Aug 10-15: Aug 10 Monday:St. Lawrence, Deacon, Martyr: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-lawrence: Jn 12: 24-26: 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.
The context: Jesus tells us a short parable followed by two amazing paradoxes. The parable is that of a grain of wheat sown into the muddy field, growing up and yielding a good crop. The parable followed by the paradoxes teaches us three lessons for Christian life. The first lesson is that life comes only through death. Only when the grain of wheat dies in the muddy soil of the field does it become a seedling. In the same way, the Church would grow up and flourish in the death of its martyrs: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”When we die to our personal ambitions and desires, we are born as useful instruments in the hands of God. The second lesson is that only by spending life we can retain it. The world owes a lot to saintly people like St. Don Bosco, St. Vincent De Paul, St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa), St. Jeanne Jugan, and St. Damien of Molokai, among others, who spent their energy in service of the poor and the down-trodden and gave themselves to God. The third lesson is that greatness comes through selfless and committed service. This explains why the world still honors and cherishes the memory of great souls mentioned above.
Life message: Let us surrender our lives to God in the service of others with agápe love in all humility, seeing the face of Jesus in each of them. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)L/26
Aug 11 Tuesday:St. Clare, Virgin: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-clare-of-assisi: Matthew 18:1-5, 10,12,141 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me;10 See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in Heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father Who is in Heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray? 14 So it is not the Will of my Father Who is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
The context: Chapter 18 of Matthew’s Gospel is a “discourse on the Church,” giving leaders of the Church instructions for administration. Jesus’ apostles shared the Jewish hope that the Messiah would be a political ruler; they hoped that they would hold important portfolios in the Messianic kingdom. Hence, in today’s passage (vv. 1-5), Jesus warned his apostles and the future hierarchy of his Church against the natural human tendencies to pride and ambition. He exhorted the spiritual leaders, as well as all believers in responsible positions, to be humble, trusting, and innocent – that is, to be like children. The additional parable of the shepherd rejoicing at the recovery of his lost sheep tells us that our Heavenly Father is very particular that His little ones should not perish due to our negligence.
Child-like qualities: Children are basically innocent and honest. They are naturally humble because they depend on their parents for everything. They trust and obey their parents because they know their parents love them. Hence, Jesus advises his disciples to forget their selfish ambitions and, with trusting Faith in a loving and providing God, to spend their lives serving others in all humility. Then they will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Life Messages: 1) We need to practice humility in thoughts, words and actions. “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart.”“What is the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ?” St. Augustine asks, and then responds, “I shall reply: first humility, second humility and third humility.”
2) We should not seek recognition and recompense for the service we do for Christ and the Church as parents, teachers, pastors, etc.
3) Trusting Faith resulting from true humility is essential for all corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Since children reflect the innocence, purity, simplicity, and tenderness of our Lord, and since they are given the protection of a guardian angel, we are to love them, train them and take care not to give scandal to them. We need to try to treat everyone with love and respect because, “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life,” (St. Basil) CCC # 336. (Fr. Tony) L/26.
Aug 12 Wednesday:St. Jane Francis de Chantal, Virgin: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-jane-frances-de-chantal/Mt 18: 15-20: 15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”USCCB video reflections:http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/
The context: The first part of today’s portion of Matthew’s Gospel is one of the passages many have found difficult to interpret. Many Bible commentators think that Jesus never said these things, that probably they were a later addition by the Church because 1) there was no organized Church at that time, 2) Jesus never considered a sinner as a hopeless case, and 3) Jesus loved Gentiles and tax collectors.
The real meaning: What Jesus actually meant was, “Do whatever you can to make the guilty person realize and confess his fault, thus helping him to repair the damage he or she has done to his or her personal and communal relationships.” Jesus seems to suggest the following steps to repair a broken personal relationship: 1) One-on-one encounter: First ask God for forgiveness for your part in the misunderstanding, then, go to him, apologize for your part in the incident, and, only then, tell him calmly, gently, and politely that he has hurt you. 2) The group encounter: If the first step does not work, meet him again in the company of two or three wise and honorable persons and try to help the culprit realize what he has done wrong. 3) Parish encounter: If steps one and two do not work, bring his case to the pastor or to the parish council or the Christian fellowship. 4) Leave him to Lord’s mercy: If the culprit remains stubborn, like a Gentile or proud tax collector, ask God to help you to desire to forgive him, then forgiving him in your heart, continue to pray for him and leave him to God’s mercy.
Life messages: 1) Let us have the good will and generosity to accept our mistakes and ask pardon and forgiveness from the offended victim. 2) Let us also learn to forgive and forget the offenses done against us (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)L/26
Aug 13 Thursday:Saints Pontian, Pope and Hippolytus, Priest, Martyrs: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-pontian-and-st-hippolytus-559: Mt 18:21–19:121Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; 25 and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But this same, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused, and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they went and reported to their Lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his Lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me; and should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you.’ And in anger his Lord delivered him to the jailers till he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my Heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” 19:1 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Juda beyond the Jordan.
The lessons taught by the parable: (1) We must forgive so that we may be forgiven. Jesus explains this truth after teaching the prayer, “Our Father.” He warns us, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mt 6:14-15). As James states it later, “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy” (Jas 2:13). Clearly, Divine and human forgiveness work together.
(2) We represent the greater debtor in the parable; that is, we owe God the ten thousand talents of the parable. We commit sins every day and, hence, we need God’s forgiveness every day. The sum total of all the offenses which our brothers and sisters commit against us is equivalent to the small debt of the second debtor in the parable, namely 100 denarii. Yet, shockingly and sadly, we are merciless towards our fellow human beings. The moral of Jesus’ story is that, as members of a community, we must treat one another as God has treated each of us. Here is a Divine call to throw away the calculator when it comes to forgiveness. We must choose the more honorable path and forgive one another “from the heart.” We have been forgiven a debt beyond all human paying – the sin of man which God forgave through the willing, sacrificial death of His own Son, Incarnate in human flesh. Since that is so, we must forgive others as God has forgiven us. Otherwise, we cannot hope to receive any mercy ourselves.
Life messages: 1) We need to forgive: Having experienced forgiveness at the hands of God and God’s people, we are then called to make it possible for others to experience the same forgiveness. Let us forgive the person who has wronged us before hatred eats away at our ability to forgive.
2) Forgiveness will not be easy, but God is there to help us. We can call on God’s help by offering that individual to God, not by sitting in judgment, but simply by saying, “Help so-and-so and mend our relationship.” We may never forget the hurt we have experienced, but we can choose to forgive. 3) We need to remind ourselves that with God’s grace we have already forgiven the one that hurt us. As life goes on, we may remember the incident or occasion that was hurtful. Then let us offer the offender to God’s mercy and pray for God’s blessings on him or her. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)L/26
Aug 14 Friday:St. Maximilian Kolbe, Priest, Martyr: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-maximilian : Mt 19:3-12: 3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” 8 He said to them, “For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9.” 10 The Disciples said to him, ‘If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.’ 11 But he said to them, “Not all men can receive this precept, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.”
Jesus’ explanation of a Mosaic sanction: Jesus explains that Moses’ permission for divorce was only a temporary concession which was meant to control the growing rate of divorce in Moses’ own time by introducing a law governing divorce. Jesus adds that it was because of the hard-heartedness of the Jewish men that Moses allowed such a concession. By denying the man’s right to divorce, Jesus places the husband and wife on an equal footing in marriage and teaches that no Mosaic regulation dealing with a temporary situation can alter the permanence and unity of marriage.
Jesus’ clear teaching on divorce: Jesus reminds us that His doctrine goes back to the original intention of God. Citing the book of Genesis, Jesus says that God made us male and female and commanded that “the two shall become one flesh.” He then draws the conclusion that “they are no longer two, but one body” – partners with equal rights – and he declares that no man is allowed to separate what God has joined together (Mt 19:6).
Catholic teaching: Based on the NT teachings given in Mk 10:1-12, Mt 5:31-32; Mt 19:3-9; Lk 16:18; and 1 Cor 7:10-11, the Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a Sacrament involving both a sacred and legal contract between a man and a woman and, at the same time, a special Covenant with the Lord. “Divorce is also a grave offense against the natural law. Besides, it claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death…… Divorce is immoral also because it introduces disorder into the family and into society” (CCC #2384, #2385).
Life messages:1) Let us keep all the families of our parish in our daily prayers, that the spouses may have a mutual understanding and appreciation of each other, the willingness to ask pardon and give pardon, the generosity to forgive and forget, and the good will to serve each other, because all these virtues help to make a marriage permanent. 2) Let us also pray for all the divorced in the parish and welcome them as active members of the parish, both those who have remained single and those who have remarried without annulment. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)L/26.
Q 2: Why do Catholics venerate Mary? Mary herself gives the reason in her “Magnificat” recorded in Luke (1:48-49): 48: “For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. 49: The Mighty One has done great things for me, and Holy is his Name.”
1) God has honored Mary in four ways, and we honor her because God honored her:
a) He chose her as the mother of His Son, Jesus Christ the Messiah.
b) In preparation for this role, God made her “Full of grace” by her Immaculate Conception.
c) He anointed her twice with His Holy Spirit: at the Annunciation and at Pentecost, making her the most Spirit-filled of all women.
d) God allowed her to participate actively in Christ’s suffering and death, suffering in soul all Jesus suffered in body.
2) Mary is our Heavenly Mother, given to us by Jesus from the cross.
3) Mary is our role model for all virtues, particularly, love, fidelity, humility, obedience, surrender to the will of God, and patience.
Q 3: Why do we believe that Mary was taken to Heaven after her death and burial? (“Assumption” means that after her death, Mary was taken into Heaven, both body and soul. The word Assumption comes from the Latin verb “assumere,” meaning “to take to oneself.” Our Lord, Jesus Christ took Mary home to himself where he is. It was on November 1, 1950, that, through the Apostolic Constitution Munificentimus Deus, Pope Pius XII officially declared the Assumption as a Dogma of Catholic Faith, giving the following reasons:
1) Uninterrupted tradition in the Catholic Church starting from the first century AD. (The first trace of belief in the Virgin’s Assumption can be found in the apocryphal second-to-third century AD accounts entitled Transitus Mariae [Latin:
for “The Crossing Over of Mary”].
2) The feast is found in all the ancient liturgies
3) The belief in the assumption of Mary is taught by all early Fathers of the Church, e.g., Origen (died AD 253), St. Jerome (died AD 419) and St. Augustine (died AD 430).
4) Negative evidence: Mary’s tomb was never reported or venerated.
5) Old Testament evidence of corporal assumption of Enoch (Gn 5: 24) and Elijah (2 Kgs 2:1).
6) Theological reasons: her Immaculate Conception and sinless life.
Life messages: 1) We are challenged to keep ourselves pure and holy children of a Holy Mother. 2) We are challenged to accept total liberation from all our bondages. 3) We are assured of our resurrection and given the inspiration to face pain, suffering, despair, disappointment and temptations as Mary did.
O. T. XX [A] (Aug 16)Eight-minute homily in one-page (L-26)
Introduction: All three readings today speak of the expansive and universal nature of the “Kingdom of God,” in contrast with the theory that salvation was to be offered first to the Jews and then, through them alone, to the rest of the world. Although God set the Hebrew people apart as His chosen race, He included all nations in His plan for salvation and blessed all the families of the earth in Abraham (Gn 12:1-3).
Scripture readings summarized:By declaring through the prophet Isaiah (first reading), “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,” God reveals the truth that in His eyes all human beings, regardless of race, caste, color, intelligence, wealth, or charm are His dear children by Creation and adoption. The long-expected Messianic kingdom was intended, not only for the Jews, but for all peoples as well. Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67) rejects all types of religious exclusivity: “Let all the peoples praise You, O God; …For You judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth, so that Your saving power may be known among all the nations.” In the second reading, Paul explains that, although the Jews were the chosen people, many of them rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah, and, consequently, God turned to the Gentiles who received mercy through their Faith in Jesus. In the Gospel story, Jesus demonstrates that salvation was meant for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews by healing the daughter of a Gentile woman as a reward for her strong Faith. Thus, Jesus shows us that God’s mercy and love are available to all who call out to Him in Faith.
Life messages:1) We need to persist in prayer with trustful confidence. Although the essential parts of prayer are adoration and thanksgiving, the prayer of petition, like the prayer of contrition, plays a big part in our daily lives. Christ himself has told us to ask him for these needs: “Ask and you shall receive.” Asking with fervor and perseverance proves that we have the “great Faith” we need to receive what Christ wants to grant us in response to our requests. We must realize, and remember, that we do not always get exactly what we ask for. Rather, God gives us what He knows we really need, what He wants us to have, that is, what is really best for us. As Christians, we also know that our particular request may not always be for our good, or for the final good of the person for whom we are praying. But if the prayer is sincere and persevering, we will always get an answer — one which is better than what we asked for.
2) We need to pull down our walls of separation and share in the universality of God’s love: Very often we set up walls which separate us from God and from one another. Today’s Gospel reminds us that God’s love and mercy are extended to all who call on Him in Faith and trust, no matter who they are. In other words, God’s care extends beyond the bounds of race and nation to the hearts of all who live, and God’s House should become a House of Prayer for all peoples. It is therefore fitting that we should pray and work sincerely so that the walls which our pride, intolerance, fear, and prejudice have raised in us may crumble.
OT XX [A] (Aug 16)Is 56:1, 6-7; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28
Homily starter anecdotes (Biblical reason why preachers may use anecdotes in their homilies: Mt 13: 34: “All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable).”
# 1) “Never give up!”:Many years ago in Illinois, a young man with six months formal schooling to his credit ran for an office in the legislature. As might have been expected, he was beaten. Next, he entered business but failed in that too, and spent the next seventeen years paying the debts of his worthless partner. He fell in love with a charming lady, they became engaged – and she got sick and died, causing her lover a mini-nervous breakdown. He ran for Congress and was defeated. He then tried to obtain an appointment to the U.S. Land Office but didn’t succeed. He became a candidate for the Vice-Presidency and lost. Two years later he was defeated in a race for the Senate. He ran for President and finally was elected. That man was Abraham Lincoln. —Today’s Gospel presents a Canaanite woman who persisted in her prayer and obtained from the Lord what she prayed for. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 2) “If Christians have caste differences…” M. K. Gandhi in his autobiography tells how, during his days in South Africa as a young Indian lawyer, he read the Gospels and saw in the teachings of Jesus the answer to the major problem facing the people of India, the caste system. Seriously considering embracing the Christian faith, Gandhi went to a white-only church one Sunday morning, intending to talk to the pastor about the idea. When he entered the Church, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and told him to go and worship in another church with his own colored people. Gandhi left the church and never returned. “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.” (Fr. Munacci) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 3: Religious fanaticism: A Jewish professor of psychology said of his tradition, “If there are ten Jewish males in a city, we create a synagogue. If there are eleven Jewish males, we start thinking about creating a competing synagogue.” A Baptist police officer had a similar tale. He said, “One Baptist family in a neighborhood witnesses until they bring another family to Christ. Then they form a Church, and start witnessing to the rest of the community. When another family joins, they have a schism and form a rival Church.” According to a Presbyterian homemaker, her communion was a little like vegetable soup. “We have,” she said, “the OPs, RPs, BPs, and Split Peas!” And a Methodist businessman complemented these tales with an apocryphal tale of a man from his Faith community who had been shipwrecked for years on a small island. When found by a passing ship, rescuers asked him why he had constructed three huts, since he was there by himself. “Well,” he replied, “that one is my home, that one is my Church, and that one is my former Church.” — Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus extended his healing mission to the Gentiles, too. (Rev. Wayne Brouwer ) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
Introduction:All three readings today speak of the expansive and universal nature of the “Kingdom of God,” in contrast with the protocol of the day which demanded that salvation should come first to the Jews and through them alone to all the people of the earth. Although God set the Hebrew people apart as His chosen race, He included all nations in His plan for salvation and blessed all families of the earth in Abraham (Gn 12:1-3). By declaring through the prophet Isaiah (first reading), “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,” God reveals the truth that in His eyes all human beings, regardless of race, caste, color, intelligence, wealth or charm are His dear children by Creation and adoption. The long-expected Messianic kingdom was intended, not only for the Jews, but for all nations as well. In other words, we all belong to one another; hence, there is no place for discrimination among God’s children. Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67) rejects all types of religious exclusivity: “Let all the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. For You judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth, so that Your saving power may be known among all the nations.” In the second reading, Paul explains that, although the Jews were the chosen people, many of them rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah. Consequently, God turned to the Gentiles who received His mercy through their Faith in Jesus. In the Gospel story, Jesus demonstrates that salvation is meant for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews by healing the daughter of a Gentile woman as a reward for her strong Faith. Thus, He shows that God’s mercy and love are available to all who call out to Him in Faith.
The First Reading, (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7) explained: The third part of the book of the prophet Isaiah (chapters 56-66), was written mainly for the Jews who were returning from the Babylonian exile to join their relatives who had been left behind in Judea. But today’s lesson is primarily addressed to those Jews who, after the Exile had officially ended, still chose to remain in Babylon as Jews among the Gentiles. In this passage, the Lord God not only pleaded with these people (who preferred exile to the labor of returning to the Promised Land), to come home to Jerusalem and help to rebuild the City and the Temple, but also tried to make them understand the role the Gentiles would have in the coming Messianic Kingdom. Though in the past all who came to the God of Israel were required to accept the Law and the Covenant, God’s concern for those outside that Covenant led Him to a new and radical solution. “The foreigners,” the Lord God declares to us today throughIsaiah, “who join themselves to Yahweh, ministering to Him, loving the Name of Yahweh and becoming His servants . . . them I will bring to My holy mountain and make joyful in My house of prayer . . . for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” Thus,Isaiah’s prophecy, which applied directly to the coming Messianic Kingdom, assured them that their God was equally interested in the people of other nations as well as in the descendants of Abraham. Hence, the exclusivist claims of the Jews as God’s chosen people would have to yield, as God made room for others. For in addition to the exiles of Israel, Yahweh would receive the non-Israelites who had joined themselves to the Lord. In short, the prophet reports, everyone has a part to play in God’s plan — even those who don’t belong to the “true religion.”
In the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67) the Psalm Refrain has us sing, “O God, let all the nations praise You!” and the verses continue “2May God have pity on us and bless us; may He let His Face shine upon us. 3So may Your way be known on earth; among all nations, Your salvation,” thus responding to Yahweh’s declaration in the first reading that the Gentiles will be accepted at the altar of Yahweh.
The Second Reading (Rom 11:13-15, 29-32) explained: Here, Paul asks how God could apparently go back on His promise to Abraham that Abraham’s descendants would always be God’s chosen people, now that those descendants had rejected Jesus. Paul answers his own question by explaining that God’s plan all along had allowed for the Jews’ rejection of Jesus, so that the few Jews who accepted Jesus and went out to preach the Good News, like Paul himself, would be forced to turn to the Gentiles and bring them into the New Covenant. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, God permits evil only if He can draw a greater good out of it. Thus, God permitted both Jews and Gentiles to disobey Him so that He could show His mercy by offering eternal life to everyone who wished to have it. Frustrated by the slow pace of Jewish conversions and prevented from continuing to work directly among the Jews by the overt, physical hostility Jewish synagogues showed him and his companions, Paul directed his preaching missions to the Gentiles, so that the Jews would become jealous and accept Jesus. Thus, God’s secret plan to invite all people into the Covenant would be revealed and completed. By the statement, “Their rejection is the reconciliation of the world,” Paul meant that the Jews’ rejection of Jesus allowed the world (the pagans, the Gentiles), to be reconciled to God. By asking the question, “What will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” Paul meant that the Jews who at last accept Christ will receive new life through the once spiritually dead pagans. Paul was convinced that the Jewish nation would eventually accept Christ because God’s ”irrevocable” call, given to them through Abraham, was a call to eternal salvation. Paul’s failure to convert his fellow-Jews serves as a model for us who must accept failure in our own lives, especially when it concerns our loved ones who refuse what we judge to be to their advantage. Paul’s message is also a challenge to us to pray fervently and often for the conversion of the Jews.
Gospel exegesis:The significance of the miracle: The Gospels describe only two miraculous healings Jesus performed for Gentiles: the healing of the centurion’s servant (Mt 8:10-12) in Capernaum, and the healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman which we hear today. The encounter with the Canaanite woman took place outside Jewish territory in Tyre and Sidon, two coastal cities, twenty-five and fifty miles north of Galilee in present-day Lebanon. The story of this miracle is told twice, (Mt 15:21-28; Mk 7:24-30), foreshadowing the extension of the Gospel (the Good News), to the whole world. The woman in today’s miracle belonged to the old Canaanite stock of the Syro-Phoenician race. The Canaanites were the ancestral enemies of the Jews and were regarded as pagans and idolaters and, hence, as ritually unclean. But this woman showed “a gallant and audacious love which grew until it worshipped at the feet of the Divine, an indomitable persistence springing from an unconquerable hope, a cheerfulness which would not be dismayed” (Fr. James Rowland). By granting the persistent request of the pagan woman, Jesus demonstrates that his mission is to break down the barriers and remove the long-standing walls of division and mutual prejudice between Jews and Gentiles. God loves all His children by Creation and adoption, welcoming everyone who believes in Him, asks for His mercy and tries to do His will.
Trustful persistence rewarded. Jesus first ignores both the persistent cry of the woman and the impatience of his disciples to send the woman away. He then tries to awaken true Faith in the heart of this woman by an indirect refusal, telling her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman is persistent in her request. She kneels before him and begs,“Lord, help me.” Now Jesus makes a seemingly harsh statement, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” The term “dogs” was a derogatory Jewish word for the Gentiles. Dogs were regarded by the Jews as unclean, because they would eat anything given to them, including pork. The woman noticed, however, that Jesus had used the word kunariois, (the word for household pets), rather than kuon. (the ordinary Greek word for dogs). She also observed that Jesus hadused the word for dogs in a challenging way, urging her to answer in kind — a sort of test of the woman’s Faith. So, she immediately matched wits with Jesus. Her argument runs like this: Pets are not outsiders but insiders. They not only belong to the family but are part of the family. While they do not have a seat at the table, they enjoy intimacy at the family’s feet. Hence, the woman replied: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table!” (v. 27), expressing her Faith that Jesus could and would heal her daughter. Jesus was completely won over by the depth of her Faith, her confidence and her wit and responded with delight, “Woman, great is your Faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” We notice that the woman was refused three times by Jesus before he finally granted her request; it was only at her the fourth attempt that Jesus rewarded her persistence, curing her daughter in answer to her pleas. This silently underlines Jesus’ teaching (Lk 18:1-8) amplified by Paul in Eph 6:18) that we must persist in prayer. This Gospel episode is also an account of a woman who got more from the Kingdom of God than she had hoped for. She had come to Jesus asking for one miracle, and she got two: her daughter was exorcised of her demonic possession and received a new life, and the mother herself, through her experience with Christ, found a new life as well. The greatness of this woman’s Faith consists in: a) her willingness to cross the barrier of racism; b) her refusal to be put off or ignored because of her position in life and c) her humility in admitting that she did not deserve the Master’s attention and time. The Catechism reminds us that the woman in today’s Gospel recognized in Jesus the messianic power attributed to the awaited “Son of David” (CCC #439). For, if one truly believes that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, one trusts him and fashions one’s prayer requests accordingly (CCC #2610).
Life messages:#1) We need to persist in prayer with trustful confidence. Although the essential parts of prayer are adoration and thanksgiving, the prayer of petition, like that of contrition, plays a big part in most people’s daily life. We cannot provide, by our unaided selves, for our spiritual and temporal needs. Christ himself has told us to ask him for these needs: “Ask and you shall receive.” Asking with fervor and perseverance proves that we have the “great Faith” we need to be able to receive all that Christ wants to grant us in response to our requests. We must realize and remember that we do not always get exactly what we ask for, but rather what God knows we need, what He wants for us – that is, what is really best for us. What we need most is to receive the peace and security that come from being in harmony with God’s will for us. As Christians, we also know that our particular requests may not always be for our good, or for the final good of the person for whom we are praying. In that case, the good God will not grant what would be to our, or their, eternal harm. But if the prayer is sincere and persevering, we will always get an answer – one which is better than what we asked for. Hence, let us trust that every time we pray for something, the answer is already on its way, even before we have asked God for it. We just need to trust God, that, according to His perfect timetable and in His Infinite Wisdom, Love and Goodness, He will give us what He knows is best for us, and that it will be better than what we were requesting.
#2) We need to pull down our walls:Sometimes unaware, we set up walls which separate us from God and from one another. Today’s Gospel reminds us that God’s love and mercy are extended to all who call on Him in Faith and trust, no matter who they are. In other words, God’s care extends beyond the boundaries of race and nation to the hearts of all who live, and God’s House is intended to become a House of prayer for all peoples. It is therefore fitting that we should pray that the walls which our pride, intolerance, fear, and prejudice may have raised, may crumble. Next, we have to be grateful to God for all the blessings we enjoy. As baptized members of the Christian community, we have been given special privileges and easy access to God’s love. But we also have serious responsibilities arising from these gifts. One of these responsibilities is to make clear to others, with true humility and compassion, that God’s love, mercy, and healing are for them also because they too are the children of God.
JOKE OF THE WEEK
Faith in theory and action: A man who was walking close to a steep cliff lost his footing and plunged over the side. As he was falling, he grabbed the branch of a tree that was sticking out about half-way down the cliff. He managed to hang onto a weak limb with both hands. He looked up and he saw that the cliff was almost perfectly straight and that he was a long way from the top. He looked down and it was a long, long way down to the rocky bottom. At this point the man decided that it was time to pray. He didn’t pray a long, wordy prayer. He simply yelled out, “God, if you’re there, help me!” About that time, he heard a deep voice coming from high up above that said, “I’m here My son, have no fear.” The man was a little startled at first by God’s voice, but he pleaded, “Can You help me? Can You help me?” God replied, “Yes, I can My son, but you have to have Faith. Do you trust Me?” The man answered, “Yes Lord, I trust You.” God said, “Do you really trust Me?” The man, straining to hold on replied, “Yes Lord, I really trust You.” Then God said, “This is what I want you to do: let go of the limb, trust Me, and everything will be all right.” The man looked down at the rocks below, then he looked up at the steep cliff above him and yelled, “Is there anybody else up there who can help me?”
1) Rootedness of Christianity in Judaism:Jean Marie Cardinal Lustiger, a twentieth century French Catholic prelate once explained, “I was born Jewish and so I remain, even if that’s unacceptable for many. For me, the vocation of Israel is bringing light to the goyim. That’s my hope and I believe that Christianity is the means for achieving it.” In this same regard, Karl Barth noted, “Jews have God’s promise, and if we Christians have it too, then it is only as those chosen with them, as guests in their house, that we are new wood grafted on to their tree.” Speaking to an audience of Jewish men and women, Pope John Paul II declared, “You are our dearly beloved brothers, and in a certain way, it could be said that you are our elder brothers.” Each of these three statements underscores the rootedness of Christianity in Judaism and recalls the experience of Saul, a Jew who accepted Jesus of Nazareth, as the Christ of God, His Messiah; Paul longed for the day his fellow Jews would do likewise, as recalled in the second reading today. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2) “Are you waiting to speak to one of us?” Here are a couple of stories about Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, demonstrating how she valued each human being as a child of God and hence, as important. A reporter came to interview her at her office on 4th Street in Manhattan. He could see her talking to a man who was either drunk or mentally ill. Time passed and the reporter grew impatient. Dorothy finally appeared and said, “Are you waiting to speak to one of us?” — Obviously, Dorothy did not think that she was more important than the person she was talking with. On another occasion, a woman came in and donated a diamond ring to the Catholic Worker. Her co-workers wondered what Dorothy would do with it. If she asked one of them to take it to a diamond merchant and sell it, it would buy a month’s worth of rice and other food items for a poor family. That afternoon, however, Dorothy gave the diamond ring to an old woman who lived alone and often came to Dorothy for meals. “That ring would have paid her rent for the better part of a year,” someone protested. Dorothy replied that the woman had her dignity. So she could sell it if she liked and spend the money for rent, a trip to the Bahamas, or keep the ring to admire. “Do you suppose,” Dorothy asked, “God created diamonds only for the rich?”—– Dorothy Day was one of the prophets of her day. Her vision allowed her to see all human beings as equal , all equally precious to God each in his or her own uniqueness. . She recognized, as Mother Teresa did, the mark of the children of God in everyone, in the same way Jesus recognized God’s child in the Canaanite woman who belonged to a race inimical to the Jews. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3) “Love it?” she said, “I hate it!”The wife of our 32nd President, knew how to assert herself. She once left the White House to visit a prison in Baltimore. Her departure was so early in the morning that she decided not to disturb her husband. Shortly after he got up, he contacted her secretary to ask where his wife was. She replied, “She’s in prison, Mr. President.” “I’m not surprised,” replied FDR, “but what for?” [Bob Dole, Great Political Wit: Laughing (Almost) All the Way to the White House (New York: Doubleday, 1998), p. 79.] — Eleanor Roosevelt was a woman of quiet strength. She was not deliberately controversial, but she was not reluctant to speak her mind about things she considered important. Jesus tells a parable about another such woman in today’s Gospel.
Eleanor Roosevelt, late in her retirement, spent part of her day diving from the board into a pool. People by the score filled the pool, and children, too, noticed her diving, swimming, climbing out, and diving again. Someone walked up to her and said, “Mrs. Roosevelt, you surely must love to dive.” “Love it?” she said, “I hate it!” “Well, why do you bother to do it then?” “Someone must set an example for the children,” she replied. — In her own gentle but determined way, every dive she made was an encouragement, a push, for those children who, bug-eyed and open-mouthed, watched this old woman and began to think, “Well, if she can do it, I guess I can, too!” — Hers was a life-giving push, which nudged these children toward their potential. God’s pushes are always life-giving. Oh, they deal death to the old ways, yes, but only to clear the deck for the new ways, which make life better. The Gospel story of Jesus’ encounter with a Canaanite woman is one of those surprising and uncomfortable pushes. (Rev. King Duncan) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4) Universal fraternity: There is a story about a man named Jeremy Cohen, a Texan who, with his family, served as host to a rabbi from Moscow one Christmas. To treat the rabbi to a culinary experience unavailable to him in his own country, Cohen took him to his favorite Chinese restaurant. After an enjoyable meal and pleasant conversation, the waiter brought the check and presented each person at the table with a small brass Christmas ornament as a complimentary gift. Everyone laughed when Cohen’s guest turned the ornament over and read the label “Made in India.” The laughter quickly subsided, however, when everyone saw tears running down the rabbi’s cheeks. Cohen asked the rabbi if he were offended at having been given a gift on a Christian holiday. Smiling, the rabbi shook his head and answered, “No, I was shedding tears of joy to be in such a wonderful country in which a Chinese Buddhist restaurant owner gives a Russian Jew a Christmas gift made by a Hindu in India.” — Today’s Gospel episode describes how Jesus extended his healing mission to the Gentiles. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
“Lord, I believe:”If you want to get into Olympic competition, you’d better be a pretty good athlete. If you want to get into the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, you need excellent musical ability and training. If you want to get into the Miss America Pageant, you’ll be greatly helped if you are good-looking and somewhat talented. — But to get into the Kingdom of God, all you need is Faith – to say, “Lord, I believe,” and to say this, not in words alone, but also in action, expressing Faith through life. The Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel story believed. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
“But not with that bunch.”Billy Graham once told of an incident that happened a long time ago when teachers could talk about religion in the classroom. A teacher was talking to her class of young boys, and she asked, “How many of you would like to go to Heaven?” And all the hands instantly shot into the air at once, except one. She was astounded. She asked, “Charlie, you mean you don’t want to go to Heaven?” He said, “Sure, I want to go to Heaven, but not with that bunch.” — Unfortunately, that is how many religious groups feel about one another. Consider the Middle East where, in parts of Lebanon, Christian militias are fighting each other and in Syria and Iraq extremist Muslims are driving all Christians from their territories on pain of death, unless they convert. All three great Faiths in that part of the world trace their origins through the patriarch Abraham. All three of them honor the Mosaic Law. All three are monotheistic. And yet as the political walls of this world come tumbling down, the religious walls seem to grow higher and higher. How tragic. Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus healed the daughter of a Gentile woman in spite of the religious prejudice of his fellow Jews for the Gentiles.(Rev. King Duncan)(https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
“Nag, nag, nag!.”A cartoon in a magazine showed a woman preacher speaking from the pulpit. Two middle-aged portly men were seated near the front. Looking up at the preacher, one of them said, “Nag, nag, nag.” — It is a truism that men do not like nagging women. In his Journal, John Wesley tells of some Methodists who were arrested for disturbing the peace with their prayers. They were brought to court, and the judge asked what the charges against them were. One reported, “Your honor, they pretend to be better than other people; and besides, they pray from morning to night. And what’s more, they have even converted my wife. Until she started going among Methodists, she had such a tongue! And now she is quiet as a lamb.” The judge shouted, “Let them go! Let them all go and convert all the nagging wives in town!”— In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus and the disciples were confronted with a nagging woman. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
“Our Lord Jesus was just a bit of a liberal.”There is a wonderful story about a church in Holland, which felt strictly bound to obey the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy. On a certain Sunday, however, the area was threatened by a terrible storm. There was concern that if the dikes were not strengthened, the people would not survive. The police notified the pastor of the danger. He was faced with the decision of whether to call off the services and urge his people to work on the dikes. Unable to make the decision, he called a meeting of his council to decide. The council concluded they would go on with their services. After all, God is omnipotent. He could always perform a miracle with the wind and waves. Their duty was to obey His commands. The pastor tried one last argument. Did not Jesus himself break the commandment and declare that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath? Then an old man stood up and said, “I have always been troubled, Pastor, by something I have never ventured to say publicly. Now I must say it. I have always had the feeling that our Lord Jesus was just a bit of a liberal.” — (Kasemannin, Jesus Means Freedom). Today’s Gospel presents such a “liberal” Jesus extending his healing touch to a Gentile woman. (Rev. King Duncan) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
9) It says, “Kills fleas for six months.“ Jesus never met a person he didn’t love. People from all kinds of situations found themselves comfortable in his presence. He didn’t come across as stuffy or pretentious. It reminds me of the story of a priest in the mountains of Kentucky who had gone home with a family of new converts for dinner. He was received cordially by all but the small daughter in the family, who stared at him unblinkingly throughout the meal. The priest, somewhat uncomfortable, tried to put the little girl at ease. “Is it my collar you are staring at?” he asked, taking it off and holding it up. When he did so he saw the cleaning instructions on the inside of the collar, and to make conversation, he asked, “Do you know what it says here?” “Yes,” responded the little girl. “My cat has a small collar like it. It says, Kills fleas for six months.” [Buddy Westbrook, London, Kentucky, Loyal Jones, The Preacher’s Joke Book (Little Rock: August House, 1989), p. 26.] — I can hear Jesus telling such a joke on himself, can’t you? People who are secure in themselves don’t have to “put on airs.” He was open and caring. People of all sorts were drawn to him, including the Gentile woman in today’s Gospel story. (Rev. King Duncan) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
10) “The Lady in whom Jesus Christ has come to live.” Catherine Lowe was a young wife and mother. Her husband was the warden at Sing Sing. In the early years of this century, women were not allowed inside the prison “not even the warden’s wife.” Catherine was filled with love, though, and wanted to share her gift of love with other people. She inquired and was told she was absolutely, totally, forbidden to enter the prison. But Catherine was a strong-willed woman. When the first inmate basketball game was announced, she risked harsh disciplinary action by taking her two little girls and sitting in the bleachers to watch. Much to her amazement she was not chastised for her action. That one step led to bolder steps. She wanted to help the prisoners. She knew love could make a difference in anyone is life. One day she met a murderer named Jack. He was one of the toughest of the tough. He was big and black and blind, a victim of harsh and cruel racial injustices. Catherine felt drawn to this hardened criminal. “Hi, Jack,” she introduced herself one day. There was no response. The scarred, battered face stared back with icy, unseeing eyes. “What books do you read?” she asked him. The silence was broken. He spit out the words, “I am blind, lady! I can’t read!” This was her opportunity. “Oh, what about Braille?” she asked. No one had even told Jack about Braille let alone taken the time to teach him. “You can read with your fingers!” Catherine explained as she stroked his rough hands. “Please,” she said, “let me see your fingers.” She touched his fingertips, and said, “You can read with your fingertips. I’ll teach you.” And she did. Then she found another inmate and discovered that he was deaf. He could not hear or talk. Catherine learned sign language so she could communicate with this man. She opened doors to worlds of love for one convict after another. And that love redeemed and restored some of the toughest of the tough, the meanest of the mean. In Sing Sing, they called her, “The Lady in whom Jesus Christ has come to live.” — Catherine gave her best, a miracle happened inside the walls of a prison and lives were forever changed. A blind man learned to read. A deaf man learned to communicate. A Canaanite woman received healing for her daughter. People are people whatever label they may wear. Faith is Faith wherever we may encounter it. Love will find a way. [Robert H. Schuller, Life is Not Fair but God is Good (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), pp. 103-104.] (Rev. King Duncan) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
11) “Baby Snow.” The love and concern for her child shown by the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel is quite a contrast with what is happening today. One sub-freezing morning at 3:30 AM in Atlanta during the bitter winter of 1977, a baby was found wrapped in an Indian blanket on the bottom of an apartment complex garbage dumpster. The newborn child was taken to a hospital where nurses named him “Baby Snow.” In the same year a thirty-one-year-old woman discovered a new-born baby in a shopping bag lying against a hedge in Brooklyn. — Are these rare instances? According to three leading sociologists, the American home is the most violent place in the country. They claim that one million kids are growing up with parents who use guns and knives on them. If we have the compassion of the Canaanite woman, we would have reason to nag Jesus for help. (Rev. John R. Brokhoff) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
12) A tit-for-tat, reminding us of the Canaanite woman:A government clerk was hiking when he came upon a shepherd with a large flock. The clerk looked at the flock and then said to the shepherd, “I’ll bet you I can tell you exactly how many sheep you have here.” The shepherd said, “I doubt you could do that the way they are all bunched together.” The hiker said, “Well, let’s make a wager. If I’m wrong, I’ll give you $100. If I’m right, you have to give me a sheep.” “OK, you’re on.” the shepherd said. “There are 287 sheep here.” said the hiker. “That’s right,” said the shepherd. “You win. Go ahead and pick out a sheep.” The hiker picked up an animal and put it over his shoulders. “Wait a minute,” said the shepherd, “I bet you I can tell you what you do for a living. If I’m wrong, I’ll give you $100. If I’m right, you have to give the animal back.” “OK” said the hiker. “You are a government bureaucrat,” said the shepherd. “How did you know that?” The hiker asked. “Put down my dog and I’ll tell you,” replied the shepherd. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
13)All are welcome! :One day, it seems, a certain curious person in heaven asked St. Peter “How many Hindus are in heaven?” Peter replied: “No Hindus”. Then he asked: “How many Muslims?” “Not even one,” replied Peter. The man was surprised. He said: “Oh, then, there are only Christians in heaven?” “No, there are no Christians in heaven either,” replied Peter. “How Many Catholics?” “No, Catholics either.” Then St. Peter said, “Heaven is not meant for any particular group of people. Here, there is no distinction between Hindus, Muslims or Christians for all are welcome in Heaven.” — What else could St. Peter have said? Did not God tell his chosen people, referring to the Temple in Jerusalem which was a symbol of Heaven for them; “My House shall be called a House of Prayer for all peoples” (Vima Dasan in His Word Lives; quoted by Fr. Botelho) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
14)The stronger you grow in Love of God in your neighbor, the weaker your doubts about the Faith become: In his novel, The Brothers Karamazov ,Dostoevsky refers to an old woman whose spiritual health begins to deteriorate as rapidly as her physical health. One day she discusses her problem with an old priest, named Fr. Zossima. She tells him about her weak Faith and the doubts she is beginning to have: Is there a God Who cares? Is there life after death? Fr Zossima listens compassionately and says: “There’s no way to prove these things, but you can become surer of them.” “How?” cries the old woman. “By love,” says the old priest. “Try to love your neighbor from the heart. The more you love, the surer you will become about God’s existence and life after death. The more you love, the stronger your Faith will grow and the weaker your doubts will become. This is sure. This has been tried. This works.” Albert Schweitzer, the great missionary doctor, makes the same point in his book Reverence for Life. He says something to this effect: “Do you want to believe in Jesus? Do you really want to believe in him? Then you must do something for him. In this age of doubt there is no other way. If for his sake you give someone something to eat, or drink, or wear – which Jesus promised to bless as though it were done to him- then you will see that you really did it for him. Jesus will reveal himself to you, as one who is alive.” (Mark Link inSunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
15)Can we go beyond the obvious?A Franciscan Sister of Mercy, herself a Croat who grew up in Serbia, has been working with rape victims of Bosnia as well as trying to find housing for the many refugees. Dressed in her nun’s habit, she goes to a door and pleads with those who answer, “I have no place to stay. I’m hungry. Can you take me in?” Croatia is deeply Catholic country, so the answer to the nun’s plea is almost always, “Of course, Sister.” Then the nun steps back to let the real refugees with her be seen. They are usually taken in by the family. — Application: Can we go beyond our prejudices?
