17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 30, 2017

Readings:

First Reading – 1 Kings 3:5,7-2

Psalm 119

Second Reading – Romans 8:28-30

Gospel reading according to Matthew (13:44-52)

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Homily

Jesus continued his teaching on the Reign-Kingdom of heaven using a parable.  As what we have learned about this method of teaching his disciples and the crowds using parables to fulfill what the prophet said about him last week, he used parable or storytelling “to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world” (Mt. 13:34-35).  Also, it is because the parable or using a storytelling is the easiest method in teaching what is hidden to the ordinary people like us. 

He said, “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in the field” (Mt. 13:44).  The Kingdom of heaven is a treasure we have to long for in our lives.  We have to give values and importance to it, as our precious jewel.  But this treasure is still hidden and buried in the wide and vast field.  Nobody knows where it hidden or lay is.  You are lucky enough when you find it, “which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sell all that he has and buys the field” (Mt. 13:44). This man or woman is lucky to find in the wide and vast field the treasure hidden for a long period of time and nobody remembers it, except accidentally dug it up by this person.  Since he/she knows where it is located, so he/she covered it once more so that nobody can see it even the owner of the field.  He went home, sold all his properties and bought the field and so he has the valuable treasure and the field.  And he became rich.

This parable can be applied in our faith as Catholic Christians to Jesus Christ and his Kingdom.  Since we found the only God in our lives, we don’t need any other gods or goddesses.  Jesus is the treasure we cannot replace, for he is truly God and truly man.  Jesus saves us from our fallen nature.  He died for us on the cross.  No other gods/goddesses can become like us except Jesus.  No other gods/goddesses can laid down his/her life for his/her creatures.  No other gods/goddesses can teach his/her followers to love their enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and to lay down one’s life for his/her friends except Jesus Christ.  This treasure, this Jesus Christ humbles himself and becomes servant of all, who washed the feet of his disciples.  We sometimes do not recognize the importance of Jesus Christ as treasure in our lives, as if he is hidden or buried in the field of our life. There is no other god except Jesus who is patience enough to us sinners and forgetful listeners and slow in doing what he has commanded us.  This treasure, this God is full of mercy and compassion toward us.  He is truly a treasure we cannot afford to lose.   We have to keep this treasure in our hearts so that nobody can steal it, nobody can buy it and own it for him/herself.

The same with the second parable of the fine pearls.  Jesus said, “Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.  When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it” (Mt. 13: 45-46).  This fine and precious pearl is our faith we have received from our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have to do something, even to sell all that we have just to acquire and possess this fine and priceless pearl of our life.  

Jesus compared this time the Kingdom of heaven to a net, as he said: “Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.  When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets.  What is bad they throw away” (Mt. 13:47-48).  Like a fisherman, he catches fish using his net.  In his net, he finds good and bad fishes.  He puts the good fish to the buckets and takes it home, while the bad fish he throws it away in the seashore and let it dies.  In heaven, when the judgment day comes, God will call all the children of the Kingdom, the good seed, the good fish, those who obeyed and did his commands into his Kingdom where they belonged.  While the children of the devil, the weeds, the bad fish will be thrown out into everlasting fire of Hell, for not obeying and doing God’s commands.  “Thus it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth” (Mt. 13: 49-50).

At the end of his storytelling or parable, he asked his disciples, “Do you understand all these things” (Mt 13:51), the parables of the Kingdom of heaven from the treasure buried in the field, the fine pearl with great price to the net thrown into the sea?  These things help us to accept, deepen, and put into action the values and importance of the Reign-Kingdom of heaven into our lives as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Like King Solomon in the first reading, whom the Lord God asked him to “ask something of me and I will give it to you” (1Kgs 3:5).  Instead of asking God long life, good health, wealth, power and authority, supremacy, and all earthly needs, King Solomon asked God “. . .  Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.  For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?” (1Kgs. 3:7-9).  He asked for an understanding heart so that he can lead the people of God with humility, simplicity, wisdom, courage and as truly a servant-leader, a leader who serves, and he can give right judgment against the wrong done.  God has delighted to King Solomon, for he did not ask “long life for himself, nor for riches, nor for life of his enemies, but for understanding so that he may know what is right . . .” (1Kgs. 3:10-11).  God gave him “a heart so wise and understanding that there never been anyone like you up to now; and after you there will come no one equal you” (1Kgs. 3:12).  This is the Reign-Kingdom of heaven and it will be taken away from us but rather this is our reward if we do what God wants us to do and to be.

