Cycle A - Year II:  

7 September 2014: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Matthew 18:15-20

We are our brother's keeper!

"Am I my brother's keeper?", that is the expression we hear when someone refuses to be accountable for somebody else' wrongdoing. But do you know that the expression is actually biblical and found in the very first book of the Bible, in Genesis?

Cain and Abel were the first descendants of Adam and Eve. Out of envy Cain killed his brother Abel. When the Lord asked him, "Where is your brother Abel?", Cain answered, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gn 4:9)

In this Sunday's Gospel, our Lord Jesus teaches us differently, that we must care and help our erring brothers and sisters, that we must be our brother's keeper!

Our society, including those who call themselves Christians, try to avoid confrontation or contradiction for fear of offending another person, or of seeming "judgmental". So we prefer to keep silent even when evil things or wrongdoings happen in our presence. We seem to forget that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing at all. The worst thing is when people lose their sense of sin that they are unable to recognize evil.  In other instances perhaps, there is simply an indifference to sin itself.

Our Lord reminds us that one of the most important disciplines that Catholics, and all Christians for that matter, should take to heart is fraternal correction. In our generation where many people lack moral courage to speak out against wrongdoings, the authentic practice of fraternal correction is more urgent than ever.

Thus, our Lord Jesus mandates that we owe each other, as a matter of justice, the charity of correcting each other out of love for God and the salvation of the soul of the person  who has committed a wrongdoing, or exhibited a lack of good judgment.

Because salvation has a social dimension. We cannot be saved by just praying to God but keeping our doors closed to the need of others. Rather, we will be saved in communion with others as a People of God.

The parting words of our Lord Jesus Christ in this Sunday's Gospel is clear: " Amen, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Mt 18:19-20)

In the Holy Eucharist at Mass, let us pray that the Lord fill our hearts with patience and love for our erring brothers and sisters. May the Lord grant us the moral courage to be involved, to act together as a community, to lead others to conversion and become truly a People of God in journey to the Father's house. Amen.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam! 

Cycle A - Year II:  

31 August 2014: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Matthew 16:21-27

The Christian challenge today!

Disturbing events dominate the international scene lately: the horror and barbarism of so-called religious extremists with their mass murders of innocent Christians, and the alarming and frightening spread of the killer Ebola virus.

What is the United Nations and international community doing about these alarming developments?

Almost sidelined by these horrifying news is an inspiring story of a group of Filipino missionaries who belong to the Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR) or Recoletos. Despite the real threat of the killer Ebola virus to their lives, these Filipino Catholic missionary priests in Sierra Leone in Africa have decided to stay in order to "share Christ" with the people who do not yet know Him. They said: "We are all afraid but we choose to be with our people to continue to give hope to them especially during this time of difficulties."

Such heroic (or saintly perhaps?) stand by these Filipino missionaries traces its biblical connection in the Gospel for this Sunday.

Our Lord surprised His disciples with the announcement that He is going to Jerusalem to suffer, die and rise again. He makes it clear that, even with the great miracles He has already performed, the cross remains at the center of His salvific mission.

Now Peter, who has just been called the "rock" upon which Christ would build

His Church in last Sunday's Gospel, reacts negatively to Jesus' announcement. Peter says that he will not allow these terrible things to happen to Jesus. He was thinking in worldly  standards, and did not yet understand the meaning of Christ's suffering and death. Jesus rebukes him: "You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

So Jesus tells His disciples: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me." These words are meant not just for the first apostles, many of whom would indeed die for their faith. They are meant as well for any one of us who would call ourselves Jesus' disciples. 

What does "taking up the cross" mean? We can reflect on it in several ways.

It means we must die to our sin. Our Lord makes it clear that we must put our inclination to sin to death. The Scriptures are clear on this: God hates iniquity!

