8th Week: May 27 to June 1
May 27 Monday: [Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop]:
The context: A rich young man comes to Jesus in
search of eternal life and expresses his genuine desire to be accepted by Jesus
as a disciple. Jesus’ shocking challenge refused: Jesus reminds the rich man of
the commandments that deal with his relationships with other people and
challenges him to sell what he has and give to the poor. The young man fails to
realize that his riches have really built a wall between himself and God. His
possessions “possess him.” Jesus’ challenge exposes what is missing in his
life, (a sense of compassion for the poor), and what blocks him from the
goodness he seeks (his unwillingness to share his blessings with the needy).
Jesus thus makes it clear that a true follower of His who wants to possess
eternal life must not only be a respectable person who hurts nobody but also
someone who shares his riches, talents and other blessings with the less
fortunate. Unfortunately, the rich man is unwilling to accept Jesus’ idea that
wealth is something to be shared with others and not just something to be
owned. So, Jesus uses a vivid hyperbole or “word cartoon” to show how riches
bar people from Heaven by presenting a big camel trying to pass through the eye
of a needle. The disciples are shocked when Jesus challenges the Jewish belief
that material wealth and prosperity are signs of God’s blessings by declaring
that true religion consists in sharing our blessings with others without
getting inordinately attached to them.
Life messages: 1) Jesus uses the premature
farewell of the rich young man to teach the lesson that we do not possess in
our life anything that we refuse to surrender to the Lord, for that thing to
which we cling often possesses us. That means that we have become the prisoners
of our possessions and that we are violating the First Commandment, which
demands that we give unconditional priority to God.
2) Our following of Jesus has to be totally and absolutely
unconditional. Our attachment may not be to money, but to material goods, to
another person, a job, health, or reputation. We must be ready to cut off any
such attachment in order to become true Christian disciples, sharing our
blessings with others. St. Teresa of Calcutta, (Mother Teresa), gives the
message of today’s Gospel thus: “Do something Beautiful for God.” Do it
with your life. Do it every day. Do it in your own way. But do it!” (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
May 28 Tuesday: Mk 10:28-31:
The context: A rich young man approached Jesus
asking how to gain eternal life. Jesus asked him to sell his possessions share
the money with the poor and then become his disciple. But the rich man went
away sad, unable to accept Jesus’ terms and conditions. Watching this scene,
Peter then declares that he and his fellow Apostles, all Jesus’ followers, have
left everything and followed Jesus, and he asks what their reward will be.
Jesus’ warning and promise: Jesus wants every Christian to
embrace the virtue of poverty of spirit by practicing real and effective
austerity in the possession and use of material things. But those who are
specially called to Christian ministry, particularly the Apostles and their
successors in priestly and religious ministry, should practice absolute
detachment from property, time, family, etc. so that they can be fully
available to everyone, imitating Jesus himself. Such detachment gives them
lordship over all things. They are no longer the slaves of things and the
burden things involve. They will be able to share St. Paul’s attitude and live,
“As having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (2 Cor 6:10). Jesus
also considers persecutions and troubles as rewards because they help us to
give powerful witness to the Good News and offer us opportunities to grow in
maturity and responsibility. Jesus assures Peter and the Apostles (and us),
that anyone who has generously left behind his possessions will be rewarded a
hundred times over in this life and will have eternal bliss in the next life.
By shedding their selfishness in this way, they will acquire charity, and,
having charity, they will gain everything. In place of material wealth, Jesus
promises all his disciples the blessing and joy of rich fellowship with the
community of believers. These words of our Lord particularly apply
to those who by Divine vocation embrace celibacy, giving up their right to form
a family. They will become members of every family, and they will have many
brothers, sisters and spiritual children.
Life message: 1) Let us try to become true
disciples of Jesus by sacrificially sharing our blessings with those around us,
thereby inheriting additional blessings from a generous God. Let us not refuse
anything to Him or hold back anything from Him.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
May 29 Wednesday: [Saint Paul VI, Pope]
The context: For the third time, (Mk 8:31, 9:31,
10:32), Jesus predicts his own death. In spite of Jesus’ two previous
predictions, James and John, still sharing the Jewish belief that the Messiah
would be a political king sitting on David’s throne and ruling over a re-united
Israel, consider Jesus to be a revolutionary freedom-fighter. They are sure
that Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem is being made to overthrow the Roman
rulers. Hence, James and John want an assurance from Jesus that he will make
them his first and second in command in the Messianic Kingdom of God.
The request and the reaction: James and John are
mistaken in their understanding of leadership roles in Christ’s Church as
positions of power and prestige. Hence, Jesus challenges them asking, “Are
you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism with
which I am baptized?” Jesus uses the images of the cup and baptism to
describe the price to be paid. Jesus insists that his disciples must drink from
his cup of suffering if they want to reign with him in his kingdom. Without
fully understanding what Jesus means, James and John quickly affirm that they
can share in their master’s cup and baptism. They have no understanding of the
personal cost that lies behind these two images.
[History tells us that James was beheaded by Herod Agrippa
(Acts 12:2), and that John suffered deeply when he heard
regularly for years, of the persecution of his fellow Christians, saw the
rise of heretics in the Churches, suffered exile himself, and saw the deaths of
the rest of the Twelve, leaving him alive, the oldest survivor among them,
faithful to the end, dying in his bed at nearly 100 years old.]
A challenge to achieve greatness through humble,
sacrificial service: Jesus tells his disciples plainly what his mission is,
how he is going to accomplish it and what the criterion for greatness among his
disciples should be. He summarizes his mission in one sentence: “The
Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many” (Jn 10:45). Jesus also explains that he is going to
accomplish his mission by undergoing crucifixion, offering himself as a
sacrifice to save people from their sins. Hence, Jesus challenges his apostles
to share not only his power, but his service, by sacrificing themselves for
others as he would do. According to Jesus, greatness consists, not in what we
have, or in what we can get from others, but in what we give to others.
