The Eucharist Source and Foundation of the Priesthood and the New Covenant

 

The Eucharist

 

Source and Foundation of the Priesthood and the New Covenant

 

 

Tonight, we enter into the most sacred moments of our faith. Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Paschal Mystery. On this night, Jesus gives the Church three priceless gifts: the Eucharist, the priesthood, and the commandment of love expressed in humble service. The Gospel of John begins with a profound statement: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1–15). These words reveal the heart of Jesus. His love is not partial or temporary; it is complete and sacrificial.

 

During the Last Supper, Jesus rises from the table, removes his outer garment, takes a towel, kneels, and washes the feet of his disciples. In the culture of that time, washing feet was the task of the lowest servant. Yet the Son of God takes the position of a servant. Peter is shocked and says, “You will never wash my feet.” But Jesus replies, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Through this action, Jesus teaches that true discipleship is rooted in humility and service.

 

On this same night, Jesus institutes the Eucharist. St Paul writes, “This is my body that is for you… This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (1 Cor 11:23–26). Here, Jesus gives himself completely to humanity. The Eucharist is not merely a symbol. It is the real presence of Christ. The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life (CCC). Every Mass makes present the sacrifice of Christ and nourishes us with his own life. But for the Eucharist to continue throughout history, Jesus also institutes the priesthood. When He says, “Do this in memory of me,” he entrusts the apostles with the mission of celebrating the Eucharist and shepherding his people. The priest, therefore, acts in the person of Christ, serving the community and nourishing it with the Word of God and the Body of Christ.

 

Priesthood is not a position of privilege but a vocation of sacrifice and service. Just as Christ washed the feet of his disciples, priests are called to serve the people with humility and compassion. The early Church Fathers understood this connection between the Eucharist and love. Augustine of Hippo taught that when we receive the Eucharist, we become what we receive — the Body of Christ. And John Chrysostom reminded believers that we cannot honor Christ at the altar while ignoring him in the poor. In other words, the Eucharist must transform how we live.

 

Our world is often marked by division, inequality, and indifference. Many people experience loneliness, poverty, and injustice. The celebration of the Eucharist calls us to build communities of compassion and solidarity. Every time we participate in the Eucharist, we are sent into the world to continue Christ’s mission — to serve, to forgive, to reconcile, and to love. If we truly receive the Eucharist, our lives will reflect his love. Our families will become places of forgiveness, our communities’ places of service, and our world a little closer to the kingdom of God. As we continue this sacred celebration, let us thank God for the gift of the Eucharist, pray for our priests, and ask for the grace to live the commandment Jesus gives tonight: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

 

 

“…he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation”.

 

Prostrate to the Mighty Humble King Is 50:4-7; Phi 2:6-11; Mt 26:14—27:66 (Psalm Sunday, A)

 

Prostrate to the Mighty Humble King

 

Is 50:4-7; Phi 2:6-11; Mt 26:14—27:66 (Psalm Sunday,  A)

Lord God, how great you are, clothed in majesty and glory, wrapped in light as in a robe.

 

Today we begin Holy Week, the days during which we journey with Jesus on his way of the cross and anticipate his Resurrection. We begin our liturgy today with the procession of palms to remember Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. The series of events of Jesus’ Passion is proclaimed in their entirety in today’s Liturgy of the Word. Those events will be proclaimed again when we celebrate the liturgies of the Triduum—the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. In the Gospel of Matthew (Cycle A), we read the Passion of Jesus on Palm Sunday. On Good Friday, we will read the Passion of Jesus from the Gospel of John. The story of Jesus’ Passion and death in Matthew’s Gospel focuses particularly on Jesus’ obedience to the will of his Father and the fulfillment of Scripture.

