Friday, April 27, 2012
Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year B (Good Shepherd Sunday/ Vocations Sunday). Acts 4:8-12/ Psalm 118/1John 3:1-2/ John 10:11-18
THEME: He knows our nature; he knows our need
The extraordinary love of God for us has taken in Jesus the form of the Good Shepherd who “laid down his life for his sheep” (Gospel). He is the one and only path to salvation for crippled humanity (Second Reading and Psalm): a salvation that is so profound that it is not limited to an external alteration or a change in legal status, but actually makes us be children of God: something to marvel at, even if we do not yet know the half of the story (Second Reading).
On Calvary it seemed Jesus was a complete failure. But the resurrection has revealed that instead, by that very ‘failure’, he has become the center of the human story, the corner stone holding together the dignity of the human person and all our hope for the future. This is evidenced in the defense Peter and John gave to the Sanhedrin in the first reading of today. It is interesting to note that Peter was said to have been filled with the Holy Spirit before he gave this witness. In Acts 2:4, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. There is one baptism of the Spirit and this happens during one’s conversion (1 Corinthians 12:13), but there must be many fillings of the Spirit if a believer is to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ.
In the second reading, our dignity as Christians is raised to an unheard of level: we actually are God’s sons and daughters. It is not a figurative term, or a purely legal situation, but the expression of our new reality. As God’s creatures we are a reflection of his being; as his children we are God’s own family.
That “what we shall later be has not yet come to light” (1John 3:2) cannot be over-emphasised. That is the best even inspired words can do to try to get across to us what God has done in us. We just have not got language or notions to express it even remotely adequately. It is all because of the unimaginable richness of his love for us. We are creatures: we love things because they are. God is Creator: things are because he loves them. The more extraordinary the ‘thing’, the greater love is at the root of them. And there is nothing greater, if we accept the human nature of Jesus himself, than our sharing in the divine life.
We are still in a situation where Christ is rejected by the world; this is the way it will always be. Along with him, Christians and the Church are readily discarded as “not part of the solution”, or rather, in certain circles, particularly in Europe and wherever the “culture of death” reigns, as definite obstacles to any “progressive” solution to human problems. But although this certainly brings about difficulties, adversities and suffering for many Christians, the most profound loss is suffered by a world that as a result is at best unaware and unappreciative to “be called children of God” and that hides from the Good Shepherd seeking out his lost sheep.
Jesus in the gospel reading of today points out three special ministries that he performs as the Good Shepherd namely:
That the Good Shepherd dies for his sheep (vv.11-13). Under the old dispensation, the sheep died for the shepherd, but now the Good Shepherd dies for the sheep. Five times in this sermon, Jesus clearly affirmed the sacrificial nature of his death (cf John 10:11, 15, 17-18). Jesus did not die a martyr; he died as a substitute, willingly laying down his life for us. While the blood of Jesus is sufficient for the salvation of the world, it is efficient only for those who will believe.
That he knows his sheep (vv.14-15). In the gospel of John, the word know means much more than intellectual awareness. It speaks of an intimate relationship between God and his people (cf John 17:3). Our Lord knows our names and he calls each one of us by name like he called Zacchaeus and Mary Magdalene by name. He also knows our nature. While all sheep are alike in their essential nature, each sheep has its own distinctive characteristics and the Good Shepherds recognises these traits. For instance, one sheep may be afraid of high places, another of dark shadows. The Good Shepherd will consider these special needs as he tends the flock. Even in his choosing of the twelve disciples, Jesus knew each of them personally and he also knew how to deal with them. Because Jesus knows our natures, he also knows our needs. Often we do not know our own needs. This is the man who invites us to entrust our life to him and worry no more.
That he brings other sheep into the flock (vv. 16). Indeed, the missionary message of the gospel of John is obvious: “For God so loved the world…”(John 3:16). Jesus died for a lost world and his desire is that his people reach a lost world with the message of eternal life.
The image of the Good Shepherd was perhaps the favorite early Christian image of our Savior. He is still seeking out the ones who have strayed away, or have never been near him. But he needs feet to go where they are, hands to reach out to them, tongues to speak to them his warm words of invitation and welcome. How many inactive Catholics, or people who attend no church, are there on your street? Imagine if on every street there was just one family that visited their neighbors in a friendly, inviting way on behalf of the Catholic Church, to see how they might be helped –or welcomed home? How many more tired, stray sheep would experience the arms of the Good Shepherd reaching out to lift them up and carry them home. He wants to, but he can’t do it without us.
Today is Vocations Sunday. Jesus has always shepherded his people through those he has called to ministry. Just as he laid down his life for sinful humanity, he invites all whom he has called to have a heart of sacrifice; a heart of availability to his children so that none is lost. He is still calling young men to the priesthood as shepherds, and young women to consecrated life where they can exercise their “feminine genius” of caring for God’s loved ones. He is calling on many married men and women to nurture and foster vocations in their homes. We have to be truly grateful for the ones who listen to his call and are willing, like him, to “lay down their life”, freely.
In conclusion, the Pope issues a message for Vocations Sunday each year and the theme chosen by Pope Benedict XVI for this year’s celebration is: Vocations, the Gift of the Love of God. In his message Pope Benedict says: “It is in this soil of self-offering and openness to the love of God, and as the fruit of that love, that all vocations are born and grow. By drawing from this wellspring through prayer, constant recourse to God’s word and to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, it becomes possible to live a life of love for our neighbours, in whom we come to perceive the face of Christ the Lord (cf. Mt 25:31-46).”
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year B Acts 3:13-15, 17-19/ Psalm 5/1John 2:1-5a/ Luke 24:35-48
THEME: He has paid our debt
The resurrection of Jesus is what animates our ministry. Healing and deliverance is at the heart of Jesus ministry (First Reading). We can only experience this healing when we acknowledge our sinfulness (Second Reading). It is to us that this ministry of healing and reconciliation has come. Jesus urges us to bear witness to his suffering and on ward resurrection because it is this that satisfies the greatest yearning of humankind (Gospel reading).
In the first reading, the healing of the lame beggar drew a crowd around the three men. Solomon’s Porch, on the east side of the temple, was a corridor where our Lord had ministered (John 10:23) and where the Church worshipped (Acts 5:12).
In his sermon at Pentecost, Peter had to refute the accusation that the believers were drunk. In this sermon, he had to refute the notion that he and John had healed the man by their own power. Peter immediately identified the source of the miracle- Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Wisely, Peter said that this was the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Spirit certainly gave Peter boldness as he reminded the Jews of the way they had treated Jesus. They had denied Him and delivered Him up to be crucified. Even worse, they had asked for a guilty man, Barabass, to be set free so that an innocent prisoner might be crucified. In order to convince them of the enormity of their crime, Peter used several different names and titles for our Lord: God’s Son, Jesus, the Holy one, the just one, the Prince of Peace (Pioneer) of life. This was no ordinary man that they had handed over to the Romans to crucify.
There must be conviction before a sinner can experience conversion. Unless a patient is convinced that he is sick, he will never accept the diagnosis or take the treatment that has been prescribed by him. Peter turned the temple into a courtroom and laid all evidence out for everybody to see. How could two ordinary fishermen perform such a great miracle unless God was with them? Nobody would dare deny the miracle because the beggar stood there before them all in “perfect soundness” (Acts 3:16). To accept the miracle would have been to admit that Jesus Christ is indeed the living Son of God and that His name has power. While the crowd was fascinated about the miracle, Peter was drawing their attention to repentance and conversion.
The gospel story we have just heard is a counterpart of John 20:19-23, which we read last week. The location of Jesus’ encounter with the disciples last week is the same today- the upper room; the same greetings (Peace to you). The emphasis on Jesus’ physical appearance is similar. In John, this appearance takes the form of the invitation to Thomas to touch the body of the risen Lord while in Luke it takes the form of a demonstration by eating a piece of boiled fish. This detail is doubly interesting. The presence of fish suggests an original Galilean setting for this appearance story, while the meal context suggests the association of the original resurrection appearances with the Eucharist.
The real interest of St. Luke for his audience is his unique emphasis on scriptures “Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures… that the Messiah must suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem…” (Luke 24:44-48).
