Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

September 2, 2018 

Readings:

First Reading: Deuteronomy 4: 1-2, 6-8

Psalm: 15

Second Reading: James 1: 17-18, 21b-22, 27

Gospel reading according to Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

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Homily:

The Pharisees and scribes went out of the Temple in Jerusalem, they left behind what they were doing like praying, teaching to the Jewish people about the Law of Moses of which some of them were former disciples and followers of Jesus, and their offering of gifts on the altar of the Lord, and went out to find Jesus to make some discourse, for they learned many things from those former disciples of Jesus who abandoned him and came back to Jewish tradition, culture, religious fold and life, for they cannot accept what Jesus commanded them to do, “Eat my flesh and drink my blood and you will have eternal life” (cf. Jn. 6: 54).  This saying of Jesus came to the hearing of the Pharisees and scribes that’s why they wanted to see and talk to Jesus aside from many other issues.  “When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed hands” (Mk 7: 1-2).  They gathered around to Jesus when they found him.  But instead of asking and confronting him about what he said to the Jewish returnees, they saw some of his loyal and remaining disciples eating with dirty hands; they did not first wash their hands before earing.  They did not observe what the Law of Moses said as with regards to the tradition of hand washing they inherited from their elders.  The Pharisees and scribes were keen with regards to their traditions.  They followed all traditions to the letter and they did not miss any single word found in the Law (statutes and decrees) of Moses.  Nothing escaped in their eyes. 

One of the many traditions the Pharisees and scribes received from their elders was the ritual of washing hands.  They meticulously performed this ritual.  “In Judaism, ritual washing, or ablution, takes two main forms.  A tevilah (טְבִילָה) is a full body immersion in a mikveh (cf. Lev. 15:11, 13-14), and a netilat yadayim which is the washing of the hands with a cup (cf. Ps. 26: 6).  References to ritual washing are found in the Hebrew Bible, and are elaborated in the Mishnah and Talmud. They have been codified in various codes of Jewish law and tradition, such as Maimonides' Mishneh Torah (12th century) and Joseph Karo's Shulchan Aruch (16th century.) These customs are most commonly observed within Orthodox Judaism. In Conservative Judaism, the practices are normative with certain leniencies and exceptions. Ritual washing is not generally performed in Reform Judaism” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_washing_in_Judaism).   “For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders” (Mk 7: 3).  Although not only Jewish people are doing this hand washing ritual, even us Filipinos have hand washing ritual before eating and after eating, after attending in burial of a deceased relative or friend or acquaintance, after urinating, etc., and on the Eucharistic celebration the priest washes his hands while saying, “Lord, wash away my sins and cleanse me from my iniquities.”   “And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves.  And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds” (Mk. 7: 4).  The Jews have many other examples of hand washing ritual.  Besides there are many other traditions they, as we, inherited from the old people, some of them good, others are not and some were based on superstitions and man-made rituals.  There is nothing to lose if we follow and perform them as long as they do not harm our body and soul, and other people. 

The Jews from Jerusalem saw what other disciples did, and they asked Jesus.  “So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, ‘Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders instead eat a meal with unclean hands?’” (Mk 7: 5).  The question of the Pharisees and scribes was valid, because not all of his disciples ate without washing their dirty hands.  Maybe some of his disciples did the hand washing ritual before eating.  

But, Jesus sensed their motives.  They have other agenda.  They wanted him to put to shame; that his teachings were wrong and from an ordinary man of Nazareth only, as compare their teachings that came from Moses, the greatest prophet of God.  “He replied, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: The people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts (Is. 29: 13).  You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition” (Mk. 7: 6-8).  Jesus knew their hypocrisy and insincerity.  He was freely quoted one-by-one the Prophet Isaiah regarding them, for they honor God with lip service, their hearts are far away from God, they worship in vain, their teachings are human precepts and not God’s, they disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.  What else can he describe about these Pharisees and scribes who left behind their functions in the Temple in Jerusalem to make arguments with Jesus regarding human tradition and not of God’s precepts?  

