Easter VII [C] Sunday (June 1)- One-page summary (L-25)

Introduction: Today’s readings are about people’s bearing heroic witness to Jesus through life and death, and the Source of the inspiration behind such witness-bearing. They urge us to work for greater Christian unity and to consider the power of Christian witnessing.

Scripture lessons summarized: The first reading describes the martyrdom of Stephen, showing us how he bore witness to the forgiving love of Jesus by his last prayer. In the second reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, is pictured as having all the forces of Heaven and earth at his disposal, standing ready to help us in our Christian witness-bearing. It is relatively easy to acknowledge our oneness with Stephen and to long for the experience of eternal oneness with “all those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb” (Rv 22:14, Douay- Rheims). But to remain truly one with all of our brothers and sisters continues to be a daily challenge. Today’s Gospel is the last part of the “priestly prayer” of Jesus after the Last Supper. This chapter of John has been called “The Testament of Jesus” or “Jesus’ High Priestly (or Intercessory) Prayer.” During that long prayer, Jesus prayed first for himself – for his own glorification (vv 1-5) – as he faced the cross. Then, he prayed for his disciples that they might be unified and protected in the face of opposition from the world (vv 6-19), and finally he prayed for those in distant lands and far-off ages, including ourselves, who would enter the Christian Faith through the witness-bearing of the Apostles and their successors. Thus, this is Jesus’ prayer for each one of us. We have complete Faith and certainty because Jesus put his confidence in God and entrusted us to Him.

Life Messages: 1) We need to pray for unity and serve one another in unity. We must pray for unity and discuss the similarities we share with others as well as our differences. Along with prayer, we must put our words into action. This means that we are to serve one another and to love one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord. What unites us is greater than what divides us. As we move nearer to Jesus Christ, in him we move nearer to one another. Such unity is ultimately a gift of the Holy Spirit and of His guidance. The soul of the ecumenical movement then, is spiritual. Only by a renewal of the spiritual, by common prayer and common listening to the Word of God, can we hope to overcome the present ecumenical impasses and difficulties. In the words of Pope St. John Paul II: “The door to ecumenism is opened only on our knees.”

2) We need to have a clear idea about the Catholic stand on ecumenism. In his encyclical Ut Unum Sint, Pope St. John Paul II warns against compromise for the sake of unity. He states, “the ultimate goal of the ecumenical movement is to reestablish full visible unity among all the baptized [77.1].” He adds, “It is already possible to identify the areas in need of fuller study before a true consensus of Faith can be achieved.”

EASTER VII (June 1): Acts 7:55-60; Rv 22:12-14, 16-17, 20; Jn 17:20-26 

Homily starter anecdotes: # 1: Fingerprints and DNA scanners: Fingerprints have long been recognized as a form of personal identification. As far back as the reign of the Babylonian King Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC), convicts were fingerprinted. In China as early as 246 BC, fingerprints were used to “sign” legal contracts. In 1788 a German anatomist, Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer, published findings which proved that fingerprints are unique to each individual. The idea caught on so fast that by the mid-nineteenth century, data banks of fingerprints were being collected all over the world for identification purposes. Now, as we know, micro-processors race and run at breakneck speed through millions of fingerprints in order to catch the bad guys or exonerate the good guys. Science has revealed other ways we are unique and singular. Our DNA is our own. Each cell of our body is genetically coded just for us. God made us in many ways wholly and totally different from one another. Yet, as Jesus offers up to the Father his own personal “Lord’s Prayer,” as given in today’s Gospel, he closes by praying for “oneness” among all those who follow him as disciples. Does this mean that Jesus prays for us all to be the same? Is this a call for “cloned Christians”? A franchise faith? A lemming life? A monotone mission? Is every follower of Jesus expected to keep the same pace, have the same stride, move to the same rhythm? Jesus was praying for generations of believers. The “oneness” that Jesus prayed for is a oneness of heart and a oneness of love. Oneness for Jesus is a love mark of hearts that have experienced the unity of Divine love – the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as they are poured out into the hearts of every disciple. As Christians, our DNA reads the same: we are all part of the Body of Christ. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

# 2: Unity by humble dialogue and loving interaction: If you have seen the academy award winning film Gandhi, you may remember the scene where Gandhi is caught in the middle of intense conflict between Muslims and Hindus. He defuses the situation by saying, “I am a Muslim, and a Hindu, and a Christian, and a Jew.” This is a wonderful attitude to take, so long as it affirms the unique identities and contributions of each tradition and so long as it is a recognition of unity amid diversity rather than a superficial homogenizing of the various faiths. As we noted on Ash Wednesday, Christians in particular may need to begin paying more serious attention to the other major religions of the world. Many folks are so ignorant of anything beyond the Judeo-Christian tradition that when they do run into another faith-system they are immediately swept off their feet and become infatuated. In the name of understanding and unity based on the grace of God, we surely need to avoid the attitude expressed by a group of parents who wanted The Diary of Anne Frank banned from the classroom because it seemed to approve of all religions without recognizing the superiority of Christianity. Ghandi’s sentiment is a great antidote to such, no doubt well-intentioned holier-than-thou-ism. The Charlton Heston movie El Cid (“The Lord”), illustrated both the horrible destructiveness of religious conflicts and the possibilities for overcoming religious-based hostility. The story of El Cid illustrates how the desire to win or claim other people for one’s Faith can become a prescription for cruel tyranny. Faith is shared through humble dialogue and by loving interaction, not by making claims and demands, although Jesus didn’t tell us to “Go, therefore, and ‘have dialogue’ with all nations,” but to “make disciples.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

# 3: Wrong ecumenism in action? One day, a man was walking across a bridge and saw another man standing on the edge, about to jump off. He immediately ran to him and said, “Stop! Don’t do it!” “Well, why shouldn’t I?” he replied. The other said, “Well, there’s so much to live for!” “Like what”? “Well … are you religious or atheist?” “Religious.” “Me, too! And are you Christian or Jewish?” “Christian.” “Me, too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?” “Protestant.” “Me, too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?” “Baptist.” “Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?” “Baptist Church of God.” “Me, too! Are you Original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?” “Reformed Baptist Church of God.” “Me, too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?” “Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!” To which he said, “Die, you heretic!” and pushed him off the bridge. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Introduction: Today’s readings are about people’s bearing heroic witness to Jesus through life and death, and the Source of the inspiration behind such witness-bearing.  They urge us to work for greater unity and to consider the power of Christian witness. The first reading describes the martyrdom of Stephen the Deacon and how he bore witness tohis Faith and the forgiving love of Jesus by his last prayers. In today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 97) the Psalmist prays that all creation may rejoice in the Lord Who is King, and that all peoples may see His Glory. In the second reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, is pictured as having all the forces of Heaven and earth at his disposal, standing ready to help us in our Christian witness-bearing.  It is relatively easy to acknowledge our oneness with Stephen, and to long for the experience of eternal oneness with “all those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb” (Rv 22:14, Douay-Rheims).  But to remain truly one with all of our brothers and sisters continues to be a daily challenge.  Today’s Gospel is the last part of the “priestly prayer” of Jesus after the Last Supper. This chapter of John has been called “The Testament of Jesus” or “Jesus’ High Priestly (or Intercessory) Prayer.” During that long prayer, Jesus prays first for himself – for his own glorification (vv 1-5) – as he faces the cross.  Then, he prays for his disciples that they may be unified and protected in the face of opposition from the world (vv 6-19), and finally he prays for those in distant lands and far-off ages, including ourselves, who will enter the Christian Faith. because of their witness-bearing.   Thus, this is Jesus’ prayer for each one of us.  We have complete Faith and certainty because Jesus put his confidence in God to whom he entrusts us all..

First reading, Acts 7: 55-60, explained: One of the purposes of Acts was to introduce Gentile converts to the Jewish roots of their new religion, and at the same time to explain Christianity’s separation from its ancestral tradition, and its openness to non-Jews.  The story of Stephen’s martyrdom illustrates the point. Stephen’s vision of Jesus enthroned in Heaven, echoes the theme of the Feast of the Ascension. As in the case of Stephen, the Acts of the Apostles presents Christ’s disciples reproducing in their own lives some of the experiences of Jesus. By A.D. 80 when, some scholars believe, Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles, Christians were almost sure that Christ’s “second coming” would be delayed.  The delayed Parousia seems to be why Stephen, the first Christian to die looks up at the moment of death, sees “the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand,” and prays, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” We might see Jesus coming in glory to receive Stephen’s spirit as an indication that each Christian, at the moment of death, will experience his or her personal Parousia. We no longer have to wait for Jesus’ Second Coming to enter into glory. That’s why Jesus, in Luke’s account of the Passion, assures the good thief, “This day you will be with me in paradise!”(Lk 23:43) An aspect of our Faith that is both reassuring and challenging is the fact that it is through us that the glory of the risen Jesus is revealed to others, just as it was in the martyrdom of Stephen.  Stephen is a good example of Faith in the risen Jesus and of the power of Christian witness. In fact, the word “martyr” derives from the Greek word for witness. Stephen died as the consequence of his bold profession of Christian Faith.

Second Reading, Revelation 22, 12-14, 16-17, 20, explained: The Risen Jesus is celebrated here as the ground of unity and the reason for bearing witness (suffering martyrdom).  The first readers of this book were facing life-and-death struggles with persecutors.  Hence, the Book of Revelation was given by God to John to encourage them, and all of us when we are persecuted, and to convince them, and us, that the stakes are as high as they can be.  What Stephen sees as a mere glimpse in the first reading is more fully described in the vision reported in the passage from Revelation.  This crucified, and now glorious, Jesus, the Beginning and End of all things, can unreservedly promise us life because he has conquered death:  “Let … the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving waters” (Rv 22:17).  Those joined to Jesus will be energized by the very power that flows from him.  In promising martyrs that they will have the “right to the tree of life”(Cf Gn 3:21-24),  John is telling us that, in Jesus, the ancient obstacle to eternal life has been lifted.  John also gives the early Christians the assurance that Jesus is already present in their lives – (“realized eschatology”) to share their joys and sorrows.

Gospel exegesis: 1) Jesus prays for a unity of personal relationship.  Unity is the main theme of Jesus’ prayer for the universal Church.  He prays three times that all its members may be one as He and His Father are one, asking for the unity of the Church.  Note the gradation in the intensity of unity for which Jesus asks:: in verse 21 he prays, “that they may all be one“; in verse 22, “that they may be one even as We are One”; and in verse 23, “that they may become perfectly one.”  Christ’s plea does not concern human organizational or institutional unity among the 34,000 Christian denominations. Jesus wants the Church to be one in the very sense that there is oneness between Jesus and the Father. Quite obviously, the Oneness between Jesus and the Father is a oneness of Being, expressed as a complete unity of purpose and love. The mind of Jesus is that we cannot have unity with others unless we first have unity among ourselves as his disciples and, even more basic, that we cannot have this unity unless we have unity with God our Father in Christ by his Spirit. This means that Jesus prays for a unity of love among Christians, a unity based entirely our unity with Him, our living His Life, and on the relationship between heart and heart – God with us and we with each other. Jesus desires that Christian unity transcend all the present denominational differences and unite his followers in love. The Church must be one in the Spirit with its members, one in love and holiness. In addition to real theological and doctrinal differences, a major cause of   Christian disunity today is that Jesus’ followers love their own ecclesiastical organizations, creeds, and rituals more than they love Christ.  Only real Christian love, implanted by God in the hearts of Christians, can reconcile these real divisions and tear down the barriers that, over the centuries, have been erected among denominations. According to the Scriptures, God’s design for humankind is that we recognize that all of us are the children of God, and brothers to one another.  This implies that we live in accord with this Divinely inspired insight—that we live in peace, harmony, and unity. Such a true spiritual unification is possible only through the work of the Holy Spirit.

2) Unity among Christians is necessary to convince the world of the truth of Christianity.  Real unity among the Christians would stand as a supernatural fact requiring a supernatural explanation.  It would have a strong witness value before non-Christians.  Jesus actually makes this unity one of the most important signs of his mission.  Faced with the disunity of Christians, the world cannot see the supreme value of the Christian Faith.  Hence, it is our duty to demonstrate that unity of love with all our fellow Christians whatever their denominations and in spite of doctrinal differences. God’s glory is to be visible not in magnificent edifices or in structures of power, but in the love that unites Jesus’ followers among themselves and to God.

Jesus’ prayer for love and unity inspired Pope St. John XXIII in his desire to call a Council to help break down divisions among contemporary followers of Jesus. In his encyclical on ecumenism, Ut Unum Sint (1995), Pope St. John Paul II cites Jn. 17:21-22 at least five times, stressing that the unity “which the Lord has bestowed on his Church and in which he wishes to embrace all people…stands at the very heart of Christ’s mission” (No. 9), and he urges common prayer to overcome the “painful reality” of Christian division (No. 22). In the same encyclical, Pope St. John Paul II also gives three reasons for Christian unity – first, all Christians should be obedient to Christ’s prayer that “all may be one”; second, it is important to honor the call of the Second Vatican Council, and third, the effective evangelization of the world depends on the united witness of Christians, for division among Christian believers damages our credibility. The Pope does warn against the dangers of compromise for the sake of unity, for “compromise is a contradiction with God who is Truth [70.1].”

3) Why all Christian unity attempts failed? Hans Küng has included some of these admissions in his timely work entitled Global Responsibility (Crossroads Publishing Co., New York: 1991). 1-We have failed because we have not borne witness to God’s caring love for each and every creature. 2-We have failed because we have not overcome the divisions between the churches and have often used the authority and power given to us to strengthen false and limited solidarities like racism, sexism, and nationalism. 3-We have failed because we have caused wars or excused them and often too easily justified them. 4-We have failed to be mediators and reconcilers. 5-We have failed because we have not questioned decisively enough the political and economic systems which misuse power and riches, which exploit resources and perpetuate poverty and marginalization. 6-We have failed because we have regarded ourselves and our countries as the superior center of the world. We have failed because we have not borne constant witness to the sanctity and dignity of all life. (Sanchez Files).

4) Requirements for meaningful Christian unity: True union will not be achieved simply by recognizing and admitting failures. This being the first step, the acknowledgement of guilt must be followed by a deliberate and sustained process of radical change, change that begins in the mind and heart and will, and is authentically translated into words, works and daily continuing efforts. To that end, the participants in the meetings in Stuttgart (October, 1988), Basle (May, 1989), and Seoul (March, 1990), proposed that there be: (1) a new social world order in which there is not just freedom for all but also justice. This would require that all men and women would possess equal rights and live in solidarity with one another; (2) a pluralistic world order in which there is not just equality but a reconciled multiplicity of cultures, traditions and peoples, free of discrimination of any sort; (3) a world order in partnership wherein all men and women in church and society share responsibility at all levels and wherein all can freely contribute their gifts, insights, values and experiences; (4) a world order in which mere coexistence yields to authentic peace, mere competitive productivity yields to global sharing and solidarity, and mere tolerance yields to true ecumenism. However, new world orders cannot be imposed from without; any hope of arriving at global transformation must begin with initial efforts at the grassroots level. Therefore, Jesus’ prayer, “that all may be one,” challenges each of us to look, not across cultures, continents and oceans but into the mirror over the bathroom sink. (Sanchez Files).

5) Jesus has given us his glory.  In his prayer for his followers, Jesus states that he has given his disciples the glory which the Father has given him.  Jesus describes this glory in three ways. a) The Cross is his glory, and the crucifixion is the moment of his glorification by his Father. Hence, a Christian should consider the cross not as a penalty, but as an honor.  We must regard difficulties as moments of glory given to us by God.  b) Jesus considers his perfect obedience to the will of his Father as his glory. Thus, Christians are expected to find the real glory of life in doing God’s will.  c) Jesus’ life is a demonstration of his special relationship with God, expressing God’s love, compassion, and forgiveness, thus giving Him glory.  It is our glory when people around us see in us the reflection of Christ.  God has given Christ the glory of Sonship, and this has resulted in Their unity.  Jesus, in turn, gives to his disciples the glory of becoming the adopted sons of God (Gal 4: 5; Eph 1:5; Jn 1:12; 1 Jn 3:1).  Jesus concludes his High Priestly prayer by promising us that if we share his sufferings on earth, we shall share his glory and triumph when our life on this earth is ended. As Paul put it, “If we have died with him, we shall also live with him.  If we continue to endure, we shall also rule with him” (2 Timothy 2: 11-12).  Jesus prays that we may be with Him, and that when we die we may share his glory.

Life Messages: 1) We need to pray for unity and serve one another in unity.  We must pray for unity and discuss the similarities we share with others as well as our differences. Along with prayer, we must put our words into action.   This means that we are to serve one another and to love one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord. Walter, Cardinal Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, writes: “Much has been achieved over the last decades. Separated Christians no longer consider one another as strangers, competitors, or even enemies, but as brothers and sisters. They have largely removed the former lack of understanding, misunderstanding, prejudice, and indifference; they pray together, they give together witness to their common Faith; in many fields they work trustfully together. They have experienced that ‘what unites us is greater than what divides us.’ Such a change was hardly conceivable only half a century ago; to wish to go back to those times would entail being forsaken not only by all good spirits but also by the Holy Spirit.” In the ecumenical movement, the question is the conversion of all to Jesus Christ. As we move nearer to Jesus Christ, in Him we move nearer to one another. Such unity is ultimately a gift of God’s Spirit and of His guidance. http://www.nccouncilofchurches.org/areasofwork/committees/christian_unity/sermon_mcbriar.htm – _edn9#_edn9. The soul of the ecumenical movement then, is spiritual. Only by a renewal of the spiritual, by common prayer and common listening to the Word of God, can we hope to overcome the present ecumenical impasses and difficulties. http://www.nccouncilofchurches.org/areasofwork/committees/christian_unity/sermon_mcbriar.htm – _edn10#_edn10. In the words of Pope St. John Paul II: “The door to ecumenism is opened only on our knees.” http://www.nccouncilofchurches.org/areasofwork/committees/christian_unity/sermon_mcbriar.htm – _edn11#_edn11

2) We need to have a clear idea about the Catholic stand on ecumenism. In his encyclical Ut Unum Sint, Pope St. John Paul II warns against compromise for the sake of unity. Quoting the Apostle Paul  in Galations 3:28, he states that “the ultimate goal of the ecumenical movement is to reestablish full visible unity among all the baptized [77.1].” The Pope addresses the areas for study before a true consensus of Faith can be achieved: “It is already possible to identify the areas in need of fuller study before a true consensus of Faith can be achieved: 1) The relationship between Sacred Scripture, as the highest authority in matters of Faith, and Sacred Tradition, as indispensable to the interpretation of the Word of God. 2) The Eucharist, as the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, an offering of praise to the Father, the sacrificial memorial and Real Presence of Christ and the sanctifying outpouring of the Holy Spirit; 3) Ordination, as a Sacrament, to the threefold ministry of the episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate. 4) The Magisterium of the Church, entrusted to the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him, understood as a responsibility and an authority exercised in the name of Christ for teaching and safeguarding the Faith; 5) The Virgin Mary, as Mother of God and Icon of the Church, the spiritual Mother who intercedes for Christ’s disciples and for all humanity [79.1].”

JOKES OF THE WEEK

1) A Catholic cat: A Catholic priest tells the story about receiving a call from a woman who was quite upset over the death of her pet cat, Homer. She wanted the priest to conduct the funeral service for Homer at her backyard. Imagine that?! The priest explained that this was a little out of his line, and he referred her to a friend, a Presbyterian pastor at a church down the street. Later, the priest learned that his Presbyterian friend had referred her to a Methodist minister, who had referred her to a Lutheran minister. About an hour later, she called her Catholic pastor back and she was still upset. The woman said she was at her wit’s end. She couldn’t find a pastor to conduct Homer’s funeral services and didn’t know what to do. Then she said that she was planning to give $1000 to the minister who performed this service for Homer. The pastor said it took him only a moment to mull this over and then say to her, “Well, why didn’t you tell me Homer was a Catholic cat in the first place!” — Ah, ecumenism at its best! In today’s Gospel Jesus prays for an entirely different type of unity of Christians.

2) Catholic crossing:  Paddy was in New York. He was patiently waiting and watching the traffic cop on a busy street crossing. The cop stopped the flow of traffic and shouted, ‘Okay, pedestrians.’ Then he’d allow the traffic to pass. He’d done this several times, and Paddy still stood on the sidewalk. After the cop had shouted, ‘Pedestrians!’ for the tenth time, Paddy went over to him and said, ‘Is it not about time ye let the Catholics across?’

STATISTICS ON WORLD RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS

1. Christianity: 2 billion (Christian denominations=over 34000)
2. Islam: 1.3 billion, Hinduism: 900 million
3. Secular/Nonreligious/Nones, Agnostic/Atheist: 850 million
4. Buddhism: 360 million, Chinese traditional religion: 225 million
5. primal-indigenous: 150 million, African Traditional & Diasporic: 95 million
6. Sikhism: 23 million, Juche: 19 million, Spiritism: 14 million
7. Judaism: 14 million, 8-Baha’i: 6 million, 9- Jainism: 4 million, 10-Shinto: 4 million

11-Cao Dai: 3 million, 12- Tenrikyo: 2.4 million, 13-Neo-Paganism: 1 million

14-Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand, 15- Rastafarianism: 700 thousand

• Scientology: 600 thousand,17- Zoroastrianism: 150 thousand

USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK

1) Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org

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

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

3) Dr. Brant Pitre’s commentary on Cycle C Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-c)      

4) http://www.searchingthescriptures.net/ (Non-Catholic)

  10– Additional anecdotes:

1) “I know where to hide it.” This is a story by the Bombay-born, English writer, Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936). Once upon a time, when the gods were so new that they had no names and the first man was still damp from the clay of the pit from which he had been dug, he claimed that he too was a god. The gods weighed the evidence and decided that man’s claim was good. Having conceded man’s claim, the gods came by stealth and stole away his divinity, intending to hide it where he could never find it again. Various gods made various suggestions as to an appropriate hiding place, but they could not come to an agreement.  Finally, the wisest of the gods said, “I know where to hide it, give it to me.”  He closed his hand upon the tiny light of man’s stolen godhead, and when he opened his hand again, the light was gone.  “All is well,” said the god, “I have hidden it where man will never dream of looking for it.  I have hidden it inside man himself.” –Although Kipling’s fictional god was certain that the light of humanity’s godhead was hidden forever, ours is a God who wills that we know and rejoice in the wondrous discovery of the Godhead within us.  Today, Jesus reminds us that it is this light of Divinity within us that will enable us to receive and maintain the unity among the Christians for which he prayed. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

2) “They think they’re the only ones here.” There’s a story which many of you have heard and it is a fitting introduction for our text. A group of new arrivals in heaven met Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates. He began to show them around, pointing out areas of interest and filling them in on the rules of the kingdom. There were many “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd, and they were obviously enjoying themselves immensely. Suddenly Saint Peter stopped a short distance from a massive building which was miles-wide, -long and -high, having no doors or windows. “While we pass this building,” he said, “you must walk quietly and utter not so much as a sound.” So the entourage tiptoed obediently past the monolith without a word. Once they were past, however, an inquisitive soul inquired, “Why did we have to be so quiet when we passed that building?” Saint Peter responded, “God put the Catholics [put your denomination here] in there. They think they’re the only ones up here.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

3) One with God and one with one another: It is reported that Mahatma Gandhi, in his younger days, was impressed with Christianity. One Sunday in South Africa he went to a church, planning to ask the minister afterwards for instructions in the faith. But as he entered the building the ushers refused to seat him. “Why don’t you visit the colored peoples’ church?” he was asked. Gandhi never became a Christian. “If Christians also have differences, I might as well remain a Hindu,” he explained. —  Yes, we have differences — but in God’s strange math 1 + 1 + 1 = One. For those who believe that, their eyes look upon their neighbor in a whole new way. For those who believe that, their arms cannot help but reach out to join those who know the same math. For those who believe, God touches and blesses and makes them (us) one with him and with one another. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

4) Denominational traditions: At a large ecumenical gathering of religious leaders the fire alarm sounded. The Methodists gathered in a corner and prayed while the Baptists yelled “Where’s the water?” The Quakers quietly praised God for the blessing fire brings, while the Lutherans posted a notice on the door declaring fire to be evil. Catholics took pledges to cover the expenses. Christian Scientists agreed among themselves there really was no fire at all. The Pentecostals praised God and shouted “holy smoke.” Presbyterians appointed a committee to look into the matter and make a formal report at their next session meeting. In the meantime, the Episcopalians formed a procession and marched out of the building in decency and order. — It was the building maintenance man who brought the fire-extinguished and put out the fire. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

5) Opening of ourselves to God’s indwelling presence. Group magazine did a survey among junior high young people in youth groups across the U.S. They asked these young people to “describe the God you believe in.” These Junior High kids said things like: “He’ll always be there even when you don’t think he is . . . He’s not a man or woman he’s a spirit, a light that’s everlasting . . . Strong, powerful, loving, caring, forgiving, mysterious . . . The God who loves us no matter what we do the one, true God . . . Awesome. God is a 100% guarantee of a problem-free life.” (Don’t you wish!) Others said things like, “I believe in the God that sent his only Son to die on the cross . . . He loves all people even me . . . Kind, just, merciful, stern . . . Fun has a sense of humor . . . He wants me to obey him. (“Insight,” Sept./Oct. 1996, p. 16.) Those Junior High young people have a pretty good grasp on Who God is. — Certainly, God is all those things and more, and all of these are wrapped up in God’s glory. When the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives, our bodies house the living God. If God dwells in your life, then you have the glory. You see, the mistake we make is the assumption that glory comes from something we do, that glory is something we accomplish. That may be true in terms of what the world calls glory. But what God calls glory is simply the opening of ourselves to God’s indwelling presence. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

6) “Abide with Me” (hymn): Every January, the city of Delhi, India honors its president and government leaders with a ceremony called Beating Retreat. The centerpiece of the ceremony is an impressive marching display by the members of the military. The marching is highly stylized, and performed to the accompaniment of instruments, especially drums. However, everyone waits in eager anticipation for the finale of the Beating Retreat. Instead of a traditional Indian song, or a military tune, the finale of the Beating Retreat is a Christian hymn. In tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, the musicians play his favorite hymn, Abide with Me. Although most of the spectators, participants, and honorees in the ceremony are Hindu, Buddhist, or Sikh, the climax to the Beating Retreat is this sacred hymn, and it is played with respectful fervor. (Simon Winchester, “The Legacy,” August 1997, p.55.) –Gandhi knew that the glory did not belong with him, but with God. That is why he could sing, “Abide with me, fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me.” Glory is not something we can accomplish. It is a gift. All we can do is open our hearts to it. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

7) “Let’s go get it straightened out right now.” Jim Cymbala is the pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle Church, a dynamic church in New York City. He started out with about 10 people and now there are over 6,000 people there. For 20 years now, Jim has been saying to every group of new members “Now I charge you that if you ever hear another member speak an unkind word of criticism, or slander against anyone — myself, an usher, a choir member, anyone else — stop that person in mid-sentence and say ‘Excuse me, who hurt you? Who slighted you? Let’s go get it straightened out right now,’ so God can restore peace and harmony to this body.” — Is it any wonder that he has 6,000 people in his Church now? God honors that kind of unity of spirit. God honors that kind of witness to the world. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

8) “It’s pretty tough being famous when nobody knows who you are.” Tony Campolo says that some years ago when his children were in their preteen years, he took them with him on a speaking engagement. When they drove into the parking lot adjoining the auditorium where, in just a few minutes, Tony was to speak, there were only three cars parked there. “Dad!” exclaimed his son, Bart, who at that point of his life was somewhat impressed with Tony’s role as a public speaker, “Nobody’s come to hear you! And you’re so famous!” “Come on, Bart,” responded his sister Lisa, who, Tony says, has always been the realist in the family, “if Dad is so famous, where are all the people?” “Knock it off, Lisa,” Bart answered back. “It’s pretty tough being famous when nobody knows who you are.” [Tony Campolo, Everything You’ve Heard Is Wrong (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1992), pp. 164-165.] —  That’s where most of us are. “It’s pretty tough being famous when nobody knows who you are.” Jesus didn’t promise that everybody would know our name. He just promised us glory. Evidently, what Jesus called glory was not what the world calls glory. And, maybe that’s just as well. Jib Fowles, a college professor and author, did a study of 100 stars from all fields of Hollywood entertainment, sports stars, musicians. He discovered that celebrities are almost four times more likely to kill themselves than the average American. “It’s . . . enormously stressful . . . ,” Fowles says. “There is unrelenting pressure coupled with diminishing private lives. They have to be on every time they step out their front door.” In fact, he found that the average age of death for celebrities, overall, was 58. The average for non-celebrities is 72 [Mary Loftus, “The Other Side of Fame,” Psychology Today (May/June 1995), p. 74.).] Is the world overlooking you? Maybe you are fortunate! (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

9) We need people who can speak the language of the heart. Harold S. Kushner tells of an incident from his youth that made a distinct impression on him. A business associate of his father’s died under particularly tragic circumstances. Kushner accompanied his father to the funeral. The man’s widow and children were surrounded by clergy and psychiatrists trying to ease their grief and make them feel better. They knew all the right words, but nothing helped. They were beyond being comforted. The widow kept saying, “You’re right, I know you’re right, but it doesn’t make any difference.” Then a man walked in, a big burly man in his eighties who was a legend in the toy and game industry. He had escaped from Russia as a youth after having been arrested and tortured by the Czar’s secret police. He had come to this country, illiterate and penniless, and had built up an immensely successful company. He was known as a hard bargainer, a ruthless competitor. Despite his success, he had never learned to read or write. He hired people to read his mail to him. The joke in the industry was that he could write a check for a million dollars, and the hardest part would be signing his name at the bottom. He had been sick recently, and his face and his walking showed it. But he walked over to the widow and started to cry, and she cried with him, and you could feel the atmosphere in the room change. This man who had never read a book in his life spoke the language of the heart and held the key that opened the gates of solace where learned doctors and clergy could not. [Harold S. Kushner, When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough (New York: Summit Books, 1986).] — We need people who can speak the language of the heart. We need persons within the community of Christ to whom we feel especially close. There will come a time when we will need to reach out to them for comfort. There will be times they will need to reach out to us. Jesus’ first prayer is for our unity with one another. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

10)  “Get me to the Mustangs’ playoffs. No matter what.” In Yakima, Washington, some time, back a dying man made a strange request. On his deathbed, Grant Flory said to his family: “Get me to the Mustangs’ playoffs. No matter what.” He was referring to his old high school team, The Prosser Mustangs. So in early December, when the Mustangs played in Seattle’s Kingdome, Flory’s cremated remains were in attendance. His son Dwight approached the stadium gate wearing a camera bag that contained his father’s urn. He was stopped by a guard who asked what was in the bag. “It’s my dad,” he replied. The guard looked puzzled but allowed the ashes inside. Family members said anyone who knew Grant Flory wouldn’t be surprised by his request. He was a real football fan. — It is the dream of every pastor to have a congregation filled with people who are that determined to be at the Eucharistic celebration every Sunday to recharge their spiritual batteries, to pray for and realize Jesus’ dream of Church unity as he expressed in today’s Gospel. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

11) A young man named Saul: When St. Stephen the deacon was arrested by the Sanhedrin for preaching that Jesus was the Messiah, he was stoned to death for “blasphemy”. Though Saul threw no stones, he volunteered to watch the cloaks of the executioners, and thus became an accomplice in Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7: today’s second reading). Not long afterward, however, Our Lord appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus and called him into His service. Thus, Saul the lyncher turned into St. Paul the Apostle.

Paul was not the only terrorist in history who had a radical change of heart. Joseph Picot de Limoelan (1768-1826) was a Frenchman who attended the Royal Military School in Paris and received his military commission just before the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789. Being a royalist by conviction, he resigned from the French Army and joined as a Major-General the insurgent army that battled the revolutionary government. When Napoleon Bonaparte became head of the revolutionary government, Joseph did not hesitate to conspire to assassinate him. On December 24, 1800, he and his fellow conspirators rigged up a cart full of explosives intended to kill Napoleon when he came by. This “infernal machine” did explode, but Bonaparte was untouched. Limoelan then took flight to Savannah, Georgia under the name of Joseph Picot de Cloriviere. As an exile, Joseph began to realize that violence solves nothing, and that he was called to higher things. So he entered the seminary at Baltimore, and on August 11, 1812, he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. His first assignment was a difficult one. He had to hold at bay the Irish leaders of St. Mary’s, Charleston, S.C. who were battling their archbishop. In 1818 Archbishop Marechal finally appointed the 51-year-old priest to a quieter post – the chaplaincy of the Visitation Convent at Georgetown. Here he was able to do solid priestly work. He spent much of his own money on Georgetown Visitation Convent, the oldest Catholic girl’s school in the original United States. He also helped found St. Joseph’s School in Washington. The lion had indeed become a lamb, as Saul had become St. Paul. (Father Robert F. McNamara). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/). LP/25

 “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle C (No. 34) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle C homilies, 141                   Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit also https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  under Fr. Tony’s homilies and  under Resources in the CBCI website:  https://www.cbci.in  for other website versions.  (Vatican Radio website: http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html uploaded my Cycle A, B and C homilies in from 2018-2020)  (Fr. Anthony Kadavil, Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Joseph  M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507)

Official Portrait of Pope Leo XIV: Vatican Media has provided a link for a download of the official portrait of Pope Leo XIV. It comes with a copyright notation. The link can be downloaded free of charge for institutional use. Parishes, schools, and ministry offices can download the digital photo and have it printed for framing in their offices: https://www.vatican.va/content/vatican/it/special/ habemus-papam/habemus-papam-2025/foto-leone-xiv.html

ASCENSION OF OUR LORD (June 1, 2025) Eight-minute homily in one page

Introduction: Today’s readings describe the Ascension of the Lord Jesus into his Heavenly glory after promising his disciples the Holy Spirit as their source of Heavenly power and commanding them to bear witness to him throughout the world by their lives and preaching. But the ascended Jesus is still with us through his indwelling Holy Spirit as he has promised, “I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.” Today’s feast is a celebration of Jesus’ final glorification after his suffering, death, and Resurrection – a glory in which we, too, hope to share.

The Scripture lessons: The first reading gives an account of the event of the Ascension as recorded in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. First, Jesus instructedhis apostlesto remain in Jerusalem and wait for the baptism by the Holy Spiritso that they might become his “witnesses to the ends of the earth” by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then a cloud took Jesus from the sight of the disciples and two Heavenly messengers in white garments gave them the assurance of Jesus’ “second coming” or return in glory. The Refrain for today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 47) suggests that by his Ascension, the risen Lord “mounts his throne” in glory. In the second reading, Paul explains the theological meaning of Jesus’ exaltation, giving us the assurance that one day, we, too, will be ascending to Heavenly Glory, provided we fulfill the mission entrusted to us by the ascending Lord. Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus ascended to Heaven after giving his final blessing and missionary command to his disciples. The command was to “proclaim the Good News to the whole creation,” “to be his witnesses,” and “to make disciples of all nations.” (Mt 28:16-20, Mk 16:15-20, Lk 24:46-53, Acts 1:1-11).

