My brothers and sisters, welcome to today's celebration of the Holy Mass on the Fifth Sunday of Lent. During the past month, our spiritual journey has been one of repentance so we may all, by the grace of God the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit, experience a transformation to become in the likeness of Christ. Today's spiritual message from Our Lord Jesus for the last Sunday of Lent is, "From now on, do not sin again." [Jn. 8:11]
During today's First Reading, we heard the prophetic Words of the Lord God speaking to the prophet Isaiah. Yahweh began by identifying Himself. He said that it was He who created Israel. It was He who led the Exodus of His people under the leadership of Moses. It was He who divided the Red Sea and who destroyed the great army of the Pharaoh of Egypt. It was He who quenched the life out of the enemies of His people.
In view of all these remarkable deeds, the Lord God said, "Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old." [Is. 43:18] Why does God say not to remember the former things? It is because He was warning His people against glorifying the past. The Exodus of the Old Testament was but a reflection of what was to come. The greatest Exodus of all is the new Exodus of Redemption through the Blood of Christ. What should be remembered is the ongoing redemptive plan of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
God said, "I am about to do a new thing." [Is. 43:19] What was this new thing that God was about to do? Further in the Book of Isaiah, the Lord God said, "For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; and former things shall not be remembered or come to mind." [Is. 65:17]
Indeed, God was about to create new heavens and a new earth. [Mt. 24:35; Rev. 21:1-2] He was about to create the Mystical Body of Christ, the arrival of the invisible Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven. Through the Mystical Body of Christ, God was about to join the saints in Heaven to the baptized members of the Church. This promise was fulfilled when through the Sacred Blood of Jesus on the Holy Cross, Christ took possession of the Heavenly Kingdom as the rightful King of kings. When the fullness of time had arrived, through the redemptive plan of Christ, the great red dragon was thrown out of Heaven. [Mt. 24:29; Lk. 10:18; Rev. 12:3-4, 10-2]
The revelation that was given to Isaiah around 750 B.C. was the beginning of many promises that God the Father would make, all of these being fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Around 626 B.C., in the days of the prophet Jeremiah and around 592 B.C., in the day of the prophet Ezekiel, God made more promises that served to clarify the meaning of His previous promises.
God the Father promised to make a new and everlasting Covenant. [Jer. 31:31] He promised to live with His people. [Jer. 31:33] He promised to give His children a new heart and a new spirit. [Ezek. 11:19-20; 18:31] He promised the indwelling of His Spirit within His children so that they would remain good and obey His Holy ways. [Ezek. 36:26-7]
All these things have been fulfilled. During the last Supper, Jesus instituted the New and everlasting Covenant. [Lk. 22:20] Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, God physically dwells with His people. During the Sacrament of Baptism, the believers are given a new heart and a new spirit. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, "What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit." [Jn. 3:6] "No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water (baptism) and Spirit." [Jn. 3:5]
Through the gift of a new creation, the newly created human spirit that we received during the Sacrament of Baptism, we are called to take part in the building up of the Mystical Body and Kingdom of God on earth. Through the same Sacrament of Baptism, we have received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit as our assurance of knowing what is right from what is wrong. As such, if we choose to sin, we are without excuse.
During the First Reading, we also heard God promising to make a way in the wilderness, to put rivers in the desert and that the wild animals would honour Him. Here, God was speaking symbolically. Allow me to explain. When God was speaking of making a way in the wilderness for the wild animals to honour Him, this was a symbolic prophecy of the Light of Christ coming to the Gentiles who were lost in their ways. These lost souls lived as wild animals. The worldly pleasures of the flesh guided their ways of life. To save these souls that lacked a spiritual mind, God promised to make rivers in the desert. In other words, He promised the gift of the Holy Spirit (rivers) to those who were spiritual dry (desert).
To summarize what has already been said in context with the entire Holy Bible, prior to the coming of Jesus Christ on earth, the Kingdom of God was non-existent. Through the Blood of Christ, the eternal Kingdom was established in Heaven and on earth. That is why Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is! or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the Kingdom of God is within you." [Lk. 17:20- 1] The Kingdom of God in invisible, being spiritual in nature.
To populate His invisible Kingdom on earth, the Lord God instituted the Sacrament of Baptism. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we experienced the first death and resurrection that was spiritual in nature. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we received our new creation, our new spiritual mind, our new human spirit and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Through the free gift of the newly created human spirit, when we receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist during the celebration of the Holy Mass, we are now partaking in a great spiritual Feast with the Lord Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, all the saints and angels of Heaven. In fulfilment of the promise of Jesus, finally, we as children of God, have become true worshippers who worship the Father in (human) spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in (human) spirit and truth. [Jn. 4:23-4] The new creation is everything! [Gal. 6:15]
This is the same message that St. Paul gave us today during the Second Reading from the Letter to the Philippians. We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that we may proclaim the mighty acts of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light." [1 Pet. 2:9] Once we were not a people, but now we are God's people; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy." [1 Pet. 2:10] Because of these marvellous blessings that we have received from God, St. Paul urges us to act as aliens and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. We should conduct ourselves honourably among the non-believers, so that, though they malign us as evildoers, they may see our honourable deeds and glorify God when He comes to judge. [1 Pet. 2:11-2]
In view of all the spiritual gifts that we have freely received from the Lord God, everything else of this world is unimportant. St. Paul calls them rubbish. To know Christ as we should know Him far surpasses an intellectual knowledge. It involves a personal daily relationship between Jesus and ourselves that far surpasses all the worldly pleasures and wealth that can be gained in a lifetime.
The door to salvation that comes to us through the love and mercy of Jesus Christ is by faith alone. No works of any kind that are performed prior to the Sacrament of Baptism can save anyone. As a Pharisee, Paul enjoyed a perfect observance of the 613 prescribed Mosaic Laws. Yet, none of these works saved him. His salvation solely depended on his living faith in Christ.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual works that we perform after our baptism, these are signs of our living faith in Christ. For "faith without works is dead." [Jas. 2:26] These spiritual works include our reception of the Church Sacraments which give life to the soul.
St. Paul viewed his heavenly call in Christ Jesus as a race that still had to be run. That was his goal, to win the race. While all the runners compete in a race, only one receives the prize. All should run in such a way that they may win the race. All should persevere in their living faith to ensure the reservation of their crown of righteousness that the Lord will give on that day to all those who long for His appearing. [Phil. 2:16; 1 Cor. 9:24; 2 Tim. 4:7]
During today's Gospel Reading, Jesus gave us a basic command that helps us to identify if we are on our way to completing our race, if we are persevering in our living faith. Jesus said, "Go your way, and from now on do not sin again." You see my brothers and sisters, faith alone cannot save anyone. If you have faith and continue to live in mortal sin, you will not enter the Kingdom of God.
One's faith must be a living faith, pure and holy in nature. It must be continuous. It must include the Sacrament of Baptism that admits us into the Mystical Body of Christ. It must include the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit for the purpose of sanctifying our souls in the likeness of Christ. It must include the Sacrament of Confession for the remission of our sins. It must include the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Living Bread that gives life to our souls. It must include spiritual works as a sign that we are children of God who are persevering in their living faith.
While all this may appear to be so complicated, it all comes naturally when we place our trust in the Spirit of Jesus who teaches and guides those who place their living faith in Christ.
