Follow me: Feast of Saint Andrew, Ap. (30th November, 2018).

Homily (Reflection) for the Feast of Saint Andrew, Ap. (30^th November, 2018) on the Gospel and the Feast

 
Rom 10:9-18;
Ps 18:2-5. (R.v.5);
Matt 4:18-22.

Saint Andrew was the brother of Saint Peter (Matt 10:2). He was born in Bethsaida (Jn 1:44) and was first the disciple of Saint John the Baptist before following Jesus Christ (Jn 1:35-40). He was mentioned several times in the gospels, was a fisherman by profession (cf. Matt 4:18; Mk 1:16), brought the Gentiles to Jesus (Jn 12:20-22), and pointed out the boy with the loaves and the fishes used in feeding the five thousand (Jn 6:8-9).

Topic: Follow me.

We see in today’s gospel the call of Saint Andrew whose feast we celebrate today. He and his brother immediately left their source of livelihood and followed Jesus without any form of resistance or assurance of a better pay, cf. Matt 4:20. James and John, sons of Zebedee also left even their father and followed Jesus, cf. Matt 4:22.

Remember that same Jesus who called Saint Andrew also called and is still calling us today. Although we all must not leave our sources of livelihood as Saint Andrew and his colleagues did but we all must live lives as those who have been called out of the world, cf. Jn 17:14-16.

Again, as Saint Andrew brought the Gentiles to Jesus, we are called not just to be saved but especially to be channels through which others will know Jesus. Bring as much people as possible to Christ through your words and your actions. Remember that you are the light and salt of the earth, cf. Matt 5:13-14. Christians do not walk in darkness and has no boundary with the evil one, cf. Jn 8:12; 2Cor 6:15.

Bible Reading: Gal 3:19-4:7; Jn 17:10-21.

Thought for today: You have been called by Jesus Christ.

Let us pray: Lord, we humbly ask you to help us bring people to you through our words and actions today and forever – Amen.

Saint Andrew – Pray for us.

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Worth remembering: Thursday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (II) (29th November, 2018).

Homily (Reflection) for Thursday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (II) (29^th November, 2018) on the Gospel

 
Rev 18:1-2.21-23; 19:1-3.9;
Ps 99:2-5. (R. Rev 19:9);
Lk 21:20-28.

Topic: Worth remembering.

Normally, as the liturgical year comes to an end, the readings often draw our minds to the end of one thing or another. Today’s gospel is made up of two sections. In the first (Lk 21:20-24), Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem. And in the second section (Lk 21:25-28), we read of the coming of the Son of Man at the peak of those terrible days.

As we approach the end of this liturgical year, I considered it necessary for us to think towards the end of other things especially our existence here on earth. Although it may be scaring for some, yet it is a reality no one has discovered how to avoid. At best, many have only suggested ways of delaying it and never how to eliminate it. Think also of our wealth, positions, connections, and so on. All these and every other thing except God will also come to end.

Have you ever asked yourself what your fate will be after your sojourn here on earth? This question often gives me sleepless nights because we often look down on it. That day, each person will stand before God to give account of him/herself. He is ready to judge the living and the dead, cf. 1Pt 4:5; 2Tim 4:1. And remember, He will not judge by appearances, cf. Jer 17:10. 20:12. How prepared are you?

Bible Reading: Ps 90:1-17.

Thought for today: Where do you prepare for?

Let us pray: Lord, help us to remember always that life is too short – Amen.

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The challenges: Wednesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (II) (28th November, 2018).

Homily (Reflection) for Wednesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (II) (28^th November, 2018) on the Gospel

 
Rev 15:1-4;
Ps 97:1-3.7-9. (R. Rev 15:3);
Lk 21:12-19.

Topic: The challenges.

In today’s gospel, Jesus said to His disciples, “...they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.” Again, “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name.”

Whenever many read or hear these words of Jesus, they judge them as something addressed to the people of old. However, when we read or hear the ones we like, we claim them as addressed to us. This is ridiculous. We must avoid deceiving ourselves. The words of Jesus are true for every age.

Although these words are really scaring but Jesus did not stop there. He assures us, “So make up your minds not to prepare your defence in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.” Again, “But not a hair of your head will perish.” We also read, “But even the hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matt 10:30, cf. Lk 12:7).