Life messages: 1) We need to be proclaimers and evangelizers: To be a Christian is to be a proclaimer and an evangelizer. There is a difference between preaching and proclaiming. We preach with words, but we proclaim with our lives. Let us ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as we bear witness to Jesus by our transparent Christian lives.

2) We have a teaching mission: Jesus taught us lessons of Faith, Hope, Love, forgiveness, mercy, and salvation by his life and preaching and gave as we have experienced our Lord and Savior.

3) The ascended Jesus is our source of strength and encouragement: We will be able to overcome doubts about our Faith, as well as baseless fears, anxieties and worries, by meditating on Jesus’ Ascension and the lesson it teaches

THE FEAST OF ASCENSION OF OUR LORD [B] – (May 29 or June 1, 2025) (Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23 or 4:1-13; Mk 16:15-20)

Homily starter anecdotes # 1: The disciples who completed Puccini’s opera Turandot.  The Italian composer Giacomo Puccini wrote La Boheme, Madama Butterfly and Tosca.  It was during his battle with terminal cancer in 1922 that he began to write Turandot, which many now consider his best work. He worked on the score day and night, despite his friends’ advice to rest, and to save his energy. When his sickness worsened, Puccini said to his disciples, “If I don’t finish Turandot, I want you to finish it.” He died in 1924, leaving the work unfinished. His disciples gathered all that was written by Turandot, studied it in great detail, and then proceeded to write the remainder of the opera. The world premier was performed in La Scala Opera House in Milan in 1926, and Maestro Arturo Toscanini, Puccini’s favorite student, conducted it. The opera went beautifully, until Toscanini came to the end of the part written by Puccini. He stopped the music, put down the baton, turned to the audience, and announced, “Thus far the master wrote, but he died.” There was a long pause; no one moved. Then Toscanini picked up the baton, turned to the audience and, with tears in his eyes, announced, “But his disciples finished his work.” The opera closed to thunderous applause and found a permanent place in the annals of great works. — Jesus instructs us in his Ascension message to finish his work of saving mankind by proclaiming His Good News by words and deeds. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

# 2: “Is this thing working?” There is the funny story of the raw army recruit standing at attention on the drill field. The drill instructor yells, “Forward, march!” And the entire ranks begin to move, all except this one raw recruit. He’s still standing there at attention. So, the drill instructor strolls over to him and yells in his right ear, “Is this thing working?” “Sir, yes, sir!” the recruit yells. Then the drill instructor walks around to the other ear and yells, “Is this thing working?” “Sir, yes, sir!” The soldier says. “Then why didn’t you march when I gave the order?” “Sir, I didn’t hear you call my name.” — Some of us are like that soldier standing around waiting for God to call our names. But the great commission given by Jesus on the day of his Ascension is a blanket order. It has everyone’s name on it. And you can be sure that the Man in charge says, “Go! Make disciples! Teach!” It is your mission and my mission. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

# 3: “I have no other plan — it must work.” A beautiful old story tells of how Jesus, after his Ascension into Heaven, was surrounded by the holy angels who began to enquire about his work on earth.  Jesus told them about his birth, life, preaching, death and Resurrection, and how he had accomplished the salvation of the world.  The angel Gabriel asked, “Well, now that you are back in Heaven, who will continue your work on earth?”  Jesus said, “While I was on earth, I gathered a group of people around me who believed in me and loved me.   They will continue to spread the Gospel and carry on the work of the Church.” Gabriel was perplexed.  “You mean Peter, who denied you thrice and all the rest who ran away when you were crucified?  You mean to tell us that you left them to carry on your work? And what will you do if this plan doesn’t work?”  Jesus said, “I have no other plan — it must work.” — Truly, Jesus has no other plan than to depend on the grace-assisted efforts of his followers!  (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Introduction:  Today’s readings describe the Ascension of the Lord Jesus into his Heavenly glory after promising the Holy Spirit as the source of Heavenly power for his disciples and commanding them to bear witness to him by their lives and preaching throughout the world.  What is celebrated is Jesus’ exaltation and the end of his earthly existence as a prelude to the gift of the Spirit.  The ascended Jesus is still with us because of his promise, “I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.”  He is with us at all times and in all places, releasing a new energy upon the earth, the energy of the Holy Spirit to preach his Good News of salvation by bearing witness to him.  Hence, today’s feast is the celebration of Jesus’ glory after his suffering and death – the glory in which we also hope to share.  The Ascension and Pentecost, together, mark the beginning of the Church.  The feast of the Ascension tells us that the Church must be a community in mission, guided by God’s Spirit and confident of God’s protection even amid suffering and death.

Scripture readings summarized: The first reading (Acts 1:1-11)  gives an account of the event of Ascension as recorded in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. First, Jesus instructed his apostles to wait in Jerusalem for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5), so that they might become his “witnesses to the ends of the earth” by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then “a cloud took him from their sight” (Acts 1:9), and two Heavenly messengers in white garments gave them the assurance of Jesus’ return in glory. 

Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 47) sings, “For the LORD, the Most High, the Awesome, is the Great King over all the earth…” (Ps 47:3), celebrating God’s universal Kingship. The Psalm was originally sung in connection with a cultic procession honoring the Ark of the Covenant. By his Ascension, Jesus, the risen Lord, enters into the Glory of God.  As the Responsorial Psalm refrains has us sing,  “God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, a blare of trumpets for the Lord!“

 In the second reading (Eph 1:17-23  or 4:1-13): Paul explains the theological meaning of Jesus’ exaltation by saying,   “May God enlighten the eyes of our hearts so that we may know the great hope to which we have been called” (Eph 1:18).  Our great hope is that one day we too will be ascending to Heavenly glory, provided we complete our part of the mission entrusted to us by our ascending Lord. Our mission is to preach the Good News of salvation to the whole world by word and deed. We will continue to receive the Divine assistance and spiritual gifts necessary for our Christian witness-bearing through the Gift of Jesus and the Father to us of the Holy Spirit living within us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives his final message, final instructions, final promise, and final blessing to his apostles and us. Our mission, as recorded in Mark, Acts and Mathew, is to 1) proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). 2) “Preach the good news and be my witnesses:” (Acts 1:8). 3) “Make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19).   Completing Jesus’ mission should be our goal in life, and the prospect of sharing the ascended Jesus’ Heavenly glory should be the driving force of our lives.  Our message will only be validated as coming from God if it can be seen in our living with one another in peace and harmony.

Exegetical notes: A) The Ascension: Each Sunday we profess through the Creed, “He ascended into Heaven.”  Christ’s Ascension was the culmination of God’s Divine plan for Christ Jesus, his return to his Father with “Mission Accomplished.”  Jesus’ Ascension is the grand finale of all his words and works done for us and for our salvation.  It is a culmination, but not the conclusion.  One wonder is that, though Jesus is now with God in glory, he continues to remain with us, dwelling within us together with the Father and the Holy Spirit: “Lo, I am with you always.” The Feast of the Ascension celebrates one aspect of the Resurrection, namely Jesus’ exaltation.  He did not wait 40 days to be glorified at God’s right hand. That had already happened at his Resurrection. Like the 40 days after Easter during which He appeared to many in Israel, this public Ascension into Heaven was given to us for our sakes. The 40 days allowed many to experience personally Jesus’ Resurrection and his being alive in a glorified body as fact to be counted upon — reality, and the fulfillment of prophecy. The focus of this Feast is the Heavenly reign of Christ, and the Lord’s being “seated at God’s right hand,” meaning that He alone will be in control of the continuing plan of salvation through the Holy Spirit, unrestricted by time, space, or culture. It is there, at the “right hand of God,” that Jesus continues to make intercession for all of us with the Father.  Thus, the Paschal Mystery — Jesus’ passion, death, Resurrection, Ascension, and the sending of the Holy Spirit – is a single, unbroken Reality, which is to be understood by Faith. By His Ascension, Jesus, the risen Christ, True God and True Man, is One with the Father and the Holy Spirit in glory forever.

1. B) A belief based on Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture: There is no written evidence of celebrations of this event until the fourth century, when one of the early Church Fathers, Augustine of Hippo, preached about it in a sermon. It is widely believed that the feast has been observed since the time of the Apostles, dating back to 68 AD. There are many references both in the Old and New Testament of the Bible, concerning Ascension. Some of these references refer to events that occured before the event. For example, in Psalms, David foretold the Ascension of the Lord when he spoke of the enthronement of the Lord at the right hand of the Father, Psalms (110:1). The Lord Jesus Himself had spoken to His disciples about His Ascension. For example, while they struggled to understand Jesus’ suffering and death, He told them that He was “going to the Father,” Jn (14:12). While on trial, Jesus had told the High Priest, “From now on, you will see the Son of Man, seated at the right hand of God most powerful, and coming on the clouds of heaven,” Mt (26:64). While Mary Magdalene was at the tomb weeping, Jesus referred to His coming Ascension and return to the Father, Jn (20:17). The apostle Peter, in his sermon at Pentecost and in his first letter to Christian communities, cited David’s prediction and asserted the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His Ascension to the throne at right hand of God (Acts 2:34-36; 1 Pt 3:22). However, only the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles have descriptions of the event itself (Lk 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11). Although there is considerable overlap between these two texts, Luke, probably the author of both books, gives us an inside glimpse into how the events, as reported by his sources, occurred. In the Gospel, Luke recounts that Jesus had led his disciples out of the city of Jerusalem to a place near Bethany, and “he raised his hands and blessed them. As he blessed them, he parted from them and was taken up to Heaven,” Lk 24:50-51). So, as Jesus was blessing his disciples, much as a priest would bless the people, two things occurred. Jesus “parted from them” and “was taken up to Heaven.”
2. C) The Ascension account: The Biblical accounts of the Ascension focus not so much on the details of the event as on the mission Jesus gave to his disciples.  For example, in the accounts narrated in Luke and Acts, the Ascension took place in Jerusalem.  In Matthew and Mark, on the other hand, the event occurred in Galilee. All accounts, however, agree that the Ascension, a real event, happening in real time, and observed by real people, took place on a mountain.  In Luke and Acts, the Ascension happened forty days after the Resurrection, a period during which Jesus appeared repeatedly to his followers.  In Matthew and Mark there is no indication of the time period between the Resurrection and the Ascension.  The Gospel writers apparently were not aiming at accuracy of historical detail, for their concern was with transmitting Our Lord’s message to all the world.
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   D) The Ascension message: “Preach the Good News and be my witnesses:” Matthew, Mark and Acts record Jesus’ last words differently: 1) “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  2) “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:19-21).  3) “Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15).  All are in agreement that (a) Jesus gave his disciples a mission of bearing witness to him by preaching and living the Good News.  They are to tell and re-tell the story of Jesus’ life, suffering, death and Resurrection, Ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Mary.  (b) He assured them of the Divine assistance of the Holy Spirit in the carrying out of this mission. There is a question you may have heard, which goes, “If you were accused of being a Christian, would they find enough evidence to convict you?” Today’s Gospel challenges us to provide enough evidence!  Augustine proclaimed these words on the Feast: “Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him. Listen to the words of the Apostle: ‘If you have risen with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God; seek the things that are above, not the things that are on earth.’ For just as he remained with us even after his Ascension, so we too are already in Heaven with him, even though what is promised us has not yet been fulfilled in our bodies.”
4. E) Christmas and Ascension: The Ascension is most closely related in meaning to Christmas. In Jesus, the human and the Divine became united in the person and life of one man. That’s Christmas.  At the Ascension, this human being – the Person with the risen, glorified body of Jesus – became for all eternity a part of who God IS.  It was not the spirit of Jesus or the Divine nature of Jesus alone that ascended to the Father.  It was the risen Jesus, whole, alive, and entire, in his glorified Body that ascended. This is the Body which the disciples had touched, the Body in which Jesus had eaten and drunk with them both before and after His Resurrection, a real, physical body, but now, risen from the dead, a gloriously restored body, bearing the marks of nails and a spear.  This is what/Who ascended.  This is what/Who, now and forever, is a living, participating part of God. The Ascension, along with the Incarnation, is here to tell us that it is a good thing to be a human being; indeed, it is a wonderful and an important and a holy thing to be a human being.  It is such an important thing that God did it.  Even more, the fullness of God now includes what it means to be a human being.

[Biblical basis for the defense of a literal Ascension: Two of the Evangelists, Mark (16:19-20), and Luke twice (Lk 24:50-53; Acts 1: 6-12), recount a literal Ascension.  1) Mark says, “He was taken up into Heaven, and took His seat at the right hand of God” (Mk 16:19). Like all the evangelists, Mark was concerned with an accurate report of the events and teachings of Jesus’ life on earth as the Messiah of God, Savior of humankind and the universe. Further, Mark is seen traditionally to be associated with Peter and to be the recorder of Peter’s account of his experiences with Jesus during the three or so years of Jesus’ life in flesh and time. Mark’s purpose was to save the materials of the eyewitnesses (as these people were beginning to be eliminated by martyrdom), and to spread the Good News to other local Church communities as well as to his own. If the Ascension had not happened visibly, he would certainly not have said it did.

 2) Luke, who declares specifically at the head of his Gospel the pains he has taken to verify the accuracy of the details of every event he narrates (Lk 1:1-4), declares his reason for this labor: “I, too, have decided, after investigating accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received” (Lk 1:3-4).  In his Gospel account of the Ascension, Luke says, “Then He led them [out] as far as Bethany, raised His hands and blessed them. As He blessed them, He parted from them and was taken up to Heaven. They did Him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the Temple, praising God” (Lk 24: 50-53).

 3) Luke wrote Acts, as he explains, as a continuation of his verified, accurate “narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us” (Lk 1:1), which had already been written down by “eyewitnesses.” His verifications of the events in the later history of the Apostles, would certainly have been given the same painstaking attention, and labor he had employed in composing the Gospel and for the same reason – to provide certainty in the teachings Theophilus had received. Luke picks up the account with the 40-day period after the Resurrection, material he had not unfolded in the Gospel. 

 4) When he comes to the Ascension, Luke reports the initial question of the Apostles about the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel, meaning the Kingdom of God, and Jesus’ response: “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that The Father has established by His own authority” (Acts 1:6-7). Luke also includes Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit will come to them — “you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Thus, Theophilus (and so all of us), are assured that the teachings we have from the successors of the Apostles come to us from the Holy Spirit Who, Jesus had told them, (and us), before His death and Rising,  “will not come unless I go.”

  5) Immediately thereafter, Luke reports, “When He had said this, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). Not only does this “lifting up” complete the meaning and purpose of the “lifting up” of the crucifixion, it also states that the Ascension was a literal reality, just as His Resurrection was literally real and just as His sufferings and His death on the cross were literally real.  From that it follows that all that flows from this Paschal Mystery’s reality is also real, from God, and essential for belief. 

6) That Luke meant the details he had so carefully gathered and checked to be taken literally is demonstrated by his inclusion of what happened next. He reports, 

 “While they [the Apostles and disciples] were still looking intently up at the sky as He was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing there, looking at the sky? This Jesus Who has been taken up from you into Heaven will return in the same way as you have seen Him going into Heaven’” (Acts 1:10-11). 

 7) And now we see why it is so important for Theophilus (and for us, today), to understand that the Ascension was a literal reality: it is the promise of Jesus’ own return to us in glory, to judge the living and the dead and to take us home with Him.   As for the mountain, Matthew (Mt 28:16-20) mentions the mountain and ends with the declaration of the Lord, “And behold, I will be with you always, until the end of the age” Luke also reports the mountain, but not until he has dealt with the really important truths we have just examined. He ends his account with the report, “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet, which is a Sabbath day’s journey away” (Acts 1:12)].  

Life messages: 1) We need to be proclaimers and evangelizers: In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives his mission to all believers: “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” This mission is not given to a select few but to all believers. To be a Christian is to be a proclaimer and an evangelizer. There is a difference between preaching and proclaiming. “We preach with words but we proclaim with our lives.” As we celebrate the Lord’s return to His Father in Heaven – His Ascension — we are being commissioned to go forth and proclaim the Gospel of life, love, hope, and peace, by the witness of our lives. On this day of hope, encouragement and commissioning, let us renew our commitment to be true disciples everywhere we go, beginning with our family and our parish, “living in a manner worthy of the call [we] have received.” Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, says: “All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the Faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients. … Indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love.”

2) We need to live a life of Christian Joy in the presence of the ascended Lord. According to Luke, the disciples “returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Apparently, Jesus’ exaltation and final blessing gave them, as it gives us, the assurance that, though absent, Jesus is still present, even in the pain and sorrow we undergo. That is why St. Augustine assures us, “Christ is now exalted above the Heavens, but he still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of his Body, have to bear. He showed this when He cried out from above: ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ and when He said: ‘I was hungry and you gave me food.’ While in Heaven He is also with us; and while on earth we are with Him. He is here with us by His Divinity, His power and His love. We cannot be in Heaven, as He is on earth, by Divinity, but in Him, we can be there by love.” (Sermon on the Ascension of the Lord, Mai” 98,1-7: PLS 2, 429-495) “With a spirit of wisdom and insight to know him clearly,” (Eph 1:17), we can discover Christ’s presence at every turn of our life’s journeys to his final return at the end of time.

3) We have a teaching mission:  Jesus gave us lessons in Faith, Hope, Love, forgiveness, mercy, and Redemption.  We cannot put these lessons on a shelf and ignore them.  They stand before us in the person of Jesus.  Although no longer visibly present in the world, He is present in his words. We must make his words real in our lives and in the lives of others. Christianity was meant to be a Faith in which Jesus’ followers would help and care for others, just as Jesus had done, and in so doing, care for Jesus in them.   But the spreading of the Good News to all nations is not a goal that can be attained by human might and craft.  This is why Jesus promises to empower his messengers with His abiding presence and that of the Holy Spirit.   The challenge of sharing the Good News with all mankind should, therefore, begin with our admission that we have often been arrogant and overbearing.  We must learn to be humble and let the Holy Spirit lead the way.

4) The ascended Jesus is our source of strength and encouragement: Perhaps some of the nagging doubts, which inevitably accompany the journey of Faith, could be lessened by our meditating on the Ascension and its implications. When we are too far from Faith to pray on our own, let us remember that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous, praying for us. When the trials of life feel too heavy to bear, we must remember that Christ will come again in glory, the same glory in which He arose from the tomb, the same glory in which He ascended, and the same glory in which He currently abides. Though our limited perception might find Jesus absent, our Lord is fully present, participating in every moment of our lives. By His Ascension, Christ has not deserted us but has made it possible for the Holy Spirit to enter all times and places. In this way it is possible for each of us to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into agents or instruments of Christ. We are enlivened, and our actions become animated in a new way by Holy Spirit as we serve the God we love. Each of us, particularly, each ministerial priest, has become “another Christ” (alter Christus) in the world.

JOKES OF THE WEEK

# 1: The Ascension mission to preach the Gospel: After attending a convention led by Billy Graham a woman wrote to him. “Dear Sir, I feel that God is calling me to preach the Gospel. But the trouble is that I have twelve children. What shall I do?” The televangelist replied: “Dear Madam, I am delighted to hear that God has called you to preach the Gospel. I am even more delighted to hear that He has already provided you with a congregation in your own home!”

# 2: “We’re in heaven already!” The story is told about a priest who, talking about heaven in his homily, said: “We bring nothing with us when we die. There is no money in heaven! People in heaven have no money!” The whole congregation was quiet, till a little girl whispered to her mother loud enough for all to hear: “Mama, mama, we’re in Heaven already!”

#3: And after death ascend or descend? At the end of school what do you want to do?  I want to do my Senior Certificate. After your Senior Certificate what do you want to do? – I want to go to college. After college what do you want to do?
– I want to get a job. Then what do you want to do? – I want to make big money. What do you want to do after making money? – I want to build a big house. After that what do you intend to do? – I want to get married. What will you do after getting married? – I will have a family. What will you do after having a family? – I will retire. What do you want to do after you retire? – I want to take a rest. What will you do after taking a rest? – I don’t know. Will you die? – Oh yes, I will die too. What will happen after death? – I am not sure!

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

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

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

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

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

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

 6) Fr. James Farfaglia website: http://fatherjames.org/about/

7) Catholic Online Directory: http://www.catholic.org/

8) Bishop Robert Barron’s video on the Ascension of the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PxDTY_9w6ws

9)Breviary (Liturgy of the Hours) for the whole year on your desktop:

http://www.liturgies.net/Liturgies/Catholic/loh/loh.htm

10) Love God’s creation: Frazil ice in streams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V9p4mFEYXc&feature=player_embedded   

33 Additional anecdotes:

1) The Unfinished Painting: Leonardo da Vinci had started to work on a large canvas in his studio.  For a while he worked at it – choosing the subject, planning the perspective, sketching the outline, applying the colors, with his own inimitable genius.  Then suddenly he stopped working on it.  Summoning one of his talented students, the master invited him to complete the work.  The horrified student protested that he was both unworthy and unable to complete the great painting, which his master had begun.  But da Vinci silenced him.  “Will not what I have done inspire you to do your best?”  — Jesus our Master began to spread the Good News two thousand years ago by what he said and did and, supremely, by what he suffered.  He illustrated his message and he has left us to finish the picture.  Will his life not inspire us to finish the picture? This is the message of the Ascension (John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

2) Solar Power: One of the national coordinators of Sun Day held early in May every year is Denis Hayes. He worked as researcher at a Washington D.C. “think-tank” and has written a book on solar energy entitled Rays of Hope: The Transition to a Post-Petroleum World. Hayes claims that we are at the crossroads of making a critical choice for mankind – the choice between going solar or going nuclear for a power source. Hayes opts for the sun because it is “the world’s only inexhaustible, predictable, egalitarian, non-polluting, safe, terrorist-resistant and free energy source.” We’ve already learned to use the power of the sun to grow food, make wine and operate greenhouses. All we need to do is develop better technology to harness solar energy to heat houses, drive our cars and run our industry. People like Hayes are looking at the sky with its sun as the main source of our future energy supply. —  Today we turn our attention to the sky for another reason: to commemorate our Lord’s Ascension into Heaven. In the first reading, from Acts, Jesus makes a promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you.” That Spirit is the power source that can give all the energy we need to live our lives to the full. (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

3) Passing the Baton: The critical moment in a relay race is the passing of the baton from one runner to another. More relays are won or lost at that moment than at any other.  — The feast of the Ascension might be compared to the passing of the baton in a relay race. On this day over 2,000 years ago, Jesus passed the baton of responsibility for the Kingdom of God to his followers. Jesus commissioned them to complete the work he had begun. Practically, what does this mean? How do you and I, in the 21^st century, carry out Jesus’ commission to be his witnesses to the world and his teachers to the nations? There are as many ways to do this as there are Christians. We can do what two 25-year-old university graduates did recently. After completing their degrees, one from Georgetown and the other from Marquette, they entered the Seminary. We can do what Albert Schweitzer did. At the age of 30 he abandoned his music career in Europe to study medicine and became a missionary doctor in Africa. We can do what the baseball coach of Spring Hill College, Alabama, did a few years back. At the age of 35 he resigned his position and began his studies for the priesthood. We can do what a Poor Clare (Franciscan) nun, Mother Angelica, did. In her 50’s, she began a Catholic religious television channel, EWTN. We can do what St. Teresa of Calcutta  (Mother Teresa) did. [Mark Link in Sunday Homilies; quoted in Net for Life.) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 4) Great commissions: Actually, there have been many persons given exciting commissions in their lifetimes. There was Michelangelo’s commission to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Sir Christopher Wren’s commission to re-build St. Paul’s Cathedral in London following the Great Fire (September 2-6, 1666), Walter Reed’s assignment to stop yellow fever at the “Big Ditch” in Panama (the Panama Canal), Chamberlain’s orders to stop the Confederates at Little Roundtop in Gettysburg and, more recently, the mission of the U.S. Navy Seals to get the terrorist master-mind, Bin Laden, dead or alive. — But I tell you, in my life and yours, there is an even greater commission. It is found here in Mt 28:18-20 where Jesus Christ turns to his disciples and says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 5) “Torpedo evangelism.” Rebecca Pippert, the author of Out of the Salt Shaker: Into the World, tells of a time she was sitting in her car at a traffic light with her window rolled down. As the light turned green a car drove by and its occupant threw something into her car hitting her on the cheek. It didn’t hurt but she was so startled that she pulled over immediately. When she unrolled the paper, she discovered it was a Gospel tract. She says she was the apparent victim of what she refers to as “torpedo evangelism.” — I’m sure the torpedoer meant well. At least I hope so, but he or she did the wrong thing for the right reason in the wrong way. We can engage people in conversation about their Faith and their relationship with God in a non-judgmental manner. We can encourage. We can invite. We can offer counsel. But we leave the hard work, the heart work, up to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You see, we are not on some sort of spiritual mugging mission! (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

6) Reaching Peak Performance: One of the superstars in that professional speakers’ circuit is a man named Charles Garfield. He is a psychologist from San Francisco. He makes up to 150 speeches a year, he says. Truth be told, he makes one speech 150 times. He began his career as a mathematician for NASA. He was part of the Apollo Project that put a man on the moon. He left NASA to study psychology. He became interested in what motivates people to reach their highest possible achievement in this life. He went to Berkeley and got a PhD in psychology. Then he interviewed 1,500 people on how they achieved what he called “peak performance.” He published that result in a book, and then he started on the lecture circuit. He said the one thing that all peak performers have in common is a sense of mission. “What you need in this life if you want to have fulfillment is a sense of mission.”—”To “have a mission” means to be commissioned to give oneself fully and freely, to something that is greater than oneself. If accepted, fulfilling that mission becomes one’s reason for doing and suffering everything entailed, gladly. The most important   mission of all is offered to each of us by Jesus Who at the conclusion of Matthew’s Gospel, commissions His Apostles and us, saying:  “All power in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:18-20). Not only does the Church have a mission to perform in this world, but everybody in the Church is has a part in performing that mission, if one chooses to accept it and live it out. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

7) “They don’t drink no water.” The chief warrant officer was brought before the provost marshal and asked if he had received the general’s order. “Yes, Sir.”
“Then why didn’t you comply?” roared the provost.
“Well, Sir, I didn’t think it applied to us.”
“And why not?”
“Because, Sir, when my men go to town, they don’t drink no water.”[Robert L. Jamison, “Humor in Uniform,” Laughter, the Best Medicine, (New York: Berkley Books, 1981), p. 29.] –Fortunately, those men who first heard the ascending Lord’s orders did not look for ways to get around them but did what they were told to do. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

8) Nietchze and Hitler: Nietchze, the German philosopher, said, “God is dead and the stench of his corpse is all across Europe.” He advocated humanism and proposed the development of a “superman” of Aryan heritage, protected by selective breeding and superior education. The Nazi Party picked up his idea, and men like Hitler, Goering, Goebbels, Mengele, Himmler, and Rommel set about building such a society in Germany’s Third Reich. But it all ended with bullets, bombs, chaos, and suffering such as the world has seldom seen. — The Christian Faith has no less a plan. But it involves a higher order. Hitler would have renewed man by his own efforts. We seek to renew the human race by the work of God. Our mission as given by the ascending Jesus is not to make converts or Church members, but baptized, obedient, evangelizing disciples! (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

9) Three-step Baptism:  In one of the great cathedrals of Europe there is a baptistery that tells the story. The water flows through it reminding us that Jesus says he is the living water. To be baptized, a person walks down three steps, each one marked by a word: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Descending the steps the convert is plunged beneath the water to die to sin and then raised from the depths to newness of life in Christ. To leave the baptistery now he must climb three steps, each one marked by a word: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. —  So it is that a new creature is born, a new breed of man, a citizen of a new kingdom, a breed apart. Dead to sin, he is alive to God and sent forth to grow and love and give light to a lost and dying world. He doesn’t do it alone. He does it in the Church, in little communities. In these, people demonstrate, in their way of being together, God’s eternal kingdom come upon them. It took Michelangelo over ten years to paint the Sistine Chapel. Our missionary commission lasts until the job gets done, until life is over, “until the close of the age.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

10) “Alter your course 10 degrees north.” Have you heard the story of a sea captain who was guiding his ship on a very dark night? He saw faint lights in the distance and told his signalman to send a message, “Alter your course 10 degrees south.” A prompt message returned, “Alter your course 10 degrees north.” The captain became angry because his command had been ignored, so he sent a second message, “I command you to alter your course 10 degrees south!” Again, a message promptly returned, “Alter your course 10 degrees north.” Infuriated, the captain sent off a third message: “I am the captain and this is a battleship. Alter your course 10 degrees south!” Once again, a prompt reply came, “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am a lighthouse.” — These last words of Jesus are the signal we are to obey. No wonder we label the call “the Great Commission.” The tragedy of the Church – our great sin – is that the Great Commission of Jesus is our “great             omission.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

11) Plus Ultra = “More beyond!” “In Fourteen Hundred Ninety-two/Columbus sailed the ocean blue!” In 1992 the world marked the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ adventure in the Santa Maria. As we all now know, Columbus did not end up where he was headed, which is why some native Americans are now called Indians. This man from Genoa believed, “God granted me the gift of knowledge … (and) revealed to me that it was feasible to sail … to the Indies, and placed in me a burning desire to carry out this plan.” Columbus set out with a belief that he had tested with his mind, and with a Faith to which he was willing to give his life! How many of us can walk in Columbus’ shoes? When, on Friday, August 3, 1492, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, eased away from their moorings at Palos, in southern Spain, Columbus was putting his beliefs and his Faith into the realities of life. Before the reports of his trans-Atlantic travel penetrated the Old World, Spanish coins had stamped upon them an outline of the Straits of Gibraltar. Underneath the outline of the Straits was the Latin inscription Ne Plus Ultra. It translates, “No more beyond,” meaning that the world ended in the great expansive voids of water beyond the Straits. There was nothing more. But once Columbus returned home and told of what he had seen, of what he had discovered, and once that report was widely shared, new coins were minted. The inscription was changed to Plus Ultra. It translates, “More beyond!” — That is the mountaintop affirmation which came to the disciples in Galilee and the word that ends Matthew’s Gospel. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

12) Wellington defeated: It was June, 18. 1815. Wellington and Napoleon were fighting the battle of Waterloo. This was a decisive battle. Life for many, many persons hinged on its outcome. At last, word was transmitted to London by means of semaphores – a visual code with reflected sunlight spelling out the message letter by letter. A sentry picked up the message from his post atop a great cathedral. Letter by letter he passed on the message to London. The first word was “Wellington.” The second word was “defeated.” Suddenly a very dense fog settled in upon the cathedral, making it impossible for the light to penetrate the mists and allow the message to be forwarded any further. The fog grew thicker, and its darkness was mirrored in the hearts of the Londoners who had received the word, “Wellington defeated.” It meant that Napoleon had won. The English of London were a conquered people. Hope was gone. Liberty was no more. England was ruled by another. But as suddenly as it had come, the fog lifted. The sentry returned to his tower, and went back to his duties, feverishly attempting to transmit the whole message. And London saw it – the good news breaking upon the city and telling the full story: “Wellington defeated the enemy!” —  Whether the semaphores message to London is history or fiction, it does convey the truth of Christian Faith! That truth became visible in Joseph’s garden as the earliest followers of Christ made the discovery that His Body was not in the tomb, and the angel told the women that He had risen. And they He met them on the road!  The victory message of Jesus’ word to the women, and later to the Apostles themselves is still being heard through the centuries whenever and wherever the Gospel is proclaimed and lived — that human life is both able and meant to become Life lived in two worlds – one temporal, the other eternal.  (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

13) “I am the smartest man in the world”. A ridiculous story with religious significance has been making the rounds lately. It is about a pilot and three passengers a Boy Scout, a priest, and an atomic scientist in a plane that develops engine trouble in mid-flight. The pilot rushes back to the passenger compartment and exclaims, “The plane is going down! We only have three parachutes, and there are four of us! I have a family waiting for me at home. I must survive!” With that, he grabs one of the parachutes and jumps out of the plane. The atomic scientist jumps to his feet at this point and declares, “I am the smartest man in the world. It would be a great tragedy if my life were snuffed out!” With that, he also grabs a parachute and exits the plane. With an alarmed look on his face, the priest says to the Boy Scout, “My son, I have no family. I am ready to meet my Maker. You are still young with much ahead of you. You take the last parachute.” At this point, the Boy Scout interrupts the priest, “Hold on, Father. Don’t say any more. We’re all right. The world’s smartest man just jumped out of the plane wearing my backpack!” — For such “smart” people who do not believe in an afterlife, today’s feast of the Ascension seems a myth. But for Christians, it is the guarantee of their Resurrection and Ascension to Heaven. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

14) Are we going to them? 95% of North American Christians will not lead a single person to Christ in their lifetime and I cry, “Lord, help us!” Some of you know the story: 36 million Americans (14% of the population) live in poverty. Of those, the portion living in our urban centers has increased from 30% in 1968 to about 47% today. Are we going to them? And are we going to the 57% of the 36 million poor who remain in rural America? Seventy million individuals in the United States are under the age of 18—are we going to them? Nearly one million foreign-born people immigrate to this country every year. Are we going to them? Thirty-two million people in America speak some language other than English as their primary language. Are we going to them? We have more unsaved and unchurched people in our nation than ever before in our history—172 million. Are we going to them? Ninety percent of the population of the United States now lives in urban settings. Are we going to them? Over 150 million people in America claim to be “born-again Christians.” We have to question what that means. And we wonder if people are not interpreting the Christian Faith as mere mental assent to correct doctrine, accepting forgiveness and professing Christ as an insurance policy – a way to get into Heaven when we die and leave this earth – missing the whole notion of discipleship, growing into the likeness of Christ. If all born-again Christians were disciples, would there not be greater signs of the transforming power of Christ at work in the world? (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

15) “The City of the World increasingly oozes its decay.” Peter Kreeft, a professor at Boston College, has perceptively noted, “…the City of the World increasingly oozes its decay.” We saw signs of it in the half-time show of the 38^th Super Bowl. One hundred million people – how many children were among them? – saw Justin Timberlake rip off a portion of Janet Jackson’s upper clothing, exposing a private part of her body. We cringed at that and the media talked about it for days. But not much was said about the “dirty” dancing and lewd lyrics, including words about getting a woman naked before the song was done. Other singers through lyrics and dance displayed sexual lust as they gyrated with female dancing partners. The truth, friends, is that that particular  halftime show is not the exception in television fare. In fact, it was rather tame compared to what constantly flows from television and the Internet. “The City of the World increasingly oozes its decay.” — But what about disciples of Jesus? What about the Church? What about the City set on a hill? What are we doing about “the fact that all the septic tanks on the hill are backing up”? We need disciples with a passion for shedding the light of Christ into every dark corner of the world. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

