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Aug. 1, 2006 (Tuesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time)
The gospel today is the explanation of Jesus about the parable of the wheat and the weeds. He explained it in terms of the cosmic battle between good and evil, between God and the devil. In the end, of course, God will win and "the just will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their father." But meanwhile, as the parable stated, good and evil will coexist until the end of the world. For those who wish to spread goodness, it is a call to patience and perseverance.
In his inaugural address, Pope Benedict XVI pointed out the need for patience in the fight for good and progress. We cannot, in the name of progress and liberation, trample everything that stands in the way. We must follow God's plan, we must wait for God's time. He said, "We suffer on account of God's patience. And yet, we need his patience. God, who became a lamb, tells us that the world is saved by the Crucified One, not by those who crucified him. The world is redeemed by the patience of God. It is destroyed by the impatience of man."
Aug. 2, 2006 (Wednesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Jer 15:10, 16-21/ Mt 13:44-46
The gospel today compares the kingdom of heaven to a hidden treasure or to a pearl of great price. We can apply this comparison not only to the faith, which we received, but also to another gift that a person can receive -- the calling from God.
We should see a divine calling, such as a vocation to the priesthood or some other form recognized in the Church, as something of value. It is a great gift of God. It is like winning in the lottery. If you win, you protect your winning stub. So is it with the calling. We should protect it. We should not rashly expose it to being lost or destroyed. Those who receive a calling from God should strive to be faithful to all the requirements of their state in life.
Aug. 3, 2006 (Thursday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time)
The parable in today's gospel compares the kingdom of heaven to the work of fishermen who gather in the fish and then sort out the bad ones from the good ones. "That is how it will be at the end of time; the angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just and throw them into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth."
The children of Fatima, whose sanctity has been recognized by the Church, received a vision of hell. The Virgin Mary told them that they had to pray and offer sacrifices for the salvation of poor sinners. This led them to become zealous in their prayers and sacrifices. The task of the Church is the salvation of souls. All those who work in the Church should never lose sight of this ultimate goal. Like those children, they should be zealous in their work to save people from the punishments of hell.
Aug. 4, 2006 (Friday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time)
When Jesus began his public life, many of his relatives and neighbors in Nazareth thought that he had gone mad. And in his first visit to Nazareth, as we read in today's gospel, his "kababayans" refused to recognize any supernatural or special content in his message. As time went by, Christ continued to meet with opposition, yet he remained steadfast in his salvific mission.
Christ requires the same firmness and tenacity from his followers. We should realize that our behavior as Christians may clash with the behavior of people who oppose Christian moral demands or who are satisfied with a half-hearted discipleship. Then we should act according to the model of the Master. Let us not give in to so-called "human respects". Let us be consistent with our faith.
Aug. 5, 2006 (Saturday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Jer 26:11-16, 24/ Mt 14:1-12
The gospel today is about the death of St. John the Baptist. He had been kept in prison by Herod, but Herod did not really want to execute John the Baptist. However, Herod ended up going against his better judgment because he was put on the spot by his rash oath during a banquet.
How many experiences like that of Herod! Many people talk and make promises without realizing what they are saying. They suddenly find themselves in the predicament of having to do something wrong, just because they already said it and they are ashamed to retract their rash promise. The bottom line is pride and vanity – wanting to be well thought of by people, even at the expense of what is right.
Aug. 6, 2006 (THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD)
Readings: Dn 7:9-10, 13-14/2 Pt 1:16-19/Mk 9:2-10
Before undergoing the Passion, Jesus Christ showed himself in all his glory to the three selected apostles, Peter, James and John. Jesus appeared "transfigured" -- he was radiant and was talking to Elias and Moses. Peter was so overwhelmed by the sight that he did not want it to end. He proposed that they put up three tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elias, so that they could continue their colloquium. But that was not the purpose of this display of glory. A possible reason for this display was that Jesus wanted to strengthen those three apostles for the trials that they would have to endure when Jesus would not be on Mt. Tabor (the mountain of the transfiguration), but on Mt. Calvary (the mountain of the cross).
God sometimes gives us moments of consolation and joy. We want this never to end. But that is not our lot here on earth. Before enjoying glory, we must first undergo suffering. But these moments of consolation will help us to go on, to persevere in spite of dryness and difficulties.
