Dying to Self

Homily on “Dying to Self” based on the Gospel of John 12:20-33

In our gospel reading, Jesus is anticipating his impending death, being aware that he’s in serious trouble with the religious leaders, and even calls for his followers to be willing “to hate their life in this world” for the sake of the life eternal.

What did he mean when he said that one must hate himself? The expression to hate something often meant to prefer less. Jesus says that nothing should get in the way of our preferring him; nothing should be more important than doing the will of our Father in heaven.

With the pandemic this past year - For most of us - our sense of self-preservation is very strong, to say the least. We strictly obeyed the safety protocols from authorities, rules on wearing masks, social distancing, washing of hands. We cancelled our travel plans, avoided gathering even with family members, stayed away from dangerous areas, etc. – Nothing wrong with them.

But – Is it possible that we have fallen into the idea that self-preservation is the highest value of life? While it is prudent and wise to learn to be careful, we can be too careful. When self-preservation isolates us from the world, keeps us from making friends with people different from us, and turns into inward-focused isolationists, we have become too careful.

When there is nothing in this world or beyond - that is big enough to die for, we have become too careful. When we love our lives more than we love God, this life more than eternal life, we have become too careful. Jesus teaches us that life is not measured in the number of breaths, but by those moments that take our breath away.

Life is meant to be lived, not just protected and prolonged.

Paraphrasing the Gospel - If we try to hoard life, we lose it. Holding on or gripping life too tightly – we end up missing the whole point of life.

Jesus gave up his life on the cross because he loved God even more than he loved life. So - Is there anything you love more than life itself? Is there anything or anyone for which you would sacrifice your next heartbeat? If not, you may have made a god of your heartbeat. You are gripping life too tight. And ironically, that grip - too tight - makes you lose life after all.

For Jesus, the path to the cross was a decision, a choice, a commitment. He could see that moment of destiny coming His way before anyone else saw it. He could have chosen another way, a safer path, an easier life, if his highest goal had been self-preservation.

But the point of life, the fullness and joy of life, for Jesus was not just longer life, it was deeper life, life with meaning, with significance and contribution and obedience and love. And those values led him to the cross. He loved God, and he loved us, even more than he loved his own life.

And so we find in Christ and in his example something in life that is big enough to live for, and precious enough to die for. When you do that, then and only then, you are truly alive.

St. Iranaeus said: The glory of God is a man or woman fully alive.

That is why during Lent – we have this call for praying, fasting and abstinence.

Self-denial leads to health and wholeness.

When are you at your best? When are you most well, most fit, most whole? When are you full of health? Isn’t it when, instead of being inwardly focused on yourself, you are outwardly focused on something or someone else? Isn’t it when you are not looking at yourself or thinking about yourself at all?

Meaning - We are most healthy - - physically, psychologically, spiritually - - when our minds are off ourselves in the pursuit of some other concern. Jesus calls us away from ourselves… to die to self.

Jesus knows, we must love ourselves. How is that possible, for you and me to love ourselves? It is possible only when we truly believe and truly realize and accept that God truly loves us -you and me. Otherwise – We cannot truly love ourselves and therefore cannot love others.

Jesus knew that God loved him. What Jesus did with this knowledge was to take the way of self-denial, and it turned out to be the way to greater life. It is like a grain of wheat that falls into the ground, as though finished, only to produce a harvest of new life.

We must see that our life is a gift from God, that this gift is God’s beautiful and good creation. We must see it is a gift worth giving as an act of love. When we do, we experience the most mysterious paradox. It is a genuine miracle. When we give our self away, when we lose our self for something or for someone else, this is when we find our true self. This is the witness of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This is the way we are invited to follow.

In the Gospel, Jesus compares his impending death on the cross to a grain of wheat that falls to the ground in order to produce new life,

This is the essence of our being – the meaning of life - of our existence – of our calling or mission as individuals and as a community, as Church. - Jesus’ life as the perfect example.

With the vaccines now - somehow – we begin to get even a little sense of a kind of normalcy, and so - the clergies, our parish leadership team including the youth and young adult leaders in our parish are exploring programs to spark renewed longing for intimacy with God - to help people get back to church and be more active in the parish life to help them get closer to God and experience deeper conversion…

With all due respect, people are now more comfortable to travel and gather and eat at restaurants but they are still using COVID 19 as reason for not coming physically to mass in the church.

With Easter Sunday in two weeks – with the Risen Christ – With lessons learned, hopefully - during this pandemic - with new awareness and appreciation of what life is all about and what really matters in life:

We are therefore inviting everyone to be part of this new beginning, new normal so to speak. With Christ, everything is new. Let us all pray also for new Pentecost.

Of course, the pandemic is not over yet – but we ask you to help us – please start inviting your families, relatives and friends to come back to Church... maybe even if not ready physically yet – but at least encourage them to stay in touch with the church… in one way or another. We miss all of our families.

Let me end with this story: Back in the old west, one of the major methods of transportation was the stagecoach. There were three kinds of tickets—first class, second class and third class. If you had a first class ticket that meant you could remain seated during the entire trip, no matter what.

If the stagecoach got stuck in the mud, or had trouble going up a steep hill, or even if the wheel came off you could remain seated—you had a first class ticket!

If you had a second class ticket you could remain seated until there was a problem. In case of problems the second class ticket holders would have to get off until the problem was solved. They did not have to help solve the problem but they could not remain seated in the coach. They did not have to get their hands dirty, but they could not stay on the stagecoach.

If you had a third class ticket there was no way you could stay on the coach. Why? Because you had the responsibility to help solve the problem. You had to help push out of the mud or up a steep hill. You had to help lift up the stagecoach to fix a broken wheel, or whatever else was necessary to get the stage back on the road.

As members of the Church, of our parish or faith community, what kind of ticket do you have? First class, second class or third class tickets?

With all due respect - I believe that one of the greatest problems facing the Church today is that too many people think they have first class tickets. Too many people are just expecting to be ministered to, to be waited on, and catered to, to be served.

Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.

But the truth is - We are the Church – We the Body of Christ – We are all parts of the same Body of Christ – Jesus’ Church exists to continue Jesus’s mission. Our very being – individually and as a community - Our very Being is Mission – the reason why we exist - to proclaim the Good News of God’s love, grace and mercy.

God bless…

“It Is Okay To Be Angry"

Deacon Bobby's Homily on Sunday, March 7 (10am)

Like the desert (as we heard on 1 st Sunday of Lent) and the mountain (we heard Last Sunday), the Temple is a place of special encounter with God. But today, we do not see the glorious face of Jesus; we see his angry face. Jesus is not happy with what he sees - precisely because - the way the Temple worship has been organized - no longer reflects God’s original idea of a worshipping community.

Some people have a hard time with our gospel reading today. They have difficulty reconciling the Jesus who drove the money changers from the temple with the Jesus who said: “Turn the other cheek and Love your enemies.

Jesus is God and all holy and without sin. How could He get so angry?

Some knowledge of the design of the Temple will help us here. The Temple had five sections or courts: (1) holy of holies where the Ark of the Covenant was (2) court of priests (3) court of Israel (4) court of women (5) court of Gentiles. The design made room for everybody in the house of God. It was a universal house of God “for all the nations” where every man or woman on earth would find a place in which to pray.

But the Jewish leaders forgot that and thought that it was meant only for them. So, they decided to turn the court of the Gentiles into a “holy” market place for selling the animals required for sacrifice and for exchanging money.

You could bring Roman money as far as the court of the Gentiles but not into the other four courts. The court of Gentiles was no longer regarded as part and parcel of the house of God, and so it had become a market place, pure and simple. Now it was this court of Gentiles that Jesus cleansed.

In so doing - he was making the point that the Gentile section was just as holy as the Jewish sections. God is God of all and not God of a select group. Like the Jews of the time of Jesus, some Christians today still think that God belongs to them alone and not to others as well.

Jesus was mad with the religious establishment of his day because the religious leaders had put religiosity over morality, and they had put particularity over universality; exclusiveness over inclusiveness.

Our text today brings us face to face with the truth that there is such a thing as a healthy anger. There is no disputing the fact that Jesus was angry when he cleansed the temple.

