Advent Week 1
The following are the Advent wreath prayers that change every week. They are prayed at the lighting of each candle every day during Advent.
The first candle is lit, and the prayer for the first week is said.
Let us pray.
Stir up Thy might, we beg Thee, O Lord,
and come, so that we may escape through Thy protection
and be saved by Thy help from the dangers
that threaten us because of our sins.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
During the first week one candle is left burning during the evening meal, at prayers or at bedtime.
"To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us -- and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference." (From "Thoughts In Solitude" by Thomas Merton)
To give thanks to God is not an occasional response from us, but needs to be one frequently done consciously throughout the day. Like anything else if practiced, it becomes part of our day. Take a few moments now to give thanks to God for his blessings already this day. As you do this regularly, see how things begin to change in the way you look at life.
Homily:
First Sunday of Advent Year A
Reading
1: The people of Israel are experiencing both external threats and internal
struggles. Externally, the surrounding nations are seeking to overcome them and
subjugate them. The answer of Israel is a state of war. Internally, many of the
people have forgotten their covenant with God. They are seeking to be a nation
like the surrounding nations.
God
sends the prophet Isaiah to speak the message of truth. He speaks about the
mountain of Zion, the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. About the mountain he
says: “In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established
as the highest mountain.” About the city he says: “For from Zion shall go forth
instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” And about the Temple, he
says: “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain to the house of the God of Jacob.”
What
the people of Israel forgot was the Lord and his role in their lives. They were
reminded that if they walked in the light of the Lord, they would be taken care
of. Walking in the light of the Lord meant being in right relationship with God
and acting on his word.
It
was God who brought them out of bondage in Egypt with signs and wonders. It was
God who purified them in the crucible of the desert before bringing them into
the land of promise. It was God who established the kingdom of David. They forgot
that when their ancestors depended on the Lord, they were victorious over their
enemies.
As
we begin this new Advent season, we are reminded that the Lord is with us on
our journey. We are called once more to walk in the light of the Lord, who is
our true peace.
Gospel:
Jesus says that in spite of the warning given the people of Noah’s day, they
kept sinning and refused to believe in the word of God. When the devastating
flood came they perished. Jesus said that the same thing will happen when he
comes again in glory. Those walking in darkness will perish, while those
walking in the light of the Lord will be saved.
What
are we to do? Stay awake and be watchful for the Son of Man will come when he is
least expected. This coming can be our personal death or the final coming of
Jesus. To stay awake and be watchful is another way of saying to follow and
live the way of the Lord consciously and intentionally, not in fear but in
readiness. For being with the Lord in fact now will insure that we will be with
the Lord eternally through the moment of death.
As
we prepare to celebrate the commemoration of Jesus’ first coming in the flesh
through human birth, we are called to remember that Jesus is coming to us in
the present moment and he will come again in a final moment. To commemorate one—Christmas—but
not living in the light for the other two will mean that we did not act as the
children of light but as children of darkness.
Reading
2: Paul continues the theme of light. There are two parts of focus. The first
part: “Our salvation is closer than when
we first accepted the faith.” How often do we think of our salvation? Are we
prepared for death, which could come as a thief in the night?
The
second part: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, the way we prepare
for our ultimate salvation is twofold: cast off the deeds of darkness and put
on the armor of light. Cast off the deeds of habitual sin, serious mortal sin
as well as lesser sins. Sin is the world of darkness. Sharing in the life of
Christ in truth and love is the world of light and salvation.
To
put on the Lord Jesus means do not conform ourselves to this generation of
darkness but be transformed by the renewal of our minds, choosing what is the
will of God, what is good, perfect and pleasing to God. In this way we can prepare for the
celebration of Christmas and for the coming of Jesus at death or at the end of
the world.
"To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us -- and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference." (From "Thoughts In Solitude" by Thomas Merton)
God delights in a grateful heart. For the more grateful we are the more we open ourselves to the abundance of God's love. An ungrateful heart is a selfish heart, always looking and expecting more but short on the necessary response of true gratitude. The truth is that we can never fully respond to the multitude blessings we have received from God. But a lack of response or a casual response is an affront to God's love. "Lord, thank you" should be a constant prayer of our heart.
