29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) Isaiah 45:1, 4-6/Psalm 96/1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b/Matthew 22:15-21
During the time of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Israelites were living under the rule of the Roman empire. As people living under the Roman rule, the Israelites were required to pay taxes to the Roman empire. Their taxes go to Rome, to where the emperor lives. Tiberius Caesar was the emperor during the time of Jesus. Tiberius Caesar, by the way, succeeded his father, Caesar Augustus, who was the emperor of Rome during the time of Christ's birth. Because people at that time had to pay taxes to Rome, the people during the time of Christ were very angry at the Romans because they were ruthless and vicious towards Israel. Many of them attempted to overthrow the Roman government by force. Some Israelites decided to work for the Roman government as tax collectors. Examples of Israelites that became tax collectors are St. Matthew the Evangelist (who became an apostle of Jesus and the author of today's Sunday Gospel reading) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). For many Israelites, what some of their countrymen did to work for the Roman government as tax collectors was an act of betrayal to their country. According to many zealots, these people have betrayed their nation and caused a very big sin in the eyes of God and man. Now in the Gospel, two groups have met together in order to trap Jesus. These two groups have opposing beliefs. These two groups are the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Pharisees and Herodians have opposing beliefs. But how in the world were they able to unite and become a team? Jesus is the reason for their team-up. They rejected Jesus and look at Him as an enemy. Jesus is the common enemy for the two groups in order to team up. Another religious group during the time, the Sadducees, also opposed Jesus. The Pharisees have teamed up with other religious groups (Herodians and Sadducees) in order to get rid of Jesus. The question the two groups asked Jesus is: Is it legal or illegal to pay taxes to Caesar? If Jesus answered yes or no, He will be trapped and arrested. Why? If Jesus says yes, then He will be a traitor in the sight of many people. Jesus betrays His nation Israel for Rome if He answers yes. But, if Jesus says no, Jesus will be seen as a rebel. The Pharisees, Herodians and other enemies of Jesus will have a case to present to the Roman government in order for Jesus to be put to death. Either way, it is a trap. Jesus is in danger. Jesus is aware of what is happening. He knows that the question is being posed to Him out of malice and in order to trap Him. The Lord knows that His enemies are using nice words in order for Him to twist His tongue and be caught off guard. Jesus is aware that these groups approached Him in order to set a trap and arrest Him. He knows that the two groups want Him arrested and killed. If the Lord wanted, He would have just ignored them and continued teaching others. The Lord answers the question in three parts. First, the Lord asks them for a coin. Second, the Lord asks them what image do they see on the coin. The obvious answer is Caesar's face is on the coin. Very surprising. We could probably ask, isn't the Lord familiar with what the coin looks like? As an Israelite, the Lord should probably know what the coin looks like. But, the Lord uses this for the third part of His answer. The third and final part of the Lord's answer is, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." What does this mean? It means that we should both pay respect to God and our own nation. As citizens of our nation, we have to be respectful to our leaders and help them. The problems of our nation is not only the problems of our leaders. Everyone is involved whenever there are problems in our nation. As a sign of respect for our countries, we have to be help each other, especially our leaders in congress. We have to correct them if they make any errors whatsoever. By doing this, we show our love and respect for our nation. But, we have to remember that God created everything here on earth. He created the earth we live in. He created us human beings. Everything that we see around us are created by God. As a result, we have to pay what is due to God. What is due to God? Our love and respect for God. By worshiping and obeying God, we show our love and respect for God. Not only that, we have to respect our neighbor. Everyone of us human beings are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). We have to respect and love one another as a sign of our respect and love for God. As true Christians, let us show our love for God and our nation. We have a responsibility towards one another and our nation. No one was born to live only for himself. We have a responsibility in the eyes of God. By loving and respecting our nation, we also show our love for God who created Heaven and earth. By doing so, we are giving to God what is due to Him. True Christian missionaries love and give respect to God first and above all things and also love and give respect to their nations.
