Fourth Sunday of the Year: B: January 31, 2021

         THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS

First Reading: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7: 32-35

Gospel Reading: Mark 1: 21-28

   * First reading is from the book of Deuteronomy. Moses instructs the people of Israel that the Lord God will send an outstanding prophet who will proclaim His message and lead the people to the Lord God. The Lord God will put words into the mouth of the prophet and he will speak with authority. This prophecy of Moses finds its fulfilment in Jesus. 

    *Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. Paul reminds the Christian community at Corinth and us that whether married or unmarried, we are called to holiness of life and to live with an undivided devotion to God. He urges those who are celibate to give their undivided attention to the Lord. He wishes that all of us be free from all worries so as to give total attention to the Lord Jesus and His message.

With authority He commands                                                       Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. We have a specific example of how Jesus spoke with great authority during His public life. Only a genuine person can speak with authority. At that time there were many teachers of the law: Scribes and Pharisees. But they could never speak with authority. Jesus could speak with authority because He had the approval of the heavenly Father and He was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was convinced of what He said and He said what He believed in.                                                  In the second part of today's Gospel we have some examples of how Jesus exercised His authority. A person possessed with an evil spirit was brought to the Lord. Jesus commanded and the evil spirit left the person and the possessed person was totally freed from the power of evil. Today we are living in a world where many people are possessed by various evils. They are the people who are haunted by fear, worries, anxieties, suicidal tendencies, various addictions and many other evil habits. Jesus' authority and power is necessary to heal these unfortunate people. Hence Jesus exercised His authority to liberate people and to heal them and to bring them closer to God. The prophecy of Moses finds its fulfillment in Jesus. More than ever today we are faced with scepticism about many people in authority both in the secular sphere and in the religious sphere. Unlike them Jesus spoke with authority because He spoke the truth and He backed up His words with His deeds. 

"All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me." -Matthew 28:18

"Authority exercised with humility and obedience accepted with delight are the very lines along which our spirits live." - C.S. Lewis

Third Sunday of the Year: B: January 24, 2021

            THE CALL TO REPENTANCE

First Reading: Jonah 3: 1-5 and 10

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31

Gospel Reading : Mark 1: 14-20

    *First reading is from the book of Prophet Jonah. It is a  description of how the Lord God sent Prophet Jonah to Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria- the bitter enemy of Israel. Jonah wanted the city and its inhabitants to be destroyed. But the Lord God chose Jonah to go to that city and preach His Word. The Lord God wanted to bring them to repentance and conversion. Jonah was very reluctant to go there and gave many excuses not to go there. But the Lord God almost by force sent him to Nineveh. When Jonah preached, the people of Nineveh, from the greatest to the least, repented of their sins and did penance. The Lord God spared the city from the impending punishment and destruction. 

   *Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. Paul exhorts the Christian community in the port city of Corinth to abandon their old sinful ways and to have a new way of following the teachings of Christ. He encourages them to consider the values of God's Kingdom above everything else. He tells them and us that after experiencing the love of Christ, an attitude of detachment to worldly pleasures is necessary. 

The Kingdom of God is at hand                                                            Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. A description of the beginning of Jesus' ministry with the announcement of the Good News is mentioned. "The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Good News" is the keynote. Through this announcement Jesus tells us the following:  1. Repentance means experiencing conversion- a new way of life. It is a turning away from sin and turning to God's ways. The call to repentance is inclusive of everyone. 2. The good news is that forgiveness is available and recovery is possible. One can find one's true self even after the most disheartening fall or series of falls. We can come back to the Father's love where not judgement but welcome awaits us. In spite of our failures and sins, we are still very much loved unconditionally by God our loving Father. His love, His mercy and forgiveness are available to us through His Son Jesus. All we need to do is to recognize our need and seek His help with humility and sincerity. For He invites us to repentance and to the good news of the Kingdom. 

"Deep sorrow does not come because one has violated a law, but only if one knows he has broken off the relationship with Divine Love. But there is yet another element required for regeneration, the element of repentance and reparation." - Arch Bishop Fulton J Sheen. 

Second Sunday of the Year :B: January 17, 2021

 

THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP

First Reading: 1 Samuel 3: 3-10 and 19

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6: 13-15 and 17-20

Gospel Reading: John 1: 35-42

   * First reading is from the first book of Prophet Samuel. It is an account of the call of young Samuel by the Lord God. Samuel responded to the Lord God's call wholeheartedly and unconditionally. His response was one of total submission to the Lord God. And he said, "speak, for thy servant hears." It was through the prophet Samuel that the Lord God guided the chosen people to become a great nation. The call of Samuel is an example of the mysterious and hidden ways in which the Lord God acts. Samuel thus became the liberator of God's people. 

   *Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. Paul wrote this letter to Christians in Corinth, a port city where people were living in much sexual immorality. Paul tells them and us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and hence we must not use them for sin but rather use them for the glory of God. Because of our call to be holy, we have to live up to the image of God and be a  source of blessings to our brothers and sisters. 

The call of the first disciples                                                    Today's Gospel reading is from St. John. John gives us an account of the call of the first disciples of Jesus. Andrew and his brother Peter had their first encounter with Jesus near the sea of Galilee. It was not merely a casual meeting but rather a meeting of hearts. Sometimes when people meet it can be a mere formality but in an encounter people open their hearts to one another and share their innermost ideas and concerns. This encounter between Jesus and the first disciples changed their lives. For the next three years they would really know who Jesus was and they would experience His constant companionship.                                               Jesus invited His first disciples with the words, "come and see." He is inviting us too in the same way. If we accept His invitation He will reveal His real self to us and the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Most of us can recall some encounters with another person/persons that had a lasting influence or changed our lives or made a firm impression on our lives.  The question is, are we prepared to accept the invitation of Lord Jesus? 

The Baptism of the Lord B: January 10, 2021

                    MY BELOVED SON

First Reading : Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7

Second Reading: Acts 10: 34-38

Gospel Reading: Mark 1: 7-11

   * First reading is from the book of Prophet Isaiah . Isaiah speaks of a new and permanent relationship which the Lord God will make with all humanity through His servant. He gives the picture of a true servant of God. He is gentle and humble of heart who is dedicated to his mission which is to bring about true liberation to all who are oppressed. This prophecy of Isaiah finds its fulfilment in Jesus. 

   *Second reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. The author says that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power so that He could fulfill the mission entrusted to Him. In this passage we have a short description of how the early Church understood baptism. Like Jesus, a baptized person is seen to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power from above. 

Baptism of Jesus at Jordan                                                           Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. It gives some details of the  baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan. With some reluctance and reservations  John the Baptist baptized Jesus. With His baptism Jesus' true identity is revealed publicly. He is given power for His mission entrusted to Him by the heavenly Father. Jesus was baptized to fulfill God's plan for the salvation of humankind. Jesus did not have to be baptized to be free from sin unlike other humans because He was never under the power of sin.                                              When Jesus came out of the water the heavens were opened and the Spirit of the Lord descended on Him and a voice from heaven proclaimed, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Hence Jesus is seen as one in whom the prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled. It is a declaration that in Jesus all the hopes and longings of the past are accomplished. Jesus is the Son of God and the Spirit of God rested on Him. He will begin His ministry with Father's authority and love.                                          Through baptism we too are united with Jesus and share in His mission. 

"In baptism, the form of Christ's death is impressed upon his own." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

"Just as a man cannot live in the flesh unless he is born in the flesh, even so man cannot have the spiritual life of grace unless he is born again spiritually. This regeneration is effected by baptism." - St. Thomas Aquinas. 

"Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith." - W. Nee.