First Sunday of Advent Gospel Reflections A
Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
· This coming of the Son of Man can refer to the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the world or it could mean the coming of Jesus when we die. In each case there is a finality.
In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
· Despite Noah’s words and actions, the people of his day did not put any stock into what they heard and saw. Because they did not heed the warnings and repent, they lost their lives in more ways than one. Will it be different for us?
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.
· The reason it is probably the coming of Jesus at the time of death and not at the end of the world is that one is taken and one is left. Even then, the one that is left does not heed the warning signs.
· How many people we know have died? We know that death is inevitable. But does the death of any bring us closer to God? Does it lead us to repentance and a change of life? Or do we continue to eat, drink and be merry as if death is far from us. It is not that we are to stop living, but our life should show awareness that God may be giving us a sign to make him the center of our lives? What do you think?
Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
· How prepared are we at this moment? Are we living as if this would be our last night? Again, not in fear or anxiety but in readiness because we want to be with God at all times.
· What do you think God wants you to do in response to his word which you just read and reflected on?
o Advent is a time of preparation for the celebration of the coming of Jesus. He came and we are preparing to celebrate the remembrance of his birth. But he is coming again at the moment of our death. We are preparing to welcome him so that we can be welcomed by him. We are preparing for his second coming in glory so that we can be with him eternally.
“To know
the will of God is the greatest knowledge! To do the will of God is the
greatest achievement!” (George W. Truett)
Bobby Richardson, a former New
York Yankee second baseman, at a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, prayed this simple prayer. This prayer is classic in brevity and poignancy: “Dear God, Your
will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen.”
Our prayer in the Our Father is "Thy will be done."
All this is based on the life and teaching of Jesus. He said that he came to do the will of his Father. He taught that only those who do the will of God will enter into the kingdom of God.
How important is the will of God for us, not just to know it but to do it, not just to say it but to embrace it? Even though it is not always easy to do the will of God, because of our own selfish wants, it is the surest way to share in God's life forever.
Thanksgiving Day Blessing Service
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Leader: Let us glorify the Lord who fills us with his bounty. Blessed be God for ever.
All: Blessed be God for ever.
Leader: We gather today to give thanks to God for his gifts to this land and its people, for God has been generous to us. As we ask God’s blessing upon the food we will share with our families, may we be mindful of those in need.
Reader: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus [Christ]. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The Word of the Lord.
Leader: We thank you, Lord.
All: We thank you, Lord.
Leader: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart, For you have heard the words of my mouth;
In the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name.
All: We thank you, Lord.
Leader: Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me.
All: We thank you, Lord.
Leader: All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words of your mouth;
and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord: "Great is the glory of the Lord."
All: We thank you, Lord.
Leader: Let us take a few minutes to voice our personal gratitude to God for specific blessings. (Pause)
Leader: In gratitude let us pray to our loving Father as Jesus taught us:
All: Our Father…
Leader: God most provident, we join all creation in raising to you a hymn of thanksgiving through Jesus Christ, your Son. For generation upon generation peoples of this land have sung of your bounty we too offer you praise for the rich harvest we have received at your hands. Bless us and this food which we share with grateful hearts. Continue to make our land fruitful and let our love for you be seen in our pursuit of peace and justice and in our generous response to those in need. Praise and glory to you, Lord God, now and forever!
All: Amen
An
unknown author says: “It is not what men eat but what they digest that makes
them strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we
read but what we remember that makes us learned; not what we preach but what we
practice that makes us Christians.”
Sheldon
Van Auken in his book, Severe Mercy says, “The best argument for
Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But
the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians: when they’re
self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration. When they’re narrow and
repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.”
As we come to the end of another liturgical year, it is a good time to reflect on what kind of a Christian am I? We believe that Jesus is coming again to call his own to himself. That may be tonight for me, as death may take over. Will Jesus recognize me as a person worthy of his name? Will he say to me "Come into the eternal kingdom prepared for you by my Father"? Or will he say: "Depart from me for I do not know you."? What defines us as a Christian? "It is not the one who says, 'Lord, Lord' who will enter the kingdom of God but the one who does the will of my Father." This is the defining point of a true follower of Christ: doing the will of God. This is what holiness is all about.
