September 30, 2011. Homily, Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Feast of St. Francis of Asissi

Luke 10: 38-42

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Our grandson Tucker five years old asked Deann, "Grandma Dee, why am I a boy?" Deann just looked at him speechless, and Tucker added, "I know that you are going to tell me that 'I am a boy, because God decided to make me a boy.' But why does God make all the big decisions?"

This Gospel answers that question. Martha asks, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?" And Jesus by His answer show that He does care. First, He addresses her by her name "Martha" and again "Martha". To address a person by their name show that one cares. And then Jesus shows that He has observed Martha: "you are anxious and worried about many things". And to observe a person shows that one cares.

"There is need of only one thing." What is that "one thing". the lead-in to the Gospel says "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." That suggests the answer.

Then Jesus says, "Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her. "[t]the "better part of what"? "[T]he better part of what [whole}." The whole is to hear the word of God and to observe it. When we hear the Word of God we inhale, and when we observe the Word we exhale. We inhale the Word and exhale the works. Benedict's "Laborare es orare". Work is prayer.

The prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St. Francis was born at Assisi in 1182. After a care free youth, he turned his back on inherited wealth and committed himself to God. Like many early saints, he lived a very simple life of poverty, and in so doing, gained a reputation of being the friend of animals. He established the rule of St Francis, which exists today as the Order of St. Francis, or the Franciscans. He died in 1226, aged 44.

The prayer has many of the biblical truths of what it means to be a Christian - to seek to give, and in so doing, receive blessings; that the Lord's Prayer asks God to forgive us as we forgive, and that the goal of eternal life can only result from us putting to death our old sinful lives.

September 23, 2010. Homily, Tuesday, September 27, 2010

Luke 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he went messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

The Gospel of the Lord.

James and John, sons of thunder, Boarges.

However, we read, "But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village" ( Luke 9:55, 56). Let's think about a few things we learn from this incident.

First, God does not desire that anyone be lost. God wants all men to be saved and so he is patient, kind, and longsuffering. God is desirous that men repent and live. James and John's request to bring down fire upon these Samaritans was out of character with God's desires for man's salvation.

Second, attitude plays a key role in preaching the gospel. Jesus said of James and John, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." Their attitudes were not right. They should have been seeking to forgive these Samaritans instead of condemn them.

Third, we must realize that Satan is the enemy, not other men.

Job: why is light given to the toilers and life to the bitter in spirit.

Jesus is patient with those who do not accept him.

September 20, 2011, Homily, Saturday, September 24, 2011

Luke 9:43b-45.

While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, "Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men." But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

The Gospel of the Lord.

How lonely he sounds.

"[I]ts meaning was hidden" but revealed in Friday's gospel: the Son of Man must suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, be killed and on the third day be raised from the dead.

At Fort Dix in a chapel reading of the Passion, a 2nd grader calls out, "Where were the marines?"

St. John Chrysostom comments: "Let no one be scandalized by

this imperfection in the Apostles; for the Cross had not yet been reached nor

the grace of the Spirit given" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 65).

To lie is to look away from the truth, because I'm afraid of it. Lies are evasions for the sake of comfort. Lies are afraid of nothing so much as the truth, because it has power to destroy them.

September 20, 2011, Homily, Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Luke 8:19-21

The Mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and wish to see you."

He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Take that.

A parable of Jesus is a container made of words. We pour into it what we know from our life experiences and we pour our of it what we need. So here, we have our own experience of our mother and our brothers and our sisters and of those times when they have disturbed us at our work and our reactions to that. But this is Jesus and the mother of Jesus and the reaction of Jesus to His mother, and we know that the mother of Jesus is the perfect vessel of the will of God, for when God through the archangel Gabriel asked for her obedience she said "Yes". And we know that Jesus loved His mother and that His mother's life was to do the will of God. We saw that at the wedding feast of Cana, when she asked the help of Jesus, and Jesus said, "Woman, my time has not yet come" and Mary said to the servants, "Do whatever he asks." And Jesus asked the servant to fill the water vessels and then performed the miracle of water into wine. And so here, Jesus answers the messenger by elevating the disciples of Jesus, us, to the status of brother of Jesus, sister of Jesus, and even mother of Jesus.

