1st Sunday of the Lent – The Temptations of Jesus (Mt 4: 1-11)

1^st Sunday of the Lent – The Temptations of Jesus (Mt 4: 1-11)

Introduction

- Some Corrections

o What is the theme of today’s Gospel passage? Is it temptation of Jesus? No, it is the victory of Jesus over the Temptations. The emphasis is on the Victory.

o What are temptations? Is it ‘the occasions that invites us to sin’? No, it is the occasion to show our trust and faith in Jesus and His Words.

o The first two ways of looking at may be of the Old Testament while the other two is of the New Testament. – Story of Adam and Eve, David, Solomon, Israelites. They all fell in the temptation. But Jesus became victorious.

o We are the New Testament people therefore participating in the victory of Jesus over temptations.

Content

- Why these three temptations? Old Testament background…

o Jesus’ entire life was in essence a reliving of the history of Israel in the Old Testament. After escaping the bondage of Egypt, the children of Israel, during their 40 years in the wilderness, failed at three major temptations. Their first failure was refusing to trust God for their daily bread. They grumbled and blamed Moses for bringing them out from the “comfort” of their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 16). Their second failing involved their lack of trust to provide water for them (Exodus 17), and lastly the children of Israel broke their faith in God with the worship of the golden calf (Exodus 32).

o First temptation – of food – basic necessity of life. It is similar to the first temptation of Israel who refused to trust to God for their daily bread.

o Second temptation – on the trust in God. Israel did not trust in God for what they needed. Jesus was told to jump to prove this trust that he will be guarded by angels.

o Third temptation – Israelites worshiped the Golden Calf – devil told to Jesus to adore him.

- Temptations increase with the new technologies

o Eg: study shows that use of facebook make the people less faithful to their partners.

o Temptations through internet, television, etc…

o What ever reduces the presence of God in us is a temptation – ego, over attachment towards something or someone, lust, gluttony, etc…

Conclusion

- Let us go back to the first two corrections / statements

- More than a temptation of Jesus it is the victory of Jesus over the Temptations. The emphasis is on the Victory. How Jesus became victories?

o Word of God

§ One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

§ You shall not put the Lord, your God, to test.

§ The lord, your God, shall you worship/and him alone shall you serve.

o Lent is a time get strengthened by the Word of God

o Jesus fasted 40 days

§ 1. Fast from anger and hatred

§ 2. Fast from judging others

§ 3. Fast from discouragement

§ 4. Fast from complaining

§ 5. Fast from resentment or bitterness

§ 6. Fast from spending too much money

- Let us try to be victorious over the temptations by the power of Word and Fasting, and be part of the New Testament.

9th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mt 7:21-27)

Success according to Human and God

Introduction

- What is the criterion of the world to evaluate the performance (fruits)? The key work in the evaluation is “success”.

- Does Jesus give much importance to success? Jesus’ criterion to measure someone is not “success” but “faithfulness”.

Content

- If success is the key term in evaluation of any performance, what are its implications?

o Meeting the target at any cost. The problem with today’s job market is this. If you fail to meet the target you are not worthy.

o Jesus himself was considered as a failure when the people at the time of Jesus evaluated him since “he died on the cross”.

o If God measures us with the criterion of success according to the talents given to us, we all will be in trouble. We never use the talents and abilities given to us at its maximum.

o Concerned about the external appearance “goals and performance”.

- If faithfulness is the key term for evaluation of any performance, how it will be?

o It is more concentrated on the process, “how do we do?”

o Our sincerity and efforts are more important than the result as such.

o It is concerned with internal dimension “connectedness and faithfulness”.

- The example of a branch of a vine. The primary duty of a branch is not to produce fruit, but be faithfully attached to the vine. The rest will follow.

- The parable of houses mentions the same. The house built on the rock was praise worthy not because it was beautiful in its external appearance, but in its base.

- Jesus tells to those who did many things in the name of Jesus, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you evil doers”.

- A student who gets suma cum laude may be equal to a student who gets just passing grade. Because God looks into the effort that each individual puts into or faithfulness to the intellect (talent) that is given to the student.

- Who is a good parent? Is it the one who build mansions for the next generation (external) or the one who loves and cares the children and bring them up in good catholic faith?

Conclusion

- Jesus is never against success. In the parable of Talents he looks for the fruits. But the most important element is our sincere efforts by attaching ourselves to Jesus.

- “Listen to the word of mine and acts on them will be a wise man” at the sight of Jesus.

8th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Two Masters (Mt 6: 24-34)

Two Masters

Introduction

- Story of birds – Two birds were on a tree, watching people pass by, rush here and there, run to and fro, come and go endlessly. One bird observed, “How troubled these people seem, always on the go”. “Indeed”, the second bird agrees, “they must not have a God like us”.

- Story of Clock – a clock began to count it each of its second strikes of the pendulum to know how many times it has to beat in the next year - 60x60x24x365. It broke down with tension – consulted an expert – advice – you were doing the same work for several year smoothly. Therefore continue your everyday work with an intention to show the correct time.

- Story of the promo ticket that included the food and other essentials. Without knowing that fact the people adjusted with what they had. When God gave us life he has blessed us abundantly. It is our responsibility to claim the blessings through our lives.

Content

- Is it a call for a carefree life? Eat, Drink and always make merry? Never.

