Sunday August 24, 2008: Isaiah 22:19-23; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20

I have never been a Muslim and have no intentions of becoming one. However, I love studying Islam. Having grown up in a small town with a sizeable amount of Muslims, I came to know about the religion and some of their rituals. When I went off to college, I took classes in Islam and enjoyed every bit of them. I became very much interested in Islam and its relationship with Christianity. One of my major graduate papers was on Muslim – Christian relations. After graduate school, I have continued to research on Islam. I consider myself to be very knowledgeable about Islam and Mohammed, yet I have no personal knowledge of Islam or Mohammed. My knowledge of Islam and Mohammed is what I have read in the books and have learnt from Muslim friends and neighbors. I cannot make any faith claims based on this kind of knowledge.


The first question posed by Jesus Christ to his Apostles needed a response from the head. They needed to tell Jesus Christ what is out there about him. What they have learnt from people about him. The response to the first question is very easy. I can give that kind of response about Islam. The second question, “Who do you say that I am?” is the more challenging question and this is personal. It requires a deep faith. In the context of Islam, I cannot answer such a question. It is a question that moves us from the head to the heart. Christianity is not knowing about Jesus Christ, but, it is, knowing Jesus Christ personally. It is a heart to heart relationship with Jesus Christ. This knowledge of Jesus is life-changing. It changes not only our faith lives but it also changes our whole worldview. You no longer look at Jesus Christ as a nice guy, a good man, a humble person, even though he has these virtues, but you will look at him as truly what he is to you, a personal savior. There is a movement from the general to the particular. He is no longer a healer, but my healer; no longer a redeemer, but my redeemer; he is no longer the great provider, but my great provider. He becomes 100% personal and this influences how you look at the whole of your reality.


This personal knowledge of Jesus leads us to our personal freedom. You will find out how comfortable and relax you are in his presence. You would begin to see yourself no longer as a slave but a rightful son or daughter of God, fully adopted and with full rights and privileges and you dine with him not as a servant but as a co-heir. This enables you to freely share with him all your joys and sorrows, your happiness and pains, your successes and failures and you can freely ask him to help you with your challenges. You will find out that you are always in the “moment” with him and you can proceed into the future without any fears because you are confident that he will care for you.


Knowing Jesus Christ personally helps us to live out fully God’s will for our lives. The bible, the rituals of the church and the teachings of the church can only give us tools to know Jesus Christ. They do not replace our relationship with Jesus Christ. You need to know Jesus personally in order for you to know what he wants you to do. That is the only way you can be a good Christian. You need to discern God’s will for you daily. It will be a mistake to think that you know all that God wants you to do. You need a personal relationship with him to be able to discern his mission for you.


The gospel this week challenges us to go and build a relationship with Jesus Christ. We know Jesus by reading our bible; we know Jesus by being with his family every Sunday; we know Jesus by praying. Let us use all these tools he has given to us to establish a solid relationship with him. If you have never asked yourself before, spend some time this week and ask yourself, “Who is Jesus Christ to me?” Continue to ask him until he answers you. You will be surprised what you will hear and how that will change your life.

Wednesday May 14, 2008: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; John 15:9-17

Jesus Christ in today’s gospel emphasizes love as the greatest commandment of Christianity. He presents himself as an example of this love. As the Father has loved him, so has he loved us. Jesus goes on to give us the greatest challenge of our Christian faith, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” The challenge here is that Jesus Christ laid down his life for his enemies. St. Paul tells us that Christ died for us while we were still yet in sin. Sin makes us an enemy of Jesus Christ. If we are going to be Christ-like, we must do the same thing that he did, love our enemies. This is not an easy thing to do. We sometimes even find it difficult to love our friends. Judas sold Jesus Christ who was supposed to be his friend. Mathias is chosen to take the place of Judas whose selfishness led him away from the love of Jesus Christ. Mathias is called like every one of us to enter into this fellowship of love with Jesus and the Father.

