The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear about the following.

1415 Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance.

To receive the Eucharist is a privilege not a right. It is a gift not a reward. It is a sign of love. To share in the Body and Blood of the Lord requires that we are in union with him.  Paul made this clear in his instructions to the Corinthians. "Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself." (1 Cor 11:27-29)

How often have people received Communion in the state of serious sin! They do so sometimes because they have dulled their conscious to the reality of sin. They seek to justify themselves rather than be justified by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Sometimes they receive, because they do not want others to think they are in serious sin. Sometimes they do so out of habit rather than faith. They fail to recognize the sacredness of the mystery and the need to be in right relationship with God. We do not know the internal heart of the person, but their persistent, external actions are clear.  We are all unworthy to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. This is based on our humanity, not our actions. When our actions make us unworthy, we need to seek the Sacrament f Reconciliation so that we may be one with God once more.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches this about the Eucharist.

1377 The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ.

When Jesus spoke of Eucharist he said that the one who eats of his Body and drinks of his Blood will have life everlasting. When Jesus gives us himself in the Eucharist, he comes to nourish and renew the gift of his Divine life given to us in Baptism. Even though the Eucharistic species are no longer present, his life endures in us. While human food and drink are absorbed into us to nourish us, in Communion we are absorbed into the life of Christ. His life remains in us and we in him as long as we remain one in him. as St Paul proclaimed, "I live now, not I, but Christ Jesus in me."  I breathe my human life, while Christ breathes his divine life in me. While not conscious of either, I need to reflect on the latter with awe and gratitude. Take a moment now to do so. 

We continue to reflect on the  Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Eucharist.

 1375 It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ's body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. The Church Fathers strongly affirmed the faith of the Church in the efficacy of the Word of Christ and of the action of the Holy Spirit to bring about this conversion. Thus St. John Chrysostom declares:

It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself. The priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God's. This is my body, he says. This word transforms the things offered.

And St. Ambrose says about this conversion:

Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what the blessing has consecrated. The power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is changed. . . . Could not Christ's word, which can make from nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their original nature than to change their nature.

The mystery of the Eucharist is based on the word and intent of Jesus to which we give the consent of faith. Though our senses tell us one thing, the grace of faith acknowledges what is not seen. By the power of the Holy Spirit and the words of Jesus, bread and wine are substantially changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is what he said and did at the Last Supper. It was the confirmation and fulfillment of what he definitively taught earlier. His words and actions do not need an interpretation or accommodation. When he was questioned about his teaching, he responded, "Does this shake your faith in me?" This is the key to our approach to this mystery, faith in Jesus. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!

This is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church states. 

 1356 If from the beginning Christians have celebrated the Eucharist and in a form whose substance has not changed despite the great diversity of times and liturgies, it is because we know ourselves to be bound by the command the Lord gave on the eve of his Passion: "Do this in remembrance of me."¹⁸³

1357 We carry out this command of the Lord by celebrating the memorial of his sacrifice. In so doing, we offer to the Father what he has himself given us: the gifts of his creation, bread and wine which, by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the words of Christ, have become the body and blood of Christ. Christ is thus really and mysteriously made present.

1358 We must therefore consider the Eucharist as:

- thanksgiving and praise to the Father;
- the sacrificial memorial of Christ and his Body;

- the presence of Christ by the power of his word and of his Spirit. 

We seek to understand mystery, but it will still remain mystery. How can we adequately thank and praise God for all he has done for us, especially for our salvation? On our own we cannot, but God provides. When we do what Jesus said and did at the Las Supper, our praise and thanksgiving is Jesus' gift to the Father on our behalf. The gift is his eternal sacrifice made present in this moment of time. How privilege are we to offer with Jesus the sacrifice and gift that is perfectly pleasing and acceptable to the Father in the Spirit! How can one ever think of being absent? How can anyone think of this celebration as a burden or something unimportant?