- It is a call for a life with full of trust in God and complete surrender in the divine providence.

- Two trends;

o Trust completely and surrender to Money (mammon) or any material things (power, positions)

§ The result is worry, tension, anxiety, frustration etc.

§ The owner has to protect the material things and keep up his status and power.

o Trusting and surrendering to God

§ Peace – “Peace be with you”

§ Freedom – “the spirit will set you free”

- As a Christian whom do we need to take as our master – God or world? Our choice in our life makes us the follower of God or World.

o The RH bill:

§ Is it the ways of God.

· It blocks the free flow of life by using artificial means. Contraceptives are anti-life in nature.

· It will foster abortion rate because it eases the concepts of Responsible parenthood and Responsible Sex.

· It will not prevent HIV/AIDS as the government projects. It gives a temptation to go for sex with the assurance of the contraceptives. The contraceptives are never perfect. The nature and size of HIV virus must be taken into account. Experts say it can pass through even the gaps of condom.

· Will it empower the woman? We are the stewards of our body and the master is God. Women may be degraded as sex objects.

· Is it to control the over population and poverty? Poverty is the product of corruption and defective political system.

Conclusion

- Let us decide who is our master?

- Are we looking for freedom or bondages in our life?

Philippines has the duty to show the world a model as a catholic country in obeying the Law of God, as it is shown in the example of EDSA where the rosary won without any bloodshed.

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Be Perfect (Mt:38-48)

Be Perfect (Mt:38-48)

Introduction

- Is there a word “impossible” in the dictionary of God?

- “Impossible” is an impossibility in the dictionary of God. But today Jesus shows us that there are some things impossible to God. For example it is impossible to God not love His creature. It is impossible to God not to forgive a repentant sinner.

- These impossibilities may be called as the “weakness of God” - weakness to love and forgive.

Content

- Let us look at the two impossibilities / weakness of God.

- It is impossible for him not to love his creatures especially the human being.

o Gives rain to just and unjust

o Gives sunshine to good and bad

o Out of Love he gave His only son

o Even though we are sinners he comes in the form of Eucharist in to our hearts.

o Even if we go away from him, he comes behind searching us. He cannot forsake his creatures.

o Even those who do the corruption get the blessings of God.

- It is impossible for him to avoid a repentant sinner.

o The example of prodigal son

o The good thief on the right side of the cross

- Jesus ends today’s gospel with these words – “be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect”. He gives all his believers a call to be perfect – or – to have the same weakness of heavenly Father.

Conclusion

- Is it possible to walk towards perfection in love and forgiveness? Yes, it is possible.

- Love as God loves

o We often love with conditions – if you are a good wife I will be a good husband.

o We often love with selfishness – what will get back if I love him/her?

o Can we love others since they are the gift of God for me? – Husband has to love his wife only because she is a gift of God for him.

- Forgive as God forgives

o Story of bomb blast in front of De La Salle University on Sept 26 – so many students got injured - a girl who lost her legs in the blast told in an interview – I forgive the people who is the cause for losing my legs.

o Jesus forgave on the cross. By saying that the centurion cried out, “he is truly son of God”.

o Forgive is the most powerful weapon to destroy the enemies permanently.

- Eucharist is the sacrament of Love and Forgiveness.

- Let us be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect by practicing Love and Forgiveness.

6th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Spirit of the Law (Mt 5: 17-37)

6^th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Spirit of the Law (Mt 5: 17-37)

Introduction

- Story – a teacher told to the children on a work day – ‘before coffee break, make 30 pits on the ground – after coffee break fill it with soil’. The intention of the teacher was to plant seeds in those pits/holes at the tea break. The children made the pits with a spade – went for the coffee break – re-filled it with mud/soil after the coffee break. But the teacher failed to plant the seeds since he was late to come back from the seeds shop. The children obeyed the instructions word by word but never knew the purpose of that.

- Jesus calls us to look into the spirit of the law.

Content

- Do we need laws? In the book “Animal Kingdom” George Orwell describes an Utopian world where there are no laws among the animals. There were perfect equality and freedom. At the end everything became chaotic and full of confusion. Their life became so miserable. We need laws and just structures for our development.

- There are two important elements for every law – spirit of the law and the letters of the law.

o Commentaries are written on the letters of the law, expanding its nuances.

- Today we have three Old Testament laws to reflect on and the vision of Jesus about that.

o Murder – Letters of the law is – You shall not kill anybody.

§ The spirit of the law is - love your brothers and sisters even if they are your enemies.

§ Do not harm in any kind, not in word or in deed.

§ Even getting angry (for the destruction of the other) is liable to judgment.

o Adultery – letters of the law is – do not commit any physical sexual acts.

§ Spirit of the law – respect your sisters

§ Therefore even lustful thoughts are against this respect because lustful thoughts come when other is seen as an object of pleasure.

o False Oath and misleading others.

§ Letters of the law is “do not false oath”

§ Spirit of the law is ‘never cheat others, by words or actions’

- The spirit of the law is pointing towards the root cause of the problem:

o Murder – anger

o Adultery – lust

o False oath – cheating

Conclusion

- Look to the spirit of the law and observe it

- Above all Jesus gives us two basic laws – love of God and love of neighbor. The spirit of all the law is these two basic principles.