:15-20. We either do not know the verse, or we pass over it in disbelief. We also are afraid to discipline sin in the church because of popular verses that are taken out of context and improperly interpreted. “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” “Judge not that you may not be judged.” Indeed, we surmise, how can a sinner correct a sinner? The result is, there is precious little discipline in the typical Church today. People do as they please. We forget the fact that before the Christian congregation can be salt and light, before it can reach out in service to a broken world, it needs to get its own act straightened out. That is why the bulk of Matthew’s code of discipline for Church life is packed into today’s Gospel text.

7) Albanian blood feuds: According to people who have been there, the country of Albania is one of the more challenged countries in the world. It is on the fringe of Europe, but it has none of the advantages enjoyed by Western nations. One of the reasons may be Albania’s culture of revenge. It is unlike anything seen elsewhere in the modern world. It’s common in Albania to have blood feuds which date back many generations. In each family, the men of the family bear a solemn obligation to avenge any harm done not only to their families, but also to their ancestors’ families, and this obligation is passed down to each son as soon as he reaches an age of responsibility. If one man kills another man, the family of the victim is required to seek vengeance on any male members of the killer’s family, even decades later if necessary. James Pettifer, author of the Blue Guide to Albania, reports that there are “some 2,000 blood feuds going on in Albania and that as many as 60,000 people are involved.” [Rourke, P.J. Eat the Rich (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1998), p. 52]. — What a tragic loss of life! An integral part of the Christian ethic is forgiveness. Our Lord taught us that, before we can be forgiven, we must forgive others. This emphasis on forgiveness distinguishes us from every other religion on earth. Imagine how different our world would be today if, after the Second World War, people living in Allied countries had not forgiven the peoples of —

8) “He is a camel thief.” Many years ago, Colonel Jeff O’Leary served as part of the UN peacekeeping forces in the Sinai Peninsula region. While there, he encountered a number of Bedouins, a nomadic people who travel this desert region. One afternoon, Colonel O’Leary had tea with a group of Bedouin men. Colonel O’Leary couldn’t help but notice that his host kept staring at a man who was tending his camels. The host pointed out the man and hissed at Colonel O’Leary, “Do you see that man? He is a camel thief.” Colonel O’Leary wanted to know why his host would hire a camel thief to tend his camels, so he began asking questions. Turns out that, in his host’s eyes, this man was a camel thief because he came from a family of camel thieves. Why were they a family of camel thieves? Because one of their ancestors had once stolen some camels from this man’s family. “How long ago?”  O’Leary asked. “Eight hundred years ago,” the Bedouin host replied.  — For eight hundred years, the host’s family and this man’s family had hated each other, because one man had stolen the other man’s camels. For eight hundred years, the host’s family had passed down the story of the camel thief. Forgiveness was not an option for them. In the Bedouin host’s mind, the crime was just as horrible as if it had occurred yesterday, and this man was just as much a thief as his ancestor who had actually stolen the camels. [Colonel Jeff O’Leary, Taking the High Ground (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2001), pp. 240-241] Imagine how difficult it would be to build a better world if all the peoples of the world operated on this same principle.

9) Born Again: Most of us are familiar with Chuck Colson’s role as hatchet man for Richard Nixon in the days before Watergate. A few of us have perhaps read his moving book, Born Again. In it, he tells of those days of pain and humiliation that have become a regrettable part of our national legacy. On the evening before Colson pleaded guilty to charges of obstructing justice, three men joined him at home, staying until well into the night: ex-Senator Harold Hughes; former Texas congressman Graham Purcell; and lay worker, Douglas Coe. They were not there to give Colson legal or professional support. They were there to pray with him and to give him the moral and spiritual strength to do what he knew was right. — Their prayers did not prevent Colson’s incarceration, but those prayers did enable him to come through his prison ordeal a wiser and better man and to touch many lives in a positive manner along the way. What a grand opportunity Christ has given us! That is why it is so important to maintain harmony among believers. There is much power in a Church that is united. That is the crowning conclusion to this passage. “For where two or more are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.”

10) “‘My goodness, God has a long reach.’ I mean, in the Lucky’s Supermarket on a Sunday morning.” The Washington Times carried a story not long ago about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. According to this newspaper article, Dr. Rice once described to a Sunday school class at National Presbyterian Church in Washington, how she had drifted from her Christian Faith and how God reached out and brought her back: “I was a preacher’s kid,” says Dr. Rice, “so Sundays were Church, no doubt about that. The Church was the center of our lives.” In segregated black Birmingham of the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Church was not just a place of worship. It was the place where families gathered; it was the social center of the community, too. “Although I never doubted the existence of God,” Dr. Rice continues, “I think, like all people, I’ve had some ups and downs in my Faith. When I first moved to California in 1981 to join the faculty at Stanford, there were a lot of years when I was not attending Church regularly. I was traveling a lot. I was a specialist in international politics, so I was always traveling abroad. I was always in another time zone. One Sunday I was in the Lucky’s Supermarket not very far from my house, I will never forget, among the spices, and an African-American man walked up to me and said he was buying some things for his Church picnic. And he said, ‘Do you play the piano by any chance?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ They said they were looking for someone to play the piano at Church. It was a little African-American church right in the center of Palo Alto. A Baptist church. So I started playing for that Church. That got me regularly back into Churchgoing. I don’t play Gospel very well; I play Brahms.  And you know how black ministers will start a song and the musicians will pick it up? I had no idea what I was doing, and so I called my mother, who had played for Baptist churches. ‘’Mother,’ I said, ‘they just start. How am I supposed to do this?’ She said, ‘Honey, play in C and they’ll come back to you.’ And that’s true,” says Dr. Rice, “If you play in C, people will come back. I tell that story,” she goes on, “because I thought to myself, ‘My goodness, God has a long reach!’ I mean, in the Lucky’s Supermarket on a Sunday morning.!” (http://www.ehpchurch.org/folder/070404.html.) — You see, a black pastor had approached someone else in Jesus’ name, and Christ was there in Lucky’s Supermarket. We are not alone. This is where we find strength for the journey. Our Lord has given us an incredible promise: “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” He’s been here today. Now take Him to everyone you meet.