An
unknown source comes up with an article entitled, “How to be Miserable.” It says:
“Think about yourself. Talk about yourself. Use “I” as often as possible.
Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others. Listen greedily to what
people say about you. Expect to be appreciated. Be suspicious. Be jealous and
envious. Be sensitive to slights. Never forgive a criticism. Trust nobody but
yourself. Insist on consideration and respect. Demand agreement with your own
views on everything. Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown
them. Never forget a service you have rendered. Shirk your duties if you can.
Do as little as possible for others.”
None of this is what Jesus teaches in the Gospels. We learn the above behavior pattern from other people who are depressed or self-focus. What will happen to us if we begin to look seriously at our thoughts and actions to see if they reflect Jesus' maxims or the world's maxims? Why do we choose to be miserable rather than to be joyful in Christ? The bottom line is our choice: to follow Christ or to follow our past behavior patterns.
Leo
Tolstoy: “Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing
himself.”
Thomas
a’Kempis: “Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since
you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.”
Samuel
Taylor Coleridge in, Table Talk, said this arresting statement: “If a man is
not rising upwards to be an angel, depend on it, he is sinking downwards to be
an evil.”
John
Henry Newman said: “To live is to change. To be perfect is to have changed
often.”
Jesus said it this way: Take the beam out of your own eye before trying to take the splinter out of the eye of another. There is much in my life that needs changing and perfecting before the moment of my death. If I spend my time trying to change others, I may find that at death I am far from God. In a marriage it is said that if one spouse focuses on changing self and accepting the other, the other will then be freed to change. Change begins in the present moment.
Homily: Solemnity of Christ the King
Reading
1: Many times the plan of man and the plan of God are different. Though Saul
was originally chosen by God to be the first king of Israel, God knew that Saul
would be unfaithful to the covenant. The people insisted they wanted a king
like other nations. Samuel said that God was their king and leader who
delivered them from Egyptian bondage and established them in the land of milk
and honey. They said they couldn’t see God. They wanted to be like other
nations and have a visible king. God told Samuel to anoint Saul.
Later
when Saul proved unfit to be the king from God’s perspective, he sent Samuel to
anoint David, a mere youth, as the future king to shepherd God’s people and be
commander of Israel. It took some time for the people to recognize what God had
done, before they accepted and acknowledge David as their king chosen by God.
How often are we slow to recognize and accept God’s plan over our plan? How
often have we tried to force our plan upon God, rather than accept his plan as
a better way?
Gospel:
The kingdom of God is a fact. The greatest proof is the suffering and death of
Jesus on the cross. The acceptance of this fact is a personal choice. But
non-acceptance has dire consequences that impact our eternal destiny. Acceptance
is not merely a verbal acknowledgement but a living as fully as possible the
life of a true and committed follower/disciple of Jesus the King in love and
service.
The
bystanders around the cross and the one thief acknowledged Jesus in a mocked
way, using the fact and reality by throwing it back in Jesus’ face. Pilate had
written the fact, not because he believed and submitted to the Kingship of
Jesus, but to taunt the religious leaders who brought the Kingship of Jesus as
a charge against him. Instead of accepting Jesus as King, they aligned
themselves with Caesar.
While
one thief blasphemed Jesus and was seeking human salvation for a selfish
reason, the other thief acknowledged his own sinfulness, his own need for
forgiveness. He also recognized and proclaimed the reality of who Jesus was. “Lord,
remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Of all those who were there,
besides his mother and disciples, this thief was guaranteed participation in
the Kingdom of God.
Are
we the religious leaders and bystanders who react and reject the reality of
Jesus as our Lord and King? Do we give lip service but our heart is not
surrendered to Jesus as Lord? Is he just one lord among many others that we
serve and give attention to? Are we the sinner who acknowledges our sin, seek
forgiveness and desire to be with Jesus in his kingdom? Do we express this
desire by the way we live under the Lordship of Jesus?
