1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A

Isaiah 2:1-5

Psalm 122

Romans 13:11-14  

Matthew 24:37-44 

THE LORD IS COMING !

On this first Sunday of Advent, we begin a new liturgical year. In ordinary parlance, “advent” means the coming or arrival of an important event, person or invention. In liturgical language, “Advent” is understood to mean the preparatory season for the commemoration of the Birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated at Christmas. But equally important is the joyful expectation of our Lord’s second coming that characterizes this season. It is therefore a period of joyful hope, a season of promises, a season of vigilant waiting and watchfulness. 

According to the prophet Isaiah’s vision, the days are coming when all nations will stream towards the mountain of the House of the Lord. This vision invites all people to search the presence of God and walk in his ways. For the Lord is coming to judge between the nations; he is coming to establish his peace and harmony among all people (Is. 2:1-5). 

In the gospel, Jesus invites his disciples to stay awake and be vigilant as they prepare themselves for the coming of the Son of Man. For the Son of Man, he says, will come at an hour they do not expect. According to him, the people of the time of Noah were submerged in everyday and ordinary pursuits that they forgot the imminence of the destroying flood. They suspected absolutely nothing, and suddenly they were swept away (Matt. 24:37-44). 

As Christmas approaches, we too may preoccupy ourselves with what to wear, what to eat, or how best we can enjoy the Christmas holidays while we forget the essential: getting ourselves ready for the coming of the Lord. Hence, in the second reading, St Paul exhorts us to awake from slumber, lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. In this advent season, therefore, let us lead honest and honorable lives. Let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy (Rom. 13:11-14). 

May we search the presence of the Lord through prayer and good works so that he may find us ready when he comes. Amen

I wish you a Happy New Year and a fruitful Advent Season!!!

SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST, THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE, YEAR C

2 Samuel 5:1-3

Psalm 122

Colossians 1:12-20

Luke 23:35-43

JESUS OF NAZARETH IS KING INDEED

We celebrate today the solemnity of Christ, the King of the Universe, a solemnity that concludes the liturgical year. But what kind of king is Jesus Christ? And what is the extension of his kingdom? In effect, the readings present us two contrasting images of Jesus’ kingship. The second reading is a hymn that celebrates the preeminence of Christ Jesus and his Lordship over all creation. Thus, Jesus is King and everything is subjected to him. On the other hand, the gospel presents us Jesus rejected, mocked, ridiculed and crucified. 

This is to tell us that we cannot celebrate the kingship of Jesus of Nazareth without looking to the cross. The cross is the emblem of victory. Jesus reigns from the cross. His power is precisely in his ability to let go of his own life for the sake of others. Through the shedding of his blood on Calvary, we have gained peace, redemption, forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with God. In other words, in the moment of his crucifixion, Jesus is shown to be King and Savior of all. Thus, he is not only “the king of the Jews” but the King of the entire universe. His kingdom is eternal and universal.

Obviously, Jesus is King, but not the kind of king we might have imagined or expected. Humanly speaking, we tend to associate kings with power and prestige, with noble birth and great wealth. World kings are surrounded by people they command and all are their subjects. Often, self interests and egoistic ambitions motivate their rule and decisions. But Jesus is not such a king. He is the king who lays down his life for all. He does not have subjects but friends. 

In the first reading, all the tribes of Israel recognized their need of a king, a king who could protect and lead them in war against their enemies. Thus, the elders anointed David as their king in Hebron. May we too recognize our need of Jesus as King and Lord of our lives. May our world leaders recognize the kingship of Jesus and take him as their model so that our world may be a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.

33ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Malachi 3:19-20

Psalm 97:5-9

2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Luke 21:5-19

THE END OF TIME

On this last Sunday before the solemnity of Christ the King, which marks the end of the liturgical year, the readings speak of the end of times. In the first reading, the prophet Malachi announces “the day of the Lord.” It will be a bad and terrifying news for the proud, evildoers and ungodly, since they will be destroyed. But for the God-fearing and righteous ones, it will be a day of justification and salvation. 

In the gospel, some people were in awe of the imposing magnificence of the Temple of Jerusalem. Responding to this, Jesus predicted that the time was coming when the Temple would be destroyed. He also announced the events that would come before the end of time: tribulation, the rise of false prophets, natural disasters, wars, persecutions of believers. 