What we need to understand is that anger itself is neither good nor bad, neither moral nor immoral. Its moral quality depends on the reason behind it – meaning - what drove the person to be angry and the way it is expressed. It is possible to be thoroughly angry and thoroughly Christian at the same time. In fact, there are times and circumstances in which it would be utterly inappropriate, even unchristian, not to be angry.

Anger itself is not a sin. Be angry but do not sin in your anger. Do not let your anger turn into resentment and bitterness. Do not let negative thinking take over. Change the negative into positive. Think of anger as a red flag God is waving to get your attention. Pray for the people and situations that make you angry. In the words of the serenity prayer: Accept the things you cannot change. Change the things you can. Pray for wisdom to know the difference.

What is the difference between right anger and wrong anger? The critical factor is – self- interest. Do not be angry just because your ego was hurt. The most evident about the anger of Jesus is that it was never motivated by self-interest. He got deeply angry at the mistreatment of other people. .. abuse of other people.

There were merchants in the temple selling sacrificial birds and animals, but the purchases had to be made with temple money. So the people had to exchange their money for temple money.

This was the business of money changers… and the rate of exchange was almost always to the advantage of the money changers… a religious rip-off, so to speak.

People were coming to the temple with broken hearts and lives. They came seeking understanding, comfort, forgiveness. At such times people can be highly vulnerable. The temple merchants knew that and took advantage of the situation to make unfair profits for themselves.

And so - when Jesus saw what was happening, He got angry. It was then that he made a whip out of ropes and drove the animals and merchants from the temple.

Jesus got angry at man’s inhumanity to man.

Today, we also hear about bullying or a dictator enslaving his subjects and about abuse of the human rights of people.

When people take unfair advantage of other people, it is time for Christian people to get mad.

• That presupposes that we care about people. Jesus’ anger was an emotional reaction to the abuse of people whom he loved.

Just think of this - Let someone mistreat a member of your family – a scam artist cheating elderly parents out of their life’s savings; a pusher getting your son or daughter hooked on drugs; people disrespecting your family. How would you react to that kind of thing?

Your anger would be because of your love for the people who had been hurt or being abused. That is what Jesus experienced. He loved those people who were being ripped off in the name of religion, and he simply could not stand by and watch it happen.

If you and I are not angry about some of the injustices occurring in our world today, that probably says more about our lack of love than anything else.

The Gospel calls us to develop or grow in our spiritual muscle so to speak and build character that will enable us to forget about ourselves and care about others.

Someone has said: “You can measure a person by the size of the things that make him or her mad.” Again, “You can measure a person by the size of the things that make him or her mad.”

Let us hope and pray that in our life, in your life and mine, those things that make us mad – are not petty things – but that those things that make us mad are big things, unselfish things and let us hope and pray to learn to make a healthy use of our capacity for anger.

Please always remember – keep this in mind: It is okay to be angry but do not sin in your anger.

God bless…

3 rd Sunday of Lent

John 2:13-25

After Mass, Then What?

It’s hard not to be struck by the heavy-heartedness of Job’s words. He complains that life is a "drudgery"... that his eyes "will never see happiness again". We can understand that – Job lost his children, his possessions and property, even his health. Many people nowadays can easily relate to this – to his situation – to his sentiments.

Job teaches us an important lesson when we’re going through tough times difficult: keep talking to God. Tell God your frustrations. Tell him about the unfairness of life. Tell God exactly how you feel. Then listen for his answer.

Job did not get an immediate explanation of why he lost everything. But he did, over time, come to a deeper understanding of God’s greatness - he accepted it in faith.

Let us pray that may our trials and sufferings help us to open our hearts more deeply and honestly to God.

Sickness, sufferings, death were never a part of God’s plan for humanity. Jesus healing the sick is a sign that God’s work of “re-creation” is underway. The kingdom of God is at hand. God’s kingdom is at work among us. In Jesus, God has set us free.

That is why St. Paul said in the second reading: Woe to us if we do not preach the Gospel.

Meaning – our blessings, our healings, come with a mission… “an obligation has been imposed on us…” not as a burden but a privilege to share – to participate in the Divine Life of God – in the redeeming action of God… by sharing with others the Good News of God’s love, grace and mercy – that we ourselves experienced.

St. Teresa of Avila beautifully said: “Christ has no body now on earth but yours…”

Now it is our turn. We are the disciples who must bring the good news to the brokenhearted, to those who are enslaved, to those who are weak.

In the Gospel of Luke (4:16), “Jesus went to the synagogue, as was his custom, on the sabbath day.”

Most of us - are here today - for that same reason. We have formed the custom or we can say the habit of going to Mass on Sundays. That is good - but we must take care not to allow this practice to become an end in itself. Participation in any service of public worship or Mass is a useless exercise, if it is all there is to it. The real test of its value is what happens when the service or when our Mass is over.

Last Sunday’s Gospel, Mark tells us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the

Sabbath.

Today’s reading deals with what happened after. Our Gospel reading today begins with the phrase: “On leaving the synagogue…”

Meaning - The prayers had been prayed. The songs had been sung. The Scripture had been read. The sermon had been preached. The blessings had been pronounced, and everyone left the synagogue. Then what? That is the very important question. We face that same question week after week, and in a few minutes, we will be facing that questiont again. Again - Whether or not a service of public worship has any true value depends, in large measure, on what happens after our Eucharistic celebration service has ended.

We know what happened with Jesus when the worship service ended. He immediately moved into practical service. He entered the house of Simon and Andrew, where Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever. Jesus healed her, and then she began to serve him.

We do not have to do something big and dramatic. We could start by simply being nice. Simple and easy as it may sound, but in many homes, that would make a dramatic difference.

We may not think of that as an expression of genuine Christianity. But - If our faith in Christ has not, at least, made us nice or kind or gentle, then it probably has not made much difference in any that matters.

You just never know how far a simple act of kindness can go toward bringing someone closer to God.

After Church, after Mass, then what? As a start, why not go home and just be nice?

But we cannot stop there… but that is a good start. Jesus did not limit his practical service to family and friends. He recognized and accepted a responsibility to the larger community.

People from everywhere came to Jesus and most of them came with problems but Jesus did not hesitate to deal with them as though they were his brothers and sisters.

With most of us, our interests and concerns are quite localized, so to speak. We care about ourselves and the people immediately around us, especially our families and friends. We care about our jobs. We care about our neighborhoods, and our parish.

All of those are understandable. We should care about them. But the true follower of Christ is required to care about more than these.

In the Gospel reading today, the next morning, after that busy evening, his disciples found Jesus in a quiet place, absorbed in prayer.

Repeatedly in the Gospels, we find references to the Lord Jesus at prayer. From the first day of His ministry to the last -- Jesus needed to be at prayer.

Meaning - Jesus’ life – his ministry or at work or even at rest – His life is

rooted in His communion with the Father, in His loving relationship with the Father… for the love of God.

When they told him that everyone was looking for him. Jesus replied: “"Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come."

Meaning - To be a true follower of Christ is to live in an ever-expanding world.

Meaning – We need to go out and live in a bigger world. We are called to enlarge our definition or concept of family, enlarge the circle of our love to include at least a few more people. Make their concerns our concerns, and allow their needs to become our needs.

From the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World – Gaudium Et Spes:

“The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these, too are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts.”

Soon our mass will be over, and we will go our separate ways. We will have done all of the things that we do here every week. Has it been worthwhile? That depends on what happens once the mass has ended. Again - after mass, then what?

St. Augustine said "Believe what you see, see what you believe and become what you are: the Body of Christ." Meaning – when we come to the table of the Lord – wen we receive communion - when we say "Amen", we are saying "Yes! I believe this is the Body of Christ and that I will be the Body of Christ to others."

As one Life Teen Program pastor usually says at the end of the Mass: The Mass never ends, it must be lived.

So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, after Mass today, THEN WHAT?

God bless…

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Job 7:1-4,6-7; Psalm 147:1-6; I Corinthians 9:16-19,22-23; Mark 1:29-39

Our Enemy is Not God's Enemy

Deacon Bobby's Homily on January 24, 2021

“Our Enemy Is Not God’s Enemy”

Our Scripture readings today simply tell us that we must believe in the Gospel, we must repent and change our bad attitudes and our actions NOW and not wait until a more convenient time that may never come. Life is so fragile especially nowadays during this time of pandemic. Death is all around us. We are also called to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to all peoples. – this is Jesus’ missionary objective in a nutshell.