Saturday May 10, 2008: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31; John 21:20-25

The “sola scriptura” argument is defeated by the conclusion of today’s gospel: “There are also many other things that Jesus did but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.” When some of my friends in other Christian churches want to question my Catholic beliefs, the question is always “Is it in the Bible?” I always reply with a question, “Does it have to be in the Bible?” and then I will proceed to quote this passage from John. It would be naïve to think that the Bible contains in totality every single thing that Jesus did. The intention of the evangelists was not to write the history of Jesus. The truthful witness of the life of Jesus also comes to us through the traditions handed down to us by the Apostles. Our beliefs are founded not only on the Bible but also in the over 2000 year tradition that we as a church have been so privileged to receive from the Apostles. It is our responsibility to continue to witness the truth of the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to all people that we encounter.

Thursday May 8, 2008: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; John 17:20-26

It is clear in today’s gospel that the prayer and promise of Jesus was not only for the Apostles that lived during his time, but this was extended to all those who will believe the gospel preached by the apostles. We are all beneficiaries of this gospel. There is no reason why we cannot engage in ecumenism today in order to heal the wounds that our divisions have caused. Jesus Christ says we are the Father’s gift to him. The gift of the Father is a precious gift, and thus, Jesus treats us as his precious gifts. There is special benefit for us because we are God’s gift to Jesus – the privilege to being wherever he is. We have no doubts in our minds where he is. He is in heaven and he waits with joyful anticipation to receive us there. Meanwhile, Jesus prays that Christians may have divine love – the love with which the Father has loved him. This is the greatest challenge that Jesus leaves us all today - to love as the Father has loved him.



In what ways can we love as the Father loved Jesus?

John 13: 21-33; 36-38 (Tuesday, March 18, 2008)

One of you will betray me. How stunned we will be if we were sitting in that table. We may wonder why any one of us would be so stupid to betray him. He has revealed himself to us as truly the Son of God. Through his ministry, many people have been blessed. We are living witnesses to this. We may think of Judas as being foolish. Yet, sometimes, we are more foolish than Judas. Jesus Christ has revealed himself to us in the breaking of the bread and has given us a rare privilege of becoming the sons and daughters of God, yet we find ourselves denying him. We deny Jesus, if we fail to respond to his love. When we are unfaithful to him, we deny him. When we are ashamed of speaking about him to another person during that rare moment we should have evangelized, we deny him. We did not receive the spirit of timidity, St. Paul tells us. We must always stand with and for Jesus.

In what ways do you betrayed Jesus?

John 5: 1-16, (Tuesday, March 4, 2008)

Jesus Christ is the one that reaches out to the ill man lying by the side of the pool of Bethesda. In most of the gospel stories when Jesus healed people, they called out to him for help. The man in today’s gospel did not. It is possible that this man after waiting for thirty eight years to be able to plunge himself into the pool, he is frustrated, he does not want to ask anyone for help and receive rejection as an answer. That is most likely the reason Jesus asks him a question that might sound like a dumb question to us, “Do you want to be well.” Of course, he wants to be well, that is why he is lying by the pool. Jesus Christ did not want to impose help on him, at the same time, he felt it was the right thing to reach out to this man.

In our Christian community, there are so many people who need our help and would not voice it out because they are afraid of rejection. Most times we wait for people in the community to request for our help before we can try to help them. If the parish does not request for contributions to the food pantry or social concern ministry, we don’t make a contribution. Jesus Christ wants us to actively reach out to those in need without us being asked to.
How can you reach out to those who need your help today?

Luke 7: 36-50 (Thursday, September 20, 2007)

In the gospel of today, we learn how an encounter with the living Christ can change our lives. The sinful woman in today’s gospel encountered Christ at a dinner in Simon’s house. Having Rabbi’s at special dinners like these and even having them teach to a general audience present from all walks of life was not uncommon. Jesus’ presence could have attracted a greater crowd because of all the miracles he has been working and the radical nature of his teachings. Yesterday’s gospel gives us a glimpse into the radical life of Jesus. If he was in today’s world, he would probably be called “a liberal.” This prostitute who was present at the dinner, most probably for other reasons than listening to the Christian message of Jesus, had a conversion experience. This experience of the living Christ took away all the shame she had and she did things that were very unconventional. For once, she knew what true love means. It is reflective in the life and teaching of Jesus. She could feel that love being before the presence of Jesus. That love is forgiveness. That encounter with the living Christ brought her salvation.

In our lives, our striving should be to always encounter the living Christ. Sometimes we walk away from him. We can only encounter him by fostering families that are truly a domestic church; by reading and praying with the scriptures; by visiting him in the Eucharist and by partaking in his greatest mystery, the Eucharistic sacrifice.

