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28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Reading: Mk 10:17-30


AS [Jesus] was
setting out on a
journey, a man ran
up, knelt down before
him, and asked him,
“Good teacher, what
must I do to inherit
eternal life?” Jesus answered him,
“Why do you call me good? No one
is good but God alone. You know the
commandments: ‘You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery; you
shall not steal; you shall not bear
false witness; you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.’ ”
He replied and said to him, “Teacher,
all of these I have observed from my
youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved
him and said to him, “You are lacking
in one thing. Go, sell what you have,
and give to [the] poor and you will
have treasure in heaven; then come,
follow me.” At that statement his face
fell, and he went away sad, for he
had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said
to his disciples, “How hard it is for
those who have wealth to enter
the kingdom of God!” The disciples
were amazed at his words. So
Jesus again said to them in reply,
“Children, how hard it is to enter
the kingdom of God! It is easier for
a camel to pass through [the] eye
of [a] needle than for one who is
rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
They were exceedingly astonished
and said among themselves, “Then
who can be saved?” Jesus looked at
them and said, “For human beings
it is impossible, but not for God. All
things are possible for God.” Peter
began to say to him, “We have
given up everything and followed
you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to
you, there is no one who has given
up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or
lands for my sake and for the sake
of the gospel who will not receive
a hundred times more now in this
present age: houses and brothers
and sisters and mothers and children
and lands, with persecutions, and
eternal life in the age to come.”


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Thanks for starting this thread, Bai!

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Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Reading

Mk 10:35-45

The Ambition of James and John

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."
He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"
They answered him, "Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."
Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
They said to him, "We can."
Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared."
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

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Reflection

“The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” ~ v. 45

Jesus has intimated for the third time to his disciples that they are going to Jerusalem where he will be condemned and killed , in the manner of the mysterious Suffering Servant of God who “through his suffering shall justify many” (Isaiah 53:11). With a touch of irony, Mark records that at this solemn and sorrowful occasion, the Zebedee brothers are still lost in their political illusion of a religious triumphalism. They ask Jesus a share of power and profess to merit it by their resolve to stick with Jesus through thick and thin.

Jesus takes the occasion to inculcate a lesson on power and authority on the two brothers and the other ten disciples who behave no better, getting jealous of the two. Power is shown by a person’s ability to stoop down and serve; the greatest among Jesus’ followers are those who forget their position so as to minister to the needs of all.

Mark may have liked to put before his readers two pictures. On one side is the despotic Herod Antipas who makes his importance felt by living in a grandiose palace, taxing the people and deciding the fate of his servants. On the other side is Jesus who mingles with the poor and the outcast, who pays taxes, and is later brought to trial before the high priests and rulers.

The lines are clearly drawn. When the disciple aims for power and takes side with the oppressors, he betrays his master. When the disciple who has been given the power and authority in the community turns to be a proud despot, looking for influence, he destroys the Church, turning it merely into a socio-political organization. When the Christian community allows itself to be blinded by the fascination of power and the strength of structure, it is no different from pagans. It cannot be like that with Jesus’ disciples.

Paul describes “positions” as “charisms,” gifts of the Holy Spirit for the service of Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:27-31). “Power” in the Church comes from service, and this, in a sense, is not determined  by “positions” or “offices.” St. Augustine, reflecting on his position as bishop, wrote: “What I am with you gives me joy, what I am for you frightens me. For with you, I am a Christian; for you I am a bishop. The former is grace, the latter is an office. The former is salvation, the latter is temptation.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta once gave a press conference to a group of European journalists, some of whom were atheists. They were in a hurry to leave but she bade them to stay for a prayer. All stayed, including the unbelievers. A journalist curtly remarked that one seemed able to resist her orders: “Her voice seemed not to belong to this world.” She stood no longer as a frail old woman but a woman of God who reflected his goodness. There lay her authority.

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Amen.

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*Reflection*


As always Don Fabio asks us to apply this Gospel directly to ourselves. We are all blind like Bartimaeus. We feel an anguish and restlessness in our hearts because we have a God-given intuition that we live in darkness, distant from the fullness of life. This natural anguish should not be buried in the hustle and bustle of our lives but should become the basis for a prayer like that of Bartimaeus, “Lord, that I might see!” 