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) Isaiah 55:6-9/Psalm 145/Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a/Matthew 20:1-16a
The Lord Jesus explains to us the generosity of God by using a parable in today's Gospel. The parable in our Gospel reading is about the workers in the vineyard. By this parable, Jesus shows us how God is generous. God is being personified as the owner of the vineyard. The owner of the vineyard pays the workers equally, despite the workers working in different hours. As the saying goes, "It is better late than never." Well, we say a case of this saying in today's Gospel. In the beginning of the Gospel, the owner of the vineyard hires the first group of workers and makes an agreement that they will be paid the daily wage. The first group of workers started to work at the earliest time, let's say at 4:30, 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning. While the day went by, the owner of the house still recruited more workers. At the very last hour before the work day ended, like approximately 5:00 in the afternoon, the owner hired another group of workers. He could have been contented with the workers that would work for the whole day under the heat of the sun. But no. The owner chose to look for more workers because he is very compassionate. Once the work day ended, the owner of the vineyard paid the workers. This time, the order of those being paid were reversed. The last group who worked for only one hour were paid first and they received the daily wage. The very first group, the group that worked the longest, thought that they would receive a larger pay because of their hard work for the whole day. But, instead of what they were expecting, they received the same pay as the last group. Each group of workers received the same pay. In our eyes, this would deem to be unfair. If we think according to human judgement, what the owner of the vineyard did was an injustice. The workers worked very hard for a very long time in order to earn that right. Why did the owner of the vineyard pay them the same way as he paid the other groups? Why? How come their pay was not raised for their hard work for the full day? This is an injustice. This is corruption. If we base our thinking according to human justice, this in not right. What the owner did was very unfair. But, the owner of the vineyard cleared the misunderstanding. The owner of the vineyard said that he did not cheat on them. Why? First and foremost, that was their agreement. How could there be an injustice if they both made an agreement? So, no injustice whatsoever on the part of the owner. The workers and the owner of the vineyard made an agreement. So, there is no injustice in what he did. Second, he is the owner of the vineyard. The owner of the vineyard is the boss. He gets the final say on a particular thing, like in payment. The workers were probably jealous because the owner of the vineyard is very generous. Despite all the riches the owner had, he still is very generous. Take the very last group that worked in the vineyard for example. The owner still hired the very last group because of his generosity. No one would accept them. But, the owner of the vineyard accepted them and paid them the daily wage. God continually expresses His generosity towards us. Even though we are late in turning back to the Lord, the Lord will still express His generosity towards us. Nothing would hinder or stop the Lord from being generous towards us. The Lord God will not do anything unjust or cheat us. Instead, the Lord will show us how generous He is towards us. God is very generous towards us out of His love for us. God continues to show us His generosity, mercy and compassion towards us each and everyday of our lives.
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) Ezekiel 33:7-9/Psalm 95/Romans 13:8-10/Matthew 18:15-20
Jesus teaches us how to deal with people who we have misunderstandings or problems with. We could not get rid of misunderstandings or problems in life. It is part of life. A problem big or small could cause a lot of trouble. There are a lot of times whenever we have problems or misunderstandings, especially with other people. It is not always easy. There are lots of times whenever we encounter problems. Although we try hard to avoid this, we can't because there are times that we have big problems, especially with one another. Jesus gives us three ways in order to fix our misunderstandings or problems with others. The first thing to do when a person sins is to talk to him personally. By talking to him personally, you get to explain to him what he did and why it was wrong. This reminder would help him realize his mistake. No one is born for himself. We have a responsibility. Our responsibility is our neighbor. We have to correct their mistakes. We have to fix our problems together. The second thing we have to do is to bring a witness, if he still does not listens. Witnesses will help you in correcting the person who has done wrong. Sometimes, it would take two or three people to enlighten someone's mind. If he did not change his mind when you personally talk to him (just the two of you), probably two other people would help. The witnesses you take would help him enlighten his mind and change his ways. You would be able to fix your problems with the help of others. If the second thing does not work, Jesus tells us not to surrender. Don't give up. There is a third thing to do that could help the person who has done wrong change his ways. Take him to the congregation of the Church. The Church is a welcoming community. Ask the community to pray for him. Through prayer, the one who has done wrong might change his ways. Prayer works all of the time. Prayer could possibly help resolve problems. But, if the third does not work as well, the Lord tells us to treat those who we cannot resolve our problems with as Gentiles. We can set them free. They do not belong with us. They are outsiders. So, does that mean that we don't get to care for them? No. Instead, Jesus shows us an example on how to treat people who are outsiders. Examples are St. Matthew the Apostle and Zacchaeus. They were tax collectors. They did not belong to the people at that time. But, Jesus showed mercy and compassion towards them. He visited and dined with them. Through Christ, sinners have changed their lives and turned back to God. God does not stop showing mercy and compassion towards us. The Lord is patient towards us. He will wait for us and will not stop waiting until we go back to Him and repent. Just as how the Lord God is merciful and patient towards us, let us become patient and merciful towards our neighbors. Even though some of us are hard-headed, let us not cease in showing one another love and mercy. Just as how the Lord does not stop showing love and mercy towards us, let us not stop loving and being merciful to one another. Lord God, teach us how to be merciful and loving towards one another, just as how You never cease to show mercy and love towards us. Amen.
