Twenty-second Sunday of the Year: A: September 3, 2023

                     THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

First Reading: Jeremiah 20: 7-9

Second Reading: Romans 12: 1-2

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16: 21-27

   * First reading is from the book of Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah bitterly complains about the painful situation that he is facing: fierce opposition, insults, reproach and derision from the people. He is despised by everyone because he is speaking for the Lord God. Trusting in the power of the Lord God, he pleads that with the help of the Almighty, he be able to continue his mission entrusted to him. 

   * Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul urges the Christian community at Rome and us not to be influenced by the worldly ways of people around them. He pleads with them to live their lives as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. 

Gaining life and losing life                                                                     Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. In the first part of today's Gospel, Jesus explains to His disciples His impending rejection at Jerusalem and His death on the cross. This revelation shocks the disciples and they cannot accept such a situation. Consequently, Peter and other Apostles protest and try to persuade the Lord: That such an event should never happen to the Lord. Jesus immediately tells Peter, "Get behind me Satan." Jesus tells him not to be a stumbling block to the plan of God. It is surprising that Peter who was earlier praised by the Lord and was assured that he would become the rock on which the Church would be built (Matthew 16:18) turned out to be a stumbling block. What a turn of events! It is a clear warning from the Lord for everyone, especially those who exercise authority in the Church. In the second part of today's Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples the paradox of being His disciples. To be a disciple would imply that he/she should take up one's cross and follow the Lord in the most difficult situations of life. He further instructs that those who want to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life for His sake will find it. This is the challenge that Jesus puts before us everyday of our lives. If we put ourselves at the center of our lives, we will fail. But if we put Jesus at the center of our lives we will surely succeed. This is the message that the Lord puts before us to be His authentic and genuine disciples. 

Twenty-first Sunday of the Year: A: August 27, 2023

               THE REAL IDENTITY OF JESUS

First Reading: Isaiah 22: 19-23

Second Reading: Romans 11: 33-37

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16: 13-20

   *First reading is from the book of Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah assures the people of Israel that the Lord God will remove the corrupt official Shebna who does not take care of the chosen people. In his place, the Lord God will appoint Eliakim who will take fatherly care of the people of Jerusalem and of Judah. He will rule the people with fairness and justice. Thus the Lord God will bring justice to His chosen people. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul instructs the Christian community in Rome and us about the inscrutable mystery of God: That He is the creator and the Lord of all that exists. We humans with all our wisdom and human way of understanding are very much limited. We cannot truly comprehend or understand the infinite wisdom of God. 

Who do you say that I am?                                                                      Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. Jesus reveals His true identity during His conversation with His disciples. Jesus puts two questions to His disciples. The first question is, "Who do men say that I am?" He is interested to know what the people of that time thought about Him. The answers as expressed by the disciples consist of the following: 'Some say, you are John the Baptist (who has come back to life) or  Prophet Elijah or Prophet Jeremiah or one of the prophets of old.' Hence, the perception of the people in general are limited to the understanding of Jesus as a prophet or as a man of God. Then Jesus puts a second question, a personal one to His disciples. 'Who do you say that I am?' It is a very searching question. Peter immediately speaks up and confesses: 'You are the Christ, the Son of God.' Impressed by this great answer from Peter, Jesus praises him and tells Peter then and there that this confession of faith expressed by him is something extraordinary and it is a revelation from the heavenly Father. Jesus further confirms that Peter will be made the head of the future Church and that he is the rock on which He will build His Church. Today, Jesus puts the same question to each one of us: 'Who do you say that I am?' As He converses with us we could recall some of the faith journeys we had in our lives. Perhaps the image of Jesus in our early stages in life have undergone tremendous transformation. Perhaps as the years have gone by, our faith experiences of Jesus have deepened and strengthened. May be we could also share some of our faith experiences with others as the Apostles did during their lifetime. They faithfully transmitted their faith experiences to the future generations. 

"There are so many religions and each one has its different ways of following God. I follow Christ: Jesus is my God." - St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

"I see Jesus in every human being." -St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Twentieth Sunday of the Year: A: August 20, 2023

 THE PROMISE OF UNIVERSAL SALVATION

First Reading: Isaiah 56: 1 and 6-7

Second Reading: Romans 11: 13-15

Gospel Reading: Matthew 15: 21-28

   *First reading is from the book of Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah looks beyond the Chosen people and looks to the salvation of all nations and races. He  affirms that the Lord God's salvation is inclusive of all people (everyone) and it is not limited to one's nationality, race or religion. It is open to all who worship the Lord God with sincerity of heart, no matter where they come from. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul explains to the Christian community at Rome and us that God never ever takes back His call and His gifts. He affirms that in order to receive the gifts of God and to live His call, we need to accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord. We receive mercy from God by turning away from our sinful ways and by returning to the love of God. 

Jesus heals the daughter of a Canaanite woman                                                   Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. A Canaanite woman approaches Jesus and pleads with Him to heal her daughter from an evil possession. At that time, Jews and Canaanites had a hostile relationship. At first Jesus does not respond to her desperate cries. The disciples plead with Jesus to grand her request because she had become a real headache to them. Jesus then cites the reason for His inaction. His ministry is limited to the Jews. It is not reasonable that the bread of the children is given to the house dogs. He has come to bring back the lost sheep of Israel. However, this woman does not take Jesus' no for an answer. She persists with her request. She humbly accepts her unworthiness to receive such a gift. Her persistent and continuous prayer finally makes Jesus to grant her wish and her daughter is healed. This miracle story illustrates to us the following: 1. We need to be persistent in our prayer even when our prayers are not immediately answered. 2. No one is to be denied of God's love, mercy and healing touch because he or she does not belong to a particular community or a particular religious tradition. 