 

While the Gospels of Matthew and Mark have many parallels in their narrative of the Passion, there are a few details worth noting in Matthew. Only Matthew indicates the price paid to Judas for betraying Jesus and his death, as is the detail that Pilate’s wife received a warning in a dream and that Pilate washed his hands of Jesus’ death. Finally, Matthew’s Gospel alone mentions the earthquakes and other phenomena that happened after Jesus’ death. The scholars observe that Matthew’s Gospel reflects the tension that probably existed between the early Christian community and their Jewish contemporaries. At the Second Vatican Council, the Council Fathers made clear that all sinners share responsibility for the suffering and death of Jesus and that it is wrong to place blame for Jesus’ Passion on the Jewish contemporaries of Jesus or on Jewish people today (Nostra Aetate No. 4 - In Our Time 1965).

 

There are many reflections from which to engage in Jesus’ Passion in the characters of Matthew’s Gospel. They reflect us and not others. Sometimes we are like Judas, who betrayed Jesus and came to regret it. We are sometimes like Peter, who denied him, or like the disciples, who fell asleep during Jesus’ darkest hour, but then acted rashly and violently at his arrest. Sometimes we are like Simon, who is pressed into service to help Jesus carry his cross. Sometimes we are like the leaders who fear Jesus or like Pontius Pilate, who washed his hands instead of standing for the truth. Jesus dies so that our sins will be forgiven.

 

 Jesus is King. This King does not impose himself. He offers Himself. His kingship is infused with a spirit of service. “He will not dispute or raise his voice to make it heard in the streets. He will be meek and humble. Let us run to accompany him as he hastens toward his passion, not by covering his path with garments, olive branches or palms, but by doing all we can to prostrate ourselves before him” (Saint Andrew of Crete, bishop).

 

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; blessed is the King of Israel” (Divine Office)

 

 

“Come out of the Tomb” Ezk 37:12-14 Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45 (Lent A / 5)

 

“Come out of the Tomb”

 

Ezk 37:12-14 Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45 (Lent A / 5)

“He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature”

 

The message of today’s Liturgical readings is that God brings life where there seems to be only death. The people of Israel were living in exile (Ezk 37:12–14). Their land was destroyed, their temple ruined, and their hope buried. They felt like people already dead. But God spoke through the prophet and promised: “I will open your graves and bring you back to life.” God said he will place his “רוּחַ” (ruaḥ) in them. The Hebrew word ruaḥ means “breath”, “spirit”, or “life-force”. It is the same word used in the creation story when God breathed life into Adam (Gen 2:7), i.e., humanity. The God who created life can restore life.

 

Even when people feel spiritually or socially dead, God’s Spirit can renew them. We see this promise fulfilled in today’s Gospel (Jn 11:1–45). Lazarus was in the tomb for four days. Humanly speaking, everything is finished. Martha and Mary were grieving, and the community accepted death. But Jesus made a profound declaration: “I am the resurrection and the life.” The Greek word used here for resurrection is “ἀνάστασις (anástasis)”, which literally means “to rise again.” It is not only about life after death. It also means God raising a person from despair into new life. Jesus called out with authority: “Lazarus, come out!” And the man who was dead walked out of the tomb. This miracle reveals a deep theological truth: Jesus is the Lord of life. Where humanity sees an end, Christ creates a new beginning.

 

Each of us sometimes experiences tombs in our lives — places where hope feels buried. Some live in the tomb of sin, others in fear, broken relationships, discouragement, or loss of faith. Yet Christ stands before every tomb and calls us by name, just as he called Lazarus. His voice invites us to step out of whatever binds us. Through prayer, repentance, and trust in God, we experience spiritual resurrection even now. This message also has a social meaning. Many people today live in what we might call social tombs — poverty, loneliness, injustice, or exclusion. As followers of Christ, we are called not only to receive new life but also to help bring life to others. As Pope Francis reminds us in Fratelli Tutti, a society rooted in fraternity and solidarity can restore hope to those who feel forgotten. At the end of the Gospel, Jesus told the community: “Untie him and let him go.” After calling Lazarus out of the tomb, the community needed to remove the cloths that bound him. This is our mission as a Church — to help free one another from whatever keeps us bound.