16) Gaze Heavenward but go worldwide! Nicky often boasted about his deep faith. Once, a storm arose and the rains threatened to flood Nicky’s house. A fireman rushed in and said, “Come, I’ll carry you away!” Pointing upward, Nicky exclaimed, “Jesus is the way!” The downpour continued and the waters reached Nicky’s waist. A fisherman rowed by and screamed, “Jump in, I’ll steer you to safety!” gazing heavenward, Nicky retorted, “Only Jesus saves!” Later, rising rainwater forced Nicky to climb onto the roof. The pilot of a helicopter hovering overhead shouted, “I’ll help you!” Nicky replied: “I trust in God alone!” Nicky drowned in the raging waters. In Heaven, he complained: “Lord, I trusted You, but You abandoned me!” God replied, “No, I didn’t! I tried to save you as fireman, fisherman and pilot! Why didn’t you do anything besides gaze Heavenward?” [Francis Gonsalves in Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds; quoted by Fr. Botelho.] (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 17) He is the same yet different…Lech Walesa worked for years as an electrician in the Gdansk shipyards. During those years, he and his fellow workers founded the movement which came to be known as “Solidarity.” Walesa became its leader. This brought them into open conflict with the Communist leaders. Eventually the workers won out. The Communist regime collapsed and democracy returned to Poland. Then on December 9, 1990 something happened which a few years prior would have been unthinkable. Walesa the shipyard worker was elected first president of a free and democratic Poland. It was a great honor for Walesa. His fellow workers were delighted. They too felt honored because of their association with him. However, there was sadness too. They knew that it would change forever the way they related to him. They knew they were losing him, but they were hoping that he would not forget them and that he would help them from his new and more influential position. — The illustration may go some way in helping us to understand what we are celebrating on this great feast of Ascension. [Flor McCarthy in New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by Fr. Botelho.] (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

18) The power within: A priest, Walter Ciszek, SJ, (November 4, 1904-December 8, 1984) spent  twenty-three years in Russia, fifteen in in the harsh Siberian slave labour camp, following his five years in the dreaded Lubyanka prison in Moscow. He was finally released from Russia and returned to the United States in 1963, part of an exchange for two Soviet spies held in USA. He died in 1984 at the age of 80. After his release, Father Ciszek wrote With God in Russia (1964), and then, in 1974, He Leadeth Me. In the second book he tries to answer the question: “How did you manage to survive in Russia?” He says: “I was able to endure the inhuman conditions in which I found myself because I experienced somehow the presence of God. I never lost my Faith that God was with me, even in the worst of circumstances.” —  What was true of Fr. Walter Ciszek is true of each of us. Jesus is with us; God is with us in the power of his Holy Spirit. [Vima Dasan in  His Word Lives; quoted by Fr. Botelho.] (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

19) Footprints: In the familiar story entitled “Footprints,” a man at the end of his life wanted to know why in tough times there was only one set of footprints in the sand. After all, the Lord had promised to walk with him all the way. The Lord replied by telling the man that He had never left him in times of trial. When the man saw only one set of footprints, it was then that the Lord had been carrying him. — The Lord was with Fr. Ciszek for twenty-three years of hardship in Russia, and did not leave him when he was released! The Lord was with the man walking in the sand. May the risen Lord be with us all the days of our life. (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds; quoted by Fr. Botelho.) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

20) Run the race well: Many years ago, a great Arctic explorer started on an expedition to the North Pole. After having spent two years in the freezing and lonely place, he wrote a message, tied it to the leg of a carrier pigeon, and let it loose to make the two thousand miles journey to Norway. The bird circled thrice, and then started its southward flight in the freezing cold for hundreds of miles; it travelled and crossed the icy frozen oceans and wastelands until it reached and dropped into the lap of the explorer’s wife. The arrival of the bird proved that everything was well with her husband in that deserted, lonely and frozen arctic North. – Similarly, the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of the Pentecost proved to the disciples that Jesus had entered the Heavenly sanctuary after His Ascension as He had promised. Now, He was seated at the right hand of God the Father, for His redemption work was over. The coming of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of the promise of Christ. [John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho] (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 21) Witnessing to Christ: Ruddell Norris was a conscientious young man. But he was also a shy young man. He found it hard just to talk to people, much less to discuss religion with them. Then one day he got an idea. Ruddell did a lot of reading, and he was aware of the many pamphlets about the Catholic faith. So, he decided to set aside a part of his weekly allowance to buy pamphlets. Ruddell placed his pamphlets in places where he thought people would pick them up and read them. For example, he placed them in waiting rooms and in reception areas. One day a young woman who was a friend of his family told his parents how she became a convert and how her husband returned to the Church. “It all started with a pamphlet,” she said. “I found it in the hospital waiting room.” — You can imagine the boy’s excitement when he learned of the impact just one of his pamphlets had. He was just trying to obey the missionary command of Christ.
(Anonymous; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 22) Jonathan Livingston Seagull: At the conclusion of Part One of Richard Bach’s book, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, two radiant birds come as Jonathan’s brothers to take him higher, to take him home. Jonathan balks, but the birds insist: “But you can Jonathan, for you have learned. One school is finished, the time has come for another to begin.” It was a moment of enlightenment for Jonathan. He realized that he “could fly higher, and it was time to go home.” Taking one last long glance across the sky and land where he had learned so much, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull “rose with the two star-bright gulls to disappear into a perfect sky.” — There are striking similarities between this episode in Bach’s book and Luke’s account of our Lord’s Ascension in today’s readings. First, the “school” and the “learning” mentioned in Jonathan recall how Jesus “taught” his disciples until the day he was taken up into heaven. Second, the “time for another school to begin” for Jonathan, reflects Christ’s promise to send the Holy Spirit upon his apostles so that they could be his “witnesses to the ends of the earth.”  Third, the two “star-bright gulls” suggest the presence of the “two men dressed in white” who spoke to the apostles after Jesus ascended. Fourth, when Jonathan “rose to disappear in the sky,” it was reminiscent of Jesus being “lifted up in a cloud which took him from their sight.” Jonathan Livingstone Seagull can be taken, then, as a modern myth to help understand the significance of Christ’s Ascension. (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 23) Broken but Renewed: In 1981 Peter Cropper, the British violinist, was invited to Finland to play a special concert. As a personal favour to Peter, the Royal Academy of Music lent him their priceless 285-year-old Stradivarius for use in the concert. This rare instrument takes its name from the Italian violin-maker, Antonio Stradivari. It is made of 80 pieces of special wood and covered with 30 coats of special varnish. Its beautiful sound has never been duplicated. When Peter Cropper got to Finland, an incredible nightmare took place. Going on stage, Peter tripped and fell. The violin broke into several pieces. Peter flew back to London in a state of shock. A master craftsman named Charles Beare agreed to try to repair the violin. He worked endless hours on it. Finally, he got it back together again. Then came the dreaded moment of truth. What would the violin sound like? Beare handed the violin to Peter Cropper. Peter’s heart was pounding inside him as he picked up the bow and began to play. Those present could hardly believe their ears. Not only was the violin’s sound excellent, but it actually seemed better than before. In the months ahead Cropper took the violin on the worldwide tour. Night after night the violin, everyone thought was ruined forever, drew standing ovations from concert audiences. — The violin story is a beautiful illustration of what happens when God comes into our broken lives and makes us whole again. We need His touch, His Spirit!
(Mark Link in Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

24) The ascended King of the universe: Monarchy has been the most common form of government in human history. There is a good reason for this. When the reins of power are in one set of hands, a government can act quickly and efficiently. But there is also a perennial problem with monarchy. What happens when a good king dies? How can you ensure that the next king will be just as good?  The times of greatest prosperity and peace in every civilization have come under the rule of wise kings. But most kings are not wise. Most kings, like most human beings, tend to be selfish, weak, and shortsighted. And so history shows the same tragic pattern happening again and again: a great king brings peace and prosperity to a wide realm, only to have it shattered after his death. Charlemagne united and Christianized most of Europe, but when he died his empire was divided among three selfish and petty sons, who tore it asunder. King Louis IX of France, St Louis, reigned for almost 70 years. His vast kingdom spread justice and mercy as the sun spreads light, but his sons and grandsons ended up sowing the seeds of division that would soon tear apart the rich fabric of Christendom. — What the peasants of France sang upon St Louis’s death, “To whom will poor folk cry out, now that the good king is gone, who loved them so?” reverberates throughout history: But there is one King, wiser and better than any other, who has come back from the dead. His name is Jesus Christ, and his Kingdom will last forever, because he has ascended to the everlasting throne, where he sat at the beginning, sits now, and will sit without end. (The E-Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 25) St Paschal Baylon Visits the King:  We don’t think much about this, but it is the truth behind everything we believe: if Christ had not ascended into Heaven, we would not be able to pray to him at any time and in any place, and we would not be able to have him close by in the Eucharist, because he would still be limited by time and space. One of the saints whom the Church commemorates on May 17, thought about this truth a lot, and learned to take advantage of it. St Paschal Baylon was a Spanish peasant, a shepherd for the first 24 years of his life.  He could barely read, but he loved Christ, and he had a special understanding of Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist.  He had to stay with his sheep from dawn to dark, which made it impossible for him to go to Mass every day.  So, he did the next best thing.  At the hour Mass was being celebrated, he would kneel on the hillsides, gazing at the Church in the valley, and pray, uniting himself to Christ Who was renewing his sacrifice and presence through the priest’s ministry.  Eventually, St Paschal found his vocation to become a religious brother.  He joined the local Franciscan community and encouraged everyone by his virtue, joy, and good humor.

During free moments between duties, he could almost always be found in the chapel, speaking with Christ in the Eucharist.  To casual onlookers he was kneeling on a hard stone floor here on earth, but in truth he was enjoying the presence of our King who sits forever on his throne in Heaven.  He died when he was only fifty-two, at the very moment that the bell rang to signify the consecration at Mass. (E-Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 26) The Holy of Holies Open to All: But what exactly are we to be witnesses of?  Jesus tells us right before he ascends into Heaven that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name. If Christ had not ascended, we would not be able to preach that.  His Ascension finishes the job of reconciling fallen humanity to God, because it brings our human nature back into a right relationship with God.  It guarantees that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was completely accepted by the Father. Reconciling fallen humanity with God has always been the main problem that religion tries to solve.  In the Old Testament, the Israelites achieved this right relationship through what was called the sacrifice of atonement (at-one-ment: the sacrifice that made sinners, once again, one with God). This sacrifice took place in the Holy of Holies, the innermost chamber of Moses’ tent of worship and, later, of the Temple in Jerusalem.  The Holy of Holies was separated from the inner altar of incense by a huge, thick, ancient curtain.  Only the High Priest was allowed to pass through the curtain, and even he could only enter once a year, on the Day of Atonement.  That ancient ritual foreshadowed Christ’s Ascension.  In his Ascension, Christ was taken up into the real, eternal Holy of Holies, the inner chamber of the universe, Heaven itself.  But instead of coming back out, he stayed there, in his human nature, as our representative, as the everlasting bridge of reconciliation between mankind and God.  Through Faith in Christ, we have no more doubts that our sins can be forgiven; we don’t have to wait for the Day of Atonement; we can live constantly in a right relationship with God. This is what we are witnesses of. This is the message we have received: every human heart’s deepest longing can finally be fulfilled, because Christ’s sacrifice has been accepted by the Father. (E-Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 27) Blessed Antonia Mesina’s Wordless Witness: The most important way that the Church bears witness to Christ’s unconquerable goodness is through the example of Christians – not our words, but our example. When you and I live as Christ lived, following him, we reveal his salvation to the world. Our English word “martyr” comes from the Greek word for “witness”. The Church’s martyrs are her greatest witnesses. By refusing to do evil, even at the cost of their own lives, they make the power of Christ’s goodness shine out. One of the saints that the Church commemorates on May 17 is a recent and eloquent example of this. Blessed Antonia Mesina (meh-SEE-nah) was the second of ten children born to a peasant family on the Island of Sardinia, off the west coast of Italy. She grew up between World Wars I and II.

After just four years of school, she was forced to leave her studies behind and take over the housekeeping for her mother, who had fallen ill and was confined to bed. Antonia didn’t let either her lack of education or her poverty keep her from loving Christ. When she was ten, she joined Catholic Action, Italy’s national apostolic movement for lay people. She was a model member, energetically fulfilled her commitments and recruited other young people to join the group. Honoring Christ and living in friendship with him became her first care and highest priority. On one afternoon when she was 16, she went out to gather wood for the stove at home. Alone, she was accosted by another, older teenager, a young man who tried to rape her. She resisted, and he became violent. She continued resisting, and he continued beating her, trying to force her. But she knew that her body was a Temple of the Holy Spirit, and she would not submit. The young man became furious, and he beat her to death. –Antonia refused to do evil. In that way, she was a witness to Christ’s unconquerable goodness, a martyr. This is what the whole Church has done in a thousand ways throughout the ages, and what each one of us is called to do in our own circle of friends and acquaintances. (E-Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 28) “Dr. Carpenter is upstairs.”  Many years ago, there lived a very poor family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina by the name of Carpenter. The oldest boy loved the outdoors and knew them well, but he didn’t know much else. He was a teenager before his father took him on his first trip to the city, where he saw paved streets, skyscrapers, and electricity for the first time. The boy wanted to stay there and get an education. His father arranged for him to board with some family friends, who generously financed his studies when he decided to become a doctor. He graduated with honors, but declined all job offers to practice medicine in the city. He said he was going back to the mountains, where there were many sick people and few doctors.

For many years he ministered to the sick. Some paid; most couldn’t. He gave his very best and helped everyone he could. In his old age he was in broken health himself and almost penniless. Two small rooms above the town grocery store were his home and office. At the foot of the creaky stairs leading up to his office was a sign with these words: “Dr. Carpenter is upstairs.” One morning someone climbed those stairs to find the devoted doctor dead. The entire community was plunged in grief. They wanted to erect some kind of monument to him. But they decided to simply write these words on a large tombstone: “Dr. Carpenter is upstairs.” — Jesus is the Divine Doctor of our souls. He is “upstairs” in Heaven, where he ascended after his Resurrection. But he is still alive and eager to help us through the Sacraments, the Bible, and the Church. Every time we turn to him in prayer, we climb the stairs to his office. Because he is upstairs, Dr. Jesus is always in. [This illustration adapted from Stories for Sermons, Vol. 2, by Fr. Arthur Tonne, p. 12.] (E- Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 29) Forrest Gump Gets Something Right: In 1994 Hollywood released a popular film called Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks in an Oscar-winning title role. The film can be base at times but has some interesting insights. At one point in the story, when Forrest is feeling rejected by the people he loves, he gets an urge to just start running. So, he walks out the door, jogs across the yard, and doesn’t stop. In fact, when he gets to the ocean and runs out of road, he just turns around and runs the other way. Throughout his run, he is videotaped on national news. When asked why he’s running – “World peace? Women’s rights?” – he answers, “I’m just running.” Unintentionally, he sparks a huge national following. The humorous and meaningful event that ends his journey takes place in the middle of a desert. Forrest stops, longhaired and long bearded, and turns around. The handful of sweaty joggers who have followed him shush each other: “Quiet, he’s goanna say somethin’.” “I’m kinda’ tired,” he says, “I think I’ll go home now.” Forrest walks through the small and silent crowd, and one of them yells after him, “Well, what are we supposed to do?!” — All people are looking for the answers to life’s deepest questions. But since our thirst for truth and happiness is infinite (because that’s how God made us), no finite worldly thing can satisfy us. The characters in the film, mindlessly following Tom Hanks’ Gump, personified that thirst for meaning. The fact that their hero abandons them without any explanation illustrates the inability of the things of this world (money, fame, politics, pleasure) to provide that meaning; eventually, we get tired of them; they let us down. Only Christ is infinite goodness, power, and wisdom; only he is “the Way, Truth, and the Life” that we are searching for. (E- Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 30) Aesop enlightens the judge: The amazing fact of the Ascension lifts our gaze to Heaven. Because Jesus is now in Heaven, body and soul, we are assured that Heaven is not just a nice idea, a myth, or wishful thinking. It is a real place where Jesus has gone ahead to prepare the way for us. One of Aesop’s Fables shows just how new this Christian revelation really was. Aesop was a Greek slave who lived before the time of Christ. He was renowned for his natural wisdom, which was recorded in his famous fables, or short stories with deep lessons. One day he was ordered by his master to go to the public baths (in ancient times public baths were like country clubs) and get things ready. On his way, he was stopped by one of the official judges of the city. The judge asked him where he was going. Aesop, thinking that it was none of the judge’s business, answered, “I don’t know.” The judge was offended by this reply, which he considered disrespectful, and marched him off to prison for punishment (disrespectful slaves could be punished without a trial). When they arrived at the prison, Aesop turned to his captor and said, “Judge, when I told you, ‘I don’t know where I am going,’ I was speaking the truth. Little did I think that I was on my way to prison! You see, it is true indeed that we never really know just where we are going.” Faced with this explanation, the judge had no choice but to let Aesop go free. — This ironic story illustrates the absolute uncertainty of pre-Christian humanity about what happens after death – they just didn’t know. (E- Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

31) “But what am I going to do without you?”  Caroline had tears in her eyes. “Are you sure you want to move so far away?” Her beloved great Aunt Ingrid smiled.  “Oh, Florida is not that far away.  Besides, you’ll be starting high school in a few weeks.  You’re going to make so many new friends you wouldn’t have time for me anyway.” Caroline couldn’t remember when her aunt had moved in with her family those many years ago; but under Aunt Ingrid’s tutelage, Caroline had matured from a sullen only child to a vibrant young woman with many interests. “But what am I going to do without you?” Caroline cried. “You’ll be fine.  But just in case you get bored, I left something behind for you,” Ingrid said as she gave her niece a last long hug goodbye before stepping into the cab. When she returned to her room, Caroline found Ingrid’s package on her desk.  Inside the box was a pair of knitting needles used by five generations of women in the family; a fountain pen that had belonged to Ingrid’s late husband, a writer; a coveted family cake recipe; a beautiful journal that reminded Caroline of the summer afternoon her aunt made paper in the kitchen; and a framed photograph of Ingrid and Caroline sitting at the piano after Caroline’s first lesson.  An inscription engraved on the frame read Precious moments last forever. Caroline began to understand that, even though she felt left “out on a lonely limb of the family tree” without Ingrid, the memories of family lived on in her heart and spirit and attitude, connecting her to generations long past and still to come. Caroline placed the picture on her nightstand.  Then, picking up the fountain pen and journal, she started to write a poem for Ingrid. — The Ascension of the Lord is not the marking of a departure but the celebration of a Presence.  The risen and ascended Jesus is a living and life-giving Presence with us. [Bits & Pieces, April, 2004 quoted by Connections). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

32) Marine Commissioning ceremony: I’ve had the privilege of being present when two of my nephews were commissioned as Marine officers. They had been through months of rigorous academic, physical, and leadership training, and it was a proud moment for their parents when the new officers, resplendent in their “dress blues,” received their second lieutenant pins. The most moving part of the commissioning ceremony was the officers’ oath, ending with the solemn words, “I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion. … I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.” My nephews’ commissioning marked the beginning of a commitment of service to their country and their fellow Marines. Although the details of their future deployments were as then unknown, they had been well prepared, authorized, and empowered for the work that would be asked of them. — Today’s readings are about a different kind of commissioning, often referred to as “the great commission” given by the ascending Jesus to his disciples. (Sharon K. Perkins Catholic News Service) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).

33) Demonstrations after the death of George Floyd. There were many demonstrations after the May 20, 2020 death of George Floyd. In the midst of the uproar, the police chief of a southern city challenged the public. He asked: “When will they show concern about the homicides that occur in their own neighborhoods?”  The chief, an African American, had in mind the hundreds of families in the city that each year lose a member to violence. — Unfortunately, we often get excited about political issues, and demonstrations while ignoring the everyday problems. The disciples of Jesus make this kind of mistake in the first reading. Jesus is leaving his disciples to join God, his Father. From Heaven he will send the Holy Spirit to enable them to relate his message to the world. However, instead of focusing on this challenging task, the disciples ask about politics. They say, “Lord, are you now going to reestablish the sovereignty of Israel?” They have in mind the kingdom of David which included the land of Israel and the surrounding territories. Their concern pales, at least in the long run, in comparison to what Jesus proposes to them. (Fr. Carmen Mele O. P. ) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).LP/25

 “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle B (No 32) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

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

May 26-31: May 26 Monday: Saint Philip Neri, priest: John 15:26-16:4: 26 But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; 27 and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. (John 16) 1 “I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

Context:In his final discourse with the apostles at the Last Supper,Jesus assured them that he would not desert them. Instead, a powerful Divine Helper, the Holy Spirit, would come to them from Jesus and the Father in order to guide them and to strengthen them.

The role of the Holy Spirit as outlined in today’s Gospel: 1) As the Counselor or Paraclete or Advocate, the Holy Spirit would coach, defend, and strengthen the apostles in their sufferings and persecution and would guide them during their trials before the civil authorities. 2) As the Spirit of Truth, He would bear witness to Jesus and enable the apostles to bear witness to Christ heroically before the pagans. The Holy Spirit would give them an experiential knowledge of Jesus and an in-depth knowledge of Jesus’ teachings. “The mission of the Church is carried out by means of that activity through which, in obedience to Christ’s command and moved by the grace and love of the Holy Spirit, the Church makes itself fully present to all men and peoples in order to lead them to the Faith, freedom, and peace of Christ by the example of its life and preaching, by the Sacraments and other means of grace” (Vatican II Decree, Ad Gentes 5). Then Jesus foretells the nature of the persecution: 1) Excommunicating Jesus’ followers from synagogues; 2) Establishing the murder of Jesus’ followers (“heretics”), as a religious duty in defense of Judaism and, so, pleasing to Yahweh.

Life messages: 1) As the Divine Advocate, the Holy Spirit living within us continues to help us bear witness to Christ by assisting us to live transparent Christian lives. 2) He also gives us courage and perseverance when we meet adversities and challenges. 3) As the Divine Teacher, the Holy Spirit, through our daily study of the Bible, helps us to know Jesus thoroughly, to love him personally, and to experience him intimately, so that we may live the ideals of Christ and convey them to others through our genuine Christian lives. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)L/25

For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections or Copy and paste these web addresses on the Address bar of any Internet website like Google or MSN and press the Enter button of your Keyboard).

May 27 Tuesday: Saint Augustine of Canterbury, bishop:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-augustine-of-canterbury/John 16:5-11: John 16 :5-11: 5 But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, `Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

The context: In today’s Gospel, Jesus tries to console his sad and disheartened disciples at the Last Supper, for they are at a loss, hearing the news of their master’s imminent departure. So, he assures them that they will not be left alone. He will send the Holy Spirit upon them as a friend, guide, consoler, and teacher. Then Jesus explains the three different roles of the Holy Spirit in their lives. First, He will convince the world about the seriousness of sin. Thus, the Holy Spirit will lead us to repent of our sins and seek forgiveness from Jesus. The Divine Advocate will demonstrate that not believing in Jesus is the real sin. It is the Holy Spirit Who would prick the hearts of the Jews on the day of Pentecost, convicting them of their sin of crucifying their Messiah. In the same way, He convicts us of wrongdoing and convinces us of God’s truth. Second, He will accuse them of unrighteousness because He will show that Jesus was the Just One who was never guilty of sin (cf. John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15) and therefore is in glory beside His Father.” It also means that the Spirit convinces us of the righteousness of Christ, which means that that Jesus was right in his teachings and promises, as proved by God His Father Who granted him Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven. In other words, “

(Navarre Bible commentary). Although Jesus was condemned to death, it was actually Satan, the ruler of this world, who was condemned through Jesus’ death. Third, the Holy Spirit gives us the inner and unshakable conviction that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. When we heed God’s judgments, we find true peace, joy, and reconciliation with God.

Life message: We need to allow the Holy Spirit to do what He wishes in and through our lives so that He may release us from the grip of sin and set us ablaze with the fire of God’s love. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

May 28 Wednesday: John 16:12-15: 12 “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The context: Today’s Gospel passage is taken from the Last Supper discourse in which Jesus instructed his disciples on the role of the Holy Spirit and His relationship with Jesus and God the Father.

1) First, as the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit is the Gift of God Who is the Possessor and the Giver of all truth. It is the Spirit’s role to make the disciples fully understand the truths revealed by Christ. Vatican II teaches that Our Lord “completed and perfected Revelation and confirmed it…finally by sending the Spirit of Truth” (Vatican II, Dei Verbum 4).

2) By bringing to their minds and clarifying everything Jesus has taught them, the Holy Spirit will also enable them to render glory to God by glorifying His Son Jesus.

Relationship of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son: Jesus also reveals the mystery of the Blessed Trinity in today’s Gospel passage, saying that the Three Divine Persons have the same nature: “everything that the Father has belongs to the Son, and everything the Son has belongs to the Father” (cf. Jn 17:10), and that the Spirit also shares the same Divine Essence with the Father and the Son.

Life message: 1) We need the daily guidance and strengthening of the Holy Spirit in our mission of bearing witness. We should remember that Faith is a gift. Hence, we do not gain converts by argument or eloquence, but by praying for them and by radiating, through our living, the Good News that Jesus has died for our sins, has risen for our justification, and offers us a share in his glory. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

May 29 Thursday: Ascension of the Lord – Solemnity – Holy Day of Obligation: (Luke 24:46-53): Detailed homily on Ascension is given as June 1st Sunday homilyIntroduction: Today’s readings describe the Ascension of the Lord Jesus his Heavenly glory after promising to send the Holy Spirit to the Apostles as the source of Heavenly power and commanding them to bear witness to Him through their lives and preaching throughout the world. But the ascended Jesus is still with us because of His promise, “I am with you always; yes, to the end of time” (Mt 28-20). He is with us at all times and in all places, releasing a new energy upon the earth, the energy of the Holy Spirit.

The Scripture lessons summarized: The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, presents the scene of Jesus’ Ascension, the promise of the Holy Spirit, his instructions to the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the Power from above, and the missionary command to the apostles to bear witness to him. Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 47) suggests that, by his Ascension, the risen Lord “mounts his throne” in glory. In the second reading, Paul teaches us that God revealed His might in the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and in exalting Him over all angelic forces. Jesus remains accessible to us now in the life-giving Holy Spirit, assuring us that one day we, too, will be ascending to Heavenly glory, provided that, with His grace, we live out our Faith in Him through the mission of loving service He entrusts to us. Today’s Gospel tells us that, with his return to the Father, Jesus completes his mission on earth. But just before his Ascension, Jesus entrusted to the disciples the mission of preaching the Good News and evangelizing the whole world by bearing witness to him through their lives. It is in his Ascension that we see Jesus entering fully into the life and glory of God. In the descriptions of Christ after his Resurrection, we are given a hint of what life will be like in Heaven. The prospect of sharing that glory should be the driving force of our lives.

Life messages: 1) We need to be proclaimers and evangelizers: To be a Christian is to be a proclaimer and an evangelizer. There is a difference between preaching and proclaiming. We preach with words, but we proclaim with our lives. Let us ask the guidance of the Spirit of God to bear witness to Jesus by our transparent Christian lives.

2) We have a teaching mission: Jesus taught us lessons of Faith, Hope, Love, forgiveness, mercy, and salvation by his life and his preaching and gave us the same mission for our brothers and sisters. Hence, let us learn about Jesus and his teachings through our daily study of the Bible and the teachings of the Church, experience Jesus in personal prayer, our reception of the Sacraments and our works of charity, and convey to others Jesus whom we experience with the help of the Holy Spirit. 3) We need Jesus as our source of strength and encouragement in doing His will: We will be able to overcome doubts about our Faith and baseless fears, anxieties, and worries by meditating on Jesus’ Ascension and the lesson it teaches — that we, too, are called to share his glory in Heaven. L/25: For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections

May 30 Friday:John 16:20-23: 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name.

The context: After foretelling his imminent departure following the Last Supper, Jesus tried to boost the morale of his sad and dispirited disciples. First, he consoled them, promising them to send his Holy Spirit as their Paraclete — Consoler, Guide and Advocate (Attorney). Then, Jesus assured them that his absence would only be temporary.

Contrast between present sorrows and future glory: Jesus compares the temporary pain, sufferings and persecutions of his disciples to the passing, though intense, labor-pains of a woman giving birth to her child. The moment she hears the cry of her child and sees his or her face she forgets all her pain. In the same way, the “other-worldly” joy waiting for his disciples will transcend all types of earthly joys.

Life message: 1) Let us see our pains and suffering as God’s means to strengthen our will and form our character. The conviction of the temporary nature of our suffering and of the glory waiting for us if we accept pain and suffering graciously, converting them into willing acts of reparation for sins, will help us to face them heroically. (Fr. Tony) L/25

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

May 31 Saturday; Visitation of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth: Luke 1:39-56: For a short account, click onhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/visitation-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary Lk 1:39-56: Visitation: 39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, …45

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

Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. There is a saying, “One who is on fire cannot sit on a chair.” Mary, carrying Jesus and filled with the empowering fire of the Holy Spirit, hurried to the mountain country, a distance of perhaps 100 miles, where Elizabeth lived, thereby conveying the Holy Spirit to her cousin and her child. Like all good Jews, Mary was prompted in everything she did by her commitment to God’s word in her life.

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

Life messages:1) We should recognize the real presence of Emmanuel (God Is with Us) and say “yes” to Him: The Visitation of Mary reminds us that, through his holy ministry, Christ continues to be present among his people. Let us recognize and appreciate the truth that the same Christ “dwells among us” in the Bible, in the Sacraments, in the praying community, and in our souls. 2) We should convey Jesus to others as Mary did to Elizabeth. We can make a real difference in the lives of others today by carrying Jesus to them. For that, we must be filled with the spirit of Christ, allowing his rebirth within us. Then Jesus will enable us to share his love with all whom we encounter, offering them humble and committed service, unconditional forgiveness, and compassionate caring service. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

Easter VI [C] (May 25) Homily Jn 14:23-29 (One-page summary) Introduction: Today’s readings show us the effects of the abiding presence of God in His Church and of His indwelling in each one of us. Scripture lessons: The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, tells us how the Holy Spirit, indwelling in the Church, helped the apostles to solve a major doctrinal problem about the Gentiles becoming Christians, which shook the very foundation of the early Church. The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67) prays that all the nations on the earth may recognize their God and praise Him. The second reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, describes the Church as the Heavenly Jerusalem which replaces the holy presence of God in the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem. This New Jerusalem is a city united in love, with the victorious Jesus residing in it and in each of its members. The Gospel passage reminds us that the Holy Spirit, abiding within us, is our Teacher, our Advocate, and the Source of our peace and joy. The passage offers a vision of hope as well. Jesus promises his followers that the Holy Spirit will come and instruct them in everything they need to know.

Life messages: 1) Let us be aware of the abiding presence of God within us: We live in the New Covenant of Jesus, daily facing uncertainty, conflict, and temptations. It is the abiding presence of God within us that enables us to face the future with undying hope and true Christian courage. The Holy Spirit, Whom the risen Lord asked His Father to send upon His Church, prompts us to turn to His Holy Scriptures for support and encouragement, enables us to learn the Divine truths, and grants us His peace at all times. However, to be able to receive these gifts, it is necessary for us to spend a little time each day in personal prayer, talking to God and listening to Him. We must deepen our relationship with Jesus, learn to get in touch with him, and sincerely love him. When we listen to the Holy Spirit, we will know His plan for our life and His solutions to whatever problems we face. We will be able to love our fellow human beings, and there will be a core of peace within us. The Holy Spirit teaches us through the Scriptures and preaching during the Holy Mass. Jesus loves us and comes to us in Communion. When the Mass is ended, we go forth in the peace of Christ – and all of this takes place successfully under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

2) We need to have the conviction that we are not alone: One of the great social and ethical problems of our time is isolation. Today approximately 25% of all adults live alone. Spouses, parents, and children often live as virtual strangers to one another. This is unfortunate because we never need to be alone. Jesus shares his joy with us and replaces the burden of our guilt with the freedom of forgiveness. He takes our grief and turns it into joy. So, we need only allow Jesus into our lives to be rid of this loneliness. Oneness with Jesus is the greatest gift we can give our children, our friends, or those who see no purpose in life. We can help to bring people into unity with Jesus, a unity that will change their lives. As we celebrate this Eucharistic meal, our Mass, let us celebrate in a special way the price Jesus paid for our redemption. May this Eucharistic celebration empower us to lead a true Life of the Spirit!

Easter VI [C] Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Rv 21:10-14, 22-23; Jn 14:23-29

Homily Starter Anecdotes: #1) “Temples of the Holy Spirit”: St. Francis of Assisi was an ardent advocate of the doctrine of the indwelling of God in man, and this conviction enabled him to love everyone equally whatever his status in life. One day he met a fellow who had no love for God. As they walked along, they met a man who was blind and paralyzed. St. Francis asked the sightless cripple: “Tell me if I were to restore your eyesight and the use of your limbs, would you love me?” “Ah,” replied the beggar, “I would not only love you, but I would be your slave for the rest of my life.” “See,” said Francis to the man who maintained that he could not love God, “this man would love me if I gave him his sight and his health. Why don’t you love God who created you with eyesight and strong limbs?” — That is what Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel. If we love Jesus because of the countless blessings he has given us, and so keep his word as the center of our life, he will start dwelling within us in the company of his Father and the Holy Spirit, making us the temples of the Triune God. (Msgr. Arthur Tonne).

# 2: Helen Keller’s indwelling God? The story is told that after Helen Keller’s teacher, Annie Sullivan, had given her the names of physical objects in sign language, Miss Sullivan attempted to explain God and tapped out the symbols for the name “God.” Much to Miss Sullivan’s surprise, Helen spelled back, “Thank you for telling me God’s Name, Teacher, for He has touched me many times before.” — How could Helen Keller have known about God? Although she was blind and deaf, Helen Keller knew God, for God had shown Himself to her. That is the “revelation” of an indwelling God about whom today’s Scripture readings speak.

 #3: “The most unpromising boy in my class” A  schoolmaster in France was discouraged with one of his students. He wrote in his roll book concerning this student: “He is the smallest, the meekest, the most unpromising boy in my class.” Half a century later, an election was held in France to select the greatest Frenchman. By popular vote, that meekest, smallest, most unpromising boy was chosen. His name? Louis Pasteur, the founder of modern medicine. When he was seventy-three, a national holiday was declared in his honor. He was too weak to attend the ceremony in Paris, so he sent a message to be read by his son. The message read: “The future belongs not to the conquerors but to the saviors of the world” [Edward Chinn, Wonder of Words (Lima, Ohio: C.S.S. Publishing Co., Inc., 1987), p. 18.] — Louis Pasteur was driven by a great purpose. Your name and my name may never be household words as is Pasteur’s, but we, too, can be driven by a great purpose. Christ can give us that purpose. But there is one thing more Christ gives us. He gives us the presence of the Holy Spirit, as promised in today’s Gospel. A healthy sense of identity and a driving purpose are not enough in themselves. One thing more is needed. It is the in-dwelling Spirit of the living God.

Scripture readings summarized: Today’s readings show us the effects of the abiding presence of God in His Church and of His indwelling in each one of us. The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, tells us how the Holy Spirit, dwelling in the Church, helped the apostles to solve a major doctrinal problem, which shook the very foundation of the early Church. The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67) prays that all the nations on the earth, not just Israel, may recognize their God and praise Him. The second reading, taken from the Book of Revelation describes the Church as the Heavenly Jerusalem, a city united in love, with the victorious Jesus, residing in it and in each of its members, replacing the Holy Presence of God in the Holy of Holies of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Gospel passage reminds us that the Holy Spirit abiding within us is our teacher and the Source of all peace.  The passage offers a vision of Hope.  Jesus promises his followers that the Holy Spirit will come and instruct them in everything they need to know.

