We have Seen God: Is 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3a,5-6; Mt 2:1-12 (Epiphany C)

 

We Have Seen God

 

Is 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3a,5-6; Mt 2:1-12 (Epiphany C)

 

“let us go and seek him; let us offer him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh’.

 

The Greek word “Epiphania” means “Epiphany” meaning “manifestation” or “showing forth Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Savior of the world.” Historically several moments in Christ’s early life and ministry have been celebrated as “epiphanies,” including his birth in Bethlehem, the visit of the Magi, his baptism by John, and his first miracle at Cana in Galilee (CCC 528).

 

John Chrysostom explains the significance of the star of Bethlehem. He writes that the star at Bethlehem was to manifest and illumine the lowly place until the magi or wise men had reached their destination at the manger. In their thirst for knowledge of God, the wise men from the East willingly left everything to seek the source of true knowledge Jesus Christ, the Light and Wisdom of God. When they found the newborn King, they humbly worshiped him and gave him gifts fitting for a king the Prince of Peace (Is 9:6), King of Kings (Rev 19:16), and Savior. 

John the Evangelist states that when Jesus came into the world the world knew him not and his people received him not (Jn1:10-11). Apart from the Magi and some shepherds, the rest of the world remained in the dark. What happened to the elders of the Jews? But “We have seen God” (Judg. 13:22; Jn 14:9; Jn 1:14). Faith is an entire gift that God gives us. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, the heart opens the eyes of the mind to understand, accept, and believe the truth that God has revealed through his Son, Jesus Christ. In faith, the human will, and intellect cooperate with grace. Thomas Aquinas says, “Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace”.

 

We believe the meaning of the gifts of the Magi to be Christological. Gold is presented as representative of Jesus’ kingship. Frankincense symbolizes divinity because priests burned the substance in the Temple. Myrrh, which was used to prepare the dead for burial, is offered in anticipation of Jesus’ death. What do we wish to offer him? To know and to encounter Jesus Christ is to know God personally. In the encounter of the wise men with Jesus, we see the plan of God to give his only Son as King and Savior, not just for the Jewish people but for all the nations as well. The Lord Jesus came that both Jew and Gentile might find true and lasting peace with God. Bethlehem is a Hebrew name consisting of two terms: Beth (house) and lehem (bread). Bethlehem means “House of Bread”. Jesus who is born at Bethlehem is the “bread of Life”. Let us pray that we and non-Christians might live in that “Bethlehem” towards union with God.

 

“We are in the true God, as we are in his Son, Jesus Christ” (Divine Office)

The Mother of God: Num 6:22-27; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21

 

The Mother of God

 

Num 6:22-27; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21

 “You gave birth to him who made you, and you remain a virgin forever” (divine Office)

 

At the Council of Ephesus (451), the mother of Jesus was solemnly proclaimed the Mother of God or Theotokos, acknowledging the Godhead of her Son, Jesus Christ. Under this noble title, she is still honored by most Christians worldwide. Today’s feast invites us to place our hopes and plans for the new-starting year under her motherly care. We can entrust to her our concerns and those of our era, the conflicts, the glaring injustices, and peace in our world.

 

Mother Mary was the handmaid of the Lord, trusting in Providence and sustained by the goodness of God. Indeed, she stands out among the Lord’s anawim, the humble hearts who confidently trust that God has everything in hand (Lumen Gentium 55). St Augustine says, “She conceived Jesus in her heart before conceiving him in her womb.” The gospel of John presents her at the beginning and the end of Christ’s public life. John is the only one to record Mary’s presence at Calvary, “Near the cross of Jesus” (Jn 19:25).

 

When all the miracles of Jesus seemed a delusion to many, his mother stood there faithful to him to his last breath believing in God’s power. Her faith did not need astounding miracles but rested on childlike trust in the mysterious ways of God our Father. Jesus said to John, “Behold your Mother.” The mother of Jesus henceforth is the mother of all his disciples, sharing her strong and simple faith. Mother Mary marveled and treasured the events of Jesus’ birth in her memory. She pondered them in her heart. She pondered what the Almighty had done for her and all people. She pondered in response to what the simple and humble shepherds said, “Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” It is this good news that she treasured in her heart.