This week, in view of our in-depth spiritual perception of what has been freely given to us through the infinite love and mercy of God, let us show our gratitude to God by having a change of heart, by not sinning again. Let us refrain from judging others. Let us strive towards our need of sanctification before we concern ourselves with the needs of others. For it is when we have successfully walked in the love of Christ that others will learn from us how they should walk in the love of Christ.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Homily for Today
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Reading 1IS 43:16-21
Thus says the LORD,
who opens a way in the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
who leads out chariots and horsemen,
a powerful army,
till they lie prostrate together, never to rise,
snuffed out and quenched like a wick.
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
Wild beasts honor me,
jackals and ostriches,
for I put water in the desert
and rivers in the wasteland
for my chosen people to drink,
the people whom I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.
who opens a way in the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
who leads out chariots and horsemen,
a powerful army,
till they lie prostrate together, never to rise,
snuffed out and quenched like a wick.
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
Wild beasts honor me,
jackals and ostriches,
for I put water in the desert
and rivers in the wasteland
for my chosen people to drink,
the people whom I formed for myself,
that they might announce my praise.
Responsorial PsalmPS 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
I consider everything as a loss
because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things
and I consider them so much rubbish,
that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
not having any righteousness of my own based on the law
but that which comes through faith in Christ,
the righteousness from God,
depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection
and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death,
if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
It is not that I have already taken hold of it
or have already attained perfect maturity,
but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it,
since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, I for my part
do not consider myself to have taken possession.
Just one thing: 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.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Reading 2PHIL 3:8-14
Brothers and sisters:I consider everything as a loss
because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things
and I consider them so much rubbish,
that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
not having any righteousness of my own based on the law
but that which comes through faith in Christ,
the righteousness from God,
depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection
and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death,
if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
It is not that I have already taken hold of it
or have already attained perfect maturity,
but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it,
since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, I for my part
do not consider myself to have taken possession.
Just one thing: 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.
Verse Before The GospelJL 2:12-13
Even now, says the Lord,
return to me with your whole heart;
for I am gracious and merciful.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
return to me with your whole heart;
for I am gracious and merciful.
GospelJN 8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
Prayers for Today
"God our Father, we find it difficult to come to you, because our knowledge of you is imperfect. In our ignorance we have imagined you to be our enemy; we have wrongly thought that you take pleasure in punishing our sins; and we have foolishly conceived you to be a tyrant over human life. But since Jesus came among us, he has shown that you are loving, that you are on our side against all that stunts life, and that our resentment against you was groundless. So we come to you, asking you to forgive our past ignorance, and wanting to know more and more of you and your forgiving love, through Jesus Christ our Lord."(Prayer of Saint Augustine)
Lord God, I adore and thank you for this opportunity to be with you. I am ready to hear and embrace your word. I believe in you and in your goodness. I hope in your mercy. I love you and long to love you with a purer heart.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
10 Things To Do If Your Lent Plans Fail
From Catholic Exchange;
10 Things To Do If Your Lent Plans Fail
Lent is not simple. It’s not meant to be. And it’s not “Catholic guilt” that makes it seem so arduous, either. We shouldn’t discourage any sense of guilt that stems from the very heart of this season, which is penance and repentance. Nor should we give up if Lent was more than we planned. That sense of guilt and acknowledging our shortcomings are exactly what enables us to becoming closer to God in this time, which is the real goal in the end.
What do you do then, when you’ve utterly failed at Lent? Here are ten suggestions to help you to make the most out of your Lenten journey.
What do you do then, when you’ve utterly failed at Lent? Here are ten suggestions to help you to make the most out of your Lenten journey.
0. Accept what’s happened (or hasn’t)
Yes, we begin at zero because, before you begin to work on the solution, you need to accept the problem. Failure is often very subjective because of the standards we set out for ourselves. Perhaps this Lent you’ve failed to make it to Stations of the Cross, but you’re still saying your daily novena. Perhaps you’ve mistakenly eaten meat on a Friday. Or, perhaps you willingly ate meat on a Friday. See the difference? Accepting your shortcomings—what you’ve done or failed to do—is your first step to overcoming.1. Go to Confession
Yes, you must go to Confession. This is the first for a reason. Even if you have not committed a mortal sin, you’re seeking healing from what you’ve done and haven’t done. Make a thorough and thoughtful examination of conscience, check out MassTimes.org to see when the next opportunity for confession is, and then make your act of contrition. Congratulations, you’re a new person! Now let’s make sure you don’t fail again.2. Get back up
Remember, you only fail if you quit trying. God demands that we seek perfection (Matthew 5:43-48), but He knows we will have trouble. Like a child who falls when learning to walk, you just get back up and try again. Determination and perseverance go a long way.3. Figure out what went wrong
In confession, there is a priest who always says the same thing to me: don’t take the first step. If it’s something you did or didn’t do, you need to find the pattern that led you to that action (or inaction). Maybe you’ve looked at pornography, or have given in to the thing you gave up for Lent. Think and ponder on the series of events that led you that point, and find what needs to be avoided or modified in order to overcome the temptation. Solutions might be: Drive a different way to work. Avoid staring at something. Keep yourself busy and distracted with good and productive activity. If all else fails, hit the panic button and pray the Rosary until the temptation goes away. Which brings my 4th suggestion.4. Pray
This might seem obvious, but it’s not. When we fail we often convince ourselves that the solution is to work harder. Eventually, rather than just tire out, you’ll exhaust altogether. Prayer is what revives your soul and places you back on the right track with God’s perfect will. Remember, in prayer, to listen first and talk second.5. Fast
The advantages of fasting are numerous. But for this purpose, fasting enables us to utterly dominate our flesh, which is what we need when we fail at Lent. In fact, it’s the exact reason we have the Lenten rules we do. You’ve heard the colloquialism, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” well… that’s fasting in a nutshell. Fasting is like steroids for prayer and getting things done. Here’s how some saints put it:
“I chastise my body and bring it into submission; lest perhaps when I have preached to others, I should myself become a cast away.”
-1. Corinthians 9:27
-1. Corinthians 9:27
“Fasting is most useful in preparing the soul for prayer, and the contemplation of divine things.”
-St. Robert Bellarmine
-St. Robert Bellarmine
“Fasting is the support of our soul, it gives us wings to ascend on high.”
-St. John Chrysostom
-St. John Chrysostom
6. Give alms
Lent is the perfect time to work on “me” and part of doing that right is the mission of blessing others. When we give alms, we do ourselves and others a great thing. Alms enable us to receive justifying grace, which is exactly what our soul needs when we fail. Scripture tells us,
“By mercy and faith, sins are purged away”
-Proverbs 16:6
-Proverbs 16:6
The Lord heard from Zaccheus, “Behold, Lord, the halk of my goods I have to the poor: and is I have wronged any man, he is restored four-fold.”
-Luke 19:8
-Luke 19:8
“He that gives to the poor shall not want.”
-Proverbs 28:27
-Proverbs 28:27
“Water quenches a flaming fire, and alms resist sins.”