Posted by Daniel Murphy at 4:24 AM 0 comments

Sept. 6, 2011. Homily, Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Luke 7: 11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, "Do not weep." He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!" The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, "A great prophet has arisen in our midst,"and "God has visited his people." This report about him spread throughout the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Introduction

1. Widows are a helpless group in any society regardless of their age, time and culture. They could easily become destitute in the society unable to earn a living.

2. They are vulnerable and that makes them an easy target for sexual predators, robbers and other unwelcomed people.

3. This was the situation of the widow from Nain. Her only son was her protector, supporter and hope.

4. Now that he is gone, her future was full of uncertainty – At least she thought so.

5. Then she meets our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

6. Let’s see how she was helped out of her situation by Jesus.

Read: Luke 7:11-17

A. Jesus was compassionate about her

Compassion: “Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it” (www.thefreedictionary.com)

1. Jesus’ heart broke the moment he saw the weeping widow. He didn’t wanted to put up a show with his power but to help her.

2. There are approximately 22 major religions. Approximately 42 major deities. My Sri Lankan non-Christian friends believe in a host of 33,000,000 (thirty three million) deities.

3. These deities possess power but not compassion. They wont help unless you please them with a good offering first.

4. What shall we do then? Come to Jesus in faith.

B. Jesus put himself in the widow’s shoes

1. Scholars believe that Mary – Jesus’ guardian mother was a widow too.

2. It’s possible that Joseph died long before Jesus launched his public ministry,

3. Therefore Jesus was used to support her.

4. Jesus had been there – done that!

5. Jesus is God who came down to our level. Thus he knows our sufferings.

C. Our faith turns His compassion into action

1. Jesus said to the widow and the mourners “don’t cry”. He wasn’t soothing nor ridiculing her either. He was asking her to believe in God’s power.

2. The tradition: In those days professional mourners were hired to be mourn the death of a person. Secondly Jesus was supposed to not to touch the coffin. The tradition neither permitted stopping the funeral procession. Jesus and his disciples were supposed to turn back and follow the crowd to the grave yard.

3. These traditions could have hindered God’s move if the crowd protested Jesus’ actions.

4. Don’t frame Jesus in your own culture and tradition. (Most Sri Lankans continue with their problems because for them believing in Jesus is betrayal against the culture and generational beliefs). When you come to Jesus, believe that nothing is beyond his control. Remember he was the only person among those people who could tell others not to cry.

5. This same Jesus who said, “Don’t cry”, has the power to bring His answer in His time.

D. Jesus’ word is more powerful than any other situation

1. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, arise. (The Greek word for “arise” is “egeir?” meaning to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life)

2. The dead man sat up and began to speak upon Jesus’ command.

3. This message itself I am preaching today is powerful enough to change situations if you believe.

E. Conclusion

1. It’s a one thing to heal the sick but another thing to raise the dead.

2. The crowd was filled with awe and praised God upon seeing this great miracle.

3. They said that a great prophet has appeared among them and God has visited his people.

4. The 2 great mistakes: A great prophet not the great prophet (Messiah, Saviour). They thought God has come to help them. But they didn’t recognize that Jesus is God himself.

5. It’s true Jesus can help you regardless of how serious is your situation. But that’s not the only thing he wants you to receive. He wants you to receive him!

6. Would you like to surrender your life to Jesus the God of compassion, love and power?

September 6, 2011, Homily, Saturday, September 10, 2011

Luke 6:43-49:

Jesus said to his disciples: "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house who dug deeply and laid the foundations on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like one who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Memorare:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

This is the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. And in the Gospel we hear the words of Jesus: "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit." Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. We have on December 8th the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Church dogma that conception of the Virgin Mary was without any stain ("macula" in Latin is "stain") of sin, solemnly defined as dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854 (Our Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Hope, was built on the 100th anniversary of that declaration by the Pope and declared ex cathedra, under the Pope's doctrine of infallibility in 1950, the only exercise of the infallibility power.

Jesus was a carpenter, a builder, so that we should pay especial attention to the images Jesus uses from construction of edifices. Sirach says that we know a person, judge his character, by what he reveals about himself through his speech, but Jesus says that the better criterion is that we know a person, judge her character, by what she reveals about herself through her acts, her deeds. The lazy way to judge is through one's words, but the thorough way to judge is through a careful examination of one's deeds. If we lay a firm foundation upon rock, our judgment will be proof against the storm surges of life. And our Christian life based on baptism, the teachings of the Church given to us by our parents and then CCD, and then confirmation, and a life of grace.