Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed homilies.

Holy Week from where it happened (virtual pilgrimage):click on https://youtu.be/Uq56ectzwno 

Weekday homilies for the Holy Week: March 29 Monday: Jn 12:1-11: 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. 8 The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” 9 …10 USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/W1soG7QhpU0?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DBazRWSYfhGFvBAEXHvO0Cq

The context: The scene depicted in today’s Gospel reading took place exactly one week before the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus was anointed on two different occasions — first, at the start of his public ministry, in Galilee, as recounted by St. Luke (7:36-50: Jesus was anointed by a repentant sinful woman in the house of a Pharisee), and, second, towards the end of his life, in Bethany, as reported here by St. John.  Instead of brooding over the sufferings and death waiting for him, Jesus, along with his Apostles, enjoyed a party given for his friend, Lazarus by his family and friends. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified.  Probably he halted in Bethany, both because Jerusalem was overcrowded, and because Jesus wanted to spend time in with his closest friends.

The Gospel summarizes two attitudes: Mary’s and Judas.’ Mary expressed her love for Jesus and her gratitude to God by an extravagant action.  Before all the Apostles, she anointed Jesus’ feet with nard (a very costly perfume worth the wages of a laborer for 300 days), then wiped them with her hair. Her lovely deed shows the extravagance of love. Judas on the other hand criticized Mary for spending so much on perfume, suggesting that the money could have been used to help the poor. Mary’s action was extravagant, but her motive justified it. However, Judas’ motive in suggesting the good action of helping the poor was selfish and impure, spoiling the action.

Life messages: 1) We need to express our love and gratitude to Jesus during this Holy Week for what he did for us centuries ago and for what he continues to do for us now:  a) He poured out his Blood for us and for our salvation. b) He anointed us with his Holy Spirit and made us the Temple of his Spirit. c) He continues to nourish us with his Body and Blood through the Holy Eucharist. 2. We can express our love and gratitude to our Savior Jesus during Holy Week a) by spending more time in prayer and adoration, especially by participating in the liturgical celebrations b) by doing acts of penance for our past sins and c) by actively engaging in acts of loving and humble service.  (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

March 30 Tuesday: Jn 13: 21-33, 36-38 21 When Jesus had thus spoken, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was lying close to the breast of Jesus; 24 so Simon Peter beckoned to him and said, “Tell us who it is of whom he speaks.” 25 So lying thus, close to the breast of Jesus, he said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 … 38. USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/tYJBLE5EeTk?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DBazRWSYfhGFvBAEXHvO0Cq

The context: In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus’ loving appeal to two of his chosen Apostles, Judas and Peter, who represent hard-heartedness and repentance respectively. Judas was a perfect actor and an accomplished hypocrite who could hide his motives from all except Jesus. He deliberately betrayed Jesus for money. Peter on the other hand was simple at heart, a deeply emotional disciple who really loved Jesus.

(A) Judas – a model of hard-heartedness:  Jesus showed his last act of love for Judas: a) by allowing him to sit at His left so that Jesus could rest His head on his chest during the Last Supper; b) by giving him the first piece of bread from Jesus’ plate, as a sign of honor; c) by making Judas the treasurer of the group and the keeper of money received as an offering to the rabbi from the people, thus giving everyone a sign of his trust and confidence in Judas. But Jesus could not save Judas from his hard-heartedness and greed for money. Judas probably expected the triumphant Messiah in Jesus and hoped to rule Israel with him as his finance minister. If so, he must have been totally disillusioned when Jesus predicted his suffering and shameful death. This might have prompted him to betray Jesus. We, too, can become hard-hearted like Judas when we have become addicted to evil habits, and we can refuse Jesus’ call for repentance and conversion even during Holy Week.

(B) Peter – a model of true repentance: Peter showed good will and generosity in repenting of his sin – denying Jesus out of weakness – by weeping bitterly and finally by suffering a martyr’s death for his Faith in Jesus.

 Life messages: 1) Let us imitate Peter by repenting of our choices against Jesus and his ideals in our day-to-day lives. 2) Let us also ask God to liberate us from our evil habits and addictions before they make us hard-hearted. 3) Just as Jesus considered death on the cross as his glory, let us consider humble, committed and sacrificial service for others as our glory and learn to love others as Jesus loves us. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

March 31 Wednesday: Mt 26: 14-25: 14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. 17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain one, and say to him, `The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. 20 When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples; 21 and as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me. 24 The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man  if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Is it I, Master?” He said to him, “You have said so.” USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/364fj5BRdWw?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DBazRWSYfhGFvBAEXHvO0Cq

The context: Today is traditionally known as “Spy Wednesday,” and was called by Christians as early as AD 250 the “the day of betrayal.” Today’s Gospel describes how Judas secretly planned to betray Jesus for thirty silver pieces (the price of a slave), and how he was seeking an opportunity to betray his master. We also learn how Jesus had his plans for celebrating his last Passover supper with his disciples carried out in a house prearranged by him. In Jesus’ time, the Passover supper was celebrated on the first day of the week of Unleavened Bread. During the meal, Jesus dramatically declared that one of the disciples was planning to betray Him and hinted that it was Judas.

Bible scholars suggest three reasons why Judas betrayed Jesus. The primary reason seems to have been his greed for money. John tells us that Judas used to steal from the common fund. Bitter hatred due to disillusionment might have been a second reason. As a zealot who hated the Romans, Judas might have expected that his master would overthrow the Romans using his Divine power. Instead he preached love and peace. A third reason may have been that Judas supposed that his betrayal would give Jesus an occasion to fight back and conquer the Romans. That may be the reason why he committed suicide when he saw Jesus arrested without any resistance from Him.

Life messages: 1) We, too, can betray Jesus and his ideals for money, for power and influence or for selfish pleasure. Let us examine our conscience whether we wrongly think that our God disappoints us by promoting chastity, poverty, justice and righteousness in the Holy Bible, by not answering our prayers as and when we want, by allowing suffering and premature death in our families and communities and by not punishing the wicked. Let us be on our guard not to betray Jesus as Judas did.

2) Holy Week is the time to assess our life, examine our conscience, do penance for our infidelity and make practical resolutions to reform our lives with God’s help. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

April 1 Thursday: Holy Thursday evening Mass (April 1) Introduction: We celebrate three anniversaries on Holy Thursday: 1) the anniversary of the first Holy Mass, 2) the anniversary of the institution of ministerial priesthood in order to perpetuate the Holy Mass, to convey God’s forgiveness to repentant sinners, and to preach the Good News of salvation, 3) the anniversary of Jesus’ promulgation of his new commandment of love: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34). First, we remember how Jesus transformed the Jewish Passover into the New Testament Passover.  The Jewish Passover was, in fact, a joint celebration of two ancient thanksgiving celebrations.  The descendants of Abel, who were shepherds, used to lead their sheep from the winter pastures to the summer pastures after the sacrificial offering of a lamb to God.  They called this celebration the “Pass over.”   The descendants of Cain, who were farmers, held a harvest festival called the Massoth in which they offered unleavened bread to God as an act of thanksgiving.  The Passover feast of the Israelites (Exodus 12:26-37) was a harmonious combination of these two ancient feasts of thanksgiving, commanded by the Lord God and celebrated yearly by all Israelites to thank God for His miraculous liberation of their ancestors from Egyptian slavery, their exodus from Egypt, and their final arrival in the Promised Land.

Scripture lessons summarized:  In the first reading, God gives the Hebrews two instructions: prepare for the moment of liberation by a ritual meal and make a symbolic mark on your homes to exempt yourselves from the coming slaughter. In the second reading, Paul teaches that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper was an unbroken tradition from the very beginning of the Church, by which Christians reminded themselves of the death and Resurrection of Jesus.  Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus transformed the Jewish Passover into the Eucharistic celebration. After washing the feet of his apostles and commanding them to do humble service for each other, Jesus concluded the seder meal ceremony by giving his apostles his own body and blood under the appearances of bread and wine as spiritual food and drink, in addition to serving the roasted Paschal lamb.

Life Messages: 1) A challenge for humble service.  Our celebration of the Eucharist requires that we wash one another’s feet, i.e., serve one another, and revere Christ’s presence in other persons. In practical terms, that means we are to consider their needs to be as important as our own and to serve their needs, without expecting any reward. 2) A loving invitation for sacrificial sharing and self-giving love. Let us imitate the self-giving model of Jesus who shares with us his own Body and Blood and who enriches us with his real presence in the Holy Eucharist. It is by sharing our blessings – our talents, time, health and wealth – with others that we become true disciples of Christ and obey his new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” 3) An invitation to become Christ-bearers and Christ-conveyers: “Go forth, the Mass is ended,” really means, “Go in peace to love and serve one another.’’ We are to carry Jesus to our homes and places of work, conveying to others around us the love, mercy, forgiveness, and the spirit of humble service of Christ whom we carry with us.

April 2 Good Friday: CHALLENGE TO CARRY OUR CROSSES: A)The cross and the crucifix are meaningful symbols, as the dove symbolizes peace and the heart symbolizes love. The crucifix and the cross are the symbols of the loving and sacrificial offering of self for others. First, it is only in the cross that we see the face of God’s love. There is no greater love than that of a person who is willing to die for another, and the cross tells this love story. Second, the cross is the symbol of the remission of our sins: The Bible says that when Jesus died he took all our sins to himself on the cross, and so he conquered sin and the devil’s power forever. Whenever we see the cross we should realize that Jesus was bruised, crushed and died for our iniquities. “But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.” (Is 53:5). Third, the cross is the symbol of humble self-emptying for others. It is the symbol of the cross-bearing Christ leading us in our life’s journey of pain and suffering, carrying his heavier cross and still encouraging us, strengthening us and supporting us. Fourth, the cross is the symbol of the risen Christ who promises us a crown of glory as a reward for our patient bearing of our daily crosses.

(B) The Cross always means pain. But the pain I suffer for myself is not Christ’s cross. The true cross of Christ is the pain I suffer for others. It is the sanctifying pain involved in sharing our blessings sacrificially with others. It is the pain involved in controlling our evil tendencies in an attempt to attain a higher degree of holiness. It is the pain involved in standing with Jesus his ideas and ideals and gladly following him even if that means scorn and humiliation from the rest of the world.

(C) We have our crosses mainly from four sources. Some of our crosses like diseases, natural disasters, death are given by Mother Nature. We face some other crosses when we do our duties faithfully. Our friends and enemies supply a few of our crosses. Finally we ourselves create many of our crosses by careless living and evil addictions.

(D) On Good Friday we should ask the question: why should we carry our crosses? First, cross-bearing is a condition for Christian discipleship. Jesus said: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Second, it is by carrying our crosses that we make reparation for our sins and for the sins of others related to us. That is why St. Paul said that he was suffering in his body what is “lacking” in Christ’s suffering. Third, it is by carrying our crosses that we become imitators of Christ in his suffering for us. St. Paul explains it thus: “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2: 19-20).

Life messages: (1) We should carry our crosses with the right motives: We should carry our crosses like a loving wife who nurses her paralyzed husband or sick child, with sacrificial love and dedicated commitment.(2) We should plant the cross of Christ in our daily lives: We have to begin every day with a sign of the cross, asking the blessing and protection of the crucified Lord in our lives that day. (3) We should heal our inner wounds through the cross of Christ: An area where it is very important for us to apply the cross of Christ in our life concerns the area of inner healing. We all need healings from those wounds to our character that we sustained early in life, especially during our first seven years.

April 3 Saturday, 2021: For any morning service: A day to remember the burial of Jesus. (The early Church commemorated the death of Jesus on Good Friday, the burial of Jesus on Holy Saturday and the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday)

1. Good Friday and Holy Saturday were days of full fasting in the early Church.
2. A day for baptism. After A.D. 313 when the Church got freedom of religious practice from Emperor Constantine, Holy Saturday was the day to receive the catechumens to the Church, after three years of preparation. It was considered as a ceremony reminding them that they become dead to their former gentile life by immersing themselves in water and that they emerge in to a new life in Jesus Christ by rising up from the water.
3. A day for blessing baptismal water. The catechumens return the Book of Creed (catechism book) to the bishop in a morning ceremony. In the evening the bishop blesses the baptismal water.
4. A day of lighting the Easter candle. The bishop re-ignites the fire extinguished on Holy Thursday and lights the Easter candle to represent Jesus as the “light of the world”. Imitating the Jewish custom of the ceremonial lighting of Sabbath lamps on Friday evenings, the early Christians lighted and displayed lamps on Saturday evenings to honor Jesus as the “light of the world”.
5. A day to read I Peter 2:9 reminding the people of their worth and dignity – as “the “chosen people of God”, sanctified, appropriated by God and honored with the royal priesthood.
6. A day of renewing the baptismal promises. The people were asked to repeat their baptismal promises by rejecting Satan and his empty promises, by accepting Jesus as the Lord and savior and revesting with the “new man” after removing the vestments of the “old man.”

Messages: 1) Message of expectation, change of heart and new life.

2) Lead a new life with the Risen Lord by dying to sinful life.

3) Live a new life recognizing the nobility of Christians as children of God,

brothers and sisters of Jesus and members of the mystical body of Jesus.

Holy Saturday Evening: Easter Vigil Mass confer Easter homily.

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed homilies

March 15-20: March 15 Monday: Jn 4:43-54: 43 After the two days he departed to Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast. 46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was a royal official whose son was ill. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. . [51] As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living. [52] So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” [53] The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live”; and he himself believed, and all his household. [54] This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee. USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/(L/21).

The context: According to John’s Gospel, after facing rejection by his hometown, Nazareth, Jesus went to Jerusalem in Judea for the Passover feast. From Jerusalem, Jesus returned to Galilee and to his headquarters, Capernaum, where people received him as a miracle-working preacher and prophet.  Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus did a long-distance (telepathic) healing for the dying son of an official employed in the royal court of king Herod.  Jesus was preaching at Cana, twenty miles away from Capernaum.  Herod’s officer came on horseback from Capernaum to Cana urgently seeking Jesus’ presence for the healing of his dying son.  He was desperate enough to swallow his pride and make a public request to a wandering preacher for this healing.  Jesus’ critical comment on the lack of belief in the Pharisees did not discourage the official.  With expectant Faith he pleaded with Jesus, reminding him of the seriousness of the illness.  So, Jesus told him, “Go; your son will live.”  With trusting Faith in the assurance Jesus had given him, the officer rushed back toward his house. On the way there, he received the good news that his son had been healed at the very time Jesus gave his assurance.  The officer was so grateful that he and the other members of his family accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah without fearing the ridicule of fellow-officers and friends.

