First Sunday of Lent (A)

March 1, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Genesis 2: 7-9; 3: 1-7

Psalm 51 “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”

Second Reading: Romans 5: 12-19

Gospel reading according to Matthew 4: 1-11

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Homily: The Temptation of Jesus

After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptizer in the River Jordan, and after the Holy Spirit in the form of dove descended upon him, and the voice of God the Father was heard and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I trust,” Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4: 1).  The Holy Spirit who was with him brought him to the desert to be put to test if he was worthy a Son of God (and Son of man), and as truly God.

Jesus stayed in the wilderness with wild beasts and brute animals, insects and all that live in the desert festering him for a long period of time, also without eating and drinking for he was not aware that he will be sent immediately to the desert. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry (Matthew 4: 2).  Without food and water, for forty days and forty nights he stayed in the desert waiting for the time of his temptation.

He was hungry and thirsty when the tempter appeared, came and found him weak in body but not in spirit.  Maybe Jesus was dizzy, “tulero and groge” and even hallucinating when Satan approached him and talked to him.  The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread” (Matthew 4: 3).  Satan knew that Jesus is truly the Son of God, that’s why his first utterance was, If you are the Son of God . . .  Satan first tempted Jesus of the desire for material things, even possessions of property, that symbolized the stones turned into loaves of bread.  We need bread or rice or corn as our stable food.  Without bread or rice we cannot survive the hardships of daily work and labor, our stomach craves and crumbs without food and our body becomes weak without energy and strength.  We need other materials, too, to survive like house and lot where we can live decently, money and wealth to buy things we need, and other properties.  Nevertheless, most of the times we become greedy, stingy, selfish, indifference to others especially the poor with regards to what we have.  We do not share what we have but rather we keep them until they expire.  We usually say, before others I must be the first to satisfy what I have.  In case there is left-over and I do not need it, then I can share it to others.  We lost the sense of charity when we have plenty of material things. 

Jesus knew the heart of men and women with regards bread or material possessions. He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4: 4).  Jesus responded Satan, the tempter, by saying man (and woman) does not live by bread alone or in material goods, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. As followers of Jesus, we must learn detachment from materials things, from the desire of our senses, from all that keep us from the freedom which allow us to be grasped by the Holy Spirit. We have to live also the Word of God found in the Bible (Scriptures).

Satan’s second attempt to tempt Jesus was passion for popularity and prestige and showmanship, to make people caught full of awe to the expectacular show Jesus will perform in the temple in Jerusalem.  The devil brought Jesus in the City of Jerusalem, at the top of the Temple.  Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.  For it is written:  He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone” (Matthew 4: 5-6). Again, Satan used his trick, If you are the Son of God . . ., to test Jesus.  He teased Jesus to jump from the parapet of the temple where many people can see him floating in the air as Satan quoting from the Scripture that God will command his angels (the invisible spirits) and with their hands they will support and hold him until he lands on the ground without any mishap or scratch.  Sometimes we become showy, we paraded and boasted our capacity, talents, and achievements to others so that they might praise us, become our fans and followers.  We sometimes do not distinguish that everything we have comes from God.  It makes us humble and simple if we recognize that we do not own anything except sin.

Jesus who is our model of obedience, humility and simplicity, knows that he has to give glory and honor to God the Almighty.  He has to respect, give his highest honor (hyperdulia) to God whom he called Father.  He does not mistrust Him and with lots of confidence towards Him.  Jesus wanted to bring to mind to Satan where he came from and everything he had.   Jesus answered him, “Again it is written: You should not put the Lord, your God, to the test” (Matthew 4: 7). He was telling Satan to slow down in accusing his God by testing his power and authority.  No one can test the wisdom and knowledge and understanding of God.

The third and last temptation Satan made to Jesus was the desire of power, symbolizing all the kingdoms here on earth; as if Satan was saying to Jesus that all kingdoms (powers) were under him and he owned them, and to whomever he wishes to give them he is free to give them away.   Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me” (Matthew 4: 8-9).  Satan showed to Jesus on the top of the highest mountain all the kingdoms on earth, and he was willing to give them to Jesus in exchange of vowing, kneeling and worshiping him which Jesus could not do or accept – for he too is God, Son of the Living God.  He cannot exchange his Sonship to any kingdom or power here on earth.