 

The same gospel has come to us, and we are invited to treasure it, ponder it, and respond to it, as Mary did. Today, New Year’s Day is a day when many feel drawn to make good resolutions. What better New Year’s resolution could we make today than adopting Mary’s stance before the grace of God? Today’s feast invites us to share Mary’s sense of awe and wonder before God’s merciful love, made known to us in Christ, her son. As we look towards the new year, we ask Mary to help us to treasure the gospel as she did, so that Christ might come to others through us as he came to us through Mary. Amidst all the problems, we now enter this new year of 2025 with a sense of wonder and trust.

 

“Even when the Word takes a body from Mary, the Trinity remains a Trinity, with neither increase nor decrease. It is forever perfect” (Divine Office)

Holy Family : 1 Sam 1:20-22, 24-281; Jn 3:1-2, 21-24; Lk 2:41-52 (Holy Family C)

 

Holy Family

1 Sam 1:20-22, 24-281; Jn 3:1-2, 21-24; Lk 2:41-52 (Holy Family C)

Jesus went down with them to Nazareth and lived under their authority.

On the Sunday after the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas, we consider the family. Even though we call them the Holy Family that does not mean they never had problems. Just as each follower of Jesus has a cross to carry, the holy family also had to experience the cross in their shared life. Every family is made of unique individuals with positive qualities and negative quirks.

Sometimes, the negatives become opportunities for grace, leading the rest of the family to God.  This is what St. Paul is referring to when he tells the Colossians to “put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection” (Col 3:12-14). The compassion that we have for the weakest member of the family, whether that be physically weak, psychologically weak, or morally weak, becomes our means to grow in union with God. The efforts that we make to accept each other's quirks are themselves acts of virtue.

The book Jesus, Son of Sirach, reminds us, “For the Lord sets a father in honor over his children and confirms a mother’s authority over her sons” (Sir 3:2). Sometimes parents get down on themselves for not being the best parents possible. Being the best parent possible is an ideal you strive for, not a reality you will reach. Being the best priest possible is an ideal I strive for; it is not a reality I will ever reach out to. We all need to trust in God.

What sustained the family of Nazareth through all of these trials and crosses? What holds families together in times of difficulty is love and trust. Whenever families are happy, love and respect are highly prized among them. We pray for an outpouring of those qualities in our families today. A major threat to family life nowadays is our lack of time together. We are so busy working, socializing, using our electronic gadgets, or watching TV that we have no time to talk to each other.

Today, we must all look for Christ's wisdom to bring it to our families. Origin, an early Church Father, commenting on today's Gospel, said that whoever is looking for Christ, must not carelessly seek him, as those who fail in finding him. We must look for Him with “anxiety”, and with great solicitude, as Joseph and Mary did.

“As Jesus grew up, he advanced in wisdom and favour with God and men”

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is well pleased”. Saint Leo the Great, Pope

 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is well pleased”.

 

Saint Leo the Great, Pope

Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born. Let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up. Life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness. No one is shut out from this joy. All share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness. Let the pagan take courage as he is summoned to life.

 

In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its creator. He came to overthrow the devil, the origin of death, in that very nature by which he had overthrown mankind. And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to men of goodwill as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world. When the angels on high are so exultant at this marvelous work of God’s gooess, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men?

 

  Beloved, let us give thanks to God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit, because in his great love for us he took pity on us, and when we were dead in our sins he brought us to life with Christ, so that in him we might be a new creation. Let us throw off our old nature and all its ways and, as we have come to birth in Christ, let us renounce the works of the flesh. Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom.

 

Through the sacrament of baptism, you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.

 

“Today the king of heaven has deigned to be born of a virgin for us, to recall fallen man to his heavenly kingdom”.