Life message: 1) Miraculous healings can take place in our lives, too, if we approach Jesus the healer with true humility, trusting Faith, earnest prayer and the willingness to surrender ourselves to God’s will. We have the unfailing word of Jesus to rely on, only that, nothing less. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 16 Tuesday: Jn 5:1-16: 1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed.5 One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me said to me, `Take up your pallet, and walk.'” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, `Take up your pallet, and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did this on the Sabbath. USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/(L/21)

The context: The Jews had three major feasts – the Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Passover and the Feast of Pentecost.  Although only adult male Jews living within a 15 mile-radius of Jerusalem were bound to participate in the Passover feast, Jesus went to Jerusalem as a practicing Jew.  Today’s Gospel passage describes how Jesus healed a paralyzed man who had been lying near the “Probatic” pool of Bethesda (also called Bethzatha), for 38 years, hoping for a healing when the water was miraculously stirred by an angel. Before granting the healing, Jesus asked the paralytic if he wanted to be healed. The man expressed his intense desire for healing and confessed his inability to crawl to the pond in time. At once, Jesus gave the healing command, “Take up your pallet, and walk,” and the man obeyed. The Pharisees sternly told the healed man that he shouldn’t be carrying his mat as that the day was the Sabbath. The man responded that his healer had told him to but was unable to identify Jesus as that healer when they asked.   Later, when Jesus caught up with former paralytic in the Temple and warned him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you!” the former paralytic recognized that it was Jesus who had healed him and reported the fact to the Jews who had earlier questioned him about carrying his mat.

Life message: 1) We too will experience miracles in our lives when we approach God with trusting Faith in His power to do the impossible and in His mercy for His children. But we need to express our desire to Him with persevering and fervent prayers. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 17 Wednesday: (St. Patrick-homily on next page) Jn 5:17-30: 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working still, and I am working.” 18 This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

Context: Today’s Gospel passage gives Jesus’ explanation vindicating himself when he has been accused by the Jews of breaking the Sabbath by healing on that day, and of being a blasphemer, by claiming, as God’s Son, equality with God and the same authority and power as God.

Jesus’ claims and justification: In general, Jesus claims that he is one with the Father in all he does as Mediator, and that there is a perfect understanding between him and his Father in the whole matter. But, at the same time, he is obedient, and so entirely devoted to his Father’s will that it is impossible for him to act separately from his Father in anything. Thus, Jesus claims that his identity with the Father is made visible in his complete obedience: Jesus always does what his Father wants him to do.  Then Jesus proves his equality with the Father by doing some works that are the exclusively works of God Who is his Father.  For example, it is God’s prerogative to raise the dead, and give life, and Jesus exercises these prerogatives. Jesus has received Divine power from the Father to exercise his judgment and authority over life and death. That is why Jesus’ words bring healing and life to those who believe in the One Who sent him, and condemnation to those who do not. At the last judgment, all who have heard Jesus’ voice and obeyed his word will be raised to eternal life.

Life message: True Christian life is the surrender of our lives to God with the same love and obedience which Jesus demonstrated for his Father. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 17: (St. Patrick’s Day): Jn 8: 51-59: 

March 17: (St. Patrick’s Day): Jn 8: 51-59:  Known as the “Apostle of Ireland”, he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints being Brigit of Kildare and Columba. Since there were no official canonization process in the Church, in the early centuries, St. Parick, like the early martyrs of the Church, was never canonized. But he  is venerated as a Saint in the Catholic Church and in the Eastern Orthodox Church, where he is regarded as equal-to-the-apostles and Enlightener of Ireland. He is also regarded as a Saint within the framework of their respective doctrine by the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran Churches. St. Patrick’s Day  is celebrated inside and outside Ireland as a religious and cultural holiday. In the dioceses of Ireland, it is both a solemnity and a holy day of obligation. Besides numerous legends, St. Patrick  is known only from two short works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Letter to Coroticus, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians. The stories of driving out all the snakes of Ireland into the sea, using  the shamrock leaf  to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity and raising  33 people from the dead are legends.

St. Patrick was born to Roman parents in Banwen in Wales. So, he called himself both a Roman and a Briton. He was the son of a Deacon named Calpornius and his wife, Conchessa. Patrick was taken captive by the Irish marauders (pirates) at about the age of 16. While in captivity for six years, he learned Irish (Gaelic), which would be essential for his later mission in Ireland. Since his master was a high priest of the Druids, Patrick had access to information about this religion from him, which might have proved very useful to him in his later mission, converting the Irish to Christianity. While Patrick was working as a shepherd boy in Ireland, he underwent a conversion experience and became a young man of deep prayer. After working for six years as a shephrrd boy in County Mayo, he managed to escape to his native England (walking 200 miles to the seaport) and then based on a vision received to convert Ireland for Christ, he went to France for 15 years of training as a missionary priest. A few years after his ordination, Fr. Patrick was consecrated bishop at the age of 43, and the ecclesiastical authorities sent him to Ireland, at his request, probably in AD 432.

Before Patrick came to Ireland, there was a strong belief there in all kinds of gods, including the sun. Patrick tapped into these pagan beliefs and taught the people the true Faith about the true God. He understood the Irish clan system. Hence, he knew that if the chieftains of the various clans became Christian, the rest of the clans would also. Patrick used every means possible including cultural assimilation, to spread the word of God. The shamrock was the sacred plant of the Druids, and a legend says Patrick used it to teach the people about the Trinity. He also used the image of their Sun- god in his Celtic cross.  He worked night and day to bring the faith all over Ireland. He was a charismatic person who preached with authority and acted with miracles. We have two of Patrick’s writings, his Confessions in which we see his humility and his Letter to Coroticus in which we see the courage of his Christian convictions. In 432 A.D., Patrick built a church on the site of the present-day St. Patrick’s Memorial Church in Saul — the first ever Christian church in all of Ireland. It’s considered the cradle of Irish Christianity.

Contrary to popular belief, it was not St. Patrick who brought the Christian Faith for the first time to Ireland. It was there already before him in the south and east of Ireland, probably due to traders and contacts with the continent. But it was St. Patrick who revitalized the Faith of the local minority of Christians and converted the whole country to the Christian Faith. First, he went to the west and north, where the Faith had never been preached. He managed to obtain the protection of local kings and made numerous converts. He ordained many priests, divided the country into dioceses, held Church councils and founded several monasteries. All this groundwork done by St. Patrick later enabled the Church in Ireland to send out missionaries whose efforts were greatly responsible for Christianizing Europe. Patrick died on March 17^th, 461(?) and was buried in Ulster in County Down. As we celebrate the feast of this great missionary saint, let us ask ourselves whether we are grateful to God for the gift of Faith, which has been passed down to us. Do we, like Patrick, use every means to pass on this Faith and spread it? St. Patrick’s life of solid spirituality and dependence on God should serve as a model for us to get our priorities correct.  (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Patrick’s poem of faith and trust in God, in his “The Breastplate”:“Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”

March 18 Thursday (St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Doctor of the Church): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-cyril-of-jerusalem Jn 5:31-47: If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. But there is another who bears witness to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is true. 33 You sent emissaries to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen; 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom he has sent. 39 You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from men. 42 But I know that you have not the love of God within you. 43 … ..47 USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/(L/21)

The context: In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus defends His Messianic claims.  The Jews demanded proofs for Jesus’ Messianic claims, quoting Dt 19:15 which requires two or three witnesses to substantiate a person’s claims.  Here, Jesus presents four witnesses who approved His Messianic and Divine claims: John the Baptist, his own miracles, his Heavenly Father, and the Sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament.  

1) John the Baptist, whom many Jews considered a prophet, bore witness to Jesus as the “Lamb of God” and the Holy One whose paths he had come to prepare.  2)  The miracles Jesus worked could only have been done by the power of God his Father.  3) God the Father attested to the Divinity of Jesus at Jesus’ Baptism (cfr. Jn 1:31-34); at the Transfiguration (cfr. Matthew 17:1-8), and later, in the presence of the whole crowd (cfr. John 12:28-30).  4) The books of the Old Testament, namely the Law and the Prophets, bear testimony to Jesus’ Divine and Messianic claims. It was the Spirit of God Who prompted the prophets of the Old Testament to write their Messianic prophecies.  Then Jesus identifies four obstacles which prevented the Jews from recognizing him as the Messiah and Son of God: 1) their lack of love of God, 2) their striving after human glory, and 3) their prejudiced interpretation of Sacred texts and 4) their lack of Faith in Moses and the prophets.

Life message: When we have doubts about Faith and the Church’s teachings we need to 1) read the Bible with trusting Faith; 2) pray for an increase of Faith; 3) learn the teachings of the Church, starting with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the official documents of the Church; 4) accept the mysteries of our Faith, relying on the Divine Authority and veracity of Jesus; and 5) examine how strong our own Christian testimony is.  Does our life reflect the light of Christ so much that it brings light to the darkness in others? (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 19 Friday (St. Joseph, Chaste Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary) —

Pope Francis has proclaimed 2021 as “The Year of Saint Joseph”: December 8, 2020-December 8, 2021. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-joseph-husband-of-mary Sm 7:4-5, 12-14, 16; Rom 4:13-14, 18-22; Mt 1: 16, 18-21, 24; Lk 2:41-51): Video: https://youtu.be/E8FAcs6lh_A

ST. JOSEPH IN THE HOLY BIBLE: We have the description of St. Joseph only in the Gospels of Mathew and Luke. They present him as Joseph, the just man, the dreamer, and the silent saint who was the custodian and protector of Jesus and Mary, always doing the will of God.

(A) Joseph, the just man: (Matthew. 1:19). In the Biblical sense, a just man is one who faithfully does his duties to God, to lawful authorities and to his fellow human beings.

(1)-Joseph did his duties to God faithfully by obeying His laws revealed through Moses, through his king and through his foster son Jesus.

1. He obeyed the Mosaic laws: i) by circumcising and naming Jesus on the 8^th day, ii) by presenting Mary with her child in the Temple for the purification ceremony, iii) by making Jesus “son of the Law,” bringing him to the Temple of Jerusalem for the feast of Passover at the age of twelve.
2. He obeyed his King’s law by taking his pregnant wife Mary to Bethlehem for the census ordered by the Emperor.
3. He obeyed Jesus by respecting his desires and opinion. (Lk.2: 49)

(2)-Joseph did his duties to others faithfully:

1. to his wife by giving her loving protection in spite of his previous suspicion about her miraculous pregnancy. He could have divorced her. Pope St. John Paul II: St. Joseph protects Mary “discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand.”
2. to Jesus by training him in his trade, in the Law of Moses and in good conduct (Lk. 2:52).

c) to his neighbors by being an ideal carpenter and good neighbor.

(B)- Joseph, the dreamer (like Joseph in the O.T.) receiving answers to his fervent prayers as dreams. Joseph raised his heart and mind to God in all his needs and dangerous situations in life, besides praising and thanking Him.

Dreaming in the Old Testament was one way God used to communicate His will to men. Joseph received instructions from God through four dreams: i) “Do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife” (Mt.1:20); ii) “Get up, take the Child and his mother and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you to leave” (Mt. 2:13); iii) “Get up, take the Child and his mother, and go back to the land of Israel” (Mt.5:20); iv) as a confirmation of Joseph’s prudent thought of taking Mary and Jesus out of Jerusalem (where a worse ruler might endanger them), and back to Nazareth, a small, out of the way village in the country.

(C) As a silent saint, Joseph always did the will of God and protected and provided for Jesus and Mary. Hence, he continues to protect the mystical body of Christ, the Church.

How did Joseph provide this protection and provision? By his unfailing presence and committed fidelity. He did it silently, justly and doing the will of God. He is a silent saint in our noisy world, giving himself to others. He continues to protect those who protect and take care of elderly parents, the aged and the sick in nursing homes. He courageously did his protective role starting with his receiving his wife into his home at the angel’s command in a dream and continuing through the flight to Egypt with Mary and the Child and their sojourn there, all the way to Nazareth and their life there, where, at some point, he died peacefully in their presence.

Life Messages: 1) We need to lead saintly lives by becoming faithful in little things, as St. Joseph was. “Bloom where you are planted” was the favorite advice of St. Francis de Sales. Let us love our profession and do good to others. 2) We need to consult God daily in prayer to know His will and to do it. 3) We need to be just, as St. Joseph was, by “giving everyone his or her due.” 4) We need to raise our families in the spirit of the Holy Family and to be responsible, God-fearing, ideal parents like Joseph and Mary. 5) Let us become protectors like St. Joseph, by keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down!  We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!” (Pope St. John Paul II). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/(L/21)

March 20 Saturday: Jn 7:40-53: 40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45 The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Are you led astray, you also? 48 Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.” 53 They went each to his own house. USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/(L/21)

The context: Today’s Gospel describes the reaction of the people, the Pharisees, the Temple police, and Nicodemus, the Sanhedrin member, to Jesus’ pubic claim to be the promised Messiah and the “Son of Man” prophesied by Daniel.

The common people say that Jesus probably is the expected Messiah because of His authoritative teaching and authentic miracles. But the Pharisees, the Scribes and the Jewish priests can only see Jesus as a Galilean from Nazareth, and they argue from Scripture that the real Messiah must be born in David’s family in Bethlehem.  The Temple police, whom they have sent to arrest Jesus, report that they have not arrested Jesus because, “nobody ever spoke like Him.”  They are impressed by Jesus’ wisdom and authoritative teaching. Nicodemus, a prominent member of the supreme council of the Jews defends Jesus, demanding that the Sanhedrin give Jesus a fair trial before they have Him punished for blasphemy on unfounded claims.

Life messages: 1) We believe in Jesus’ teachings, based on His authority as God. We believe in the Sacred Scriptures based on the teaching authority Jesus gave to Peter and his successors.  Since Jesus and His Apostles believed in the Old Testament Books as the inspired word of God, and since the Church teaches the same thing, we, too, believe them to be the real word of God, and we follow the instructions given in the Bible. Hence, we need to follow the Bible as the guide of our Christian life and accept the traditional interpretation given to the word of God by the teaching authority in the Church.

2) Today we Christians are also “a sign of contradiction,” as Simeon described Jesus, because we are different and challenging when we stand for Christ and choose His teachings while others reject them.  We need to have, and act on, the courage of our Christian convictions.  (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Visit my website by clicking on http://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed homilies

March 8-13: March 8 Monday (St. John of God, Religious): Lk 4: 24-30: [23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, `Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country.'”] 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 ……30…USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel presents Jesus reacting with prophetic courage to the skepticism and criticism with which the people of Nazareth, his hometown, responded to his “Inaugural Address” in their synagogue that Sabbath.

Jesus’ reaction to his people’s skepticism: Jesus reacted to the negative attitude of the Nazarenes 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 had been more open to the prophets than the Jewish people were.  First, Jesus told 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 revived her son from death.  Then Jesus described how Naaman, the pagan military general of Syria, was healed of leprosy by Elisha the prophet (2 Kgs 5:1-19). Jesus’ words implied that, like the people of his hometown, the Israelites of those former days had been unable to receive miracles because of their disbelief.  Jesus’ reference to the unbelief of the Jews and to the stronger Faith of the Gentiles infuriated his listeners at Nazareth.  They rushed to seize Jesus and throw him over the edge of the cliff on which their town was built.  But Jesus escaped because “His hour had not yet come.”

