Cycle B - Year II:  

3 December 2017: First Sunday of Advent 

(Liturgical Color: Violet)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7

Second Reading:   1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Gospel:Please Read  Mark 13:33-37

A new hope.... a new beginning!

The Catholic Church starts this Sunday a new liturgical year in our journey of faith with the Season of advent.

Advent is a period of preparation, extending over four Sundays before Christmas. The word "advent" comes from Latin "adventus", meaning "arrival" or "coming". Thus, it is a preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas.

The Church invites us to reflect during the Advent Season in three ways: first, and the most obvious, is the celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas; second, the coming of Christ in our lives through grace and the Sacrament of the Eucharist; and finally, the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at the end of time.

Our Evangelist during Year II of the liturgical year is mostly St. Mark. The theme of the Gospel narratives on the first Sunday of Advent is to be vigilant and alert: "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come." (Mk 13:33) We hear these words, or their equivalent, at the beginning of every Advent Season. Obviously, these are words from the past that direct us to the future. This interplay of past and future nicely reveals the character of Advent itself, and of Catholic life in general. Because how we receive our Lord at His birth will determine how we respond to Him at His return, or second coming.

The right attitude of a true Christian is that of faith and trust, rather than fear for the final coming. Thus, the first Sunday of Advent invites us to be awake, be prepared, hope and trust in God's loving mercy.

And to help us understand better the urgency with which we should anticipate the Lord's return in glory, our Lord Jesus compares us to servants awaiting their master's return but not knowing exactly when it will occur. This uncertainty should not leave us dreading the future. Rather, it should impel us to live in such a way that whenever Jesus returns, we will be found ready and waiting for Him. Our whole lives should be an ongoing preparation to meet the King of kings, and Lord of lords, whenever He should decide to return.

So then, how do we utilize Advent for our personal preparation?

Here are some practical suggestions: First, undertaking voluntary penances during the season of Advent by availing of the Sacrament of Reconciliation; second, dedicating a portion of what we might spend on gifts toward charitable causes as a way of mortifying the secular tendency to overindulge during the Christmas season; finally, but not the last, we should dedicate ourselves to intensified prayer, for example, meditating on the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. All thse are among the most effective ways of being watchful and alert during the Advent Season.

Let us then begin our Advent pilgrimage by lighting the candle of hope... a hope for new beginning in our journey of faith toward 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 1:

26 November 2017: Solemnity of Christ the King

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

Gospel:Please Read Matthew 25:31-46

We proclaim Jesus Christ, our King!

This Sunday the Church concludes the current liturgical year by proclaiming the Kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ. We celebrate today the all-embracing authority of Jesus Christ as King of kings, Lord of lords, the Alpha and Omega of all creation.

According to the Church calendar, the Feast of Christ the King is celebrated on the final Sunday of Ordinary Time and the Sunday before Advent. Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King in 1925 for the universal Church, in his encyclical Quas Primas, a Latin phrase which literally means "In the first".

The Gospel reading from St. Matthew speaks of the final time: the coming of the Son of Man in glory at the end of time.

The core message of the Gospel passage is that the story of our salvation history is continuing. Thus, it did not end with the resurrection of Christ, or His ascension into heaven. It does not end at Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Because our salvation ends with Christ Himself, who is seated at the right hand of the Father, when He comes again to judge the living and the dead.

Jesus describes the possible fate of the human soul at the end of time: it is either eternal life with Him or eternal punishment in hell. It will depend upon the accounting we give of the love we have shown for God and neighbor, or the lack of it, while in this present life. In other words, heaven or hell is but the crowning of the life we live on earth. And the guidelines that our Lord gives us are really simple. They begin with what we do, or fail to do, here and now: "...whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did to me.... what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me." And our Lord Jesus Christ is the final Judge to whom we must render an accounting of our lives on earth at the end of time.

But then, what is the significance of the Solemnity of Christ the King in our lives today?

Well, knowing the end of the story of our salvation --meaning judgment day, eternal life or punishment-- should have a significant impact on how we live in the present. We realize that while in this world, Christ does not force His kingship on us, even when we are His subjects. He prefers that we voluntarily submit out of love for Him. But on the final judgment day, there is no second chance, and there is no escaping divine justice.

Thus, as the Good Shepherd our Lord Jesus Christ will separate the sheep from the goats according to the criterion of love and charity toward our brothers and sisters. In other words, we become true followers of Christ the King when we minister to the needs of the least in our midst.