 The first reading: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29, explained:  The first major controversy in the infant Church was about “what one must do to be saved.”  For the first 15 to 20 years of the Christian era, all Jesus’ followers were Jewish.  During that period, any Gentiles who wanted to become Jesus’ disciples were expected first to become Jews. They had to attend Sabbath synagogue services and keep the 613 Torah laws.  This situation began to change when a few “liberal” Christian communities like the newly founded Church of the Gentiles in Antioch, began to admit Gentiles into their number without demanding that they first be converted to Judaism.  Some of the Judeo-Christians from Judea and Jerusalem argued that the new Gentile converts must observe the Mosaic Law of circumcision, dietary regulations, purification rituals, etc.  The issue couldn’t be settled on a local level, although Paul and Barnabas tried that at first.  Hence, they had to go to Jerusalem to consult the apostles.  The apostles convened the first Church Council at Jerusalem and, with the clear leading of the Holy Spirit, decided that the Gentiles need not become Jews first, to be saved as Christians.  The decision was momentous for two reasons.  First, it marked a significant break of Christianity with Judaism. Second, it put the burden of salvation on God rather than on man.  In other words, it is God’s love and His gift to us of Faith in Jesus that save us when we receive it and live it out. Our prayers, sacrifices or keeping of the Law, are only expressions of our gratitude to God, which foster our Faith.  We see Saint Paul wrestling with this question, first in Galatians, then, in a more polished way, in Romans. The New Covenant was sealed not with the blood of circumcision, but with the blood of Jesus Christ (CCC #610, 613). This and other dogmas are examples of the exercise of authority given to the Church Magisterium by Christ. Belief in — acceptance of — such dogmas is obligatory since they are truths contained in divine Revelation or have a necessary connection with them (CCC #88).

A question on dissension answered: The early Church seems to be embroiled in dissension less than one decade after the Resurrection of Jesus. Can the Holy Spirit really be at work in those circumstances? Perhaps the question could be rephrased this way: “Is there a place for both controversy and peace in our Church?” There are a lot of ways to nuance the meanings of “dissension” and “debate,” but the underlying thrust is the same: disagreement over a matter of importance, at least to the parties engaged in the debate. The year was only about 49 or 50 AD when this occurred, which shows that lively arguments were arising whenever “changes” occurred that would alter or even threaten to modify “established” rituals and practices. So, YES, there IS a place for controversy and peace in our Church — a resounding “YES!” The Church grew and still grows in understanding of its Faith through lively discussions and debates among qualified theologians. Those discussions have been going on ever since the vision of St. Peter (Acts 10) which led to the baptism of the first Gentiles (Cornelius’ household), around 43 AD. It is important to recognize the wording of the Apostles’ decision regarding the waiver of the former discipline of circumcision: “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit AND  to us to lay upon you no greater burden than…necessary things…” (Acts 15:28). Clearly, the dietary laws, variations in certain rituals, and similar disciplines were deemed eligible for change as circumstances warranted. Every suggestion of making a  change  produces healthy, sometimes heated,  discussions. Closure is then brought to the discussion at some point in time, when the Apostles (or their successors, the united Bishops) reach a decision. Cultural conditioning plays a large part in some decisions (e.g., Paul insisting that women had to wear head coverings in Church), as it does today; these are also identified as matters of “discipline.” ( Fr. Robert F. McNamara).

The Catechism on healthy debates: Perhaps it is better to leave the debates in the hands of the theologians, who are schooled in the ways of theological research (CCC #94), and who know the difference between debate and dissension. At some point in time, the Magisterium — the official and recognized teaching office of the Catholic Church — reaches a decision on the subject, and to that decision we owe the obedience of Faith (CCC#144, 85, 88) or assent of Faith (optimally), or, as a minimum, the religious respect of intellect and will; and the Christian faithful are called upon “to take care to avoid whatever is not in harmony with that teaching” (Canon Law #752).

The second reading, Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23, explained: The Book of Revelation was written to bolster the Faith of the persecuted Christians of all ages. Everything John described via symbols, signs, numbers, etc. has already happened except, of course for the second advent of Jesus in glory. John’s vision of a new Jerusalem should be understood as a description of the Church, rooted initially in time and space, but growing and evolving toward an eschatological future. It describes the Church as the Heavenly Jerusalem, a city united in love, with the victorious Jesus residing in it. While the earthly Temple was often thought of as a reflection of the Heavenly Temple, there will be no Temple in the New Jerusalem because the Almighty and the Lamb will be the Temple.  They will provide all the light that is necessary, so there will be no need for the sun or the moon. Ancient Jerusalem had long been for the Jews a token of God’s presence with them.  God had aided them in capturing and holding it, in making it their capital, in building the Temple there, and in returning to it after their exile in Babylon. Within the holiest chamber of the Jerusalem Temple, they kept the stone tablets of the Law, given by God, in an enthroned chest known as the Ark of the Covenant.  God dwelt in a particular way in the space above the ark. This is, in the end, a metaphor for the Church, which is called to reveal to the human race God’s presence among us.

Gospel exegesis: John (Chapter 14) continues to recount Jesus’ farewell discourse after the Last Supper.  Today’s Gospel passage explains the doctrine of the indwelling of the Holy Trinity in the human soul, and the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

1) The abiding presence of God in the human soul: The promise of God’s abiding presence must have been of great comfort to John’s community who knew that the Temple in Jerusalem — the symbol of God’s presence with His people — had been destroyed by the Roman army.  In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tells us that the one thing in life which we can always trust is God’s presence. God inhabits our hearts so deeply and intimately that we become the visible dwelling place of God.  His living and life-affirming Presence is always with us, yet ‘”hidden” in the very things we so often take for granted.  Thus, we are invited to look for and encounter — “God-with-us,” yet “hidden” — in the person sitting next to us, in the words we speak, and in the songs we sing at worship.

2) Condition for the indwelling of the Holy Trinity: Jesus teaches us the condition for this indwelling of the Holy Trinity, namely, we have to show our love of God by keeping his word.  And this keeping of his word will be facilitated by the Holy Spirit, God’s Holy Breath.

3) The role of the Holy Spirit is twofold: a) to “teach” the disciples and b) to “remind” them of what Jesus has already taught them” (v. 26). “At work since creation, having previously ‘spoken through the prophets,’ the Spirit will now be with and in the disciples, to teach them and guide them ‘into all the truth’” (CCC #243).  Jesus affirms that even though He will no longer be visibly with them, he will continue to be present among them through the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of Truth will continue teaching them and helping them to understand and to build on what Jesus has already taught them.  The Advocate will bring no new revelation because God has already revealed Himself in Jesus.  But the Advocate will deepen their understanding of the revelation given by Jesus.

4) Jesus gives his followers four gifts:  First, he gives them his love, which will enable them to keep his word. Next, he gives them the Holy Spirit, Who will teach them everything they need to know. The Holy Spirit is the abiding Love of God available to us, enabling us to accept the friendship of Jesus, while imitating him, and obeying his commands as  their Master.  Third, he gives them his peace to strengthen them against fear in the face of trouble. Here “peace” is not just the absence of conflict, but also the far wider concept of shalom, the total well-being of the person and community.  The promise of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, will bring a peace that will quell their fears of the unfolding darkness ahead. “In Johannine language, peace, truth, light, life and joy are figurative terms reflecting different facets of the great gift that Jesus has brought from God to the world. ‘Peace is my gift to you,’ is another way of saying, ‘I give them eternal life’” (Jn 10:28; Raymond E. Brown). The Holy Spirit is available as Comforter and Guide to those who believe in Jesus and follow in his way. The One God — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – IS pure Love. This Love, the Triune God, comes and lives in us, takes up residence in us and lives in our soul. When God’s love lives in us, and we live in Him, there is much more peace in our hearts, our families, our Churches, our offices, our workplaces, our schools, and, so, our world.  Fourth, Jesus rewards them with the assurance of his second coming.

Life messages: 1) Let us be aware of the abiding presence of God within us: We live in the New Covenant of Jesus, daily facing uncertainty, conflict, and temptations.  It is the abiding presence of God within us that enables us to face the future with undying Hope and true Christian courage.  The Holy Spirit, sent upon the Church by the Father at the request of the risen Lord, prompts us to turn to His Holy Scriptures for support and encouragement, enables us to learn the Divine truths, and grants us His peace at all times.  However, to be able to receive these gifts, it is necessary for us to spend a little time each day in personal prayer, talking to God and listening to Him.  We must deepen our relationship with Jesus, learn to get in touch with him, and sincerely love him.  When we listen to the Holy Spirit, we will   know His plan for our life and His solutions for whatever problems we face.  We will be able to love our fellow human beings, and there will be a core of peace within us.  The Holy Spirit teaches us through the Scriptures and preaching during the Holy Mass as well as in our prayer and our private reading of Scripture. Jesus loves us and comes to us in Communion.   When the Mass is ended, we go forth in the peace of Christ – and all this takes place under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

2) We are not alone:  One of the great social and ethical problems of our time is isolation.   Today approximately 25% of all adults live alone.   Spouses, parents, and children often live as virtual strangers to one another.   This is unfortunate because we never need to be alone.   Jesus can always be present to us.   He shares with us his joy and replaces the burden of our guilt with the freedom of forgiveness.  He takes our grief and turns it into joy.  We need only allow Jesus into our lives to be rid of this loneliness.   Oneness with Jesus is the greatest gift we can give our children, our friends, or those who see no purpose in life.   We can help to bring people to unity with Jesus, a unity that will change their lives. As we celebrate this Eucharistic meal, our Mass, let us celebrate in a special way the price Jesus paid for our redemption.   May this Eucharistic celebration empower us to lead a true Life in the Spirit. 

JOKE SOF THE WEEK

1) Here is an Irish lyric: “Paddy Murphy went to Mass, never missed a Sunday. But Paddy Murphy went to hell, for what he did on Monday.”

2) Don’t lose your mental peace: The Sunday school children had all been photographed with pastor sitting in their center. The pastor was trying to persuade the children to buy a copy of the group photo. “Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, ‘There’s Jennifer; she’s a lawyer,’ or ‘That’s Michael; he’s a doctor.‘ A small voice at the back of the room rang out, “And there’s our Pastor; he’s dead.”

3)  Peace and Relaxation: Did you know that…..If you can start the day without caffeine; if you can get going without pep pills; if you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains; if you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles; if you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it; if you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time; if you can take criticism without resentment; if you can ignore a friend’s limited education and never correct him; if you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend; if you can conquer tension without medical help; if you can relax without liquor; if you can sleep without the aid of drugs; …then you are probably the family dog!

USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK

1) Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org

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

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

3) Dr. Brant Pitre’s commentary on Cycle C Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-c)      

 20 Additional anecdotes

1) The ‘Butterfly Effect’: “Today’s real borders are not between nations, but between powerful and powerless, free and fettered, privileged and humiliated. Today no walls can separate humanitarian or human rights crises in one part of the world from national security crises in another. Scientists tell us that the world is so small and interdependent that a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon forest can generate a storm on the other side of the earth. The principle is known as the ‘Butterfly Effect.’” (Kofi Annan –“Excerpts from Nobel Prize acceptance speech”). — Today we realize more than ever, that the world of human activity also has its own “Butterfly Effect,” for better or for worse. The classical example is the history-making growth of Christianity in the first century by the Spirit-transformed lives of the apostles and early Christians.

2) Two loves in our lives: Jimmy Carter, in his book, Sources of Strength, tells about interviewing Eloy Cruz, an admirable Cuban pastor, who had tremendous rapport with poor immigrants from Puerto Rico. “What is the secret to your success?” asked Carter. — Pastor Cruz replied, “Señor Jimmy, we need to have only two loves for our lives, love for God and love for the person who happens to be in front of us at any time.”

3) “You were walking with Mary Susanna Brown, a child of God“: Retired Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, (the eldest son of Boston physician, poet, and polymath, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes), was walking down a street one day. A little girl joined him. When the girl started to turn back home, the famed jurist said, “When your mother asks you where you’ve been, tell her you’ve been walking with Oliver Wendell Holmes,” to which the little girl replied confidently, “And when your folks ask you where you’ve been, tell them you were walking with Mary Susanna Brown, a child of God.” — There’s a little girl with a healthy sense of who she is! Psychologists tell us that a healthy sense of identity is one of the most valuable gifts we can give our children: we are all God’s children and our God is an indwelling God. First, however, we need that gift ourselves. And if we did not receive it from our parents, we will need to look to God.

4) Head and tail fight of bulldog ants: The philosopher Schopenhauer once compared us to a Bulldog Ant. If we cut a Bulldog Ant in half, the front and rear segments will enter into a savage fight. The head will seize the tail with its teeth, while the tail will sting the head with fury. The fight might last for hours. — That is the way some of us are on the inside. There is part of us that wants to move ahead and a part that wants to stand absolutely still. There is a part of us that wants success and recognition. There is another part that wants to sit on the river bank and while away the hours. There is a part of us that wants to serve Christ. There is another part that says, “No, I’ve enough to do right now. Let someone else take their turn.” There is a fierce battle going on within many of us. Few of us know what it is to live lives of contentment and peace. — Jesus said to his disciples, in effect, “I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid”(Cf. Jn 14:27) What a promise! What a gift! Peace of mind and heart. He can give it to us.

5) Love as Jesus loved: Jesus said, “I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love.” (Jn 13:9). During World War II, a prisoner escaped from a labor detail in Auschwitz, a Nazi concentration camp in Poland. The camp commander announced that if he were not found in 24 hours, 10 of the 600 men in Block 14 would be picked at random to starve to death. Next morning the prisoners were lined up and stood all day in the burning heat of the sun. At 6 pm, 10 were selected at random. One was the father of a family. As they were being marched off, a Franciscan priest among the prisoners, St. Maximilian Kolbe, offered to take his place. The Nazi officer in charge was stunned, but he regained his composure and said, “Accepted.”  — The priest’s heroic act of love for a fellow prisoner is a faint reflection of Jesus’ love for us, and of the Father’s love for Jesus. Can I recall a time when I went out of my way and offered to help someone in need? The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them. (Cf. Jn 15:13)

6) “Were we shot down?“ A commercial airline pilot on one occasion made a particularly bad landing. The wheels of the big jet hit the runway with a jarring thud. Afterward, the airline had a policy, which required that the pilot stand at the door while the passengers exited. He was to give each of them a smile and say, “Thanks for flying with us today.” In light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment, but no one seemed annoyed. Finally, everyone had gotten off except for one little old lady walking with a cane. She approached the pilot and asked, “Sonny, mind if I ask you a question?” “Why, no, Ma’am, what is it?” said the pilot bravely. “Did we land,” she asked, “or were we shot down?”  — Maybe you’ve had days like that, days when it felt like you were shot down. Even worse, maybe things are going quite well for you, really. Your friends and your family tell you how fortunate you are. But you don’t feel fortunate. In fact, your life is somewhat tortured by a nagging fear that you cannot even define. It is at those moments that God wants us to turn to Him. He is our Peace, always.

7) “Mommy, are you there?”: I recall the story of a little girl who, when trains were popular transportation, was taking her first train ride with her parents. As night descended, the mother took the girl, who was clearly quite anxious, and placed her on the upper bunk of the sleeper. She told her little one that up there she would be nearer to God and that God would watch over her. As silence enveloped the young lady she became afraid and called softly, “Mommy, are you there?” “Yes dear,” came the response. A little later, in a louder voice, the child called, “Daddy, are you there, too?” “Yes dear,” was the reply. After this had been repeated several times one of the passengers sharing their sleeper car finally lost his patience and shouted loudly, “Yes, we’re all here, your father, your mother, your brother, and all your aunts and cousins; now settle down and go to sleep!” There was a moment of silence and then, in hushed tones a little voice asked, “Mommy, was that God?”

— Jesus, in offering peace, does not say, “I’m here, the Holy Spirit’s here and God is here, now be at peace!” The peace that Jesus offers cannot be had simply by desiring it. The peace of God is a gift; it can only be received as a by-product of Faith, which we need to accept as God offers it to us, and then live out. That’s why the world is largely a stranger to it.

8) Brendan Behan, an Irish playwright, virtually drank himself to death. His biographer attributes it to an unrelenting sense of guilt. Behan went to England on a mission for the I.R.A. One day he planted a bomb set to go off during rush hour. It exploded as a young woman with her baby was passing by. Both died in the blast. Brendan Behan was overwhelmed with guilt for killing that innocent woman and her baby. And as time went on he increasingly tried to drown his memories and silence his conscience in a bottle, without success! — Guilt is a terrible thing. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a guide in life a guide Who will help us avoid those things that we know are wrong, those things that fill us with regret? Christ has promised us such a guide. That Guide is the Holy Spirit.

9) Loving grandpa and the naughty grandchild: Grandpa walked into the family room and found his little grandson, Jeffy, standing up in his playpen crying. He looked so pitiful, standing there in his little baseball T-shirt and diaper. His face was red and tear-stained from crying. When Jeffy saw his grandpa, his face lit up in a way that smote the old man’s heart. He immediately reached up his chubby little hands in supplication. “Take me out, Papa, out!” What grandpa could resist such a plea? Not this one! He walked over to the crib and reached down to lift his little buddy out of captivity and distress. Just then, however, Law and Order stepped into the room. Jeffy’s mother walked out of the kitchen with a dishtowel in her hand and spoke sternly. “No, Jeffy! You are being punished. You have to stay in your playpen! Leave him right there, Dad.” Oh, fine. Now what’s a grandpa to do? His grandson’s tears and reaching little hands tugged mightily at his heart – but he didn’t want to interfere with a mother’s discipline either. What could he do? Love found a way. Since Grandpa couldn’t take Jeffy out of the playpen, he climbed in with him. “If you’re in the playpen, Buddy, I’m in the playpen. What’s your sentence? How long are you in for?” —  And finding a big, jolly grandpa suddenly filling his little prison cell, the little boy found comfort even in his captivity. — Today’s readings explain God’s indwelling in the Church and in the believers in terms of God’s love for His children.

10) “The Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky regarded by many as one of the greatest literary geniuses of all time. His books are classics. The Brothers Karamazov is regarded by many as the greatest novel ever written. His stories all have a similar theme: that our redemption is to be found through suffering, not simply physical suffering, but in the anguish of our selfhood. We become fully human, Dostoyevsky believed, by being tested and being strengthened through it.” [Pulpit Resource, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Logos Art Productions, Inver Grove, Minnesota) pp. 14-15.] — The peace which Jesus gave to the disciples involved very little contentment. They had to endure persecutions, misunderstanding, and hardships of every kind.

11) “But Papa, I love him; he loves me.” In the Broadway play and movie of the same name, Fiddler on the Roof, the chief protagonist is Tevye, a poor Russian Jew struggling to make a life for himself and his family. Economically and politically strapped by the harsh conditions of life prior to and during the Russian Revolution (ca. 1917), Tevye the milkman can hold onto little else except his traditions. However, even these began to crumble when his eldest daughter refuses to acquiesce to an arranged marriage and opts for love in poverty rather than wealth without love. Further shaken by the marriage of his second daughter to a Russian who favors the revolution, Tevye seems unable to bear anything more. But the final blow comes when his youngest daughter chooses to marry Christian. When Tevye argues with his daughters in favor of the centuries’ old traditions of their people, they counter him on every point with the simple explanation, “But Papa, I love him; he loves me.” – Love has proved to be a force powerful enough to overcome separatism and the distrust of others and their ways on the grounds that they did not share the same roots, backgrounds, and beliefs. In Tevye’s family, love began to establish new traditions, though not easily or rapidly. The family which was the early Church also struggled with the tasks of surrendering old ways (as described in the first reading) and of learning and establishing new ones as it grew and developed. Based on love and founded in peace, the Church’s new traditions were inspired, supported and guided by none other than the Holy Spirit.

12) Conversion: Joshua, a young Jew, fell in love with Mary, a devout Catholic. When Joshua proposed to Mary, she sought counsel from her parents, each of whom advised her differently. “Convert him to Catholicism!” commanded Mary’s dad, but her mum said, “Love him tenderly and God’s Spirit will work wonders!” Mary’s dad wouldn’t give in and ordered her to work hard at converting Joshua to Catholicism. Mary obeyed and Joshua was duly converted. Weeks later Joshua called off the marriage. “What’s up?” asked Mary’s dad. Mary sobbed: “Joshua wants to be a priest!”  (Francis Gonsalves in Sunday Seeds for daily Deeds).

13) The little mediator, Wee Willie Winkie: John Ford’s superb family action-adventure film, Wee Willie Winkie (1937), is loosely based on Rudyard Kipling’s popular story from his Tales of British India.   The setting of this movie is 19^th century British-occupied India. Little Priscilla Williams and her widowed mother travel to India to live with their relative, Colonel Williams. The colonel ruled his British Army base in India with an iron fist making of it an oppressive place.  Priscilla is a very curious, precocious child, who gains the nickname of “Private Wee Willie Winkie.”  The little girl quickly charms everyone around her, including a tough Scots Sergeant. After a series of adventures, she wins the hearts of everyone by challenging the prejudicial assumptions of both friends and enemies.  Her innocent, yet challenging questions are instrumental in helping Colonel Williams and Islamic freedom fighter, Khoda Khan, to see the senselessness of violence.  This leads them to a negotiated peace. — Today’s Gospel assures us that it is the abiding presence of God the Father with God the Incarnate Risen Son in the Holy Spirit within us, which gives us lasting peace.

14)  A New Advocate      When the heartbroken Nathaniel Hawthorne went home to tell his wife that he had been a failure and had been fired from his job in a customhouse, she surprised him with an exclamation of joy. “Now,” she said triumphantly, “you can write your book!” “Yes,” replied Nathaniel, “and what shall we live on while I am writing it?” To his amazement, she opened a drawer and pulled out a substantial sum of money. “Where on earth did you get that?” he exclaimed. “I have always known you were a man of genius,” she told him. “I knew that someday you would write a masterpiece. So, every week out of the housekeeping money you gave me I saved a little. So here is enough to last us a whole year!” From her confidence and encouragement came one of the greatest novels of United States literature, The Scarlet Letter. –- As a farewell, gift Jesus spoke of the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate he would give us. On the Divine level, deeper experiences of God do not make Christians immune to human problems and pain, but Jesus showed that his peace can be present even in the midst of insults, persecution, and approaching death. (Harold Buetow in God Still Speaks: Listen!)

15) “Padre, padrecito,” he exclaimed, “I knew you would come.”  It happened that a missionary priest was visiting his extensive parish, high in the Andes Mountains. The best way to reach certain parts of the parish was on horseback. Once, toward sunset, the priest got disoriented and could not find the way back to his base camp. Rather than risk exposure at such an altitude, he decided to give his horse free rein and hope to find shelter. After a couple of hours of wandering, he saw a welcome sight. In the distance a lamp burned in a hut. This was unusual because the native people went to bed shortly after dark in order to get up at an early hour. When the priest got near the hut, a man ran out, “Padre, padrecito,” he exclaimed, “I knew you would come!” Surprised, the priest asked how he knew that. The man said, “My mother has been praying all day that a priest would come. She is dying.” The priest went inside, heard the woman’s confession, then gave her Holy Anointing and Holy Communion. The woman softly spoke these final words, “Taita Dios heard me.” — Taita Dios is not easy to translate. Dios of course means God, but Taita is hard to translate. It is an intimate, affectionate way of addressing one’s father. Taita is like “daddy,” except that a grown-up man could say it with no embarrassment. Taita Dios, my dear Father, has heard me. — In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that if someone keeps Jesus’ word, “the Father will love him.” He then describes an intimacy impossible for us to imagine. He tells us that he and the Father will dwell within us – by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Phil Bloom).

16) “I would obey the commandments of God.” When Jimmy Carter was running for President of the United States, one of the more vivid moments in the campaign passed by almost unnoticed. One Sunday morning, candidate Carter had been worshipping at the Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. When the service was over, he exited the church into the swarm of press encamped on the church’s front lawn. Cameras whirring, video lights glaring, microphones thrust forward, the media mavens moved in for interviews, pushing themselves to think of clever questions to ask a presidential candidate on the way out of a Southern Baptist Church. Suddenly, a reporter, probably in a stroke of luck, shouted out a question that genuinely mattered: “Mr. Carter, suppose when you are President, you get into a situation where the laws of the United States are in conflict with what you understand to be the will of God. Which will you follow, the laws of the state or the commandments of God?” Carter stopped, looked up, and blinked into the bright Georgia sun, obviously turning the question over in his mind. Then, perhaps still “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day,” perhaps with the Spirit gently whispering the lyrics of the Gospel into his ears, he turned toward the reporter and replied, “I would obey the commandments of God.” Alert aides, alarmed by this candor, unnerved by their candidate’s near-treasonous remark, hurriedly whisked him away from the press and into a waiting car. — Carter the politician should have avoided the question, or hewed closely to the law of the land, but Carter the Christian had the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ whispering in his ear, “Do you love Me? The world cannot see or know Me, but do you love me? Do you keep My commandments?” The reason we, in general,  need the Holy Spirit murmuring the Gospel in our ears, is that we are notoriously forgetful.

17) The true peace Christ brings us, according to St. Francis Assisi: The Little Flowers of St. Francis, composed at the end of the 14th century by a Tuscan, is based on Actus beati Francisci et sociorum eius in divided into 53 short chapters. Here is a gripping story told in the book.  “Walking one day in the bitter cold with Brother Leo, St Francis began to teach him about perfect joy and perfect peace. He called to Brother Leo, who was walking on before him, and said to him: ‘If we monks were great holy men who edified all those around us, this would not be perfect joy.’ A little further St. Francis called to Brother Leo again: ‘O Brother Leo, if we monks were to make the lame to walk, if we should make straight the crooked, chase away demons, give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, and, what is even a far greater work, if we should raise the dead after four days, write that this would not be perfect joy.’ ….After some two miles of this Brother Leo finally spoke up and said: ‘Father Francis, I pray thee teach me wherein is perfect joy.’ Francis then teaches him this: ‘If, when we shall arrive at St Mary of the Angels, all drenched with rain and trembling with cold, all covered with mud and exhausted from hunger; if, when we knock at the convent-gate, the porter should come angrily and ask us who we are; if, after we have told him, “We are two of the brethren,” he should answer angrily, “What ye say is not the truth; ye are but two impostors going about to deceive the world, and take away the alms of the poor; begone, I say”; if then he refuse to open to us, and leave us outside, exposed to the snow and rain, suffering from cold and hunger till nightfall – then, if we accept such injustice, such cruelty and such contempt with patience, without being ruffled and without murmuring, believing with humility and charity that the porter really knows us, and that it is God who maketh him to speak thus against us, write down, O Brother Leo, that this is perfect joy. And if we knock again, and the porter come out in anger to drive us away with oaths and blows, as if we were vile impostors, saying, “Begone, miserable robbers! To the hospital, for here you shall neither eat nor sleep!” – and if we accept all this with patience, with joy, and with charity, O Brother Leo, write that this indeed is perfect joy. And if, urged by cold and hunger, we knock again, calling to the porter and entreating him with many tears to open to us and give us shelter, for the love of God, and if he come out more angry than before, exclaiming, “These are but importunate rascals, I will deal with them as they deserve’; and taking a knotted stick, he seize us by the hood, throwing us on the ground, rolling us in the snow, and shall beat and wound us with the knots in the stick – if we bear all these injuries with patience and joy, thinking of the sufferings of our Blessed Lord, which we would share out of love for him, write, O Brother Leo, that here, finally, is perfect joy.’  — I believe that what St Francis was saying to Brother Leo was that the Peace of Christ comes through our acts of obedience especially obedience in times of suffering. We will do well if we remember that true peace is the assurance that one day our Brother Jesus will return to take us back, back to our Father’s house. “So, do not let your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid.” (Jn 14:1) Amen.

18) Peanut in our pocket:  There is a story told  about a young lady named Sally. Sally was growing up, becoming a woman, preparing to go off to college. Her mother had struggled to provide for her education, an especially difficult task since her father had died several years earlier. Her mother had made every effort within her power to raise Sally right. Now Sally would be on her own, an exciting and frightening time. Sally had strong reservations about leaving her mother alone to mind the farm and do the chores. She was also nervous about having to find her own way without her mother’s guidance. As she prepared to meet the bus, bags packed and ready, her mother took her arm and said to her, “You’re gonna see things an’ do things you ain’t never heard of, and you won’t know which way to turn sometimes. You ‘member how you used to tug on my apron string when you wanted something, and I’d see to what you was after? You ‘member how when you was too close to the road, and I’d holler to you to tell you to get away from there’?” her mother gently reminded her. “Well, I’m gonna be there with you in your heart, but it’ll be up to you to listen to what I told you. I can’t kiss your hurts when you fall down an’ skin your knee or quiet you when the big storms come rollin’ through. But, I’ll be close as a peanut in your pocket when you need me. If you’re afraid, I’ll stand with you. And if you are hurting, you can feel me close, and if you do wrong, I’ll whisper the truth to ya, so you won’t do it no more.” The tears came to both their eyes. Her mother opened the dresser drawer and took out a neatly folded handkerchief and placed it in the pocket of Sally’s dress. Upon leaving, Sally felt completely alone. As she fought back the tears, she reached into her dress pocket to take out the handkerchief her mother had placed there. Then she noticed a knot in one corner just like her mother used to tie her milk money in her handkerchief. Upon untying the knot, she found a single peanut. She knew that her dear mother would always be with her in her heart (3. Parables submitted by Ron Alberston). — The Good News is that God wants to dwell in our lives. God wants to take up residence in our hearts. God wants to be with us always, as close as a peanut in our pocket.

19) “Watch Jimmie in chapel“: In his book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, Oliver Sacks tells the story of Jimmie, a former sailor, now a patient in a nursing home, whose severe neurological disorder had left him with a profound and permanent amnesia. He simply had no memory of anything from 1945 on. Having no ability to retrieve the past and no ability to construct a meaningful present, Jimmie lacked the continuity that makes for a sense of the self. He was, wrote Sacks, a person who “wore a look of infinite sadness and resignation.” However, when Sacks asked the Sisters who ran the nursing home whether Jimmie had lost his soul, the Sisters were outraged by the question. “Watch Jimmie in chapel,” they said, “and judge for yourself.” So Sacks did watch Jimmie in chapel, and there he observed an astounding transformation. He saw an intensity and steadiness in Jimmie that he had not observed before. As he received the Sacrament, there was “perfect alignment of his spirit with the spirit of the Mass.” There in worship, Jimmie was no longer at the mercy of a faulty and fallible memory. “He was wholly held, absorbed ….” He whose mind was broken was given in worship, “a continuity and unity so seamless it could not permit any break.”  (Oliver Sacks, The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, is reported in Craig Dykstra, “Memory and Truth,” Theology Today, XLIV/2, p. 162).  — Jimmie in his own way is like all of us. In the final analysis, none of us is able to construct a self. We must all be given a story and a continuity not of our own making. Where we have no faithful memory, God remembers, and by the grace of God, the Spirit whispers the lyrics of the saving Gospel in our ears

20) The City Sparkled Like a Diamond: We pray for the dead, “May perpetual light shine upon them.” Have you ever wondered what sort of light perpetual light would be? Soft and white, perhaps, like the light of a frosted bulb? Piercing, like the headlight of a motorcycle? Scary electric blue, like a flash of lightning? Too dazzling even to look at, like the glare of the summer sun? It might resemble any of these. But somehow, I believe that the light in heaven will be more gracious. — Today’s second reading suggests what I mean. St. John had a preview of the “new Jerusalem” to be sent down by God. He says, “The city had the radiance of a precious jewel that sparkled like a diamond.” In other words, it shone with a glittering, amiable, transparent light. John used similar descriptions elsewhere in the Book of Revelations: “The city was of pure gold, crystal clear” and “The streets of the city were of pure gold, transparent as glass. The floor around [God’s] throne was like a sea of glass that was crystal clear.”  Centuries before St. John’s days, the prophet Ezekiel had described the sky above God, whom he too saw in a vision, as shining “like glittering crystal.” From 1915 to 1917 the three children of Fatima, Portugal – Lucia, Francesco and Jacinta – had several visions of Our Lady and of angels. They, too, described the light in these visions as something you could see through. Lucia has recorded that the angel they saw in 1916 “was a young man, about 14 or 15 years old, whiter than snow, transparent as crystal when the sun shines through it.” And when Our Lady appeared to them on May 13, 1917, Lucia said “she was more brilliant than the sun, and radiated with a light more clear and intense than a crystal glass filled with sparkling water when the rays of the burning sun shine through it.” I think I would like that sort of light. (Father Robert F. McNamara).

 “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle C (No. 33) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle C homilies, 141                   Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit also https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  under Fr. Tony’s homilies and  under Resources in the CBCI website:  https://www.cbci.in  for other website versions.  (Vatican Radio website: http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html uploaded my Cycle A, B and C homilies in from 2018-2020)  (Fr. Anthony Kadavil, Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Joseph  M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507)

May 19- 24: May 19 Monday: Jn 14:21-26: 21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

The context: Today’s Gospel passage is taken from Jesus’ Last Supper discourse. It was commonly held by the Jews that when the Messiah came, he would be revealed to the whole world as King and Savior. Hence, Judas Thaddeus asks why Jesus is revealing himself only to his disciples. Jesus does not answer that question directly. Instead, He continues his work of preparing his disciples for his imminent departure from them by assuring them that he is not leaving them alone. Instead, Jesus is going to live in them along with God his Father and God the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Father can be experienced through the experience of love. This means that the criterion of the Father is always the same: love. “If anyone loves Me, he will observe My word, and My Father will love him and We shall come to him and make a home in him.”

Jesus promises the abiding presence of the Holy Trinity in his disciples who express their responsive love for him by keeping his commandments, especially his commandment of love, because only this type of loving will open them and make them receptive to the Divine Indwelling of the Trinitarian God. Jesus is referring to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the soul renewed by grace. God repeatedly revealed Himself in the Old Testament and promised to dwell in the midst of His people (cf. Ex 29:45; Ez 37:26-27; etc.). But here Jesus speaks of the presence of God in each person. We are each a part of the Divine chain of love. God loves man. He sent His Son to prove it. After Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension, God the Father continues to live in us with His Son and the Holy Spirit. This abiding God gives us the Father’s protection and providence, the Son’s redemption and forgiveness of sins, and the Holy Spirit’s sanctification and guidance.

Life messages: 1) Let us live in constant awareness of the abiding presence of the Trinitarian God within us and behave well in His presence. 2) During moments of doubts and temptations, let us seek the active guidance and strengthening of our indwelling God. Fr. Tony(https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

May 20 Tuesday: Saint Bernardine of Siena, priest:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-bernardine-of-sienaJn 14:27-31a: 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, `I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go hence.

