Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 / Matthew 10:1-7
At times we can't help but wonder about wealth and riches. Is it for the better or for the worse?
No doubt, wealth and riches can resolve some of our financial worries and we can even obtain some of the luxuries of life with it.
But wealth and riches, and specifically the obsession for it can lead to many complicated problems for us.
In the 1st reading, we heard that Israel was indeed blessed by God with riches and wealth.
But the problem was that the richer and wealthier Israel became, the more their heart was divided and they became unfaithful and strayed away from God.
Well, Israel (or Samaria) had had its day and destruction will soon follow because of their unrepentance.
In the gospel, we heard that Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.
Then He made a rather strange statement: Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
Figuratively, Jesus could be telling His disciples not to be too taken in by the authority over unclean spirits with the power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sicknesses.
If riches and wealth can divide the heart, then spiritual power can also result in pride and arrogance.
In whatever we have and in whatever we lack, let us always sow integrity and reap a harvest of kindness, and keep seeking the will of the Lord God.
That will be our blessing and the joy of our life.
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Monday, July 6, 2020
14th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 07-07-2020
Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13 / Matthew 9:32-38
In the course of human history, leaders have come and gone.
Some have made their mark as good leaders and they helped the people they led to better lives and to live in peace and harmony.
But there were also leaders who, out of their own self-interest and other selfish motives have created chaos and hardships for their people.
But more often than not, leaders are chosen by the people, though of course there were leaders who were self-appointed maybe because the people were too confused or divided to choose a leader.
But in the first reading, the Lord has this to say about His people:
They have set up kings, but not with my consent, and appointed princes, but without my knowledge.
It was the people who chose their leaders but without consulting God because they have disobeyed God and were unfaithful to Him.
The people chose their leaders according to their own liking, but this also resulted in their own undoing.
However in the gospel, when Jesus saw the crowds, He felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.
And then Jesus said: The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.
Yes, we must pray to the Lord to raise up good leaders for the Church and for the world.
Our prayer for good leaders will only benefit us and help us to live lives pleasing to God.
In the course of human history, leaders have come and gone.
Some have made their mark as good leaders and they helped the people they led to better lives and to live in peace and harmony.
But there were also leaders who, out of their own self-interest and other selfish motives have created chaos and hardships for their people.
But more often than not, leaders are chosen by the people, though of course there were leaders who were self-appointed maybe because the people were too confused or divided to choose a leader.
But in the first reading, the Lord has this to say about His people:
They have set up kings, but not with my consent, and appointed princes, but without my knowledge.
It was the people who chose their leaders but without consulting God because they have disobeyed God and were unfaithful to Him.
The people chose their leaders according to their own liking, but this also resulted in their own undoing.
However in the gospel, when Jesus saw the crowds, He felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.
And then Jesus said: The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.
Yes, we must pray to the Lord to raise up good leaders for the Church and for the world.
Our prayer for good leaders will only benefit us and help us to live lives pleasing to God.
Sunday, July 5, 2020
14th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 06-07-2020
Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22 / Matthew 9:18-26
One of the most difficult sins for us to forgive is that of betrayal.
More so in a marriage, when this betrayal takes the form of unfaithfulness, and specifically adultery, then it is even more difficult to forgive.
The prophet Hosea of the 1st reading suffered this experience of betrayal.
But he used this experience to show what God is like to His unfaithful people.
God is compassionate and forgiving, even when His people broke the covenant and worshipped idols.
Hosea showed that God is forgiving and He forgives so completely that punishment can be changed to restoration and even to a celebration of the renewal of the marriage covenant as we heard in the 1st reading.
God even says to the unfaithful Israel - I will betroth you to myself forever, betroth you with integrity and justice, with tenderness and love.
God has always loved us and He loves us with an everlasting love.
Even when we have sinned, God does not turn away from us but instead turns towards us with all His love.
We cannot remain unmoved by what we heard in the 1st reading.
Not to be moved by it means that we do not understand God's love for us.
Or, for the matter of fact, we don't understand what love is at all.
One of the most difficult sins for us to forgive is that of betrayal.
More so in a marriage, when this betrayal takes the form of unfaithfulness, and specifically adultery, then it is even more difficult to forgive.
The prophet Hosea of the 1st reading suffered this experience of betrayal.
But he used this experience to show what God is like to His unfaithful people.
God is compassionate and forgiving, even when His people broke the covenant and worshipped idols.
Hosea showed that God is forgiving and He forgives so completely that punishment can be changed to restoration and even to a celebration of the renewal of the marriage covenant as we heard in the 1st reading.
God even says to the unfaithful Israel - I will betroth you to myself forever, betroth you with integrity and justice, with tenderness and love.
God has always loved us and He loves us with an everlasting love.
Even when we have sinned, God does not turn away from us but instead turns towards us with all His love.
We cannot remain unmoved by what we heard in the 1st reading.
Not to be moved by it means that we do not understand God's love for us.
Or, for the matter of fact, we don't understand what love is at all.