16)“A child! There is a child!’ There is an incident reported as having happened during the China earthquake. After the earthquake had subsided, when the rescuers reached the ruins of a young woman’s house, they saw her body through the cracks. But her pose was somehow strange that she knelt on her knees; her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supporting an object. The house had collapsed on her. With so many difficulties, the leader of the rescuer team put his hand through a narrow gap on the wall to reach the woman’s body. He hoped that this woman could be still alive. However, the cold and stiff body told him that she had passed away for sure. But he was curious to know what she was protecting from earthquake using her body as a cover. So, he knelt down again and used his hand through the narrow cracks to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he shouted with excitement, “A child! There is a child!“ The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a three-month-old little boy wrapped in a flowery blanket under his mother’s dead body. Obviously, the woman had made an ultimate sacrifice for saving her son. When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect her son. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up. — Today’s Gospel describes the depth of the love of a Canaanite woman for her sick daughter, which prompted her to use all her wits and insistence to get Jesus’ healing attention. (Fr. Bobby Jose quoted by Eddie Cutinha). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
17)The one the Father loves most: A professor of mine once told me the following story: “I’m one of thirteen children. One day when I was playing in the street of our hometown, I got thirsty and came into the house for a glass of water. My father had just come home from work for lunch. He was sitting at the kitchen table with a neighbor. A door separated the kitchen from the pantry and my father did not know I was there. The neighbor said to my father, ‘Joe, there’s something I wanted to ask you for a long time. You have thirteen children. Out of all of them, is there one that is your favorite, one that you love more than all the others?’ I had pressed my ear against the door hoping against hope it would be me. ‘That’s easy,’ my father said. ‘That’s Mary the twelve-year-old. She has got braces on her teeth and feels so awkward and embarrassed that she won’t go out of the house anymore. Oh, but you asked about my favorite. That’s my twenty-three-year-old Peter. His fiancée just broke their engagement and he is desolate. But the one I really love most is little Michael. He’s totally uncoordinated and terrible in any sport he tries to play. But of course, the apple of my eye is Susan. Only twenty-four, living in her own apartment, and developing a drinking problem, I cry for Susan. But I guess of all the kids…. and my father went on mentioning each of us thirteen children by name.” The professor ended his story saying: “What I learned was that the one my father loved most was the one who needed him most at that time. — And that’s the way the Father of Jesus is: He loves those most who need Him most, who rely on Him, depend on Him, and trust Him in everything. All that matters is trust. God doesn’t wait until we have our moral life straightened out before He starts loving us.” (Brennen Manning, taken from Lion and Lamb). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
18)Poem-‘The Cold Within’ – Subtitle: ‘200 years of Prejudice’: Six humans trapped by happenstance/ in bleak and bitter cold,/ each possessed a stick of wood,/ or so the story is told. //Their dying fire in need of logs,/ the first man held his back, /for of the faces round the fire,/ he noticed one was black.// The next man looking across the way/ saw one not of his Church/ and couldn’t bring himself to give/ the fire his stick of birch.// The third sat in tattered clothes; /he gave his coat a hitch./Why should his log be put to use/ to warm the idle rich?// The rich man just sat back and thought/ of the wealth he had in store/ and how to keep what he had earned/ from the lazy, shiftless poor.// The black man’s face bespoke revenge/ as the fire passed from his sight;/ for all he saw in his stick of wood/ was a chance to spite the white// The last man of this forlorn group/ did naught, except for gain./ Giving only to those who gave/was how he played the game.// Their logs held tight in death’s still hand,/ were proof of human sin./ They did not die from the cold without./ They died from the cold within.// — Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus went far beyond the prejudice of his people about the pagan Canaanites, bringing healing and salvation to everyone. (James Patrick Kenny;quoted by Fr. Botelho).(https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
19)Gentlemen and Gentile Woman: A gentleman was boasting about the superiority of Catholicism and the holiness of his priests to a Hindu and Muslim friend. Debating at the crossroads they spied a sadhu going into a brothel. “Saw that?” sneered the Catholic. “Our priests won’t be seen there!” Minutes later, a Mullah covered his face with his shawl and entered the brothel too. The Catholic remarked, “Ah, ha, Mullahs are no better than sadhus!” Just then the parish priest also slyly entered the brothel. The Catholic sighed sanctimoniously, “I wonder which of those girls is sick and in need of Sacraments!” — Strangely, “we” are always holier than “they” just as Pharisees in Jesus’ time claimed superiority over Gentiles. (Francis Gonsalves in Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
20)Let go and…As he lay on his hospital bed in Melbourne, an Australian Marist Brother told his gathered friends the story of his spirituality. It came from watching trapeze artists performing in a circus a few years ago. Trapeze artists are those who perform in a circus with swings. It is an air-borne performance. One of the artists had explained to him, “As a flyer I must have complete trust in my catcher, He has to be there for me with split–second precision and grab me out of the air as I come to him in the long jump.” The artist explained that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. When the artist flies, he has simply to stretch out his arms and hands and wait for him to catch him and pull him safely over the apron behind the catcher. The flyer should actually do nothing. The worst thing the flyer can do is to try to catch the catcher. The flyer is not supposed to catch the catcher. If the flyer grabbed the catcher’s wrists, he might break them, or the catcher might break the flyer’s wrists, and that would be the end of them both. A flyer has to fly and the catcher has to catch, and the flyer has to trust with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him. — This is the trust we should have in Jesus, and the woman in today’s story demonstrated such a faith. L/26
You may visit my websiteby clicking on http://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.” Kindly visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies under CBCI or Fr. Tony for my website version. (Special thanks to Vatican official website http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020) My post-retirement contact postal address in the U. S. is Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. M. C. Joseph, Pastor St. Agatha Catholic Parish 1001 Hand Ave, Bay Minette, AL 36507 36507. Contact me by email only atakadavil@gmail.com. I am back at my home in my home country since June 2023. I live in my home in my home country since my final retirement in June 2023. Hence please contact me only by email (akadavil@gmail.com).
OT XX [A] (Aug 16)Is 56:1, 6-7; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28
Homily starter anecdotes (Biblical reason why preachers may use anecdotes in their homilies: Mt 13: 34: “All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable).”
# 1) “Never give up!”:Many years ago in Illinois, a young man with six months formal schooling to his credit ran for an office in the legislature. As might have been expected, he was beaten. Next, he entered business but failed in that too, and spent the next seventeen years paying the debts of his worthless partner. He fell in love with a charming lady, they became engaged – and she got sick and died, causing her lover a mini-nervous breakdown. He ran for Congress and was defeated. He then tried to obtain an appointment to the U.S. Land Office but didn’t succeed. He became a candidate for the Vice-Presidency and lost. Two years later he was defeated in a race for the Senate. He ran for President and finally was elected. That man was Abraham Lincoln. –Today’s Gospel presents a Canaanite woman who persisted in her prayer and obtained from the Lord what she prayed for. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 2) “If Christians have caste differences…” M. K. Gandhi in his autobiography tells how, during his days in South Africa as a young Indian lawyer, he read the Gospels and saw in the teachings of Jesus the answer to the major problem facing the people of India, the caste system. Seriously considering embracing the Christian faith, Gandhi went to a white-only church one Sunday morning, intending to talk to the pastor about the idea. When he entered the Church, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and told him to go and worship in another church with his own colored people. Gandhi left the church and never returned. “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.” (Fr. Munacci) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 3: Religious fanaticism: A Jewish professor of psychology said of his tradition, “If there are ten Jewish males in a city, we create a synagogue. If there are eleven Jewish males, we start thinking about creating a competing synagogue.” A Baptist police officer had a similar tale. He said, “One Baptist family in a neighborhood witnesses until they bring another family to Christ. Then they form a Church, and start witnessing to the rest of the community. When another family joins, they have a schism and form a rival Church.” According to a Presbyterian homemaker, her communion was a little like vegetable soup. “We have,” she said, “the OPs, RPs, BPs, and Split Peas!” And a Methodist businessman complemented these tales with an apocryphal tale of a man from his Faith community who had been shipwrecked for years on a small island. When found by a passing ship, rescuers asked him why he had constructed three huts, since he was there by himself. “Well,” he replied, “that one is my home, that one is my Church, and that one is my former Church.” — Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus extended his healing mission to the Gentiles, too. (Rev. Wayne Brouwer ) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
Introduction: All three readings today speak of the expansive and universal nature of the “Kingdom of God,” in contrast with the protocol of the day which demanded that salvation should come first to the Jews and through them alone to all the people of the earth. Although God set the Hebrew people apart as His chosen race, He included all nations in His plan for salvation and blessed all families of the earth in Abraham (Gn 12:1-3). By declaring through the prophet Isaiah (first reading), “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,” God reveals the truth that in His eyes all human beings, regardless of race, caste, color, intelligence, wealth or charm are His dear children by Creation and adoption. The long-expected Messianic kingdom was intended, not only for the Jews, but for all nations as well. In other words, we all belong to one another; hence, there is no place for discrimination among God’s children. Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67) rejects all types of religious exclusivity: “Let all the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. For You judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth, so that Your saving power may be known among all the nations.” In the second reading, Paul explains that, although the Jews were the chosen people, many of them rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah. Consequently, God turned to the Gentiles who received His mercy through their Faith in Jesus. In the Gospel story, Jesus demonstrates that salvation is meant for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews by healing the daughter of a Gentile woman as a reward for her strong Faith. Thus, He shows that God’s mercy and love are available to all who call out to Him in Faith.
The First Reading, (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7) explained: The third part of the book of the prophet Isaiah (chapters 56-66), was written mainly for the Jews who were returning from the Babylonian exile to join their relatives who had been left behind in Judea. But today’s lesson is primarily addressed to those Jews who, after the Exile had officially ended, still chose to remain in Babylon as Jews among the Gentiles. In this passage, the Lord God not only pleaded with these people (who preferred exile to the labor of returning to the Promised Land), to come home to Jerusalem and help to rebuild the City and the Temple, but also tried to make them understand the role the Gentiles would have in the coming Messianic Kingdom. Though in the past all who came to the God of Israel were required to accept the Law and the Covenant, God’s concern for those outside that Covenant led Him to a new and radical solution. “The foreigners,” the Lord God declares to us today throughIsaiah, “who join themselves to Yahweh, ministering to Him, loving the Name of Yahweh and becoming His servants . . . them I will bring to My holy mountain and make joyful in My house of prayer . . . for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” Thus,Isaiah’s prophecy, which applied directly to the coming Messianic Kingdom, assured them that their God was equally interested in the people of other nations as well as in the descendants of Abraham. Hence, the exclusivist claims of the Jews as God’s chosen people would have to yield, as God made room for others. For in addition to the exiles of Israel, Yahweh would receive the non-Israelites who had joined themselves to the Lord. In short, the prophet reports, everyone has a part to play in God’s plan — even those who don’t belong to the “true religion.”
In the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67) the Psalm Refrain has us sing, “O God, let all the nations praise You!” and the verses continue “2May God have pity on us and bless us; may He let His Face shine upon us. 3So may Your way be known on earth; among all nations, Your salvation,” thus responding to Yahweh’s declaration in the first reading that the Gentiles will be accepted at the altar of Yahweh.
The Second Reading (Rom 11:13-15, 29-32) explained: Here, Paul asks how God could apparently go back on His promise to Abraham that Abraham’s descendants would always be God’s chosen people, now that those descendants had rejected Jesus. Paul answers his own question by explaining that God’s plan all along had allowed for the Jews’ rejection of Jesus, so that the few Jews who accepted Jesus and went out to preach the Good News, like Paul himself, would be forced to turn to the Gentiles and bring them into the New Covenant. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, God permits evil only if He can draw a greater good out of it. Thus, God permitted both Jews and Gentiles to disobey Him so that He could show His mercy by offering eternal life to everyone who wished to have it. Frustrated by the slow pace of Jewish conversions and prevented from continuing to work directly among the Jews by the overt, physical hostility Jewish synagogues showed him and his companions, Paul directed his preaching missions to the Gentiles, so that the Jews would become jealous and accept Jesus. Thus, God’s secret plan to invite all people into the Covenant would be revealed and completed. By the statement, “Their rejection is the reconciliation of the world,” Paul meant that the Jews’ rejection of Jesus allowed the world (the pagans, the Gentiles), to be reconciled to God. By asking the question, “What will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” Paul meant that the Jews who at last accept Christ will receive new life through the once spiritually dead pagans. Paul was convinced that the Jewish nation would eventually accept Christ because God’s ”irrevocable” call, given to them through Abraham, was a call to eternal salvation. Paul’s failure to convert his fellow-Jews serves as a model for us who must accept failure in our own lives, especially when it concerns our loved ones who refuse what we judge to be to their advantage. Paul’s message is also a challenge to us to pray fervently and often for the conversion of the Jews.
Gospel exegesis:The significance of the miracle: The Gospels describe only two miraculous healings Jesus performed for Gentiles: the healing of the centurion’s servant (Mt 8:10-12) in Capernaum, and the healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman which we hear today. The encounter with the Canaanite woman took place outside Jewish territory in Tyre and Sidon, two coastal cities, twenty-five and fifty miles north of Galilee in present-day Lebanon. The story of this miracle is told twice, (Mt 15:21-28; Mk 7:24-30), foreshadowing the extension of the Gospel (the Good News), to the whole world. The woman in today’s miracle belonged to the old Canaanite stock of the Syro-Phoenician race. The Canaanites were the ancestral enemies of the Jews and were regarded as pagans and idolaters and, hence, as ritually unclean. But this woman showed “a gallant and audacious love which grew until it worshipped at the feet of the Divine, an indomitable persistence springing from an unconquerable hope, a cheerfulness which would not be dismayed” (Fr. James Rowland). By granting the persistent request of the pagan woman, Jesus demonstrates that his mission is to break down the barriers and remove the long-standing walls of division and mutual prejudice between Jews and Gentiles. God loves all His children by Creation and adoption, welcoming everyone who believes in Him, asks for His mercy and tries to do His will.
Trustful persistence rewarded. Jesus first ignores both the persistent cry of the woman and the impatience of his disciples to send the woman away. He then tries to awaken true Faith in the heart of this woman by an indirect refusal, telling her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman is persistent in her request. She kneels before him and begs, “Lord, help me.” Now Jesus makes a seemingly harsh statement, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” The term “dogs” was a derogatory Jewish word for the Gentiles. Dogs were regarded by the Jews as unclean, because they would eat anything given to them, including pork. The woman noticed, however, that Jesus had used the word kunariois, (the word for household pets), rather than kuon. (the ordinary Greek word for dogs). She also observed that Jesus hadused the word for dogs in a challenging way, urging her to answer in kind — a sort of test of the woman’s Faith. So, she immediately matched wits with Jesus. Her argument runs like this: Pets are not outsiders but insiders. They not only belong to the family but are part of the family. While they do not have a seat at the table, they enjoy intimacy at the family’s feet. Hence, the woman replied: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table!” (v. 27), expressing her Faith that Jesus could and would heal her daughter. Jesus was completely won over by the depth of her Faith, her confidence and her wit and responded with delight, “Woman, great is your Faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” We notice that the woman was refused three times by Jesus before he finally granted her request; it was only at her the fourth attempt that Jesus rewarded her persistence, curing her daughter in answer to her pleas. This silently underlines Jesus’ teaching (Lk 18:1-8) amplified by Paul in Eph 6:18) that we must persist in prayer. This Gospel episode is also an account of a woman who got more from the Kingdom of God than she had hoped for. She had come to Jesus asking for one miracle, and she got two: her daughter was exorcised of her demonic possession and received a new life, and the mother herself, through her experience with Christ, found a new life as well. The greatness of this woman’s Faith consists in: a) her willingness to cross the barrier of racism; b) her refusal to be put off or ignored because of her position in life and c) her humility in admitting that she did not deserve the Master’s attention and time. The Catechism reminds us that the woman in today’s Gospel recognized in Jesus the messianic power attributed to the awaited “Son of David” (CCC #439). For, if one truly believes that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, one trusts him and fashions one’s prayer requests accordingly (CCC #2610).
Life messages:#1) We need to persist in prayer with trustful confidence. Although the essential parts of prayer are adoration and thanksgiving, the prayer of petition, like that of contrition, plays a big part in most people’s daily life. We cannot provide, by our unaided selves, for our spiritual and temporal needs. Christ himself has told us to ask him for these needs: “Ask and you shall receive.” Asking with fervor and perseverance proves that we have the “great Faith” we need to be able to receive all that Christ wants to grant us in response to our requests. We must realize and remember that we do not always get exactly what we ask for, but rather what God knows we need, what He wants for us – that is, what is really best for us. What we need most is to receive the peace and security that come from being in harmony with God’s will for us. As Christians, we also know that our particular requests may not always be for our good, or for the final good of the person for whom we are praying. In that case, the good God will not grant what would be to our, or their, eternal harm. But if the prayer is sincere and persevering, we will always get an answer – one which is better than what we asked for. Hence, let us trust that every time we pray for something, the answer is already on its way, even before we have asked God for it. We just need to trust God, that, according to His perfect timetable and in His Infinite Wisdom, Love and Goodness, He will give us what He knows is best for us, and that it will be better than what we were requesting.
#2) We need to pull down our walls: Sometimes unaware,we set up walls which separate us from God and from one another. Today’s Gospel reminds us that God’s love and mercy are extended to all who call on Him in Faith and trust, no matter who they are. In other words, God’s care extends beyond the boundaries of race and nation to the hearts of all who live, and God’s House is intended to become a House of prayer for all peoples. It is therefore fitting that we should pray that the walls which our pride, intolerance, fear, and prejudice may have raised, may crumble. Next, we have to be grateful to God for all the blessings we enjoy. As baptized members of the Christian community, we have been given special privileges and easy access to God’s love. But we also have serious responsibilities arising from these gifts. One of these responsibilities is to make clear to others, with true humility and compassion, that God’s love, mercy, and healing are for them also because they too are the children of God.
JOKE OF THE WEEK
Faith in theory and action: A man who was walking close to a steep cliff lost his footing and plunged over the side. As he was falling, he grabbed the branch of a tree that was sticking out about half-way down the cliff. He managed to hang onto a weak limb with both hands. He looked up and he saw that the cliff was almost perfectly straight and that he was a long way from the top. He looked down and it was a long, long way down to the rocky bottom. At this point the man decided that it was time to pray. He didn’t pray a long, wordy prayer. He simply yelled out, “God, if you’re there, help me!” About that time, he heard a deep voice coming from high up above that said, “I’m here My son, have no fear.” The man was a little startled at first by God’s voice, but he pleaded, “Can You help me? Can You help me?” God replied, “Yes, I can My son, but you have to have Faith. Do you trust Me?” The man answered, “Yes Lord, I trust You.” God said, “Do you really trust Me?” The man, straining to hold on replied, “Yes Lord, I really trust You.” Then God said, “This is what I want you to do: let go of the limb, trust Me, and everything will be all right.” The man looked down at the rocks below, then he looked up at the steep cliff above him and yelled, “Is there anybody else up there who can help me?”
1) Rootedness of Christianity in Judaism: Jean Marie Cardinal Lustiger, a twentieth century French Catholic prelate once explained, “I was born Jewish and so I remain, even if that’s unacceptable for many. For me, the vocation of Israel is bringing light to the goyim. That’s my hope and I believe that Christianity is the means for achieving it.” In this same regard, Karl Barth noted, “Jews have God’s promise, and if we Christians have it too, then it is only as those chosen with them, as guests in their house, that we are new wood grafted on to their tree.” Speaking to an audience of Jewish men and women, Pope John Paul II declared, “You are our dearly beloved brothers, and in a certain way, it could be said that you are our elder brothers.” Each of these three statements underscores the rootedness of Christianity in Judaism and recalls the experience of Saul, a Jew who accepted Jesus of Nazareth, as the Christ of God, His Messiah; Paul longed for the day his fellow Jews would do likewise, as recalled in the second reading today. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2) “Are you waiting to speak to one of us?” Here are a couple of stories about Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, demonstrating how she valued each human being as a child of God and hence, as important. A reporter came to interview her at her office on 4th Street in Manhattan. He could see her talking to a man who was either drunk or mentally ill. Time passed and the reporter grew impatient. Dorothy finally appeared and said, “Are you waiting to speak to one of us?” — Obviously, Dorothy did not think that she was more important than the person she was talking with. On another occasion, a woman came in and donated a diamond ring to the Catholic Worker. Her co-workers wondered what Dorothy would do with it. If she asked one of them to take it to a diamond merchant and sell it, it would buy a month’s worth of rice and other food items for a poor family. That afternoon, however, Dorothy gave the diamond ring to an old woman who lived alone and often came to Dorothy for meals. “That ring would have paid her rent for the better part of a year,” someone protested. Dorothy replied that the woman had her dignity. So she could sell it if she liked and spend the money for rent, a trip to the Bahamas, or keep the ring to admire. “Do you suppose,” Dorothy asked, “God created diamonds only for the rich?”—– Dorothy Day was one of the prophets of her day. Her vision allowed her to see all human beings as equal , all equally precious to God each in his or her own uniqueness. . She recognized, as Mother Teresa did, the mark of the children of God in everyone, in the same way Jesus recognized God’s child in the Canaanite woman who belonged to a race inimical to the Jews. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3) “Love it?”she said,“I hate it!”The wife of our 32nd President, knew how to assert herself. She once left the White House to visit a prison in Baltimore. Her departure was so early in the morning that she decided not to disturb her husband. Shortly after he got up, he contacted her secretary to ask where his wife was. She replied, “She’s in prison, Mr. President.” “I’m not surprised,” replied FDR, “but what for?” [Bob Dole, Great Political Wit: Laughing (Almost) All the Way to the White House (New York: Doubleday, 1998), p. 79.] — Eleanor Roosevelt was a woman of quiet strength. She was not deliberately controversial, but she was not reluctant to speak her mind about things she considered important. Jesus tells a parable about another such woman in today’s Gospel.
Eleanor Roosevelt, late in her retirement, spent part of her day diving from the board into a pool. People by the score filled the pool, and children, too, noticed her diving, swimming, climbing out, and diving again. Someone walked up to her and said, “Mrs. Roosevelt, you surely must love to dive.” “Love it?” she said, “I hate it!” “Well, why do you bother to do it then?” “Someone must set an example for the children,” she replied. — In her own gentle but determined way, every dive she made was an encouragement, a push, for those children who, bug-eyed and open-mouthed, watched this old woman and began to think, “Well, if she can do it, I guess I can, too!” — Hers was a life-giving push, which nudged these children toward their potential. God’s pushes are always life-giving. Oh, they deal death to the old ways, yes, but only to clear the deck for the new ways, which make life better. The Gospel story of Jesus’ encounter with a Canaanite woman is one of those surprising and uncomfortable pushes. (Rev. King Duncan) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4) Universal fraternity: There is a story about a man named Jeremy Cohen, a Texan who, with his family, served as host to a rabbi from Moscow one Christmas. To treat the rabbi to a culinary experience unavailable to him in his own country, Cohen took him to his favorite Chinese restaurant. After an enjoyable meal and pleasant conversation, the waiter brought the check and presented each person at the table with a small brass Christmas ornament as a complimentary gift. Everyone laughed when Cohen’s guest turned the ornament over and read the label “Made in India.” The laughter quickly subsided, however, when everyone saw tears running down the rabbi’s cheeks. Cohen asked the rabbi if he were offended at having been given a gift on a Christian holiday. Smiling, the rabbi shook his head and answered, “No, I was shedding tears of joy to be in such a wonderful country in which a Chinese Buddhist restaurant owner gives a Russian Jew a Christmas gift made by a Hindu in India.” — Today’s Gospel episode describes how Jesus extended his healing mission to the Gentiles. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
“Lord, I believe:” If you want to get into Olympic competition, you’d better be a pretty good athlete. If you want to get into the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, you need excellent musical ability and training. If you want to get into the Miss America Pageant, you’ll be greatly helped if you are good-looking and somewhat talented. — But to get into the Kingdom of God, all you need is Faith – to say, “Lord, I believe,” and to say this, not in words alone, but also in action, expressing Faith through life. The Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel story believed. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
“But not with that bunch.”Billy Graham once told of an incident that happened a long time ago when teachers could talk about religion in the classroom. A teacher was talking to her class of young boys, and she asked, “How many of you would like to go to Heaven?” And all the hands instantly shot into the air at once, except one. She was astounded. She asked, “Charlie, you mean you don’t want to go to Heaven?” He said, “Sure, I want to go to Heaven, but not with that bunch.” — Unfortunately, that is how many religious groups feel about one another. Consider the Middle East where, in parts of Lebanon, Christian militias are fighting each other and in Syria and Iraq extremist Muslims are driving all Christians from their territories on pain of death, unless they convert. All three great Faiths in that part of the world trace their origins through the patriarch Abraham. All three of them honor the Mosaic Law. All three are monotheistic. And yet as the political walls of this world come tumbling down, the religious walls seem to grow higher and higher. How tragic. Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus healed the daughter of a Gentile woman in spite of the religious prejudice of his fellow Jews for the Gentiles.(Rev. King Duncan)(https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
“Nag, nag, nag!.” A cartoon in a magazine showed a woman preacher speaking from the pulpit. Two middle-aged portly men were seated near the front. Looking up at the preacher, one of them said, “Nag, nag, nag.” — It is a truism that men do not like nagging women. In his Journal, John Wesley tells of some Methodists who were arrested for disturbing the peace with their prayers. They were brought to court, and the judge asked what the charges against them were. One reported, “Your honor, they pretend to be better than other people; and besides, they pray from morning to night. And what’s more, they have even converted my wife. Until she started going among Methodists, she had such a tongue! And now she is quiet as a lamb.” The judge shouted, “Let them go! Let them all go and convert all the nagging wives in town!”— In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus and the disciples were confronted with a nagging woman. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
“Our Lord Jesus was just a bit of a liberal.” There is a wonderful story about a church in Holland, which felt strictly bound to obey the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy. On a certain Sunday, however, the area was threatened by a terrible storm. There was concern that if the dikes were not strengthened, the people would not survive. The police notified the pastor of the danger. He was faced with the decision of whether to call off the services and urge his people to work on the dikes. Unable to make the decision, he called a meeting of his council to decide. The council concluded they would go on with their services. After all, God is omnipotent. He could always perform a miracle with the wind and waves. Their duty was to obey His commands. The pastor tried one last argument. Did not Jesus himself break the commandment and declare that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath? Then an old man stood up and said, “I have always been troubled, Pastor, by something I have never ventured to say publicly. Now I must say it. I have always had the feeling that our Lord Jesus was just a bit of a liberal.” — (Kasemannin, Jesus Means Freedom). Today’s Gospel presents such a “liberal” Jesus extending his healing touch to a Gentile woman. (Rev. King Duncan) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
9) It says, “Kills fleas for six months.“ Jesus never met a person he didn’t love. People from all kinds of situations found themselves comfortable in his presence. He didn’t come across as stuffy or pretentious. It reminds me of the story of a priest in the mountains of Kentucky who had gone home with a family of new converts for dinner. He was received cordially by all but the small daughter in the family, who stared at him unblinkingly throughout the meal. The priest, somewhat uncomfortable, tried to put the little girl at ease. “Is it my collar you are staring at?” he asked, taking it off and holding it up. When he did so he saw the cleaning instructions on the inside of the collar, and to make conversation, he asked, “Do you know what it says here?” “Yes,” responded the little girl. “My cat has a small collar like it. It says, Kills fleas for six months.” [Buddy Westbrook, London, Kentucky, Loyal Jones, The Preacher’s Joke Book (Little Rock: August House, 1989), p. 26.] — I can hear Jesus telling such a joke on himself, can’t you? People who are secure in themselves don’t have to “put on airs.” He was open and caring. People of all sorts were drawn to him, including the Gentile woman in today’s Gospel story. (Rev. King Duncan) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
10) “The Lady in whom Jesus Christ has come to live.” Catherine Lowe was a young wife and mother. Her husband was the warden at Sing Sing. In the early years of this century, women were not allowed inside the prison “not even the warden’s wife.” Catherine was filled with love, though, and wanted to share her gift of love with other people. She inquired and was told she was absolutely, totally, forbidden to enter the prison. But Catherine was a strong-willed woman. When the first inmate basketball game was announced, she risked harsh disciplinary action by taking her two little girls and sitting in the bleachers to watch. Much to her amazement she was not chastised for her action. That one step led to bolder steps. She wanted to help the prisoners. She knew love could make a difference in anyone is life. One day she met a murderer named Jack. He was one of the toughest of the tough. He was big and black and blind, a victim of harsh and cruel racial injustices. Catherine felt drawn to this hardened criminal. “Hi, Jack,” she introduced herself one day. There was no response. The scarred, battered face stared back with icy, unseeing eyes. “What books do you read?” she asked him. The silence was broken. He spit out the words, “I am blind, lady! I can’t read!” This was her opportunity. “Oh, what about Braille?” she asked. No one had even told Jack about Braille let alone taken the time to teach him. “You can read with your fingers!” Catherine explained as she stroked his rough hands. “Please,” she said, “let me see your fingers.” She touched his fingertips, and said, “You can read with your fingertips. I’ll teach you.” And she did. Then she found another inmate and discovered that he was deaf. He could not hear or talk. Catherine learned sign language so she could communicate with this man. She opened doors to worlds of love for one convict after another. And that love redeemed and restored some of the toughest of the tough, the meanest of the mean. In Sing Sing, they called her, “The Lady in whom Jesus Christ has come to live.” — Catherine gave her best, a miracle happened inside the walls of a prison and lives were forever changed. A blind man learned to read. A deaf man learned to communicate. A Canaanite woman received healing for her daughter. People are people whatever label they may wear. Faith is Faith wherever we may encounter it. Love will find a way. [Robert H. Schuller, Life is Not Fair but God is Good (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), pp. 103-104.] (Rev. King Duncan) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
11) “Baby Snow.” The love and concern for her child shown by the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel is quite a contrast with what is happening today. One sub-freezing morning at 3:30 AM in Atlanta during the bitter winter of 1977, a baby was found wrapped in an Indian blanket on the bottom of an apartment complex garbage dumpster. The newborn child was taken to a hospital where nurses named him “Baby Snow.” In the same year a thirty-one-year-old woman discovered a new-born baby in a shopping bag lying against a hedge in Brooklyn. — Are these rare instances? According to three leading sociologists, the American home is the most violent place in the country. They claim that one million kids are growing up with parents who use guns and knives on them. If we have the compassion of the Canaanite woman, we would have reason to nag Jesus for help. (Rev. John R. Brokhoff) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
12) A tit-for-tat, reminding us of the Canaanite woman: A government clerk was hiking when he came upon a shepherd with a large flock. The clerk looked at the flock and then said to the shepherd, “I’ll bet you I can tell you exactly how many sheep you have here.” The shepherd said, “I doubt you could do that the way they are all bunched together.” The hiker said, “Well, let’s make a wager. If I’m wrong, I’ll give you $100. If I’m right, you have to give me a sheep.” “OK, you’re on.” the shepherd said. “There are 287 sheep here.” said the hiker. “That’s right,” said the shepherd. “You win. Go ahead and pick out a sheep.” The hiker picked up an animal and put it over his shoulders. “Wait a minute,” said the shepherd, “I bet you I can tell you what you do for a living. If I’m wrong, I’ll give you $100. If I’m right, you have to give the animal back.” “OK” said the hiker. “You are a government bureaucrat,” said the shepherd. “How did you know that?” The hiker asked. “Put down my dog and I’ll tell you,” replied the shepherd. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
13)All are welcome! :One day, it seems, a certain curious person in heaven asked St. Peter “How many Hindus are in heaven?” Peter replied: “No Hindus”. Then he asked: “How many Muslims?” “Not even one,” replied Peter. The man was surprised. He said: “Oh, then, there are only Christians in heaven?” “No, there are no Christians in heaven either,” replied Peter. “How Many Catholics?” “No, Catholics either.” Then St. Peter said, “Heaven is not meant for any particular group of people. Here, there is no distinction between Hindus, Muslims or Christians for all are welcome in Heaven.” — What else could St. Peter have said? Did not God tell his chosen people, referring to the Temple in Jerusalem which was a symbol of Heaven for them; “My House shall be called a House of Prayer for all peoples” (Vima Dasan in His Word Lives; quoted by Fr. Botelho) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
14)The stronger you grow in Love of God in your neighbor, the weaker your doubts about the Faith become: In his novel, The Brothers Karamazov ,Dostoevsky refers to an old woman whose spiritual health begins to deteriorate as rapidly as her physical health. One day she discusses her problem with an old priest, named Fr. Zossima. She tells him about her weak Faith and the doubts she is beginning to have: Is there a God Who cares? Is there life after death? Fr Zossima listens compassionately and says: “There’s no way to prove these things, but you can become surer of them.” “How?” cries the old woman. “By love,” says the old priest. “Try to love your neighbor from the heart. The more you love, the surer you will become about God’s existence and life after death. The more you love, the stronger your Faith will grow and the weaker your doubts will become. This is sure. This has been tried. This works.” Albert Schweitzer, the great missionary doctor, makes the same point in his book Reverence for Life. He says something to this effect: “Do you want to believe in Jesus? Do you really want to believe in him? Then you must do something for him. In this age of doubt there is no other way. If for his sake you give someone something to eat, or drink, or wear – which Jesus promised to bless as though it were done to him- then you will see that you really did it for him. Jesus will reveal himself to you, as one who is alive.” (Mark Link inSunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
15)Can we go beyond the obvious?A Franciscan Sister of Mercy, herself a Croat who grew up in Serbia, has been working with rape victims of Bosnia as well as trying to find housing for the many refugees. Dressed in her nun’s habit, she goes to a door and pleads with those who answer, “I have no place to stay. I’m hungry. Can you take me in?” Croatia is deeply Catholic country, so the answer to the nun’s plea is almost always, “Of course, Sister.” Then the nun steps back to let the real refugees with her be seen. They are usually taken in by the family. — Application: Can we go beyond our prejudices?
16)“A child! There is a child!’ There is an incident reported as having happened during the China earthquake. After the earthquake had subsided, when the rescuers reached the ruins of a young woman’s house, they saw her body through the cracks. But her pose was somehow strange that she knelt on her knees; her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supporting an object. The house had collapsed on her. With so many difficulties, the leader of the rescuer team put his hand through a narrow gap on the wall to reach the woman’s body. He hoped that this woman could be still alive. However, the cold and stiff body told him that she had passed away for sure. But he was curious to know what she was protecting from earthquake using her body as a cover. So, he knelt down again and used his hand through the narrow cracks to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he shouted with excitement, “A child! There is a child!“ The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a three-month-old little boy wrapped in a flowery blanket under his mother’s dead body. Obviously, the woman had made an ultimate sacrifice for saving her son. When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect her son. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up. — Today’s Gospel describes the depth of the love of a Canaanite woman for her sick daughter, which prompted her to use all her wits and insistence to get Jesus’ healing attention. (Fr. Bobby Jose quoted by Eddie Cutinha). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
17)The one the Father loves most: A professor of mine once told me the following story: “I’m one of thirteen children. One day when I was playing in the street of our hometown, I got thirsty and came into the house for a glass of water. My father had just come home from work for lunch. He was sitting at the kitchen table with a neighbor. A door separated the kitchen from the pantry and my father did not know I was there. The neighbor said to my father, ‘Joe, there’s something I wanted to ask you for a long time. You have thirteen children. Out of all of them, is there one that is your favorite, one that you love more than all the others?’ I had pressed my ear against the door hoping against hope it would be me. ‘That’s easy,’ my father said. ‘That’s Mary the twelve-year-old. She has got braces on her teeth and feels so awkward and embarrassed that she won’t go out of the house anymore. Oh, but you asked about my favorite. That’s my twenty-three-year-old Peter. His fiancée just broke their engagement and he is desolate. But the one I really love most is little Michael. He’s totally uncoordinated and terrible in any sport he tries to play. But of course, the apple of my eye is Susan. Only twenty-four, living in her own apartment, and developing a drinking problem, I cry for Susan. But I guess of all the kids…. and my father went on mentioning each of us thirteen children by name.” The professor ended his story saying: “What I learned was that the one my father loved most was the one who needed him most at that time. — And that’s the way the Father of Jesus is: He loves those most who need Him most, who rely on Him, depend on Him, and trust Him in everything. All that matters is trust. God doesn’t wait until we have our moral life straightened out before He starts loving us.” (Brennen Manning, taken from Lion and Lamb). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
18)Poem-‘The Cold Within’ – Subtitle: ‘200 years of Prejudice’: Six humans trapped by happenstance/ in bleak and bitter cold,/ each possessed a stick of wood,/ or so the story is told. //Their dying fire in need of logs,/ the first man held his back, /for of the faces round the fire,/ he noticed one was black.// The next man looking across the way/ saw one not of his Church/ and couldn’t bring himself to give/ the fire his stick of birch.// The third sat in tattered clothes; /he gave his coat a hitch./Why should his log be put to use/ to warm the idle rich?// The rich man just sat back and thought/ of the wealth he had in store/ and how to keep what he had earned/ from the lazy, shiftless poor.// The black man’s face bespoke revenge/ as the fire passed from his sight;/ for all he saw in his stick of wood/ was a chance to spite the white// The last man of this forlorn group/ did naught, except for gain./ Giving only to those who gave/was how he played the game.// Their logs held tight in death’s still hand,/ were proof of human sin./ They did not die from the cold without./ They died from the cold within.// — Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus went far beyond the prejudice of his people about the pagan Canaanites, bringing healing and salvation to everyone. (James Patrick Kenny;quoted by Fr. Botelho).(https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
19)Gentlemen and Gentile Woman: A gentleman was boasting about the superiority of Catholicism and the holiness of his priests to a Hindu and Muslim friend. Debating at the crossroads they spied a sadhu going into a brothel. “Saw that?” sneered the Catholic. “Our priests won’t be seen there!” Minutes later, a Mullah covered his face with his shawl and entered the brothel too. The Catholic remarked, “Ah, ha, Mullahs are no better than sadhus!” Just then the parish priest also slyly entered the brothel. The Catholic sighed sanctimoniously, “I wonder which of those girls is sick and in need of Sacraments!” — Strangely, “we” are always holier than “they” just as Pharisees in Jesus’ time claimed superiority over Gentiles. (Francis Gonsalves in Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
20)Let go and…As he lay on his hospital bed in Melbourne, an Australian Marist Brother told his gathered friends the story of his spirituality. It came from watching trapeze artists performing in a circus a few years ago. Trapeze artists are those who perform in a circus with swings. It is an air-borne performance. One of the artists had explained to him, “As a flyer I must have complete trust in my catcher, He has to be there for me with split–second precision and grab me out of the air as I come to him in the long jump.” The artist explained that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. When the artist flies, he has simply to stretch out his arms and hands and wait for him to catch him and pull him safely over the apron behind the catcher. The flyer should actually do nothing. The worst thing the flyer can do is to try to catch the catcher. The flyer is not supposed to catch the catcher. If the flyer grabbed the catcher’s wrists, he might break them, or the catcher might break the flyer’s wrists, and that would be the end of them both. A flyer has to fly and the catcher has to catch, and the flyer has to trust with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him. — This is the trust we should have in Jesus, and the woman in today’s story demonstrated such a faith. L/26
You may visit my website by clicking on http://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.” Kindly visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies under CBCI or Fr. Tony for my website version. (Special thanks to Vatican official website http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020) My post-retirement contact postal address in the U. S. is Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. M. C. Joseph, Pastor St. Agatha Catholic Parish 1001 Hand Ave, Bay Minette, AL 36507 36507. Contact me by email only atakadavil@gmail.com.I am back at my home in my home country since June 2023.I live in my home in my home country since my final retirement in June 2023. Hence please contact me only by email (akadavil@gmail.com).
