“Let us work as if success depended upon ourselves alone, but with heartfelt conviction that we are doing nothing, and God everything.” St. Ignatius of Loyola 

 

Sometimes we do the first part of that statement well, maybe too well. But we forget the real fruitfulness of our endeavors is the result of what God does. Where do we get the ability and the strength, the intellectual awareness and the clarity to deal with details? Did not our gifts come from God and all we are doing is using the gifts to accomplish his work? I am only the ant on top of the elephant. I don’t trample the underbrush. I ride on the shoulders of the elephant. All I am doing is my little part in the greater scheme of God’s plan. He accomplishes all in all.

 Eighteenth Sunday Gospel B  

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 

· Why Capernaum? This was Jesus’ home-base for ministry. He didn’t go back to Nazareth because it was out of the way and because he had a poor reception from the people of Nazareth.

And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”  Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.  Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”     

· Do we sometimes look for Jesus for the wrong reasons? They were looking for him to satisfy them once more, not for him. Their focus was themselves. They had experienced something good and wanted more of it.

· Do we really value things that ultimately perish or do we value that which will last eternally?

· Do we look to Jesus or do we look for what he can give us?

So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”  Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

They had a hard time accepting Jesus as one sent by God.

· There is a difference in doing and being. They were looking for what they can do to gain eternal life, rather than focus on the more essential element first, namely, being in relationship with Jesus. This is what Jesus means by believing—accepting him as the Lord of their lives and following his lead. Have we done that and are we doing it?

So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” 

· Do you hear the focus of their question? The focus was still on themselves. The sign of the multiplication of bread and fish was not enough for them to realize who Jesus truly was. Their focus was more signs, rather than on Jesus himself.

As Jesus will eventually say, no matter how many signs I will perform that will not convince you who I truly am. The only sign will his death and resurrection. Even then many did not believe.

So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”  

He points himself as the true bread from heaven sent by the Father. 

So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”  Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

· Jesus kept coming back to the central focus: himself. That is the great gift of God to them. Accepting him was the key to life.

· What do we learn from this passage that we can apply to our life today? Who is Jesus to us at this moment? Is our faith in him or in what he can do for us? 

 

“The man who wants to play with the devil will not be able to rejoice with Christ.” St. Peter Chrysologus 

 

We are never to play with the devil because he wins when we are alone. When he wins then we are away from the Lord. The devil wants us in get into his ring, because he has the advantage over us. Instead of us trying to overcome the devil, we need to remember that only one person was able to do that, Jesus Christ. So the way to overcome the ploys of the devil is not to have any interaction with him. Instead, let our interaction be with Jesus, who in turn will take care of the devil for us. There is no other Savior but Jesus.

 

 

“The needs of the times will teach you what to do.” Blessed Adolph Kolping 

 

This seems to be an unconscious rule of thumb for many of the Saints. In their own time and circumstances, they saw a need to educate the poor, to provide shelter for the homeless, to open up clinics for the sick and dying, and to care for the abandoned. God tugged at their heart to respond. They did.  Things haven’t changed. How conscious are we of the needs around us? What is God saying for us to do about these needs, if anything? The saints teach us that we are to tackle a need or an issue person by person, situation by situation, following the lead of the Spirit of God.

 

“Joachim and Ann, how blessed a couple! All creation is indebted to you. For at your hands the Creator was offered a gift excelling all other gifts: a chaste mother, who alone was worthy of him. And so rejoice, Ann, that you were sterile and have not borne children; break forth into shouts, you who have not given birth. Rejoice, Joachim, because from your daughter a child is born for us, a son is given us, whose name is Messenger of great counsel and universal salvation, mighty God. For this child is God.” St. John Damascene

They cooperated with God without knowing their role in the plan of Salvation. They waited upon the Lord for his timing in giving birth to a child, whom they saw as ordinary, but in heaven learned the truth of their daughter. How could they know that Mary would be the Mother of the long awaited Savior, promised by God? How could they know that the child born of Mary will be their Savior? They were simple, unknown, faithful, lowly followers of God. Yet, they are remembered and honored, because of what God did through them. We may never see the fruit of our labors, but all done in and for God will resound into eternity.