11) “When did this happen?” Christian author Jill Briscoe was counseling a woman who also was dealing with a great load of emotional pain. In the course of their conversation, the woman blurted out, “My husband abused me.” Slowly, she shared the painful details of her suffering. Yet as Jill listened, she noticed no marks on the woman that would indicate the horrible abuse she had endured. Finally, she asked the woman, “When did this happen?” And the woman replied, “Twenty years ago.” — Twenty years ago! I don’t want to seem insensitive, but friends, it is time for that woman to let go and move on. Because she had never healed emotionally from the abusive relationship, the pain was still just as intense in her mind as on the day he first hit her. Until she could work through her pain and forgive her ex-husband, this woman would continue to relive her pain and fear. [Jill Briscoe, Heartstrings (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1997), pp.45-46]. Dr. Michael Brickley, a psychologist who studies successful aging in our culture, claims that most centenarians (people who make it to 100 years old), or more, have learned to get rid of “emotional baggage” from the past. Old hurts, past failures, unfinished business, unresolved relationships, regret — centenarians learn how to process these issues in a healthy manner and let them go. [Michael Brickley, “The Extended Life: Four Strategies for Healthy Longevity,” The Futurist (Sept.-Oct. 2001), p. 55.]

12) “There are no fish under the ice.” A drunk decides to go ice fishing, so he gathers his gear and goes walking around until he finds a big patch of ice. He heads into the center of the ice and begins to saw a hole. All of sudden, a loud booming voice comes out of the sky. “You will find no fish under that ice.” The drunk looks around, but sees no one. He starts sawing again. Once more, the voice speaks. “As I said before, there are no fish under the ice.” The drunk looks all around, high and low, but can’t see a single soul. He picks up the saw and tries one more time to finish. Before he can even start cutting, the huge voice interrupts. “I have warned you three times now. This is not a lake and there are no fish!” The drunk is now flustered and somewhat scared, so he asks the voice, “How do you know there are no fish? Are you God trying to warn me?” “No,” the voice replied. “I am the manager of this ice hockey rink!” — Today’s readings are about correcting our brothers and sisters with loving concern for the temporal and spiritual welfare of the community.

13)“Let us have harmony!” More than thirty years ago, a brief story appeared in Reader’s Digest about a town in Minnesota that got its name in a strange way. When the community was first settled, it had no name. People began to move to the area, and soon the townspeople called a meeting to choose a name for their town. Many suggestions were made, but they couldn’t agree on the name. The discussion soon became heated and quarrelsome. One man in attendance that night became so disgusted by the way things were going that he jumped up, pounded on the table with his fist, and shouted, “Let us have harmony!” Someone present suddenly seized the idea and shouted back, “Yes! Let’s have harmony!” And the town got its name: Harmony, Minnesota. —
Harmony is a wonderful thing to have in a community, a family or a church. If harmony is going to take place, someone has to heed Jesus’ advice for reconciliation as given in today’s Gospel.

14) No Yankee, nor Sherman:  Just a few years back, a man in Hardeeville, South Carolina went down to the Jasper County Courthouse. There he filed a deed restriction. The restriction barred the sale of any part of his 1,688-acre plantation to anyone north of the Mason-Dixon Line or anyone named Sherman. It seems that more than a century before, General William T. Sherman’s troops burned every building on this man’s property and Mr. Ingram vowed never to let his plantation fall into Yankee hands again. (Great Stories, Oct.-Dec., 1998, p. 6). — Now there’s a man who knows how to hold a grudge! Unfortunately, he’s not alone.

15) “Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you.” In one of the popular Chicken Soup volumes, Dennis E. Mannering  tells about an assignment he once gave to a class he teaches for adults. He told them,  “Go to someone you love, and tell them that you love them.” At the beginning of the next class, one of the students began by saying, “I was angry with you last week when you gave us this assignment. I didn’t feel I had anyone to say those words to. But as I began driving home my conscience started talking. Then I knew exactly who I needed to say ‘I love you’ to. Five years ago, my father and I had a vicious disagreement and never really resolved it. We avoided seeing each other unless we absolutely had to at family gatherings. We hardly spoke. So, by the time I got home, I had convinced myself I was going to tell my father I loved him. Just making that decision seemed to lift a heavy load off my chest. At 5:30, I was at my parents’ house ringing the doorbell, praying that Dad would answer the door. I was afraid if Mom answered, I would chicken out and tell her instead. But as luck would have it, Dad did answer the door. I didn’t waste any time. I took one step in the door and said, ‘Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you.’ It was as if a transformation came over my dad. Before my eyes his face softened, the wrinkles seemed to disappear and he began to cry. He reached out. But that’s not even my point. Two days after that visit, my dad had a heart attack. So my message to all of you is this: Don’t wait to do the things you know need to be done. What if I had waited to tell my dad? Take the time to do what you need to do and do it now!” (“Do It Now!” Condensed Chicken Soup for Souls, Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Patty Hansen.). — That’s the advice that Jesus would give us. People hurt us, sometimes intentionally, sometimes without meaning to. But sometimes who is in the right and who is in the wrong is not as important as finding a common ground where the relationship can be maintained. Sometimes that means that we have to take the first step, even though we know that the other person is in the wrong. And the best time to take that step is today!

16) “I have no enemies. I shot them all.” When the great nineteenth-century Spanish General, Ramon Narvaez, lay dying in Madrid, a priest was called in to give him last rites. “Have you forgiven your enemies?” the padre asked. “Father,” confessed Narvaez, “I have no enemies. I shot them all.” — Too often that is the story of our lives, and Jesus knows it. It was General Philip Sheridan who gave us the striking reflection in 1869, “The only good Indian is a dead Indian.” Post-9/11 there were many voices that seemed to echo his advice in the new and painful context.

17) We’ve all heard of Gilbert and Sullivan, the dynamic duo of the stage. They created fun-filled musicals and light operas a generation ago, giving high school drama departments and community theaters plenty of material to dazzle and delight. Their names always appeared in tandem on the programs: Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore; Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience; Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado; Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.    It was as if they were a married couple. Indeed, much of their career felt like that. It was only right that their names be wedded together in common speech.        At the height of their success, they even purchased a theater together so that they could exert full creative control over their new works. Then came the nasty disagreement. Sullivan ordered the installation of new carpets. But when the bill arrived, Gilbert hit the roof at the cost and refused to share in payment. They argued and fought about it, and finally took the case to court. A legal judgment settled the claim, but it did nothing to heal the breach between them.       These grown men never spoke to one another again as long as they lived. When Sullivan wrote the music for a new production he would mail it to Gilbert. Then, when Gilbert finished the libretto, he would post it back to Sullivan again.     Gilbert quarantined Sullivan in the prison of his mind, and Sullivan banished Gilbert from his social continent. Eventually, they each became warders for the prison of the other. — Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel are very pertinent. We are social creatures who cannot live in isolation. Yet, because of the sin and stupidity that trouble our human condition, we do not live well with those around us. That is why the German philosopher, Schopenhauer, compared us to porcupines trying to nest together on a cold winter’s night.

 18) “Not bad for a small Church like ours. Not bad.” Our text for the morning reminds me of a story of a pastor in a drought-stricken part of the South who implored his people to begin praying for rain. In fact, he asked each member of the Church to join in a prayer vigil that would continue day and night until God granted their request. Never had there been a greater sense of urgency in that Church than was revealed over the next few days. At any hour, one might pass that small rural church and find the lights on and someone at the altar praying. Finally, late Wednesday evening, some dark clouds began to roll in. Soon rain began falling in torrents. For four straight days it rained without ceasing. The creeks began overflowing their banks. It became necessary to evacuate persons from their homes. Still the water kept rising. The entire community was now under water. As rescue workers made their way in a boat through the perilous floodwater evacuating the last reluctant stragglers, one of the boats passed that little country Church, now almost completely submerged. Here sat the pastor on the roof of the Church with a look of grand satisfaction on his face. He could be heard saying to himself as he surveyed the flood waters around him, “Not bad for a small Church like ours! Not bad!” — Jesus said, “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven.” That is a stunning endorsement of corporate prayer. It is important that we pray, but it is even more important that we pray together. We are a community. Better yet, we are a family.

20) ‘Then I can live without my legs.” Roy A. Burkhart told this story. Once a boy went out of his home to do something that his parents felt was wrong. He was involved in an accident and lost both legs. It was a terrible blow, but the father told me one of the most beautiful stories I have ever heard. He said, “When his mother and I saw him in the hospital cot lying there aware that he had lost both legs, he said, ‘Will you forgive me?’ We both ran up and hugged him and said, ‘Of course; we have already forgiven you.’ And he answered, ‘Then I can live without my legs.’ ”

 

21) “Won’t you tell him so yourself?“ Wilhelmina Schroder, a famous actress and singer, was already past her prime. One day she was traveling from Hamburg to Frankfurt in a first-class carriage. The conversation turned on herself. A lady declared that Ms. Schroder’s voice had much gone off, her future as a star was over. She had gone as podgy as a fatted goose. A gentleman beside her, overhearing this criticism, suggested with a smile: “You can say that to the singer herself because she happens to be sitting opposite to you.” The lady paled and stammered a string of apologies. At last, she came upon a saving excuse. “My stupid remarks madam”, she said to the actress, “are certainly the fault of the journalist in the evening paper. One can never trust in his poisonous theatre reviews. A dreadful man that journalist!” The actress replied sweetly: “Won’t you tell him so yourself? He is sitting right beside you.” —  Jesus advises us in today’s Gospel to correct our erring brother or sister with forging love. (Pierre Lefevre –One Hundred Stories to Change your Life; quoted by Fr. Botelho).

 22) Praying together: In 1868, Susan B. Anthony and her friend Elizabeth Cady Stanton persuaded a Congressman to introduce an amendment to grant voting rights to American Women. Although their efforts failed at the time, they began the Women’s Suffrage Movement, which gradually gained momentum until the 19^th Amendment was finally passed in 1920. Today we see the results of the revolution Susan and Elizabeth began as more and more women not only decide political elections with their votes, but also participate in them as candidates themselves. Other examples of two or three people getting together to initiate significant change include: Ralph Nader and consumer advocate groups, and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers).  — Jesus presents his own pressure group version in today’s Gospel and he does it in the context of prayer. “If two or three of you join your voices on earth to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted you by my Father in Heaven. Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in their midst.” (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds; quoted by Fr. Botelho).

 23) Long Walk to Freedom: In his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela describes his long years of imprisonment on Robben Island. He tells how one day he was called to the main office. General Steyn was visiting the Islands and wanted to know from Mandela if the other prisoners had any complaints. Badenhorst, the officer in command of the island, was also present. Now Badenhorst was feared and hated by the prisoners. In a calm, but forceful and truthful manner, Mandela informed the visitor about the chief complaints of the prisoners. But he did so without bitterness or recriminations. The general duly took notice of what he had to say, which amounted to a damning indictment of Badenhorst’s regime. The following day Badenhorst went to Mandela and said, “I’m leaving the Island. I just want to wish you people good luck.” The remark left Mandela dumbfounded. — Mandela says that he thought of the incident for a long time afterwards. Badenhorst was perhaps the most callous and barbaric commanding officer they had had on the Island. But that incident revealed that there was another side to his nature, a side that had been obscured but that still existed. And Mandela concludes, “It is a useful reminder that all men, even the seemingly cold-blooded, have a core of decency, and that if their hearts are touched, they are capable of changing. (Flor McCarthy in New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by Fr. Botelho).

 24) Two or three, bound or free! A couple was constantly quarrelling for the flimsiest of reasons. Once, after a heated argument with his wife, the man shouted, “Why can’t we live peacefully like our two dogs who never fight?” “No, they don’t,” agreed his wife; and added, “but bind them together as we’re bound, and see what happens!” —  When two or three individuals are bound – as in matrimony or in family – conflicts inevitably arise. Today’s readings instruct us about conflict-resolution. Like the husband and wife perpetually on the warpath, it’s not easy to live in family and community. A bachelor friend once remarked, “It’s better to be alone than in the best of company!” But, Jesus says, “If two of you agree about anything they ask, it will be done by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.” Jesus stresses community indicated by the use of two or three. (Francis Gonsalves in Sunday Seeds for Gospel Deeds; quoted by Fr. Botelho).