Aug 3-8: Aug 3 Monday: Matthew 14:22-36: 22 Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately he spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; 30 but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” 34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent round to all that region and brought to him all that were sick, 36 and begged him that they might only touch the fring of his garment; and as many as touhed it were made well.
Historical note: Today the Church celebrates the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral Church of Rome by Pope Sylvester I (AD 314-335), in AD 324. This Church serves as the Episcopal seat of the Pope as the Bishop of Rome and, hence, is called “the Mother and Head of all Churches of Rome and the world.”
The basilica and baptistery were built originally by the Emperor Constantine and called Basilica Constantinia. Later it was named the Arch-Basilica of the Most Holy Savior. However, it is now called St. Johns Lateran Basilica because it was built on property donated to the Church by the Laterani family, and because the monks from the monastery of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Divine served it. The name St. Johns comes, first, from the Baptistery, rebuilt after its hard treatment by the Visigoths (AD 410), by Pope St. Sixtus II (AD 432-440), and dedicated by him to St. John the Baptist. Later, Pope St. Hilary (AD 461-468), dedicated it to St. John the Evangelist, in thanksgiving to that apostle for saving his life. [Richard P. McBrien, Lives
of the Popes (San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997), pp.
58-58, 71-72, 77-78.]. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
The context: The event presented by today’s Gospel is the scene immediately following Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. Sensing the danger of having the people make him leader of a revolt, Jesus had promptly instructed his apostles to leave the place by boat and, after dispersing the crowd, went alone to the mountain to pray.
A double miracle on the sea: When the apostles in the boat were several furlongs away from the shore, they faced an unexpected storm on the sea caused by the hot wind of the desert rushing into the Sea of Galilee through the gaps in the Golan Heights. Recognizing the danger, Jesus walked on the stormy waters toward the boat. Jesus calmed the frightened disciples as He approached the boat, allowed Peter to do a trial walk on water, then saved the apostle from drowning when he panicked and called to Jesus for help. As soon as Jesus brought Peter into the boat the storm ceased miraculously. The apostles recognized the presence of God in their midst, and they all worshipped Jesus.
Life messages: 1) Let us approach Jesus with strong Faith in his ability and willing availability to calm the storms in our lives and in the life of the Church. Church History shows us how Jesus saved his Church from storms of persecution in the first three centuries, storms of heresies in the fifth and sixth centuries, storms of moral degradation and the Protestant reformation movement in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and storms of sex abuse scandals of the clergy in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 2) Let us ask Jesus to protect us when we face storms of strong temptations, storms of doubts about our religious beliefs, and storms of fear, anxiety, and worries about the future, as in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, in our personal lives. 3) Experiencing Jesus’ presence in our lives, let us confess our Faith in him and call out for his help and protection. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)L/26
1 Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.” 10He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand. 11It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man;but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.” 12 Then his disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” 13He said in reply, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man leads a blind man,both will fall into a pit.”
Catholic Bible Commentary & Context
· The Tradition of the Elders (vv. 1-2): Scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem challenge Jesus because His disciples eat without performing the ritual washing of hands. In Catholic tradition, this criticism highlights a fundamental conflict: the Pharisees elevated their man-made customs and oral traditions to the level of divine law, while Jesus championed the actual commandments of God. [
· True
Defilement (vv. 10-11):Jesus
explains to the crowd that “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a
person, but it is what comes out of the mouth”. According to theIgnatius
Catholic Study Bible, this signifies an essential turning point in
salvation history. Jesus is beginning to abrogate the dietary laws of the Old
Testament (Leviticus 11), shifting the focus from external ritual purity to
internal moral purity
· Blind
Guides (vv. 12-14):When
the disciples point out that the Pharisees are offended, Jesus dismisses their
opposition. Catholic commentary notes that this recalls the warning in the
Prophets (e.g., Isaiah 9:16) regarding leaders whose false teachings lead
others to spiritual ruin. The “blind leading the blind” refers to legalistic religious leaders who have lost
sight of God’s mercy and justice, leading both themselves and their followers
to destruction (the “pit”).
Mt 15:21-28: 21And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon." 23But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples cameHim, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us." 24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel 25 But she came and knelt before Him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 And He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 27She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." [28] 28Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.
The Context: Jesus withdrew to Tyre and Sidon both to escape persecution by Herod and by the Jewish authorities and to concentrate on training His Apostles. Tyre and Sidon were Mediterranean coastal cities in Lebanon, outside the territory of Herod Antipas. Jesus and His disciples traveled about 40 miles on foot to this district. The people there were said to have been descendants of Cain, the son of Adam and Eve who killed his brother, Abel, and was banished. He and his descendants settled in the area of Tyre and Sidon and were not heirs to the Faith given through Abraham, Moses and the prophets, making them Gentiles. The Event: Today’s Gospel episode speaks of the expansive and universal nature of the “Kingdom of God,” in contrast with the theory that salvation was offered first to the Jews and through them alone to the rest of the world. In fact, God included all nations in His plan for salvation and blessed all the families of the earth in Abraham (Gn 17:1-5). In today’s Gospel episode, Jesus demonstrates that salvation was meant for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews by healing the daughter of a Gentile woman as a reward for her strong, trusting Faith, unwavering trust, perseverance, wit, and humility. Thus, Jesus shows that God’s mercy and love are available to all who call out to Him in Faith.
Life messages:1) We need to persist in prayer with trustful confidence. Although the essential parts of prayer are adoration, praise, thanksgiving, and contrition, the prayer of petition plays a big part in our daily lives. Christ Himself has told us to ask him for these needs: “Ask and you shall receive.” Asking with fervor and perseverance proves that we have the “great Faith” we need to receive what Christ wants to grant us in response to our requests. We must realize and remember that we do not always get exactly what we ask for. Rather, God gives us what He knows we really need, what He wants for us, and what is really best for us. If our prayer is sincere and persevering, we will always get an answer — one which is better than what we asked for.
2) We need to pull down our walls of separation and share in the universality of God’s love: Very often we set up walls which separate us from God and from one another. Today’s Gospel reminds us that God’s love and mercy are extended to all who call on Him in Faith and trust, no matter who they are. It is therefore fitting that we should pray and work sincerely so that the walls which our pride, intolerance, fear, and prejudice have raised may crumble. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
Mt 17:1-9:1After six days, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. 3 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9 And as they were coming down the Mountain, Jesus commanded them, “tell no one the vision, until theSon of man is raised from the dead.” USCCB video reflections:https://youtu.be/BwQJBFi_mTw
The context: Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ Transfiguration during prayer on a mountain. It invites us to welcome the transformation of our lives caused by the Holy Spirit and to radiate the grace of the transfigured Lord around us by our Spirit-filled lives. The primary purpose of Jesus’ Transfiguration was to consult his Heavenly Father and to ascertain His plan for Our Lord’s suffering, death and Resurrection. The secondary aim was to make his chosen disciples aware of his Divine glory so that they might discard the worldly ambitions underlying their notions of a conquering political Messiahand remain faithful to him during his trial and the execution which would follow. The location of the Transfiguration was probably Mount Hermon in North Galilee, near Caesarea Philippi.
The event: While praying, Jesus was transformed into a shining figure clothed with heavenly glory. Representing the Lawand the Prophets, Moses, the great Lawgiver, and Elijah, the great prophet, appeared, speaking with Jesus in His glory. These representatives of the Law and the Prophets, in their lives on earth, foreshadowed Jesus who is the culmination of the Law and the Prophets. Then “a bright Cloud overshadowed them, and a Voice from the Cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.’”God revealed Jesus as His Son — His beloved — the one in whom He is well pleased and to whom we must listen.
Life messages: (1) The transfiguration by transubstantiation in the Holy Mass is the source of our strength. In the Holy Mass, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus. Hence, just as the Transfiguration of Jesus was meant to strengthen the apostles in their time of trial, each Holy Mass should be our source of Heavenly strength against our own temptations, and a source of renewal for our lives. In addition, each Holy Communion should transform us both internally and externally. 2) God gives us a message of Hope in Jesus’ Transfiguration. In moments of doubt, despair, and helplessness, Jesus’ Transfiguration reminds us of our own coming transfiguration in Heaven, and helps us to reach out to God to hear again His consoling words, “This is my beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased.” (Fr. Tony) L/26 For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video;https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections
Aug 7 Friday: St, Sixtus II, Pope and Companion Martyrs;https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/saints/saints-stories-for-all-ages/saint-sixtus-ii-and-companions/ St. Cajetan, Priest:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-cajetan/Mt 16:24-28: 24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? 27For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done. 28Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”
The context: After Peter made his famous declaration of Faith in Jesus as God and Messiah, Jesus plainly warned his disciples about his approaching suffering, death and Resurrection. But the apostles were unwilling to accept such a fate for their Master. Peter even took Jesus aside and prayed, “God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to you!” It was after Peter’s protest (and Jesus abrupt response), that Jesus declared the three conditions of the discipleship which he expects from his followers. We hear them in today’s Gospel.
Conditions of Christian discipleship one’s heart of all bad habits and evil tendencies and evicting the self, with its selfish thoughts and desires from the center of one’s heart. It also means enthroning God in one’s cleansed heart and surrendering one’s life to God’s service by serving others.
Carrying the cross means willingly accepting the pain involved in serving others sacrificially. It also means spending our time, talents, wealth, and health for others until it hurts us. Cross-bearing is also our sacrificial sharing of God’s blessings with others. Further, it includes our doing penance to make reparation for our sins and to grow in self-control. Carrying one’s cross becomes easier and more meritorious when we accept life’s crosses as loving, healing gifts given by a loving Father. The comparison of our light crosses with the heavy crosses given to others should make us grateful. Finally, we should carry our crosses, praying for Heavenly strength, rather than trusting only in our own strength
“Follow Me” means the disciple should be ever ready to obey as Jesus directs him or her through his words in the Bible and through the teaching authority he instituted in the Church.
Life message: We need to love the cross, wear the cross, and transform the God-given crosses of our life into the instruments of our salvation by working with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
Mt 17: 14-20:14 And when they came to the crowd, a man Mt 14: Nt came up to him and kneeling before him said, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”
The context: When Jesus came down from the mountain of the Transfiguration along with Peter, John, and James, the father of an epileptic son knelt before Jesus and asked Jesus to heal his son. The father’s complaint was that the other nine disciples of Jesus waiting for their master to come down from the mountain could not heal the boy.
The healing: After expressing impatience with the crowd for their lack of Faith, Jesus rebuked the demon and cast him out of the boy. Later when the apostles asked Jesus why they had been unable to do the same, although they had been given the power of exorcism, Jesus pointed out their lack of Faith. Jesus said further that even a small amount of Faith would enable them to do great things. “Moving mountains”was a Jewish phrase meaning that God can remove all difficulties for one who places trusting Faith in Him.
Life message: We will be able to solve our problems and many of the problems of our fellow-human beings if we place our trusting Faith in God’s power and goodness and ask for His strengthening in prayer. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
OT XIX [A] (Aug 9th)Sunday Homily (8-minute homily in one page)
Introduction: The readings for this week speak of God’s saving presence among His people, our need for trusting Faith in our loving and providing God Who always keeps us company, and our need for prayer in storms of life. (You may add an Anecdote).
Scripture lessons: The first reading shows us how Elijah the prophet who had defeated the 450 false priests of Baal with the help of just such a trusting Faith in the power of Yahweh, fled to the Lord God for help and strength on Mt Horeb, and encountered Him there in His mercy. In the second reading, Paul, addressing, the Romans laments and mourns over the Jews who, having lost their Faith in Yahweh and His prophets, had rejected their promised Messiah, Jesus. Paul tells us later (11:7-24), that God’s plan allowed the Jews to reject Jesus so that a few believers, like Paul, would be free to carry the Good News outside Judaism, evangelizing the Gentiles. The Gospel episode occurred during an unexpected storm on the Sea of Galilee in the early morning hours. As Jesus approached the apostles, miraculously walking on water, he allayed their fears by telling them, “It is I.” The Gospel episode also explainshow Peter lost his trusting Faith in Jesus for a few seconds, and failed his attempt to walk on water, but was rescued when he called on Jesus for help.
Life messages: 1) We all need to call Jesus in the storms facing us in the Church and in our lives. Let us approach Jesus with strong Faith in his ability and willing availability to calm the storms in the life of the Church and in our own lives. Church history shows us how Jesus saved his Church from the storms of persecution in the first three centuries, from the storms of heresies in the 5th and 6th centuries, from the storms of moral degradation and the Protestant reformation movement (later resulting in hundreds of denominations), in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and the storms of sex abuse scandals of the clergy in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. We need to realize that it is the presence of Jesus which gives us peace even in the wildest storms of life: the storms of anxiety and worries about the future we suffered during the Corona Virus Pandemic (Covid-19), storms of sorrow, storms of doubt, tension and uncertainty, storms of anger and despair, storms of temptations, and storms in family relationships. But this peace flows only from a personal relationship with God, with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit enhanced through prayer, meditative reading of Scripture, active participation in the Holy Mass and reception of the Sacraments when these are available to us.
2) We need to imitate the short prayer of sinking Peter: We are expected to pray to God every day with trusting Faith for strengthening our personal relationship with Him and for acknowledging our dependence on Him. But when we have no time or mental energy for formal prayers, let us use the short prayers in the Gospels like Peter’s prayer: “Lord, save me!” or the prayer of the mother of the possessed girl: “Lord, help me!” or the blind man’s prayer: “Son of David, have mercy on me!” or the repentant sinner’s prayer: “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner!” We get plenty of time during our travels to say the short prayers like the “Our Father”,“Hail Mary” and “Glory be….” We can begin every day by offering all our day’s activities to God and asking for His grace to do His will; then we can conclude every day before we go to sleep, by asking God’s pardon and forgiveness for our sins. Keeping a Bible on our table will encourage us to read at least a few words of the Bible and thus listen to what God is telling us to do.
Homily starter anecdotes 1):An old story about trustful Faith: In the middle of a dark winter’s night in a small Midwest farming community, the two-story home of a young family caught fire. Quickly, parents and children followed their well-practiced emergency plan and made their way through the smoke-filled home out into the front yard. There the father quickly counted heads and realized that their 5-year-old son was not among them. Suddenly he heard a wail and looked up to see the boy at his bedroom window, crying and rubbing his eyes. Knowing the danger of reentering the house to rescue his son, the father called, “Jump, Son! I’ll catch you!” Between sobs, the boy responded to the voice he knew so well. “But I can’t see you, Daddy!” The father answered with great assurance. “No, Son, you can’t see me, but I can see you! Jump!” At that, the boy jumped into the smoky darkness and found himself safely cradled in his father’s arms. Our Scripture readings for today are about trusting – about having Faith – about being able to discern the fact that our God is always with us, even in storms of life. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2):Elizabeth Blackwell walked on water: (https://youtu.be/dLKDMe52O3c) For Elizabeth Blackwell “walking on water” meant something entirely different. Elizabeth Blackwell was born on February 3, 1821, in Bristol, England. As a girl, she moved with her family to the United States, where she first worked as a teacher. Elizabeth wanted to become a doctor in the 1840s. At the time, medical schools were only for men. Elizabeth Blackwell had to fight just to get in. Finally, at one school, Geneva College of Medicine in New York, the students voted to let her in as a joke. But the head of the school didn’t know it was supposed to be a joke, and he let her in. When she got there, the students made fun of her. They refused to share their notes with her. Some professors tried to keep her out of their classes. She refused to give up. In 1849, she graduated at the head of her class. When no hospital would allow her to practice, she opened her own hospital. Then she opened a medical school to train women. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Blackwell) Elizabeth Blackwell courageously got out of the boat and walked on the roaring waters of opposition and gender discrimination in the medical profession. Today’s Gospel tells us how Peter the apostle tried to walk on water and failed because he turned from looking at Jesus, saw the water and panicked, shouting for help. Jesus grabbed him and they got into the boat together. Only then did Jesus call him, tenderly, ”O you of little faith!” (https://youtu.be/j-Vpxb6A6XI). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) Fr. Tony(https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4) Joni survived the storm in her life: (https://youtu.be/4fzY0uj9q6k) Mark Link tells the inspiring story of a 17-year-old girl named Joni Eareckson, who like all teenagers her age was full of vitality, vigor and promise. Her favorite sport was horse-back riding, and in every completion her performance was so very impressive that her prospects for the future kept rising both noticeably and dramatically. One hot afternoon in July, Joni went for a swim in Chesapeake Bay and there tragedy struck. On one particular dive, she sustained such a severe injury to her head that she was instantly knocked unconscious and rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. And there the worst fears of her loved ones were confirmed. Joni would be a quadriplegic for the rest of her life. The months ahead were an absolute nightmare, with just no light at the end of the tunnel. The once graceful rider, who delighted crowds with her performances, would lie strapped to a Stryker frame. And for much of her time she would lie with her face down, looking at nothing but the floor. That is when she had a spiritual experience. As Joni lay strapped in her Stryker frame, she thought of Jesus nailed to the cross. He was God, yet He was totally powerless and helpless. And she adds, “I pictured Jesus standing by my Stryker frame and saying to me, “Don’t lose heart, Joni, for I am with you and will help you to achieve the impossible.” Even as she lay there a curious thought crossed Joni’s mind. She could attempt painting if she could hold a painting brush between her teeth. And that is precisely what she did- so successfully and admirably that she is author of two best-sellers –one being autobiographical and entitled Joni –and has played the lead role in a movie of her own life. This inspiring story aptly demonstrates what God can do in one’s life if one surrenders to Him and allows Him to act. This precisely is what Joni did in her absolute helplessness. But with Faith in the Almighty Power and the never-failing help of the Lord Jesus, she was able to achieve the impossible. [J. Valladares in Your Words O Lord, are Spirit, and They Are Life (https://youtu.be/WiygoMpCNms)] (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
Introduction: The readings for this week speak of God’s saving presence for His people and the need for trusting Faith in our loving and providing God Who always keeps us company. The first reading tells us of how Elijah the prophet who had defeated the 450 false priests of Baal with the help of just such a trusting Faith in the power of Yahweh (then had to flee Queen Jezebel’s henchmen for his life), encountered the Lord God on Mt. Horeb. In the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 85), the Psalmist assures us, “Near indeed is His Salvation to those who fear Him, glory dwelling in our land.” In the second reading, Paul laments and mourns over the Jews who, having lost their Faith in Yahweh and His prophets, had rejected their promised Messiah, Jesus. The Gospel episode explains how Peter. for a few seconds, lost his trusting Faith in Jesus and, so, failed his attempt to walk on water, but was rescued when he called on Jesus for help.
The first reading (1 Kg 19:9, 11-13) explained: After Solomon’s death (922 BC), the northern tribes broke away from Judah, from its priests and from the Temple in Jerusalem. They formed an independent country they called Israel, centered in the city of Samaria. As years rolled by, many of these Jews lost their Faith in Yahweh. Their seventh king Ahab (869-850 BC) married Jezebel, the daughter of the pagan king of Tyre. He allowed her to build a temple for her god Baal, then encouraged, and himself took part in, idol-worship and immorality. The prophet Elijah was sent by Yahweh to Israel to bring His people back to true worship. Elijah’s trusting Faith in the power and presence of Yahweh enabled him to defeat and execute the 450 pagan priests of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs. 18:16-40). Consequently, Queen Jezebel sent murderous henchmen after the prophet. Elijah, sustained by food provided by God through an angel, fled for forty days and nights. He finally reached Horeb, the mountain where God had earlier established His covenant with Israel under Moses. Elijah might have expected a spectacular miracle from God to protect and vindicate him, or an appearance of God with great power in thunder and lightning to bolster his Faith, like the one Moses had been granted on that very spot (Exodus 19:16-19). However, the presence of God was not in the spectacles of thunder, earthquake or fire but in “a tiny whispering sound.” Elijah acknowledged God’s presence by covering his face and coming out of the cave where he had taken shelter. He was content with God’s quiet sign of His presence, and was consoled, trusting that his God was helping and protecting him. Like Elijah, we can miss God’s presence by limiting our experience of Him to certain places and persons and forgetting that He is everywhere. The first reading reminds us that we have to experience God’s presence in our lives and listen carefully to everything going on around us, because we encounter God in insignificant as well as spectacular events. Both failure and success, however, equally offer us the opportunity for growth in trusting Faith in a loving and providing God.
The second reading (Rom 9:1-5) explained: In the first eight chapters of his letter to the Romans, Paul describes the blessings which Christ, that is, the Messiah, of God, as the fulfillment of “the Law and the prophets,” brought to mankind. Deeply moved, Paul (in today’s second reading), cries out in passionate grief for his countrymen, the Jews, because as a nation they have refused to see Christ as the Messiah promised to them by God through their patriarchs and prophets. Thus, though still His Chosen People, the Israelites have not been the ones to bring the Messiah to the world and the world to the Messiah in the present form of the Kingdom of God on Earth, which is filled with Gentile converts as well as some Jewish converts. Paul tells us later (11: 7-24), that God’s plan allowed for the Jews’ rejection of Jesus; He supplied a few of the Chosen People who became believers in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. (like Saul of Tarsus, the Pharisee who became Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles), to carry the Good News outside Judaism and to evangelize the Gentiles. The result would be the salvation of the whole world and the reconciliation of the Jews and the Gentiles – blessings, an even greater event and process than the election of Israel still in suspension. Thus, the ancient promise of God to Abraham would not go unfulfilled. Our first reaction should be a fervent “Thank You, God!” for the true Faith we have received and embraced. Our second thought should be to ask the good God, with trusting Faith, to send the light of Faith to the descendants of Abraham, and to re-light it among those Gentiles who have extinguished it. It is not enough for a true Christian that he should live his own life according to the laws of Christ. True charity demands that he be seriously interested in the spiritual welfare of his neighbors. Paul knew that Jesus suffered and died for all humanity – past, present and future. Christ’s redemptive mission thus, was redemptive suffering. So, when we offer our own sufferings to Christ then they, too, somehow become redemptive for others. Herein lies the power of our intercessory prayer. Through the Church (the Body of Christ), all who suffer – whether Christian or not – are embraced by Christ who makes their suffering his own. As Pope John Paul II taught, in that unity of suffering with Christ, even the suffering of non-Christians is somehow contributing to the world’s redemption (Salvifici Doloris, 24).
Gospel exegesis:The context: Today’s lesson, the account of Jesus’ walking on the Sea of Galilee, is one of the best-known passages in the New Testament. It forms a narrative bridge between the Jewish and Gentile portions of Jesus’ ministry, as well as giving us a theologically rich story about Jesus in its own right. In Matthew’s Gospel, the story follows the rejection of Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth (13:54-58), the death of John the Baptist (14:1-12), and the feeding of the five thousand (14:13-21). It precedes the account of his healing of the sick at Gennesaret (14:34-36) and his confrontation with the Jewish authorities over the nature of tradition (15:1-9). In addition to being a collection of miracle stories (feeding, walking, healing), the stories also form a complex of narratives which, when taken together, speak about both those who recognized in Jesus the One promised by Israel’s religious tradition and those whose doubts or vested interests had blinded them to the miraculous power in their midst. “In Matthew’s inspired theology, the Divine Presence in human history unfolds in three stages: (1) God forms the people of Israel and remains with them in good times and bad; (2) in fulfillment of the Divine promise transmitted by the prophets, Jesus, the Messiah and Incarnate Son of God, is present among his people as their savior; (3) in these last days, the Risen Lord, through his disciples, is present to extend his saving mission beyond his particular historical time and land to all nations.” The one constant in the drama of the Divine Presence in history is the necessity of human response to the saving presence with total trust. (Campion P. Gavaler, O.S.B.)
The challenge of trusting Faith: Jesus’ walking on the water follows the miraculous feeding in Matthew, Mark, and John. However, the account of Peter’s walking on the water is found only in Matthew. Thus, Matthew’s retelling of this event also says something about Peter and his Faith. While we might emphasize Peter’s fear, his sinking and his “little” Faith, we need to look also at his leap of Faith. Peter represents all who dare to believe that Jesus is Savior, take their first steps in confidence that Jesus is able to sustain them, and then forget to keep their gaze fixed on him when they face storms of temptations. From the depth of crisis, however, they remember to call on the Savior, and they experience the total sufficiency of his grace to meet their needs. It is this type of the “little Faith” of Peter which Jesus later identifies as the rock on which he will build his Church. The only Faith Jesus expects of his followers is a Faith which concentrates solely on Him. In other words, when we simply heed Our Lord, we can do great things. So, with His grace, we have to raise our awareness of God’s presence in our lives. As we become more aware, we will step out and proclaim that presence, even in surprising places.
Assertion of Christ’s Divinity: Since there are number of passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that speak of God walking on the sea (e.g., Job 9:8; Hb 3:15; Ps 77:19), it has been argued that this is a theophany: Jesus revealing Himself to his disciples as God by proving his mastery over the sea, considered by the ancients to be an unruly chaos inhabited by evil spirits. In Jewish folklore, only God could walk on the water, but human beings cannot see God and live. Therefore, if a person thinks he sees someone walking on the water, it must be a ghost! Besides, there was also a superstition that there were monsters at the bottom of the Sea of Galilee and likely that played into their alarm as well. And the way to get rid of ghosts is to shout and scream. This is exactly what the disciples did until Jesus told them, “Take courage; it is I.” Then those in the boat worshipped Jesus and proclaimed him to be truly the Son of God. There are aspects of this story that suggest a post-Easter event described in John 21:1-14, where the risen Jesus is at first unrecognized. Then, when the disciples know who he is, Peter jumps out of the boat and swims to Jesus. When the disciples get to shore, Jesus takes bread and fish – the same elements that appear in the feeding story before our text (Mt 14:13-21) – and gives them a meal. The only other occurrence of the disciples’ worshiping Jesus takes place on the mountain after the resurrection (Mt 28:17).
Assurance of hope in the midst of persecutions: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew recorded his Gospel after Peter was crucified, when the Christians were being persecuted. The two storm stories address issues of danger, fear, and Faith. In both stories, the boat seems to represent the Church, buffeted by temptations, trials,and persecutions. In both, Jesus appears as the Church’s champion, strong to save those who call on him in Faith. The recounting of this episode probably brought great comfort to the early Christians, especially those of Matthew’s Faith community. For it offered them the assurance that Christ would save them even if they had to die for their Faith in him, and that, even in the midst of persecution, they need not fear because Jesus was present with them. The episode offers the same reassurance to us in times of illness, death, persecution, or other troubles. It teaches us that adversity is not a sign of God’s displeasure, nor prosperity a sign of His pleasure, that illness is not a sign of inadequate Faith, nor health a sign of great Faith. Paradoxically, the storms of life can be a means of blessing. When things are going badly, our hearts are more receptive to Jesus. A broken heart is often a door through which Christ can find entry. He still comes to us in the midst of our troubles, saying, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” If we permit the chaos and evil around us to distract and influence us, then we will sink into the very chaos that we fear! On the other hand, if we keep our focus on the Source of our safety, our salvation, the One to whom we call out to save us, then the winds die down, and we are once again content in the Presence of the Lord. This is the way we increase or sustain our Faith: by never doubting that the Presence of the Lord is with us every single moment of our lives! Our Catechism reminds us that when we cry out “Lord!” we express our recognition of the Divine Mystery of Jesus., and also show our respect and trust in the One we approach for help and healing (CCC #448).
Life messages:1) We need to call Jesus in the storms facing the Church and our lives. Let us approach Jesus with strong Faith in his ability and willing availability to calm the storms in the life of the Church and in our lives. Church history shows us how Jesus saved his Church from the storms of persecution in the first three centuries, from the storms of heresies in the 5th and 6th centuries, from the storms of moral degradation and the Protestant reformation movement in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and from the storms of sex abuse scandals of the clergy in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It is the presence of Jesus which gives us peace even in the wildest storms of life: the storms of anxiety and worriy about the future we suffered during the Corona Virus Pandemic (Covid-19), storms of sorrow, storms of doubt, tension and uncertainty, storms of anxiety and worries, storms of anger and despair, storms of temptations. Storms reveal to us our inability to save ourselves and point us to the Infinite ability and eagerness of God to save us. When Jesus shows up in our life’s storms, we find that we gain strength to do the seemingly impossible. For example, when Jesus shows up, he makes marriages out of mistakes, he invigorates, restores, and empowers us to reach the unreachable, to cross the un-crossable. Storms let us know that without him we can do nothing, without him we are doomed to fail. Yet, when Jesus shows up, we gain the strength to join Paul, saying, “In Christ I can do all things.” But this demands a personal relationship with God, with Jesus, enhanced through prayer, meditative study of Scripture and an active Sacramental life. Experiencing Jesus’ presence in our lives, let us confess our Faith in him and call out for his help and protection always.
2) We need to imitate the short prayer of sinking Peter: We are expected to pray to God every day with trusting Faith for the strengthening of our personal relationship with Him and for the courage and humility to acknowledge our complete dependence on Him for everything. But when we have no time or mental energy for formal prayers, let us use the short prayers in the Gospels, like Peter’s prayer: “Lord, save me!” or the prayer of the mother of the possessed girl: “Lord, help me!” or the blind man’s prayer: “Son of David, have mercy on me!” or the sinner’s prayer: “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner!” We get plenty of time during our travels to say the short prayers like the “Our Father”, “Hail Mary” and “Glory be….” We may begin every day offering all our day’s activities to God and asking for His grace to do His will and we may conclude every day before we go to sleep, by asking God’s pardon and forgiveness for our sins. Keeping a Bible on our table will encourage us to read at least a few words of the Bible and thus listen to what God is saying to us.
3) We should not limit God’s saving presence: There are those who would limit God’s presence for their own comfort or security or to keep themselves in power. In years past there were those who would deny God’s presence in slaves. There have been those who would ignore God’s presence in their enemies. There are those who would refuse to believe that God is present in the murderer sitting on death row, in those who are marginalized by our society: the gay person, the addict, the person living with AIDS, the gambler, the prostitute, the illegal alien, the handicapped, to name but a few. It is in situations like these that we have to get out of the boat, surprise others, and show them the reflection of God in such people. Let us always look for ways to be surprised by our God and opportunities to wake one another up to the beauty, the power and the nearness of our loving, providing and protecting God. Let us also pray for a deepening of God’s gift of Faith within us, that we may be able to recognize Him in the ordinary situations of our lives, and humbly pray to Him saying, “Lord, let us see Your kindness, and grant us Your salvation.”
# 1: Familiar story. In one of his books, Mark Twain recalls a visit to the Holy Land and a stay in Capernaum. It was a moonlit night, so he decided to take his wife on a romantic boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Twain asked a man in a rowboat how much he would charge to take them out on the water. The man saw Twain’s white suit, white shoes and white hat and supposed he was a rich Texan. So, he said the cost would be twenty-five dollars. Twain walked away as he said, “Now I know why Jesus walked on water.”
2) Ministers walking on water! There’s an old joke about three pastor friends who are on a beach together. The first, a Catholic priest gets up from his beach towel and walks about a quarter mile out to a raft in the ocean. The second, a Protestant minister, does the same. The third, a rabbi, the newcomer in the group, gets up and walks toward the raft to join his colleagues. Suddenly he finds himself underwater. The priest turns to the minister and says, “Didn’t you show him where the rocks are?”
3) “Have Faith my child”: For the umpteenth time Mrs. Youngston came to her pastor to tell him, “I’m so scared! Joe says he’s going to kill me if I continue to come to your Church.” “Yes, yes, my child,” replied the pastor, more than a little tired of hearing this over and over. “I will continue to pray for you, Mrs. Youngston. Have Faith – the Lord will watch over you.” “Oh yes, He has kept me safe thus far, only…..” “Only what, my child?” “Well, now Joe says if I keep coming to your church, he’s going to kill YOU!” “Well, now,” said the pastor, “Perhaps it’s time for you to check out that little parish on the other side of town.”
4) A priest of little Faith and big ambitions: A Jewish rabbi and his friend a Catholic priest were traveling together in a train and it being a long journey they started to talk.
Rabbi : So what’s your next move, padre?
Priest : Well, if I’m lucky I might get a parish of my own
Rabbi : And then?
Priest : Well perhaps I’ll be made a Monsignor and maybe even a Bishop!
Rabbi : And after that?
Priest : Well I suppose, it’s just possible that I could become a Cardinal
Rabbi : Yes, and what after that?
Priest : Well, it’s ridiculous to think about it. But I suppose I could become Pope!
Rabbi : And then?
Priest : Well that’s it, Pope! There’s only God after that.
Rabbi : Well, you never know. After all one of our Jewish boys from Nazareth, made it! (Source: Jewish Jokes “with no blasphemy intended”)
25- Additional anecdotes:
1) Called or Not, God is Present.Above the office door of the Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung (1875-1961), hung a stone plaque inscribed with the words: “Called or Not, God is Present.” Jung’s sign encapsulated in a few words what the joint testaments of Judaism and Christianity have put forth in hundreds of thousands of words for centuries, viz., that the Transcendent Almighty God chooses to be with humankind, to commune with us, to love and move among us, to be near, to abide, to be present whether called or not, in peace, as well as in panic. The real question is not, “Is God absent from us?” Rather the real question is: “Are we absent from God?” This Sunday’s first reading relates the experience of the prophet Elijah who sought and realized the presence of God in the peaceful silence of Horeb (Sinai). Peter and the disciples (Gospel) experienced the presence of God in the person of Jesus whose power over the sea calmed their panic and fostered their Faith. Paul, in the second reading, taken from Romans, lamented the fact that not all of his fellow Israelites had come to know the saving presence of God as he had, on the road to Damascus. (Patricia Datchuck Sánchez)
2) There seems to be no limit to our fears. In a Peanuts cartoon strip Charlie Brown goes to Lucy for a nickel’s worth of psychiatric help. She proceeds to pinpoint his particular fear. “Perhaps,” she says, “you have hypengyophobia,” (the fear of responsibility). Charlie Brown says, ““No.”“Well, perhaps you have ailurophobia,” (the fear of cats). “No.” “Well, maybe you have climacophobia,” (the fear of staircases). ”No.” Exasperated, Lucy says, “Well, maybe you have pantophobia,” (the fear of everything). “Yes,” says Charlie, “that’s the one!’ –Sometimes we feel we are afraid of everything. We are tossed by storms of fear. We are afraid of ourselves. We are afraid of people. We are afraid of the future. We are afraid of our past. We are afraid of life. We are afraid of death. Peter knew that the Lord could sustain him, even in the midst of the storm, when there was nothing but uncertainty, and He did. He will always take care of us, too, if we will allow Him to do so, and recognize Him when He comes to us in other people! But I want you to know that Faith is a risk-taking enterprise.
3)“I have Faith in the Lord, and He will save me.” (A story about presumptuous Faith). A man named Smith climbed upon the roof of his riverside house during a flood, confident that his God would save him miraculously. When the flood waters had covered his feet a neighbor in his canoe paddled past and shouted, “Can I give you a lift to a higher ground?” “No, thanks,” said Smith. “I have Faith in the Lord and He will save me.” Soon the water had risen to Smith’s waist. At this point a motor-boat pulled up and someone invited him to get into the boat and escape. But Mr. Smith adamantly refused the offer declaring his Faith in the saving power of his God. Later when Smith was standing on the roof with water up to his neck somebody from a helicopter dropped a rope and the pilot yelled at him, “Grab the rope before the water currents push you down.”“No, thanks,” said Smith. “I have Faith in the Lord and He will save me.” But after a while Mr. Smith lost his grip on the roof, fought for his life for a time and finally drowned. As he arrived at the Pearly Gates, he met God and launched a complaint about this turn of events. “Tell me, Lord,” he said, “I had such Faith in You to save me and You let me down. Why? That was not fair!.” The Lord replied, “What did you expect Me to do? I sent a canoe, a motor-boat and a helicopter to save you!”
4)“Stop!”: A woman is walking down the street when she hears a voice shout, “Stop!” And she stops, and a piece of metal falls from space just in front of her–perhaps debris from a satellite. If she had gone one step farther, she would have been killed. She looks around to find the person who saved her life and sees no one. A few days later she is about to cross a street and she hears the same voice boom, “Stop!” And a car, out of control, zooms by in front of her — missing her by inches. She looks around again for the source of the strange but life-saving voice. She sees no one, but this time she hears a voice. “Do you know who I am?” the voice asks. “No, I don’t,” she answers. “I am your guardian angel,” says the voice. “I am here to protect you from harm.” Instead of voicing her gratitude, the woman was indignant. “There’s just one thing I want to know,” she said, “Where were you when I got married?” — All of us take risks. We would never have anything if we did not. No new relationships would be formed. No new businesses would be started. No new homes would be built. Helen Keller got it right when she said, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky put it this way, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” Mark Twain waxed poetic when he wrote: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Today’s Gospel describes how Peter takes a risk by stepping into the sea to walk upon water.
5) What is one doing but walking on water? I’ll bet every one of us this morning can think of some remarkable water-walkers we have known. We all have watched simple, straight-forward, hard-working men and women, little toddlers and tormented teens, the shut-in elders and the shut-out homeless, perform acts in their lives that defy the limitations of the world in which they live. The chemotherapy patient who gets out of bed, puts on clean clothes and picks up around the house, before going for treatment . . . What is one doing but walking on water? The homeless woman who sleeps in a box, gleans food from dumpsters, but still smiles a greeting and laughs at a joke . . . What is she doing but walking on water? The single parent, overworked, overwhelmed, over-extended in time, money, and energy, who makes it to soccer games and school plays and checks to see that homework is done . . . What is that harried parent doing but walking on water? The octogenarian who lives alone, whose family has forgotten him, who counts the postal carrier and the water-meter reader as “company,” but still is up and dressed by 8am and sits at the table for all his meals . . . What is he doing but walking on water? There are people here this morning who are walking on water. You may not know who they are, and the difficulties they’re facing . . . but I can tell you as their pastor (and I don’t know all the stories represented here this morning, but enough to speak with conviction) . . . I’m looking out now at people who are walking on water.
6) “Staring at that cross, I realized that therein lies freedom.” Alexander Solzhenitsyn was the first author to alert the West to the horrible realities he had experienced in Stalin’s Gulags — labor camps. Solzhenitsyn said that only once during his long imprisonment in a labor camp in the Soviet Union did he become so discouraged that he thought about suicide. He was outdoors, on a work detail, and he had reached a point where he no longer cared whether he lived or died. When he had a break, he sat down, and a stranger sat beside him, someone he had never seen before and would never see again. For no apparent reason, this stranger took a stick and drew a cross on the ground. Solzhenitsyn sat and stared at that cross for a long while. He later wrote, “Staring at that cross, I realized that therein lies freedom.” At that point – in the midst of a storm – he received new courage and the will to live. The storm didn’t end that day, but through Jesus, Solzhenitsyn found the strength to ride it out. — I don’t know what storm of life will come your way this week, or what storm you may be enduring at this very moment. But I know this: even as the storm rages around you, if you will listen very carefully with your heart, you will hear a gentle voice calling to you, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” And in time the storm will pass. And Jesus will still be there.
7) Henri Nouwen’s Little River story: Once upon a time there was a little river that said, “I can become a big river.” It worked hard to get big, but in the process, encountered a huge rock. “I won’t let this rock stop me,” the river said. And the little river pushed and pushed until it finally made its way around the rock. Next the river encountered a mountain.“I won’t let this mountain stop me,” the river said. And the little river pushed and pushed until it finally carved a canyon through the mountain. The river, now large and powerful, finally arrived at the edge of a vast desert.“I won’t let this desert stop me,” the river said. But as the river pushed and pushed its way across the desert, the hot sand began soaking up its water until only a few puddles remained. The river was quiet. Then the river heard a voice from above. “My child, stop pushing. It’s time to surrender. Let me lift you up. Let me take over.” The river said, “Here I am.” The sun then lifted the river up and turned it into a huge cloud. And the wind carried the river across the desert and let it rain down on the hills and valleys of the faraway fields, making them fruitful and rich. — If we stay focused on Christ, having more Faith in Him than in ourselves, obeying His will even when it’s hard, no obstacle will be too much for us, and he will make our lives more fruitful than we could ever imagine. (E-Priest).