 The Catechism of the Catholic Church begins it's teaching on the Eucharist with these words. "At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us." #1323

We want to reflect on this great Sacrifice and Sacrament this week. From the beginning of our relationship with God, human beings have seen fit to offer some kind of sacrifice to God in recognition of who he is and what he has done for them. The Old Testament is filled with examples of this. But the most significant of all sacrifices was the annual sacrifice of the paschal lamb and the eating of the Passover meal. Of all that God did for his people, their deliverance from the bondage of slavery and their covenant with God was most significant for them. 

That deliverance was nothing in comparison with our deliverance from the bondage of sin and the establishment of the new and eternal covenant. This was accomplished at the Last Supper when Jesus instituted the new covenant and completed the sacrifice on the cross through the shedding of his blood for our deliverance from the bondage of eternal alienation from God. We make this sacrifice and meal our own to God each time we celebrate the Eucharist.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states an important effect of Baptism in our lives. "Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation. Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated." # 1272

 

Once baptized we belong to Christ whether we acknowledge this relationship or not. We belong to Christ whether we die in him or not. By virtue of his death and resurrection we have been redeemed and reconciled. It has nothing to do with us. This indelible spiritual mark is a brand mark we carry from the moment of our baptism into all eternity. It can't be erased like a tattoo. Even if we would deny Christ or seek to be "unbaptized", we are still his redeemed. Because of this "branding" either we will be a sign of his glory in eternity or a sign of ridicule in the eternal fires of alienation. The best way to embrace this gift of God's love for us is to live as a son or daughter of God with gratitude and love. As one belonging to the Lord, we are to serve, not out of obligation, but out of joy for what we have been given, knowing without Jesus we are nothing. Reflect on this mystery and privilege.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches the following: "The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification:

- enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues;
- giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit;
- allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues.

Thus the whole organism of the Christian's supernatural life has its roots in Baptism." #1266 

Here is a mystery! Through a sharing of God's life--sanctifying grace--we begin our personal spiritual journey with and to God. Are we conscious of the reality of God's life in us through grace at this moment of our journey? How can we respond to such a tremendous, unmerited gift? First, with gratitude to God for his love. Second, choosing to remain in union with him, by avoiding any sin which alienates us from God. Third, by being attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to deepen and renew our faith in the One True God, to grow in trust, keeping our eyes on our eternal inheritance and to respond in love in all we do. Though we will fall short many times because of our human weaknesses, God's persistent love will call us back to him and the path to him. The road of holiness will provide many opportunities for us to be perfected. What God began in us in Baptism, God will complete if we but yield to his process.

 

Homily Seventeenth Sunday Year B

Reading 1: Elisha was a prophet of the Lord. God chose him to succeed Elijah at the end of his mission on earth. As Elijah performed miracles at the command of God, so Elisha has the same power. Elijah asked a widow during the long draught in the land to make him a hearth cake and give him a drink of water. The widow said she had enough flour and oil to bake something for herself and her son before they die. Elijah said do what he asked and she would have flour and oil as long as necessary. She did and the little she had never ran out.

 

Elisha accepted the gift of 20 barley loaves and told his attendants to feed a hundred people. Elisha prophesied in the name of God: “They shall eat and there shall be some left over.”

 

What is key here is the faith of Elisha in the power of God; the obedience of Elisha at the word of God; the obedience and trust of the servants; the faithfulness and compassion of God. Elisha saw a need and turned to the Lord for his guidance. What does that say to us? Where there is a need that is beyond our capacity to take care of, do we turn to the Lord for his direction? And if God tells us something that is beyond us and is confirmed in the word of the Lord, do we in faith act on the word of God, even though humanly it looks impossible? And when we see the power of God manifested, do we give God the glory and tell others about what God did?

 

Gospel: We have been following the Gospel of Mark for the last few Sundays. Last Sunday, we read that Jesus saw the vast crowd seeking him. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He taught and healed them. Today and the next few Sundays, we will read from the Gospel of John.

 

Our reading begins with Jesus looking at the vast crowd and realizing that they have been with him all day and have not eaten. He has compassion on them and chooses to feed them rather than send them away on their own.