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, as the people in Jesus’ hometown did, 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, coming to us through His words in the Bible, through the teachings of the Church and through the advice and example of others?  3) We must have the prophetic courage of our convictions.  The 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. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 9 Tuesday(St. Frances of Rome, Religious): Matthew 18:21-35: 21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; 25 and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 …35 USCCB reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The lessons taught by the parable: (1) We must forgive so that we may be forgiven. Jesus explains this truth after teaching the prayer, “Our Father.” He warns us, “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). As James states it later, “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy” (Jas 2:13). Clearly, Divine and human forgiveness work together.

(2) We represent the greater debtor in the parable; that is, we owe God the ten thousand talents of the parable. We commit sins every day and, hence, we need God’s forgiveness every day. 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. Yet, shockingly and sadly, we are merciless towards our fellow human beings. The moral of Jesus’ story is that, as members of a community, we 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.” We have been forgiven a debt beyond all human paying – the sin of man which God forgave through the willing, sacrificial death of His own Son. Since that is so, we must forgive others as God has forgiven us. Otherwise, we cannot hope to receive any mercy ourselves.

Life messages: 1) We need to forgive: Having experienced forgiveness at the hands of God and God’s people, we are then called to make it possible for others to experience the same forgiveness. Let us forgive the person who has wronged us before hatred eats away at our ability to forgive. 2) Forgiveness will not be easy, but God is there to help us. We can call on God’s help by offering that individual to God, not by sitting in judgment, but simply by saying, “Help so-and-so and mend our relationship.” We may never forget the hurt we have experienced, but we can choose to forgive. 3) We need to remind ourselves that with God’s grace we have already forgiven the one that hurt us. As life goes on we may remember the incident or occasion that was hurtful. Then let us offer the offender to God’s mercy and pray for God’s blessings on him or her. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20

March 10 Wednesday:  17 “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. USCCB reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel passage, taken from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, presents Jesus as giving the highest compliments to the Mosaic Law. These words of Jesus that Matthew reports touched the communities of converted Jews, helping them to overcome the criticism of the brothers of their own race who accused them saying, “You are unfaithful to the Law of Moses.” Ironically, Jesus himself would be falsely condemned and crucified as a Lawbreaker. Jesus says that the Old Testament, as the word of God, has Divine authority and deserves total respect. The Mosaic Law was ultimately intended to help people honor God by practicing love. Its moral precepts are to be respected because they are, for the most part, specific, Divine-positive promulgations of the natural law. But Christians are not obliged to observe the legal and liturgical precepts of Old Testament because they were laid down by God for a specific stage in Salvation History.

Jesus’ teaching: In Jesus’ time, the Law was understood differently by different groups of the Jews to be 1) The Ten Commandments, 2) The Pentateuch, 3) The Law and the Prophets, or 4) The oral (Scribal) and the written Law. Jesus, and later Paul, considered the oral Law as a heavy burden on the people and criticized it, while honoring the Mosaic Law and the teachings of the prophets. At the time of Jesus, the Jews believed that the Torah (Law given to Moses), was the eternal, unchangeable, Self-Revelation of God. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says that he did not come to destroy the Torah but to bring it to perfection by bringing out its inner meaning because He IS the ultimate self-Revelation of God, the Lawgiver. That is why the Council of Trent declared that Jesus was given to us, “not only as a Redeemer, in whom we are to trust, but also as a Lawgiver whom we are to obey” (“De Iustificatione,” can. 21).  Jesus honored the two basic principles on which the Ten Commandments were based, namely the principle of reverence and the principle of respect. In the first four commandments, we are asked to reverence God, reverence His holy Name, reverence His holy day and reverence our father and mother. The next set of commandments instructs us to respect life, the marriage bond, one’s personal integrity and others’ good name, the legal system, another’s property and spouse, and one’s own spouse. Jesus declares that he has come to fulfill all Divine laws based on these principles. By “fulfilling the law,” Jesus means fulfilling the purpose for which the Law was given: that is, justice, or “righteousness,” as the Scriptures call it – a word that includes a just relationship with God).

Life messages: 1) In obeying God’s laws and Church laws, let us remember these basic principles of respect and reverence. 2) Our obedience to the laws needs to be prompted by love of God and gratitude to God for His blessings. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 11 Thursday: Lk 11: 14-23: When the evil spirit has gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons”; 16 while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; 22 but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. 23 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. USCCB reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel passage gives the crushing reply of Jesus to the Scribes’ slanderous explanation of Jesus’ miracle, namely, that Jesus expelled devils by using the assistance of the leader of devils, Beelzebul.

Jesus refutes the false allegation raised by the Scribes against him with four  counterarguments. 1) A house divided against itself will perish, and a country engaged in civil war will be ruined. Hence, Satan will not fight against Satan by helping Jesus to expel his coworkers. 2) If Jesus is collaborating with Satan to exorcise minor demons, one must admit that the Jewish exorcists are doing the same. 3) Jesus claims that he is using the power of his Heavenly Father to evict devils, just as a strong man guards his house and possessions from the thief. 4) Finally, Jesus gives a crushing blow to his accusers as described in Mark’s Gospel (Mark 3:22-30), warning them that by telling blatant lies they are blaspheming against the Holy Spirit; their sins are unforgivable because they will not repent and ask for forgiveness.

 Life messages: 1) We can be influenced by the evil spirit if we listen to him and follow him. Hence, we have to keep our souls daily cleansed and filled with the Spirit of God, leaving no space for the evil spirit to enter our souls.

2) If we disregard and disobey God’s word, we open the door to the power of sin and to Satan’s deception and control. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 12 Friday: Mk 12:28-34: Another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”  29 Jesus answered, “The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; 33 34 … USCCB reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: A scribe who believed in both the written Law and the oral tradition was pleased to see how Jesus had defeated the Sadducee who had tried to humiliate him with the hypothetical case of a woman who had married and been widowed by seven husbands in succession.  Out of admiration, the scribe challenged Jesus to summarize the most important of the Mosaic Laws in one sentence.  In the Judaism of Jesus’ day, there was a double tendency: to expand the Mosaic Law into hundreds of rules and regulations and to condense the 613 precepts of the Torah into a single sentence or few sentences.

Jesus’ novel contribution: Jesus gave a straightforward answer, quoting directly from the Law itself and startling all with his profound simplicity and mastery of the Law of God and its purpose.  He combined the first sentence of the Jewish Shema prayer from Deuteronomy 6:5: … Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength” with its complementary law from Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Thus, Jesus proclaims that true religion is to love God both directly and as living in our neighbor.  Jesus underlines the principle that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves because both of us bear God’s image. For, to honor God’s image is to honor both Him Who made it and Him Whom it resembles. Besides, our neighbors, too, are the children of God our Father, redeemed by the Blood of Jesus.  Love for our neighbor is a matter, not of feelings, but of deeds by which we share with others the unmerited love that God lavishes on us.  This is the agape love for neighbor that God commands in His Law. Jesus then uses the parable of the Good Samaritan, as reported in Luke’s Gospel, to show them what God means by “neighbor.”

Life Messages: 1) We need to love God whole-heartedly: Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, means that we should place God’s will ahead of our own, seek the Lord’s will in all things, and make it paramount in our lives. It also means that we must find time to adore Him, to present our needs before Him, and to ask His pardon and forgiveness for our sins. 2) God’s will is that we should love everyone, seeing Him in our neighbor.  This means we have to help, support, encourage, forgive, and pray for everyone without regard to color, race, gender, age wealth, social status, intelligence, education or charm. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 13 Saturday: Lk 18: 9-14: 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even  like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who  humbles himself will be exalted.” USCCB reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: The main theme of today’s Gospel is that true humility must be the hallmark of our prayers.  However, the central focus of today’s parable is not prayer, but rather pride, humility, and the role of grace in our salvation.  The parable was mainly intended to convict the Pharisees who proudly claimed they obeyed all the rules and regulations of the Jewish law, while they actually ignored the Mosaic precepts of mercy and compassion.  Through this parable of Jesus, Luke was reminding his Gentile listeners that God values the prayer of any humble and contrite heart.

In the parable, Jesus tells us about two men who went to pray, a Pharisee and a tax-collector.  The Pharisee stood in the very front of the Temple, distancing himself from his inferiors, and explained to God his meticulous observance of the Mosaic Law, at the same time despising the publican.  But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!”  Jesus declared that only the humble tax-collector went home justified.

 Life messages: 1) We need to evict the Pharisee and revive the publican in each one of us.  There is a big dose of the Pharisee’s pride in us and a small dose of the tax-collector’s humility.  Hence, we have to make a pilgrimage from pride to humility, realizing the truth that if we are not sensitive to other people, we are not sensitive to God.

2) Let us have the correct approach in our prayer life.  For most of us, prayer means asking God for something when we are in need.  We conveniently forget the more important aspects of prayer: adoration, praise, contrition and thanksgiving.  If we have forgotten God through our years of prosperity, how can we expect him to take notice of us when something goes wrong?  Yet, even there His mercy welcomes us.  Our day’s work and our day’s recreation, if offered for the honor and glory of God, are prayers pleasing in His sight. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

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March 1-6: March 1 Monday: Lk 6: 36-38: 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: In today’s passage, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs his followers to be merciful, non-judgmental, forgiving, and generous. He condemns our careless, malicious, and rash judgments about another person’s behavior, feelings, motives, or actions. St. Augustine explains it thus: “What do you want from the Lord?  Mercy? Give it, and it shall be given to you.  What do you want from the Lord?  Forgiveness? “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Reasons why we should not judge others:  1) No one except God is good enough to judge others because only God sees the whole truth, and only He can read the human heart; hence, only He has the right and authority to judge us.

2) We are often prejudiced in our judgment of others, and total fairness cannot be expected from us.

3) We do not see all the facts, the circumstances, and the power of the temptation which have led a person to do something evil.

4) We have no right to judge others because we have the same fault as, and often to a more serious degree than, the one we are judging (remember Jesus’ funny example of a man with a wooden beam in his eye trying to remove the dust particle from another’s eye?) St. Philip Neri commented, watching the misbehavior of a drunkard: “There goes Philip but for the grace of God.”

Life message: 1) We should leave all judgment to God and practice mercy and forgiveness, remembering the advice of saints: “When you point one finger of accusation at another, three of your fingers point at you.” Let us pay attention to the Jewish rabbi’s advice: “He who judges others favorably will be judged favorably by God. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 2 Tuesday: Mt 23:1-12: ¹Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, ²saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. ³Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. ⁴They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. ⁵All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. ⁶They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, ⁷greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ ⁸As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. ¹⁰Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. ¹¹The greatest among you must be your servant. ¹²Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: For Jesus, it was the third day of the very first “Holy Week” in Jerusalem, a day of controversy and personal attacks.  Jesus was under fire and lashed out at the religious leaders of Israel for rejecting Him as the Messiah, and he pronounced eight woes against the religious leaders, calling them hypocrites and publicly chastening them because they were more concerned about self-promotion than serving others. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm

Three sins of the Scribes and Pharisees:  Jesus raises three objections to the Pharisees: (1) “They do not practice what they teach” (v 3). They lack integrity of life and fail to practice what they preach, namely, justice, mercy and charity.  (2) They overburden the ordinary people (v 4). The scribes and the Pharisees, in their excessive zeal for God’s laws, split the 613 laws of the Torah into thousands of rules and regulations affecting every movement of the people, thus making God’s laws a heavy burden. (3) “They do all their deeds to be seen by others” (v. 5). Jesus accuses the scribes and Pharisees of seeking the glory that rightly belongs to God.  They express their love of honor in several ways, thereby converting Judaism into a religion of ostentation: (a) “They make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long” (v. 5).  b) They “love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues” (v 6).  (c) They “love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi” (v 7)

.Life messages: 1) We need servant-leaders in a serving community:  The Church is a servant-community in which those who hunger, and thirst are to be satisfied; the ignorant are to be taught; the homeless are to receive shelter; the sick are to be cared for; the distressed are to be consoled; and the oppressed are to be set free.  Hence, leaders should have a spirit of humble service in thought, word and deed.  2) We need to live the Faith we profess. Our Faith tells us that we are all brothers and sisters, children of the same Heavenly Father.    Hence, we should always pray for each other. Instead of judging the poor, we should be serving them both directly and through our efforts on behalf of economic justice.  Instead of criticizing those of other races, we should be serving them both directly and through our efforts on behalf of racial justice. Instead of ignoring the homeless, we should be serving them through efforts to supply them with adequate housing. 3) We need to accept the responsibilities which go with our titles. Titles and polite forms exist to remind each of us of our specific responsibilities in society.  Hence, let us use everything we are and have in a way that brings glory to God, by serving His children. Fr. Tony(https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 3 Wednesday (St. Katharine Drexel): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-katharine-drexel

Mt 20:17-28: 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.26 USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: We celebrate the feast of St. James the apostle on July 25th. James was the son of Zebedee the fisherman and Salome, Mary’s sister (Mt 27:56). John the apostle was his brother. The two, with Simon Peter, made up Jesus’ inner circle of disciples who were given the privilege of witnessing the Transfiguration, the raising to life of the daughter of Jairus and Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane. Jesus called James and John “sons of thunder,” probably because of their volatile character and high ambitions. Later, James was known as James the Greater to distinguish him from James the Less who wrote the epistles and led the Jerusalem Church community. James the Greater was probably the first apostle martyred by Herod in an attempt to please the Jews (Acts 12:1-3).

The Gospel episode: The incident in today’s Gospel describes how ambitious, far-sighted and power-crazy James and his brother John were in their youth. They sought the help of their mother to recommend them to Jesus in their desire to be chosen as the two cabinet ministers closest to Jesus when he established his Messianic kingdom after ousting the Romans. But they picked the most inappropriate moment to make this request because Jesus had just predicted his passion and death for a third time.

Jesus’ response: Jesus told them that it was the spirit of service which would make his disciples great because he himself had come, ”not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Life message: 1: The leaders in Jesus’ Church must be the servants of all as Mary was (“Behold the handmaid of the Lord”). That is why the Pope is called “the servant of the servants of God.” The priesthood of the ordained priests is called the ministerial priesthood because the duty of ordained priests is to give spiritual services to the people of God who share the royal priesthood of Christ by their Baptism (Rv 1:6; cf. 1 Pt 2:5,9Church leaders must be ready to serve others sacrificially with agape love in all humility. In other words, leaders among Christians must be humble, loving, selfless and “the servants of all.” Fr. Tony(https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 4 Thursday (St. Casimir) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-casimir : Luke 16:19-31 “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.  20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: The main theme of today’s Gospel is the warning that the selfish and extravagant use of God’s blessings, including personal wealth, without sharing them with the poor and the needy, is a serious sin deserving eternal punishment.  The rich man’s punishment was not for having riches, but for neglecting the Scriptures and what they taught.

Objectives: Jesus told this parable to condemn the Pharisees for their avarice (love of and greed for money), and for their lack of mercy and compassion for the poor.  He also used the parable to correct the Jewish misconception that material prosperity in this life is God’s reward for moral uprightness, while poverty and illness are God’s punishments for sin.  The parable further reminds us that we will be judged (private judgment) and rewarded or punished immediately after our death. The parable finally offers an invitation to each one of us to be conscious of the sufferings of those around us and to share our blessings generously with the needy.

