7th Week: Feb 21-26
Feb 21 Monday: (St. Peter Damien, Bishop):
The context: Today’s Gospel passage describes an exorcism and healing which Jesus performed after coming down from the mountain of Transfiguration.
Why did the Apostles fail to heal the epileptic? The father of the epileptic boy complained to Jesus about the inability of the apostles to cure his son. They failed to heal the boy because 1) although they had been given the power of healing, they failed to vitalize or activate it by prayer as Jesus did; 2) they did not have strong, trusting, and expectant Faith in God’s power; 3) as Jesus remarked, exorcism requires not only healing power but also a life of prayer and penance. Jesus heals the epileptic by a word of Divine command: Jesus demanded strong Faith from the boy’s father as a condition for healing. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Then Jesus commanded the evil spirit, using His Divine authority: “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again.” As the evil spirit left the boy, he was healed of his epilepsy.
Life messages: 1) God will work daily miracles in our lives, provided we pray with trusting Faith. 2) Jesus offers us freedom from bondage to sin, evil habits and addictions. 3) Let us make full use of the protection and help God offers to those who seek Him with Faith in His power and trust in His mercy. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Feb 22 Tuesday (Chair of St. Peter the Apostle):
By celebrating the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter we honor the mission of teacher and pastor conferred by Christ on Peter and continued in an unbroken line down to the present Pope. We also celebrate today, the unity of the Church, founded upon the Apostle Peter, and we use this occasion to renew our submission to the Magisterium or teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, extended both to truths which are solemnly defined ex-cathedra, and to all the acts of the ordinary Magisterium. Like the committee chair, this chair refers to the occupant, not the furniture. Its first occupant stumbled a bit, denying Jesus three times and hesitating to welcome Gentiles into the new Church. Some of its later occupants have also stumbled a bit, sometimes even failed scandalously. So, the feast reminds us that the Vicar of Christ needs the prayer support of all the Catholics. This feast also gives us the occasion to give thanks to God for the mission He entrusted to the Apostle Peter and his successors.
It is also is the feast of a relic long reputed to be St. Peter’s actual throne or the Cathedra Petri. On the feast, 110 candles illuminate the reliquary that contains it. This relic has been venerated by the faithful since the fourth century. Previously reserved in the Baptismal Chapel of what is referred to as the Old St Peter’s Basilica, built by Emperor Constantine around 333AD, today it can be found encased in a reliquary — the bronze throne built by Bernini and enshrined in the apse of St Peter’s Basilica. The throne is supported by the statues of four Doctors of the Church: two from the West, St Augustine and St Ambrose, and two from the East: St John Chrysostom and St Athanasius, beneath the well-known stained-glass image depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove. In medieval liturgical custom, the Pope was enthroned on the relic for part of his coronation ceremony and used it as his liturgical throne in the Basilica on the feast. Ever since, Bernini’s artwork covering the Chair is considered as the reliquary with the wooden Chair inside it as the relic. The last time the relic was exposed was in 1867 by Blessed Pius IX on the eighteenth centenary of the martyrdom of Ss. Peter and Paul. Kings of old sat on thrones and ruled. Peter’s chair is a symbol of his authority from Jesus to rule the Church. This feast reminds us that Jesus bestowed on Peter a special place among the Apostles. He was one of the three who were with Christ on special occasions, such as the Transfiguration of Christ and the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemani. He was the only Apostle to whom Christ appeared individually on the first day of the week, the day of the Resurrection. Peter, in turn, often spoke on behalf of the Apostles. When Jesus asked the Apostles, “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” Simon replied, “Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Mt 16:16)
And Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to you: That you are Peter [Cephas, a rock], and upon this rock [Cephas] I will build my Church [ekklesian], and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:13-20).