 

The connection with the first reading is obvious. Just as Elisha fed the 100 with 20 barley loaves and there was a sizable left over, so Jesus, the new prophet feeds the 5,000 with five barley loaves and two fish with twelve large baskets of fragments remaining.

 

What can we learn from this message of the Scriptures?  1) Like Elisha and Jesus we need to be attentive to the Divine Appointments God gives us. 2) We need to be attentive to and act on the lead of the Holy Spirit in our daily life. 3)Nothing is impossible to God. 4) Jesus gave the Apostles an opportunity to participate in the miracle through obedience and trust.

 

Reading 2: Paul gives us a glimpse of the life of a true disciple of Jesus. A disciple belongs to the Lord.  A disciple lives a life worthy of one’s call from God, received and initiated in Baptism, affirmed and empowered in Confirmation. As a disciple, I am who I am in the eyes of God, nothing more, nothing less.

 

The virtues and qualities Paul talks about are at the heart of being a disciple. These lead to unity and peace. It is not easy to preserve this unity. It is a choice and decision. We are called to speak the truth in love.

 

Hearing these virtues how do we rate ourselves?  Do we bear with one another through love? How humble, gentle and patient are we in our daily interactions with others?  Do I embrace the truth that all this is possible because I belong to the Body of Christ, that Jesus is the Lord of my life and that by God’s grace I am filled with the Holy Spirit and am a son or daughter of the Father of all?

 

As you reflect on the Word of God, what is God saying to you?

 The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in #1265 "Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte 'a new creature,' an adopted son of God, who has become a 'partaker of the divine nature,' member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit."

Baptism gives me my real and true identity, not creation. Creation gives me the identity of a creature, like any other creature. But Baptism gives me the identity of a son or daughter of God.  Something radically takes place in me, invisible but real. Truly a transformation. Not only do I continue to experience the reality of human life, but now I share in the very life of God, not by any merit of my own, but due totally to the merciful love of God. My inheritance when I was born was tenuous, depending on what material goods my parents would leave me. However, my inheritance as a result of baptism is eternal life with God. How have I responded to this gift of identity and inheritance?

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Gospel B

After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (of Tiberias). A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 

· It was significant for John to recall that it was near the Feast of the Passover that the multiplication of the loaves and fish took place. Feeding the crowd in this manner reminded the people how God provided a meal for them at Passover and fed them in the desert with Manna. This miracle also anticipated the Last Supper transformation of bread and wine into his Body and Blood.

When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. 

· How did he know this in his humanity? Is it the presence of the Spirit?

o Last Sunday we heard that Jesus had compassion on the people for they were like sheep without a Shepherd. He will express his compassion in this miracle. A Shepherd not only leads his sheep but feeds them.

Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little (bit)." One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" 

· That they were barley loaves indicated they were the food of the poor. This may also be an allusion to the miracle that Elisha did in the OT.

Jesus said, "Have the people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. 

· Since it is near the Feast of Passover it is springtime.

So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 

· Indicating the number underlies the magnanimity of the miracle.

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world." 

· The OT had spoken of one who would come who would be like Moses. Through Moses' intercession Manna and quail were provided for the people in their time of hunger.

o In the OT the prophets spoke of the abundant banquet in the new Messianic kingdom.

· This was the fourth sign Jesus performed according to John; the first was the changing of water into wine at Cana.

Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone. 

· This event is told in each of the four Gospels, indicating its significance to the early Church.

· What does this passage say to you? Where has God shown his abundant love to you?

· Knowing what the people wanted to do, what is your response to God’s love in your life?  

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this about Baptism. “The different effects of Baptism are signified by the perceptible elements of the sacramental rite. Immersion in water symbolizes not only death and purification, but also regeneration and renewal. Thus the two principal effects are purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit.