Reading
2: What is God’s plan? He has established an everlasting kingdom through the
death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus. It is a kingdom to which we have been
made worthy to share in by grace. This is our destiny for which we were born,
to share in the lot of the saints in light.
Our
participation in this kingdom is not something merited by us. It is solely the
result of Jesus’ great love through giving his life for our life. Jesus is the
beginning and end of our lives, sustaining every breath we take. He is the King
and Lord by right as God and by right as the Messiah/Christ, who reconciled
everything in his person. Jesus is King in fact by virtue of who he is and what
he has achieved.
An unknown author said this about perfect love that it is:
Slow
to suspect quick to
trust
Slow
to condemn quick to justify
Slow
to
offend quick
to defend
Slow
to expose quick
to shield
Slow
to reprimand quick to forbear
Slow
to demand quick to give
Slow
to provoke quick to
conciliate
Slow to
hinder quick
to help
Slow
to
resent
quick to forgive
While our love may not yet be perfect, at least we know what we can do to perfect our love. It is a process, but the end result is better than not to love selfishly. What if our resume application for heaven included these qualities?
Solemnity of the Feast of Christ the King C
The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God."
· Here we have a connection with the temptation of Jesus in the desert. The focus of the question is whether Jesus is the chosen one, the Messiah of God. If he is, they implied, he would not be in this situation. God would not allow it. This was the same sticking point the devil used against Jesus in the desert temptation.
· Imagine Jesus hearing this statement of mockery. What do you think went through his mind? Was he questioning his identity? Or rather did he embrace the fuller meaning of being the chosen one, the Messiah of God as the suffering servant of God?
Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out,"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews."
· The soldiers were aware that Pilate had asked Jesus if he was a king. They even mocked him by placing a crown of thorns on his head and a purple robe on his back and a reed in his hand, while pretending to do his homage.
· What do you think Jesus was feeling as he heard the mockery intensify?
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us."
· Now, one of the criminals crucified with Jesus joins in the attack. He was not interested in whether Jesus was the Messiah or not. He was only interested in Jesus performing some miracle freeing the criminal from the cross.
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
· The other criminal hears the mockery of the rulers, the soldiers and the other criminal. But there is something different about him. Though he recognizes that he is deserving of the punishment, he still has a “fear of God,” while at the same time he recognizes the innocence of Jesus.
· This man expresses his repentance for his deeds by asking God not to physically save him but to show him forgiveness and mercy. How often have we tried to justify ourselves rather than admit our faults and seek God’s mercy?
He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
· What a powerful witness of Jesus mercy, even in the midst of his own suffering. Maybe it was the Father’s way of reassuring Jesus that he came to save the repentant sinner not the self-righteous. Here was the first fruit of his death and resurrection.
· This event reaffirms what the psalmist said: God does not want the death of the sinner but that he repent and live.
· This also underlines the word of God to the prophet. If a wicked man turns back to the Lord and dies, he will live forever with God.
· Reflect of God’s mercy to you over the years.
· From your reflections on this passage what is God saying to you?
God sees me. Ah, what a phrase is this for
him who
understands it well ! How capable it is to
control our
passions, to moderate our desires, to prevent
us from sinning,
to sustain our courage, to animate our
fervor, to
regulate our conduct !
God sees me. He is ever present, always
mindful of me,
thinks ever of me; whereas I heed Him not, I
am not
attentive to Him, I never think of Him. Oh!
shame,
shame !
God sees me. With what respect and modesty
ought I
not to behave in His presence ! The Seraphim
hide their
faces with their wings, and I, a mere worm of
the earth, do
not tremble.
God sees me. Shall I dare, in the presence of
Thy
glance so infinitely pure, commit deeds which
I dare not
even show to man ? Shall I dare to sin in Thy
presence,
knowing that sin and the sinner is hated by
Thee, and to
condemn the sinner Thou hast no wish ?.
