13th Week: July 1-6:
July 1 Monday: [USA: Saint JunÃpero Serra, Priest]: The
context: Today’s Gospel passage explains the cost of Christian
discipleship and the total commitment, wholehearted constancy, and sacrificial
ministry that the Christian mission requires.
It was quite unexpected for a learned scribe to volunteer to
become Jesus’ disciple. But Jesus offered him no false promises, telling him, “Foxes
have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has not whereon
to lay his head.” Jesus was simply being honest about the demands and
the cost of a commitment the scribe might make too lightly and an arduous
journey he might be undertaking too easily. Being a Christian is not an easy or
comfortable affair. It calls for a lot of self-control and self-denial, putting
God before everything else. Jesus’ response to another would-be disciple who
asked for more time before becoming a disciple sounds harsh: “Let the dead
bury their dead.” But this man’s father was not dead or sick. The man had
simply asked to stay with his father until the father’s death. Jesus knew that
later he would find another reason to delay answering the call.
Life messages: 1) We need to honor our
commitments: Today, more than ever, people make marriage commitments too easily
and then break them. The problem today is that the couples do not have the
courage to make the commitment of marriage. We all know there
is a tremendous shortage of priests and religious. Our young people are
unwilling to make commitments to God by committing themselves to life-long
celibacy, obedience to a Bishop or religious superior or to the vowed life of a
religious community.
2) We need to pray for strength to honor our commitments. We
are here this morning because, in one way or another, we have said to Jesus, “I
will follow You.” Sometimes we have been faithful to Jesus, and other times we
have not. Hence, we need to pray for strength to honor our commitments, we need
to ask for forgiveness when we fail, and we need to renew our determination to
walk with Jesus by being loyal to our spouse and family, earning our living
honestly, and living not only peacefully, but lovingly, with our neighbors.
Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
July 2 Tuesday: The context: Matthew’s emphasis
on Jesus’ wondrous works helps him to reveal Jesus’ true Messianic identity.
The role of God in calming the storms of life is the central theme of today’s
Gospel. By describing the miracle, Matthew also assures his first-century believers
that nothing can harm the Church as long as the risen Lord is with them. The
incident reminds us today to keep Jesus in our life’s boat and to seek his help
in the storms of life.
The storm: The Sea of Galilee is a lake thirteen miles long
from north to south and eight miles broad from east to west at its widest. It
is notorious for its sudden storms. When a cold wind blows from the west, the
valleys, gullies, and hills act like gigantic funnels compressing the storms
and letting them rush down to the lake to create violent waves. Unable to
control their boat or their fears, the disciples wake Jesus up, accusing him of
disregarding their safety. Jesus’ response is immediate. At once he rises and
rebukes the winds and the sea, and instantly there is total calm. Only then
does Jesus gently chide his terrified and now astonished disciples for the
smallness of their Faith.
Life message: 1) We need to welcome Jesus into
the boat of our life to calm the storms we face. All of us are making a journey
across the sea of time to the shore of eternity, and it is natural that we all
will experience different types of violent storms occasionally in our lives:
physical storms, emotional storms, and spiritual storms. We face storms of
sorrow, doubts, anxiety, worries, temptations, and passion. Only Jesus can give
us real peace in the storm of sorrow or console us for the loss of our dear
ones. When the storms of doubt seek to uproot the very foundations of the
Faith, Jesus is there to still that storm, revealing to us his Divinity and the
authority behind the words of Holy Scripture. He gives us peace in the storms
of anxiety and worries about ourselves, about the unknown future, and about
those we love. Jesus also calms the storms of passion in people who have hot
hearts and blazing tempers.
(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
July 3 Wednesday: (Saint Thomas, Apostle): The
context: Today we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas, the Apostle.
Today’s Gospel passage (Jn 20:24-29) presents the fearless apostle St. Thomas,
in his uncompromising honesty, demanding a personal vision of, and physical
contact with, the risen Jesus as a condition for his belief. Thomas had not
been with the disciples when Jesus first appeared to them in the Upper Room. As
a result, he refused to believe. The following week, Jesus appeared to the
apostles and Thomas in the still-locked Upper Room and said: “Blessed are those
who have not seen but have believed.” Thomas was able to overcome his doubts by
seeing and touching the risen Jesus.
The unique profession of Faith: Thomas, the “doubting
apostle,” made the great profession of Faith, “My Lord and My God.” This
declaration by the “doubting apostle” in today’s Gospel is highly significant
for two reasons. 1) It is the foundation of our Christian Faith. Our Faith is
based on the Divinity of Jesus as demonstrated by Divine miracles, especially
by the supreme miracle of the Resurrection from the dead. Thomas’ profession of
Faith is the strongest evidence we have for the Resurrection of Jesus. 2)
Thomas’ Faith culminated in his self-surrender to Jesus, his heroic missionary
expedition to India in A.D. 52, his fearless preaching, and the powerful
testimony given by his martyrdom in A.D. 72.
Life messages: 1) Faith culminating in
self-surrender to God leads us to the service of our fellow-human beings.