“Of all women, you are the most blessed”: Mic 5:1-4; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45 (Advent C 4)

 

“Of all women, you are the most blessed”

Mic 5:1-4; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45 (Advent C 4)

“Mary said, My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord”

 

On this last Sunday before Christmas, our Gospel reading prepares us to witness Christ’s birth.  When the angel Gabriel announced the good news, Mary believed the prophecy. She was certain of the message. The gospel reading also recalls Mary’s actions after the announcement of Jesus’s birth. Mary visited Elizabeth, her cousin, who was also with a child. She went up into the hill country. Mary’s arrival and the presence of her Son quickly show their effects. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting her child leapt in her womb (Lk 1:41) and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

See the careful distinction in the choice of words! Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice, but her son John was the first to feel the effects of grace. She heard as one hears naturally but he leapt because of the mystery. She sensed the coming of Mary, but he sensed the coming of God. The women spoke of grace as the Spirit worked on their babies inside. The incomprehensible was working incomprehensibly within the mothers. Elizabeth had been filled with the Spirit after she conceived. But Mary was conceived at the announcement of the angel. Elizabeth said, “Blessed are you among women” (Lk 1:42).

 

You who hear and believe are blessed! Every soul that believes and conceives gives birth to the Word of God. Such a soul recognizes his works and proclaims the greatness of the Lord. According to the flesh, only one woman can be the mother of Christ but in the world of faith, Christ is the fruit of all of us. Every soul can receive the Word of God if it is pure and preserves itself in chastity and modesty. The soul that has been able to reach this state proclaims the greatness of the Lord.

 

Nothing cannot be added to the Lord’s greatness by human words. Only good or religious acts that a soul performs magnify the image of God. Christ is the image of God. The human soul is shaped in the likeness of God (Gen 1:27). So, the soul has some share in that greatness. It is appropriate in this season of Advent that we consider the role of Mary in God’s plan of salvation. Elizabeth describes Mary as the first disciple who believed in God’s word. Mary's faith enabled her to recognize the work of God in her people’s history and her own life. Her openness to God allowed God to work (Lk 1:38) through her so that salvation might come to everyone. Because of this, Mary is a model and symbol of the Church. May we be like Mary, open and cooperative in God's plan for salvation.

 

“The upright see and rejoice; they consider the love of the Lord”

Gaudete Sunday: Zep 3:14-18a; Phi 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18

 

Gaudete Sunday

Zep 3:14-18a; Phi 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18 (Advent C 2)

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I say it again, rejoice.”

Why did thousands come out to hear John the Baptist preach? It had been hundreds of years since a prophet had spoken out and performed signs. John broke the long silence with the sudden announcement that the Messiah was about to appear as was promised through the patriarchs of the old covenant, the prophets, and rulers of Israel to save people from their sins, and oppression and fill them with the joy of his presence (Zep 3:17).

 

John’s task was to wake people from spiritual sleep and turn them back to hear God’s voice and obey his commandments. Luke mentions two groups in particular who came to John for spiritual renewal. They were tax collectors and Jewish soldiers belonging to the Roman peace-keeping forces. Both groups were regarded as spiritually unfit and unclean and were treated as outcasts. John welcomed them to be baptized in the River Jordan.

 

John’s message of renewal and repentance suggested three things: First, every follower of God must share one’s wealth with those who do not have anything in life. John recognized that one has a key duty to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Lev 19:18). Second, John pointed out the sacred duty to give respect and honor where it is due. He instructed soldiers and tax collectors not to misuse their authority or power to compel people to give. He did not tell them to leave their profession but to be good, honest, and respectful soldiers. And thirdly, he exhorted his listeners to be content with what they had and to avoid coveting what belonged to others. He called the people to walk in the way of love and righteousness.

 

John’s message of “good news” was that the Messiah would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire”. Fire in biblical times was associated with God and with his actions in the world and the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as the burning bush which was not consumed when God spoke to Moses (Ex 3:2). The image of fire was also used to symbolize God’s glory (Ezk 1:4, 13), his protective presence (2 Kgs 6:17), his holiness (Det. 4:24), his righteous judgment (Zech 13:9), and his wrath against sin (Is 66:15-16).