The context: In his Last Supper discourse, Jesus gives two gifts to his disciples, namely, the gift of peace and the gift of the cross leading to glory. Today’s passage refers to the gift of peace. Wishing a person peace (Shalom), was, and still is, the usual form of greeting among the Jews and the Arabs. Shalom is a right relationship with God and with others. Arabs wish each other “Islam Alikum” in Arabic, meaning peace be with you. And the response is “alikum Islam” (and also with you). Moses instructed the Aaron and his descendants, the priests, to bless the Israelites with God’s peace: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Nm 6:22-26).“Peace be with you!” is the greeting which Jesus used, and which the Apostles continued to use. Hence, the Church uses it several times in the liturgy. Peace is one of the great Messianic gifts. St. Paul tells us that it is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Jesus repeats his promise saying, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” Pope St. Paul VI (canonized October 14, 2018), said: “True peace must be founded upon justice, upon a sense of the untouchable dignity of man, upon the recognition of an indelible and happy equality between men, upon the basic principle of human brotherhood.”

Life message: 1) We are invited to live in the peace wished by Jesus. This requires that we be reconciled every day with ourselves, with our neighbors, and with our God. Reconciliation with God demands that we obey His commandments, repent every day of our sins, and ask God’s forgiveness. Reconciliation with others demands that we forgive others for their offenses against us, and that we ask for their forgiveness for our offenses against them in words, attitudes, and deeds. Reconciliation with ourselves comes from our grace-given humble recognition of our weaknesses and failures and our grateful acceptance and use of the Holy Spirit’s loving gifts to us of deepened love and trust that God loves us in spite of these weaknesses, forgives us our sins when we repent, helps us to do better, and uses our weaknesses to bring us closer to Him, in order to demonstrate His own Love and Power working through us for His glory. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

May 21 Wednesday: Saints Christopher Magallanes, priest and martyr, and Companions, martyrs:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-cristobal-magallanes-and-companions/Jn 15:1-8: 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples:

The context: During his Last Supper discourse, Jesus uses one of God’s Old Testament images, the vine and the branches, to help his disciples understand the closeness of their relationship with him and the necessity of their maintaining it. Jesus assures them, using the parable of the vine and branches, that the Life-giving Spirit, Whom Jesus will send them, will be present and active among his disciples and their successors. This Gospel passage also emphasizes the need for Christians to abide in Christ as an essential condition for producing fruits of kindness, mercy, justice, charity, and holiness. Paul further clarifies this idea in Col Jn 15:1-81:18 using another metaphor, that Christ is the Head and Christians are the different members of His Mystical Body. Pruning is an essential part of growing fruit-producing branches. In the vineyards in Palestine, dead branches were pruned to save the vine. Fruitless, leafy branches draining life sap from the main trunk were also pruned away leaving only fruit-bearing branches. Jesus tells his apostles that they have already been pruned by the words he has spoken to them. Eventually, they will be pruned of all attachment to the things of this world so that they may be ready to attach themselves to the things of Heaven.

Life messages 1) We need pruning in our Christian life. Pruning, which cuts out of our lives everything that is contrary to the spirit of Jesus and renews our commitment to Christian ideals in our lives every day, is the first type of self-imposed pruning expected of us. A second kind of pruning is accomplished by practicing self-control over our evil inclinations, sinful addictions, and aberrations. A third type of pruning is done by our permitting Jesus to prune, purify, and strengthen us as God allows us to face pain, suffering, contradictions, and difficulties with His grace and the courage of our Christian convictions. 2) Let us abide in Christ and let Christ abide in us: Personal and liturgical prayers, frequenting of the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation, daily, meditative reading of the Bible, and selfless, loving acts of kindness, mercy, and forgiveness, all made possible by God’s grace, enable us to abide in Jesus, the true vine, as fruit-bearing branches. L/25;

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

May 22 Thursday: Saint Rita of Cascia, religious: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-rita-of-cascia/Jn 15:9-11: 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 This I command you, to love one another.

The context: During the Last Supper discourse, Jesus teaches his disciples that love is the hallmark and the criterion of Christians. Jesus reminds his disciples that he has chosen them as his friends with a triple mission. First, they are to love others as he has loved them. Second, they are to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Third, they are to ask God the Father for whatever they need in Jesus’ name.

The criteria of Christian love: First, Jesus modifies the Old Testament command from “love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Lv 19:18) to “love others as I have loved you.” This means that our love for others must be unconditional, forgiving, and sacrificial. Jesus invites each Christian to be in the inner circle of his friends by obeying his commandments including the new commandment of love. Such friends abide in Jesus as Jesus abides in them, and their prayers in Jesus’ name will be answered promptly by God the Father. We express our love for Christ by obeying his new commandment of love. Jesus further explains that the real source of Christian joy is the certainty that God loves us. We, too, must be ready to express our love for others by our readiness to die for them as Jesus died for us.

Life message: 1) Let us remember that true Christian love is costly and painful because it involves sacrifice on our part when we start loving unlovable, ungrateful, and hostile people with Christ’s unconditional, forgiving, sacrificial love. But our Christian call is, with God’s grace, to love others as Jesus has loved us, and as Jesus loves them. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

May 23 Friday; Jn 15:12-17: 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 This I command you, to love one another.

The context: Today’s Gospel passage is a part of Jesus’ Last Supper discourse. Jesus reminds his disciples that he has chosen them as his friends with a triple mission. First, they are to love others as he has loved them. Second, they are to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Third, they are to ask God the Father in Jesus’ Name, for whatever they need.

First, Jesus modifies the Old Testament command from “love your neighbor as you love yourselves” (Lv 19:18) to “love one another as I have loved you.” This means that our love for others must be unconditional, forgiving, and sacrificial. We, too, must be ready to express our love for others by our readiness to die for them as Jesus died for us. Jesus reminds the apostles that the ultimate expression of love (and especially Christian love, (agápê) lies in self-sacrifice for others. Second, Jesus explains that the calling to produce fruits, which the Apostles received, and which every Christian also receives, does not originate in the individual’s good desires but in Christ’s free choice. Third, Jesus concludes his advice by referring to the effectiveness of prayer offered in his Name. That is why the Church usually ends the prayers of the liturgy with the invocation “Through Jesus Christ our Lord….”

Life messages: 1) Let us cultivate an abiding and loving friendship with Jesus: a) The qualities we normally expect from our friends are trust, mutuality, faithfulness, equality, forgiveness, joy, and sacrifice. Jesus offers us all these qualities in our friendship with him. b) As a Friend, Jesus has trusted us by sharing with us everything that he has heard from his Father. Hence, we have to trust him as a Friend by listening to him through the Bible and talking to him in prayer. c) As our Friend, Jesus will be always faithful to us. Let us return this fidelity by being faithful to him in doing His will. d) By calling us his friends, Jesus makes us equal to him. Let us be humbled by this and lead lives worthy of our unique status. e) As an understanding Friend, Jesus is ready to forgive us time and time again. Let us also forgive those who offend us. f) As a Friend, Christ has told us everything so that our joy might be complete in him. Let us enjoy Jesus’ Divine friendship. g) Jesus declared that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend. He has done it for us. Hence, let us also love others sacrificially.

#2: Let us be persons for others: Jesus demonstrated the love God, his Father, has for us by living for us and dying for us. Hence, as his disciples, we are to be persons for others, sacrificing our time, talents, and lives for others. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25.

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

May 24 Saturday:Jn 15:18-21: 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, `A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all this they will do to you on my account, because they do not know him who sent me.

The context: In today’s Gospel passage, taken from the Last Supper discourse, Jesus warns his apostles of what they can expect from a world which ignores God and His teaching. They will be hated and persecuted as Jesus was. But there can be no compromise between Christ’s disciples and the followers of the powers of darkness. The term “world” in today’s Gospel passage means people who are hostile towards God and opposed to His will. They represent an evil society which “calls evil good and good evil” (Is 5:20). Such a society will hate Christ and his teachings because Christian teaching exposes the evil of society and its false and dangerous doctrines. Since the Church Jesus established stands for Truth, Morality, and Justice, it does not support the modern “dictatorship of relativism.” The modern world hates and ridicules everything Christian through its liberal, agnostic and/or atheistic media.

Life message: Let us ask the Holy Spirit for the courage of our Christian convictions to believe and practice what Jesus taught and what Jesus continues to teach through the Church. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

Easter V [C] (May 18) Eight-page homily in one-page (L/25)

Introduction: Today’s readings are about renewal and new things: The New Jerusalem, a new Heaven with a new earth, anda new commandment.

Scripture lessons summasrized: The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, describes how the small Christian communities helped the work of renewal in their members by their agápe love, imitating the agápe love of Paul and Barnabas. The second reading, from the Book of Revelation, explains how God renews His Church, the New Jerusalem, by being present in her members, in their parish communities, and in their liturgical celebrations. “See, I am making all things new.” Today’s Gospel passage gives us the secret of Christian renewal as the faithful practice of Jesus’ new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:35). Jesus has added a new element to the Old Testament command of love by teaching us that the true test of discipleship is to love other people in the same way that he has loved us, with sacrificial, selfless, self-giving and unconditional, agápe love. Hence, the renewal of Christian life means a radical change of vision and a reordering of our priorities in life. Such a renewal brings us to embrace new attitudes, new values, and new standards of relating to God, to other people and, indeed, to our whole environment.

Life messages: 1) Let us learn to love ourselves so that we may learn to love each other. The old commandmentsays: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lv 19:1-2, 9-18). We cannot learn to cherish others and care for them if we have never learned to do the same for ourselves. We live in a world that denies our basic human worth. How do we reclaim our basic worth? We can become whole, and hol, only when we learn to love ourselves properly, acknowledging the fact that we are children of God and that the Triune God resides in our souls, making our body the “temple of the Holy Spirit.”

2) Let us love others in our daily lives: We are asked to love as Jesus loved, in the ordinary course of our lives. We love others by responding to their everyday needs with love and compassion. We love others by comforting and protecting those who have experienced loss. We love others by serving others in every possible way, no matter how small, seeing the face of Jesus in each of them. We love others by forgiving rather than condemning, and by challenging rather than condoning. Finally, we love others by sacrificially sharing our time, talents, and blessings with them.

3) Let us demonstrate our love for others in our gatherings and parish assemblies: When we are assembled as a religious or social community, we have an opportunity to demonstrate our love for one another. People must see Christians as people who interact with a love and concern for one another that reveals their strong love and appreciation for each other. They should see in us a quickness to appreciate and a readiness to forgive, even as Christ has forgiven us.

Easter V [C] (May 18): Acts 14:21-27; Rv 21:1-5a; Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35 

Homily starter anecdotes # 1: “Little children love one another:” St. Jerome relates of the apostle John that when he became old, he used to be carried to the assembled Churches, everywhere repeating the words, “Little children, love one another.” His disciples, wearied by the constant repetition, asked him why he always said this. “Because,” he replied, “it is the Lord’s commandment, and if it only be fulfilled, it is enough.” — John knew that the greatest truth was most apt to be forgotten because it was taken for granted. This is one of the greatest calamities in the Christian Church and the one that causes divisions.

# 2: “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars.” One day, as St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa, 1910-1997) and her Missionaries of Charity were tending to the poorest of the poor on the streets of Calcutta, they happened across a man lying in the gutter, very near death. He was filthy, dressed in little more than a rag and flies swarmed around his body. Immediately, Mother Teresa embraced him, spoke to him softly and began to pick out the maggots that were nesting in his flesh. A passerby was repulsed by the sight of the man and exclaimed to Mother Teresa, “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars.” Her response was immediate, “Neither would I!” –Obviously, monetary gain did not motivate the diminutive woman known as the Saint of Calcutta; love did. In her writings, Mother Teresa frequently affirmed the motivating power of love. Quoting Jesus in today’s Gospel, she wrote, “Jesus said, ‘Love one another. Such as my love has been for you, so must your love be for each other.’” She continued, “We must grow in love, and to do this we must go on loving and loving and giving and giving until it hurts – the way Jesus did. Do ordinary things with extraordinary love: little things, like caring for the sick and the homeless, the lonely and the unwanted, washing and cleaning for them.” Elsewhere, Mother Teresa remarked that the greatest disease in the West today is not tuberculosis, leprosy or even A.I.D.S.; it is being unwanted, uncared for, unloved. That she did her part in trying to “cure” this disease was attested in everything she did and in every word she said.  (Sanchez Files)

# 3:  Catherine Lawes who transformed a notorious prison with love:  In 1921, Lewis Lawes became the warden at Sing Sing Prison in New York state. No prison was tougher than Sing Sing during that time. But when Warden Lawes retired some 20 years later, that prison had become a humanitarian institution. Those who studied the system said credit for the change belonged to Lawes. But when he was asked about the transformation, here’s what he said: “I owe it all to my wonderful wife, Catherine, who is buried outside the prison walls.” Catherine Lawes was a young mother with three small children when her husband became the warden. Everybody warned her from the beginning that she should never set foot inside the prison walls, but that didn’t stop Catherine! When the first prison basketball game was held, she went … walking into the gym with her three beautiful kids, and she sat in the stands with the inmates. Her attitude was: “My husband and I are going to take care of these men and I believe they will take care of me! I don’t have to worry.” She insisted on getting acquainted with them and their records. She discovered one convicted murderer was blind so she paid him a visit. Holding his hand in hers she said, “Do you read Braille?” “What’s Braille?” he asked. Then she taught him how to read. Years later he would weep in love for her. Later, Catherine found a deaf-mute in prison. She went to school to learn how to use sign language. Many said that Catherine Lawes was the body of Jesus that came alive again in Sing Sing from 1921 to 1937. Then, she was killed in a car accident. The next morning Lewis Lawes didn’t come to work, so the acting warden took his place. It seemed almost instantly that the prison knew something was wrong. The following day, her body was resting in a casket in her home, three-quarters of a mile from the prison. As the acting warden took his early morning walk, he was shocked to see a large crowd of the toughest, hardest-looking criminals gathered like a herd of animals at the main gate. He came closer and noted tears of grief and sadness. He knew how much they loved Catherine. He turned and faced the men, “All right, men, you can go. Just be sure and check in tonight!”  Then he opened the gate and a parade of criminals walked, without a guard, the three-quarters of a mile to stand in line to pay their final respects to Catherine Lawes. — And every one of them checked back in. Every one! They had learned the commandment of love as practiced by Catherine. [Stories for the Heart compiled by Alice Gray (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1996), pp. 54-55.]

Introduction: Today’s readings are about new things: the New Jerusalem, a new Heaven and a new earth, with a new commandment. In the reading taken from the Book of Revelation, God tells us that His saving and healing work in the world is ongoing: “See, I am making all things new” (Rv 21:5a).  The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, describes how the small Christian communities helped the work of renewal in their members by their agápe love, imitating the agápe love of Paul and Barnabas. The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 145) prays that “Your faithful ones” may “make known Your might to the children of Adam,” not just to Israel. The second reading, taken from Revelation, explains how God renews His Church by being present in her members, in their parish communities, and in their liturgical celebrations. Today’s Gospel passage gives us the secret of Christian renewal as the faithful practice of Jesus’ new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:35). Jesus has added a new element to the Old Testament command of love by telling us that the true test of discipleship is to love other people in the same way that he has loved us. Hence, the renewal of Christian life means a radical change of vision and a reordering of our priorities in life. Such a renewal brings us to embrace new attitudes, new values, and new standards of relating to God, to other people and, indeed, to our whole environment. For most of us, “renewal” is something that comes at different stages in our lives, each time bringing us to a deeper understanding, insight, and commitment.

First reading: Acts 14:21-27, explained: Each Jewish synagogue served its Faith community year-round as a) a House of Prayer (b) a House of Study and (c) a House of Assembly or Socialization. When Jesus came, acting as a Teacher, a rabbi, he gathered around him a talmudim — a small group of twelve men to travel with him, to share prayer, ministry, Faith, and values. Jesus promised his followers that wherever two or three would gather in his name, he would be present among them. After his death and Resurrection, Jesus’ disciples tried to establish small Christian communities wherever they found a welcome. Paul and Barnabas knew that evangelization and Baptism were but the first steps in a lifelong process of turning to, and being transformed by, Christ. Hence, in their subsequent visits to Christian communities, they continued to instruct their converts. Already in the first Christian century, believers understood that catechesis is a cradle-to-grave endeavor. Paul and Barnabas also considered their mission an extension of the small community’s outreach to the world. Because of this they were accountable to the Christian community that had sent them. Therefore, they returned to relate all that they had done, careful to credit God for their success and the increasingly universal character of the Church, for it was He who had “opened the door of the Faith to the Gentiles” (v. 27). It is a welcome sight to see modern Christian communities, which are criticized for too much structural set-up, returning to their first century roots by establishing congregations that are a network of individual Christians, bound together in prayer, Faith, mutual support, service, missionary outreach, and accountability.  We may not be called to the same kind of missionary activity as were Paul and Barnabas, but we must be as unselfish in our service of others as were these early Christians.

Second Reading, Revelation 21:1-5, explained: The Book of Revelation was written to bolster the Faith of persecuted Christians in all ages. Today’s passage begins the final section of the book. The scene is really a vision of the new age of eschatological fulfillment inaugurated by the death and Resurrection of Jesus. The ancient city of Jerusalem had long been for the Jews a token of God’s presence with them. God had aided them in capturing and holding it, in making it their capital, in building His Temple there, and in returning to it to rebuild it after its destruction by their captors and their consequent exile in Babylon. Within the holiest chamber of the Jerusalem Temple, they kept the stone tablets of the Law given to Moses in a chest known as the Ark of the Covenant. God dwelt in a particular way above this chamber. These details give richness to the image of the “New Jerusalem” spoken of in Revelation.   The image is a metaphor for the Church, which is always called to reveal God’s presence among us. Today’s passage from the Book of Revelation (21:3) gives us the assurance that “God’s dwelling is with the human race,” it affirms the fact that God is present at every moment of human history, even those most desperate and threatening. Jesus’ death and Resurrection have created a state in which a once-distant God is now present to every person and in every situation.   Moreover, Jesus has given us the insight and power to transform everything in our lives by practicing agápe love in our interactions with people. It is through this constant love-centered interaction among us that the “new earth, the new Heaven, and the new Jerusalem” can begin to come into existence, not at some unknown future time and in some other place, but here and now. In this second reading, taken from Revelation, John shares a vision of nuptial love. When all the former things have passed away and sin and evil are completely overcome, God will welcome His redeemed people as a husband welcomes a bride. The love and life that they will share will preclude tears, pain, crying out, mourning and death.

Gospel exegesis:  Today’s Gospel reading comes from Chapters 13:1–17:26 of St. John’s Gospel, a section known as the “Last/ Farewell Discourse,” which took place at the Last Supper, on the night before Jesus went to the Cross. In these chapters, Jesus has left urgent messages for his Apostles and for us – things that he wanted to tell us before he went away. This farewell discourse is a powerful and intimate part of Jesus’ teaching on the Christian concepts of glory and love.

The Christian concept of glory: The glorification mentioned in today’s passage refers, above all, “to the glory which Christ will receive once he is raised up on the cross (Jn 3:14; 12:32). St. John stresses that Christ’s death is the beginning of his victory: his very crucifixion can be considered the first step in his Ascension to his Father. At the same time, it is glorification of the Father, because Christ, by voluntarily accepting death out of love, in a supreme act of obedience to the Will of God His Father, performs the greatest sacrifice man can offer for the glorification of God. The Father will respond to this glorification which Christ offers Him by glorifying Christ as Son of Man, that is, in his holy human nature, through his Resurrection and Ascension to God’s right hand. Thus, the glory which the Son gives the Father is at the same time glory for the Son.” (The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries). As Christ’s disciples, we also will find our highest motivation and glory by identifying ourselves with Christ’s obedience in our daily lives, especially by keeping his new commandment of sacrificial, unconditional, forgiving agápe love.

 The new commandment: In the second part of the farewell discourse, Jesus gives his followers a new commandment:  they must love one another as he has loved them.  They would be known, not by the sign of the fish or even of the cross, but by their mutual love, the fruit of their conversion. Just as Solomon, in the story of the disputed child, was able to discern the identity of the true mother by her love, so will the world be able to identify the true disciples of Jesus by their love for one another.  The command of Jesus is both new and old. It repeats the precept of the Old Testament,  “You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Lv 19:18). But the command of Jesus is “You shall love your neighbor as I have loved you.” What is new is that this love characterizes the new life inaugurated by Jesus and is proof of one’s love for God (1 Jn. 4:7). Jesus’ new commandment calls for love without limits, conditions, or prerequisites. This love opens our eyes to facts that we might otherwise overlook — that the poor in the world belong to our family; that those who live in despair may be saved by God through our care of them; that God’s peace can come to the world through our efforts as we pray and work with Him.

The nature of Christian love: Jesus speaks of agápe, love that seeks the true good of the beloved. This kind of love love requires total commitment and trust. It is the kind of love with which God loves us, a love that should be the model of the love we have for others.  This love should be more than just a warm feeling toward others; it should be a compassionate gift of ourselves to meet the spiritual and bodily needs of our brothers and sisters. Agápe implies a reaching out to others in a caring attitude for their wellbeing without expecting any favor in return.  It is strong, positive, difficult, determined action.  Jesus repeats the command to love one another three times, first explaining what it is (“a new commandment”), how it is to be applied (“as I have loved you“), and finally noting that this love would stand as  the identifying quality of his disciples. Not only is this a new commandment, but Jesus teaches, it is also the greatest.  To love, in fact, is to know God—”Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 Jn 4:7-8). The early Christians practiced this love literally. Tertullian reports that the heathens held the Christian congregations in high regard for doing this kind of agápe, loving. They observed, “See, how these Christians love one another!”  The fact is that Jesus’ death and Resurrection serve, not just as an example of how to love, but as the agent that actually frees us from our selfish love through His indwelling presence.  It was this new kind of love which was manifested by the first disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem (Acts 2:44-45), and in the Churches in Macedonia (2 Cor 8:1-5).  It was a love that was attentive to the poor and the needy. During his life on earth, Jesus Himself was lovingly present to those who were not at all lovable.  He allowed himself to be moved with pity and compassion when he encountered those in need, and he was moved to tears in the midst of sadness.  He openly shed tears at the tomb of Lazarus.  He shed tears also over the city of Jerusalem (Lk 19:41-44) and its people, “because you did not know the time of your visitation” (by the promised Messiah, Jesus himself).   Even the anger that Jesus displayed in the Temple was rooted in love –- filial love for His Father and for His Father’s House.  Jesus loved both his Father and them by teaching and modeling for them the agápe love that God was both giving them and asking of them, by Himself serving others, helping some, and healing others.  His was a love that healed and built up, challenged, and inspired people.  It was a deeply forgiving and sacrificial love. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends“ (Jn 15:13).

St. Augustine’s commentary on the new commandment of love: Isn’t Jesus asking the “impossible” when he asks his disciples to “love one another” (Jn 13:31-35)? Can anything be harder? St. Augustine also wrestled with the question of love and demonstrated through the life of Jesus that love conquers all. Available on the New Advent website is his “Homily 7 on the Epistle of John” which contains the famous phrase, “love and do what you will.” His example contrasts the actions of beating and caressing: which of those two would you rather receive? Which is better: a father chastising his son, or a pedophile caressing his object of lust? Everything depends on what is in the heart of the person before and during the action. Augustine’s point is his interpretation of Jesus’ command to love one another as He has loved us. Some things may have a good appearance, but one’s actions are only discerned by the root of charity. This is why he confidently says, “love and do what you will.” If you have a right relationship with God and with others, then you have nothing to worry about. This kind of love, agápe,  is a sacrificial love, not a selfish love. It only thinks of the best for the other person – even if that “best” means corrective action out of love. If this kind of love is within you, then with Augustine we say “from this root can spring nothing but what is good.”

Life messages: 1) Let us learn to love ourselves so that we may learn to love each other.   The old Commandment says: “You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Lv 19:1-2, 9-18).  How do we learn to cherish others and care for them if we have never learned to do the same for ourselves?  We live in a culture that devalues life and worships death—a culture in which people drug themselves into oblivion. Women and girls are willing to starve themselves to fit some unrealistic media image of beauty and worth.  People and relationships are sacrificed on the altar of “workaholism.”  How are we to love ourselves when we are told over and over again that we are unlovable?  How do we reclaim our basic worth?   We can become whole and holy only when we learn to love ourselves properly, acknowledging the loving presence of the Triune God in our souls, making our bodies the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” Only when we are are fully convinced that we are lovable because God has loved us first — from all Eternity — has brought us into being here and now, is guiding us, is drawing us to Himself,  and will never cease to love us, can we love Him back. Only then can we love others as He has loved and reach out, comfortably, to love unconditionally those who, themselves, cannot love but can only hurt and hate and destroy. It is through constant love-centered interaction with God and each other that the “new earth, the new Heaven and the new Jerusalem” can begin to come into existence.

2) Let us love others in our daily lives:  We are asked to love as Jesus loved, in the ordinary course of our lives.  This means that we should love others by allowing ourselves to be moved with pity for them. We love others by responding to their everyday needs. We can show love by materially sharing with those who have less. We love others by comforting and protecting those who have experienced loss.  We love others by serving others in every possible way, no matter how small.  We love others by forgiving rather than condemning, by challenging rather than condoning.  We love others by responding to the call of God in our lives and by walking in the footsteps of Jesus.  We love others by making sacrifices for them. This is how the world will know that we are the Disciples of Christ.

3) Let us demonstrate our love for others: When we are assembled and have guests, we have an opportunity to demonstrate our love for one another.  They must see Christians as people who are glad to see one another, who are willing to take the time to visit with each other and who know each other’s names.  Our assemblies may be the only time some guests have the opportunity to see Christians interact with love and concern for one another, an interaction that reveals the strong love and appreciation for one another which the members have.  Christians will often sin against one another and offend one another.  But others should see in us a quickness to forgive, even as Christ has forgiven us.

 Joke of the Week: One Sunday a priest was finishing up a series on marriage. At the end of the service, he was giving out small wooden crosses to each married couple. He said, “Place this cross in the room in which you fight the most and you will be reminded of Jesus’ new commandment, and you won’t argue as much.” One woman came up after the service and said: “You’d better give me five crosses.”

USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK

1) Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org

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

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

3) Dr. Brant Pitre’s commentary on Cycle C Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-c)      

4) Catholic FAQ http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/a/faq-cc.html: (=Catholic answers to frequently asked questions) & http://www.catholic.com/

5)        USCCB Daily reflections videos: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/

16-Additional anecdotes:

1) The bomber and the victim: Two World War II veterans, a German and an American, were attending a three-day seminar.  As they were washing dishes one evening after dinner, they exchanged stories about the war. The American told of the horror he felt as a young pilot during the particularly savage bombing of a city in Germany.  He had orders to bomb a hospital, which he would know by the huge Red Cross painted on the roof.  The German — somewhat shocked by the story — revealed that his wife had been giving birth to their baby in that very hospital when it was being bombed, resulting in the death of the mother and the baby.  After a few minutes of silence, the two men fell into each other’s arms weeping. — Imagine being in Heaven, at the end of the world, where we fall weeping upon one another, waves of reconciliation breaking upon us as we adjust ourselves to this dimension of pure love which Jesus demands from his followers in today’s Gospel passage.

2) Quest for Fire:    In the early 1980s, an unusual film was playing in movie theatres across the nation. It was called Quest for Fire. Its French producer said it fulfilled a lifelong dream. He’d always dreamed of celebrating, in film, the discovery of fire.  For it was the discovery of fire 80,000 years ago that saved people on the planet Earth from total extinction. It was the discovery of fire that made it possible for them to make tools for survival and to protect themselves against the cold. — Today, people on planet earth are beginning to worry again that we are teetering on the brink of global disaster. This time the danger comes not from something basic like the lack of fire but from something even more basic – the lack of human love, the kind of love Jesus preached. This makes us wonder. It makes us ask ourselves a question, a frightening question: ‘Do we love? Have we learned to love?’ (Mark Link in Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho).

 3) Love is the Christian uniform: The renowned French artist Paul Gustave Dore once lost his passport while traveling in another country in Europe. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be persons they were not. Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. “All right,” said the official, “we’ll give you a test, and if you pass it we’ll allow you to go through.” Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skillfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. Dore’s actions confirmed his identity. — In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us the mark of Christian identity: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-5). Love is the Christian’s identity. Love is the Christian’s uniform. Love is the Christian’s habit. If you are wearing the habit of love, you are in. If you are not wearing love as a habit, you are out. (Fr. Essau). Let us remember the words of Shakespeare in Measure for Measure (Act V: Scene 1, l. 263): “Cucullus non facit monachum” [a cowl does not make a monk]. A Christian name or a cross on a chain will not make us Christians, unless we practice Jesus’ new commandment of love given in today’s Gospel.

4) “This is an Arab bus”: The Reverend Timothy J. Kennedy tells of traveling by bus throughout Israel one summer. On one part of the journey, the bus driver placed a big white sign by the passenger side windshield. Since it was in Arabic, Kennedy asked their guide to translate. The sign said, “This is an Arab bus, owned and operated by Arabs. Please do not throw stones.”  When they got close to Tel Aviv, the driver pulled another sign from behind his seat, and replaced the first sign in the windshield. Since it was in Hebrew, Kennedy asked their guide to translate again.  The new sign said, “This is a Jewish bus, owned and operated by Israelis. Please do not throw stones.”  — How do you tell the difference between an Arab bus and a Jewish bus? A big plastic sign in the windshield. But back to our primary question, how do you identify a Christian? I guess we could wear plastic signs. But would that really do the trick? (1. http://grace-lutheran-church.com/sermons/2006/03/1).

5) “I missed!”: President Reagan told a humorous story during the last days of his administration. It was about Alexander Dumas. It seems that Dumas and a friend had a severe argument. The matter got so out of hand that one challenged the other to a duel. Both Dumas and his friend were superb marksmen. Fearing that both men might fall in such a duel, they resolved to draw straws instead. Whoever drew the shorter straw would then be pledged to shoot himself. Dumas was the unlucky one. He drew the short straw. With a heavy sigh, he picked up his pistol and trudged into the library and closed the door, leaving the company of friends who had gathered to witness the non-duel outside. In a few moments a solitary shot was fired. All the curious pressed into the library. They found Dumas standing with his pistol still smoking. “An amazing thing just happened,” said Dumas. “I missed!” — I am amazed how many Christians have been in the Church all their lives and still have missed the Gospel of Jesus’ new commandment.

6) Christian love in action: Comedian Jerry Clower tells a story about Christian love in action. Two Christian businessmen were having lunch in a downtown restaurant. The waitress serving their table dumped a bowl of hot soup right over one of these businessmen. Everybody gasped and stared. As Clower tells it, “They just couldn’t wait for the manager to run out and fire this lady. They just couldn’t wait for this man, standing there, dripping, with his suit ruined, to cuss this waitress out, but the fellow looked at that waitress and said, ‘Young lady, I am so sorry this happened to you. I know it embarrasses you.’”  — How would you have handled that situation? Can you love as the Master would have us love? Can any of us do that? How? [Jerry Clower, Life Ever Laughter (Nashville, Tennessee: Rutledge Hill Press, 1988.]

7) Mother Teresa’s love: One day, as St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) and her Missionaries of Charity were tending to the poorest of the poor on the streets of Calcutta, they happened across a man lying in the gutter, very near death. He was filthy, dressed in little more than a rag and flies swarmed around his body. Immediately, Mother Teresa lovingly lifted him up him, cleaned his body, spoke to him softly and laid him comfortably in her ambulance. A passerby was repulsed by the sight of the man and exclaimed to Mother Teresa, “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars.” Her response was immediate, “Neither would I!” — She demonstrated the type of love that Jesus wants from Christians.

8) “Grandma, please”: In Chicago there is a unique telephone service called “Grandma, Please“ that is geared to latch-key kids. “Grandma, Please” provides free number kids can call if they are home alone and need someone to talk to. Senior citizens volunteer their time to answer telephones and talk to kids who are lonely or scared and need a little adult company. The “Grandma, Please” switchboard gets about 800 calls per month. Many of the children want to share the news of their school day with someone. Some will call because they heard a noise outside and got scared. Most call simply for the chance to connect with another human being. They are so lonely. — One volunteer reports that her phone calls often end with the child saying, “I love you, Grandma. What is your name?”

 9) Christian love of a coach: Author James Moore tells about K.C. Jones, the former coach of the Boston Celtics basketball team. Jones became famous for his unique ability to give his players some unforgettable words of encouragement when they needed it most. If a player scored 50 points or made the game-winning basket, Jones would not say much more than, “Nice game!” But when a player was down and really struggling, Coach Jones would be there to comfort and help and inspire. All-star forward Kevin McHale asked Coach Jones about this one day, and K.C. Jones answered: “Kevin, after you’ve made the winning basket, you’ve got 15,000 people cheering for you, TV commentators come rushing toward you, and everybody is giving you high fives. You don’t need me then. —  When you need a friend, most is when nobody is cheering.” (Collected Sermons, King Duncan, Dynamic Preaching, 2005, 0-000-0000-20)

10) The dreadful accident on the battleship USS Iowa:  Do you remember the tale of the dreadful accident on the battleship USS Iowa? It occurred in the spring of 1989. Forty-seven young men were killed in a still unexplained explosion in a gun turret. The investigation showed that the explosion was the result of a significant overrun of the powder bags into the already-loaded guns. There is much tragedy in the sad story. But also, one can find strong threads of glory. The storyteller reminds us the glory belongs, paradoxically perhaps, not to the survivors but to the casualties. The heroes were not the only men who may have kept the battleship afloat after the accident.  The heroes were also the sailors who died and who shall ever be numbered among the Navy’s honored dead. Writes the poet, “They shall not grow old…At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.” — As it was for these young men, so it was for Jesus. That is why you will find the word glory mentioned an extraordinary five times in the opening two sentences of today’s Gospel. So can it be for you and me – if, of course, we have spiritual courage and discipline. (Fr. James Gilhooley)

  11) Love changes everything:   In 1976 a car accident tore open the head of a 21-year-old Chicago young man named Peter. His brain was damaged, and he was thrown into a deep coma. Doctors told Peter’s family and friends that he probably wouldn’t survive. Even if he did, he’d always be in a comatose state. One of the people who heard that frightening news was Linda, the girl Peter planned to marry. In the sad days ahead, Linda spent all her spare time in the hospital. Night after night, she’d sit at Peter’s bedside, pat his check, rub his brow, and talk to him. “It was like we were on a normal date,” she said. All the while Peter remained in a coma, unresponsive to Linda’s loving presence. Night after night, for three and a half months, Linda sat at Peter’s bedside, speaking words of encouragement to him, even though he gave no sign that he heard her. Then one night Linda saw Peter’s toe move. A few nights later she saw his eyelash flutter. This was all she needed. Against the advice of the doctors, she quit her job and became his constant companion. She spent hours massaging his arms and legs. Eventually she arranged to take him home. She spent all her savings on a swimming pool, hoping that the sun and the water would restore life to Peter’s motionless limbs. Then came the day when Peter spoke his first word since the accident. It was only a grunt, but Linda understood it. Gradually, with Linda’s help, those grunts turned into words — clear words. Finally, the day came when Peter was able to ask Linda’s father if he could marry her. Linda’s father said, “When you can walk down the aisle, Peter, she’ll be yours.” Two years later Peter walked down the aisle of Our Lady of Pompeii Church in Chicago. He had to use a walker, but he was walking. Every television station in Chicago covered that wedding. Newspapers across the country carried pictures of Linda and Peter. Celebrities phoned to congratulate them. Families with loved ones in comas called to ask their advice. Today, Peter living a normal life. He talks slowly, but clearly. He walks slowly, but without a walker. He and Linda even have a lovely child. — Today’s Gospel message is to love others as Jesus did. (Mark Link in Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho).

