My joy and crown

November 7, 2014 9:30 am

“… Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified Body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.” (Phil 3: 20-21–4:1)

Our Lord knows us perfectly. We are His beloved brothers and sisters not because we are perfect, but because we are chosen by God the Father to be His children. He knows our limits, “our lowly body,” so He doesn’t expect that we will be able to change ourselves into “his glorified body.” We “await a savior” who will change our lowly body by His power and will “bring all things into subjection to himself.”

I like to think about you, my brothers and sisters, readers of my daily homilies, like St. Paul: “my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.”

“You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, O Lord.” (Communion Antiphon)

Rejoice

November 6, 2014 6:45 pm

“In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Lk 15: 10)

Heaven is the place of great rejoicing. In every moment the Angels of God rejoice because one of us repents. Some people say that heaven is boring because saints only pray; they forget about the joyful part of being there. Thanks to those who repent every day and in every moment.

“You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, O Lord.” (Communion Antiphon)

Hold on to the world of life

November 5, 2014 5:55 pm

“Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” (Phil 2: 14-16)

Our Lord came to us as the “Word of life.” We can allow Him to change and form our lives following His words and create world around us based on His teaching and example. “You shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life” sounds not like an invitation, but like God’s wish.

“You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence.”(Communion Antiphon)

Taking the form of a slave

November 4, 2014 10:38 am

“Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness…” (Phil 2: 5-7)

God’s love for us is full of action—“emptied himself”—“taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness.” Love assimilates and is as close as possible to its object. Our Lord is more concerned about our lives than about His; abandoning His privileges is natural for Him.

“I will look after my sheep, says the Lord, and I will appoint a shepherd to pasture them, and I, the Lord, will be their God.” (Entrance Antiphon)

Humbly regard others as more important then yourselves

November 3, 2014 9:30 am

“Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.” (Phil 2: 3-4)

I and my own interests or others—the simple test of selfishness or vainglory. Who is more important for me: others or myself? The only way to fulfill my life is to be a gift of self. It is too difficult to be a gift of self when I am more important then others.

“Amen, I say to you: That you who have left all and followed me will receive a hundredfold and possess eternal life.” (Communion Antiphon)

We have a building from God

November 2, 2014 5:00 am

“For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.” (2 Cor 5: 1)

Today we celebrate All Souls Day (All the Faithful Departed). Every priest has the privilege of celebrating three Masses, and every Mass has its own readings. Every reading is focused on the same subject—we are beloved children of God, invited to be with Him in heaven. He gave us His Son to redeem us from our sins and sanctified us by the Holy Spirit to bring us Home. “We have a building from God, eternal in heaven,” so never homeless, always expected, always loved and important.

“This is the will of my Father, says the Lord, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life.” (Gospel Acclamation)

And that is what we are

November 1, 2014 5:00 am

“See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 Jn 3: 1)

We are the children of God. When we believe this, we can recognize the dignity of other people more easily. When “the world does not know” Him, it does not know us, either.

Today we are surrounded by all saints. They recognized Him and His love, they recognized dignity of others, and respected it. And He made them holy.

“Let us rejoice in the Lord, as we celebrate the feast day in honor of all the Saints, at whose festival the Angels rejoice and praise the Son of God.” (Entrance Antiphon)