A Blessed Feast of Christ the King to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle A - Year 1:  

19 November 2017:  Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31

Second Reading:   1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 25:14-30 (or 25:14-15, 19-21)

Making God's kingdom grow!

Believe it or not.... every person has some kind of talent that sometimes is unique from the rest. But do you know what is your special talent? How do we make use of our God-given talents?

The Word of God for this Sunday shares with us timely lesson on how to deal and make use of our God-given talents in the Parable of the Talents. 

At the beginning of the parable let us not forget that it speaks first of the master's trust in

his servants. So while he goes away he leaves them with his money to be used and to be invested wisely, each according to his ability. When he returns he expects some actions from his servants on the money he left behind.  So the servant entrusted with five talents reported that he made another five more. The servant with two talents produced two more. But the servant with one talent reported nothing; for he dug a hole in the ground and just buried his master's money in it.

Now the essence of the parable touches on the concept of responsibility and stewardship. The master expected his servants to be productive in the use of his money entrusted to their care. Each servant was faithful up to a certain point.  But the servant who just buried his master's money was irresponsible.

In our Christian living, today's parable provides us an opportunity to reflect on how well we use our gifts and talents for the sake of the Lord and His kingdom here on earth. In concrete terms, for example, the parable challenges us to make good use of our time, treasure, and talents God has given us.

But the Gospel parable also gives us a warning. We are drawing near the end of another liturgical year, which reminds us that our time on earth is also not unlimited. For any moment could be our last. That is why we have to make good use of the remaining years that God grant us still by working for the love of God and our neighbor. We must resolve not to waste time by worrying unnecessarily about the past or being excessively concerned about the future. Because our Lord Jesus Christ promises to give us the grace we need to meet the challenges of the future, especially to repent of the sins of the past.

Thus, Jesus asks us in today's Gospel to entrust ourselves to Him that we might cooperate with Him in the building up of His kingdom. God bestows on us His abundant blessings not only for the good of ourselves but for the building up of God's kingdom here on earth. So we must use our talents to do our share in the evangelization work of the Church, so that we also become trustworthy servants of the Lord.

For when we use our talents and abilities to spread Christ Gospel of truth and for the benefit of the whole Church, then we have indeed invested our talents profitably, and thus proving ourselves trustworthy servants and stewards of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle A - Year 1:  

12 November 2017:  Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Wisdom 6:12-16

Second Reading:   1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 25:1-13

Stay awake and keep watch!

Life on earth is just like a journey. And like any journey it is destined to end with the last step someday. Are we prepared to take the final step of our journey?

This Sunday's liturgy demonstrates a message of preparation in the Parable of the Ten Virgins; it is about vigilant faith.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was a master of story-telling. The circumstances of the parable of the ten virgins were taken from the marriage customs among the Jews, and explain the great day of Christ's second coming. Everybody loves a wedding! And so the parable of the wise and foolish virgins is a real-life situation.

God's kingdom will be like the ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the

bridegroom. Five of the virgins were wise, taking their lamps with enough reserved oil for the night. But the foolish five did not have reserved oil. The bridegroom was delayed in coming, so the foolish ones run out of oil and went out to buy more. But at that time the bridegroom arrived and only the five wise virgins were on hand to welcome him.

Incidentally, several of Christ's parables, and other teachings, touch on His second coming, and the need for His people to be ready for the event; expectant to the point of being prepared for it to happen at any time.     

And this is the thrust, and drive, of the parable of the "wise and foolish virgins." How does this apply to our Christian living?

Likewise, the Son of Man will come as a surprise, when people less expect Him. It can be today, it can be tomorrow, that is why the last warning of the parable of the ten virgins is: "Stay awake and keep watch!".... because we do not know either the day nor the hour.

Thus, the moral of the Gospel story is very simple, and the lesson is evident. We cannot be superficial and must look beyond the present moment, and try to discover the call of God even in the smallest things of this life.

 

In sum, Jesus warns us to be alert and must keep the flame of faith alive in our heart. This flame is lit with the oil of charity and prayer, charity performed through and for the love of God.

The Gospel reminds us that we will not be saved automatically simply by being members of the Church. Unless we are striving for holiness we can't hope to enter the kingdom of God. 

The Lord invites everyone to the wedding feast. But it is our decision to patiently prepare for it... when the Bridegroom comes at a time when we least expect.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!