2nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT (C)

A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord."

Lk 3:1-6

EXPLANATION OF THE GOSPEL

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar….

Why did St. Luke include historical data in his narrative? By situating the story of John the Baptist and later of Jesus in the context of history, he might want to re-assure us that everything he writes is not made up. The story of John the Baptist and of Jesus is historical fact.

The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.

This expression identifies John the Baptist as a prophet. His role is that of precursor, that is, he prepares for the coming the Messiah among his people.

THE ROAD

The gospel speaks about the way of the Lord. It also talks about winding roads and rough ways. I will dwell on the words road and way for this Sunday’s reflection.

Rough Road

If you take the Silangan exit of the South Luzon Expressway, you’ll come to see the bad situation of the road. In many places the cement has cracked so much so that you have to drive slowly. For this reason the companies of the industrial estate came together and pooled their resources in order to repair the road. In the process, however, only one side of the road can be used in certain places. Thus, you have to stop and wait for incoming the vehicles to pass through.

In the same way, if we want to prepare the way of the Lord in our lives, we have to invest time and energy and make certain sacrifices in order to set things aright. For example, if we want to give up certain bad habits such as laziness or gossiping about people, we have to make the effort to exercise vigilance. We have to be on the alert so that if we were tempted to gossip about others, we would catch ourselves and keep our mouth shut instead. It would also mean making the effort at the end of the day to monitor our performance regarding the bad habit that we have decided to give up. This is called the examination of conscience.

Loosing One's Way

It was a holiday and a group of mountain hikers decided to climb to the summit of Mt. Makiling. Since there was already a trail to the top, they made it there only in a few hours. Having rested and enjoyed the panorama up there, the group decided to start going down. At some point, they lost their way. They started to panic when they found out that they were walking in circles. They kept on returning to the place where they started. They did not believe in superstition. But in their desperation, they did what the old folks used to say to those who got lost. They should wear their shirts inside out. They did and to their surprise and great relief, they found their way back.

Loosing one’s way is not only about making the wrong turn or taking the wrong street. Loosing one’s way can also mean straying from the path that is good and taking the path that is bad. To return to the right path, to find our way back, we need conversion. It is a 180-degree turn. But it is not just a matter of saying: “I have been lazy at home. From now on I will not be lazy at home.” One has to be more specific. I will, therefore say: “I have been lazy at home. From now on I will take the initiative of cleaning the house.” It is not helpful to say“I have been neglecting my family. From now on I will not neglect them.” I have to be more specific. I will say “I have been neglecting my family. From now on once I arrive home, I will go and look for my wife and my children and ask how their day went.”

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (C)

MARANATHA - COME LORD JESUS, COME!

Happy New Year! Today is the first Sunday of the new Church year. Last Sunday, Christ the King was the last Sunday of the past Church year. The first Sunday of the new Church year is always the First Sunday of Advent.

There are four Sundays of Advent. They are to prepare us for the celebration of Christmas, which is the second most important feast of the year. The most important feast is Easter.

Advent means coming. We often think of this coming as the coming of Christ as man, that is, his birth in Bethlehem. Hence, the connection of Advent with Christmas. But Advent also includes two other “comings” of Christ: first, his coming at the end of time and second, his coming to us in our daily life. His coming at the end of time is the theme of the first part of the Advent season. In fact, Christ declares in the gospel: “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” This expectation of the second coming is embodied in the early Christian prayer: “Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus, come!”

THE FUTURE

Keeping one’s eyes on the future is a wise decision. Stephen Covey who wrote the book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, had this in mind when he said: “Begin with the end in mind.” Keeping our eyes fixed on the future gives our life some direction.

For example, Jesus counsels us not to be taken by surprise by his second coming at the end of time. By keeping in mind his second coming, my effort to store up treasure in heaven becomes meaningful. This means that living according to spiritual values makes sense. Why? Because doing so will enable me to face Christ with confidence and not fear who will instruct his angels to gather the elect from the four corners of the earth.

Another example. In the future I may want to have a business of my own. This desired future gives direction to my life. This means that I will have to take the steps that will bring me to that desired future. The other side of the coin is to give up those steps that may not bring me to that desired future. One step that I might take is to enroll in a course in entrepreneurship. On the other hand, a step that I should avoid is being a spendthrift (wasteful with money). I need to build my capital to start my business.

THE PAST

Advent is not only about the future coming of Christ but also about his coming in the past, his becoming a man and his birth in Bethlehem in order to save his people from their sins. Recognizing the reason behind the birth of Christ as man, the only possible grateful response to him is repentance and conversion. That is why confession takes on great importance during the Advent season.