Using the theology of love, he wanted to convey to his disciples, to those crowd who were listening to the conversation as well as the Pharisees and scribes the most fascinating revelation of the heart.  “He summoned the crowd again and said to them, ‘Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile” (Mk. 7: 14-15).  Nothing from the outside, even dirty hands, can make a person defile, despoil, and dirty, meaning committing sins.  But, “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.  All these evils come from within and they defile” (Mk. 7: 21-23).  Rather, from within, from our hearts come all that is evil.  Our dirty hands cannot make us evil, but what desires of the heart can make us evil or saint.  If our heart’s desire is good, and for the best of our neighbors it makes us holy and saint; but, if our heart’s desire is bad, and for the destruction of our neighbors, their ruins, “kasawian, kamalasan,” and even death, then it is evil.  Jesus identified what’s inside of our hearts; they are “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly” and maybe even more.  But also our hearts contain compassion and mercy, understanding, acceptance, forgiveness, etc., and above all love.  Why not practice love in our hearts towards our neighbors?  (“Bakit hindi natin pairalin ang pamamahal sa atin puso para sa ating kapwa-tao?”).  Instead of hating our neighbors and doing bad things, why not love them and do good towards them.

Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

August 26, 2018 

Readings:

First Reading: Joshua 24: 1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Psalm: 34

Second Reading: Ephesian 5: 21-32, or 5: 2a, 25-32

Gospel reading according to John 6: 60-69

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Homily:

This time, the followers of Jesus heard what he said that, “You eat my Flesh and drink my Blood, etc.” (cf. last Sunday (20^th) gospel reading, John 6: 51-58), which for them was abominable, monstrous, and forbidden to do according to their former life as in the Jewish custom, tradition, laws and of religion.  “Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said, ‘This saying is hard; who can accept it?’” (Jn. 6: 60).  They could not accept upon listening to what Jesus said for it was hard for them to go beyond the deeper meaning of what he told them to do, as his followers and disciples.  Many months and/or years since they were following and accompanying Jesus in his three years of public preaching ministry, but until now they could not comprehend what Jesus was teaching and preaching to them. 

Nevertheless, Jesus knew their hearts and minds, it could not escape in his psyche the manner of which his disciples in accepting and comprehending what he was saying to them.  “Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, ‘Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?  It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail’ . . .” (Jn. 6: 61-63).  The spirit teaches spiritual things, while the flesh teaches material and mundane things.  Jesus can hear what his disciples were complaining and murmuring (whispering), as if they were yelling near to his ears.  So, he asked them if this saying shocked them.  Still, his disciples were surprised to what he was revealing to them.  To make his disciples believe in him, he clarified and let them understand what he was teaching to them; he even gave another revelation, how about if they see him, the Son of Man, Jesus ascending to heaven where he came from. He was talking about the thing will happen in the future. This thing happened after his death on the Cross and his resurrection on the third day (according to the Apostles Creed, while others said forty days), then he ascended into heaven where he was before the time begun.  He revealed also to his disciples the function of the spirit, which is, it gives life while the flesh does not, but rather they are contradictory to one another.   

Jesus also was saying to his disciples that, “. . . ‘The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.  But there are some of you who do not believe’.” (Jn. 6: 63-64).  His words have power and strength, knowledge and wisdom, i.e., spirit and life.  The truth that Jesus’ words carry is spirit and life for those who listen to him and believe.  But still, there were in his followers who did not believe him, and suspecting him of cannibalism.  

Although since the beginning of his ministry he knew there were there in his disciples who will deny him, abandon him and even betray him.  “Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him” (Jn. 6: 64). Even in this realization he allowed them to join in his group, for he still believed in them that they have chance to change in the end.  Like for example, the Jewish disciples who abandoned him and returned to their former life and Jewish religion, Simon Peter who denied him but later repented and forgiven, as compared to Judas who betrayed him but in the process he ended his life by hanging himself on a tree.

He again reminded his disciples as to the Father’s will in following his Son until the end or into eternal life.  Only the Father can allow us, his disciples, to come to his Son.  Without the Father’s consent and permission no one can live out the teachings and preaching of the one sent by God.  “And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by my Father’.” (Jn. 6: 65).  Only God can grant us to draw near and closer to Jesus.  God the Father can inspire us to listen and to live out the message of Jesus, His Son.

The more the disciples hardened their hearts when they heard that Jesus said that God is his Father, and that “no one can come to me unless it is granted by my Father,” so they left and abandoned Jesus.  “As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him” (Jn. 6: 66).  Almost all of his disciples went away from him.  They returned to their former belief, custom, tradition (their former religion), and life.

Only twelve out of thousand followers were left behind, the twelve apostles whom he sent two by two to different places and performed many miracles on his name.  “Jesus then said to the Twelve, ‘Do you also want to leave?” (Jn. 6: 67).  He asked them if they wanted also to leave and abandon him and all the things they have started, all of the things they have heard and learned and practice.