 12) “Boy! I would like to be that kind of brother.”  In the lovely book, Chicken Soup for the Soul, there’s a story about a man who came out of his office one Christmas morning and found a little boy from a nearby project looking with great admiration at the man’s new vehicle. The little boy asked, “Does this car belong to you?” And the man said, “Yes. In fact, my brother gave it to me for Christmas. I’ve just gotten it.”  With that, the little boy’s eyes widened. He said, “You mean to say that somebody gave it to you? And you didn’t have to pay anything for it?”  And the man said, “That’s right.  My brother gave it to me as a gift.” With that the little boy let out a long sigh and said, “Boy, I would really like…”  And the man fully expected the boy to say, “I would like to have a brother like that, who would give me such a beautiful car,” but instead the man was amazed when the little boy said, “Boy! I would like to be that kind of brother.  I wish I could give that kind of car to my little brother.” — Somehow that child understood the secret of the “new commandment” of love, which Jesus gave to his apostles during his last discourse, as described in today’s Gospel: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34).  True love consists, not in “getting” something from the lover, but in “giving” something to the loved one.  The most familiar example of this type of love is a mother’s love for her child.

13) The humble lady:   There is a beautiful legend about a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject. When the big day arrived, there was a large gathering in the palace courtyard. Four finalists were brought forward, and from these four, the king would select the winner. The first person presented was a wealthy philanthropist. The king was told that this man was highly deserving of the honor because of his humanitarian efforts. He had given much of his wealth to the poor. The second person was a celebrated physician. The king was told that this doctor was highly deserving of the honor because he had rendered faithful and dedicated service to the sick for many years. The third person was a distinguished judge. The king was told that the judge was worthy because he was noted for his wisdom, his fairness, and his brilliant decisions. The fourth person presented was an elderly woman. Everyone was quite surprised to see her there, because her manner was quite humble, as was her dress. She hardly looked like the greatest subject in the kingdom. What chance could she possibly have, when compared to the other three, who had accomplished so much? Even so, there was something about her the look of love in her face, the understanding in her eyes, her quiet confidence. The king was intrigued, to say the least, and somewhat puzzled by her presence. He asked who she was. The answer came: “You see the philanthropist, the doctor, and the judge? Well, she was their teacher!” —  That woman had no wealth, no fortune, and no title, but she had unselfishly given her life to her pupils. She practiced love as Jesus instructs.

14) The leader who led the army from the front: In 1336 BC Alexander the Great began his conquest of the world. It was his dream to conquer India, the land of legends. With his army he marched towards India and reached the city of Multan. Alexander saw that the city was well fortified.  He was not ready to give up. He led the assault against the city of Multan. He climbed the fortress and ascended on the top of the city walls. Below he saw a large army aiming their poisoned arrows at him. He did not wait. He jumped into their midst. Two of his soldiers followed him. The great leader of war led from the front and his soldiers followed him. — History presents a few examples of such heroic men who led from the front drawing  others after him. We do not see any leader other than Jesus admonishing his followers to imitate him. Jesus told his apostles, “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34). (Fr. Bobby Jose).

 15) Emperor who abdicated his throne for the realization of his love. Edwards VIII ascended the throne of the British Empire after the death of his father. But his proposal to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorced American Socialite, led to a constitutional crisis in British Empire. Religious, legal, political, and moral objections were raised. Mrs. Simpson was perceived to be an unsuitable consort to him. But king Edward was not ready to give up his love in exchange for the throne. The conservative leaders and people were unwilling to compromise. Edward abdicated his throne for the realization of his love. — Jesus came down from his heavenly glory and lived like one of us to teach demonstrate how God loves mankind and gave us his new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13: 34). (Fr. Bobby Jose).

16) God Dwelling Among Men: December 27, 537 AD, was a day of triumph for the Christian Roman Emperor, Justinian I. On that date he attended the dedication of the great Church of Holy Wisdom (Sancta Sophia or Hagia Sophia) that is still the chief monument of Constantinople (Istanbul). Justinian had entrusted the design of the building to Anthemius of Tralles and Isodorus of Miletus, and these architects had produced an epochal masterpiece. A vast and subtle structure of many domes, its interior was sheathed with marbles and fine mosaics. King Solomon had built a magnificent temple in Jerusalem, but Justinian boasted, with permissible pride, “Solomon, I have vanquished you!”

— There is an old running debate among Christians whether it is better to spend money on splendid churches or to keep the churches simple and to spend the money on the needy. In one sense, Jesus Himself solved this dilemma. When the devout woman of Bethany anointed His feet with costly perfume, it was Judas Iscariot who said, “This is waste, it would have been better to spend the price on the poor!” Our Lord countered by praising her good intentions, and said she was preparing His body for burial. “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” (Jn 12:1-8) — It would certainly be irresponsible to spend thousands on a building when the local people were in the clutches of poverty. But a beautiful church is an alms to another sort of poverty – poverty of heart. For ages Christians have had their hearts lifted by the sight of a great cathedral. Its loveliness enthralls them and reminds them that God dwells there in a special way. Surely a beautiful home is becoming to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The more we reverence God’s home the more we will reverence God. By blessing ourselves with holy water on entering, by maintaining a devout silence in church, by doing our best to ward off from it anything irreverent or unseemly, we are saying to God, as in today’s liturgy, “Your house is a house of prayer, and Your presence makes it a place of blessing.” (Father Robert F. McNamara). L/25

 “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle C (No. 32) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle C homilies, 141                   Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit also https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  under Fr. Tony’s homilies and  under Resources in the CBCI website:  https://www.cbci.in  for other website versions.  (Vatican Radio website: http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html uploaded my Cycle A, B and C homilies in from 2018-2020)  (Fr. Anthony Kadavil, Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Joseph  M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507)

May 12-17: May12 Monday: Saints Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs & Saint Pancras, martyr Jn 10:1-10: Theme: Through today’s Gospel, the Church reminds us of our call to become good shepherds of God’s flock and good sheep of His parishes and invites us to pray for the acceptance of vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate and the consecrated life.

Explanation: In today’s Gospel, the two brief parables show us Jesus, first, as a selfless, caring “shepherd” who provides for his sheep not only protection but life itself, and second, as our unique gateway (“sheep-gate“) to eternal salvation. Besides guiding his flock to Eternal Life as does the Good Shepherd, Jesus is himself the gateway to Eternal Life. The first parable of today’s Gospel contrasts Jesus, the true Shepherd, with fake shepherds, thieves and robbers. Jesus gives us warning against false shepherds and false teachers in his Church. Jesus’ love and concern for each of us must be accepted with trust and serenity because Jesus alone is our God and our Shepherd, and no one else deserves our undivided commitment. As a true Shepherd, Jesus both leads his sheep, giving them the food and living water only the Good Shepherd can provide, and protects us, bringing us safely to true happiness. In the second parable, Jesus compares himself both to the Shepherd and to the Gate. As Shepherd, Jesus establishes his True Ownership of the sheep. By naming himself “Gate,” Jesus demonstrates that He is the One Mediator between God and mankind, and so is the only Way in or out of His Flock. All must go in through Him, through His Church, in order to arrive in Heaven.By identifying Himself with the sheep-gate, Jesus gives the assurance that whoever enters the pen through Him will be safe and well cared-for. Jesus is the living Door to His Father’s House and Family, the Door into the Father’s safe-keeping and into the fullness of Life in Him. It is through Jesus, the Door, that we come into God’s sheepfold where we are protected from the wolves of life. We find genuine spiritual, emotional, and psychological security and safety when we live within Jesus and his Church with the protectiveness of Christ, Christian friend, and a Christian family.

Life Messages: 1) We need to become good shepherds and good leaders: Everyone who is entrusted with the care of others is a shepherd. Hence, pastors, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, government officials, and caregivers, among others, are all shepherds. We become good shepherds by loving those entrusted to us, praying for them, spending our time, talents and blessings for their welfare, and guarding them from physical and spiritual dangers. Parents must be especially careful of their duties toward their children, giving them good example and instruction and training them in Christian principles. 2) We need to become good sheep in the fold of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: Our local parish is our sheepfold, and our pastors are our shepherds. Jesus is the High Priest, the Bishops are the successors of the Apostles, the Pastors and their Deacons are their helpers, and the parishioners are the sheep. Hence, as the good sheep of the parish, parishioners are expected to a) hear and follow the voice of our shepherds through their homilies, Bible classes, counseling, and advice: b) receive the spiritual food given by our Pastors through our regular participation in the Holy Mass, our frequenting of the Sacraments, and our participation in the prayer services, renewal programs, and missions they offer; c) cooperate with our Pastors by i) giving them positive suggestions for the welfare of the parish, by encouraging them in their duties; ii) by offering them occasional loving, constructive correction when they are found misbehaving or failing in their duties, iii) by praying for them all the time;andiv) by actively participating in the activities of various councils, ministries, and parish associations. 3) We need to pray for vocations, and for those to whom they are offered, that they may accept the call, surrender all to Jesus forever and follow him faithfully! Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25. For additional reflections: Click on https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/;https://www.epriest.com/reflections

May 13 Tuesday: Our Lady of Fatima: Jn 10:22-30 : Today is the 108th anniversary of the first apparition (1917) of Our Lady to three shepherd children,Lúcia, Santos (10) who later became a Carmelite nun, and her cousins Francisco Marto (9) who died at 11 in 1919 and Jacinta Marto (7) who died at 10 in 1920. Lúcia, Santos became Sister Lúcia,; she died in 2005 at the age of 97. The apparitions took place in Fatima, a village 110 miles North of Lisbon in Portugal. The Lady appeared in 1917 to the three shepherd children who saw her settle on a small spreading holm-oak tree. She asked them to return to that spot every month on the same date monthly from May 13 through October 13th, Mary instructed the children to pray the rosary, and to make sacrifices for world peace, for the end of World War I, for the conversion of sinners, for the souls in Purgatory, and for the conversion of Russia. On October 13th, 1917 seventy thousand people witnessed the dancing sun miracle without hurting their eyes. They saw the sun rotating, enlarging, shrinking, approaching and retreating. This miracle was intended to validate the reality of the Lady’s presence and her requests.

The three secrets of Fatima: On July 13, around noon, the Lady is said to have entrusted three secrets to the children. Two of the secrets were revealed in 1941 in a document written by Lúcia, at the request of José da Silva, Bishop of Leiria, to assist with the publication of a new edition of a book on Jacinta. The first secret was a vision of hell and its torments. The second secret was a statement that World War I would end and supposedly a prediction of the coming of World War II, should God continue to be offended and if Russia were not converted. The second half requests that Russia be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart. When asked by the Bishop of Leiria in 1943 to reveal the third secret, Lúcia struggled for a short period, being “not yet convinced that God had clearly authorized her to act.” However, in October of 1943 the bishop of Leiria ordered her to put it in writing. Lucia then wrote the secret down and sealed it an envelope not to be opened until 1960, when “it will appear clearer.” Pope John Paul II directed the Holy See’s Secretary of State to reveal the third secret in 2000. It spoke of a “bishop in white who was shot by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows into him.” Many people linked this to the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981 by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca. Some claim that it was not the real secret revealed by Lúcia,, despite assertions from Lúcia, herself and from the Vatican to the contrary. According to Cardinal Angelo Sodano “it appeared evident to his Holiness that it was a motherly hand which guided the bullets past, enabling the dying Pope to halt at the threshold of death.” (BBC). The local bishop approved the feast of Our Lady of Fatima in 1930, and it was added to the Church’s worldwide calendar in 2002.

Life messages: 1) We need to become holy children of a Holy Mother by leading pure lives. 2) We need to imitate Mary’s trusting Faith in God’s power, her unconditional surrender and obedience to God’s will, and her spirit of selfless and humble service. 3) We need to obey the Fatima message of repentance, renewal of life, keeping the six First Saturdays Mary requested, and praying the rosary with the prayer, “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy Mercy” following each Decade. (Fr. Tony) L/25 For additional reflections: Click on https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/;https://www.epriest.com/reflections

May 14 Wednesday: Saint Matthias, apostle: Jn 15:9-17: 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 This I command you, to love one another.

The context: During the Last Supper discourse, Jesus teaches his disciples that love is the hallmark and the criterion of Christians. Jesus reminds his disciples that he has chosen them as his friends with a triple mission. First, they are to love others as he has loved them. Second, they are to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Third, they are to ask God the Father for whatever they need in Jesus’ name.

The criteria of Christian love: First, Jesus modifies the Old Testament command from “love your neighbor as you love yourselves” (Lv 19: 18) to “love one another as I have loved you.” This means that our love for others must be unconditional, forgiving, and sacrificial. Jesus invites each Christian to be in the inner circle of his friends by obeying his commandments including the new commandment of love. Such friends abide in Jesus, and Jesus abides in them, and their prayers in Jesus’ Name will be answered promptly by God the Father. We express our love for Christ by obeying his new commandment of love. Jesus further explains that the real source of Christian joy is the certainty that God loves us. We, too, must be ready to express our love for others by our readiness to die for them as Jesus died for us.

Life message 1) Let us remember that true Christian love is costly and painful because it involves sacrifice on our part when we start loving unlovable, ungrateful, and hostile people with Christ’s unconditional, forgiving, sacrificial loveBut our Christian call is to love others as Jesus has loved us, and as Jesus loves them. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

May 15 Thursday:Saint Isidore the Farmer: Jn 13:16-20: 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of you all; I know whom I have chosen; it is that the scripture may be fulfilled, `He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I tell you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me.”

The context: Today’s Gospel is the second part of the explanation Jesus gave to his disciples after washing their feet before the Last Supper. He promised his disciples that that whoever listened to them would be listening to him as well, provided his preaching disciples became the humble servants of others. Gospel lessons: In the first part of today’s Gospel, Jesus emphasizes the fact that the hallmark of his disciples must be their readiness and generosity in offering humble and sacrificial service to others, because that was the model Jesus had given them by his life and especially by washing their feet. It is by serving others that we become great before God. In the second part of today’s Gospel, Jesus shows his apostles how to treat people who are unfaithful and disloyal. Jesus hints at the betrayal of Judas by quoting Psalm 4:9: “He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.” Instead of distancing himself from Judas, Jesus offers him reconciliation, showing him more affection by washing his feet and by giving him a morsel of bread dipped in sauce with his own hand. In the third part, Jesus gives the basis for apostolic succession, stating that one who receives his apostles and messengers receives him, thereby receiving God the Father who sent Jesus.

Life messages: 1) Let us prove that we are true disciples of Jesus by rendering others humble and loving service today. 2) Let us learn to be reconciled with those who offend us by unconditionally pardoning them, by wishing them the very best, and by keeping them in our prayers. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)L/ 25

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

May 16 Friday: Jn 14:1-6: 1 “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.

The context: Jesus consoles his apostles who are sad and disheartened at the prospect of his arrest and crucifixion by assuring them that he is going to prepare an everlasting accommodation for them in his Father’s house in Heaven. He gives them the assurance that he will come back to take them to their Heavenly abodes. It is then that Thomas says to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus answers Thomas’ question with, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.”

Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life: The basic doctrine of Judaism is that Yahweh is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Hence, Jesus is making the revolutionary claim that he and His Father, Yahweh, are One. Jesus declares that he himself IS the safest and surest way to God, thus discrediting the notions that “all religions are equally sure ways to reach God,” and that “no organized religion, but only living a good life of sharing love, is necessary to reach God.” Jesus IS the Way which he calls narrow, for it is the way of loving, sacrificial service. Jesus IS the Truth who revealed truths about God and God’s relationship with man in his teaching. Jesus also taught moral truths by demonstrating them in his life. Jesus IS the Life because he himself shares the Eternal Life of God, and because He shares his Divine Life with his disciples through the Word of God and the Sacraments.

Life messages: We should share the Divine Life of God by making use of the means Jesus established in his Church: 1) by actively participating in the Eucharistic celebration and properly receiving the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion; 2) by the worthy reception of the other Sacraments; 3) by the meditative daily reading of the Word of God; 4) by following the guidance of the life-giving Spirit of God, living in the Church and within us; 5) by communicating with God the Source of Life, in personal and family prayers; 6) by going to God to be reconciled with Him daily, repenting of our sins; 7) by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (yearly, at a minimum), whenever we are in mortal sin (so that we can receive Him in the Eucharist); 8) by forgiving others who offend us; and 9) by asking God’s forgiveness of our own sins. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

May 17 Saturday:Jn 14:7-147 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. 12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; 14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

Scripture lesson: In today’s Gospel selection, Jesus, answering Philip’s request at the Last Supper, explains the unity and oneness of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus clarifies the abiding presence of each Person of the Holy Trinity

Easter IV [C] [May 11] Good Shepherd Sunday (World Day of Prayer for Vocations) (Eight minute-homily in one-page)

Introduction:The Fourth Sunday of Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday, is also the “World Day of Prayer for Vocations.” Each year on this Sunday, we reflect on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, devotedly and kindly taking care of his flock. The title “Pastor” means shepherd. A shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects his flock—responsibilities that belong to all Church leaders, parents, civil leaders, and all who are in charge of others.

Scripture lessons summarized: Today’s first reading describes how Paul and Barnabas opted to listen to the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd and follow him, and so, to suffer as their Master had done, being rebuffed and rejected by many when they tried to share the good news of salvation. The reading also suggests that the sympathy of the early Christians for the Gentiles occasioned a rupture between those following Jesus and Judaism. The second reading, taken from the Book of Revelation, depicts Jesus as both the glorified Lamb (slain but still standing) and the Shepherd. John’s vision encourages his readers with the assurance that every person who has ever followed Christ and led others to him will share everlasting life with him. The Gospel text offers us both comfort and a great challenge. The comforting message is that no one can snatch the sheep out of his Father’s hands. The challenge is that pastors should be good shepherds to those entrusted to their care, while their flock of lay people should respond by being good sheep.

Shepherds in the Bible: In the Old Testament, the image of the Shepherd is often applied to God as well as to the leaders of the people. The book of Exodus represents Yahweh several times as a Shepherd. The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel compare Yahweh’s ongoing care of His people to care a shepherd exercises for his flock. Ezekiel represents God as a loving Shepherd who searches diligently for the lost sheep. Psalm 23 is David’s famous picture of God as The Good Shepherd: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” In the New Testament: Jesus introduces himself as the Good Shepherd of his flock and makes three claims in today’s Gospel. 1) He knows his sheep and his sheep hear his voice: 2) He gives eternal life to us, his sheep by giving us Faith in him through Baptism, and then by strengthening that Faith through Confirmation, through nourishing our souls with the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Bible, and by making our society holy through the Sacraments of Matrimony and the priesthood (Holy Orders). 3) He protects his sheep by placing them in the loving hands of his Almighty Father. St. John’s Gospel adds two more claims: 4) He goes in search of stray lambs and heals the sick ones (through the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the sick). 5) Jesus died for us, his sheep, to free us from our sins, giving us Life.

Life Messages: Let us become good shepherds and good sheep, good leaders and good followers. (1) Let us become good shepherds: Everyone who is entrusted with the care of others is a shepherd. Hence, pastors, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, government officials, etc. are all shepherds. We become good shepherds by loving those entrusted to us, praying for them, spending our time and talents for their welfare, and guarding them from physical and spiritual dangers. (2) Let us be good sheep in the fold of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: Our local parish is our sheepfold, and our pastors are our shepherds. Hence, as the good sheep of the parish, parishioners are expected to a) hear and follow the voice of their shepherds through their homilies, Bible classes, counseling, and advice; b) receive the spiritual food their pastors provide by regular participation in the Holy Mass, by frequenting the Sacraments, and by attending prayer services, renewal programs, and missions; c) cooperate with their pastors by giving them positive suggestions for the welfare of the parish, by encouraging them in their duties, by lovingly offering them constructive criticism when they are found misbehaving or failing in their duties, by praying for them always, forgiving them at need; and d) by cooperating in the activities of the various councils, ministries, and parish associations. (3) Let us pray for vocations to priestly and religious life so that we may have more good shepherds to lead, feed, and protect the Catholic community.

Synopsis of Mother’s Day homily: Today we thank our mothers, pray for them, and honor them by celebrating Mother’s Day, offering our mothers on the altar of God, and praying for them. This is a day to admit gratefully the fact that none of us can return, in the same measure, all the love that our mothers have given us. Our mothers are the good shepherds we all experienced. They gave us life, nursed us, fed us, taught us, disciplined us and showed Christ’s self-sacrificing agape love for us, their children, practicing Christ’s commandment of love: “Love others as I have loved you.” Let us remember that we have two mothers, one earthly and one Heavenly. Hence, let us entrust our earthly mothers to our Heavenly Mother, Mary, the mother of Jesus as his last gift to us as he was dying on the cross.

EASTER IV [C] (May 11): Acts 13:14, 43-52; Rv 7:9, 14b-17; Jn 10:27-30

Homily starter anecdotes #I: “I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd:” Years ago the great actor Richard Burton was given a grand reception in his childhood parish. While replying to the complimentary speeches in the parish auditorium he asked if there were anything, they especially wanted to hear from him. After a minute’s pause his old pastor asked him if he could recite the Good Shepherd Psalm (Psalm 23), which he had taught Burton in his Sunday school. A strange look came over the actor’s face. He paused for a moment, and then said, “I will, on one condition—that after I have recited it, you, my pastor and teacher, will do the same.” “I,” said the old, retired pastor, “am not an actor, but, if you wish it, I shall do so.” Impressively the actor began the Psalm. His voice and intonation were perfect. He held his audience spellbound, and, as he finished, a great burst of applause broke from the audience. As it died away, the old pastor rose from his wheelchair and began to recite the same Psalm. His voice was feeble and shivering, and   his tone was not faultless, but, when he finished, there was not a dry eye in the room. The actor rose and his voice quivered as he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I reached your eyes and ears, but my old pastor has reached your hearts. The difference is just this: I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd.” — This Good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus wants us to know him by experiencing him and to become good shepherds to those entrusted to our care. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

#2: “Who’s running the Church, you or the Holy Spirit?”  Here is an anecdote that perfectly conveys the humble spirit of Pope St. John XXIII as a good shepherd.  On the evening when he announced the opening of the Second Vatican Council — the first one since 1870 — he couldn’t sleep.  Finally, he called himself to order: “Angelo, why aren’t you sleeping?  Who’s running the Church, you or the Holy Spirit?  So sleep.”  And he did.  Prior to his being elected Pope, Angelo Roncalli had served as a clerical diplomat in Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece; as Papal Nuncio in Paris; and as Patriarch of Venice.  All this training helped him deal with social problems in society and in the Church.  While still an Archbishop, he noted: “Wherever I go, I pay more attention to what we have in common than to what separates us.”  Pope St. John XXIII began his mission by promising to be “a good shepherd.”  He brought a real revolution to the Apostolic Palace by getting rid of the three prescribed genuflections in private audiences and by his impromptu conversations with workers and gardeners on the streets of Vatican City.  He was the first Pope in history “to pay tribute to the part played by women in public life and to the growing awareness of their human dignity.”  Best of all, by convening the Second Vatican Council, Pope St. John XXIII, led by the Holy Spirit, set in motion a spirit of reform that continues to our day. — In September of 2000, this son of Italian peasants was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II; he was canonized April 27, 2014 by the late Pope Francis [died April 21, 2025}. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

# 3: “LEAD, FOLLOW OR GET OUT OF THE WAY.”  On a recent highway trip, one bumper sticker in particular grabbed my eye and caused me to consider its frank command: “LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY.”   –In a sense, the Scripture readings for today, Good Shepherd Sunday, proffer the same challenge to believers. Christianity admits of no mediocrity. The decision of Faith (which discipleship demands), requires a daily deliberateness and a constantly renewed certainty. Either Jesus and his way of life are accepted and followed, or they are rejected. There is no middle path; to live otherwise is to become an obstacle in the way of others. — As Christians, each of us is called to be both a leader and a follower. Ultimately, as John points out in the Gospel, our leader is Jesus, the loving shepherd who calls us away from sin and self to union with him and one another. (Sanchez Files) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

Introduction: The fourth Sunday of Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday, is also the “World Day of Prayer for Vocations.”  The Scripture lessons for this day concern the role of the shepherds of God’s flock in the Church.  Each year on this Sunday, we reflect on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who devotedly and kindly takes care of his flock.  One pastor recently made the joking remark that some people think that their pastor works only on Sundays!  This is obviously untrue.  Exactly what responsibilities does God give a pastor and what does God expect of him besides saying Mass and preaching?  The answer to the question lies in the title “pastor,” which means shepherd.  A shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects his flock—responsibilities that belong to every Church leader.  The earliest Christians saw Jesus as the fulfillment of the ancient Jewish dream of the Good Shepherd, Who also wished to include the Gentiles as part of God’s flock.

Scripture summarized:  Today’s first reading describes how Paul and Barnabas opted to listen to the voice of Jesus the Good Shepherd and follow him, and how, like their Master, they were rebuffed and rejected when they tried to share the Good News of salvation.  It also suggests that the sympathy of the early Christians for the Gentiles caused a rupture with Judaism. Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 100) reminds us “…the Lord is God: He made us, His we are – His people, the flock He tends.” The second reading, taken from the book of Revelation, depicts Jesus as both the glorified Lamb and the Shepherd.  John’s vision encourages his readers with the assurance that every person who has ever followed Christ and led others to him and who has suffered rejection and persecution will also know the unending joy of victory and have a share in everlasting life.  The Gospel text offers us both great comfort and a great challenge.  The comforting message is that no one can snatch the sheep out of Jesus’ Father’s hands.  The challenge is that pastors should be good shepherds to those entrusted to their care., and their flock, the laity, should be good sheep, obedient and helpful to their shepherds.

The first reading: Acts 13:14, 43-52, explained: Paul and Barnabas were on their first missionary journey to Asia Minor (present day Turkey).  On the Sabbath, Paul and Barnabas entered the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia where they were invited to give a word of exhortation to the people.  They explained that since Christ had been rejected by the Jews, Christians were obliged to preach the Gospel to all the nations, thus emphasizing the universal mission of Christianity.  In other words, since the Jews had rejected the word of God, it was being offered to the Gentiles. But those Jews in Antioch who opposed the idea of preaching to the Gentiles gathered enough support to expel the apostles from their territory.  Nevertheless, Paul and Barnabas remained faithful to the Gospel that Jesus had revealed.  They “were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit,” and continued to preach to the Gentiles who welcomed them with delight (v. 48).  The mission of the Church is indeed a continuation of the ministry of salvation begun by Jesus.  Is the seed of the Gospel still being sown to the ends of the earth?  Are the poor, the blind, the deaf, the lame, the hungry, the thirsty, the lost, and the imprisoned still the primary focus of our service?

The second reading: Rv 7:9, 14-17, explained: The book of Revelation, the vision Jesus gave to St. John the Evangelist, to be written down, was meant to instruct and encourage persecuted Christians, not only of the First Century but of all centuries. The Vision presents Jesus as both the slain and glorified Lamb and the Good Shepherd.  In the latter role, he protects and refreshes his flock when they suffer persecution.  John has a vision of all the sheep, representing the universal Church — people “from every nation, race, people, and tongue” — rescued by the Good Shepherd.  The Lamb will shepherd and shelter those who, with his help, win through. He will feed them well and will “wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  The essence of the vision is that Christ, the Son of the Living God Incarnate, now risen from the dead, glorified, will, in his glorified humanity, have the chief place in Heaven, and that all rational creatures will sing his praises forever.  John’s visions promised his readers that Jesus, the Passover Lamb, would shepherd them, providing them with shelter, protection, and safe passage to the life-giving waters of eternity (Ps 23; 80; 35:10; Is 40:11; Ez 34:23; Jer 2:13).

Gospel exegesis: The context: It was December, wintertime, probably the time of the Jewish Hanukkah festival, the Feast of Re-Dedication of the Temple.  [This feast commemorated the triumph of the Jewish commander Judas Maccabaeus over the Syrian leader Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 165 BC).]  Jesus was walking in the Temple on the east side, which offered protection against the cold winds from the desert.  The Jews had gathered around him.  They were not sure whether or not he was the promised Messiah because there were many such wandering preachers and healers in those days.  Hence, they asked him directly whether he was the Christ. Instead of giving them an equally direct answer, Jesus claimed that he was the Good Shepherd and explained to them his role.

Shepherds in the Old Testament: In the Old Testament, the image of the Shepherd is often applied to God as well as to the leaders of the people.  The book of Exodus represents Yahweh several times as a Shepherd.  The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel compare Yahweh’s care and protection of His people to that of a shepherd.  “He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against His breast and leading the mother ewes to their rest” (Is 40:11).  Ezekiel represents God as a loving Shepherd who searches diligently for the lost sheep.  Psalm 23 is David’s famous picture of God as The Good Shepherd: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul” (RSV, 2nd Catholic Edition).   The prophets often used harsh words to scold the selfish and insincere shepherds (or leaders) of their day.  Jer 23:1: “Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of My pasture to be destroyed and scattered.”  Ez 34:2: “Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves!  Shepherds ought to feed their flock.”

The Good Shepherd in the New Testament: Introducing himself as the Good Shepherd of his flock, Jesus makes three claims in today’s Gospel.

1) He knows his sheep and his sheep hear his voice: Just as the Palestinian shepherds knew each sheep of their flock by its name, and each sheep recognized the flock’s shepherd and his voice, so Jesus knows each one of us — our needs, our merits, and our faults.  He loves us as we are, with all our limitations, and he expects us to return his love by keeping his words.  He speaks to us at every Mass, through the Bible, through our pastors, through our parents, through our friends, and through the events of our lives.  “God whispers to us in our pleasures, He speaks to us in our consciences, and He shouts to us in our pain!” (C.S. Lewis).  2) He gives eternal life to us, his sheep by receiving us into his sheepfold and giving us Faith through Baptism, then strengthens that Faith in Confirmation.  He supplies food for our souls in the Holy Eucharist and in the Divine words of the Holy Bible.  He makes our society holy by the Sacraments of Matrimony and the priesthood (Holy Orders.  3) He protects his sheep by placing them in the loving hands of his Almighty Father.  Without him to guide us and protect us, we are an easy prey for the spiritual wolves of this world, including Satan and his minions.

In chapter ten of John’s Gospel, Jesus adds two more roles to those of the Good Shepherd.  He goes in search of stray lambs and heals the sick ones.  Jesus heals the wounds of our souls through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and strengthens us in illness and old age with the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  Jesus dies for his sheep:  Just as the shepherds of ancient days protected their sheep from wild animals and thieves by risking their own lives, so Jesus died in expiation for the sins of all people and in dying and rising again, destroyed sin and death, our enemies!

Through today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches one of the central aspects of the ministerial priesthood: the priest as shepherd.  It means that a priest is one who, by his consecration, lives for others.  The title, “Father”, like the title, “Shepherd,” expresses a relation of loving service to others in everything, from the most sacred ministries to the most trivial duties.

“World Day of Prayer for Vocations.” Today  is a day when Christians are invited to reflect on the meaning of God’s call and to pray that they may answer the call to dedicate their lives to serve the Church in a special way, i.e., to shepherd the Church communities, particularly as pastors in their parishes and as superiors in their religious orders or congregations. The Church presents to us in today’s Gospel the figure of Jesus the Good Shepherd that we may reflect on the meaning of the religious vocation to priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life.  Last Sunday we reflected on Our Lord’s commission and charge to Peter, saying once, “Feed my lambs,” and twice, “Feed my sheep.” In that way he made Peter a shepherd, a pastor. Our Lord continues his work of shepherding his people through Peter and his co-workers (the apostles and disciple), and through their successors, the Pope, the bishops, priests, deacons, catechists, and committed lay people. The first thing we need to remember is that every single person here has a vocation!  Each person here, whatever one’s state in life, has been, and is being, called by God through the Holy Spirit to offer one’s special gifts to benefit the rest of the community.  Therefore, “Vocations Sunday” is not just for the few selected for directly religious vocations; it is for ALL of us here. On the one hand, each one needs to reflect on what one’s particular calling is and how one can respond to it for the well-being of the whole parish community. Secondly, one needs to help others, and not be an obstacle to them as they respond to the particular calling and graces that God through his Spirit is giving one. If we will all actively respond to that call what a wonderful community, we will be! For, by God’s grace, “We are his people, the sheep of his flock.”

 Life Messages: Let us become good shepherds and good sheep, good leaders and good followers.

1) Let us become good shepherds:  Everyone who is entrusted with the care of others is a shepherd.  Hence, pastors, parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, government officials, etc. are all shepherds.  We become good shepherds by loving those entrusted to us, praying for them, spending our time and talents for their welfare, and guarding them from physical and spiritual dangers.  Parents must be especially careful of their duties, thus giving their children good example through the way they live their Christian lives as husband and wife, as parents, and as the grown children of their own aging parents.

2) Let us be good sheep in the fold of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: Our local parish is our sheepfold, and our pastors are our shepherds.   Jesus is the High Priest, the bishops are the successors of the apostles, the pastors, assisted by their Deacons, are their helpers and the parishioners are the sheep.  Hence, as the good sheep of the parish, parishioners are expected to a) hear and follow the voice of their shepherds through their homilies, Bible classes, counseling, and advice; b) receive the spiritual food our pastors provide by regular participation in the Holy Mass, by frequenting the Sacraments, and by attending prayer services, renewal programs, and missions; c) cooperate with our pastors by giving them positive suggestions for the welfare of the parish, by encouraging them in their duties, by lovingly offering them constructive criticism when they are found misbehaving or failing in their duties, by praying for them always and by forgiving them at need; and d) cooperate with our fellow-parishioners in the activities of various councils, ministries, and parish associations.

3) Let us pray for generous responses to all the vocations God offers men to enter the priesthood, the diaconate, the mission fields, and all the vocations God offers to  both men and women  to enter the consecrated life, Active or Contemplative, so that His Church may have more good shepherds to lead, feed, and protect the Catholic community here and abroad. Let us remember that the duty of fostering vocations is the concern of the whole believing community, and we discharge that responsibility primarily by living exemplary Christian lives. Parents foster vocations by creating a God-centered climate in homes based on solid Christian values. They should pray with their children for vocations during the family prayer time and speak encouraging words about their pastors, the missionaries, and the religious, instead of criticizing these servants of God. Such an atmosphere in the family will definitely foster vocations from such families. Financial support of seminarians is also a positive contribution to promoting vocations.

JOKES OF THE WEEK

#1: The young pastor was teaching the 23^rd Psalm to the Sunday school children. He told them that they were sheep who needed guidance.  Then the priest asked, “If you are the sheep, then who is the shepherd?”— obviously indicating himself.  A silence of a few seconds followed.  Then a young boy said, “Jesus. Jesus is the Shepherd.”  The young priest, obviously caught by surprise, said to the boy, “Well then, who am I?”  The boy frowned thoughtfully and then said, “I guess you must be a sheep dog.”

