3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Mt 4:12-23

BIBLICAL

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.

Herod put John the Baptists in prison because John dared to reprove him for tak-ing Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife as his own.

Herod Antipas originally married a daughter of the Nabataean king Aretas IV, but he divorced her in order to marry Herodias (the daughter of his late half-brother Aris-tobulus, and wife of his other half-brother Herod Philip). This not only angered Aretas, who defeated him in A.D. 36, but John the Baptist condemned him (Matt 14:4; Mark 6:18; Luke 3:19). It is interesting that Josephus reported that many of the people saw Herod Antipas' defeat by king Aretas as divine punishment for beheading John the Baptist.

He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea.

Nazareth is between the Mediterranean sea and Lake Galilee

Capernaum was located somewhere on the northern shores of Lake Galilee which is sometimes called sea of Galilee. Jesus made it his headquarters. The Jews there did not believe in him.
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In the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,

The territory of these two tribes was the first to be devastated (733-32 B.C.) at the time of the Assyrian invasion.

Capernaum actually belongs only to Naphtali.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach.

Jesus became an itinerant preacher, that is, he travelled here and there to bring the good news to his fellow Jews. This is one practical reason why his apostles had to abandon home and work.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus takes up the words of John the Baptist. But there is a difference. For with Jesus the Kingdom of heaven is already present. “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Mt 12:28).

The Kingdom of heaven is another way of saying the reign of God. The Jews do not utter the name of God as a sign of reverence. Hence, they prefer to use substitutes, In this case, heaven.



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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to the welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - finvoc@yahoo.com - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

Jn 1:29-34

BIBLICAL

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

This title may be an allusion to the victorious lamb who would destroy evil in the world (Rev 5-7; 17:14); or to the paschal lamb, whose blood saved the first-born of Israel (Exodus 12); and/or the suffering servant led like a lamb to the slaughter as a sin-offering (Isaiah 53:7, 10).

A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.
We are reminded of the prologue of John’s gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

I did not know him.

This gospel is unaware of the tradition found in Luke that Jesus and John the Bap-tist are relatives because their mothers are cousins.

But the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.
In John’s gospel, the baptism of John was not for the forgiveness of sins but for the revelation of Jesus to Israel. “But the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel” (Jn 1:23).

I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him.

Remain is a favourite verb of St. John. In the parable of the vine and the branches, he uses the verb remain. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).

CATECHETICAL: SIN

Sin is disobeying the commandments.

But it is not just a matter of disobedience. In the case of Adam and Eve, it was an act of defiance (they wouldn’t recognize the authority of God) and also an act of in-gratitude (God said everything in the garden was for them, except that particular tree.).

The commandments are not meant to make life difficult for us. They are like street signs that warm us not to do this or not to do that otherwise we’ll get into an accident. For instance, God says, “Do not lie.” Imagine how the relationship between parents and children will be if they lie to one another!

Sin in the bible also understands it as missing the mark.

Once I saw boys playing softball. The pitcher threw the ball and the batter tried to hit it. He missed. “Strike 1!” the umpire said. Instead, an onlooker said: “Sala!” The batter missed. And in fact, sin is “sala”. When we sin, we miss the mark. We fail to be what we should be. The prodigal son sinned. He failed to behave as a son should behave towards his father.

When we fail to go to Mass on Sunday for reason of laziness, for example, we fail to behave the way a son or a daughter should behave toward the Father in heaven.

What can we do about sin?

First, we must remember that we can not on our own overcome sin. If we can overcome sin on our own, Jesus did not need to come down from heaven to be our Savior. How does Jesus save us from sin? Yes, he already died on the cross and so paid for sins of everybody. He applies that payment to us individually through the sacraments, especially in confession and communion. In communion, we receive the Bread that makes us strong against sin. In confession, he takes away our sins and at the same time, also makes us strong against sin.

Second, someone says: “Tukso, layuan mo ako. (Temptation, get away from me.)” Wrong. Ikaw ang lumayo sa tukso (You should be the one to run away from temptation.). If we want to avoid sin, we must avoid the occasions of sin. The occasions of sin may be people, places or things. Kung ayaw nating mapasama, umiwas sa mga BI. If you don’ want to fall into the sin of talking about the faults of others, don’t join the conversations of those who like to talk about the faults of others.

How do I know if I committed sin?

M-A-S. Masama ba (was it evil)? Alam mo bang masama (did you know it was evil? Sinadya mo ba (did you do it on purspose)? If one of them has an answer of “no”, you have not committed sin. Therefore, if you did not go to Mass on Sunday because you were sick, there is no sin. Why? Because hindi mo ginusto (you didn’t want it). Hindi mo sinadya (you didn’t mean to do it).