Aug. 7, 2006 (Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time)
The gospel today narrates the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. We can consider only one aspect of this miracle today. Jesus and his followers had expected to rest from their labors by going off to a secluded place where there were no people. But the crowd followed them by another route. When they landed in their place of rest, they found a great crowd. Instead of getting annoyed at the people's insistence, the gospel says that Jesus "had compassion on them. And he healed their sick." Jesus then became concerned for their comfort and well-being, and that is what occasioned this miracle.
Sometimes we expect to rest and instead we find that the people around us have more needs. This can happen to a working person who comes home expecting rest, but instead finds his or her spouse, or their children, asking for their attention. They can imitate Christ. Instead of getting annoyed, they could see this as an opportunity to show their love by changing their personal plans and attending to the needs of others.
Aug. 8, 2006 (Tuesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Jer 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22/ Mt 14:22-36 or Mt 15:1-2, 10-14
As the apostles were struggling against the stormy waters, in the dimness of the night, they saw Jesus approaching them, walking on the water. Their very understandable human reaction was not to believe their own eyes, and this made them cry out that they were seeing a ghost. Jesus then assured them that it was he himself.
Just like the apostles, we have to struggle against the stormy waters of life. We may be buffeted by the storm of persecution, misunderstanding and also by the inner storm of the passions within each one of us. Jesus is never far away. At first, he may seem like a ghost. But if we pray, if we try to keep our faith in him alive, we shall recognize that he is always with us in the midst of difficulties. Let us not be like Peter who, while having an initial outburst of faith, begins to waver because of focusing too much on the difficulties of the situation.
Aug. 9, 2006 (Wednesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time)
The gospel today gives us the edifying example of the Canaanite woman who literally pestered Jesus Christ into performing a miracle. She can be the patron of all those who, in the Philippines, we call "makulit." Jesus already told her that He was not sent to do miracles for the Canaanites because "it is not fair to get the children's food and throw it to the house-dogs." But she retorted, "Even the house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master's table."
We should never get discouraged when we petition God for something good, even if we do not seem to get our request. God wants us to insist. Such insistence is a manifestation of faith. If we persevere in prayer, God will always answer our petitions, giving us what is best for us.
Aug. 10, 2006 (Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr)
St. Lawrence was a deacon of the early Church of Rome. He was martyred by being burned on a grid-iron. As he was slowly being "cooked", he called his executioner and told him, humorously, "Turn me now and eat," referring to what we do when frying food.
It is not a matter of being frivolous in something as serious as martyrdom. But a truly Christian spirit never loses cheerfulness. And one of the manifestations of cheerfulness is a good sense of humor. True virtue is happy and attractive.
Aug. 11, 2006 (Friday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Na 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7/ Mt 16:24-28
A condition for someone to follow Christ is to "renounce himself and take up his cross." What is the cross? Classical Christian spiritual writers point out that the "cross" are the sufferings we receive which are, in a mysterious way, part of God's plan for us. They are like the passion of Christ. It was God's will that Christ should suffer the passion, even if His human nature found those sufferings repugnant. Through the cross of Christ, salvation came to us.
Our sufferings purify us of our egotism and sensuality. They are like the surgeon's scalpel that cut and hurt, but which is necessary for the cure of the diseased organ. Because of the cross, God's grace is received more abundantly and effectively in our soul. We then become true followers of the crucified Lord, and with him, we shall also rise to the joy of the resurrection.
Aug. 12, 2006 (Saturday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time)
This is not the first time that Jesus had to rebuke his apostles for their lack of faith. In the gospel today, they were unable to cast out a devil from a possessed boy in spite of the fact that they had been doing similar feats on other occasions. The reason for their failure this time, spelled out clearly by Jesus, was "because you have little faith."
Faith is a virtue that we must constantly try to increase and strengthen. It is not enough to say, "I believe in those teachings." We can increase the intensity of our faith by being more open to the action of God in us. We can also increase our faith by being consistent with it in our life. Finally, we can strengthen our faith by asking God, just like one of the gospel characters, "Lord, increase my faith."
Aug. 13, 2006 (NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME)
The gospel today continues to talk of Christ's discourse about the Holy Eucharist. We can see the initial reactions of disbelief on the part of Christ's listeners. The gospel tells us that the Jews "murmured" among themselves against Jesus' words.