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) Jeremiah 20:7-9/Psalm 63/Romans 12:1-2/Matthew 16:21-27
There is a story about a man who was following the Lord and carrying his cross. While the person was carrying his own cross, he felt that it was too heavy for him to carry. So, he asks the Lord if he can cut parts of the cross down. Once he got permission from the Lord to cut parts of the cross, he cuts parts of the cross until the cross was light enough for him to carry. When he and the Lord reached a cliff, the man thought that their journey was over. But the Lord said, "No, our journey is not yet over. We are going to the other cliff." The Lord used His cross in order to cross to the other cliff while His companion tried to reach the other cliff using his cross, but it was too short for him. This Sunday's Gospel talks about accepting our crosses in life. Last Sunday's Gospel talks about Peter's confession about Jesus' identity. Through the grace of God, Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Because of this, Jesus rewarded Peter by making Peter the rock on which Jesus will build His church and giving him the keys to the kingdom of Heaven, showing Peter's authority once Jesus leaves this world. Now, in today's Gospel reading, Jesus talks to His disciples about His mission as the Messiah sent by God. In the first part of the Gospel reading for this Sunday, Jesus now talks about His mission in the world - to suffer and die on the cross for the sake of mankind. But on the third day, Jesus is to rise again. The apostles, especially Saint Peter, did not understand what Jesus meant. When the Lord said that He is going to die for the sake of humankind, Peter and the rest of the apostles objected. Peter himself expressed his objection to what Jesus was saying. The apostles, especially St. Peter, could not understand or accept what Jesus said. "Get behind Me, Satan!" This is what Jesus said in response to Peter's objection to what Jesus said about Him being killed. For sure, we can bet that Peter felt hurt because of what Jesus called him. At first, Jesus made Peter the rock on which He will build His church and gave him the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. Now, Jesus calls him "Satan." Isn't that insulting of Jesus? Yes, the Lord sure sounds insulting. But, the Lord uses strong language to express His point. Jesus uses "Satan" to say that Peter is interfering. "Satan" means "adversary." The Lord does not refer to Peter as "Satan" or "Lucifer." Jesus teaches the disciples the conditions of discipleship in the second part of today's Gospel reading. Jesus tells His disciples that it is not easy being His disciple. Being a disciple of Jesus is going to be very hard. Why? If anyone wants to become a disciple of Christ, they would have to forget anything about themselves, take up their cross and follow Christ. There will be hardships and crosses when we follow Jesus. The truth hurts. We may have a very hard time or not accept it, but it is the truth. There will be times when we will be tested in being a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just like the Lord said, it won't be easy. One example of hardships in life are the loss of a loved one because of illness or very strong calamities. In those times, we will see ourselves questioning God. Questions like, "What did I do that God did this to me?" or, "Why have done this to me, O Lord?" It is not easy being a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself had His share in following the will of God the Father. On the night before He suffered, the Lord prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane to save Him from the hour of His death. Although Jesus knew that He has to die for the sake of mankind, His obedience to the Father was tested. Jesus knows the pain of the whip, the crown of thorns and the nails that will nail Him to the heavy cross He will carry. This made Jesus pray to the Father and ask for the Father's help. At the end of His prayer, Jesus says, "Not My will, but Your will be done." Jesus surrenders to the Father's will. He submitted Himself to the will of the Father. The Lord chose to be brave and faced His death on the cross. After His prayer, the Lord did not back down. The Lord faced His death, in obedience to the will of the Father. The Father was the source of Jesus' bravery in facing His death. If Jesus wanted, He would've escaped His death easily. But, Jesus faced the cross and His death with full bravery. God the Father is the source of bravery. Let us pray to the Father for bravery, just like Jesus. The bravery God gives us will help us in facing and accepting our crosses in life. God will always be with us in every step of life. Taking up the crosses of our lives is not easy. But, God will always be with us in every step in our journey and will always help us at problematic times. Let us be one with Jesus in taking up His cross. Let us be brave in taking up our cross and follow the Lord. Dear Lord, grant us bravery and strength to face the challenges in life and take up our crosses so that we may become followers of Jesus. Amen.