As St. Paul said to the Roman, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.  For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified” (Rom 8:28).  For the love of God, let us treasure all good things so that they will bring good results for our brothers and sisters who are in need, for the sake of Reign-Kingdom of heaven.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 23, 2017

Readings:

First Reading – Wisdom 12:13, 16-19

Psalm 86

Second Reading – Romans 8:26-27

Gospel reading according to Matthew (13:24-43)

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Homily

Jesus taught the crowds about the Reign-Kingdom of heaven in parable, a story, so that they can easily understood what he wanted to say to them, especially to the ordinary people like us.  He used parable “to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world” (Mt. 13:34-35).  

He said: “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field” (Mt.13:24).  This man is none other than Jesus himself (the Son of God) who prepared the soil by cultivating it, fertilized it and then sowed the best and good seed.  The soil or field is the world we live in and the good seed is we, the children of the Kingdom.  Everything is ready.  The best and good seed is already planted in the soil.  The good seed is already in each one of us, imbedded in us, and the Reign-kingdom of heaven started to grow.  Jesus said: “While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off” (Mt.13:25).  The enemy of God who is Satan, the devil, also came and sowed weeds (the children of the evil one) in the field and left.  He has no responsibility to the destruction of the wheat, what is important to him is to sow Bad Deeds of his children to do devastation and annihilation to the children of the Kingdom.  Jesus continued saying: “When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.  The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this’.” (Mt. 13:26-28).  The seed grew in us and bore fruit in our life, but at the same time, the weeds planted by the devil, grew as well.  That’s why we have the tendency to do something against the will of God.  We sometimes committed sin even though it is also against our resolve, despite the good seed we have due to the influence of the children of the devil.  God knew who did the planting of weeds along with the seed.  “His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’  He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.  Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn’.” (Mt. 13:28-30).  The angels of God which refer to the “slaves of the householder” and “the harvesters” wanted to clear the ground to remove the weeds, but the Master let both the seed and weeds grow together until harvest time, meaning the end-time or the judgment day or else when the harvesters pull up the weeds, it might pull up also the seed and the seed died.  And when the time comes, during harvesting, the Master instructed the harvesters to gather and collect first the weeds, tie and bundle them for burning and then gather the wheat into barn.   Sometimes, God allowed something to happen to us, even doing evil deeds due to other influences to test the quality of seed we have received and how we managed this gift coming from the Lord God to grow and multiply.  But when the fullness of time has come, He will gather us (children of the Kingdom) into His barn (heaven) to keep us and save us from the snare of the enemy, the devil and its weeds (the children of the devil).

We can refer this attitude of God in the first reading, in the Book of Wisdom were God takes care of all and have shown not unjustly condemned (Wis. 12:13).  When the weeds (children of the devil) grow with the good seed (children of the Kingdom), he did not let the weeds pull up or else the seed also might be pulled up and destroyed in the process.  God is the source of justice and lenient to all (Wis. 12:16).  God also shows his might when perfection of his power is disbelieved; God rebukes temerity (boldness, audacity=courage) (Wis. 12:17), God also judges with clemency and with much lenience in governing us (Wis. 12:18).  Our God taught us, his children by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and God still gives his sons and daughters good ground for hope and permit repentance for our sins (Wis. 12:19).

Again Jesus taught the crowd another parable.  He wanted to teach them about the Reign-Kingdom of heaven and to understand it clearly by the ordinary people.  Using agricultural setting, he used again the field and the mustard seed so that people may easily relate, although seldom we planted mustard seed.  “He proposed another parable to them. ‘The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.  It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.  It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches’.” (Mt. 13:31-32).  He likened the Kingdom of heaven to a small mustard seed, the smallest of all the seeds, but when it grows it is as large as a bush tree.  Like the Kingdom, it started to a small insignificant reality but when it is realized, it became significant thing in the life of the people.  Like for example, the Basic Christian Community (Gagmay Kristianong Katilingban-GKK), at the beginning of its existence, only few people in the community believed in GKK, that it cannot work for change in the community life – economically, socially, spiritually and even politically.  But when they tried it and applied it in their lives, something happened; progress and self-determination were felt and experienced.  Everything starts at the smallest and insignificant thing before it becomes big and strong.