In fact, in every age, people have expected the end of the world to happen in their lifetime, as did the Thessalonians. Some of them, persuaded of the imminence of the return of Christ, behaved as if the day of the Lord had already arrived and abolished daily responsibilities, especially work. But for St Paul, we must not be too excited and let ourselves be deceived by the false prophets. The “imminent” return of the Lord should not make us idle. We are to work diligently as we await the return of the Lord and fulfill our various duties with love, respect and commitment. Our hope for the glorious return of Christ must be accompanied by our daily vigilance.

As such, we should not worry about what will happen in the future. Let each day be an opportunity for us to bear witness to Christ. Let us keep on doing what is good. We should not be afraid and give up in the face of difficulties and trials. In the gospel, Jesus has assured God’s protection and victory for those who would remain faithful.  He will preserve us from any shame. Let us not forget that our perseverance in the face of persecution will lead to our salvation.

As we celebrate the World Day of the Poor, as established by Pope Francis since 2017, let us show love for the poor and pray that their perseverance and their hope in the Lord may not be in vain. Amen

32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14

Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15

2 Thessalonians 2:16–3:5

Luke 20:27-38

THE"PORK MEAT" AFFAIR

The theme that emerges from today’s readings is obviously the belief in the resurrection. The gospel focuses on the Sadducees who denied there is resurrection. In responding to their story meant to ridicule the belief in the resurrection, Jesus assures that there is life after death because our God is the God of life. Moreover, in the life after death, the children of the resurrection neither marry nor are given in marriage because they become like angels. 

For the believer, therefore, death is not an end but a transition to another form of life. The promise of an immortal life becomes a source of hope, consolation, encouragement and endurance in the face of the trials, sufferings and persecutions in the present life. This is what we see in the martyrdom of the seven brothers and their mother narrated in the first reading. The story took place during the persecution of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the impious king of Syria in the second century B.C. who was determined to impose Hellenistic culture and religion to the Jews forcing them to apostatize.

In listening to this story, one may ask: what is wrong with eating a little pork if this serves to save one’s live? In fact, there was much more at stake than “pork meat”. The choice was not between eating and not eating pork prohibited by Law (Lev. 11:7-8). It was about keeping the laws of the ancestors and remaining faithful to God or obeying the command of Antiochus. The seven brothers and their mother chose to die rather than apostatizing like many of their contemporaries. They endured torture and cruelty because they trusted in the Lord. They were sure that God would raise them to life again.

In our days, the “pork meat” has taken different names: power, popularity, sex, money, job, promotion, etc. And many are those of us who compromise our Christian identity and virtues in the face of these earthly things. Consequently, like St Paul in the second reading, let us ask God to deliver us from perverse, faithless and wicked people, and guard us from the evil one. May he give us courage like the Maccabees'  brothers and strengthen us in every good deed and word through his grace. Amen

31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Wisdom 11:22—12:2

Psalm 145

2 Thessalonians 1:11—2:2

Luke 19:1-10

Today’s readings reveal to us the immensity of God's love for his creatures that we are. In effect, the book of Wisdom makes three profound affirmations: (i) the universe, including humanity, is only a tiny drop of dew before the greatness of God. (ii) All that exists was willed by God who created everything out of love. Therefore, nothing exists by chance or by mistake. (iii) God is tender and patient towards the sinner so that he may repent and live. According to the psalmist, God is all-powerful and great King, loving and worthy to be praised. And his goodness is for all his works.

It is in this context of God's merciful and saving love for each of his creatures that we must understand Zacchaeus' encounter with Jesus, which is narrated in today’s gospel reading. All of the descriptions that the evangelist Luke gives of Zacchaeus have one point: to make us understand that Zacchaeus was a public sinner, a detestable creep. However it is this sinner that attracts the merciful gaze of Jesus.

Zacchaeus was seeking to see Jesus, but it was Jesus who saw him. Having recognized Jesus as the Lord, he accepts with joy the self-invitation of Jesus to dwell in his house. This meeting transformed the life of Zacchaeus. A radical conversion took place, a metanoia, manifested in concrete gestures, in concrete decisions. In this episode, Jesus reveals his identity and his mission: He is the Son of Man who has come to seek and to save what was lost. 

Therefore, these readings reveal to us that God loves each one of us. And despite our unfaithfulness, our waywardness, despite the condemnatory judgment of others on us, we remain the "descendants of Abraham", that is sons and daughters of God’s promises. Thus, he loves us and knows us intimately. He takes us and lifts us up when we falls. He wants us to abandon our wickedness and live. May we come down from our trees and open our hearts to welcome the salvation that Jesus offers us today. As in the prayer of St Paul for the Thessalonians, may the Lord make us worthy of his calling so that his Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be glorified in us. Amen