Jesus interrupts the conversation of the disciples by appearing to them. He greets them with his customary words, "Peace be with you", telling them that they can be at peace with themselves, with one another and with God. They were in a state of "alarm and fright" but he spoke to them with patience and compassion. It is interesting to note that it took Jesus again to “open their minds to understand the Scriptures". Now he tells them how they are to go out and preach it.
The first reality they must announce is the fact that the Christ would suffer and then on the third day rise from the dead. This is the central act of Jesus our Saviour. Everything else about him is summed up in that one fact of history. His entire works beforehand now take their reality from this. They have their reason and their fulfilment in this alone. We can see the implications of this from his many miracles and teachings.
His message is clear. It is one of repentance for the forgiveness of all sins. We must learn that, like him, we too must first die to what we consider closest to us and then to rise again with a new life that we can share with all.
It is quite understandable that we would all prefer to be without sin and suffering. In fact, it is central to God´s plan that we should reach that very desirable goal. This is the focus of the second reading. Our problem is that we try to deal with them ourselves rather than going to the healer of our souls. Sin we try to exorcise by dint of sticking our collective heads in the sands of denial. We seem to think that, if we decide it does not exist, the problem is solved. But of course it is not. The word of God is very clear that it really does exist, and in everyone´s life; and that in fact that is why Jesus died, and rose from the dead (God´s solution to the problem –the one that works). "He is an offering for our sins, and… those of the whole world". The whole of Scripture, and in particular the death of Christ, makes no sense if there is no such thing as sin.
In sum, Jesus invites us to reflect seriously on why he came into this life. This is why “he opened their minds to understand the scripture and he said to them. Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem…” (Luke 24:45-48).
The resurrection of Jesus is what animates our ministry. Healing and deliverance is at the heart of Jesus ministry (First Reading). We can only experience this healing when we acknowledge our sinfulness (Second Reading). It is to us that this ministry of healing and reconciliation has come. Jesus urges us to bear witness to his suffering and on ward resurrection because it is this that satisfies the greatest yearning of humankind (Gospel reading).
In the first reading, the healing of the lame beggar drew a crowd around the three men. Solomon’s Porch, on the east side of the temple, was a corridor where our Lord had ministered (John 10:23) and where the Church worshipped (Acts 5:12).
In his sermon at Pentecost, Peter had to refute the accusation that the believers were drunk. In this sermon, he had to refute the notion that he and John had healed the man by their own power. Peter immediately identified the source of the miracle- Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Wisely, Peter said that this was the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Spirit certainly gave Peter boldness as he reminded the Jews of the way they had treated Jesus. They had denied Him and delivered Him up to be crucified. Even worse, they had asked for a guilty man, Barabass, to be set free so that an innocent prisoner might be crucified. In order to convince them of the enormity of their crime, Peter used several different names and titles for our Lord: God’s Son, Jesus, the Holy one, the just one, the Prince of Peace (Pioneer) of life. This was no ordinary man that they had handed over to the Romans to crucify.
There must be conviction before a sinner can experience conversion. Unless a patient is convinced that he is sick, he will never accept the diagnosis or take the treatment that has been prescribed by him. Peter turned the temple into a courtroom and laid all evidence out for everybody to see. How could two ordinary fishermen perform such a great miracle unless God was with them? Nobody would dare deny the miracle because the beggar stood there before them all in “perfect soundness” (Acts 3:16). To accept the miracle would have been to admit that Jesus Christ is indeed the living Son of God and that His name has power. While the crowd was fascinated about the miracle, Peter was drawing their attention to repentance and conversion.
The gospel story we have just heard is a counterpart of John 20:19-23, which we read last week. The location of Jesus’ encounter with the disciples last week is the same today- the upper room; the same greetings (Peace to you). The emphasis on Jesus’ physical appearance is similar. In John, this appearance takes the form of the invitation to Thomas to touch the body of the risen Lord while in Luke it takes the form of a demonstration by eating a piece of boiled fish. This detail is doubly interesting. The presence of fish suggests an original Galilean setting for this appearance story, while the meal context suggests the association of the original resurrection appearances with the Eucharist.
The real interest of St. Luke for his audience is his unique emphasis on scriptures “Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures… that the Messiah must suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem…” (Luke 24:44-48).
Jesus interrupts the conversation of the disciples by appearing to them. He greets them with his customary words, "Peace be with you", telling them that they can be at peace with themselves, with one another and with God. They were in a state of "alarm and fright" but he spoke to them with patience and compassion. It is interesting to note that it took Jesus again to “open their minds to understand the Scriptures". Now he tells them how they are to go out and preach it.
The first reality they must announce is the fact that the Christ would suffer and then on the third day rise from the dead. This is the central act of Jesus our Saviour. Everything else about him is summed up in that one fact of history. His entire works beforehand now take their reality from this. They have their reason and their fulfilment in this alone. We can see the implications of this from his many miracles and teachings.
His message is clear. It is one of repentance for the forgiveness of all sins. We must learn that, like him, we too must first die to what we consider closest to us and then to rise again with a new life that we can share with all.
It is quite understandable that we would all prefer to be without sin and suffering. In fact, it is central to God´s plan that we should reach that very desirable goal. This is the focus of the second reading. Our problem is that we try to deal with them ourselves rather than going to the healer of our souls. Sin we try to exorcise by dint of sticking our collective heads in the sands of denial. We seem to think that, if we decide it does not exist, the problem is solved. But of course it is not. The word of God is very clear that it really does exist, and in everyone´s life; and that in fact that is why Jesus died, and rose from the dead (God´s solution to the problem –the one that works). "He is an offering for our sins, and… those of the whole world". The whole of Scripture, and in particular the death of Christ, makes no sense if there is no such thing as sin.
In sum, Jesus invites us to reflect seriously on why he came into this life. This is why “he opened their minds to understand the scripture and he said to them. Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem…” (Luke 24:45-48).
Friday, April 13, 2012
Homily for Divine Mercy Sunday Acts 4:32-35/ Psalm 118/1John 5:1-6/ John 20:19-31
THEME: The unfathomable mercy of God
Today we join with our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI in celebrating the Feast of Divine Mercy! The prayer “Jesus I trust in you” is the heart of the Divine Mercy devotion. The mercy of God is our only hope - and every day, as we walk the difficult paths of life, we learn to whisper over and over again, deep down in our hearts: Jesus, I trust in you! Jesus, I trust in you. This simple prayer of faith, this grace of confident trust, is a gift from the merciful God which gives us power to do all sorts of things in our spiritual lives.
To Saint Faustina Our Lord said: "I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of my tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of my mercy. The soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened." (Diary, 699).This day we celebrate the richness, meaning, participation in and application of God's mercy for us.
Last week Sunday, I told you that the resurrection of Jesus does not end his earthly ministry but opens up for us a new dimension to his ministry namely a continuation of his work. Thus, the readings from the Acts of the Apostles take the place of the Old Testament readings during the Easter season in each of the cycles A, B, and C. such readings are appropriate because they show the continued work of the risen Christ in his Church.
One of the outcomes of the Resurrection is the formation of a community of believers. This is to reiterate the fact that the Easter events are not an individual affair but a community one. Therefore, no one can be an effective Christian in isolation. The Early Church did more than make converts; they also made disciples. A disciple is one who sits at the feet of his master to learn. Today is also Divine Mercy Sunday, a day set aside by Pope John Paul II of blessed memory to reflect the mercy of God. Let us, therefore, drink deep from this fountain of mercy at our disposal.
In the first reading, Luke presents us with the features of the new community of believers constituted as a consequence of the resurrection. Having preached repentance and forgiveness of sins, about three thousand persons were added to the apostolic community. This new community “Devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42). Today, as a community of believers, can we say that we are devoted to the teachings of the apostles; to fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers? These things form the basis of any Christian community. Therefore, if we cannot find them in our community, then our communities are non-existent; they have no root. The Church’s prayer is, therefore, founded on apostolic faith; authenticated by charity; nourished in the Eucharist.
Furthermore, “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45). I must emphasise that the kind of fellowship (in Greek Koinonia) that existed among the Early Church means more than “Being together.” It means “having in common” and probably refers to sharing of material goods. This was not a form of modern communism, for the programme was totally voluntary, temporary and motivated by love.
Moreover, “Day by day as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts praising God and having the good will of all people” (Acts 2:46-47). We are told that they not only met in the temple, but in their homes. This brings out clearly the need for the Basic Christian Communities (BCC). Our homes must truly reflect what Vatican II calls the Domestic Church where the Word of God is shared; faith matters are discussed and above all where food is shared.
The Gospel reading brings out clearly the beginnings of the Early Church. After Jesus’ death, they locked themselves up for fear of the Jews. For what they were doing, we are not told. But at least, they recognize that in unity lies their strength. They were together. It was in the togetherness that the greatest thing happened to them, “Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you” (John 20:19b). The kind of peace Jesus gave his disciples is a peace that renewed their faith in him and drove away all fears, useless worries and anxieties.
Again, it was when they were together that they received the great commission. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. When he has said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:21-23). This is where the Church received the power to administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The power to forgive sins was not given to individuals but to the Church. Thus those who are questioning the authenticity of this sacrament must assess their intentions and avail themselves for it (Prayer of Absolution).
Why was Thomas not with the other disciples? Was he disappointed that the resurrection was a fiasco? When we are discouraged, and defeated, we need our friends all the more. Solitude only feeds discouragement and helps it to grow into self-pity, which is even worse. Thomas is a good warning to all of us not to miss meeting together as a community of believers (Hebrews 10:25). Because Thomas was not there when Jesus came, he missed seeing Jesus Christ, hearing His words of peace and receiving His commission and gift of spiritual life. He had to endure a week of fear and unbelief when he could have been experiencing joy and peace! Remember Thomas when you are tempted to stay home from Church. You never know what special blessing you might miss!
For the Christian every Sunday is the Day of the Resurrection or the Day of the Lord. We cannot afford to miss the meeting of the assembly. Just as the Early Church did in the past, in the celebration of the Mass, we also devote ourselves to apostles’ teachings and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Doubt no more, because as John puts it “… But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that through believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Let us not have an unbelieving heart that turns us away from the Lord (Hebrews 3:12).
As we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, Jesus wishes to bear with our doubts, our betrayals and our sign of faithlessness just as he did with the disciples. He invites us to drink deep into the fountain of mercy which his resurrection brings us.
On this Second Sunday of Easter, the responsorial psalm and Gospel for Cycles A, B and C center on the theme of mercy. In Psalm 118 we sing three times, “His mercy endures forever.” The Gospel, from John 20:19-31, begins with the risen Christ appearing to the apostles on Easter night. Jesus calms his disciples by saying and giving them “Peace.” He shows them the scars of his Passion, his wounded hands and side. His glorified body retains the evidence of his saving work through his suffering, death and resurrection.
He fills them with joy and again says to them—and produces in them—“Peace.” Then he breathes on them and explains what the divine breathing means with the words, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” He gives the apostles the power of God’s mercy for the sinner, the gift of forgiving sins from God’s treasury of mercy. The other texts speak of healing and give the assurance there is nothing to fear.
From Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday to the Eighth Day of Easter, the divine love song of mercy is chanted amid abundant alleluias. For centuries in liturgy the Church has proclaimed the mercy of God through the Word of God and the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. The tables of Word and Sacrament are heaped with the promises of Divine Mercy and its grand effect in the lives of millions. The liturgy is the storehouse of the wisdom of God and a treasure chest for all the worshipers.
In conclusion, the Christians you meet in the book of Acts of the Apostles were not content to meet once a week for “services as usual.” They met daily (Acts 2:46), cared daily (Acts 6:1), won souls daily (Acts 2:47), searched the scriptures daily (Acts 17:11) and increased in number daily (Acts 2:47). Their faith was a day to day reality, not a once-a-week routine. Why? Because the risen Christ was a living reality to them and his resurrection power was at work in their lives through the Spirit. The promise is still good: “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13). Have you called? Have you trusted Jesus Christ to save you?
Today we join with our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI in celebrating the Feast of Divine Mercy! The prayer “Jesus I trust in you” is the heart of the Divine Mercy devotion. The mercy of God is our only hope - and every day, as we walk the difficult paths of life, we learn to whisper over and over again, deep down in our hearts: Jesus, I trust in you! Jesus, I trust in you. This simple prayer of faith, this grace of confident trust, is a gift from the merciful God which gives us power to do all sorts of things in our spiritual lives.
To Saint Faustina Our Lord said: "I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of my tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of my mercy. The soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened." (Diary, 699).This day we celebrate the richness, meaning, participation in and application of God's mercy for us.
Last week Sunday, I told you that the resurrection of Jesus does not end his earthly ministry but opens up for us a new dimension to his ministry namely a continuation of his work. Thus, the readings from the Acts of the Apostles take the place of the Old Testament readings during the Easter season in each of the cycles A, B, and C. such readings are appropriate because they show the continued work of the risen Christ in his Church.
One of the outcomes of the Resurrection is the formation of a community of believers. This is to reiterate the fact that the Easter events are not an individual affair but a community one. Therefore, no one can be an effective Christian in isolation. The Early Church did more than make converts; they also made disciples. A disciple is one who sits at the feet of his master to learn. Today is also Divine Mercy Sunday, a day set aside by Pope John Paul II of blessed memory to reflect the mercy of God. Let us, therefore, drink deep from this fountain of mercy at our disposal.
In the first reading, Luke presents us with the features of the new community of believers constituted as a consequence of the resurrection. Having preached repentance and forgiveness of sins, about three thousand persons were added to the apostolic community. This new community “Devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42). Today, as a community of believers, can we say that we are devoted to the teachings of the apostles; to fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers? These things form the basis of any Christian community. Therefore, if we cannot find them in our community, then our communities are non-existent; they have no root. The Church’s prayer is, therefore, founded on apostolic faith; authenticated by charity; nourished in the Eucharist.
Furthermore, “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45). I must emphasise that the kind of fellowship (in Greek Koinonia) that existed among the Early Church means more than “Being together.” It means “having in common” and probably refers to sharing of material goods. This was not a form of modern communism, for the programme was totally voluntary, temporary and motivated by love.
Moreover, “Day by day as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts praising God and having the good will of all people” (Acts 2:46-47). We are told that they not only met in the temple, but in their homes. This brings out clearly the need for the Basic Christian Communities (BCC). Our homes must truly reflect what Vatican II calls the Domestic Church where the Word of God is shared; faith matters are discussed and above all where food is shared.
The Gospel reading brings out clearly the beginnings of the Early Church. After Jesus’ death, they locked themselves up for fear of the Jews. For what they were doing, we are not told. But at least, they recognize that in unity lies their strength. They were together. It was in the togetherness that the greatest thing happened to them, “Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you” (John 20:19b). The kind of peace Jesus gave his disciples is a peace that renewed their faith in him and drove away all fears, useless worries and anxieties.
Again, it was when they were together that they received the great commission. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. When he has said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:21-23). This is where the Church received the power to administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The power to forgive sins was not given to individuals but to the Church. Thus those who are questioning the authenticity of this sacrament must assess their intentions and avail themselves for it (Prayer of Absolution).
Why was Thomas not with the other disciples? Was he disappointed that the resurrection was a fiasco? When we are discouraged, and defeated, we need our friends all the more. Solitude only feeds discouragement and helps it to grow into self-pity, which is even worse. Thomas is a good warning to all of us not to miss meeting together as a community of believers (Hebrews 10:25). Because Thomas was not there when Jesus came, he missed seeing Jesus Christ, hearing His words of peace and receiving His commission and gift of spiritual life. He had to endure a week of fear and unbelief when he could have been experiencing joy and peace! Remember Thomas when you are tempted to stay home from Church. You never know what special blessing you might miss!
For the Christian every Sunday is the Day of the Resurrection or the Day of the Lord. We cannot afford to miss the meeting of the assembly. Just as the Early Church did in the past, in the celebration of the Mass, we also devote ourselves to apostles’ teachings and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Doubt no more, because as John puts it “… But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that through believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Let us not have an unbelieving heart that turns us away from the Lord (Hebrews 3:12).
As we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, Jesus wishes to bear with our doubts, our betrayals and our sign of faithlessness just as he did with the disciples. He invites us to drink deep into the fountain of mercy which his resurrection brings us.
On this Second Sunday of Easter, the responsorial psalm and Gospel for Cycles A, B and C center on the theme of mercy. In Psalm 118 we sing three times, “His mercy endures forever.” The Gospel, from John 20:19-31, begins with the risen Christ appearing to the apostles on Easter night. Jesus calms his disciples by saying and giving them “Peace.” He shows them the scars of his Passion, his wounded hands and side. His glorified body retains the evidence of his saving work through his suffering, death and resurrection.
He fills them with joy and again says to them—and produces in them—“Peace.” Then he breathes on them and explains what the divine breathing means with the words, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” He gives the apostles the power of God’s mercy for the sinner, the gift of forgiving sins from God’s treasury of mercy. The other texts speak of healing and give the assurance there is nothing to fear.
From Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday to the Eighth Day of Easter, the divine love song of mercy is chanted amid abundant alleluias. For centuries in liturgy the Church has proclaimed the mercy of God through the Word of God and the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. The tables of Word and Sacrament are heaped with the promises of Divine Mercy and its grand effect in the lives of millions. The liturgy is the storehouse of the wisdom of God and a treasure chest for all the worshipers.
In conclusion, the Christians you meet in the book of Acts of the Apostles were not content to meet once a week for “services as usual.” They met daily (Acts 2:46), cared daily (Acts 6:1), won souls daily (Acts 2:47), searched the scriptures daily (Acts 17:11) and increased in number daily (Acts 2:47). Their faith was a day to day reality, not a once-a-week routine. Why? Because the risen Christ was a living reality to them and his resurrection power was at work in their lives through the Spirit. The promise is still good: “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13). Have you called? Have you trusted Jesus Christ to save you?
Saturday, April 7, 2012
HOMILY FOR EASTER SUNDAY, YEAR B Acts 10:34a, 37-43/ Psalm 118/ Colossians 3:1-4/ John 20:1-9
THEME: witness is our mandate
Today, we reflect upon the post-Easter experiences of the risen Christ and the fruit of our redemption in him. Therefore, the readings remind us that the resurrection does not mean that the earthly ministry of Jesus becomes a thing of the past; a phase now finished with. Rather, it is through the resurrection that all that Christ stood for in his earthly life namely his word or self-communication of God, his healing activities and the like can now continue in the Church. In other words, what Jesus stood for continues.
In the first reading, we see the continued work of Christ in his Church after his resurrection. This continued work of Christ was made possible as a result of the witnesses of the apostles. Peter’s address to Cornelius and his household was preceded by the baptism of Cornelius and his entire household; a witness which was made possible by the resurrection of Jesus. Peter reminds them that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem…” (Acts 10:38-39).
Witnessing comes as a result of experience. Therefore, Peter makes it clear that it is only those who experience Jesus who have the mandate to witness. The condition for witnessing is clearly stated namely those chosen by God as witnesses and those who ate and drank with him “But God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:40-41).
Again, anyone who witnesses must be given the mandate to do so. Luke puts it succinctly “ He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead … and that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:42-43).
Thus, forgiveness of sin is at the very heart of Jesus Passion, Death and Resurrection. Therefore, any Gospel that does not preach forgiveness of sin or does not make the forgiveness of sin its priority is not the true gospel and must be rejected outright.
Where there is forgiveness of sin, there lies our hope. Thus the second reading reminds us “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).
Let us consider the man Cornelius. It is interesting to see how religious a person can be and still not be saved. Certainly, Cornelius was sincere in his obedience to God’s law, his fasting and and his generosity to the Jewish people (cf Luke 7:10). He was not permitted to offer sacrifices in the temple, so he presented his prayers to God as his sacrifices (Psalm 141:1-2). In every way, he was a model of religious respectability and yet he was not a saved.
The difference between Cornelius and many religious people today is this: he knew that his religious devotion was not sufficient to save him. Many religious people today are satisfied that their character and good works will get them to heaven and they have no concept either of their own sin or of God’s grace. In his prayers, Cornelius was asking God to show him the way of salvation (Acts 11:13-14).
Just as the first reading reminds us about the fact that witnessing demands mandate, the gospel reading affirms the fact that the Apostles received this mandate from the resurrection experience. The attitude of Mary Magdalene and the rest of the disciples when they heard the news about Christ’ resurrection suggest that they came to faith in the resurrection gradually; a progression from fear to doubt; from evidence to faith. Mary Magdalene’ faith, like the rest of the disciples, was not extinguished. It was only eclipsed. The light was still there, but it was covered; a spiritual condition that saw them all move out of the shadows into light.
It s significant that the first witnesses of the resurrection of Christ were believing women. Among the Jews in that day, the testimony of women was not held in high regard. “It is better that the words of the law be burned,” said the rabbis, “than be delivered to a woman. Perhaps, this might have accounted for why in the gospel of Mark after the women have encountered the angel and were asked to go and tell the Apostles that Jesus had risen, “ … they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them’ and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:8). But these Christian women had a greater message than that of the law, for they knew that their Saviour was alive.
The reaction of the disciples when they heard the news also affirms the doubt in their minds. We are told that they run to the tomb and to their utter dismay, they saw an empty tomb. Both Peter and John deserve the credit for having the courage to run to the tomb when they did not know what lay ahead of them.
However, when they reached the tomb, they saw that the clothes were carefully folded. What kind of faith did Peter and John have at that stage in their spiritual experience? They had faith based on evidence.
Those of us who live centuries later cannot examine the evidence, for the material evidence is no longer there for us to see. Therefore, the truth of Easter does not depend on an empty tomb any longer for this generation. Rather, faith in the word of God is now our evidence; the fact that we eat and drink with him everyday.
In sum, the mandate to witness to the resurrection has been given to every baptised Christian. Jesus commanded his disciples “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19-20). Unlike the disciples who saw the empty tomb and believed, our evidence today is the Word of God. May our generation find hope in the words of Jesus to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (John 20:29b).
Today, we reflect upon the post-Easter experiences of the risen Christ and the fruit of our redemption in him. Therefore, the readings remind us that the resurrection does not mean that the earthly ministry of Jesus becomes a thing of the past; a phase now finished with. Rather, it is through the resurrection that all that Christ stood for in his earthly life namely his word or self-communication of God, his healing activities and the like can now continue in the Church. In other words, what Jesus stood for continues.
In the first reading, we see the continued work of Christ in his Church after his resurrection. This continued work of Christ was made possible as a result of the witnesses of the apostles. Peter’s address to Cornelius and his household was preceded by the baptism of Cornelius and his entire household; a witness which was made possible by the resurrection of Jesus. Peter reminds them that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem…” (Acts 10:38-39).
Witnessing comes as a result of experience. Therefore, Peter makes it clear that it is only those who experience Jesus who have the mandate to witness. The condition for witnessing is clearly stated namely those chosen by God as witnesses and those who ate and drank with him “But God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:40-41).
Again, anyone who witnesses must be given the mandate to do so. Luke puts it succinctly “ He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead … and that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:42-43).
Thus, forgiveness of sin is at the very heart of Jesus Passion, Death and Resurrection. Therefore, any Gospel that does not preach forgiveness of sin or does not make the forgiveness of sin its priority is not the true gospel and must be rejected outright.
Where there is forgiveness of sin, there lies our hope. Thus the second reading reminds us “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).
Let us consider the man Cornelius. It is interesting to see how religious a person can be and still not be saved. Certainly, Cornelius was sincere in his obedience to God’s law, his fasting and and his generosity to the Jewish people (cf Luke 7:10). He was not permitted to offer sacrifices in the temple, so he presented his prayers to God as his sacrifices (Psalm 141:1-2). In every way, he was a model of religious respectability and yet he was not a saved.
The difference between Cornelius and many religious people today is this: he knew that his religious devotion was not sufficient to save him. Many religious people today are satisfied that their character and good works will get them to heaven and they have no concept either of their own sin or of God’s grace. In his prayers, Cornelius was asking God to show him the way of salvation (Acts 11:13-14).
Just as the first reading reminds us about the fact that witnessing demands mandate, the gospel reading affirms the fact that the Apostles received this mandate from the resurrection experience. The attitude of Mary Magdalene and the rest of the disciples when they heard the news about Christ’ resurrection suggest that they came to faith in the resurrection gradually; a progression from fear to doubt; from evidence to faith. Mary Magdalene’ faith, like the rest of the disciples, was not extinguished. It was only eclipsed. The light was still there, but it was covered; a spiritual condition that saw them all move out of the shadows into light.
It s significant that the first witnesses of the resurrection of Christ were believing women. Among the Jews in that day, the testimony of women was not held in high regard. “It is better that the words of the law be burned,” said the rabbis, “than be delivered to a woman. Perhaps, this might have accounted for why in the gospel of Mark after the women have encountered the angel and were asked to go and tell the Apostles that Jesus had risen, “ … they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them’ and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:8). But these Christian women had a greater message than that of the law, for they knew that their Saviour was alive.
The reaction of the disciples when they heard the news also affirms the doubt in their minds. We are told that they run to the tomb and to their utter dismay, they saw an empty tomb. Both Peter and John deserve the credit for having the courage to run to the tomb when they did not know what lay ahead of them.
However, when they reached the tomb, they saw that the clothes were carefully folded. What kind of faith did Peter and John have at that stage in their spiritual experience? They had faith based on evidence.
Those of us who live centuries later cannot examine the evidence, for the material evidence is no longer there for us to see. Therefore, the truth of Easter does not depend on an empty tomb any longer for this generation. Rather, faith in the word of God is now our evidence; the fact that we eat and drink with him everyday.
In sum, the mandate to witness to the resurrection has been given to every baptised Christian. Jesus commanded his disciples “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19-20). Unlike the disciples who saw the empty tomb and believed, our evidence today is the Word of God. May our generation find hope in the words of Jesus to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (John 20:29b).
Friday, March 30, 2012
HOMILY FOR THE PASSION SUNDAY, YEAR B Isaiah 50:4-7/ Psalm 22/ Philippians 2:6-11/ Mark 14:1-15:47
THEME: Personal gains betray friendship.
Today is Passion Sunday and it begins the Holy Week. The Liturgy reminds us that at the centre of our faith stands a man who died for love of us. It also re-affirms our faith in the Paschal Mystery. The Lamb of God is slaughtered for our sake. For the first time Jesus makes a public proclamation of who he is as he triumphantly enters Jerusalem. All along, Jesus will warn his disciples not to tell people who he is until scripture is fulfilled (Zechariah 9:9).
The first reading from the prophet Isaiah is the third of four servant songs found in the book of Isaiah (Is 42: 1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-9, and 52: 13-53:12). These servant songs are found in Chapters 40 -55 of Isaiah often called the book of consolation because the prophet offers no judgment and condemnation of Israel, but only trust and confident hope that God is about to end the exile. The situation presupposed is that life in exile has become burdensome for the Israelites. In their dejection, it was the Word of God, spoken through the prophet that sustained them. The word of God sustains the weary. As he puts it, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher so that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word” (Isaiah 50:4a).
Indeed, God never grows tired of speaking through the prophet; giving him words of encouragement. And so the prophet says “Morning by morning he wakens – wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught” (Isaiah 50:4b).
The determination of the prophet to deliver the Word of God to wearied hearts brings him suffering. Yet, he must deliver it at the cost of his personal suffering. So he says “The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting’ (Isaiah 50:5-6). People who proclaim the word of God face stiff opposition. They must not be deterred under any circumstances.
However, the prophet is confident that God will eventually prove him right; that God will vindicate him someday. Therefore, the Servant firmly relies on God. Thus he puts it beautifully “The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame” (Isaiah 50:7).
In the same way, Jesus’ passion was the outcome of his obedience to His father in the face of rejection and his constant reliance on his Father to prove him right. Therefore, the Church is right to associate the Servant song with the passion and death of Jesus.
The Gospel reading of today identifies the Suffering Servant with Jesus. From his triumphant entry into Jerusalem through to his passion and death, Jesus demonstrates true love. The Gospel of our Lord's Passion which we have just heard brings out clearly the theme of betrayal: “One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said: What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you”?
It all begins with a betrayal. It has to begin with a betrayal. Jesus has done nothing wrong so the only way to get him is to betray him. And so he is betrayed, and by one of his own. What could Judas have been thinking? And all for thirty pieces of silver. What could he have been thinking? What drove him to betray the Master? He probably imagined he had some cause, some reason, but he does not seem to have thought it through.
No one knows better how to betray than a disciple, one of the trusted inner persons. No one knows how to hurt the Church better than an ex-Catholic. He gave up everything so that humanity can draw from the fountain of mercy. Jesus freely underwent suffering and death so that all might attain salvation. Indeed, what others taught was evil turned out as a blessing for humanity. Jesus did it just for love of us.
The story of the suffering and death of Jesus which we heard in the Passion is basically a story of love – God’s love for us. Our response should be gratitude. Gratitude to Jesus should make us turn a new leaf and never go back to a life of sin. We would be the most ungrateful people if we should continue living the sort of life that made Jesus die. Gratitude should make us keep the memory of Jesus alive. No day should pass that we should not remember the love God has for us. Finally, God expects from us today gratitude – gratitude strong enough to make us hate sin of every shade and colour.
Everyone who turns away from Christ loses much more than he can ever hope to win. When Judas realised what he had done all his so-called 'reasons' came to nothing and he went out and hanged himself. What unkindness from a priest, what hurt, real or imagined, from a fellow Catholic, could ever justify walking away from Christ? When they handed him that money, from that moment he became a traitor; from that moment he looked for a way of handing him over. Judas was bought and paid for; no longer free. He had sold himself. He was a slave.
The betrayal of Judas is a betrayal of the Eucharist. Every bad Catholic betrays the Eucharist. Jesus speaks of Judas' betrayal in terms of the Scriptures and now, after supper, he speaks of his disciples' loss of faith 'in accordance with the Scriptures'. Peter and the rest of the disciples contradict him; they claim they will never lose faith. They contradict not only Jesus but also the Scriptures! But let us hasten to acknowledge that every betrayal is redeemable. No one ever needs to be lost. The road back to Christ is open to all - to Peter, to the other disciples, and even to Judas.
Jesus must have felt very lonely at that table. On the one hand sits Judas who would betray him and on the other hand sit the disciples who would desert him. Even now they reject his prophetic word which is, even though they do not realise it, essentially a rejection of Jesus himself, the Word of God. Judas has now left the community of the disciples. He has become the first bad Catholic. He has betrayed the fellowship, the community of the Lord, the Church.
The second reading also brings out clearly the characteristics of the Suffering Servant namely humility, self-emptying (Kenosis), obedience, service and the like. Jesus thought of others and became a servant. He emptied himself, laying aside the independent use of his own attributes as God; he permanently became man, in a sinless physical body; he took that body to the cross and willingly died. “ …Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God… but emptied himself taking the form of a slave and being born in human likeness…”(Philippians 2:6-7). Such was the grace he bestowed on humanity: from heaven to earth, from glory to shame, from master to servant, from life to death, even death on the cross.
Many people are willing to serve others if it does not cost them anything. But if there is a price to pay, they suddenly lose interest. “Jesus became obedient unto death, death on the cross” (Philippians 2:8). When love is the motive, sacrifice is never measured or mentioned. Is it costing you anything to be a Christian? It cost Jesus his life.
Just as the Servant of God was vindicated in the first reading, so was Christ exalted by his Father. The whole purpose of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation, therefore, is the glory of God. “Therefore, God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name…to the glory of God the father” (Philippians 2:9-11). As preachers, teachers, and parents, we have to guard against the possibility of transmitting prejudice or false interpretation of scripture as we celebrate the important feasts during the Holy Week. We have a responsibility to enlighten our minds and that of our little children to accept that in humility lies our victory; in the cross lies our glory.
In conclusion, Love is our identity. Love demands sacrifice. Where there is no sacrifice, there can hardly be any genuine love. This is because it is love that made us Christians. It cost Jesus his life for our sake. What are we also sacrificing for the glory of God? The celebration of the Paschal Mystery this week can only be meaningful if we show genuine love for God and one another. Jesus has a work to complete. He heads off to the Garden of Gethsemane, followed by his dazed and disheartened disciples. Let us go too, in all our weakness and hesitation. Perhaps we will, with the Eleven, learn what he wishes to teach us; to become what he wants us to become.
Today is Passion Sunday and it begins the Holy Week. The Liturgy reminds us that at the centre of our faith stands a man who died for love of us. It also re-affirms our faith in the Paschal Mystery. The Lamb of God is slaughtered for our sake. For the first time Jesus makes a public proclamation of who he is as he triumphantly enters Jerusalem. All along, Jesus will warn his disciples not to tell people who he is until scripture is fulfilled (Zechariah 9:9).
The first reading from the prophet Isaiah is the third of four servant songs found in the book of Isaiah (Is 42: 1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-9, and 52: 13-53:12). These servant songs are found in Chapters 40 -55 of Isaiah often called the book of consolation because the prophet offers no judgment and condemnation of Israel, but only trust and confident hope that God is about to end the exile. The situation presupposed is that life in exile has become burdensome for the Israelites. In their dejection, it was the Word of God, spoken through the prophet that sustained them. The word of God sustains the weary. As he puts it, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher so that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word” (Isaiah 50:4a).
Indeed, God never grows tired of speaking through the prophet; giving him words of encouragement. And so the prophet says “Morning by morning he wakens – wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught” (Isaiah 50:4b).
The determination of the prophet to deliver the Word of God to wearied hearts brings him suffering. Yet, he must deliver it at the cost of his personal suffering. So he says “The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting’ (Isaiah 50:5-6). People who proclaim the word of God face stiff opposition. They must not be deterred under any circumstances.
However, the prophet is confident that God will eventually prove him right; that God will vindicate him someday. Therefore, the Servant firmly relies on God. Thus he puts it beautifully “The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame” (Isaiah 50:7).
In the same way, Jesus’ passion was the outcome of his obedience to His father in the face of rejection and his constant reliance on his Father to prove him right. Therefore, the Church is right to associate the Servant song with the passion and death of Jesus.
The Gospel reading of today identifies the Suffering Servant with Jesus. From his triumphant entry into Jerusalem through to his passion and death, Jesus demonstrates true love. The Gospel of our Lord's Passion which we have just heard brings out clearly the theme of betrayal: “One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said: What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you”?
It all begins with a betrayal. It has to begin with a betrayal. Jesus has done nothing wrong so the only way to get him is to betray him. And so he is betrayed, and by one of his own. What could Judas have been thinking? And all for thirty pieces of silver. What could he have been thinking? What drove him to betray the Master? He probably imagined he had some cause, some reason, but he does not seem to have thought it through.
No one knows better how to betray than a disciple, one of the trusted inner persons. No one knows how to hurt the Church better than an ex-Catholic. He gave up everything so that humanity can draw from the fountain of mercy. Jesus freely underwent suffering and death so that all might attain salvation. Indeed, what others taught was evil turned out as a blessing for humanity. Jesus did it just for love of us.
The story of the suffering and death of Jesus which we heard in the Passion is basically a story of love – God’s love for us. Our response should be gratitude. Gratitude to Jesus should make us turn a new leaf and never go back to a life of sin. We would be the most ungrateful people if we should continue living the sort of life that made Jesus die. Gratitude should make us keep the memory of Jesus alive. No day should pass that we should not remember the love God has for us. Finally, God expects from us today gratitude – gratitude strong enough to make us hate sin of every shade and colour.
Everyone who turns away from Christ loses much more than he can ever hope to win. When Judas realised what he had done all his so-called 'reasons' came to nothing and he went out and hanged himself. What unkindness from a priest, what hurt, real or imagined, from a fellow Catholic, could ever justify walking away from Christ? When they handed him that money, from that moment he became a traitor; from that moment he looked for a way of handing him over. Judas was bought and paid for; no longer free. He had sold himself. He was a slave.
The betrayal of Judas is a betrayal of the Eucharist. Every bad Catholic betrays the Eucharist. Jesus speaks of Judas' betrayal in terms of the Scriptures and now, after supper, he speaks of his disciples' loss of faith 'in accordance with the Scriptures'. Peter and the rest of the disciples contradict him; they claim they will never lose faith. They contradict not only Jesus but also the Scriptures! But let us hasten to acknowledge that every betrayal is redeemable. No one ever needs to be lost. The road back to Christ is open to all - to Peter, to the other disciples, and even to Judas.
Jesus must have felt very lonely at that table. On the one hand sits Judas who would betray him and on the other hand sit the disciples who would desert him. Even now they reject his prophetic word which is, even though they do not realise it, essentially a rejection of Jesus himself, the Word of God. Judas has now left the community of the disciples. He has become the first bad Catholic. He has betrayed the fellowship, the community of the Lord, the Church.
The second reading also brings out clearly the characteristics of the Suffering Servant namely humility, self-emptying (Kenosis), obedience, service and the like. Jesus thought of others and became a servant. He emptied himself, laying aside the independent use of his own attributes as God; he permanently became man, in a sinless physical body; he took that body to the cross and willingly died. “ …Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God… but emptied himself taking the form of a slave and being born in human likeness…”(Philippians 2:6-7). Such was the grace he bestowed on humanity: from heaven to earth, from glory to shame, from master to servant, from life to death, even death on the cross.
Many people are willing to serve others if it does not cost them anything. But if there is a price to pay, they suddenly lose interest. “Jesus became obedient unto death, death on the cross” (Philippians 2:8). When love is the motive, sacrifice is never measured or mentioned. Is it costing you anything to be a Christian? It cost Jesus his life.
Just as the Servant of God was vindicated in the first reading, so was Christ exalted by his Father. The whole purpose of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation, therefore, is the glory of God. “Therefore, God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name…to the glory of God the father” (Philippians 2:9-11). As preachers, teachers, and parents, we have to guard against the possibility of transmitting prejudice or false interpretation of scripture as we celebrate the important feasts during the Holy Week. We have a responsibility to enlighten our minds and that of our little children to accept that in humility lies our victory; in the cross lies our glory.
In conclusion, Love is our identity. Love demands sacrifice. Where there is no sacrifice, there can hardly be any genuine love. This is because it is love that made us Christians. It cost Jesus his life for our sake. What are we also sacrificing for the glory of God? The celebration of the Paschal Mystery this week can only be meaningful if we show genuine love for God and one another. Jesus has a work to complete. He heads off to the Garden of Gethsemane, followed by his dazed and disheartened disciples. Let us go too, in all our weakness and hesitation. Perhaps we will, with the Eleven, learn what he wishes to teach us; to become what he wants us to become.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
HOMILY FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR B Jeremiah 31:31-34/ Psalm 51/ Hebrews 5:7-9/ John 12:20-33.
THEME: obedience of faith and life
All three Readings are linked by offering us, each in its own way, the underlying theological explanation of the Paschal mystery of Jesus´ suffering, death and resurrection. It is no historical accident, but the key element of God´s great plan of salvation. By this sacrifice God will create in his people a new heart, free from sin and ready to embrace his law ("a willing spirit", Psalm) not as something foreign and imposed, but as the law of the heart itself (First Reading and Psalm). Obedience to God´s plan, expressed in his law or otherwise, is a source of suffering for man – even for Christ - but it is simultaneously the source of our salvation, which follows the paradoxical law of life springing from death (Second Reading and Gospel). Like Christ, the one who freely gives up his "life" in obedience to God´s will recovers it in all its fullness.
The first reading is from Jeremiah and is again written while the Jews were in captivity in Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah felt that the Jews had broken the covenant with God that was made by Moses on Mount Sinai and that was why they were in captivity. He was looking forward to a new covenant that God would establish where God would write his law, not on tablets of stone but in the hearts of His people.
I am overwhelmed at the humility of God to condescend so low to establish His covenant with sinful humanity. Covenants or contracts are entered into usually between equals, but in our case, it is between God (Superior) and man (Inferior). This tells us that it not the desire of God that anyone should perish but that all may be saved. It is, therefore, always God’s initiative to reconcile sinful man to himself because he knows that we have never been faithful to the covenant. Jesus becomes the concrete expression of what the prophet Jeremiah prophesied.
The Gospel reading of today can only make meaning when we place it within the wider context of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem (cf John 12:12-19). Jesus´ words for some who wanted to see him appear astonishing: "unless a grain of wheat dies…” In reality, he is repeating the message he has constantly tried to transmit to the people: if you are looking for a triumphant Messiah, you will not find him, because the real Messiah is a man who must suffer and die in lacerating obedience to the will of the Father.
