June 24, 2012

Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6

   Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

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Second Reading: Acts of the Apostles 13:22-26

   In those days, Paul said: "God raised up David as their king; of him he testified, 'I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.' From this man's descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, 'What do you suppose that I am?' I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet." "My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent."

Gospel Reading: Luke 1:57-66,80

   When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John." But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Reflection: Fr. James Theophilus 

   Birth of a child and naming of the child are always occasions to celebrate. It is not a celebration for the family alone rather it is a celebration for the relatives and the neighbourhood. It is a public celebration. Birth is celebrated to thank God for the gift of life. Life is a free gift of God and in this case it is a special gift because Elizabeth was barren.

   Naming the child is to recognize the child among the family and give a mission to the child. Name always carried the character of the child for the Israelites and in some cases the name specified the role and the function of the child. Celebration ended with a question and wonder: 'what will this child be?!'

June 17, 2012

11th Sunday of Ordinary Time

First Reading: Ezekiel 17:22-24

   Thus says the Lord GOD: "I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, And plant it on a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, Bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, Wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do."

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Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10

   Brothers and sisters, we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.

Gospel Reading: Mark 4:26-34

   Jesus said to the crowds: "This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come." He said, "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade." With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Reflection: Fr. James Theophilus 

   Jesus explains the kingdom through parables only. The qualities of the kingdom or the values of the kingdom are presented through these parables and stories. Yet we cannot say that this is the kingdom. One story cannot explain the kingdom completely.  Kingdom is so expansive yet so inclusive that it cannot be easily defined and described. These parables are also explained privately to his disciples. They are not easily understandable or self explanatory. 

   Growth of the kingdom is imperceptible. Owner of the land or the worker in the land only sleeps and rises to find the kingdom growing (but he does scatter the seed). Growth is not through external forces. Another quality of the growth is that it is very much visible. Seed is so small and that is not even visible but the once the kingdom is grown it is so vast that everyone comes under its care and protection.

June 10, 2012

Solemnity of the Holy Body & Blood of Christ

First Reading: Exodus 24:3-8

   When Moses came to the people and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all answered with one voice, "We will do everything that the LORD has told us." Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and, rising early the next day, he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD, Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls; the other half he splashed on the altar. Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, "All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do." Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words of his."

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Second Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15

   Brothers and sisters, when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation, he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God. For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

Gospel Reading: Mark 14:12-16,22-26

   On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"' Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there." The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover. While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Reflection: Fr. James Theophilus 

   Jesus is in control of the situation. He knows everything that is going to happen to him. It looks as if he has planned everything to the detail. He has not only planned but informed and arranged things for the feast and for the personal happenings of events. The last days events are what Jesus has willed (not my will but your will be done) and accepted and carried out.

   Jesus has made the will of God his own. This was the reason he could boldly speak about the betrayal here. Because he has seen God in his life and lived God in his life the Passover event which was one of the main miracles of the Old Testament becomes personal happening. His life becomes a Passover. Every believer is given the chance to make Passover personal event in his own personal temporal, special, social context.

June 3, 2012

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40

   Moses said to the people: "Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever."

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Second Reading: Romans 5:16-25

   Brothers and sisters, for those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!" The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 28:16-20

   The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." 

Reflection: Fr. James Theophilus 

   Jesus was sent by the Father into the world. He was sent to proclaim the good news of the kingdom and make disciples for the kingdom. Jesus has completed the mission by his death and resurrection. Now he has been given the authority in heaven and on earth. He commanded his disciples: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
   Now Jesus plays the same role as the Father has done. Jesus sends his disciples into the world. He asks the disciples to make more disciples. This is done in the name of the triune God. When we do something in the name of someone then what we mean is that in the power of / in the strength of / in the character of / in the presence of that person. The disciples preach and do all what they can in the name of the triune God.