In saying this, Jesus made St. Peter the head of the entire community of believers and placed the spiritual guidance of the faithful in St. Peter’s hands. A symbol of this authority is the “cathedra,” a bishop’s throne or chair in a cathedral. Peter delivered the first public sermon after the Pentecost and won a large number of converts. He also performed many miracles and defended the freedom of the Apostles to preach the Gospels. He preached in Jerusalem, Judaea, and as far north as Syria. He was arrested in Jerusalem under Herod Agrippa I, but miraculously escaped execution. He left Jerusalem and eventually went to Rome, where he preached during the last portion of his life. He was crucified there, head downwards, as he had desired to suffer, saying that he did not deserve to die as Christ had died. The date of St. Peter’s death is not clear. Historians estimate he was executed between the years 64 and 68. His remains now rest beneath the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Feb 23 Wednesday (St. Polycarp, Bishop, Martyr)
The context: Ecclesiastical structures and lines of authority were not as clearly defined in the early Church as they are now. There were several Christian communities in big cities, each established by a different evangelist with different preachers, and each with its own practices. Rivalries could develop among them. In such circumstances, perhaps the incident and instruction of Jesus presented in today’s Gospel passage was recalled. In the passage, the Apostles complained about someone using the name of Jesus for healing the sick. They were upset at seeing someone who did not belong to their group using Jesus’ name to cast out demons. They were under the false impression that healing and exorcism in Jesus’ name was their sole right. They had forgotten the truth that God can use anybody as an instrument of healing. This was the “closed mentality” which they copied from the teaching habits of the Scribes and the Pharisees who reserved the Torah and it is teaching only to the Jews.
“Whoever is not against us is for us:” Jesus gives an ecumenical affirmation telling his disciples that there should not be any rivalry, jealousy or suspicion as long as all hold the same belief. Since the present-day divisions in Christianity are substantive, rising from differences over the basic tenets of Faith, today’s Gospel passage does not apply to them. However, Jesus’ instruction invites all Christians who accept him as Lord and Savior to work together for the common welfare of all, especially the poor, the sick and the marginalized. There is no reason for any Christian denomination to be jealous of another denomination because of the greater good they do for people for God’s glory. True love seeks the highest good of our neighbor while envy results from selfishness and pride contrary to true Christian love.
Life message: 1) Let us not try to prevent anyone from doing good to others because of envy or jealousy. Envy and jealousy are sinful because they lead us to sadness over what should make us rejoice. True love always seeks the highest good of the neighbor. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Feb 24 Thursday:
The context: After cautioning his disciples against jealousy and envy, Jesus explains to them the rewards for good works and warns them of the punishment reserved for scandal-givers. Jesus promises a reward for even the smallest act of charity for two reasons: 1) in performing the action, we are recognizing the truth that the beneficiary belongs to Jesus and that Jesus lives in him or her. 2) We perform the action as an expression of our gratitude for the numerous favors we have received from God.
The seriousness of scandal: Jesus tells scandal-givers that suffering a dire punishment like drowning in the deep sea with a millstone hung around their necks would do them less harm than they will suffer for committing the horror of giving scandal to one of His “little ones.” This is because 1) every scandal causes a chain reaction, resulting in the victims’ abusing and giving scandal to others in turn, adversely affecting the whole community in the process. 2) Scandals, like the sexual abuse of children, lead many to serious sins and lead both victims and scandal-givers away from Faith and religious practices. What does Jesus mean by amputation? Jesus teaches that, just as a doctor might remove an infected hand or leg or some other part of the body in order to presearve the life of the whole body, so we must be ready to part with anything that causes us to sin and which leads us to spiritual death. This means that we should abandon certain evil habits, bad friendships and undue attachments to avoid giving serious bad example and committing grave sins. Jesus does not teach that we should literally cut off hand or foot or pluck out our eye. Rather, using a Semitic idiom, he teaches that the most important aspect of our life is our Faith, and that it is better to suffer any calamity rather than to lose this precious gift.