 

In the New Testament, the image of fire is also used of the Holy Spirit who comes to cleanse us from sin and make us holy (Mt 3:11 and Acts 2:3). God’s fire both purifies us of sin and inspires in us a reverent fear of God and his word. It increases our desire for holiness and the joy of meeting the Lord when he comes again. May the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit burn all that is evil in us and instill his works in us to become joyful in receiving Jesus, our liberator.

“I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord”.

Our God Will Come and Save Us: Baruch 5:1-9; Phi 1:4-6,8-11; Lk 3:1-6 (Advent C 2)

 

Our God Will Come and Save Us

Baruch 5:1-9; Phi 1:4-6,8-11; Lk 3:1-6 (Advent C 2)

“Lo, the Lamb, so long expected, Comes with pardon down from heav’n” (Divine Office)

 

This week and next, our Gospel readings invite us to consider John the Baptist and his relationship to Jesus. John the Baptist appears in the tradition of the great prophets, preaching repentance and reform to the people of Israel. He baptizes for repentance and forgiveness of sins, preparing the way for God’s salvation. Today, God addresses his word to us through John the Baptist. Our Jordan River can be the Sunday Eucharist. It can be Pope Francis’ tweet reminding us that “The content of Christian testimony is not a theory, ...but better yet a person: the risen Christ, the living and only Savior of all”.  God has entered the story of our life because Christ is not a theory. He is the saving practice, Charity, and Mercy”.

We have many valleys to fill, many paths to smooth, and many mountains to move. But we will not lack the necessary means if we rely upon God’s grace. We shall be precursors insofar as we live near our Lord. We are called to be his witnesses. What the soul is to the body, so are Christians within our world.  We have to love the world we live in with all our heart, as a great writer used to say, “Love Creation in its entirety and its elements, each leaf, each beam of light, the animals, the plants. And, while loving them, you will be given to understand the divine mystery of things. And once this is understood we shall end up loving the whole world with a universal love”.

 

The call of John the Baptist “make straight his paths” is not new. Many centuries ago, prophet Baruch also prophesied the same: “For God has commanded that every lofty mountain and the age-old hills be made low, that the valleys be filled to make level ground, that Israel may advance securely in the glory of God” (Bar 5:7). The same prophets are giving us the same warning. Israel listened to the word of God, and the Lord made the captives of Zion to return back. If we reject the obstacles like hills of pride and valleys of warmth, we will sing with tears in our eyes: “The LORD has done great things for us; Oh, how happy we were!” (Ps 126,3).

 

The Lord Jesus sets us free from slavery to sin and makes us whole. The Lord Jesus is ready to bring us healing in body, mind, and soul. His grace brings us freedom from the power of sin and from bondage to harmful desires and addictions. Do we allow anything to keep us from Jesus' healing power?

“Come to the waters, all you who thirst: seek the Lord while he may be found. Alleluia.” (Divine Office)

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God”: A Sermon by St Anselm

 

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God”.

O Virgin, by whose blessing all nature is blessed! (Divine Office)

A Sermon by St Anselm

Blessed Lady, sky and stars, earth and rivers, day and night – everything that is subject to the power or use of man – rejoice that through you they are in some sense restored to their lost beauty and are endowed with inexpressible new grace. All creatures were dead, as it were, useless for men or for the praise of God, who made them. The world, contrary to its true destiny, was corrupted and tainted by the acts of men who served idols. Now all creation has been restored to life and rejoices that it is controlled and given splendour by men who believe in God.

  The universe rejoices with new and indefinable loveliness. Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God himself, its Creator, it sees him openly, working and making it holy. These great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb. Through the fullness of the grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom, and those in heaven are glad to be made new. Through the Son who was the glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the restoration of their shattered domain.

  Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation from its Creator, but the Creator himself has been blessed by creation. To Mary God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things gave himself form through Mary, and thus he made his own creation. He who could create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without Mary.