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) Isaiah 22:19-23/Psalm 138/Romans 11:33-36/Matthew 16:13-20
Our Gospel for this Sunday is about the declaration of St. Peter the Apostle about the identity of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Gospel reading, Jesus appoints Peter as the first Pope because of Peter's answer to Jesus' question regarding His identity. Peter's was given authority by Jesus because of the grace the Father has bestowed on Peter. Peter did not answer Jesus' question on his own, God the Father has revealed it the answer to Peter by His grace. The Lord used the opportunity in Caesarea Philippi in order to teach His disciples once again. This time, the Lord Jesus used the opportunity in private to test His disciples on how other people and the disciples know Him. In the quiet place of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus gets to ask His disciples two questions. Caesarea Philippi was a quiet place for Jesus and His disciples away from the crowds, away from Jesus' countrymen. For Jesus and His disciples, Caesarea Philippi is a place away for them in order to reflect and for Jesus to teach His disciples in private. While they were in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks the disciples two questions. First, Jesus asks the disciples what other people think about Him. Who is Jesus according to other people? He is not asking this question because He is concerned about what people think about Him. Instead, Jesus asks this question in order to know how well other people know Him. How well do other people think about Him? Let us look at what the disciples answered Him. Some say that Jesus was either John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or other prophets. Other people see John the Baptist in Jesus. We all know John the Baptist as the forerunner of Jesus. John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord. He prepared people to greet the Messiah by baptizing them. As John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah, he spoke the truth. Jesus also spoke at testified to the truth. In the Gospel of Saint Mark, He also called the people to repent and believe in the Gospel, just like John the Baptist (Mark 1:15). Herod Antipas also believed that Jesus was John the Baptist. Jesus is also being compared by others to the prophet Elijah. Like John the Baptist, people think that Jesus is Elijah. Other people think that they have seen the prophet Elijah again. The prophet Elijah was the boldest among all the prophets. He challenged the prophets of the false god Baal in Mount Carmel. Jesus is also being compared to Jeremiah. Like Jeremiah the prophet, Jesus spoke boldly against greed and hypocrisy. To summarize it up, people think that Jesus is a prophet. The second question of the Lord is who He is according to His disciples. It is not about what other people think about Him now. It is about what His disciples think who He is. Other people did not get the answer correct. By asking these two questions, Jesus is teaching the disciples who He is. The other people who listened to Him did not get the correct answer about the identity of the Lord Jesus. Christ is revealing Himself once again, this time to His disciples personally. St. Peter, with the grace of God, confesses that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Christ. Christ and Messiah mean the same thing. The two terminologies mean, "Anointed One." Jesus is the Chosen One, the Anointed One of God. God anointed Jesus to be the Savior, the promised Messiah. The prophecies of the prophets of the Old Testament have been fulfilled in the person of Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise to mankind. Jesus knew that God the Father revealed it to Peter. It was the grace of God that allowed Peter to say that Jesus is the Messiah. As a result, Jesus anointed Peter as the rock on which Jesus will build His Church. Jesus gave Peter the keys to heaven, as a sign of his authority here on earth. St. Peter will be Christ's Vicar or Representative on earth once Christ returns to Heaven. The line does not stop with Peter. It keeps continuing. Our Holy Father Pope Francis is the 266th successor of Peter. Who is Jesus? Jesus continues to ask us, "Who do you say that I am?" There are a lot of answers to the Lord's question. St. Peter, the very first Pope, gives us the most simple answer, "The Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God." Like St. Peter the Apostle, may our faith in the Lord grow deeper. May we continue to have faith in Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God.