Looking at my past is also helpful in making me live my present in a better way. For instance, I might be experiencing lack of peace. Looking at my past, I might discover that someone had treated me badly. My response was to hold a grudge against that person and to look for the opportunity to take revenge. This was the reason why I lack peace in my heart. In order to restore peace in my heart, I might decide to let go of the grudge.

CONCLUSION

Someone had said: “The past is no more. The future is yet to come. The present is the only thing you have.” These words are not meant to devalue the past and the future. We have seen that the future and the past are important. Instead, those words are meant to tell us that among the past, present and future, the present is the most important.

The response of repentance and conversion to the offer of forgiveness by Christ has to be done now, in the present, and not in the future.

If I want to be happy in the present, I may have to stop worrying about the future. I may also have to let go of the hurts and the anger that have come from the past.

Heaven and the second coming may be a long way off in the future. But if I want to get to heaven, then I have to make sure that the steps I take now will bring me to heaven.

The achievement of my dreams will happen in the future. But again unless I take the steps in the present that will lead me to the fulfillment of my dreams, my dreams will remain only dreams forever.

CHRIST THE KING (B)

My kingdom does not belong to this world.

Jn 18: 33b-37

The liturgical year ends with solemnity of Christ the King. Next Sunday would be the First Sunday of Advent.

Are you the king of the Jews?

The official accusation against Jesus was his claim to kingship. That claim makes him an enemy of Rome.

Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?

If the question was coming from Pilate, then the question meant: “Are you a rebel?” If it was coming from the Jewish leadership, then the question meant: “Are you the Messiah?”

My kingdom does not belong to this world.

Therefore, Jesus is not a threat to the rule of Rome over Palestine.

HANDED OVER

“If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.”

Judas handed Jesus over to the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin handed Jesus over to the Romans. Later the disciples of Jesus would also be handed over to those who would want to put an end to their mission.

In the New Testament, the verb “hand over” is not always used in the negative sense. In 1 Cor 11:2 we read: “I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you.”

He says the same thing in 2Thess 2:15. “Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.”

Tradition is to be understood as the faith being handed over from one generation to the next.

Faith is to be taken in a wide sense. It includes Scriptures and the Sacraments. It includes customs and practices such as the requirement that the bishop be celibate. This is the reason why while Anglican married priests can be ordained as Catholic priests and remain married, but only unmarried Anglican priests can be consecrated bishops.

(unfinished)

33rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds.

Mk 13:24-32

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

The description of the sun and moon darkening and the stars falling from the sky come from the prophet Isaiah while the imagery of the Son of Man coming in the clouds come from the prophet Daniel.
The elect come from the four winds. This means that salvation is not only for the Jews. Even non-Jews will be saved.

The fig tree bears fruit twice a year.

Jesus says that the return of the Son of Man will happen during the lifetime of those who are listening to Jesus. This is a problem because those listening to Jesus are long dead and he has not yet returned.

No one knows when the Son of Man will return even the Son. This is a problem because if Jesus is God how come he does not know when he supposed to return.

LITURGY

The last Sundays of the Liturgical year until the Second Sunday of Advent are all devoted to the theme of the Parousia or the Second Coming of Christ.

ESCHATOLOGY

The Parousia is described using apocalyptic and eschatological language, that is, in terms of destruction and natural calamities. The natural reaction is one of fear. The movie 2012 precisely narrates the story of the end of the world in terms of destruction. But one should not take this description literally.

Nevertheless, it will be a time of fear for those who will be punished. Instead, it will be a time of expectant joy for those who will be saved.

CREED

This belief in the second coming of Jesus as judge is found in the Apostles’ Creed. We declare: “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.”

32nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury.

Mk 12:38-44

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

The scribes were the interpreters of the Law. They were trustees of widows and received a fee for this service. By appearing pious they had more chances of being chosen as trustees and thus, had more chances of gaining more money. Hence, their praying was hypocritical and motivated by the desire for money.

The offering of the widow was two small coins (copper coins). They were called “lepta” and were the smallest coins in circulation. Her offering was significant because it came from her limited financial resources. We can really call it a sacrifice. The offerings of the wealthy, although much bigger in amount, were not a sacrifice because they did not suffer any inconvenience. After giving their offerings, they still retained huge amounts of money.

DEEPENING

Jesus points out three faults of the Scribes:
• Their desire for honor and importance. This is the sin of pride.
• Their prayers was all for show. This is the sin of hypocrisy or wrong intention.
• They exploited widows for personal financial gain. This is the sin of exploitation of the weak by the powerful.

Regarding the offering of the widow and of the rich, Jesus did not intend to belittle the offering of the rich, for how can you do much good with only 2 cents? For example, 2 cents can not build a school building for the children of a barrio. The point of Jesus is this: we need to learn to judge things with wisdom.