Maybe Jesus recognized that he was trick by Satan or by himself, despite of his hunger and thirst he has strong determination and conviction, he knew what he was saying and doing, he was not hallucinating after all.  At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan!  It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve” (Matthew 4: 10).  He is aware of what is going on to himself, to his surrounding and to the tempter.  He get rid Satan from being tempted too by reminding him that the Lord is his God.  He returned to Satan what he said to him that only the Lord his God he shall worship and He alone he shall serve; and Jesus passed the temptation.  He knows very well whom he shall give his worship, to whom he shall bend down, vow down, knell down – to the Lord, God and He alone worship and service be given.  We too are blinded of power, we wanted lording over others especially the weak, the poor, the unorganized group of people.  We acted like kings in our kingdoms; we wanted to be served rather than to serve.  We are not aware also that we are trick by Satan who has the power over all the kingdoms here on earth.  If we have kingdom and we acting like king we are therefore cohorts of Satan and we are slaves of the tempter.

The devil, the tempter, Satan lost in his attempts to tempt and test the sincerity and honesty of Jesus about himself, about God and about his mission.  Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him (Matthew 4: 11).  Satan was not able to persuade him to turn the stones into loaves of bread, to jump at the parapet and to own to himself all the kingdoms on earth.  He was defeated by Jesus′ humility, simplicity, poverty and obedience, and above all his love to God whom he called Father, and our Father as well.  We are not easily be tempted by Satan and his demons when we are in the side of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us; in the Father who will protect us and deliver us from evil, and in Jesus who will show us the way, the truth and the life.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

February 16, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Sirach 15: 15-20

Psalm 119 “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.”

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2: 6-10

Gospel reading according to Matthew 5: 17-37

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Homily:

We will see in the following commandments below why Jesus said to his disciples earlier that he did not come to abolish the Law or even the Prophets' teachings, to eradicate the Old Law and to change it to the New Law.  Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill' (Matthew 5: 17).  Instead of abolishing the old ones, he will give new meanings to them without abandoning the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets.  He has no intention of letting his disciples to abandon the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1-17) or Decalogue plus or minus (+/-) 613 other laws added by Moses' followers, must probably the scribes, Pharisees and elders of the Jewish religion  (See Mark 7: 1-13).  They added these other laws to safeguard the Ten Commandments by explaining and commenting in each of the Law of God given on Mount Sinai, until such time they performed and taught the laws of men instead of the Law of God.  Jesus is different from them in treating God's law.  Instead of changing, explaining and/or commenting them, he put them into action by fulfilling them in a very simple and personal/relational way so that anybody can do them with obedient heart and mind, soul and body, his or her whole being without difficulties.

He guaranteed his disciples that not a smallest letter or any part of the letter, for example, (בּ   א), will be disregarded or passed unnoticed, unfulfilled.  Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place (Matthew 5: 18).  Heaven and earth will not end until all the laws and prophets, and all things are completed and performed and done without leaving any laws and prophets untouched and unsatisfied. 

He reminded and admonished also his disciples that no one among them should break the law and make his or her own law. If he or she does this, he/she is the least in the Kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be greater in the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5: 19).  Anyone who perseveres in obeying and or teaching the Law and the Prophets, even the most least and the smallest one, is the greater in the Kingdom of heaven, for he or she does not violate the (10) Commandments of God.

As compare with the scribes, Pharisees and elders who changed, added, removed some provisions in the Law and the Prophets in accordance to their whims, caprice and self-interest and convenience, they broke the Decalogue.   I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5: 20).  That is why Jesus would like his disciples as well as we to go beyond the hypocrisies of the scribes, Pharisees and elders.  We must go beyond the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees in obeying God's law.

Here is what Jesus was saying to his disciples with regards abolition of the law and the prophets.  Instead of saying without disregarding the law and the prophets that: “It was said to your ancestors . . .,” he was referring before; Jesus on the other hand is saying to his disciples now, this present time: “. . . . But I say to you,” he has authority and power and even superior to Moses and the Prophet, for who can claim the Commandments of God and say: “I say to you!”  He started saying, You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'You shall not kill,' and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.  But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,' will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable fiery Gehenna (Matthew 5: 21-22).  He mentioned first in his sermon the Fifth Commandment (Ex. 20: 13). “You shall not murder (kill),” with recognizing by saying you have heard that it was said to your ancestors . . .  But Jesus expounded this commandment by uttering not just killing physical body, but even psychological, social, political, cultural, economic deprivation of life is part and parcel of that Fifth Commandment, such as anger (psychological), malicious thoughts 'Raqa' (social and political), slander (cultural and economic) and calling name names like 'fool.'  

A heart with grief and hurt cannot offer gift peacefully.  We have to have a peaceful heart and mind in order our gift becomes acceptable with God.  Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5: 23-24).  Jesus even suggesting to leave behind our offerings at the altar, go home and settle our disputes with our brothers and sisters or neighbors, and when everything is settled, go back and offer our gifts to God.  Not to make worse the situation, there is always time and opportunity to be reconciled with our opponents.  Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.  Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.  Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny (Matthew 5: 25-26).  Along the way, before bringing our case in the court, we can still talk and settle our indifference with another.    