The prayer of Bartimaeus is powerful because he desperately wants to see the light. Often our prayer is dull and lifeless because we are not sufficiently interested in seeing the light
In this celebrated passage we are presented with Bartimaeus, the man who has learned the art of prayer. “Jesus Son of David, have pity on me!” This is a prayer from the heart and, as such, is the greatest weapon against temptation - a profession of faith accompanied with a cry for help. As Jesus walks by, Bartimaeus utters this cry with every breath, stating in one line who Jesus is and who he himself is. Though it may be brief, this is a very important Gospel that teaches us many things. When Bartimaeus is asked by Jesus what his prayer consists in, the blind man replies, “Lord that I may see!” The powerful nature of Bartimaeus prayer derives from his memory that light exists. He is not resigned to an existence in darkness and knows that another state of life is possible. Often our prayer is empty and dull because we lack a strong interior intuition of the realm of beauty that prayer connects us to. No-one asks in a genuine way for something that they are not interested in. Prayers, liturgies and rituals become dull if the people involved are not interested in what the liturgies are oriented towards. We “pray” out of a bureaucratic sense of obligation, not knowing or caring what we are doing.

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Ameeen.

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**Reflection**


God created us in love. He created us out of love, for scripture tells us God Himself is love and so as He poured forth Himself into the creation of the world, particularly the creation of human beings (the pinnacle of creation) He must have done so in love. And He made us creatures oriented toward love, made to love God and one another. In fact, in today’s scripture readings He tells us that love is the most important action in the life of a Christian disciple. Indeed, we were made to love.

Love of God comes first. It is THE most important aspect of our life, for God has loved us and continues to love us infinitely, and He has given us so much in love — our life, the gift of our Faith, the chance of salvation, etc. Our lives must be lived in response to His love, and so we must love Him in return.

Love of neighbor comes in a close second in terms of priority. In fact, the two really go hand in hand. If we love God then that love flows over into love of one another, because in loving God we must love those whom He has created, recognizing their value as His beloved creatures.


AMEN




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* Reflection *



In today's Gospel, Jesus taught his disciples that giving must come from the heart. He is also reminding us of our duty towards God and towards our brothers and sisters. A gift given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is invaluable. The amount or size of the gift does not matter as much as the cost to the giver. The poor widow could have kept one of her coins, but instead she gave away all she had! The gospel today should help us go deeper in our relationships with God and with our neighbours. It is also a reminder for us to help others. Let us remember that no matter how poor we may be, we always have something to share with others. God sees what is in the heart, not the amount we give; and he gives us back more than what we give, because God is never outdone in his generosity.




AMEN.

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Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL Mk 13:24-32

Jesus said to his disciples:

"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

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Gospel Jn 18:33b-37

Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

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The Kingdom of God is not a kingdom of soldiers, armies, taxes, money etc. It is a kingdom of Faith, Hope and Love. The Kingdom of God is not of this world. This is what Christ Jesus meant when he was questioned by Pilate whether or not he was a King. He was the King of the Kingdom of God.

It is truly sad to see that Pilate could not recognize that The Truth was in front of him when he was questioning Jesus. Pilate was too busy consumed by the preoccupation of his loyalty to the Roman government and on military matters than to search within himself who Jesus Christ really was.





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**Reflection**

Introduction


The Universal Church is now beginning a new liturgical season which is called Advent. Advent means coming. Christians applied this to the coming of their God into the world, who had manifested himself in Jesus Christ; specifically, "advent" is a period of time set aside to prepare for this coming.

The readings of Advent invite us to be vigilant, to keep our eyes wide open in order to discover and prepare the ways that Jesus has chosen to come and free us from the evil with which we seek happiness, but that instead provokes only a lot of sorrow.

The Gospel tells us it is not the stars and other creations that will cause chaos, but the world of human beings. It is sin that will bring about the chaos. The Words of Jesus sounded like threats; instead, it is a proclamation of joy. Those oppressed and in pain must allow themselves to hope again; their sorrow is about to be taken away. With the coming of Christ "he introduced a new centre which is himself, the mystery of his Person and his death and Resurrection", as Pope Benedict XVI said in his Angelus on 18 November.

Many times in the Gospel, Jesus told us about the need to pray; and in today's Gospel, we are exhorted to be vigilant at all times and pray. True prayer brings us closer to God and what leads to God cannot separate us from others. We do not look up at the clouds, but down at our brothers and sisters. Nor are we worried about what will happen at the end of time, but by the grief of those living beside us. By telling us to be vigilant Jesus asks us to see the needs of our brothers and sisters.



AMEN

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Amen, Brod!


The core importance of this Season is that we are waiting for the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ; we celebrate His birth. This is why we call it Christmas Day. Because it is CHRIST'S MASS.

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Gospel Lk 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

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Gospel Lk 3:10-18


The crowds asked John the Baptist,
"What should we do?"
He said to them in reply,
"Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise."
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
"Teacher, what should we do?"
He answered them,
"Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."
Soldiers also asked him,
"And what is it that we should do?"
He told them,
"Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages."

Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
"I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.

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Fourth Sunday of Advent

Gospel Lk 1:39-45

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

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Gospel Mt 2:1-12


When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
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.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
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.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
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.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

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