Saturday, July 4, 2020
14th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 05.07.2020
Zechariah 9:9-10 / Romans 8:9, 11-13 / Matthew 11:25-30
The donkey may be quite a famous animal but it may not be that glamorous.
Certainly, the donkey is not as glamorous as compared to a horse.
It doesn’t have that good looks either. Its head is not proportionate to its body, it’s ears stick up awkwardly, it can’t run that fast, and it makes an annoying “hee-haw” sound.
And to add to that, it is also called by a derogatory name, “beast of burden”. So it seems like it is even less than an animal, it is a beast!
But all that aside, its strong point is that it can carry heavy burdens, almost three times its weight.
As a beast of burden, the donkey is used in many countries to carry heavy loads, especially in places where motorized vehicles cannot access.
The 1st reading begins with a build-up to what was expected to be a glorious mighty figure: “The Lord says this: Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion!
Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem!
See now, your king comes to you;
he is victorious, he is triumphant,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Somehow, it seems like an anti-climax when the king comes victorious, triumphant, humble and riding on a donkey!
We would expect the king to ride on a glorious and glamorous horse but not on a lowly donkey aka beast of burden.
But the word that should prepare us for what is to come is that word “humble”; yes, victorious, triumphant, humble and riding on a donkey.
And Jesus tells us in the gospel: Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest.
This is the only instance in the gospels that Jesus talked about His heart – it is a gentle and humble heart.
A gentle and humble heart possesses great strength and that is why Jesus tells us to come to Him when we are tired out by our labours and are overburdened.
We may feel like we are a beast of burden, carrying other people’s loads and doing their work and they get the credit.
We may feel that others have the easier and glorious tasks while we get the low-end laborious dirty jobs.
But let us learn from Jesus to be gentle and humble of heart.
With a gentle and humble heart, Jesus will give us strength to bear the heavy burdens of life.
The donkey may be quite a famous animal but it may not be that glamorous.
Certainly, the donkey is not as glamorous as compared to a horse.
It doesn’t have that good looks either. Its head is not proportionate to its body, it’s ears stick up awkwardly, it can’t run that fast, and it makes an annoying “hee-haw” sound.
And to add to that, it is also called by a derogatory name, “beast of burden”. So it seems like it is even less than an animal, it is a beast!
But all that aside, its strong point is that it can carry heavy burdens, almost three times its weight.
As a beast of burden, the donkey is used in many countries to carry heavy loads, especially in places where motorized vehicles cannot access.
The 1st reading begins with a build-up to what was expected to be a glorious mighty figure: “The Lord says this: Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion!
Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem!
See now, your king comes to you;
he is victorious, he is triumphant,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Somehow, it seems like an anti-climax when the king comes victorious, triumphant, humble and riding on a donkey!
We would expect the king to ride on a glorious and glamorous horse but not on a lowly donkey aka beast of burden.
But the word that should prepare us for what is to come is that word “humble”; yes, victorious, triumphant, humble and riding on a donkey.
And Jesus tells us in the gospel: Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest.
This is the only instance in the gospels that Jesus talked about His heart – it is a gentle and humble heart.
A gentle and humble heart possesses great strength and that is why Jesus tells us to come to Him when we are tired out by our labours and are overburdened.
We may feel like we are a beast of burden, carrying other people’s loads and doing their work and they get the credit.
We may feel that others have the easier and glorious tasks while we get the low-end laborious dirty jobs.
But let us learn from Jesus to be gentle and humble of heart.
With a gentle and humble heart, Jesus will give us strength to bear the heavy burdens of life.
Friday, July 3, 2020
13th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 04-07-2020
Amos 9:11-15 / Matthew 9:14-17
It goes without saying that the quality of the agricultural produce of the land depends very much on the weather.
Yet another fundamental factor is also the stability of the land, i.e. the political and social condition of the people living on that land.
If there were wars and bloodshed and unrest, would we expect the land to bear quality produce even if the land was fertile?
And if grapes were planted during a time of turmoil and distress, what would be harvested could be sour grapes that are neither edible nor suitable for wine making.
In the 1st reading, the planting and the harvesting of grapes was in the background of a land that was restored and the people were at peace.
Yet, it must be remembered that the rich harvest of grapes, the sweet taste of wine and the joy it brings to a people at peace was the work of God who restored the land and blessed the people.
In the gospel, Jesus also talked about wine and wineskins, and He said that no one puts new wine into old wineskins.
It may simply mean that the new wine of restoration and blessing cannot be put into the old wineskins of turmoil and distress that comes from unfaithfulness to the Lord.
By now we should know the dire consequences of being complacent and being unfaithful to the Lord.
Yet, as much as the Lord is merciful and restores us and blesses us so that we can have peace in our lives, may we also prepare new wineskins for our hearts so as to receive and treasure God's blessings.
It goes without saying that the quality of the agricultural produce of the land depends very much on the weather.
Yet another fundamental factor is also the stability of the land, i.e. the political and social condition of the people living on that land.
If there were wars and bloodshed and unrest, would we expect the land to bear quality produce even if the land was fertile?
And if grapes were planted during a time of turmoil and distress, what would be harvested could be sour grapes that are neither edible nor suitable for wine making.
