May 1 Monday: Feast of St. Joseph the Worker:
Introduction: Today we celebrate the liturgical
feast of St. Joseph the Worker to honor St. Joseph, to highlight the dignity
and importance of labor, and to honor the workers who are dignified by their
labor and who bring Christ to their workplace. This is the second feast of St.
Joseph; the first was the feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary and patron of
the universal Church, which we celebrated on the 19th of March.
History: In response to the May Day Celebrations
of workers in the Communist countries where workers were considered mere “cogs
in the machine,” Pope Pius XII (declared Venerable December 19, 2009 by Pope
Benedict XVI; Wikipedia), instituted the feast of St. Joseph the
Worker in 1955 to Christianize the concept of labor, to acknowledge the dignity
of labor and to give all workers a role-model and heavenly patron.
Theology of work: The Bible presents God as a
worker (Gen 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth.”) Who is engaged in the work of creation and of providing for
His creatures. God the Father assigns His Son Jesus the work of human
redemption and gives the Holy Spirit the work of our sanctification. That is
why Jesus said: “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work (John
5:17). In Paradise, Adam and Eve tilled and kept the Garden in
obedience to the Father, and after their Fall into disobedience, He command
that man should continue to work outside the Garden where their work would
become toil “to earn your bread by the sweat of your brow” (Gn 3:19). Jesus
showed us the necessity and nobility of work by working in Joseph’s carpentry
shop until he started his public life — a work of preaching and healing in his
Messianic ministry. The workers are important and their work noble, not only
because they obey God’s command to work, but also because they sustain and
promote social welfare and the progress of societies.
Joseph as an exemplary worker: Joseph worked to
support his family by helping his neighbors, using his skill in carpentry. He
was a just worker, honest in his trade of buying wood, selling his finished
products, and charging for his services. He was a working parent, laboring hard
to support his family. He was a praying worker who prayed in all his needs, got
answers from God in dreams on important occasions, and kept God’s presence in
his workshop. He was an obedient worker who kept the Mosaic Law of Sabbath rest
and spent the day of rest to take Jesus to the local synagogue and to teach
Jesus God’s Law given through Moses.
Life messages: 1) Let us appreciate the dignity
of all forms of work and all types of laborers as they glorify God and promote
the welfare of society. 2) Let us be sincere and committed to our work as St.
Joseph was, working in the constant awareness of the presence of God. 3) Let us
love our work and convert it into prayer by offering it for God’s glory.
May 2 Tuesday: (St. Athanesius, Bishop, Doctor of the
Church)
The context: Today’s Gospel passage comes from the
end of Jesus’ instruction to the apostles, sending, them forth to carry on the
mission of preaching and healing, and instructing them to live simple lives,
expecting opposition and rejection. Predicting future opposition and
persecution, Jesus encourages the apostles to stand firm, three times urging
them, and us, “Do not fear!” “Do not be afraid!” Thus, we know that
we, too, will be successful despite the opposition we encounter.
Have no fear. Jesus gives three reasons why the apostles,
and we, should not be frightened. The first reason is that opponents will not
be able to prevent their mission from succeeding because God will expose their
evil plans and deeds: “Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered.” The
Lord “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness” (1 Cor
4:5) and will vindicate the faithful. That God will not permit evil to win is
the promise of v. 26. The second reason they, and we, should not be afraid is
that the power of their, and our, opponents is limited. They can kill the body,
which dies all too soon anyway, but have no power over the soul. The third
reason they, and we, should not be afraid is that they, and we are always under
the providential care and protection of their, and our, Heavenly Father Who
cares for all His creatures. They, and we, are more important to God than
sparrows “sold at two for a penny.” The God Who cares for a trivial bird like
the sparrow also cares about our smallest problems – even counting the hairs on
our heads. While this is an encouraging assurance, we may find it difficult to
believe in the midst of persecution.
Life message: “Be not afraid!” We can suffer from
many fears: (A) Fear of Loss: a) Loss of life by illness or accident; b) Loss
of dear ones – spouse, children, parents; c) Loss of belongings and property or
savings; d) Loss of a job; e) Loss of our good name and reputation by
slanderers (B) Baseless fears due to mental illness. C) Global fears: of
terrorist attacks, nuclear holocaust, plagues, like Corvid-19, war etc. When we
are afraid let us remind ourselves that God cares – we are each a dear child of
His and He cares for each of us. “Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many
sparrows.”
(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
May 3 Wednesday: (St. Philip sand St. James, Apostles)
James, son of Alphaeus, called James the
Lesser wrote the epistle that bears his name and became the bishop of
Jerusalem. He is the brother of Jude, and they are cousins of Jesus because
their mother Mary (who was married to Alphaeus or Clophas/Cleopas), is the
sister or cousin of Jesus’ mother. [This James is different from James
the Greater, the son of Zebedee who was married to another sister or
cousin of Mary; hence, James and his brother John were
also cousins of Jesus.] James the Lesser is also known by the title
of James the Just on account of his eminent sanctity. James
and his brother Jude were called to the apostleship in the second year of
Christ’s preaching, soon after the Pasch, probably in the year 31. James, son
of Alphaeus, only appears four times in the New Testament, each time in a list
of the twelve apostles as number 9. In Christian art he is depicted holding a
fuller’s club because he was believed to have been martyred, beaten to death
with a fuller’s club, at Ostrakine in Lower Egypt, where he was preaching the
Gospel.
Philip: John describes Philip as a fisherman
from Bethsaida in Galilee, the same town as Andrew and Peter. It is possible
that Philip was originally a follower or disciple of John the Baptist because
John depicts Jesus calling Philip out of a crowd attending John’s baptisms.