Living Faith enables us to see the risen Lord in everyone and gives us the
willingness to render each one loving service: “Faith without good works is
dead” (Jas 2:17). Mother Teresa presents it this way: “If we pray, we will
believe; if we believe, we will love; if we love, we will serve. Only then we
put our love of God into action.” It was his Faith in the Lord and obedience to
Jesus’ missionary command that prompted St. Thomas to travel to India to preach
the Gospel among the Hindus, to establish seven Christian communities (known
later as “St. Thomas Christians”), and eventually to endure martyrdom. 2) We
need to grow in the living and dynamic Faith of St. Thomas using the following
means prescribed by the Spiritual Fathers: a) We come to know and experience
Jesus personally and intimately by the daily and meditative reading of the
Bible. b) We strengthen our Faith by the power of the Holy Spirit through
personal and community prayer. c) We share in the Divine Life of Jesus by
frequenting the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. d) We are reconciled with God
on a daily basis by repenting of our sins and asking God’s forgiveness and by
receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation whenever we fall into a grave sin.
Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
July 4 Thursday: (USA: Independence Day (USA: This
is a day to thank God for the political and religious freedom we enjoy and to
pray for God’s special blessings on the rulers and the people of our country.
1) It is a day to remember with gratitude the founding
fathers of our democratic republic, especially Thomas Jefferson, the author of
the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison, the architect
of the Constitution, who believed that all power, including political power,
came from God and was given to the people who entrusted this power to their
elected leaders.
2) It is a day to remember and pray for all our brave
soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice of their lives to keep this country a
safe and a free country, and for those who are now engaged in the fight against
terrorism in other countries.
3) It is day to remember the basic principle
underlined in the constitution, that“all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that
among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
4) It is day to remind ourselves thatwe have a
duty to protect these God-given rights by voting into power leaders who believe
in God and who have character, integrity, experience, and strong belief in
inalienable human rights.
5) It is day tofight forthe fundamental rightto
life denied to pre-born children to grow and develop in their mothers’ wombs
and to the sick and the elderly to die gracefully without fearing euthanasia.
6) It is day to pray for and work forliberation for all
those who are still slaves in our free country – slaves to evil habits and
addictions to nicotine, alcohol, drugs, pornography, promiscuity and sexual
aberrations.
7) It is a day to take a pledge to become recommitted to
doing something about our own growth in Christ, and to living as Americans who
contribute something to our religion, Church, country, and the lives of others.
8) It is a day to remember where we came from, what we stand
for, and the sacrifices that thousands of our countrymen have made on our
behalf.
9) It is a day to raise our voice of protest against
liberal, agnostic, and atheistic political leaders, media bosses, and activist,
liberal judges who deny religious moral education to our young citizens.
10) It is a day to offer our country and all its
citizens on the altar of God, asking His special providential care, protection,
and blessings.
Intercessory prayers for Independence Day (USCCB)
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/liturgy-and-prayer-suggestions.cfm
§ For the people of the United States, that we may be united
in building a society in which everyone can have the opportunity to live with
dignity and hope, we pray to the Lord. . . .
§ For the Church, that we may be a witness to Christ’s love
by practicing charity and promoting justice and peace throughout the world, we
pray to the Lord. . . .
§ For Catholics throughout our nation, that the values of
our faith may guide us as we exercise our responsibility as voters, we pray to
the Lord. . . .
§ For the members of this community, that we may find ways
to help build a world of greater respect for human life and human dignity, we
pray to the Lord. . . .
§ For those who serve in elected office, that they may lead
with courage and wisdom, reflecting the Church’s teaching that the moral test
of our society is how the weak, the poor, and the vulnerable are faring, we
pray to the Lord. . . .
§ For all citizens of the United States, that our
participation in the upcoming election may lead to a world of greater respect
for life and commitment to justice and peace, we pray to the Lord. .
§ For those who are suffering from poverty and injustice,
that our decisions this election year may lead to policies and programs that
help them live in dignity, we pray to the Lord. .
§ For parishioners who have been elected to public office,
that they might use their offices to protect the unborn and promote the dignity
of the poor and vulnerable, we pray to the Lord. . .
§ For the earth, that our nation’s leaders will be inspired
by God’s Spirit to protect all of His creation, we pray to the Lord. .
§ For workers around the world, especially children who work
long hours for little pay, that we might all seek ways to promote fairness,
justice, and dignity in their lives, we pray to the Lord. .
For leaders around world, that they may find ways to bring
an end to war and violence, and promote peace and development for all nations,
we pray to the Lord.
July 4 Thursday: The context: Beyond exercising
Divine authority over temptation, over the lives of men, over nature, over
demons, and over sickness, Jesus, as we see in today’s Gospel demonstrates a
new form of authority – the Divine authority to forgive sins. Jesus miraculously
restores a paralyzed man to health as a sign of having this Divine authority.
The healing episode presents Jesus as God Incarnate, sent to save us, restore
us, and make us new. So, we have to look beyond the boundaries of our limited
religious experience to appreciate the healing and forgiving operation of our
God in newer and newer ways.