8) General George Patton can walk on water: General George Patton’s soldiers were in awe of him. A member of General Marshall’s staff once asked a second lieutenant under Patton’s command if he believed that General Patton could walk on water. The lieutenant replied, “Colonel, I know General Patton! If he had to walk on water, he would figure out a way and within twenty-four hours he would have me doing it as well!” — Such stories are part of our national folklore. But they’re all in fun. Nobody takes them seriously. Because, let’s face it, people can’t walk on water, at least, ordinary people can’t.. And that is exactly the point of this story from Matthew’s Gospel: JESUS IS NO ORDINARY MAN, AND THE EFFECT HE CAN HAVE ON THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO TRUST HIM IS DRAMATIC.
9) Sarah was focused on what to do, Michelle on what to avoid: Author Zig Ziglar in his book,Better Than Good, tells about the 2002 Winter Olympic Games when sixteen‑year‑old Sarah Hughes skated her way to a gold medal. Sarah stepped on the ice, says Zig, not believing she had a chance of winning any medal, so she just skated with reckless abandon, unconcerned about the live audience, the television audience, or for that matter, the judges. She just gave it all she had. That sheer abandon she exhibited expressed the total joy she was feeling at the time and she turned in a spectacular performance, winning the gold. Michelle Kwan, on the other hand, skated after Sarah and was expected to win the gold. She was a true champion, beloved by skating fans the world over, and the recipient of many medals in her career. But after Sarah Hughes’s flawless performance, Michelle went out determined not to make any mistakes. Consequently, she fell, and took the bronze. Zig Ziglar contends that while Sarah was focused on what to do, Michelle was focused on what to avoid doing, and that made the difference. –That is what fear continually does to us. We fear failure, and the very act of fearing causes us to fail. We fear the future, and because of that fear, we sabotage opportunities that come to us. We fear sickness and pain and death and the weight of that worry increases the chances that illness will overtake us. That is why Jesus’ words are so important to us, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.”
10) Focus your thoughts on God: There is a story about the famous statesman Bismarck who came into a friend’s house and saw a portrait of himself on display in the friend’s parlor. The picture portrayed Bismarck as a strong and forceful man. Bismarck shook his head and asked, “Is that supposed to be me? It can’t be.” Then he turned around to a picture his friend had of the fearful Simon Peter sinking beneath the waves and said, “That is I!” — That is how we feel when we take our eyes off of Christ. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale tells how he once developed laryngitis because he worried about a speaking engagement at which he would be speaking to over a thousand people. When he sought medical help, his doctor said, “I didn’t think I would ever have to give this kind of advice to Norman Vincent Peale: Focus your thoughts on God and don’t focus them on your problems. When you focus on your problems, your nervous system tightens up so your blood doesn’t flow harmoniously. As a result, you experience sickness. Focus your thoughts on God instead of on your problems…”
11) The Denial of Death In his Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Denial of Death, Ernest Becker says that so many of the fears that we grapple with – the fear of rejection, abandonment, failure, separation, loss – are but manifestations of the one ultimate fear, and that is the fear of death. — Perhaps he is right. How do we overcome that ultimate fear? Faith. Only through Faith will the demons of fear that can haunt us be exorcized. I think the Gospel is telling us that when Peter stepped out onto the lake, walked on the water, it was only when he looked at the wind and waves that he became terrified and stopped looking at Jesus, and that is when he started to sink, Jesus later asked him why he doubted. Why didn’t his Faith carry him across the water to Jesus’ side? It was fear. Fear crept in and doubt began to rise and Peter began to sink.
12) Not a single person bullied her or taunted her. In the book, A Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Bill Sanders writes of a young neighbor named Nikki who learned to walk on the water. When Nikki was in seventh grade, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Nikki went through the necessary chemotherapy and the resulting loss of hair. To be different as a seventh grader is a kind of death. Without hair, Nikki was very different from her peers. She was a generally popular girl, but still she faced hurdles. Kids would sneak up behind her and snatch her wig off. People would stare and laugh. No one would sit with her in the cafeteria or in math class, and the lockers on either side of hers had been vacated. Nikki told her neighbor, Bill, that she could handle losing her hair. And with her faith in God, she could handle losing her life. But the hardest part of her illness was losing her friends. Nikki’s parents had given her permission to stay out of school, but then Nikki changed her mind. She heard a story about a seventh-grader in Arkansas who was bullied for bringing his Bible to school. The boy handed his Bible to his biggest tormentor and said, “Here, see if you’ve got enough courage to carry this around school just one day.” Those three bullies became his three friends. Another story that affected Nikki was of a boy from Ohio named Jimmy Masterdiro. Ohio didn’t have a state motto, so Jimmy wrote a proposed state motto, then set up a petition to get the motto legitimated by the state. Jimmy got enough signatures to take his petition before the State legislature. Because of Jimmy Masterdiro, Ohio’s official state motto is, “All things are possible with God.” Nikki set out for the school the next Monday as usual. Her parents drove her. When she got to school, Nikki hugged and kissed both her parents. Then she said, “Mom and Dad, guess what I’m going to do today?” Her eyes began to tear up. “Today I’m going to find out who my best friend is. Today I’m going to find out who my real friends are.” Then Nikki took off her wig and set it on the car seat. “They take me for who I am, Daddy, or they don’t take me at all. I don’t have much time left. I’ve got to find out who they are today.” Then Nikki asked for her parents’ prayers, and she walked into the school. Not a single person bullied her or taunted her. [Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, [(Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 1995), pp. 24-27.] — I don’t know what walking on the water would be for you. Going back to school? Asking for that promotion? Inviting your next-door neighbor to come to a Bible study with you? All I’m saying is, don’t let fear defeat you. You have a Friend who comes to you in your hour of greatest need and says, “Don’t be afraid; you can do it. Step out of the boat and walk on the water with Me.”
13) Do you recognize the name Anna Taylor? No? It’s just as well. On October 24, 1901, Anna was the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and live. That’s too much risk-taking for most of us. Do you know what the last words of a redneck are? “Hey, guys, watch this.” Some risk-taking is just plain dumb. And yet some people, by their very nature, are risk-takers. Christopher Columbus was a risk-taker. So are racecar drivers and many celebrities. These people have a personality trait which researchers call “novelty-seeking.” Researchers say novelty-seekers are usually outgoing, excitable, short-tempered and eager for new experiences. They’re also likelier to have a gene that fosters this thrill-seeking temperament. Studies by Israeli and U.S. researchers, published in Nature Genetics, have linked novelty-seeking behavior with a gene that affects the body’s response to the brain chemical dopamine. Dopamine helps stimulate the feeling of euphoria. It affects how we perceive pain, and it plays a role in the sensations produced by some addictive drugs. The researchers found that people with the gene for the D4 dopamine receptor were likelier to seek new experiences than people without this receptor. How they pursue their novelty-seeking, however, will be determined by their experiences. A novelty-seeker encouraged to be athletic, for instance, might try bungee jumping, while someone from a cerebral environment might become an inventor.
14) Reach out to Jesus: Dale Carnegie relates in his famous book, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, the resilience of a discouraged and disheartened book salesman, John R. Antony. Antony knew his job thoroughly, but, somehow, he never made many sales. Day by day, he was discouraged. He became afraid to call on people. Even when he went in, often, he would wish that his client wouldn’t be in the seat. The sales manager threatened to stop his advances if he didn’t send in more orders. With decreasing sales, Antony grew depressed. The only reason he did not commit suicide was because he did not have the courage to do so. Since he had no one else to turn towards, he turned towards God. He asked God to help him to give him money to feed his wife and his three children. After the prayer he opened his eyes and saw the Bible on the dresser in the hotel room. He opened the Bible read the words of Jesus: “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Mt: 6: 25-33).” As he read and prayed over those words of Jesus, a miracle happened. His anxieties, worries and fears were transformed into heart-warming courage and hope and triumphant Faith. The next morning, he got up and dressed well and headed towards his clients with a bold and positive stride. He held his chin high and introduced himself confidently and began his selling of the books. From then on, he never turned back. Twenty-two years later he confessed this truth: “That night I had become suddenly aware of my relationship with God. A mere man alone can easily be defeated, but a man alive with the power of God within him is invincible. I know. I saw it work in my own life.” Anthony from his sinking state reached out to Christ and Christ lifted him up. (John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
15) A dog walking on water: An avid duck hunter was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him. He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, a pessimist by nature, and invited him to hunt with him and his new dog. As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. they fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet. The friend saw everything but did not say a single word. On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, “Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?” “I sure did,” responded his friend. “He can’t swim.”
16) “It was then that I carried you.” One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it. “LORD, you said that once I decided to follow You, You’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You most, You would leave me.” The LORD replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” (Fr. Tommy Lane).
17) St. Tharsilla’s Secret: Have Faith and live it: St. Tharsilla [thar-SIHL-uh] lived in Rome in the 500s. She and her sister St. Emiliana [ehm-eel-ee-YAHN-uh] were living on their father’s estate just outside the city walls. They dedicated themselves almost entirely to prayer and to serving the poor. Their brother was Pope St. Gregory the Great. Quite a family – three siblings, all of them canonized saints! They did more for the Church and society in those violent, cataclysmic years than any number of politicians, businessmen, or generals – and the secret to their fruitfulness was prayer. As St. Tharsilla lay on her deathbed in the year 550, a relative from three generations before, who had also been a saint, Pope St Felix II, appeared to her. He showed her a place in Heaven, saying, “Come; I will receive you into this habitation of light…” After that, her deathbed became a place of intense joy, not of sorrow and anxiety. Just a couple days after that vision, Tharsilla entered into her agony, and her last words before dying were: “Away! Away! My Savior Jesus is coming!” It was Christmas Eve. A few days afterwards, St. Tharsilla appeared to her sister, St. Emiliana, and called her to come and celebrate the Epiphany in Heaven. And indeed, St Emiliana died on the eve of January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. — These two saints lived such an intimate friendship with Jesus that not even life’s greatest suffering – the sickness and death of a loved one, could steal their joy or interior peace. They truly were citizens of Heaven, even while they lived beautiful, inspiring lives here on earth. Of course, holiness like that doesn’t happen randomly. (E-Priest).
18) The Paradox of Infant Baptism: This is one reason why many non-Catholic Christian denominations condemn the ancient, Catholic practice of infant Baptism. For them, Faith is a personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ, and Baptism is the symbol of that commitment. And so, for them, it makes no sense to baptize a baby who is too young to be able to make a personal commitment. Of course, they are forgetting that Faith is much more than just a “personal commitment” – though it is certainly nothing less. Faith is first and foremost a gift of God’s grace. This is the difference between Faith and self-help. Jesus saved us while we were still sinners, and Jesus’ saving love changed our hearts – not the other way around. When we baptize babies that’s what we are focusing on: God’s unconditional generosity in offering us salvation not as a reward for something we did, but purely out of love. The Gospels tell us about many parents who asked Jesus to come and heal their sick or dying So, the non-Catholic Christians who criticize infant Baptism are confused about that point; they are forgetting that friendship with Christ begins with God’s free gift of grace. But they aren’t confused when they criticize Catholics for being so caught up in external rituals that we sometimes neglect our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Parents who have their children baptized, for example, but then never teach their children how to pray, are only doing half their job. And our non-Catholic brothers and sisters are right to call us to task for it. (E-Priest).
19) Walking on Water:A Man Called Peter was a best-selling biography that was later made into a movie. It narrates the life of Peter Marshall, a Scotsman from Glasgow whose desire was to be a seaman but whose destiny took him to the U.S. Senate as chaplain. As a lad, Peter enlisted in the British Navy, but his career had lasted only two days when it was discovered that he was only 14 years old. Later, when working as a machinist and teaching Sunday School, Peter felt the call to be a minister. Persuaded by a cousin to come across to America, Peter set out in Faith to cross the cold waters of the North Atlantic. With little money, no friends and only a job reference, Peter likened himself to other men of Faith who ventured into the unknown, men like the patriarch Abraham, the explorer Columbus, and the pioneer Brigham Young. The Lord continued to guide Peter Marshall in surprising ways through the Presbyterian ministry, in marriage to Catherine, in his parish assignments and finally to his fame as chaplain to the U.S. Senate. Peter Marshall died in 1949 when he was only 46, but in that short lifetime he inspired thousands of people by his preaching, his friendliness, and above all by his life of prayer. — Another man called Peter, who ventured over water, is the subject of today’s Gospel. God is calling many of us to walk on the water, to move into the unknown. What kind of Faith do we have? Will we sink with Peter or set sail with Peter Marshall? (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
20) Hanging by an inch: There is a character in the classic work Don Quixote named Pancho Sanchez. Pancho Sanchez hangs in fear from the ledge of a window all night long, too frightened to let go. When morning dawns he discovers his toes are only an inch off the ground. It’s amusing to think of Simon Peter climbing out of the boat trying to imitate his Lord by walking on the water. Then, like a cartoon character, he makes the mistake of looking around. “What in the world am I doing?” he asks himself and suddenly he begins to sink. — How often that happens in life! People are charting a successful course in their business, in their marriage, in their walk with Christ, and then they begin to listen to their fears. “What if I fail? What if the market fails? What if my Faith is misplaced?” and they begin slowly to sink. (King Duncan, Barking Pigs and Determined Disciples).
21) Storm in a parish- Fr. Andrew Greeley’s story: One upon a time a battered parish priest approached his Bishop. “I want to retire,” he said. “You’re not old enough to retire.”“Yeah, but I’m worn out. My laity are fighting one another, my young people don’t come to Church. My parish Council has no guts. My teenagers drink too much. My staff members are in constant conflict. A couple of women are trying to take over the parish. Men can’t stand the tension. My collections are down. Spies are reporting me to you every week. Grammar school kids are breaking windows and writing graffiti. I receive anonymous hate mail every day.” The Bishop sighed loudly, that West of Ireland sigh which suggests the advent of a serious asthma attack. “Let me tell you about my problems.” The two men sat in silence for a few minutes after they had exchanged woes. “Well,” said the bishop, “congratulations on having a lively parish. It’s still alive and kicking and Jesus is active in your parish boat calming the sea.” So, the pastor went back to his parish resolving to walk on the stormy parish sea with Jesus. He did not resign.
22) A gypsy family who survived the Holocaust by Faith:In war, the saying goes, there is no one who is right. There are only those who are left. From the early 1940’s, there comes the true story of a gypsy family who survived the Holocaust of World War II. The family were members of a traveling circus that toured throughout eastern Europe. In one of the family acts, a teenage daughter would jump from a high wire with no net below, and her father would catch her. The account goes that one day her father left the apartment they were staying early, leaving the daughter alone in the apartment. Later that morning, there was a knock on the door. When she opened it, she found a stranger who said he had a message from her father. The stranger told her the message was as follows: Nazi troops were coming into town and she needed to escape. But it was far too risky for the father to enter the town or the daughter to escape in the daylight hours. Their only hope was to escape at night. So, the stranger told her that at 2 in the morning she was to walk out to the northwest corner of the apartment building. And right at 2AM, she was to jump from the rooftop and her father would be below to catch her. Understandably, the daughter was confused. She didn’t know the messenger. She didn’t know whether the message he gave her was actually from her father. She wasn’t even positive which corner of the apartment building was the northwest corner. Well, as the day went on the Nazis did in fact enter the town and take up positions. That night at 2am the daughter went to the rooftop. She looked down and it was pure blackness. She whispered, “Father, are you there?” No answer. And then she jumped…..and her father caught her! — Leaps of faith are normally less dramatic, but they are no less real. In order to act in good Faith, the young daughter had to trust. First, she had to trust that the stranger was really sent by her father. Second, she had to trust that the message was her father’s message. Finally, she had to trust that she herself would leap from the correct corner of the rooftop, and that her father would be ready below. We find Peter making a leap of Faith. (Rev. Tom Mannebach)
23) Sign and Countersign:In December 1874, the steamship Edwin, enroute to Australia from a Washington State port, sprang a bad leak off Vancouver Island, and had to drop anchor. Some Hesquiat Indians on the nearby shore, seeing that the ship was in distress, jumped into their canoes, and braved high waves to come to the sailors’ aid. However, the crew feared that the natives were hostile, so they gestured them away. Although these Indians were not yet Christian, they had already learned of the Christian respect for the sign of the cross. To prove that they came in peace, they blessed themselves so that the sailors could see them. As a countersign, the crew also made the sign of the cross. Then they let the Hesquiats come aboard the foundering vessel. Shortly after, rescuers and shipwrecked disembarked in the canoes and soon reached the safety of the beach. …Jesus hastened to reassure them: “Get hold of yourselves! It is I. Do not be afraid!” (Matthew, 14:27. Gospel of the day.) -Father Robert F. McNamara.
24) Storms confront us all the time in Ordinary Time.
Sometimes those storms are shared by large numbers of people. That’s the reality of globalization. Today, no one is untouched by global warming. Islands in the South Pacific find themselves underwater. The Polar ice caps recede each year. California experiences drought, beef prices rise and fisher folks on Cape Cod find their industry dying. A small tropical storm off the coast of Africa becomes a Stage 5 Hurricane battering the Gulf Coast of the United States. A tiny virus in China becomes a global pandemic. Terrorism in Latin America floods our borders with young children. Reality confronts us in Ordinary Time. Those storms also take highly individualized form. Last week I lost a close friend from high school, a talented artist with a gallery in Rockport. His wife and daughter and their families are going through a storm today. Later in the service we will pray for others whose personal boats are being crashed by waves. –Maybe it’s illness, maybe it’s a fractured relationship, maybe it’s economic uncertainty. Sometimes, the storms are visible to others and sometimes they are hidden, but the storms are very real. But today’s Gospel passage reminds us that God and Jesus are with us in life’s toughest moments, when waves threaten to drown us.
25) “God sometimes whispers.”There is a story told about a young man and an old preacher. The young man had lost his job and didn’t know which way to turn. So, he went to see the old preacher. Pacing about the preacher’s study, the young man ranted about his problem. Finally, he clenched his fist and shouted, “I’ve begged God to say something to help me. Tell me, Preacher, why doesn’t God answer?”The old preacher, who sat across the room, spoke something in reply – something so hushed, it was indistinguishable. The young man stepped across the room. “What did you say?” he asked. The preacher repeated himself, but again in a tone as soft as a whisper. So, the young man moved closer until he was leaning on the preacher’s chair. “Sorry,” he said. “I still didn’t hear you.” With their heads bent together, the old preacher spoke once more. “God sometimes whispers,” he said, “so that we will move closer to hear Him.” This time the young man heard, and he understood. — We all want God’s voice to thunder through the air with the answer to our problem. But God’s is the still, small voice… the gentle whisper. Perhaps there’s a reason. Nothing draws human focus quite like a whisper. God’s whisper means I must stop my ranting and move close to Him, until my head is bent together with His. Then, as I listen, I will find my answer. Better still, I find myself closer to God.
You may visit my website by clicking on http://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.” Kindly visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies under CBCI or Fr. Tony for my website version. (Special thanks to Vatican official website http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020) My post-retirement contact postal address in the U. S. is Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. M. C. Joseph, Pastor St. Agatha Catholic Parish 1001 Hand Ave, Bay Minette, AL 36507 36507. Contact me by email only atakadavil@gmail.com. I am back at my home in my home country since June 2023. I live in my home in my home country since my final retirement in June 2023. Hence please contact me only by email (akadavil@gmail.com).
July 27- Aug 1: July 27 Monday: Mt 13:31-35:31 Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” 34 All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The context: Today’s Gospel contains two of Jesus’ one-line parables about the Kingdom of God. The parable of the mustard seed probably shows that Gentiles in the Church will one day outnumber Jews. The parable of the yeast indicates that all are invited to salvation, and that the power of the Holy Spirit working within the Church will enable it to grow.
The small beginnings and great ending: Using a pair of mini-parables — the mustard seed and the yeast — Jesus explains how the Kingdom of God, or rule of God, grows within us by the power of the Word of God and power of the Holy Spirit living within us. When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and allow his Word to take root in our hearts, we are transformed and made holy by the power of the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us. In the Parable of the mustard seed, the primary point of comparison is the contrast between the smallness of the seed and the greatness of the result (“the largest of plants”). The life-principle in a small mustard seed enables it to grow into a large bush by a slow but steady process. In the Parable of the Yeast the microscopic yeasts within a small piece of leaven transform a thick lump of dough overnight into soft, spongy bread. Christianity had a small beginning, like a mustard seed or yeast, with Jesus and a band of twelve apostles in a remote corner of the world. But through the power of the Holy Spirit living in individual Christians, Christianity has become the largest religion in the world, spreading in all countries embracing all races of people.
Life messages: 1) We need to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us, changing our evil ways and tendencies to a life of holiness; from unjust and uncharitable conversations to speaking with God and listening to Him (prayer); from a judgmental attitude expressed in scornful criticism, to non-judgmental acceptance of people as our brothers and sisters in Christ, and from destructive gossip to a loving, welcoming attitude, lived out in willing help, patience, and consoling, encouraging, inspiring support.
2) We need to act like yeast, influencing the lives of others around us: Just as Christianity in the past transformed the treatment of women, children, slaves, the sick, and the poor by the power of Jesus’ Gospel, we Christians, in our time, have the duty to transform the lives of people around us by our exemplary lives, led according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
July 28 Tuesday: Mt 13:36-43:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. 41 The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
The context: Today’s Gospel text is Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the wheat and weeds. This parable teaches us that a very patient and compassionate God is hopeful that the so-called “weeds” among us will be converted, and that we should not be in a hurry to eliminate such elements from the Church, society, or the family, on the basis of unwarranted and hasty judgment.
Through the Parable of the wheat and the weeds, Jesus assures us that we are the field of God. We are the ground Jesus works, as well as the seed Jesus plants, and the seedlings Jesus nurtures. We are the people upon whom Jesus rests his hopes, and the folks in whom he plants the seed — the Word of God. We are the congregation He anoints with the Holy Spirit. In today’s parable, Jesus shows us a wise and patient God Who allows the good and the evil to coexist in the world, so that the ones who do evil may come to conversion before their time ends, and He must punish them: “Let the seed and the darnel grow together till the harvest time.”In other words, God awaits repentant sinners, giving them the strength to acknowledge their weakness: “God’s delays are not God’s denial.” God calmly recognizes that there is evil in the world, but He sees that evil as no excuse for the good people who have God’s grace at their disposal not to do good. Through the Parable of the wheat and the weeds in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to be patient with those who, as we see them, fail to meet the high ethical standard expected of a Christian. If we don’t spend all our time wondering why there is so much evil in the world, we will have more left for wondering why there is so much good!
Life message: 1) We need to practice patience. We need to be patient with ourselves and with others, especially those who annoy us and those who offend us. Let us patiently and lovingly treat the “weeds”in our society as our brothers and sisters and do all in our power to put them back on the right road to Heaven, especially by our good example and our fervent prayer for their conversion. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
July 29 Wednesday: St. Martha, Mary & Lazarus: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saints-martha-mary-and-lazarus:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saints-martha-mary-and-lazarus Jn 11:19-27 (or Lk 10: 8-42): 19 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.”
July 29th was traditionally celebrated as the feast day of St. Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus. But on February 2, 2021, Pope Francis expanded this memorial to include Martha’s sister and brother, Mary and Lazarus, close friends of Jesus. Since they lived in Bethany, less than two miles from Jerusalem, Jesus visited their home each time he, with his disciples, participated in a major feast in the Temple of Jerusalem, and Martha prepared meals for them. It was during one of those meals that Jesus praised Mary for finding time to listen to him and gently told Martha that she was worrying too much about the details of the cooking and serving of the meal she was preparing tor Him and His Apostles, while Mary, sitting and listening to Him was serving Him also, and better.
Pope Francis decided in February, 2021 to include all three siblings, Martha, Mary and Lazarus, in today’s feast. Martha is presented as a woman of great dynamism and action who despite her deep sorrow at her brother’s death, believed in Jesus as the Lord of life and death and proclaimed him by her strong profession of Faith as the Messiah and God. Mary is included in the feast as a model of the keen listener to the word of God who was keen on applying the word she heard into her life. Correcting the unbiblical belief that Mary of Magdala and the sinful woman who anointed the feet of Jesus at the house of a Pharisee were identical with Mary of Berthany, the sister of Lazarus, the Pope approved the unanimous opinion of modern Bible scholars that these three Marys are distinct and different women. Lazarus is included in the feast because of his courageous, strong testimony that he had been resuscitated by Jesus, despite the Pharisees’ threat to arrest him. When this memorial was established, the Congregation for Divine Worship said, “In the household of Bethany, the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and for this reason the Gospel of John states that he loved them.”
Life messages: 1) Let us invite Jesus into our families by consecrating our families to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and by allowing him to rule our lives. 2) We need both Marthas and Marys in the Church – women of action and women of contemplation. How would the Church survive if not for the Marthas and Bills who sing in the choir, teach in the Sunday school, work with the youth, run the altar guild, work with the homeless, and build the Church? The same is true with the family. We need responsible people to do the work in the house: to cook, to clean, to keep the house operating, to pay the bills, to keep the cars running, not to speak of rearing the children and loving the spouse. Households can’t survive without Marthas and Bills, nor can offices, schools or businesses. 3) But we must all find time to listen to God speaking to us through His word, and time to talk to God. Where would we all be without the cloistered monks and nuns who spend their lives praising God and praying for all of us? Jesus clearly told us to be hearers anddoers of the word; he never reversed that order. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26: For additional reflections, click on: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video;https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/; https://www.epriest.com/reflections
July 30 Thursday: St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, Doctor of the Church: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-peter-chrysologus : Mt 13:47-53:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. 51 “Have you understood all this?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” 53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there. .”
The context: Today’s Gospel presents the third in a set of three parables Jesus preached on the Kingdom of God/Heaven and the conditions for entering it. The Parable of the fishing net: In Palestine, there were two main ways of fishing. The first was with the casting-net, which required a keen eye and great skill in throwing the net at the correct moment. The second was with a dragnet or seine. Galilean seine nets were tied to two boats and drawn through the water. The catch was sorted only afterwards, with edible (kosher) fish going to market and unacceptable fish being thrown away. Just as a dragnet collects good and bad fish indiscriminately, so the Church is bound to be a mixture of all kinds of people, good and bad, useless and useful. This parable encourages the Church to adopt an open approach to Evangelization. The parable also teaches that the time of separation will come in the Final Judgment, when the good and the bad will be sent to their respective, freely chosen, destinies. This parable is, thus, a counterpart to the Parable of the weeds and the wheat.The concluding simile or mini-parable: Jesus concludes his parables by advising the listeners to imitate wise scribes (Jewish religious teachers who specialized in Sacred Scripture and its application to life). A scribe/scholar need not give up his scholarship when he became a Christian; rather he should use his learning for Christ. Christians are also expected to be like scholars who study both the old wisdom of their ancestors and the new vistas of knowledge. They have a duty to pass on to others the Christian teaching they have received in language their hearers can understand.
Life message: 1) We need to learn loving patience and compassionate understanding.) The lesson of this parable is that the Church is a mixed body of saints and sinners (good and bad fish). There will be always a temptation on the part of some who feel they are more “faithful” to separate themselves from the “unfaithful.” But Jesus reminds us that the final judgment resulting in reward or punishment is the work of God. Thus, we must learn to be loving, patient, compassionate, and understanding of others, resisting firmly the temptation to pass judgment on them, even if only silently, as falling “far below the requirements” of the Gospel and the Kingdom. Let us humbly admit the fact that only Jesus and Mary were not a mixture of good and evil. Let us acknowledge as St. Paul did, “I am what I am with the grace of God” (1 Cor 15:10.) Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
July 31 Friday: St. Ignatius of Lyola, Priest: (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-ignatius-of-loyola ) Mt 13:54-5854 He came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished* and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?” 55 Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” 58 And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.
The context: Today’s Gospel describes how, on a Sabbath, Jesus stood before the people in the synagogue of his hometown, Nazareth, reading and interpreting what Isaiah had prophesied about the Messiah and his mission. Jesus claimed that he was the One sent “to bring glad tidings to the poor, liberation to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and freedom for the oppressed.” To the great amazement and disbelief of his own townsmen, Jesus declared that Isaiah’s prophecy was being fulfilled at that very moment “in your hearing,” because the prophet was foretelling and describing Jesus’ mission and ministry. Luke reports that the initial reaction of the people was surprise at the power and eloquence of this son of their soil. They were amazed that one of their fellow villagers could speak with such grace and eloquence and with such authority. Luke says they were “amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips,” because they knew him only as a carpenter from a poor family, with no formal training in Mosaic Law. But their amazement turned into displeasure when, during his “Inaugural Address” or “Mission Statement,” Jesus took upon himself the identity of a prophet, different from the image of the miracle-worker that people wished to see. Then their displeasure turned into anger when Jesus claimed that he was the promised Messiah of Isaiah’s prophecy. They challenged his Messianic claim, asking, and “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” They could not understand how a mere carpenter could be the Messiah who would liberate them from Roman rule and reestablish the Davidic kingdom. Jesus explained their attitude by saying “No prophet is accepted in his native place” (Is 13:57).
Life messages:1) We need to face rejection with prophetic courage and optimism. Perhaps we have experienced the pain of rejection, betrayal, abandonment, violated trust, neglect, or abuse, even from friends and family members, when we reached out to them as God’s agents of healing and saving grace. Perhaps we ourselves are guilty of the same rejection of God in His agents. Perhaps we, too, have been guilty of ignoring or humiliating people with our arrogance and prejudice. Let us learn to correct our mistakes and to face rejection from others with courage.
2)Let us not, like the people in Jesus’ hometown, reject God in our lives. We reject God when we are unwilling to be helped by God, or by others. Such unwillingness prevents us from recognizing God’s directions, help and support in our lives, through His words in the Bible, through the teaching of the Church, and through the advice and examples of others. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
Aug 1 Saturday: St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Doctor of the Church: (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-alphonsus-liguori)Mt 14:1-12: 1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus; 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist, he has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; 4 because John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given; 10 he sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it; and they went and told Jesus.
The context: Today’s Gospel presents the last scene of a tragic drama with three main characters, Herod, Herodias, and John the Baptist. Herod Antipas, (4 BC – AD 39), was a jealous, weak puppet-king with a guilty conscience. He feared the prophet John because John had publicly pointed out the evil Herod had done in divorcing his lawful wife without adequate cause and then marrying his sister-in-law, Herodias, thus committing a double violation of Mosaic Law. Herodias was an immoral, greedy woman, stained by a triple guilt and publicly criticized by John. 1) She was an unfaithful woman of loose morals. 2) She was a greedy and vengeful woman. 3) She was an evil mother who used her teenage daughter for the wicked purposes of murder and revenge by encouraging her to dance in public in the royal palace against the royal etiquette of the day. John the Baptist was a fiery preacher and the herald of the Promised Messiah. He was also a Spirit-filled prophet with the courage of his convictions who criticized and challenged an Oriental monarch and his proud wife in public for doing evil.
God’s punishment: After the martyrdom of John, Herod was defeated by Aretas, the father of Herod’s first wife. Later, both Herod and Herodias were sent into exile by Caligula, the Roman emperor.
Life messages: 1) As Christians we need to live out the moral integrity and the courage of our convictions as John did. 2) Let us remember that sins of revenge and cruelty will never go unpunished. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
O. T. 18 [A] Sunday (Aug 2/26) –Eight-minute homily in one page
Introduction:The central theme of today’s readings is the care God can take of us, meeting our physical and spiritual needs, if we put our trust in Him. He shares Jesus, His only-begotten Son and become Incarnate so that Jesus can be Infinite generosity both prepares us for the Heavenly banquet, and challenges us to share our blessings with others.
Scripture lessons: In the first reading, Isaiah consoles the Jewish exiles in Babylon, assuring them of their return to homeland and promising them that Yahweh their God alone can, and will, provide for their spiritual and physical needs. He will pardon their sins and will offer them participation in His eschatological banquet. The refrain for today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 145), has us sing, “The Hand of the Lord feeds us; He answers all our needs,” in praise of the mercy, forgiveness, and maternal care of our One loving and providing God. In the second reading, Paul argues that since God’s love for us is Infinitely immense, “nothing can come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In today’s Gospel, demonstrating God’s caring love for us, Jesus fed the enormous crowd of listeners both spiritually by his preaching, and physically by his miraculous multiplication of the apostles’ lunch of five loaves and two fish. This miracle shows the Divinity of Jesus, the providing care of God, and the compassion of Jesus for the crowd. The miracle is also a Messianic sign, identifying Jesus as both the new Moses who fed the Israelites in the desert and the new Elisha who miraculously fed the starving people of Gilgal (2 Kings 4:42-44). The Eucharistic wordings used, and the promise made by Jesus on the following day, that he would give his body and blood as food and drink (John 6:25-70), made the miracle a prefiguring symbol of the Holy Eucharist.
Life messages:1) We need to nourish our souls with Jesus in Word and Sacrament. We nourish our souls with the Word of God (by listening to God through reading the Bible) and with the Bread of Life (by receiving Jesus in Holy Communion). We need to find time to be with Christ both in personal and family prayer, and in Adoration of the Eucharist whenever this is available. One way of listening to God is to read a passage in the Bible until it speaks to the heart, then stop to reflect on the message God is conveying to our hearts. The next step is to respond to God by prayer, which is talking to Him, as to a friend in conversation, telling Him everything and asking Him for whatever we need.
2) We need to be “Eucharistic” ministers: We, too, can perform miracles in our own time and place, by imitating the four “Eucharistic actions” of Jesus: take humbly and generously what God gives us, bless it by offering it to others in God’s love, break away from our own needs and selfish interests for the sake of others, give with joy-filled gratitude to God who has blessed us with so much and to our brothers and sisters, His children.
3) We need to be generous in sharing God’s blessings: We need to share our blessings with others around us, generously and sacrificially, in order to alleviate their spiritual and physical hunger. God lavishly blesses the large-hearted, who generously and sacrificially share their resources with others.
OT XVIII [A] (Aug 2, 2026):Is 55:1-3; Rom 8:35, 37-39; Mt 14:13-21
Homily-Starter Anecdotes: (Biblical reason why preachers may use anecdotes in their homilies? Mt 13: 34: All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable). #1: “I shared my rice because she has several starving children:” From her personal experience, Mother Teresa relates a story showing how generous the poor are, and how ready to share what little they have with others because they themselves have experienced hunger and poverty. Learning of a poor Hindu family in Calcutta who had been starving for many days, Mother Teresa visited them and gave a parcel of rice to the mother of the family. She was surprised to see that the woman divided the rice into two equal portions and gave one to her Moslem neighbor. When Mother Teresa asked her why she had done such a sacrificial deed, the woman replied: “My family can manage with half of what you brought. My neighbor’s family is in greater need because they have several children who are starving.” In the Synoptic Gospels’ account, the Apostles (in John’s account, a young boy), gave Jesus all they/he had — five small loaves of barley bread and two dried fish, — and Jesus used that tiny amount to feed a multitude. Thus, the apostles, and/or the young boy, became the instrument of a miracle in Jesus’ hands.
# 2: “The Cheeseburger Bill:” Statistics tell us that Americans eat 75 acres of pizza, 53 million hot dogs, 167 million eggs, 3 million gallons of ice cream, and 3,000 tons of candy a day. As a result, fifty-five percent of American adults are overweight and 23 percent of us are obese, costing this country about $118 billion in lost wages and medical expenses annually. On March 10, 2004, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill known as the “Cheeseburger Bill” designed to protect fast-food companies from lawsuits filed by overweight people. One billion of the world’s richest people consume 80 percent of the earth’s resources (World population in 2020 is 7.8 billion). Another five billion consume 15 percent, leaving 5% for 1.8 billion chronically malnourished people, most of them women and children. Seven million children in the world under the age of five die each year from malnutrition. Someone has noted that the average person BLINKS his eyes 13 times every minute, and in every minute 13 people starve to death. Even in the U.S., there are 3.8 million families who experience hunger, and up to 12 million families are concerned about having enough food to feed their families. The problem is not how much food is available; the problem is distribution. In the U.S., food production has tripled since World War II while the population has only doubled, so why are there hungry people? The percent of personal income given to charity in the United States was 2.9 percent during the Great Depression and 2.5 percent in 2002 and less in 2014. Is hunger a problem of production or a lack of faith? Hunger is real. And food is the subject of the miracle in today’s Gospel when Jesus miraculously fed the nearly 20,000 people present on that Galilean hillside.
# 3:Frightening Hunger statistics: Statisticians report that for at least two thirds of the world’s population, hunger is a daily experience — not the slight twinge of discomfort or abdominal rumbling which may occur if a meal is skipped or delayed, but the deep, painful, sunken-eyed, body-emaciating type of hunger which is virtual starvation. Every hour of every day, at least 1500 people die of hunger or hunger-related causes while farmers in some of the world’s wealthiest industrialized nations are paid not to grow certain crops and to relegate others to storage bins and warehouses. To further compound this untenable situation, billions of dollars are spent annually on a variety of weight loss products and programs because one third of the world’s population is sated with seventy-five percent of its food supply. Since most of the readers of this publication are probably among the fortunate, for whom physical hunger is not a routine experience, it may be difficult to appreciate fully the impact of today’s readings. In both the first reading and the Gospel, the hungry are called to come and be filled at the banquet which the Lord freely provides. The significance of these readings lies in the fact that, in addition to providing for their physical appetites, the Lord is also offering to satisfy the spiritual hungers of His people. (Sanchez Files).
# 4:Hams for the Hungry and Aspirin for the sick: Four years ago, young Matthew LeSage, a third grader, wanted to do something to help the hungry in his city. So, he started a program, Hams for the Hungry. This year, in its fourth year, Hams for the Hungry will raise $40,000 to brighten the holiday season for people with limited resources. Matthew’s story reminds me of another young man, 13 years old at the time, who read about Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s missionary work in Africa. He wanted to help. He had enough money to buy one bottle of aspirin. He wrote to the Air Force and asked if they could fly over Dr. Schweitzer’s hospital and drop the bottle down to him. A radio station broadcast the story about this young fellow’s concern for helping others. Others responded as well. Eventually, he was flown by the government to Schweitzer’s hospital along with 4 1/2 tons of medical supplies worth $400,000 freely given by thousands of people. This, of course, would be the equivalent of millions of dollars today. — When Dr. Schweitzer heard the story, he said, “I never thought one child could do so much.” In John’s account, our story from Matthew’s Gospel is about a young man who didn’t have much. But what he did have, he offered to Christ. And thousands of hungry people were fed.
Introduction: The common theme of today’s readings is the provident care of a loving and merciful God who generously shares His riches with us and invites us to practice His sharing love in our lives. After announcing the return of God’s chosen people to their homeland from Babylonian captivity, the prophet Isaiah, in today’s first reading, concludes his prophecies with God’s invitation to the eschatological banquet [the Heavenly Banquet that will be given to all of us after the world and has come to its end and the Last Judgment has settled all of us in our freely chosen eternal homes in Heaven (or Hell). The grace of God is compared to freely given food and drink. Yahweh’s gracious invitation in the first reading is echoed in the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 145), which reminds us, “The eyes of all look hopefully to You, and You give them their food in due season; You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” In the second reading, Paul argues that, since God loves us, “nothing can come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus demonstrates the provident care of God the Father by miraculously feeding a multitude of listeners near a remote, desolate village called Bethsaida Julius, where the River Jordan still flows into the north end of the Sea of Galilee. In Matthew’s account, Jesus acts out of his great compassion for the crowds. First, he challenges the disciples to give what they have — five loaves and two fish. Then he performs the four-fold action that prefigures the Eucharist: He takes, raising His eyes to Heaven blesses, breaks and gives the bread and fish to the assembled multitude, making of them a community of the Lord’s banquet. Just as God supplies the needs of all living beings, so Jesus, His Son, heals the sick and feeds the hungry. This event indicates God’s power in Christ as well as His mercy.