 

As we approach Holy Week, Christ still speaks the same powerful words today: “Come out.” Come out of fear. Come out of sin. Come out of despair. And when the ruaḥ — the Spirit of God — fills our lives, we too will experience anástasis, rising into new life with Christ.

 

“…through the grace of God’s Word, everyone is made abundantly clean”.

A Lenten Examination of Our Spiritual Sight 1 Sam 16:1b,6-7,10-13°; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41 (Lent A / 4)

 

A Lenten Examination of Our Spiritual Sight

 

1 Sam 16:1b,6-7,10-13°; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41 (Lent A / 4)

 

“The man who lives by the truth comes into the light” (Divine Office)

 

On this Fourth Sunday of Lent, the Word of God challenges a deep human tendency—the tendency to judge people by what we see on the outside. When the prophet Samuel comes to anoint a king among the sons of Jesse, he is impressed by their appearance and strength. But the Lord corrects him with a striking reminder: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature… for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). We often measure others by visible qualities—status, success, or physical strength. But God sees the heart.

 

When the followers encounter a man born blind, they immediately ask Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (Jn 9:2). Their question reflects an ancient belief known as the theology of retribution—the idea that suffering must be the punishment for sin and prosperity the reward for goodness. We see this perspective in Deuteronomy, where obedience is linked with blessings and disobedience with curses. Even today, many cultures express a similar idea through the notion of karma, assuming that every instance of suffering must be the result of past wrongdoing.

 

But Jesus breaks this logic of blame. He answers, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him” (Jn 9:3). He concentrates on how God’s grace can be revealed. The suffering of the blind man becomes a manifestation of God’s healing power. Jesus moves the conversation away from judgment to mission. From a human perspective, David, the youngest and least impressive, seemed insignificant, yet God saw his heart. God’s choices often contradict human expectations. Society tends to value people based on success, productivity, wealth, or influence. But Jesus reminds us that human dignity does not depend on these external conditions.

 

In “Deus Caritas Est” (God is Love), Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that love of neighbor is a fundamental responsibility of every Christian. When we encounter suffering, our response cannot be indifference or judgment but concrete charity. Likewise, in “Laudato Si’” Praise Be to You, My Lord), Pope Francis emphasizes that every creature and every human person possesses goodness given by God. In “Fratelli Tutti” (All Brothers and Sisters), he calls the world to rediscover fraternity, affirming that every human being has the right to live with dignity and to develop fully within the community.

 

Jesus invites us to participate in God’s work (Jn 9:4). Our task as Christians is not to judge the wounded but to help heal them, not to condemn the struggling but to support them. It should build the common good—serving the poor, supporting the sick, strengthening families, and promoting justice and compassion within our communities. The blind man eventually came to recognize Jesus and profess faith in him, while those who believed themselves spiritually enlightened remain blind. The real blindness in today’s Gospel story is not physical but spiritual—the inability to see with the heart. As we continue our Lenten journey, Jesus invites us to examine our own vision. Do we judge people by appearances, or do we see them as God sees them? If Christ opens our eyes, we will move from judgment to compassion and from indifference to service. Then, through our lives, the works of God will truly become visible in our community.

 

“Praise God in his wonderful works.” (Divine Office)

Neither Jew nor Gentile… all One in Christ Jesus Ex 17:3-7; Rom 5:1-2,5-8; Jn 4:5-42 (Lent A /3)

 

Neither Jew nor Gentile… all One in Christ Jesus

 

Ex 17:3-7; Rom 5:1-2,5-8; Jn 4:5-42 (Lent A /3)

 

“Do justice for the weak and the orphan, defend the afflicted and the needy”.