Immediately after his call as an apostle by Jesus, Philip introduced Jesus to
his friend Nathaniel/Bartholomew as the “one about whom Moses wrote” (Jn
1:45). On one occasion, when Jesus saw the great multitude following him and
wanted to give them food, he asked Philip where they should buy bread for the
people to eat. Philip expressed his surprise declaring “two hundred days’ wages
worth of food would not be enoughfor each of them to have a little bit” (Jn
6:7). It was in answer to Philip’s question, “Master, show us the
Father, and that will be enough for us” (Jn 14:8) that Jesus
answered, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not
know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9).
Since Philip had a Greek name, some Greek Gentile proselytes once approached
him with a request to introduce them to Jesus. Eusebius records that
Polycrates, 2nd century Bishop of Ephesus, wrote that Philip was crucified in
Phrygia and later buried in Hierapolis, in Turkey. Tradition has it that
Philip’s death was around AD 54. We celebrate his feast day on May 3rd.
Life message: Let us ask the intercession of
Sts. James and Philip so that we too may bear witness of Jesus by our lives to
those around us. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
The context: Today’s Gospel is the second part of the
explanation Jesus gave to his disciples after washing their feet before the
Last Supper. He promised his disciples that that whoever listened to them would
be listening to him as well, provided his preaching disciples became the humble
servants of others. Gospel lessons: In the first part of
today’s Gospel, Jesus emphasizes the fact that the hallmark of his disciples
must be their readiness and generosity in offering humble and sacrificial
service to others, because that was the model Jesus had given them by his life
and especially by washing their feet. It is by serving others that we become
great before God. In the second part of today’s Gospel, Jesus shows his
apostles how to treat people who are unfaithful and disloyal. Jesus hints at
the betrayal of Judas by quoting Psalm 4:9: “He who ate my bread has lifted
his heel against me.” Instead of distancing himself from Judas, Jesus
offers him reconciliation, showing him more affection by washing his feet and
by giving him a morsel of bread dipped in sauce with his own hand. In the third
part, Jesus gives the basis for apostolic succession, stating that one who receives
his apostles and messengers receives him, thereby receiving God the Father who
sent Jesus.
Life messages: 1) Let us prove that we are true
disciples of Jesus by rendering others humble and loving service today. 2) Let
us learn to be reconciled with those who offend us by unconditionally pardoning
them, by wishing them the very best, and by keeping them in our prayers.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
May 5 Friday:
The context: Jesus consoles his apostles who are sad
and disheartened at the prospect of his arrest and crucifixion by assuring them
that he is going to prepare an everlasting accommodation for them in his
Father’s house in Heaven. He gives them the assurance that he will come back to
take them to their Heavenly abodes. It is then that Thomas says to Jesus, “Lord,
we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus
answers Thomas’ question with, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the
Life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.”
Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life: The
basic doctrine of Judaism is that Yahweh is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Hence, Jesus is making the revolutionary claim that he is equivalent to Yahweh.
Jesus declares that he is the safest and surest way to
God, thus discrediting the notions that all religions are equally sure ways to
reach God, and that no organized religion, but only living a good life of
sharing love, is necessary to reach God. Jesus is the Way
which he calls narrow, for it is the way of loving, sacrificial service.
Jesus is the Truth who revealed truths about God and God’s
relationship with man in his teaching. Jesus also taught moral truths by
demonstrating them in his life. Jesus is the Life because he
himself shares the Eternal Life of God, and because He shares his Divine Life
with his disciples through the Word of God and the Sacraments.
Life messages: We should share the Divine Life
of God by making use of the means Jesus established in his Church: a) by
actively participating in the Eucharistic celebration and properly receiving
the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion; b) by the worthy reception of
the other Sacraments; c) by the meditative daily reading of the Word of God; d)
by following the guidance of the life-giving Spirit of God, living in the
Church and within us; e) by communicating with God the Source of Life, in
personal and family prayers and f) by going to God to be reconciled with Him
daily, repenting of our sins, and by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation,
at a minimum, when we are in mortal sin (so that we can receive Him in the
Eucharist), by forgiving others who offend us, and by asking God’s forgiveness
of our own sins. Fr. Tony
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
May 6 Saturday:
Scripture lesson: Answering Philip’s request at
the Last Supper, Jesus explains, in today’s Gospel selection, the unity and
oneness of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit. Jesus clarifies the abiding presence of each Person of the Holy
Trinity in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Hence, Jesus is the
visible expression of the invisible God. Jesus identified Himself totally with
the Father. At every moment he did what the Father asked him to do (Jn 5:30;
8:28-29.38). So, in order to see what God looks like, we have only to look at
Jesus, and in order to hear how God speaks, we have only to listen to Jesus. In
Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a God Who cares intensely, and Who
yearns for all men and women, loving them to the point of laying down his life
for them upon the Cross. Jesus makes visible a God Who loves us
unconditionally, unselfishly, and perfectly. If we put our trust in Jesus and
believe in him, Jesus promises that God the Father will hear our prayers when
we pray in Jesus’ Name. That is why Jesus taught his followers to pray with
confidence, Our Father who art in heaven ..give us this day our daily
bread … (Mt 6:9,11; Luke 11:2-3).
Life message: 1) We believe that God dwells
within our souls in the form of His Holy Spirit, making us the temple of God
where we have the indwelling presence of the Triune God, the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit living. Hence, it is our duty to live always aware of the
real presence of God within us and to adjust our life, accordingly, doing good
to others and avoiding evil. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