God sees me. He penetrates into the innermost
recesses
of my heart ; He sees therein every desire,
and discerns
every intention. With what purity of
intention then ought
I not to perform every action. (Fr. Nepveu, S.J)
How would I truly live if I was conscious that God sees me, not to punish me but to show me his infinite love? There is nothing in my life that is hidden from the all-seeing God who wants the best for me. My response to this awareness should be a desire to live in a way pleasing to him who loves me so
"Then all
spirituality is comprised in fidelity to the will and plan of God....The duties
of each moment are the shadows beneath which hides the divine operation....This
shadow, beneath which is hidden the power of God for the purpose of bringing forth
Jesus Christ in the soul, is the duty, the
attraction, or the cross that is presented to us at each moment....
"If the work
of our sanctification presents, apparently, the most insurmountable
difficulties, it is because we do not know how to form a just idea of it. In
reality sanctity can be reduced to one single practice, fidelity to the duties
appointed by God. Now this fidelity is equally within each one's power whether
in its active practice, or passive exercise.
"(To grow in
holiness we) only have to fulfill the simple
duties of
Christianity and of (our) state of life; to embrace with submission the crosses
belonging to that state, and to submit with faith and love to the designs of
Providence in all those things that have to be done or suffered without going
out of (our) way to seek occasions for themselves." (Cascade)
This was the spirituality of Jesus, to do the will of the Father in all circumstances. This is the spirituality of the disciples of Jesus. This happens when we embrace the divine appointments we encounter throughout our day. We may see them as crosses, but God sees them as gifts of grace.
"I have endeavored to act only for Him; whatever becomes of me, whether I be lost or saved, I will always continue to act purely for the love of God....Our only business was to love and delight ourselves in God....Our sanctification does not depend upon changing our works, but in doing that for God's sake, which we commonly do for our own....We ought not be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed." (Brother Lawrence)
Wasn't this the little way of St. Therese of Liseux? Do all things, even the little ones, out of love of God and for love of God. Why do complicate things? The focus is not the thing or work, but God whom we want to love in all things. Try it today. Consciously choose to do whatever you do in love and with love.
1
Someone has said: "To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge! To do the will of God is the greatest achievement." Here is a short prayer by Bobby Richardson, a former New York Yankee second baseman: "Dear God, your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen!" Someone has written: "Perfection consists in doing the will of God, not in understanding the why of his designs or plans."
What is God's will for me today? What are my responsibilities in the present moment? Many years ago I was taught this lesson. Do what you are supposed to do, when you are supposed to do it, the way you are supposed to do it, to the best of your ability for the love of God. That is the will of God for me in the present moment. The emphasis is not on the work but on doing it because it is the will of God for me here and now. Simple but hard, given my rebellious, self-seeking nature.
Homily Thirty-third Sunday Year C
Reading 1: There is a constant theme in
the Old Testament and in the New Testament: identifying and separating the
proud and the evil doers from those who have a reverential awe of the Lord. In
Psalm 1 it is identified as two paths of life: those who follow the way of the
Lord and those who follow the way of evil. In the parables of Jesus it is the
wheat and the weeds, the net that brings in the good and bad fish, the
separation of the sheep from the goats.
What happens to the proud, the evildoers,
the goats and the weeds? They are destroyed by the blazing fire of justice.
What happens to those who have reverential awe of God, the wheat and the sheep?
They will rise to new and everlasting life.
The implication is that while there is
time before the Day of the Lord, when the Son of justice appears, to hear the
word of God and to repent and turn back to the Lord. At the same time, it is
important that those who believe in the Lord remain faithful till the end.
Gospel: Here is an example of the gift of
prophesy exercised by Jesus. It is one of the gifts Jesus promised the Spirit
will give us, when we are filled with the Spirit, as Jesus was. Here Jesus is
prophesying about the future destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. This took
place less than 40 years later in 70 AD by the hands of the Romans.
While the focus of the people is to know
the exact day and the details, Jesus says that is not to be our focus. Yes,
there will be those who will try to say that this or that is the sign of the
end. They will say they were given a message about the end. Jesus’ response is
that we are not to become disturbed and distracted. Signs will take place that
people will point to. Again, we are not to be distracted.