  God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Saviour of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed. Truly the Lord is with you, to whom the Lord granted that all nature should owe as much to you as to himself.

“From this day forward all generations will call me blessed;* his love for me is great”. (Divine Office)

Be Vigilant and Pray: Jer 33:14-16; 1 Thes 3:12—4:2; Lk 21:25-28,34-36 (Adv 1/ C)

 

Be Vigilant and Pray

Jer 33:14-16; 1 Thes 3:12—4:2; Lk 21:25-28,34-36 (Adv 1/ C)

“Cease to do evil, learn to do good, seek justice” 

(Divine Office)

 

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, also the first Sunday of the new liturgical year 2025. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin words “ad venire” meaning “to come to” and “adventus’ meaning “arrival” of a person of importance. Our importance is the second coming of Christ. The Advent season includes the four Sundays that precede Christmas. In this season, we reflect and meditate upon the final coming of the Lord in glory to judge us and the incarnation of the Lord in the birth of Jesus. The key themes of the Advent season are (1) watchful waiting and (2) preparation. In this new liturgical year (Lectionary Cycle C), we reflect mainly upon the Gospel of Luke which was authored after the temple's destruction.

 

We have already reflected on how the primitive Christian communities were already expecting Jesus' second coming. Paul looked forward to the final coming of Jesus, which would happen at an unknown time. That’s why he advises us to live a holy life (1 Thess. 3:12).  This reminds us that our love should not be limited to only our friends but also should be for enemies, as the children of God are formed in his image and likeness.

 

Jesus warns us: “Watch at all times and pray (Lk 21:34). He does not want us to be caught unawares. He warns, “Be vigilant at all times and pray…”. At all times (Lk 21:36).  This is the right measure of love. This love-fidelity is not made because of “sometimes yes, sometimes no”. We are not here forever (Lk 21:26). His final coming is definite. He will re-create his world.  He will put an end to the exploitation of the poor and powerless. He will punish those who have turned the things of the world into their gods. He will make his presence known to those who hide themselves from him. Hatred, abuse of all forms, broken relationships, and indifference to human suffering, are part of the dark times of the world.  The dark time will come to an end, and the light of Christ will triumph.

 

Advent brings light. It demands that we ask ourselves where darkness has a hold in our lives. The transformation of the world from hatred to love is the work of the Christian. Maybe, we must be changed for me, for you, to be people of light, not darkness.  Maybe, we need to give ourselves a Christmas gift by destroying anything in our lives that does not radiate Christianity. St. Paul says, “Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and all, just as we have for you, to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones”.  Amen.

 

“He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead; his kingdom will have no end” (Divine Office)

Hail the King of Justice! Rule the Universe: Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33b-37 (B)

 

Hail the King of Justice! Rule the Universe

Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33b-37 (B)

The Rising Sun will sit on the throne and rule over all.  He will speak of peace to the peoples (Divine Office)

Today, the Church presents Jesus Christ to us as the King of the Universe. The Bible attributes the word “King” to our Lord. The Psalm says, “The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty” (Ps 93). John writes the claim of Jesus: “I am a king” (Jn 18:37). People shouted when he was entering Jerusalem, saying “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord” (Lk 19:38). But his “(My) kingship is not from here” (Jn 18:36).

The rule of Jesus is far removed from a dictatorship. This king robed in purple and crowned with thorns as a mock king before a ruthless Roman judge, claims only a spiritual authority that has nothing to do with the power or to compel by force. His authority is the authority of truth. He says, “For this I was born and came into the world, to bear witness to the truth. All who are on the side of truth listen to my voice” (Jn 18:37). Christ lived by the truth and died for it. The truth of Christ blends word and action in perfect harmony.

Getting deeper in touch with the truth demands a lifestyle change. For this, one needs quiet time with oneself in personal prayer. Truth cannot mark our lives without inspiration from Christ's spirit. It must flow from prayer to life and back into prayer again. A new commitment to the truth can give us a new vision of life. And Christ, the King of Truth, will be the one to set us free from all bondages and attachments.