“By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. In those who have been reborn nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God.” 1262-1263

 

God’s love for us is shown in his forgiveness of our sins at the moment of baptism. This is made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus. At the moment we are baptized our slate is wiped clean through the saving power of the blood of Christ. However, the temporal consequences of the sin of Adam and Eve remain, such as “suffering, illness, death and the inclination to sin.”  These are the “thorns of flesh” which Paul speaks of. But these “weaknesses” are opportunities to grow in our relationship with God, depending on him more and more.  They can be stepping stones on our journey to God or stumbling blocks, hindering our progress. The grace of baptism is there for us for the purpose of overcoming these weaknesses. Renewing our baptismal promises stirs up these graces in those moments.  

"I think more of the place where I was baptized than of the Cathedral of Rheims where I was crowned. For the dignity of a child of God which was bestowed on me at baptism is greater than that of the ruler of a kingdom. The latter I shall lose at death--the other will be my passport to everlasting glory." (St. Louis, King of France)

 

Have you ever reflected on your baptism? How significant was and is baptism in your personal life? Do we have the same conviction as St. Louis, King of France? The gift of human life, our creation, was a sign of God’s love for us. But the gift of our regenerated life in baptism is of greater significance. One day we will all die. But our life after death will be determined how we lived out our baptism, not how we lived our human life. Our human existence united us to all of creation, which dies. Our regeneration in the waters of baptism gives us a share in God’s divine life. If I am still sharing in God’s gift of his divine life at death, my eternity will be one of union with God. But if I am not sharing in God’s gift at death, then my eternity will be one of alienation from God. Can we take for granted our baptism? Should we not recommit ourselves to be fully immersed in the life of God, begun in baptism, so we can be immersed in God’s life eternally?

  

"I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that If I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone." (Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude) 

Our journey to God begins and ends in God and is led by God. I am called to surrender to his lead, to be obedient to his movements, to trust, even though I do not see or understand. In all this I am called to love  in response to his love for me. There are many moments I will want to turn back, to stop or go another way which looks easier and more comfortable. That is the temptation of the Evil one, who does not want me to reach the end of my journey, God himself. He wants me to curse the darkness, to disbelieve that God is guiding me, to despair that I will have the strength to go on. But, again and again, that tiny whisper within me will assure me: "I am with you. I am carrying you on my shoulders. Lean on me." And so, we take another step forward, until we see God face to face in eternity. Then we will be finally home and the journey worth it.

"Pilgrim, when your ship long moored in harbor, gives you the illusion of being a house; when your ship begins to put down roots in the stagnant waters by the quay: Put out to sea...!Save your boat's journeying soul and your own pilgrim soul, cost what it may." (Archbishop Helda Camara) 

In our journey to God it is easy to get weary. It is easy for us to become complacent. The present moment offers us a time of respite. But we haven't yet reached the end of our journey. It is easy for us to settle for the immediate satisfactions. This is a distraction. God is calling us to move ahead. For the "Promised Land" is still ahead. Many of the Israelites, who were in exile in Babylon, remained even when God was returning his people back to their promised inheritance. Why give up their comfortable life-style and go on a journey to a devastated Jerusalem? They died outside their inheritance. Our journey always lies ahead. We are pilgrims in this world. Keep the prize before you.

Homily: Sixteenth Sunday Year B

Reading 1: The last few Sundays we have been reading from the prophets of the Old Testament. Today, we hear from the prophet Jeremiah. He was commissioned by God to speak God’s word to the people of Israel, calling them to repentance and to submit to the will and plan of God. They were about to be chastised for their breaking of their covenant with God for many generations. They were called to submit to God’s chastisement. That was the general message.

 

In today’s reading, there are three parts. First, Jeremiah blames the religious and political leaders for the state of that the people. Instead of shepherding the people as God desired, they have shepherd themselves and have allowed the people to go astray. These shepherd will be punished.  Secondly, God will shepherd his people properly, bringing them back to the truth and right living of the covenant with him.

He will appoint shepherds who will be true to their call.

 

Thirdly, we have the prophecy concerning a future Savior, one who will Shepherd God’s people properly. He will be of the house of David. He will save the people. His name is the Lord, our justice. We know that Jeremiah was prophesying about Jesus, who through his death and resurrection has brought justice and mercy into the world. As our justice, he gave his life for our life.

