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

SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS

Revelation 7:2-4.9-14

1 John 3:1-3

Matthew 5:1-12

CALLED TO BE SAINTS

We celebrate today the solemnity of All Saints. We often apply the title of Sainthood to those Catholics who have distinguished themselves with a life of faith, a heroic witness to Christ in martyrdom or a life of unparallel Christian virtues, and have been canonized or beatified by the Church. But “All Saints” refers to that great multitude of men and women, children and old, Christians and non-Christians alike, whose lives on earth were pleasing to God, and now are with God in paradise. 

In the first reading, St John had a vision of one hundred and forty-four thousands people from the twelve tribes of Israel, and also another “great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue”. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches before the throne of God and the Lamb. They had survived the time of great distress and washed their robes, making them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

They were not supermen on earth, but ordinary men and women like us. They remained faithful to the end in spite of everything. They exhibited the virtues proclaimed by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Beatitudes, which may be rightly said to be “the Charter for Sainthood.” As such, anyone who lives in accordance with the Beatitude will inherit the Kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:1-12). For God has loved us and made us his children. But what we shall be has not yet been revealed. Thus, what we hope and long for is to be like him when we see him as he really is (1John 3:1-3).

It can be observed therefore that Sainthood is not reserved to a selected few. Each and every one of us is called to be a Saint, to be the best-version of himself or herself. We are all called to perfection. But let us remember that “perfection does not consist in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way”. In short, becoming a saint consists in doing good daily and doing it well. Again, we can do nothing without God’s grace. And so, let us ask him to grant us his grace so that we may follow the footsteps of the Saints and contemplate his glory one day in heaven. Amen 

Happy Feast to you all !!!