Simon Peter, the leader of the group, and on behalf of the eleven disciples, confessed his faith, hope, trust and confidence to Jesus’ words.  “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Master, to whom shall we go? You have the word of eternal life.  We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God’.” (Jn. 6: 68-69).  This is also our faith, our belief in the words of Jesus Christ and our Lord, the basis and foundation of our faith, “. . . to whom we shall go? You have the word of eternal life,” as Simon Peter declared.  Borrowing also Simon Peter’s admission, we can say, “We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God,” as he confessed.  Jesus the holy One of God, the Way, the Truth and the Life.   

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

August 19, 2018 

Readings:

First Reading: Proverbs 9: 1-6

Psalm: 34

Second Reading: Ephesian 5: 15-20

Gospel reading according to John 6: 51-58

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Homily:

Jesus was amenable that he is the living bread.  No one in the entire world who said that he and/or she was the living bread that came down from heaven, except Jesus, the Christ.  “Jesus said to the crowd: ‘I am the living bread that came down from heaven’” (Jn. 6: 51); he said this plainly and to everybody’s hearing, to let them know who he really was.  “I am” refer to the identity of God.  These words given by God to Moses on how the latter introduced the former to the Jewish people in Egypt (cf. Exodus 3: 14).  This Jesus was saying that God and he were one in thought, words and in deeds regarding us, his people.

This bread represents Jesus’ own body, his own “Flesh,” to be given to us as our food in this journey in this world. “. . .  and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world’” (Jn. 6: 51).  He and God’s concern is to give life (the bread = material and spiritual food) to many, particularly those in the world for their salvation and life eternal.  They do not want anyone be lost and engulfed by the allurements of the world, that’s why he is giving this new bread that makes our lives anew.  The Father wanted to give His Son’s life (the bread of life) to us by offering his body, his “Flesh,” on the wood of the Cross, so that our wrong-doings maybe forgiven and so we receive eternal life, a life to the fullest.

It was unbelievable for the Jews to hear what Jesus said, especially when Jesus was still alive and present and in front of them.  The way they understood it was they have to slaughter Jesus in order to eat his flesh.  They took it literally for they cannot eat a living flesh of a man.  If they cannot eat dirty food like pigs offered on the altar of Baal, how much more they can eat the flesh of a living man?  “The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his Flesh to eat’?” (Jn. 6: 52). What they saw and thought was the humanity (humanness) of Jesus, his flesh and blood.  They did not realize what Jesus was referring to was the Paschal Mystery of the Passover Seder, (The Seder is a ritual performed by a community or by multiple generations of a family, involving a retelling of the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. This story is in the Book of Exodus (Shemot) in The Hebrew Bible), the Holy Eucharist to be happened in the Upper Room, and of which he would offer his life in the passion, crucifixion, death and resurrection.  Although, these do not happen yet and so it is still beyond the knowledge of the Jews, I only anticipated the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ to explain the question of the Jews, “How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?”  This also refers to what the Catholic Church called “Transubstantiation,” (Latin: transsubstantiatio; Greek: μετουσίωσις metousiosis) that is, according to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the change of substance or essence by which the bread and wine offered in the sacrifice of the sacrament of the Eucharist during the Mass, become, in reality, the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Yet Jesus was guaranteeing the Jews about eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood. “Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you’.” (Jn. 6: 53).  The Jews were told to accept his Flesh to eat and his Blood to drink to receive life in them; otherwise they do not have life within themselves.  For when they, as well as we, eat his body and drink his blood we have life in him.  Like eating material food that gives life and energy (or strength) in our physical body to live; the same effect or even more when we eat Jesus’ body and drink his blood that give nourishments in our physical and spiritual life to live eternally.   

                                                              

To make it deeper in our hearts what he was saying about eating and drinking of his body and blood, Jesus assured us that, “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day” (Jn. 6: 54).  We should have and received eternal life when we eat his body and drink his blood, and in the hour of our death the food (the Flesh and the Blood) we have received, eaten and drunk, will be our means in our resurrection to the next life.  He will raise us up on the last day from this world, because we have received his body and his blood.  We are secured for Jesus was assuming in saying to us, “For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink” (Jn. 6: 55).  As much as our faith dictates, we must know and believe about this disclosure of Jesus to us. 

Jesus was also telling the Jews their relation with Jesus.  They will become part of Jesus when they accept and do his words.  “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn. 6: 56).  Jesus will remain in us if we eat his Flesh and drink his blood, and nobody can snatch us from Jesus’ hands.  He will not allow losing us but always beside us.