#2: A man in an Armani suit, Ferragamo shoes, the latest Polarized sunglasses and a tightly knotted power tie emerges from his shiny silver BMW, approaches a shepherd guarding his flock, and proposes a wager: “Will you give me one of your sheep, if I can tell you the exact number in this flock?”  The shepherd accepts.  “973,” says the man.  The shepherd, astonished at the accuracy, says, “I’m a man of my word; take the sheep you have won.”  The man picks an animal and begins to walk away.  “Wait,” cries the shepherd, “Let me have a chance to get even.  Will you return my animal if I tell what your job is?”  “Sure,” replies the man.  “You are an economist for a government think-tank,” says the shepherd.  “Amazing!” responds the man, “How did you deduce that?”  “Well,” says the shepherd, “you drove into my field uninvited.  You asked me to pay you for information I already know, answered questions I haven’t asked, and you know nothing about my business!  Now put down MY DOG!”

USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK

1) Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org

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

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

3) Dr. Brant Pitre’s commentary on Cycle C Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-c

 4)      Catholic questions& answers: Once Catholic.org,

5)      Catholic answers for teenagers: EveryStudent.com,

6)      The Catholic News Service:http://www.catholicnews.com

7)      Doctrinal Concordance: http://www.infpage.com/concordance/

8) USCCB gospel video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/

   23- Additional anecdotes

1) St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)’s Good Shepherd prayer: During her visit to the United Nations several years ago, Mother Theresa was approached by a diplomat who said, “I am not a Catholic, Mother.  But I want to know: how should I pray?”  The frail little nun took his burly hands in hers and spread out five of his fingers on one hand.  “When you pray,” she said, “Think about the many blessings you have received; then, at the end of the day, count out on each finger the words spoken to you by Jesus: ‘You.. did.. this.. for.. Me.’”  The diplomat left holding up his hand as though it were a trophy and saying: “You did this for me.” — In this simple prayer, Mother Theresa let us see the Resurrection as real.  What she meant was that the love and peace of the Good Shepherd is present to us in the many moments of compassion that bless our lives:  in kind words, in the listening ear, in generous actions.  Jesus is also present in the blessings we extend to others.  The Good Shepherd of today’s Gospel guides us every day in our journey to eternal life. (Sanchez Files) https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

2) “Whatever happens, don’t let go.”  There is a wonderful scene towards the end of the movie, Titanic.   As the ship is preparing to take its final plunge into the cold waters of the Atlantic, Jack Dawson and Rose are hanging straight onto the edge of the ship.  Jack turns to Rose and tells her: “Don’t let go. Whatever happens, don’t let go.” — There is something profound in knowing that there is someone who wants us to hold on, no matter how difficult the situation.  As children, we held onto our parents for guidance and protection.  When we are adults, we hope to find a spouse or close friend who will hold us when we are hurt and carry us when we stumble.  In today’s Gospel, we hear the profound revelation from Jesus that God intends to hold us in His attentive care through every storm and every difficulty of life, and never let us go!  Jesus, as our Good Shepherd, offers us double protection.   He assures us that we are in his hands and nothing will ever take us from him.  He further assures us that we are also in the Father’s hands.   Nothing can ultimately hurt us. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

3)   “I have a dream:” https://youtu.be/_IB0i6bJIjw   During the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s, Martin Luther King Jr. kept alive the hopes of victims of race discrimination by sharing his dreams. On August 28, 1963, standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, he told the audience of nearly 250,000  those who had joined the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, (Wikipedia) “I have a dream . . . a dream that one day the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. . . that this desert state sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.” King’s dream awakened a nation and challenged its people and its legislators to face the inequities being perpetrated against some of its citizens. King’s dream offered consolation, inspired courage and strengthened the committed. — Twenty centuries before King, the seer, John, instructed by Jesus wrote down the Vision given him, for his contemporaries, ourselves, and those who will continue  the struggle against evil after us. During the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (AD 81-96), Christians were being persecuted for their Faith. Denied the right to worship as they wished, they were judged guilty of treason for refusing to venerate Domitian as god. So condemned, they became the prey of one of the fiercest persecutions ever launched against the Church. A contemporary of John’s, Clement of Rome, described the injustices suffered by those early followers of Christ as “sudden and repeated misfortunes and calamities.” Nevertheless, the Church was not without hope. John’s vision of a glorious future in the eternal presence of God and the victorious Lamb of God (Jesus) strengthened his contemporaries in their resolve to remain firm in their Faith, undeterred in their baptismal commitment. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

4)  A Sergeant’s good shepherd’s story:  There was a Sergeant in the Marines who was the senior enlisted man in his platoon.  One day his outfit was ambushed and pinned down by enemy fire.  The lieutenant in command was badly wounded as were many of the men.  The sergeant took over and extricated the men from the trap, though he himself was wounded twice.  He went back by himself to carry out the wounded commanding officer.  Miraculously every man in the platoon survived, even the wounded lieutenant.  Later the men said that if it were not for the incredible bravery of the sergeant, they all would have been killed.  “He was like a father to us,” they said.  He was recommended for the Medal of Honor but did not receive it.  However, he did receive the DFC – and never wore the medal because, he said, the lives of his men were more important than any medal. — Later when he had children of his own, he loved them devotedly.   His wife said that during the war he had learned to be tender. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

5) Jesus knows his sheep by name: There have always been people with a good memory for names: Napoleon, “who knew thousands of his soldiers by name . . .” or James A. Farley, “who claimed he knew 50,000 people by their first name . . .” or Charles Schwab, “who knew the names of all 8,000 of his employees at Homestead Mill . . .” or Charles W. Eliot, “who, during his forty years as president of Harvard, earned the reputation of knowing all the students by name each year . . .” or Harry Lorayne, “who used to amaze his audiences by being introduced to hundreds of people, one after another, then giving the name of any person who stood up and requested it.” — But can you imagine Christ knowing all his sheep by name? That’s millions and millions of people over 2,000 years and counting. No wonder we call him Master, Lord, Savior – watching over his flock, calling each by name! https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

6) “I only know them by name.” Tony Campolo loves to tell the story of a particular census taker who went to the home of a rather poor family in the mountains of West Virginia to gather information. He asked the mother how many dependents she had. She began, “Well, there is Rosie, and Billy, and Lewella, Susie, Harry, and Jeffrey. There’s Johnny, and Harvey, and our dog, Willie.” It was then that the census taker interrupted her aid said: “No, ma’am, that’s not necessary. I only need the humans.”                                                                                “Ah,” she said. “Well, there is Rosie, and Billy, and Lewella, Susie, Harry, and Jeffrey, Johnny, and Harvey, and….” But there once again, the census taker interrupted her. Slightly exasperated, he said, “No, ma’am, you don’t seem to understand. I don’t need their names; I just need the numbers.” To which the old woman replied, “But I don’t know them by numbers. I only know them by name.” — In today’s Gospel Jesus the Good Shepherd says that he knows his sheep by name. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

7) “I’d like to preserve my integrity and credibility.” About 4 years ago, Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, offered WGN Chicago Radio sports-talk host David Kaplan $50,000 to change his name legally to “Dallas Maverick.” When Kaplan politely declined, Cuban sweetened the offer. Cuban would pay Kaplan $100,000 and donate $100,000 to Kaplan’s favorite charity if he took the name for one year. After some soul searching and being bombarded by e-mails from listeners who said he was crazy to turn down the money, Kaplan held firm and told Cuban no. Kaplan explained: “I’d be saying I’d do anything for money, and that bothers me. My name is my birthright. I’d like to preserve my integrity and credibility.” [Skip Bayless, Chicago Tribune (1/10/01), Leadership Summer 2001)] — The name “Christian” is our birthright. From the moment of our Baptism and our birth into the Kingdom of God, we are the sheep of the Good Shepherd who promises to lead us to green pastures and beside the still waters. The Voice of the Shepherd protects us. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

8) “May I see your driver’s license?” Everyone, it seems, is interested in my numbers. I go to the grocery store to buy some groceries. After the checkout woman rings up my bill, I pull out my checkbook and write out the check. She takes it from me. She looks at the information. Numbers tell her where I live. Numbers tell her how to reach me on the telephone. “Is this information correct?” she asks. “Yes, it is,” I reply. “May I see your driver’s license?” she asks. She looks at my driver’s license and writes some more numbers on my check. Finally, I am approved. The numbers are all there. I can eat for another week. One could wish it were a bit more human and personal. So the IRS knows me by my tax number. My state knows me by my driver’s license number. My bank knows me by my bank account number. My employer knows me by my social security number. On and on it goes for you, for me, for everybody. Everybody knows my numbers. I am not sure that anyone knows me! — The numbers game that is played in our culture is one symptom of loneliness and alienation that surrounds us today. That line from the Beatles’ song Eleanor Rigby expresses the endemic Loneliness, Isolation, and Alienation  which are the all-too-common realities of  contemporary civilized life. – But there is hope. In today’s Gospel, we listen to Jesus’ words addressed to each of us as both comfort and promise:  “I am the Good Shepherd.” Yes, these words,  “I am the Good Shepherd; I know my own and my own know me …” tell us unequivocally that Jesus knows us personally and loves us one by one. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

9)  His Master’s Voice: Have you ever seen the painting done in the 1930s of a dog, looking with a cocked head, at an old gramophone? The name of the painting is His Master’s Voice. — This serves us today as a symbol of what Jesus is saying to us: “The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

10) “Then we FLEECE them!” Two television evangelists were talking. One was explaining how he was seeking to be the ideal shepherd to his television flock. “There are three ways I seek to do that,” he said. “What three ways do you mean?” asked the other evangelist. “Well,” he explained, “First, we FIND them. Every year we find new stations to carry our ministry. Then we FEED them. I give them the plain unvarnished word of God.” “But what’s the third thing?” asked the second evangelist. “Well,” he answered, “Once we’ve found them and fed them, then we FLEECE them!” — Some TV evangelists have become quite proficient at fleecing their flock. I hope you understand that nothing could be farther from the example of Christ. Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep . . .” Fleecing the flock is a long way from laying down your life for them! https://frtony1shomilies.com/)

11) “But I never jumped.” A paratrooper who had recently resigned from the military was asked how many times he had jumped out of an airplane. He said, “None.” A friend of his asked, “What do you mean, ‘none’? I thought you were a paratrooper!” He said, “I was, but I never jumped. I was pushed several times . . . but I never jumped!” — The hired hand never jumps. He has to be pushed. Churches often have hired hands in them. Not our Church, of course! But other Churches are full of people who have to be pushed to do what they know they ought to do. Jesus did not have to be pushed. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

12) “I give my life for my sheep”: We applaud when a man or woman gives his or her life for another. Such instances do come along from time to time. Murfreesboro, Tennessee. May 28, 1989: “Former NFL football player Jerry Anderson,” read the newspaper account, “died Saturday after pulling two young boys out of a rain-swollen river about 40 miles southeast of Nashville. Witnesses said Anderson saw two boys, thought to be 11 or 12 years old, attempting to cross a dam spanning the river. One or both boys fell into the water. According to Officer Bill Todd, ‘Mr. Anderson jumped in the water and managed to get the little boys out, but witnesses said he went under two or three times and about the fourth time, he didn’t come back up.’” He gave his life to rescue two small boys. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

Of course, you don’t have to be an American or a football player for such heroic actions. In a Middle school in the Ukrainian village of Ivanichi, a young teacher died sometime back. He absorbed the blast of a hand grenade to protect his pupils. What was a grenade doing in a middle school? According to the London Times, the teacher, a graduate of the KGB border guard college, had been delivering the military instruction that is a compulsory part of the curriculum for Soviet children. He was teaching them how to handle what should have been an unarmed grenade. When he pulled the pin a wisp of smoke showed that a live grenade had become mixed in with demonstration grenades, and he fell on the grenade, giving his life to save the children. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

And you don’t have to be a man to perform such heroics. Many years ago a woman carrying a baby through the hills of South Wales, England, was overtaken by a blizzard. Searchers found her later frozen to death in the snow. Amazed that she had on no outer garments, they searched further and found her baby. She had wrapped them around the child, who was still alive and well. He grew up to be David Lloyd George, the Prime Minister of Great Britain in World War I. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

13) Big Brother is watching us: Ever since George Orwell’s novel 1984 hit the bookstores, people concerned about individual privacy and freedom have looked for signs that “Big Brother” is becoming a reality in our society. And it is true that more and more of our urban landscape is being observed by security cameras. But that is only one way our privacy is being invaded. There was a news report several years ago that Israeli scientists are now marketing a microchip that, implanted under the skin, will protect film stars and millionaires from kidnappers. The chip emits a signal detectable by satellite to help rescuers determine a victim’s approximate location. Originally the chip was developed to track Israeli secret-service agents abroad. The $5,000 chip doesn’t even require batteries. It runs solely on the neurophysiological energy generated within the human body. The firm which developed it, Gen-Etics, won’t reveal where the chip is inserted but said that, at that time, 43 people had had it implanted. Since this report was published there has been an explosion of interest in this technology. Farmers keep tabs on the health and safety of their cows and other livestock with such chips. But the use of such devices to monitor human beings is almost limitless. Already there is a monitoring bracelet for Alzheimer patients, so that families can use GPS systems to help find loved ones who might have wandered off. Would it be inconceivable that loving parents might want to monitor the whereabouts of their children via satellite? Why not have a chip implanted? Pet owners are already using such technology. Some cynics have suggested that some wives might want to monitor their husbands. Soon we will see signs, “Big Brother is watching.” — Here’s what’s amusing to me. There are people who have no difficulty believing that one day the government will keep track of us all, but who cannot conceive that an all-knowing God can take a personal interest in each of His children, hear each of our prayers, and be responsive to each of our individual needs! https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

14) Images are highly influential. They become emblazoned on the wall of our minds, and they evoke a wide range of responses. Millions of people will remember the fireman carrying the baby out of the ruins of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. World War II veterans, particularly the ones who served in the South Pacific, will always remember Mount Surabachi and the Marines who raised an American flag at its summit, as well as the image of General MacArthur returning to the Philippines. Neil Armstrong taking that first step on the moon in the early ’70s is frozen in many memories, too. If you were old enough to watch and understand television in l963, you probably remember young John F. Kennedy, Jr., at the casket of his father Jack. Much closer to our own time, many of us will long retain the image of students running out of Columbine High School with their hands over their heads. — Some images are immensely powerful and have a tenacity that is tireless and timeless.  If there is one image associated with the Christian Faith which, more than any other, has found an enduring place within the collective life of the Christian church, it is the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

15)  Hannah and her Sisters: A movie by Woody Allen, titled, Hannah and Her Sisters, deals precisely with that theme. It is about Hannah and her sisters and how family life gives some sense of stability to life in a fractured world. The part played by Woody Allen in the movie is that of a man who is constantly afraid that he will get some terrible disease. He is what we call a hypochondriac. As he comes into the movie, we see him on his way to the doctor. The doctor assures him that nothing seems to be terribly wrong, though some additional tests need to be made. Woody cannot calm himself over these additional tests. He is sure they will find something terrible. “What are you afraid of,” one of his friends asks him, “cancer?” “Don’t say that,” Woody responds with a look of terror. More tests are performed. A CAT scan is prescribed for his head. He is sure they will find a brain tumor. But his fears are unfounded. The doctor announces to him that all is well. In the next scene we see Woody coming out of the hospital, kicking up his heels, and running joyfully down the street. He is celebrating. But suddenly he stops. We know instinctively why he stops. He tells us in the next scene. “All this means,” he says, “is that I am all right this time. Next time it will probably be serious.” — Our lives are lived in constant danger. Woody Allen’s character overplays the danger. But the danger is there. There are all kinds of realities that imperil our lives nearly every day. Accidents might befall us. Natural disasters strike. Oppressive structures of life weigh us down. Disease stalks us and death awaits. That is the way life is. We live our lives in constant peril. Woody Allen might have exaggerated a bit, but he is right. Human beings belong to an endangered species. Death calls a halt to every human life. But Jesus who said, “I am the Good Shepherd,” willing did lay down his life for us sheep, so that we might live here trusting in God’s  unfailing care, and then live in joy forever in Heaven with Him. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

16)  The Bismarck: In the beginning of World War II, the Nazis commissioned a massive battleship named the Bismarck.  It was the biggest fighting vessel the world had seen up to that time.  With the Bismarck, the Germans had the opportunity to dominate the seas.  Very soon after it was commissioned, the Bismarck sank tons of Allied shipping and allied aircraft.  Its massive armor plating resulted in the boast that the Bismarck was unsinkable.  But the Bismarck was sunk.  And it was sunk due to one lone torpedo.  A torpedo hit the Bismarck in the rudder.  As a result, the battleship zig-zagged through the sea, unable to reach harbor.  It was only a short while before the British navy was able to overtake and destroy it. — No matter how large the battleship may be, it is doomed without a rudder to direct it. Floundering on the waters of chaos without a rudder, the Bismarck is a modern-day image of a world without the direction of Jesus the Good Shepherd.  Without the Lord, the world is headed toward chaos.  But with the Lord there is guidance, direction, and purpose in life. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

17) Alexander, the shepherd of soldiers.  When the emperor Alexander the Great was crossing the Makran Desert on his way to Persia, his army ran out of water.  The soldiers were dying of thirst as they advanced under the burning sun.  A couple of Alexander’s lieutenants managed to capture some water from a passing caravan. They brought some to him in a helmet.  He asked, “Is there enough for both me and my men?” “Only you, sir,” they replied.  Alexander then lifted up the helmet as the soldiers watched.  Instead of drinking, he tipped it over and poured the water on the ground. The men let up a great shout of admiration. — They knew their general would not allow them to suffer anything he was unwilling to suffer himself. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

18) “It will kill you if you move.” A soldier dying on a Korean battlefield asked for a priest. The Medic could not find one. A wounded man lying nearby heard the request and said, “I am a priest.” The Medic turned to the speaker and saw his condition, which was as bad as that of the other wounded man. “It will kill you if you move,” he warned. — But the wounded chaplain replied. “The life of a man’s soul is worth more than a few hours of my life.” He then crawled to the dy, and the two died hand in hand. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

19) Four clergymen, taking a short break from their heavy schedules, were on a park bench, chatting and enjoying an early spring day. “You know, since all of us are such good friends,” said one, “this might be a good time to discuss personal problems.” They all agreed. “Well, I would like to share with you the fact that I drink to excess,” said one. There was a gasp from the other three. Then another spoke up. “Since you were so honest, I’d like to say that my big problem is gambling. It’s terrible, I know, but I can’t quit. I’ve even been tempted to take money from the collection plate.” Another gasp was heard, and the third clergyman spoke. “I’m really troubled, brothers, because I’m growing fond of a woman in my church — a married woman.” More gasps. But the fourth remained silent. After a few minutes the others coaxed him to open up. “The fact is,” he said, “I just don’t know how to tell you about my problem.” “It’s all right, brother. Your secret is safe with us,” said the others. “Well, it’s this way,” he said. “You see, I’m an incurable gossip.”- — Jokes like this have shaped our views of priests as if there is no difference between the life and work of a priest and that of other Christians. Today’s Gospel tells us that priests are expected to be Good Shepherds as the picture given by Jesus. (Fr. Munacci). https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

20) WHO IS YOUR SHEPHERD?

The TV is my shepherd; I shall not want.
It makes me to lie down on the sofa.
It leads me away from the Faith.
It destroys my soul.
It leads me to the path of sex and violence for the advertiser’s sake.
Even though I walk in the shadow of Christian responsibilities,
There will be no interruption, for the TV is with me.
Its cable and remote control, they comfort me.
It prepares a commercial for me in the midst of my worldliness
And anoints my head with secular humanism and consumerism.
My covetousness runs over.
Surely ignorance and laziness shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of wretchedness watching TV forever.                                (Broadcast on EWTN on March 18, 2002) https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

21) “I prayed and prayed, and I thought you were going to save me!” A Christian humorist once told a story about a man who had climbed onto the roof of his home to escape rising flood waters from torrential rains. He prayed to God to act quickly to save him. After a short while, a search and rescue team came and shouted for the man to jump and swim to their boat. He refused, saying that God would take care of him. Later, a helicopter pilot lowered a ladder and beckoned to him to climb up to safety. Again, he refused, affirming his reliance on God. Hours passed and, as the sky grew dark and the air cold, the water continued to rise and the man was swept off and drowned. When he faced the Lord, he protested, “I prayed and prayed, and I thought You were going to save me, but You never came!” The Lord replied, “I sent you a team with a boat and a pilot with a helicopter. . . what more did you want?” — Because aid did not come in the manner he expected, the man didn’t recognize his Divine rescuer. Many of Jesus’ contemporaries appear to have had a similar experience. He was not the type of Savior they had anticipated; therefore, they did not recognize him as such, nor did they respond to his voice by following him. However, as the fourth evangelist points out in today’s Gospel, those who did hear his voice were promised the gift of eternal life. (Sanchez Files). https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

22) Jewish dream for a new Judas Maccabeus:  An eight-day festival of lights held each Chislev (December), Hanukkah memorializes the successful Maccabaean revolt against the Seleucids (a Greek dynasty) in 164 B.C. Three years earlier, in 167 B.C., Antiochus IV Epiphanes had desecrated the Lord God’s Temple in Jerusalem by placing a statue and altar of Zeus on the altar of burnt offerings, Daniel’s “the abomination of desolation in the Holy Place” (Dn 8:13).  Antiochus ordered the people to worship the idol and to sacrifice swine on Zeus’s altar to worship that god. [(Josephus, The Jewish War). [See www. Penelope.uchicago.edu—Encyclopaedia Romana, Notae, Miscellanea, Trivia Questions, Question #11: Which three kings of Orient old were like no man’s adversary?] After routing their oppressors and destroying their idols, the Jews, led by Judas Maccabeus built a new altar and reconsecrated the Temple. Thereafter Hanukkah became a feast which celebrated not only the restoration of the Temple and its liturgy but also the national heroes of Judah. –There is little wonder that this feast also occasioned public excitement and desire for a new Judas Maccabeus to rise up from among them and lead them to victory over the Romans.  Jesus, however, was a hero of another ilk. He would, indeed, lead a revolt and emerge victorious, but it would be a revolt against the forces of evil and a victory over death. Those wishing a share in his victory need only listen to Jesus’ voice and follow his lead. https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

23) “My sheep…I know them” :In his book Everyday Life of the Mayas, Ralph Whitlock tells us of the delicate respect that these Central American Indians had for animals in pre-Christian days. “Every animal in the forest,” he writes, “had a soul, which was protected by the gods of the earth. A man could kill an animal if he needed to, but before, or immediately afterwards, he had to offer an apology.” —   When Christ spoke of the almost “family” relationship between the Good Shepherd and his sheep, he was speaking in terms that his Palestinian listeners, many of them shepherds, well understood. Even today in the Middle East, there is close, almost familial, rapport between a shepherd and each of his flock. The sheep know his voice and follow him like children. He in turn knows them as individuals and treats them as a loving father. He will protect them at all costs against anybody who will try to “take them out of my hand” (Today’s Gospel). If one of them should stray, he leaves the rest in a safe place and goes off through brush and briar in search of the wanderer. Even when he finds the maverick sheep, he will not scold it (it is already sufficiently frightened and humbled); but simply put it over his shoulders and bring it back joyfully to the sheepfold.

St. Maximus the Confessor, an abbot of the seventh century, pointed out the close parallel between the forgiving shepherd and the forgiving Christ. Of Jesus he said, “When He found wandering in the mountains and hills the one sheep that had strayed from God’s flock of a hundred, he brought it back into the fold, but He did not exhaust it by driving it. Instead, He placed it on His shoulders and so compassionately, He restored it safely to the flock.” — Jesus, our good shepherd, calls on us, the sheep of his fold, to return to Him, whether we have wandered far or near. He asks us to confess our sins and change our hearts. We need not fear to say, “I am sorry.” He who calls will treat us gently. He not only loves us; He respects us. (Father Robert F. McNamara). https://frtonyshomilies.com/)

 “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle C (No. 30) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle C homilies, 141 Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit also https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  under Fr. Tony’s homilies and  under Resources in the CBCI website:  https://www.cbci.in  for other website versions.  (Vatican Radio website: http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html uploaded my Cycle A, B and C homilies in from 2018-2020)  (Fr. Anthony Kadavil, Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Joseph  M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507)

MOTHER’S DAY REFLECTION (May 11) -One-page summary (LP-25)

Introduction: Today we thank our mothers, pray for them, and honor them by celebrating Mother’s Day offering our mothers on the altar of God.

The origin of “Mother’s Day.” Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation (her mother’s favorite flower), to each person who attended. Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother’s Day was observed in a number of large cities in the U.S. On May 9, 1914, by an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. He established the day as a time for “public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living, a custom that continues to this day. Proverbs 31:10-31 offers us God’s description and estimation of what a godly wife and mother looks like.

The role of mothers in our lives: This is a day to admit gratefully the fact that none of us is able to return, in the same measure, all the love that our mothers have given us. Their influence on their children is so great that it affects the children throughout their lives. Our mothers not only gave us birth but nursed us, nurtured us, trained us in their religious beliefs and practices, taught us good manners and ideal behavior, disciplined us as best as they could, and made us good citizens of our country, our Church, and our society. There is a beautiful Spanish proverb: “An ounce of mother is better than a pound of clergy.” Hence, it is highly proper for us to express our love and gratitude to our mothers by our presence (if possible), gifts, and prayers on Mother’s Day. We offer this Eucharistic celebration on Mother’s Day for all the mothers in our congregation, whether they are alive here or have gone for their eternal reward. The word “Mom” is synonymous with sacrificial, agápe love in its purest form, as commanded by Jesus in his farewell speech: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Hence, let us lavish our love on our mothers and express our gratitude for them in the form of fervent prayers offered for them before God.

Remember that a Christian has two mothers: On Mother’s Day, let us acknowledge the truth that we have two mothers: our earthly mother and our Heavenly Mother, the Mother of Jesus. The Catholic Church proclaims the great nobility of the Mother of Jesus, Mary most holy, and presents her as the supreme model for all mothers. On this Mother’s Day, presenting all mothers on the altar, let us sing the beautiful song we sing on the Feast of the Presentation, “Gentle woman, peaceful dove, teach us wisdom, teach us love.” Let us show our love and appreciation for both of our mothers and let us ask our Heavenly Mother to take care of our earthly mothers. We need to be persons for others, sacrificing out time, talents, and lives for them as our mothers are now or have been.

MOTHER’S DAY REFLECTIONS – May 11, 2025

The origin of “Mother’s Day.” It was Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948), who first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation (her mother’s favorite flower), to each person who attended. Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother’s Day was observed in a number of large cities in the U.S. After a Mother’s Day bill passed both houses in 1914, it was signed into law on May 9 by President Woodrow Wilson who proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. He established the day as a time for “public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living, a custom that continues to this day. More than 46 countries throughout the world celebrate Mother’s Day, among them Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. The earliest Mother’s Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods, including the chief god Zeus. (http://heavy.com/news/2017/05/mothers-day-history-origins/) .

Let us salute our mothers: Mothers should be saluted 1) for their tenacious and sacrificial love for their children, 2) for the tremendous impact they have on their children, and 3) for their intimate relationship with us from birth to death. We learn to speak by calling “Mom” and die with the same name on our lips.

Let us offer our mothers on the altar today: We offer this Mass on Mother’s Day for all our mothers, whether they are alive here or have gone to their eternal reward.  We also thank God for all the mothers in this congregation and offer them on the altar.  There is a beautiful Spanish proverb: “An ounce of mother is better than a pound of clergy.”  The word “Mom” is synonymous with sacrificial, agápe love in its purest form as given by Jesus in his farewell speech:   “Love one another as I have loved you.” On this Mother’s Day, let us gratefully admit the fact that we cannot return, in the same measure, all the love that our mothers have given us.  Hence, let us thank our mothers today by lavishing our love on them if they are alive and by offering our prayers for them if they have gone for their eternal reward.  When Giuseppe Sarto, Pope St. Pius X, first became a Bishop, he experienced a little touch of vanity as he proudly held up his hand to his loving mother and said, “Mother, look at my Episcopal ring!” His mother, being a strong Italian peasant, returned by holding up her elderly and worn hand bearing her wedding ring and said: “If it were not for this ring, you would not have that ring!” Who can ever take the place of a mother who gave us birth, trained us, sacrificed her time and heath for us? “A Mother’s love will go with her son whether he goes to the governor’s chair or the electric chair.” (Dr. Meck)

A Christian has two mothers: On Mother’s Day, let us Christians acknowledge the truth that we have two mothers: our earthly mother and our Heavenly Mother, Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The Catholic Church proclaims the great nobility of the Mother of Jesus, Mary most holy, and presents her as the supreme model for all mothers. Born into humble surroundings, she was called by God to be the Mother of the Son of God.  She affirmed her obedience to the call of God, and she lived her vocation throughout her entire life.  Mary, the Mother of Jesus, our Blessed Mother, is the true model of motherhood. “It can thus be said that women, by looking to Mary, find in her the secret of living their femininity with dignity and of achieving their own true advancement. In the light of Mary, the Church sees in the face of women the reflection of a beauty which mirrors the loftiest sentiments of which the human heart is capable: the self-offering totality of love; the strength that is capable of bearing the greatest sorrows; limitless fidelity and tireless devotion to work; the ability to combine penetrating intuition with words of support and encouragement” (Pope St. John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater). The month of May is traditionally the month of Mary. Through Mary, the work of Motherhood is glorified and sanctified. On this Mother’s Day, presenting all mothers on the altar, let us sing the beautiful song we sing on the Feast of the Presentation, “Gentle woman, peaceful dove, teach us wisdom, teach us love.”

Mothers and motherly women in the Bible: Certainly, the Bible recognizes women in positions of power – women who have contributed to making the world a better place. There was Miriam who led the people in praising God after the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex 15:21); Ruth who put God first and became the ancestress of King David (Ruth 1:16; 4:17); Deborah, a judge in Israel (Judges 5); Hannah who “gave to the Lord” the child of her prayers (1 Sam 1:28); Esther who took her life in her hands to plead for her doomed people (Esther C:14-30); the pagan widow whose obedience sustained the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:9-16); a little captive Jewish maid who told Naaman’s wife of the man of God who could cure Naaman of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:2-4). The most important mother in the New Testament is Jesus’ Mother, Mary, to whom Jesus, on the cross, gave John, his beloved friend to be her son; at the same time, Jesus gave His Mother to John, and all the rest of us for whom He was dying, to be our Heavenly Mother Jesus praised the poor widow for her gift of two mites to the Temple (Mk 12:43). The New Testament also presents some women who showed maternal love. There is the woman who anointed Jesus with the expensive ointment (Mk 14:3); Martha who served and Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus (Lk 10:38-42); Mary Magdalene who brought spices to anoint Jesus, who first greeted the risen Lord, and who received the first commission –“Go, tell….” (Jn 20:17-18; Mk 16:9); Lydia one of the first converts in Macedonia (Acts 16:14); Tabitha, called Dorcas – full of good works (Acts 9:36); Phoebe and Priscilla – servants of the Church (Rom 16:1-4); Lois and Eunice who had sincere faith (2 Tim 1:5), Persis “the beloved,” and Tryphena and Tryphosa who labored for the Lord (Rom 16:12). So being a mother does not suggest lack of initiative and ability; it does mean getting one’s priorities straight. It doesn’t mean freeing men from all responsibility with young children; it does  mean a mutual sharing of responsibilities with the recognition of individual gifts and needs.

Ideal wife and mother in Proverbs: Prv 31:10-31 offers us God’s description and estimation of what a godly wife and mother is. 1. She is a devoted wife (vv 11, 12, 23). She is one who has the confidence of her husband; she seeks his welfare and enhances his reputation. 2. She is a diligent partner (vv 13-17, 18b, 19, 22, 24). As a woman with God’s viewpoint, she is a willing worker, a wise shopper and a planner who is able to minister to her family because she keeps herself fit, spiritually and physically (cf. vv 18a, 25). 3. She is a dutiful servant to the needy and the poor (v 20). She has a vision for ministry not only to her family but also to her society. 4. She is a dependable mother (vv 15, 21, 27). She is devoted to the needs of her family. She is well-groomed, attractive, organized and disciplined; as such, she is a testimony to her children. 5. She is a doctrinally oriented woman (v 26). She is a woman full of God’s wisdom. St. Paul exhorts husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church (Eph 6:25).  Husbands have the solemn duty to sacrifice themselves continually in their total love for their wives and their children.  Each day provides numerous opportunities for husbands to live out their family life with many acts of patience, kindness, and service.  The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.

Eminent men on their mothers: George Washington once said, “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her.” Abraham Lincoln spoke similar words when he said, “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.” Theodore Roosevelt has the following beautiful advice to all mothers: “Into the woman’s keeping is committed the destiny of the generations to come after us. In bringing up your children, you mothers must remember that, while it is essential to love and be tender, it is no less essential to be wise and firm.” Thomas Edison once said, “I did not have my mother long, but she cast over me an influence which has lasted all my life. The good effects of her early training I can never lose. If it had not been for her appreciation and her faith in me at a critical time in my experience, I should never likely have become an inventor. I was always a careless boy, and with a mother of different mental caliber, I should have turned out badly. But her firmness, her sweetness, her goodness were potent powers to keep me in the right path. My mother was the making of me. The memory of her will always be a blessing to me.”

Intercessory prayers for mothers on Mother’s Day (USCCB)

http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/prayers/intercessory-prayers-families.cfm

For all mothers, particularly those who are with child: that they may be supported by loved ones and warm friends, and that they may
be understood and blessed; We pray to the Lord:

For young mothers everywhere, and especially those who are tempted to despair: that through the child they carry deep within,
they might know hope and joy; We pray to the Lord:

For all mothers, especially those who are young or alone:
beaten or addicted; that God might heal their broken hearts
and seal them with his love; We pray to the Lord:

For mothers, especially those wracked with fear, depression or despair, that the new life of their child may touch them with the eternal love of God;
We pray to the Lord:

For young mothers tempted to abort their  child: that God’s grace might give them the wisdom and fortitude to preserve the gift they carry within them;
We pray to the Lord:

For all mothers tempted to abortion: that God might teach us how to love them; We pray to the Lord:

For expectant mothers: for the gifts of patient endurance and joyful hope;
We pray to the Lord:

For each mother who has miscarried: that her love for the child of her womb
might deliver her from grief
and join her to the hope of the Cross of Christ;
We pray to the Lord:

For pregnant teenagers: that we might provide examples for them
of holy and faithful married love; We pray to the Lord:

For the eternal repose of our deceased mothers: We pray to the Lord:

Mother’s Day videos: 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsJAvfXbWk4&feature=player_embedded

• Mother’s job: https://youtu.be/HB3xM93rXbY
• https://youtu.be/PEi5IVwI-ZQ
• https://youtu.be/Xa-7jtvi7J4

 22- Anecdotes for Mother’s Day (visit frtonyshomilies.com)

# 1: Mother’s sacrificial love: On Sunday, August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed just after taking off from the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. One hundred fifty-five people were killed. One survived with injuries: a 4-year-old from Tempe, Arizona, named Cecelia. News accounts say when rescuers found Cecelia, they did not believe she had been on the plane. Investigators first assumed Cecelia had been a passenger in one of the cars on the highway onto which the airliner crashed. But when the passenger register for the flight was checked, there was Cecelia’s name. “Cecelia survived because, as the plane was falling, Cecelia’s mother, Paula Chican, unbuckled her own seat belt, got down on her knees in front of her daughter, wrapped her arms and body around Cecelia, and then would not let her go.” — She was a real mother. That sounds to me like a metaphor of the love of God.