If there were any doubt about the value of obedience, the life and death of Christ could be said to be designed just to dissipate our doubts. Whatever about others, any Christian for whom obedience is a non-value is either hopelessly superficial, or stupidly proud (perhaps all of us have to admit to both). St Paul´s implication, as the Fathers of the Church understood it, is that since Christ saved us by his obedience not only did he become "the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him" (Second Reading) but that all who obey like him become with him a source of salvation for others.
The grain of wheat that wants to "save itself" remains completely sterile. Only the grain –and the person- that is willing to come undone, and rot in the ground to produce a shoot of new wheat, will be fruitful. Suffering in and of itself has no value. It is human to flee from it. But from the moment God used the suffering of Jesus in his passion and on the cross to redeem us from sin, suffering united to Christ is of incalculable value: what it achieves –salvation- is so far out of proportion to "how much it hurts" that the person who believes sees it as much more of a good than an evil.
St. Paul in the second reading sets the tone for a fruitful relationship with God. For him we owe God a double "obedience": of faith and of life. The second is really an application of the first. Both can be a struggle; Jesus himself was only able to obey after "loud cries and tears". By "the obedience of faith", "man completely submits his intellect and his will to God" and what he reveals (Catechism 143). What is it you have difficulty accepting? Well, Jesus had difficulty accepting that his Father actually wanted him to give up his life in such a horrendous form. Try some serious conversation with him during these next two weeks; offer him one thing in which you are going to "submit your mind and your will to God". Make a change in your life that expresses that. Ask him for the strength to do it.
Like the Greeks who spoke to Philip, we too "would like to see Jesus". But how can we if we only want to know a Christ without the cross? Of course, it is not just his cross we have a problem with: we realize it implies our cross and our own readiness to "lose our life" (Gospel). "Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified", St. Paul said, "a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1Corinthians 1:22-24; 2:1-2). You could wonder if, when he wrote that bit about the "stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles", he thought of saying something about a lot of us Christians too. Would not sound as good, I suppose. At any rate, between now and Easter, we all need to reflect on the real gospel, and develop a completely new attitude towards the cross.
Finally as we begin Holy Week next Sunday, let us not only be fascinated by what we experience but like the Greeks, we also need to see Jesus, love and serve him in all those whose cross is particularly heavy and painful today.
All three Readings are linked by offering us, each in its own way, the underlying theological explanation of the Paschal mystery of Jesus´ suffering, death and resurrection. It is no historical accident, but the key element of God´s great plan of salvation. By this sacrifice God will create in his people a new heart, free from sin and ready to embrace his law ("a willing spirit", Psalm) not as something foreign and imposed, but as the law of the heart itself (First Reading and Psalm). Obedience to God´s plan, expressed in his law or otherwise, is a source of suffering for man – even for Christ - but it is simultaneously the source of our salvation, which follows the paradoxical law of life springing from death (Second Reading and Gospel). Like Christ, the one who freely gives up his "life" in obedience to God´s will recovers it in all its fullness.
The first reading is from Jeremiah and is again written while the Jews were in captivity in Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah felt that the Jews had broken the covenant with God that was made by Moses on Mount Sinai and that was why they were in captivity. He was looking forward to a new covenant that God would establish where God would write his law, not on tablets of stone but in the hearts of His people.
I am overwhelmed at the humility of God to condescend so low to establish His covenant with sinful humanity. Covenants or contracts are entered into usually between equals, but in our case, it is between God (Superior) and man (Inferior). This tells us that it not the desire of God that anyone should perish but that all may be saved. It is, therefore, always God’s initiative to reconcile sinful man to himself because he knows that we have never been faithful to the covenant. Jesus becomes the concrete expression of what the prophet Jeremiah prophesied.
The Gospel reading of today can only make meaning when we place it within the wider context of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem (cf John 12:12-19). Jesus´ words for some who wanted to see him appear astonishing: "unless a grain of wheat dies…” In reality, he is repeating the message he has constantly tried to transmit to the people: if you are looking for a triumphant Messiah, you will not find him, because the real Messiah is a man who must suffer and die in lacerating obedience to the will of the Father.
If there were any doubt about the value of obedience, the life and death of Christ could be said to be designed just to dissipate our doubts. Whatever about others, any Christian for whom obedience is a non-value is either hopelessly superficial, or stupidly proud (perhaps all of us have to admit to both). St Paul´s implication, as the Fathers of the Church understood it, is that since Christ saved us by his obedience not only did he become "the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him" (Second Reading) but that all who obey like him become with him a source of salvation for others.
The grain of wheat that wants to "save itself" remains completely sterile. Only the grain –and the person- that is willing to come undone, and rot in the ground to produce a shoot of new wheat, will be fruitful. Suffering in and of itself has no value. It is human to flee from it. But from the moment God used the suffering of Jesus in his passion and on the cross to redeem us from sin, suffering united to Christ is of incalculable value: what it achieves –salvation- is so far out of proportion to "how much it hurts" that the person who believes sees it as much more of a good than an evil.
St. Paul in the second reading sets the tone for a fruitful relationship with God. For him we owe God a double "obedience": of faith and of life. The second is really an application of the first. Both can be a struggle; Jesus himself was only able to obey after "loud cries and tears". By "the obedience of faith", "man completely submits his intellect and his will to God" and what he reveals (Catechism 143). What is it you have difficulty accepting? Well, Jesus had difficulty accepting that his Father actually wanted him to give up his life in such a horrendous form. Try some serious conversation with him during these next two weeks; offer him one thing in which you are going to "submit your mind and your will to God". Make a change in your life that expresses that. Ask him for the strength to do it.
Like the Greeks who spoke to Philip, we too "would like to see Jesus". But how can we if we only want to know a Christ without the cross? Of course, it is not just his cross we have a problem with: we realize it implies our cross and our own readiness to "lose our life" (Gospel). "Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified", St. Paul said, "a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1Corinthians 1:22-24; 2:1-2). You could wonder if, when he wrote that bit about the "stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles", he thought of saying something about a lot of us Christians too. Would not sound as good, I suppose. At any rate, between now and Easter, we all need to reflect on the real gospel, and develop a completely new attitude towards the cross.
Finally as we begin Holy Week next Sunday, let us not only be fascinated by what we experience but like the Greeks, we also need to see Jesus, love and serve him in all those whose cross is particularly heavy and painful today.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
HOMILY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR B 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23/ Psalm 137/ Ephesians 2:4-10 /John 3:14-21
Theme: Be opened to God’s Love
Lent is preparation for Easter, but our journey towards Easter must of necessity pass over the hill of Calvary. As the Passion approaches, we are invited to look to the cross. Sinfulness and human contempt for God´s plan leads irremediably to massive personal and collective catastrophe. Whereas the Israelites, like other ancient peoples, saw this reflected in history (First Reading), Jesus reveals that the disaster attendant on our rejection of God is even greater. This is because it involves a death worse than death itself and the loss of eternal life (Gospel). In his great mercy, God has sent his Son, not to condemn the world but to save it. Only our own obstinate refusal of his grace can condemn us to eternal loss (Second Reading and Gospel). Jesus was raised up on the cross of suffering as the final effort of God´s surpassing mercy to save us from that awful eventuality (Second Reading).
How can we reconcile the "angry" God of certain Old Testament passages with the God of mercy preached by Jesus is the question that lingers on our minds readily when one reads the first reading. Some early Christians did created a heresy that believed in a vengeful Old Testament God and a merciful God of the New Testament. In much more recent times, some Christians have, in practice at least, believed in a God whose righteous anger was more prominent than his merciful love.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church has always maintained the divine inspiration and the harmony of the two Testaments, which cannot contradict one another. The revelation they contain come from God; it is his word, we may not pick and choose passages we ´approve´, and reject others. It is gradual and reaches its perfection with Christ; God´s ways are so different from ours that we cannot grasp them in a moment; they dawn on us through the centuries and we should not expect the Old Testament to offer us a finished revelation.
In fact, the first Reading is affected by both an idea that attributes to God human emotions, and a primitive conception of God´s intervention in the world that attributes to his direct will and action all events, and in particular all calamities. Thus the Hebrew people attributed their national disasters to God´s anger; in their view, it was a wholly justified anger, provoked by the sins and constant unfaithfulness of his chosen people. anger lasts but a moment; divine favor lasts a lifetime" (Psalm 30:6).
However, in the New Testament readings, the accent is on God´s mercy and on his positive will that everyone be saved. He condemns no one. How could he? "He so loves the world that he gave his only Son" up to death to save us.
We want to know fulfillment, we want to experience joy, to be lifted out of ourselves into endless ecstasy and to share our completion with others. The only drink that can slake our burning inner thirst is the living water of Uncreated Love. It is only under the influence of this intoxicating draught, that we will be able to see ourselves, not only as the psychiatrist sees us as we are, but as true selves from the ruins that we are now. Then we will be able to reach out to ‘other’ with genuine hand of brotherhood, to give of ourselves totally in love to the neighbor in need, because we have love to give, not just dreams to share.
Sometimes when reflect on the love of God as presented to us in the gospel reading of today, we are tempted to present Jesus as a ‘superman’ by showing how he was so uncompromisingly available to all men. We often fail to realise that he was only able to open to all men, because he was first of all, open to God. It was only because he had exposed himself without restrain to God’s love that he was able to be filled with the fullness that he could communicate to others. Without the hidden years, the desert experience (His Temptations), the lonely garden (Gethsemane), or the inner room, there could be no compassion for the needy, no love for the loveless, no healing for the sick.
To put it another way, Jesus was absolutely sure that he had parental love. He knew by experience that his Father loved him because that love was tangibly present to him day after day. The only way to be shown to love is to be loved. Jesus experienced it and he gives it out to us daily in the celebration of the Eucharist. How can you claim to love God when you have not opened yourself to his unrequited love? For many of us our love of God has never been genuine because we do not even know that God loves us personally. In our family set up, many have never experienced true love and so the vicious cycle continuous in our future relationships. Are you aware that God’s love is tangible? Open your heart to receive it because He gives it daily.
This is the fourth Sunday of Lent and we are half way to Easter. For the next few weeks, as we continue our Lenten Journey, I encourage you to focus on the Cross – the Cross that saves, the Cross of Hope, the Cross of Love, the Cross of Eternal Life, the Cross of Christ.
We are in the midst of Lent. Through this season of grace we hear again and again the words Jesus spoke on the first Sunday of Lent, “Repent and believe in the gospel (Mk 1: 15).” And that is what we are trying our best to do – to turn away from our sin and turn more fully to the grace God is offering us in Christ. To prevent us from thinking that this work of conversion is ours to do on our own, Paul reminds us today that it is by God’s grace we have been saved and are being saved. If you have any doubts about God’s intentions and how much God is reaching out to you in love, you have only to look up at the procession and recession of today’s Mass – it is being led by the cross held high.
In conclusion, if you understood God´s love, and how you separate yourself from it by sin, you would weep as bitterly as the exiles in Babylon (Psalm). God cannot oblige you to seek the light, for he cannot simultaneously create you as creatures who are free and not free (your creation is not something that happened in the past, it is ongoing). But he does not want you to weep; Christ raised up on the cross before us constitutes the ultimate effort of his love; his ultimate appeal to our free response to his love. The vision of Jesus crucified for your sins is the antidote that, like the Israelites bitten by the serpents (Numbers 21:4-9), every generation of Christians has found to the poison of selfishness and sin. Praying the Stations of the Cross – every day or at least once or twice a week until Easter – would be a great way to apply this remedy.
Lent is preparation for Easter, but our journey towards Easter must of necessity pass over the hill of Calvary. As the Passion approaches, we are invited to look to the cross. Sinfulness and human contempt for God´s plan leads irremediably to massive personal and collective catastrophe. Whereas the Israelites, like other ancient peoples, saw this reflected in history (First Reading), Jesus reveals that the disaster attendant on our rejection of God is even greater. This is because it involves a death worse than death itself and the loss of eternal life (Gospel). In his great mercy, God has sent his Son, not to condemn the world but to save it. Only our own obstinate refusal of his grace can condemn us to eternal loss (Second Reading and Gospel). Jesus was raised up on the cross of suffering as the final effort of God´s surpassing mercy to save us from that awful eventuality (Second Reading).
How can we reconcile the "angry" God of certain Old Testament passages with the God of mercy preached by Jesus is the question that lingers on our minds readily when one reads the first reading. Some early Christians did created a heresy that believed in a vengeful Old Testament God and a merciful God of the New Testament. In much more recent times, some Christians have, in practice at least, believed in a God whose righteous anger was more prominent than his merciful love.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church has always maintained the divine inspiration and the harmony of the two Testaments, which cannot contradict one another. The revelation they contain come from God; it is his word, we may not pick and choose passages we ´approve´, and reject others. It is gradual and reaches its perfection with Christ; God´s ways are so different from ours that we cannot grasp them in a moment; they dawn on us through the centuries and we should not expect the Old Testament to offer us a finished revelation.
In fact, the first Reading is affected by both an idea that attributes to God human emotions, and a primitive conception of God´s intervention in the world that attributes to his direct will and action all events, and in particular all calamities. Thus the Hebrew people attributed their national disasters to God´s anger; in their view, it was a wholly justified anger, provoked by the sins and constant unfaithfulness of his chosen people. anger lasts but a moment; divine favor lasts a lifetime" (Psalm 30:6).
However, in the New Testament readings, the accent is on God´s mercy and on his positive will that everyone be saved. He condemns no one. How could he? "He so loves the world that he gave his only Son" up to death to save us.
We want to know fulfillment, we want to experience joy, to be lifted out of ourselves into endless ecstasy and to share our completion with others. The only drink that can slake our burning inner thirst is the living water of Uncreated Love. It is only under the influence of this intoxicating draught, that we will be able to see ourselves, not only as the psychiatrist sees us as we are, but as true selves from the ruins that we are now. Then we will be able to reach out to ‘other’ with genuine hand of brotherhood, to give of ourselves totally in love to the neighbor in need, because we have love to give, not just dreams to share.
Sometimes when reflect on the love of God as presented to us in the gospel reading of today, we are tempted to present Jesus as a ‘superman’ by showing how he was so uncompromisingly available to all men. We often fail to realise that he was only able to open to all men, because he was first of all, open to God. It was only because he had exposed himself without restrain to God’s love that he was able to be filled with the fullness that he could communicate to others. Without the hidden years, the desert experience (His Temptations), the lonely garden (Gethsemane), or the inner room, there could be no compassion for the needy, no love for the loveless, no healing for the sick.
To put it another way, Jesus was absolutely sure that he had parental love. He knew by experience that his Father loved him because that love was tangibly present to him day after day. The only way to be shown to love is to be loved. Jesus experienced it and he gives it out to us daily in the celebration of the Eucharist. How can you claim to love God when you have not opened yourself to his unrequited love? For many of us our love of God has never been genuine because we do not even know that God loves us personally. In our family set up, many have never experienced true love and so the vicious cycle continuous in our future relationships. Are you aware that God’s love is tangible? Open your heart to receive it because He gives it daily.
This is the fourth Sunday of Lent and we are half way to Easter. For the next few weeks, as we continue our Lenten Journey, I encourage you to focus on the Cross – the Cross that saves, the Cross of Hope, the Cross of Love, the Cross of Eternal Life, the Cross of Christ.
We are in the midst of Lent. Through this season of grace we hear again and again the words Jesus spoke on the first Sunday of Lent, “Repent and believe in the gospel (Mk 1: 15).” And that is what we are trying our best to do – to turn away from our sin and turn more fully to the grace God is offering us in Christ. To prevent us from thinking that this work of conversion is ours to do on our own, Paul reminds us today that it is by God’s grace we have been saved and are being saved. If you have any doubts about God’s intentions and how much God is reaching out to you in love, you have only to look up at the procession and recession of today’s Mass – it is being led by the cross held high.
In conclusion, if you understood God´s love, and how you separate yourself from it by sin, you would weep as bitterly as the exiles in Babylon (Psalm). God cannot oblige you to seek the light, for he cannot simultaneously create you as creatures who are free and not free (your creation is not something that happened in the past, it is ongoing). But he does not want you to weep; Christ raised up on the cross before us constitutes the ultimate effort of his love; his ultimate appeal to our free response to his love. The vision of Jesus crucified for your sins is the antidote that, like the Israelites bitten by the serpents (Numbers 21:4-9), every generation of Christians has found to the poison of selfishness and sin. Praying the Stations of the Cross – every day or at least once or twice a week until Easter – would be a great way to apply this remedy.
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