Each Sunday at Mass as we hear the readings from Sacred Scripture - we are called to renew our promise to follow Christ, the true Word of God, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Unfortunately, some people - when they leave the church, they don’t even remember what was said during Mass…as if the Word of God proclaimed was not important to them. Some hear the Word but do not act on it. To describe their attitude – with all due respect, using the language we often hear people say especially from the young ones – they seem to say: “WHATEVER..”

My brothers and sisters - The kingdom of God is at hand. Eternal life begins now… we must not live as if we are saying to God’s call to us: Whatever…

We must show, by the way we live out our lives, that, like the apostles, we have heard the call of the Lord and have decided to follow Him to the end.

To each one of us the Lord says, “follow me” every day, not only on Sundays. He asks us to do so with the same eagerness and generosity that Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John showed… as we heard in the Gospel.

The Lord knows that as we live in this world, we have so many other obligations to meet. But our primary obligation should be - our own conversion… conversion of our minds and hearts.

Conversion comes in different ways to different people but let me just use our first reading from the Book of Jonah as an illustration of God’s call for our own conversion.

In our first reading, we heard a short part from the Book of Jonah. The book of Jonah is a story intended primarily to teach a moral lesson. Like the parables of Jesus, it sounds like a story about someone else - but it is really about us.

The whole story is very interesting… you should read it, very short, only two pages… God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to the people about repentance.

Just to give you a background to help you realize how difficult this calling was for Jonah.

Jonah was a Hebrew and the Hebrews despised the Assyrians because they conquered and destroyed Israel. The Assyrians tortured the people… they are immoral as far as the Hebrews are concerned.

Of all the places, God called Jonah to go and preach to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria.

So, Jonah, instead of going east to Nineveh, Jonah went west. I’m sure we can all relate with this part of the story. God tells us to go one direction, so we go the other direction.

Jonah hoped that if he ran away from the Lord, the Lord would look for someone else for this difficult mission.

Running out of land as he headed away from Nineveh, Jonah took a boat out into the Mediterranean Sea. A storm came and the crew found out that Jonah was trying to avoid the mission that God had called him to… they tossed him overboard, a large fish came and gobbled Jonah up whole…. Eventually he ended up back on the shore…

This time, Jonah realized that he had no choice but to journey to Nineveh and tell the people there that God's wrath is going to come upon them due to their immorality. Now, the reading says, Nineveh is a large city, it took three days to walk through it. But after only one day, the people heard Jonah's message and repented, even the king, and prayed that God would have mercy on them. The Lord wanted their conversion. God did not want their death. So, God did not carry out his plans.

Now this really infuriated Jonah. He told the people that they were all going to die, just as God told him to proclaim, and it seemed God changed his mind.

Angrily, Jonah went into the desert east of the city, built a hut for himself and waited to see if God would change his mind again and, this time, destroy Nineveh… which Jonah wanted or preferred to happen.

The miracle in the book of Jonah is not Jonah's surviving for three days in the belly of the big fish. The miracle is that God sent a Hebrew prophet to preach repentance and forgiveness to the pagan city of Nineveh, the capital city of the much-hated Assyrians… showing that Israel's God is everyone's God!

Practical application - It is a very difficult thing for most of us to learn that God is not the enemy of our enemy. So, think of the people you do not like, your own enemies, your own Assyrians, your Ninevites…the people you cannot stand. God wants us to learn that He loves our enemies as much as He loves you and me.

The story of Jonah is also more than the story of God’s attempt to convert the city of Nineveh. It is also the story of God’s attempt to convert the prophet Jonah himself, and all of us. This is a story of God’s effort to change Jonah’s mind and heart, to challenge him beyond his prejudice, to widen his narrow view of God’s grace, and to move him outside of his own comfort zone.

And so, if we listen, it is the story of God’s effort to convert us in the same way…

• to challenge us beyond our prejudice, beyond our preconceived ideas of what reality is, of who and what God is.

• to widen our narrow view of God’s grace

• and to move us outside of our own comfort zone; to change our bad habits and bad attitudes.

Just as God would not give up on Assyria, despite their stubborn evil, God would not give up on Jonah, despite his stubborn narrowness and anger. In the end, the Ninevites repented. In fact, very ironic,as the story concludes, only one person is left unconverted—the prophet Jonah himself.

The book of Jonah ends with God attempting to invite Jonah to join the city in the joy of God’s grace and mercy. Like Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, which ends with the father outside the house begging the older son to join the party, because his younger brother was lost but was found… We do not know if older brother eventually went inside the house to join his Father in celebration.

Similarly - Jonah’s story ends without a clear resolution. Did Jonah convert? Did he learn his lesson? Did he come down into the city to dance in joy for the grace of God that had come to them all, or did Jonah remain on the hillside fuming, refusing the love of God if it included people like the Assyrians, he hated?

Perhaps the story ends unfinished because God wants us to finish it for ourselves. Like the story of the older brother of the prodigal son, so, which way will we choose? There is a party of God’s grace going on, and it includes people whom we think do not deserve it, such as people we do not like. And the question, the invitation, is for us. Will we join the party? Well, will we?

God bless…

What Does Divine Favor Mean?

Deacon Bobby's Homily on January 10, 2021

“What Does Divine Favor Mean?”

If I were to tell you of a man who enjoys the special favor of God… heaven smiles at him, whose life is pleasing to God – what kind of story would you expect to hear about that man’s life?

You might think or expect to hear an unqualified success story – good health, great wealth, a loving wife, obedient children, public esteem, loyal friends, an exciting future, long years of life, everything that the human heart could possibly desire.

On the day of Jesus baptism, a voice from the heavens said: “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” In other translations – “On you my favor rests.” And if we study Jesus’ life, we can learn what the favor of God really means… signs that God is pleased with you.

The first and most evident fact is that it does NOT mean a life of ease and luxury.

Jesus was born in a stable and died on a cross at a young age. He made a living as a carpenter, which means hard work. We can imagine his hands being calloused.

Then when he left the carpenter’s shop, he became an itinerant preacher, travelling the length and breadth of Palestine on foot. Many nights, he slept outdoors. The ground was his bed, and the sky was his roof. There were days when he was hungry and had nothing to eat but the grain that he could get from the heads of unharvested wheat. As far as we know, he owned no property and, for the last few years of his life, he had no steady income. By our modern standards, he would have been considered a poor man.

Not only was he poor, he was also misunderstood. His own people rejected him. Some of them even thought he was out of his mind, and others accused him of conspiring with the devil. Then - came the day when his country-men cried in unison for his blood; and in that most critical hour, his closest friends ran away and left him to stand alone. So - Where is God’s favor in that?

The same with Mary - When the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26–38), the angel said: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

And yet we know what Mary experienced. Joseph almost divorced her; she gave birth to her son in a stable; they had to escape to Egypt away from family; became a widow, witnessed her son tortured and crucified. So - Where is God’s favor in that?

So - Where did we get the idea that divine favor has anything to do with a life of ease and luxury? But somehow people think that if we have the right kind of faith in God, then all of our illnesses will be cured, all of our bills will be paid, and all of our relationships will be happy and harmonious.

It did not work for Jesus and Mary. They trusted the Father with their whole heart and were deeply devoted to doing God’s will… but their lives were a life of hard work, poverty, social conflict and finally a cross. If we take them as our example, we can dismiss forever the notion that divine favor has anything to do with easy and luxurious living.

Unfortunately - many people are deceived by what is called the “prosperity gospel.” Many people like to listen to preachers - who live luxurious lives – who falsely teach “prosperity theology” that in essence says, "If I am a Christian, God promises to bless me with great health, wealth, and prosperity."

This teaching is a great danger to those who believe it. What happens is people come to God for what God can give them. The problem is God never promised a life of riches, comfort and abundant prosperity, so when people experience suffering, they feel as though God has failed them.

False teachers teach what people want to hear to please them – so they get more donations - rather than share truths that may be hard to hear, yet are needed for true freedom and salvation. (2 Pet. 2:17-20, 2 Tim 4:3-4)

In the letter to the Hebrews 13:9

“Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching.”

So - What then does divine favor mean?

