Seventeenth Sunday of the Year: A; July 30, 2023

 THE HIDDEN TREASURES : THE DISCOVERY OF FAITH

First Reading: 1 Kings 3: 5 and 7-12

Second Reading: Romans 8: 28-30

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13: 44-52

   *First reading is from the first book of Kings. A detailed narration about the Wisdom of the Lord God is given. The Lord God is pleased with King Solomon. He is ready to grant any favour that the King asks for. King Solomon humbles himself before the Lord God. He requests the Lord God to give him wisdom that he may know what is right and wrong. The King makes the right choice by asking for discernment so that he is able to make right judgement to rule his people. He realizes the relative values of the things of this world. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul gives the Christian community at Rome and us the comforting message that for Christians all things in life - the painful and the difficult ones as well as the happy ones - work for our good. He encourages us that God enables us to love Him wholeheartedly and when we thus become God's beloved, He will protect us and bless us in all things in life. 

The parables of the Kingdom                                                                      Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. Through three parables, Jesus teaches us about the Kingdom of God. 1. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a treasure hidden in a field. By chance, a person finds it and he goes and sells all that he has and purchases that field. This parable instructs us that possessing the Kingdom of God is of more value than anything we have in the world and we must make every effort to possess it. 2. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a merchant in search of very precious pearls. After much search, finally he finds one of great value. He sells all that he has and buys that precious pearl. As above, Jesus suggests that the Kingdom of God is the finest and the most valuable of all possessions in the world. Hence, we must make every effort to posses it. 3. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a net cast into the sea.Both good and bad fish are caught in the net. When the net is brought ashore, useful ones are collected in baskets. However, the useless ones are thrown back into the sea. Jesus warns us that it will be so at the end of times. The good and the bad will be separated. The Lord allows everyone to come into His presence (net) but those who do not follow His teachings (useless ones) will be left out of His Kingdom. These three parables graphically explain to us the different ways of discovering faith: By chance, by diligent search and by careful discernment. Hence, the discovery of faith is a wonderful experience like finding a treasure in a field, searching for a precious pearl or even like casting a net into the sea.

"The Kingdom of heaven is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship and those who know where the treasurer lies joyfully abandon everything else to secure it." - D.A. Carson

Sixteenth Sunday of the Year: A: July 23, 2023

 THE GOD OF PATIENCE AND OF TOLERANCE

First Reading: Wisdom 12: 13 and 16-19

Second Reading: Romans 8: 26-27

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13: 24-42

   *First reading is from the book of Wisdom. The Lord God is the only one who has both knowledge and the power to root out evil as He desires. The Lord God's punishments are not to be seen as a weakness but rather, He wants to bring the godless and the evil people into repentance. We need to learn from the Lord God who always judges with  great patience. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul expresses the fact that when we pray, sometimes we are unable to express ourselves with appropriate words. He assures us that although we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit helps us and intercedes for us to find the will of God. He instructs us that the Holy Spirit enables us to transcend our human nature. 

The parable of the wheat and the weeds (co-existence of good and evil in the world)                                                              Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. The parable of the wheat and the darnel (weeds) is narrated in great details. Jesus speaks of a real life situation in the world. We know from our past experiences that good and evil co-exist in the world. The question often asked by many people is, how is that God allows good and evil to co-exist and grow in world ? Jesus explains to His disciples and us that it is similar to a field in which the wheat and the weeds grow side by side. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a farmer who has a difficult problem to deal with. Although he sowed wheat during the sowing season, the field is filled with both wheat and poisonous weeds (darnel) which cannot be distinguished from the wheat at the initial stages of growth. Only when the plants grow to a certain stage, they can be identified. The servants of the farmer are very eager to weed out the darnel. But the farmer disagrees with them and refuses their request. He is concerned that while uprooting the weeds, wheat plants too may get damaged or destroyed. So he allows both of them to grow till the harvest time. It is a fact that we too live in a mix of good and evil - the wheat and the weeds, light and darkness,  grace and sin. God in His great providence is tolerant and patient with us and allows us to grow in the world. If we turn out to be wheat, we will be part of God's loving plan. But if we turn out to be weeds, then violent uprooting and destruction can take place. 

