Category: Weekday Homilies

July 13, 2019 – Saturday 14^th Week in Ordinary Time

From the Book of Genesis (49:29-32; 50:15-26A)

 Jacob gave his sons this charge:
“Since I am about to be taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
the cave in the field of Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the Hittites.”

Now that their father was dead,
Joseph’s brothers became fearful and thought,
“Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!”
So they approached Joseph and said:
“Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
‘You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.’
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father’s God, committed.”
When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him
and said, “Let us be your slaves!”
But Joseph replied to them:
“Have no fear.  Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children.”
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.

Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father’s family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation,
and the children of Manasseh’s son Machir
were also born on Joseph’s knees.

Joseph said to his brothers: “I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued,
“When God thus takes care of you,
you must bring my bones up with you from this place.”
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.

 

From the Gospel of Matthew (10:24-33)

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!

“Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

HOMILY

How often do you worry? I am sure that you would find yourself worrying about many things in life, almost every day. You worry about your husband or your wife, or your growing children and the failing health of your parents. And particularly among us young people today, we might find ourselves also worrying about the demands of our job or the difficulties in our business, or about our new relationships, and newfound friends. We might also find ourselves worrying about our tomorrow, of what is to come the next day. Or worrying also about our unfulfilled dreams and unsatisfied desires.

Our worries and anxieties may prevent us from seeing things as they are because our minds and hearts are already troubled. When worries and anxieties overwhelm us too, we might not be able to respond properly and responsibly because we are internally disturbed. Indeed, excessive worrying may lead us to high anxiety, which may cause us physical and mental illness. When this comes, our decision making process is also affected and our relationships with others and even with God will suffer.

This is what Joseph prevented among his brothers. The Book of Genesis told us this fear and anxieties of the brothers of Joseph. Remember, the brothers of Joseph sold him to the Egyptians. Thus, after the death of their father Jacob, the brothers were troubled thinking that Joseph might take his revenge on them.

However, Joseph assured his brothers and said twice to them, “have no fear.” Joseph did not want his brother to burry themselves in guilt and shame and hence, of constant anxiety and fear for being punished by Joseph. Joseph was not a vengeful and violent man. Rather, he was a kind person. Thus, Joseph assured his brothers of his kindness and forgiveness.

Moreover, Jesus reminded his disciples with the same message, “do not be afraid.” Three times we have heard this in today’s Gospel. Jesus does not wish that his disciples will be robbed from his gift of peace. Jesus knows that once the disciples will allow their fear and anxieties to overwhelm them, then, it will be difficult for them to recognize God in the life and in their ministry.

This is the reason why Jesus assured the disciples of the power of his presence. Jesus’ presence empowers and gives life to the believing disciples. In fact, the affection of God towards us as special beings because we are worth more than many sparrows, means that God takes care of us. As Joseph assured his brothers of his kindness, God assures us today of his abiding presence and empowering words.

Thus, it is very important that we remain calm and at peace with ourselves and with what surrounds us. It is in this way that as disciples today, we will be able to move forward with our life and will be able to respond generously to what God calls us to be.

Hence, it is also good to remember of the gift of peace Jesus gave to us. Remember, during the Easter Season we have been reminded that the Risen Jesus has gifted us with his peace.

The peace the Jesus gives means growing in confidence with God, and with my brothers and sisters no matter who they are. Thus, this peace allows us to see and recognize our brothers and sisters. This peace breaks any form of division, discrimination and indifference.

This goes into our hearts, in believing and becoming confident that God is with us and that God never abandons us. This peace sips through our troubled life, even into our stressful work or ministry, and into our un-reconciled relationships and to our anxieties of what is to come tomorrow.

Jesus gives us His Peace! And he is saying to us now, “do not be afraid.” Are we ready to accept it? Are we willing to embrace it? Or do we prefer to just do our normal and usual things in life? To continue making ourselves submerged in worries and anxieties?

Jesus wants us to be free from the troubles of worries and anxieties, to be free from fears and hesitations. This is the reason why the Lord gives Himself to us so that we will have him and enjoy his peace.

Thus, be confident that the Lord is with us; he is among us and within us. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

July 12, 2019 – Friday 14^th Week in Ordinary Time

From the Book of Genesis (46:1-7,28-30; Mt 10:16-23)

Judah approached Joseph and said: “I beg you, my lord,
let your servant speak earnestly to my lord,
and do not become angry with your servant,
for you are the equal of Pharaoh.
My lord asked your servants, ‘Have you a father, or another brother?’
So we said to my lord, ‘We have an aged father,
and a young brother, the child of his old age.
This one’s full brother is dead,
and since he is the only one by that mother who is left,
his father dotes on him.’
Then you told your servants,
‘Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.
Unless your youngest brother comes back with you,
you shall not come into my presence again.’
When we returned to your servant our father,
we reported to him the words of my lord.

“Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.
So we reminded him, ‘We cannot go down there;
only if our youngest brother is with us can we go,
for we may not see the man if our youngest brother is not with us.’
Then your servant our father said to us,
‘As you know, my wife bore me two sons.
One of them, however, disappeared, and I had to conclude
that he must have been torn to pieces by wild beasts;
I have not seen him since.
If you now take this one away from me, too,
and some disaster befalls him,
you will send my white head down to the nether world in grief.’”

Joseph could no longer control himself
in the presence of all his attendants,
so he cried out, “Have everyone withdraw from me!”
Thus no one else was about when he made himself known to his brothers.
But his sobs were so loud that the Egyptians heard him,
and so the news reached Pharaoh’s palace.
“I am Joseph,” he said to his brothers.
“Is my father still in good health?”
But his brothers could give him no answer,
so dumbfounded were they at him.

“Come closer to me,” he told his brothers.
When they had done so, he said:
“I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt.
But now do not be distressed,
and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here.
It was really for the sake of saving lives
that God sent me here ahead of you.”

HOMILY

Have you lost somebody whom you loved so much? I met a mother last year in one of our mission areas who lost her youngest son. Her son worked in Saudi Arabia but one day her son just disappeared. His co-workers were clueless of his whereabouts. The family sought the help of government agencies to locate him. To no avail, it has been 4 years now since his disappearance.

This is so painful for the whole family. This also left a grieving and sorrowful heart of a mother. She still believes that her son is alive and can be found later though her husband and other children had already lost their hope. With her, I prayed also for miracle.

This kind of experience creates deep sorrow in us, leaving our hearts broken. It is so painful to lose a loved one especially when it is so sudden. We would surely be able to relate with this especially those who have endured the pain of separation because of work, illness and death and even because of a broken home.

Such situation is what we find from the bible too. We have been following these past days the story of separation and brokenness of Jacob’s life and his family. Yet, as the story unfolded, we also see how God worked silently to make His promises fulfilled. Despite the unfaithfulness of those whom God called, God cannot be prevented from working wonders and making things be realized according to God’s desire.

Today, Jacob (the deceiver) who was already called Israel (the one who wrestles with God) was reunited and the whole family reconciled with Joseph. The reconciliation was so moving if one would imagine it. Joseph had been separated from his family for more than 20 years. 13 years of that he spent in the prison in Egypt.

As Joseph met his old father, Joseph could not hold it anymore the feelings that were burning within him. There were so much longing, pain, grief and sorrow because of that separation. But at last, these feelings had been transformed into joy and love.

The Book of Genesis described this reunion and reconciliation through that embrace of Joseph and Jacob. Joseph wept for a long time in the arms of his father!

This tells us of this embrace of both grief and love that paves the way of reconciliation. This is the invitation for us today. We are called to embrace our pain and sorrow rather than denying them. We are called to confront the cause of our grief or anger or bitterness in order to be reconciled.

This was what Joseph showed to us. Embracing his father also means embracing the whole family even those brothers of him who betrayed him. Thus, it was an embrace of grief because of the many years of longing and pain that it caused. This means that any painful or negative feeling is not to be suppressed but embraced and accepted. It is in recognizing that we become more human.

That embrace too was an embrace of love. Joseph longed for this to happen. His long weep and embrace was his way of showing his affection to his father and the whole family. Joseph was able to do this because he let go of those tendency to take revenge and violence against them. That is why, this embrace made way for reconciliation and peace. God’s promise has indeed been fulfilled.

Hopefully, we too shall learn how to embrace our grief and embrace with love rather than with revenge and violence against others and ourselves. Hinuat pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

July 11, 2019 – Thursday 14^th Week in Ordinary time

Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot

From the Book of Genesis (44:18-21,23b-29;45:1-5)

Judah approached Joseph and said: “I beg you, my lord,
let your servant speak earnestly to my lord,
and do not become angry with your servant,
for you are the equal of Pharaoh.
My lord asked your servants, ‘Have you a father, or another brother?’
So we said to my lord, ‘We have an aged father,
and a young brother, the child of his old age.
This one’s full brother is dead,
and since he is the only one by that mother who is left,
his father dotes on him.’
Then you told your servants,
‘Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.
Unless your youngest brother comes back with you,
you shall not come into my presence again.’
When we returned to your servant our father,
we reported to him the words of my lord.

“Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.
So we reminded him, ‘We cannot go down there;
only if our youngest brother is with us can we go,
for we may not see the man if our youngest brother is not with us.’
Then your servant our father said to us,
‘As you know, my wife bore me two sons.
One of them, however, disappeared, and I had to conclude
that he must have been torn to pieces by wild beasts;
I have not seen him since.
If you now take this one away from me, too,
and some disaster befalls him,
you will send my white head down to the nether world in grief.’”

Joseph could no longer control himself
in the presence of all his attendants,
so he cried out, “Have everyone withdraw from me!”
Thus no one else was about when he made himself known to his brothers.
But his sobs were so loud that the Egyptians heard him,
and so the news reached Pharaoh’s palace.
“I am Joseph,” he said to his brothers.
“Is my father still in good health?”
But his brothers could give him no answer,
so dumbfounded were they at him.

“Come closer to me,” he told his brothers.
When they had done so, he said:
“I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt.
But now do not be distressed,
and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here.
It was really for the sake of saving lives
that God sent me here ahead of you.”

 

From the Gospel of Matthew (10:7-15)

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town.”

Homily

I was about to leave for a mission exposure, I made sure that everything I need was in my bag. I doubled checked my things to be sure that I have not forgotten anything. My bag was full and heavy as I walked and passed through the hills and corn fields. When I reached the area, I realized that I brought a lot of useless things.

At home and at school, I was trained to be prepared, to be secured and self-sufficient. Most of us also were brought up in that kind of practice. Thus, it is very common that we make ourselves ready, prepared, and independent.

However, in today’s Gospel, Jesus reminded his disciples to travel light as they were sent to cure the sick, to bring life and forgiveness, to bring blessing and peace to many homes. The disciples were told by Jesus to practically bring nothing.

This is quite harsh and truly difficult, isn’t it? However, there is wisdom behind the words of Jesus. Our desire to be prepared, to be self-reliant and self-sufficient would sometimes come from our deep anxiety of the future, of what would come next.

But what if a circumstance would not allow you to have any preparation? What if an event would surprisingly come and you have nothing to bring but go ahead with nothing? We will certainly be most insecure and helpless.

This reminds me of the journey of Joseph as what the Book of Genesis told us today. Practically, Joseph was stripped of anything he had. He was sold as a slave to the Egyptians by his own brothers. He was seduced by the wife of his master and then, imprisoned unjustly. He was forgotten in the prison for 13 years.

However, considering all these terrible and horrible events in the life of Joseph, he remained faithful and trustful to God. He might have asked God for these dreadful tragedies. He surely had sleepless night. But Joseph was calm and a discerning person. How could he remain calm and be discerning to what God planned for him?

As Joseph had nothing with him in his journey to Egypt as a slave, Joseph also did not have any grudges and bitterness in his heart. He did not let anger, resentment and hatred to burden him and prevent him from discovering and doing what God prepared for him. This is how Joseph found himself to be the savior of his own family and many peoples when hunger hit their land. God prepared him for this so that in Joseph forgiveness shall be granted and life will be given.

We also find such attitude of traveling light in the life of St. Benedict whose feast we celebrate today. Benedict found that there are many things in his life that only kept him away from God. For this reason, Benedict let go of those baggage that he found unnecessary in his life. These include the busy and complicated life of the city, his material possessions and even power and authority as a rich man. He found the life of being a monk as his means of attaining such freedom and peace and encountering God. In fact, it was in this way too that Benedict became instrumental in helping people to find peace and discover God in their life.

Jesus invites us today, as he urged also his disciples in the Gospel, to “travel light” by having a childlike trust in the providence of God. We are called to travel light and to get rid of those unnecessary baggage behind.

Today, our unnecessary baggage would range from our own material selfishness to our addictive compulsions and negative behaviors and to our unhealthy thoughts such as endless complaints, anxieties, worries and doubts. All these unnecessary things would only make our journey heavy and tiring. These will only prevent us from enjoying our journey and missing the many surprises that may come.

To travel light also means to be able to welcome the goodness of God through other people. This is basically the reason why Jesus told the disciples not bring anything so that they too will be able to welcome the generosity of God through the generosity of the people. Joseph was also grateful for those people who helped him and especially to the Pharaoh who gave him freedom and responsibility to bring life to others.

Let us allow ourselves then to be helped and to be assisted by others. And in return also, let us allow also ourselves to be of help and of assistance to those who are in need so that through us, God’s generosity will be best expressed. It is in this way that we shall be able to bring healing, life, forgiveness and peace to our brothers and sisters. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR

July 10, 2019 – Wednesday 14th Week in Ordinary Time

From the Book of Genesis (41:55-57; 42:5-7A, 17-24A)

When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt
and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread,
Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph
and do whatever he told them.
When the famine had spread throughout the land,
Joseph opened all the cities that had grain
and rationed it to the Egyptians,
since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt.
In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain,
for famine had gripped the whole world.

The sons of Israel were among those
who came to procure rations.

It was Joseph, as governor of the country,
who dispensed the rations to all the people.
When Joseph’s brothers came and knelt down before him
with their faces to the ground,
he recognized them as soon as he saw them.
But Joseph concealed his own identity from them
and spoke sternly to them.

With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days.

On the third day Joseph said to his brothers:
“Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.
If you have been honest,
only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison,
while the rest of you may go
and take home provisions for your starving families.
But you must come back to me with your youngest brother.
Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die.”
To this they agreed.
To one another, however, they said:
“Alas, we are being punished because of our brother.
We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us,
yet we paid no heed;
that is why this anguish has now come upon us.”
Reuben broke in,
“Did I not tell you not to do wrong to the boy?
But you would not listen!
Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”
The brothers did not know, of course,
that Joseph understood what they said,
since he spoke with them through an interpreter.
But turning away from them, he wept.

From the Gospel of Matthew (10:1-7)

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Reflection by Bro. Vincent Chloe Que, CSsR

In our gospel today, Jesus sends his disciples to proclaim that ‘the kingdom is near’. Did Jesus imagine his disciples going around cities and villages repeating these words? Or did he intend them to gather the people and explain to them how the Kingdom is near? Perhaps. But positively, Jesus was inviting them to do it in a more profound manner – by means of their life-witnessing. Let us take our first reading as an example.

Joseph experienced a great amount of ‘bullying’ from his brothers. In fact, it was his brothers who sold him as a slave. Several years later, when Joseph gained a prominent role in Egypt and his brothers were in need, he was greatly tempted to show the same cruelty that his brother’s showed him. He had the power to do to them whatever he wanted to. And he did. He placed them in prison. He gave them very steep deals. And he inflicted them injuries. Out of anger and remorse, he was willing to close his eyes and forget who they were.

But after a while, when he saw the suffering of his brothers, he was overcome by regret. He was filled with mercy for his brothers and “he wept.” There is so much in common between our experience and that of Joseph. Indeed it is easier to get even and be cruel to people who are cruel to us. But Jesus taught us that the way is narrow and the path is difficult. We fall, and we commit mistakes; but if we see others as our brothers and sisters, just as Joseph did, we have the power to change… we can forgive and ask forgiveness as well.

When Jesus called his disciples, he did not chose them because they were perfect. He chose them because even in their imperfections, they saw each other as brothers. And that is how I imagine the Kingdom of God. And people will know the Kingdom when we, His children, will treat each one with love, respect, kindness, compassion, genuine care, and forgiveness. So when Jesus sent them to proclaim that ‘the kingdom is near’ I imagine Jesus telling them, “go and be kind to one another, go and forgive each other, go and love all the way I have loved you. And people will know that the Kingdom is here.”

Let us keep this in mind and in our hearts that Jesus’ invitation extends even to us today. Our invitation is captured in the words of St. Francis to his brother, “preach the Gospel at all times, use words when necessary.”

July 10, 2019 – Wednesday 14^th Week in Ordinary Time

 

From the Gospel of Matthew (10:1-7)

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Homily

An encounter with the Lord leads to discipleship and to be on mission. This is message for us today. But for us to grasp better the message, let us make a step by step discovery.

First, the call or the invitation is God’s initiative. It means that it is God who calls us and God chooses us to be His servant, to be his disciple. God’s way of choosing is not through the wealth we gathered, or how much power and influence we possessed. God calls us when we are open to him regardless of our profession, status and state in life. This is how Jesus summoned the ordinary 12 disciples and then sent them to proclaim the kingdom.

Second, we need the help of our family, friends, and community to lead us to God. An encounter with God, though that can be very personal but it is essentially always in the context of the community. Thus, seek the help of others. It will be easier for us to recognize God when we have a friend who will help us to see God.

Third, our God-experience or personal encounter with God is the most wonderful experience we will ever have. Because it is so wonderful that we cannot just keep it by ourselves. Our encounter with God leads us to action – it leads us to follow the Lord and leads us to tell others about what we have seen, heard, felt, and experienced with God. The 12 disciples’ personal encounter with Jesus led them to this point where that encounter moved them to action to become healers, witnesses and preachers.

Each of us today, whoever we are and wherever we are, as Christians we are called to preach Christ, to preach the Gospel by our life that we may become agents of healing and reconciliation, and bring other people closer to God.

This identity makes us different from the rest of other Christian denominations because the call to follow Jesus and to preach the Gospel is not only limited in our Eucharistic celebrations and other religious practices. My faith and your faith, is not only confined within the walls of our Church and within the letters of our prayers. Our Christian belief, our confidence in the risen Christ has called us to actively participate and to enthusiastically involve ourselves in all aspects of human life and the whole community not just in the spiritual aspect but also in cultural, social, economic and political aspect of life.

May we always remember this and become true Christians in the way we live our life, in the way we perform our work and in the way we relate with others and with one another so that we who have experienced God’s goodness will also become instruments in bringing other people closer to God. Hinaut pa.

Jom Baring, CSsR