-Sirach 3:30
-Sirach 3:30
7. Listen
You’ve done everything you can to win up to this point, but you’re not winning, yet. Chances are, you’ve been given some advice that you didn’t follow. You thought you knew better. It’s time to go back and try what that person suggested.8. Focus
If you’re failing at one area that’s very important to you, like your Lenten obligations, you should narrow down what you do during the week and focus on accomplishing what you set out to do. Cut out the things that don’t matter, and focus on what does. You can do this!9. Ask for help
This can take many forms, but it’s no joke. If you can’t help yourself, there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes life really demands a lot out of us and we need to lean on our friends, our priests, our mentors, and our family. Be sure, also, if anyone offers help, that you take it immediately. When did help ever hurt anyone?Homily for Today
My brothers and sisters, from one of today's readings, I call to your attention a very special Bible verse, "If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; everything has become new!" [2 Cor. 5:17] This one passage summarizes God's Divine Plan for man. Having its origin in the prophesies of the Old Testament, being fulfilled through Jesus Christ, it explains how we have become today's new creations of God.
I have come to the conclusion that very few Christians truly knows and understands what it means that if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. I am not denying that in faith, most Christians accept this as a doctrinal truth. What I am saying is that few understand what really happens through the Sacrament of Baptism during the process of our having died with Christ, our having been buried with Christ and our having risen as a new creation with Christ. [Rom. 6:4]
Allow me to explain myself. In the beginning, "the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being." [Gen. 2:7] In other words, God created a physical body, gave it a "human spirit" [Job 32:8; Prov. 18:14, 20:27; Ecc. 3:21; Eze. 11:19, 36:26; Zech. 12:1; Mal. 2:15; Mt. 26:41; Lk. 8:55; Jn. 3:6; Rom. 8:15; 1 Cor. 2:11] and it became a living soul. [Lk. 1:46-7; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12] God created man with a soul, his self-consciousness, a physical body and a human spirit to sustain the life of the body. For a body without a (human) spirit is dead. [Jas. 2:26] As Jesus said, "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless." [Jn. 6:63]
From the Book of Genesis, we also learn that God created man holy in nature in His likeness. [Gen. 1:26; 5:1] And God saw that all what He had made was good. [Gen. 1:31]
After God completed the creation of all things, He placed Adam in the Garden of Eden [Gen. 2:15] and commanded, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." [Gen. 2:16-7]
As we all know, Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the tree of knowledge and sin entered the world. At that moment, Satan became the "prince of the world" [Jn. 12:31] Adam and Eve lost their original nature of holiness in the likeness of God. In punishment for disobeying, God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden [Gen. 3:23] and said, "You shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return." [Gen. 3:19]
Here is where we begin to discover the mystery of man's creation. When God said that man is dust and he shall return to dust, God meant that all the descendants of Adam would experience spiritual death, being deprived of the eternal beatific vision of God in His eternal Kingdom."
According to the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, "In virtue of its specific nature, the intellectual soul does not possess the body as a part of itself, but has only an aptitude for union with the body." (Extracted from: "The first part of 'Light Of Faith: The Compendium Of Theology' by St. Thomas Aquinas"; # 85. Unity of the possible intellect.)
The soul, formless in nature, needs a body, either physical or spiritual, to manifest itself. Both, the physical body of man, and his human spirit that gives life to the physical body, were stained by the original sin of Adam. As such, they were called to experience physical and spiritual death. Without a spiritual body that is free of sin, as defined by the Council of Trent, (C.C.C.) the soul of man is called to experience "the death of the soul" in the absence of the eternal beatific vision of God.
Now, when God saw the magnitude of what Satan had done by introducing sin into the world, immediately, God had another plan in motion. God did not desire to let man experience spiritual death in the absence of His eternal love and presence.
Beginning in the days of Jeremiah, followed by the days of Ezekiel, God promised to give man a new heart which is synonym to a new spiritual nature (or mind). Then, God promised to give man a new human spirit. Finally, God promised to place His Spirit within man to dwell within him. [Ezek. 11:19-20, 18:31, 36:26; Jer. 24:7, 31:33; Heb. 10:16] Finally, God promised to "sprinkle clean water upon us, and we shall be clean from all our uncleannesses." [Ezek. 36:25]
Now notice what I am saying here because this is very important. The soul of man cannot enjoy the eternal beatific vision as long as it possesses its spirit that has been stained by the original sin. In view of this, God promised to give man a new human spirit. Why? For the soul to continue to manifest itself in a new spiritual form after the death of the physical body. That is what the Sacrament of Baptism is all about. Unless we are born again, we have no life in us. "No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit." [Jn. 3:5] "What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is (human) spirit." [Jn. 3:5] In the Most Holy Name of Jesus, by the grace of the Heavenly Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, during the Sacrament of Baptism, we received a newly created human spirit from the Holy Spirit.
Speaking of this marvellous gift of the human spirit, today's Second Reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians says, "If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" [2 Cor. 5:17] Indeed, everything has become new because in Christ, over and above having received the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have received a new spiritual nature, a new human spirit for the soul, now free of original sin, to qualify in the inheritance of the Kingdom of God after physical death. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us." [2 Cor. 5:18-9]
My brothers and sisters, "our new creation is everything!" [Gal. 6:15; 2 Cor. 5:17] Our new human spirit, free of original sin through the Sacrament of Baptism, is a gift of God of the godly seed. [1 Jn. 3:9] As Jesus said in the Parable of the Weeds, [Mt. 13:24-30, 36-43] "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the Kingdom." [Mt. 13:37-8] "You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring Word of God." [1 Pet. 1:23] "This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God..." [Rom. 9:8]
Knowing this, you now understand why we are ambassadors for Christ. On behalf of Christ, God is making His appeal through us, to urge all to be reconciled to God. For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Christ we might become the righteousness of God.
My brothers and sisters, this week, as we reflect upon the Word of God that we have heard today, we should remind ourselves of the urgency for all to receive the Sacrament of Baptism so that they too may be reconciled with God. We should ask ourselves, "Do I know someone who is not baptized because of neglect?" If we do, as ambassadors for Christ, we have an obligation to spread the good news and to convince those around us, our loved ones, our friends, our co-workers, that it is urgent for them to be baptized. It is urgent that they receive the free gifts of God. It is urgent because should they die today or tomorrow without their new creation, their souls will be deprived of the eternal beatific vision of God in communion with all the angels and saints.
Throughout the centuries, Christians have worried about what happens to the babies who die without being baptized. Today, knowing that we are all entitled to a new creation, we should worry about what will happen to all the children and adults who die without having been baptized. May the grace of God touch them before it is too late!
I have come to the conclusion that very few Christians truly knows and understands what it means that if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. I am not denying that in faith, most Christians accept this as a doctrinal truth. What I am saying is that few understand what really happens through the Sacrament of Baptism during the process of our having died with Christ, our having been buried with Christ and our having risen as a new creation with Christ. [Rom. 6:4]
Allow me to explain myself. In the beginning, "the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being." [Gen. 2:7] In other words, God created a physical body, gave it a "human spirit" [Job 32:8; Prov. 18:14, 20:27; Ecc. 3:21; Eze. 11:19, 36:26; Zech. 12:1; Mal. 2:15; Mt. 26:41; Lk. 8:55; Jn. 3:6; Rom. 8:15; 1 Cor. 2:11] and it became a living soul. [Lk. 1:46-7; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12] God created man with a soul, his self-consciousness, a physical body and a human spirit to sustain the life of the body. For a body without a (human) spirit is dead. [Jas. 2:26] As Jesus said, "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless." [Jn. 6:63]
From the Book of Genesis, we also learn that God created man holy in nature in His likeness. [Gen. 1:26; 5:1] And God saw that all what He had made was good. [Gen. 1:31]
After God completed the creation of all things, He placed Adam in the Garden of Eden [Gen. 2:15] and commanded, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." [Gen. 2:16-7]
As we all know, Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the tree of knowledge and sin entered the world. At that moment, Satan became the "prince of the world" [Jn. 12:31] Adam and Eve lost their original nature of holiness in the likeness of God. In punishment for disobeying, God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden [Gen. 3:23] and said, "You shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return." [Gen. 3:19]
Here is where we begin to discover the mystery of man's creation. When God said that man is dust and he shall return to dust, God meant that all the descendants of Adam would experience spiritual death, being deprived of the eternal beatific vision of God in His eternal Kingdom."