 

"O God, let me know you and love you so that I may find joy in you; and if I cannot do so fully in this life, let me at least make some progress every day, until at last that knowledge, love and joy come to me in all their plenitude. While I am here on earth let me know you fully; let my love for you grow deeper here, so that there I may love you fully. On earth then I shall have great joy in hope, and in heaven complete joy in the fulfillment of my hope. " St. Adrian of Canterbury (+710)

 

Where will that joy come from that so many people are searching for? He says it comes from knowing the Lord and in loving the Lord. The more we know the Lord, not only intellectually but more importantly relationally, the more I am intimately alive in him. The more my knowledge is a heart knowledge, the more I want to love him with my whole being. It is in this graced relationship that I will find the joy that is not superficial but lasting.  Isn’t this the message of Jesus to us? “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:10-11) His joy comes from knowing, loving and serving him.

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? 

“Begin nothing on earth unless it has its end in heaven; do not walk on a path that does not lead to heaven.” St. Charbel Makhlouf  

 

Basically, a good rule of thumb is to view all things in the light of our eternal destination. If what we are doing does not lead us to fulfill our God-given destiny, then it is of no lasting value. We are only wasting our time and energy on what will die with us. But if what we are doing benefits us in our relationship with God, then it will go with us into eternity. This is what motivated St. Paul. “Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

 

 Seventeenth Sunday 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?

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.

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.

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 source of justice is not vengeance but charity.” St. Bridget of Sweden

 

What we call justice sometimes is a guise for vengeance. It is a trap of the devil to make us feel powerful and haughty. Even then, when we have our vengeance, we will not be satisfied. Why? The evil is not only in the perpetrator but also in us, where there is festering anger and non-forgiveness. God shows us mercy and love when we sin against him countless times. He has become our justice by giving his life for our salvation. He calls us to forgive the offender and to show the person the same love and mercy that we have received from God. Justice belongs to God. The offender and we are both sinners, deserving punishment in justice, but instead receive love and mercy. Remove vengeance from the heart, so that when we stand before the judgment throne of God, he will not exact vengeance on us.

 On this the Feast of St. Mary Madalene we reflect on the experience of her encounter with the Risen Lord. When Mary saw the empty tomb, she ran to tell the Apostles. When they came, saw and left, "Mary went and remained standing outside the tomb." She remained because she was still seeking the Lord out of the great love she had for the One who had transformed her life through forgiveness and acceptance. Initially, she sought but did not find, because she was seeking the body of a dead person, not the person alive and risen. But, even so, her love and perseverance was rewarded. The Lord reveals himself to her, though, at first, she thought it was the person who removed the body. As soon as the risen Lord calls her by name, "Mary" the eyes of faith opened her to the reality of the risen Jesus. Immediately, she clung to his feet with joyful tears. But Jesus tells her not to cling to the past, but go and proclaim to the Apostles that he was risen from the dead, as he predicted.  What lessons can we learn? Never stop searching for the Lord. Each new experience will be different from the past ones. But these encounters are not to satisfy us, but to proclaim to others of Jesus' great love and plan for each person, who seek him with their whole hearts.

 

 "You cannot put straight in others what is warped in yourself." St. Athanasius of Alexandria

To cover up our own faults we try to throw a spotlight on another’s faults. This is a deliberate distraction. Jesus said: “Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 5:7) Our first responsibility is to uproot our own sins, so that we can help others to deal with their sins. In that way, we can become an example of how it can be done, and at the same time encourage the other in love rather than in judgment and self-righteousness.

 

“I don't put a penny's value on this life if only our Lord will give me a tiny corner in Paradise.” St. Camillus de Lellis

 

So many people spend their fortune on extending their life on earth and fail to prepare for eternity. Jesus said it well. “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life”? (Matthew 16:26) Do we have our values and priorities in right order according to God’s plan for us? Or have we bought into the values of a passing world at the risk of our eternal salvation? When I die, all material things are left behind. Only the spiritual things will go with me before the Lord. Will my account be in the red or in the black?

 

Homily Sixteenth Sunday Year B

Reading 1: Jeremiah reminds the people of his day why they would be sent into exile. At the same time, he tells them that God will bring them back to the Promised Land

The reason they are being overcome by their enemies and sent into exile is because they have had unfaithful shepherds and leaders, whom they have followed into being unfaithful to their covenant with God. Their leaders did not care for God’s people, but only for themselves.

Therefore, God will become their shepherd. He will punish the false shepherds and unfaithful leaders. But he will bring back his exiled people to the land of milk and honey. God will appoint shepherds who will be faithful and true to their call. 