The first reading (Isaiah 55:1-3) explained: Chapters 40-55 of Isaiah record prophecies concerning the end of the Babylonian captivity, when the Jews would return to their devastated homeland from slavery. Promising fertility of crops and livestock through His prophet, the Lord God meant to give the people hope and to keep them from losing Faith in Him. The people were promised abundant water, grain, milk, wine, and bread — with a renewal of God’s covenant. Isaiah’s prophecy repeatedly assured the people that poverty would not be a barrier to their enjoyment of God’s bounty: “You, who have no money, come.” “Come, without paying and without cost.” “Why spend … your wages for what fails to satisfy?” This would be a reassurance to people who were ashamed of the sins that had led them into exile. God was telling them that they didn’t have to pay their own ransom, but that He (Yahweh) would pay the price out of undeserved mercy and love because He had made an everlasting Covenant with His people which Jesus would fulfill by His death and Resurrection. That Eternal Covenant, which will be celebrated after the end of the world and the Final Judgment, is foreshadowed by Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the hungry multitude gathered around him (Isaiah 55:1). Describing himself as Living Water and as Bread from Heaven, Jesus underlined the future Eucharistic Banquet for the Pilgrim Church as well as the final Heavenly Banquet at time’s end. Deutero-Isaiah’s vision of the messianic banquet was realized through Jesus’ actions at the institution of the Holy Eucharist at his Last Supper. The concluding sentence explains why the audience is invited to “eat the what is good” and “delight yourselves in rich food” (Is 55:1; RSV2Catholic), for in God’s Kingdom, everyone becomes a king, sharing the “benefits assured to David.” Finally, the Divine promise of life – “Listen, that you may have life!” – takes on new and fulfilled meaning in Christ’s Resurrection.
Responsorial Psalm 145: Yahweh’s gracious invitation in the first lesson is echoed in the Responsorial Psalm – Yahweh is “good to all, His compassion is over all that He has made” (v. 9) – and specific details are added: the fallen and bowed down are rescued, all creatures are fed, and all who call on Him and cry to Him are heard. In verse 10, not used in today’s selection, the Psalmist declares that the response of all creatures to this unmerited generosity is to praise and bless Yahweh. The first reading and psalm agree that God is like a caring mother, delighted to please us and meet all our needs. For our part, we need do nothing other than to accept this loving care, with our gratitude expressed as obedience to His commandments.
The second reading: (Romans 8:35, 37-39) explained:Some of the Judeo-Christians in Rome insisted that the Gentile Christians needed to observe at least some aspects of the Law of Moses. Paul, on the other hand, argued that it was enough to put one’s Faith in Jesus and let God save us through His unearned and undeserved grace. Hence, the Gentile converts to Christianity had no obligation to keep any aspect of Jewish law, although Jewish converts could do so if they wished. In today’s lesson from the letter to the Romans, Paul answers the question, “Well, if God loves us so much as to save us by unearned grace, why is everything still so difficult? Why are we suffering?” Paul’s response sounds like a lawyer’s dramatic closing argument in a hard-fought trial when he declares, “…neither death nor life…nothing that exists…can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.” For Paul, these are the trials through which we triumph.
Gospel exegesis:The symbolism of the multiplication of bread: The multiplication of the loaves is described six times in the Gospels: twice in Matthew and Mark and once each in Luke and John. The numbers are symbolic. For example, the word “basket” refers to the Jewish basket, and 12 suggests Israel’s twelve tribes. The language used echoes that of Moses feeding the people in the desert. The number 5 might refer in some way to the Pentateuch. The location is Jewish territory. The echoes of Moses are important for Matthew’s Gospel because his community had only recently broken from the mother religion of Judaism and would like to claim for itself the fulfillment of that to which the Mosaic traditions pointed.
Herod’s banquet versus Jesus’ banquet: In today’s Gospel, Matthew intentionally contrasts two “banquets”: one hosted by Herod which resulted in the death of John the Baptist (Mt 14:1-12), and the feeding of a large crowd by Jesus near the shore of the Sea of Galilee (Mt 14:13-21). Herod’s banquet took place in an environment of scheming and arrogance; it concluded with a murder. Prior to feeding the crowd that was following him, Jesus felt compassion for their needs and healed their sick. Herod’s banquet was held at a royal court. Jesus’ meal with this crowd was performed in a “deserted” place or wilderness. Matthew uses these two meals, Herod’s great banquet and Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000, to prefigure Jesus’ coming “Last Supper” and death. Jesus’ path to kingship was quite the opposite of Herod’s, which was littered with corpses. Jesus’ path to kingship was the willing offering of himself on behalf of others (20:28). In Matthew’s account, this miracle happened right after the death of John the Baptist. Jesus’ forerunner was dead; he had finished his work, and so he died at the hands of Herod. John’s death foreshadowed Jesus’ own death at the hands of Pontius Pilate.
Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness: This withdrawal could have been meant to provide a period of rest and reflection for Jesus and his disciples, a time for the disciples to be taught by Jesus. It might also have been meant to allow Jesus to avoid possible danger after the execution of John the Baptist. But when Jesus stepped ashore, he was faced with a large crowd of people. His immediate response was deep compassion, and he began to heal the sick among them.
A great miracle before a multitude: The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 is found in all four Gospels, although the context and emphasis varies. Told no less than six times in the four Gospels, the event of the loaves and fish is the only miracle so emphasized. This is the only miracle, other than the Resurrection, that is told in all four Gospels, a fact that speaks of its importance to the early Church. [Compare Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17, and John 6:1-14]. The miraculous feeding narrative expresses the conviction that, through Jesus, we share in God’s own abundance and in the promises made to God’s covenant people: “The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs,” we sing as our Responsorial Psalm (Ps 145) Refrain today. Matthew says that there were about 5,000 men, not including women and children. According to some commentators, this means that there could have been as many as 20,000-30,000 people present. The miracle suggests the Old Testament story of the people of Israel being fed with manna in the wilderness, as well as that of the multiplying of oil and bread by Elisha (II Kgs 4:1-7). The Gospel story should be treated as a witness to the power of God and an implicit declaration of Jesus’ Divinity. In the Synoptic accounts, the story also shows Christ, giving the disciples the loaves and fish to distribute to the crowd, thus empowering them to continue his works of compassion. We may regard this incident, in which Jesus multiplied loaves and fish in order to feed his hungry listeners, as both a miracle of Divine providence and a Messianic sign. The lesson for every Christian is that, no matter how impossible his or her assignment may seem, with Divine help it can be done, “for with God, nothing will be impossible” (Lk 1:37;RSV2Catholic). The twelve baskets clearly represent the twelve tribes of Israel as well as the twelve apostles who are part of the New Israel. They will become the twelve sources transmitting God’s generous comfort and aid to His people.
The Old Testament parallels: Throughout his Gospel, Mathew draws parallels between Moses and Jesus to help his community begin to identify themselves as a Church of Christian disciples, rooted in, yet distinct from, Judaism. God told Moses to feed 600,000 men fit for military service, for a month. Moses said he could not do that because he did not have sufficient food (Numbers 1:22). Consequently, God showered manna for bread and sent quails for meat. Matthew clearly intends to portray Jesus as similar to Moses, yet surpassing him, as the bringer of a new age. Jesus makes this connection even more explicit when he refers to manna in his “Bread–from–Heaven” discourse (John 6:31-49), which follows the feeding of the five thousand in John’s Gospel, These feedings are also reminiscent of Elisha’s feeding miracle in II Kings 4:42-44. In that story, Elisha had only twenty barley loaves to feed the starving people of Gilgal. When he ordered his servant to distribute the bread, the servant protested, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” Elisha reaffirmed the order, promising, “They shall eat and have some left.” The servant distributed the bread; the people ate — and there was bread left over in fulfillment of the Word of God. The linkage between the stories is made even tighter by the reference to barley loaves in John 6:9. Allusions in today’s Gospel (multiplication of loaves and fish), show how Jesus recapitulated and fulfilled the Old Testament story. The people here followed a new and greater Moses into the desert, where he fed them with miraculous bread. Jesus also showed himself greater than Elisha the prophet, who fed 100 men from 20 barley loaves, with “some left over.” In the gospel story, five loaves and two fish sufficed for 5,000 men, and their families, with twelve baskets left over. The miracle of the loaves and fishes is a clear affirmation of God’s most generous Providence. Just as the merciful God fed the wandering Israelites with manna in the desert, Jesus, “his heart moved with pity,” fed the crowds who had come to hear him. Just as Elisha’s miracle foreshadowed Jesus’ miracle in Galilee, which in turn foreshadowed the Last Supper, the Eucharist we now celebrate, foreshadows the Heavenly Banquet, and already enables us to begin participating in that coming Glory. Now, partaking in the Lord’s Supper nourishes the spiritual life of the believer. Through the Holy Eucharist, Jesus also satisfies our spiritual hunger for Truth, for freedom, for peace, for understanding, for justice and for love.
A miracle of generous sharing? Contemporary, scientifically -minded, free-thinking modern believers who deny everything miraculous, are skeptical about a multiplication of loaves. Hence, some interpreters propose that the “miracle” was Jesus’ success in getting this group of people to share their personal provisions. According to them, it appears strange and unnatural that the crowd had made this nine-mile long expedition to such a desolate village without taking anything to eat. So, the crowd had, in fact, brought food with them in their wicker baskets, but were unwilling to share with others. If such was the case, Jesus might have deliberately borrowed the five loaves and two fish from his apostles in order to set a good example for the crowd. Moved by this example of generosity, the crowd might have done the same: thus, there was enough for all. This rather fanciful, non-Biblical explanation may still be considered a miracle: it shows how the presence of Jesus miraculously turned a crowd of selfish men and women into a fellowship of generous sharers. But a more literal understanding of the story is the Biblically correct explanation, and the traditionally accepted view. (1) Pope Francis on the miracle of sharing: vhttp://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/pope-francis-on-the-parable-of-the-loaves-and-fishes-11-things-to-know-and (2) 20 reasons why sharing miracle view is wrong:http://catholicslovejesus.com/Teaching%20Truth%20about%20Miracle%20of%20Loaves..htm
A symbol of the Eucharist: The early Christian community especially cherished this story because they saw this event as anticipating the Eucharist. The same main actions and verbs (took, blessed, broke gave) were used to describe both the loaves event and the institution of the Eucharist. The way in which Jesus’ actions are described [“looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples,”] makes a connection with Jesus’ Last Supper and the Church’s celebration of the Eucharist. The miracle itself is a symbol of the Eucharist, the Sacrament of unity, and the sharing of the broken bread is a sign of a community that shares and provides in abundance for the needs of its members. Matthew invites us to see this miracle as a type or symbol explaining the Sacrament’s meaning. Probably, the telling of the story has been shaped by the Eucharistic customs of the early Christian community: “taking the . . . loaves,” “blessed,” “broke,” “gave,” “ate.” Clearly the account suggests the early Christian rite of the breaking of the bread (early form of the Holy Mass), celebrated on Sundays, rather than the Covenant-sacrifice meal, which was probably, in the earliest days, a single, annual Christian Passover celebration. Their “breaking of the bread” also had eschatological associations: it was an anticipation of the Messianic banquet. The Church’s Eucharist today combines both the sacrificial and the eschatological associations. In the past, emphasis was placed more on the sacrificial than on the eschatological Banquet aspect. Vatican II redressed that imbalance well, but some of those applied what they “thought” the Council “really meant” and took the shift overboard resulting in a generation whose catechesis was woefully incomplete. Now, a true balance between the two is in process of being restored — but probably only in Heaven will we all finally experience the whole meaning of the Eucharist as God sees it!
Catechism of the Catholic Church on the symbolism: This “massive” feeding of so many thousands of needy people prefigures the “superabundance” of this unique bread of the Eucharist (CCC #1335). The first Christians recognized this miracle of the breaking of the bread not only as the reality of the Real Presence of Jesus, but also as the sign of their call to be in communion with one another as the united Body of Christ (CCC #1329).
Life messages:1)“You give them something to eat.” Today’s readings tell us that God really cares about His people, and that there is enough and more than enough for everybody. Studies show that the world today produces enough food in grain alone to provide every human being on the planet with 3,600 calories a day, not counting such foods as tuber crops, vegetables, beans, nuts, fruits, meats, and fish. Over the past twenty-five years, food production has exceeded world population growth by about 16%. This means that there is no good reason for any human being in today’s world to go hungry. But even in a rich country like the U.S.A., one child out of five grows up in poverty, three million people are homeless and 4000 unborn babies are aborted every day. “The problem in feeding the world’s hungry population lies with our political lack of will, our economic system biased in favor of the affluent, our militarism, and our tendency to blame the victims of social tragedies, such as famine. We all share responsibility for the fact that populations are undernourished. Therefore, it is necessary to arouse a sense of responsibility in individuals, especially among those more blessed with this world’s goods.” (Pope John XXIII, Mater et Magistra (1961) 157-58).
It is too easy to blame God, too easy to blame governments, too easy to see these things as other people’s problems. They are also our problems. That is the meaning of the Eucharist we celebrate here today. In other words, as Christians we have to commit ourselves to share and to work with God in communicating His compassion to all. God is a caring Father, but He wants our co-operation. That’s what the early Christians did, generously sharing what they had with the needy. They were convinced that everything they needed to experience a fulfilling life was already there, in the gifts and talents of the people around them. People of our time have to be encouraged to share, even when they think they have nothing to offer. Whatever we offer through Jesus will have a life-giving effect in those who receive it. We are shown two attitudes in John’s account (John 6:7-9) of the Gospel story: that of Philip and that of Andrew. Philip said, in effect: “The situation is hopeless; nothing can be done.” But Andrew’s attitude was: “I’ll see what I can do, and I will trust Jesus to do the rest.” Let us have Andrew’s attitude.
2) God blesses those who share their talents with loving commitment. This is illustrated by Mother Teresa who went to serve the slum-dwellers of Calcutta with just twenty cents in her pocket. When she died forty-nine years later, God had turned her original twenty cents into eighty schools, three hundred mobile dispensaries, seventy leprosy clinics, thirty homes for the dying, thirty homes for abandoned children and forty thousand volunteers from all over the world to help her. We can begin our own humble efforts at “sharing” right here in our parish by participating in the works of charity done by organizations like St. Vincent DePaul Society, the Knights of Columbus and so many other volunteer groups. We may say, “I do not have enough money or talent to make any difference.” But we need to remember that the young boy in the story had only five loaves of bread and two fish. The Bible guarantees that every believer has at least one gift from the Holy Spirit. This is our one “tiny fish.” Perhaps our “fish” is not money, but a talent or an ability that God has given us. We all have something. If we have never trusted God with our time, or our talent, or our treasure — all our resources. — this is the time to start. Let us offer everything to God saying, “Here is what I am and what I have Lord, and You have given me all of it, so I am yours: use me as You will, please” And He will, blessing and amplifying everything beyond our expectations. As we begin to give, we will discover that the Lord “moves in” where we are not adequate, and He abundantly supplies what is needed. When we give all we have to God, and we ask Him to bless it, it is then the miracle happens.
3) We need to be “Eucharistic ministers”: We, too, can perform wonders in our own time and place, by imitating the four “Eucharistic verbs” of Jesus: take humbly and generously what God gives us, bless it by offering it to others in God’s love, break the use of His gift away from our own needs and selfish interests for the sake of others and give with joy-filled gratitude to God who has blessed us with so much.
4) We need to eat Jesus the Bread of life.How do we eat Jesus Christ? How do we digest the Son of God? One way is by maintaining daily private devotions, spending time alone with Christ, apart from the family and the busyness of the day. It means taking some time – five, ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes – each day to spend in the presence of Christ, the Bread of Life. We can take the Bible, read a passage until something speaks to the heart, then stop, reflect on what has been and ask, “What is God saying to me in this passage? Is there a command to obey? A promise to trust? An example to follow? A sin to avoid? A prayer to echo?” This is called reflection or meditation. We enter into quiet and stillness, focus our mind on God and His Word and listen to Him. Our next step is to respond to God by prayer which is talking to Him, speaking to Him as to a friend in conversation, telling Him everything and asking Him for whatever we need. By doing this day in and day out, we will be feeding our soul with the Bread of Life. We will grow strong within. Our Faith will mature., and we will be preparing our souls to eat the Bread of Life when we join (weekly of course, and daily if we are blessed with many priests), the Public Worship of the Church at the Eucharistic celebration. There, we gather with fellow-believers at Mass, joining hearts and voices with theirs in praising God and listening to His Word taught and preached in the Liturgy of the Word. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we really eat the glorified body, blood, soul and Divinity of our Risen Lord, Jesus the Christ of God in receiving the Eucharist, By eating Jesus’ Body and drinking Jesus’ Blood, we share in Jesus’ Divine life. Since Christ is the heart and center of the Bible, we can say that the Bible is also the Bread of Life. When the Bible is preached, the homilist is breaking the Bread of Life for us. Christians feed on the Word of God as they hear it in Church, as well as when they read and pray it privately .
JOKE OF THE WEEK
Leftovers? A nervous young priest, concluding his first sermon, told the flock, “For my text this Sunday, I will take the words, “And they fed five men with five thousand loaves of bread and two thousand fishes.” A member of the flock raised his hand and said, “That’s not much of a trick. I could do that.” The priest didn’t respond. However, the next Sunday he decided to repeat the text. This time he did it properly, “And they fed five thousand men with five loaves of bread and two fishes.” Smiling, the priest said to the noisy man, “Could you do that, Mr. Perkins?” The member of the flock said, “I sure could.” “How would you do it?“ asked the minister. “With all the food I had left over from last Sunday!”
1) We are over-eating ourselves to death: Experts tell us that Americans are over-eating themselves to death. Obesity is America’s number one health problem. The average American eats daily nine hundred more calories than he needs. It is reported that fifty percent of us are overweight. Fifty-three percent of the deaths are caused by diseases that are related to obesity. Americans spend annually ten billion dollars on diets and slimming programs. Even our dogs are over-fed. Look at the miserable contrast: the overfilled stomachs of dogs almost touching the ground and the bloated stomachs of children suffering from malnutrition! If we had compassion on the poor and hungry, we would voluntarily change our lifestyles to those which would call for less food in-take. Then, we could take the money saved from buying less food and give it to our Church’s program to send food abroad to the destitute. One denomination within a two-year period gave eight million dollars for world hunger. This was possible because loyal members sacrificed by eating less that others might eat more. — Jesus gave the bread to the apostles to distribute to the people. In our day those who have food, as America does, should have the compassion of Jesus to share with those who have little or no food.
2) Spiritual hunger leading people to New Age religions: Physical hunger is a very real fact of life. Spiritual hunger is just as real, and there are many millions more who are spiritually malnourished, while multitudes are dying of spiritual starvation. Many of the symptoms of spiritual hunger are seen here and all over the world. We see today spiritually hungry people who are going outside the Church for soul food. This is a judgment upon the Church for apparently not satisfying the spiritual needs of the people. Forty-two million Americans, for instance, or one out of every five, has espoused astrology. They believe that the position of the stars has something to do with their daily lives. Two-thirds of our newspapers carry a daily horoscope. Eight out of every ten Americans can tell you under what star they were born. This turning to astrology is an indication that people are looking for something transcendent; they are looking for guidance from a force beyond themselves. Six million Americans have embraced Transcendental Meditation and thirty thousand new people each month are signing up for instruction. This points to a need for meditation to get in touch with God, something many Church people must feel they are not getting now. Add to this number five million people who are seeking union with God by Yoga. Three million Americans belong to the charismatic movement, meeting a desire for an experience with the Spirit. Many of these charismatics claim that the average church is cold and lacking in spiritual warmth. Added to this, are the various heretical sects that are attracting people by the tens of thousands, like Scientology and the Unification church by Moon.
3) Junk food for the souls: What is feeding our spirits? Many Americans get their food from television. It is reported that the average child watches twenty-three hours of television per week. By the time a child reaches age eighteen, he has watched twenty-three thousand hours of television, equivalent to three years of his life. And what do they get on television, what feeds their minds and hearts? They are fed materialism through the constant appearance of commercials, often six at a time. In 1976, it is said, television stations ran three hundred thirty-five thousand commercials per month! In these commercials we are fed with a materialistic view of life. We are told that things make life happy and worthwhile. Buy, buy, and have all the good things in life! In addition, television is feeding us with sex and violence, more of both each joining the flood each year. By the time a child reaches age eighteen, it is claimed that he has seen eighteen thousand murders. On children’s television cartoons, an act of violence is shown at the rate of one per minute. These scenes of violence are sowing the seeds of hatred, brutality, and vengefulness in the hearts of people. The tragedy of our times is that we are content to feed our souls with “empty calories,” when we could be getting a spiritual banquet. We are living on chaff and husks rather than the good meat of a steak.
4)“You’d never believe it, Dad.” Charles Swindol tells a funny story about a nine-year-old named Danny who came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. Finally, after a quick search, he grabbed his Daddy by the leg and yelled, “Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!” His father looked down, smiled, and asked the boy to tell him about it. “Well, the Israelites got out of Egypt, but Pharaoh and his army chased after them. So, the Jews ran as fast as they could until they got to the Red Sea. The Egyptian Army was gettin’ closer and closer. So, Moses got on his walkie-talkie and told the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Egyptians. While that was happening, the Israeli Navy built a pontoon bridge so the people could cross over. They made it!” By now his dad was shocked. “Is THAT the way they taught you the story?” he demanded. “Well, no, not exactly,” Danny admitted, “but if I told you the way they told it to us, you’d never believe it, Dad.” — It’s more popular to operate in the black-and-white world of facts … and, of course, to leave no space for the miraculous. And so, when we read the story of the feeding of the five thousand, we tend to focus our attention on the question, “Did it really happen? Or was it a miracle of sharing the bread people had with them? “ Some say that this young fellow’s example encouraged other people to share food they had brought with them for the journey. But today’s Gospel presents it as a real miracle.
5) We should rethink our own stewardship of the earth’s resources: Did you know, for example, that six million Europeans eat as much food as 240 million Africans? Even more startling, the citizens of this country, who form only 5.7% of the world’s population, eat half the food produced in the world. Somebody’s eating more than his/her share! We spend ten times more money on the feeding of cats and dogs than the sovereign country of Guinea earns as its national income. We are an indulgent, wasteful people. We each need to examine our stewardship of the bounty with which God has blessed us.
6)“I’ll pay it for you.” In 1930, during the Great Depression, a man named Golden Rule Jones was mayor of Toledo, Ohio. During his term of office, he sometimes sat as the presiding judge in night court. One night a man was brought in for stealing money from a grocery store. His defense was that he needed the money for food and that he was simply a victim of hard times. Nevertheless, Golden Rule Jones found him guilty. “You did not steal from society.” he said. “You stole from a private citizen and you broke the law. I’m fining you ten dollars. However,” and he reached for his wallet, “I’ll pay it for you.” Next, he instructed the bailiff to pass the hat around the courtroom. “I’m fining everybody here at least fifty cents. You’re all guilty of being members of a society that made it necessary for this man to steal. The collection will go to the defendant.”
7) “Help, I can’t swim:” In one of his books, Chuck Swindoll tells about a very interesting case that came before the courts in the state of Massachusetts back in the 1920s. It concerned a man who had been walking along a pier when suddenly he tripped over a rope and fell into the cold, deep waters of that ocean bay. He came up sputtering, screaming for help, then sank beneath the surface. For some reason he was unable to swim or stay afloat. His friends heard his faint cries in the distance, but they were too far away to rescue him. But within only a few yards was a young man lounging on a deck chair, sunbathing. Not only could the sun-bather hear the drowning man plead, “Help, I can’t swim,” he was also an excellent swimmer. But the tragedy is that he did nothing. He only turned his head to watch indifferently as the man finally sank and drowned. The family of the victim was so upset by that display of extreme indifference, they sued the sun-bather. The result? They lost the case. With a measure of reluctance, the court ruled that the man on the dock had no legal responsibility whatsoever to try to save the drowning man’s life. — You and I can turn a deaf ear to the needy of this world. We can callously shrug our shoulders and say, “Let God feed them.” But God works through people who are responsive to God’s leading. For them, there is nothing in this world that cannot be accomplished. Jesus said, “You feed them!” And we can.
8) Christy, Grade III A. A man was packing a shipment of food for the poor people of Appalachia. He was separating beans from powdered milk, and canned vegetables from canned meats. Reaching into a box filled with various cans, he pulled out a little brown paper sack. Apparently one of the pupils had brought something different from the items on the suggested list. Out of the paper bag fell a peanut butter sandwich, an apple, and a cookie. Crayoned in large letters was a little girl’s name, “Christy, Grade III A.’ A little girl had given up her lunch for some hungry person as did the little boy did in today’s Gospel.
9) “Born of the virgin Edna…” There was pastor who used his computer to create a personalized printed program for every Baptism. To make each one special, he’d use the computer’s “search & replace” function to find the name of the last baby baptized and then replace it with the next baby’s name. So, one Saturday evening, the priest told his computer to find the name “Mary,” last week’s baby, and to replace it with “Edna,” the next day’s baby. Next morning, everything went smoothly till the congregation reached the Apostles’ Creed and found themselves saying, “…And we believe in Jesus Christ, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Edna...” — So often our best intentions go awry, and before we get very old, the reality of our personal limitations becomes painfully clear. The Apostles in Sunday’s Gospel knew their limits only too well, especially when they stood next to Jesus. So, when Jesus looked at the crowd of about 20,000 and told the Apostles to feed the people, they were truly abashed.
10) A poor girl’s donation of “five loaves and two fish”: A sobbing little girl stood near a small Sunday school building. The pastor asked her why she was crying. “I can’t get into the Sunday school,” she sobbed. “The teacher said it was too crowded.” Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason. Taking her by the hand, the pastor took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who had no place to learn about Jesus.
Two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings, and her parents called for the kind-hearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle arrangements for her funeral. As her body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which she might have gotten from some trash dump. Inside was found fifty-seven cents and a note scribbled in a child’s handwriting. It read, “This is my saving to help build our small church and the little Sunday school bigger so that many more children can go to worship God and to learn about Jesus.” For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he should do. Carrying this note and the child’s purse to the pulpit, he told the story of the poor little girl’s unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his parishioners to raise enough money for a larger church and bigger Sunday school. A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a realtor who offered them a plot of land worth thousands, for the price of fifty-seven cents — the amount the little girl had saved. The parishioners made large donations. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000.00, a huge amount at the turn of the last century. Her unselfish, sacrificial love had paid large dividends. — When you next visit the city of Philadelphia, look for Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300, and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital, and the Sunday school building which houses hundreds of Sunday scholars, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time. In one of the rooms of this building you will see the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose fifty-seven cents, so sacrificially saved, and had such a remarkable history. Alongside is a portrait of her kind pastor, Rev. Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book Acres of Diamonds. In today’s Gospel we read the similar story of a boy who sacrificially shared his little lunch with Jesus, thus cooperating with Him in the miraculous feeding of a huge crowd. (Confer Snopes.com for the true story)
11) CNN heroes 2010: Out of 10,000 nominations from more than 100 countries, Narayan Krishnan from Madurai, India was selected as one of the Top 10 in “CNN heroes 2010″. In 2002, he was a cook for the prestigious Taj Hotel in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. He was selected for advanced training in Switzerland in his chosen profession as a hotel chef. He describes the moment of awakening that changed the course of his life. “I saw a very old man, eating waste food thrown out into a dumpster. I went to the nearby hotel bought some bread and gave it to the old man. Believe me; I had never seen a person eating so fast, ever. As he ate the food, his eyes were filled with tears. Those were the tears of happiness.” Right away, Krishnan quit his job and dreams of becoming a chef. Defying religious, caste and social conventions he spent his life by pouring his time and effort into feeding, bathing, and grooming the destitute, mentally ill, and elderly left uncared for and languishing in the streets. By founding the Akshaya Trust in 2003, he made thousands of people partners and facilitators of his acts of kindness. Every day, he wakes up at 4 a.m., cooks a simple hot meal and then, along with his team, loads it in a van and travels about 125 miles (201 km) feeding the homeless and mentally disabled in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. He serves breakfast, lunch and dinner to 400 indigent and elderly people in Madurai. — Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus felt compassion for the spiritually and physically hungry people and fed them miraculously. (Fr. Bobby Jose).
12) The whole room was filled with light: In a book entitled Healing Through the Mass [Father Robert DeGrandis, SSJ (Ascension Press), pp. 84-85] I read the following. NASA did some experimenting with a special type of camera that can “see” the energy levels in the human body. The result is displayed on a monitor. The energy shows up as an aura around the body. NASA’s interest in the experiment was to investigate the effects of space travel on astronauts in orbit. Experimenting in a hospital, they discovered that when a person is dying, the aura around the body is thinner and gets thinner and thinner until the person dies. Behind a two-way mirror, the scientist and his associate carrying out this investigation in the hospital could see with their camera another man coming into the room with light coming from his pocket. Then the man took the object from his pocket and did something so that in the camera the whole room was filled with light and with their camera they could no longer see what was happening. They ran to the room to see what was causing so much light to appear in their camera. They discovered that the dying man was being given Holy Communion. Afterwards with their camera they could see that the aura around the patient was brighter. Although in his fifties, the scientist conducting the experiment decided to become a priest after witnessing that. (Fr. Tommy Lane).
13) Christ’s love stands up to trials: There is a funny story about a small-town trial many years ago. Everyone was gathered in the courthouse. The prosecuting attorney called his first witness, an elderly woman, to the stand. He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?” She responded, “Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a young boy. And, frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. Yes, I know you.” The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?” She replied, “Why, of course I do. “I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. I used to babysit him. And he, too, has been a real disappointment. He’s lazy, bigoted, and has a drinking problem. The man can’t build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is shoddy and crooked. Yes, I know him.” At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence and called both counselors to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, “If either of you ask her if she knows me, I’ll hold you both in contempt of court!” (E- Priest).
14) King and two beggars: There is an old story about a king and two beggars dressed in rags. The king announced a banquet in honor of his son’s wedding; anyone dressed in royal garments was welcome to attend. Both beggars longed to attend the banquet, but neither had any royal garments. The first beggar spent the day gathering lost coins and doing odd jobs. Finally, he went to the clothing merchant, presented his handful of coins, and asked for some royal robes. But the merchant laughed and said, “You can’t buy royal robes for pennies, old man!” The second beggar had a different idea. He made his way to the king’s castle, knocked on the gate, and asked to see the king. The guard brought him to the chamberlain, who took the beggar before the king’s throne. The beggar, shaking with fright, bowed low and said, “Please, your majesty, if I may be so bold, may I have one of your old garments so that I, too, may come to the banquet tonight?” The beggar was shaking so hard that he could not see the faint smile on the king’s face. “You have been wise in coming to me,” the king said. He called to his son, the young prince. “Take this man to your room and array him in some of your clothes, so that he too may enjoy the royal hospitality on this glorious night.” — The story teaches that Christ doesn’t love us because we have earned his love by our achievements; Jesus, God’s Only-begotten Son Incarnate loves us because God’s Own Goodness — unconditional and overflowing, especially in the face of our weaknesses, failures, and misery.
“You feed them!”: Tony Campolo is a professor of sociology and a popular speaker. He was once invited to a women’s conference where he was to give a major address. These women were being challenged to raise several thousand dollars for a mission project goal. While Campolo was sitting on the dais, the chairperson turned to him and asked him if he would pray for God’s blessing as they considered their individual responses to the goal. Campolo stood and — to the utter amazement of everyone present — graciously said “No.” He approached the microphone and said, “You already have all the resources necessary to complete this mission project right here within this room. It would be inappropriate to ask for God’s blessing, when in fact God has already blessed you with the abundance and the means to achieve this goal. The necessary gifts are in your hands. As soon as we take the offering and underwrite this mission project, we will thank God for freeing us to be the generous, responsible and accountable stewards that we’re called to be as Christian disciples.” And they did. Wow! Leave it to Tony Campolo to hit the nail right on the thumb! Jesus says, “You feed them!” And we can! This is a rich world and we are rich people! (King Duncan, “You Feed Them!” Quoted by Fr. Kayala).
16)Loving Generosity: Time out of mind, when the world was young, two brothers shared a field and a mill. Each night they divided evenly the grain they had ground together during the day. Now, as it happened, one of the brothers lived alone; the other had a wife and a large family. One day the single brother thought to himself: “It isn’t really fair that we divide the grain equally. I have onlymyself to care for, but my brother has children to feed.” So, each night he secretly took some of his grain to his brother’s granary to see that he was never without. But the married brother said to himself one day, “It isn’t fair that we should divide the grain equally, because I have children to provide for me in my old age, but my brother has no one. What will he do when he is old?” So every night he secretly took some of his grain to his brother’s granary. As a result, each of them always found his supply of grain mysteriously replenished each morning. Then one night the brothers, meeting each other halfway between their two houses, suddenly realized what had been happening and embraced each other in love. — The story is that God witnessed their meeting and proclaimed, “This is a holy place – a place of love – and here it is that My Temple shall be built.” And so it was. The holy place where God is made known, is where human beings discover each other in love. (Wilkie Au in By Way of the Heart; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
17)More blessed to give than to receive: There was the beggar who sat at the Temple gate every day, begging for his living. One day he heard that the King was coming to the Temple and he was all excited, sure that the king would give him enough alms so he wouldn’t have to beg any more. He eagerly awaited the arrival of the king but when the king came, the King did a strange thing. Instead of giving alms, he begged for alms himself. Perplexed, the beggar put his hand into his bag and reluctantly placed a few grains of rice into the king’s hands. Thanking him, the king departed, putting back to the beggar’s bag the grains he received, much to the disappointment of the beggar. At the end of the day the beggar returned home frustrated. But when he poured out the contents of his bag to check his day’s collection, to his great surprise, he discovered a few grains of gold among the rice. How he wished he had given more to the king! (Ravindra Nath Tagore; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
18) Stone Soup and miracle of sharing: One day a village woman was surprised to find a well-dressed stranger at her door asking for something to eat. “I’m sorry,” she said, “But I have nothing in the house right now.” “Not to worry,” said the amiable stranger. “I have a soup stone in my bag; if you will let me put it in a pot of boiling water, I’ll make the most delicious soup in the world. A large pot please.” The woman gave him the pot. He put the stone into it and filled the pot with water. As he put it on the fire, she whispered the secret of the soup stone to a neighbor. Soon all the neighbors had gathered to see the stranger and his soup stone. When the water began to boil, the stranger tasted a spoonful and exclaimed, “Very tasty! All it needs is some potatoes.” “I have potatoes at home,” shouted one woman. In a few minutes she was back with a large quantity of sliced potatoes, which were placed in the pot. Then the stranger tasted the brew again. “Excellent!” he said, adding, “if we only had some meat this would become a tasty stew.” Another housewife rushed home to bring some meat, which the stranger graciously accepted and deposited in the pot. When he tasted the broth again, he rolled his eyes heavenwards and said, “Delicious!” If only we had some vegetables, it would be perfect.” One of the neighbors rushed off home and returned with a basket of carrots and onions. After these had been put in, the stranger tasted the mixture and in a voice of command ask, “Salt and sauce?”“Right here,” said the housewife. Then came another command, “Bowls for everyone?” People rushed to their homes in search of bowls. Some even brought back bread and fruit. Then they all sat down to a delicious meal while the stranger handed out large helpings of his incredible soup. Everyone felt strangely happy as they laughed and talked and shared their first common meal. In the middle of the merriment the stranger slipped quietly away, leaving behind the miraculous soup stone, which they used every time they wanted to make the loveliest soup in the world. (Flor McCarthy in New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). L/26
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 atakadavil@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). My post-retirement postal address in tge U. S.: Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Jogy M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507
July 20-25: July 20 Monday: Stone. Apollinaris, Bishop, Martyr:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-apollinaris/Mt 12:38-42: 38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”39 He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.41 At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. 42 At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
When one claimed to be the messenger of God, the Jews asked one to prove it. “Prove your claims by doing something extraordinary.” The Jews asked for a sign from Jesus because they were guilty of one fundamental mistake. They desired to see God in the abnormal; they forgot that we are never nearer God, and God never shows Himself to us so much and so continually as in the ordinary things of every day. That is why Jesus calls those demanding “a sign” from him, “an evil and adulterous generation,” a description that, in modern times is not literally true, for as breakers of God’s Covenant with them, we would call them “apotstates.” Jesus, however, was harkening back to the Old Testament prophetic picture of the relationship between Israel and God as a marriage bond, with God as the offering husband and Israel the grateful, freely consenting bride. When, therefore, Israel, the “bride” was unfaithful to her Spouse, and gave her love to other gods, the nation was said to be adulterous and to go a-whoring after strange gods.
Jesus says that the only sign which will be given to this nation is the sign of Jonah the prophet.. The point is that, to the Ninevites, Jonah himself was God’s sign, and Jonah’s words were God’s message. Jesus is saying, in effect, “You are asking for a sign — I AM God’s sign! You have failed to recognize me. The Ninevites recognized God’s warning in Jonah; the Queen of Sheba recognized God’s wisdom in Solomon. In me there has come to you a greater wisdom than Solomon ever had, and a greater message than Jonah ever brought — but you are so blind that you cannot see the truth and so deaf that you cannot hear the warning. And for that very reason the day will come when those people of old time who recognized God and joyfully obeyed Him when they saw Him will be witnesses against you. For you had a much better opportunity to recognize God than they did, yet they recognized God and obeyed Him at once, where you fail to do either stubbornly refusing refuse to do either.” Jesus is God’s sign and message, just as Jonah was God’s messenger and message to the Ninevites, and Solomon was God’s wisdom to the Queen of Sheba.
Life message: Let us check our reaction when we are confronted with God in Jesus Christ. Is that reaction bleak hostility, as it was in the case of the Scribes and Pharisees? Or, is it humble acceptance of God’s warning and God’s truth as it was in the case of the people of Nineveh, and of the Queen of Sheba? The all-important question is: “What do I think of the Christ?” and what wil do about it?” May God grant that we may accept him forever as our Lord and Savior! L/26
July 21 Tuesday: St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Bishop, Doctor of the Church: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-lawrence-of-brindisi/Mt 12:46-50:46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
The context: When Jesus became a strong critic of the Jewish religious authorities, family members brought Jesus’ Mother with them to take charge of Jesus and bring him back to to Nazareth by force in necessary. They assumed that he had to be “out of His mind,”would be arrested and killed, and they would suffer with him. Jesus replied to the message that his relatives and his mother were outside and wanted to see him, by saying, simply, 48 …“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!” Though this response can seem to us to suggest that Jesus ignored the request of the family and Jesus’ Jesus’ Mother, who had traveled so far to see him, everyone in the audience knew how Jesus had always loved and, working as a carpenter, had taken care of Mary. Besides, Jesus’ plain answer, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it,” was indeed a compliment to Mary who had always listened to the word of God and obeyed it. Jesus was declaring “Blessed are those who have heard and kept the word of God, as she is faithfully doing” (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 58). Jesus was also using the occasion to teach the whole group a new lesson in their relationship with God. Life Message: 1) Being a disciple of Jesus, a Christian, means, first and foremost, being in a relationship of love and unity with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and with all who belong to God as His children. This changes the order of all our relationships, showing us that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood but of Spirit and Truth. God’s gracious gift to us is His adoption of us as His sons and daughters through Baptism. This gift enables us to recognize all those who belong to Christ as our brothers and sisters. Everyone who does the will of the Father, that is to say, who obeys Him, is an adopted child of the Father and, thus, “Family” to us. 4) We are blessed to be called to join Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God, who fulfilled the will of his Father and “loved us to the end” (Jn 13:1), and to do the same in our turn for all of us for whom God died. [Brothers and sisters of Jesus: The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus did not have blood brothers and sisters. In the Hebrew and Aramaic languages, no special words existed for cousin, nephew, half-brother, or stepbrother; so, they used the word “brother” in all these cases. The Greek translation of the Hebrew texts used the word adelphos in these cases. In addition, other Gospel passages clarify these relationships between James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. James the Less and Joses, as well as Simon the Cananaean (or Simon the Zealot) and Judas Thaddeus were the sons of Mary the wife of Clopas(Tradition holds him to be brother of Joseph) (Mk 15:40, Jn 19:25), and James the Less was also identified as“the son of Alphaeus“ (Lk 6:15), a synonym of “Clopas.” James the Greater and John were the sons of Zebedee with a mother other than our Blessed Mother Mary (Mt 20:20ff). After the birth of our Lord, although the Gospels do not give us many details of His childhood, no mention is made of Mary and Joseph ever having other children. Never does it refer to the “sons of Mary” or “a son of Mary,” but only the son of Mary. By this time, St. Joseph has died. As a “First-born, with no“blood brother,” Jesus entrusted his Mother Mary from the cross to the care of St. John, the Beloved Disciple. ]L/26 For additional reflections:Click onhttps://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video; https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/daily-reflections/;https://www.epriest.com/reflections.
July 22 Wednesday:St. Mary Magdalene: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-mary-magdalene/Jn 20:11-18: 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” 18 Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
The context: Today’s Gospel presents the great recognition scene in the New Testament in which Mary Magdalene, at the tomb early in the morning, was not able to recognize the Risen Jesus until Jesus called her by name. Gradual recognition, or misunderstanding, as a stage on the path to belief and understanding, frequently occurs in the narratives of John’s Gospel. [See, for example, the conversations Jesus had with Nicodemus (ch. 3), and the Samaritan woman (ch. 4).] In today’s passage, we find it once again: Mary thought at first that Jesus was the gardener.
Mary Magdalene failed to recognize Jesus because of her false assumption that his body had been stolen. Her attention was concentrated on the empty tomb. Her tears of intense grief could also have blurred her vision. Once Mary had recognized Jesus, he gave her a message to be conveyed to his Apostles — Jesus would leave them and ascend to his Father. Mary Magdalen the first to see the Risen Christ and the first to tell the apostles about the Lord’s resurrection. Mary’s message to Jesus’ disciples, “I have seen the Lord,”(Jn 20:18),” became the basis and essence of later preaching and Christians’ witness-bearing. St. Thomas Aquinas once remarked that one old lady (una vetera), might have more Faith than a host of learned theologians.
Life messages: 1) Just like Mary Magdalene, we too may fail to recognize the presence of the risen Lord in our neighbor because of our preoccupations, spiritual blindness, or evil habits. But we can be open to experience the presence of the Risen Lord in our lives through our prayer, our Sacramental life, periods of Adoration of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and our meditative reading of the Bible. These all enable us to bear witness to the Risen Lord in our daily lives. 2) It is our powerful conviction of the Real Presence of the Risen Lord, both in the Eucharist and in our lives, which gives us the strength to fight temptations and to serve our brothers and sisters in corporal and spiritual works of mercy. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)L/26
July 23 Thursday:St. Bridget, Religious: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-bridget-of-sweden/Mt 13:10-17: 10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.” 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The context: Jesus’ disciples wanted to know why he spoke in parables to the common people but explained to his disciples the parables’ implicit and hidden meanings.
Reasons: Jesus gives two reasons for using parables. 1) The so-called intellectuals, like the scribes and the Pharisees, were proud. Filled with themselves, they left no space for God’s wordin their hearts. That is one of the reasons why Jesus started speaking to the common people who were humble with receptive hearts, using their simple language and telling them stories and parables based on their lives. 2) The secrets of God’s kingdom are meant for people with open minds and large receptive hearts, not for proud intellectuals who are closed to them.
Blessings: Then Jesus congratulates his apostles and the common people on their good fortune in seeing and recognizing the long-awaited Messiah, hearing his words and experiencing his company.
Life messages: 1) We are more blessed than Jesus’ first-century audience because we have his message in written form, and the Holy Spirit, guiding the Church and its Magisterium, to interpret it for us. 2) We find the risen, living Jesus, alive and fully Present, in the Holy Eucharist, in the confessional, in the Holy Bible, and in the praying community. Hence, let us read the Bible and listen to the teaching of the Church with open minds and welcoming, responsive hearts. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
July 24 Friday: St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-sharbel-makhlouf/Mt 13:18-23: 18 “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
The context: Today’s Gospel passage gives us Jesus’ interpretation of the parable of the sower, seeds sown, and the yield depending upon the type of soil. This parable was intended as a warning to the hearers to be attentive, and to the apostles to be hopeful, about Jesus’ preaching in the face of growing opposition to his teachings and ideas. The sower is God Who sows His word through the Church, parents, friends, and teachers. The seed sown is the high-yielding word of God which is “a sharp sword” (Is 49:2),“two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12), and “fire and hammer” (Jer 23:29).
Soil-type and yield:The hardened soil on the footpath represents people with minds closed because of laziness, pride, prejudice, or fear. So, “the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart.”The soil on flat rock pieces represents emotional types of people who go after novelties without sticking to anything and are unwilling to surrender their wills to God. “I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh” (Ez 11:19). Jesus interprets this to mean a man “who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately, he falls away.” The soil filled with weeds represents people addicted to evil habits and evil tendencies and those whose hearts are filled with hatred, jealousy, or the greed that makes them interested only in acquiring money by any means and in enjoying life in any way possible. Jesus tells us “…this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” The good and fertile soil represents well-intentioned people with open minds and clean hearts, earnest in hearing the word and zealous in putting it into practice. For Jesus, “… this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” Zacchaeus, the sinful woman, the thief on Jesus’ right side, St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Francis Xavier, among others, fall into this category of the good soil.
Life message: Let us become the good soil and produce hundred-fold yields by earnestly hearing, faithfully assimilating and daily cultivating the word of God we have received, so that the Holy Spirit may produce His fruits in our lives. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
July 25 Saturday: St. James, Apostle: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-jamesMt 20:20-28: 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among yo; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be uyour slave; 28 even as the Son of man came not to be served bu to serve , and to give his life as a ransom for many,”
The context: Today we celebrate the feast of St. James, the Greater Apostle. James was the son of Zebedee the fisherman and Salome, the sister/cousin of Jesus’ mother, and the brother of John, the Evangelist and Apostle. James was one of Jesus’ inner circle of three disciples who had the privilege of witnessing the Transfiguration, the raising to life of the daughter of Jairus, and Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane. He is in the first three of every list of the apostles in the four Gospels. Jesus called James and John “boanerges),” or “sons of thunder”(Mk:3:17), probably because of their volatile character and high ambitions: they once offered to “call down fire from Heaven” – (the power he had given them for their mission) on the Samaritan village which had refused to give Jesus permission to cross through their village because he was going to Jerusalem (Lk 9:51-56). Jesus refused the offer. Later, James was known as James the Greater to distinguish him from James the Less (son of Clopas) who was leader of the Church in Jerusalem and wrote the Epistle that bears his name. James the Greater was probably the first apostle martyred — by Herod in 44 AD, in his attempt to please the Jews (Acts 12:1-3).
The Gospel episode: The incident described in today’s Gospel shows us how ambitious, far-sighted, and power-hungry James and his brother John were in their youth with their impulsive, hot-tempered Galilean blood. They asked their mother to ask Jesus to make them the second and third in command when Jesus established his Messianic Kingdom after ousting the Romans. They must have been shocked when their request prompted Jesus to make a third prediction of his passion and death, promising them a share in his sufferings. Jesus told the apostles that it was only the spirit of service which would make his disciples “great,” because he himself had come “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45; Jn 13:10-17) St. James is the patron saint of Spain.
Life messages: 1) The leaders in Jesus’ Church must be the servants of all as Mary was (“Behold the handmaid of the Lord” Lk 1:38) That is why Pope is called “the servant of the servants of God” (Gregory the Great, d. AD 604) and the priesthood of our pastors is called “ministerial priesthood”(CCC: 1547) 2) Our vocation as Christians is to serve others sacrificially, with agápe love in all humility, without expecting anything in return, and our spiritual leaders must be humble, loving, selfless, and servants of us all, just as Jesus was for the Apostles and disciples, for our Lord loved and served us all Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
O. T. 17 [A] Sunday (July 26))one-page summary of an 8-minute homily
Introduction: Today’s readings teach us that Faith in Jesus as our God and Savior and sacrificing everything in life to do the will of God are equivalent to discovering and possessing the most valuable treasure or the “pearl of great price”. In other words, keeping a personal relationship with Jesus, remaining in a state of grace, and sharing his view of life are the most beautiful and the most precious things in the world.
Scripture lessons summarized: The first reading tells us how the young King Solomon opted for the great treasure of accepting God to rule his life by doing His will. That is why he requested of God the gift of prudence, “an understanding heartto distinguish right from wrong,” so that he might govern God’s people properly. The Lord God was pleased with Solomon’s request and granted him “a wise and discerning heart,”which enabled him to surpass everyone in wisdom. In the second reading, Paul teaches that “all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” This is true of all who accept a close relationship with God as their greatest treasure. In the Gospel, using three mini-parables and one concluding simile, Jesus teaches us that God’s Kingdom, is something of extraordinary value, like a hidden treasure or a costly pearl. Possessing that treasure demands from us a total commitment if we are to preserve it. The Kingdom of God is God’s reign in our hearts, in our lives, in our homes, in our society, and in our world. Only those who develop a searching mind and a heart willing to give up everything for the great treasure of God’s Kingdom will be rewarded. Through the first and second parables of the treasure and pearl, Jesus teaches us that identifying God’s will and living according to the Gospel (both with His grace), are the most precious and worthwhile things in life. Through Jesus and his Gospel, we come to know and understand the real meaning of life, the will of God for us each day, and the most important things we must do to secure our eternal salvation.
Life messages: 1) We should live every moment in view of our precious goal. Most of the time, we are chasing false treasures such as money, power, social status, or worldly pleasures. Thus, the really valuable “pearl” of sharing in God’s life through Jesus here on earth and later in Heaven, is never found. Let us always remember that Heaven is within the reach of all of us who try to do the will of God, following the ordinary vocations of life and enjoying this world’s joys and pleasures within the framework of God’s Commandments. When we do this, we are already living in the Kingdom of Heaven while we are still on earth.
2) We need to take all precautions to keep our greatest treasure safe: We will be able to keep safe the treasure of our personal relationship with Jesus by accepting him every day as our God and Savior, by allowing God to have total control over our lives through our loving obedience to His will, by asking Him daily for the strengthening and guidance of His Holy Spirit, by talking to Him daily in prayer, by listening to Him in our meditative reading of the Bible, by getting reconciled to Him and others every day, asking pardon and forgiveness for our sins, by offering Him our lives on the altar during the Holy Mass, and by allowing Him to nourish our souls frequently, by receiving Jesus in Holy Communion.
OT XVII [A] (July 26): 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52
Homily Starter Anecdotes:# 1: The Cullinan Diamond: This is a true story – no matter how much like a fairy tale it may sound. A totally unsuspecting man literally stumbled upon the world’s largest diamond – all 3,106 carats of it. It happened in Premier Mine #2, near Pretoria, South Africa, in early 1905. This amazing stone was then sent in an ordinary cardboard box to England. One hundred and five stones were cut from this diamond, known as the Cullinan diamond. Two of the largest stones which it produced, the 530-carat Star of Africa and the 317-carat Cullinan II, are mounted on the Scepter with the Cross of the British King/Queen as royal Crown Jewels. Cullinan I is the second largest polished gem and Cullinan II is the fourth largest polished diamond in the world. [Isaac Asimov, Book of Facts, (New York: Wings Books, 1979), pp. 16-17.] — In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God with such a treasure. You Tube presentation: (https://youtu.be/Kka_iL8Uvv4) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 2:Pink Diamond of Tanzania Dr. Williamson was a geologist doing some archeological excavation work in Tanzania. One day he found himself driving in a deserted area, slipping and sliding along a rain-soaked road. Suddenly his four-wheel drive vehicle sank up to its axles in the mud and got stuck. Pulling out his shovel, Dr. Williamson began the unpleasant task of digging the car out of a mud hole. He had been at it for a while when his shovel uncovered something strange. It was a pinkish stone of some sort. Being a geologist and naturally curious about rock formations, he picked it up and wiped away the mud. The more mud he removed, the more excited he became, and he could hardly believe what he was seeing. When the stone was finally clean, Dr. Williamson was beside himself with joy. He had discovered the diamond which became known as the famous Pink Diamond of Tanzania and is now set in the royal scepter of Great Britain. — In today’s two parables, Jesus tells of two other men who unexpectedly discovered treasures (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 3:God is in charge: Henry Ford (1863-1947) was the famous American motor manufacturer who pioneered large-scale motor production. He was the founder of the Ford Motor Company. A man, who went to interview Mr. Ford when he was very old, was surprised to find him calm and serene. The interviewer asked him, “Sir, are you not worried in your life? You have to face so many problems every day and deal with so many workers. Don’t you feel the strain on yourself?” Henry Ford replied, “No! I am not worried. I believe that God is managing the affairs and He doesn’t need my advice. With God in charge, I believe that everything will work for the best in the end.” – “All things work for good for those who love God”(Rom 8:28), assures St. Paul in today’s second reading. (John Rose in John’s Sunday Stories; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 4: Hidden treasure of a bankrupt rancher: In west Texas, there is a famous oil field known as the Yates Oil Field. It is a giant oil field in the Permian basin of west Texas, bordering Pecos River. The field has produced more than one billion barrels of oil, making it one of the largest in the United States. Estimated recoverable reserves are still approximately one billion barrels, which represents approximately 50% of the original oil in place. During the depression, this field was a sheep ranch owned Mr. Ira and Mrs. Ann Yates. Ira was not able to make enough money on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on his mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family, like many others, had to live on a government subsidy. Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling west Texas hills, he was no doubt greatly troubled about how he would be able to pay his bills. Ira heard about oil excavation in Texas and invited Transcontinental Oil Company to explore his land for oil. A crew from the oil company came into the area and told Mr. Yates that there was oil on this land. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease. At a little more than a thousand feet, they struck a huge oil reserve, giving eighty thousand barrels a day. In fact, thirty years after the discovery, a government test of one of Mr. Yates’ wells showed that it still could produce more than a hundred thousand barrels of oil a day. And Mr. Yates owned it all. — The day he had purchased the land, he received the oil and mineral rights. And yet, he had been living on relief – a multimillionaire living in poverty. Why? He did not know the oil was there! He owned it, but he did not possess it. — In today’s Gospel Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a treasure hidden in a field. [James Hewett, How to Live Confidently in a Hostile World (Wheaton, IL: Word Publishing, 1989), p. 177.] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yates_Oil_Field (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
Introduction: In today’s Gospel, Jesus concludes a long series of parables about the Kingdom, or Reign of God by praising those wise men and women who have listened carefully, understood and responded to his message. The first reading tells us how the young King Solomon opted for the great treasure of accepting God to rule his life and then doing God’s will. That is why he asked of God “an understanding heart” “to distinguish right from wrong,” so that he might govern God’s people properly. Yahweh was pleased with his request and granted him “a wise and discerning heart” which enabled him to surpass everyone in wisdom. In today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 119), the psalmist says of the commands of God, “For I love Your commands more that gold however fine. For in all Your precepts, I go forward; every false way I hate,” thus showing real Wisdom. In the second reading, Paul teaches that the wisdom to perceive God’s grace is essential for those who want to follow Him and to do His will, thus remaining in His kingdom. He assures Rome’s Christian community that “all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28).In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us that God’s Kingdom (the rule of God in us, established by accepting Jesus as our God and Savior, putting our Faith in God and doing His will), is something of extraordinary value, like a hidden treasure or costly pearl. Possessing that treasure demands from us a total commitment if we are to preserve it. The Kingdom of God is God’s reign in our hearts, in our lives, in our homes, in our society, and in our world. Only those who develop searching minds and are willing to give up everything for the great treasure of God’s Kingdom will be rewarded. Through the first and second parables, of the treasure and the pearl, Jesus teaches us that identifying God’s will and living according to the Gospel, both with His help, are the most precious and worthwhile things in life. Through Jesus and his Gospel, we come to know and understand the real meaning of life and the most important things we must do to secure our eternal salvation.
The first reading (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12) explained: In the Old Testament, dreams were an accepted means of Divine communication, especially for rulers seeking God’s guidance. In our first reading, God appears to young king Solomon with an undeserved, generous offer: “Ask something of Me and I will give it to you.” The ancient Semitic belief was that people think with their hearts and feel with their kidneys. The latter were considered the source of our emotions and the former, the source of our thoughts and insights. Thus, when Solomon says, “Give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to distinguish right from wrong,” he’s simply requesting a mind capable of seeing what others overlook. He asks for an understanding heart so that he will be able to deal well with people, act compassionately and discern right from wrong. He selflessly asks for “a heart with skill to listen” — sensitivity in understanding his subjects’ needs, skillful decision-making — in order to build a just society. Wisdom gives us insight into what is truly important in life, an awareness of the meaning and purpose of living, of what really matters. Wisdom is an understanding of where our real well-being and happiness lie. Wisdom is indeed the “pearl of great price,” that Jesus speaks of. While Solomon discerns and follows the right way, he is a model and a challenge for us. His request here invites us to cultivate his prayer for a heart and mind attuned to God’s word and docile to His desires. Prayer means asking God for what He wants to give — that which makes us better able to do His will of loving service to others. In this reading, Solomon recognizes two things: 1) wisdom ultimately comes from God; and 2), from wisdom, all other blessings will flow. Using the language, we find in today’s parables, we could say that Solomon asked for a “treasure” or a “pearl of great price.” And he got it. The reading teaches us that when we fulfill our duties as God desires, we are in His presence and on the threshold of the Kingdom.
The second reading (Romans 8:28-30) explained: In this lesson from the Epistle to the Romans, Paul makes two important statements: 1) “All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose”(Rom 8:28). In the context of today’s Gospel, the statement is true of all who accept a close relationship with God as their greatest treasure. 2) “and those He predestined He also called; and those He called He also justified; and those He justified He also glorified”(Rom 8:29-30).The first statement means that the “Kingdom of Heaven” is present when all things somehow work together for good for those who love God. The “Kingdom of God” is present when we know that there is absolutely nothing in this world, or out of it, that can separate us from Christ’s love for us. If we are following in the footsteps of Christ, they will lead us to the Kingdom of the Father. The Kingdom of God is a treasure worth our selling all that we have in order that we may possess it. This treasure is of such great value that anything else we may own pales by comparison. It would be easy to give up everything else in order to have the Kingdom of God, and, unlike the treasure hidden in the field, the love of Christ is a treasure everyone is invited to possess.
The second statement simply means that God is calling people through the stages of spiritual growth needed for enjoying eternity with Him: we are predestined, called, justified, and glorified. When Paul speaks about those whom God has predestined, he doesn’t mean that God chooses some to be saved and others to be lost. God’s plan is for all to be saved. This means it is God’s active will that all be saved, but God’s permissive will allows individuals to accept or reject God’s salvation as they choose, for He has created each of us with free will, and loving Him is a choice, as is refusing His love. In other words, God’s original intention (and still existing desire) is for all mankind to be with Him in Heaven; but only those who respond by fulfilling what is asked of them will be able to reach the throne of God. [Explanation by “Catholic Doors:” Today, you heard that those who are justified in Jesus will be glorified. To be justified means to be made right in the eyes of God, to be declared free of sin. The Holy Bible teaches that there are two phases to being justified in Christ, justification during the Sacrament of Baptism and justification after the Sacrament of Baptism. Both are absolutely necessary to inherit the Kingdom of God, to qualify as children of God and to be glorified. How is one truly justified in Christ? By the grace of God, we were all called to accept Jesus in living Faith so we may receive our salvation. Through sincere repentance of our past sins, we received Jesus in our hearts. Following this, we joined the holy Catholic Church that was instituted by Jesus Christ Himself. We received the Sacrament of Baptism that admitted us into the Body of Christ, blessing us with the free gift of the new creation. Then we received the Sacrament of Reconciliation to maintain our righteousness in the eyes of God. By the grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, our Faith in Jesus Christ and the Sacrament of Baptism, we received a new heart and spirit, free of all the past sins that we had committed, including all the traces of the original sin. And to help our new heart and spirit, we were born again of the Spirit, (Jn. 3:5) having received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide us in the Christian path. That new creation within us is our only assurance of the blessed hope of eternal life.]
Gospel exegesis:What is the “Kingdom of Heaven” like? Jesus continues his teaching on the “Kingdom of Heaven” using little stories based on the experiences of rural Galileans. Like Jesus’ mini-stories of the mustard seed and the leaven, those of the treasure and the pearl form a pair of His “Kingdom parables.” Jesus tells us that true wisdom involves recognizing a pearl of great price and being willing to sacrifice all to purchase it. The Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven is “a society on earth where God’s will is done as perfectly as it is in Heaven.” By “Kingdom of Heaven,” Jesus is referring to a triple reality: a) a group of people sharing the Divine life of sanctifying grace and friendship with God by doing His will, b) participation in God’s life through the Eucharistic celebration in the Church and c) eternal bliss in Heaven. This triple reality is worth more than anything else in our lives. In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares the “Kingdom of Heaven” to a treasure hidden in a field, to a pearl of great value and to a net thrown in the sea collecting all types of fish. The “Kingdom of Heaven,” synonymous in these parables with the “Kingdom of God,” is hidden, but it is of surpassing value. The parable of the pearl (vv 45-46) makes the point that the sacrifice of everything must be made for this one thing of immense value. Those who have not sacrificed everything for it will not have this treasure and will come to know how much they have lost.
The parable of the treasure hunter: The first two parables in today’s Gospel – the parables of the buried treasure and the pearl – are lessons in the total attachment to Christ and detachment from the things of the world demanded of the disciple in order to make the reign of God in himself, and in the world, a reality. Frequent battles and foreign invasions encouraged the people of Palestine to bury their treasures like money and jewelry in their fields. For example, the great religious treasure – the “Dead Sea Scrolls,” discovered in the caves at Qumran in 1947 – was hidden there over 2,000 years ago. Sometimes unclaimed and forgotten, the hidden treasures await some lucky finder. Jesus tells the story of one such lucky treasure-finder who sold everything he had in order to buy the field in which the treasure was buried. According to the Palestinian laws of that time, the mere finding of buried treasure did not entitle the finder to possession unless he also owned the property in which it was found. In the Parable of the treasure in the field and in the Parable of the pearl of great price, and the merchant who sought fine pearls, we see the image of one who recognizes the value of the kingdom of God and gives everything to possess it. Matthew, a tax-collector, might have experienced something like this when he discovered the eternal value of the Kingdom preached by Jesus of Nazareth. When he discovered Jesus and his vision of life, everything else became secondary. Having a personal relationship with Christ, that is, making Christ’s view of life one’s own, is the most beautiful, the most precious thing in the world. But most of the time, we are chasing false treasures like money, social status and pleasure. Jesus our true treasure may come to our lives unexpectedly through some daily experience as happened with Mathew.
The parable of the pearl hunter: A well-to-do merchant on the lookout for quality pearls finds a very precious pearl (“pearl of great price“), and he immediately “sells everything” to buy it. In our day, pearls have lost much of their value. Firms have learned to culture them in vast pearl beds and even to make them artificially. However, in Biblical times, the pearl was probably the costliest and most sought-after gem. Jesus wants us to know that the Kingdom of God is worth all we have. He has come to offer us God’s Kingdom, a unique pearl of the greatest price. The genuine disciples are those who respond to this opportunity with joy and selfless commitment, eagerly giving top priority to life in the Kingdom by doing God’s will, whatever it may be. The “treasures” and “pearls” of lasting value are the things of God. They are the love of family and friends, the support of community, and the sense of fulfillment that rises from serving and giving for the sake of others. In order to attain such treasure, we must “sell off” our own interests, ambitions, and agendas and thus free ourselves to embrace the lasting values of the compassion, love, and mercy of God Who reconciles us to Himself. This parable teaches us that, although we are baptized Christians, we still need to pursue the true and full meaning of the Gospel, which can escape us for many years. We always need to understand more, to love more, and to serve more. The first and second parables also remind us that the most precious things in life are to know God and to live according to the Gospel. “Isn’t it possible that what we want most is something very selfish: possessions, security, power, pleasure, comfort? What would the world be like if, instead of these, our one really valuable pearl was something like world peace based on justice for all? or the development of a classless society based on respect for all and the priority of need over want? or the worship of God through prayer, service, and a preferential option for the poor? What would the world be like? Jesus says it would be like the Kingdom of God/Heaven. Buying the treasure and the pearl is the beginning of wisdom; living out the influences of these purchases is righteousness.” (Father Larry Gillick, SJ, Creighton University)
The parable of the fishing net: In Palestine, there were two main ways of fishing. The first was with the casting-net, which required a keen eye and great skill in throwing the net at the correct moment. The second was with a dragnet or seine, as it is sometimes called. Galilean seine-nets were tied to two boats and drawn through the water. The catch was sorted only afterwards, with edible, or kosher, fish going to market, and the unacceptable fish being thrown away. Just as a dragnet collects good and bad fish indiscriminately, so the Church is a mixture of all kinds of people, good and bad, useful and useless, saints and sinners. Like the wheat and weeds parable, this parable is a warning against premature judgment, but also a warning which tells us that Final Judgment will take place. This parable encourages the Church to adopt an open approach to evangelism, by accepting “the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame” (Lk 14:21) and by leading them to the treasure and the pearl of great price. It instructs us to be tolerant, compassionate, and understanding of those who seem, to us, to fall far below the requirements of the Gospel and the Kingdom. Through this parable of the dragnet, Jesus calls us to embrace the vision of God that seeks out the good in everyone, nurtures it, and looks for the right and just in all things, amid the “junk” of life. The parable also teaches that a time of separation will come when the good and the bad will be sent to their respective destinies. This parable pictures that separation as happening in the final judgment. This parable is thus a counterpart to the parable of the weeds and the wheat.
The teaching: The three parables illustrate the opportunity as well as the challenge of discipleship. The first and the second parables speak of the total commitment and dedication which are the ideal of every follower of Christ. What the parables really teach us is that, when one discovers Jesus and his vision of life, everything else becomes secondary. That is what St. Paul meant when he said: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil 3:8), and again “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 2:21). To have a personal experience of Christ and personal relationship with Him – in other words, to have made Christ’s view of life one’s own – is the most precious thing in the world. “Life under God’s righteous rule is to be sought about everything else” (HarperCollins Bible Commentary). “The parables are very alike, but it is interesting to note the differences: the treasure means abundance of gifts; the pearl indicates the beauty of the Kingdom. The treasure is something stumbled upon; the pearl, the result of a lengthy search—but in both instances, the finder is filled with joy. Faith, vocation, true wisdom, desire for heaven, are things that sometimes are discovered suddenly and unexpectedly, and sometimes after much searching … However, the man’s attitude is the same in both parables and is described in the same terms: ‘he goes and sells all that he has and buys it’: detachment and generosity are indispensable for obtaining the treasure” (The Navarre Bible: Gospels and Acts). “God’s presence and reign are often hidden below the surface of life, but we experience little epiphanies of it at surprising, unplanned moments” (TheLectionary Commentary, Vol. 3: The Gospels).
The concluding parable or simile. Jesus concludes his parables by advising the listeners to imitate wise scribes (Jewish scholars — the experts in the Law and/or Scriptures). Hence, a scholar need not give up his scholarship when he becomes a Christian; rather he should use it for Christ. A businessman need not give up his business; rather he should run it as a Christian would. Christians are also expected to be like scholars who know how to value both the old and the new. “In this simile, Jesus refers to those, who like Matthew himself, now serve as scribes trained for the Kingdom of Heaven and serving their local Churches. Such a scribe, Jesus tells us, is one who brings forth from his storeroom both the old and the new. Already trained in the meanings of all the stories and wise sayings from the Old Testament, such scribes, when they teach the Gospel to new believers, are able to show that all Jesus’ teachings and deeds are truly the “fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.” Thus, they demonstrate that Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven does not destroy, but genuinely reinterprets, the Jewish tradition to show its full Truth for all ages.Jesus does not replace what we call the Old Testament with the New Testament. He is combining the best of the Hebrew Scriptures with the New Way, the Kingdom of God. The wise ones, the scribes of the Kingdom, therefore, know how to use what is old and what is new. The parable teaches that the teacher in the Church should draw teachings out of the Hebrew Scriptures and the words of Jesus, thereby gaining new insights to transmit to others” (The Lectionary Commentary, Vol. 3: The Gospels). Hence, those of us who are the Church’s preachers and teachers have the responsibility to bring forth both the new and the old, to teach the Bible in a way that speaks to and about the present, and to read the present by the Bible’s light. (Beverly R. Gaventa, Online at The Christian Century).
Life messages:1) We should live every moment in view of our precious goal.Most of the time, we are chasing false treasures such as money, status or pleasure. Often, we are locked into regrets over the past, or focused too much on the future. As a result, the enriching present passes us by, and the treasure is never discovered. Thus, the really valuable pearl of sharing in God’s life through Jesus here on earth and later in Heaven is never found. Let us always remember that Heaven is within the reach of all of us who try to do the will of God, following the ordinary vocations of life and enjoying this world’s joys and pleasures within the framework of God’s Commandments. Right now, it is for us to use the time given to us to go in search of the pearl of great price and to help others in their search. We are challenged to search and discern where the Lord is calling us so that we may know what path to take. Let us remember that whenever we fight against discrimination, whenever we trust completely in God, whenever our selflessness conquers selfishness, whenever our love overcomes sin and our Faith overcomes suffering, whenever we render humble service to others, we are doing the will of God as it is done in Heaven, Hence, we are already living in the Kingdom of Heaven while we are still on earth. The pearl of great price in this life is also found in our human relationships: a happy family, good friends, and people who love and accept us, even if neither we nor they are perfect. We must give all we have to possess this great pearl because, through selfishness and self-worship, we can destroy entirely the bond of love joining us to God and each other, a bond that otherwise would flourish, surviving in spite of sickness, disease or geographical distance, and growing stronger when death divides us.
2) We need to take all precautions to keep our greatest treasure safe: We will be able to keep safe the treasure of our personal relationship with Jesus by accepting him every day as our God and Savior, by allowing him to have total control over our lives through our loving obedience to his will, and by asking him daily for the strengthening and guidance of his Holy Spirit. We do this by talking to him daily in prayer, by listening to him in our meditative reading of the Bible, by getting reconciled to him and others every day, asking pardon and forgiveness for our sins, by offering Him our lives on the altar during the Holy Mass, and by nourishing our souls frequently, receiving Jesus in Holy Communion and staying with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist in Adoration at other times.
3) We need to learn the lesson of the dragnet: This parable offers us a lesson in patience and compassionate understanding. In this, it resembles the parable of the weeds growing up with the wheat, for both parables teach us that the kingdom is a mixed body of saints and sinners (wheat and weeds; good and rotten fish). There will be always a temptation for those who feel they are more “faithful” to separate themselves from the “weeds”/” bad fish.” But Jesus reminds us that the final judgment resulting in reward or punishment is God’s work. Thus, we must learn to be patient, compassionate, non-judgmental, and understanding with those who seem to us to fall far below the requirements of the Gospel and the Kingdom. Let us humbly admit the fact that only Jesus, Who is True God and True Man, and our Blessed Mother, simply human (though Immaculately conceived and remaining sinless throughout her life), are not mixtures of good and evil! For the rest us, the good we do is the result of God’s work within us, while we are responsible for the evil. Let us gratefully declare as St. Paul did, “I am what I am with the grace of God” (1:Cor 16:10).
JOKES OF THE WEEK
1) My treasure is apple pie. Little Mary listened intently in Sunday school while the teacher explained the parable of the “treasure” and “pearl” and gave a detailed description of eternal bliss in Heaven. She concluded her class asking the question, “All those who are ready to go to Heaven, raise your hands.” Every hand went up except one. “Don’t you want to go to Heaven, Mary?” asked the teacher. “Not this minute,” Mary replied, “Mom was baking apple pie when I left home!”
2) Treasure in the Bible. Because she was so poor, the parish helped the widow with food and rent money. Her son had emigrated to New York and become very successful. One day the pastor asked Mrs. O’Leary if she ever heard from her son. Proudly the widow answered, “Bob writes me every week and always encloses a picture.” Thinking he’d see some family photos, the pastor asked to see the pictures. Bringing in her Bible, she showed the pastor a Bible stuffed with pictures of Benjamin Franklin. — Those are $100 bills, in case you missed it! Bob had been trying to help his mother for years and the old woman had failed to realize the treasure she received every week.
3) Lost & found: “Life is unfair. I lost my car keys at a ball game and never found them. I lost my sunglasses at the beach and never found them. I lost my socks in the washing machine and never found them. I lost three pounds on a diet — I found them and five more!”
1) “Star of David Sapphire.” The Atlanta Journal–Constitution published the story of the original “Star of David Sapphire” in its May 17, 1987 issue. A gemstone collector named Rob Cutshaw owned a little roadside shop outside Andrews, North Carolina. Like many in the trade, he hunted for precious stones, then sold them to collectors or jewelry-makers. Although he was not an expert, he knew enough about valuable rocks to decide which to pick up and sell. He usually left the appraising of his rocks to the experts. Although he enjoyed the work, it did not always pay the bills. Hence, occasionally he had to cut firewood and sell it to add to his income. Twenty years ago, while on a “dig,” Rob found a shining blue rock he described as “purdy and big.” He tried unsuccessfully to sell the specimen, and, according to the story in the journal, kept the rock under his bed or in his closet. At last, he sold it for less than $500 to pay his power bill. Now known as “The Star of David Sapphire,” it weighs nearly a pound and is worth three million dollars! — In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges us to recognize the real worth of the most valuable gemstone given to mankind, namely Jesus Christ who gives us our eternal salvation. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2 The Largest Buried Treasure Find in America The largest buried treasure find in America, known as the Saddle Ridge Hoard, was discovered in February 2013. A couple who owned the property were walking their dog in the morning. They spotted what appeared to be a rusted portion of a can and decided to unearth it. The rusted and deformed can was unusually heavy as if it were filled with iron or lead. The can was so heavy that while taking it back to their house, the lid of the can cracked open and revealed glistening gold coins! Not the sort of thing that you stumble across on the average day! After that first can, the couple went back to the site to dig up the land in search of more cans filled with coins. Eventually, they unearthed a total of eight cans throughout their property on Saddle Ridge. After their discovery, the couple protected their find by hiding it in an old ice chest, then burying it under a pile of wood. The hoard has a total of 1,411 gold coins with a total face value of $27,980. The actual value of the coins has been estimated to stand at a whopping $10 million dollars. The secret origin of the largest buried treasure find in America remain a mystery to this day. (Neil Patrick, “The Saddle Ridge Hoard” The Vintage News 7-28-16). — God also has surprising hidden treasure which only the diligent can find: The Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 13:44), godly wisdom (Prv 2:3-5), and the Word of God (Jer 15:16) are waiting to be discovered by the earnest seeker. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3) There is a price for relationship. Rabindra Nath Tagore, the mystic poet of India, tells a memorable story from his own life which illustrates the truth of what Jesus teaches in today’s Gospel, namely, that there is a price we have to pay in order to be in his Kingdom, to keep a relationship with him. Tagor’s cook and housekeeper did not come to work on time one morning. Like so many professional men of his mind-set, Tagore was utterly helpless when it came to the routine details of the day, getting his clothes together, making his breakfast, tidying up his place. An hour went by, and Tagore was getting angrier by the minute. He thought of all kinds of punishment. Three hours later he no longer thought of punishment. He would discharge the man without any further consideration, get rid of him, turn him out. Finally, the man showed up. It was mid-day. Without a word, the servant proceeded with his duties as though nothing had happened. He picked up Tagore’s clothes and set to making breakfast. Then he started cleaning. Tagore watched all of this with mounting rage. Finally, he said, “Drop everything! Get out! I can’t stand the sight of you. You are dismissed…fired!” The man, however, continued sweeping, and after another, few minutes, with quiet dignity he said, “My little girl died last night.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4) Drinkable water, please: Anthony De Mello tells a story about some people who were on a raft off the coast of Brazil. They were perishing from thirst, for as you know, ocean water is undrinkable. What they did not know, however, was that the water they were floating on was fresh water. The Amazon River was coming out into the sea with such force that it went out for a couple of miles, so they had fresh water right there where they were. But they had no idea. — “In the same way,” says De Mello, “we’re surrounded with joy, with happiness, with love of the kingdom of God in our midst. Most people,” he concludes, “have no idea.” [Anthony De Mello, Awareness (New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1992), p. 26, Warner Press] (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
5) “No price too high.” A story is told of a wealthy socialite who traveled to Europe with several friends. Her husband stayed home and played the stock market. While in Paris she found a fur coat that was the most beautiful she had ever seen. She sent a telegram to her husband that said, “Have found the perfect coat for only $50,000. What do you think?” He responded immediately with a telegram saying, “No, price too high.” Imagine his surprise when she returned home with that $50,000 coat. The angry husband said, “Didn’t you get my telegram?” “Yes,” she said, “and here it is.” — The husband had forgotten to put a period after the NO. But with life in the Kingdom, when through Jesus you catch a glimpse of how wonderful life is in the Kingdom, YES, there really isno pricetoo high to pay for it. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
6) The legendary “Beal Treasure”: In 1885, a man named J.B Ward began selling a pamphlet which claimed to contain information about a sizeable treasure trove buried in the present state of Virginia. This wealth allegedly had been amassed by one Thomas Jefferson Beale and his associates, who had traveled in the American West between 1817 and 1823. Beale, it was said, had discovered a vast deposit of gold and silver in a valley “some 250 or 300 miles North of Santa Fe.” Beale and his associates, being concerned about theft of their wealth and in need of a secure hiding place, supposedly buried the gold at a site “near Buford’s Tavern” in Bedford County, Virginia. Foreseeing some type of accident, Beale left coded messages—without a decoding key, which was said to be held elsewhere by a man named Morriss. Beale then departed, never to return. By sheer chance one Mr. Ward came across the papers and attempted to decode them. He claimed to have found the key to one document, the cipher being based on the US Declaration of Independence. He worked on the remaining two for many years. Finding himself unable to accomplish the task, he decided to sell copies of the documents, in the hope that someone else might manage to decode the papers and discover the location of the treasure. Since the publication of the papers in 1885, many treasure hunters have attempted to decode the documents, but have had no success whatsoever. — In today’s Gospel Jesus challenges, us to go in search of the most valuable treasure: namely, the eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
7) Mitt Romney spent more than $42 million: It has been reported that, in his race for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, Mitt Romney spent more than $42 million of his own hard-earned dollars. That’s a lot of money. However, when he dropped out, he still had quite a bit of money left in his personal piggy bank. He hadn’t invested everything he owned in his failed attempt for the nomination. — We wonder if he regrets spending so much or, perhaps, he regrets he didn’t spend more. How about you? Is there anything in this world for which you would sell everything you own? I can think of only one thing: the life of someone we love. If one of our children were sick and there was a cure that would cost everything we had, even including our own life, most of us would be willing to give it all up without a moment’s thought. We would give everything we own for the well-being of those we love, but that’s about it. Nothing else that I can think of has that big a hold on us. Yet, Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is worth everything we have. Our money. Our time. Our energy. Everything. That’s quite a statement. Everything we own. So, what is this Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God? (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
8) The treasure of a sunken ship: Some time ago at one of our suppers, we had for our speaker a shareholder in Mel Fisher’s enterprise. Mel Fisher is the man who discovered a Spanish ship which had gone down in a hurricane off the Florida Keys centuries ago. Fisher, fascinated with hunting for lost treasure, determined through research the probable location of the shipwreck. He thought it would take him at least twelve weeks to find it. Twelve weeks turned into twelve years, and still there was no treasure. Finally, after sixteen years he discovered the treasure. It is believed to be worth four hundred million dollars. — How would you like to discover some real treasure like the Kingdom of God? But the unfortunate thing, as Oscar Wilde once wrote, is that in modern society, “People know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
9) “You will be both glad and sorry.” There is an ancient legend about some men who were on a long journey. They came across a great desert and rode into a wilderness area. At sundown they came to a river. They got off their horses and knelt down by the river to drink water. Suddenly a voice spoke to them. The voice said, “Fill your pockets up with pebbles from along the river. And tomorrow you will be both glad and sorry.” So, they did what the voice commanded. They got on their horses and rode away. On through the night they rode. Finally, the sun began to peek over the horizon. They stopped and reached into their pockets and there they found diamonds and rubies. They held a treasure in their hands, and they were both glad and sorry. They were glad they had it, but they were sorry because they had not taken more. [T. Cecil Myers, Faith for a Time of Storm (Abingdon Press: New York and Nashville, 1963), p. 91.] — The Good News for us is we can have all we want of the treasure of God’s Kingdom; all we are willing to take. If we will take that treasure, we will learn it is the discovery of a lifetime. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
10) Which is more valuable, Harry or the deer? Some friends who went deer-hunting separated into pairs for the day. That night one hunter returned alone, staggering under an eight-point deer. “Where’s Harry?” asked another hunter. “Oh, he fainted a couple of miles up on the trail,” Harry’s partner answered. “And you left him lying there all alone and carried the deer back?” “A tough call,” said the hunter, “but I figure no one’s going to steal Harry.” — Our Scripture for this Sunday is about discerning and choosing the right path and course of action at the right time, so that we may fully receive and freely share the love of Christ and so inherit the kingdom of God, a treasure everyone is invited to possess and warned not to lose. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
11)All things will work out well: Dale Carnegie came from a poor, but God-fearing family. His father was a farmer and his mother was a village schoolteacher. They never had enough food to eat or clothes to wear. They were always in debt. Once, his father borrowed money from the bank for cultivation. Unfortunately, that year there was a flood, and their crops were washed away. They had neither food to eat nor money to replay the bank. The bankers began to harass them. His father began to worry. He worked sixteen hours a day in the field, yet he felt no hunger; he began to lose weight. The doctor told his wife that he had barely six months to live. His mother was concerned. Whenever he went to farm to feed the horses and milk the cows, and did not come home early, she would go in search of him, fearing him hanging on some tree. One day, when his father was returning from the farm, the bankers met him on the road and threatened him with dire consequences if he failed to repay the loan. On his way back, he stood on the bridge-looked down at the water, contemplating suicide. — Later, he told his son that the only reason he did not commit suicide was because of his wife’s staunch, deep, abiding and joyous belief that if we loved God and kept His commandments, everything would come out all right in the end. And he said that his mother was right. Everything came out well in the end. His father lived happily for forty-two years after that incident. (John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
12)Commitment of Olympic trainees: Some time ago a magazine ran a story about teenagers who belong to the Santa Clara Swimming Club. Every morning they get up at 5:30 and hurry through the chilly air to an outdoor pool. There they swim for two solid hours. After a shower and a quick bite to eat, they hurry off to school. After school they return to the pool to swim for two more hours. At 5:00 they hurry home, hit the schoolbooks, eat a late supper, and fall into bed exhausted. The next morning the alarm rings at 5:30 and they start the whole thing all over again. When asked why she follows such a disciplined schedule, one girl said, “My only goal is to make the Olympic team. If going to parties hurts that, then why go? There is no such thing as too much work. The more miles I swim, the better. Sacrifice is the thing.” — Today’s Gospel challenges us to show such whole-hearted commitment to keep the most valuable treasure of an intimate relationship with Jesus, accepting Him as Lord and Savior and doing his will. (Fr. Botelho).