It primarily means a chance – actually a privilege – to share in God’s Divine Life - to participate in the great redemptive work of God. When Jesus spoke of himself, it was always in terms of a serving and saving mission… the great redemptive work of God… leading people back to God.

Scripture says that belief in Jesus means we receive the spirit and every spiritual blessing.

Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

That is how St. Paul could say: “Rejoice always, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

- meaning – rejoicing, giving thanks to God … even when things are not going well with us. (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

St Paul said: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all these through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

The statement: “I am a baptized person; I am a Christian.” When you say that: What do you mean?

When we ask people about their concept of baptism, many are quick to say “baptism takes away original sin”. While that is true, it is only one part of the sacrament and often a misunderstood part.

We are not just individuals who came for washing, to be cleansed of our sin, and remain as individuals living for ourselves after baptism - but – we become a member of the Body of Christ – His Church – with responsibility to and for one another.

To say: “I am a baptized person; I am a Christian” - means – that I have freely decided or willed – that I am committed wholeheartedly to follow Jesus… by living a truly self-giving – unselfish - servant life…a life of holiness and service to God and others…

You and I want to change this world for the better. This is not new. We are no different than the people of Jesus' time. People were sick of a world full of cruelty, persecution, and war. They wanted a change and they wanted to do something about it immediately. And do you know what they did? They repented of their own sins because they recognized that the world is not going to change unless they themselves first change.

If you want your spouse to change, you change first. If you want someone to change, you change first.

Admittedly - on our own – we cannot discern and do God’s will and fulfill our mission – but the Good News is - just as the Holy Spirit descended upon the Lord at His baptism to empower Him for His mission – the same Holy Spirit has been poured unto us at our own baptism.

As Jesus said: “Do not be afraid… Behold, I am with you always until the end of time…” Emmanuel – God with us even in our struggles.

So – DO NOT BE AFRAID TO BE A CHRISTIAN!

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: “The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort; you were made for greatness.”

Being a Christian is not easy but the retirement plan is amazing; more than what we can even ever imagine.

God bless…

Prayers during the Mass

ANGELUS

In the name of the Father….

V. The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary.                  ‘

R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary…. 

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.                             

R. Be it done to me according to Your Word. 

Hail Mary…

V. And the Word was made Flesh.                                    

R. And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary…

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.                            

R. That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY  Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Glory Be….

In the Name of the Father…

ST. JOSEPH PRAYER 

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,

Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

To you God entrusted his only Son; 

in you Mary placed her trust; 

with you Christ became man. 

Blessed Joseph, to us too,

show yourself a father 

and guide us in the path of life. 

Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, 

and defend us from every evil. Amen.

ORATIO IMPERATA

God our Father,

We come to you in our need

To ask your protection against Corona Virus,

That has claimed lives

And has affected many.

We pray for your grace

For the people tasked with studying the nature and cause

Of this virus and its disease

And of stemming the tide of its transmission.

Guide the hands and minds of medical experts

That they may minister to the sick

With competence and compassion,

And of those governments and private agencies

That must find cure and solution to this pandemic.

We pray for those afflicted

May they be restored to health soon.

Grant us the grace

To work for the good of all

And to help those in need.

Grant this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son,

Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, forever and ever. Amen.

ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION 

O My Jesus, 

I believe that you are truly present 

in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. 

I love you above all things and desire 

to receive you into my soul. 

Since I cannot at this moment 

receive you sacramentally, 

Come at least spiritually into my heart. 

I adore you with profound reverence and 

embrace you as if you were already there 

And unite myself wholly to you. 

Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.

Striving to Make Our Families Holy

“Striving to Make Our Families Holy”

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph – a model for us – as we strive to make our own families – also holy.

We need families like Joseph’s and Mary's -- grounded in faith, sustained by love, nourished by tradition.

God Almighty, who created us in love, chose to come to us in a family setting. It was in this family setting that Jesus first experienced the presence of God. It was within family that Our Lord first knew the joy of being loved. It was in the family setting that Jesus learned His first lessons in how to love.

We heard in the Gospel: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom…” within a family setting. It is within family life that new generation receive the precious gift of faith.

This raises the question for all Christian parents: How to provide a family environment that makes it possible for our children to grow in faith and to grow in wisdom? How to provide a family environment which encourages, uplifts, and supports one another. And the answer, of course, is to follow the example of the Holy Family; to become a holy family by loving one another in the radical new way of the Lord Jesus; to speak love to one another in the sense of “How can I help to bring out the best in you?”

Husbands, you're called to serve your wives. Wives, you're called to serve your husbands. Children, you're called to serve your parents. Parents, you're called to serve your children… Jesus said "I came not to be served but to serve."

As Christians, we are all called to serve. The first place we have to serve in - is at home.

So, let us ask ourselves: Are we in our family to serve them or to be served?

Holy families don’t just happen. They are something we all consciously create – that every member of the family create – by working together and persevering – even in tough times.

This last Sunday of the calendar year – as we prepare to face the New Year – it is a wonderful time to celebrate the feast of the Holy Family…an ideal time to ask ourselves: How is my own family doing? Is there peace at home? Is there understanding? Forgiveness? Love? Do we place God above all?

Our world desperately needs families - well-formed families whose children can grow and go on to form new, also well-formed, families… The family is the hope of our society. Unfortunately, it is being attacked in so many ways.

Side note: I would like to take this opportunity to extend invitation to couples, living together but not married, to consider getting married in the Church and to those who are married only civilly but not married in the Church, we invite you to have your marriage blessed by the Church. Take this as an invitation.

Getting married in the Church, inviting Christ to your wedding is a great way to start a family – a holy family. Let us help you.

From the first reading from prophet Sirach: “Children…honor and respect your parents… Take care of your parents when they are old. You see - children learn respect for their parents from the respect they see their parents give each other and the respect their parents have for their grandparents…

…There is truth in the statement that the way you treat your parents will be the way your children will treat you. So, remember that.

From our second reading – “Put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience… bear with one another and forgive one another…

These are practical - helpful - good advise – to be a happier functional family – But - the question is – are those enough to make us a Holy Family?.… because even non-faithful people or non-believers subscribe to these principles or “common sense” values… The atheists say “goodness without God is good enough…”… “so be good for goodness sake.” …. Unfortunately there is even a Christmas song with that that has that phrase – but no.

Unfortunately, even among the religious and the faithful – we hear people say: As a husband, I am OK compared to that guy I know…I am not such a bad parent compared to others… so – I am OK - or my family is OK compared to that family….

Comparing our families with other families - is NOT JUST, it is NOT WISE - Yet, many of us do this. "I wish my marriage was as happy as theirs. I wish my children were like theirs. I wish my husband is like her husband or I wish my wife is like his wife. I wish our family was as strong as theirs."

That is wrong because every family is a unique relationship of unique individuals…. No two families are the same… and, every family has challenges which envious neighbors usually do not see. We do not really know everything that happens inside other people’s homes… once they close their doors.

If we want to compare ourselves as individuals and as a family – let us look at the Holy Family.

You might think: “Jesus is God, Mary was born without original sin, and Joseph had to be a saint to be able to deal with everything that happened. How can we possibly be like them?”

We forget that the three of them, including Jesus, were just as human as we are. Theirs was a real family who experienced many of the same challenges each of us experience. At the beginning of their family life, there was talk of divorce when Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant even before they lived together. Joseph must have felt so terrible when he had to bring his wife to a stable to have the child. After Jesus’ birth, they had to escape from Herod’s murderous intention, so they lived in a foreign country, Egypt, away from family.

When Jesus was twelve, His parents searched for him everywhere for three days. You see, just like any family – they had their share of struggles and occasional tensions and misunderstandings.

Still, the Holy Family made it through the difficulties of their family life – How? - They had great faith and obedience to God’s will. God was at the center of their family life.

What makes them holy - Jesus, Mary and Joseph – loved each other – out of obedience to God the Father… they all – each one and as a family - trusted the Heavenly Father – They placed their love for each other – for their neighbors – within the wider, broader and deeper context of their love for God the Father… within the framework of their love of God.

Meaning - If we love God first, then we can love our families more than we can ever love them. We can forgive them more than we can ever possibly forgive them - because it is now the love of God that loves them. It is now the love of God that forgives them. That makes us holy.