Clearly, Jesus meant what he said--and not just in a symbolic and poetic sense, but in the plain literal meaning of His words. That is why the Church has constantly believed in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. And this belief of the Church is manifested in its practices. For example, the priest should take extreme care in the manner that he handles the sacred host--he needs to be watchful that it is not subjected to irreverence. The Blessed Sacrament is the focus of attention in a church, so that there is a vigil light on whenever it is present. The faithful show their adoration of the body of Christ by genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament. All these and more are consequences of faith in the words of Christ.
Let us ask God to help us increase our faith in the sacrament of Christ's real presence. Then we will always feel accompanied by His reassuring presence.
Aug. 14, 2006 (Monday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Ez 1:2-5, 24-28c/ Mt 17:22-27
The incident narrated in today's gospel is unique to St. Matthew, perhaps because it involved the collection of taxes, which was Matthew's former trade before being called to the apostolate. Although Christ, as the son of God, was not subject to any human authority, he nevertheless wanted to give us a lesson of order and propriety. Hence he ordered Peter to pay the required taxes, making use of a small miracle to produce the amount needed.
We learn from here that if we want to imitate Christ, we must strive to be good citizens who fulfill all their duties and exercise their rights. Christians should have a sense of civic involvement. It does not mean that we have to be "political" in the partisan sense. It means that we have to face up to our secular condition and not be inattentive to the needs of the "city of man."
Aug. 15, 2006 (The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Readings: Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab/ 1 Cor 15:20-27/ Lk 1:39-56
The Assumption of Mary marks the end of her earthly life. When the time set by God for her stay on earth had passed, God took up Mary to heaven in body and soul. There are two traditions about this -- some say this took place at Ephesus, where she was living with the apostle St. John; others say this took place in Jerusalem where most of the other apostles were. Whatever the case, she is now in heaven without experiencing the common lot of men -- that of remaining in the grave until the end of the world.
Mary is in heaven with her body NOW. And in heaven, we know that she intercedes for us in a special way. Having recourse to the intercession of Mary does not detract from the worship and honor of Jesus Christ. It was Christ himself who set up Mary as our mother. He expects us to treat her as such. And what child does not ask help from his mother? Any honor we give to Mary redounds to Christ; for what child will begrudge any honor given to his mother?
Aug. 16, 2006 (Wednesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time)
The gospel today contains the promise of the sacrament of penance or reconciliation. "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you unbind on earth will be unbound in heaven." When Jesus had risen from the dead, his first act recorded with the apostles was to fulfill this promise. He then told the apostles, "For those whose sins you forgive they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained."
We should be very grateful to Christ for the sacrament of confession. With it, we are certain of receiving forgiveness for the sins for which we are truly sorry. Every Catholic has the right to receive this personal attention from the pastors of the Church. Hence the pastors have the duty to make themselves available for administering this sacrament of God's love.
Aug. 17, 2006 (Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time)
One of the things which are easier said than done is to "forgive and forget." To do so is a clear demand of Christian morality. But when we look at ourselves, we must often admit that we tend to bear grudges against those who may have hurt us or harmed those whom we love. Hence today's gospel, which shows the contrast between the magnanimity of the king and the narrow-mindedness of his servant, is a great help.
When we find it hard to forgive someone, let us remember that whatever harm someone may have caused us, that is nothing in comparison with the offense that we have committed against God our Father. Yet God forgave us, to the extreme point of dying on the cross for our sins. So when we find it hard to forgive, let us not think of the offense against us. Let us think of our offense against God and not exaggerate the harm inflicted on us.
Aug. 18, 2006 (Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63 or 16:59-63/Mt 19:3-12
In today's gospel reading, we see how Christ restored the integrity of marriage by declaring that divorce is against the plan of God. "What God has joined together, let no man put asunder."
Many countries, ignoring the word of Christ, allow divorce for various reasons. In our own country, there are some people who want to remove the indissolubility of the marriage bond alleging that it is needed for the good of society. There are many reliable studies that show the many evils that come from divorce and remarriage. If we want to strengthen the family, we should not allow divorce. Problems of married couples have better solutions. If divorce is possible, then people may no longer try to solve their difficulties and instead seek to run away, to the detriment of many people, especially of their children.