One-act play: The parable is presented as a one-act play with two scenes.  The opening scene presents the luxurious life of the rich man in costly dress enjoying five-course meals every day, in contrast to the miserable life of the poor, sick beggar living on the street by the rich man’s front door, competing with stray dogs for the crumbs discarded from the rich man’s dining table.  As the curtain goes up on the second scene, the situation is reversed.  The beggar, Lazarus, is enjoying Heavenly bliss as a reward for his fidelity to God in his poverty and suffering, while the rich man has been thrown down into the excruciating suffering of Hell as punishment for not doing his duty of showing mercy to the poor by sharing with the beggar at his door the mercies and blessings God had given him.

Life messages: 1) We are all rich enough to share our blessings with others.  God has blessed each one of us with wealth or health or special talents or social power or political influence or a combination of many other blessings. The parable invites us to share what we have been given with others in various ways instead of using everything exclusively for selfish gains. 2) We need to remember that sharing is the criterion of Last Judgment: Matthew (25:31ff), tells us that all six questions Jesus will ask each of us when he comes in glory as our judge are based on how we have shared our blessings from him (food, drink, home, mercy and compassion), with others. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 5 Friday: Mt 21: 33-43, 45-46: 33 Matthew 21:33-46 : 33 “Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; 35 and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. 37 Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, `They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in  their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Told by Jesus during Passover week, the parable of the wicked tenants is actually an allegorical “parable of judgment,” accusing the Pharisees of not producing the fruits of repentance and renewal of life which God expected from them as leaders of His Chosen people. “I expected my vineyard to yield good grapes. Why did it yield sour ones instead?” The parable also explains the necessity of our bearing fruit in the Christian life and the punishment for sterility and wickedness. The meaning of the parable: As an allegory, this parable has different meanings. Like the Jews, the second- and third-generation Christians also understood God as the landlord. The servants sent by the land-owner represented the prophets of the Old Testament. They were to see that God’s chosen people produced fruits of justice, love and righteousness. But the people refused to listen to the prophets and produced the bitter grapes of injustice, immorality and idolatry.  Further, they persecuted and killed the prophets. As a final attempt, the landowner sent his son, (Jesus) to collect the rent (fruits of righteousness) from the wicked tenants (the Jews). But they crucified him and continued to lead lives of disloyalty and disobedience. Hence, God’s vineyard was taken away from His Chosen People and was given to a people (Gentile Christians) who were expected to produce the fruit of righteousness. The parable warns us that if we refuse to reform our lives and become productive, we also could be replaced as the old Israel was replaced by us, the “new” Israel.

Life messages: 1) We need to be good fruit-producers in the vineyard of the Church.  Jesus has given the Church everything necessary to make Christians fruit-bearing. Having already received the Gift of Life in Baptism, we find we also have the following: a) the Bible to know the will of God; b) the priesthood to lead the people in God’s ways; c) the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the remission of sins; d) the Holy Eucharist as our spiritual food; e) the Sacrament of Confirmation for a dynamic life of Faith; f) the Sacrament of Matrimony for the sharing of love in families, the fundamental unit of the Church, and g) the Sacrament of Holy Orders by which the priesthood of Jesus is continued on earth and will be continued until the end of the world We are expected make use of these gifts and to produce fruits for God. 2) We need to be good fruit-producers in the vineyard of our family. By our mutual sharing of blessings, by our sacrificing of our time and talents for the welfare of all the members, by our humbly and lovingly serving others in the family, by our recognizing and encouraging each other, and by our honoring and gracefully obeying our parents, we become producers of “good fruit” or good vine-branches in our families. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

March 6 Saturday: Lk 15:1-3.11-32:  Tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what He had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, mut­tering: «This man welcomes sinners and eats with them». So Jesus told them this parable: «There was a man with two sons. The younger said to his father: ‘Give me my share of the estate’. So the father divided his property between them. Some days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and started off for a distant land where he squandered his wealth in loose living. Having spent everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that land. So he hired himself out to a well-to-do citizen of that place and was sent to work on a pig farm. So famished was he that he longed to fill his stomach even with the food given to the pigs, but no one offered him anything. Finally coming to his senses, he said: ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will get up and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Treat me then as one of your hired servants’. With that thought in mind he set off for his father’s house. »He was still a long way off when his father caught sight of him. His father was so deeply moved with compassion that he ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. The son said: ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son…’. But the father turned to his servants: ‘Quick! Bring out the finest robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and kill it. We shall celebrate and have a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and is found’. And the celebration began. »Meanwhile, the elder son had been working in the fields. As he returned and was near the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what it was all about. The servant answered: ‘Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father is so happy about it that he has ordered this celebration and killed the fattened calf’. The elder son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. The indignant son said: ‘Look, I have slaved for you all these years. Never have I disobeyed your orders. Yet you have never given me even a young goat to celebrate with my friends. Then when this son of yours returns after squandering your property with loose women, you kill the fattened calf for him’. The father said: ‘My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But this brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life. He was lost and is found. And for that we had to rejoice and be glad’» USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel has been called “the Gospel within the Gospel,” because it is the distilled essence of the Good News about our Heavenly Father. The whole chapter is essentially one complete parable, the “Parable of the Lost and Found,” with three illustrations: the story of the lost sheep, the story of the lost coin and the story of the lost son. These parables remind us that we have a God Who welcomes sinners and forgives their sins when they return to Him with genuine contrition, resolved to reform. In addition, He is always in search of His lost and straying children.

The lost son: This parable speaks about the deep effects of sin, the self-destruction of hatred, and the infinite mercy of God. This is a story of love, of conflict, of deep heartbreak, and of ecstatic joy. The scene opens on a well-to-do Jewish family. With the immaturity of a spoiled brat, the younger son impudently extracted his share of the coming inheritance from his gracious father. He sold out his share and then squandered the money in a faraway city.  Then, bankrupt and starving, the prodigal son ended up feeding pigs, a task that was forbidden to a Jew (Leviticus 11:7; 14:8).  Finally, when he “came to his senses” (v. 17), he decided to return to his father, asking for forgiveness and begging to be given the status of a hired servant.  When he saw his son returning, however, the father ran to him, embraced him, kissed him and gave him a new robe, a ring and new shoes. The father also threw a great feast for him, to celebrate his return, killing the “fatted calf’” reserved for the Passover feast, so that all might rejoice at the wanderer’s return.

Life messages: 1) We need to meet the challenge for self-evaluation: If we have been in sin, God’s mercy is seeking us, searching for our souls with a love that is wild beyond all imagining.  God is no less ready to receive and welcome us back than Jesus was to welcome sinners in his time. 2) We should also ask God for the courage to extend this forgiveness to others who have offended us. 3) Let us confess our sins and regain peace and God’s friendship. The first condition for experiencing the joy and relief of having our sins forgiven is to see them as they are and give them up. We have to be humble enough to recognize that we need God’s forgiveness to be whole. Fr. Tony(https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Lenten Penance Service- 2021 (L-21)

Opening song: 1) Amazing Grace (New Britain OCP); 2) Be Not Afraid (Bob Dufford GIA); 3) Come You Sinners, Poor and Needy (RS 954 Beach Spring); 4) Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive (RS 952 St. Anne; 5) Glory and Praise to Our God (Dan Schutte OCP); 6) He Healed the Darkness of My Mind (RS 951 Old 100^t)h; 7) Jesus, Remember Me (Jacques Berthier GIA – Taizé); 8) Our Father We Have Wandered (RS 955 Passion Chorale); 9) The Master Came to Bring Good News (RS 956 Ich Glaub’ an Got)t; 10) There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy (In Babilone GIA/OCP); or any other song of your choice.

Introduction: The primary purpose of Lent is spiritual renewal of life in preparation for our celebration, as individuals and as Church, of Jesus’ death on Good Friday and Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  The Church tries to achieve this goal by leading her children to “repentance.” Repentance is a type of conversion – the reordering of our priorities and the changing of our values, ideals, and ambitions – through fasting, prayer, and mortification.  Lenten observances are also intended to lead us to our annual solemn renewal of Baptismal vows on Holy Saturday.  My brothers and sisters, we gather here in our Church this night because we are sinners, and we desire to approach a merciful God, Who is our loving Heavenly Father, to seek reconciliation with our forgiving God and with each other. Thus, this Penance Service is designed to celebrate the Lord’s invitation to us to participate in loving reconciliation. Jesus Christ not only offers to us his mercy; he expects us to live in a spirit of mercy and forgiveness. Let us pray for the courage to seek God’s forgiveness and the willingness to offer forgiveness to those who have hurt us.

Opening prayer: The Presider: Let us pray. Lord our God, we know that You are patient with sinners and accept our desire to make amends. We acknowledge our sins and we are resolved to change and renew our lives. Help us to celebrate this Sacrament of your Mercy and Reconciliation so that we may reform our lives and receive from you the gift of everlasting joy. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Celebration of the word of God: (The following are suggested readings. Other readings may be chosen).

First Reading: Joel 2: 12-18 (or Ezekiel 11:14-21).

Responsorial Psalm 51, 3-4, 5-6. 12-13. 14. 17. (Or Psalm 130, 25, 33, or 51) 

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 Have mercy on me, God, in Your kindness.

In Your compassion blot out my offence.

O wash me more and more from my guilt,

and cleanse me from my sin.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

My offences truly I know them;

my sin is always before me.

Against You, You alone, have I sinned;

what is evil in Your sight I have done.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

nor deprive me of Your Holy Spirit.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me again the joy of Your help;

with a spirit of fervor sustain me.

O Lord, open my lips

and my mouth shall declare Your praise.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. 

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21: 17 So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 And all this is from God, Who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake, He made Him to be sin Who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The word of the Lord. R: Thanks be to God

Gospel Acclamation: “Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ “

Gospel: Luke 13:1-9: (or any other Gospel passage on repentance): Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way, they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So, cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not, you can cut it down.’”

Short reflection: Today’s Gospel explains how God disciplines His people, inviting them to repent of their sins and renew their lives so that they may produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  Citing two tragic events, Jesus exhorts the Jews to repent and reform their lives.  With the parable of the barren fig tree, Jesus also warns them that the merciful God will not put up with them indefinitely. Although God patiently waits for sinners to repent, giving them grace to do so, He will not wait forever.  Time may run out, and  therefore, timely repentance is necessary.  Hence, a Lent missed is a year lost from the spiritual life.

Life Messages: 1) We need to live lives of repentance, because (a) we never know when we will meet a tragedy of our own.  Let us turn to Christ, acknowledge our faults and failings, and receive from Him mercy, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life.  There is no better way to take these words of Jesus to heart than to go to sacramental confession, and there is no better time to go to confession than during Lent.   (b) Repentance helps us in life and in death. It helps us to live as forgiven people and helps us to face death without fear.   2) We need to be fruitful trees in God’s orchard.  Lent is an ideal time “to dig around and manure” the tree of our life so that it may bring forth fruits of repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness, and sensitivity to the feelings of others.  3) We need to make the best use of the “second chance” God gives us.  Our merciful Father always gives us a second chance.  During Lent, we, too, are given another chance to repent and return to our Heavenly Father’s love.

Examination of conscience in the form of Intercessory prayers

(Let us examine our conscience and ask God’s pardon and forgiveness by responding “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”)

1) Lord Jesus, we ask Your pardon and forgiveness for not praying for the anointing and strengthening of your Holy Spirit every morning and not confessing our sins to You and asking Your forgiveness every night. We pray to the Lord.  “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

2) Lord Jesus, we ask Your pardon and forgiveness for swearing in Your Name, using curse words, and for not   listening to You by reading a portion of the Bible daily and not finding some time to talk to You in prayer, personally and in our families. We pray to the Lord.  “Lord, have mercy on me ,a sinner.”

3) Lord Jesus, we ask Your pardon and forgiveness for neglecting our duties in our family, not paying proper attention to the needs of our spouse and children, and not respecting God’s gift of life from conception to natural death. We pray to the Lord.  “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

4) Lord Jesus, we ask Your pardon and forgiveness for not regularly participating in the Sunday Mass, and for not recharging our spiritual batteries by attentively hearing the Word of God and devoutly receiving You in Holy Communion as the Food for our souls. We pray to the Lord. “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

5) Lord Jesus, we ask Your pardon and forgiveness for desecrating our bodies, the temples of the Holy Spirit, by overindulgence in food and drinks, by indulging in impure and unjust thoughts, words and actions, and by continuing to sin by our evil and impure habits and our addictions to alcohol, drugs, pornography or other sexual deviations. We pray to the Lord.  “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

6) Lord Jesus, we ask Your pardon and forgiveness for all other sins and failures in our life, especially for being gossipy, critical, and judgmental about others, for our hurtful, wounding remarks  and uncharitable criticism about others, for not asking forgiveness from others whom we have offended them, and for not granting forgiveness to others who have offended us.  We pray to the Lord.  “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

7)  Lord Jesus, we ask Your pardon and forgiveness for cheating in business or work, for stealing the goods of others, for not sharing our blessings with others in need, for not volunteering to help our neighbors in their difficult moments, and for not properly supporting our parish by offering our time, talents, and wealth to its various ministries. We pray to the Lord. “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

8)  Lord Jesus, we ask Your pardon and forgiveness for not bearing witness to you by our lives, radiating in our words, deeds, and attitudes Your love, mercy, kindness, spirit of forgiveness and service.  We pray to the Lord.  “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

General confession of sins (The Presider, priest or deacon, invites the assembly to kneel or stand and pray). My brothers and sisters let us call to mind the goodness of God our Father, and acknowledge our sins, so that we may receive His merciful forgiveness. Let us express our repentance by praying the Act of Contrition before we go to the priests to confess our sins.

Prayer before confession: “I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.”

Act of contrition after confession of sins:

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,
I have sinned against You Whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more,
and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.
In His name, my God, have mercy.
Amen.

Concluding prayer: O Lord our God, look upon our weakness with compassion and forgiveness that we might be made whole again. Cleanse us of our sins, and free us from the prison of guilt, that we may live in the promised joy of Your salvation. And may God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit Who gives life to al grant us grace and mercy, this night and always, now and forever.

Individual confession to the priest

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed homilies

Feb 22-27: Feb 22 Monday (Chair of St. Peter the Apostle): Mt 16:13-23: USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm By celebrating the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we honor the mission of teacher and pastor conferred by Christ on Peter and continued in an unbroken line of his successors down to the present Pope. We also celebrate today, the unity of the Church, founded upon the Apostle Peter, and we use this occasion to renew our submission to the Magisterium or teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, extended both to truths which are solemnly defined ex cathedra, and to all the acts of the ordinary Magisterium. Like the committee chair, this chair refers to the occupant, not the furniture. Its first occupant stumbled a bit, denying Jesus three times and hesitating to welcome Gentiles into the new Church. Some of its later occupants have also stumbled a bit, sometimes even failed scandalously. So, the feast reminds us that the Vicar of Christ needs the prayer support of all the Catholics. This feast also gives us the occasion to give thanks to God for the mission He entrusted to the Apostle Peter and his successors until the end of time.