 25) Mrs. O’Neil’s Test: Jerome Weidman, author of the book Hand of the Hunter, was involved in such a situation as a boy. He said that about 30 years ago he was attending a public school on New York’s lower East Side. He had a third-grade arithmetic teacher named Mrs. O’Neill. One day she gave her class a test. When she was grading the papers, she noticed that 12 boys had given the same unusual wrong answer to the same question. The next day she asked the 12 boys to remain after the dismissal bell. Then, without accusing any of them, she wrote 21 words on the board. They read: “The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.” Then she wrote the name of the man who said them: Thomas Babington Macaulay. — Weidman wrote: “I don’t know about the other 11 boys. Speaking for the only one of the dozen with whom I am on intimate terms, I can say this: it was the most important single lesson of my life.” (Mark Link in Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho).

 26) Putting Despair on Film: In Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, one of the most haunting scenes shows Judas as he gives into despair. It is the morning of Good Friday, and Judas has spent the night being tortured with regret for his betrayal. His years of hidden sins have finally led him down a path of hopelessness and despair. Of course, even then Jesus would have forgiven him, if he had just asked for forgiveness. But his deep selfish habits have put him under the devil’s power, and he can’t seem to shake himself loose. He finds himself outside the walls of Jerusalem, alone with his anguish. Then he notices something on the ground nearby and turns towards it. It is a dead donkey. The carcass is rotting, foul, and crawling with worms and maggots. At that point, in the film, Judas begins to weep, and then he hangs himself from a nearby tree. It was a difficult scene to film, because showing utter despair is not an easy thing to do. They did a lot of takes, but couldn’t get it quite right. Then Mel Gibson gave the following instruction to the actor playing Judas: “When you see that rotting donkey carcass, you have to think to yourself: ‘My soul is in worse condition than that.’” The very next take was perfect: the look of despair and hopelessness, the tears – it all flowed just right. — That’s a perfect image for sin. Sin causes death in the soul. It corrodes the human heart, poisons relationships – especially our relationship with God – and distorts our true self. That’s why Jesus is so insistent about not ignoring it. (E- Priest).

27) “Your color like mine is green.” On a busy corner in New York City a burly, Irish cop is directing traffic. He notices that a fellow crosses the street at the orange caution light. The traffic cop stops him. He discovers he is a fellow Irishman. Gently he says, “Your color like mine is green.” The perp gets back on the curb. The light turns green. The man walks across. As he passes him, the cop says with a smile, “We don’t give an Orangeman a chance around here.” (Arthur Tonne). — The cop has much to teach us. He was not humiliating the pedestrian. Rather, he was emphasizing gently but firmly that he must cross on the green and not in between. He did not make a Federal case out of the incident. He surrounded his reprimand with such good humor the guilty party could not fault it. The cop didn’t find a fault; he found a remedy. His intent was not to win a battle but to win over the offender. The cop believed that society is improved one life at a time. (Homilies.net). Today’s Gospel teaches us how to make fraternal correction.

 28) Film –The Devil’s Advocate: When a talented small-town Southern lawyer, Kevin Lomax, discovers his client is guilty, he goes to the restroom to compose himself. He returns to the courtroom, humiliates the prosecution’s young witness and emerges victorious. Soon after, he is offered an opportunity to join a prestigious firm in New York. His wife is uncertain about the move and his very religious mother is against it, but he joins and strange things happen in New York. Kevin’s wife is lonely and hallucinates, Kevin’s confidence in his work begins to falter, he is attracted to a female lawyer, and his relation with his wife suffers. He gets a wealthy but guilty businessman acquitted of murder charges. Kevin’s wife claims that she has been assaulted by John Milton the company’s head. When Kevin confronts Milton, he discovers that Milton is the devil incarnate who offers Kevin the world and the opportunity to sire an Antichrist. Milton reveals that Kevin is actually his son, and Kevin puts a gun to his head and pulls the trigger. … Suddenly, Kevin is back in the restroom where he had gone to plan the next move for his guilty client. He decides to do the right and noble thing – to discontinue defending the client, knowing that he will be disbarred. But as he leaves the courtroom, a journalist asks Kevin for an interview that will make him a celebrity. — The Devil’s Advocate deals explicitly with sin, and the screenplay raises themes of God, the devil, salvation, damnation, and free-will. The film is about choices people have to make to live an upright life with all its challenges, or to live an easy life that leads to doom. Jesus, in today’s Gospel, reminds us that we have to make a choice for God or for the Satan. The way of the devil is attractive and comfortable. The way of the Messiah is the way of the Cross, hard, challenging but in the end fulfilling.
(Peter Malone in Lights Camera…Faith! Quoted by Fr. Botelho)

29) It wasn’t easy…To play the role of a leader, a prophet, is never easy and entails readiness to face hardship and suffering. Nelson Mandela spent twenty-seven years in prison or ten thousand days approximately. Before that he was on the run for a couple of years. Of the years he was on the run, he wrote later in the Long Walk to Freedom: “It wasn’t easy for me to separate myself from my wife and children, to say good-bye to the good old days when, at the end of a strenuous day at the office, I could look forward to joining my family at the dinner table, and instead take up the life of a man hunted continuously by the police, living separated from those who are closest to me, facing continually the hazards of detention and arrest. This was a life infinitely more difficult than serving a prison sentence.”
(Flor McCarthy in New Sunday and Holy Day Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho).

 30) Losing to gain: In the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, 16-year-old Mary Lou Retton became the first American girl to win a gold medal in gymnastics. To accomplish this extraordinary feat, she had to make many sacrifices during her two-year period of intense training prior to the Olympics. While other teenagers were enjoying themselves with a full schedule of dating and dancing, Mary Lou Retton could only participate on a very limited basis. To improve her skills she had to practice long hours in the gym; to nourish her body properly she had to follow a strict diet, and to increase her confidence she had to compete frequently in meets. But what Mary Lou Retton gave up in terms of good times and junk food was little compared to what she gained in self-satisfaction and public acclaim when she won her Olympic gold medal. What she lost in the usual social life of a teenager she found in the special setting of becoming a champion gymnast -acceptance, camaraderie and respect.– Mary Lou Retton’s Olympic experience illustrates Christ’s paradox in today’s Scriptures. (Quoted by Fr. Botelho).

