The Faith of the Centurion -Lk

September 12, 2016. Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time.1 Cor 11:17-26, 33 Psalm 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17 Luke 7:1-10.
Reading 1 1 COR 11:17-26, 33

Brothers and sisters:
In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact
that your meetings are doing more harm than good.
First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church
there are divisions among you,
and to a degree I believe it;
there have to be factions among you
in order that also those who are approved among you
may become known.
When you meet in one place, then,
it is not to eat the Lord’s supper,
for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper,
and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.
Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink?
Or do you show contempt for the Church of God
and make those who have nothing feel ashamed?
What can I say to you? Shall I praise you?
In this matter I do not praise you.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my Body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

Gospel: Lk 7:1-10

When Jesus had finished teaching the people, he went to Capernaum.
A Roman military officer lived there, whose servant was very sick and near to death, a man very dear to him. So when he heard about Jesus, he sent some elders of the Jews to persuade him to come and save his servant’s life. The elders came to Jesus and begged him earnestly, saying, “He deserves this of you, for he loves our people and even built a synagogue for us.”
Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house, when the Roman officer sent friends to give this message, “Sir, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to welcome you under my roof. You see, I didn’t approach you myself. Just give the order, and my servant will be healed. For I myself, a junior officer, give orders to my soldiers, and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to the other, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
On hearing these words, Jesus was filled with admiration. He turned and said to the people with him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” The people, sent by the captain, went back to his house; there they found that the servant was well.

REFLECTION:
Today’s gospel reading presents us with a truly good man. Four details in the text show this.
First, although he is a Roman military officer and, therefore, a person of high social standing, he loves one of his old menservants very much. You would not expect this kind of affection reaching out across social lines. Our officer is no snob and has an affectionate heart.
Second, this kind heart of his inspired him at one time to have a local synagogue built at his own expense. Yet, this is not the gesture of a pious Jew. Our man is a pagan. But he has come to respect the stark monotheism of the Jews.
Third, he respects Jesus’ so much that he does not dare address him in person. Instead he asks the Jewish leaders to plead his cause and then he sends friends of his to represent him before Jesus.
Fourth, he has an implicit faith that Jesus’ word is enough to heal his servant at a distance. Just as his own orders are obeyed because he stands in a great chain of command reaching to the Emperor. Likewise, he reasons, Jesus is backed by God’s infinite power and can perform any miracle.
Many pagans of our time are like our hero.

Thoughts for Prayer：
Paul was upset over what was happening at the Lord’s Supper in the Corinthian community. It was not a matter of correct liturgical style or proper prayers, but the attitude and behavior of the community. The Supper was supposed to be a sign to the world of equality, love, and unity. Instead, rich participants ignored and humiliated the poor by not sharing what they had. There was quarrelling, jealousy, and factionalism. It sounds like some parishes! Paul was clear: when you behave like this, the Lord’s Supper is a sham and a sign of nothing but your own sin. Attend the community worship with openness, kindness, generosity, and a sense of unity with all. That really is a sign for the world! Sometimes outsiders show greater faith and insight than the community of believers. The centurion was a Roman – a hated member of the oppressing army. Yet he showed great faith in the power and compassion of Jesus. He was a good man, for he had befriended the synagogue and the local Jewish community. He saw clearly that Jesus – just like himself – only needed to issue the order for his servant to be healed. Jesus was amazed at the depth of his faith, and granted his request. It is far too easy for believers to be smug and arrogant, disrespecting people of other traditions or those who have none. We should not only befriend them, but listen – they just might have something important to teach us, if we are humble enough to learn. Lord, help me to be open to others.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep -Lk

September 11, 2016. Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14 Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 Luke 15:1-32.

Gospel: Lk 15:1-32 (or Lk 15:1-10)

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he addressed this parable.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”
REFLECTION:
Through parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son Jesus in the gospel for this Sunday speaks about the not giving-up with the lost ones. Jesus teaches us not to give up on them no matter how sinful they are.

How many times have we given-up on the lost ones? We think about them as discards and scourges of society that they are not useful anymore. We therefore give up on them, this is who many of us are: We give up on the lost and we treat them as good for nothing!

