Being
good and doing good are not be looked upon as a burden but something that comes
naturally to the Christian who has experienced the move from darkness to light
and from fear to love through what Christ has done through his life, mission,
death and resurrection. We must show through this kind of positive and fearless
living that we are indeed children of the light and have as inspiration the
person and message of Christ.
Saturday, 30 November 2019
Sunday, December 1, 2019 - First Sunday in Advent - “Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday”
To read the texts click on the texts:Isaiah 2:1-5; Rom. 13:11-14; Mt 24:37-44
In
this oracle of salvation Isaiah speaks of the elevation or exaltation of Zion,
the mountain of the Temple of the Lord. This elevation will result in the
establishment of peace and justice among all nations. The people will make a
pilgrimage to Zion to learn the Lord’s ways and walk in his paths. They will go
to God’s holy mountain to learn from him. This instruction will result in the
instruments of war being turned into farming tools. Peace will reign and so
there will be no need to train for war.
In
this part of his letter to the Romans, Paul exhorts his readers because of the
urgency of the times to wake up and live in the light rather than darkness.
This is done by giving up things done under the cover of the dark and daring to
appear in the light. Christians must express through their words and actions
the very presence of Christ.
The
text from Matthew is part of his Eschatological Discourse (24-25). To the
question “When will Christ return?” Matthew’s answer is “No one knows” (24:36).
As in the time of Noah life went on as usual with no sign that judgement was
going to come, so will it be at the Parousia (literally “presence” but taken to
mean the second coming of Christ). However, this lack of knowledge about the
exactness of the hour instead of becoming a cause for concern must be the
motivating factor to be ready at all times. In the metaphor of the thief who
breaks and enters the house, the point being made is that it is the one who
knows that the exact hour is unknown will be the one who will remain vigilant
and awake.
Many
of us live in the future rather than in the present. We want to know what will
happen tomorrow and in the process do not live fully today. This obsession with
the future is because basically we are frightened. We are frightened of what
the future holds for us, we are frightened of whether we will be able to cope
with what the future brings and we are frightened of whether the future will be
better than or worse than our present. The Gospel text of today is calling for
exactly the opposite of this way of living. It is calling for a total living in
the present and doing what we have to do in the now, with no useless worry
about what the morrow will bring. This is what it means to be ready at all
times. A story is told of St. John Berchmans {a young Jesuit who died when he
was 22 years old} who when asked what he would do if he was told that he
was going to be called by the Lord at the moment when he was playing football
is said to have replied, “I will continue playing football.” The Latin phrase
“Age quod agis” “Do what you are doing” sums up his attitude and the attitude
expected of each of us who profess to be followers of Christ.
However,
we will only be able to have such a kind of confidence to continue doing what
we are doing, if we give up the negative
things that we might be doing and the negative attitudes that we might carry
and substitute them instead with everything that enhances, builds up and is positive. Being good and doing good
are not be looked upon as a burden but something that comes naturally to the
Christian who has experienced the move from darkness to light and from fear to
love through what Christ has done through his life, mission, death and
resurrection. We must show through this kind of positive and fearless living
that we are indeed children of the light and have as inspiration the person and
message of Christ.
If
we dare to live in this manner then the prophecy of Isaiah which was fulfilled
in the coming of Jesus 2000 years ago will also become a reality once again
today. We will become that mountain of the Temple of the Lord to which everyone
will look and learn the Lord’s ways. They will learn that to live in the future
is futile, that to be obsessed with what is not yet is to fail to appreciate
fully the present moment. They will realize that it is better to be positive
than negative, to enhance and build up rather than pull down and destroy, to
live fully and completely rather than die without ever having lived.
Friday, 29 November 2019
Saturday, November 30, 2019 - St. Andrew, Apostle - YouTube Reflections
What does it mean to follow Jesus
and accept his invitation to follow? It means that one is willing to accept the
challenge to see God in all things and all things in God. It therefore means
continuing to follow when everything is going the way we want it to and also when our plans go awry and we cannot
understand why things happen the way they do. It means trusting at every moment
that we have to continue to what is required of us and leave everything else
(including the worrying) to God. It means trusting that God will never let us
down and that all that happens to us is for God’s glory and our good. challenge
to see God in all things and all things in God. It therefore means continuing
to follow when everything is going the way we want it to and also when our
plans go awry. It means trusting at every moment that we have to continue to
what is required of us and leave everything else (including the worrying) to
God.
Saturday, November 30, 2019 - St. Andrew, Apostle - Andrew left everything to follow the Lord. How will you follow the Lord today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Rom 10:9-18; Mt 4:18-22
Andrew
was the brother of Simon Peter (Mt 4:18; Mk 1:16; Jn 1:40; 6:8) and along with
his brother was a fisherman. According to the Gospel of John, Andrew was a
disciple of John the Baptist and was one of the first to follow Jesus. The
Gospels of Matthew and Mark state that Andrew and his brother were the
disciples to be called by Jesus to become “fishers of men”; a phrase which was
used to probably link it with their trade.
Though
not in the group of the three disciples (Peter, James and John) who seemed to
have a special place in the ministry of Jesus, it was Andrew who brought the
boy who had five barley loaves to Jesus in the Gospel of John (Jn 6:8) and who
along with Philip told Jesus about the gentiles (Greeks) who wished to meet
Jesus (Jn 12:22).
Andrew
is said to have been martyred by crucifixion at the city of Patras. His
crucifixion is believed to have been on Cross that was shaped like the alphabet
X. This Cross is commonly known as “Saint Andrew’s Cross” today.
The
Gospel text for the Feast is the call of the first four disciples as narrated
by Matthew. It is Jesus who takes the initiative in this story and come to the
brothers, Simon and Andrew. Jesus’ invitation is also a promise. The invitation
which is “to follow” him, will result in the brothers becoming ‘fishers of men
and women’. It is an invitation to participate in the saving work of Jesus.
The
response of the brothers is immediate. They leave everything to follow Jesus.
While it was surely a risk to act in such a manner, it is also true that the
call of Jesus was so compelling, that they simply could not refuse.
What
does it mean to follow Jesus and accept his invitation to follow? It means that
one is willing to accept the challenge to see God in all things and all things
in God. It therefore means continuing to follow when everything is going the
way we want it to and also when our
plans go awry and we cannot understand why things happen the way they do. It
means trusting at every moment that we have to continue to what is required of
us and leave everything else (including the worrying) to God. It means trusting
that God will never let us down and that all that happens to us is for God’s
glory and our good.
Saturday, November 30, 2019 - Rom 10:9-18; Mt 4:18-22
Saturday, November 30, 2019 - Rom 10:9-18; Mt 4:18-22
Thursday, 28 November 2019
Friday, November 29, 2019 - YouTube Reflections - Will you live today as if it were your last day on earth?
Our job as Christians is not to
bother about when the end will be but to live fully in the present moment. If
we do so then no matter when the end comes we will always be ready.
Friday, November 29, 2019 - Will you live today as if it were your last day on earth?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dan 7:2-14; Lk 21:29-33
The parable of the fig tree found in these verses is the last
parable that Jesus tells in the Gospel of Luke. This parable is found also in
Mark 13:28-29 and Matthew 24:32-33, but whereas Mark and Matthew speak only of
the fig tree, Luke speaks of “the fig tree and all the trees” (21:29).
When
people can see for themselves that these trees have come out in leaf they know
for themselves that summer is near, so when they see the Son of Man coming in a
cloud (21:27) they will know that the kingdom is near. Since Luke probably
thought that the end would come soon, he has added the last two sayings about
what will not pass away until “these things” have taken place. They are “this
generation” and the “words” of Jesus. These pronouncements must serve as a
reminder of the assurance of redemption for the believer.
Our job as Christians is not to bother about when the end will
be but to live fully in the present moment. If we do so then no matter when the
end comes we will always be ready.
Friday, November 29, 2019 - Dan 7:2-14; Lk 21:29-33
Friday, November 29, 2019 - Dan 7:2-14; Lk 21:29-33
Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Thursday, November 28, 2019 - YouTube Reflections
Thursday, November 28, 2019 - If the end were to come today would you be able to hold your heal high fearlessly? If No, what will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dan 6:12-18; Lk 21:20-28
The text of today, continues the Eschatological Discourse, but
speaks now of the destruction of Jerusalem and other cosmological signs which
announce the coming of the Son of Man.
Josephus the Jewish historian recorded
the horrors of the Jewish war, which lasted from April until August of the year
70 C.E. It was a terrible for all the inhabitants and many were killed during
it. The Romans razed the whole city to the ground.
Once this happens and the
other signs have come to pass signalling the end that is at hand, the Son of
Man will appear in a cloud, with great power and glory. When this happens
others might faint from fear, but the disciples are asked to hold their heads
up high, because their salvation has indeed come.
Thursday, November 28, 2019 - Dan 6:12-18; Lk 21:20-28
Thursday, November 28, 2019 - Dan 6:12-18; Lk 21:20-28
Tuesday, 26 November 2019
Wednesday, November 27, 2019 - YouTube Reflections
The gospel offers not a way of predicting the end of the world
but the spiritual resources to cope with the challenges of life. In times of
distress the disciples of Jesus are called not to throw their hands up in
despair, but to be unafraid. It is a fact that following Jesus who is The Truth
will have repercussions and consequences, some of which may be disastrous.
However, it is in these circumstances that perseverance and endurance is called
for. This is the test of our faith and courage in the promises of the Lord.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019 - If someone witnessed your actions all through today, would they conclude that you are a disciple of Jesus?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dan 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28; Lk 21:12-19
These verses are part of Luke’s Eschatological Discourse. The Greek word “Eschaton” is translated as “the last
things”, “the things of the next life”. The main point of these verses is to
prepare the disciples for the coming trial by exhorting them to regard trials
as an occasion for bearing witness.
The text begins by telling the disciples
what they (the persecutors) will do namely arrest you, persecute you etc. It
then goes on to advise the disciples what they must do in the face of this
persecution, namely that they must bear witness but not be obsessed with the
anxiety of preparing their defence. The reason for this is because of what
Jesus will do, namely, give the disciples wisdom to counter any argument of the
opponents.
The text ends with an assurance of God’s support and protection on
those who endure.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019 - Dan 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28; Lk 21:12-19
Wednesday, November 27, 2019 - Dan 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28; Lk 21:12-19
Monday, 25 November 2019
Tuesday, November 26, 2019 - YouTube Reflections
In times of great danger, stress, and hardship it is
natural for persons and communities of faith to turn to God and to the future
for hope, for the promise of deliverance. However, idle preoccupation and
speculation of what will happen at the end times is not called for. It is a distortion
of the Gospel message of Jesus who asks that we concern ourselves not with
gossip and guesswork, but in how we must do what we have to do in the
present.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019 - Are you so concerned about the next life that you are not living fully this life?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dan 2:31-45; Lk 21:5-11
Luke follows Mark 13:1-8 quite closely
in these verses, though he also makes some changes. While in Mark 13:1 Jesus
comes out of the Temple and predicts its destruction when his disciples point
to it magnificence, in Luke, Jesus is within the Temple when he predicts its
destruction when some (not the disciples) speak of its magnificence (21:5-6).
This is why unlike in Mark 13:3 he is not on the Mount of Olives opposite the
Temple, but within its precincts when he is asked about when this will take
place (21:7).
Mark 13:3 has Peter, James, John and Andrew who ask this
question; Luke has the people pose the question. Jesus responds by stating not
the hour when this will take place, but by issuing a set of three warnings.
The
first warning is not to allow oneself to be led astray and be led into
believing that the ones’ who come in his name are the Messiah.
The second
warning follows the first: they must go after these false Messiahs.
The third
warning is not to be terrified when they hear of wars and insurrections,
because they are part of God’s plan in bringing about the kingdom and must out
of necessity happen before the final coming.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019 - Dan 2:31-45; Lk 21:5-11
Tuesday, November 26, 2019 - Dan 2:31-45; Lk 21:5-11
Sunday, 24 November 2019
Monday, November 25, 2019 - YouTube Reflections
The
true measure of gifts is not how much is given but how one gives.
It
is not the amount that one gives but the spirit in which the gift is given.
The
true gift is to give everything one has.
Monday, November 25, 2019 - Will you forego one meal this week and give what you save to someone less fortunate than you?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dan 1:1-6,8-20; Lk 21:1-4
Jesus’ comment on the widow’s offering follows immediately after his
condemnation of the scribes, who “devour widow’s houses”. Luke omits most of
Mark’s introduction to the widow’s offering (see Mark 12:41).
In the new scene,
which Luke brings about by his comment that “He (Jesus) looked up and saw”,
Luke introduces two sets of characters: the rich contributors and a poor widow.
The action of both is the same. However, the size or amount of the gifts of the
rich contributors is not mentioned, but it is explicitly stated that the widow
put in two lepta, the smallest copper coins then in use.
It would have taken
128 lepta to make one denarius, which was a day’s wage. Two lepta would
therefore have been worthless. In a twist reminiscent of many of Jesus’
parables, Jesus states that the widow who put in what seems like a worthless
amount has put in more than any of the rich contributors.
The following
statement clarifies how this could be. They contributed out of their abundance,
but she out of her poverty. They contributed gifts she contributed herself
Monday, November 25, 2019 - Dan 1:1-6,8-20; Lk 21:1-4
Monday, November 25, 2019 - Dan 1:1-6,8-20; Lk 21:1-4
Saturday, 23 November 2019
Sunday, November 24, 2019 - Christ the Universal King - YouTube Reflections
We
can welcome Christ the King by removing from our minds and hearts anything that
will prevent us from receiving and accepting him. We can do this by removing
selfishness and self-centeredness that makes us seek only our own good rather
than the good of others. We can do this by reaching out in love and forgiveness
as he did, even when on the Cross. Will we ready our minds and hearts to
receive our King?
Sunday, November 24, 2019 - CHRIST THE UNIVERSAL AND ETERNAL KING - What one action will you do today to show that you are readying to receive Christ the King?
To read the texts click on the texts: 2Sam 5:1-3; Col 1:12-20; Lk 23:35-43
The
feast of Christ the Eternal King was introduced through the encyclical Quas
Primas – (“In the first”) of Pope Pius XI on December 11, 1925. One main purpose of the encyclical was to
communicate hope to a world which seemed to be giving into despair. Another purpose was to give the world a whole
new idea of kingship, dominion and authority. There could be no better model of
kingship which the Church could put before the world than Jesus Christ. Jesus
Christ, the servant king.
This
feast is celebrated every year on the last Sunday in Ordinary time. It brings
to a close the Ordinary time of the liturgical year and it begins the
preparation for Advent and the coming of the redeemer child at Christmas.
The
readings for today all speak of Kingship. The first reading tells of the
kingship of David who had been anointed king over Judah and now, over the
northern tribes of Israel. Thus, David becomes king over all of Israel.
However, even as he is anointed king, he is reminded of the kind of king that
the Lord wants him to be, namely a Shepherd king. He began life as a shepherd
of the flocks of his father. Now, he is
shepherd over the people. Like the shepherd looks after his flock and leads
them, so David will look after his people and lead them. The anointing of David
as king is not something done on a mere whim. It is the Lord who ordained it. It is the Lord who said that David would be
shepherd and rule over Israel. David had shown his care for his people when he
led them out and brought them to the glory that they now experience.