 

On this Sunday and the next two Sundays, we break from reading the Gospel of Matthew to read from John’s Gospel. The Gospel of John is the only Gospel not assigned to a particular liturgical year. Instead, readings from John’s Gospel are interspersed throughout our three-year liturgical cycle. The dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in today’s Gospel reveals the animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans that has prevented even dialogue. The woman herself alludes to the break from tradition: “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” Yet Jesus not only converses with the woman, but he also asks to share her drinking vessel, an action that makes him unclean according to Jewish law.

 

The Second Vatican Council’s pastoral constitution “Gaudium et Spes” on the Church in the Modern World says that the tensions disturbing the world of today are in fact related to a more fundamental tension rooted in the human heart. Within oneself, many elements conflict with one another in various kinds of discrimination. On one side, one has experience of one's own many limitations as a creature. On the other hand, one knows there is no limit to aspirations and that one is called to a higher kind of life. What is more, in weakness and sinfulness, one often does what one does not want to do and fails to do what one would like to do. Consequently, we suffer from a conflict within ourselves, and this in turn gives rise to many great tensions in society.

 

Humans or any creature come from dust and return to dust. What does anyone carry with them after death? So, the “Gaudium et Spes” calls us to reflect upon – What is man? What is the meaning of pain, of evil, of death, which persist despite such great progress? What is the use of those successes, achieved at such a cost? What can man contribute to society, what can he expect from society? What will happen after this life on earth? The high point of the dialogue of the woman at the well is a call to live only in the Messiah. Worship him in truth and spirit, shunning all the barriers and boundaries that history created in the world.

 

The significance of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman has various levels. The first is personal. As the woman converted herself to belief in Jesus, we are called to convert in the word of Jesus. The second is social. As she became an evangelist to her own people in the town, we are called to evangelize the evangelized. The third level is educational. Jesus uses his encounter with the Samaritan woman to teach his disciples that God’s mercy is without limit. He does not calculate our barriers to receive his mercy. Finally, the conversion of the Samaritan townspeople is a foretaste of the kind of open community that will be created in a world that only believes Jesus is the unifier.

 

“Rescue the weak and the poor; set them free from the hand of the wicked”.

Transformed to Transform the Journey Gen 12:1-4a; 2 Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9 (A – Lent 2)

 

Transformed to Transform the Journey

 

Gen 12:1-4a; 2 Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9 (A – Lent 2)

“The Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way”

 

On this Second Sunday of Lent, the Church leads us to the mountain of the Transfiguration, narrated in the Synoptic Gospels. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain, and there his face shines with divine glory. The Father’s voice: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” is heard. This mystery speaks to us today in four important ways.

 

First, the Transfiguration reveals who Jesus truly is. He is not only a teacher or prophet — He is the beloved Son of God. Moses and Elijah appear beside him, showing that Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets. And this revelation comes just before his suffering. The message is clear: glory comes through the Cross. Lent reminds us that God reveals his power not in worldly success but in sacrifice, obedience, and love. Second, the Transfiguration calls us to personal transformation. The Lent asks: Are you being transformed? The Father says, “Listen to Him.” To listen to Christ means changing our lives — turning away from sin, forgiving others, practicing charity, living in justice, and reflecting Christ’s light in our daily actions. True faith must be seen in how we live.

 

Third, this event shows us the life of the Church. Jesus takes the disciples together up the mountain. Faith is not lived alone. We encounter Christ together in the Church — in the Word of God, in the Eucharist, in prayer, and in our parish community. But like the disciples, we cannot remain on the mountain. We return to the world strengthened to serve, to love, and to carry Christ’s light into society. Finally, the Transfiguration teaches us our destiny. It reveals what God desires for every human person — transformation and participation in divine glory.

 

Christ shows us our future: that those who follow him faithfully will share in his glory. Lent is therefore a time of formation, strengthening our faith, renewing our hope, and deepening our relationship with God. As we continue this Lenten journey, let us climb the mountain of holiness through prayer, encounter Christ in the Church, live transformed lives, and walk faithfully toward the glory God has prepared for us.