But that is not what Jesus is teaching us in this gospel, What Jesus is teaching us is not to give up on the lost ones. Jesus is telling us that instead of giving up on those who are lost we should instead patiently look for them. For they still can be found, they still can be rehabilitated and they still are very much capable of straightening their ways if we will not give up on them.

Do you easily give up on those who are lost? Those who are unproductive and wayward members of your family? Are you forgiving and patient enough to help them get back on their feet again?

Thoughts for Prayer：
God was moved to mercy by the prayer of one faithful member (Moses) of an unfaithful race! His blessing will remain with this people, no matter how far they de-generate!
“Our sins are nothing but a grain of sand alongside the great mountain of the mercy of God!” (St. John Vianney). As Pope Francis says: “Mercy will always be greater than any sin; no one can place limits on the love of God. So let God give you the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 50th chance you need. Don’t worry, He won’t abandon you.”
This is what Jesus tries to portray through the three parables of the “lost sheep” , “lost coin” , “lost son” . We are all lost sinners to some or greater extent. We have all gone astray…we cannot distance ourselves from one another. The “Good News” is that God entered our chaotic condition in his Incarnation! And Jesus enters our life in every situation. He spent his days among tax-gatherers, robbers, usurers, adulterers. Even the Twelve men he had chosen to be with him sinned! One denied him! Another betrayed and sold him to his enemies! Still others wanted positions of authority above anything else! Most ran away leaving him to face the tragedy of his passion So who does not sin? Can I dare to throw the first stone at another?
But God always repairs the damage we have caused to ourselves: like the Father who celebrates the return of his lost son. We are restored to our divine DNA.
Lord save us for without You we can do nothing!

The Wise and Foolish Builders -Lk

September 10, 2016. Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time. 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 Psalm 116:12-13, 17-18 Luke 6:43-49.
Reading 1 1 COR 10:14-22

My beloved ones, avoid idolatry.
I am speaking as to sensible people;
judge for yourselves what I am saying.
The cup of blessing that we bless,
is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ?
The bread that we break,
is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?
Because the loaf of bread is one,
we, though many, are one Body,
for we all partake of the one loaf.

Look at Israel according to the flesh;
are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?
So what am I saying?
That meat sacrificed to idols is anything?
Or that an idol is anything?
No, I mean that what they sacrifice,
they sacrifice to demons, not to God,
and I do not want you to become participants with demons.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons.
You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.
Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger?
Are we stronger than him?

Gospel: Lk 6:43-49

No healthy tree bears bad fruit, no poor tree bears good fruit. And each tree is known by the fruit it bears: you don’t gather figs from thorns, or grapes from brambles. Similarly, the good person draws good things from the good stored in his heart, and an evil person draws evil things from the evil stored in his heart. For the mouth speaks from the fullness of the heart.

Why do you call me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what the one is like, who comes to me, and listens to my words, and acts accordingly. That person is like the builder who dug deep, and laid the foundations of his house on rock. The river overflowed, and the stream dashed against the house, but could not carry it off because the house had been well built.

But the one who listens and does not act, is like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. The flood burst against it, and the house fell at once: and what a terrible disaster that was!”

REFLECTION:
Every now and then we come across controversial figures. Controversial because their ideas on the Christian life are new and startling, a bit shocking to staid believers, but greatly praised by more adventurous Christians. How do we assess such controversial figures?

In today’s gospel reading Jesus gives us a criterion which enables us to assess correctly the people who claim a role of ideological leadership among Christians: “Each tree is known by the fruit it bears,” Jesus tells us. And he specifies: “A good person draws good things from the good stored in his heart, and an evil person draws evil things from the evil stored in his heart.”

Well and good. But what are the “good things” Jesus is referring to? Here Paul can help us when he teaches us about the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit,” he writes to the Galatians, “is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). Previously, he had written that the opposite fruits are: “immorality… sorcery, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions… drinking bouts, orgies” (vv.19-21)

With these criteria, we can assess any controversial figure.