According to the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, "In virtue of its specific nature, the intellectual soul does not possess the body as a part of itself, but has only an aptitude for union with the body." (Extracted from: "The first part of 'Light Of Faith: The Compendium Of Theology' by St. Thomas Aquinas"; # 85. Unity of the possible intellect.)
The soul, formless in nature, needs a body, either physical or spiritual, to manifest itself. Both, the physical body of man, and his human spirit that gives life to the physical body, were stained by the original sin of Adam. As such, they were called to experience physical and spiritual death. Without a spiritual body that is free of sin, as defined by the Council of Trent, (C.C.C.) the soul of man is called to experience "the death of the soul" in the absence of the eternal beatific vision of God.
Now, when God saw the magnitude of what Satan had done by introducing sin into the world, immediately, God had another plan in motion. God did not desire to let man experience spiritual death in the absence of His eternal love and presence.
Beginning in the days of Jeremiah, followed by the days of Ezekiel, God promised to give man a new heart which is synonym to a new spiritual nature (or mind). Then, God promised to give man a new human spirit. Finally, God promised to place His Spirit within man to dwell within him. [Ezek. 11:19-20, 18:31, 36:26; Jer. 24:7, 31:33; Heb. 10:16] Finally, God promised to "sprinkle clean water upon us, and we shall be clean from all our uncleannesses." [Ezek. 36:25]
Now notice what I am saying here because this is very important. The soul of man cannot enjoy the eternal beatific vision as long as it possesses its spirit that has been stained by the original sin. In view of this, God promised to give man a new human spirit. Why? For the soul to continue to manifest itself in a new spiritual form after the death of the physical body. That is what the Sacrament of Baptism is all about. Unless we are born again, we have no life in us. "No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit." [Jn. 3:5] "What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is (human) spirit." [Jn. 3:5] In the Most Holy Name of Jesus, by the grace of the Heavenly Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, during the Sacrament of Baptism, we received a newly created human spirit from the Holy Spirit.
Speaking of this marvellous gift of the human spirit, today's Second Reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians says, "If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" [2 Cor. 5:17] Indeed, everything has become new because in Christ, over and above having received the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have received a new spiritual nature, a new human spirit for the soul, now free of original sin, to qualify in the inheritance of the Kingdom of God after physical death. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us." [2 Cor. 5:18-9]
My brothers and sisters, "our new creation is everything!" [Gal. 6:15; 2 Cor. 5:17] Our new human spirit, free of original sin through the Sacrament of Baptism, is a gift of God of the godly seed. [1 Jn. 3:9] As Jesus said in the Parable of the Weeds, [Mt. 13:24-30, 36-43] "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the Kingdom." [Mt. 13:37-8] "You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring Word of God." [1 Pet. 1:23] "This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God..." [Rom. 9:8]
Knowing this, you now understand why we are ambassadors for Christ. On behalf of Christ, God is making His appeal through us, to urge all to be reconciled to God. For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Christ we might become the righteousness of God.
My brothers and sisters, this week, as we reflect upon the Word of God that we have heard today, we should remind ourselves of the urgency for all to receive the Sacrament of Baptism so that they too may be reconciled with God. We should ask ourselves, "Do I know someone who is not baptized because of neglect?" If we do, as ambassadors for Christ, we have an obligation to spread the good news and to convince those around us, our loved ones, our friends, our co-workers, that it is urgent for them to be baptized. It is urgent that they receive the free gifts of God. It is urgent because should they die today or tomorrow without their new creation, their souls will be deprived of the eternal beatific vision of God in communion with all the angels and saints.
Throughout the centuries, Christians have worried about what happens to the babies who die without being baptized. Today, knowing that we are all entitled to a new creation, we should worry about what will happen to all the children and adults who die without having been baptized. May the grace of God touch them before it is too late!
March 6, 2016 - Fourth Sunday of Lent
Reading 1 Jos 5:9a, 10-12
The LORD said to Joshua,
“Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”
While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho,
they celebrated the Passover
on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.
On the day after the Passover,
they ate of the produce of the land
in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain.
On that same day after the Passover,
on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.
No longer was there manna for the Israelites,
who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.
“Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”
While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho,
they celebrated the Passover
on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.
On the day after the Passover,
they ate of the produce of the land
in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain.
On that same day after the Passover,
on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.
No longer was there manna for the Israelites,
who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Reading 2 2 Cor 5:17-21
Brothers and sisters:Whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Verse Before the Gospel Lk 15:18
I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to him:
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable:
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Gospel Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable:
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Homily
As we enter the Third Week of Lent, we continue on our journey of repentance in preparation for the approach of the Feast of Easter that commemorates the glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing that Jesus triumphed over the temptations in the desert, we are reminded that we too can triumph through our living faith in Jesus Christ.
Therefore, today, it is appropriate to look at the nature of sin. By understanding how offensive it is to the eyes of God, we are then equipped with sufficient knowledge to decide if we will walk in His Holy ways or if we will reject His Divine grace in exchange for the sinful path of life.
First of all, I must ask, is there such a thing as a good sin? To answer that question, one must know the definition of sin. Sin is a transgression (offense) against God. It is a crime against God! Why is it a crime against God? It is a crime against God because it is a rejection of God's Holy ways. Sin is the outcome of one's decision to have "his way" or "no way!" That is why a sin is a crime against God.
Now, I ask, is there such a thing as a good crime? Is one crime better than another? Is an assault on someone better than a robbery? Is adultery better than murder? Is lying better than stealing? Is disobedience better than being a party to an abortion?
During today's reading of the Gospel, Jesus addressed the nature of sin. He asked, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?" [Lk. 13:2] "Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them - do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?" [Lk. 13:4]
What did Jesus answer? He said, "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did." [Lk. 13:5] In other words, a sin is a sin! There is no such thing as a big sin versus a small sin. Nor is there such a thing as a good sin versus a bad sin. A sin is a sin! If you offend God, then you have offended God! You cannot walk away and say, "I did not offend God because it was a small sin." Nor can you say, "It is no big deal because it was a small sin." A sin is a transgression against God. To sin is to offend God, to reject His holy ways!
During today's Gospel Reading, Jesus gave a parable about the fig tree. Why did this parable immediately follow after Jesus explained that sin is offensive to God, that it deserves severe punishment? It is because Jesus wanted to point out the sin of indifference, the sin of neglect of one's responsibilities towards God.
In the parable that Jesus told, a man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. When the man went to look at it for a fruit, he found none on it. The tree had now been without fruit for three consecutive years. Finally, tired of that useless tree, the man told the gardener to cut it down. Upon hearing this, the gardener asked the owner to patiently wait another year during which time he would dig around the tree and put manure on it in the hope that it would bear fruit. If that helps after one year and there are fruits on it, good; if not, then it should be cut down.
In this parable, Jesus was talking about those who are indifferent to their salvation. He was talking about those who refuses to live their faith in Christ by performing good works, those who reject the grace of God the Father and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit in the Most Holy Name of Jesus.