In the 1st reading, the planting and the harvesting of grapes was in the background of a land that was restored and the people were at peace.
Yet, it must be remembered that the rich harvest of grapes, the sweet taste of wine and the joy it brings to a people at peace was the work of God who restored the land and blessed the people.
In the gospel, Jesus also talked about wine and wineskins, and He said that no one puts new wine into old wineskins.
It may simply mean that the new wine of restoration and blessing cannot be put into the old wineskins of turmoil and distress that comes from unfaithfulness to the Lord.
By now we should know the dire consequences of being complacent and being unfaithful to the Lord.
Yet, as much as the Lord is merciful and restores us and blesses us so that we can have peace in our lives, may we also prepare new wineskins for our hearts so as to receive and treasure God's blessings.
Thursday, July 2, 2020
St. Thomas, Apostle, Friday, 03-07-2020
Ephesians 2:19-22 / John 20:24-29
If we say that seeing is believing, we are not saying anything new.
Seeing is a powerful faculty that we have in a world of sights, sounds, smells, taste and touch.
Seeing is such a powerful faculty that it plays an important part in the acceptance of what is real and what is not.
So unless we see it, we may not really be so ready to accept it and believe in it.
For St. Thomas, whose feastday we celebrate today, he not only demanded to see the Risen Jesus, he even wanted to confirm what he was seeing by insisting to put his finger into the holes made by the nails in the hands of Jesus and put his hand into the gaping wound at the side.
For St. Thomas, seeing was not enough. He wanted to touch, he wanted to feel, he wanted to know if the Risen Jesus was for real.
Whether St. Thomas did what he demanded by putting his finger into the holes of the hand of Jesus, and whether he put his hand into the side of Jesus, the gospel did not tell us.
But what we know was that in the end, he made a profound statement of faith: My Lord and my God!
And with that statement of faith, Jesus also turned the doubt of St. Thomas into a promise for us: Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.
Yes, it is a promise of Jesus to us, that we who believe will see His blessings, we will receive His blessings, and even though we may not be physically present at the Mass and the Devotion, His blessings will be us when we participate faithfully and devoutly in the online "live" broadcasts.
If we say that seeing is believing, we are not saying anything new.
Seeing is a powerful faculty that we have in a world of sights, sounds, smells, taste and touch.
Seeing is such a powerful faculty that it plays an important part in the acceptance of what is real and what is not.
So unless we see it, we may not really be so ready to accept it and believe in it.
For St. Thomas, whose feastday we celebrate today, he not only demanded to see the Risen Jesus, he even wanted to confirm what he was seeing by insisting to put his finger into the holes made by the nails in the hands of Jesus and put his hand into the gaping wound at the side.
For St. Thomas, seeing was not enough. He wanted to touch, he wanted to feel, he wanted to know if the Risen Jesus was for real.
Whether St. Thomas did what he demanded by putting his finger into the holes of the hand of Jesus, and whether he put his hand into the side of Jesus, the gospel did not tell us.
But what we know was that in the end, he made a profound statement of faith: My Lord and my God!
And with that statement of faith, Jesus also turned the doubt of St. Thomas into a promise for us: Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.
Yes, it is a promise of Jesus to us, that we who believe will see His blessings, we will receive His blessings, and even though we may not be physically present at the Mass and the Devotion, His blessings will be us when we participate faithfully and devoutly in the online "live" broadcasts.
13th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 02-07-2020
Amos 7:10-17 / Matthew 9:1-8
Whenever something unpleasant is said about us or when we get some criticisms, we will get defensive.
We will even want to deny that we are wrong and retort by saying something back in a sharp and angry manner.
But such quick reactions usually reflects that we are not ready to listen and think about whether there is any truth in what is said about us.
In the 1st reading, the reaction of Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, to what the prophet Amos said was that of denial and defensiveness.
The prophet Amos spoke of doom and disaster and Amaziah and the people want to hear nothing of it.
If only Amaziah and the people had thought about what was said by Amos and instead of reacting defensively and in denial, they would have averted the impending tragedy with repentance and contrition.
As what we heard in the gospel, Jesus came to forgive our sins so that we can repent and be healed of our sinfulness.
Let us ask the Lord for a humble and contrite heart so that we will be able to see the truth of the criticisms against us.
Whenever something unpleasant is said about us or when we get some criticisms, we will get defensive.
We will even want to deny that we are wrong and retort by saying something back in a sharp and angry manner.
But such quick reactions usually reflects that we are not ready to listen and think about whether there is any truth in what is said about us.
In the 1st reading, the reaction of Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, to what the prophet Amos said was that of denial and defensiveness.
The prophet Amos spoke of doom and disaster and Amaziah and the people want to hear nothing of it.
If only Amaziah and the people had thought about what was said by Amos and instead of reacting defensively and in denial, they would have averted the impending tragedy with repentance and contrition.
As what we heard in the gospel, Jesus came to forgive our sins so that we can repent and be healed of our sinfulness.
Let us ask the Lord for a humble and contrite heart so that we will be able to see the truth of the criticisms against us.
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