Tuesday, July 4, 2023 - Homily

 

Tuesday, July 4, 2023 - Have the “storms” of your life sometimes overwhelmed you? Will you believe that with Jesus in the boat of your life these can be controlled?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 19:15-29; Mt 8:23-27

The miracle in our text for today known sometimes as the Calming of The Storm is found also in Mark (4,35-41) and Luke (8,22-25). It is only Matthew, however, who emphasises that the disciples “followed Jesus into the boat”. The miracle is not only a nature miracle but also a story told to indicate that Jesus has control over the storms of life itself. In Matthew the “storm” indicates the stormy experience of the community (represented by the disciples in the boat) who follow Jesus. While in Mark the cry is one of distress (“Teacher do you not care if we perish?”), in Matthew, it is a liturgical-sounding cry for help (Save, Lord; we are perishing). In both Mark and Luke the reprimand about “little faith” is after Jesus has calmed the storm, whereas in Matthew, the reprimand precedes the calming. This is an indication that “faith” is primary, and if the disciples had the faith needed, they would not be agitated.

We may sometimes get disturbed and agitated when thigs do not happen the way we expect them to or when we are faced with a difficult situation. At times like the disciples in the Gospel of Mark we may accuse Jesus of not being concerned about our plight and at other times like the disciples in the Gospel of Matthew we may plead with him to come to our aid. No matter which approach we may use, we need to remember that he will let nothing happen to us that is not part of his plan and will. We have to continue to do what is required of as and confidently leave the rest to him.

Monday, July 3, 2023 - St. Thomas - Homily

 

Monday, July 3, 2023 - 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.

Sunday, July 2, 2023 - Homily

 

Sunday, July 2, 2023 - What is that thing, who is that person, which is that event that is not allowing you to be free? What will you do about it today?

To read the texts click on the texts:2 Kings 4:8-11,14-16; Rom 6:3-4,8-11; Mt10:37-42

The Gospel text of today is from the last part of the Mission Discourse in the Gospel of Matthew (10:1-42). In this discourse, Jesus gives his disciples a theology for Mission. In it Jesus explains that Mission is to say and do. It is both spiritual and practical. Jesus also provides a strategy for Mission when he sends his disciples out. This strategy may be summed up in one word which is Detachment. The disciples are called to be detached from things, places and even persons. This means that when one has to choose between Mission and family, the choice must be for Mission.

The verses of the Gospel text of today make up the conclusion of Matthew’s Mission Discourse. The choice is a difficult one to make and sometimes it may be between even family and one’s conscience. Loyalty to Jesus has priority over loyalty to anyone else or anything, indeed even over life itself.

If one is willing to share the cross of Jesus, one will also be given the privilege of his authority. The discourse ends with the affirmation that the disciple is always a representative or ambassador of Jesus and any good done to the disciple will be considered as good done to Jesus himself.

We must keep in mind that the only Jesus that people today can see and touch is the Jesus that we make known through our words and actions. He has allowed us to share in his mission. This is also an enormous privilege, but entails a tremendous responsibility.

The first reading of today confirms Jesus’ words. The woman who had shown concern for Elisha because he was a prophet is rewarded with a son. What is impossible for humans is possible for God. This possibility extends even to raisng the dead to life. Jesus had shown this in his ministry when he raised Jairus’ daughter, the son of the widow of Nain and Lazarus. However, God had shown this in the most preeminent of ways when he raised Jesus from the dead.

This is why Paul call the community at Rome and each one of us to fidelity to Christ which is shown in our willingness to die to self so that we might live for God in Jesus his son.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 - Does Jesus Christ have faith in you?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 18:1-15; Mt 8:5-17

The text of today contains the healing of the Centurion’s servant and the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. The healing of the Centurion’s servant is also found in Luke (7,1-10) and John but with variations. While in Luke the centurion never makes an appearance personally, in Matthew he addresses Jesus as “Lord”, which is an address only believers use in Matthew. The response of Jesus to the Centurion’s need is seen by some as a question rather than a statement, “I should come and heal him?” This is in keeping with Matthew’s portrayal of Jesus who is sent as Messiah only for the lost sheep of Israel (10,5-6) and not for Gentiles. The Centurion is not deterred by Jesus’ question, and responds with faith. The healing takes place from a distance. The focus, however, is not on the miracle but on the faith of the centurion and through his faith the faith of “unbelievers”. The centurion does not claim to have faith. It is Jesus who testifies to his faith.

We can get deterred and lose our focus when thigs do not go the way we want them to. At these times we may blame our family, our neighbours and even God. The Centurion’s attitude is a lesson to us never to get deterred from what we have to do and continue to keep our sights fixed on what we want to achieve confident that our perseverance will pay rich dividends.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 - Homily

 

Friday, June 30, 2023 - Homily

 

Friday, June 30, 2023 - In your prayer do you express the confidence that the leper in the story expresses? If No, why not?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 17:1,9-10,15-22; Mt 8:1-4

We begin reading today in the liturgy and will continue for the whole of next week from Chapters 8 and 9 of the Gospel of Matthew. These Chapters contain what is known as the “Miracle Cycle” of Matthew, because in them we find ten miracles in series of three miracles each. The fact that the Miracle Cycle follows immediately after the Sermon on the Mount and both are framed by a summary statement in 4,23 and 9, 35 is an indication that Matthew’s intention is to show through such a placement that Jesus is the Messiah in words (through the Sermon on the Mount) and deeds (through the Miracle Cycle).

The healing of a leper, which is our text for today, is also found in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, but where Mark narrates the emotional reactions of Jesus, Matthew and Luke omit them. The term leprosy was used for any kind of skin disease, and those with such kind of diseases were considered as unclean and not allowed to be part of society. They had to live on the outskirts of the city, and had to make their presence known whenever they entered the city, so that others could avoid any kind of contact with them and so not get contaminated.

The leper addresses Jesus as Lord, which is a title used only by believers in the Gospel of Matthew. In this miracle, Jesus not only heals the leper, but also reaches out and touches him. This probably means that Jesus cannot be contaminated or made unclean by anything from outside. It could also indicate Jesus’ wanting to reach out to the leper in a personal manner and treat him as a full human being.

The prayer of the leper is a lesson for each one of us on the meaning of prayer. In his prayer the leper both acknowledges his dependence on Jesus through the words, “If you will” and also has faith in the ability of Jesus to heal through the words, “you can make me clean”. Prayer means to acknowledge our dependence on God and also to have faith that God can do what to us may seem impossible.