# 2: “How are you able to stand all the pain of family rejection?” There was an interesting story on CNN not long ago about a twenty-five-year-old man in San Francisco who was dying of AIDS. Because of that his father had completely disowned him. His mother was dead. So, there was nobody. The man looked like he could not weigh over a hundred pounds and had the look of death on his face. The reporter asked him how he was able to stand all of the pain, not only of death, but the pain of family rejection. He gave an interesting answer. He said, “I stand it by closing my eyes and imagining that I will awaken in the arms of my mother. I know that she will never leave my side.” — I tell you friends, long after some fathers have disowned their children a mother will still be there. There is a tenacity about mothers.

# 3: Mother has the authority to correct: You may be grown-up now, but to your mother, you are still fair game for correction. When his pager went off during a council meeting, Knoxville, Tenn. Police Chief Phil Keith was startled to see that the call was from his mother. Concerned, he rushed to the press table and phoned her. “Phil Keith, are you chewing gum?” asked his mom, who had been watching the council meeting on cable TV. “Yes, ma’am,” answered Chief Keith. “Well, it looks awful,” his mother said. “Spit it out.” Keith dutifully removed the gum and went back to his meeting.

# 4: Humor: Mothers Can Be Shrewd: Former president Jimmy Carter spoke at Southern Methodist University and related an incident that occurred after he had left the White House. A woman reporter came to Plains, Georgia, to interview his mother in relation to an article about Mr. Carter and his family. His mother really didn’t want to be interviewed but was being gracious. So, when the reporter knocked at her door, Mrs. Carter invited her in. The reporter asked some hard questions and actually was rather aggressive and rude. “I want to ask you a question,” she said. “Your son ran for the presidency on the premise that he would always tell the truth. Has he ever lied?” Mrs. Carter said, “I think he’s truthful; I think you can depend on his word.” The reporter again asked if he had ever lied in his entire life. His mother said, “Well, I guess maybe he’s told a little white lie.” “Ah, see there!” the reporter exclaimed. “He’s lied! If he told a white lie, he has lied.” The reporter was still not satisfied and asked, “What is a white lie?” And then Lillian Carter said, “It’s like a moment ago when you knocked on the door and I went to the door and said I was glad to see you.”

# 5: “Let the boy go home with his mother. A. Lincoln.” During the Civil War a Confederate Major by the name of Horace Harmon Lurton was taken prisoner by the Union forces. In prison, Major Lurton developed tuberculosis. His mother came to visit him and was alarmed by his condition. She knew her son would die if he stayed behind bars. So, Mrs. Lurton traveled to Washington to beg mercy from the only person she thought could help her, the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was so moved by this mother’s concern that he sat down and wrote a note to the Union forces in charge of her son’s prison. It said simply, “Let the boy go home with his mother. A. Lincoln.” — Horace Harmon Lurton was released from prison. He recovered from his tuberculosis and went on become a distinguished lawyer and the chief justice of the Supreme Court of his state.

# 6: Wherever mother is that is where home is:  A priest was visiting a family who had just moved to Memphis from Baltimore, Maryland. The pastor asked the man if he was originally from Baltimore and he said: “No, my family transferred around quite frequently and there is really no one place that I can say was home.” The he said something I shall never forget. He said: “I suppose that wherever mother was that is where home was.” — Wherever mother is that is where home is. Maybe a lot of us can identify with that. A house is a physical place. A home is where our loved ones are gathered.

#7: My mother’s Bible: Axelrod shares this story about a magnificent mom: Four preachers were discussing their favorite translations of the Bible. The first one said, “I like the King James Version because of its beautiful English.” Another said, “I like the New American Standard version because it is closer to the original Greek and Hebrew.” The third one declared, “I like the Good News version because it’s so easy to read. The fourth minister was silent for a moment then said, “I like my mother’s translation best.” The other three men were surprised. They said, “I didn’t know your mother made a translation of the Bible.” “Yes,” he replied. “She translated it into everyday life. And it was the most beautiful and convincing translation I ever saw.”

# 8: My mother’s God: Two college students went to hear the notorious agnostic Robert Ingersoll lecture in his heyday. As they walked down the street after the lecture, one said to the other, “Well, I guess he knocked the props out from under Christianity, didn’t he?” The other said, “No, I don’t think so. Ingersoll did not explain my mother’s life, and until he can explain my mother’s life, I will stand by my mother’s God. [James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Tyndale, 1972), p. 38].

# 9:  How did God create the first mom? By the time the Lord made the woman he was into his sixth day of creation and working overtime. An angel approached and said, “Why are You spending so much time on this creature?” And the Lord answered and said, “I am making a woman who is to become the mother of all mankind.  So she should have some special features: 1) Six pairs of hands, five of them invisible. 2)  Three pairs of eyes, one visible pair in the front, the second and the third invisible pairs at the back and at the sides of her head.  3) A large and elastic heart. 4) A lap that can hold three children at one time and that disappears when she stands up. The angel said, “I can guess why a mom should have six pairs of hands and a large heart, but why three pairs of eyes?  God said, “One pair of invisible x-ray eyes at the sides to see through closed doors when she knocks at the door asks, “What are you kids doing?”  And she already knows what is going on inside.  The second invisible pair at the back of her head is to see what she is not supposed to see but has to see as a responsible mother.  And of course, the third pair of normal eyes in the front is to look at a child when he makes a mistake and say without uttering a word, “Dear, I understand you, I love you.” “Any other specifications?” the angel asked.  God said, “She should be able to run on black coffee and leftovers.  She should have a kiss that can cure anything from a bruised leg to a broken heart from a disappointing love affair.  She should be able to heal herself when she is sick.  She should feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger, and finally she should have eyes that shed tears of joy and pride, tears of sadness, tears of disappointment and tears of old age aches and loneliness.”  The Angel was impressed. “You are a genius, Lord! This woman is amazing.” — Is this not the picture of your mom?  [Adapted from Erma Bombeck’s essay entitled, When God Created Women].

10) Home is where mother is:  St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) relates this incident about a boy. “Once I picked up a child and took him to our Children’s Home; we gave him a bath, clean clothes, and everything. After a day, the child ran away. Somebody else found him, but again he ran away. Then I said to the Sisters: ‘Please follow the child and see where he goes when he runs away.’ And the child ran away the third time. There under the tree was the mother. She had put a small earthenware vessel on two stones and was cooking something she had picked out of the dustbin. The Sisters asked the child: ‘Why did you run away from the Home?’ And the child said, ‘This is my home because this is where my mother is.'” — True! Wherever our mothers are, there our home is.

(John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies).

 11) “Way to go, Mom. Way to go!” A man was boarding an airplane one day. As he came on board, he happened to notice that the head of the plane’s cockpit flight crew was a woman. That was no problem. Still, it was a new experience for him. As he found his seat, he noticed three persons sitting immediately behind him. One was a young boy about six or seven years of age. Next to him was a man in his early thirties. And next to the man was a woman in her early sixties. The man could not help overhearing the conversation among these three persons as the plane made final plans for departure from the gate. It was not long before he realized that they were the woman pilot’s family. The boy was her son. The man was her husband. And the older woman was her mother. Suddenly he realized why the family was on the plane. This was the first time the woman pilot had been the head of a flight crew! They were there to honor her promotion.  The plane taxied down the runway and poised itself for takeoff. The engines began to roar, and the plane gained speed quickly. Within seconds they were airborne. As the plane began to ascend the bank to the south, the six-year-old boy began to applaud! “Way to go, Mom. Way to go!” (Norman Neaves) — This morning we are applauding our Moms. “Way to go, Moms, way to go!” Truly, today’s Mom deserves all the support and applause she we can give her.

12) Rudyard Kipling wrote:

If I were hanged on the highest hill, I know whose love would follow me still.
Mother of mine. Mother of mine.
If I were drowned in the deepest sea, I know whose tears would come down to me.
Mother of mine, Mother of mine.
If I were damned by body and soul, I know whose prayers would make me whole.
Mother of mine, mother of mine

13) Magnet or mother? A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: “My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I? “When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word “Mother”.

14) Economics of Mother’s Day: Nearly three-quarters of the nation’s 103.4 million women aged 15 and older are mothers. 23% have one child; 35% have two; 21% have three; 21% have four or more. Mother’s Day trounces poor Father’s Day by a long shot. Hallmark estimates that 150 million Mother’s Day cards will be sent this year (but only 95 million Father’s Day cards), making Mother’s Day the third largest greeting card holiday of the year. U.S. Americans spend an average of $105 on Mother’s Day gifts, $90 on Father’s Day gifts. The phone rings more often on Mother’s Day than Father’s Day. (Business Week survey, as reported in “Happy Mother’s Day,” The Boomer Report, May 1998, 3.) The busiest day of the year at car washes? The Saturday before Mother’s Day. — What Mom thinks still matters. Even if it is a fallacy, we do like to think of Mother’s Day as “Mom’s day off.” Usually this takes the form of dining out for one of the three meals. Making her breakfast in bed. Maybe doing some of the more odious chores that have stacked up like cordwood around the house.

15) Day Care: What Is the Difference? Only one long-term study has ever been done on the effects of Day Care. It was done by Moore in 1975 and in it, the  findings were largely negative. Boys reared in substitute care were more aggressive, nonconforming and less interested in academic subjects than boys reared at home. Girls reared in substitute care were nostalgic about childhood, while girls reared at home by their mothers were active, positive in their attitudes toward the opposite sex and well-adjusted socially. Even Harvard’s Kagan, himself an advocate for Day Care, has said of Day Care’s Children, “I think they will be different, but I can’t say how.” (Brenda Hunter in Homemade, October, 1987).

16) Who is the greatest preacher in your family? Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, was a British evangelist, preacher and a leading Bible scholar. He had 4 sons, and they were all preachers. Someone once came into the drawing room when all the family was there. They thought they would see what Howard, one of the sons, was made of so they asked him this question: “Howard, who is the greatest preacher in your family?” Howard had a great admiration for his father and he looked straight across at him, and then without a moment’s hesitation he answered, “Mother.” (A. Edersheim, Sketches of Jewish Social Life, Eerdmans, p. 139).

17) “A sixth.” A teacher asked a boy this question: “Suppose your mother baked a pie and there were seven of you, your parents and five children. What part of the pie would you get?” “A sixth,” replied the boy. “I’m afraid you don’t know your fractions,” said the teacher. “Remember, there are seven of you.” “Yes, teacher,” said the boy, “but you don’t know my mother. Mother would say she didn’t want any pie.” (Bits and Pieces, June 1990, p. 10).

18) In her footsteps: It was a busy day in Costa Mesa, a California home. But then, with ten children and one on the way, every day was a bit hectic for Davida Dalton. On this particular day, however, she was having trouble doing even the routine chores — all because of one little boy. Len, who was three at that time, was on her heels no matter where she went. Whenever she stopped to do something and turned back around, she would trip over him. Several times, she patiently suggested fun activities to keep him occupied “Wouldn’t you like to play on the swing set?” she asked him. But he simply smiled an innocent smile and said, “Oh, that’s all right, Mommy. I’d rather be in here with you.” Then he continued to bounce happily along behind her. After stepping on his toes for the fifth time, she began to lose her patience and insisted that he go outside and play with the other children. When she angrily asked him why he was acting this way, he looked up at her with sweet green eyes and said, “Well, Mummy, in Sunday school my teacher told me to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. But I can’t see him, so I’m walking in yours.” She gathered him in her arms and held him close. Tears of love and humility spilled over from the prayer that grew in her heart, a prayer of thanks for the simple, yet beautiful perspective of a three-year-old boy.
(John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies; added on Dec 18, 2012).

19) Scatter my ashes in the local Wal-Mart:  A single mother who raised her only child lavished her whole love on her only daughter and spent her health and wealth, time, and talents on the girl’s upbringing.  But the daughter dated and married a drug addict against her mother’s warnings and wishes. As a well-employed girl, she never cared to visit her mother.  So, on her deathbed the mother instructed her attorney to cremate her body and to scatter the ashes in the local Wal-Mart of the city where her daughter lived. He enquired why. The mother said: “Then I will be able to see my daughter visiting me every week!”

20) Actor Kirk Douglas’ mother: I read something recently about actor Kirk Douglas’ mother.  Douglas, for years one of Hollywood’s most prominent stars, but now known chiefly as Michael Douglas’ father, remembers his mother as a woman who overflowed with encouragement for her children.  When he was in his mother’s presence, Kirk never doubted that he was special and beloved.  He recalls a visit he made to his mother’s house not long after his first big movie came out.  Kirk’s mother had invited all her friends over to meet him.  When she introduced Kirk, she announced, “This is my son.  The earth trembles when they mention his name.” [Kirk Douglas, My Stroke of Luck (New York: HarperCollins, 2002), p. 124.] — Now that’s a proud mother! Does it make a difference when people love you and believe in you and encourage you? Of course, it does. I feel for children brought up by negative parents–critical, demanding, quick to admonish, slow to praise. I see people every day who are scarred by parents who could give them everything except what they needed most–unconditional love and acceptance.

21) Ungrateful children: One day an African mother left her baby in the house as she went down to the river to wash clothes.  After some time, she heard screaming and saw smoke.  As she ran toward the village, she saw that her house was on fire.  “My baby, my baby” she cried.  With no thought for her safety she dashed into the house to save her baby.  Just as she was leaving the burning thatched roof fell on her but she managed to get the baby out safely.  She herself was badly burned and badly disfigured.  This same mother used all of her energy to take care of her child, to educate him and even to send him to medical school.  Her boy was a great success but never returned to the village.  After some years the mother wanted to see her son, so she went to Kinshasa.  With the help of friends, she found the office of her son the doctor.  She knocked on the door and a nurse opened it but was shocked by the presence of the disfigured woman.  “Yes?”  “I want to see my son”.  “Who is your son?”  “The doctor”.  The nurse left the woman outside the office and went to ask the doctor if he could see his mother.  “My mother?  What does she look like?” “She is horribly disfigured.”  “In that case,” said the doctor, “she cannot be my mother who is very beautiful.  Send her away.” (Fr. Bobby Jose).

22) Magnet or mother: A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: “My full name has six letters. The first one is M, and I pick up things. What am I?” When the grades were all in the teacher was astounded to find that almost fifty percent had written in the word Mother! I heard about a father who was trying to explain the concept of marriage to his 4-year-old daughter. He got out their wedding album, thinking visual images would help, and explained the entire wedding service to her. When he was finished, he asked if she had any questions. She pointed to a picture of the wedding party and asked, “Daddy, is that when mommy came to work for us?

MOTHER’S DAY JOKES # 1: A four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their mom with a houseplant. They had used their own money to buy it and she was thrilled. The older of them said with a sad face, “There was a bouquet at the flower shop that we wanted to give you. It was real pretty but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said ‘Rest In Peace,’ and we thought it would be just perfect since you are always asking for a little peace so that you can rest.

#2: One Mom had a most revealing experience on the Mother’s Day.  Her two children ordered her to stay in bed. She lay there looking forward to being brought her breakfast, as the inviting smell of bacon floated up from the kitchen. At last the children called her downstairs. She found them sitting at the table, each with a large plate of bacon and eggs: “As a Mother’s Day surprise,” one explained, “we’ve cooked our own breakfast.”

# 3: Angie, 8 years old, wrote: “Dear Mother, I’m going to make dinner for you on Mother’s Day. It’s going to be a surprise. P.S. I hope you like pizza & popcorn.”

# 4: Did you hear about the 5-yr. old boy who said to his mother, “Mommy, I love you, and when I grow up, I’m going to get you an electric iron, an electric stove, and electric toaster, and an electric chair.” (The boy did not know that the last one was used for electrocuting criminals).

# 5: Tony Campolo says that his wife is a brilliant woman. She has a Ph.D. and is capable of pursuing a very profitable career. But she elected to stay home with her children when they were young. Her decision didn’t bother her at all except when other women would ask, “What do you do?” She would answer, “I’m a homemaker. I stay home and take care of my children and my husband.” They would usually respond with “Oh” and then ignore her from then on. So Mrs. Campolo came up with this response when she was asked what she did: “I’m socializing two Homo-sapiens in Judeo-Christian values so they’ll appropriate the eschatological values of utopia. What do you do?” They would often blurt out “I’m a doctor” or “I’m a lawyer” and then wander off with a dazed look in their eyes.

# 6: Little children can come up with some very interesting ideas. Listen to what some children wrote to their mothers for Mother’s Day. Robert wrote: “I got you a turtle for Mother’s Day. I hope you like the turtle better than the snake I got you last year.” Eileen wrote: “Dear Mother, I wish Mother’s Day wasn’t always on Sunday. It would be better if it were on Monday so we wouldn’t have to go to school.” Little Diane wrote: “I hope you like the flowers I got you for Mother’s Day. I picked them myself when Mr. Smith wasn’t looking.” And how about this one from Carol? “Dear Mother, here are two aspirins. Have a happy Mother’s Day!”

# 7: 4-year-old wisdom: When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair. You can’t trust fighting dogs to watch your food.

#8: First grader’s mom: For weeks a six-year old lad kept telling his first-grade teacher about the baby brother or sister that was expected at his house. One day the mother allowed the boy to feel the movements of the unborn child. The six-year old was obviously impressed but made no comment. Furthermore, he stopped telling his teacher about the impending event. The teacher finally sat the boy on her lap and said, “Tommy, whatever has become of that baby brother or sister you were expecting at home?” Tommy burst into tears and confessed, “I think Mommy ate it!”

#9: A small boy is sent to bed by his mother…
[Five minutes later]
“Mom…” “What?”
“I’m thirsty. Can you bring me a glass of water?”
“No. You had your chance. Lights out.”
[Five minutes later]
“Mom…” “WHAT?”
“I’m THIRSTY…Can I have a glass of water??”
“I told you NO! If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!!”
[Five minutes later]
“Mommm…” “WHAT??!!”
“When you come in to spank me, can you bring me a glass of water?”

# 10: STEVEN (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom good night. “I love you so much that when you die, I’m going to bury you outside my bedroom window.”

#11: A father came home from work just before supper and was met by his five-year-old daughter on the sidewalk outside his house. The little girl was not smiling. “Is something wrong, honey?” he asked. “Yes,” she said, “all day long I’ve been having trouble with your wife.”

# 12: Getting along with Mom: A cartoon shows two boys walking to school, discussing their parents. One of them says to the other one, “I’ve figured out a system for getting along with my Mom. She tells me what to do, and I do it.”

# 13: G.K. Chesterton once wrote: “Drunk or sober, she is still my mother.”

# 14: Bugs: “Mom, are bugs good to eat?” asked the boy. “Let’s not talk about such things at the dinner table, son,” his mother replied. After dinner the mother inquired, “Now, baby, what did you want to ask me?” “Oh, nothing,” the boy said. “There was a bug in your soup, but now it’s gone.”

Mother’s Day Blessing. (http://www.cathedralchapel.org/)
Heavenly Father, Bless all those You have entrusted with motherhood. Inspire them to follow the example of Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, and follow her in her fidelity, humility, and selfless love. May all mothers receive Your Grace abundantly in this life, and may they look forward to eternal joy in Your presence in Heaven. Amen.

A Prayer for Mothers

Our mothers are earthbound angels

Sent by God above

To give our lives direction

And fill our hearts with love.

They have no wings or halos

And yet they are divine,

For years of toil and sacrifice

Have rendered them sublime.

So, mothers, may God bless you

Wherever you may be,

For the gift of love you gave us

Lives on eternally!

Thank you mother: Thank you, dear Lord, for our mothers: who were brave enough to give us birth, who loved us through many growing-up years, who taught us about God and love and being good, who often got no thanks, whose ears could hear the slightest cry, whose eyes didn’t miss much either, whose hands held and bathed and picked up, whose hearts were often broken, who always forgave and forgot, who encouraged us when things went badly, who always had time to listen to us, who worked so hard to make things go, who made the world so much better — who deserve our love on Mother’s Day and every day even for eternity. Amen.

Moms enjoy innocent fun: Letter from an Irish Mother to her Son

http://abitoblarney.com/letterfromirishmothertoherson.htm

Dear Son,

Just a few lines to let you know I’m still alive. I’m writing this letter slowly because I know you can’t read fast. We are all doing very well.

You won’t recognise the house when you get home – we have moved. Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happen within 20 miles from your home, so we moved. I won’t be able to send you the address because the last Irish family that lived here took the house numbers when they moved so that they wouldn’t have to change their address.

This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine. I’m not sure it works so well though: last week I put a load in and pulled the chain and haven’t seen them since.

Your father’s got a really good job now. He’s got 500 men under him. He’s cutting the grass at the cemetery.

Your sister Mary had a baby this morning but I haven’t found out if it’s a boy or a girl, so I don’t know whether you are an auntie or an uncle.

Your brother Tom is still in the army. He’s only been there a short while and they’ve already made him a court martial!

Your Uncle Patrick drowned last week in a vat of whiskey in the Dublin Brewery. Some of his workmates tried to save him but he fought them off bravely. They cremated him and it took three days to put out the fire.

I’m sorry to say that your cousin Seamus was arrested while riding his bicycle last week. They are charging him with dope peddling.

I went to the doctor on Thursday and your father went with me. The doctor put a small tube in my mouth and told me not to talk for ten minutes. Your father offered to buy it from him.

The weather isn’t bad here. It only rained twice this week, first for three days and then for four days. Monday was so windy one of the chickens laid the same egg four times.

We had a letter from the undertaker. He said if the last payment on your Grandmother’s plot wasn’t paid in seven days, up she comes.

About that coat you wanted me to send you, your Uncle Stanley said it would be too heavy to send in the mail with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put them in the pockets.

John locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were really worried because it took him two hours to get me and your father out.

Three of your friends went off a bridge in a pick-up truck. Ralph was driving. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. Your other two friends were in back. They drowned because they couldn’t get the tailgate down.

There isn’t much more news at this time. Nothing much has happened.

Your loving Mum

P.S. I was going to send you some money but I had already sealed the envelope.                                     Websites on Mother’s Day homilies

1) http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/abc-mothers-day.php

2) http://www.sermoncentral.com/articleb.asp?article=Mothers-Day-Sermons-Videos-Illustrations

3)  http://www.preaching.com/sermons/mothers-day/

 

4) http://www.sermonsearch.com/topics/mothers-day/

  I Am a Mother! (https://www.facebook.com/118175254946925/posts/i-am-a-motherthe-officer-at-the-driving-license-counter-asked-the-lady-what-is-y/813515948746182/)

The officer at the driving license counter asked the lady: “What is your occupation?”

The woman, seeking a renewal of her license seemed to be puzzled.

so the officer said “Ma’am, are you employed, have your own business or…”

“Oh yes!‘ The woman replied, “I do have a full-time occupation. I am a mother!”

The officer rolled his eyes: “We don’t have ‘mother’ as an option for occupation. I’ll write it down as ‘housewife’. That takes care of all questions.”

This had happened long ago and was forgotten. Years later, when I (the woman in the story, if you hadn’t guessed) went to get my license, the public relations officer was a somewhat pompous woman.

“Your occupation?” she asked in a rather authoritative tone.

I just had a moment of inspiration and replied, “I am a researcher in the field of child development, nutrition and inter-personal relationships.”

The lady officer stared at me in amazement.

I calmly repeated my statement and she wrote it down verbatim. Then, unable to conceal her curiosity, she politely asked “What exactly do you do in your profession, ma’am?”

I was feeling good about having described my occupation so calmly and confidently, so I replied “My research projects have been going on for a number of years [mothers NEVER retire]. My research is conducted in the laboratory as well as in the field. I have two bosses [one is God and the other is my entire family]. I have received two honors in this field [a son and a daughter].

My topic is considered to be the most difficult part of sociology.

[All moms will agree]. I have to work more than 14 hours every day. Sometimes even 24 hours are not enough, and the challenges are tougher than many other professions. My compensation is in terms of mental satisfaction rather than money.”

I could see that the officer was thoroughly impressed. After completing the licensing formalities, she came to the door to see me off.

This new viewpoint about my occupation made me feel much better on my way back home.

I was welcomed by my 5-year old research assistant at the door. My new project (my 6-month old baby) was energetically practicing her “music.”

I had earned a small victory over the governmental red tape today. I was no longer merely “a mother.” Instead, I was now a highly-placed functionary in a service vital for mankind – motherhood!

“Mother ” – isn’t it a great title? Fit to be added to the nameplate on the door?

By this standard, grandmothers deserve to be called senior research officers, and great-grandmothers qualify as research directors. Aunts and other ladies of that age group can be called research facilitators!

Please share this with all mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers,

all ladies currently holding posts like this – they deserve it!

All husbands, fathers, please note!

Kids answer the question on their mothers:

Why did God make mothers?

1. She’s the only one who knows where the Scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus superpowers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men’s bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We’re related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people’s moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?

1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.

Who’s the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because dad’s such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What’s the difference between moms and dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home, and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power ’cause that’s who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend’s.
4. Moms have magic; they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don’t do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?

1. On the inside she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I’d dye it, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I’d get rid of that.
2. I’d make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on her back of her head.

Mom, the good shepherd

My mom is my shepherd; I shall not want. She makes me lie down under cool, downy comforters. She watches me play beside still waters. She restores my soul.

She leads me in paths of respect, responsibility, and goodness, for I am her namesake!

Yea, even though I walk past monsters in the dark, I will not be scared, because my mom is always near me. Her hands and her voice, they comfort me.

Mama sets the table and cheerfully calls me to dinner even in front of big, mean bullies.

She anoints my skinned knees and broken heart with kisses. She smiles and throws me a towel when my cup runneth over.

Surely God’s peace, power, and mercy shall uphold me all the days of my life, for my Mother taught me to dwell in the house of God forever.

Source: Christian Education 101: A Child Learns to Trust by Laurie Hays Coffman

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape, but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything, but a woman of strength shows her courage in the midst of fear.

A strong woman won’t let anyone get the best of her, but a woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone.

A strong woman walks sure-footedly, but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face, but a woman of strength wears grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey, but a woman of strength has Faith that in the journey she will become strong. ( https://www.pinterest.com/pin/512988213777462309/)

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

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

May 5- 10,2025: May 5 Monday:Jn 6:22-29:22 On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 However, boats from Tiberias came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”)

The context: Today’s Gospel introduces Jesus’ famous discourse on the Holy Eucharist which emerged within a dialogue between Jesus and the Jews who had gone around the Lake and come to Capernaum searching for him. In answer to their question about his arrival, Jesus challenged them, saying that they were looking for him so they could get another free meal, and that such meals would not satisfy them. He also instructed them to labor for food that would give them Eternal Life.

Naturally, the Jews asked Jesus what they should do to get such a food. Since the Jews believed that the Torah was the “bread of life,” many may have thought that Jesus was instructing them to keep the Torah to attain Eternal Life. So, Jesus clarified that they had to do the work of God to attain eternal life; he told them that the “work of God” was not to work miracles for their own sake but to believe in Him as the Son of God, sent to give Eternal Life to those who believed in him. While regular food helps us to stay alive in this world, spiritual food sustains and develops our supernatural life, which will last forever in Heaven. This food, which only God can give us, consists mainly in the gift of Faith in Jesus and the grace God gives us to live according to Jesus’ teaching. Through God’s Infinite love, we are given in the Blessed Eucharist the very Author of these gifts, Jesus Christ, as nourishment for our souls.

Life message: 1) Most of the time, we work for food which only nourishes the body. Jesus teaches that he is the Heavenly food, who nourishes our soul and gives us eternal life in union with God in Heaven. Hence, let us receive this Life-giving food both in the Holy Eucharist and in the Holy Scripture with proper preparation and reverence, while repenting of our sins. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

May 6 Tuesday:Jn 6:30-35:30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”

The context: In reply to Jesus’ implied claim that he was the Messiah, declaring that he had been sent from Heaven to give Eternal Life to those who believed in him, the Jews demanded a sign from Heaven. Moses, they said, gave a Heavenly sign to their ancestors in the form of manna, rained down on them from Heaven. The Jewish rabbis taught that the promised Messiah would repeat the miracle of the manna as a Messianic sign, and that the prophet Jeremiah would reappear and show the Jews the Ark of the Covenant where the original manna had been kept. Jesus explained to the Jews that it was not Moses but God, his Heavenly Father, Who had given them manna from Heaven. He then claimed that he was more than a provider of bread like Moses because hewas himself the bread that the Father was providing. In other words, Jesus is the Heavenly manna whom the Father has sent to the world as the Bread of Life. Thus, Jesus clarifies that the manna given to Moses and the people was not the real bread from Heaven, but only a foreshadowing of the Bread to come. Jesus also demands from them an absolute Faith in himself as the Son of God and the Bread of Life if they do not want to hunger and thirst again. Jesus uses the metaphor of food and drink to show that He is the One Who really meets all man’s essential needs of spirit and body, and prompts man’s noblest aspirations.

Life message: 1) Jesus kept his promise, and he continues to do so, feeding us with his Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. So, let us nourish our souls with this Heavenly manna frequently. Let us also remember that our duty is to carry this Jesus to our homes and workplaces, radiating his love, mercy, and compassion to everyone we encounter.. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/25

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

May 7 Wednesday: Jn 6:35-40: 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; 39 and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

The context: In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus repeats his claim that he is “the Bread of Life.” He means that, just as God sent manna from heaven to sustain the physical life of His people in the desert, so He has sent His Son Jesus to sustain the spiritual lives of His people. Spiritual life is actually Sanctifying Grace, our living relationship with God the Father, through His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus makes three claims: 1) He claims to be our spiritual Food and offers himself as a willing sacrifice in order to produce God’s life within us. 2) He promises to those who believe in him unbroken friendship with God. 3) Jesus also promises to those who believe in him a share in his own Resurrection at the end of this world and share of Eternal Life with him in Heaven.

Life message: 1) We need to live dynamic spiritual lives, sharing in God’s Life, Sanctifying Grace, through the Holy Eucharist. We can keep the friendship of Jesus only by leading holy lives free from sin. We can enjoy and share the joy of the Resurrection only by realizing and appreciating Jesus’ presence within us and all around us. Only God can satisfy our deepest needs. Fr. Tony: (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)L-25

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

May 8 Thursday: Jn 6:44-51: 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

The context: Today’s Gospel passage is the continuation of Jesus’ teaching on the Bread of Life. Jesus declares that he has seen God his Father because he has come from Heaven. Jesus also states that we hear God the Father’s Voice through him and through the Holy Spirit because the Father draws us to Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus reminds the Jews that they cannot be his disciples unless God his Father draws them to him and teaches them. The Magisterium of the Church has repeated this teaching in Vatican II: “Before this Faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior help of the Holy Spirit, Who moves the heart and converts it to God, Who opens the eyes of the mind and makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth” (Vatican II, Dei Verbum, 5). Once they become his disciples, Jesus will feed their souls with the Bread from Heaven, and this Heavenly Bread is his own Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Eternal Life is reserved for such disciples. This Eternal Life is a Life of love, fellowship, communion, and union with God.

Life message: 1) Holy Communion is the wonderful banquet at which Christ gives himself to us: “The Bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My Flesh.)” Hence, let us receive the glorified Body and Blood of the Risen Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist with a repentant heart, proper preparation, reverential fear, and grateful joy. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/24

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

May 9 Friday: Jn 6:52-59: 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.

The context: Many of the Jewish audience to whom Jesus was unfolding the Mystery of the Bread of Life were scandalized at his statement that he was going to give them his Flesh to eat, for it suggested to them cannibalism, forbidden in the Jewish Scriptures. Hence, they wanted to know how Jesus could give his Flesh to eat as a means to gain Eternal Life. Jesus asserted that it was a must for them to eat his Body and drink his Blood if they were to receive Divine Life, Eternal Life, and resurrection from the dead. There is no way to interpret Jesus’ words as “simply symbolic,” which would mean that receiving Communion is only a metaphor, and not really eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Christ. Jesus stresses very forcefully that it is necessary for us to receive him in the Blessed Eucharist in order to share in Divine Life and to develop the life of grace we have received in Baptism. “We receive Jesus Christ in Holy Communion to nourish our souls and to give us an increase of grace and the gift of eternal life” (St. Pius X Catechism, # 289). “Really sharing in the body of the Lord in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread, we are taken up into communion with him and with one another.” (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 7). Jesus adds that eating his Body and drinking his Blood are essential for abiding in him, which is, on this earth, the beginning of the Eternal Life of Heaven. Communion with Jesus enables us to start enjoying Eternal Life with God here on earth, while resurrection gives us eternal life with God forever. St. Thomas Aquinas gives this explanation: “The Word gives life to our souls, but the Word made Flesh nourishes our souls.” (“Commentary on St. John, in loc.”).

Life message: 1) We need to receive Holy Communion with the full awareness that we are abiding in Jesus, carrying him wherever we go. Hence, we are expected to radiate to all around us the love, the mercy, the spirit of service, and the forgiveness of Jesus. Fr. Toy; (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L 25

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

May 10 Saturday:Saint Damien de Veuster, Priest: Jn 6:60-69: 60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you that do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” 66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. 67 Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

The context: Today’s Gospel passage explains the reaction of Jesus’ listeners when he unequivocally declared that eating and drinking of his Body and Blood was an essential condition for entering the Eternal Life which would, thus, begin on earth. Many Jews in the crowd stopped listening to Jesus. Even some of his disciples started murmuring.

Jesus challenged them, asking how they would they react when they saw his Ascension to Heaven, if they found it difficult to accept this doctrine. He clarified that only someone who listened to His words and received them as God’s Revelation, which is “Spirit and Life,” would be in a position to accept them. Jesus Christ requires his disciples to accept his words because it is He Who has spoken them. That is what the supernatural act of Faith involves — that act “whereby, inspired and assisted by the grace of God, we believe that the things which He has revealed are true; not because of the intrinsic truth of the things, viewed by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God Himself Who reveals them, and Who can neither be deceived nor deceive” (Vatican I, Dei Filius, Chapter 3). But the Apostles were not scandalized by our Lord’s words. They said that they already had a deep-rooted confidence in Jesus, and hence, they did not want to leave him. What St. Peter says, — “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (68-69) — is not just a statement of human solidarity but an expression of genuine supernatural Faith which is the result of the influence of Divine Grace on his soul.

Life message: 1) The mystery of the Eucharist does call for a special act of Faith from us believers. We believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the consecrated Host and Wine because we believe that Jesus is God, and nothing is impossible for God. Even though we cannot explain the “how” of this mystery we accept it as a doctrine of Catholicism based on the authority and veracity of the Gospels as Divine Revelation. (Fr. Tony) L/25

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