Cycle A - Year II:  

2 November 2014: Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed 

(Liturgical color: White, or Violet)

John 14:1-6

Pray for our loved ones departed.

Catholic traditions celebrate on November 2 the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, or more popularly known as All Souls Day. This year it falls on a Sunday.

All Souls Day is celebrated with Masses and festivities in honor of those gone ahead of us. This Feast reminds us of our obligation to live holy lives and that there will be purification of the souls of those destined for heaven. 

The living pray on behalf of the souls who are still in purgatory, the state in the afterlife where souls are purified before proceeding to heaven. Souls in purgatory, who are members of the Church just like living Christians, must undergo suffering so that they can be purged of their sins. Thus, All Souls Day is a special time to pray for their souls that they may be received into heaven.

Upon death, it is believed that souls have not yet been cleansed of sins. Praying for souls of loved ones helps to remove the stain of sin, and allow the souls to enter the pearly gates of heaven. Through prayers and good works, living members of the Church may help their departed friends and family.

There are three Requiem Masses that are said by the clergy on this day to assist the souls from purgatory to heaven: one Mass in favor of any person of their preference, one for all the faithful departed, and the third for the intentions of the Pope.

Short Reflection on the Gospel:

The Gospel reading is from St. John. Jesus assures the disciples that when he departs from them it is for their good as He will secure a place for them in God's home -- a place of refuge, peace, and everlasting joy.

Jesus proclaims: "I am the Way." It means the Lord does not simply give advice and direction. He personally is the Way, and we cannot miss it. The Lord leads and guides us personally each day.

The Lord Jesus is also the Truth. Jesus embodies the truth in his very person. Moral truths cannot be conveyed by words alone; it must be shown by examples as well.

Finally, Jesus is the Life. He does not only show us the path of life; He gives the kind of life which only God can give, and that is eternal life with Him in heaven.

The Lord Jesus also assures us today of a safe passage to our true home in heaven, with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

On this Feast of All Souls Day, our faith teaches that death is the passage of the

earthly pilgrimage to the heavenly homeland. At that time, our loving Father welcomes all his children returning home, from every nation, from all tribes and people and tongues.

May our traditional visit to the tombs of our dead be an opportunity to think without fear about the mystery of death, and prepare us to face it with serenity.

Prayer:

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us, as we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead.

Strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam! 

Cycle A - Year II:  

26 October 2014: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Matthew 22:34-40

Love: the greatest commandment!

The joke is that laws are meant to be broken. But when lawmakers themselves become lawbreakers, society is in serious trouble. Because nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law.

In this Sunday's reading, our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us about the greatest and the first of all the laws.

The Gospel narratives take us once again to an encounter between Jesus and a group of Pharisees. They have been attempting to find a reason to have Him arrested but without success. This time they use lawyer to try to entrap Jesus. The lawyer asked Jesus: "Teacher, which commandment in the Law is the greatest?"

We are familiar with Jesus' answers:

"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.

"The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Mt. 22:37-39)

Thus, Jesus reduces all the law to just two commandments, "love God", and "love the neighbor." The word "neighbor" here means especially whoever is in need.

Jesus is teaching us that love is at the heart of the commandments. Love is the heart of personal relationships. Love is at the core of Christianity. Because the very motivation of Christian behavior is not to be a law feared for fear of punishment, but a person loved, the person of God, the person of the neighbor.

When we begin to love, we look at the world around us very differently, we appreciate new things and we make sacrifices that seem small for the sake of the beloved. Love transforms our lives for the better.

In other words, a person who genuinely loves God also love his fellows. Because they are brothers and sisters, children of the same Father, and redeemed by the same precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All our external worship and piety becomes empty and meaningless if it does not express our internal loving attitude. And without such love in our hearts, following or observing God's commandments become burdensome.

For Christians, the heart of our faith is the love of God, which is shown concretely in the love for others, especially the poor and the helpless. Love then is the very foundation of our Christian living.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam! 

Cycle A - Year II:  

19 October 2014: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Matthew 22:15-21

We belong to God!

When we are blessed to reach the age of the elderly, we enjoy the rare privilege of "dual citizenship". It means we are citizens of our country, and "senior citizens" as well. Of course it is a joke among the elderly, but it can also convey a profound truth about "dual citizenship" of humanity.

That is the key to our reflection on the Gospel message for this Sunday.

We read about Jesus' encounter with a group of Pharisees who planned to

trap Him in a religious-state issue by asking a "loaded" question: "Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"

Now, if Jesus answered "yes" He would be supporting the Emperor and would lose credibility with the Jewish populace. If He answered "no" the Pharisees would have grounds to report Him to Roman authorities and have Him arrested for treason.

But Jesus was smarter than they thought. He gives them a profound response instead, which goes far beyond a simple "yes" or "no" answer. Jesus tells them: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, but give to God what is God's".

These well-known words of our Lord are also the most misunderstood, even in our times. It is used, for example, to argue a complete separation between the state and the Church. But a deeper reflection on the wisdom of our Lord's words will reveal that they are really complementary to achieve an authentic Christian living. Let us see how.

Our Lord is reminding us that the state has a legitimate sphere of authority and that, as citizens of the world, we have an obligation to render to the state whatever material and personal services are required for the common good of society.

At the same time, Jesus makes it clear that we are citizens not only of the state but also of the kingdom of God. In fact, we belong to God first and foremost. Because God is our first and ultimate authority. It is from God that everyone and everything derives their power. Thus, the state does not enjoy absolute power and dominion over us. That is why civil authorities are obliged to act with justice in the distribution of goods and services. They have to legislate laws and govern with the greatest respect for the natural law and the rights of people, like the protection of life, the defense of marriage and family, and ensure religious freedom.

In sum, Jesus speaks about the right relationship between humanity and God. While we are in journey in this world we may say that we have "dual citizenship", meaning citizens of the world and citizens of God's kingdom. How do we exercise both that complement each other?

Christians are challenged to be the light and salt in the midst of the world. We are called to transform the environments in which we live so as to make them more pleasing to God.

When it comes to the fundamental question of social morality, we should be fully aware that our faith serves as a powerful light illuminating the whole of life. In this sense, the teachings of God and His Church are our sure guide for authentic growth and development, and they are not obstacle to human welfare or scientific progress.

Christians are called to be responsible citizens of the world, helping the state achieve its mission of providing for the common good, spreading love and charity to all, taking care of the environments. Doing so also prepares them to be good citizens of God's kingdom while still here on earth, by living authentic Christian life, so that as we complete our life's journey we are ready to assume full citizenship in heaven.  Because we belong to God first and foremost.

The Church also celebrates World Mission Sunday today. Let us pray for all missionaries (priests, religious and lay) who labor out of love to continue with evangelizing the world. May the Lord protect them from every harm and reward their efforts in this world and in the next. Amen.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!