 

“Judah became the Lord’s temple, Israel became his kingdom”.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith Gen 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Rom 5:12-19; Mt 4:1-11 (A - Lent 1)

 

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

Gen 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Rom 5:12-19; Mt 4:1-11 (A - Lent 1)

 

“In Christ we suffered temptation, and in him we overcame the Devil” (Divine Office)

 

 

A reflective way of looking at life is to see it as a struggle between sin and grace, selfishness and holiness. Today’s Scripture readings show two contrasting reactions to temptation. The first parents, Adam and Eve, preferred their own inclinations to the will of God (Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-6). Secondly, on several occasions, God tested Abraham to prove his faith and strengthen his hope in the promises made to him. He obeyed willingly when God asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, the son of promise. When the Israelites were sorely tested in Egypt for more than 400 years of hard labor and persecution, they did not forget him. They kept God’s word and remembered his promise, leading them into the promised homeland.

 

Jesus was no exception to this pattern of testing and preparation for the mission his Father gave him. He resisted temptation, remaining faithful to God’s will. He was led into the wilderness for 40 days without food and little shelter. He had nothing to sustain himself in that barren wilderness except his forty days of prayer and fasting. Jesus was left alone in that harsh environment to wrestle with the temptation to seek pain and hardship, humiliation and rejection, suffering and death on a cross. Temptation, in one form or another, is an unavoidable part of life. If we honestly examine our daily experience, we can find many aspects of temptation: impulses or tendencies counter to the right way of doing things. If we rationalize these temptations, they will become socially acceptable and politically correct, and that would itself become an insidious temptation.

 

The Scripture calls the tempter by many names: the devil and Satan (Rev 12:9), Beelzebul, the prince of demons (Lk 11:15, Mt 12:24), the evil one (Mt 13:38), and the father of lies (Jn 8:44). Where did Jesus find the strength to survive the tempter’s seduction? He fed himself on God’s word and found strength in doing his Father’s will.

 

How can we overcome sin and gain freedom over our unruly desires and the lies of Satan and the world? The Lord Jesus gives us his Spirit to help us in our weakness (Rom 8:26) and to be our guide and consoler in temptation and test (1 Cor 10:13). He gives grace to the humble who acknowledge their dependence on him (Js 4:6) and helps to stand against the lies and attacks of our enemy, Satan, who seeks to destroy us (1 Pt 5:8-10; Eph 6:10-18). He wants us to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim 6:12) with the power and strength that comes from the Holy Spirit. Do we rely on the Lord for our strength and victory in this Lent?

 

 

“…if he were not tempted, he could not teach you how to triumph over temptation” (Divine Office)

 

Inseparable Diamonds in Lent Joel 2:12–18; 2 Cor 5:20–6:2; Mt 6:1–6,16–18 (A)

Inseparable Diamonds in Lent

Joel 2:12–18; 2 Cor 5:20–6:2;  Mt 6:1–6,16–18 (A)

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,”

Ashes do not decorate us. They unmask us. They tell the truth about who we are – fragile, dependent, and in need of mercy. But are we hungry for God, and do you thirst for his holiness? God wants to set our hearts ablaze with the fire of his Holy Spirit that we may share in his holiness and radiate the joy of the Gospel to those around us. St. Augustine of Hippo tells us that there are two kinds of people and two kinds of love: “One is holy, the other is selfish. One is subject to God; the other endeavors to equal Him”. We are what we love. God wants to free our hearts from all that would keep us captive to selfishness and sin. “Rend your hearts and not your garments,’ says the prophet Joel (Joel 2:12). The Holy Spirit is ever ready to transform our hearts and to lead us further in God’s way of truth and holiness.

The forty days of Lent is the annual retreat of the people of God in imitation of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness. Forty is a significant number in the Scriptures. Moses went to the mountain to seek the face of God for forty days in prayer and fasting (Ex 24:18). The people of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years in preparation for their entry into the promised land. Elijah fasted for forty days as he journeyed in the wilderness to the mountain of God (1 Kgs 19:8). We are called to journey with the Lord in a special season of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and penitence (expressing true sorrow for sin and wrongdoing) as we prepare to celebrate the feast of Easter, the Christian Passover of Jesus’ victory over sin, Satan, and death.