The
kingdom that God established in David promised newness. The shape of power in this
kingdom will be governed by shepherding and covenant making. Israel’s future
hope has, for the moment, become its present hope. This present hope was made
even more visible when God chose and anointed Jesus to be king, not only over
Israel but over the whole of humanity. Like David before him, Jesus would also
be a shepherd of the people. The
covenant that he made with God would be a covenant on the Cross. It would be an
eternal covenant, one that no amount of negatives could ever erase.
The
Gospel text of today brings out this truth powerfully. Through the irony of the
taunts of the leaders and soldiers, Luke highlights both Jesus’ real identity
and the true meaning of his death. The leaders and soldiers think that they are
ridiculing Jesus. They think that they are making fun of him. However, even as they do this, they are
unaware that this is exactly the kind of king that he has come to be. Just as Jesus had taught that those who lose
their lives for his sake would save them, so now he is willing to lose his life
so that all might be saved. Jesus’ death did not contradict the Christological
claims; it confirmed them. For him to have saved himself would have been a
denial of his salvific role in the purposes of God. Both what is said and what
is done at the cross, therefore, confirm the truth about the one who is
crucified: He is the Christ, the King of the Jews, the Saviour of the World.
This
salvation that Jesus effected on the Cross is made even more visible and more
tangible in the response of Jesus to those crucified with him. Though rebuked
by one of the thieves, Jesus does not react negatively. He is willing to accept
even this taunt. The pronouncement that Jesus makes to the thief who asks for
remembrance is solemn. It is the last of the six “Amen” sayings in Luke and the
only one addressed to a person. It is also the last of the “Today”
pronouncements. That “Amen” and “Today” have been used together is an
indication that the pronouncement is emphatic and that there is to be no delay. What Jesus promises will happen now.
The
salvation pronounced to one of the thieves on the Cross is also the salvation
being pronounced to each of us who are willing to receive it. This is because,
through his passion and death, Jesus has rescued us, as the letter to the
Colossians points out. He has rescued us
from the power of darkness and sin. He
has transferred us into the kingdom of light and all that is good. It is
therefore, in the visible image of Jesus Christ that we can comprehend who God
is and what God wants to do for each of us. God wants the whole of creation to
be reconciled in Jesus. God wants all of creation to be saved in the shepherd
and self-sacrificing king.
As
we come to the close of another liturgical year, and as we prepare to welcome
Christ our eternal king, we need to realize that our king can come only if we
are willing to open our hearts and minds wide to receive him. We can do this by
removing from our minds and hearts anything that will prevent us from receiving
and accepting him. We can do this by removing selfishness and self-centeredness
that makes us seek only our own good rather than the good of others. We can do
this by reaching out in love and forgiveness as he did, even when on the Cross.
Will we ready our minds and hearts to receive our King?
Friday, 22 November 2019
Saturday, November 23, 2019 - YouTube Reflections
Jesus’ words
can thus be approached from a positive side. The God who created human life,
including the institution of marriage, has also provided for life after death
for those who have cultivated the capacity to respond to God’s love. The
biblical teaching is that life comes from God. There is nothing in or of the
human being that is naturally or inherently immortal. If there is life beyond
death, it is God’s gift to those who have accepted God’s love and entered into
relationship with God in this life: They “are children of God, being children
of the resurrection”
Saturday, November 23, 2019 - If you were told that your life after death would be determined by the life you live now, what changes would you make in this life?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Mac 6:1-13; Lk 20:27-40
The Sadducees
were a group of Jews who did not believe in the resurrection. The question they
ask Jesus assumes the practice of levirate marriage, where according to Deut
25:5, the brother of a deceased man was to take his brother’s widow as his
wife. The Sadducees extend the situation to the point of ridicule by speaking
of seven brothers who marry the same woman. The question is whose wife she
would be in the resurrection. While in Mark, Jesus first rebukes the Sadducees,
in Luke he begins to teach them immediately. Jesus’ response is that life in
the resurrection will not simply be a continuation of the life, as we know it
now. In the second part of his response, Jesus calls the attention of the
Sadducees to the familiar story of the burning bush, in which the point is that
God is not God of the dead but of the living.
Jesus’ words
can thus be approached from a positive side. The God who created human life,
including the institution of marriage, has also provided for life after death
for those who have cultivated the capacity to respond to God’s love. The
biblical teaching is that life comes from God. There is nothing in or of the
human being that is naturally or inherently immortal. If there is life beyond
death, it is God’s gift to those who have accepted God’s love and entered into
relationship with God in this life: They “are children of God, being children
of the resurrection”
Monday, December 23, 2019 - Mal 3:1-4, 23-24; Lk 1:57-66
Monday, December 23, 2019 - Mal 3:1-4, 23-24; Lk 1:57-66
Sunday, November 24, 2019 - 2 Sam 5:1-3; Col 1:12-20; Lk 23:35-43
Sunday, November 24, 2019 - 2 Sam 5:1-3; Col 1:12-20; Lk 23:35-43
Saturday, November 23, 2019 - 1 Mac 6:1-13; Lk 20:27-40
Saturday, November 23, 2019 - 1 Mac 6:1-13; Lk 20:27-40
Thursday, 21 November 2019
Friday, November 22, 2019 - YouTube Reflections
If the Lord were to come to the Temple of your heart, would he
find selling and buying or would he find himself there?
Friday, November 22, 2019 - If the Lord were to come to the Temple of your heart, would he find selling and buying or would he find himself there?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Mac 4:36-37,52-59; Lk 19:45-48
The cleansing of the temple is one of
the few incidents that are narrated by all four Gospels. However, the
distinctiveness of Luke’s account stands out more clearly when it is compared
with Mark.
In Marks account, Jesus enters Jerusalem and the temple, and then
withdraws for the night to Bethany. In contrast, Luke has Jesus proceed
directly to the Temple. The cleansing in Luke is greatly abbreviated, omitting
Mark’s references to those who were buying, overturning the tables, selling
doves and forbidding anyone to carry anything through the Temple. While in Mark
Jesus’ action is part of his prophetic announcement of the destruction of the
temple, in Luke, the cleansing prepares his “father’s house” to serve as the
site for Jesus’ teaching in the following section (19:47 – 21:38).
While in
Mark Jesus leaves the Temple definitively after the cleansing, in Luke, Jesus
continues to teach in the Temple even after the incident. Since the people were
spellbound by the words of Jesus, the chief priests, scribes and the leaders
could do nothing to him.
Friday, November 22, 2019 - 1 Mac 4:36-37,52-59; Lk 19:45-48
Friday, November 22, 2019 - 1 Mac 4:36-37,52-59; Lk 19:45-48
Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Thursday, November 21, 2019 - YouTube Reflections
There are times in our lives when we 'conveniently' believe what suits
us and reject many other truths. In doing so we are like the people of the city
of Jerusalem who have closed ourselves to the revelation that God continually
makes. We must develop the ability to find God in all things and all things in
God.
Thursday, November 21, 2019 - What keeps you from recognising the Messiah?
To read the texts click on the texts:1 Mac 2:15-29; Lk 19:41-44
The text of
today dwells on the theme of Jesus’ rejection by the religious elders. The city
Jerusalem, whose name contains the word peace, does not recognise the King of
Peace, Jesus Christ. Jesus’ tears for Jerusalem are because she did not
recognise that if she accepted him as Messiah, true peace would indeed reign.
The numerous attempts of Jesus to win over the people were met with stiff
resistance. They had closed their minds and hearts to anything that he had to
say because it did not fit in with what they had already set their minds to
believe.
There
are times in our lives when we 'conveniently' believe what suits us and reject
many other truths. In doing so we are like the people of the city of Jerusalem
who have closed ourselves to the revelation that God continually makes. We must
develop the ability to find God in all things and all things in God
Thursday, November 21, 2019 - 1 Mac 2:15-29; Lk 19:41-44
Thursday, November 21, 2019 - 1 Mac 2:15-29; Lk 19:41-44
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