31) Heroes who realized the responsibility each one of us has regarding the spiritual welfare and salvation of others:  Every once in a while, the daily gloomy reporting of the world’s violence, wars, hatred and inhumanity is pierced by an account of selfless courage and altruism. One such account featured the heroism of Lenny Skutnik, an erstwhile meat-packer, house painter, factory worker and short-order cook. A heavy storm had blanketed Washington D.C. on the afternoon of January 13, 1982. Skutnik was making his evening commute to his home in Virginia when Air Florida, Flight 90 struck the 14th Street Bridge and plunged into the Potomac River shortly after taking off from National Airport. Hundreds of horrified commuters stood on the river’s banks while rescue efforts were attempted by helicopter. When Skutnik made his way to the shore, he found the plane, partially submerged with several passengers clinging to the wreckage. Without hesitation, he jumped into the icy waters and managed to save one of the passengers, a woman. Seventy-eight other passengers perished. Later, when interviewed about his heroic efforts, Skutnik said simply, “Nobody else was doing anything. It was the only way.” Similar accounts of heroism tell of people rushing into buildings, engulfed in fire, in order to save the life of another. One report told of a mother who repeatedly returned to her burning home, and although her injuries soon proved to be fatal ones, she succeeded in saving all six of her children. Soldiers can recount comparable incidents of bravery. The Portland Oregonian newspaper carried this story from the Vietnam War. Several soldiers were together in a trench when a live grenade was thrown in among them. Within an instant, one soldier threw his body on the grenade and muffled the explosion which took his life, but saved all of the others with him. Even as I write these words, there are people risking their lives for others; rescuers are wading chest-deep in the alligator and snake infested muck of the Florida Everglades, searching for possible survivors of a recent plane crash. In each of these reports of courage and selflessness, the heroes and/or heroines have chosen to put themselves at risk for the well-being and safety of another. — In a sense, believers are proffered a similar challenge in today’s readings. Both the first reading (Ezekiel) and the Gospel (Matthew) are concerned with the responsibility each one of us has regarding the spiritual welfare and salvation of others. (Patricia Datchuck      Sánchez).

32) Correct with your life! A man approached St. Francis of Assisi and asked him, “Brother Francis, I am in a quandary. In the Bible, it says we should rebuke sinners, but I see people sinning all the time. I don’t feel like I should go around rebuking everybody.” St. Francis then said, “What you must do is to live in such a way that your life rebukes the sinner– How you act will call others to repentance.” (Johnson V. in The Sunday Liturgy)

33) “Don’t you know there is a smoking car up ahead?” The story is told of a lady who was having a pleasant journey travelling by train from New York to Philadelphia as there was only one more passenger besides her. But her joy was short-lived when the man lit a cigar and started smoking. The lady deliberately coughed and made an unpleasant face. Nothing worked. He continued to smoke. Then she blurted out: “You might be a foreigner. Don’t you know there is a smoking car up ahead? Smoking is prohibited here.” The man quietly put out the cigar and maintained his equanimity. When the conductor came to check the tickets, the lady realized with horror that her co-passenger was the famous General Ulysses Grant. She had boarded his private car by mistake. — As the lady made a hasty exit, the General did not even look her way so as not to embarrass her. He turned his head and smiled only after the lady was out of sight. (Anonymous)

34) Moving beyond the argument: Having an argument with someone we love is not unusual.  We all experience rifts of various degrees with family and friends.  There are times when we all act insensitively and say hurtful things. The question is how we deal with those arguments and heal those rifts.
In a recent article in The Wall Street Journal (July 15, 2014), reporter Elizabeth Bernstein spoke with psychologists, therapists and counselors about how to best make up after an argument. One psychologist summarized the process this way:  “You don’t want to avoid [conflict].  You want to manage it.” How?  The Journal article outlines five steps: First:  Wait to talk.  Give time for both of you to calm down.  If one side is still “hot,” the other’s apology will only escalate the argument. Second:  Give up the idea of being right.  Remember that each of you believes that you are right and the other is in the wrong.  Focus instead on each other’s feelings. Third: Verbalize your understanding of how the other person feels:  “I understand that you are hurt because . . . “ And ask if you are correct. Fourth:  Quash the impulse to defend yourself.  If you apologize and the other person says, “Yes, you behaved badly,” just nod your head.  Explain to the other that you really care about him or her and that you are willing to modify your behavior. Fifth:  Accept the fact that it will take a while to feel better.  Care enough to check in later.  If each of you shows the other that you really care, the larger issues will resolve themselves. And never use the word “but” in an apology.  “I’m sorry, but . . . ” undermines the entire purpose of apologizing. — The point of both The Wall Street Journal article and today’s Gospel is that reconciliation takes determined and focused work.  Elizabeth Bernstein offers several insights into healing a rift between family members and friends; Jesus outlines a process for reconciling a conflict within a community. (Connections).

35) Tribal reconciliation: One summer evening after a festal hour of singing and dancing the whole tribe sat around the chieftain. He began to speak to them: “If you have quarreled with a brother and you have decided to kill him,” as he spoke he looked directly at the one of the group, “first sit down, fill your pipe and smoke it. When you have finished smoking you will realize that death is too severe a punishment for your enemy for the fault he has committed, and you decide to give a good whipping instead. Then you fill your pipe a second time and smoke it to the bottom. By then you feel that the lashes will be too much and instead some simple words of reproof would be sufficient. Then when the third time you have filled your pipe and smoked it to the finish, you will be better convinced that the better thing to do is going to that brother and embrace him.” (Fr. Lakra)

36) Sisterly correction from the best friend: I love Margot Fonteyn’s autobiography, written with the fluency that distinguishes her dancing. The famous English ballerina narrates an incident in which she experienced a sisterly correction from her best friend, Pamela May (cf. Margot Fonteyn: Her Own Best Selling Autobiography, London: Wyndham Publications Ltd., 1976, p. 98-99).  Pamela May was away from the ballet for quite a while having a baby. June Brae, the other member of our ‘triptych’, had met David Breeden at Cambridge at the same time that I met Tito and Pamela met Painton. June and David married early in the war, and their daughter was born soon after Pamela’s son. I seemed to be the odd girl out. Alone in No. 1 dressing room, without my closest friends, I developed a star complex, and for a time I was really impossible, imagining that I was different from, and superior to, those around me. Then Pamela came to see us. It was soon after she had been widowed. Completely broken up by her loss and living as she did facing up to stark reality, she was in no mood to put up with my fanciful airs. She told me outright that I had become a bore. Thinking it over, I decided that I far preferred the company of my friends to the isolated pinnacle implied by the title “Prima Ballerina Assoluta,” which I had been trying to reach, so I climbed down. As a matter of fact, it had been partly the fault of what I call false friends – those who, with the best will, and believing themselves your warmest admirers, unwittingly destroy you with such talk as: “People didn’t realize how great you are”; “You are the greatest ballerina alive; people should fall back in awe when you leave the stage door”; “You should be treated like a queen.” All of which is, of course, rubbish. (Lectio Divina).