Ash Wednesday is not primarily no only about sin. It is about reconciliation. The Church teaches that Lent is a privileged time of grace, a season given not to shame us, but to save us. The ashes remind us of death, but they are traced in the shape of the Cross—because death does not have the final word. Even our repentance is embraced by mercy. Repentance is a spiritual medicine. St Augustine says that fasting humbles the body so that the soul may rise toward God. In the same way, St John Chrysostom warns that fasting without mercy becomes empty, meaning the fast God desires is one that breaks the chains of injustice.

Ash Wednesday confronts us with a question: “Will Lent change only our schedule or our lives? Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving were inseparable: prayer opens us to God, fasting frees us from selfishness, and almsgiving restores communion with others. Prayer calls us to reorder our priorities. Fasting challenges our attachments and excess. Almsgiving demands concrete love for the poor, the lonely, and the forgotten. These are not private devotions alone; they shape how we live, forgive, and love. As we receive these ashes, let us ask for the grace of a true return—a heart made new, a faith made real, and a love made visible. May this holy season lead us from ashes to life, from repentance to renewal, and from the Cross to Resurrection.

 

“Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.”

Where Christ Dwells, the Law Becomes Love Sir 15:15–20; 1 Cor 2:6–10; Mt 5:17–37 (A 6)

 

Where Christ Dwells, the Law Becomes Love

 

Sir 15:15–20; 1 Cor 2:6–10; Mt 5:17–37 (A 6)

God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good. Alleluia.

 

Matthew continues the Sermon on the Mount with a three-part instruction by Jesus on the Way of Life in the kingdom of heaven. Today’s reading presents three parts. The first part deals with the Torah. Part two deals with worship and religious practices and contains the Lord’s Prayer; part three deals with trusting God and deeds of loving service to neighbor. Jesus uses words that strike at the very heart of Christian discipleship: “I have come not to abolish the law, but to fulfill” (Mt 5:17). He affirms that God’s commandments are not cancelled, but fulfilled in him.

 

Jesus commands not to kill, not to commit adultery, and not to swear falsely. He goes beyond the action to the intention. He says that anger insults, and contempt wounds life. Lustful looks betray the covenant of love: careless words and oaths fracture truth. Jesus is not making life harder. He is revealing the truth. Sin begins in the heart before it appears in behavior. Jesus does not forbid anger in every form, but it leads to contempt and destruction of communion. He calls his disciples to a higher standard, not because they are stronger, but because they are called to be holy.  Jesus takes well-known commandments and leads us deeper. He shows that sin does not begin in the hand, but in the heart; not in the act, but in the intention. St John Chrysostom explains that Christ “leads the commandment beyond the letter and brings it to the soul itself.” In the same way, murder begins with anger; adultery begins with a look that reduces the other to an object; falsehood begins with a divided heart.

 

This demanding teaching is a healing. Jesus is not accusing. He is diagnosing the human heart. Reconciliation becomes a moral obligation. Before worship and prayer, the disciple must seek peace. This is a radical ethical demand even today, in a world marked by resentment, division, and unresolved conflict. In matters of purity, Jesus challenges a culture that objectifies the human person. The Church, following this Gospel, teaches that chastity is not repression but reverence for the other’s dignity. Where Christ dwells, the law becomes love, and love becomes freedom. As we come to the altar, let us ask for hearts purified, relationships healed, and lives marked by truth. Then the law will no longer stand over us—but live within us.

 

This Gospel invites us to examine our inner world. Jesus is not condemning us; He is calling us deeper. He desires hearts that are undivided, healed, and free. As we receive the Eucharist, we receive the One who lived this Gospel completely. May he reshape our hearts, purify our intentions, and make our lives a living witness to the Kingdom of God.