Life Messages: 1) We are challenged to give our
lives in loving service to others. The best place to begin the process of
“self-giving,” is in our own homes, classrooms, parishes, and in workplaces. 2)
We are taught that suffering and service go hand in hand. In today’s Gospel,
Jesus connects service with suffering. First, service always involves suffering
because we can’t help another without some sacrifice on our part. Second, God
always invites those who suffer to put their suffering at the service of others
by uniting it with the suffering of Jesus. Third, we must learn to be sensitive
to the suffering of those around us. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
May 30 Thursday: The context: Jesus
was on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem along with a band of
pilgrims. It was customary for rabbis to teach the pilgrims on the way. The
pilgrims were generous in giving alms to the beggars on the roadside.
Bartimaeus was one of the blind beggars lined up on the road begging for alms.
When he heard people speaking about the approach of Jesus, the miracle worker
from Nazareth, he started shouting for mercy. He believed that Jesus was the
Messiah, the son of David who could give him eyesight, as foretold by the
prophet Isaiah, “The eyes of the blind will see” (Is 29:18).
Bartimaeus encounters Jesus: People walking in
front of Jesus listening to his teaching tried, in vain, to silence Bartimaeus,
but finally he got the attention of Jesus. Jesus was impressed by Bartimaeus’
declaration of Faith in the healing power of the Messiah, and asked him what he
wanted. Bartimaeus replied, “Master, let me receive my sight.” Jesus
said to him, “Go your way; your Faith has made you well.” Immediately
he received his sight, and he promptly followed Jesus to Jerusalem as His
disciple.
Life messages: 1) We are very often blinded by
our pride and prejudice and our innate tendency to be judgmental. Hence, we are
badly in need of healing from our spiritual blindness. But we require trusting
Faith in the power and mercy of God and the humility to pray persistently, as
Bartimaeus did, to receive healing from God. We must have the Faith to sense
the presence of Jesus the healer within us and pray to Holy Spirit for the
anointing to ask for healing. Let us pray for this grace during the Mass today.
Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
May 31 Friday: Visitation of Bl. Mary
The context: The mystery of the Incarnation
comes to ordinary people living ordinary lives, who have the willingness to
respond to God’s call and the openness and generosity to do God’s will. Luke,
in today’s Gospel, tells us how two seemingly insignificant women met to
celebrate the kindness and fidelity of God. In the Gospel, one definition of
discipleship is to listen to God’s word and then carry it out. Mary did both,
to become the most perfect disciple. The incident also shows us how sensitive
Mary was to the needs of Elizabeth, her older cousin, who had miraculously
become pregnant in her old age.
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. There is a saying, “One who is
on fire cannot sit on a chair.” Mary, carrying Jesus and filled with the
empowering fire of the Holy Spirit, hurried to the mountain country, a distance
of perhaps 100 miles, where Elizabeth lived, thereby conveying the Holy Spirit
to her cousin and her child. Like all good Jews, Mary was prompted in
everything she did by her commitment to God’s word in her life.
The paradox of blessedness. Blessedness confers on a person
both the greatest joy and the greatest task in the world. Nowhere can we see
the paradox better illustrated than in Mary’s life. Mary was granted the
blessedness and privilege of being the mother of the Son of God. Yet, that very
blessedness was to be a sword to pierce her heart: one day she would see her
Son hanging on a cross. So, to be chosen by God is often both a crown of joy
and a cross of sorrow. God does not choose us to give us a life of ease and
comfort, but in order that we may respond to His love by accomplishing His
purposes.
Life messages:1) We should recognize the real
presence of Emmanuel (God Is with Us) and say “yes” to Him: The Visitation of
Mary reminds us that, through his holy ministry, Christ continues to be present
among his people. Let us recognize and appreciate the truth that the same
Christ “dwells among us” in the Bible, in the Sacraments, in
the praying community, and in our souls. 2) We should convey Jesus to others as
Mary did to Elizabeth. We can make a real difference in the lives of others
today by carrying Jesus to them. For that, we must be filled with the spirit of
Christ, allowing his rebirth within us. Then Jesus will enable us to share his
love with all whom we encounter, offering them humble and committed service,
unconditional forgiveness, and compassionate, caring service. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
June 1 Saturday: [Saint Justin, Martyr] The
context: After casting out animal merchants and money-changers from
the Temple immediately after the Palm Sunday procession, Jesus started teaching
in the Temple courts. Hence, the chief priests and elders of the people
approached Jesus questioning his authority for entering the city in a triumphal
procession, for allowing the children to acclaim him, for curing the sick, for
casting out merchants and moneychangers, and for teaching in the Temple area.
This was a trap. If Jesus claimed that his authority was Divine as the Messiah,
they would arrest him as a blasphemer. If he claimed that his authority was
human, he would be arrested as a mad zealot damaging the people’s simple Faith
in the Temple and what it stood for. Since Jesus did not want to risk his life
and mission a few days ahead of time, he silenced them by asking a challenging
counter-question about John the Baptist and his message – was this from God or
man? Was this Divine or human?
If they answered that it was Divine, the questioners would
be asked to explain why they did not accept John’s message and his
witness-bearing that Jesus was the Messiah. If they answered that it was human,
they would have to face the anger of the crowd who had accepted John as a
prophet. Hence, they kept silent, opting for a shameful self-humiliation.
Life message: In religious matters, we should not ask whether our stand for Christ is safe or useful. Instead, we need to stand for Truth with the courage of our Christian convictions even if it costs our life. Fr. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