As we continue our Eucharistic celebration, let us pray to the Holy Family - of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, that all our families be Holy Families.

Let us pray especially for those families who have problems of any kind…

Let us pray especially pray for families who are mourning because this is their first Christmas without the presence of someone they dearly loved who died this past year.

Grace-filled Holy Covid19-free New Year to Everyone!!!

God bless…

(Based on Sirach 3:2-6,12-14 Colossians 3:12-21 Luke 2:22-40)

Preparing for Christmas

Let me begin with this prayer of Psalm 32 which captures powerfully the mood and the atmosphere of this beautiful season of Advent – even in the midst of this pandemic and the darkness of one kind or another in our world:

The Lord delights on those who revere him,

on those who wait on His love,

To rescue their souls from death,

To keep them alive in famine.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord;

The Lord is our help and our shield.

In Him our hearts find joy,

We trust in His holy name.

May your love be upon us, O Lord

As we place all our hope in you.

Amen.

John preached repentance as a way of preparing for the coming of the Lord.

Christ has already come in Jesus of Nazareth. Christ will come again at the end of the world which we refer to as His second coming.

And during this in-between time – between the first and second coming - we watch, we wait and we prepare for Christ to come more fully in our lives and into our world… that His saving presence might become more manifested in our lives today… so that like Christ – we become the instruments of God’s love, grace and mercy.

The truth is – Jesus lives – and continues to be present among us – in us - He is with us but not yet visible. He is with us but not yet tangible. His presence is real but still an object of hope. He is with us but not yet experienced by our senses. And so - He is with us but still yet to come … like the embryo in the womb – we know it is there - but not yet showing.

And so – in that sense – as Christians – we are a people who recognize Jesus among us but hidden or concealed. We are waiting for Jesus to be fully present in our lives so that hopefully – eventually - we can say what St. Paul said: “It is no longer I who live but it is Christ who lives in me.

Could there be any better way to prepare for the coming of Christ – whenever and however that might be - than to open the doors of our hearts to Christ? Christ is knocking, asking to be allowed inside our hearts and mind so he can heal us and make us whole again and restore us to full friendship with him.

Jesus proclaimed: The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand or has come near. Repent and believe in the Good News.

Jesus calls everyone to conversion. Conversion is more than turning away from sin but it is a process by which we gradually turn our hearts to God through repentance of our sins. Conversion is a daily struggle to become more Christlike in our attitudes towards others, in our thoughts, desires and choices.

… expressed in the change of our way of living… way of being.

Sad to say - People - live life - their own way. They turn to Christ for an hour, an hour on Sundays. That’s why they find Christianity so hard, because they really have not totally changed their lives or totally turned to God. They have not totally repented. They try to fit Christ into the way they live their life.

You see - If we turn to Christ only every once in a while, Christian life will be a difficult life. What Christ calls us to - is repentance – metanoia - for us to completely surrender to His love.

Repentance simply means honesty before God and with ourselves. Repentance is a proper assessment of oneself. It involves taking responsibility for one’s life… not making excuses… AND it is realizing that we are sinners and that we cannot save ourselves. … and so we need a Savior… a Messiah.

In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans (7:19): For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want… In other words, he realized that he was helpless to do the good he wanted to do and he ended up doing the bad things he did not want to do. We can all relate to that.

But did St. Paul give up? NO. What did he do? He knew he was helpless and that he needed a power - greater than any he had - to overcome evil - and live a good life - and that power came from Jesus Christ.

St. Paul wrote: “Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

That’s something we can all say: “I am miserable if I try to rely on my own will power but thanks be to God, we have a savior and His name is Jesus!

That’s why during Advent, we all sing the familiar hymn:

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Such a powerful language… let it sink into our hearts.

“Advent” means “coming.” During Advent, full of hope, we wait and prepare for Christmas when we celebrate the Incarnation – God becoming one of us in the flesh. Therefore, Incarnation means the coming of help from beyond ourselves… We are helpless and we are lost in the journey of life without Christ. Gospel means Good News and the Good News is about Jesus through whom God saves. The name Jesus means God saves. Jesus has come to lead a rescue mission, so to speak.

We are like captives held in ransom… meaning we are helpless and so, all we can say is: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”, the name which means God is with us, … “and ransom captive Israel” … and realize we are sinners and we stand in need of grace… to save us from slavery to sin which separates us from God… and that is the real death… separation from God.

The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we are loved sinners. You have to see yourself as both – loved by God and at the same time humbly admitting that we are sinners… and at the same time realizing that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

God accepts us and loves us - as we are, even in our failures and sin. God’s love is greater than our sin. God offers forgiveness and new life.

Pope Francis said of himself: “I am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon.”

Our salvation lies in accepting God’s forgiveness. God created us without our cooperation but God will not save us without our cooperation.

Jesus told St. Faustina as written in her diary: What offends God more than the actual sin we commit is our lack of trust in His Divine Mercy.

Like the crowds who asked John the Baptist, we ask: “What, then, should we do?”

We have received God’s grace as a gift. The only proper response to a gift is gratitude. We express our gratitude by doing for others what God in Christ has done for us… by being loving, being gracious and merciful to others, in other words, by living out the grace of God within us. It is not complicated.

In our Eucharistic celebration – Eucharist literally means thanksgiving - we receive the mercy of God and we are nourished with His Word and with His Body and in turn at the end of the Mass – we are sent to be the Bread of Life, to be the living sacrament of God’s love, grace and mercy for others. We have become what we have received.

We have the greatest of all gifts. We possess Jesus Christ… And Nothing else matters.

We need to keep this in mind. We are not made for this world alone. Our hearts will be restless until we are with God forever. So, in our life plans, we need to continue to watch and be on guard for things that would separate us from our communion with God, we need to continue to seek the will of God for us and prepare for Christ to become more alive in our lives and to keep heaven as our ultimate goal.

This Advent, as we prepare our homes for Christmas, let us remember that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is preparing a place in his home for you and me.

God bless…

Last Judgment Based On Compassion” (Given on the Solemnity of Christ the King)

Last Judgment Based on Compassion

Our Gospel reading deals with the last judgment, when all people will be examined by the kinds of lives they have lived.

We tend to think people will be judged by whether or not they are righteous or religious, or by what religion they happen to be. Jesus indicates that judgment would be on the basis of our relationships. Jesus makes it clear that we will be judged by whether or not we are compassionate.

The king will say to those on his right,

For I was hungry and you gave me food,

Then, the righteous will answer him and say,

'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,

Which means, the people on the right cannot even remember doing any of those things. It was a natural thing for them to do - which means they did them humbly. Those deeds were not done to gain any reward or to achieve any recognition. These people had acted simply out of a sense of compassion for their fellow human beings. It could mean also mean that the deeds were so simple…. No big deal – in human eyes. A hungry person was given a meal. A stranger was treated hospitably. A sick person was comforted by a visit, a pat on the shoulder, and perhaps a prayer. All of these things are so small. But to Jesus, they were the ultimate test of life.

Compassion is not really a simple matter. A man who writes a large check for charity, but still treat his wife and children harshly cannot use his donation to compensate for his unkindness. We cannot pay for our sins with our money.

Compassion is not something that we occasionally do. It is what - which - we consistently are. Character is not revealed by our righteous deeds, but by our inner motives. People see our actions. God sees our intentions. A truly kind person will be kind… to his family, to his neighbors, to a stranger, to a dog, even to his enemy. Jesus talked about the inwardness of character. Jesus said: “A good person, out of the store of goodness in his own heart, produces good.”

When the Son of Man comes, he will sit on his royal throne. On that day, one question will be asked: “Did you care, did you really care?” On that day - we will be measured by one standard – compassion. According to Jesus, that is the ultimate test of life – compassion.

Now, let me ask you a question: Where do you see yourself in the story? What person or group of persons do you most identify with? Do you belong with those on the right who help or those on the left who do not help?

If you really think about it - Most of us would have difficulty completely identifying with either group, and yet we probably feel some kinship with both. There have been times when we helped – we have given to charity, to the Church, to the poor, visited the sick in the hospital and more.

But we have to admit that there have been times when we turned our backs and walked away. We have seen someone who needed our help and somehow have excused ourselves from giving that help.