What are we to focus on? Not on the end
but on being faithful witnesses to Jesus in the present moment by the way we
live. There will be times of persecution for our faith; there may be times we
may be challenged or questioned by others concerning our commitment to Jesus.
We are to be readied to give witness to Jesus. Even if we will feel inadequate,
Jesus said not to worry. He will give us the words to say, the wisdom we will need.
What is this wisdom? The Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.
When we were baptized, we were told that
we now shared in the life of Jesus as priest, prophet and king. That prophetic
call is to be a living, conscious witness of what Jesus has done and who he is.
When we were confirmed, we were anointed once more with the power and gifts of
the Holy Spirit, so that we can be witnesses to others of Jesus and his mighty
deeds.
What are we to do when wars, rumors of
wars, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, famine, pestilence and other phenomena
happen? Not to become fearful or distracted but to turn to the Lord and to
point others to the Lord, who is calling us back to the truth and way of life
that would lead to eternal glory, rather than eternal destruction.
Reading 2: No community is perfect. Each
has its problems. In Thessalonica the problem was that someone had erroneously told
them that the second coming of Jesus was imminent. As a result some decided
that it wasn’t necessary to work. But they had to eat, so they expected other
members of the community would provide for them.
Paul seeks to correct two things. We don’t
know then Jesus is coming, so we need to live our lives in an ordinary way. The
second thing is that we need to continue to work to provide for our daily
sustenance and not depend upon others to do so for us, when we are capable.
In essence, Paul is saying don’t get
distracted from focusing on that which is necessary because of the words of
others. Don’t become a burden to others in the community because of personal
convictions. Live as if today is the last day but live your normal life.
Two
sinners visited a holy man and asked his advice. “We have done wrong,” they
said, “And our consciences are troubled. What must we do to be forgiven?” “Tell
me of your wrongdoing, my sons,” said the holy man. The first man said, “I
committed a great and grievous sin.” The second man said: “I have done some
small things, nothing much to worry about.”
“Okay,
go and bring me a stone for each sin,” said the holy man. The first man came
back with a BIG STONE. The second man brought a bag of small stones. “Now”,
said the holy man, “Go and put them back where you found them.” The first man
lifted the rock and struggled back to the place where he had gotten it.
The second man could not remember where half of the stones belonged, so he gave
up, it was too much like work.
“Sins
are like these stones,” said the holy man. “If a man commits a great sin, it is
like a heavy stone on his conscience, but with true sorrow, it is removed
completely. But the man, who is constantly committing small sins which he knows
to be wrong, gets hardened to them and feels no sorrow. So he remains a
sinner,” continued the holy man. So you see my sons, it is important to avoid
little sins so well as big ones. Big sins and little sins are the same. They
are still sins.”
How can we respond to this admonition? We need to see sin for what it is, an abomination before the Lord, whether mortal or venial. As a result, we need not to become complacent with sin in our life. Repent and change. By repeating this process, we may be able to see a difference in our life.
"Forgiving is not easy....We often miss the spirit of forgiving, because we miss the meaning of forgiving. Forgiving is not forgetting the offense or pretending that it did not hurt us. To forgive is not to forget the hurt, let alone to deny it, but to remember it without a desire for revenge." (Louis Rodriguez)
Jesus is our role model in this. How often was he maligned, judged, ridiculed and condemned but did not take revenge on those who sought his harm, even his life! Even on the cross, he said, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." He did not deny the hurt. He refuse to give them power over him through revenge and retaliation. He was not looking for his "pound of flesh" as we so often are. He knew the freedom of forgiveness and the bondage of non forgiveness. He chose freedom.
Homily:
Thirty-second Sunday Year C
Reading
1: Here we have in the Old Testament the belief of life after death. What
motivated the seven brothers and the valiant mother to fidelity to God over the
fear of death? It was the hope of life beyond death. But even greater than just
life after death but life with God eternally.
Their
belief and relationship with God had made such a difference in their lives,
individually and as a family that nothing was more important to them. Remaining
true and faithful to God who loved them so much was more important than
avoiding physical death through torture. This takes courage and commitment.