The second commandment Jesus wanted to deepen the understanding of his disciples was the Sixth Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex. 20: 14).   You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.  But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5: 27-28). Again, he said, you have heard that it was said, but then he said, but I say to you.  He deepens the meaning of this commandment without changing or altering any single word or letter.  He said that even a mere looking at a woman with bad intention or malice or desire without even touching the woman is already committing adultery at her.  If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna (Matthew 5: 29).  Better than worse he said to plunk out one of his eyes that brings him to sin of adultery rather than with both eyes but suffer in the end in hell.  The same with hands. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna (Matthew 5: 30).  Better than worse he said to cut off one of his hands that brings him to sin of adultery rather than with both hands but suffer in the end in hell.  Or even divorcing his wife to marry another woman.  It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.  But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) – causes her to commit adultery, and who marries a divorced woman commits adultery (Matthew 5: 31-32).  He brings himself to adultery in spite of giving his wife bill of divorce, as well as his wife he brings to adultery with another man who marries her, and then the whole body be thrown into Gehenna.

He also discussed with his disciples the deeper meaning of the Eighth Commandment, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Ex. 20: 16).  Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a fake oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.  But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is Gods throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.  Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'  Anything more is from the evil one (Matthew 5: 33-37).  Nowadays, fake news is very rampant, and we do not know right there and then which is true and which is false or fake.  But many people make believe that there is no difference between the right news and the bad news.  There is only a thin line between fake and real in giving testimony.  Jesus commanded us not to swear at all, not swearing by heaven above or earth below, not swear even our heads.  The best to testify the truth is by saying “Yes,” when we mean yes or “No,” when we mean no and added to this comes from the evil ones, as what Jesus said and commanded.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

February 9, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 58: 7-10

Psalm 24 “The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.”

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2: 1-5

Gospel reading according to Matthew 5: 13-16

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Homily: Salt of the Earth and Light of the World

Two distinct characteristic features of us Catholic Christians are that we are salt of the earth and light of the world.  Salt gives taste to tasteless or flat food (our life), it also preserves food (our faith).  While light gives enlightenment to those in darkness and those whose lives have no hope, faith and love.  In today’s Gospel, many of Jesus’ words and actions shed light on the meaning of his way of living and acting in relation to us his disciples, especially in this salt and of this light discourse.  It is Jesus’ life and message.  We have to fix our attention to him when he said; 'You are the salt of the earth.'  Jesus calls us his disciples 'salt of the earth.'  Jesus said to his disciples: 'You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it seasoned?  It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot' (Matthew 5: 13).  On the one hand, it looks as if Jesus' command or saying to us as his disciples seems too light or too easy to become. It is as simple as at first glance, to be salt of the earth. But as we examine it, its meaning is so deep that we have to learn what it means.  You are the salt of the earth.  In the very beginning we have already this salty taste in us as Christians.  All of us are qualified to become salt of the earth; no one is denied or excluded to this calling of Jesus, it is everybody’s vocation.  In Christ we share our common dignity.  All are called to do God’s will, and all cooperate in building one Body of Jesus Christ.  How can we become salt of the earth?  Jesus shows us the way, by loving our neighbors as he commanded us to do.  Jesus proclaimed the Reign-Kingdom of God by repentance, curing the sick and illnesses and driving out demons.  As Jesus lived and followed also the tradition of his ancestors, another way we can see also and apply to our lives what the prophet Isaiah, in the First Reading, had done.  Prophet Isaiah said, 'share your food with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked, and do not turn back on your own' (58: 7).  On the other hand, if our saltiness (giving taste to the life of others and preserving their faith) disappears and we become tasteless or flat, we become useless salt, as what Jesus said, 'But if salt loses its taste, with what can it seasoned?  It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.'

The same with the light as Jesus also compared us to the light, and he commanded us to become light for others, especially for those in darkness and in the shadow of death.  'You are the light of the world.  A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden' (Matthew 5: 14).  If we bring light to others so that they may see the right path and may not walk in darkness, as Prophet Isaiah continued saying, 'Then your light shall break forth like the dawn' (58: 8).  Whenever we do and say good things to our neighbors we shed light to their lives and our light shine forth as in morning glory.  Your light cannot be hidden; anybody can recognize our light because it comes from the Source of light and Light himself – Jesus Christ.  Nobody who is doing good to others can hide it and put his/her goodness under bushel basket or put it under his/her bed; 'Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house' (Matthew 5: 15). The lamp (we) of the light must be put in a lampstand so that the whole house (the Church and the Body of Christ) will be lighted.  'Just so, your light must shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father' (Matthew 5: 16).  Again, Prophet Isaiah said, '. . . and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard ' (58: 8).  Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday' (58: 10). As what the psalmist said: “The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.”