37) U. S. Catholics must be sentinel prophets: The following excerpt from the document, “The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”, issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in November 2007, illustrates what it means to be a “sentinel prophet” in the world today. The Bishops speak out against the sinful situations of the society and at the same time offer guidelines toward a well-formed conscience that is in consonance with truth. “Our nation faces political challenges that demand urgent moral choices. We are a nation at war, with all of its human costs; a country often divided by race and ethnicity; a nation of immigrants struggling with immigration. We are an affluent society where too many live in poverty; part of a global community confronting terrorism and facing urgent threats to our environment; a culture built on families, where some now question the value of marriage and family life. We pride ourselves on supporting human rights, but we fail even to protect the fundamental right to life, especially for unborn children. We bishops seek to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with the truth, so they can make sound moral choices in addressing these challenges. We do not tell Catholics how to vote. The responsibility to make political choices rests in each person and his or her properly formed conscience.”…” In light of Catholic teaching, as bishops we rigorously repeat our call for a renewed politics that focuses on moral principles, the defense of life, the needs of the weak, and the pursuit of the common good. This kind of political participation reflects the social teachings of our Church and the best traditions of our nation.”

 38) “But I have many more bridges to build.” The following beautiful story, “The Carpenter”, circulated through the internet, gives a glimpse on how to promote mutual and forgiving love in our community. Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch.  

Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference and finally, it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence. One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I’m looking for a few days’ work”, he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you? “Yes”, said the older brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, it’s my younger brother! Last week there was meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence, an 8-foot fence – so I won’t need to see his place or his face anymore.” The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.” The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day – measuring, sawing and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide; his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge! A bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward him, his hand outstretched. “You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.” The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder. “No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you”, said the older brother. “I’d love to stay on”, the carpenter said, “but I have many more bridges to build.”(Lectio Divina).

 39) Public Wants or Public Needs? Playwrights for stage, screen and television can’t people their dramas with saints only. Human beings are sinners as well as saints or a mixture of both. Trouble is the professional theater is a business as well as an art; so when show business is slow, producers are always tempted to “give the public what it wants”: to glamorize sin. This, of course, is irresponsible. It is cashing in on the weaknesses of one’s neighbor. Some theatrical people go along with such trends, but the really great actors and actresses will usually refuse. They have too much respect for their art to allow it to become an agent of human corruption. Take, for instance, one of America’s theatrical “greats,” our original “Peter Pan” – Maude Adams (1872-1953). Here is what she said: “If a play and the acting call out unhealthy emotions and lead us to believe they are normal or customary, the theater serves no good purpose.” Aristotle, the famous philosopher of ancient Greece, who wrote a whole book on the aims of drama, would have agreed. So does today’s second reading: “…Love never does any wrong to the neighbor”. (Rom 13:10) (Father Robert F. McNamara).

40) I heard a country song the other day entitled, “Anyway.” It reminded me of something I’ve used for years. It goes like this:

People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered,
Love them anyway.
If you are good, people will accuse you of ulterior motives,
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable,
Be honest and frank anyway.
People really need help, but may attack you if you help them,
Help them anyway.
In the final analysis, it’s between you and God,
It was never between you and them anyway.(Rev. Dr. J. Howard Olds) L/23
 “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle A (No. 50) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle C  & A homilies, 141 Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  of Fr. Nick’s collection of homilies or Resources in the CBCI website:  https://www.cbci.in.  (Special thanks to Vatican Radio website http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020)  Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Jogi M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507

Sept 4-9: Click on http://frtonyshomilies.com for missed homilies):

Sept 4 Monday: Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth Lk 4: 14 -30: Today’s Gospel presents the reaction of Jesus’ fellow- townsmen, to the “Inaugural Address” offered them at a synagogue in Nazareth when Jesus visited the town as a rabbi with a band of disciples. The readingshows us how Jesus faced skepticism and criticism with prophetic courage. The incident reminds us that we should have and show the courage of our Christian convictions daily as we live in our communities, especially when we face hatred and rejection because of our Christian Faith and its practice.

Amazement turns to hatred. The first reaction of the people in the synagogue to Jesus’ words was astonishment. They were amazed that one of their fellow villagers could speak with such grace, eloquence, and authority. But their amazement turned into displeasure when Jesus, speaking as a prophet, (different from the image of the miracle-worker that people wished to see), claimed identity with the Messiah described by Isaiah. That claim turned Jesus’ fellow-townsmen’s displeasure into anger, then hatred. They challenged Jesus’ Messianic claim, asking, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” They could not understand how a mere carpenter from their hometown Nazareth, could be the Messiah, who would liberate them from Roman rule and reestablish the Davidic kingdom. Jesus’ reaction to His people’s skepticism: Jesus reacted to their negative attitude with the comment, “No prophet is accepted in his native place.” Next, he referred to the Biblical stories of how God had blessed two Gentiles, while rejecting the many Jews in similar situations, precisely because those Gentiles were more open to the prophets than the Jewish people. Jesus reminded them of the Gentile widow of Zarephath, in Lebanon (1 Kgs 17:7-24). The Prophet Elijah stayed with her and her son during the three-and-a-half-year drought, fed them miraculously and, later, raised her son from death. Then Jesus described how Naaman, the pagan military general of Syria, was healed of leprosy by Elisha, the prophet.