Aug. 19, 2006 (Saturday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32/Mt 19:13-15
"Let the children come to me. Do not hinder them. The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." With these words, Jesus recommends to us the life of "spiritual childhood."
This does not mean to be childish in our dealings with people. It means that we must be childlike in our relationship with God. We must treat God as our most beloved father. We must have complete trust and abandonment in God's love for us. At the same time, we should not have pretensions about ourselves or our accomplishments. We can only truly address God as a father if we have a deep conviction that we are very 'small" before Him.
Aug. 20, 2006 (TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME)
In the sacrament of Communion, provided we receive it with a right disposition, we always derive an increase in the grace of God. But this will augment to the extent that we are better prepared.
The minimum disposition required to receive Communion fruitfully is that we be in the state of grace. A person who has lost the state of grace through mortal sin can derive no profit from physically receiving the Blessed Sacrament. It is like putting food into the mouth of a cadaver. It would only add to its corruption. A sacrilegious Communion is not only useless, it is harmful. It worsens the state of our soul.
Aside from being in the state of grace, Communion can be made more fruitful by enlivening our faith. We should always be aware that we are receiving nothing less than the Body of Christ. Before every communicant, the priest says, "The Body of Christ," precisely to help that person to increase his faith.
We also prepare for Communion by increasing our eagerness to receive Him. When we receive an important visitor, we manifest our eagerness to receive him by unfurling banners of welcome and showing our joy at the visitor's upcoming presence. The visitor then reciprocates our welcome in the best way that he can. If we show Jesus Christ our eagerness to receive Him, He will shower us with more abundant grace. That is why, in many devotional books, it is so often recommended to pray "spiritual communions"--prayers telling Christ how eager we are to receive Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
Aug. 21, 2006 (Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time)
Today's gospel is about the rich young man who was called by Christ, but who could not get himself to follow Christ because of his attachments to his riches. The gospel concludes that the man "Went away sad."
Many of us think that riches will make us happy. Yet very often it becomes a source of anxiety and even of strife. Even if we have a peaceful possession of our belongings, they do not truly satisfy the deep yearnings of the human heart where happiness calls. The book of Proverbs 25, 20 says that "As moth to the cloth and termite to the wood, so sadness harms the heart of man." Hence the advice of St. James in his letter is the appropriate remedy. "Is anyone sad? Let him pray."
Aug. 22, 2006 (The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Today is the feast of the Queenship of Mary. This feast very appropriately comes just a week after we have celebrated Mary's Assumption into heaven. We can imagine how the Blessed Virgin Mary must have been received in heaven! In the Litany after the rosary, she is called "Queen of Angels" and "Queen of All Saints."
Mary is rightfully called "queen" because Jesus, her son, is "king." As the queen of the kingdom of heaven, she holds a place of special honor. She also has great power before God. Mary's Queenship is another motive for us to have recourse to the intercession of Mary.
Aug. 23, 2006 (Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time)
"Many are called but few are chosen." Indeed, as the Second Vatican Council reminded us, all of us are called to holiness. All of us are called to live the fullness of the Christian life. This is not something for a few only.
However, we must respond to this call. Sanctity is accessible to all. But we all have to work for it, cooperating with the grace of God. It is not for us to judge others, but only to try our best to correspond to the call that God addresses to each of us.
Aug. 24, 2006 (Saint Bartholomew, apostle)
Tradition has identified the apostle Bartholomew with the friend of Philip who is called Nathaniel in the gospel of John. He received one of the most beautiful compliments that any man could receive from the Son of God. "Behold, a true Israelite in whom there is no guile." Christ, who could read the hearts of men, saw the honesty and integrity of Bartholomew.
To be truly honest, we should imitate Bartholomew in his readiness to express what is truly in his mind. He frankly expressed his doubt "if anything good can come out of Nazareth." This was not out of pride, but out of a willingness to speak his mind. Because of his uprightness, he was ready to change his initial mistaken impression and subsequently receive the gift of faith. When people are honest in seeking the truth, they will gradually be led to the faith.