 

Gospel: Background: Jesus had sent the Apostles on their first missionary journey to preach the message of repentance, to cure the sick and to drive out demons. They came back excited by what they experienced. Jesus could see that they were exhausted. They had given their all in ministry. Out of compassion, like a good shepherd, he took them to a quiet place for some R & R.  But even there, people came for more ministry.

 

Jesus didn’t say come back tomorrow. He had compassion on the people for they were like sheep without a shepherd. They were lost; they were seeking the truth; they were hungry for ministry and care. Many were desperate. Like a Shepherd Jesus began to teach them many things.

Do you see the connection with the first reading? God says that his people were without good shepherds. He promised to care for them himself, to provide good shepherds for them. These are the Apostles and their successors. He promised a Savior. That is Jesus.

 

What follows the verses that said Jesus began to teach them is the multiplication of the loaves and the fish to feed them. Not only were they spiritually hungry for the word of truth, but now they were physically hungry. In our celebration today, we have been taught and nourished by the Word of God. Now, Jesus, the Shepherd, will feed us with his own Body and Blood, so that nourished by his Word and his Body and Blood we can continue our journey to him this week.

 

Reading 2: Paul picks us the theme of Jesus being our Lord and Savior. He has reconciled, not just Jews, but also the Gentiles. In other words, Jesus has reconciled all to God through his blood. Sin was the dividing wall between all and God and between one person and another. Jesus has united all to himself.  Instead of sin, Jesus preached love and peace. In and through Jesus we now have access to God in the Spirit. Universal salvation and the call for unity and not division is the road back to God.

 

Is there someone I am separated from because of some past hurt? If Jesus has reconciled us through the forgiveness of our sins, how can we choose to remain separated from the other, thinking we can still be close to God? As Jesus said, if you remember your brother has something against you, be reconciled and they come and offer your gift to God.

 

What did God say to you through these readings and reflections? 

"Conversion is...a long process, a spiritual journey made up of failures and falls, and also, made up of new beginnings, new discoveries; the experience at every moment of the fidelity of a God who calls us back to him, who changes our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh."

Our spiritual journey began in the mind of God, according to St. Paul. He says in his Letter to the Ephesians: "God chose us in Christ Jesus, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved." (Eph 1:4-6) Our life is not an accident but the choice of God. Our destiny is not haphazard but to share in God's life in eternal glory. Our personal journey began when we were conceived and were born. Our personal spiritual journey began in the the waters of Baptism. But we did not know God. At some later point of our life we embraced what God did for us in Baptism and had a "conversion" moment (by God's grace). It was then that our spiritual journey began in earnest. Our journey involved deeper repentance, transformation, glorification and ultimately union with God. It is a journey of ups and downs, of struggles and success, of darkness and light. The question is where are we at this point of our journey to God? What is God asking of us at this moment of our journey so as to move forward?

 

Sixteenth Sunday Ordinary Time: Gospel B

The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. 

· He had sent them on mission two by two to prepare for and to share in his ministry. Do you see the importance of sharing with others what God has done through you.

He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. 

· Jesus wanted to teach the disciples that they must have a balanced life: ministry (action) and prayer (contemplation).

· How much time do we take in our daily, weekly life for quality prayer time? We can’t always do it with a lot of people around.

So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 

· Do you have that “deserted place” in your life?

People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. 

· Sometimes people may not always understand our need for aloneness with God. How do we deal with that?

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 

· Do we sometimes become angry with people who seem to need so much of our time? Reflect of Jesus’ attitude.

· Notice Jesus ministered to the crowd while allowing the disciples their space to recoup. What does that say to you?

· What does this passage say to you? What resolution will you make and hopefully follow up on?