Then Jeremiah prophetically reminds the people of God’s constant promise of a Savior. Jeremiah speaks of a righteous shoot of David, one who would do what is just and right; one who will save the people—the Lord our Justice.

The people at the time were thinking “we have had wicked kings, now God will give us a good and faithful king, who will lead us according to the law of God.”  From the time of the early Church, Jesus has been seen to be the one who was spoken of by Jeremiah: the just and holy One of the house of David, who has save, not only the Israelites but all mankind. Jesus is the Lord, our justice.

Reading 2: The theme of salvation through Jesus is picked up in this reading. Paul recognizes that Jesus, not only save the Jews, but he also saved the Gentiles. All of us were far away—separated from God—because of our sins. Earlier in the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul said that we deserved the wrath of God. But God, rich in mercy, has forgiven our sins through the blood of Christ.

Before then, there was not only a great divide between humanity and God, but a great divide between Jews and Gentiles. But Christ, as our Lord of Justice, has destroyed the cause of that divide. He has reconciled us back to God and has united as through his death in the waters of baptism as brothers and sisters, no longer Jews or Gentiles.

Those who were near were the Jews. Those far off were the Gentiles. Now, no longer separated from the Father because of sin, we have access in the Holy Spirit through Jesus to the Father. Is there division between ourselves and someone else? How can we remain divided and separated after what Jesus has done?

Gospel: What is the connection with the first reading? Jesus saw the desperate state of affairs expressed in the desire of the people who sought his ministry. They were like sheep without a shepherd. In the first reading God chastised those who failed to shepherd his people. He said he would shepherd them and send a shepherd to provide for them in his name.

As Jesus taught them and healed them, he was providing the nourishment they were desperately seeking. Jesus desires to do the same for us. But only if we are truly hungering and thirsting for him, seeking him no matter the cost. The people hastened on foot to where they thought Jesus would be. Jesus himself said “I am the good shepherd, leading my sheep and proving for them.”

The second point in the Gospel is seen in the way Jesus shepherds the shepherds, his apostles. They had been ministering with him and he could see that they were drained. They didn’t have time to eat in peace without being disturbed with the needs of the people.  Jesus shepherds them by trying to provide respite, some down time to be refreshed and be restored.

When do we take some spiritual downtime for ourselves from the business of our daily life? When was the last time we took a day or a half a day to be still and alone with the Lord? When was the last time we took a few days for a silent retreat? I know we can all say we don’t have time, we have too much to do. But are those excuses to prevent us from facing ourselves with God, from being alone with God, who wants to refresh us.

Hear again the words of Jesus. “Come to me all who are heavily burden and I will refresh you. Take upon you my yoke which is easy and light.” What are our priorities? Even each day, how much time alone with God do we make happen? It is in those times that Jesus can better minister to us.

 

“I am not my own; I have given myself to Jesus. He must be my only love.” Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks 

 

We belong to God by virtue of creation, sustainability, redemption, adoption and call. Our response is one of acknowledgment, acceptance, surrender and love. The more I fall in love with God, the more I am who I truly am and meant to be. It’s when I fail to love God and others, then I am rejecting the existential truth of my being and destiny. The more I love God, the more my life is in order. It is when I fail to love God that my life is in disorder, which is the effect of sin. Surrendering in love is real victory.

 

 Sixteenth Sunday 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 on 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?

 "Let us live as the Blessed Virgin lived: loving God only, desiring God only, trying to please God only in all that we do.” St. John Vianney (1786-1854)

 Mary was chosen by Jesus as our model for this reason, so that like her in our humanity we can learn how to make God the center of our lives. Mary’s way is the perfect way, yet it is not ostentatious. Her life is simple but focused. Her passion was the will of God, because she saw herself his handmaid. As our Mother, she invites us to imitate her devotion and love of God, so that, as her children, we will be with God eternally. It begins here on earth.

 

 

"In all your deeds and words you should look upon Jesus as your model. Do so whether you are walking or keeping silence, or speaking, whether you are alone or with others. He is perfect, and thus you will be not only irreprehensible, but praiseworthy." St. Bonaventure

If we could develop this practice, how our day and life would be different. Many years ago a popular saying was “What would Jesus do”? (WWJD)This is a way of making all things in our life center around Jesus and determined by Jesus. What matters in my spiritual life is that Jesus is the reason of all I say and do! This is not easy. But that is what separates the ordinary person from the saint.