13)“El Dorado” treasure: In the 16th and 17th centuries, Europeans believed that somewhere in the New World there was a place of immense wealth known as El Dorado. Their searches for this treasure wasted countless lives. The origins of El Dorado lie deep in South America. And like all enduring legends, the tale of El Dorado contains some scraps of truth. When Spanish explorers reached South America in the early 16th century, they heard stories about a tribe of natives high in the Andes Mountains in what is now Colombia. When a new chieftain rose to power, his rule began with a ceremony at Lake Guatavita. Accounts of the ceremony vary, but they consistently say: The new ruler was covered with gold dust, and that gold and precious jewels were thrown into the lake to appease a god that lived underwater. The Spaniards started calling this golden chief “El Dorado,” “the gilded one.” The ceremony of the gilded man supposedly ended in the late 15th century when El Dorado and his subjects were conquered by another tribe. But the Spaniards and other Europeans had found so much gold among the natives along the continent’s northern coast that they believed there had to be a place of great wealth somewhere in the interior. The Spaniards didn’t find El Dorado, but they did find Lake Guatavita and tried to drain it in 1545. They lowered its level enough to find hundreds of pieces of gold along the lake’s edge. But the presumed fabulous treasure in the deeper water was beyond their reach. — In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of one who found a treasure. (Fr. Bobby Jose: http://frbobyjose.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-for-fr-boby-jose.html ). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
14) The treasure discovered in a Hindu Temple. The seven-member panel, drawing up a list of assets at the famed SreePadmanabhaswamy Hindu temple of Trivanrum, the capital city of Kerala State in South India, had the feel they had found the lost city of gold, El Dorado, as they set foot in one of the two secret vaults located inside the sprawling granite structure. The team opened the locks of Vault A. What they saw inside was startling. Gold coins dating back thousands of years, gold necklaces as long as nine feet and weighing about 2.5 kg, about one ton of the yellow metal in the shape of rice trinkets, sticks made of the yellow metal, sacks full of diamonds, gold ropes, thousands of pieces of antique jewelry studded with diamonds and emeralds, crowns and other precious stones lay scattered in the chamber. The next day threw up far more surprises in the form of 17 kg of gold coins dating back to the East India Company period, 18 coins from Napoleon’s era, and precious stones wrapped in silk bundles, besides over 1,000 kg of gold in the form of coins and trinkets and a small elephant made of the yellow metal. There were also sovereigns bearing the 1772 seal indicating they were from the reign of the then native King Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma. — Stories of hidden treasure have been very common from the ancient times, and in today’s Gospel Jesus tells us what our real treasure is and how to find it and keep it. (Fr. Bobby Jose). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
15) “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, (Rom 8:28), Paul writes, in today’s Second Reading. He didn’t say “some things.” He said, “all things.” A beautiful Jewish story illustrates this well. Rabbi Akiba [uh-KEY-buh] was once traveling through the country. He had with him a donkey, a rooster, and a lamp. At nightfall, he reached a village where he sought shelter for the night. But no one took him in. “All that God does is done well,” said the Rabbi, and proceeding toward the forest, he resolved to pass the night there. He lit his lamp, but the wind blew it out. “All that God does is done well,” he said. The donkey and the rooster were devoured by wild beasts; yet still he said no more than, “All that God does is done well.” — The next day he learned that a troop of the enemy’s soldiers had passed through the forest that night. If the donkey had brayed, if the rooster had crowed, or if the soldiers had seen his light, he would surely have met his death. The Rabbi said again, “All that God does is done well.” (E- Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
16) No alternative: He was apprehended in Palestine in the early 300s for refusing to compromise his friendship with Christ by worshipping the false pagan gods. The governor tried to convince him that he was being unreasonable. He had Peter hung and stretched from the rack and torn with iron hooks. Every once in a while, the governor would invite him once again to renounce Jesus, but Peter, from the depths of his pain, would uphold his Faith. The tortures lasted so long and were so horrendous that even the crowd of onlookers became horrified, and urged the saint to save himself. But this Christian knew where his truetreasure was, and he refused to give it up. After wearing out two separate shifts of torturers, Peter finally met his death by crucifixion. He is one of our many older brothers and sisters in the Church who literally gave up everything so as not lose the pearl of great price — their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. (E- Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
17) God worked all things for the good of St. Camillus de Lellis There was a man whom God brought low in order to raise him up. His life dramatically illustrates how God can use all things, even physical ailments, for someone’s ultimate good. This man was a physical giant – six foot, six inches tall. He entered the Venetian army dreaming of military glory. He fell into the vices common to soldiers, especially drinking and gambling. In the war against the Turks, he suffered a leg infection. He received poor medical treatment and became partially crippled. A giant brought low, he heard the preaching of a Franciscan Friar and made the decision to give his life to God. He went on to form the Servants of the Sick – a congregation of male nurses. They cared for plague victims and the wounded on battlefields. He founded eight hospitals. He was a good administrator, but he also had the ability to focus on each patient as if the patient were the only person that mattered. This physical giant whom God transformed into a spiritual giant had the name, Camillus de Lellis. We celebrated his feast day on July 18. — He’s a very good saint to help you if you are suffering from an addiction or if you have a disease or an ailment that won’t go away. St. Camillus illustrates how God can make all things work for good for those who love him. (Fr. Phil Bloom). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
18) The costliest diamond treasures discovered:1) Red diamond ($1,000,000 per carat, (1 carat= 200 mg). A 2.26 carat Red diamond was sold in 2007 for $ 2.7 million). 2) Gradideirite green diamond costs $20,000 per carat. 3) Jadeite green diamond costs $20,000 per carat. One was embedded in jewelry and sold for $9.3 million in 1997). 4) Pigeon-blood ruby, a red sapphire, costs $15,000 per carat. 5) D color perfect cut diamond costs $15,000 per carat. 6) Multi-colored Paraiba Tourmaline Brazilian diamond costs $12,000 per carat. (See the price list of costly diamonds in: (http://www.gemstonesadvisor.com/most-expensive-gemstones-in-the-world/). — Jesus, in today’s Gospel, tells us that the Kingdom of God is the costliest of all treasures. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
19) “There are hundreds of them coming the wrong way!‘ An elderly man, whose memory was beginning to lapse, decided to take the car, and travel to a new shopping centre on the other side of town. His daughter tried to dissuade him, but to no avail. She insisted, however, that he take her mobile phone, just in case he had problems. An hour or two later, she was listening to the traffic report on the radio. It told about a bus broken down on the Artane road, and traffic lights that had failed in Inchicore. The reporter went on to speak about word that had just come in about a car travelling in the wrong direction, against the flow of traffic, on the M-50 motorway round Dublin. “Oh, my God, I hope Dad is all right.” She rang him, and warned him about the car travelling the wrong way, as he would have to travel on that motorway. “Tell me about it,” he replied, “there are hundreds of them coming the wrong way!” — Living in the kingdom of God often involves going against the flow of traffic. You will meet people actually moving away from the thing you are looking for. (Biblical IE) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
20) Chief executive officer and the gas station attendant: There’s a charming story that Thomas Wheeler, CEO of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, tells on himself: He and his wife were driving along an Interstate highway when he noticed that their car was low on gas. Wheeler got off the highway at the next exit and soon found a rundown gas station with just one gas pump. He asked the lone attendant to fill the tank and check the oil; then went for a little walk around the station to stretch his legs. As he was returning to the car, he noticed that the attendant and his wife were engaged in an animated conversation. The conversation stopped as he paid the attendant. But as he was getting back into the car, he saw the attendant wave and heard him say, “It was great talking to you.” As they drove out of the station, Wheeler asked his wife if she knew the man. She readily admitted she did. They had gone to high school together and had dated steadily for about a year. “Boy, were you lucky that I came along,” bragged Wheeler. “If you had married him, you’d be the wife of a gas station attendant instead of the wife of a chief executive officer.” “My dear,” replied his wife, “if I had married him, he’d be the chief executive officer, and you’d be the gas station attendant!” — Yes, we often think we have the proper perspective on an issue, when in fact we are way off. Jesus understood this propensity for us humans to get it wrong, especially when it comes to things spiritual. That is why Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a treasure discovered and the costliest pearl bought. (Sermons.com; quoted by Fr. Kayala). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
21) The Holy Grail: In Tennyson’s tale of the Holy Grail, a knight set out to search high and low for that which lasts for eternity and gives ultimate meaning. He came upon a singing brook, with deep meadows and wonderful fruit trees. But even as he ate the fruit, it turned to dust, for no feeding of the flesh could still his deepest hunger. Riding on, he saw a home, its opened door a promised welcome and in the door, there was a beautiful woman, her eyes innocent and kind. “Surely the love of a woman and the sweet shelter of home are my heart’s desire,” reasoned the knight; “but when I touched her, Lo! She too, fell into dust and nothing, and the house became no better than a broken shed.” His soul still craving, he traveled on. He found a warrior clad in golden armor. But he also turned to dust. Then he came upon a city that sat upon a hill. Surely civic service and the affection of his fellow men will mean his journey’s end. But when he reached the crest, there was neither city, man, nor any voice, so that he cried in grief. “Lo, if I find the Holy Grail itself, and touch it, it will crumble into dust.” — Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows? Are you tired of spinning round and round? Gather up all the broken dreams of your life and at the feet of Jesus, lay them down. Find the pearl of great price. (Quoted by Fr. Kayala: http://www.tkayala.com/2014/07/17-sunday-treasure.html#more ) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
22) “My Dog Saw the Rabbit”: There is a story from the Desert Fathers about a young monk who asked one of the old men of the desert why it was that so many people came out to the desert to seek God and yet most of them gave up after a short time and returned to their lives in the city. The old monk told him, “Last evening my dog saw a rabbit running for cover among the bushes of the desert and he began to chase the rabbit, barking loudly. Soon other dogs joined in the chase, barking and running. They ran a great distance and alerted many other dogs. Soon the wilderness was echoing the sounds of their pursuit but the chase went on into the night. After a little while, many of the dogs grew tired and dropped out. A few chased the rabbit until the night was nearly spent. By morning, only my dog continued the hunt. “Do you understand,” the old man said, “what I have told you?” “No,” replied the young monk, “please tell me father.” “It is simple,” said the desert father, “my dog saw the rabbit.” — Jesus told a parable about a man who, one day in the market place, saw the pearl of great price. The merchant understood at once the value of the commodity before him and he sacrificed everything to obtain it. (https://ijboudreaux.com/2014/07/29/my-dog-saw-the-rabbit/) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
23) The Kingdom Belongs to Those with the “Guts”: As a kid, my favorite book was Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. I read Treasure Island a dozen times. Of course, I identified with Jim, the kid in the story. But thinking back, I really loved the adults in Treasure Island, because I didn’t know any adults like the ones who peopled Treasure Island, grownups who staked all, risked everything, for nothing more than some map scrawled on a piece of paper.
The adults I knew stayed home, kept their heads down, went to work in the morning and then they came back again in the evening. But in Treasure Island, they risked, they lied if needed, and they had great lives and exciting deaths. I am haunted at what somebody said at my graduation. “Remember one thing as you go forth from school into life: Even if you win the rat race, remember, you’re still a rat.” — He was telling the truth. There is this relentless, virtually irresistible tendency of life to transmute from adventure into tame predictability. One day you’re an angry, young thing, ready to grab the world by the tail and twist, dying to set the world on fire. And the next day you’re some old guy, slouched in an easy chair, complaining about how the kids are ruining the world. One day you’re a kid, excited about the prospect of leaving home, abandoning your parents, and going to college where you can think as you like, and they can’t do anything about it. And then the next day you’re just a college student, going through the motions, trying to accumulate enough hours to graduate. — Jesus says a kingdom belongs to those with the guts to stake it all on the treasure. [William H. Willimon, Go for the Gold; quoted by Fr. Kayala] (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
24) The joy of discovering a treasure: The archaeologist Carter remained for some moments stunned, shocked, almost paralyzed when he introduced a candle in a hole in the untouched tomb of Tutankhamun. He saw the richest treasure ever discovered. The three friends who were with him insistently asked, anxious to know what had bewitched him. He managed to stammer, “Wonderful things, wonderful things!” — Were it not for this treasure of Tutankhamen, a pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty, who died at nineteen years old, we would barely remember the name! (Bible Claret). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
25) Self- portrait: Born in Seville in 1599, Diego Rodriguez de Silva Velázquez became the most important Spanish painter of the seventeenth century and is universally acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest artists. Near the end of his life Velázquez painted one of his most memorable works, a portrait of the Infanta Maria Teresa and her maids of honor. Known as Las Meninas, the striking portrait is made all the more unusual because it includes the artist’s signature in the form of a self-portrait. –Today’s Gospel is likewise striking in that the evangelist has included his own pen portrait in his description of a scribe who is learned in the reign of God (vv. 51-52). (Sanchez Files). https://frtonyshomilies.com/). L/26
Visit my website by clicking onhttps://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 atakadavil@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). My post-retirement postal address: Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Jogy M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507
Mt 10:34–11:1: 34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s foes will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple–amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” 11: 1When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns
The context: Jesus makes the controversial statement that he has come to inaugurate a series of divisions in families and in the society as a whole between those who accept him as Lord and Savior and those who oppose him, his ideas and his ideals. He concludes his great “missionary discourse” with an instruction to his twelve Apostles on the cost and the reward found in the commitment to be his disciple. The first half of these sayings of Jesus is about the behavior expected from his disciples, and the second half is about the behavior of others towards the disciple. “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword”:Jesus clarifies that he came to give people lasting peace, not temporary, worldly peace — the simple absence of war and freedom from all conflicts in the family and society. Our role is to keep fighting against our evil habits and addictions using the spiritual sword of the word of God which is “lively and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12).“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me….” : What Jesus means is that all loyalties must give place to loyalty to God. In other words, we cannot condone immoral practices, even in members of our own family. Jesus is not speaking against the family, but rather reminding us that we are part of the larger family of our fellow-Christians and, hence, we have more responsibilities. We must be ready to lose our lives for Christ: By “losing one’s life” Jesus means, not only suffering death rather than betray him, but also that, daily, we must stop living for ourselves alone. Instead, we must spend our lives for others and care for those who are sick and hungry. We are to give hospitality to strangers in Jesus’ name. (“offering a cup of cold water”): There are four main links in the chain of salvation: i) God who has sent Jesus with His message, ii) Jesus who has preached the “Good News,” iii) the human messenger who preaches Jesus’ message through his words and life, and iv) the believer who welcomes the message and the messengers. Hence, giving hospitality to a preacher or a believer is the same as welcoming Jesus himself. The basis of all hospitality is that we all belong to God’s family, and that every person is our brother or sister.
Life message: 1) We need to be hospitable and generous: Hospitality allows us to encounter the presence of God in others, usually in those in whom we least expect to find Him, and to share our love with them. We become fully alive as Christians through the generous giving of ourselves to others. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
Mt 11:20-24: 20 Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the Day of Judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the Day of Judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.
The context: Jesus reminds these cities that they deserve God’s punishment because they have forgotten the responsibilities which their numerous meetings with the Messiah in their midst have laid upon them. They should have listened to his message, put it into practice, and borne witness to the miracles he had worked for them.
Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum: Nothing is mentioned in any of the Gospels about the “wonders” Jesus worked in these cities. Bethsaida was a fishing village on the west bank of Jordan at the northern end of the lake. Chorazin was a town one hour’s walking distance north of Capernaum. Jesus expresses his holy anger and sorrowful pity from a heart broken at the irresponsible disregard and indifference these three ungrateful cities have shown to the Good News. Jesus warns them, “it shall be more tolerable on the Day of Judgment for Tyre and Sidon … [and] the land of Sodom” than for them, because Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom were not fortunate enough to hear Jesus and to receive the opportunity for conversion given to Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum.
Life Messages: Privileges always carry responsibilities: 1) We are privileged to have the Holy Bible, so we have the responsibility of making use of it. 2) We are privileged to have the Eucharistic celebration every day in our Churches, so we have the responsibility of participating in it when we are able to do so. 3) We are privileged to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so we have the responsibility of using it to be reconciled with Jesus and his Church. 4) We are blessed to have the Holy Spirit guiding the teaching authority in the Church, so we have the responsibility of studying and following the Church’s directives and teachings. 5) We have the inestimable gift of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as our Heavenly Mother, and the company of numerous saints who serve as our role models, so we have the responsibility of following Jesus in their footsteps. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
Mt 11:25-27: 25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; 26 yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. 27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
The context: Jesus knew that ordinary people with large, sensitive hearts, rather than proud intellectuals like the Scribes and the Pharisees, were able accept the “Good News” he preached. Such people would inherit Heaven rather than the learned and the wise who prided themselves on their intellectual achievements. Hence, in the first part of today’s Gospel Jesus praises God for revealing Himself to the simple-hearted, thus condemning intellectual pride. A person who is full of self-centeredness fails to perceive supernatural things as real.
Jesus’ unique claim of being God’s perfect reflection: “No one really knows the Father except the Son, and him to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him” (Mt 11:27). The claim that Jesus alone can reveal God to men forms the center of the Christian Faith. John records Jesus’ claim in different words which He spoke at the Last Supper: “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). What Jesus says is, in effect, “If you want to see what God is like, if you want to see the mind of God, the heart of God, the nature of God, if you want to see God’s whole attitude to men–look at Me!”
Life message: 1) We need to learn how to know and love God better by studying Jesus’ revelations of God his Father. We do this by daily reading the Holy Bible, especially the Gospels, by meditating on the passages read and by applying them to our lives. The more we study the Bible, the more we learn about the Triune God, and especially about Jesus our Savior. This knowledge will help us to love Jesus more, experience his presence in our daily lives, see his face in everyone around us and surrender our lives to Jesus by rendering humble service to everyone around us. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
July 16 Thursday:Our Lady of Mount Carmel:https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/our-lady-of-mount-carmel : Mt 11:28-30: Mount Carmel, a mountain in northern Palestine about twenty miles from Nazareth and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, lies three miles south of Haifa in modern Israel. 1 Kgs 18 describes how the prophet Elijah’s prayer on Mount Carmel for rain was answered and how he defeated the 450 pagan priests of Baal on the same mountain, challenging them to bring fire from Heaven to burn the sacrificed bulls placed on the altar. Thus he proved that only Yahweh, Whom he invoked and Who resonded with a blast of fire that reduced everything to dust, was the true God. According to the most ancient Carmelite chronicles, the Order had its origins with the disciples of the prophets Elijah and Eliseus on Mount Carmel. They lived very ascetic lives in caves on Mount Carmel honoring the “Holy Virgin” of the Messianic prophecies who would give birth to the promised Messiah. When the Apostles started preaching Jesus, the pious ascetics of Carmel accepted the Christian Faith. In the 13th century, a group of pilgrims who followed the Crusaders was impressed by the lifestyle of the disciples of Elijah. Hence, they set up a religious community on the western slopes of Mount Carmel and started living very ascetic lives. This was the beginning of the modern Carmelite Order, whose members started leading a contemplative life under the patronage of Mary, honoring her as the Mother of God and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The people began to call them Friars of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. Pope Honorius III approved the order’s rule in 1232 (or 1236?). Since the Turks had started conquering Palestine by 1235, the hermits decided to go back to Europe, where they built monasteries in Cyprus, Italy, France, and England. St. Simon Stock, an English Carmelite, became the superior of all the Carmelites in 1247. He helped the order expand and adapt to the times, patterning the order on the Dominicans and Franciscans. The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was instituted first for the Carmelites in 1332 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the approval of the rule of the Carmelite Order. The Order of Discalced Carmelitesof the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (OCD) resulted from 16th century reforms of the Carmelites by St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, and the order Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) still later in Kerala state of India.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Brown scapular: According a popular legend, Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251, and gave him the Brown Scapular with the following words: “This will be for you and for all Carmelites the privilege, that he who dies in this will not suffer eternal fire.” Mary promised her protection to all those who would wear the blessed habit and lead a life of prayer and sacrifice. Pope St. Pius X (1903 -1914) declared that that the common people could have the same blessings if they would wear the metallic scapular medal carrying the picture of Our Lady of the Scapular on one side and the Sacred Heart on the other. The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel challenges us both to imitate the simple and ascetic life of the Blessed Virgin Mary with her trusting Faith in God and her humility, and to seek her guidance and maternal protection in our Christian lives. (Fr. Tony) L/26
July 17 Friday: Mt 12:1-8: 1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is lord of the Sabbath.”
The context: Today’s Gospel passage gives us Jesus’ teaching on the purpose of the Sabbath and on its proper observance. This was his response to a criticism and a silly accusation made by Pharisees against his disciples who, to satisfy their hunger on this Sabbath, plucked ears of grain from a field and ate the grains after removing the husks by rubbing the grains between their palms and blowing away the chaff. The Pharisees accused them of violating Sabbath laws by performing three items of work forbidden on Sabbath, namely, harvesting, threshing and winnowing.
Counter-arguments: Jesus gives three counter-arguments from Holy Scripture defending his apostles. (1) Basic human needs, like hunger, take precedence over Divine worship and Sabbath observance. Jesus cites from the Scripture the example of the hungry David and his selected soldiers. They approached Ahimelech, the priest of Nob, who gave them for food the “offering bread” which only the priests were allowed to eat (1 Sm 21:1-6). (2) No law can stand against Divine worship. That is why the priests were not considered as violating Sabbath laws although they did the work of preparing two rams for sacrifice in the Temple (Nm 28:9-10). (3) God desires that we practice mercy: Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea to tell the accusers God’s words: “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Hos 6:6).
Life messages: Like the Jewish Sabbath, the Christian Sunday is to be 1) a day for rest and refreshment with members of the family; 2) a day for thanksgiving and the recharging of spiritual batteries through participation in the Eucharistic celebration for Catholics and through worship service for the Non-Catholics; 3) a day parents should use for teaching religious Faith and Bible lessons to their children; 4) a day for doing works of charity in the neighborhood and in the parish; 5) a day for socializing with family members, neighbors, and fellow parishioners. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
Mt 12:14-21 14 The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesusto put him to death. 15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all, 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; 20 he will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick, till he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name will the Gentiles hope.”
The context: The confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees reached its climax with Jesus’ “blasphemous” statement: “The Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath. The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Jesus realized that there was more work of preaching and healing that needed to be done. So, withdrawing to a less-known place to avoid a premature arrest, Jesus asked people not to give publicity to their miraculous healings. Further, Jesus wanted to avoid being labelled a false messiah or revolt-inducer against the Roman empire, allegations the hostile religious and political leaders of Israel longed to make and substantiate. Matthew interprets this temporary withdrawal of Jesus from the crowd as a fulfilment of Isiah’s Messianic prophecy about the “Suffering Servant” (Isaiah 42:1-4). It teaches the apostles and the people that the Messiah’s role is not using crushing power to subdue people but offering sacrificial service to uplift them. Isaiah 42:1-4 directly refers to the conquering Persian king Cyrus (whom God used as His instrument to discipline His people), but indirectly and in its full meaning, it refers to the promised Messiah, Jesus. The prophecy also teaches that 1) the Messiah will be anointed with God’s Spirit; 2) the Messiah will teach justice to the Gentiles in showing them how to give to God what is due to Him and to men what is due them; 3) the Messiah will preach gentle and forgiving love; 4) the Messiah will bring God’s healing love of hope and encouragement to the Gentiles, even though their Faith and witnessing may be weak as a reed or feeble as a flickering lamp.
Life messages: 1) Let us have the courage of our Christian convictions in the face of opposition to our practice of the Faith. 2) Let us keep hoping in God and trusting in His mercy and justice in the pains and suffering inflicted on us by others. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/26
O. T. 16 [A] Sunday (July 19) (Eight-minutes homily in one page)
Introduction: Today’s readings tell us about a very patient and compassionate God Who is hopeful that the so-called “weeds” among us will be converted. They warn us that we should not be in a hurry to eliminate such elements from the Church, or society, or the family, based on unwarranted and/or hasty judgment.
Scripture lessonssummarized: The first reading from the Book of Wisdom shows us a merciful and patient God, rather than the disciplining, punishing God presented in the book of Genesis. The second reading, taken from Paul’s letter to the Romans, reminds us that the Spirit of God constantly empowers us in our prayers and in our weakness. So, we should be patient with ourselves and with others.
Finally, in the Gospel Parable of the wheat and the weeds, Jesus presents a wise and patient God who allows the good and the evil to coexist in the world until the harvest, and blesses the evil ones for the little good they may have done, so that they may come to conversion before their time ends: “Let the wheat and the weeds [darnel] grow together till the harvest time.”In other words, God is “delaying” the end of the world for repentant sinners, giving them more time, and offering them the graces of strength and good will so that they may get reconciled with Him. God calmly recognizes that there is evil in the world, but He sees that evil is no excuse for the good people not to do good with the power of God at their disposal. Through the Parable of the wheat and the weeds in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to be patient with those who seem to us to fail to meet the high ethical standard expected of a Christian.
Life messages: 1) We need to practice patience and show mercy. Let us patiently and lovingly treat the “weeds” in our society as our brothers and sisters and do all in our power to put them back on the right road to Heaven, especially by our good example, encouragement, and fervent prayer for their conversion. Let us remember that most of us have been “weeds” in God’s field more than once, and God has showed us mercy. God is so merciful that He allows evil to exist in order that what is good may grow. He allows evil to exist also because He can turn it into good. Through the power of the Spirit, God can change even the ugliest thorn into a blossom of Faith. In God’s field, we have two responsibilities: to grow in grace, God’s favor, and to share His Word and love with others.
2) We need to grow up as healthy wheat in God’s field, leaving the “weeds” for God to take care of. The Good News is that growth and maturity are probably the most effective forms of weed control. Our transparent and exemplary Christian lives will be a compelling challenge and a forceful invitation to evildoers to repent of their sinful lives and turn to a loving and forgiving God. Our acts of charity, kindness, mercy, encouragement, loving correction, and selfless service, can prompt the “weeds” in our society to reassess their lives, modify them, and grow into useful members of society.
OT XVI [A] (July 19) Wis 12:13, 16-19; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43
Homily starter anecdotes
1) “The vine that ate the South.” Kudzu (Pueraria lobata of the Pea family) was introduced to the United States in 1876 at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Countries were invited to build exhibits to celebrate the 100th birthday of the U.S. The Japanese government constructed a beautiful garden filled with plants from their country. The large leaves and sweet-smelling blooms of kudzu captured the imagination of American gardeners who used the plant for ornamental purposes. As an exotic import, it became popular as a shade plant on canopies, and was seen as a God-given solution to the soil-erosion problem, following the Great Depression. Between 1935 and 1942, government nurseries produced 84 million kudzu seedlings, planting them wherever they would grow. By 1943, there was a Kudzu Club of America with 20,000 members and an annual “Kudzu Queen.” — So, what’s the problem? I’ll tell you what! Kudzu is a vine with phenomenal growth. Twelve inches in 24 hours is not unusual, and 50 feet in a single growing season is well within the norm. That explains why some have called it “the vine that ate the South.” People who live in the South say, “If you’re gonna plant kudzu, drop it and run!” Kudzu can cover anything and choke everything. It can twine itself around fruit trees until it kills an entire orchard. That is why the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), eventually demoted kudzu to “weed status” … with the definition of a weed being “any plant that does more harm than good.” — The weeds in Matthew’s little parable are “darnel.” Botanists call them Lolium termulentum. They are members of the wheat family, which look like wheat and hide out in wheat-fields, producing poisonous seeds. Darnel is the villain in today’s Gospel story of the wheat and the weeds. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
# 2: “Throw them out! Throw them out!”The year was 1770. In a small Italian church, two altar boys were preparing for Benediction. Annibale Della Genga and Francesco Castiglioni entered the sacristy, put on their albs, and grabbed the heavy brass candlesticks. And then they began to bicker, arguing over who would stand on the priest’s right for the procession. Their quibble escalated into a shouting match. Alarmed parishioners turned their heads to the back of the Church to see the commotion, and that’s when it happened: Castiglioni cracked Della Genga over the head with his candlestick! Blood dripped from Della Genga’s injury, and both boys began shoving each other. Shocked parishioners screamed, “Throw them out! Throw them out!” So, the embarrassed priest grabbed the boys, led them to the door, and tossed them out of the Church. Now fast-forward fifty-five years to 1825. Half a million-people have gathered in Rome for the great Jubilee celebration. The Jubilee occurs every 25 years, and its grand climax is the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica. Traditionally, the Pope knocks on the door three times with a large silver hammer and sings, “Open unto me the gates of justice!” On the third knock, the door swings open, and the Pope leads his people through. The symbolism is rich: pilgrims from all over the world coming back home to the Church, follow their leader through the great porta fidei, the “door of Faith.” In the 1825 Jubilee year, in front of thousands of pilgrims, Cardinal Della Genga made his way to the door. It was fifty-five years after the candlestick incident. Cardinal Della Genga, now Pope Leo XII neared the door. Turning to the Cardinal beside him—Cardinal Castiglioni, the Pope said, “Let me have the hammer.” With a sly grin, Castiglioni replied, “Just like I gave you the candlestick?” Amazingly, four years later Castiglioni succeeded his friend and became Pope, taking the name Pius VIII. — Now if you had told any of those pew sitters back in 1770 that they had two future-Popes in the back of their church, they’d have laughed you out of the building: “Those two boys? The ones shoving and whacking each other with candlesticks?” — Today’s Gospel gives us the good news that God can change even “weeds” to wheat and that we should be patient. (Rev Greg Willits quoted by Fr. Tony Kayala in his blog). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde:The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a gothic novella by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson first published in 1886. The work is also known simply Jekyll & Hyde. As a story, it talks about the concept of good and evil that exists in all of us. In the novel, Stevenson creates a hero in Dr. Jekyll, who, aware of the evil in his own being, and sick of the duplicity in his life, succeeds by way of his experiments on himself (using a self-made potion), in freeing the pure evil part of his being as Mr. Hyde, so that each can indulge in a life unfettered by the demands of the other. After taking the potion repeatedly, Jekyll no longer relies upon it to unleash his inner demon, i.e., his alter ego. Eventually, Hyde grows so strong that Jekyll becomes reliant on the potion to remain consciously himself. Finally, Dr. Jekyll kills himself in order to save his fellowmen from the evil of his alter-ego Edward Hyde. (http://www.covenanteyes.com/2014/07/25/killing-mr-hyde-bible/) — Today’s Gospel teaches us that we are all a mixture of good and evil and hence that we should be patient and merciful with the evil ones in our families, parishes and society, as well as with ourselves. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
Introduction:Today’s readings tell us about a very patient and compassionate God Who is hopeful that the so-called “weeds” among us will be converted, and that we should not be in a hurry to eliminate such elements from the Church, or society, or the family, on the basis of unwarranted and/or hasty judgment. The first reading gives us a picture of a merciful and patient God rather than the strict, angry, punishing God presented in the book of Genesis. The Refrain for today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 85) has us singing, “Lord, you are Good and forgiving!” The second reading reminds us that the Spirit of God goes on empowering us in our weakness, and, hence, we should be patient with ourselves, as well as with others. Finally, the long form of today’s Gospel contains the Parable of the wheat and the weeds, an agricultural parable with allegoric interpretation. Through this parable, Jesus assures us that we are the field of God. We are the ground He works, as well as the plants He nurtures. We are the people He rests His hopes upon, and the people in whom He plants good seed. We are the congregation He anoints with the Holy Spirit. In today’s parable, Jesus presents a wise and patient God Who allows the good and the evil to coexist in the world, so that the evil ones may come to conversion before their time ends and God must punish them. “Let the wheat and the weeds [darnel] grow together till the harvest time.” God gives all of us sinners ample time to repent, and, with His grace, change our lives. God calmly recognizes that there is evil in the world, but He sees that evil as no excuse for the good people not to do good with the power of God at their disposal. Through the Parable of the wheat and the weeds in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to be patient with those who fail, or seem to fail, to meet the high ethical standard expected of a Christian. The parable tries to teach the need for patience, and the acceptance of God’s judgment to the Judeo-Christian community as well as to His Church and to us, His members. The parable also encourages us, when we discover sin and weakness within ourselves, to open ourselves more and more to the unfailing Mercy of God’s forgiving Love.
The first reading: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 explained:Today’s first reading is part of the second half of Wis (11:2–19:22), reminding us of God’s merciful patience. God is forbearing because He loves all that He has made (11:17-12:8) and because He is the sovereign master of His great power (12:9-22). The Book of Wisdom, written a century before Christ in Alexandria by a pious Jew, shows us a merciful and patient God rather than the strict, angry, punishing God presented in the book of Genesis. Today’s passage tells us that God exercises leniency and clemency: “But though You are master of might, You judge with clemency, and with much lenience You govern us.” The emphasis on God’s forbearance underlies this reading. The God shown in this reading is so powerful and wise that He need not be vengeful and quick to punish. This God can afford to let His enemies live, for they can never prevail, and, given time, might repent.
The second reading: Romans 8:26-27 explained: Like the previous selections from Romans, Chapter 8 tells us how helpless we are on our own, but shows us how the Spirit of God nevertheless empowers us. The Spirit prays within us and enables us to pray in accordance with the Father’s will. Paul tells us that when things are not going well, when we do not even know how to pray, when our weakness in whatever form is overcoming us, the Spirit moves in and takes over. St. Paul understands well the power and centrality of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. The real message of this reading is that we should be patient with ourselves, because, even at our worst moments, the Holy Spirit is there — guiding us, acting in us, and bringing us along, though we may not recognize His action.
Gospel exegesis: Today’s Gospel contains three parables, namely the Parable of the mustard seed, Parable of the yeast and the Parable of the wheat and weed. The parables of the mustard seed and yeast tells us how God’s kingdom, or His rule, grows in the human heart and in human lives from a very small beginning to fulness, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Parable of the wheat and weeds tells us how and why evil coexists with good in the world and how we should treat the evildoers.
The troublesome weeds: The “weeds” among the wheat in the parable are a variety of tares known as “bearded darnel.” They resemble wheat plants so closely that it is impossible to distinguish the one from the other until the ears of seed appear. By that time, the wheat and darnel roots are so intertwined that the tares cannot be weeded out without plucking the wheat out with them. At the end of the harvest the tares must be removed from the wheat by hand, because they are slightly poisonous. Sowing them in the wheat field was a crude way for an enemy to take revenge on a farmer. The weeds in the parable stand for unrepentant sinners, people whose priority is themselves, who use others for their own advancement or pleasure, instead of serving them. These unrepentant sinners, unless they cooperate with God’s grace, repent, and change their lives, will end up in Hell,“the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” The wheat stands for the righteous, those who have resisted the seductions of evil, repented of their sins, and battled against selfishness in order to follow Jesus Christ.
We should not be discouraged because of the “weeds” in the Church: Why does God permit evil to triumph so often in this world? Why are the wicked allowed to prosper? Jesus answers these questions in the parable. The triumph and prosperity of the wicked are short-lived, whereas the reward of the Christian who suffers from their wickedness is everlasting. God uses the very wickedness and injustices of evildoers to perfect His elect. “From research and personal experience,” says Dr. Howard Hendricks, “I’ve come to the conclusion that in every Church, 16 percent of the members will never change. But the tragedy I see is that the young pastors are leaving the ministry every day or getting disappointed because of that 16 percent “weeds.” What they should be doing is concentrating on the 84 percent who are ripe for change. That’s where the real ministry of the local Church takes place.”Venerable Bishop Fulton J. Sheen is presumed to have made this comment in one of his radio speeches: “The history of the world would have been different if the Christian authorities had shown compassion, patience, and mercy instead of expelling Hitler and Mussolini from the schools and Stalin from the seminary in disgrace as ‘weeds.’”(Young Mussolini was expelled from his first boarding school at age 10 for stabbing a fellow student. Adolf Hitler was expelled from the monastery school at Lambach, when he was caught smoking on the monastery grounds. Joseph Stalin was expelled in 1899 the Tiflis Theological Seminary for revolutionary activities like secretly reading Karl Marx, the chief theoretician of international Communism, and other forbidden texts. But these three became tyrant dictators perhaps in part because of the physical and mental abuse caused in their school days by their strong-willed fathers. Unfortunately, the Church has not always shown her Master’s tolerance. Galileo could testify to that. The spirit of the Inquisition lives on. Excommunications and anathemas may be out of fashion, but old habits die hard. Even in Christian countries, the handicapped are institutionalized, the delinquents are penalized, the deviant are ostracized and the poor are patronized.
We need to pray for the conversion of “weeds” to wheat: We are called to recognize evil, name it, and then to give it to God in prayer so He can take care of it, the way the farmer in the parable told his servants that he would take care of the weeds. God wants us to do good instead of evil, to bless instead of cursing, to praise instead of criticizing, to help instead of standing aside, to love instead of hating, to forgive instead of resenting, and to tell the truth instead of lies. The disciples to whom Jesus addresses this parable include Judas who will betray Jesus, Peter, who will deny him, Thomas, who will doubt him, and James and John, who cherish personal ambitions. In the end, only Judas is (apparently) lost, showing us that many “weeds” can become high yielding wheat.
Why we should NOT treat others as “weeds:” The parable hints at why we should not treat others as “weeds,”i.e., evil or wicked. 1) Each one of us is a combination of wheat and weeds. In each of us there are elements of the Kingdom of God and elements that are deeply opposed to it. Even Paul recognized that struggle within himself (cf. Rom 7:21-25). God told Paul that it was precisely through his weaknesses that He could reveal His glory: “My power is made perfect in [your] weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). Relying on the power of God, we, too, must learn to be patient with evil-doers. 2) The time for judgment has not yet come because the Kingdom of God is still in the growing stage. Now is the time to expect conversion, because, with the help of God’s grace, sinners can change. 3) Another reason we should avoid judgment is that we cannot draw a line which would neatly separate the good from the bad, because everyone is a mixture of good and evil. Here is Karl Rahner’s piece of advice to enthusiastic “weed”-gatherers: “The number-one cause of atheism is Christians themselves. What an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable is the presence of those who proclaim God with their mouths and deny Him with their lifestyles. Perhaps, the best defense of God would be to just keep our mouths shut and to live as He told us to. The Gospel would then have such a power and attraction that we wouldn’t have to worry about defending it.”
Chance of conversion and the need for Christ’s mind: This parable indicates that there will be a separation of “weeds” from wheat, good from bad fish (13:47-50), and sheep from goats (25:31-46). But this “harvest” will take place on God’s timetable not ours. Hence, instead of asking why God allows evil to exist (terrorists, criminals, diseases, hurricanes, etc.), let us ask what God expects from us. God wants us to take a good look into the field of our own lives to see what is growing there. Let us work with Him to pull out the “weeds” in our own personalities. Then we need to start treating the so called “evil ones” as Christ did. Why did he not weed out Judas who betrayed him, or Peter, who denied him? Jesus saw the “weeds” in their lives, but he saw also saw the wheat. He knew that with encouragement the wheat could prevail. And often it did. “Even the most honest man has stolen something in his life, but this doesn’t mean that all people are thieves.” (Dostoyevsky)
Life messages:1) We need to practice patience. First, we need to be patient with ourselves. We may not get everything done perfectly this week, but so what? Then we must be patient with others – those who annoy us by the way they drive their cars, those whose opinions differ from ours, those who make too much noise and disturb us, and those who make our spiritual progress more difficult by their bad example and counter-witnessing. Let’s practice patience, remembering that, in the end, it is God who controls. Let us patiently and lovingly treat the “weeds” in our society as our brothers and sisters and do all in our power to put them back on the right road to Heaven, especially by our good example and our fervent prayer for their conversion.
2) We need allow God to judge us and others as “weeds” or wheat: This parable was told so that we might not go around judging others as “weeds” or wheat. Judgment is the prerogative of God alone. Instead, the parable asks us to take a close look at our own life with the understanding that, with God’s grace, one can judge one’s own heart, then repent and bear good fruit. It is a time to look at our own sins and at the way we conduct our own life, then to make a decision about our own repentance so that, with God’s grace, we can turn around and bear fruit for Jesus. Our Gospel lesson asks us whether we are secure in our Faith life. Are we secure in the knowledge that one day we will be judged as wheat or “weed”? How often have we been a “weed” in the garden of the Lord? Would we, knowing what we know now, like to have been plucked up at those times? God is so merciful that He allows evil to exist in order that what is good may grow. He allows evil to exist because He can turn it into good. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God can change even the ugliest thorn into a blossom of Faith. In God’s field we have two responsibilities: to grow in grace as we do His will, and to share His Word and love with others.
3) We need to grow up as healthy wheat in God’s field, leaving the “weeds” for Jesus to take care of. We live in a violent and impassioned culture. Christians often appear self-righteous, suggesting that those who disagree with them are the “weeds” in the garden of life. Some they judge as “too radical” and others as too “old-fashioned” and “traditional.” Some they judge as holding embracing doctrinal errors, others not having any doctrine at all. Some they condemn for not caring for the poor, others, for caring for them too much. We often forget that appearances can be deceptive. The old saying, “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it’s a duck,” may be true in the secular realm, but not in the Kingdom of God. If one talks like a Christian, sings like a Christian, etc. it doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is a real Christian. While we do our best to exercise right judgment as to what is or isn’t correct (Jn 13:35; I Jn 2:5, 3:10), the final determination will be made by God. Evil will coexist with good until the second coming of Jesus. The Good News is that growth and maturity are probably the most effective forms of “weed control.”In the end, it’s enough to know that we are “seeds” who have been planted by the “Son of Man,” and that we’re part of a healthy harvest that will someday be reaped by the angels of God.
JOKE OF THE WEEK:1) Who created the weeds? In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives. Then using God’s great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and Krispy Creme Donuts. Satan said, “You want chocolate with that?” And Man said, “Yes!” and Woman said, “And as long as you’re at it, add some sprinkles.” And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.
And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14. So, God said, “Try my fresh green salad.” And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.
God then said, “I have sent you heart-healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them.” And Satan brought forth deep fried chicken, fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.
God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it “Angel Food Cake,” and said, “It is good.” Satan then created chocolate cake and named it, “Devil’s Food.” God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave them cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.
Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds. God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald’s and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then he asked, “You want fries with that?” And Man replied, “Yes! And super-size them!” And Satan said, “It is good.” And Man went into cardiac arrest. God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery. Then Satan created HMOs.
2) Political weeds: “Bet she regrets asking Brigitte Gabriel that question:”
30- Additional anecdotes:1) Disastrous elimination of weeds in history: In an effort to separate “good” from “bad”, or the law-abiding from the insurgents, Claudius forced a separation and commanded all Jews to leave Rome (ca. AD 49-50.). Centuries later, Jews would be similarly expelled from Spain (1492). Later yet, and in an act of unique horror, Adolf Hitler attempted to definitively separate and annihilate every Jewish person in order to construct what he perceived to be a superior race. When he was finally stopped in 1945, only 3,000,000 out of a population of 9,000,000 Jews in Europe remained alive. Millions of non-Jews were also killed during the third Reich, their only crime being the fact that they were judged as different and therefore lesser than their persecutors. During the Middle Ages (ca. 1150) formal investigative tribunals were established with an eye to safeguarding the integrity and authenticity of the Faith. But when Pope Innocent III declared heresy a capital crime in 1199 and when the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) provided secular punishment for heretics, all manner of cruelty and injustice ensued. Inquisitors were ruthless in their prosecution of those whose ideas ranged anywhere from the truly heretical to the merely diverse. Those alleged to be heretics had no rights; they were forced to prove their own innocence without benefit of counsel. Similar attempts at separating those judged to be orthodox from those who were not resulted in the infamous witch trials, which swept Europe from the thirteenth to the early eighteenth century and crossed the Atlantic to take hold in the Americas in the seventeenth century. Religious intolerance led to the torture and deaths both of actual practitioners of black magic, necromancy, etc. and of others who were accused simply because they happened to have red hair, were learned in herb lore, or who, because of nervousness may have stumbled through the Lord’s Prayer. — Segregation and the separation of peoples because of their different ideas, or social mores, has been a blight on the visage of humanity for centuries. The readings for today’s liturgy proffer a challenge to this gathered assembly that this blight should be eradicated. (Patricia Datchuck Sánchez). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2) “Your Excellency, your cabin-mate left his valuables with me for the same reason!” A Bishop was sailing for Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found that another passenger was to share a cabin with him. After unpacking his bags, he went to the purser and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship’s safe. He explained that he had just met the man who was to occupy the other berth in his cabin and he was afraid that the man might not be trustworthy. The purser smiled, accepted the valuables and remarked, “It’s all right, Bishop, I’ll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man has just been up here and left his valuables for the same reason!” — Today’s Gospel reminds us that we should not judge others hastily. There is a lot of good in the worst of us and a lot of evil in the best of us. In other words, the best of us are still “weeds” in God’s garden. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3) Elimination of Jewish “weeds” by Hitler: Later still, Adolf Hitler attempted to separate and annihilate every Jewish person in order to construct what he perceived to be a superior race. Prior to and during World War II, Jewish persons in Europe were told by the Nazis that if they boarded the trains provided for them, they would be resettled in comfortable, peaceful areas. But the truth was that the trains were headed for Auschwitz and other death camps. Some Jews who knew the truth tried to warn the others, but the majority hushed them up, saying, “That’s ridiculous. If you talk like that, you will terrorize people.” — Today many Christians are being herded aboard another train of false promises called universalism. It is the belief that all persons are bound for Heaven whether they wish it or not. Scriptural verses contradicting this false belief are discarded as spurious additions by early churchmen with hearts full of judgment. But real love does not tell people what they want to hear; real love tells the truth. It does not pretend that a train to Auschwitz is a train to triumph. The recent trial of former Nazi officer Klaus Barbie brings to our consciousness the barbarity of that page in human history. The most infamous of the Nazi death camps was the one at Dachau. A monument there memorializes the victims of the Nazi terror. Alongside, a series of exhibits depict Nazi methods of annihilating the Jews, the wretched detention camps, the extermination ovens, the mass graves. A huge sign proclaims in French, German, Russian and English: “Never Again!” We need to be reminded of Dachau. We need to keep thundering in every generation, “Never Again!” Evil within the hearts of men and women: the hatred, bigotry, envy, bitterness, lust, anger, greed, and the like, result in more terrible events than Jewish extermination by Hitler. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4) “Weeds” of pornography and obscenity: Obscenity, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. With words to that effect more than two decades ago the Supreme Court of the United States of America left the decisions regarding pornography in the hands of local communities. During the intervening years states and cities have struggled with the issue, desiring to uphold the basic rights of freedom of speech and expression, and at the same time attempting to establish and maintain what is decent and acceptable to the majority. The latest entry to invade this debate and garner headlines is music. Now, it seems, obscenity may also be in the ear of the beholder. But the issue goes much deeper than “X-ratings” and warning labels on album covers or motion picture posters. If anything, it is symptomatic of a more pervasive problem than simply pornography in theatres or music. So, then, what do we do about the presence of the various expressions of evil in our world – what Jesus would call weeds? Whether it takes the form of dehumanizing depictions of sexual violence on the screen, of suggestive lyrics, of environmental pollution, or of the tragedies of greed and self-serving possessiveness, the presence of evil rears its head seemingly at every turn. So, what are we to do? The “weeds” comprise all that is contrary to the spirit and work of Christ, of what is good and decent and upright — in our eyes and to our ears! What are we going to do about them? Can we do anything at all? Historically, the Church has attempted to be a “weed-puller,” zealously trying to eliminate all that is perceived as rotten and wrong in society. The world has, unfortunately, had to face the onslaught of the wrath of well-meaning Christians. It has endured the violence of the Crusades of the Middle Ages and the Salem witch hunts in colonial America. The Church has conspired to commit numerous acts of violence and has violated the lives and livelihoods of countless numbers of persons in an attempt to convert sinners and purge society. In the name of pulling “weeds” and eliminating evil, great harm has been inflicted on humanity. At the other extreme, and just as frightening — perhaps more so — the Church has also been quiet when someone rises to power with a message of hate for those who are different. It has remained on the sidelines while misguided ideas have taken over and wrecked lives and societies. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
5) Recording angels to ascertain the weeds: Michener, in one of his first novels, The Fires of Spring, tells about a couple who are burdened with a load of guilt from their past. They wander into a Quaker meeting. They sit with the others for what seems like hours waiting for something to happen. Finally, an elderly man stands up and speaks. He says, “The most misleading concept in religion is that of the recording angel. I cannot believe that God remembers or cares to remember a single incident of our lives. [Rather] I am the recording angel. My spirit and my body are the record. My good deeds show in me, and my wrong deeds can never be hidden. My spirit either grows to fullness or declines to nothing. God has no need of recording devices. We must not think of [God] as a vengeful or shop-keeping dictograph. [God] has created a better instrument. [God] has made me. [God] needs only to look at me, and all is recorded.” — The old man concludes that with God’s permission we have the privilege of erasing our past mistakes. God offers us repentance, redemption, the opportunity to start fresh and make our lives useful by forgiving our past sin and by opening our lives to wisdom. (http://gbgmchurches.gbgm‑umc.org/aldersgate‑ma/s030713.htm). Missionary and best-selling author E. Stanley Jones said that God does not need to punish us for our sins. Our bodies and souls carry within them the record of our sins. “We do not break the Ten Commandments,” said Dr. Jones, “We break ourselves upon them.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
6) Bad choices are “weeds” ruining our lives: You may have read about a 61‑year‑old Massachusetts grandmother who ended up in a mess of trouble sometime back. It was on the first day of her new job as a school bus driver. She took some wrong turns and made some poor decisions as to which roads to take. She got so lost that she wound up in the state of Connecticut. Because she had already picked up ten kids on her route, an all‑points bulletin was issued for her on charges of kidnapping, and, since she had crossed the state line, the F.B.I. was called in. After finally locating the lady and interrogating her, the police and F.B.I. agents concluded that she had made some wrong turns and had simply lost her way. So, they released her. — A few wrong turns. It happens in life. It happens to good people. A few bad judgments and suddenly you are lost, entangled, trapped in the weeds, a golfer might say. Sometimes much is at stake. A marriage. Your health. The safety of others. Pulling weeds is an important part of a successful life. http://www.firstpcavillarica.org/Sermon%20Notes/THE%20LAMP%20WITHIN.htm). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
7) Good folks sometimes do stupid things: Fans of country music revere the name of George Jones. Jones has had enough hit songs on his hundred or so albums to make the careers of ten singers. Sometime back, George was nearly killed in an automobile accident. He was talking on his cell phone. When the news first came out, many of his fans probably assumed that George was off the wagon again. Along with George Jones’ talent and genius came a dark side. Jones had a reputation for wild living and self-destructive behavior. In the past he had struggled with a serious addiction to alcohol and drugs. His addictions were so severe that Jones would literally do anything to fuel his habit. At one time, George was almost outwitted by his then-wife, Tammy Wynette. To keep him away from the local bar, Tammy took George’s car keys. But George’s determination to feed his addiction won out. He hopped on his riding lawn mower and rode ten miles to the nearest bar. [Randy Scott, Country Music Revealed (New York: MetroBooks, 1995), p. 60.] — Why otherwise good people allow themselves to get trapped in self-destructive patterns of behavior is beyond our understanding. And where does such behavior come from? Can we get off the hook by saying, “The devil made me do it?” Is it genetic? (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
8) “Weeds” among dogs: An instructor in a dog training workshop in Salt Lake City noted that a dog’s disposition can be tested by the owner. If the owner will fall down and pretend to be hurt, a dog with a bad temper will tend to bite him. But a good dog will show concern and may lick the fallen owner’s face. Susan Matice attended the class and then decided to test her two dogs. While eating pizza in her living room, she stood up, clutched her heart, screamed and fell to the floor. Her two dogs looked at her, looked at each other, then raced to the coffee table for her pizza. [Associated Press (1-17-91). Cited in Edward K. Rowell, Humor for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996).] (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
9) What is it that causes some people to act irresponsibly? Just a few short years ago, we had a President of the United States who was guilty of irresponsible behavior. He was not the first President to behave badly, just the most recent. But somewhere along the way, the American people made a decision that President Bill Clinton was not an evil man. Most people believed him to have a good heart, but even his most rabid fans have to agree he had a serious problem that he did not seem able to control. — What causes some good people to lose control of their lives? Even more important, how can we help these people and even help ourselves when we are drawn toward similar self-destructive patterns? (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
10) “Weed” control: Journalist Bob Garfield specializes in reporting on the quirky and unique aspects of human nature. When Garfield traveled through Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1992, he thought that he’d hit the mother lode of quirkiness. He met people from all walks of life who were trying to find healing or wholeness through such things as aura-balancing, drum-beating ceremonies, ancient mystical therapies, crystals, astrology, spiritual channeling, and the like. Even in a Santa Fe health food store, Garfield found some highly unusual approaches to medicine. Rather than containing the average mix of vitamins and herbs, this store offered vitamin and herb mixes called, “Luminous Spirit, Positive Attitude, Women’s Courage, Emotional Rescue, Clearing Hate, Clearing Greed, Humiliation, (and) Children of Divorce. . . .” [Bob Garfield, Wake Up Screaming from the American . . . (New York: Scribner’s, 1997), p. 94] — If only we could find emotional rescue or spiritual growth in a pill! But it’s not that easy. Where do we turn for help? (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
11) Positive view enables us to make positive choices: Former President Jimmy Carter often reflects on the changes he sees in people’s lives because of the work of Habitat for Humanity. “We see extraordinary commitments and lives changed among forgotten people,” he says. “A Habitat family that lived near Washington had been living in an abandoned automobile. One of their children was an eight-year-old boy. He was very excited about getting a new house. When the family was chosen, he jumped up and down and said, ‘We won, we won.’ After the home was finished and the family had moved in, the little boy attended a different school. He had always been in a slow learners’ class, but when he moved his records had been lost, and he was put into a regular class by mistake. No one noticed the error, and at the end of the first half of the year, his lowest grade was a B. Now he is still learning with the smartest of students. This is what having a decent home for the first time in life can do.” [From the book Living Faith, by Jimmy Carter, Random House (Audio Books, 1996).] — Now, you tell me. Was it the change of houses that made a difference, or did the way he was treated in the new school cause the boy to change his view of himself, freeing him to be who he really was? How we view ourselves is often reflected in the choices we make. If we have a positive view of ourselves, we will make positive choices. If we have a negative view of ourselves, then watch out! (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
12) Christian cruelty of searching for “weeds”: The English author, C. S. Lewis, in one of his books, points out that when people become Christians, if they are not careful, their sinning often shifts from the overt, outward, visible sins of lying, cheating, stealing, cursing and swearing, to the more inward, hidden, non-apparent, invisible ones … and among them he lists “a critical spirit” … a spirit of judgmentalism, a censorious attitude. In fact, he points out that this sin is one of transgressions which is more commonly committed by Church people than by those who are not. So prevalent is it in Churchly circles that it is sometimes labeled “Christian cruelty.” This squares with Webster’s definition: “Judging is to criticize or censure, to think or suppose … by pretending to know the motives of the person doing the acting.” The sin of judging is dangerous business and should be carefully avoided by those who wish to prevent this sin from becoming part and parcel of their lives. Here’s an example of the damage such judging on appearances-only can cause: A pastor in a teetotaling denomination in a small Illinois town was seen leaving a tavern at 12:45 AM. “He was with another man, and both were drunk,” swore the informant. When confronted with the accusation, the pastor readily admitted that he had left the tavern with another man at that late hour, but it was not as it seemed. He, at the request of a distraught wife, had entered the place to persuade the husband, who was squandering his paycheck, to go home. His efforts met with success at precisely 12:45 in the morning at which time they both left the tavern. The pastor had not been imbibing. He stumbled while trying to hold the inebriated husband upright. But the story with all its lurid implications would not die. It grew and spread out of all proportion in that small town. The pastor’s Bishop upbraided him for what the Bishop considered an indiscretion, and finally the priest was transferred from his parish. This exemplifies the “Christian cruelty” which is frequently practiced. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
13)Seeds for sale: A woman dreamed one night that she walked into a brand-new shop. Much to her surprise, she found God working behind the counter. She asked God, “What do you sell here?” “Everything your heart desires,” God replied. It was incredible. She was talking face to face with God. “I want peace of mind and love and happiness and wisdom and freedom from fear,” she told God. Then almost as an afterthought she added, “not just for me, but for everyone on earth.” God smiled, “I think you’ve got me wrong, my dear. We don’t sell fruits here. Only seeds.” (Anthony De Mello, S. J., in “Taking Flight”) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
14) Here is a “weed-gatherer”: A teenage daughter asks her father, “Why don’t you go to Church?” He replies, “Because the Church is full of hypocrites.” “What do you mean by a hypocrite?” she asks. He thinks for a moment and answers, “A hypocrite says one thing and does something else.” “That sounds like you, Daddy!” she replies. “I’m no hypocrite!” he responds. “Yes, you are,” she says. “You tell me that going to Church is important. You say that I have to go to Church, but then you don’t go. You say one thing and do another. Doesn’t that make you a hypocrite? I wish you could go with me because there is room in the Church for one more hypocrite.” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
15) Wheat among the Weeds: One day, when the inimitable Groucho Marx was getting off an elevator, he met a priest who immediately recognized the famous comedian. The excited clergyman extended his hand, saying, “I want to thank you for all the joy you’ve put into the world.” Groucho replied, “And I want to thank you, Father, for all the joy you’ve taken out of it.”–Application: Many of us become so concerned with pulling out the “weeds” we lose the sense of hope and spirit of joy. Do we experience deep joy because we are disciples of Jesus? We often approach religion as a deadly serious business; we lose the spirit of joy and the sense of hope that are part of the promise of the Risen Christ. We become so concerned about pulling out the “weeds” that we forget to harvest the grain; we become so focused on the evil and abuses that surround us and “threaten” us that we fail to realize and celebrate the healing and life-giving presence of God in our very midst; we become so intent in upbraiding and punishing sinners that our own lives become mired in gloom and despair. The task of judging sinners belongs to God; to us belongs the work of compassion and reconciliation. (Gerard Fuller in Stories for All Seasons; quoted by Fr. Jude Botelho in Net for Life) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
16)“You are a good boy.” A little boy not familiar with an echo thought he had heard in the woods the voice of another boy not far off. He shouted: “Hello, there!” and the voice shouted back, “Hello, there!” He cried again: “Who are you?” and the voice replied, “Who are you?” He cried once more: “You mean boy,” and the cry came back: “You mean boy.” Then this little boy went home and told his mother that there was a bad boy in the woods. His mother understood how it was and said to him, “Well, speak kindly to him and see if he does not speak kindly to you.” — The boy went to the woods again and shouted, “You are a good boy.” Of course, the echoing reply came, “You are a good boy.” “I love you,” he said loudly. “I love you,” replied the faithful echo. The story of the echo is the story of the good and bad in life. (Vima Dasan inHis Word Lives). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
17)“Two wolves within.” Have you ever noticed that the people who are bad sometimes are the very same people who are good sometimes? It reminds us of a story called, “Two Wolves.” It goes like this: An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.” (Anonymous). — Today’s Gospel parable reminds us that we are a mixture of good and evil and, hence, instead of judging others we have to lead exemplary Christian lives and leave the judgment to God. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
18) Beauty and the Beast: The film Beauty and the Beast is based on a classic French fairy tale. It tells the story of a beautiful girl who loved books and wanted to live like the characters of the book. Her father Maurice was a petty inventor. Gaston the village tavern owner loved the beautiful girl, Belle. In that village there was a prince who was handsome but vain. One day an old lady came to him to ask for shelter but he turned her away. She was a fairy and with her magic wand she turned him into a Beast and gave him a mirror to see the world. She also gave him a rose saying that before the last petal fell, he must find someone to love him in his condition as a Beast. One day Maurice went to the woods and was lost and captured by the Beast. Belle went to release him. She was captured and imprisoned for life by the Beast. Belle did not love the Beast but tolerated him. One day she was attacked by a pack of wolves. The Beast saved her life. The beast gave Belle the magic mirror in which she could see her father who was so sick that he was considered a lunatic. Belle went home to save her father and told him all about the Beast. Gaston wanted to kill the Beast. Belle ran to save the Beast. Just before the death of the Beast she told him that she loved him. At these words the beast turned back into a handsome, and loving, prince. — Within every one of us and in the world, there is beauty and there is a beast. There is good and evil, there is virtue and vice. There are wheat seeds and there are weeds. (Elias Dias in Divine Stories for Families; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
19)Evil is Deceptive: Albert Speer was an important member of the Nazi hierarchy during Hitler’s reign. He was Hitler’s architect, and Minister of Armament, Munitions and War Productions. After the defeat of Hitler and Germany, he was tried at Nuremberg for crimes against humanity and subsequently condemned to serve 20 years in prison. Albert Speer was one of the most intelligent, educated and principled persons in Germany. Why he was captivated by Hitler’s magnetism to accept such bizarre ideologies — the secret policies, the concentration camps, the nonsensical rhetoric of Aryan Supremacy, and anti-Semitism — is beyond anyone’s comprehension. — During his trial at Nuremberg, he took responsibility for the horrors of the Nazi regime, although most of the time, he was not aware of the happenings around. Later in life, he sincerely regretted his association with Hitler. He could still not explain completely why he had subscribed to Hitler’s evil idiosyncrasies. (John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
20)Who is a Saint and who is a sinner? There was this village, which was plagued with sheep thieves, and it was about time they were taught a lesson. Two of them were caught and branded on their foreheads with the letters ST standing for sheep thieves, that would be their punishment for life! Unable to bear the shame one of them ended his life, while the other decided to mend his ways. He set about doing all the odd jobs in the village and would help all those who needed help. — Years passed and his misdeed was forgotten. As an old man now he was looked upon as someone who could be relied upon to help anyone in need. One day as he was passing by, he heard little children talking about him. One remarked: “I wonder what those letters ‘ST’ on his forehead stand for?” Another child replied “I am not sure, but he is such a kind man, I am sure ‘ST’ stands for Saint!” (Anonymous; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
21) A “self-test” for your patience. “Imagine yourself in the following situation: It’s Saturday at 5:45 PM. You’re flying in a plane at 35,000 feet. The plane is an hour-and-a-half late. People are grumpy; some are angry. Flight attendants are apologizing and offering complimentary cocktails to soothe the raw nerves and roiled tempers. To top it all off, the meal is late and the passenger on your left has a cold and gives out a big sneeze about every ninety seconds. What would be your response to these problems?”
“Or…imagine another situation. You are at the grocery store; busy evening, long lines ahead of you; your shopping cart has a wheel that drags; the fruit juice aisle is blocked off as two shoppers lean over their carts to chat; you do a U-turn and rush down another aisle; you finally finish and choose a check-out line with only two shoppers ahead of you; the cashier at the register is new; her hands tremble; beads of perspiration form on her forehead; slowly she begins to tally your total; her cash register tape runs out; she doesn’t know how to change it; she calls for help from the manager. What’s your response?”
“Or, how about this one: It’s dinner-out-with-the family night in that special place. You have fasted most of the day so that you may eat what you’d like tonight. You’re shown to a table and given a menu but the restaurant is very crowded and the waiters are extremely busy. So you sit there, hungry as a wolf with only a glass of water and a menu that you’ve begun to gnaw on. What’s your response?”
Swindoll in his book Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life insists that in these relatively unimportant situations, “the rubber of Christianity meets the road of proof.” In other words, it is at such times that our Faith is really tested. Indeed, the best test of our growth as Christians occurs in situations like the ones mentioned above. Today’s Gospel reminds us of God’s patience, leniency and willingness to wait – to allow time for the wicked to come to conversion and for good people to overcome their small faults. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
22) “It is with straw that I start My fires.” (Blessed Anne Garcia and Some Straw (linked to Second Reading): St. Paul understood this and so, as we hear in in today’s Second Reading, he was able to explain how our frequent sense of helplessness in spiritual things is no cause for panic, because “the Spirit, too, comes to the aid of our weakness.” This was an especially difficult lesson for Blessed Anne of St Bartholomew to learn. She came from a poor shepherding family in sixteenth-century Spain. While still young, she became a disciple of St. Theresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church and foundress of the Discalced Carmelite order — one of the most remarkable Saints in the history of the Church. Blessed Anne was one of St. Theresa’s closest collaborators and friends, and St. Theresa actually died in her arms. But then Blessed Anne was sent to Belgium and France to start Carmelite convents, and to be prioress in some of them. She would often complain to our Lord that she was too ignorant and shy to be given such important responsibilities. In fact, she complained so much that finally our Lord appeared to her. She had just tried to convince him that he should choose someone else, someone more intelligent, better educated, and more outgoing to do the work she was being asked to do — she had none of those gifts. So our Lord appeared to her and said, “It is with straw that I start My fires.” — He didn’t comfort her by telling her how great she was. He simply pointed out that He is the one who will do wonderful things in and though her, if she will let Him. When we feel helpless to do all that Christ is asking of us, or to bear our crosses, we need to remember that “the Spirit, too, comes to the aid of our weakness.”(E- Priest)
23)St. Francis the Crusader: Sometimes we think that the Saints were born with special saint-genes. But that’s not true. Every Saint was a fallen human being just like us. The difference is that they understood God’s greatness, and let their lives become instruments of that greatness. Few people remember that St. Francis of Assisi participated in the fifth Crusade. He travelled to Egypt, where the Crusaders were trying to conquer one of the powerful Muslim strongholds. St. Francis didn’t fight with sword and spear. Instead, after the military effort got bogged down, he and another friar made their way to the enemy lines, dressed in their humble robes, weaponless, and singing Psalm 23: “Though I walk through a valley as dark as death, I shall fear no evil.” Thinking Francis was an ambassador sent to negotiate a truce, the sentries brought him to headquarters, where St. Francis explained that he wanted to speak to the Sultan about the Gospel. The Sultan received him and enjoyed the conversation so much that he invited Francis to stay with them. Francis said he would, if the Sultan would become a Christian. And to prove the superiority of the Christian religion, St. Francis offered to undergo a trial. “Heat a large oven,” he suggested. “Your priests and I will get into it, and you can judge by what happens which of our two religions is more holy and true.” The Sultan said that he didn’t think his priests would climb into a hot oven. So St Francis said, “Very well, I’ll get in by myself. If I die, you can put it down to my sins; but if the Divine power protects me, will you swear to recognize Christ as true God and Savior?” The Sultan would not, and so the oven-trail never happened. — St. Francis wasn’t a saint because he was super-smart or super-strong. St. Francis was a saint because he had learned to believe in and depend on the supernatural, all-powerful, smarts and strength of God Himself. (E- Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
24) St. Victoria Wins the Victory over the “weeds” of pagan religion: If all religions were the same, Jesus should never have started a new religion — plenty were already available. And if all religions were the same, the Church would never have survived its first three centuries of existence, during which believing in Christ instead of the false pagan gods of the Roman Empire was a capital crime. The martyrs who gave their lives for Christ in those times did so only because they recognized that Jesus was different from Jupiter. Take St. Victoria, for example. Victoria lived in North Africa in a pagan family, around the year 300, when severe, legal persecutions against the Christians were frequent and violent. As a teenager, she converted to the Christian Faith, though her family stayed pagan. Soon she fell so in love with Christ, that she desired to give her whole life up to him, and made a vow of virginity. Her parents were furious, because she was their only daughter and they had arranged a profitable and honorable marriage for her. They refused to accept her refusals and forced her to go through with it. But when the wedding day came, she put her trust completely in Jesus, and instead of going downstairs to be received by her husband, she said a prayer and then escaped, unhurt, from the upper story window of her room. She fled to a nearby Church and started serving Jesus and his Kingdom full time. One Sunday morning some years later, when she was in her early twenties, she was with a group of about fifty Christians attending a Mass being celebrated in a private home. Suddenly, a platoon of Imperial soldiers burst in, broke up the Mass, and arrested the whole group. They boldly stood trial, professing their Faith courageously and eloquently even after being tortured. Victoria’s brother (still a pagan) attended the trial and pleaded for her release on the grounds of insanity, but she debated so intelligently with the judge that she disproved the charge. The judge, in fact, was so impressed with her valor and wisdom that he stepped down from his bench and pleaded with her merely as a friend not to throw her life away. She responded, “I have already told you. I am a Christian. And I attended the Mass.” — Eventually, all the Christians having firmly held their Faith, the authorities lost patience and threw them into prison, where one by one, through long hours and longer days of suffering born with love, they entered into the joy of the Lord. This is one example of thousands from the history of the Church. If all religions are the same, then Victoria’s brother would have been right, and all these canonized saints were really just insane. (E-Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
25) Reincarnation vs. Resurrection: Let’s take one example to make this clear. Most of us have heard about the doctrine of reincarnation, a common belief among the ancient Hindu and Buddhist religions that originated in the Orient. Reincarnation teaches that at death, unenlightened human souls transmigrate from our body into another body, either of an animal, vegetable, or mineral. That process of transmigration is repeated over and over, until the soul (Athman) is completely enlightened and fit for communion with God (Brahman). No good and evil are here, no Heaven and Hell – just a forced recycling process ending when the enlightened individual self finally dissolves into nirvana (which means “nothingness”). Some people who say that all religions are the same claim that reincarnation is just an eastern version of what Christians in the west call resurrection. — Really? In the Bible we read, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people” (Heb 9:27-28). Once. Christ died once, and rose again once. We will all die once, and will be judged, and then spend eternity either with God or without God. Jesus says the same thing in today’s Gospel. At the end of time there will be the harvest, and the “weeds,” unrepentant sinners, will not be planted again to see if they come up as wheat, but will be “thrown into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” But the “wheat,” the righteous, who spent their brief earthly lives resisting the seductions of evil, repenting of their sins, and battling against selfishness in order to follow Jesus Christ, will enter into the joy of eternal life, shining “like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” That doesn’t sound like reincarnation at all! To claim that they are the same empties both doctrines of their real meaning. That’s why this approach is so tempting. If doctrines don’t really mean anything, we have a good excuse to just go around doing whatever we feel like, instead of trying to follow a clear moral code. It’s easy to say all religions are the same; it’s hard to follow Jesus Christ. (E- Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
26) The Kingdom of God is always growing: It started small when Christ established it, like a mustard seed as told by Jesus in today’s Gospel. Just a few disciples gathered in a room on the first Easter Sunday. And it starts small wherever it goes. St Augustine of Canterbury had only a handful of monks when he crossed the English Channel around the year 600 to evangelize the barbaric Anglo-Saxons. Just over a century earlier, St Patrick had gone to the even more barbaric land of Ireland, which even the Roman Empire had never conquered, all by himself. It starts small inside our souls as well. The voice of conscience, God’s voice within us, is often only just a whisper, like a tiny breeze. Christ’s Kingdom starts small, like a mustard seed, like a little bit of yeast in a huge batch of flour – but it’s alive, and so it is always growing. And so, 100 years after St Augustine and a couple of buddies arrived in England, the English Church was exporting hundreds of saints and missionaries back to continental Europe to evangelize the new waves of barbarian invaders. By the time of St Patrick’s death, an entire nation of primitive tribes had begun to be civilized and united under the Christian Faith. – Even if God’s voice is only a whisper in our conscience, when we follow it, He works wonders. Some critics of the Catholic Church say that today’s Church is too big and developed to be the descendent of that small group of fishermen that Jesus started with. But when you plant a mustard seed, you expect something to happen. You expect to go back and find a vibrant bush (mustard shrubs grow to about 10 feet in height) which doesn’t look anything like the seed. — Christ’s Kingdom is always alive, dynamic, always growing. And so, if we ever find ourselves bored with our Christian Faith, it’s simply because we have wandered away from Jesus. (E- Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
27) The Kingdom of God’s impact is out of proportion to its size: How odd, for example, that St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa), was as famous as the world’s great Kings and Queens, Presidents and Prime Ministers, business tycoons and movie stars. A tiny nun from Albania, working with the poorest of the poor in Calcutta was the commencement speaker at Harvard University’s graduation. She was the keynote speaker at the United States’ National Prayer Breakfast. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize. This is way out of proportion. A little leaven makes the whole loaf rise. As if to make this point abundantly clear, Jesus specifies the amount of flour being used in the parable: three measures. That would make a colossal amount of bread – enough to feed 100 people. And that huge lump of dough is penetrated and transformed by a pinch of yeast. — Just so, a little bit of Christian courage sends ripples far and wide. One act of forgiveness, of mercy, can put an end to decades of bitterness, hatred, and resentment. One young man saying yes to God’s call to the priesthood can send tidal waves of truth reverberating throughout the world – as it did with Pope St. John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI, as it did with Pope Francis and is now doing with Pope Leo XIV. In the same way, the faithful mom and dad, lawyer, business person, doctor, teacher or any one who lets Christ reign in one’s heart and direct one’s actions, is spreading God’s saving grace far and wide. Just how far-and-wide will only be known at the end of the age, when everything is revealed. The impact of saying yes to Christ can never be exaggerated, as explained in today’s Gospel parable of the mustard seed and the yeast. (E-Priest). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
28)Lighting a light rather than cursing the darkness: Terry Fox was a 22 year of student at Simon Fraser University in Canada. In 1977 he contracted bone cancer and had to have his right leg amputated. When his old high school basketball coach heard about the tragedy, he sent Terry a newspaper article about an amputee who ran in the New York Marathon. The article triggered Terry’s imagination. He knew he had only a few years to live, and he wanted to do something significant with them. He decided he would try to run across Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia, a distance of 5,000 miles. He would ask people to sponsor him and give the proceeds to cancer research. For 18 months, Terry practiced running on the artificial leg. Finally, on April 12, 1980, he began his run. He dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic and set out across Canada. In his pocket he had pledges totaling over a million dollars. Then 114 days and 3,000 miles into the run, Terry suddenly collapsed. The cancer had spread to his lungs. He would be unable to complete the run. When news of Terry’s collapse broke, people from all over Canada began sending pledges to him in the Hospital. In hours, over $24 million was pledged. A few days later, Terry died. — If anyone had a right to curse the darkness, it was Terry. But he was too big for that. He decided to light a candle. And that light has been shining ever since. A movie has been made of his life. A stamp has been issued in his honour. And he is the youngest person ever to receive his nation’s highest honour, the Order of Canada. To this day, Terry still excites the imagination of people. (Mark Link in Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
29)Light a candle:In the Introduction to his novelRascals in Paradise, James Michener tells how in the late 1930s, a learned Australian saw World War II coming. He got out a world atlas and looked for the safest place to be when the war came. He decided on a little-known island in the South Pacific. One week before Hitler invaded Poland, the Australian moved to his safe haven. The island was Guadalcanal, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II! — Instead of running away from evil, or remaining indifferent to it, however, the Lord is calling us to do our bit to remove evil wherever we can Better, we can pray for all of us to Him Who alone can save us! Instead of cursing the darkness, He is calling us to light a candle. We can to that by reaching out to help those around us with His love and care. Then, we will be bringing His Light to the world and the healing results, for us and for those around us, will be astounding, here and hereafter!
30)Schindler’s List is a 1993biographical film which tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a businessman, who saved the lives of more than one thousand PolishJews during the Holocaust. The film was based on the novel Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally. The film was both a box office success and the recipient of seven Academy Awards. Oskar Schindler, a successful businessman, arrives in Krakow (Poland) from Czechoslovakia hoping to use the abundant cheap labor force of the Jews to manufacture goods for the German military. Schindler, a nominal Catholic and an opportunistic member of the Nazi Party, lavishes bribes upon the army officials and Nazi leaders and acquires a factory for the production of army mess kits. But he is a mixture of good and evil. Unfaithful to his wife, he certainly knows how to enjoy the so-called “good life” — cigars, drink, women…. He exploits his Jewish workers as a source of cheap labor. But as he witnesses the horrors endured by the Jews, the good elements in his character wake up. So, he starts saving Jews, using his immense wealth and his political influence. At great personal risk, he protects his workers from the death camps, thereby showing that he is undoubtedly a courageous man with basic goodness. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and weeds, explaining how we all are a mixture of good and evil and why God tolerates evil in the world. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/).
31)What can I do to counter the “enemy” sowing “weeds” in my own field? These are difficult times for ourselves and our children; our Christian values are under serious attack every single day – not just in secret at night, but in broad daylight! The “weeds” are trying to choke out the “wheat” and convert everything to a weed patch. Our society is clearly slipping farther and farther away from “the Way” of the Lord; in fact, we permit our politicians to ignore God completely. We are permitting our political system to attack the family structure (God’s “domestic family” consists of man, woman, and children, not homosexual relationships, still less “trans-genderism”). Many are returning to pagan Epicurean principles, by killing unborn babies to preserve their alleged “right” to have unlimited sensual pleasures. Some people even think they are still “Christian” by fighting for abortion rights, mercy killing, and other heinous crimes against humanity and against God.
Make no mistake, this is an all-out war for souls, not just a little skirmish! It calls for an all-out effort by each of us to pass on and defend God-given standards of morality by living them out faithfully and extending His Love to all we meet, and, when challenged, speaking the truth with His Love. Jesus has shown us “the Way” to live, and empowered the Apostles, who passed on the same mission to the Bishops. By our baptism and confirmation, we too are called to participate in this same mission, remaining faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Church. Without this core faithfulness to God – our recognition that we depend upon Him – no progress can be made. Not only the voting booth is involved; it really begins with frequent prayer every single day. If we are making a serious effort to do something, then we can also draw on the strength mentioned in the Second Reading today (Rom 8:26-27): our God will not let us down! We can be patient, even when surrounded with weeds, because the Holy Spirit intercedes for us exactly as God himself wills! Conversely, if we remain silent, and misuse not only the voting booth but daily opportunities in the workplace and family, we have indeed become a “weed.” Today’s gospel tells you the destiny of weeds. (Father Robert F. McNamara (https://frtonyshomilies.com/). L/26
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 atakadavil@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). My post-retirement postal address: Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Jogy M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507
“Scriptural Homilies” Cycle A (No. 47) by Fr. Tony: 
Mt 12:46-50:46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Fr Tony's Homilies 
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