Another parable or story was given by Jesus to the crowds about the Kingdom of heaven.  This time, he used something ordinary people, especially women do in their houses.  “He spoke to them another parable, ‘The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened” (Mt. 13:33), and cooked.  Women, especially mothers know who to please their husbands and children, through delicious food.  At table, we experience the happiness and the joy eating together brings, especially when everyone is present. Everybody is satisfied by the food prepared and served

In summary, the Kingdom of heaven is where the Son of God who is source of justice, equality, peace and above all love is present and takes care us all seed (children of the Kingdom) from the entanglement of the weeds (children of the devil).  He gives us happiness and perfect joy even in our smallness and nothingness to greatness. The Kingdom of heaven is open to all, without distinction, and like the “birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches,” it remains compassionate and merciful to all.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 16, 2017

Readings:

First Reading – Isaiah 55:10-11

Psalm 65

Second Reading – Romans 8:18-23

Gospel reading according to Matthew (13:1-23 or 13:1-9)

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Homily

Seldom Jesus stayed at home for a long period of time; he often went out to seek people to teach them about God his Father, about Reign-Kingdom of heaven and even heavenly things where he came from. “On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore” (Mt. 13:1-2).  On that day, he went out from the house of Simon Peter where he was staying to the sea where there are many people to see him so that he can teach them.  He easily caught the attention of the crowds and they gathered around him until he was pressed by the people.  So, he decided to ride on a boat.  Sitting as the gesture of a teacher, so Jesus sat down to start teaching the crowds.  “And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up” (Mt.13:3-4).  The first parable he gave was about the sower who sowed the seed, and some of the seed fell on the pathways.  This kind of soil is hardened by the foot path made by men in the passage of time.  So the seed that fell on it do not live and the birds ate of it.  We can consider this kind of soil to people whose hearts was hardened by their experiences.  The Word of the Lord cannot penetrate into their hearts for they closed them, so also they are easy prey of the devil (birds) that came and ate the Word of God.  “Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.  It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots” (Mt. 13:5-6).  Another kind of soil, rocky ground, with less soil on top of it while the bottom is full of rock, that’s why the root cannot penetrate deeply.  The seed grew easily but because of less soil when the sun rises and scorch the plant it easily withered for lack of soil.  We consider this kind of soil where the Word of God is easily grows to those people yet whose hearts are shallow.  When problems come (heat from the sun), it easily surrenders and gives up the Word of God, and withered.  “Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it”(Mt. 13:7).  Because of the allurement of this world and the temptation of the flesh with regards to material things, this kind of soil, with thorns, the seed cannot grow up.  Its priority is the pleasure of the flesh/of this world rather than the Word of God that gives life.   “But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold”(Mt. 13:8).  The sower is still hopeful, for what was lost will be replaced by an abundant yield.  The good soil can replicate the seed that was lost, if not wasted.

The same with us, our hearts can be a foot path soil that the seed fell on its surface, or rocky ground with less soil and the seed cannot penetrate its roots for it is full of rock at the bottom, or thorny thistle that the seed can choke, and the rich soil, good soil that it can yield abundant produce.  All of these are recipients of the Word of God.  What matters is how we accept the Word.

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 9, 2017

Readings:

First Reading – Zechariah 9:9-10

Psalm 145

Second Reading – Romans 8:9, 11-13

Gospel reading according to Matthew (11:25-30)

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Homily

Jesus, very often prayed to God on our behalf.  He never forgot us and our prayers as well to include in his prayers to his loving Father.  He included our needs and wants in his prayers to the Almighty and Merciful God, the loving Father.  As what he prayed to God his Father, “At that time Jesus exclaimed: ‘I give praise to you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the little ones’” (Mt. 11:25).  The simplicity and humility and the mystery of life is hidden from the wise and the learned. For the wise and the learned, they do not need God, because they know everything and they are all-knowing.  They can answers all the questions of the earth and of heaven because of their learnings and studies.  But the little one, the ordinary and simple ones like us, the mystery of life is revealed for we need God, not because we lack talents, abilities and intelligence, but because we know who God is in our life – we accepted that God provides our needs, that we are limited, and that we do not know all things in heaven and on earth, that we need God.  God our Creator knows what we need, if we have a humble and simple heart, and ready to accept from God all the blessings we need in our lives here on earth.   When God comes in our lives, he does not show his power, authority, supremacy but as a humble and forgiving God, a serving God who is ready to lay down his life for us – his adopted children, the hidden mystery of God’s plan for us.   “Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.  All things have been handed over to me by my Father” (Mt. 11:26-27). To Jesus everything is given by God the Father.  All knowledge and wisdom of heaven and earth is revealed by God to Jesus his Son.  Nothing is hidden to Jesus, even the secret of the Father. “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him” (Mt. 11:27).  As the Father knows the Son and the Son knows the Father, for the Son comes from the Father and the Father begotten the Son.  And the Son allows knowing the Father to whom he wishes to reveal the Father how good the Father is.

Like his Father, the Son our Lord Jesus Christ, is the only one can help us in our misery and helpless conditions, for he can refresh our tired mind, body and soul, as he said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28).  Just go to him and lean on him and even lay on him and you can find sleep for your tired body after long days of work.  “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy and my burden light”(Mt. 11:29-30).