Brothers and sisters, we must prepare our minds for the journey. We must also shun all the false promises being made here and there all in the name of Jesus. The assurance we received from Jesus Christ is salvation and certainly that is the ultimate, cf. Matt 16:26; Lk 21:19.

Bible Reading: 1Pt 4:12-19.

Thought for today: We must endure.

Let us pray: Lord, give us every grace that will enable us accept the realities of our call – Amen.

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A must come: Tuesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (II) (27th November, 2018).

Homily (Reflection) for Tuesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (II) (27^th November, 2018) on the Gospel

 
Rev 14:14-19;
Ps 95:10-13. (R. v.13);
Lk 21:5-11.

Topic: A must come.

Jesus said to those speaking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

Although they sought for signs of the inevitable destruction, they were not offered any because it was not necessary. Jesus informed them that many things will happen and that many will either claim to be He or knows where He is. But in all these, He urged them to be unwavering.

Remember that we are temples made not by human hands but by God himself, cf. 1Cor 3: 16-17. 6:19. And just like the temple of Jerusalem made by human hands, the days will come when one stone will not be left upon another in each and every one of us. What will save us is not in the signs but in living out our call as Christians in every circumstance. So, what are you waiting for?

Bible Reading: 1Pt 4:1-11.

Thought for today: Be prepared.

Let us pray: Lord, give us the grace to be ever ready for you – Amen.

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Offered to God: Monday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (II) (26th November, 2018).

Homily (Reflection) for Monday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (II) (26^th November, 2018) on the Gospel

 

Rev 14:1-5;

Ps 23:1-6. (R. cf. v.6);

Lk 21:1-4.

Topic: Offered to God.

Jesus saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury and also a poor widow who put in two small copper coins. And He said,

Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.

But what moved this poor widow into this heroine act, giving all she had to live on? She must have understood “that the LORD is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (Ps 100:3). Although we are not to lazy about (cf. 2Thess 3:10) but we must remember always that God takes care of all His creatures. Hence, Jesus asks us not to worry about anything because no one can add a single hour to his/her life span through worrying, cf. Matt 6:25, 27.

We ought to offer ourselves entirely to God. Our lives ought to be in line with Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom 14:8).

Bible Reading: 2Cor 8:1-15.

Thought for today: We are God’s.

Let us pray: Lord, with the voice of thanksgiving I will sacrifice to you and what I have vowed I will pay – Amen (cf. Jon 2:9).

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Christ’s Reign: Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, (Thirty-Fourth Sunday of the Year) (B).

Homily (Reflection) for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, (Thirty-Fourth Sunday of the Year) (B) (25^th November, 2018) on the Gospel and the Solemnity

Dan 7:13-14;

Ps 92:1-2.5 (R.V. 1);
Rev (Apoc) 1:5-8;
Jn 18:33-37.

This Sunday is known by various names for various reasons: 34^th Sunday of the year because it is the Sunday after the 33^rd Sunday, last Sunday of the Year because it is the last Sunday of the Church’s Liturgical Year, the Solemnity of Christ the King because today, the Universal Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King. Again, in this part of the world because the Solemnity of Corpus Christi falls in the rainy season, the Eucharistic procession that accompanies it is shifted to the Solemnity of Christ the King.

The Solemnity of Christ the King was established in 1925 by Pope Pius XI as an antidote to the secularism in the world. Just as today, people live their lives irrespective of what God wants. Hence, what we profess today is our belief in the kingship of Christ as a God the Word Incarnate, Redeemer and Judge of the living and the dead. His kingdom is supreme, universal, eternal and spiritual.

Topic: Christ’s Reign.

While foretelling the birth of Jesus Christ the angel Gabriel said to Mary:

And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end (Lk 1:31-33).

And while answering the Pharisees who asked Him when the kingdom of God was coming, Jesus said: “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Lk 17:20-21). Again, while refuting the accusation that He was casting out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons Jesus said: “if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Lk 11:20; cf. Matt 12:28).

As we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the Universal King it is important to note that His kingdom is not only in heaven. Hence in today’s gospel when Pilate asked Him whether he is the king of the Jews Jesus replied: “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here” (Jn 18:36). This is because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, cf. Matt 28:18. Hence “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phil 2:10).