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) Isaiah 56:1, 6-7/Psalm 67/Romans 11:13-15, 29-32/Matthew 15:21-28
Today's Sunday Gospel talks about the encounter of Jesus with a Canaanite woman. A Canaanite woman goes to Jesus to persuade Him to cure her daughter. What happened to the woman's daughter? Her daughter is possessed by a demon. The Canaanite woman does not hesitate to go to Jesus, because she knows and believes that Jesus would help her and her daughter. Jesus tests the woman's faith in two ways. The first test was when Jesus said that He came for the Israelites, not the Gentiles. Jesus tells the woman that He can not help her and her daughter because they do not belong to the house of Israel. The woman and her daughter are outsiders, in other words. Because the woman and her daughter are not Israelites, Jesus tells them that He can't help them. He does not help outsiders. Quite racist of Jesus though. The second test was when Jesus calls the woman a dog. Who would not feel offended if a person is being called a dog by someone else? None. Isn't it surprising to see that Jesus calls a person an offending name? Yes, it sure is surprising to see Jesus calling someone an insulting name. Calling the woman a dog is very insulting. Jesus just used an insulting term towards a human being. Didn't Jesus teach about the love and mercy of God? Didn't Jesus teach about being loving and merciful towards our neighbors? His teachings are the complete opposite of the actions He is displaying in the Gospel. But, the Canaanite woman does not relent. Instead, she perseveres at remains patient. Her faith in Jesus helps her keep her ground. She does not complain about Jesus calling her offensive things. The Canaanite woman is already used to insults similar to what Jesus called her. The woman probably encountered other Jews at that time that called her a dog. For the Canaanite woman, nothing is new for her when Jesus calls her a dog because she is already used to it. Nothing was able to stop the Canaanite woman to stop asking Jesus for help. Her deep faith helped her remain patient, despite the efforts of Jesus and the disciples to make her leave. She could have left when Jesus refused to help her, but she did not. Instead, the woman persevered in asking Jesus for help. The Canaanite woman was determined to ask Jesus to cure her daughter. She would not back down. She would not surrender. She has passed the test of Jesus. The woman has showed her strong faith. Jesus was pleased at how the Canaanite woman displayed her deep faith. The Lord was moved at the Canaanite woman's faith. The Canaanite woman has passed the test of the Lord Jesus. Because of how the woman showed her faith in Jesus, Jesus grants her request. Jesus cures the daughter of the Canaanite woman. Jesus showed His mercy towards the Canaanite woman and her daughter because the Canaanite woman displayed her deep faith in the Lord. The Canaanite woman was rewarded for her deep faith. The faith of the Canaanite woman is a beautiful example for all of us. If we have faith in the mercy of God, just like the Canaanite woman in the Gospel, the Lord will show His mercy towards us. God may test our faith, just like Abraham and the Canaanite woman in the Gospel. We have to show that we have deep faith in God in the test He gives us. Once we have passed the test of God, God will show His mercy towards us. Have faith in the mercy of God. God shows His mercy towards everyone who has faith and trusts in Him. If it seems that the Lord is not answering our prayers, just like the Canaanite woman in today's Gospel reading, He is just testing our faith. Once we have passed the test of the Lord God, He will show His mercy towards us. God's mercy endures forever.
Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, priest Jeremiah 18:1-6/Psalm 146/Matthew 13:47-53
In the Philippines, the Jesuits is one of the famous priests in the country. The Jesuit priests in the Philippines run the Ateneo de Manila University. They evangelize through their programs on television, such as Kape't Pandasal every Monday-Friday mornings on ABS-CBN and The Word Exposed with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle every Sunday mornings on ABS-CBN Sports+Action, ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), and PTV Channel 4. Asides from media, most songs that is sung during Mass in the Philippines, English or Filipino, are mostly composed by Jesuit priests, such as Fr. Manoling Francisco and Fr. Eduardo Hontiveros. I know some Jesuit priests and some priests who studied at the San Jose Seminary at the Ateneo de Manila University. The San Jose Seminary at the Ateneo does not only train seminarians to become Jesuit priests. They also train Diocesan priests. Priests such as Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Msgr. Clem Ignacio of Quiapo Church, among others. These priests are not Jesuits, but they are Diocesan priests who studied at San Jose Seminary. Diocesan priests who are alumni of San Jose Seminary are also known as Josefinos. Today is a very special day for Atenista (people who studies in Ateneo) and Jesuit priests around the world. Why? Today we remember the founder of the Jesuit Order, St. Ignatius of Loyola. Before he became a saint, Ignatius of Loyola was a soldier for Spain. He suffered a very bad, if not fatal, injury during a war. That injury started the process of St. Ignatius of Loyola's conversion. While he was recovering from his injury, he read books about the life of the Lord Jesus and other saints. These books inspired him to change his life and become a soldier of our Lord. If an ordinary person would see that Ignatius quitting being a soldier, he would probably think, "Why would he do that? He got all the riches in the world. He is living in novelty. Why would he leave all his riches behind?" For some people, they would think that St. Ignatius of Loyola is not being smart. They would think he is being dumb. Why? Because according to them, if they had the amount of riches Ignatius of Loyola had, they would literally keep it and have it only for themselves. They would think it would make them richer and richer and richer. But, Ignatius is exchanging things. St. Ignatius is exchanging all his riches for God, the true treasure. He has chosen God over all the riches of the world. St. Ignatius made the right decision in choosing God over all the riches in this world. In God, St. Ignatius found the true treasure. He is more than satisfied because he has chosen God. Ignatius became poor in spirit. He chose to become poor in spirit and God has rewarded him. For St. Ignatius, he is truly rich because he has chosen God. St. Ignatius feels more richer than ever because he has chosen God to reign over his life. He allowed God to reign on him and this makes him richer than he was when he was a soldier. The song "Take and Receive" was taken from the Suscipe Prayer of St. Ignatius. The very first words of this prayer, "Take, Lord, and receive my understanding, my memory..." By surrendering everything he has and his whole life to God, Ignatius is gaining more than what the world could give him. St. Ignatius of Loyola surrendered everything about him and was rewarded by God. In surrendering all of his riches in this world, Ignatius gave glory to God. As the motto of the Jesuits says, "Ad majorem Dei gloriam." (For the greater glory of God) St. Ignatius of Loyola surrendered everything for the glory of God. Today's Gospel is about a Parable of Jesus. We heard the last part of it in the long form of the Sunday Gospel. It is now being used again for today. The message from today's Gospel reading is if you choose God above everything and do as he wishes, you will be rewarded by God. God will reward you by allowing you to enter the kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of God in Heaven is our main goal. What are we supposed to do in order for God to reward us being under the kingdom of Heaven? By being poor in spirit and allowing God to reign in our hearts and in our lives. Like St. Ignatius of Loyola, let us surrender ourselves to God for the greater glory of God. By surrendering ourselves to God, we are giving glory to God and becoming truly rich. God Himself is the true treasure that we should seek for. St. Ignatius became poor in spirit by leaving all his earthly riches. But, by losing his earthly possessions, he is gaining something better - the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the greatest treasure of all. Being under the reign of God is much greater than any treasure in the world. Because of surrendering his whole life to God, St. Ignatius became truly rich. By surrendering ourselves to God, we are giving glory to God. We are gaining something better - much better than all the treasures of this world.