Prayer:
Lord, we want to be in your presence. We want to encounter you. We believe that in your presence there is true love, true peace and true joy.

Luke 7: 11-17 (Tuesday, September 18, 2007)

Nain was a city that was close to Shunem. Shunem is important to our gospel of today because in Shunem, the Prophet Elisha had raised a boy to life. In 2 Kings 4: 18-37, we see the story of Elisha prophesying the birth of a son to a woman whose husband is getting advanced in age and they have no children. When this child grew to the age of helping the father with farm work, he had a headache and died. Elisha however brought him back to life. This miracle testified to the fact that Elisha was truly a man of God. Given how small this whole area was, the story most likely spread to the surrounding cities such as Nain, the city Jesus performed today’s miracle. Also, as a culture rich in oral tradition, this story got transmitted from one generation to another. In today’s gospel when Jesus performs this miracle of bringing the son of the widow back to life, the people acknowledged that “a great prophet has arisen in our midst.” They are very much familiar with great prophets of old such as Elijah and Elisha who performed such great miracles as the one performed by Jesus.
One of the things that touch me so much in today’s gospel is Jesus’ words, “Do not weep.” Like the widow who has lost the only son, there are many things that we weep about in our own lives. It may be a failed marriage, a failed business, a failed relationship, etc. Jesus says to you today, “Do not weep.” He shows that he is not only Lord over life, but he is Lord over death. He is not only Lord over success; he is also Lord over failure. Trust that he will lead you through those times of failure.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, I come to you today with all my failures. I believe that you are Lord over failures. Please Lord, transform my failures into success that I may reach the potentials you have for me.

Luke 6: 12-19 (Tuesday, September 11, 2007)

One of the things we learn from Jesus Christ, is his deep life of prayer. Throughout his time of public ministry, he always tried to withdraw from the crowds to pray. Jesus was a very busy man – great crowds followed him. He created time from his busy schedule to pray, because he understood the power of prayer and how effective it is to his ministry. Sometimes we excuse ourselves that we are too busy to pray. May be we are truthfully too busy to pray. How long do you think you can go without prayer? When prayer is not part of our lives, we begin to see our work stressful, empty and dry. This leads to approach other things for fulfillment: drugs, sex, pornography, alcohol, etc. It is prayer that would make our work fresh each day and would make all that we do fruitful.

In the gospel, Jesus is about to make a major decision. He is going to appoint his disciples. He spent the whole night in prayer so that he would make the right decision. When you are confronted with major decisions in your life, do you spend time in prayer?

Prayer:
Lord, we are very busy people. We do not have any time for you and we have no desire to pray. Accept us just as we are and teach us how to pray. May the rhythm of daily life become a prayer, glorifying your presence every moment of our lives.

John 12: 24-26 (Friday, August 10, 2007 – Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr)

If there is one principle I have tested over and over many times and can confirm that it works, it is the principle of generosity. Sometimes it works so magical. I will give and that same day I gave, I will receive as much or more than what I gave. This is an important Christian principle. St. Lawrence whose feast we celebrate today lived this principle thoroughly. He took care of the temporal welfare of the Church in Rome and gave his life in service to the poor. His dedicated service earned him the honor of the patron saint of Rome, after the prince of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Some times we justify why we don’t give much. We claim the reason is because we do not have much. It is important that we give generously from the little that we have. If we cannot give from the little that we have, we will even find it difficult to give from our surplus. If we give generously from the little, when we are called to give our lives for the sake of the kingdom, we will be more willing to give them. St. Lawrence generously offered his life for the sake of the kingdom, and he was burnt alive. As the gospel tells us, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces more fruit. The church has always taught that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. His martyrdom strengthened the faith of the Christian community and led many people to believe in Christ.

We too are invited to be every day martyrs. We can die to our bad habits such as smoking, drinking too much, lying, arrogance, pride, injustice, in order that the faith may be strengthened and many people would come to believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Lord.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, you have called us to be every day martyrs so that others may believe that you are the Lord. We ask you to help us with our addictions. Most especially our addictions to alcohol, drugs and pornography. Give us the courage we need to quit and the graces we need to live sober. May St. Lawrence intercede for us that we will develop a spirit of generosity, so that we will generously give of some of our resources to the poor.