It is also is the feast of a relic long reputed to be St. Peter’s actual throne or the Cathedra Petri. On the feast, 110 candles illumine the reliquary that contains it. This relic has been venerated by the faithful since the fourth century. Previously reserved in the Baptismal Chapel of what is referred to as the Old St Peter’s Basilica, built by the Emperor Constantine around 333AD, today it can be found encased in the bronze throne built by Bernini and enshrined in the apse of St Peter’s Basilica. The throne is supported by the statues of four Doctors of the Church:  two from the West, St Augustine and St Ambrose, and two from the East:  St John Chrysostom and St Athanasius, beneath the well-known stained-glass image depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove. In medieval liturgical custom, the Pope was enthroned on the relic for part of his coronation ceremony and used it as his liturgical throne in the Basilica on the feast. Ever since Bernini’s art work on it, it is considered as a reliquary. The last time the relic was exposed was in 1867 by Blessed Pius IX on the eighteenth centenary of the martyrdom of Ss. Peter and Paul. Kings of old sat on thrones and ruled. Peter’s chair is a symbol of his authority from Jesus to rule the Church. This feast reminds us that Jesus bestowed on Peter a special place among the Apostles. He was one of the three who were with Christ on special occasions, such as the Transfiguration of Christ and the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was the only Apostle to whom Christ appeared on the first day after the Resurrection. Peter, in turn, often spoke on behalf of the Apostles. When Jesus asked the Apostles, “Whom do men say that the Son of Man is?”, Simon replied, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

And Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but my Father Who is in heaven. And I say to you: That you are Peter [Cephas, a rock], and upon this rock [Cephas] I will build my Church [ekklesia], and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:13-20). In saying this, Jesus made St. Peter the head of the entire community of believers and placed the spiritual guidance of the faithful in St. Peter’s hands. A symbol of this authority is the “cathedra,” a bishop’s throne or chair in a cathedral. Peter delivered the first public sermon in Jerusalem on the Jewish feast of Pentecost and won a large number of converts. He also performed many miracles and defended the freedom of the Apostles to preach the Gospels. He preached in Jerusalem, Judaea, and as far north as Syria. He was arrested in Jerusalem under Herod Agrippa I, but miraculously escaped execution. He left Jerusalem and eventually went to Rome, where he preached during the last portion of his life. He was crucified there, head downwards, as he had desired to suffer, saying that he did not deserve to die as Christ had died. The date of St. Peter’s death is not clear. Historians estimate he was executed between the years 64 and 68. His remains now rest beneath the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

Feb 23 Tuesday (St. Polycarp, Bishop, Martyr): Mt 6: 7-15: 7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their 10many words. 8 “So do not be like them; for 11your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9 “12Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 ’13Your kingdom come. 14Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 ’15Give us this day our daily bread. 12 ‘And 16forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but 17deliver us from 18evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’] 14 “19For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 “But 20if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: In today’s passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs the crowd that they should not pray like the Gentiles, repeating empty phrases. He means that true prayer is not so much a matter of the number of words as of the frequency and the love with which the Christian turns towards God, raising his or her mind to God. So, Jesus teaches them a model prayer.  Jesus’ prayer, “Our Father,” consists of two parts. In the first part, we praise and worship God, addressing Him as our loving, caring, and providing Heavenly Father and promising Him that we will do His holy will in our lives, thus remaining in His kingdom. In the second part, we present our petitions before the Triune God. First, we ask God for our present needs (“give us this day our daily bread”), our past needs “forgive us our trespasses”(forgiveness of sins), and our future needs, “deliver us from evil” (protection against the tempter and his temptations). In this part, we also bring the Trinitarian God into our lives. We bring in: 1) God the Father, the Provider, by asking for daily bread; 2) God the Son, our Savior, by asking forgiveness for our sins; and 3) God the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete Who is our Guide, Advocate, Comforter and Illuminator, by asking for protection and deliverance from evil. Special stress on the spirit of forgiveness: We are told to ask for forgiveness from others for our offenses against them and to offer unconditional forgiveness to others for their offenses against us as a condition for receiving God’s forgiveness. Jesus further clarifies, “If you forgive others their wrongs, your Father in Heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you either” (Mt 6:14-15).

“For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, now and forever. Amen.” The manuscripts of the Gospel of Matthew do not contain this phrase, nor do any of the Catholic translations. Martin Luther added this doxology to Our Father in his translation of Matthew’s Gospel, and the King James editions of the Bible keep it.  The doxology is actually taken from the Divine Liturgy or Catholic Mass.  Known as the final doxology, it takes up the first three petitions to our Father. By the final “Amen,” which means, “So be it”, we ratify what is contained in the prayer that God has taught us. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 24 Wednesday: Lk 11:29-32: 29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Since there had been many false prophets and false messiahs in the past, and since their pride and prejudice did not permit them to see the Messiah in a carpenter-from-Nazareth-turned-wandering-preacher, the Jewish religious leaders demanded that Jesus show some “Messianic” signs and miracles taken from their list.  They would not accept that Jesus’ numerous miraculous healings were the Messianic signs foretold by the prophets.

Jesus’ negative response: Calling them an apostate generation who refused to believe in their own prophets and denied the hand of God in the miracles he worked, Jesus warned these religious leaders that they would be condemned on the Day of Judgment by the people of Nineveh and by the Queen of Sheba from the South.  This is one of the instances in which Jesus held up Gentiles as models of Faith and goodness (other examples: the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15, the centurion in Luke 7, the Good Samaritan story in Luke 10; etc.).  The pagan Ninevites heard the voice of the Lord God in the prophet Jonah, repented, and were spared. The Queen of Sheba recognized God’s Wisdom in King Solomon and traveled to Israel to receive more of it.  Nevertheless, Jesus gave the religious leaders challenging him, “the sign of Jonah.” It was the undeniable Messianic sign of his own Resurrection from the tomb on the third day after his death, just as Jonah had spent three days in the belly of the giant fish before finally going to Nineveh to accomplish the mission God had originally given him.

 Life messages: We need to recognize God-given signs in our lives: 1) Let us examine our conscience and see if we are able to see God’s presence in ourselves and in others, His hands behind the small and big events of our lives and His provident care in our lives. 2) Let us open our ears to hear God’s message given to us by others and by nature.  3) Let us read God’s message in the Bible and adjust our lives accordingly. 4) Let us try our best to be open to God and receptive to His Spirit through our active participation in the liturgy instead of looking for signs in weeping Madonnas, bleeding crucifixes and visionaries.  Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 25 Thursday: Mt 7:7-12: 7 “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: In today’s Gospel, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus outlines the conditions for fruitful and effective prayer.

1. The first condition is trusting Faith and confidence in the goodness and promises of a loving Father. As a loving Father, God knows what to give, when to give, and how to give, irrespective of what we ask for. As One Who knows our past, present, and future, God knows what is best for us at any given time. He is a loving Father, and He will not give us evil things as the grudging and mocking gods in Greek stories did their worshippers. Jesus explains this with two examples. Even a bad parent would refuse to give a bread-shaped piece of limestone to his child asking for bread, or a stinging scorpion instead of a fish. So, all the experiences in our lives, including illnesses and tragedies, are permitted by a loving God with a definite purpose – to work in us for our ultimate good
2. Persistence in prayer is the second condition Patient, trusting persistence reflects our dependence on, and trust in, God. That is why Jesus asks us to keep on asking, seeking and knocking.

Life messages: 1) We need to stop giving lame excuses for not praying, like a) we are too busy; b) we believe that prayer doesn’t do that much good, other than giving us psychological motivation to be better persons; c) a loving God should provide for us and protect us from the disasters of life, such as disease or accidents, without our asking Him; or d) prayer is boring.

2) We need to remember the fact that prayer is a conversation with God, that is, listening to God speaking to us through the Bible and talking to God in our personal, family and liturgical prayers.

3) We can’t have a close relationship with anyone, especially with God, without daily, persistent, and intimate conversation. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 26 Friday: Mt 5:20-26: 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of  fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: For the Scribes and the Pharisees, the external fulfillment of the precepts of the Mosaic Law was the guarantee of a person’s salvation. In other words, a man saved himself through the external works of the Law.  Jesus rejects this view in today’s Gospel passage, taken from the Sermon on the Mount.  For Jesus, justification or sanctification is a grace, a free, strengthening gift from God. Man’s role is one of cooperating with that grace by being faithful to it, using it as God means it to be used. Jesus then outlines new moral standards for his disciples.

Control of anger: Anger is the rawest, strongest, and most destructive of human emotions. Describing three stages of anger and the punishment each deserves, Jesus advises his disciples not to get angry in such a way that they sin.

1)  Anger in the heart (“brief stage of insanity” Cicero): It has two forms: a) a sudden, blazing flame of anger which dies suddenly. b) a surge of anger which boils inside and lingers, so that the heart seeks revenge and refuses to forgive or forget. Jesus prescribes trial and punishment by the Village Court of Elders as its punishment.

2) Anger in speech: The use of words which are insulting (“raka“=“fool”), or damaging to the reputation (“moros” = a person of loose morals). Jesus says that such an angry (verbally abusive) person should be sent to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religion’s Supreme Court, for trial and punishment.

3) Anger in action: Sudden outbursts of uncontrollable anger, which often result in physical assault or abuse. Jesus says that such anger deserves hellfire as its punishment. In short, Jesus teaches that long-lasting anger is bad, contemptuous speech or destroying someone’s reputation is worse and harming another physically is the worst.

Life messages: 1) Let us try to forgive, forget, and move toward reconciliation as soon as possible.  St. Paul advises us “Be angry (righteous anger), but do not sin” (Eph 4: 26).  2) When we keep anger in our mind, we are inviting physical illnesses, like hypertension, and mental illnesses, like depression. Let us relax and keep silence when we are angry and pray for God’s strength for self-control. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 27 Saturday: Mt 5:43-48: “You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel passage is perhaps the central and the most famous section of the Sermon on the Mount.  It gives us the Christian ethic of personal relationship: love one’s neighbors and forgive one’s enemies. Above all, it tells us that what makes Christians different is the grace with which they interact with others, treating them with loving kindness and mercy, especially when those others seemingly don’t deserve it. The Old Law never said to hate enemies, but that was the way some Jews understood it.  Jesus commands that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us in order to demonstrate that we are children of a merciful Heavenly Father. From the cross, Jesus prayed for all of those who were crucifying him – which includes all fallen humankind, and so ourselves — saying, ‘Father forgive them; they know not what they do.’” (Lk 23:34). A Christian has no personal enemies.  If we only love our friends, we are no different from pagans or atheists.

We need to love our neighbors and our enemies, too: The Greek word used for loving enemies is not storge (affection or natural love towards family members), or philia = friendship (love of close friends), or eros (=romance) (passionate love between a young man and woman), but agápe =unconditional love which is the invincible benevolence, or good will, for another’s highest good. Since agápe, or unconditional love, is not natural, practicing it is possible only with God’s help. Agápe love is a choice more than a feeling. We choose to love, not because our enemies deserve our love, but because Jesus loves them so much that he died for them, and they, too, are the children of our God.  We have in the Acts of the Apostles the example of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who, like Jesus on the cross, prayed for those who were putting him to death.

Life Messages: We are to try to be perfect, to be like God:  1) We become perfect when we fulfill God’s purpose in creating us: with His help, to become God-like. 2) We become perfect when, with His ongoing help, we try to love as God loves, to forgive as God forgives and to show unconditional good will and universal benevolence as God does. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21.

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed homilies

Feb 15-20: Feb 15 Monday: Mk 8:11-13: The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them and getting into the boat again he departed to the other side. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: The Pharisees of Jesus’ time had a long list of fifty extraordinary signs which they expected from the real Messiah, to distinguish the promised Messiah from false messiahs.  Some of the false messiahs in the past had claimed that they could divide the Jordan River into two sections or cause the huge stony walls of Jerusalem to fall by a single word.  Hence, the Pharisees demanded that Jesus show some miracles from their list of Messianic signs.

Jesus’ reply: Jesus knew that the proud, hard-hearted, prejudiced Pharisees were unwilling to accept the signs he had been working as the Messianic signs foretold by the prophets.  Others of them, he knew were not interested in his message but only in seeing signs and wonders.  Hence, according to Mark, Jesus unequivocally denied the demand for an additional Messianic sign.  But according to Matthew 12:38-42 and Luke 11:29-32, Jesus offered them another sign–the miracle of Jonah, the sign of the death and Resurrection of Christ, knowing well that not even this remarkable proof would lead the Pharisees to shed their pride.

Life messages: 1) It is very sad to see superstitious Christians travelling miles to see a miraculous statue of a Madonna shedding tears of blood or oil.  At the same time, they fail to see the presence of Jesus as he promised, in the Bible, in the Holy Eucharist, in a worshipping community or in the fellow Christians.

2) Let us pray for the grace of increased Faith in the genuine teachings of Jesus.  Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 16 Tuesday: Mk 8:14-21: 14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “We have no bread.” 17 And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm ; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: The Jews considered fermentation by yeast as equivalent to putrefaction and, hence, something evil.  That is why Jesus equated evil influence with leaven.  Jesus considered the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the immoral life of the king Herod as leaven corrupting the dough of Israel.  Hence, he gave the warning against their evil influence to his disciples while they were crossing the Lake in a boat.

The misunderstanding and correction: The Apostles in the boat misunderstood Jesus’ warning as a scolding for their having forgotten to bring enough bread for all of them.  Hence, Jesus reminded them of his miraculous provision of bread in the feedings of the four thousand and of the five thousand people as evidence that they did not have to worry about food they had forgotten to bring for their supper. Twelve baskets full of left over after miraculously feeding four thousand people represent the twelve tribes of Israel whom God first established as his chosen people to preserve the belief in the one true God. The seven baskets left over after feeding the five thousand people represent the seven nations of the Gentiles to whom salvation is extended. Jesus clarifies by these miracles that while salvation is universal, the way to salvation is through him the Messiah.  He warns his disciples to beware of the false way of salvation offered by the two extreme philosophies of the Pharisees and the King Herod and the Herodians.

 Life messages: 1) With trusting Faith, let us rely on the miraculous provision God has in store for us in our daily life (as the word of God and the Holy Eucharist), when we do our share of work sincerely. 2) Let us take Jesus’ warning against allowing the evil influence of the society around us to define and defile us but let us rely on the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us and guiding, protecting and enlightening the Church. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 17 Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18:

USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/reflections.com/daily-reflections/ Introduction: Ash Wednesday (dies cinerum), is the Church’s Yom Kippur or the “Day of Atonement.” Its very name comes from the Jewish practice of doing penance wearing “sackcloth and ashes.” The Old Testament tells us how the people of Nineveh, King Ben Hadad of Syria, and Queen Esther fasted, wearing sackcloth and ashes. In the early Church, Christians who had committed serious sins were instructed to do public penance wearing sackcloth and ashes. The Church instructs us to observe Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent, including Good Friday, as days of full fast and abstinence. Fasting is prescribed to reinforce our penitential prayer during the Lenten season.

Scripture lessons summarized: The prophet Joel, in the first reading, insists that we should experience a complete conversion of heart and not simply regret for our sins. Today’s Responsorial Psalm, (Ps 51), offers us an act of contrition with a plea for mercy and a prayer for a “clean heart” with which to live holy lives. Saint Paul, in the second reading, advises us “to become reconciled to God.” Today’s Gospel instructs us to assimilate the true spirit of fasting and prayer.

The Blessing of the Ashes and the Significance of the Day: The priest dipping his thumb into ashes (collected from burnt palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday), marks the forehead of each of us with the sign of the cross saying the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return,” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” By marking the sign of the cross with ashes on the foreheads of her children, the Church gives us: 1- a firm conviction that a) we are mortal beings, b) our bodies will become dust when buried and ashes if cremated, and c) our life-span is very brief and unpredictable; 2- a strong warning that we will suffer eternal misery if we do not repent of our sins, become reconciled with God, asking His pardon and forgiveness, and do penance; and 3- a loving invitation to realize and acknowledge our sinful condition and return to our loving and forgiving God with true repentance and a renewal of our life as the prodigal son did.

Ash Wednesday messages: # 1: We need to purify and renew our lives during the period of Lent by repentance, which means expressing sorrow for sins by turning away from occasions of sins and making a right turn to God. We need to express our repentance by becoming reconciled with God daily, by asking for forgiveness from those whom we have offended and by giving unconditional forgiveness to those who have offended us.

# 2: We need to do prayerful fasting and acts of penance for our sins, following the example of Jesus before his public ministry. Fasting reduces our “spiritual obesity” or the excessive accumulation of “fat” in our soul in the form of evil tendencies, evil habits and evil addictions. It also gives us additional moral and spiritual strength and encourages us to share our blessings with the needy. It offers us more time to be with God in prayer. It encourages us to share our food and goods with the needy. Fasting also makes our minds clearer and more receptive to receive the sacred nourishment of God’s word and Holy Eucharist. (Thomas Merton, OCSO). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21 (Ashes on the head, not on forehead this year- see the pages 7 &8)

GETTING READY FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF ASH WEDNESDAY

HOME/COVID-19, LITURGY/GETTING READY FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF ASH WEDNESDAY

https://thedeaconsbench.com/getting-ready-for-a-different-kind-of-ash-wednesday/

The Vatican issued new guidelines for the distribution of ashes during the pandemic — you can read about them here — and now different corners of the United States are getting ready to put them into practice.

CNS reports: 

It said priests should bless the ashes with holy water at the altar and then address the entire congregation with the words in the Roman Missal that are used when marking individual’s foreheads with ashes: Either “Repent and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

The sprinkling of ashes on individual heads would take place without any words said to each person.

Dioceses will respond to this adaptation based on how the effects of the pandemic in their respective regions, said Father Andrew Menke, executive director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington.

Some dioceses have announced their plans to follow this step.

Father Tom Kunz, associate general secretary and vicar for canonical services in the Pittsburgh Diocese, said the different approach with ashes “will help the priest or deacon to avoid having direct contact with a large amount of people.” He also said this method is common in other countries.

“Even in a pandemic, Lent is a season of grace and an important moment in the church’s penitential practice,” he told The Pittsburgh Catholic, online diocesan news site.

The website of the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, posted videos in English and Spanish reviewing the practice of sprinkling of ashes on people’s heads explained by Father Thu Nguyen, diocesan director of liturgy and worship.

The Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida, in its online guidelines for parishes during Lent, said if parishes “choose to distribute ashes during the current health crisis” the ashes cannot be self-imposed but must be given by a minister wearing a face mask.

It gave parishes a few options, including the sprinkling of ashes on the head. It also said ashes could be imposed individually with a moistened swab or cotton ball “out of an abundance of caution”; or ministers could place ashes on foreheads with their thumbs as usual, making sure to sanitize after every two or three people.

The description on the diocesan website also stressed the “reception of ashes is not mandatory nor required.” It also said parishioners should know “their own internal disposition and intention to repent and start over” is the key to Ash Wednesday and that ashes are “an external sign of that internal reality. They may enter into Lent with a repentant heart even if they decide that receiving ashes is not the right thing for them this year.”

Read more. 

We’re doing sprinkling in my diocese; I’ve heard of other places where priests and deacons will be trying to apply ashes with swabs or Q-tips, which seems to me time-consuming and difficult, especially if you have a large crowd.

But the pandemic may keep people away from churches this year. We’ll see.

Below is the video from the Diocese of Fort Worth, explaining how they’re going to do it.

Visit this YouTube website or Click here: https://youtu.be/ABna0mryEnU

Feb 18 Thursday: Lk 9:22-25: 22 Jesus said to his disciples, “The `Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and on the third day raised. 23 And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: After Peter had made his famous declaration of Faith in Jesus as God and the Messiah, Jesus plainly warned his disciples about his suffering death and Resurrection.  But the Apostles were unwilling to accept such a fate for their master.  Hence, Jesus declared the three conditions of discipleship which he expected from his followers, as given in today’s Gospel.

The Three Conditions: 1) Deny yourself. 2) Take up your cross. 3) Follow Me.

1) Denying oneself involves a) cleansing of the heart by the eviction of self from the heart and the removal of all evil tendencies and addictions from the heart, with the help of the Holy Spirit, b) the enthronement of God in the heart and the dedication of oneself to Him, and c) the surrendering of one’s life to the enthroned God through the loving, selfless service of others for God’s glory.

2) Taking up one’s cross means, not only accepting gracefully from God our pains and suffering, but also accepting the pain involved in serving others, in sharing our blessings with them, and in controlling our evil tendencies.  Carrying one’s cross becomes easier when we compare our light crosses with the heavier ones given to terminally ill patients and to exploited people living under subhuman conditions.  The realization that Jesus carries with us the heavier part of our cross also makes our cross-bearing easier and more salvific.

3) Follow Me means to follow Jesus by obeying the word of God and adjusting one’s life accordingly.  The disciple should be ever ready to obey as Jesus directs him or her through His words in the Bible and through the teaching authority He has instituted in the Church.

The paradox of saving/losing and losing/saving life: According to Bible commentators, the word “life” is here used, clearly, in a double sense: the earthly life of man in flesh and time and his eternal Life of happiness in Heaven.  Hence, what Jesus means is that whoever wishes to save his (earthly), life will lose his (eternal), Life.  But whoever loses his (earthly), life by spending it for Jesus and the Gospel, will save his (eternal), Life.

Life message: We need to love the cross, wear the cross, carry the crosses we are given, and transform these God-given crosses of our life into the instruments of our salvation by working with the Holy Spirit. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 19 Friday: Mt 9:14-15: 14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel passage gives Jesus’ reply to the question asked by a few disciples of John the Baptist about fasting and feasting.  Prayer, fasting and almsgiving were the three-cardinal works of Jewish religious life.  Hence, John’s disciples wanted to know why they and the Pharisees fasted, while Jesus’ disciples were seen feasting with him and never fasting.

Jesus’ reply: Jesus responded to their sincere question using three metaphors: the metaphor of the “children of the bridal chamber,” the metaphor of patching torn cloth and the metaphor of wineskins (Mark 2:18-20; Luke 5:33-35).  In today’s Gospel passage taken from Matthew, Jesus compares his disciples with the children of the bridal chamber.  These people were selected friends of the bridegroom who feasted in the company of the bride and groom during a week of honeymoon.  Nobody expected them to fast.  Jesus declares that his disciples will fast when he, the Bridegroom, is taken away from them. One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy, and it is mentioned next after love in St Paul’s list, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22).   Hence, we are to welcome the joys of Christian life as well as the crosses it offers us. The Fathers of the Church interpret the image of the bridegroom and bride as referring to Christ and his Church. Some explain it tropologically: as long as the Spouse is with us, we are not able to mourn; but when by our sin we turn from Jesus, then is the time for tears and fasting. Yet others apply the words of Christ to the Holy Eucharist. The parable does not condemn the strictness of John nor does it condemn fasting. The disciples of Christ kept the fasts prescribed by the Law, but they did ignore those imposed by the Pharisees.

Life messages: 1) Fasting reduces the excessive accumulation of fat in our soul in the form of evil tendencies and evil habits (= spiritual obesity).  In addition, fasting gives us additional moral and spiritual strength.  It offers us more time to be with God in prayer.  It encourages us to share our food and goods with the needy. We fast so as to share in the sufferings of the Body of Christ (Col 1:24).

2) We need to be adjustable Christians with open and elastic minds and hearts: The Holy Spirit, working actively in the Church and guiding the teaching authority in the Church, enables the Church to have new visions, new ideas, new adaptations and new ways of worship in the place of old ones.  So, we should have the generosity and good will to follow the teachings of the Church (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 20 Saturday: Lk 5: 27-32: 27 After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the customs post; and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And he left everything, and rose and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

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 post to invite Matthew to become his disciple.  Since tax collectors worked for a foreign power and extorted more tax money from the people than the area owed, and thus made themselves rich by extortion, they were hated and despised as traitors by the Jewish people, and considered public sinners by the Pharisees.  But Jesus could see in Matthew a person who needed Divine love and grace. 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 call to follow him 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. Jesus’ dining with outcasts in the house of a traitor scandalized the Pharisees for whom ritual purity and table fellowship were important religious practices.  Hence, they asked the disciples, “Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  Jesus Himself answered their question, stressing his ministry as healer: “Those who are well do not need a physician; the sick do.”  Then, in Matthew’s account, quoting Hosea, Jesus challenged the Pharisees, “Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ (Hos 6:6)” Finally, Jesus clarified his position, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Life messages: 1) Jesus calls you and me for a purpose: Jesus has called us, through our Baptism, has forgiven our sins and has welcomed us as members of the Kingdom. He calls us through the Word and through his Church to be his disciples and to turn away from all the things that distract us and draw us away from God.

2) Just as Jesus did, and Matthew did, we, too, are expected to preach Christ through our lives, by reaching out to the unwanted and the marginalized in society with Christ’s love, mercy and compassion.  (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed homilies

Feb 8-13: Feb 8 Monday (St. Jerome Emiliani, St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin): Mk 6: 53-56: 53 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, 55 and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Gennesaret was a tract of land four miles long on the western border of the Sea of Galilee, lying between current day Tabgha and ancient Magdala. Known as the “Paradise of Galilee,” the land was rich soil for farmers to grow walnuts, dates, olives, figs, and grapes and it was a fishing center as well. Today’s Gospel passage describes the reaction of the people of Gennesaret when the healing and preaching miracle-worker, Jesus, unexpectedly landed on their shore. They considered it a golden opportunity to hear his message and to get all their sick people healed by bringing them to Jesus with trusting Faith in his Divine power. They were confident that even touching Jesus’ garment would heal the sick. Actually, they may have been more interested in using the healer to heal their sick people than in hearing Jesus’ preaching. Our innate human tendency is to use others to get something from them. We make use of God when we call Him only when we are in need or when we are sick or when tragedy strikes us. Some of us make use of the Church only to get baptized, married and buried. Often, we make use of our friends to get their company, help and support. Sometimes even grown-up children make use of their parents’ home for eating and sleeping without returning anything to their parents, who might rightly expect, but do not ask, a return, from them.

Life message: Instead of making use of God, let us learn to live in His presence, and recognize His presence in others in the community. 2) When we present our needs before Him, let us do so with expectant Faith and gratitude, and promise Him with the help of His grace that we will do His will. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 9 Tuesday: Mark: 7:1-13: 1 Now when the Pharisees gathered together to him, with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands  defiled?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, `This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! 10 For Moses said, `Honor your father and your mother’; and, `He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die’; 11 but you say, `If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Korban’ (that is, given to God) — 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do.” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel passage describes Jesus’ confrontation with the Scribes and the Pharisees sent from Jerusalem by the Jewish religion’s Supreme Court, the Sanhedrin, to assess Jesus’ “heretical teachings.” Their first question to Jesus was why he did not command his disciples to do the ritual washing of hands before meals or during a banquet. Ex 30:17ff had laid down rules for how the priests should wash their hands before offering sacrifice.  Jewish tradition had extended this purification to all Jews before every meal, in an effort to give meals a religious significance.  Ritual purification was a symbol of the moral purity a person should have when approaching God. One should have a clean conscience and clean mind.  But the Pharisees had focused on the mere external rite. Therefore, Jesus restored the genuine meaning of these precepts of the Law, the purpose of which was to teach the right way to render homage to God.

Jesus’ explanation: Jesus shocked his questioners by accusing them of hypocrisy and giving lip-service to God while ignoring His teachings, replacing them with man-made interpretations. As an example, Jesus pointed out how they were cleverly evading God’s commandment to honor one’s parents by falsely interpreting the precept of Korban. According to their interpretation, one could be freed from taking care of one’s parents in their old age by declaring the money or property meant for their support as “Korban,” or a special offering to God. Jesus told them that the true source of defilement was a person’s heart and mind. True religion should not be mere external observances disconnected from the mind and the intentions.

Life messages: 1) We need to remember that the essence of religion is a personal relationship with God and with our fellow-human beings, not merely the external observances of religion. 2) God expects from us that generosity and good will which urge us to practice more mercy, offer more kindness, show more willingness to forgive offenses and exercise more readiness to serve others lovingly and sacrificially. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 10 Wednesday (St. Scholastica, Virgin): Mk 7:14-23: 14 And he called the people to him again, and said to them, “Hear me, all of  you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. 21. From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,22adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.23All these evils come from within and they defile.” All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel passage continues Jesus’ explanation to the public of his revolutionary views on the ritual washing of hands before meals. The Law (Ex 30:17ff) had laid down how priests should wash before offering sacrifice.  Jewish tradition had extended this to all Jews before every meal in an effort to give meals a religious significance.  Ritual purification was a symbol of the moral purity a person should have when approaching God. But the Pharisees had focused on the mere external rite. For Jesus, true religion should not be mere external observances disconnected from the mind and the intentions.

 Jesus’ explanation: Jesus shocked the people by his plain statement: ” … there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him.” In other words, Jesus made the shocking declaration that all the ritual food laws of the Old Testament about Kosher food were null and void. For Jesus, those laws were intended to teach the people of the Old Covenant the importance of offering acceptable sacrifice and worship to God with a clean conscience and clean mind, with clean thoughts and clean deeds. Hence, the true source of defilement is a person’s heart and mind because “out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.”