 

 Take heart, my son; you would not be searching for me unless I had already found you. (St. Augustine)

 

While we are journeying to God, God is journeying towards us. In fact, he began the journey before we realized it. He began in journey by choosing to create us in his own image and likeness and by redeeming us from the eternal death that awaited us. As part of his journey to us he became one like us in all things but sin to show us his great love and desire for us. We began the journey without knowing or understanding when we were baptized and adopted as his sons and daughters. While we have not always been steadfast and faithful because of our sinful choices which led us away from him, God has not stopped calling us by name to himself. He has sent his angels to guide our steps to him. He doesn’t wait for us in some distant heaven, but he walks with us and carries us on his shoulders when we are weak. Jesus confirmed his presence with us on journey when he said: "I will be with you till the end."

 

 “Many religious people lament that the first fervors of their conversion have died away. They think--sometimes rightly, but not always--that their sins account for this.  They may even try by pitiful efforts of will to revive what now seems to have been the golden days. But were those fervors ever intended to last?

  

   And the joke, or tragedy, of it all is that these golden moments in the past, which are so tormenting if we erect them into a norm, are entirely nourishing, wholesome, and enchanting if we are content to accept them for what they are, for memories. Properly bedded down in a past which we do not miserably try to conjure back, they will send up exquisite growths. Leave the bulbs alone, and the new flowers will come up. If you hope, by fondling and sniffing, to get last year's blooms, you will get nothing.” (C.C.Lewis)

 

The journey to God is a journey lived in the present moment of his grace, not in the past memories nor in future expectations. Too many of us, not just remember the past, but try to conjure it in the present moment, but to no avail. That particular grace moment of the past was meant for that moment, not for now. There is a new grace moment in the present, which many of us miss, because our head is turned, like Lot’s wife, to what is behind. In doing so, we will stumble and fall, since we are not attentive to where we are now. Live in the present moment of your journey to God. That is where you will find him.

“Compassion is much more than sympathy. It involves an experience of intimacy by which one participates in another’s life. The Latin word misericordia expresses the basic idea: The compassionate person has a heart for those in misery. This is not simply the desire to be kind. The truly compassionate individual works at his or her own cost for the others’  real good, helping to rescue them from danger as well as alleviate their suffering.” ( Called to Compassion and Responsibility. USCCB, 1990)

 

The bar for compassion has been set by God, who is the prime example of compassion. Jesus laid down his life, so that we may not die eternally but live with him in glory. He made compassion, not an option, but a fundamental characteristic for his disciples. It is a new mind set, a way of seeing and interacting with others that is truly out of agape love. It is easy for us to be kind but it is more demanding for us to be compassionate.  It is the difference between the hen and the pig. The hen can provide eggs without much cost. But the pig has to die to provide ham. 

What is the difference between kindness and compassion. Both are honorable virtues. By kindness a person may provide for the needs of another at the moment. That is good. By compassion a person will feel for and with the person in need and do more than provide a handout. Kindness may be a passing  encounter, while compassion goes beyond the external need. It is a personal encounter. The compassionate person takes the time to talk with the person and understand the difficulties and feelings the person is experiencing. The one with compassion is like the Good Samaritan who, not only took care of the injured person's immediate needs, but provided for his after care as well. Both kindness and compassion are good. But compassion is a greater good, because it reflects how God reaches out to us who are in the gravest of needs, namely eternal salvation. Be always kind but above all be compassionate.

 

Homily Fifteenth Sunday Year B

Reading 1: Background: Because of the sins of the Kings of Israel beginning with Solomon, the Kingdom of David was divided into two, the Northern kingdom and the Kingdom of Judea. Amos was called by God to go to the Northern Kingdom and prophesy, to speak the word of God to them. His message is the message of most of the Old Testament prophets: a call to repent, to return to the God of their fathers, to forsake their foreign gods and immoral ways. With the call came the consequences for not responding. If they did not God would wreck disaster upon them at the hands of their enemies.

 

Amazial was a priest of the Northern Kingdom, who spoke the feelings of the religious leadership of his day. He rejected Amos and his message. Amos stood firm for he knew that his message was from God and not man.

 

Each of us is a prophet by virtue of our baptismal and conformational commitment.  In baptism we were sealed with the oil of chrism with the words that we share in the ministry of Jesus as priest, prophet and king. In confirmation we were told we were to be witnesses for Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Are we aware of our call to be a prophet of Jesus Christ by our words and actions? Do we allow the Amazial’s of the world stop us from fulfilling our call?

 

Gospel: What Jesus did for the Apostles, he does for us. First of all, he chose and formed them to be his disciples. They observed his teaching and the signs and wonders he performed. Then he empowered them to do what he did, to bring the message of truth to others, to deliver and heal in his name. He reminded them of the urgency of the times. They were to depend upon God for everything. Then he sent them out. In trust, they went two by two and did what Jesus told them to do. They saw the power of God in the lives of those who heard their message and opened themselves to the power of God.

 

The twelve serve as models for us. This is not meant to be a story of the past but a message lived and experienced today. We are his disciples, apostles and prophets of today. The urgency is of greater need. The prophetic voice of truth is needed more than ever. The moral degradation of our culture of death is becoming worse and more infectious. There is no moral objectivity; everything is relative, based not on truth but on feelings and popularity and personal interpretation.

 

A number of years ago, some leaders of the media world issued a statement. They were committed to change and set the moral tone of the American society. They have. Pornography is a moral epidemic; abuse of children, trafficking of women, abortion, now same sex unions legally recognized, cohabitation.  Who, if not each of us, will begin to break the chain that is pulling us down into the pit of eternal death? Who will be the prophet of today saying enough? Our world needs a healing. If we do not take a stand, if we do not speak and live the truth, then our silence will be our judge.

 

Reading 2: This reading gives us the foundation of our prophetic calling. First of all, we have been blessed by God with every spiritual blessing. This is because of God’s grace and love. The plan of God is simple. He has chosen us in Christ Jesus before the world began to be holy, blameless in his sight, to be full of love. He has adopted us as his sons and daughters to share in his own divine life so that we can be with him forever in glory.

 

But we sinned and deserved the wrath of God. Instead, he showed us mercy, redeeming us by the blood of Jesus, forgiving our sins. Our purpose of life is to exist for the praise of his glory. For this reason, he has poured out his Spirit upon us, so that we may be able to fulfill our call as priest, prophet and king. We are called not to live for ourselves but to reach out to others. We are called to help others to see what God has planned for us and them.

 Though in the scriptures the words compassion and mercy are used interchangeably, there is a difference. The word compassion indicates being present with another in the times of their trials and sufferings. When a person is dying, one's mere presence is more comforting than any words. That presence is a sign of love and care. Thus, Mary at the foot of the cross shared in the suffering of her Son, Jesus. Her presence comforted Jesus. Thus, she is seen as a model of compassion. 

Mercy on the other hand is doing something for another that is not due to him/her. When Jesus healed the many who were sick, he was moved with compassion for the people were like sheep without a shepherd. When Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic, he was extending the mercy of God, which the man did not deserve.  In turn, we are called to be both compassionate with those who are suffering and merciful with those who have wronged us. To give to the poor is compassion on our part; to forgive a debt is mercy. As God is both compassionate and merciful to us, Jesus tells us: Be merciful, be compassionate as your Heavenly Father is to you. 

Fifteenth Sunday Gospel B

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 

· Up to this point, Jesus had invited them to follow him as disciples. Later they would be fishers of men. (Mk 1:16-20)  Then he selected twelve of the many disciples who followed him and gave them authority. (Mk 3:13-19) Now, as fishers of men, while still in formation, he missions them to act in his name and power.

· Why do you think he sent them out two by two? Could it be for support and companionship, for intercessory prayer? Could this be a model for us?

· What has our journey with Jesus been like since we first followed him?

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick--no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. 

· Why these instructions? They were to be totally dependent on God to provide for them since they were doing the work of the Lord.

· How comfortable are we to totally dependent on the Lord to provide everything for us as we do the work he calls us to do?