JUDGING AND DECIDING WITH WISDOM

There is a mayor who goes to every wake in the poor section of his city. He provides health services for them. On the other hand, he demands that one floor be given him for every tall building that is built in his city. Someone said that he would continue voting for this mayor because he is helping the poor. Did he judge with wisdom?

Let’s go to parenting.

A woman introduced herself to a group of young mothers by saying: “I’m only an ordinary housewife.” She used the word ordinary to mean that she did not do anything extraordinary in terms of professional achievement, social involvement and wealth generation. If you were to read her CV (curriculum vitae), there’s nothing there to call your attention. Together with her husband she decided to quit working and become a full-time mother and wife. Their three children have never been in serious trouble in their growing years. They are now professionals and are financially secure. They are happily married with growing children. But at times she did feel some sadness at giving up her promising career. She would, however, tell herself that giving up her career to take care of her children, all boys, was worth it. Did she judge with wisdom?

Let’s turn now to our Christian life, specifically, about the Sunday obligation of rest and Mass.

I once took a jeepney and sat in front. I engaged the driver in small talk. Realizing that I was a priest, he confessed that he had to work even on Sundays since he had to earn enough money to send his children to school. He also was unable to go to Mass. However, to make up he would make the sign of the cross every time he passes a church. Did he make a wise decision?

A family was engaged in the business of selling dressed chicken. They used to open their store even on Sundays. But one day the couple decided to close their store on Sundays. They reasoned out that opening their business on Sundays was not necessary since they could get by even with only six days of business. Did the couple make a wise decision?

CONCLUSION

Judging and deciding with wisdom ultimately means judging and deciding on the basis of higher values. Sometimes these higher values are not shared by others, even by those who are close to us. And this may make things difficult. This is to be expected. After all Jesus Christ did not promise us a rose garden.

27th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

Mk 10:2-16

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

The gospel reading is divided into two parts:
• Teaching about divorce
• The Kingdom of God and children

The Kingdom of God and Children.

Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it."

• The child referred to here may be up to 12 years old.
• It is not the innocence of a child that Jesus wanted to highlight. Rather it is his total dependence that makes him welcome the Kingdom of God with joy and gratitude.

Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

• It has been suggested that this passage was used to justify the practice of infant baptism.

Divorce.

Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.

• The divorce referred to is that one whose purpose is re-marriage.
• Jesus teaches that marriage creates an unbreakable sacramental bond between husband and wife.

26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

The gospel for today may be divided into three parts:
• The exorcist. Jesus teaches tolerance.
• Reward. A good deed done to a disciple of Christ will be rewarded.
• Scandal.

He who scandalizes one of these little ones who believe, it would be better if a the millstone of an ass is tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea.

The phrase “he who scandalizes…” may be translated as “He who causes one of these little ones who believe to fall…” Others translates it as “he who casues one of these ones who believe to sin….”

In the gospel “to scandalize” does not mean to give a bad example or to do a disgusting deed. The Greek word means to put an obstacle, or to trip. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells Peter who has been reproving Jesus for talking about his passion and death: “Away from me, Satan. You are a scandal to me.” Jesus was not telling Peter: “You are giving me a bad example.” No. Instead, he was telling Peter: “You are an obstacle to me. You are preventing me from obeying the Father’s will.”

What are the possible sources of scandal? The gospel speaks of hand, foot and eye. But there are other sources as well.

Surprisingly Jesus may be a source of scandal. In what sense? When Jesus was brought to the Temple, Simeon uttered this prophecy: “He will be the cause of the fall and rise of many in Israel.” Jesus may be the cause of your fall (scandal also means to trip) if in the face of his teachings, we reject them or refuse to live by them.


Persecution may be a source of scandal or fall. Remember that not all of the companions of Lorenzo Ruiz died for the faith. Some of them denied Jesus to avoid torture and death.

The world may be a source of scandal or fall. Technology may be used by some to cheat other people. We just have to recall the Nigerian scam through email.

People are often the source of scandal or fall of others. A high school student was caught shoplifting at SM Mega Mall. He did it because he was prodded to do so by his classmates.

When Jesus spoke of the little ones who believe, he was not talking about children. He was speaking about adults with a simple faith or whose faith is still weak.

There are two kinds of millstone. The small one can grind wheat with the use of one hand. The bigger one grinds wheat with the use of an animal, like an ass. The millstone Jesus was speaking of is the big one.

What about Gehenna?

This Greek word, as all authorities admit, is derived from the name of the narrow, rocky Valley of Hinnom which lay just outside Jerusalem. It was the place where refuse was constantly burned up. Trash, filth, and the dead bodies of animals and despised criminals were thrown into the fires of gehenna, or the Valley of Hinnom. Ordinarily, everything thrown into this valley was destroyed by fire—completely burned up. Therefore, Christ used gehenna to picture the terrible fate of unrepentant sinners! (from Bible Tools)