CONCLUSION

Baptists have been known to ask Catholics: “Are you saved?” And Catholics would not know how to answer that because it is something that we do not ask. This is the answer to that question. In fact there are three answers. First, yes, I am saved. Why? Because Jesus already died on the cross for me. He already paid for my sins. Second, I am being saved. Why? Because even today when I sin, Jesus continues to offer me his forgiveness. And finally, I hope to be saved. Because one day, I hope to be definitely be freed from sin. I hope to enter heaven where sin can not enter. All this because of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.


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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to the welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - finvoc@yahoo.com - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.

Baptism of our Lord (A)

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Mt 3:13-17

Liturgical Note

Last Sunday was the Epiphany. But this Sunday is also an Epiphany.

Epiphany is translated as manifestation (“pagpapakita” in the tagalong liturgical text). What exactly does Epiphany mean? I can compare to a debut. A debut is a for-mal presentation to society that a girl is now a young woman and is available (marriageable). Epiphany is a formal presentation of Jesus as Savior.

Last Sunday he was presented to the Gentiles through the magi as Savior of the Gentiles. This Sunday at his Baptism, he is also being presented to the Jewish people as their Savior, as the one promised in the Old Testament.

Biblical Note

Last Sunday where was Jesus? In Bethlehem. This Sunday he is in Galilee at the Jordan River. Last Sunday Jesus was about 1 year old. This Sunday he is already about 30 years old. Last Sunday with Jesus were Mary, Joseph and the three magi. This Sun-day he is with John the Baptist and other Jews.

Baptism

Jesus came to John to be baptized. Take note that the baptism of John is not the sacrament of Baptism that we have. It is a ceremony publicly declaring repentance. That is the reason why John did not want to baptize Jesus. But Jesus insisted because as Savior he had to be identified with sinful humanity.

Spirit of God

Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove. Why is this detail important?

When Jesus went back to Nazareth and was given the prophet Isaiah during the service at the synagogue, this was what he read: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” He ended by saying: Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

That declaration recalls Isaac. In Gen 22:2 we read: “Then God said: ‘Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you.’”

What is the significance of this detail? Like Isaac Jesus is going to be offered in sacrifice. The offering of Isaac did not push through. The offering of Jesus on the cross will push through.

This seems to be the only occasion in the gospel when Father, Son and Holy Spirit are together.

Baptism as Sacrament

It is one of the 7 sacraments.

Channel of Grace

Because it is a sacrament, it is a channel of grace. Grace means what is given is a gift from God. It is free. It is something good. And God gives it because he is good! So what gift does Baptism give us? In fact, Baptism gives us two gifts. The first is God welcomes us as his children. If you have a good relationship with your father, try talk-ing to God and calling him: “Tatay. Itay. Dad. Papa.” The second gift is forgiveness of sins both original sin and personal sin. What that means is that God takes away our sins so that nothing comes between us and God.

Sacrament of Initiation

Baptism is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation. Initiation is entry into the Church, into the community of believers. Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are the Sacraments of Initiation. That is why if you do not participate in Sunday mass, you are not “in na in sa pamilya ng Diyos”.

Sign

Because it is a sacrament, Baptism must have a sign that we can sense. For exam-ple, the sign of the Eucharist is the bread and wine. For Baptism, it is water. Now the sign must give you an idea of what the sacrament is all about. For the Eucharist, bread and wine gives us an idea that it must have something to do with spiritual nourishment. And indeed, Jesus declares himself to be the Bread of Life. For Baptism, water gives us an idea that Baptism must have something to do with cleansing and with life. And in fact, Baptism cleanses us from sin and gives us new life, life as a child of God.

Formula

Because it is a sacrament, Baptism must have a formula. For example, the formula of the Eucharist is: This is my body. This is my blood.” For Baptism, it is: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The formula clarifies the meaning of the sign. For the Eucharist, the bread and wine becomes the body and blood of Christ which is our spiritual nourishment. For the Baptism, the water makes us belong to the Blessed Trinity as child of God.

Commitment

Sacraments are not mere ceremonies. Ceremonies are things that you do and then forget. Sacraments are commitments, that is, when you celebrate them you take upon yourself some obligation. For example, when you receive Holy Communion, you commit yourself to avoid sin and become more and more like Jesus. It’s like the song, “Day by day, oh dear Lord, three things I pray. To see thee more clearly. To love thee more dearly. To follow thee more nearly.” For Baptism, our commitment is to grow in the faith. Parents have the special obligation to help their children to grow in the faith by word and example. Ninong and ninang should also follow-up their ina-anak.