·

He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. 

· This was to avoid seeking better accommodations with more comfort.

· This was to avoid focus on self and not on the ministry.

·

Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." 

· This was a public sign that those who were rejecting the Word and ministry of God will themselves be rejected by God.

·

So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. 

· Here is the foundation of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick with the oil blessed by the Bishop.

· What do we take from reflections on this reading?

· How comfortable are we in sharing our faith with others and exercising the gifts of the Spirit?

 

 

"There is no wilderness so terrible, so beautiful, so arid, and so fruitful as the wilderness of compassion.  It is the only desert that shall truly flourish like the lily."--Thomas Merton

 

How compassionate has God been to us! When we sinned and alienated ourselves from him, his everlasting compassion pours upon the desert of our sin the grace of mercy and forgiveness. Without these unmerited gifts we would remain in the aridness of our sins and eventually die. There are many verses in the Scriptures that speak of God’s compassion. Ps 86:15 states, “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in mercy and truth.” Isaiah 30:18 proclaims, “Truly, the LORD is waiting to be gracious to you, truly, he shall rise to show you mercy; For the LORD is a God of justice: happy are all who wait for him!” As we reflect on the Lord’s compassion, we are called to be compassionate in turn.

 

"Every human being has a great, yet often unknown, gift to care, to be compassionate, to become present to the other, to listen, to hear and to receive. If that gift would be set free and made available, miracles could take place" (Henri T. M. Nouwen).

The word "compassion" means to suffer with another, to enter into the suffering of the other. Jesus is our model of compassion. How often he entered into the suffering of the other in love. He neither rejected nor turned away from those most in need. Rather he ministered to them. Whether they were lepers or paralytics, public sinners or the poorest of humanity, Jesus touched, spoked a word of comfort or loved them in silence. How often we have been given that grace moment, that divine appointment to do what Jesus did! Many times it is not words those in need want to hear. Our mere presence, walking with them in their suffering, showing them love means more to them words. 

 

 

(On true spiritual friends)"Happy the souls that are loved by such as these! Happy the day on which they came to know them! O my Lord, wilt Thou not grant me the favor of giving me many who have such love for me? Truly, Lord, I would rather have this than be loved by all the kings of the world..."(Teresa of Avila: "Living By Holy Wit")

 

You may remember the adage one may have many friends but only a few true friends. The former group are here today and gone tomorrow, while the latter remain steadfast no matter the circumstances. The quantity of friends is not the question. The quality of their friendship is. Even these will be a blessing to the extent our friendship is rooted in our relationship with God. He is the common denominator that sustains our relationship with each other. For our friendship is based on bringing each other closer to the Lord, who is the center and strength of our bond.

 

This is how St. Gregory expressed his and Basil’s friendship. “Our single object and ambition was virtue, and a life of hope in the blessings that are to come; we wanted to withdraw from this world before we departed from it. With this end in view we ordered our lives and all our actions. We followed the guidance of God’s law and spurred each other on to virtue. If it is not too boastful to say, we found in each other a standard and rule for discerning right from wrong.”

 

Jesus’ friendship is a friendship which is deep, genuine, loyal and total, as all true friendship must be. This is how young people ought to relate to one another, for youth without friendship is impoverished and diminished. Friendship is nourished by sacrifice for the sake of serving one’s friends and truly loving them. And without such sacrifice there can be no real friendship, no truly healthy youth, no future for one’s country, no genuine religion. (John Paul II, L’Osservatore Romano, Feb 4, 1998, p 3)

 

This is true not only for young people but for all. Sacrifice is key to any true friendship. Jesus himself made this clear. “Greater love no one has than to lay down his life for his friend.”  Friendship is not based on what is in this for me or what will I get out of this relationship. Rather, it is rooted in the realization that because of the other I am willing to sacrifice whatever it takes for me to show my love, to show how important that person is. Maybe, that is why some friendships are superficial and do not last. There is no thought of sacrifice of self for the other, but of using the other for me. How much are you willing to sacrifice for your friend?