Thoughts for Prayer：
We live in a world where the beauty in the plurality of religious expressions is slowly devolving into the dictatorship of religious pluralism. Many people prefer picking and choosing what they like instead of confirming themselves in freedom to what is really true, beautiful and good. The different religions do not necessarily lead people to the same goal. Christianity does not promise going up to an otherworldly heaven like many religions do but promises that heaven will descend on those who share in the mystery of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. This implies choice and commitment to certain foundations of Christian life. After presenting the foundations in his “sermon on the plain” , Luke provides two images – one of two persons and the other of two buildings. Commitment to the foundations of truth (Jn 17:17), goodness (Lk 18:19) and active faith in Christ (Mt 16:18) empowers us to face life’s challenges. This reminds us that we should not be idle, but should actively build our Christian faith on solid foundations. Many of our contemporaries have become indifferent to Christ and disinterested in religion because of the uncritical acceptance of the ideology of religious pluralism. Jesus, help us to be committed to the gift of faith given to us through the Church.

Can a Blind Man Lead a Blind Man?

September 9, 2016. Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest. 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b-27 Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12 Luke 6:39-42.
Reading 1 1 COR 9:16-19, 22B-27

Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach, I offer the Gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the Gospel.

Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the Gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.

Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race,
but only one wins the prize?
Run so as to win.
Every athlete exercises discipline in every way.
They do it to win a perishable crown,
but we an imperishable one.
Thus I do not run aimlessly;
I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.
No, I drive my body and train it,
for fear that, after having preached to others,
I myself should be disqualified.
Gospel: Lk 6:39-42

And Jesus offered this example, “Can a blind person lead another blind person? Surely both will fall into a ditch. A disciple is not above the master; but when fully trained, he will be like the master. So why do you pay attention to the speck in your brother’s eye, while you have a log in your eye, and are not conscious of it? How can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take this speck out of your eye,’ when you can’t remove the log in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the log from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your neighbor’s eye.

REFLECTION:
Today we remember one of the truly great modern saints, Peter Claver. And the first reading was especially selected for today because it contains these words of the apostle Paul: “I have become everybody’s slave,” a statement which summarizes perfectly Peter Claver’s life.

Born in Spain in 1580, Peter volunteered to go as a missionary to Colombia in South America. He was ordained a Jesuit priest there in Carthagena in 1616 and worked in that city’s port for the next 38 years (until his death in 1654) among the black slaves. They came from Africa, where they were kidnapped by white traders and brought to South America. Every time a slave ship landed at Carthagena, Peter would enter the infested fold to take care of the dead, dying and sick. He instructed and baptized the slaves, helped them on the plantations, and brought 300,000 of them to Christ. He did this by using methods far in advance of the time: working through native interpreters, the tribal structures, and with visual aids.

This great saint liked to call himself “the slave of the negroes forever.” In 1896 Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him universal patron of the mission to the negroes.

Thoughts for Prayer：
In today’s Gospel Jesus almost sounds as if he were telling us to ignore the failings of others because we are not worthy to point out or correct their mistakes and we should rather remove the log from our eyes first. If this is the case, no one would challenge another. Looking at the speck in another’s eye is not negative and we must exercise good judgment in distinguishing between the good and evil around us. When we look at our own lives we realize that those who helped us grow were those who supported and understood us, not those who judged and condemned us. Similarly, we, too, need to reflect on ourselves constantly before hastily judging others. We need to exercise Christian charity towards those who are going astray by bringing them to a life of holiness. Otherwise, instead of helping them to grow, we may be simply guilty of back-biting. We are all called to grow in holiness and perfection and be the heavenly Father. When we discipline ourselves by cultivating the fruits of the Spirit, we grow in inner awareness and become light of the world and salt of the earth through our true Christian living. Lord, help us with your Spirit to become the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

The family tree of Jesus Christ -Mt

September 8, 2016. Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Micah 5:1-4a or Romans 8:28-30 Psalm 13:6ab, 6c Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 or Matthew 1:18-23.
Reading 1 Mic 5:1-4a

The LORD says:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
And they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.

Gospel: Mt 1:1-16, 18-23

This is the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of Isaiah, the prophet, “I am sending my messenger ahead of you, to prepare your way. Let the people hear the voice calling in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, level his paths.” So John began to baptize in the desert; he preached a baptism of repentance, for the forgiveness of sins. All Judea and all the people from the city of Jerusalem went out to John to confess their sins, and to be baptized by him in the river Jordan.

John was clothed in camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and honey. He preached to the people, saying, “After me comes one who is more powerful than I am; I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”

At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth, a town of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And the moment he came up out of the water, heaven opened before him, and he saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove. And these words were heard from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen.”