"God's dream is that you and I and all of us will realize that we are family, that we are made for togetherness, for goodness and for compassion." - Bishop Desmond Tutu

"The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings which are part of one another and all involved in one another." - Thomas Merton

Nineteenth Sunday of the Year: A: August 13, 2023

 CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES: 'IT IS I, DO NOT BE AFRAID'

First Reading: 1 Kings 19: 9 and 11-13

Second Reading: Romans 9: 1-5

Gospel Reading: Matthew 14: 22-33

   *First reading is from the first book of Kings. The sorry plight of Prophet Elijah is described in detail. He is fleeing for his life because his enemies are trying to kill him. When everything seems to be lost, suddenly he hears the voice of the Lord God. The voice of the Lord God comes to him not in a mighty wind or in a powerful earthquake. It comes to him in the gentle breeze. Prophet Elijah's experience of the Lord God should remind us that the Lord God often comes to us in our lives not with powerful and awesome signs but He comes to us in silence and in gentle whispers. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul narrates to the Christian community at Rome and to us about his own sorrows and anguish. His sufferings are due to the fact that his fellow Jews refuse to accept the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. He expresses his willingness to forgo everything he has for the sake of the Jews who are not ready to become sons of God through the mediation of Jesus Christ. 

Jesus walks on the sea                                                                       Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. A detailed account of how Jesus miraculously walks on the sea and comes to the disciples who were frightened by the rough sea and the wind is given. Whole day long Jesus had been breaking the Word of God and healing many who were sick and possessed by evil powers. His disciples had gone in a boat to the sea of Galilee. At day break, when it was still dark, Jesus comes to them walking on the sea. The disciples are terrified because they thought they saw a ghost. Jesus immediately assures them, 'Take heart, it is I ; do not be afraid.' In the same way, Jesus assures each one of us who are worried and frightened by the many challenging situations in life, the many visible and the invisible ghosts of this world. When we recognize the Lord and put our trust in Him, we too will become confident and courageous to face many challenging situations in life. In the later part of the Gospel, Peter wants to walk on the water as Jesus does. On his request, the Lord grants him that privilege. However, when he starts to walk on the sea, seeing the rough sea and the waves, he is frightened and begins to sink. He cries for help. Jesus saves him and reproaches him for his lack of faith. Yes, we too can sink to the bottom if we do not focus our lives on Jesus and lose our faith. Jesus' assurance to the disciples is for all of us. He is  ever ready to help us in times of uncertainty and turmoil. 

"Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you." - St. John Paul II (Pope)

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it." - Late Nelson Mandela 

Eighteenth Sunday of the Year: A: The Feast of Transfiguration: August 6, 2023

 TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD JESUS

First Reading: Daniel 7: 9-10 and 13-14

Second Reading: 2 Peter 1: 16-19

Gospel Reading: Matthew 17: 1-9

   *First reading is from the book of Prophet Daniel. The (prophetic) vision of Daniel is narrated. In the vision, Daniel sees the Son of man in great glory and power. The Lord God (Ancient of days) gives Him dominion, glory and power over all peoples and kingdoms. This vision is a pre-figuration of the glory of Jesus the Son of God at His transfiguration on Mount Tabor in the presence of His beloved disciples. 

   *Second reading is from the second letter of St. Peter. Peter affirms that he is an eyewitness to the honour and glory given to Jesus by God the Father. This is confirmed by the voice from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." This eyewitness account of St. Peter is for all of us who were not part of the transfiguration event at that time. But now we are invited to be part of that glorious event which took place on mount Tabor.

This is my beloved Son                                                                            Today's Gospel reading is from St. Matthew. The transfiguration of Jesus, which took place on a mountain is narrated in detail. Jesus takes three of His disciples: Peter, James and John on a high mountain and there He is transfigured. As a result, Jesus' face shines like the Sun and His clothes become white as light - indicating that something extra-ordinary and heavenly is happening to Jesus. At the time of transfiguration, Moses and Elijah - two of the towering personalities of Old Testament - appear and converse with Jesus. This signifies that Jesus' mission has the approval of those two great men of old. As He speaks with Moses and Elijah, they are overshadowed by a bright cloud. A voice from the cloud proclaims, "This my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." The presence of the cloud and the voice signifies the presence of the Heavenly Father, approving the mission of Jesus. Subsequently, the disciples are terrified and fall on their faces - indicating that they are in the presence of the divine. Finally, Jesus reassures the disciples and tells them, "Rise and have no fear." This is much like the assurance given to the disciples by the risen Lord at the resurrection experiences. This heavenly experience is granted to the disciples in order to strengthen their faith in Lord and meet various challenges in their future mission. The feast of transfiguration is celebrated by the Church to strengthen our faith in the Lord especially in times of doubts and challenges in our lives. The messages of Transfiguration of the Lord: 1. Jesus is not merely human. He is indeed the Son of God. 2. The heavenly Father blesses and approves His mission in the world. 3. Like the three disciples, we too can experience the transfiguration experience if we are united with the Lord.

"It is indeed good to be here, as you have said, Peter. It is good to be with Jesus and to remain here for ever. What greater happiness or higher honour could we have than to be with God and to be made like him and to live in his light." - Bishop Anastasius of Sinai (on transfiguration of the Lord)