 

 “We must dispose ourselves to accept generously the will of God, whatever that may be, since that is always what is best for us.” St. Maria-Azelie Guerin Martin (1831-1877)

 

This is the consistent message of many of the saints. It is the fundamental road to holiness and union with God. For what God wills for us is that we fulfill our destiny, being forever with him. His will in our life is the narrow road to eternal life. There is a rebellion within us as a result of Original sin. The rebellion is to seek our will over the will of God, as if we know what is best for us. This, like Adam and Eve, will lead us to separation from God. Living in his will, as difficult as that may be, is the purification of our inner rebellion. If we focus on God’s love, we will seek to unite our wills to his.

 

“Listen and attend with the ear of your heart.” St. Benedict

If the heart is a symbol of love, then when we listen intently to another, we are conveying a message to him. The Saint is giving a teaching on prayer. Not only is prayer addressed to God, but it is also God addressing us. Only in love can the voice of the Lord be detected and followed. At the same time, when our interaction is with others, we need not only to share but to listen with our heart to what the other is conveying. The contact point is love.

 

Homily Fifteenth Sunday Year B

Reading 1: Background. Because of the sins of the Kings of Israel beginning with Solomon, the unified Kingdom of David was divided into two: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Juda.

Amos was called by God to go to the Northern Kingdom and prophesy. A prophet speaks the word of God. His message is strong, calling them to repentance, to return to the God of their fathers, and to forsake their foreign gods and immoral ways. If they did not, God said he would wreck disaster upon them at the hands of their enemies.

Amaziah was a priest of the Northern Kingdom, who spoke the feelings of the religious leaders of the day. He chastised Amos for his harsh words and told him to go back to Juda. Amos’ response was that it was God who sent him and therefore Amaziah has no authority over him and his ministry.

Each of us is a prophet by virtue of our baptismal commitment. This was confirmed and renewed in the Sacrament of Confirmation. In Baptism we were told when we were anointed with the oil of Chrism, “You share in the ministry of Jesus as priest, prophet and king.” In Confirmation we were told we were witnesses for Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Paul tells us, is prophecy.

How conscious have we been of this calling in our life, to be a prophet, a spokesperson for Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit? Are our lives prophetic proclamation of the truths revealed by God? Or do we give in to the voice of the world, telling us to step out of the public arena and do not speak the truth that has been forgotten?

Reading 2: This reading gives us the foundation for our calling as prophet. We have been blessed by God--not due to anything we have done—with every spiritual blessing that we will ever need. 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 divine life and to be with him forever in glory. Wow! What went wrong? Sin came into the world. As a result of sin, we deserved God’s wrath. Instead, he showed us mercy, redeeming us by the blood of Jesus.

Now, our purpose in life is to exist for the praise of his glory. For this reason he has poured out the Holy Spirit upon us so that we may be able to fulfill our calling, to be holy, blameless in his sight and full of love, proclaiming the truth as prophets in praise of his name.

Gospel: What Jesus did for the Apostles, he does for us. Having formed them, he chose them. Then he empowered them to do what he did, namely to bring the message of the truth to others, to cleanse and heal them in his name. He reminded them of the urgency of the times. People will perish, if they do not repent. They were to depend upon God for everything

In trust they went two by two and did what Jesus told them to do. As a result, they saw the power of God manifested in the lives of those who heard their message and opened themselves to the power of God.

The twelve serve as a model for us. It is not a story of the past but a message to be lived and experienced today. We are his disciples, 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.

Who, if not each of us, will begin to break the chain that is pulling us down the pit of death? Who will be the prophets of today both in word and in action? Our world needs a healing. If we do not take a stand, our silence will be our judge.

 

“Keep to the ancient way and custom of the Church, established and confirmed by so many Saints under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And live a new life. Pray, and get others to pray, that God not abandon His Church, but reform it as He pleases, and as He sees best for us, and more to His honor and glory.” St. Angela Merici

 

Do we pray for the Church on a regular basis? The Church is made up of saints and

sinners. As such the Church is always in need of reformation. We are the Church.

We are in need of renewal and restoration. This is the new life we are called to

live. But it is only by the grace of God can we live the life God desires of us, his

Church. So, the need to intercede for God’s Church to be spotless and full of love.

 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: 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?