Then the Spirit drove him into the desert. Jesus stayed in the desert forty days and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, but angels ministered to him.

After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News.”

As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
At once, they abandoned their nets and followed him. Jesus went a little farther on, and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately, Jesus called them and they followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men.

They went into the town of Capernaum and Jesus taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. The people were astonished at the way he taught, for he spoke as one having authority, and not like the teachers of the law.

It happened that, a man with an evil spirit was in their synagogue.

REFLECTION:
Today’s first reading begins with these words of the apostle Paul: “In everything God works for the good of those who love him.” Now there are two ways one can understand the words “God works.” One of these is wrong, the other is right.

The wrong one goes like this. God in heaven is like a Super Puppeteer and we, humans, are his puppets. And from heaven God pulls the strings, manipulating people and events. As Paul says, he works in such a way that, if we pray enough and trust him enough, everything will conspire to make our life easy and painless. If this does not happen, it is because we have not trusted him enough. A lot of Christians believe this scenario, although blunt reality contradicts it at every turn.

The right way of understanding “God works” goes like this. God respects human freedom completely and lets events happen (including natural disasters, wars, famines, etc.). But he works in people, inspiring them to act in this way or that way, to seek him in all circumstances good or bad. If humans follow his gentle promptings, they will grow in holiness, whatever their outward circumstances. Reality confirms this. Saints are not magically protected from toothaches. But, instead of cursing, they find God in their toothaches.

Thoughts for Prayer：
When the unexpected happens in our lives, when sorrow or misfortune befalls us, when unexpected blessings or undeserved benefits are accorded to us, we can accept the situation and look to God. With Saint Paul we can come to believe that all things work for good for those who love God. God will bring good out of any misfortune that befalls us, if we trust, and allow God time to work. It takes some time and distance to write straight with crooked lines. Today we honour Mary, Her birth was part of God’s plan from the moment of creation. She was chosen to be given the opportunity to be the mother of God’s Word made flesh. She was chosen from all time to give birth to the light of the world, to humanity’s saviour and redeemer. From her conception she was preserved free from the taint of sin. Many unexpected things happened in Mary’s life as we recall in the various mysteries of the rosary: joyful, sorrowful, luminous and glorious. But through it all Mary said: “Yes.” Mary trusted God. Mary allowed God to work in and through her. Each one of us was created for a purpose. Each one of us has a role to play in God’s plan. Like Mary may we say “yes” and allow God to work in and through us. Lord, I trust in Your merciful love.

Who Are The Blessed -Lk

September 7, 2016. Wednesday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time. 1 Corinthians 7:25-31 Psalm 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17 Luke 6:20-26.
Reading 1 1 COR 7:25-31

Brothers and sisters:
In regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord,
but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.
So this is what I think best because of the present distress:
that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation.
Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife.
If you marry, however, you do not sin,
nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries;
but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life,
and I would like to spare you that.

I tell you, brothers, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.

Gospel: Lk 6:20-26

Then, looking at his disciples, Jesus said,
“Fortunate are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.
Fortunate are you, who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
Fortunate are you, who weep now, for you will laugh.
Fortunate are you, when people hate you, when they reject you and insult you and number you among criminals, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. Remember, that is how the ancestors of the people treated the prophets.
But alas for you, who have wealth, for you have been comforted now.
Alas for you, who are full, for you will go hungry.
Alas for you, who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
Alas for you, when people speak well of you, for that is how the ancestors of the people treated the false prophets.

REFLECTION:
Imagine this scenario. Two men happen to guess the number being drawn at the National Lottery. The prize is ten million dollars. So the two men end up with five million dollars each. A substantial sum on any reckoning. Now one of these two men is a multi-billionaire. The five million he won will add about one percent to his present worth. That’s peanuts for him. The other man is a ditch-digger for city sewers. With his backbreaking job he can hardly support his wife and five children. When people hear of the good fortune of these two men, everyone will rejoice over the ditch-digger’s good fortune and will forget about the multi-billionaire. Why? Because it is the ditch-digger who will benefit most from his lottery win. His whole life will be transformed for the better henceforth.
This imagined scenario (which does happen every now and then) can explain why Jesus calls “fortunate” the poor, the hungry, the mourners, etc. It is not because he glorifies these conditions. It is because these conditions will improve drastically with his coming because we, his disciples, will see to it that they improve.

Thoughts for Prayer：
“Then, raising His eyes to His disciples, [Jesus] said: ‘Blest are you poor; the reign of God is yours.’ ” —Luke 6:20
Because “the Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching” (Catechism, 1716), they are extremely important and therefore are vehemently opposed by the devil. Because the Beatitudes are “paradoxical promises” (1717), which “confront us with decisive choices concerning earthly goods” (1728), we naturally resist living the Beatitudes. Because the world, the flesh, and the devil hate the Beatitudes, they put extreme pressure on us to keep us from living the Beatitudes.
Luke foresaw this battle surrounding the Beatitudes. So he helps us obey the Beatitudes by:
focusing on four of them. If we obey these four Beatitudes, we will also do the rest, which are named in Matthew’s gospel.

addressing the Beatitudes directly to us. Matthew’s Beatitudes are addressed to “them”; Luke’s are addressed to “you” (cf Mt 5:3ff with Lk 6:20ff).
omitting the nuances of Matthew’s Beatitudes, because we are tempted to turn nuances into loopholes.

indicating that, if we don’t do the Beatitudes, we will be cursed (see Lk 6:24-26).
Luke challenges us to live the Beatitudes no matter what. May we accept God’s grace to do so.

Father, by Your grace I will live the Beatitudes, even if it kills me.
“The world as we know it is passing away.” —1 Cor 7:31

The Twelve Apostles -Lk

September 6, 2016. Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time. 1 Corintians 6:1-11 Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b Luke 6:12-19.
Reading 1 1 COR 6:1-11

Brothers and sisters:
How can any one of you with a case against another
dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment
instead of to the holy ones?
Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?
If the world is to be judged by you,
are you unqualified for the lowest law courts?
Do you not know that we will judge angels?
Then why not everyday matters?
If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters,
do you seat as judges people of no standing in the Church?
I say this to shame you.
Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough
to be able to settle a case between brothers?
But rather brother goes to court against brother,
and that before unbelievers?

Now indeed then it is, in any case,
a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another.
Why not rather put up with injustice?
Why not rather let yourselves be cheated?
Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers.
Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers
nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves
nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers
will inherit the Kingdom of God.
That is what some of you used to be;
but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified,
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and in the Spirit of our God.

Gospel: Luke 6:12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

Reflection:
Why did Jesus called the twelve to be His apostles?

There was a reason why Jesus called the twelve disciples to be His apostles and that is to help Him spread the good news of our salvation. Looking back on the lives of these apostles except for Judas all were faithful servants of the Lord. They were His eyes and ears they were His collaborators in His mission.

The apostles did not lead lives of ease and comfort in fact except for Judas almost all of them were martyred in doing the mission that Jesus bestowed upon them. What is the significance of this call on the apostles in our lives?

By virtue of our Baptism we too are called to collaborate with Jesus and the apostles to spread the good news of our salvation. We are called to lead Holy lives so that others may see Jesus in us; we are called to be patient, to persevere and to be enduring in our discipleship.

If we say that we love Jesus it amounts to saying that we are always ready to suffer and to be humiliated for the sake of the advancement of His kingdom. This is the mark of a true and faithful disciple/apostle.

Are you ready to suffer for Jesus?

Thoughts for Prayer：
In the first reading, we hear Paul reprimanding the believers in Corinth for betraying their own members by bringing disputes among them before pagan courts. Paul insists this should not be the way Christians behave. He reminds them that the world itself, and even angels, are to be judged by those who believe in the Gospel. For Christians, it is the law of love, which is held up as the standard of judgement. Is it not then, says Paul, that it is a scandal that even quarrels among believers are brought before pagan courts. Paul points out that when such quarrels arise among Christians, they must be settled in the community and by the community. A bigger scandal, however, that there are even disputes among believers in the first place. Christians, by their baptism, have attained the divine grace to act towards each other in the same gracious way that God acts toward them. If, however, Christians merely desire to repay evil for evil and cheat their own, they will be judged by their own baptism and fail to inherit the Kingdom of God. Today, we are reminded by Paul that Christians have to set a higher standard of thinking and acting, especially in the face of problems and disputes. Through our baptism, we have a new identity as children of God and disciples of Jesus. Therefore, we have to constantly examine our motives and action. Do we judge others based on the law of love or the law of the ‘world’? Lord, help me walk in Your ways.

