Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (B)

 

May 16, 2021                                                                    

Readings:

First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 1: 1-11

Psalm 47: “God mounts his throne to shouts of joy; a blare of trumpets for the Lord.”

Second Reading: Ephesians 1: 17-23

Gospel reading according to Mark 16: 15-20

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Homily: 

Jesus called his disciples to Galilee to meet them for the last time while he was still on earth. He instructed them to go to the whole world and to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples.   “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned’.” (Mark 16: 15-16).  He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them for forty days and speaking about the Kingdom of God.  While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promised of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:3-5).  While Jesus was still them, he accompanied his disciples in their confusion and doubt until everything was clear to them.  He did not allow them to go anywhere but to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the coming Holy Spirit before they can preach anywhere.  Whoever accepted the gospel and was baptized will be saved, and whoever does not accept the good news is condemned.

Those who believe in the name of Jesus and his gospel, will be accompanied with signs and wonders for “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you.” (Acts 16: 8).  “These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick serpents in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.  They will lay hands on the ick, and they will recover” (Mark 16: 17-18).  Those who believe will have the power over Satan and his demons, it becomes easy to communicate in foreign languages, even dangerous serpent can easily catch by your hand, when somebody poisoned you, when you drink it it will not hard you, and when you lay your hands to a sick person, he or she will be cured and recovered.  When you are in God, nothing is impossible, all is possible if you have faith; if you believe in God.

Jesus said, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  “So, then the Lord Jesus after he spoke to them was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God” (Mark 16: 19).  “When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him in their sight” (Acts 16: 9).  After speaking with his disciples, Jesus ascended into heaven and now is seated at the right hand of the Father.  The two angels dressed in white said to them, while still looking up to heaven, “This Jesus who has taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven” (Acts.

Full of faith, hope, confidence and trust in the power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples spread starting from Jerusalem, all over Judea in the North and Samaria to the South, and to the rest of the earth, with enthusiasm, interest, and love to proclaim the words of Jesus Christ to everyone.  “But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs” (Mark 16: 20).  Jesus who left his disciples still remains with them in the Holy Spirit and God the Father, thus the words and works of the disciples have power.

Sixth Sunday of Easter (B)

 

May 9, 2021                                                                    

Readings:

First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 10: 25-26, 34-35, 44-48

Psalm 98: “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”

Second Reading: 1 John 4: 7-10

Gospel reading according to John 15: 9-17

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Homily: 

God the Father loves first.  He loves all he created, seen and unseen, living and unliving things, plants and animals, fish and birds, men and women.  Despite the men and women disobeying him, He still loved them by sending prophets, leaders and kings to remind them to return to him in his love.  Until such time He sent his only begotten Son, whom He loved first.  “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘As the Father loves me, so I love you’.” (John 15: 9).  The Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father; and so also the Son, Jesus, loves his disciples whom the Father entrusted to him since time immemorial.  God the Father loves Jesus and He showed how to love others, even the unlovable, the sinners and those who live in darkness.  Also, Jesus taught and showed his disciples the love of the Father and the Son to creatures: by his passion, crucifixion, death and resurrection. 

Jesus wanted us his disciples to stick to him, to not leave him nor abandon him even the hardships in life. It is true that when we follow him, we will also experience his sufferings, passion, crucifixion, death, but on the third day we will rise again like him.  So, Jesus instructed his disciples to remain in him, in his love. ”’Remain in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just I have kept my Father’s commandments and I remain in his love’.” (John 15: 10).  We remain in him and in his love when we keep and do his commandments.  By keeping and doing his commandments we are prompted to remain in his love, as he kept his Father’s commandments so he remained in his Father’s love which he wanted us to do and keep.   He said this to us that when we hear his commandments, we will be joyful for this is his intention, our joy; for it is his joy to see us joyful and his joy might be completed through us.   “’I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.  This is my commandment: love one another as I love you’.” (John 15: 11-12).  He also gives us new commandment: that we, his disciples love one another as he loves us to the end.

True love is not only emotional or physical or spiritual attraction.  True love is our willingness to offer our lives to one’s friends without reservation or choosing.   Like what Jesus did for us, he offered his own self not only to good people, obedient men and women, his chosen ones but even to sinners, those unlovable, and those who did not believe in him in the beginning.  “’No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what the master is doing.  I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father’.” (John 15: 13-15).  He called us friends.  As friends, he laid down his life for us.  He called us friends no more slaves, because a slave does not know what the master is doing.  He called us friends because he reveals to us everything that the Father had told him and heard from Him.