Jesus is the King of the Universe. He is our Lord who rules our whole being. When we say, “Your kingdom come”, in the Lord’s prayer, we mean we would like to see more and more people find the source of their happiness in God alone (St. Ambrose). The kingdom is our hope, and we enjoy it whenever justice is done for the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, and the oppressed.

The best way to honor Christ our King is to work to make his kingdom a reality among us. Anything we do for the relief of the deprived and underprivileged is also a service to Christ because he identifies himself personally with people in need. The disciple of Christ the King cannot afford the luxury of comfortably keeping oneself to oneself. To be deaf to the cries of the neighbor in need is to close our ears to Christ. To be blind to the anguish of the dying is to shut our eyes to him. If we follow Jesus Christ as our Shepherd-king we must in some way, be shepherds ourselves, for his sake.

“He will judge the world with justice, and the peoples with equity” (Divine Office)

The Kingdom of God is near at Hand: Dan 12:1-3; Heb 10:11-14,18; Mk 13:24-32 (B 33)

 

 The Kingdom of God is near at Hand

Dan 12:1-3; Heb 10:11-14,18; Mk 13:24-32 (B  33)

“Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Divine Office)

 

This Sunday is the second to last Sunday of our liturgical year. The Gospel invites us to consider Jesus’ predictions about the end of the world. Before we consider today’s Gospel reading, it is important to note the political backdrop when it was written. Mark wrote his Gospel for Christians living in or near Rome about 30 to 40 years after the death of Jesus. This was a time of political turmoil in Rome. Some Christians experienced persecution by the Roman government during the reign of the emperor Nero (c 64 A.D.). Jewish revolutionaries like Barabbas rebelled against the Romans, which led the Romans to destroy the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D. In this time of political turmoil and persecution, the believers thought if the end times predicted by Jesus were in fact quite near.

 

If we had been paying attention to Mark’s Gospel continuously, we would have heard the predictions of Jesus like the destruction of the Temple, the costs of discipleship, and the woes that will accompany the end times. Finally, we would have heard Jesus instructing his disciples about the need for watchfulness for the final day of judgment. Jesus’ first coming was a rescue mission - to free humanity from its slavery to sin. His second coming will be the final completion of his mission “making all things new” - a new heaven and a new earth. He destroys death and restores our lowly bodies to immortality (Dan 12:2-3).

The image of a “Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven” seen in today’s Gospel, is taken from the vision of the prophet Daniel (Dan 7:13-14). Daniel’s vision speaks of Jesus royal power and authority to rule over “all peoples, nations, and languages” (Dan 7:14).  The prophet Joel mentions that the fruit-bearing of fig tree is a sign of favor from the Lord (Joel 2:22). It foretells the joy of new life and the promise of a new age of peace and blessing in God’s kingdom. Just as the signs of first fruits of fig tree so also the “budding” of God’s kingdom begins first in the hearts of those who receive God’s word. Those who trust in God’s word will bear the fruits of his kingdom. We do not know the day or hour when the Lord will return in glory! But now in this present age we experience the abundance of new life in the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and giving us - love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23; Rom 14:17).

Jesus also teaches, however, that no one knows when the end time will come, except the Father. So, he continues to warn us to be on watch for this end time. Jesus’ words are not spoken to frighten us. Rather, they are offered to prepare us for the end times, for the day of “tribulation” and “shaking” when he will appear “coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mk 13:25-26). Our consolation and hope are found in the lasting words of Jesus and God’s never-ending love for us.

“They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with great power and glory” (Divine Office)

In Giving We Receive: 1 Kings 17:10-16; Heb 9:24-28; Mk 12:38-44 (32 B)

 

In Giving We Receive

 

1 Kings 17:10-16; Heb 9:24-28; Mk 12:38-44 (32 B)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall have their fill” (Divine Office)

 

In ancient times widows were in a precarious situation if they did not have an adult son to protect and care for them. The widow of Zeraphath suffered from famine. Yet she cared for the stranger offering her little food. God rewarded her generosity. Elisha came upon another widow who cried to him, “Creditors have come to take my two children away as slaves.” She had no defender. She was at the mercy of dishonest judges. The Books of Exodus and Deuteronomy place a curse on anyone who would deprive widows of justice. The prophets noted that the land suffers the sin of those who abuse widows. 