Life messages: 1) We need to face rejection with prophetic courage and optimism, when we experience the pain of rejection, betrayal, abandonment, violated trust, neglect, or abuse from our friends, families, or childhood companions. 2) Let us not, like the people in Jesus’ hometown, reject God in our lives. Are we unwilling to be helped by God, or by others? Does our pride prevent us from recognizing God’s direction, help, and support in our lives through His words in the Bible, through the teachings of the Church and through the advice and examples of others? 3) We must have the prophetic courage of our convictions. This passage challenges us to have the courage of our Christian convictions in our day-to-day lives in our communities, when we face hatred and rejection because of our Christian Faith. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 4: Labor Day in the U. S.: Labor Day in the U. S. Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States. Labor Day unofficially signals the beginning of a new “school” year of work and study and the end of the “lazy days of summer.” It was President Grover Cleveland who signed a bill into law on June 28, 1894, declaring Labor Day a national holiday.

1) It is a day to acknowledge the dignity and necessity of labor and workers. We participate in the creative act of God by the various forms of work we do using our God-given talents: a) The Bible presents God as working six days in the creation of the world and commanding Adam to work six days and rest on the seventh. (e.g., the fresco painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, showing God touching the finger of Adam, infusing power to work). God the Father continues to do the work of providing for His creatures, God the Son does the work of saving, and God the Holy Spirit does the work of sanctification. b) Jesus, God’s Son, was a professional carpenter. c) Most of Jesus’ apostles were fishermen, and Paul was a tentmaker. d) In his inaugural speech in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus expressed his preferential option for the poor – the working class and those who cannot work. Work is necessary for our own well-being, for health of body, mind, and spirit. It enables us to be independent and to help those who are less fortunate and unable to work. e) Works of charity are the main criteria of our Last Judgement: “Whatever you did to one of these least brethren you did to Me.”

2) A day to remember the Church’s teaching on the nobility of work and the necessity of just wages. In the encyclical, Laborem exercens (September 14, 1981), Pope St. John Paul II teaches that all of us are called to work together for a just society and a just economy which allow us all to share God’s blessings. He reminds us that governments should see that the greed of a minority does not make the life of the majority miserable. He advises labor unions to fight for social and economic justice, better wages, and better working conditions.

3) It is the day to remember and pray for jobless people: There are thousands without work and millions more who are underemployed, working at part-time jobs or jobs that do not pay a decent wage. Society has a moral obligation to reduce joblessness because it is through work that families are sustained, children are nurtured, and the future is secured. Joblessness is also a clear threat to family life.

4) It is an appropriate time to acknowledge and bless the temporal and spiritual work that our parishioners do for their families, for their neighbors, and for the parish community. It is also a day to remind ourselves that our workplace gives us an opportunity to practice what we believe, and to display a level of integrity that matches our Faith, thus witnessing to Christ.

5) It is a day to pay attention to a warning: that we should be aware of the danger in work. If not properly oriented work can make us workaholics: we may turn work into our God or may use it as an escape mechanism to run away from spouse, children, and neighbors.

Thus, on this Labor Day, let us try to realize the dignity of work, the necessity of work, and the danger involved in work. Let us thank the Lord for the talents and work he has given us to do. Let us pray that we may find joy and satisfaction in our work, realizing that we are co-creators with God and stewards of His creation. By offering our work for God’s glory, let us transform our work to prayer. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

Sept 5 Tuesday: Lk 4:31-37: 31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath; 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. 33 And in the synagogue, there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” 37 And reports of him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Context: After the sad experience in Nazareth, Jesus used the city of Capernaum — 30 miles away from Nazareth; planted on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, serving as the center of the fishing business — as a base for his teaching, healing, and preaching ministry. The people were impressed by the authority with which Jesus taught. The Old Testament prophets had taught using God’s delegated authority, and the scribes and Pharisees taught quoting Moses, the prophets and the great rabbis. But Jesus, as God Incarnate, taught using Divine authority and the Perfect knowledge of God, acting always in perfect obedience to the will of God His Father, and having absolute confidence in God as the Source and support of his teaching authority. The second part of today’s Gospel describes a healing by exorcism, which Jesus performed in the synagogue. We are told how Jesus, as God Incarnate, exercised Divine authority to cast out the devil by just one compound command: “Be silent, and come out of him!” The demon obeyed at once, throwing the man it had possessed to the floor in the midst of the people in the synagogue on its departure. The people were impressed with Jesus’ power and authority that could command even evil spirits.

Life messages: 1) Our Faith is based on the Divinity of Christ, demonstrated by His miracles, which in turn give authority and validity to His teaching and promises. Hence, let us accept Jesus’ teachings, even if some of them are mysteries beyond our understanding. 2) Let us read the authoritative word of God every day and assimilate it into our lives. 3) In our illnesses, let us confidently approach Jesus the Healer with trusting Faith first, then go to the doctors who are the ordinary instruments of Jesus’ healing ministry in our midst. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 6 Wednesday: Lk 4:38-44: 38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they besought him for her. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she rose and served them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. 42 And when it was day he departed and went into a lonely place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them; 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. .

The context: Today’s Gospel tells us that preaching the Good News of God’s love, mercy, and salvation, and healing the sick were the means Jesus used to build up the Kingdom of God. By preaching and healing, Jesus drew listeners to belief in a loving and providing God and to loving obedience to His will. We are told that Jesus drew renewed spiritual strength from God, His Father, every day by talking with and listening to Him, often in a desolate place at night.

Healing mission: Jesus never tired of healing the sick, thus demonstrating the mercy and compassion of His Heavenly Father to every sick person who approached with trusting Faith. Having finished the day’s preaching in the synagogue on one Sabbath, Jesus went to Simon’s home and healed Simon’s mother-in-law of a fever. In the evening, when the Sabbath rest was over, people brought all their sick dear ones to Jesus for healing and exorcism. Jesus either concluded the day or, as here, began the new day, by spending time with the Father in prayer in a lonely place.

Life messages: 1) We are called to continue Jesus’ preaching mission primarily by bearing witness to Christ through our day-to-day lives, radiating Christ’s mercy, love, forgiveness, and spirit of humble service to all around us. 2) We can participate in Jesus’ healing mission by praying for the sick and by visiting, helping, and encouraging the sick and shut-ins. 3) We, too, need to have our spiritual batteries recharged by prayer every day, as Jesus did. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 7 Thursday: Lk 5:1-11: 1 While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. 2 And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, 7 they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

The context: The scene is the Sea of Galilee (Gennesaret in Greekand Tiberius in Latin). The story of the miraculous catch of fish described in today’s Gospel is similar to the post-Resurrection appearance of Jesus recounted in Jn 21:4-14. It is one of the “epiphany-call stories” which direct our attention to the fact that Jesus had distinct criteria for selecting people to be apostles. The reading challenges us to examine our own personal calls to conversion and discipleship.

The miraculous catch followed by the call: After teaching the crowd from a seat in the boat of Simon, Jesus said to him “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” Simon and his companions were stunned by the biggest catch of their lives. This event led Simon to acknowledge his unworthiness, as a sinner, even to stand before the Divine Presence of Jesus. Recognizing in Simon’s obedience and confession of unworthiness, the genuineness of their Faith, Jesus immediately invited Simon, Andrew, James and John to become close disciples and so to “catch men” instead of fish.

Life Messages: 1) Our encounter with the holiness of God is meant to lead us to recognize our sinfulness. The Good News of today’s Gospel is that our sinfulness — our pride and self-centeredness – does not repel God. That is why we offer this Mass asking God’s pardon and forgiveness, and why we receive Jesus in Holy Communion only after acknowledging our unworthiness.

2) With Jesus, the seemingly impossible becomes possible. Today’s Gospel passage tells us an important truth about how God works in and through us for His glory. God chooses ordinary people – people like you and me – as His ambassadors. He uses the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives and our responses. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

Additional reflections: Click on https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 8 Friday: The nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: For a short account, click here: (Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary): Anecdote: Life magazine estimated that the prayer “Hail Mary” is said two billion times every day, and each year five to ten million people make a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Many others visit Marian sites elsewhere in the world. Mary is prayed to as advocate and helper, and even in the sports arena there is a reference to her power: the last desperate pass by a losing football team was once called a “Hail Mary pass.” Mary is also venerated by Muslims. It is reported that when the Prophet Muhammad cleared the idols out of the Kaaba in Mecca, he allowed only a fresco of the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus to remain. In every Muslim mosque, the “mihrab” or prayer niche in the wall is dedicated to Mary. In the Qur’an, she is described as having been sent as “a mercy for the worlds.” (http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/days/features.php?id=15974)

History: As one of the oldest Marian solemnities, this feast is based on the second century (A.D. 175), apocryphal book Protoevagelium Jacobi (The Pre-Gospel of James), which reflects the traditions of the early Church, although it is not considered an inspired book. According to this book, Mary’s parents were Joachim and Anna. Mary was born either in Jerusalem or in Sephoris, three miles north of Bethlehem. The Annunciation is believed to have taken place later in the house of Mary’s parents. The feast originated in the fifth century in Syria or Palestine. St. Romanus of Syria is supposed to have brought it to Rome. The Roman Church adopted it in the 7th century and fixed it on September 8th. It is found in the 8th and 9th century Gregorian Sacramentary.

Importance: The feast is the birthday celebration of the mother of Jesus, our Heavenly Mother and the Mother of the Church. It is the birthday of an ordinary woman who was chosen to become the mother of an extraordinary Divine Child. The Church celebrates the death day of a saint as his/her feast day, considering it his/her “birthday in Heaven.” The three exceptions are Jesus’ birthday (Christmas), Mary’s birthday (September 8), and John the Baptist’s birthday (June 24). Mary’s birthday is celebrated because of her Immaculate Conception. John the Baptist, in Elizabeth’s womb, was filled with the Holy Spirit during Mary’s visitation of Elizabeth. We honor Mary because God has done great things for her (Luke 1:49), a) by choosing her as the mother of Jesus His Son, b) by filling her with His Holy Spirit twice, c) by making her the embodiment of all virtues (“full of grace”), and our Heavenly Mother and d) by allowing her to become the most active participant with Christ, her son, in our redemption.

The readings: (Mi 5:1-4; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 1:1-16, 18-23). Romans 1:3 states that Mary was a descendant of David, and Matthew’s genealogy in today’s Gospel also supports this truth.

Life Messages: 1) Let us, as Mary’s children, give a suitable birthday gift to our Heavenly Mother. Every mother wants her children to inherit and acquire all her good qualities. Hence, the best birthday gift to Mary is for us to become holy children of a Holy Mother.

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

Sept 9 Saturday: St. Peter Claver, Priest (U. S. A.) For a short biography, click here: Luke 6:1-5: 1 While he was going through a field of grain on a Sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those (who were) with him were hungry? (How) he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” Additional reflections: Click on https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

The context: Today’s Gospel passage gives Jesus’ teaching on the purpose of the Sabbath and on its proper observance. This was Jesus’ response to a criticism and a silly accusation made by some Pharisees against the apostles who, to satisfy their hunger on a Sabbath, had plucked ears of grain from a field for their snack, removed the husks by rubbing the grain between their palms and blowing away the chaff. The Pharisees accused them of violating Sabbath laws by performing three items of work forbidden on Sabbath, namely, harvesting, threshing and winnowing!

Counter-arguments: Jesus gives three counter-arguments from Holy Scripture defending the apostles. (1) Basic human needs, like hunger, take precedence over Divine worship and Sabbath observance. Jesus cites from Scripture the example of the hungry David and his selected soldiers. They approached Abimelech, the priest of Nob, who gave them for food the “offering bread” which only the priests were allowed to eat (1 Sm 21:1-6). (2) No law can stand against Divine worship. That is why the priests were not considered as violating Sabbath laws, although they did the work of preparing two rams for sacrifice in the Temple (Nm 28:9-10). (3) Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea to remind the accusers of God’s words: “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Hos 6:6). Further augmenting the counter-arguments, Jesus, as Son of Man (a Messianic title), claims Lordship over the Sabbath itself.

Life messages: Like the Jewish Sabbath, the Christian Sunday is to be 1) a day of rest and refreshment with members of the family; 2) a day for thanksgiving and the recharging of spiritual batteries, (through participation in the Eucharistic celebration, for Catholics); 3) a day for parents to teach religious Faith and the Bible to their children; 4) a day to do works of charity in the neighborhood and in the parish and 5) a day for socializing with family members, neighbors and fellow-parishioners. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/23

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections