Saturday, July 12, 2025 - Homily

 

Saturday, July 12, 2025 - Do you give up or give in when difficulties come your way? Do you throw up your hands in despair? Will you continue to persevere and trust today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 49:29-33; 50:15-26; Mt 10:24-33

In the verses of today, a parallel is drawn between the disciples who are sent by Jesus and Jesus himself. The disciples will share the same fate as their master. His response to negative assessment of his mission was equanimity and this must be the response of the disciples’ as well. They must not retaliate, but continue to persevere in the firm hope that they will eventually succeed. They are asked to be fearless in mission. The command “not to be afraid” is repeated twice in these verses. The reason for their fearlessness is that the Father is in control even if all evidence is to the contrary. If they remain faithful they will show themselves to be true disciples.

We often begin things with a bang and then end them with a whimper. This is because sometimes our enthusiasm runs away with us. What is required is perseverance and this is more likely if we start slowly and steadily (as Jesus himself did) and then let things build up gradually than if we start with much fanfare, which soon fizzles out.

Friday, July 11, 2025 - Homily

 

Friday, July 11, 2025 - When the going gets tough, the tough get going. What do you make of this statement?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 46:1-7,28-30; Mt 10:16-23

The sayings found in Matthew’s Mission Discourse here are found in the Eschatological Discourse of Mark (Mk 13,9-13). This is an indication that for Matthew, Mission is already eschatological. The punishment, which is referred to here is not random, but official punishment from members of organised authority. Even in this difficult situation the disciples are offered encouragement. They will depend not on their own strength, but on the Holy Spirit. They are to be missionaries even in the courtroom. Their imprisonment and trial must be regarded as an opportunity to make mission known. Mission takes priority even over family ties and if family ties have to be broken because of mission then so be it. The affirmation of the coming of the Son of Man is probably meant to provide succour to the missionaries in their distress.

Jesus is not calling us here to be sadists and look for suffering, persecution and pain. Rather he is challenging us to go about doing what we have to do, to be as prudent as possible about it and if despite that persecution, suffering and pain come, to be prepared and ready for it and not to be afraid.

 

Thursday, July 10, 2025 - Homily

 

Thursday, July 10, 2025 - How often have you focussed on the result rather than on the action? Will you focus only on the action today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 44:18-21,23-29; 45:1-5; Mt 10:7-15

The text of today, which is part of the Mission Discourse of Matthew contains the instructions for Mission. Three points may be noticed. The first is that mission is not only words but also action. Jesus sends the disciples not only to preach but also to heal. The second is that Jesus provides a strategy for mission which may be summarised in one word namely, DETACHMENT. The call is to detachment from anything, which will hold a person up or prevent him or her from engaging in mission. The third is that Jesus calls the disciples from a detachment even from the outcome of mission. They must not be concerned about the results or the fruits, but simply do what needs to be done.

Often, too much of focus on the results of our actions do not allow us to focus on the action itself. Consequently, our action is neither effective nor efficacious. If we continue to keep in mind that the Kingdom is not ours but His and we are only called to do our best in striving to make this kingdom a reality in the lives of others, then our action will be both effective and efficacious. Detachment even from the results of our action is an indication that we are aware that God is always in control.

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 - Homily

 

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 - How would you define “your” mission today? Are you engaging in mission?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 41:55-57; 42:5-7,17-24; Mt 10:1-7

The text of today is what may be termed as the Introduction to the Mission Discourse of Matthew (10,1- 42). It is only here that the Twelve are called “apostles”. This may be because of the context of the “sending” of the Twelve. Matthew has arranged the list into six pairs of two, by using the conjunction “and” after the first of each pair. The statement of Jesus to “go nowhere among the Gentiles” (10,5b) might seem harsh, but it must be kept in mind that even historically, the disciples were reluctant to go to non-Jews even after the resurrection and it took considerable time for the Church to realise that it had a universal mission. It must also be noted that this Universality is present at the end of the Gospel of Matthew when the risen Jesus commands the disciples to go to “all nations” (28,18-20).

The Mission of the disciples is both to preach and to heal, to say and do, word and action

Our Mission as disciples of Jesus is not merely a spiritual enterprise and not only to a select view. It is a practical mission, which includes the material, economic and tangible areas of people’s lives, and must include all. As disciples called to Mission we are called to make the world we live in a better place for everyone.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 - Homily

 

Monday, July 7, 2025 - Homily

 

Monday, July 7, 2025 - On a scale of 1 to 10 where would you mark your faith? Why?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 28:10-22; Mt 9:18-26

In the text of today, which Matthew has taken from Mark, the sandwich construction is maintained. This means that the first incident is interrupted by the narration of another incident complete in itself, and after this the first incident is resumed and completed. The story that is inserted into the story of raising the ruler’s daughter is the story of the healing of a woman with a haemorrhage. While Mark gives us the name of the leader of the synagogue, Jairus (Mark 5:22), Matthew omits his name. Matthew also omits a number of Marcan details namely Jesus’ question about who touched him and the disciples response, the fear of the woman about being found out and her falling down before Jesus. In Matthew it is very clear that the woman is healed not by a magic touch but by faith. While in Mark, the messengers come to inform Jairus about his daughter’s death, this whole scene is absent in Matthew, because in Matthew, the girl is already dead when the ruler comes to him. This has the effect of the ruler professing resurrection faith in his entreaty.