"Even in these high seats, there is both wheat and weeds. Let the good tolerate the bad but the bad change themselves and imitate the good." - St. Augustine

"The Church should let dissent grow with orthodoxy until the Lord comes to separate and judge them." - Bishop Wazzo of Liege

Fifteenth Sunday of the Year: A: July 16, 2023

 FRUITFULNESS OF THE WORD OF GOD

First Reading: Isaiah 55: 10-11

Second Reading: Romans 8: 18-23

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13: 1-23

   *First reading is from the book of Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah tells the people of Israel and us that the Lord God cares for the earth by sending rains in due season to make it fruitful. In the same manner, He sends His Word so that it may bring forth fruits in our lives. Isaiah assures us that the Word of God will not be empty but will surely accomplish its desired purpose. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul instructs the Christian community at Rome and all of us that the glory which awaits us in the next life far outweighs all the sufferings and the pains we endure at the present times. Further, he assures us that the whole of creation is eagerly waiting for the liberation and glory which will be accomplished through Christ. In Christ all of us have become adopted sons and daughters and hence we will receive redemption of our mortal bodies. 

The parable of the Sower                                                                          Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. Jesus gives a very powerful message about the fruitfulness of the Word of God through the parable of the Sower. Jesus compares the Word of God to the seeds that are sown in a field. In the first instance, some seeds fall on the pathways. In the second instance, some seeds fall on rocky ground. And in the third instance, some seeds fall on thorny bushes. In all the three situations, the seeds fail to produce the desired results due to various reasons. But in the final instance, some seeds fall on good soil and they produce fruits : Some thirty, some sixty and some hundred fold. Jesus narrates this parable to His listeners and us to instruct them/us how the Word of God affects different types of people in the world. In the later part of the Gospel, Jesus explains this parable to His disciples. He highlights four different responses to the Word. As for those who hear the Word of God and do not understand it and the evil one comes and destroys it: They are like those seeds that fall on the roadside. There are people who hear the Word of God and receive it with joy but when trials and difficulties come their way, they give up following the Word: They are like those seeds that fall on rocky ground and fail to produce the desired results. There are also people who listen to the Word of God but cares of the world choke them and they too fail to produce the desired results : They are like the seeds that fall among thorny bushes. Finally, there are people who hear the Word of God, they accept it and gladly put it into practice in their daily lives: They are like seeds that fall on good soil eventually producing the desired results. The theme of Jesus' parable has its echoes in the first reading from the book of Prophet Isaiah that the Word of God is fruitful and will accomplish its purpose. In this context, it is worth noting that many great and beautiful works had very humble beginnings like the tiny seeds that fall on soil.

"It is not always granted to the Sower to live to see the harvest. All work that is worth anything is done in faith." - Albert Schweitzer

Fourteenth Sunday of the Year: A: July 9, 2023

 AN INVITATION OF JESUS TO REST A WHILE

First Reading: Zechariah 9: 9-10

Second Reading: Romans 8: 9 and 11-13

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11: 25-30

   *First reading is from the book of Prophet Zechariah. Zechariah urges the people of Israel to rejoice because their promised leader - the Messiah - is coming. The Messiah is not coming as a proud warrior but he is full of humility. He is victorious but peace-loving. He is triumphant yet very humble. This prophecy of Zechariah finds its fulfillment in the person Jesus. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul instructs the Christian community at Rome and all of us that we have Holy Spirit living in us. He further clarifies that authentic and genuine Christian life is lived in union with the Spirit of Christ and it results in the fullness of life. He warns us that a sinful and sensual life is a living death and results in the destruction of the divine life in us. 

Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest                                 Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. Jesus lovingly invites everyone who is humble, gentle and are overburdened to have rest in His caring presence. All of us in some way are burdened due to various life situations and worries. Jesus is the embodiment of the heavenly Father's goodness. All those who follow Him finds true rest and reassurance that He alone can dispense with. 'Come to me'  is a great invitation of Jesus which is totally open to everyone of us-in various age groups and all classes of people in the society. It is an invitation to all people: Those working, the struggling, the oppressed and the persecuted. It is an invitation to those who do manual works or intellectual works. Jesus offers true rest to everyone no matter who we are  or what we do. We all get weakened, tired and enfeebled. Rest is a universal need: We need physical, mental and spiritual rest for our true growth. Jesus is always ready to give us that rest. 

"Lord, you have made our hearts for you and they are restless until they rest in you." - St. Augustine

"We find rest in those we love and we provide a resting place in ourselves for those who love us." - St. Bernard Clairaux

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." - St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta