22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2.6-8: Moses urges the people to observe God’s commandments if they wish to have life and be recognised by the world as wise and prudent.

II Reading: James 1:17-18: We are the children of God, blessed with God’s word and called to submit to it, in particular by caring for those who are poor.

Gospel: Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23: it is a tragedy to follow human traditions rather than the laws of God and to be unaware that evil comes from the heart, not from the failures to observe ritual washings.

The Emptiness of (Man-Made) Tradition, Ritual, Ceremony, Works:

Mk 7:1-3

Who is a true and good Christian?

One who listens attentively to God’s Word and acts accordingly, keep his/her heart clean and helps his/her brothers and sisters in need.

This passage is based and focused upon institutionalized religion, tradition, ritual, ceremony and works. A true religion is to give one’s own heart to God; external rules may help, but they do not make a person truly religious just by themselves.

People may survive only when they accept each other and reconciled to God in Christ and live in peace and love and experience the joy and hope of Christ and walk humbly and live a life of service.

1. The religionists found fault with Jesus’ disciples (v.1-5)

          a. A fact finding commission from Jerusalem

          b. The fault: Eating with unwashed and unclean hands

                    i. The tradition of cleanliness explained

                    ii. The tradition illustrated

          c. The charge against the disciples was brought to Jesus

2. Tradition can be hypocritical honor (v.6)

3. Tradition can be empty, worthless worship (v.7)

4. Tradition can be man-made commandments (v.8)

5. Tradition can be kept before the commandments of God (v.9-12)

          a. They twisted God’s commands

          b. They insisted on obedience to tradition

6. Tradition can nullify the Word of God or make the Word of God ineffective (v.13)

The Things That Defile, That Make a Person Unclean: Mk 7:14-23

Jesus shook the world and revolutionized people’s idea of evil and wrong doing. Jesus is making people totally depend upon God for salvation and life.

1. Jesus called the crowd to him (v.14-17)

          a. The importance stressed: Listen and understand

          b. The point stated

          c. The disciples’ dullness

2. Explanation 1: The thing that enters the body does not defile nor make unclean (v.18-19)

          a. It does not enter the heart

          b. it enters the digestive tract

3. Explanation 2: The thing that comes out from the heart does defile (v.20-22)

          a. The sins

4. Explanation 3: The source of evil is the heart (v.23)

Thought: Love must be at the centre of all religion. The Pharisees added hundreds of rules to the ten commandments; Jesus instead, reduced the ten commandments to a single rule: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 13:34)

James repeats Jesus’ commandment in another form: Do not boast of just believing in Christ; your faith is of no use unless you are concerned about the poor. (James 3:14-16)

Love for our neighbour will show what our religion really is, whether fake or genuine.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:10). Humility is a problem to most people. Why? Because the world looks upon humility as a sign of weakness and cowardice.

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Saturday: 21^st Week in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12: Young have learnt from God yourselves to love one another.

Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30: You have shown you can be faithful in small things, come and join in your master’s happiness.

The Parable of the Talents: The Believer’s Duty to Work

Jesus was teaching a much needed lesson: we must be faithful and diligent.

1. The Lord went on a journey (v.14)

2. The Lord entrusted his property to his servants (v.14-15)

a. Called his servant

b. Gave each servant a different portion

c. Gave each servant according to his ability

3. The servants treated the Lord’s goods differently (v.16-18)

a. Two were responsible: Immediately worked

          1) Were faithful and diligent

          2) Were successful

b. One was irresponsible: Did not try

4. The day of settling accounts came (v.19)

a. After a long time

b. The Lord returned

5. The reward for work well done: More work to do (v.20-23)

a. The first servant

          1) Acknowledged God’s gifts and grace

          2) Laboured 100% for the Lord

          3) Was commended and given a great reward: Rulership and joy

b. The second servant

          1) Acknowledged God’s gifts and grace

          2) Laboured 100% for the Lord

          3) Was commended and given a great reward: Rulership and joy

6. The punishment for work not done: Stripping and separation (v.24-30)

a. The servant’s reasons for not working

          1) He misunderstood God: Thought God was too demanding

          2) He feared loss while on earth

b. God’s reasons for condemning the servant

          1) He was wicket and lazy

          2) He was inconsistent

          3) He failed to use his gift

c. The judgement

          1) He was stripped of what he had

          2) He was thrown into the darkness

Thought: Every person or believer has at least one gift (1Cor 12:11; Rom 12:4-9; 1Cor 12:4-30). We must always remember this and must work hard faithfully and diligently.