Faith means believing in certain things, some of which are difficult to believe. But it is more than just believing in certain things. Faith is primarily living according to those things that you say you believe in. And that can be more difficult. For example, how would your life look like if you really believe that God is always with you? I would suppose that in the midst of your work, once in a while, you would remember him and say something to him.

Conclusion

Today we do not only remember the Baptism of Jesus. We also remember our own Baptism. Today God reminds us that because of the commitment of our Baptism we have to keep our faith growing. And faith is not just about believing in certain things. It is about living according to the things we say we believe in.



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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to the welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - finvoc@yahoo.com - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.

Epiphany of the Lord (A)

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.

Mt 2: 1-12

LITURGICAL NOTE

This used to be called the Feast of the Three Kings. With the liturgical reform, it has been called the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Why the change of name? Because the focus of the feast is not the Three Kings but the Savior Jesus.

Epiphany comes from the Greek word which means “manifestation”. The Pilipino translation of the feast is “pagpapakita”. Jesus is manifested to the Gentiles in the per-son of the Magi. (I’ll explain later why the change from Three Kings to Magi.) He is being presented to them as Savior. Now to the Jews, there are only two kinds of people in the world. If you are not a Jew, then you are a gentile. Jesus is then being presented as the Savior of both Jew and Gentile. He is Savior of the World. He is the Savior of everybody.

The closest thing I can compare this feast is to a debut. The debut is nothing else but this: a young woman of 18 is being formally presented to society as eligible for marriage. In the same way, Jesus is being presented to the Gentiles as their Savior.

There is another important thing to remember. There is not one but two epiphanies. The first happened when Jesus was still a baby. The second happened when he began his public ministry, that is, at his baptism. That is why next Sunday we shall celebrate the Baptism of our Lord.
At his baptism, the Father presented Jesus before his fellow Jews with the words: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

EXEGESIS

Bethlehem of Judea

Bethlehem means “House of Bread”. Where was Jesus born? In a manger. A man-ger is where animals eat. At the very beginning the Gospel already hints that Jesus is spiritual food. It is only in John 6 that Jesus explicitly tells us that he is the Bread of Life.

Palestine during the time of Jesus was divided into three major parts: Galilee, Samaria and Judea. He was born in Judea but he will grow up in Galilee.

King Herod

He was king from 37 to 4 BC. He was a great builder. He rebuilt the Temple of Jerusalem. He was also paranoid. He even killed his sons who he suspected of plotting to overthrow him. That prompted the Roman emperor to say that it was better to be Herod’s pig than to be his son. That he could kill baby boys because he saw a threat to his throne is entirely consistent with Herod’s character.

Magi from the East

There is no mention of any king among the visitors of Jesus. The Greek word used is “magoi”. The word refers to a priestly class in Persia (modern day Iran). It came to be used for those who possessed supernatural knowledge. In the Gospel, the magi were astrologers.

How did they become Three Kings? Because the gifts they brought were three so it was assumed that the visitors were also three. They also became kings under the influence of messianic prophesies of the OT. For example, “May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts. May all kings bow before him, all nations serve him” (Ps 72:10).

We saw his star at its rising.

It was an ancient belief that a new star appeared at the birth of a ruler. And since the magi were astrologers, they saw the new star and understood its meaning.

Was there really a star? Some say that it was not a star but the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn that caused a bright body to appear in the skies. Others say that it was a comet or even a supernova. But it is possible that it is a literary device that Matthew used in connection with OT story of Balaam who prophesied that a star shall advance from Jacob (Numbers 24:17).

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.

This prophecy comes from the prophet Micah 5:1.

Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.

This will enable Herod to estimate the age of the baby. He was probably one year old. But to make sure Herod ordered the massacre of baby boys two years and below.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."

Of course, the real reason is to be able to kill the baby.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

Stars don't move. But this star is unusual because it moved and finally stopped to point the location of the child.

And on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.

The Holy Family was still in Bethlehem but now living in a house.

Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

We find in the prophet Isaiah a statement regarding the gifts that would be offered to the Messiah: “Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD” (Is 60:6).

Gold is a recognition of Jesus as a King. Frankincense is a recognition of his di-vinity. Incense is used in worship. Myrrh is a recognition of Jesus as Priest and Victim. In Jesus’ time it as used for embalming and as incense during funerals. It was said that when Nero's wife died, he burned a one-year supply of myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

By not giving Herod the information he desired, the Magi gave the Holy Family enough time to escape.


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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to the welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - finvoc@yahoo.com - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.