Thus – the real truth is that we cannot totally identify with either group. We sort of have one foot in each camp. All of us are a little of both.

So – where does that leave us? What is Jesus really telling us?

Actually, there were not only two groups of people in the story, there were three. There were the people who helped, and there were the people who refused to help, and the third group were the people who needed help which is the group we have been overlooking and these are the people with whom Jesus chose to identify Himself. He said that to help them was to help him, and to neglect them was to neglect Him.

The true meaning of compassion is contained in that powerful sentence: “As often as you did it for one of my least brothers (and sisters), you did it for me.” Jesus so completely identified with people in need that their pain was his pain. And any kindness done to them was kindness done to him.

Like Jesus, we are to put ourselves in the place of those who are the weakest and most vulnerable. We are to walk in their shoes, so to speak. We are to try to feel what they are feeling.

The Latin root word for compassion is pati, which means to suffer, and the prefix com- means with. So, compassion, originating from compati, literally means - to suffer with – which is much different from just helping people who are suffering.

… And that connection with another person who is suffering brings compassion beyond sympathy into the realm of empathy.

Admittedly, that will be a very difficult thing to do, but with God it is possible - because most of us have never been there. Just think of the people in the Philippines who are suffering because their homes were recently destroyed by super- typhoons and floods in the midst of the pandemic with no means of supporting themselves and they have lost everything even the little they have and even lost their loved ones. You probably know many more stories of people suffering and struggling even here in our society because of this pandemic.

Maybe - some of us can relate but most of us have not known what it is like to weep with no one to hear, to want with no one to care, to need with no one to help. But Jesus knew what that was like. He never forgot it, and he will not let us forget it either.

Jesus took his stand with the needy people of this world and said in effect: “This is where I live. These are my people. I belong to them, and they belong to me.” Do you see the significance of that? Jesus not only cared about the needy and sought to help the needy– but Jesus completely identified himself with the needy. For Jesus, they were not only another group, separate and apart. They were his brothers and sisters. Their hunger was his hunger. Their loneliness was his loneliness. Their need was his need. He himself belonged to the fellowship of the needy.

And let’s face it, that’s where you and I belong as well. It is not as if the needy people of this world were another group over there somewhere. It is not as if they are the people who need help, and we are the people who give help. Not that at all. We are all linked together; we are all members of the same family. We all belong to the fellowship of the needy.

None of us is self-sufficient. We need each other, whether we admit it or not. Meaning – those who help, even those who refuse to help and those who need help are all linked together.

So - Who are the needy? I am; you are; everyone is. Today I may help you, but tomorrow, I may need you to help me. We are all members of the same family, sharing our love, sharing our resources, sharing our needs… and that is the kinship of all humanity – of all creation.

We are all brothers and sisters of Christ our King, sons and daughters of one loving gracious merciful Father.

And I close with this – From the opening statement of the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World– Gaudium Et Spes – Promulgated by St. Pope Paul VI.

You see – We are the Church in the world. We are the People of God. We are the Body of Christ.

“The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.”

And so, are they yours, too? Do you really care? At the end of our lives, we will be judged based on our compassion, our self-giving love.

God bless…

Make Gaining Wisdom A Priority

Reflection on “Make Gaining Wisdom A Priority” based on the Gospel of Matthew 25:1-13 and Wisdom 6:12-16 (32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time):

If you could be granted your biggest wishes, what would they be? Would you ask for wealth, or long life, or good health? Would you ask for blessings for your children, or for happiness, or for world peace? Of course, all of these are noble and wonderful wishes.

But what if you were given only one wish. Just one. What would it be?

From the Book of Kings: One night, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and gave the young king the chance to ask for any wish he wanted, but only one wish (1 Kings 3:5). Wealth, pleasure, health, power—all of these must have occurred to Solomon. But he asked for none of these, important as they were. Solomon asked only for wisdom.

And so, along with wisdom, God granted also wealth and health and power and children and fame to Solomon. It was wisdom that allowed Solomon to handle all of these other gifts with grace. In other words, without wisdom, you will not know how to handle your wealth and health and power accordingly… and you will still be miserable.

We pray to stay healthy especially in this pandemic and to have a long life…. The question is - if God were to give you a long healthy and prosperous life – what will you do with your life?

Most people think of Jesus’ teachings in terms of moral and ethical values – things are either good or bad – right or wrong – about goodness, righteousness and love. That’s true but Jesus taught something equally as important, and that is wisdom. Jesus wants people to be good – that is obvious, but he also wants people to be wise.

Wisdom is more than cleverness, or book-learning. It is about deep understanding, discerning. Wisdom is basically seeing ourselves, others, seeing our current circumstances, seeing reality as God sees them – from God’s perspective.

An American tourist visited a Polish Rabbi, who was looked upon by the people of his time as a sage and saintly person. On his arrival at the rabbi's residence, the tourist was astonished to discover that it was only one simple room. The walls were lined with books; a table and a chair were the only furnishings. "But rabbi," the tourist asked, "Where is your furniture?" To which the rabbi replied, "How about you, where is yours?" "Where is mine?" said the puzzled tourist, "I'm only a tourist here. I am just passing through." "So am I" answered the Rabbi, "so am I."

Living wisely means "staying awake", so to speak. Living wisely means looking ahead. Living wisely means acknowledging that we are only "tourists" on God's earth, that we are only "passing through." Living wisely means pointing oneself in the direction of the very Source of life. Living wisely means acknowledging one's dependence on God not only for life but also for the way of life. Living wisely means developing a lifestyle of faith in God's promise of ultimate, total fulfillment -- when the "tourist" season of life is over.

And so, as we draw close to the end of the liturgical year, the church, through the gospel, invites us to contemplate the end – the end of our lives and the end of the world. The way to prepare for the end is not to live in fear and anxiety, or to go after prophets and visionaries who claim to know how and when the world will end.

How and when that will be, only God knows. How then are we to prepare for the end-times? Today’s parable gives us the answer: The best way to prepare for the end is to follow the example of the wise virgins. The wise virgins took enough oil to keep their lamps burning. In the same way we should continue to engage and persevere in prayers and good works, the oil of our faith, to keep our faith alive. That is the best way to make ourselves ready and prepared for the Lord, no matter how and when the Lord chooses to come.

Admittedly, life is full of surprises. Most of us know that, and those who don’t will surely learn it. Some of life’s surprises are pleasant and some of them are painful, to say the least. We would prefer the pleasant. They are so much more fun, so much easier to handle. But we had better prepare for the painful surprises, because some of them are sure to come.

Some of you might be thinking, “Isn’t that a bit morbid?” No, it is only sensible. Life is not made up entirely only of happy events. Life also includes some challenges, some emergencies. If you and I are wise, we will make preparation for such occasions before they come.

How are we to do that? Build spiritual reserves now. Learn to pray daily, learn to get in touch with God and draw upon His power. Listen to God daily. The time is sure to come when our own human strength will not be enough to last us through the night. If we know that, then we should get ready for it now. That is just common sense.

Time and time again, Jesus appeals to us not only to be good, but to be wise. This is the emphasis of today’s Gospel reading. How do we become wise? OR How do we find wisdom? It is found in God Himself. From the letter of St. James, “Does any of you lack wisdom? Let him seek it from God, who gives it liberally to all who ask.” (James 1:5).

As we heard in the first reading from the Book of Wisdom:

“She is readily perceived by those who love her,
and found by those who seek her.”

Meaning - we must decide to pursue wisdom intentionally. We must make gaining wisdom our priority. Wisdom does not just come naturally as we go through life. There are people in their 60’s 70’s and even 80’s who still don’t get it. Have you noticed that some people keep repeating the same mistakes, as if they are not paying attention to life at all, not heeding its lessons? Just living will not automatically impart wisdom. In fact, wisdom is not even just learned by life’s struggles, “school of hard knocks” so to speak, though that is certainly one of her classrooms.

Wisdom can be gained by learning from our good and poor decisions, and those of others.

Wisdom is not the same as intelligence nor talent. Wisdom is not just knowing how to speak cleverly. It is not the same as being knowledgeable. Wisdom is knowing what to do with what you know. Wisdom is knowing what to do with what you have, be it much or little. Wisdom is knowing what to say, or when to remain silent.

It is also possible to gain wisdom by observing the lives of others.