 

 

“For what you could not take at one time because of your weakness, you will be able to grasp at another if you only persevere”.

Called to Bring Justice Is 58:7-10; 1 Cor 2:1-5; Mt5:13-16 (A 5)

 

Called to Bring Justice

 

Is 58:7-10; 1 Cor 2:1-5; Mt5:13-16 (A 5)

“The cross of the Lord has become the tree of life for us.”

 

Around the same time that Isaiah was reviving a living faith among the people in Jerusalem (c. 742 B.C.), his contemporary up in northern Israel, the prophet Amos (c. 760–755 B.C.), was expressing his fierce indignation about the plight of the poor and needy, who were being denied justice in the courts (Am 5:7-15) and whose goods were confiscated (5:11). In his turn, Isaiah also makes an impassioned cry for social justice. His sense of fairness and sharing comes from his deep sense that God’s creativity and glory fill the whole earth (Is 6:3). The divine presence fills not only the temple but the whole of creation. Both focused on the exploitation of the poor, moral corruption, and the inevitability of divine judgment.  Yahweh desires all people to make justice flourish on the earth.

 

Following the teaching of the Beatitudes, Jesus uses the familiar metaphors of salt and light in today’s Gospel reading to describe the life of discipleship. We seem to take salt and light for granted in today’s society, but these commodities were more precious in ancient cultures. Salt is used for flavoring, as a preservative, and as a healing agent. The salt cannot be seen but can be perceived and relished. There are many people who “can hardly be perceived”, as they are like “little ants” working hard and doing good all the time. Some of them are “brought into the limelight on top of a mountain” or on a “lamp stand” (Mt 5:14-15), toiling to bring about justice to the deserving.

 

We are all called to be salt and light. It is said that once, while he was playing, someone asked St. Aloysius Gonzaga what he would do if he knew that within a few minutes he would be dying. “I would keep on playing”, he answered. He would go on carrying out his normal life. Our commitment to social justice flows from the exhortation that Jesus gives us in today’s Gospel. Some of the activities that this commitment leads us to are given more concrete expression as the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. When we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, console those who mourn, and so on, we show ourselves to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. When we do these things with the community of faith, the Church, we are indeed acting as “a city set on a mountain” that cannot be hidden!

 

Pope Francis called on Catholics to “go out to the margins.” He preferred a church that is “bruised and dirty because it has been out on the streets” to one that is “clinging to its own security, caught up in a web of procedures.” We can’t hunker down in our structures with passive hope. The Gospel invites us to run the risk of meeting others in need. It wants to promote a culture of encounter, because what our Church needs today is to heal wounds and to warm hearts.

 

“Let the word of Christ dwell with you in all its richness”.

Blessed to Fight Fear with Faith : Jeph 2:3; 3:12-13; 1 Cor 1:26-31; Mt 5:1-12 (A 4)

 

 Blessed to Fight Fear with Faith

 

“Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place?” 

Jeph 2:3; 3:12-13; 1 Cor 1:26-31; Mt 5:1-12 (A 4)

 

The Sermon on the Mount may be regarded as the central point of Christ’s ministry in Galilee. It was delivered during the first year of his public career, sometime between the winter and the spring, according to the scholars. At the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, on a mountainside overlooking ordinary people with ordinary struggles, Jesus opens his mouth and speaks words that still shock the world: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” These are not rules or moral slogans but a portrait of the Kingdom of God. Not only in Jesus’ time, but even today, society glorifies success, dominance, and protecting oneself at all costs and calls it “Blessed”. But Jesus turns that logic upside down.

 

It calls for the journey of Discipleship in the footsteps of Jesus himself. There is an inner movement of each Beatitude. The poor in spirit recognize dependence on God. Those who mourn, mourn over sin, injustice, and brokenness. The meek find strength under God’s control. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness long for a deep desire for holiness. The merciful love as they have been loved. The pure of heart is an undivided heart. Peacemakers reflect the heart of the Father. The persecuted will be ever faithful even when it costs. This is not a random list. It is the path of Christ himself. The Cross is hidden in all of the Beatitudes.