 

In Matthew, the story becomes a confessional statement of faith in the power of the resurrected Jesus.

In the first few days or even weeks of a terminal illness, the person who is ill continues to hope that he/she will get well. As time goes by and the healing does not occur, soon hope begins to dim. Finally the person gives up and gives in. The woman’s attitude in the story of today is calling each of us to perseverance, hope and faith and to develop an attitude of never giving up. That we must cultivate such an attitude is made clearer when we realise that Jesus could raise even those whom others gave up for dead.

Sunday, July 7, 2025 - Homily

 

Sunday, July 6, 2025 - FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - HOW DO YOU DEFINE MISSION? WILL YOU ENGAGE IN MISSION TODAY?

To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 66:10-14c; Gal 6:14-18; Lk 10:1-12,17-20

The Mission instructions to the seventy (seventy-two) and their return from Mission, which is the Gospel text for today, are texts that are exclusive to Luke. Matthew and Mark have Mission instructions only to the twelve. Luke has this but also has the Mission Discourse to the seventy (seventy-two).

While some manuscripts have the number seventy, others have the number seventy-two. The most likely interpretation is that this number is related to the biblical number of the nations mentioned in Genesis, Chapter 10, wherein the Hebrew text lists seventy nations and the Septuagint lists seventy-two. This is an indication that the commissioning of the seventy (seventy-two) foreshadows the mission of the church to all nations. It is also an indication of the fact that Mission is not restricted to the select few disciples nor is it to be directed to a select few. Mission is the task and privilege of all who profess to be disciples of Jesus and includes every person. Everyone is sent on Mission. The Mission belongs to all.

In the first verse, Jesus affirms that the world needs the Church’s Mission through the words, “the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few”.  He goes on to stress the need for prayer to the One who can send labourers into the harvest field, which is the whole world.

The disciples are then sent out with detailed instructions for Mission. These include how they are to conduct themselves, what they are to carry for the journey, and how they are to respond in the face of acceptance or rejection.

At the very outset, they are warned of the dangers that will be part of their lot simply because they engage in Mission. However, they are to respond, not with retaliation or violence but, with innocence, non-resistance, and sincerity. Since Mission is urgent and critical, they are to go out with as little as possible. They must not be held up by possessions or things; they must be free to move on. They must greet no one on the road, not because they are discourteous or insolent, but to indicate singularity of purpose and urgency. Mission is not tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, but now. Before receiving hospitality, they will give the gift of peace to those whose houses they enter. Since detachment is a key quality that the missioners must possess, they are not to demand a certain type of food but rather, must eat what is provided. This also means that they must not impose their culture on another but rather, possess the openness to assimilate the culture of others.

They are not only to say, but they are also to do, since Mission is spiritual and practical. It is inclusive and involves every aspect of human life. Thus, even as they heal the sick, they will announce the arrival of the kingdom. This means that they announce the absolute, unrestricted, and unreserved love of God. This love is a practical love and is shown in deeds, not merely in words. It is a love given, not because of any merit on the part of the recipients, but freely and without restraint. It is given simply because God loves first.

The detachment that the disciples are called to possess is also detachment from the outcome of Mission. They will be able to possess such detachment when they realise that the Mission is not theirs, but God’s. Thus, they will not be deterred or discouraged by rejection or by a negative response. They will keep on keeping on. They will do what they are meant to do and leave the rest in God’s hands. God will complete what remains undone by them.

Today, more than two thousand years after these instructions were given by Jesus, the task remains. Mission still has to be done. The scope of Mission today has become even wider to include ecology, the environment, consumerism, and globalization. It is in the context of a globalized world, a world which is being systematically destroyed because of the greed of a few, and a world that is very much in need of healing, that Mission has to be accomplished. The world needs to be made constantly aware of God’s unconditional love. It is in this context that the words of God in the first reading, from Isaiah, take on new meaning. The Lord wants to extend prosperity to all nations. God wants to reclaim the world and bring it to its original glory. God has given us a glimpse of this glory by sending Jesus into the world. This glimpse of Jesus and what he accomplished in his short span of life inspires us to hope and to look beyond our present and broken world.  It inspires us to look into that new heaven and that new earth in which all will be comforted and all hearts will rejoice.

This is the new creation that Paul speaks of in the second reading of today. It is a victory that has already been achieved by the cross of Jesus Christ. In this event, God, who created the world, reclaimed it already. The new creation is not, however, merely a dream or a vision; it is not something that will be established only in the future. It takes on concrete reality in the community of God’s people whose lives together already testify to the reconciling power of the gospel. It is a new creation that is made visible by both the proclamation and the living out of the unconditional love of God made visible in Jesus.