What
the pagan king was offering them was a temporary reprieve from an inevitable
moment. What their faith in God was offering them was eternal life of true joy
and happiness. To choose what the king was offering them would lead to eternal
alienation from God. To choose what God was offering was eternal life with God.
Once
God becomes the most important relationship; once God is truly God in my life;
once I realize that in God is my all, then even physical death and torture will
not sway me from being true to God. The reality of eternal life with God versus
the fleeting life on earth, as pleasing as it may be, becomes the greater good
my will chooses.
Gospel:
The Sadducees were a privileged class among the religious leadership of Jesus’
day. They were more in line with satisfying the Roman authorities in order to
keep their privileged status than fidelity to the Covenant. On the other hand,
the Pharisees saw their subjugation under Rome as something to be tolerated
even though they hated it.
The
Sadducees did not believe in angels or life after death; the Pharisees did.
Jesus did. While the Pharisees had not been able to entrap Jesus and discredit
him, the Sadducees thought they could. They thought they would propose an
extreme situation that would be impossible to answer.
The
Sadducees were asking the wrong question for the wrong reason. They were not
interested in the truth, because they did not believe in the resurrection and
life eternal.
Jesus
knew their hearts and their motive. He spoke the truth. The issue is not whose
wife she would be but that she will continue to live eternally with God who is.
Jesus was saying, you can’t judge heaven as you judge the earth. Earthly life
leads to death; heavenly life is eternally different. There is no more dying or
pain, crying out or concerns. The focus of those in heaven is God; all
relationships are focused on him. Our concerns while on earth are no longer the
same concerns in heaven. St. Paul expressed it this way: eye has not seen and
ear has not heard what God has prepared for those who are with him in heaven.
Reading
2: Paul reminds us that God is faithful and he gives us the strength to be
faithful in turn so as to endure in Christ whatever may come. We can depend on
the Lord to the extent we have a personal, real, true relationship with God.
Jesus
in his humanity was able to endure the cruelty of the crucifixion because he
loved the Father and knew the Father loved him. He didn’t desire death by
crucifixion but he wanted to do the will of the Father out of love even it
meant his death for our salvation.
It
is the same love of the Father that will enable us to embrace the difficulties and
trials of life, even the moment of death. We know that nothing can separate us
from the love of God. With this awareness and the hope of entering into eternal
life after death, we live each moment as it is our last, so that our last will
be eternal in the presence of God.
"In a recent study, Charlotte Witvleit, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Hope College in Holland Michigan, found that when individuals were able to forgive, they experienced greater joy, a more profound sense of control over life and less depression. And so she concluded in her article that at the bottom line, forgiving ultimately benefits the forgiver more than the person who has done wrong. So start putting your own well being first and live life with as much gusto and love as you can."
True self-love is spiritually healthy. Forgiveness is the spiritual medicine Jesus, the Doctor, prescribes for us for peace of mind and restoration of right order in our lives. Forgiveness breaks the bond to the other that we have kept alive. It allows us no longer to live in and perpetuate the past pain. Forgiveness opens us up to the healing power of Jesus' death and resurrection in a way nothing else does. How often have we resisted the grace of Jesus to forgive another because we embraced the lie of the Evil One that we need to hold on to the past. The medicine is readily available. All we need is to take it.
"There is such a thing as healthy curiosity but often we also delve into things we ought not: other peoples' affairs, private matters, sinful things and situations, and so forth. What makes such curiosity to be annexed to pride is that so often we think we have a right to know things we do not. And hence we pridefully and indiscreetly look into things that we ought not, things that are not for us to know, or which are inexpedient and distracting for us, or perhaps the knowledge which we seek is beyond our ability to handle well. But casting all caution aside and with a certain prideful and privileged sense we pry, meddle, and look into things we ought not as if we had a right to do so. This is sinful curiosity."
We all fall into this trap of the evil one from time to time. The focus is not love of the other but the desire to know something about the other that is not needed. Our motive is what taints our action or desire. Love seeks the good of the other. This type of curiosity seeks to satisfy ourselves at the expense of the other. It is sinful because it is not motivated by pure love but by selfish love.