 "Be humble. Trust always and a great deal in divine Providence; never must you let yourselves be discouraged, despite contrary winds. I say it again: trust in God and Mary Immaculate; be faithful and forge ahead!" St. Paulina of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (1865-1912)

 

One of the consistent messages of the saints is that of perseverance in the midst of trials and difficulties, setbacks and misunderstanding from others. This was the message of Jesus himself in his own life and ministry. He remained true to the work the Father had given him, even if he had to suffer in doing it. Instead of being discouraged, he would turn to the Father for the strength to move forward. So too the Saints. So too we, saints in progress. “Be faithful and forge ahead.”

 “We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.” St. Teresa of Avila

 

These trials, at times, are in our lives to purify us and bring us into a deeper union with the sufferings of Jesus for our sake. We don’t have to ask for trials, but be willing to accept and embrace the trials that come. Listen to the words of St. Peter. “In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7) Stand firm and keep your eyes on the suffering of Jesus.

 “Let them keep in mind, therefore, that there can be no humility without reproaches and mockery and anyone who feels ashamed of them …may as well abandon all hope, of being able to achieve perfection.” St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

How often we seek to be humble, but complain about the opportunities in our path that enables us to grow in humility! We don't have to seek humility, it will find us. A word, an affront, a slight, being passed over, and many other ways contribute to our growth or decline in humility. Ask for the grace to recognize the situation and to embrace  it in silence in imitation of the suffering Lord.  He was innocent. We are not. He humbly embraced the will of the Father even death by crucifixion for our sake. We are asked to do much less.

 “Jesus is with me. I have nothing to fear.” Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

How often does Jesus tells the disciples and us, "Fear not, for I am with y0u till the end of the ages."? How often does Jesus connect fear with lack of faith? If we truly put our faith and trust in Jesus, then fear is useless. It saps our strength. But if faith is our foundation, then we know that we can do all things in Jesus. Fear (we are not talking about natural fear) is from the devil, who wants us to take our eyes off Jesus and put it on ourselves. In this way, fear is a bondage. But if we believe that we  have been set free by the death and resurrection of Jesus, then, by putting our eyes on him, we can move forward in life.

 

Homily Fourteenth Sunday Year B

Reading 1: Ezekiel was given a difficult task by God. He was called to be a prophet, a spokesperson, for God’s words. He was sent to speak this word to the Chosen People in exile for their infidelity to their covenant with God. God called them rebels like their ancestors. The difficult task was to speak God’s word to a people, who will reject the message because of the hardness of their hearts.

 

The role of the prophet is to speak God’s words, not to force them to accept or act on that word. Many of the prophets of the Old Testament suffered because they faithfully relayed God’s message but were rejected, persecuted and even killed, because the people did not want to hear the message of the Lord. It is only afterwards, when the message was fulfilled, that later generations would acknowledge the person as truly a prophet of God.

 

Like those in Ezekiel’s time, we don’t always like to hear the words spoken prophetically to us. At times, they are encouraging. But at other times they are words calling us to repent and return to the Lord. Even though God knows we may reject his word, God will still speak his word to us. The power of the word of God was expressed by Jesus. He said that he would not judge us, but his word would. Did we hear it, received it and acted on it or did we reject it? Even Isaiah reflected the same message about the power of God’s word. He said, it is like rain. It falls on the good and the bad. But it will not return to me empty.

 

Gospel: Last Sunday we reflected on the faith of the woman, who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed. We followed that with the faith of Jairus, who heard the testimony of the woman and put his trust in Jesus in spite of the message about the death of his daughter.  Because of this trust and faith, he witnessed the restoration to life in his daughter.

 

Today, we heard the lack of faith of the people of Nazareth in the person of Jesus. Like Ezekiel, Jesus is also a prophet. He had been sent by God to proclaim a message of forgiveness of sins and salvation to the world. As he said, he came to set captives free, preach Glad tidings to the poor and heal the sick.

When Jesus returned to his home town of Nazareth, maybe for some R & R with his disciples, he was asked to share a word in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He shared what God had done for him at the time of his baptism and what God was doing through him in signs and wonders.

 

Their first response was a sense of wonder. “Where did he get all this?” Then they turned to question his identity, which is a theme in Mark’s Gospel: Who is Jesus? They knew him growing up; they knew his family; they knew him as a carpenter.  Their questions led to doubt and rejection. They could not and would not accept that he was anything other than their past knowledge of him. They could not accept that God had chosen him to speak his words. As a result, they refused to believe in him or to be open to any ministry, even when a few people were healed. Their minds were made up and closed. This saddened Jesus, because of their lack of faith and openness.