My dear friends in the Lord, as we celebrate this solemnity, Christ is asking us through the prophet: “A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honour? And if I am a master, where is my fear?” (Mal 1:6). Anyone who wishes to have a share in Christ’s kingdom in heaven must first respond positively to Christ’s invitation here on earth, cf. Lk 14:24. Hence Christ said:

You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Lk 22:28-30).

However, those who did not stand by Him in His trials will say “‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets’. But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’” (Lk 13:26-27).

Bible Reading: Lk 14:15-33. 17:20-37; Jn 10:24-38; Col 3:1-17; Matt 25:31-46; Lk 13:22-30.

Thought for today: Is Christ really your King?

Let us pray: Jesus, the everlasting King, as we celebrate with joy your kingship here on earth, may we be found less unworthy for your glory in heaven – Amen.

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Rising from the dead: Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung Lac, P. & Comps (24th November, 2018).

Homily (Reflection) for the Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung Lac, P. & Comps (24^th November, 2018) on the Gospel and the Memorial

 
Rev 11:4-12;
Ps 143:1-2.9-10. (R. v. 1);
Lk 20:27-40.

Through the missionary efforts of various religious families beginning in the sixteenth century and continuing until 1866, the Vietnamese people heard the message of the gospel, and many accepted it despite persecution and even death. On June 19, 1988, Pope Saint John Paul II canonized 117 persons martyred in the eighteenth century. Among these were ninety-six Vietnamese, eleven missionaries born in Spain and belonging to the Order of Preachers, and ten French missionaries belonging to the Paris Foreign Mission Society. Among these saints are eight Spanish and French bishops, fifty priests (thirteen European and thirty-seven Vietnamese), and fifty-nine lay people. These martyrs gave their lives not only for the Church but for their country as well.[1]

Topic: Rising from the dead.

The Sadducees who say there is no resurrection asked Jesus whose wife a woman who was married in turns according to Moses’ law to seven brothers will be on the day of resurrection. Jesus told them that marriage is for those who belong to this age. However,

...those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angles and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.

Rising from the dead is a common belief especially among Christians. But to the extent we are aware that whoever wants to rise into everlasting life must prepare for it is a thing to worry about. The lives of many contradict what we say loudly that we believe in, cf. Phil 3:18. Rising from the dead into everlasting life starts now by rising from sin. Whoever refuses to rise from sin will end up in everlasting shame, cf. Dan 12:2. We ought to follow the examples of Saint Andrew Dung Lac and his Companions who defied every obstacle standing on their way to everlasting life.

Bible Reading: Phil 3:12–4:1.

Thought for today: We shall all rise.

Let us pray: God, give us the grace that will enable us rise to life everlasting – Amen.

Saint Andrew Dung Lac & Companions – Pray for us.

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---

[1] http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=540

Your are a marked temple: Friday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time (II) (23rd November, 2018).

Homily (Reflection) for Friday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time (II) (23^rd November, 2018) on the Gospel

 
Rev 10:8-11;
Ps 118:14.24.72.103.111.131. (R. v.103);
Lk 19:45-48.

Topic: You are a marked temple.

Jesus entered the temple in today’s gospel and drove out those selling things in the temple. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a den of robbers.”

The Jews were extorting so much money from the pilgrims. As a result of the material gain, they turned the temple into a den of robbers contrary to the divine decree.

In John’s account of Jesus’ cleaning of the temple, when the Jews demanded for a sign, Jesus said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19). They were shocked because the temple had been under construction for forty-six years. However, He was speaking about His body, cf. Jn 2:20-21.

Jesus’ cleansing of a temple made by human hands in today’s gospel ought to bring our minds to real temples made by God Himself. Saint Paul queried, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own” (1Cor 6:19). Again, “...we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people’” (2Cor 6:16). He sternly warned, “If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are” (1Cor 3:17). The pertinent question each of us must answer is, ‘What do you do with your temple?’

Bible Reading: 1Cor 6:12-20; 2Cor 6:14–7:1.

Thought for today: You are God’s temple.

Let us pray: God give us the grace always to be aware that our body is sacred and the grace to keep it holy as we ought – Amen.

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