12TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Jeremiah 20:10-13

Psalm 68 (69)

Romans 5:12-15

Matthew 10:26-33

“FEAR NO ONE !”

Today’s readings speak about the right attitude which a missionary must have in the face of suffering and persecution. According to St Paul in the second reading, God’s grace in Christ Jesus overflows and outweighs human transgressions. In the gospel, Jesus gives instructions to his disciples for the mission entrusted to them. He invites them to have the audacity to proclaim the truth despite everything, because the truth itself is irresistible. He encourages them to overcome their fears and anxieties, and to place their trust in God who watches over every sparrow and protects his own.

The first reading is one of “the confessions of Jeremiah” which express the depth of Jeremiah’s sufferings on account of his prophetic mission. Considered as the prophet of doom, Jeremiah’s proclamation was bitter and disturbing to his contemporaries. He never ceased to say the truth to the people and to denounce their evil ways, calling them to conversion. For this reason, the people and their kings never liked him. They persecuted him and plotted various evils against him. This notwithstanding, Jeremiah remained faithful, fearless and resilient in his mission, putting his trust in God who would not let him down. 

The story of the prophet Jeremiah is still relevant today. In our churches, communities, homes, schools and work places, the people who always stand for the truth and justice are often victims of hatred and slander, unjustified criticisms and unfounded accusations, persecutions and other evil machinations. But this should not be the ground for fear or discouragement. If we trust in God and remain faithful in doing good and bearing witness to the truth, a great reward awaits us in heaven. Thus, we should never compromise the gospel values in order to save our image or achieve some personal gain. 

Moreover, if we give up because we want to please men, we will lose all. Or if we ourselves persecute others and plot evil against them because of their truthfulness and righteousness, then we must know that unforgettable shame and confusion await us. For God always rescues the life of the poor and the righteous from the power of the wicked! 

May God protect us and grant us the grace to remain faithful till the end. Amen

11TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Exodus 19:2-6

Psalm 100

Romans 5: 6-11

Matthew 9:36 – 10:8

CHOSEN TO BE SENT

Today’s readings may be summed up under the theme: chosen to be sent. In effect, the passage from Exodus is a kind of preamble to the great covenant-making event on Mount Sinai. It highlights two things. First, it reminds the Israelites of their experience of God’s closeness to them. God had liberated them from Egyptian slavery and led them to Sinai, bearing them up “on eagle wings”. As such, the people would hearken to God’s voice and keep his covenant on account of their experience of the solicitude of God who freed them and invited them to trust in him. Indeed, one cannot enter into a covenant without freedom and trust.

Second, through the covenant, Israel would become God’s chosen people: “Now therefore, if you listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you will be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people…You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation”. Henceforth, Israel would be God’s personal portion. It is interesting to note that Saint Peter applies this divine election to Christians when he affirms: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the great deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). 

Thus, like the people of Israel, we have been chosen by God to be the people of the new covenant, a covenant sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ who died for us even when we were still sinners, as Saint Paul reminds us in the second reading. Like them, we need to keep the covenant and always remain faithful to God.

Moreover, we are to always remember that this divine election has a responsibility, that of making known to other people God’s goodness and compassion. Like the twelve disciples in the Gospel, we too have been summoned, chosen and sent out. Our mission is to proclaim the reign of God, to announce to the peoples that God has set us free in Jesus Christ. Thus, there is an urgent need to share with others what we have received without cost from God. By so doing, they may have a share in the love of our covenant-keeping God.

May God bless and keep all of us. Amen.

SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, YEAR A

Deuteronomy 8:2-3.14-16

Psalm 147

1 Corinthians 10:16-17

John 6:51-52

THE EUCHARIST: A TABLE OF COMMUNION AND FRIENDSHIP

We celebrate today the solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the mystery of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the species of bread and wine. In the gospel reading, Jesus declares to the Jews that he is the bread that came down from heaven for the life of the world. Unless we eat his flesh and drink his blood, we have no life in us, for his flesh is real food and his blood is real drink. Again, “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him,” he says. In other words, any time we receive the Holy Communion, we receive Jesus himself and we enter into a life-giving relationship with him, a relationship that extends to all those we share in the Eucharist with.

According to St Paul in the second reading, the cup of blessing that we bless is the participation in the Blood of Christ; the bread that we break is the communion in the Body of Christ. Many though we are, we form one body because we partake in the same one Bread. Though each of us partakes in the Eucharist with his or her own personality and story, we become one in Christ. We are united with him and with one another.

This is the mystery we celebrate at every Mass. As we come together to celebrate the Eucharist, the bond that unites us with the Lord and with one another is strengthened. Like the people of Israel in their journey through the wilderness, our journey of faith with all its trials, thirst and hunger, becomes a shared experience; and in the Eucharist, the Lord comes to nourish and strengthen us for this journey.

Today’s feast reminds us therefore of the fellowship, fraternal love, warmth and solidarity that must characterize our Christian communities. In this respect, it would not be right to partake in the Eucharist or to receive Christ with hearts full of hatred, resentments, bitterness, jealousy, unforgiveness and evil thoughts towards others. Let us become what we celebrate and thrive day by day to become signs of Christ’s presence in the world. May he bless and keep all of us. Amen

Happy Feast to you all !!!

TRINITY SUNDAY, YEAR A

Exodus 34:4-6.8-9

Daniel 3

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

John 3:16-18

HOLY TRINITY: THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S LOVE

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” We are undoubtedly familiar with these words of St Paul, which express unequivocally the mystery that we are celebrating today: the Holy Trinity. It is one of the foundational mysteries of our Christian faith, for we believe in One God who exists in Three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Thus, without pretending to make us understand fully this mystery, today’s readings reveal that the Triune God is a God of Love.

In the first reading, God reveals himself to Moses as “the LORD, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.” This story may be surprising, given that it occurred right after that of the golden calf. In effect, few days after the covenant on Mount Sinai, the people of Israel turned from the Lord making a golden calf and worshipping it. And yet, instead of abandoning or destroying this stiff-necked people, God forgave them and decided to continue the journey with them, thanks to the intercession of Moses.

This revelation of God shows that God is Love. As the gospel reading tells us, the fullness of this merciful love of God is revealed to us in Jesus Christ: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Thus, God’s love and mercy are greater than our sins and unfaithfulness. He did not only send us his Son but also poured out his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given us.

Therefore, by celebrating the Holy Trinity, we are invited to enter into the story of this love of God and radiate it around us. In this perspective, St Paul exhorts us saying: “Brethren, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you…”

May the Lord help us transform our parish communities, our families and our workplaces into communities of love so as to experience his unfailing presence in our lives. Amen