Thirty-Second Sunday Gospel Reflections C
Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her,
and likewise all the seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her."
· The Sadducees were less orthodox than the Pharisees. They held only to the first five books of the OT, the Torah. Since the belief in a future resurrection developed in the later books of the OT, they did not accept this understanding.
· But even though they are normally in opposition to the Pharisees, here they are in union with them. Jesus is their common foe. The Pharisees have not succeeded in trapping Jesus, so the Sadducees take their shot at him.
o They try to present Jesus with a dilemma. If Moses permitted a woman to remarry every time her husband dies. The dilemma is: will this not bring confusion into the next life? How will she determine who is her legitimate spouse if all of them are raised?
Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out 'Lord, ' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."
· What two answers does Jesus give them? He deals with them on their own terms.
· Life in heaven is entirely different from life on earth. The focus of our union is not primarily with each other but with God. Because of our union with God, our union with each other is perfected. There is no more jealously or selfishness, only love of the other.
· The resurrection was foreshadowed even in the first five books of the OT. Because Abraham, Isaac and Jacob physically died, they are alive with God in heaven as all who are truly children of God.
· Even though in the Creed we profess the resurrection of the body and life everlasting, how often have we reflected on what this truly means to us?
· What do we take from this passage and apply to our life?
What does a lukewarm Christian look like? Jesus says such a person is neither hot nor cold, but just bland. St. Jean Vianny put it this way: "A lukewarm soul is not yet quite dead in the eyes of God because the faith, the hope, and the charity which are its spiritual life are not altogether extinct. But it is a faith without zeal, a hope without resolution, a charity without ardor...like a tortoise or a snail. It moves only by dragging itself along the ground, and one can see it getting from place to place with great difficulty. The love of God, which it feels deep down in itself, is like a tiny spark of fire hidden under a heap of ashes....How many seem to be good Christians in the eyes of the world who are really tepid souls in the eyes of God, who knows our inmost hearts...."
Being lukewarm means you say you follow Jesus but really in your heart you don't. It's when your actions and heart for God don't match. This is true of so many. They have everything for the world and nothing at all for God because to them, the world is everything and God is not that important. They have time for many things but little time for God. The world is their lord and not God, who is one among many.
There is a legend involving St. Jerome and the infant Jesus. One Christmas night, right in the very grotto at Bethlehem, St. Jerome was praying and thinking about the birth of Jesus. Suddenly our Lord appeared to him as an infant surrounded by a dazzling light. "Jerome," the Infant Jesus asked, "what are you giving me for my birthday?" "Divine Infant," replied the saint, "I give you my heart." "Yes, but give me something more." "I give you all that I am." "There is still something more that I want." "Divine Infant, I have nothing more. What is that I can give you?" "Jerome, give me your sins. Give me your sins that I may pardon all of them." "Divine Babe," exclaimed the saint, "You make me weep." And the saintly man, filled with love of the Infant Jesus, wept for joy."
Have we given everything to the Lord? Do we hold back somethings from him? Is there a particular sin that we are holding on to because we can't let it go? He is the Lord of our lives. As such He wants to be the Lord of everything in our lives. Ask the Lord what are we holding to as our own? Ask him to reveal to us the sin that is holding us in bondage. He wants to bring us greater freedom and joy. We don't have to wait till Christmas to give this gift.
A little girl was standing with her grandfather by an old-fashioned open well. They had just lowered a bucket and had drawn some water to drink. She asked her grandfather: "Papa, where does God live?" The old man picked up the little girl and held her over the open well. "Look down at the water," he said, "and tell me what you see." "I see myself," said the little girl. "That's where God lives," said the old man, "He lives in you."
A mystery and a fact that we need to reflect on every day. When God chose us as his adopted son or daughter and shared his divine life with us in Baptism, God made his dwelling in us. We became a Temple of the Holy Spirit. How conscious of his presence are we? How responsive to his presence are we? When we talk to God, we are not talking to some distant being, but one who dwells within, closer to us than any other person. In awe we carry him; in awe we respond to him, in awe we seek to please him by the way we live and speak.