Aug. 25, 2006 (Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time)
The gospel reading today contains the assertion of Jesus that the greatest commandment is the commandment of loving God above all things. He also added that the next to it is the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Indeed, these two commandments were already found in the Old Testament. But many of the Pharisees had lost sight of these commandments in the intricate maze of cases, situations and petty observances. The New Testament completes the Old Testament; they are not opposed but complementary. The observances are not superfluous, they have their proper place. But everything we do, external observances included, must be deeply imbued with the love of God above all things.
Aug. 26, 2006 (Saturday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time)
The pharisees were guilty of hypocrisy. Their particular brand of hypocrisy consisted of teaching the right things but not practicing what they taught. Thus Jesus told his followers that they should follow their teaching but not their example.
What is the root of such behavior? Why would someone teach something good but not practice it himself? If one struggled to do good but failed due to weakness, that is understandable. We are, after all, "vessels of clay" holding a precious ointment. But if one did not even try, yet "preached" good things, then he would just be "using" the good teaching for his personal aggrandizement. So at the root of hypocrisy is the vice of pride.
Aug. 27, 2006 (TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME)
Readings: Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b/Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32/Jn 6:60-69
"Do you also wish to go away?" Thus spoke Jesus after the mass of people left him, because they could not stand his teaching that they had to eat his flesh and drink his blood.
We know, of course, that Jesus was referring to the sacrament of his body and blood in the Holy Eucharist. The fact that he did not retract his statement, but instead allowed people to abandon him, shows that he was not speaking of the sacrament as a merely symbolic presence. This passage is a very strong support for the Catholic belief in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Let us take very good care of the Body of Christ that is reserved in the tabernacles or in the adoration chapels of our churches.
Aug. 28, 2006 (Monday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: 2 Thes 1:1-5, 11-12/ Mt 23:13-22
In the gospel, Christ berates the scribes and Pharisees for being "blind guides", with no real concern for the spiritual well-being of those who follow them. May we be spared from having such guides. Yet some people somehow insist on having blind guides when they refuse to look for a competent and well-meaning guide for their souls, and instead, try to "go it alone."
It is very foolish to be one's own guide in the spiritual life. When it comes to evaluating our own selves, we can be quite biased due to our emotions or our pride. Thus, we need a good guide, a real spiritual director. One of the greatest gifts we can receive is to have someone who can orient us in our journey to god. Let us pray to God that we find such a person.
Aug. 29, 2006 (The Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist)
Readings: 2 Thes 2:1-3a, 14-17 / Mk 6:17-29
St. John the Baptist died through the intrigue of Herodias and the excess of "human respect" of Herod. Although Herod did not want to kill John the Baptist, he found himself in an embarrassing position because of his rash vow to Herodias' daughter.
We ought to keep our promises. But if the promise refers to something wrong or unjust, then we have no obligation to keep that promise. That "promise", in fact, loses all its binding force because of its immorality. In the case of Herod, he was not really thinking about right and wrong. He was only concerned for his reputation among his guests.
Aug. 30, 2006 (Wednesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time)
Readings: 2 Thes 3:6-10, 16-18/Mt 23:27-32
How can we avoid the vice of the Pharisees and the scribes? Instead of being hypocritical by putting up a good front while having rottenness and corruption inside, we should carry out a determined fight to "clean the inside." How can we do this? -- by being simple, sincere and transparent.
We have a great opportunity to be sincere and transparent whenever we avail of the sacrament of penance or reconciliation. Within the absolute seal of confession, we can "air" our sins to the priest in order to receive the forgiveness of Christ and the sound advice of God's minister. That "airing" is much better than keeping those sins within the musty walls of our defiled conscience. Confession of our sins is a very effective way to avoid hypocrisy.
Aug. 31, 2006 (Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time)
The gospel reading speaks to us of the need to be watchful, to be on guard and vigilant. St. Paul compared this watchfulness to the way a soldier has to be ready for battle. "Let us put on faith and love for a breastplate, the hope of salvation for a helmet." (I Thes 5, 8)
In a camp of soldiers in a war situation, they may take turns being on the lookout at the sentry post. In that situation, they are more responsible for the safety of the others. They make a special effort to be alert. We too can set aside some special moments to be more watchful over others. We should be alert, not only for ourselves, but also for the good of the others. If the enemy (temptations and occasions of sin) comes and we did not warn the others, we will also be partly responsible for their failure. On that day we can pray more for others, be more at their service, and be more concerned for their well-being.
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