In his relationship with God the Father, that they are inseparable, that the Father is living with him and he lives with the Father, Jesus wants us also to live with him so that we can live also with the Father.   “Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me” (Jn. 6: 57).  Jesus wanted to share with us the life he had received from God by eating him, meaning by believing in him, as the one sent by God the Father.

Here he once again told the crowd regarding the bread that came down from heaven given by God the Father, “This is the bread that came down from heaven.  Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever” (Jn. 6: 58).  Now he was saying this in a more acceptable manner, as he set an example and compared their ancestors who ate the manna yet they died.  This new bread he will give anyone who eats will have life and live forever.  “Whoever eats this bread,” will have life and “live forever.”  He reiterated once more the eating of “this bread” and the life eternal with him or her who believes in him, Jesus Christ.   

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

August 12, 2018 

Readings:

First Reading: 1 Kings 19: 4-8

Psalm: 34

Second Reading: Ephesian 4: 30-5: 2

Gospel reading according to John 6: 41-51

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Homily:

The people understood what Jesus told and explained to them about the bread that came down from heaven, they learned from Jesus that it was not Moses who gave bread to their ancestors, the Israelites, in the desert during exodus, but rather it was God the Father who gave them bread from heaven.  But they did not comprehend what he meant when he told them that he is “the bread that came down from heaven.”  “The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven,’ . . .” (Jn. 6: 41).  The Jews did not understand this saying of Jesus and started murmuring and whispering to one another about what Jesus said and who Jesus was.  Maybe they were asking themselves, how can this be? Is that possible? And who is he to say that? And many other rumored against what Jesus said and about Jesus himself. 

On the one hand, they brought back again their indifferences to the Jews in Nazareth.  They opened the issues of the origin of Jesus, where he came from, who were his parents, who were his brothers and sisters, and many others that shown they were familiar to him. “. . . and they said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?  Do we not know his father and mother?  Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’” (Jn. 6: 41-42).  They could not believe about what he said that he came from heaven and sent down by God the Father and not from the family of Joseph and Mary.  They cannot accept this saying and they thought it as blasphemy.

Jesus, on the other hand, knew their thoughts against him because of the things he said.  The people already forgot why they were running after Jesus – about the bread they have eaten and filled them, and to make him their king; what made them easily forgot to the fact that they saw and ate from five barley loaves and two fish, was their acquaintance with the family and relatives of him.   “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Stop murmuring among yourselves.  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him on the last day’.”  (Jn. 6: 43-44).  Jesus told the crowd to stop murmuring, for this cannot help them but rather it creates division and suspicion and disbelief.  Jesus clarified to them what he meant when he said, “I have come down from heaven.”  He was also trying to open their eyes to see him as he is and not his external appearance and family background. He explained to them his relation to God the Father as he was the one who came down from heaven for he was being sent down by God to the world and to save it.  Nobody can come to him unless God the Father allows them.  And God the Father drew the crowd to himself to save them unless they were not chosen by God to come to the one whom he sent – Jesus Christ.  For those who listen to him and believe in him will be saved and raised him up on the last day.

Jesus proved what he said by quoting the Book of the Prophets, “'It is written in the prophets: ‘They shall all be taught by God.’  Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me’.” (Jn. 6: 45; cf. Is. 54: 13).  God the Father taught those who listened to Him through the prophets regarding the one He will send in the world and to accept him.  This one will open and enlighten their minds and hearts to come to him to know who this one is; therefrom they believe in him and are save.

He explained further his relation to God the Father.  “’Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father’.” (Jn. 6: 46).  For Jesus who came from the Father knew Him for he saw Him and learned from Him.  And because God knew him as well that’s why he sent him in this world to remind us of the things God has taught us and we learned from him. 

When we believe to the one sent by God, we are saved, for he will teach us many things about God the Father, about heaven and earth, about other creations, about things visible and invisible, even life, fullness of life, and eternal life, etc.  “’Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life’.” (Jn. 6: 47).  He/she who believes has eternal life in him.

Going back to the issue, “’I am the bread of life.  Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die’.” (Jn. 6: 48-50).  But this time, he contrasted himself to the “manna” their ancestors ate in the desert yet they died; the bread he will offer us gives life and not die those who eat it.   “’I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world’.” (Jn. 6: 51).  Jesus, the living bread, who sent down by God the Father from heaven will give life eternal.   This bread of life which Jesus will give is his own Flesh (and Blood in the Calvary and in the Eucharist) for the ransom of many who believe in him.