We can be inspired by the example of another person including the saints we have devotion to.

But – this is very important to keep this in mind - the really important things in life are non-transferrable… regardless of how you are to that person.

The parable of the ten virgins from our Gospel reading - Some people have criticized this parable as a picture of selfishness because the five who had oil would not share with the five who had not. But that is missing the point of the story. Jesus was not talking about lamps and oil. He was talking about people and life. And the plain truth is that there are some things in this life that cannot be transferred from one person to another, regardless of how much you desire to do it.

Think of a gifted artist in the later years of life and think how wonderful it would be if he could transfer that genius to the mind and the hands of a younger person. And yet we know that can never happen. The only way a younger person can ever have that genius is to find it and build it for himself.

That is how it is with all of life.

This is what Jesus is saying. Faith, hope, courage are intensely personal virtues. When the crisis comes in our lives, you do not have the time any more to go and get them, and there is no way to borrow them from someone else. So, you had better build them on your own, store up some spiritual reserves, and carry them with you along the way of life – so you will be ready however, whenever the Son of Man will come.

God bless…

32nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME—CYCLE A

November 7/8, 2020

The Text: Matthew 25:1-13; Wisdom 6:12-16

Trust God Do Not Be Anxious”

At every Mass – After we pray the Our Father, the priest prays: “Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant us peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

We pray to be safe from all distress or anxiety because we live in a world where many people are anxious and stressed… To say to people – “Do not to be anxious.” - admittedly – is much easier said than done.

We are bombarded with experiences and news about violence, environmental disasters of one form or another, COVID19 and new kinds of viruses and illnesses, etc. There seems to be much to be worried about.

In the Gospels - anxiety is presented as lack of faith…  So - to pray for protection from anxiety, to pray to have no anxiety - means to pray for an increase in faith. 

To say we have faith in Christ – means - that we truly believe Jesus is Lord, and that He rules over all and He comes in triumph to banish all that is evil. So - when confronted with fears and dangers, the Christian response is a response of faith – not running away from problems and challenges – but he faces them - precisely because in Christ - they must be overcome.

There is a saying: “If you pray, why worry? If you worry, why pray?

Jesus said to His disciples: “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." (John 16:33)

Our faith or lack of faith affects how we face the problems of life. People who have no faith or who lack faith usually respond to life's problems with worry and even anxiety. People of faith respond to life's problems with prayer. In prayer, we raise our hands to our all-loving and all-powerful Father, who is able to save us, even if it should take a miracle to do so.

And that is why, as believers, “we await the blessed hope” - because our faith tells us that Christ DOES overcome all that threaten us. That is why we respond: “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever.”

With that faith – we find ourselves even grateful.

As we heard in the second reading from St. Paul’s letter: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” 
 – Being grateful in all circumstances is an acknowledgement that God is in control and therefore we become more confident, for we know that God is still going to care for us… even when times are tough… even when circumstances are sodiscouraging – with grateful heart instead of fearful heart.

That is why and how St. Paul can write this letter of encouragement to the Philippians even while he was in prison. 

In our Gospel reading, the message is pretty much the same.

What does Jesus' parable tell us about God?  It tells us of God's providence and generosity.  The vineyard is well equipped with everything the tenants need.  The owner went away and left the vineyard in the hands of the tenants… meaning…  God, trusts us, the tenants, enough to give us freedom to live our lives as we choose. 

This parable also tells us of God's patience and justice.  Not once, but many times he forgives the tenants for their abuses and violence.  But while the tenants take advantage of the owner's patience, the parable tells us also that - in the end - God’s judgment and justice prevail.

What does the parable tell us about us?  We are stewards of God’s creation – what a privilege to be thankful for!

But the problem is our wrongful attitude… which is the cause of our anxiety – the problem is in how we see ourselves - forgetting who we are – forgetting that we are only tenants, we are not the owners; forgetting that we are not in control and forgetting and not trusting in the love and care and power of God.

One especially critical question – we need to ask ourselves - Do we see ourselves as “owners” or “tenants” in the world... which makes a whole world of difference.

For some strange reason we live our lives as if these earthly possessions are ours forever.  We devote our time and energy to accumulate and protect worldly things. We cling to the things of this world as if they are ours forever.

The parable in today’s Gospel is a great reminder - First, that we are only tenant farmers and we just share in the fruit of the land.  Not one thing in this vineyard really belongs to us.  Everything that we see around us is ours only to use for a short time.   Ultimately - it all belongs to God.

If we fail to recognize this truth, we are not fooling anyone but only ourselves.

Secondly, Jesus is reminding us that our privilege of being stewards of creation carries with it responsibilities.  We are responsible to God for what we do with what we have… be it much or be it little.

The word responsibility is not a very popular word in our modern world.  We much prefer to think and speak of such things as rights, and privileges and freedom – “my body and therefore my choice – I can do whatever I want with my body.”  But we must remind ourselves that all of these things we cherish are based upon responsibility, and if we neglect our responsibility, eventually we will lose our rights, privileges, and freedoms… That is the bottom line… let us not fool ourselves.

St. Francis of Assissi, whose Feast Day we also celebrate today, realized that humanity’s relationship with the rest of creation goes even beyond dominion, even beyond stewardship but in terms of “kinship” with the rest of creation. That’s why he used words such as Brother Sun, Sister Moon and even Sister Death and Mother Earth to care for and to love.

We have every opportunity to live life at its best.  What we do with these blessings and opportunities is up to us.  The grace of God is free, but the responsibilities of privilege are real.  We are accountable for the things that we have.

We are the tenants even to our bodies, to our lives, to ourselves, to our money, to our property, to everything we have.  All belongs to God.

We – Christians – the New Tenants, so to speak - are called to give God the produce at the proper times…

Therefore, we must have a personal relationship with Christ to be good tenants – and we must build everything – our lives, our career, our families, etc. - on Christ and that Christ thus becomes the cornerstone on which everything else is built…because everything belongs to Christ. 

The question is - Is Jesus Christ the cornerstone of your life?

If He is, then the Good News is – as St. Paul wrote to the Philippians and addressed also to us: “The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

… and if we say Amen, it means “So be it” – and so we all say: Amen!

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

God’s Generosity and Invitation to Love

Reflection on “God’s Generosity and Invitation to Love” based on the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16 (25th Sunday in Ordinary Time):

In the kingdom of God, there is family, community – not just as a society or group of individuals.  In a society – there is this “we-and-them”, there is rivalry - survival of the fittest.  But, in a family, there is only “all - we – us” - and NO them. There is the spirit of co-operation rather than competition.  

In the Gospel parable, the workers in the vineyard complained because they saw each other not as family members but as rivals, as competitors.  If the latecomers in the vineyard were seen as family members of the early workers, the early workers would have rejoiced with them at their good fortune rather than grumbling.  There is one popular “oldies” song that goes: “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.”

We need to expand our concept of family beyond our blood relatives - because we are all members of the same Body of Christ, of one Spirit, with one heavenly Father… who is so generous … who sees all of us as His sons and daughters… and so we are brothers and sisters.

You see - The Gospel parable is really about God’s generosity, His grace, His goodness and mercy and His invitation to us into a more intimate relationship and not so much about fairness- but about relationship.

The problem is we often get caught up on issues of fairness – comparing ourselves with others, with one another.

We often feel discontented - because we often compare our lives with those who are doing better, with those who have more.  You see - there will always be someone richer, healthier, more talented, or better looking than we are.….

So, when it seems life is unfair - we need to take a fresh look at the good things in our lives – the things we often take for granted.  When we “feel cheated in life”, let us just think of those with less – the less fortunate - and not those with more.

The workers in the parable did not feel they were mistreated when they were hired - first.  It is only when the owner extended his generosity to the workers hired late in the day.  You see - We usually do not have problems with people’s generosity, with God’s generosity to us - when we are the ones receiving it – when others are envious of us - because we feel special.

In a way – it is like - when we come before God for our sins, we ask for Mercy but when it comes to other people’s sins or faults particularly against us, we demand justice.

All of us are like the workers in the parable who were hired later in the day… and so, we can say that we are all “latecomers.” 