The man who planted the vineyard is the Lord Jesus. The fig tree in the garden is one of many. We Christians each represent one fig tree. (Optional: In other words, it must be like a jungle in that vineyard with so many fig trees.) Each fig tree is expected to bear fruit that represent the good works and virtues of those who help to build the Body of Christ. Such good works can be inside or outside the parish. Some are called to teach Sunday School in the parish while others are called to witness to their co-workers in the working world. Each must answer his calling according to where he has been sent by God.
In the parable, we heard what should be done with a fig tree that does not produce any fruits after three years. It should be cut down. In other words, the life should be withdrawn from it. It should be destroyed. It should be thrown into the fire to burn until there is nothing left of it.
Near the end of the Reading, we heard that the gardener begged mercy on behalf of the fig tree. He promised to nourish the tree in the hope of awakening (reviving/rekindling) it so it will produce fruit.
Who is this gardener that begged mercy of the man? In John 15:1, we learn that God the Father is the Vinegrower. He is the One who removes every branch that bear no fruit. [Jn. 15:2] Jesus is the true Vine Who gives life. Unless one abides in Jesus, he cannot bear fruit because apart from Him, they can do nothing. [Jn. 15:5] In other words, Jesus is the Gardener.
Based on this knowledge, we learn that Jesus, as our Mediator [1 Tim. 2:5] begs the Heavenly Father to have mercy on behalf of those who do not bear fruit. Jesus promises to the Heavenly Father that He will shine even more graces upon those who have become indifferent to their salvation, those who have dulled their spiritual minds in order to reject the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. And, should it be that after another year, those who have rejected God's grace continue to do so, then let it be that God the Father will end their fruitless lives.
Some may ask, "If the fruits are also synonym to virtues, what are these virtues that should be on the fig tree." They are the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. [Gal. 5:22-3]
What does it mean when it is said that one does not bear fruit? It means that they are doing the work of the flesh: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these. [Gal. 5:19-21] As Saint Paul says in the Letter to the Galatians, "I am warning you, as I warned you before; those who do these things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." [Gal. 5:21] These are the fig trees that bear no fruit.
Some are under the impression that God is so full of love and mercy that He closes His eyes to the sins of the world. Whoever put that on their minds, it certainly was not God, nor the Holy Catholic Church. And if it was not God, nor the Holy Catholic Church, then it had to be Satan and his children who walk in the darkness. Let it be known that while God is very patient, as the parable of the fig tree tells us, His patience has a limit. How long will God the Father permit His beloved Son Jesus to shower an abundance of grace and love upon sinners who continue to reject the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit? Does today's parable not say that their days are numbered?
During today's First Reading from the Book of Exodus, we heard that God observed the misery of His people. He heard their cries on account of their taskmasters. [Ex. 3:7] And so He went to deliver them from the Egyptians. [Ex. 3:8]
During the Second Reading that provided us with more information about God's people, we learn that God did free His people from slavery. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food. They all drank the same spiritual drink. But, even thought they were God's people, he was not pleased with most of them. And He struck them down in the wilderness. [1 Cor. 10:2-5]
Why did God strike them down? These things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. [1 Cor. 10:6] And we should not complain about this righteousness of God. Those who complained in the days of Moses, they were destroyed by the Destroyer. [1 Cor. 10:10]
As St. Paul said, these things happened to serve as an example. And they were written down to instruct us. So, if we think we are standing, we better watch out that we do not fall. [1 Cor. 10:11-2]
My brothers and sisters in Christ, I ask, do you think that some of those in the days of Moses were worse sinners and that is why God struck them down? Do you think that some of those in the days of St. Paul were worse sinners and that is why they were denied the Kingdom of God? I say no! The sins that are committed today are the same sins that were committed in the days of Moses and St. Paul! Because of those specific sins, God struck some down and denied them the eternal Kingdom of joy and peace.
In conclusion, we should ask ourselves, is God using this Lenten Season to shower an abundance of grace upon us through Jesus Christ so we will repent of our sins? Is this our last year on earth? After all, none of us knows when the Father shall call us to answer before Him. In the hope of being united together one day as brothers and sisters in the Heavenly Kingdom of God, let us all prepare ourselves by repenting of our sins.
Therefore, today, it is appropriate to look at the nature of sin. By understanding how offensive it is to the eyes of God, we are then equipped with sufficient knowledge to decide if we will walk in His Holy ways or if we will reject His Divine grace in exchange for the sinful path of life.
First of all, I must ask, is there such a thing as a good sin? To answer that question, one must know the definition of sin. Sin is a transgression (offense) against God. It is a crime against God! Why is it a crime against God? It is a crime against God because it is a rejection of God's Holy ways. Sin is the outcome of one's decision to have "his way" or "no way!" That is why a sin is a crime against God.
Now, I ask, is there such a thing as a good crime? Is one crime better than another? Is an assault on someone better than a robbery? Is adultery better than murder? Is lying better than stealing? Is disobedience better than being a party to an abortion?
During today's reading of the Gospel, Jesus addressed the nature of sin. He asked, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?" [Lk. 13:2] "Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them - do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?" [Lk. 13:4]
What did Jesus answer? He said, "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did." [Lk. 13:5] In other words, a sin is a sin! There is no such thing as a big sin versus a small sin. Nor is there such a thing as a good sin versus a bad sin. A sin is a sin! If you offend God, then you have offended God! You cannot walk away and say, "I did not offend God because it was a small sin." Nor can you say, "It is no big deal because it was a small sin." A sin is a transgression against God. To sin is to offend God, to reject His holy ways!
During today's Gospel Reading, Jesus gave a parable about the fig tree. Why did this parable immediately follow after Jesus explained that sin is offensive to God, that it deserves severe punishment? It is because Jesus wanted to point out the sin of indifference, the sin of neglect of one's responsibilities towards God.
In the parable that Jesus told, a man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. When the man went to look at it for a fruit, he found none on it. The tree had now been without fruit for three consecutive years. Finally, tired of that useless tree, the man told the gardener to cut it down. Upon hearing this, the gardener asked the owner to patiently wait another year during which time he would dig around the tree and put manure on it in the hope that it would bear fruit. If that helps after one year and there are fruits on it, good; if not, then it should be cut down.
In this parable, Jesus was talking about those who are indifferent to their salvation. He was talking about those who refuses to live their faith in Christ by performing good works, those who reject the grace of God the Father and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit in the Most Holy Name of Jesus.
The man who planted the vineyard is the Lord Jesus. The fig tree in the garden is one of many. We Christians each represent one fig tree. (Optional: In other words, it must be like a jungle in that vineyard with so many fig trees.) Each fig tree is expected to bear fruit that represent the good works and virtues of those who help to build the Body of Christ. Such good works can be inside or outside the parish. Some are called to teach Sunday School in the parish while others are called to witness to their co-workers in the working world. Each must answer his calling according to where he has been sent by God.
In the parable, we heard what should be done with a fig tree that does not produce any fruits after three years. It should be cut down. In other words, the life should be withdrawn from it. It should be destroyed. It should be thrown into the fire to burn until there is nothing left of it.
Near the end of the Reading, we heard that the gardener begged mercy on behalf of the fig tree. He promised to nourish the tree in the hope of awakening (reviving/rekindling) it so it will produce fruit.
Who is this gardener that begged mercy of the man? In John 15:1, we learn that God the Father is the Vinegrower. He is the One who removes every branch that bear no fruit. [Jn. 15:2] Jesus is the true Vine Who gives life. Unless one abides in Jesus, he cannot bear fruit because apart from Him, they can do nothing. [Jn. 15:5] In other words, Jesus is the Gardener.
Based on this knowledge, we learn that Jesus, as our Mediator [1 Tim. 2:5] begs the Heavenly Father to have mercy on behalf of those who do not bear fruit. Jesus promises to the Heavenly Father that He will shine even more graces upon those who have become indifferent to their salvation, those who have dulled their spiritual minds in order to reject the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. And, should it be that after another year, those who have rejected God's grace continue to do so, then let it be that God the Father will end their fruitless lives.
Some may ask, "If the fruits are also synonym to virtues, what are these virtues that should be on the fig tree." They are the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. [Gal. 5:22-3]
What does it mean when it is said that one does not bear fruit? It means that they are doing the work of the flesh: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these. [Gal. 5:19-21] As Saint Paul says in the Letter to the Galatians, "I am warning you, as I warned you before; those who do these things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." [Gal. 5:21] These are the fig trees that bear no fruit.
Some are under the impression that God is so full of love and mercy that He closes His eyes to the sins of the world. Whoever put that on their minds, it certainly was not God, nor the Holy Catholic Church. And if it was not God, nor the Holy Catholic Church, then it had to be Satan and his children who walk in the darkness. Let it be known that while God is very patient, as the parable of the fig tree tells us, His patience has a limit. How long will God the Father permit His beloved Son Jesus to shower an abundance of grace and love upon sinners who continue to reject the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit? Does today's parable not say that their days are numbered?
During today's First Reading from the Book of Exodus, we heard that God observed the misery of His people. He heard their cries on account of their taskmasters. [Ex. 3:7] And so He went to deliver them from the Egyptians. [Ex. 3:8]
During the Second Reading that provided us with more information about God's people, we learn that God did free His people from slavery. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food. They all drank the same spiritual drink. But, even thought they were God's people, he was not pleased with most of them. And He struck them down in the wilderness. [1 Cor. 10:2-5]
Why did God strike them down? These things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. [1 Cor. 10:6] And we should not complain about this righteousness of God. Those who complained in the days of Moses, they were destroyed by the Destroyer. [1 Cor. 10:10]
As St. Paul said, these things happened to serve as an example. And they were written down to instruct us. So, if we think we are standing, we better watch out that we do not fall. [1 Cor. 10:11-2]
My brothers and sisters in Christ, I ask, do you think that some of those in the days of Moses were worse sinners and that is why God struck them down? Do you think that some of those in the days of St. Paul were worse sinners and that is why they were denied the Kingdom of God? I say no! The sins that are committed today are the same sins that were committed in the days of Moses and St. Paul! Because of those specific sins, God struck some down and denied them the eternal Kingdom of joy and peace.
In conclusion, we should ask ourselves, is God using this Lenten Season to shower an abundance of grace upon us through Jesus Christ so we will repent of our sins? Is this our last year on earth? After all, none of us knows when the Father shall call us to answer before Him. In the hope of being united together one day as brothers and sisters in the Heavenly Kingdom of God, let us all prepare ourselves by repenting of our sins.
Third Sunday of Lent
Reading 1 Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,
the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned.”
When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers,” he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
But the LORD said,
“I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt
and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers,
so I know well what they are suffering.
Therefore I have come down to rescue them
from the hands of the Egyptians
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites:
I AM sent me to you.”
God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”
the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned.”
When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers,” he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
But the LORD said,
“I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt
and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers,
so I know well what they are suffering.
Therefore I have come down to rescue them
from the hands of the Egyptians
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites:
I AM sent me to you.”
God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.
“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”
Responsorial Psalm Ps 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
that our ancestors were all under the cloud
and all passed through the sea,
and all of them were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink,
for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ.
Yet God was not pleased with most of them,
for they were struck down in the desert.
These things happened as examples for us,
so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
Do not grumble as some of them did,
and suffered death by the destroyer.
These things happened to them as an example,
and they have been written down as a warning to us,
upon whom the end of the ages has come.
Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure
should take care not to fall.
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Reading 2 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,that our ancestors were all under the cloud
and all passed through the sea,
and all of them were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink,
for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ.
Yet God was not pleased with most of them,
for they were struck down in the desert.
These things happened as examples for us,
so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
Do not grumble as some of them did,
and suffered death by the destroyer.
These things happened to them as an example,
and they have been written down as a warning to us,
upon whom the end of the ages has come.
Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure
should take care not to fall.
Verse Before the Gospel Mt 4:17
Repent, says the Lord;the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Gospel Lk 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”
Prayers to Start
"Lord Jesus, increase my hunger for you that I may grow in righteousness and holiness. May I not squander the grace of the present moment to say "yes" to you and to your will and plan for my life."
My Lord and my God! I believe that you came as my Savior. I know you wish to save me from everlasting harm. Thank you. I place all my trust in you. I love you, Lord, and I offer myself as an instrument for you to help others to know and love you, too.
Teach me, Lord, to repent, to turn to you, and to spread your Good News. I believe in your mission of saving souls, including mine. I hope in you because of the time of mercy that you grant me. I want to love by spreading the Good News of your salvation. Let me be a messenger of your love.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Homily for Today
My brothers and sisters in Christ, as we enter the Second Week of Lent, in the tradition of the Catholic Church, we are called to continue to examine our hearts and to repent of any sins that may offend our Lord Jesus. This examination of conscience is to prepare us for the glorious Resurrection of Christ that will be celebrated on Easter Sunday immediately after the completion of the Lenten Season.
This Sunday, to elevate our minds towards a higher level of spiritual holiness so we may possess a greater perception of how offensive sin is to God, we are reminded that our citizenship is in Heaven. In this process, while discovering the merits that we have freely received by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, our hearts are impelled to show appreciation to the Heavenly Father in thanksgiving.
During today's First Reading from the Book of Genesis, we heard that because Abram believed in the promise of the Lord that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven, the Lord "reckoned it to him as righteousness." [Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3] As the living faith of Abram was reckoned to him as righteousness, the living faith of many others in those days was reckoned to them as righteousness.
"By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain's. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts." [Heb. 11:4] "By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death... For it was attested before he was taken away that 'he had pleased God.'" [Heb. 11:5; Gen. 5:21-4] "By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith." [Heb. 11:7] And the same reckoning of God was found in many others in the days of the Old Testament. In complete obedience to the Lord God, such echoing living faith, Isaac, [Heb. 11:20] Jacob, [Heb. 11:21] Joseph, [Heb. 11:22] Moses, [Heb. 11:23] and Rahab [Heb. 11:31] were all made righteous.
"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." [Heb. 11:1] Indeed, by faith many of those who lived in the days of the Old Testament have received approval.
During today's Second Reading from the Letter to the Philippians, we heard St. Paul teach "that our citizenship is in Heaven." [Phil. 3:20] Why is it that while we are in this world, we do not belong to this world? It is because Christ died for us so that we may be made righteous through Him. Through His death on the Cross as the sacrificial Lamb, we qualify to inherit the salvation that awaits all those who persevere in their living faith.
Since Christ died for us, we are indebted to Him for the gifts of righteousness, salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of God. We are indebted to Christ for what awaits us after the last trumpet. At that moment, in the twinkle of an eye, we will all be changed [1 Cor. 15:52-3] in the image of Christ. [1 Cor. 15:49] Our perishable bodies will put on imperishability, and our mortal bodies will put on immortability. [1 Cor. 15:54]
As "there is the glory (brightness) of the sun, the glory (brightness) of the moon, and the glory (brightness) of the stars, each differing from one another, so it is with the resurrection of the dead." [1 Cor. 15:41-2] Jesus will transform our present limited bodies of humiliation into glorious bodies. [1 Cor. 15:43] Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky. [Dan. 12:3] Those who lead many to righteousness shall shine like the stars forever and ever. [Dan. 12:3]
Let us reflect upon those biblical words for a moment. Let us reflect upon the glory that our loving Heavenly Father has prepared for each and everyone of us through Jesus Christ. What reward awaits you and I according to our good works? Will one or more of us in this parish shine as bright as the most brilliant star in the sky? I pray that the Lord God will bless all of us with such a reward.
To receive that glorious reward, we must persevere in our obedience to the commandments of God and of the Church. We must submit ourselves in obedience to the Church authorities. We must serve our Christian brothers and sisters in humility. Everyday of our lives, we must make sacrifices, always giving thanks to God for everything that He has given us.
Can we compare the sacrifices that we must make in this earthly life to the eternal rewards that awaits us all? No! There is no comparison. For our earthly lives are as a second of the eternal existence that God has prepared for us? If our earthly lives are as a mere second, then what are our sacrifices? Are they not only a small fraction of a mere second? My brothers and sisters, truly, the Lord God asks so little of us, and yet, He gives us so much in return.
During today's Gospel Reading, we heard that Jesus went up the mountain to pray with three Apostles, Peter, John and James. While they were on the mountain, the appearance of the face of Jesus changed and His clothing became dazzling white. Then, Moses and Elijah appeared and started talking to Jesus.
As we heard, that event did not pass unnoticed. Peter and the other two disciples witnessed the glory of the Lord Jesus. They witnessed, as far as it is humanly possible to see with the human eyes, the brilliance that comes with the transforming glory that awaits those who will be changed in the image of Jesus Christ.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, we do not belong to this world. Our citizenship is in Heaven. How long can we continue to be double-minded? [Jas. 1:8, 4:8] One moment, embracing a spiritual mind, we want to die and go to Heaven; the next moment, embracing a worldly mind, we do not want to die and we desire all the pleasures of the world. How patient the Lord has been with us who are so unstable in our ways.
Knowing that our citizenship is in Heaven, our present goal in life should be to prepare ourselves for what awaits us. By the power of the Holy Spirit, our preparation should consist of embracing holy virtues that will benefit us for eternity.
Should we not be shining in love towards all men versus closing our eyes to the wars, the division and the hatred that goes on in this world? Should we not be showing charity towards the poor versus accumulating an over-abundance of wealth that will be left behind when we depart from this world? Should we not be sharing the good news with all those with who we come in contact instead of being indifferent to our faith?
There is so much that we can do, (pause) if we are willing, to accumulate credits that will be applied towards our Heavenly reward. What are a few moments of our time here and there in comparison to what awaits us? What are a few weekly sacrifices in comparison to the blessings that we will receive as Heavenly citizens?
My brothers and sisters, the eternal rewards that shall be bestowed upon each and everyone of us shall be according to what we truly deserve. For the Lord Jesus is just in all His ways!
This week, let us reflect upon our citizenship in Heaven. Let us assess what is forthcoming based on what we have earned until now in our lives. Let us assess if we qualify to shine as the brightest of the stars in the sky. And if necessary, let us correct ours ways so that we will be among those that the Lord God shall bless the most abundantly.
Second Sunday of Lent
Reading 1GN 15:5-12, 17-18
The Lord God took Abram outside and said,
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
He then said to him,
“I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord GOD,” he asked,
“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
“Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
He then said to him,
“I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord GOD,” he asked,
“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
“Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord.
Our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
This is my beloved Son, hear him.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Reading 2PHIL 3:17—4:1
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters,and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord.
OrPHIL 3:20—4:1
Brothers and sisters:Our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
Verse Before The GospelCF. MT 17:5
From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard:This is my beloved Son, hear him.
GospelLK 9:28B-36
Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Today's Homily
Welcome my brothers and sisters in Christ to today's celebration of the Holy Mass on the First Sunday of Lent. As most of you are aware, the Lenten Season began a few days ago on Ash Wednesday and it will last for forty days. Every year during this time, the Church unites herself to the mystery of Jesus in the desert. [Catechism of the Catholic Church # 540]
Jesus' temptation in the desert reveals to us the way in which the Son of God is the Messiah. This is contrary to the way Satan proposed it to Jesus and the way men wish to attribute to Him. This is why Christ vanquished the tempter for us: "For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning." [C.C.C. # 540; Heb. 4:15]
During the Season of Lent, it is the custom of the Church to re- read and re-live the great events of salvation history in the 'today' of her liturgy. This demands that catechesis help the faithful to open themselves to the spiritual understanding of the economy of salvation as the Church's liturgy reveals it and enables us to live it. [C.C.C. # 1095]
Today's message from the Gospel of Luke speaks to us of the triumph of Jesus in the desert. Led by the Spirit in the wilderness, the Lord Jesus resisted the three temptations that were placed before Him. Through Jesus and with Him, we are reminded that we too can be triumphant in our battle against evil.
In accordance with the tradition of the Church, during the Lenten Season, we as believers are called to repent of our sins that offend God. We are called to frequently remember the triumph of Jesus. We are called to triumphantly live our faith in Christ as baptized children of God. We are called to go forward and shine by our obedience, our servitude, our charity towards others, through prayers, sacrifices, all in the love of God.
By doing so, we know that in the end, our triumph shall also be glorious through the Kingdom of God that we shall inherit as children of the Lord.
During today's Gospel Reading, we heard how Satan tempted Jesus the first time. He asked Jesus to manifest His Divine power by commanding a stone to become a loaf of bread. But Jesus, "though He was in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied Himself, taking form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross." [Heb. 2:6-8]
At anytime in His life, Jesus, being God incarnated, could have performed miracles or could have appealed to His father and at once, He would have sent Him more than twelve legions of angels. But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, when they say that it must happen in this way? [Mt. 26:53-4]
The answer that Jesus gave to the devil is most interesting. Jesus said, "One does not live by bread alone." If we are to associate this response with the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, it implies that the Bread of Life, the Body of Christ, is insufficient in itself to assure our salvation. There is a great truth to this mystery. As words without actions are dead, faith without works is also dead. [Jas. 2:26] For, by the grace of God, our works are manifestations of the indwelling Holy Spirit who is sanctifying us and moving our living faith towards a perfect likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So important are works in our lives that in the end of the Book of Revelation, we read, "See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone's work." [Rev. 22:12] In the beginning of the same Book, we read, "I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you." [Rev. 3:1-3]
In that same Chapter, we read, "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.' You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked." [Rev. 3:15-7]
You see my brothers and sisters, to qualify to inherit the Kingdom of God, we need to allow ourselves to be moved by the Holy Spirit to perform spiritual works for the glory of God. As the spiritual works of Jesus were Divine manifestations that He truly was the Son of God, our spiritual works by the power of the Holy Spirit are manifestations that we too are children of God, Sons and Daughters of the Almighty.
In the second temptation, the devil showed Jesus in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. Then he promised to give Him all their glory and authority if Jesus would worship him. Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.'" By His answer, Jesus gave two messages. First of all, His answer echoed the first Commandment, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me." [Ex. 20:2-3]
Secondly, for what would it profit to gain the whole world but to forfeit one's life? [Mt. 16:26] What good is all the glory and authority that comes with the ownership of kingdoms if one will lose his soul? Are a few years of glory and authority of more value than an eternal life as a child of God? Certainly not!
My brothers and sisters, during the coming week, let us reflect on the actions of Jesus who was led by the Spirit in the wilderness. As Jesus resisted the temptations in the desert, we too are called to resist the daily temptations that cross our path and seek to destroy our communion with God. We are called to repent of past sins, to be sanctified in Christ, to perform spiritual works through the power of the Holy Spirit, to resist all glory and authority that may separate us from the love of God Who greatly desires to see the fulfillment of our adoption as His children. Let us reflect upon these things during the coming week.
May the grace of God be with you all as you search your hearts with great sincerity and allow yourselves to be transformed in Christ.
Jesus' temptation in the desert reveals to us the way in which the Son of God is the Messiah. This is contrary to the way Satan proposed it to Jesus and the way men wish to attribute to Him. This is why Christ vanquished the tempter for us: "For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning." [C.C.C. # 540; Heb. 4:15]
During the Season of Lent, it is the custom of the Church to re- read and re-live the great events of salvation history in the 'today' of her liturgy. This demands that catechesis help the faithful to open themselves to the spiritual understanding of the economy of salvation as the Church's liturgy reveals it and enables us to live it. [C.C.C. # 1095]
Today's message from the Gospel of Luke speaks to us of the triumph of Jesus in the desert. Led by the Spirit in the wilderness, the Lord Jesus resisted the three temptations that were placed before Him. Through Jesus and with Him, we are reminded that we too can be triumphant in our battle against evil.
In accordance with the tradition of the Church, during the Lenten Season, we as believers are called to repent of our sins that offend God. We are called to frequently remember the triumph of Jesus. We are called to triumphantly live our faith in Christ as baptized children of God. We are called to go forward and shine by our obedience, our servitude, our charity towards others, through prayers, sacrifices, all in the love of God.
By doing so, we know that in the end, our triumph shall also be glorious through the Kingdom of God that we shall inherit as children of the Lord.
During today's Gospel Reading, we heard how Satan tempted Jesus the first time. He asked Jesus to manifest His Divine power by commanding a stone to become a loaf of bread. But Jesus, "though He was in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied Himself, taking form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross." [Heb. 2:6-8]
At anytime in His life, Jesus, being God incarnated, could have performed miracles or could have appealed to His father and at once, He would have sent Him more than twelve legions of angels. But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, when they say that it must happen in this way? [Mt. 26:53-4]
The answer that Jesus gave to the devil is most interesting. Jesus said, "One does not live by bread alone." If we are to associate this response with the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, it implies that the Bread of Life, the Body of Christ, is insufficient in itself to assure our salvation. There is a great truth to this mystery. As words without actions are dead, faith without works is also dead. [Jas. 2:26] For, by the grace of God, our works are manifestations of the indwelling Holy Spirit who is sanctifying us and moving our living faith towards a perfect likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So important are works in our lives that in the end of the Book of Revelation, we read, "See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone's work." [Rev. 22:12] In the beginning of the same Book, we read, "I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you." [Rev. 3:1-3]
In that same Chapter, we read, "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.' You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked." [Rev. 3:15-7]
You see my brothers and sisters, to qualify to inherit the Kingdom of God, we need to allow ourselves to be moved by the Holy Spirit to perform spiritual works for the glory of God. As the spiritual works of Jesus were Divine manifestations that He truly was the Son of God, our spiritual works by the power of the Holy Spirit are manifestations that we too are children of God, Sons and Daughters of the Almighty.
In the second temptation, the devil showed Jesus in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. Then he promised to give Him all their glory and authority if Jesus would worship him. Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.'" By His answer, Jesus gave two messages. First of all, His answer echoed the first Commandment, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me." [Ex. 20:2-3]
Secondly, for what would it profit to gain the whole world but to forfeit one's life? [Mt. 16:26] What good is all the glory and authority that comes with the ownership of kingdoms if one will lose his soul? Are a few years of glory and authority of more value than an eternal life as a child of God? Certainly not!
My brothers and sisters, during the coming week, let us reflect on the actions of Jesus who was led by the Spirit in the wilderness. As Jesus resisted the temptations in the desert, we too are called to resist the daily temptations that cross our path and seek to destroy our communion with God. We are called to repent of past sins, to be sanctified in Christ, to perform spiritual works through the power of the Holy Spirit, to resist all glory and authority that may separate us from the love of God Who greatly desires to see the fulfillment of our adoption as His children. Let us reflect upon these things during the coming week.
May the grace of God be with you all as you search your hearts with great sincerity and allow yourselves to be transformed in Christ.
First Sunday of Lent
Reading 1 Dt 26:4-10
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“The priest shall receive the basket from you
and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God.
Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God,
‘My father was a wandering Aramean
who went down to Egypt with a small household
and lived there as an alien.
But there he became a nation
great, strong, and numerous.
When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us,
imposing hard labor upon us,
we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,
and he heard our cry
and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
He brought us out of Egypt
with his strong hand and outstretched arm,
with terrifying power, with signs and wonders;
and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil
which you, O LORD, have given me.’
And having set them before the Lord, your God,
you shall bow down in his presence.”
“The priest shall receive the basket from you
and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God.
Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God,
‘My father was a wandering Aramean
who went down to Egypt with a small household
and lived there as an alien.
But there he became a nation
great, strong, and numerous.
When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us,
imposing hard labor upon us,
we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,
and he heard our cry
and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
He brought us out of Egypt
with his strong hand and outstretched arm,
with terrifying power, with signs and wonders;
and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil
which you, O LORD, have given me.’
And having set them before the Lord, your God,
you shall bow down in his presence.”
Responsorial Psalm Ps 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15
R. (cf. 15b) Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
No evil shall befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your tent,
For to his angels he has given command about you,
that they guard you in all your ways.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Upon their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the asp and the viper;
you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and glorify him.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
What does Scripture say?
The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart
—that is, the word of faith that we preach—,
for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
For the Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
No evil shall befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your tent,
For to his angels he has given command about you,
that they guard you in all your ways.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Upon their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the asp and the viper;
you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and glorify him.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Reading 2 Rom 10:8-13
Brothers and sisters:What does Scripture say?
The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart
—that is, the word of faith that we preach—,
for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
For the Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Verse Before the Gospel Mt 4:4b
One does not live on bread alone,but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Gospel Lk 4:1-13
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days,
and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered him,
“It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”
Then he took him up and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
The devil said to him,
“I shall give to you all this power and glory;
for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It is written:
You shall worship the Lord, your God,
and him alone shall you serve.”
Then he led him to Jerusalem,
made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down from here, for it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,
and:
With their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It also says,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
When the devil had finished every temptation,
he departed from him for a time.
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days,
and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered him,
“It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”
Then he took him up and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
The devil said to him,
“I shall give to you all this power and glory;
for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It is written:
You shall worship the Lord, your God,
and him alone shall you serve.”
Then he led him to Jerusalem,
made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down from here, for it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,
and:
With their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It also says,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
When the devil had finished every temptation,
he departed from him for a time.
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