Homily, 9th of February 2015

Touch only the tassel on His cloak

“Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.” (Mk 6: 56)

How happy we are when we have daily access not only to “the tassel on his cloak” but also to He Himself personally through the sacraments, and especially the Eucharist. We remember that in His wounds we are healed. When we go the Mass, we can be touched by His love and His Body and Blood—“and as many as touched Him were healed.”

“Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Homily, 8th of February 2015

Very early before dawn

“Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.” (Mk 1: 34)

The Bible is full of precise descriptions about timing: “when it was evening, after sunset,” “very early before dawn.” For the Evangelists this was so important, so we can enter into Our Lord’s life more fully. It is not only about prayer—“he prayed,” but also about place—“a deserted place” and time—“very early before dawn.” It helps us to imitate His life and connect with Him at the right time knowing how important it was for Him. For Our Lord evening was for serving others, but morning was for God. Sometimes we give to God what remains of our day, but Jesus gave the beginning of the day to prayer.

“Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.” (Gospel Acclamation)

Homily, 7th of February 2015

The Great Shepherd of the sheep

“May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the Blood of the eternal covenant, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13: 20-21)

Our Lord, the “Great Shepherd of the sheep,” helps “furnish [us] with all that is good,” helps us “to do His will” and carries “out in us what is pleasing to God.” Our role is to keep our eyes on Him, to follow Him, and to listen to His voice. He knows how to furnish us with good, how to do God’s will and how to bring glory to God.

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the Blood of the eternal covenant, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb 13: 20-21)

Our Lord, the “Great Shepherd of the sheep,” helps “furnish [us] with all that is good,” helps us “to do His will” and carries “out in us what is pleasing to God.” Our role is to keep our eyes on Him, to follow Him, and to listen to His voice. He knows how to furnish us with good, how to do God’s will and how to bring glory to God.

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you. Thus we may say with confidence: ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’” (Heb 13: 5-6)

Our Lord’s protection and presence with us is unlimited: “I will never forsake or abandon you.” It is about all the aspects of our lives, including when we are afraid about our financial situation. When He is the center of our lives and when we pray to understand His will and to follow His commandments, He will take care of us. When we put our trust in money, not in Him, we could be in danger, especially because of “love of money.” So He reminds us: “be free from love of money… I will never forsake you.”

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“…you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled Blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.” (Heb 12: 22-24)

In our pilgrimage to “Mount Zion and the city of the living God,” we are never alone, never abandoned, but always surrounded by saints and protected by God Himself. Especially Jesus, “the mediator of a new covenant,” no matter what, is consistently with us with His grace, company and support. And when we are in trouble or even in sins, His “Blood speaks eloquently” and loudly to protect us and to save us because of His love for us. We are His chosen children.

“The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become defiled.” (Heb 12: 14-15)

“Bitter root” can “spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become defiled.” It sounds like we are responsible for “bitter root.” We should check everyday our “planet,” like the famous Little Prince, and look for any trace of bitterness in our lives because bitterness can cause trouble not only in our lives but also in the lives of our loved ones. “Strive for peace with everyone” looks like a good solution and a good strategy against bitterness. If we add a pinch of humor, this also helps.

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” (Heb 12: 1-2)

We are invited to “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus” because He is “the leader and perfecter of faith” and knows our destination. We have a race to run. In every run (like a marathon, for example), especially a long one (like life), we need to know where our destination is and how difficult the race could be, and we need perseverance. During a race (like a marathon), we can receive a lot of different kinds of help: nutrition, sponges with water to refresh us and probably the most important thing—pacemakers, runners who know the race and will bring us to the end at the right time. It is similar in our life: we have sacraments (i.e. the Eucharist), sponges (like confession) and the most important thing, the presence of Our Lord, “the Leader and Perfecter of faith”.

“Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.” (Lk 2: 22-24)

The Holy Family has been respecting the law, and “according to the law of Moses,” when “the days were completed for their purification,” “Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord.’” Thanks to this, Our Lord was recognized by Simeon and the prophetess Anna, and His appearance brought consolation to them. Our Lord was not only recognized but also proclaimed as the Messiah of the Lord, and the Holy Family was blessed by Simeon. So many benefits from … respecting the law.

“A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided.” (1 Cor 7: 32-34)

This is about the unmarried man but also about the unmarried woman: he or she is divided. Or rather we should say that with Our Lord’s help, they could be undivided, not divided. There is a solution: the sacrament of matrimony helps the unmarried to be united not divided. United when they pray together, when they receive the mutual gift of self, “which is specific and exclusive to them alone, [when they] develop that union of two persons in which they perfect one another, cooperating with God in the generation and rearing of new lives” (HV 8). He comes to every married couple with His grace because “it is in reality the wise and provident institution of God the Creator, whose purpose was to effect in man His loving design.” Divided or united depends on us—how close we will come to His grace.

‘The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light; on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death, light has arisen.” (Gospel Acclamation)