If we want to compare ourselves with others – let us compare ourselves with the saints who are as ordinary people as we are. Compared to the saints who served God faithfully and who gave up their lives for the sake of the Gospel, serving others - St. Paul, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Francis of Assissi, countless martyrs and saints, how do you think we are - compared to them?  - But God is equally generous and compassionate with the saints as He is with us.  He loves us, offers us His divine life – No Less… Everything is by the grace of God.

So, when we feel cheated in life, treated unfairly; when it seems life is so unfair – when bad things happen even to good people and the bad people seem to be the ones enjoying life and the ones prospering – we need to continue to trust God – his goodness, that He is just…that He is in control….even when things do not make any sense and even when we cannot understand.

In the grand scheme of things, we can see only a very tiny portion of the big picture… of God’s plan… 

We need to be in a relationship of love and trust with our God instead of on the basis of what is in it for me.

Here’s the big question for all of us:  Why do we follow Jesus, why do we obey his teachings? Why do we obey the Ten Commandments? Why are we here – why do we come to Mass?

– Is it because we want to go to heaven – and because we are afraid to go to hell?

Do we follow Jesus so He will bless us? … so that he'll make our family happy? So that bad things will not happen to us?  Do we pray the rosary or the novenas or go to pilgrimages or first Fridays or First Saturdays because of the promises - that no misfortune will come to us… that we will receive all the “indulgences”.

I am not saying those are bad motivations.  But we need to go beyond those motives.  Because – in a way we can say – with all due respect – those motives are the same as saying: “What is in it for me, Lord, if I do all those things?

When we go to confession – one of the versions of the Act of Contrition – we say: “I detest all my sins because I fear the loss of heaven and the pains of hell – (and here’s the most important part) - but most of all - because I offended thee my God who are all good and deserving of all my love…”… out of love…relationship of love….We cannot earn our way to heaven. Again, everything is grace.

All of the parables that Jesus told - always have - as the core purpose - to teach us something about our relationship with God. 

From this perspective - we can understand Paul’s letter to Philippians (1:21) – we heard from our second reading. Paul is not focusing on himself but on his relationship with Christ – with God.

Basically - St. Paul was saying: "For me life means Christ. Even if I die, it doesn't matter.  If I live – thanks be to God! - there' so much more I want to give. If I die - thanks be to God! – that means I will be with God!  If I live, I can continue to bring others to God. I am not going to live for what I can get out of life.”

That is how he found contentment in whatever circumstances he found himself in – even in prison… where he wrote this letter of encouragement.

… And so – for us - What happens now if after doing all our devotions – God forbid – what if bad things would happen to us? – What happens when we feel cheated by life?  Unfortunately, that is when people lose faith.  They no longer see God as good but unfair.  God does not seem to be real anymore.

Salvation is really when following Christ is no longer about us – no longer about ME, MY, OURS…  Salvation is about Jesus and our love for our neighbor and the life that we give – the life that we share… Jesus said:  “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake (for the sake of the Gospel) will find it.”  (Matthew 16:25)

So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us examine our reasons why we do what we do, why we follow Christ.  Let us be honest with ourselves.  Let us continue to pray for the Lord to purify our intentions, to increase our love for God and our neighbor….

…Let us pray that we may serve God and our neighbors - with joyful, grateful and generous hearts, not looking for how much we can get - but rather looking for how much we can give, how deep we can love.

At the end of our lives, that is all we can take with us – how much we have given of ourselves – how much we have loved, what we carry in our hearts.

(Homily for 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time Cycle A 
Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9 Philippian 1:20-24,27 Matthew 20:1-16)

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Loving and Forgiving Instead of Judging

Generally - When someone hurts us, we immediately draw a vision or image of that person. You kind of paint a picture in your mind of the kind of person he or she is….you kind of judge the person based on what you think in terms of the hurt – “she is mean, he’s so arrogant, insensitive, heartless, etc.” and when you talk to other people, they might even add to your growing prejudice…. So, if you were to draw a picture, you might even draw a monster, even with horns, etc.

But - Remember, your perception or what you think is not always reality.  We react to what we think which – maybe - is not the reality… meaning, there is a possibility that you could be wrong or that you could have misunderstood and therefore you could have been quick to judge.

Assuming you were right to feel offended, the only way to heal ourselves of those hurts is through forgiveness. It is not enough to be right, and yet you are so unloving, unforgiving.

Forgiving begins when we give up the horrible image we have in our mind of that person who hurt us. Meaning - We must come to a new vision of that person, not simply as the person who hurt us, but as a weak and sinful faulty person who also has needs and hurts, and so we try to understand what caused him or her to behave in that way or to say such a thing or why he failed to do what you expected.

At the cross, Jesus said: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” …meaning – why would you condemn someone who does not know any better…

You might say: “But he is already an adult, he should know better”… but you see – there are people –even adults in their 60’s 70’s and 80’s - who still don’t get it. 

You see - the problem is: when we come before God for our sins, we ask for Mercy but when it comes to other people’s sins or faults particularly against us, we demand justice.

Again - Forgiving begins when we give up the horrible image we have in our mind of that person who hurt us and coming up with a new image. And so - With that new image - Consequently, there is a new feeling towards the person. The new vision brings a new feeling because now you see this person more realistically.

And then – the next stage, so to speak is - there must be a surrendering of the right to get even. We simply give it up. Yes – you might think you have every right to get even as you might think, but we simply give it up or let it go.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, results to both parties – ending up both being blind and toothless.

On our own, we cannot forgive but by the grace of God we can, and with the grace of God we can even go beyond giving up our right to get even, we can even begin to wish that person who hurt us well… which is really a miracle.

As has been said: “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” (Alexander Pope)

The process of forgiving is fulfilled when you can want good for the person who has wronged you instead of wishing evil to fall upon him or her… The good of the person then will be your intention for approaching that person, as we heard in our first reading and in our Gospel reading, to help the person grow and become a better person… not to get even.

Then you can say you fulfilled the commandment “Love your enemy”.. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” because love – true love is willing the good of the other… even if the person is unloveable.

Jesus died for us even while we were still sinners.

St. Pope Gregory the Great whose Feast Day we celebrated last Thursday wrote this on Praying for Enemies and Forgiveness:

Quote: “How frequently we offer a prayer for our enemies but we do it because we are commanded to and not out of love for them.

The judge of our souls consider our hearts rather than our words.  Jesus included a condition in the prayer: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Sometimes we say those words without carrying them out.  We must not allow any malice at all to remain in our own hearts.

Remember what Jesus taught us: Forgive and you will be forgiven.  Let us forgive others then - so that we, too may be forgiven.” (Unquote)

If you have been hurt - Do yourself a favor, forgive… to free yourself of the toxicity that can poison your soul. Of course, it is much easier said than done.

If the saints, who are as ordinary people as we are, can do it, by the grace of God, we can do it.

Judgment belongs to God.

If you cannot forgive, maybe you need to examine your own relationship with God and your own experience of forgiveness, of being forgiven.

As Thomas Merton said: “We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.

If you think about it: Who are we to cast off someone whom Jesus has seen fit to redeem? Who are we to condemn someone whom Jesus has died for? Jesus died for all of us… for people of all times.

Think of the person you have a hard time forgiving and imagine Jesus telling you: “I already paid for his or her sins.” and so, “Be Merciful”.

Forgiving someone falling short of our expectations does not mean glossing over sin, but it does mean always trying to treat people with the respect and honor they deserve as beloved children of God – as brothers and sisters who have great dignity in God's eyes.

Mercy is not about pretending that something has not happened, that sin doesn't matter. Mercy is about accepting to love as one is.

St. Mother Teresa said: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

As we heard in the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans:

“Brothers and sisters:  Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another”.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, over time – if we persevere – like the Saints – we can become more like Jesus. And that’s the challenge for us. And so the question is: Will we stand fast in our ways, our ways of thinking or will we let the Holy Spirit continue to mold us and to shape us?

The next time you find yourself ready to judge someone, ask yourself this, “How would Jesus react in this situation?” What is the most loving thing to do? … and then you “Pause” and let the Spirit give you His insight. You’ll be amazed by how much peace and wisdom He can give you!

God bless…

Homily for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A
Readings:Ezekiel 33:7-9 Romans 13:8-10 Matthew 18:15-20

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty- First Sunday in Ordinary Time

2020 Financial Report

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time