"Taking up the cross" also means responding faithfully to the demands and duties of our life's calling or vocations. For example, husbands and wives take up a cross when they vow to be faithful to one another in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, in prosperity or adversity. Because fulfilling those vows means giving up or putting on hold certain personal plans and dreams (like one's career or travel plans perhaps) because the family comes first.

A worker "takes up a cross" when he or she does his/her work faithfully and efficiently, resisting the temptation of corruption and other forms of malpractice at work.

Students "take up their cross" when they remain focused in their studies, giving importance to the sacrifices of their parents, rather than wasting their time on anything that takes them away from completing their education.

A priest "takes up a cross" when he lives up to his vow of celibacy for the mission. Or in the example of the Recoletos in Africa, when they choose to give priority to their mission over their own personal safety.

There are many more life's situations, but in sum "taking up the cross" means we must be ready to root out sin because we know that God loves us. We must be ready to do God's will and not our own. It means we are willing to let God tear down whatever is keeping us from God, whatever obstacles are keeping us from really knowing His love for us.

Does it mean that Christian life is simply about sacrifices and drudgery? It is not. Christian life is not all about the cross. Christ's prediction of his passion was followed by the promise of glory. Yes, He would die, but He would rise again. If we are willing to die to sin and remain faithful to God's will for us, then not only shall we die for Christ but we shall also rise to new life with Him. 

This is our Christian challenge today, the cost to pay for discipleship of Christ.

In Holy Mass, let us pray for courage and faith to accept the cross as part of our life's journey in following Jesus, who saved the world by His passion, death and resurrection.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam! 

Cycle A - Year II:  

24 August 2014: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Matthew 16:13-20

Faith as solid as a rock!

Relationship is best defined by how well we know a person, not so much in the physical sense but more on the inner self. Because physical attributes fade away, while that within us is lasting.

In the Gospel narrative this Sunday, we learn how the first disciples know our Lord Jesus, and how that knowledge of Him gave them courage and inspiration to follow our Lord, even unto death.

Jesus has established faithful followers in his public ministry. At a certain point in his mission, He wanted to know to what extent his disciples had pierced the mystery of his person. Jesus asked his closest disciples about what people thought of Him. There were many views: for some He was "John the Baptizer"; for others "Elijah" who was supposed to reappear before the Messiah; and still for others "Jeremiah or one of the prophets" who had to come back to life.

In reality Jesus was not interested about what other people say about Him; He wanted to know how his own ministry had disclosed his true identity. So He asked his disciples the decisive question:"But who do you say that I am?"

It was Peter who has the deepest insights into our Lord's person. Peter was quick to reply:"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" Peter grasped the deepest reality of Jesus: His divine being. Our Lord Himself said that this understanding did not come from Peter's human capabilities. Rather, Peter was given knowledge of the mystery of Jesus because he listened to the Lord, saw his miraculous deeds and trusted Jesus absolutely.

Jesus rewarded the faith and confession of Peter by giving him the key or the leadership of the church. Jesus said to him:"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

In sum, this Sunday's gospel has two parts: the first part is the Confession of Peter, and the second part is the Commissioning of Peter as the first Pope. And Peter accomplished his mission, leading the Church to our generations through all the Popes that succeeded him.

And so today, our Lord asks the same question to all Christians in our generations: "And you, who do you say that I am?"

Our individual response to the above question defines our relationship with our Lord Jesus. Like Peter, our "confession" of faith must go deeper than lip service. Our "confession" must come with a "commissioning" to be Jesus' disciples here and now in our time. "Commissioning" means effectively translating our "confession" of faith into concrete actions for the good of the whole Church, for example through love and Christian charity for others. within our family, the bigger community, the nation, and the whole world.

In the Eucharist at Holy Mass, let us pray for Pope Francis and the leaders of the Church that they remain faithful stewards and exercise their pastoral authority according to the examples of our Lord, the sole foundation of the Church.

Let us also pray for our Christian brethren persecuted for their faith, that they remain steadfast and unwavering in the belief that victory in Jesus Christ is their final reward.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!