 

How open are we to the Word of God? Do we box God in by accepting what we want to hear and reject what we don’t want to hear?  Have we settled into a comfort zone in our relationship with God? Is our faith in Jesus active or static?

 

Reading 2: Paul was a prophet, who also was rejected, persecuted and eventually killed, because he spoke God’s message to a people, who did not want to hear it. Here, Paul is dealing with a personal issue which affects his mission as a prophet. Though he had received many spiritual experiences, revelations and visions, he suffered from what he calls a thorn in the flesh. We don’t know what it was. He indicated he had a speech impediment; he had other physical ailments as well.

 

It could be he was haunted by his past persecution of the followers of the Way. But whatever it was, it seemed to hamper his work as a prophet. Yet God used this situation to teach Paul a valuable lesson. In his weakness and imperfections, God can still work. His grace is sufficient, transforming weaknesses into power. Paul came to the point of embracing his weaknesses and circumstances and use them for the sake of Christ and the furthering of the Kingdom.

 

 “In ancient times before the divine sojourn of the Savior took place, even to the saints death was terrible; all wept for the dead as though they perished. But now that the Savior has raised his body, death is no longer terrible; for all who believe in Christ trample on it as it were nothing and choose rather to die than deny their faith in Christ. And that devil that once maliciously exulted in death, now that its pains were loosed, remained the only one truly dead.” St. Athanasius of Alexandria

Before Christ, dead seemed final, at least that was what the devil convinced people.  Since Christ, for those who believe in him, death is a passageway to a new life. The only ones truly dead are those who die away from Christ, like the devil. Though they live, they live in alienation from God, which is the eternal second death. But those who die in Christ, continue to live eternally with God, sharing his glorious, eternal life. Given these two states after death, which do you choose?

 Fourteenth Sunday Gospel Year B

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. 

Jesus retuned to Nazareth, possibly to visit him mother Mary.

 When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished.  

Being a faithful observant of the Covenant, Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. People had heard about him and so he was asked to teach after the readings from the scriptures.

We don’t know from Mark what he taught, but whatever he said, astonished the people. No one has taught like this before. He taught with authority not quoting other Rabbis. 

They said, “Where did this man get all this?  What kind of wisdom has been given him?   What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!  Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?  And are not his sisters here with us?”  And they took offense at him. 

Their astonishment turned quickly to questioning, doubting and taking offense at a home town son having spoken so well.

They could not accept that he was of God. They knew him as one like them. They knew his background and his extended family. Was he not merely a carpenter by trade?  Calling him the son of Mary and not of Joseph may have been a slur against him? 

When they indicate his “brothers and sisters” these were probably cousins in his extended family. For we believe Mary had no other children.

They were trying to box him in and, in a sense, to try to control and harness him.

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

It saddened Jesus to feel the rejection by his own townspeople and extended family. But he knew historically that this was the life of a prophet.

What saddened most was that, though he wanted to minister God’s love to them through signs and wonders, he could not because of their lack of faith. Only a few were open to his ministry. But seeing this did not change the closed mindset of the people.

Do we at times have a lack of faith in the person of Jesus Christ?

Do we sometimes put him in a box of our own making? 

 "I have no desire for the honors of this world but solely for the glory of God and the salvation of my soul." Saint Bernardino Realino

Is this our thought? Is our life directed to the glory of God, so that one day we may share in his glory? The honors of this world, as we know, pass away like dust in the wind. What lasts beyond the grave is our relationship with God, not the accolades of the world. Many people spend their whole life chasing the honors of the world, rather than seeking to become saints, only to find to their eternal despair, their hands are empty in the moment of judgment. Don't waste your time on what is frivolous, but invest yourself in becoming a saint.

 "The greatest gift we can give is forgiveness, for it sets free both the giver and the receiver." St. Junipero Serra

The power of non-forgiveness is bondage for both the offender and the offended. It is another lie of the Evil One that says the other person does not deserve forgiveness and you have a right to harbor anger and resentment for what was done to you. But the irony of our actions is that while we choose to refuse forgiveness to the other, we cry out for God in his mercy to forgive us. While God's forgiveness is unconditional, we block it by our refusal to forgive another. Recall the words of Jesus. "If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions." (Mt 6:14-15) Forgiveness is not a one-way street. For you to be free, you must first free the other.