Life message: 1) We need to keep our minds filled with love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness if we want to practice the true religion of loving God living in others.  Hence, let us ask God to help us cleanse our minds of evil thoughts and desires and free them from jealousy, envy and pride.  Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 11 Thursday: Mk 7: 24-30: (Our Lady of Lourdes): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/our-lady-of-lourdes/ and the 29^th World Day of the Sick (introduced by Pope St.John Paul II in 1992): It was three years and two months after the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Blessed Pope Pius IX (1854) that Mary appeared for the first time on February 11, 1858, to St. Bernadette Soubirous in the grotto at Massabielle, in Lourdes, France. Bernadette, a 14-year-old peasant girl was the oldest daughter among the six children of Francois Soubirous and Louise Casterot. One day Bernadette went to the rocky area to collect firewood with her sister and a friend. It was when she was left behind by the other two near a big rock that Bernadette heard a loud noise. As she turned to investigate, she caught sight of a very beautiful Lady clothed in white with a rosary hanging on her arm standing in a grotto in the rock wall. The beautiful Lady smiled at her and summoned her to pray the rosary and they prayed together. Bernadette received 18 apparitions of our Lady starting in February and ending in July 1858. (Watch the movie: Song of Bernadette: https://youtu.be/wLKFAKIfn-w ) USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

On the 18th appearance the Holy Virgin gave the young visionary the answer to her pastor’s question, “Who are you?” In the local language Mary said, ‘I am the Immaculate Conception.” During her previous appearances, the Blessed Virgin Mary had instructed Bernadette to tell people to pray and do penance. All must pray especially for the conversion of sinners. Our Lady instructed Bernadette to go and tell her pastor that she wished a chapel to be built on the spot and processions to be made to the grotto. But it wasn’t until four years later, in 1862, that the Bishop of the diocese declared the faithful “justified in believing the reality of the apparition,” and Pope Pius IX authorized him to permit the veneration of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes. A basilica was built upon the rock of Massabielle by the parish priest in 1865. It was consecrated, and the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was solemnly crowned. In 1883 the foundation stone of another Church was laid, as the first was no longer large enough. It was built at the foot of the basilica, was consecrated in 1901, and was named the Church of the Rosary. Pope Leo XIII authorized a special office and a Mass, in commemoration of the apparition, and in 1907 Pius X extended the observance of this feast to the entire Church to be observed on 11 February. Since apparitions are private revelation and not public revelation, Catholics are not bound to believe them. However, all recent Popes have visited the Marian shine. Benedict XV, Pius XI and St. John XXIII went there as bishops, Pius XII as papal delegate. Pope Pius XII also issued a Lourdes encyclical on the 100th anniversary of the apparitions in 1958. Pope St. John Paul II visited Lourdes three times, Pope Benedict XVI completed a visit there on 15 September 2008 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the apparitions, and Pope Francis visited Lourdes in 2015.

Life Messages: The 29^th World Day of the Sick will be observed on February 11, 2021. This day serves the purpose of reminding the members of the Church of the healing ministry of the Church. It reminds us of our Christian obligation to attend to the sick and the suffering around us. 2) This is a day to show our gratitude to the caregivers, the doctors, the nurses, the health care workers, the pastoral ministers and all those who strive to restore the physical and spiritual health of the sick Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20 USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 12 Friday: Mark 7:31-37: 31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him. 33 And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; 34 and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus, by healing a deaf and mute man, fulfilled Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy, “The eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped”(Isaiah 35:5). The Gospel invites us to become humble instruments of healing in Jesus’ hands by giving a voice to the needy and the marginalized in our society.   It also challenges us to let our ears be opened to hear the word of God, and to let our tongues be loosened to convey the Good News of God’s love and salvation to others.  Through this miracle story, Mark’s account also reminds us that no one can be a follower of the Lord without reaching out to the helpless (“preferential option for the poor”).

The miracle is described in seven ritual-like steps: (1) Jesus leads the man away from the crowd;  (2) puts his fingers into the man’s ears;  (3) spits on his own fingers;  (4)  touches the man’s tongue  with the spittle; (5) looks up to Heaven;  (6) sighs;  (7)  and speaks  the healing command: “Ephphatha”  (“be opened.”). Jesus carries out this elaborate ritual probably because the dumb man could not hear Jesus’ voice nor express his needs.  Jesus applies a little saliva to the man’s tongue because people in those days believed that the spittle of holy men had curative properties. The miracle is about the opening of a person’s ears so that he will be able to hear the word of God, and the loosening of his tongue so that he will be able to profess his Faith in Jesus.

Life messages: 1) Jesus desires to give us his healing touch in order to loosen our tongues so that he may speak to the spiritually hungry through us.   Jesus invites us to give him our hearts so that, through us, he may touch the lives of people in our day.

2) We must allow Jesus to heal our spiritual deafness and muteness because otherwise we may find it hard to speak to God in prayer and harder still to hear Him speaking to us through the Bible and through the Church.

3) Let us imitate the dumb man in the Gospel by seeking out Jesus, following him away from the crowd, spending more of our time in getting to know him intimately through studying the Holy Scriptures and experiencing him personally in our lives through prayer.   The growing awareness of the healing presence of Jesus in our lives will open our ears and loosen our tongues. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21 

Feb 13 Saturday: Mark 8:1-10: 1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him, and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; 3 and if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way.” 4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?”  5 And he asked them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven.”6 And he commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish; and having blessed them, he commanded that these also should be set before them. 8 And they ate, and were satisfied; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people.10 And he sent them away; and immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: The miraculous feeding described in today’s Gospel took place on a hill near the Sea of Galilee after Jesus’ return from the Decapolis. A large crowd remained with Jesus for three days, participating in his preaching and healing ministry till all the food they had carried with them was gone.

Jesus felt pity for the hungry multitude and instructed his Apostles to feed them with what they had, namely, seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. They brought these to Jesus who said a prayer of thanksgiving over them and instructed them to distribute the bread and fish to the people. After the crowd had eaten their fill, the Apostles filled seven baskets with leftover broken pieces. This passage appears to be a repetition of Mk 6:34-44.  But there are two differences: the first account shows the miracle performed for the benefit of Jews, the second for Gentiles.  In the first account there are twelve basketfuls of scraps left over, in the second only seven.  The language is ‘Eucharistic’: Jesus “took the loaves and giving thanks he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute.”

 Life messages: 1) We need to help Jesus to feed the hungry today. Jesus invites us to give him our hearts so that he may touch the lives of people in our day through us, just as he touched the lives of millions through saintly souls like Francis of Assisi, Fr. Damien, Vincent de Paul and Mother Teresa. Let us feed the spiritually hungry with words and deeds of kindness, mercy, and sharing love.

2) We need to be fed by Jesus so that we may feed others. Jesus continues to feed us in His Church with His own Body and Blood in Holy Communion and with the word of God through the Holy Bible. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21  

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed homilies.

Feb 1-6: Feb 1 Monday: Mk 5: 1-20: 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of Gerasenes. 2 And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out, and bruising himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him; 7 and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 And he begged him eagerly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; 12 and they begged him, “Send us to the swine, let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea. 14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus, and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had the legion; and they were afraid. 16 …20.  USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel episode demonstrates Jesus’ power over the devil in a Gentile town of the Decapolis, east of the Jordan, called Gadara (Matthew), or Gerasa (Mark and Luke).  A demon-possessed man (two men in Matthew) came out of a tomb-filled desolate place. The demons, recognizing Jesus as the Son of God, begged Him to send them into a herd of swine. The possessed man’s demons named themselves Legion (ca 5000 men), indicating their number. Jesus did as the evil spirits requested, and the now-possessed swine ran down the slope and drowned in the sea. The frightened people of the city asked Jesus to leave their city. The people considered their swine more precious than the liberation given to the possessed man. If we have a selfish or materialistic outlook, we fail to appreciate the value of Divine things, and we push God out of our lives, begging Him to go away, as these people did.

Life messages: 1) We need to come out of our tombs: Jesus is calling us to come out of the tombs. Our tombs are the closed-in, sealed-off areas of our hearts where Life in the Spirit of God has died because we haven’t let Jesus minister to us through others. Such ungodly persons are lonely. They try to fill their inner emptiness by packing their lives with money, promiscuity, addictions or    workaholism, but nothing works.

2) Jesus the Liberator is ready to free us from the tombs of our evil addictions and habits If we will only let og of everything and give Jesus a chance , He can, and will, help us to experience the joy and freedom of the children of God. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 2 Tuesday (The Presentation of the Lord): ((https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/presentation-of-the-lord ) https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ Lk 2:22-32: The context: Today’s Gospel presents the head of the Holy Family, Joseph, faithfully obeying God’s law given through Moses concerning the purification of the mother and the redeeming of the child by presenting Mary and the Baby Jesus in the Temple. The events recounted appear elsewhere in the liturgical year but are those we traditionally celebrate today, February 2^nd, with the Feast of Presentation of Jesus.  This is a combined feast, commemorating the Jewish practice of the purification of the mother after childbirth and the presentation of the child in the Temple. It is known as the Hypanthe feast or Feast of the Purification of Mary (by the offering two pigeons in the Temple), the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (by prayers and the payment of “five shekels to a member of the priestly family” (Nm 3:47-48; NAB Note on Lk 2:22), to redeem or buy the firstborn male child back from the Lord’s service), and the Feast of Encounter (because the New Testament, represented by the Baby Jesus, encountered the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna). On February 2nd, we celebrate these events as a formal ending of the Christmas season. The same day, we also celebrate the Feast of Candlemas (because candles are blessed then for liturgical and personal use).

Purification and redemption ceremonies: The Mosaic Law taught that, since every Jewish male child belonged to Yahweh, the parents had to “buy back” the child (“redeem” him), with the payment of “five shekels (by the rich) to a member of the priestly family” (Nm 3:47-48; NAB Note on Lk 2:22). In addition, (Nm 18:15) every mother had to be purified after childbirth by prayers and the sacrifice of a lamb (or two turtle doves for the poor) in the Temple. Joseph kept these laws as an act of obedience to God.

The encounter with Simeon and Anna:  By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the old, pious, Spirit-filled Simeon and the very old widow, Anna, both of whom who had been waiting for the revelation of God’s salvation, were present in the Temple the day Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to Present Him to the Father. Simeon recognized Jesus as the Lord’s Anointed One, and in his prayer of blessing, he prophesied that Jesus was meant to be the glory of Israel and a Light of revelation to the Gentiles. While he blessed Mary, Simeon warned that her child would be “set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign of contradiction” and that “a sword will pierce through your own soul. Simeon was prophesying both the universal salvation that would be proclaimed by Jesus and the necessity of suffering in the mission of the Messiah.

Life message: Every Holy Mass in which we participate is our presentation. Although we were officially presented to God on the day of our Baptism, we present ourselves and our dear ones on the altar before God our Father through our Savior Jesus Christ at every Holy Mass. Hence, we need to live our daily lives with the awareness both that we are dedicated people consecrated to God and that we are obliged to lead holy lives. Let us also remember and pray for our godparents who presented us to the Lord on the day of our Baptism Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 3 Wednesday (St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-blaise : Mk 6: 1-6: (Mt 13:54-58): USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel passage describes the painful indifference Jesus met in his audience and the jealous, hurtful comments Jesus heard when, as a carpenter-turned-Rabbi with a band of his own disciples, he started preaching in the synagogue of his hometown, Nazareth.

A prophet without honor: The people of Nazareth literally jammed the synagogue, eager to see their familiar carpenter-turned-miracle-working preacher, Jesus, working miracles as he had done in neighboring towns and villages. But they were jealous, incredulous, and critical, rather than believing, which prevented Jesus from doing miraculous healings. They were jealous of the extraordinary ability of a former carpenter without formal education in Mosaic Law to give a powerful and authoritative interpretation of their Holy Scriptures. A carpenter’s profession was considered low in social ranking.  Besides, they could not accept a prophet coming from so low a family background as Jesus’ was, nor could they accept his “blasphemous” claim to be the promised Messiah. Jesus’ relatives, known to them, were equally unimportant people. But the most offensive thing he did, in their judgment, was to point out to them their own unbelief, citing examples of the famous prophets Elijah and Elisha favoring Faith-filled Gentiles over unbelieving Jews.

Brothers and sisters of Jesus: “Ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and other languages had no special words for different degrees of relationship, such as are found in more modern languages.  In general, all those belonging to the same family, clan, and even tribe, were brethren. Jesus had different kinds of relatives, in two groups–some on his mother’s side, others on St. Joseph’s.  Matthew 13:55-56 mentions, as living in Nazareth, “His brethren” James, Joses, Simon and Judas, and elsewhere there is reference to Jesus’ sisters (cf. Matthew 6:3).  But in Matthew 27:56 we are told that James and Joses were sons of a Mary distinct from the Blessed Virgin, and that Simon and Judas were not brothers of James, or St. Joseph’s children from a previous marriage. Jesus, on the other hand, was known to everyone as the son of Mary (Mark 6:3) or the carpenter’s son (Matthew 13:55).  The Church has always maintained as absolutely certain that Jesus had no brothers or sisters in the full meaning of the term: it is a dogma that Mary was ever-Virgin” (Navarre Bible Commentary)

Life messages:

1) Perhaps we have experienced the pain of rejection, betrayal, abandonment, violated trust, neglect, or abuse from our own friends and relatives. On such occasions, let us face rejection with prophetic courage and optimism. 2)  Let us not, like the people in Jesus’ hometown, reject God in our personal lives.

3) Our country needs to hear God’s Truth from Spirit-filled Christians with the prophetic courage of their convictions.

4) Trusting Faith in the Divinity and goodness of Christ is essential, if Jesus is to work miracles in our personal lives. In addition, we need to be docile to the Holy Spirit living within us, so that He may work miracles in our lives. 5) When we are challenged by the Gospel and by the Church, we should be thankful and should not allow the prophetic voice of the Church die in our hearts. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 3: Mark 6: 1-6: (In the U. S. St. Blaise, Bishop & Martyr and the blessing of throats): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-blaise/ & Video of his festal celebration in Croatia: https://youtu.be/qoqX63YaJYQ?list=PL58g24NgWPIzvBk2IQVES_xC4WTm6-CDI 

Legends: We have only a few legends and no historical documents about St. Blaise and his martyrdom. But some Eastern Churches observe his feast day as a day of obligation. The British, German and Slavic people honor his memory. The U.S. Catholics seek his intercession for the healing of throat diseases by the ritual of blessing of throats. According to the Acts of St. Blaise written in the eighth century, Bishop Blaise was martyred in his episcopal city of Sebastea, Armenia, (Turkey) in 316. Stories go how when the Christian persecutions began, he withdraw to a cave in the woods when inspired to do so by the Lord. Since he was a physician before he became a bishop, Blaise soon became the friend of wild animals that were ill or wounded. They sought him out. One day the governor’s hunters searching for animals to bring to the city’s amphitheater were shocked when they happened upon Blaise. There he was, kneeling and praying — surrounded by totally docile wolves, lions and bears, tame in his presence. When they took him prisoner, on the way to the jail he got more chances to perform miracles besides healing the boy with the fishbone. He met a poor woman in great distress because a wolf had snatched her small, young pig. She asked his help. Blaise commanded the wolf to return the pig. Right away, the wolf heard and brought back the pig which was not harmed. The woman , continued to visit him in prison, bringing him food and candles to bring him light in his dark cell.

His cult spread throughout the entire Church in the Middle Ages because of the healing of a boy. Details regarding the miraculous healing of the boy vary. One account relates that the  miracle occurred during his journey to  prison when he placed his hand on the boy’s head and prayed.  In anther version of the story, the miracle happened while Blaise was in prison ,when he picked up two candles provided to him and formed a cross around the boy’s throat. The use of candles for the blessing of throats stems from the candles supplied by a woman  that Blaise used while in prison.