Life messages: 1) We need to have salt in our lives: Jesus declares that, as the salt of the earth, our duty is to purify, preserve and give flavor to people’s lives by using the blessings given to us instead of leading others to sin by bad example. 2) As salt penetrates what it is placed upon, let us penetrate the society around us, radiating Jesus’ love, mercy, forgiveness and spirit of service. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/22
Feb 25 Friday:
The context: King Herod had married his brother’s wife, Herodias, violating the Mosaic Law. John the Baptist showed courage in condemning the king in public and lost his head for it. In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees were setting a trap for Jesus asking whether he agreed with his cousin John’s position on divorce. Jesus used the occasion to declare unequivocally that the bond of marriage comes from God, and that it is permanent and indissoluble: “What God has joined, man must not separate.” Today’s Gospel gives Christ’s explicit teaching on marriage and divorce, the Divine origin of marriage, the sacredness of family life and the indissolubility of marriage.
Jesus’ explanation of Mosaic sanction: Jesus explains that Moses’ permission for divorce was only a temporary concession to control the growing rate of divorce in his time, by introducing a law-governed divorce. Jesus adds that it was because of the hard-heartedness of the Jewish men that Moses allowed such a concession. By denying the man’s right to divorce, Jesus places the husband and wife on an equal footing in marriage and teaches that no Mosaic regulation dealing with a temporary situation can alter the permanency and unity of marriage.
Jesus’ clear teaching on divorce: Jesus reminds us that his doctrine goes back to the original intention of God. Citing the book of Genesis, Jesus proves that God made us male and female and commanded that “the two shall become one flesh.” He then draws the conclusion that “they are no longer two, but one body” – partners with equal rights – and declares that no man is allowed to separate what God has joined together (Mt 19:6).
Catholic teaching: Based on the NT teachings given in Mk 10:1-12, Mt 5:31-32; Mt 19:3-9; Lk 16:18; and 1 Cor 7:10-11, the Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a Sacrament involving both a sacred and a legal contract between a man and a woman and, at the same time, a special Covenant with the Lord. “Divorce is also a grave offense against the natural law. In addition, it breaks the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death…… Divorce is immoral also because it introduces disorder into the family and into society” (CCC #2384, 2385).
Life messages:1) Let us keep all families of our parish in our daily prayers. The mutual understanding and appreciation of the spouses, their openness and frankness, their spirit of sacrifice, adjustment, tolerance, their willingness to ask pardon and give pardon, their generosity in forgiving and forgetting – all these help to make a marriage permanent. 2) Let us also pray for all divorced men and women in the parish and also for those who have married again without an annulment, and welcome them as active members of the parish, although the latter cannot receive Holy Communion. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
Feb 26 Saturday:
The context: Today’s Gospel passage describes one of the loveliest incidents in the Gospel story. Jewish mothers used to bring their children to the great rabbis that they might pray over the children, especially on their first birthday. Naturally, mothers wanted the healing touch and blessing of the most popular rabbi, Jesus. In an attempt to protect their Master from the crowd of mothers and noisy children, the Apostles started rebuking them. The passage describes Jesus’ reaction and teaching.
Childlike qualities for entrance into Heaven: By showing his displeasure at the rough reaction of his apostles, Jesus made it clear that everyone is equally important to him as a child of God. The mothers came to Jesus because he was affable, jovial and approachable. Jesus decided to use the occasion as a teachable moment. He taught his disciples that entry into Heaven demands the childlike qualities of humility, innocence, obedience, total trust in a loving and providing God, confidence in the essential goodness of people, and readiness to forgive and forget. “To be little you have to believe as children believe, to love as children love, to abandon yourself as children do…, to pray as children pray” (St. J. Escriva).
Life messages: 1) Let us live in the awareness that we are the children of a loving and providing Heavenly Father and that by Baptism we are members of God’s family. Hence, we are expected to behave well every day as worthy children of a Holy Father. 2) Let us pray for all children in our families and for all our young parishioners and let us find time to cooperate in the parish ministries meant for children and young people. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