We sometimes thought that we were the ones who choose or not Jesus in our lives.  But the reality is that he was the first one who called us to himself, so that we may have life abundantly and our joy may be complete.  “’It is not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you’.” (John 15: 16).  He chose us to join in his ministry and he appointed us to go throughout the whole world to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all, so that others too may bear fruit and remain steadfast in his commandments of love.  And with that God the Father will appreciate us and whatever we ask from Him in Jesus’ name He will grant it.  So, this is what we proclaim to all peoples of the world, “’This I command you: love one another’.” (John 15: 17).  There is no greater gift we can receive from the Lord Jesus Christ except his love for us and to one another.

Fifth Sunday of Easter (B)

 

May 2, 2021                                                              

Readings:

First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 9: 26-31

Psalm 22: “I will praise you, Lorde, in the assembly of your people.”

Second Reading: 1 John 3: 18-24

Gospel reading according to John 15: 1-8

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Homily: 

Last Sunday, (Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 25), Jesus presented himself as Good Shepherd.  This Sunday, Jesus is now presenting himself as “true vine,” while God his Father is the “vine grower,” while we are the “branches” that cling to the vine, to Jesus Christ.  We have all relationships with the Son and the Father [with the Holy Spirit].  He taught his disciples of another reality or persona of God the Father and of himself.  He is the true vine and the Father is the vine grower.   “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.  He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit’.” (John 15: 1-2).  We, Jesus’ disciples, he called us branches, are in relation with the vine.  We are attached to him, so we bear much fruit.  But not all branches are attached to the vine, therefore they do not produce fruit.  In order to produce more fruit, the Father cut the branches off in every vine, especially those branches that do not bear fruit, and those branches that bear fruit God prunes them so that they bear much fruit.  The vine grower, God the Father, cuts off the branch that does not produce fruit, meaning if we are like driftwood which no longer produces fruit of good works we are just like waste, trash and useless branches that need to be taken away from the vine.  When we are pruned, we become humble, for we allow others to grow.

Through Jesus’ words of the Father, we are already cleansed the moment we receive his word of life.  If we listened and acted upon what Jesus said to us we are already cleansed, pruned. “’You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you’.” (John 15: 3).  Because of the word spoken to us by Jesus we are trimmed from our sinful inclinations and deafness, instead we are led to goodness and truth.  The word of Jesus gives life and grace. His words made us clean, for it purified our mind, soul and body.  His words made us clean, for his word is Spirit and life.

Jesus, our true vine, is always with us.  He also wanted us to be with him.  The best way to become truthful followers is to continue attaching ourselves to the true vine, Jesus Christ, as he promised, “’Remain in me, as I remain in you.  Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me’.” (John 15: 4).  Like the branches of grapes, they cannot produce fruit if they are detached from the vine.  But if the branches are attached or clinging to the vine, there is a possibility that they bear fruit, and when they prune much fruit they will produce. Every achievement we have is useless if it is apart from him. Sometimes, our lives are experiencing many problems, troubles, etc., as if there is heavy rain or typhoons that devastated us, the vineyard; it is natural that the branches are broken and detached to the vine and flown away when natural disasters come in.  Despite heavy rain and/or typhoons (problems and trials of life), by the true vine it wanted the branch to remain on the vine.  

This is the truth that Jesus was teaching to his disciples, “’I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing’.” (John 15: 5).  Jesus is the vine in our lives, and we are the branches dependent to him.  Without Jesus in our lives, we cannot do anything. We cannot do much according to our own capacity, but with Jesus, nothing is impossible.

Jesus explained to his disciples the importance of lingering in him and those who detach from him.  “’Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you’.” (John 15: 6-7).  As branches in the vine, we must remain attached to it, otherwise we wither and die and throw away fitted for firewood in the furnace.  Our relationship with God and to Jesus depends upon our loyalty and faithfulness to them.  And this is the fruit of being attached with the vine.  “’By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples’.” (John 15: 8).  The Father is glorified because we bear much fruit and we are true disciples of Jesus Christ, the true vine.