Many kinds of sickness, like the paralysis of the man in the
story, were seen by the Jews as punishment for the personal sins of the
sufferer or of the sufferer’s parents. It was also a common belief that no
sickness could be cured until sin was forgiven. For that reason, Jesus had
first to convince the paralyzed man that his sins had been forgiven. Once Jesus
had granted the paralytic the forgiveness of God, the man knew that God was no
longer his enemy, and he was ready to receive the cure which followed. It was
the manner of the cure which scandalized the Scribes. By forgiving sin Himself,
Jesus had, they thought, blasphemed, insulted God, because forgiving sin is the
exclusive prerogative of God. This healing demonstrates two facts: that we can
never be right physically until we are right spiritually, and that health in
body and peace with God go hand in hand.
Life messages: 1) We need God’s forgiveness to live
wholesome lives. The heart of the Christian Faith is the “forgiveness of sins.”
In the Creed we say, “I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.” While
we have, and need to exercise, the power to forgive others who have offended
us, we need to be forgiven ourselves by the One who has the authority to
forgive. In Jesus, we see this authority, the same authority He gave to his
Church. Today’s Gospel gives us an invitation to open ourselves to God’s
forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to hear from the priest’s
mouth the words of Jesus to the paralytic being spoken to us: “Your sins are
forgiven.”
2) The Gospel also instructs us to forgive others their sins
against us and to ask God’s forgiveness for our daily sins every day of our
lives. Tony (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
July 5 Friday: [Saint Anthony Zaccaria,
Priest; The context: Today’s Gospel episode of Matthew’s
call as Jesus’ apostle reminds us of God’s love and mercy for sinners and
challenges us to practice this same love and mercy in our relations with
others. The call and the response: Jesus went to the tax-collector’s station to
invite Matthew to become a disciple. Since tax-collectors worked for a foreign
power and extorted more tax money from the people than they owed, the Jewish
people, especially the Pharisees, hated and despised the tax collectors as
traitors, considered them public sinners, and ostracized them. But Jesus could
see in Matthew a person who needed Divine love and grace. That is why, while
everyone hated Matthew, Jesus was ready to offer him undeserved love, mercy,
and forgiveness. Hence, Matthew abandoned his lucrative job, because, for him,
Christ’s invitation to become Jesus’ follower, was a promise of salvation,
fellowship, guidance, and protection. Scandalous partying with sinners. It was
altogether natural for Matthew to rejoice in his new calling by celebrating
with his friends who were also outcasts. Jesus’ dining with all these outcasts
in the house of a “traitor” scandalized the Pharisees, for whom ritual purity
and table fellowship were important religious practices. Cleverly, they asked,
not Jesus, but the young disciples, “Why does your master eat with tax
collectors and sinners?” Jesus, coming to the rescue of the disciples, cut
in and answered the question in terms of healing: “Those who are well
do not need a physician; the sick do.”
Life messages: 1) Jesus calls you and me for a
purpose: Jesus has called us through our Baptism, forgiven us our sins, and
welcomed us as members of the Kingdom. In fact, Jesus calls us daily, through
the Word and through the Church, to be disciples and, so, to turn away from all
the things that distract us and draw us away from God. 2) Just as Matthew did,
we, too, are expected to proclaim Christ through our lives by reaching out to
the unwanted and the marginalized in society with Christ’s love, mercy, and compassion.
(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
July 6 Saturday: [Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr]: The context: Today’s Gospel episode of Matthew’s call as Jesus’ apostle reminds us of God’s love and mercy for sinners and challenges us to practice this same love and mercy in our relations with others. The call and the response: Jesus went to the tax-collector’s station to invite Matthew to become a disciple. Since tax-collectors worked for a foreign power and extorted more tax money from the people than they owed, the Jewish people, especially the Pharisees, hated and despised the tax collectors as traitors, considered them public sinners, and ostracized them. But Jesus could see in Matthew a person who needed Divine love and grace. That is why, while everyone hated Matthew, Jesus was ready to offer him undeserved love, mercy, and forgiveness. Hence, Matthew abandoned his lucrative job, because, for him, Christ’s invitation to become Jesus’ follower, was a promise of salvation, fellowship, guidance, and protection. Scandalous partying with sinners. It was altogether natural for Matthew to rejoice in his new calling by celebrating with his friends who were also outcasts. Jesus’ dining with all these outcasts in the house of a “traitor” scandalized the Pharisees, for whom ritual purity and table fellowship were important religious practices. Cleverly, they asked, not Jesus, but the young disciples, “Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus, coming to the rescue of the disciples, cut in and answered the question in terms of healing: “Those who are well do not need a physician; the sick do.” Then Jesus challenged the Pharisees, quoting Hosea, “Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’” (Hos 6:6). Finally, Jesus clarified, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Life messages: 1) Jesus calls you and me for a purpose: Jesus has called us through our Baptism, forgiven us our sins, and welcomed us as members of the Kingdom. In fact, Jesus calls us daily, through the Word and through the Church, to be disciples and, so, to turn away from all the things that distract us and draw us away from God. 2) Just as Matthew did, we, too, are expected to proclaim Christ through our lives by reaching out to the unwanted and the marginalized in society with Christ’s love, mercy, and compassion. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com
