Cycle C - Year II:

4 September 2016: Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Gospel: Please read Luke 14:25-33

Making a choice for God!

Are Christians allowed to "hate"? That is an interesting question. Because we know that our Lord Jesus Christ commands us to love one another and that we will be known by such love. (Jn 13:34-35).

So, it may appear confusing to read, or hear, the beginning of the Gospel proclamation for this Sunday, coming from our Lord Himself: "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." (Lk 14:26)

That seems to be the case when we quote or read Scriptures out of context. How then do we deal with this?

In our Catholic religion, we have the branch of theology, called exegesis, which investigates and expresses the true sense of sacred Scriptures. Catholic exegesis has better grasp of the meaning of texts in their linguistic, literary, sociocultural, religious and historical contexts, explaining them well through studying their sources and attending to the personality of each human "authors" of Scriptures.

So, let us understand our Lord's strong language to "hate" our families and even ourselves in their proper context, according to the teachings of our Church.

The expression "to hate" often meant "to prefer less". Jesus used strong language to make clear that nothing take precedence or first place in our lives over God.

Jesus reminds us that the Gospel is not merely a preaching to be accepted but a choice that we must live in concrete situations. It is our personal choice to accept Christ in our lives, and when we do so He must be given priority over our other loves and commitments.

Our Lord was utterly honest in telling His disciples that it would cost them dearly to follow after Him. Because to gain all, one must also be willing to give all. In other words, there can be no room for compromises or concessions with God. We either give our lives over to Him completely, or we keep them for ourselves as we drown in worldly concerns.

And so we also ask: What does Christianity have to offer that is worth giving up everything else for, including one's life? Well, in reality more than we can fathom! Because Jesus offers His followers a priceless treasure, which is true happiness, peace, and joy unending with our everlasting Father in the heavenly kingdom.

Thus, Jesus tells us to detach ourselves from things that take us away from experiencing true joy and peace in the Lord. He calls us to walk with Him on His journey to Jerusalem to carry His cross of salvation. We must not be burdened by too many possessions and worldly concerns. Yes, following Jesus is indeed a difficult and rough journey in life, but there is a firm trust and hope in the resurrection that we will share with Jesus in the end. In this journey with our Lord, even our sufferings become our prayer.

In sum, Jesus's life and teachings are just as radical today, in our generation, as they were more than 2,000 years ago. It is easy to call ourselves "Christians". But are we really willing to accept and follow everything Jesus taught?

The choice is ours to make, which we must live in concrete situations, meaning we must apply and follow Our Lord's teachings both when convenient and inconvenient. And trust and believe that our Lord Jesus Christ does not leave us alone, when we choose to follow Him.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle C - Year II:  

28 August 2016: Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Gospel: Please read  Luke 14:1, 7-14

Seek God with humble heart!

Wealth and power may give a person the illusion of greatness and immortality. Because they can give one a false sense of importance and personal worth.

But can wealth and power buy us a ticket to eternal life? Recall that last Sunday's liturgy Jesus admonished us to travel light, meaning without excess baggage, so that we can enter through the narrow gate to God's kingdom.

In a world so much consumed by materialism, power and greed, our Lord Jesus reminds us again to be authentic Christian witnesses for the Lord's kingdom in our every day life situations.

In the Gospel narrative from St. Luke for this Sunday, Jesus accepts

an invitation from one of the Pharisees to come and dine at his house. While there, Jesus observes how the other guests scramble for choice seats of honor at the dining table.

Now we know that Jesus is a great and practical teacher. He was always looking for ways to preach to His followers. Occasionally, He would masterfully craft a story to explain the Good News. At other times, Jesus would take a real life event and use it as a powerful teaching moment. Still on other occasions, Jesus would use a combination of these two modes of preaching. This Sunday's Gospel passage is an example of this last method.

So our Lord Jesus seizes the gathering at the house of His host to teach His followers, not with proper table manners, but with our inner disposition before the "table of the Lord".

In the Lord's table, there is no place for self-righteousness nor for human desire for honor and recognition. Rather, in the Lord's feast there are places only for humility, joy, and thanksgiving for the blessings we have been invited to share.

For Christians, humility is the foundation of all other virtues. True humility is not having a low opinion of yourself, or thinking of yourself as inferior to others.

The truth is that a humble person makes a realistic assessment of himself without illusion of pretense to be someone or something he is not. Thus, a humble person does not have to wear a mask or put on a facade in order to look good to others who do not know who he really is. He is not swayed by accidentals, such as fame, reputation, success or failure.

In sum, humility frees us to love and serve others selflessly, for their sake, rather than our own need for recognition. It allows us to see ourselves as blessed, so that we can share with others the bountiful blessings we also receive from the Lord.

More importantly, humility invites us to be honest about our faults, weaknesses and sins. Thus, it keeps us on our knees, praying for God's strength, mercy and assistance. But also, humility encourages us to be honest about our gifts and talents as well, and encourages us to discover them, cultivate them, and put them to good use for the greater glory of God, through Christian charity and love.

May we have the strength and grace to humble ourselves, before the banquet of the Lord, so that one day the Lord Himself will also exalt us.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle C - Year II:  

21 August 2016: Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Gospel: Please read  Luke 13:22-30

Passing through the narrow door!

When life's challenges seem so overwhelming, one practical way to deal with them is "one step at a time".... slowly, carefully, and deliberately; without being careless or in a rush.

In the Gospel this Sunday, our Lord warns us that the path to the heavenly kingdom is also full of challenges and hardships. We have to pass through the narrow door to enter the kingdom of God.

As He makes his way to Jerusalem, Jesus is asked, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" Jesus' reply is rather startling. He says that although many will attempt to enter heaven through the narrow gate, but will not be strong enough to persevere.

Let us start our reflection from where we are coming from. The road

of life in this world is wide, and many follow it because it is like a river of desires and pleasures. On the other hand, the road to heaven is narrow and difficult to follow because it demands following the Gospel in words and actions. It is so easy to stray from it because of the so many distractions of the world. Because knowing the Lord and the Gospel is not enough. It is necessary to live the life that Jesus lived and put His word into practice.

The Gospel reading is really a wake up call. God's invitation is open to all. But we often forget that salvation is realized according to God's terms and not merely our own interpretation of God's terms to be. In other words, just because you may claim to love God, it doesn't necessarily mean that you love Him as He desires or expects to be loved. Thus, the Gospel passage reminds us not to presume that all who claim friendship with God are in fact and in truth His friends.

Let us heed seriously Jesus' warning that we can be excluded from entering the kingdom if we do not strive to enter by the narrow gate. And the door that Jesus is talking about is Himself: "I am the door; if anyone enters by me, he will be saved." (Jn 10:9)

Jesus open the way for us to enter into His kingdom through the cross. We must follow Him in the way of the cross. This means that to enter the kingdom of God one must struggle against the forces of temptation, and whatever would hinder us from doing the will of God, including  apathy, indifference, and compromises.

But the Good News is that we do not struggle alone. God Himself is with us and His grace is sufficient.

In sum, the pursuit of the kingdom of Heaven demands hard work, obedience and perseverance. Many start the walk on the road to salvation but few stay on it or persevere in the journey. It is because the evil one is constantly setting obstacles in the path of holiness. We need to pray constantly for our faith to be strong.

Do you trust in God's grace and help, especially in times of testing and temptation? 

Let us pray for humility to see that God's kingdom is a gift which we have to accept with joy and gratitude, so that it may bear fruits in our daily lives.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!