 

“Blessed” means more than “Happy”. The term Matthew uses Greek word “Makarios” for “Blessed,” does not mean temporary happiness, but rather deep and unshakable joy rooted in God. It survives suffering, endures rejection, and grows even in persecution. That is why Jesus dares to say: “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” The Beatitudes today are a call and not a comforting zone. It challenges us to be poor in spirit in a culture of pride. Challenges us to learn to mourn in a culture of indifference. It encourages us to choose meekness in a culture of aggression. It urges us to have hunger for righteousness in a culture of compromise. It empowers us to be merciful in a culture of revenge. It demands that we seek purity in a culture of divided hearts. It forces us to be peacemakers in a culture of division. It strengthens us to stand firm in a culture hostile to faith. The Beatitudes only make sense when seen through the Cross and Resurrection.

 

Every time we choose humility over pride, mercy over judgment, faithfulness over comfort, we make the Kingdom of God visible. The Beatitudes are meant to be lived here and now, in the concrete realities of society. In today’s polarized world—political, racial, ideological—the Church calls us not to inflame divisions but to heal them, becoming instruments of Christ’s peace. In a secular age where faith is mocked or marginalized, these Beatitudes strengthen us to stand firm—not with bitterness, but with hope. If we live the Beatitudes, the world may not always applaud us—but it will recognize Christ in us.

 

“A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps 51:17).

Called to be Fishers of Men Is 8:23-9:3; 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17; Mt 4:12-23 (A 3)

 

Called to be Fishers of Men

 

Is 8:23-9:3; 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17; Mt 4:12-23 (A 3)

 

“…every liturgical celebration, as an activity of Christ the priest and of his body, which is the Church” (Sacrosanctum Concilium)

 

Once, Aeschines came to Socrates and said, “I am a poor man. I have nothing else, but I give myself”. Socrates answered, “Do you not see that you are giving me the most precious thing of all?” Jesus called fishermen with no great background to make the fishers of men. What Jesus needs is ordinary people who will give themselves to him. In the past, the concept of “vocation” addressed priests and religious. However, it has now been restored to every baptized. God has chosen each of us: “I have called you by name; you are mine” (Is 43: 1); “You didn’t choose me; no, I chose you, and I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that would remain” (Jn 15:16).  Through today’s Gospel, we are being called again to be fishers of men.

 

A good fisherman must have (i) patience until the fish takes the bait. If he is restless, never make him a fisherman. (ii) He must have perseverance to try again and again without being discouraged when nothing seems to happen. (iii) The fisherman must have the courage to face any danger in telling people the truth. (iv) The fisherman must have an eye for the right moment to speak and a time to be silent, waiting for the fish to bite. (v) The wise fisherman must keep himself out of sight. If he obtrudes his own presence, even his own shadow, the fish will certainly not bite. Finally, the fisherman for Christ will always seek to present people, not with himself, but with Jesus Christ. He aims to fix men’s eyes not on himself, but only on Christ. Every baptized Christian becomes a fisher of men for Christ.

 

The world is beautiful for those who are in the light of Baptism. The world is horrible for those who are in darkness without the light of Jesus.  We are in the light. We need to bring this light to others. Like Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, we are called to let people know about Jesus Christ, who is alive and active in the world (Mt 18:20).  We are to let them know that he loves and calls them to come into the Light. Jesus Christ is not only for us.  We have not been called to embrace selfish motives with the Lord but rather to use our own unique talents to bring others to Christ. Pope Francis said, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch. You, too, are called to become ‘fishers of men’. Don’t hesitate to spend your life witnessing joyfully to the Gospel, especially among your peers.”

 

 

“In the liturgy on earth we are given a foretaste and share in the liturgy of heaven…” (Sacrosanctum Concilium)