Martyrdom and miracles: When the governor of Cappadocia (in Modern Turkey) began to persecute the Christians, St. Blaise was arrested. The governor of Cappadocia tried in vain to persuade Blaise to sacrifice to pagan idols.  The first time Blaise refused; he was beaten. The next time he was suspended from a tree and his flesh torn with iron combs or rakes. Finally, he was beheaded. As he was led to the place of execution a poor mother rushed up to him, begging him to save her child who was choking to death on a fishbone. The bishop gave him a blessing which enabled the child to cough up the bone. Later Bishop Blaise was cruelly tortured and beheaded. The blessing of throats may be given by a priest, deacon, or a lay minister who follows the rites and prayers designated for a lay minister. (Since these are Covid-pandemic days, the minister should take care that the candles do not touch the throat of any person).  The priest or deacon makes the sign of the cross over the recipient as the blessing is said. If necessary, laypersons are permitted to give the blessing of the throats but are instructed not to make the sign of the cross.

Life message: We all need some type of healing in some parts of our body, mind, or soul. Let us ask the intercession of St. Blaise with repentant hearts, so that Jesus the healer may place his healing touch on us as we present ourselves for the ritual of the blessing of the throats. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21 

Feb 4 Thursday: Mk 6: 7-13: 7 And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and preached that men should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel describes the commissioning of the twelve Apostles. They were sent out in pairs with power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. They were to preach to the people whom Jesus would visit the coming of the Kingdom of God, or God’s rule in their lives, and show them how to prepare their hearts for God’s rule by repenting of their sins and asking for God’s forgiveness and liberation from their evil habits. The Apostles were also expected to follow Jesus’ detailed action plan.

Jesus’ instructions and travel tips. From his instructions, it is clear that Jesus meant his disciples to take no supplies for the road. They were simply to trust that God, the Provider, would open the hearts of believers to take care of their needs. Jesus’ instructions also suggest that his disciples should not be like the acquisitive priests of the day, who were interested only in gaining riches.  His disciples should be walking examples of God’s love and providence. The Jews supported their rabbis and judged doing so a privilege as well as an obligation, because hospitality was an important religious tradition in Palestine. The Apostles should choose temporary accommodation in a reputable household, should bless the residents with God’s peace, should be satisfied with the food and accommodation they had received, and should not search for better ones. They were to preach “’the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,’ heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons.”

Life messages: 1) We all have a witnessing mission:   Each Christian is called, not only to be a disciple, but also to be an apostle, bearing witness to Christ. As apostles, we have to evangelize the world by sharing with others not just words, or ideas or doctrines, but our experience of God and His Son, Jesus. It is through our transparent Christian lives that we must show Jesus, whom we have experienced, to others as unconditional love, overflowing mercy, forgiveness, and concern for the people around us. 2) We also have a liberating mission. There are many demons which can control the lives of people around us making them helpless slaves —the demon of nicotine, the demon of alcohol or drugs, the demon of gambling, the demon of pornography and promiscuous sex, the demons of materialism, secularism, and consumerism. We need the help of Jesus to liberate ourselves and others from these demons. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 5 Friday (St. Agatha, Virgin, Martyr): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-agatha  Mk 6:14-29: 14 King Herod heard of it; for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; that is why these  powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; because he had married  her. 18 For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he  heard him gladly. 21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee.  22 For when Herodias’ daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you  wish, and I will grant it.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her….29 USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel presents the last scene of a tragic drama with three main characters, Herod, Herodias and John the Baptist. Herod was a jealous, weak, puppet-king with a guilty conscience. He feared the prophet John, because John had publicly scolded him for divorcing his legal wife without adequate cause and for marrying his sister-in-law Herodias, thus committing a double violation of Mosaic Law. Herodias was an immoral, greedy woman, stained by a triple guilt and publicly criticized by John. 1) She was an unfaithful woman of loose morals. 2) She was a greedy and vengeful woman. 3) She was an evil mother who used her teenage daughter for the evil purposes of murder and revenge by encouraging her to dance in public in the royal palace against the royal etiquette of the day. John the Baptist was a fiery preacher and the herald of the Promised Messiah. He was also a Spirit-filled prophet with the courage of his prophetic convictions who dared to criticize and scold an Oriental monarch and his proud wife in public.

God’s punishment: After the martyrdom of John, Herod was defeated by Aretas, the father of his first wife. Later, both Herod and Herodias were sent into exile by Caligula, the Roman emperor.

Life messages: 1) Our sins will haunt us, ruining our mental peace, as happened to Herod and Herodias. 2) Brutal sins against others will not go unpunished. 3) We need to stand up for truth and justice in the spirit of John the Baptist. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Feb 6 Saturday (St. Paul Miki and companions, Martyrs) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-paul-miki-and-companions : Mk 6: 30-34: 30 The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Today’s Gospel passage presents the sympathetic and merciful heart of Jesus who lovingly invites his Apostles to a desolate place for some rest.  Jesus realized that the Apostles he had sent on a preaching and healing mission to be neighboring towns and villages needed some rest on their return. He was eager to hear about their missionary adventures as they proudly shared their experiences. In no time, however, they were surrounded by the crowd, and Jesus resumed his preaching and teaching because he saw the crowd as sheep without shepherd.

Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus became a Good Shepherd. The Old Testament describes God as shepherd of His people, Israel.  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (Psalm 23:1). The prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would feed his flock like a shepherd, he would gather the lambs in his arms (Isaiah 40:11). Jesus told his disciples that he was the Good Shepherd who was willing to lay down his life for his sheep. In his epistle, Peter calls Jesus the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).

Life messages: 1) Let us show the mercy, compassion, care and concern of Jesus the Good Shepherd to those entrusted to our care. 2) Let us become good sheep of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, by leading pure, innocent, humble, selfless lives, obeying Christ’s commandment of love and gaining daily spiritual strength from the Body and Blood of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, in Holy Communion. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed homilies.Jan 25-30: Jan 25 Monday: (Conversion of the Apostle Paul): Mk 16:15-20: (The feast of the conversion St. Paul) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/conversion-of-saint-paul/ Paul, the “Apostle to the Gentiles” and the greatest missionary of the Apostolic age, was a Roman citizen by his birth in Tarsus (in Cilicia), and a Jew born to the tribe of Benjamin. His Hebrew name was Saul. Since he was a Pharisee, Saul was sent to Jerusalem by his parents to study the Mosaic Law under the great rabbi Gamaliel. As a student, he also learned the trade of tent-making. He was present as a consenting observer at the stoning of Stephen. But Saul was miraculously converted on his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians. After that, Saul, now called Paul, made several missionary journeys, converted hundreds of Jews and Gentiles and established Church communities. He wrote 14 epistles. He was arrested and kept in prison for two years in Caesarea and spent two more years under house arrest in Rome. Finally, he was martyred by beheading at Tre Fontane in Rome.

Today we celebrate the feast of the conversion St. Paul (described thrice in the New Testament: Acts chapters 9, 22, and 26) an event which revolutionized the history and theology of the early Church. Saul of Tarsus, because of his zeal for the Jewish law and Jewish traditions, became the most outrageous enemy of Christ and his teaching, as the apostles started preaching the Gospel. Saul consented to the martyrdom of Stephen, watching the cloaks of the stoners. After the martyrdom of the holy deacon, the priests and magistrates of the Jews raised a violent persecution against the Christian communities at Jerusalem, and Saul was their fanatical young leader. By virtue of the authority he had received from the high priest, he dragged the Christians out of their houses, chained them and thrust them into prison. In the fury of his zeal, he applied to the high priest and Sanhedrin for a commission to take up all Jews at Damascus who confessed Jesus Christ and bring them bound to Jerusalem to be properly punished. He was almost at the end of his journey to Damascus, when, at about noon, he and his company were suddenly surrounded by a great light. As Saul fell to the ground, he heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul answered, “Who are you, Sir?” And the voice said, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now, get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Saul rose and, blind, was led by his companions into Damascus. The Lord sent a Damascus disciple named Ananias to heal and instruct Saul. Ananias entered the house and, obeying Jesus’ orders, laid his hands-on Saul and prayed over him so that he might regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes. He regained his sight, got up, was baptized and, having eaten, recovered his strength. Saul had realized the truth that Jesus was the mysterious fulfillment of all he had been blindly pursuing. He could easily identify Jesus with Jesus’ followers. He stayed several days in Damascus with Christian disciples and started teaching in the synagogues that Jesus was the promised Messiah and the Son of God. Saul’s conversion into Paul teaches us that we, too, need conversion and the renewal of our lives by a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, which will enable us to bear witness to Christ by exemplary lives. USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm;  https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/ Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/(L/21

Jan 26 Tuesday (Saints Timothy & Titus, Bishops) (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saints-timothy-and-titus) :Lk 10:1-9: 1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 heal the sick in it and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm;  https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

Both Timothy and Titus were converts and coworkers of St. Paul, who used them to defuse tensions in problem Churches. Timothy was born in Lystra in Asia Minor. He had a Greek father and Jewish mother, Eunice by name. He was converted by Paul in AD 47. He labored with Paul for 15 years, even during Paul’s house arrest in Rome, and Paul called him “dear son.” He visited the cities of Asia Minor and Greece in the company of St. Paul. He was made a bishop of Ephesus when he was comparatively young.  Paul wrote two letters to him and once advised him to take a little daily dose of wine to treat his stomach problem: “Stop drinking only water but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1Timothy 5:23). He also advised Timothy to “stir into flame” the grace of the Holy Spirit Whom he had received in Baptism (with Confirmation) and Ordination. Timothy won a martyr’s crown at Ephesus on a pagan feast day in the precincts of the temple of the goddess Diana to which he had gone to calm an unruly crowd.  

Titus was a Greek-speaking Gentile from Antioch whose parents were Gentiles. He was Paul’s friend and fellow-preacher, a peacemaker and an administrator whom Paul chose to carry his letters to Church communities. He was made administrator (bishop) of Christians in Crete, charged with organizing the Church there, correcting abuses and appointing presbyter-bishops.

 Life messages: 1) Let us have the apostolic zeal of saints Timothy and Titus. 2) Let us also practice their charity and patience. (Fr. Tony) L/19

Jan 27 Wednesday (St. Angela Merici, Virgin) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/all?keys=&page=4 : Mk 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 USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm;  https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

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 and 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/21

Jan 28 Thursday (St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Doctor of the Church) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-thomas-aquinas : Mt 23: 8-12: 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. 11 He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; 12 whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm;  https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: It was the third day of ‘Holy Week,’ in Jerusalem, a day of controversy and personal attacks. Jesus was under fire, and he lashed out at the religious leaders of Israel for rejecting Him as Messiah.

Three sins of the Scribes and Pharisees:  Jesus raises three objections to the Pharisees: they do not practice what they preach, they adopt a very narrow and burdensome interpretation of the Torah, and they seek public acknowledgment. “They do all their deeds to be seen by others” (23: 5). Jesus accuses the scribes and Pharisees of seeking the glory that rightly belongs to God. They express their love of honor in several ways, thereby converting Judaism into a religion of ostentation.  (i) “They make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long” (v. 5). (ii) They “love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues” (v. 6). (iii) They “love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi” (v. 7). 23: 9 “call no man your Father on earth” cannot be used as a text against calling priests ‘Father,’ because in I Corinthians 4:14-15 Paul says that he is a father to the Corinthians.

Life messages: 1) We need servant leaders in a serving community:  The Church is intended by Christ to be a servant community in which those who hunger are to be filled; the ignorant are to be taught; the homeless to receive shelter; the sick cared for; the distressed consoled; and the oppressed set free.  Hence, leaders should have a spirit of humble service in thought, word and deed. 2) We need to accept the responsibility which goes with our titles. Titles and polite forms exist to remind each of us of our specific responsibilities in society.  Hence, let us use everything we are and have in a way that brings glory to God and His family. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Jan 29 Friday: Mk 4:26-34: 26 Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed upon the ground, 27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” 33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm;  https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Using the mini parables of the growth of wheat seeds and mustard seeds in the field, Jesus explains the nature of the growth of the Kingdom of God or rule of God in human beings and human societies. In the case of both wheat and mustard seeds, the initial growth is slow and unnoticeable. But within days a leafy shoot will emerge, and within months a mature plant with numerous branches and leaves, flowers and fruits will be produced. The growth is silent and slow but steady, using power from the seed in the beginning and transforming absorbed water and minerals for energy in the later stages. Jesus explains that the Kingdom of God grows this way in human souls. The Kingdom of God is the growth of God’s rule in human hearts that occurs when man does the will of God and surrenders his life to God. It is slow and microscopic in the beginning. But it grows by using the power of the Holy Spirit, given to us through the Word of God, the Sacraments, and our prayers. Finally, God’s rule in the human heart transforms individuals and communities into God’s people, doing His will in His kingdom.

Life message 1) As we learn God’s will from His words and try to put these words into practice, we participate in the growth of God’s Kingdom on earth, a growth which will be completed in our Heavenly life. But we need the special anointing of the Holy Spirit to be doers of the word of God, so let us offer our lives before God every day, asking for this special anointing. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21

Jan 30 Saturday: Mark 4:35-41: 35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.  38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” 41 And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?” USCCB video reflections http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm;  https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/

The context: Mark’s emphasis on Jesus’ wondrous works helps him to reveal Jesus’ true Messianic identity. The role of God in calming the storms of life is the central theme of today’s Gospel. By describing the miracle, Mark also gives the assurance to his first-century believers that nothing can harm the Church as long as the risen Lord is with them. The incident reminds us today to keep Jesus in our life’s boat and to seek God’s help in the storms of life.

The storm:  The Sea of Galilee is lake thirteen miles long from north to south and eight miles broad from east to west at its widest. It is notorious for its sudden storms.   When a cold wind blows from the west, the valleys and gullies and hills act like gigantic funnels, compressing the winds and letting them rush down to the lake to create storms with violent waves. Unable to control their fears in just such a storm, the disciples awaken Jesus, accusing him of disregarding their safety. Jesus’ response is immediate.  First, Jesus rebukes the winds and the sea, producing perfect calm, to the great astonishment of his disciples. Then only does he reproach them for their lack of Faith.

Life messages: 1) We need to welcome Jesus into the boat of our life. All of us are making a journey across the sea of time to the shore of eternity, and it is natural that, occasionally in our lives, we all experience different types of violent storms: physical storms, emotional storms, and spiritual storms. We face storms of sorrow, doubts, anxiety, worries, temptations and passion. Only Jesus can give us real peace in the storm of sorrow or console us at the loss of our dear ones.

2) When the storms of doubt seek to uproot the very foundations of our Faith, Jesus is there to still that storm, revealing to us His Divinity and the authority behind the words of Holy Scripture. He gives us peace in the storms of anxiety and worries about ourselves, about the unknown future and about those we love. Jesus calms the storms of passion in people who have hot hearts and blazing tempers. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/21