 

God rewarded Ruth for her virtue. She said to her mother-in-law Naomi, “Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people. Your God, my God.” The reward was that one of her great-grandchildren would be King David. Another descendant would be Jesus Christ. God never abandons virtuous people.  

 

Jesus attacked the scribes who devoured the houses of widows. He stated that the widow gave her whole livelihood from her poverty. It was praised for her generosity. These widows were poor but rich in faith. So often the poor are more generous than the rich. How had these widows become impoverished? Had shrewd people found ways to take advantage of them? Or were they merely victims of the economic system of their day? How had it happened that society could take advantage of the destitute? How does it happen that society continues to take advantage of those who have no protection?

 

The Church has written quite a lot about the sinful structures of society. Pope Francis has been determined to lead the Church to be mindful of the poor. Wealth is not bad. What is wrong and sinful is using improper means to gain wealth. What is wrong and sinful is wasting wealth without regard for the poor around us. Jesus marveled at a widow with little given to the Temple Treasury.  He rejoices when those who care for society. The strength of society is measured by the concern we have for the weakest members.

 

Jesus teaches that real giving must come from the heart. A gift given with a grudge or for display loses its value. But a gift given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is invaluable. The amount or size of the gift doesn't matter as much as the cost to the giver. What we have to offer may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord's disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, God can do with it and with us what is beyond our reckoning.

 

“How then shall we repay him? What fruit can we bear that would be worthy of what he has given us?” (Divine Office)

Shema New Israel! Dt 6:2-6; Hb 7:23-28 Mk 12:28-34 (31 B)

 

Shema New Israel!

Dt 6:2-6; Hb 7:23-28 Mk 12:28-34 (31 B)

The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. Alleluia.

 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind” is a prayer of every Jew in the Old Testament. Our love of God becomes illusory if it does not result in our loving each other even our enemies. And if the love of neighbor is divorced from the love of God, it could become refined self-love. So, it tells us that the love of God is realized only by the love of neighbor.

 

Just before the birth of Christ, someone asked Hillel, a renowned Jewish scholar, “Which is the greatest commandment?” He answered, “What you hate for yourself, do not do to your neighbor”. Commenting on the greatest Deuteronomic commandment, St Augustine advised, “Love God first, and then do what you will.” It means that if we love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, then we cannot but be obedient to his will for neighbor.

 

John the evangelist writes, “Anyone who says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, is a liar, for how can a man who does not love the brother that he can see, love God whom he has never seen? So, this is the commandment that he has given us, that anyone who loves God must also love his brother” (1 Jn 4:20f).  If we embrace this commandment and put it into practice, it will become truly radical. We will be seen as odd and foolish by the non-Christians. Because the wisdom of God contradicts the knowledge of the world. The life comes from death, gain comes from loss, and receiving comes from giving. Christ had to die and come to life again so that we might share a new life with him in heaven. He gave up his life, his energies, and his time in the service of others.

 

We don’t have to tread the same path as Christ. What it indicates, however, is that our surrender to God does not mean that we retreat into a paradise of unreal spirituality. It means that if we love God, then we must concern ourselves with others. It means that we must rise above ourselves, and our interests, and become convinced by Christ’s words in St Paul, “There is greater happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35).

 

Poet William Wordsworth once wrote, “The world is too much with us.” It means that people are so consumed by material pursuits that they are neglecting their connection to nature and essentially “wasting” their potential by not appreciating the beauty around them. “Shema Yisrael,” meaning “Listen Israel!” – Let us not focus on materialism in modern life. Let us do as much good as possible with our God-given powers in serving God and others. But Shema new Israel! Always remember the promise of Jesus: “Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty” (Jn 15:5).

 

“My son, pay attention to my words. Listen carefully to what I say” (Divine Office)