Which is Lawful On the Sabbath -Lk

September 5, 2016. Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time. 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 Psalm 5:5-6, 7, 12 Luke 6:6-11.
Reading 1 1 COR 5:1-8

Brothers and sisters:
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father’s wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Gospel: Lk 6:6-11

On another Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching. There was a man with a paralyzed right hand, and the teachers of the law and the Pharisees watched him: Would Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath? If he did, they could accuse him.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to the man, “Get up, and stand in the middle.” Then he spoke to them, “I want to ask you: what is allowed by the law on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And Jesus looked around at them all.

Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored, becoming as healthy as the other. But they were furious, and began to discuss with one another how they could deal with Jesus.

REFLECTION:
At the time of Jesus, whenever a Pharisee was asked: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good?” he would answer: “Not if it is work (except in immediate danger of death).” In other words, for him the ritual/legal order prevailed over the moral order. What was Jesus’ answer to the same question? “Yes, unconditionally, even when there is no danger of death, because the one thing that decides whether or not an action should be allowed on the Sabbath is its moral goodness.” In other words, for Jesus the moral order prevails over the ritual/legal order. For him, it cannot be the meaning of the Sabbath precept to prohibit a morally good act such as an act of love, because the omission of a good action is itself evil. And the Sabbath rest was instituted only by reason of God’s loving interest in the welfare of humans. These considerations form the background of today’s gospel reading.

Rules—including God’s commandments, of course—are for the total good of the human person. As the apostle Paul teaches: “All things are yours… and you are Christ’s (1 Cor 3:21-23).

Thoughts for Prayer：
“I hand him over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh so that his spirit may be saved.” In these words of Paul, in spite of some problems in understanding them correctly, we may see a principle of a Christian approach to punishment for sins and crimes. In the Bible, “flesh” is much more than our physical body: it is the total of all tendencies towards evil, towards selfishness, the destructiveness indicated by the Seven Deadly Sins: pride, lust, covetousness, gluttony, envy, anger and sloth. Punishment should be a freeing of the person, as for as possible, from all these evil tendencies so that the person, body, spirit, soul may be saved. In recent years many people have learned about the Enneagram, a system of recognizing nine different character types, and presumably this knowledge has helped them improve their personalities. In the same way, the “Seven Deadly Sins” can be seen as seven character types, which can lead to sin and various forms of injustice. These personality tendencies can be offset by the virtues of charity, love, mercy, compassion as exemplified in the practice of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, based partly on Jesus’ teaching about the Last Judgement (Mt 25:31-36)  Father in Heaven, teach us to be merciful and just as You are merciful and just.

The Cost of Being a Disciple -Lk

September 4, 2016. Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Wisdom 9:13-18b Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17 Luke 14:25-33.
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

Reflection:
A dying man was given two choices by the angel of God. One choice was to be well again and live a worldly life and the other one was to die immediately and enter the pearly gates to be with Jesus. The dying man chose to die and be with Jesus, baffling as it may seem for many of us yet the dying man made the right choice.

What is the essence of life if it’s only lived for this world? What is the reason for living if it’s empty of Jesus’ presence? To choose to follow Jesus over this world is to discover the real meaning of life in this world. To fill your life with Jesus is to finally discover the real reason why you’re existing and breathing in this world.

The core of life is a life lived in union with Jesus. Surely, Jesus will forgive us if we contradict Him by immediately jumping into discipleship without careful thinking — Jesus is a God of love and forgiveness anyway. Because if we carefully think first we may be overwhelmed by the daunting task of discipleship. And we immediately back-out without even trying and experiencing how it feels to be a follower or a disciple.

Whereas, if we immediately decide to follow Jesus we will right away have an experience about how to be His follower. If we find it hard or difficult let us never hesitate to call on Jesus. For He is always there for us, by our side walking with us as we wade through the flood of difficulties and challenges of being a follower or a discipleship.

Thoughts for Prayer：
Today we hear strong words. Should we take Jesus literally? Is it right to hate our family members? To interpet this literally would contradict the commandments. It would be against love. Jesus’ intense words stress a point. If we truly follow him, there will be a price. At times, we may be called to spend time away from family so that we can serve and love people in greater need. Jesus invites his followers to broaden their circle of love – beyond family – to include others, especially people in need. This is not easy. We see an example of such inclusive love in St. Paul. In today’s first reading, Paul asks Philemon to accept back a slave, Onesimus. Onesimus has done something wrong (perhaps theft) and so runaway from Philemon. Paul is inviting Philemon to forgive Onesimus. What is remarkable is that Paul says Onesimus has become like a son to him. Although he knows Onesimus is a sinner, Paul stands up for this slave and advocates for him as if he were his own son. Onesimus is included in Paul’s love. Who is included in my circle of love? Who is one person in need that the Lord is inviting me to include? Lord, it is not easy to love. Help me to love with Your courage and generosity.

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath -Lk

September 3, 2016. Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church. 1 Corinthians 4:6b-15 Psalm 145:17-18, 19-20, 21 Luke 6:1-5.
Reading 1 1 COR 4:6B-15

Brothers and sisters:
Learn from myself and Apollos not to go beyond what is written,
so that none of you will be inflated with pride
in favor of one person over against another.
Who confers distinction upon you?
What do you possess that you have not received?
But if you have received it,
why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?
You are already satisfied; you have already grown rich;
you have become kings without us!
Indeed, I wish that you had become kings,
so that we also might become kings with you.

For as I see it, God has exhibited us Apostles as the last of all,
like people sentenced to death,
since we have become a spectacle to the world,
to angels and men alike.
We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ;
we are weak, but you are strong;
you are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty,
we are poorly clad and roughly treated,
we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands.
When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
when slandered, we respond gently.
We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all,
to this very moment.

I am writing you this not to shame you,
but to admonish you as my beloved children.
Even if you should have countless guides to Christ,
yet you do not have many fathers,
for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

Gospel: Lk 6:1-5

One Sabbath Jesus was going through a field of grain, and his disciples began to pick heads of grain, crushing them in their hands for food. Some of the Pharisees asked them, “Why do you do what is forbidden on the Sabbath?” Then Jesus spoke up and asked them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering, and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread.” And Jesus added, “The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the Sabbath.”

REFLECTION:
Some laws of God have to be obeyed in all circumstances and by all, because to break those laws would amount to commit what moral theologians call an “intrinsic evil.” Such evil, for example, would be ethnic cleansing (cf. GS 80), direct abortion (cf. GS 51), infanticide (cf. GS 51), murder, adultery, oppression of the poor, etc. But such absolute laws are rare. What we have are laws which admit of exceptions, depending on one’s circumstances. Today’s gospel reading gives two examples where breaking the law is acceptable when there is an urgent human need to satisfy, such as hunger. Now, because it is sometimes permissible to break some laws (either of God, of the Church, of the State, etc.), some Christians are confused and never know when they can or cannot break a given law.

One basic principle should guide them in this moral minefield. And it is this one: what is the purpose of this law? Once that is clearly answered, then they can act in consequence, trusting that the legislator, who could not foresee every possible contingency, would not want his law to become unreasonably burdensome. When this is the case, people can disregard that law with a peaceful ­conscience.
Thoughts for Prayer：
We send our children to school and, if we can, to the University so that will be able to live in the world, cope with it and make a contribution to it. We hope, however, that they will remain simple, self effacing people, relaxed and at home with all, even with those who have not been able to spend so much time in school or university. We hope too that even if our children, in the course of their work, make rich, influential friends or take up important positions they will continue to treasure the company of all, whatever their positions in life may be. Both of today’s readings tell us of people who became hard-hearted, demanding and somewhat arrogant because of their so-called learning or rather rapidly acquired holiness or spirituality. St. Paul must have been disappointed when some of the new Chritians in Corinth began to look down on their supposedly less spiritual bothers and sisters. Jesus was forced to continually confront some of the Pharisees who because of their claimed superior grasp of the Law made impossible and unrealistic demands on their less well informed brothers and sisters. We must pray that whatever learning we or our children acquire may make us easier people to live with. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.