Saturday, July 5, 2025 - Homily

 

Saturday, July 5, 2025 - How often have you made rules and regulations ends in themselves? What will you do about it today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 27:1-5,15-29; Mt 9:14-17

The question about fasting is raised here by the disciples of John the Baptist. Jesus’ first response is that the wedding guests do not fast during the wedding. In other words, the time of Jesus is considered as a time of celebration, it is the time of the presence of the Kingdom of God. The second and third responses are about the new cloth and old garment and about new wine in old wine skins. The point here seems to be that both have their place in appropriate settings and must not be mixed up. Fasting does have a place in spirituality, but must not be made an end it itself.

It is possible that even our good actions might take a hold of us and so become ends in themselves. There is only one end: God and all else that we do even if it is good can never be an end. We must use them as means to reach God. This means that if something helps me, I use it, if it hinders me I give it up.

Friday, July 4, 2025 - Homily

 

Friday, July 4, 2025 - Is your “usual” way of looking a “negative or pessimistic” way? Will you look at persons, things and events positively today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen23:1-4, 19, 24:1-8,62-67; Mt9:9-13

The text of today contains the call of Matthew, and Jesus’ fellowship with tax collectors and sinners. It is only in the Gospel of Matthew that the tax collector is called Matthew. In Mark and Luke, he is called Levi. However, in the lists of the Twelve in both Mark and Luke, the disciple is named Matthew and Levi does not appear. It is unlikely that Matthew and Levi refer to the same person. It was rare for Jews to have two different Jewish names. The reason for the author choosing the name Matthew remains unknown. However, in the text what strikes one is that whereas most people who passed by the tax office would see a corrupt official, Jesus was able to see a potential disciple. It was Jesus’ way of looking that led to the transformation and the response of Matthew to the call. In his response to the objection of the Pharisees, Jesus responds with a common proverb about the sick needing a doctor, and also quotes from Hosea 6:6, which here is interpreted to mean that the mercy of God in Jesus is extended to all humanity and takes precedence over everything else. All else must be understood in this light.

There are times when we judge people too easily and many of these times our judgement of them is negative. This is also how we often look at the whole of creation and because we put labels on things, people and all else in creation, we may miss out on the uniqueness that each possesses.

Thursday, July 3, 2025 - Homily

 

Thursday, July 3, 2025 - St. Thomas, Apostle of India - Will one person be 'believing' today because you have made Jesus known to him/her?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 10:24-35; Heb 1:2-3; Jn 20:24-29

Thomas the Apostle, also called Didymus (meaning "Twin," as does "Thomas" in Aramaic") was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel. He is also believed to have crossed the largest area, which includes the Parthian Empire and India.

The text chosen for the Feast of St. Thomas from the Gospel is often mistakenly referred to as that of “Doubting Thomas”. However, that is a misnomer. Jesus does not use the word doubt in these verses. Rather, Jesus chides Thomas for being unbelieving. The story focuses on the grounds of faith. Thomas seeks tangible proof which the disciples are unable to provide. Jesus provides this for Thomas and in so doing asks him to move from unbelief to faith.

Thomas does not touch the hands and side of Jesus as Jesus invites him to do, but responds with the highest acclamation or title for Jesus anywhere in the New Testament. Thomas sees God fully revealed in Jesus. This is why Jesus is for Thomas “My Lord and my God!”

The Beatitude or blessing pronounced by Jesus on future generations’ states that having seen Jesus is not a prerequisite for faith. One must first believe in order to see.

Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - Homily

 

Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - Which demons are possessing you and so not allowing you to be free? Do you believe that Jesus can exorcise them from your life today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 21:5,8-20; Mt 8:28-34

The text begins by stating that Jesus arrived on the other side, which because of the presence of pigs mentioned in 8,30 is clearly Gentile territory, since Jews considered pigs as unclean. While in the story in Mark 5,1-20 there is one demoniac, in Matthew’s story there are two (8,28). The version in Matthew is considerably shorter than the one in Mark, since Matthew omits many details that Mark gives. One possible reason for this is that Matthew wants to focus attention in his story solely on Jesus. The demons recognise Jesus and also recognise that they belong to two different worlds. In Mark, the demons enter into conversation with Jesus, but in Matthew they do not, but only beg Jesus to send them into the herd of swine., and Jesus exorcises them with just one word, “Go”. Matthew does not tell us what happens to the demoniacs after the demons leave them. However, when the people of that town are told what happened to the demoniacs, they beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood.

More than physical demons that may possess us, we may be possessed by psychological demons. These can be feelings of fear, anger, revenge, jealousy, envy and a pessimistic attitude. If we continue in these feelings we are not living fully the life that God wants us to live. We need to decide that with the help of Jesus we are going to get rid of them today.