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Friday: 21^st Week in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8: What God wants is for you all to be holy.

Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13: The Bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins: The Warning to Watch

The believer must watch for the Lord’s return, and he/she must be wise and not foolish in watching (Mt 24:42). This is the point of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins, five foolish and five wise.

• The bridegroom is Jesus Christ himself
• The virgins are believers, all professors of religions
• The five wise virgins are genuine believers
• The five foolish virgins are false believers, those who have false profession
• The lamps represent the lives, that is, the testimony, the witness, the heart, and the profession of the virgins (professing believers)
• The oil is the provision of righteousness, the supply of the Holy Spirit that is to fill the lamps (lives) of the professing believers

The parable is the dramatic picture of all professing believers, both the wise and the foolish, when the Lord returns.

1. Describes the kingdom of heaven (v.1)

2. There are wise and foolish virgins (believers) who attend a wedding (v.1-4)

a. Five are wise: Five are foolish

b. The foolish take no oil for their lamps: Provision and supply

c. The wise take oil for their lamps: Provision and supply

3. There is a long delay waiting for the bridegroom: All are drowsy and sleep (v.5)

4. There is a great summons When he comes (v.6-9)

a. A surprise: Midnight

b. A cry: Come-meet him

c. The awakening: Prepare their lamps

d. The foolish discover their lamps are out: Frantic-beg for oil

e. The wise scarcely have enough for themselves

5. There is the bridegroom’s return and the gathering of the wise (v.10)

6. There is a shut door to the foolish (v.10-12)

a. The door was shut

b. The foolish cry for entry

c. The foolish will be rejected

7. The point: We must watch and expect the Lord’s return at any moment (v.13)

Thought: Wise is the correct word to call the person who secures additional oil (righteousness=one who always depends on God) to enter into heaven (2Cor 5:21; Eph 4:24).

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Thursday: 21^st Week in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13: May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race.

Gospel: Matthew 24:42-51: Stand ready.

The Lord’s Return and the Believer’s Duty:

Watch-Be Ready-Be Faithful and Wise, Mt 24:42-51

This was Jesus’ last week on earth so he taught his disciples and people with regard to the Lord’s return and believers’ watchfulness and faithfulness till the end of life. When will be the temple (Jerusalem) be destroyed? (v.3) (see Mt 24:1-25:46)

Jesus had just answered the disciples’ questions. Since he would be returning to earth and God wanted the hour to be kept secret, what was the believer to do? How was the believer to live? What was the believer’s duty? Jesus answered these questions in one forceful warning: “Keep watch!” then he shared three parables to explain what he meant by the strong exhortation, “Keep watch!”

1. The believer’s duty: Watch (v.42)

a. The Lord does return

b. Exact time unknown

2. Parable 1: The owner of the house (a professing believer) (v.43-44)

a. He had a house to look after

b. He lived without watchfulness

c. He suffered disaster

d. The point: Readiness is essential, for Christ

3. Parable 2: A faithful and wise servant (a genuine believer) (v.45-47)

a. His responsibility: To oversee and feed

b. His accountability: Is faithful

c. His reward: Put in charge

4. Parable 3: A wicket servant (v.48-51)

a. His attitude: Plenty of time

b. His behaviour: Acts unjustly worldly

c. His judgement: He is doomed

          1) The Lord catches him unexpectedly

          2) The condemns him to death-with the hypocrites

Thought: The Lord’s return is imminent. This is the point. We must stay alert and be diligent in looking his return-today! Every person is responsible for his or her life.

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Wednesday: 21^st Week in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13: Slaving night and day, we were proclaiming the Good News to you.

Gospel: Matthew 23:27-32: You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.

The Eight Accusations against False Religionists, Mt 23:13-36

Jesus attacked and denounced the false religionists frankly and openly. He exposed their hypocrisy and inner hearts and minds which were corrupted and doomed to hell. Jesus levelled eight accusations against the religionists.

1. False religionists disguise inner decay (v.27-28)

a. Illustration: They are like white tombs

          1) Outward: appear clean and beautiful

          2) Inward: full of death and uncleanness

b. Their wrong

          1) Outward: appear righteous

          2) Inward: full of hypocrisy and wickedness

2. False religionists pride themselves in a godly heritage (v.29-33)

a. Honour the relics of the past

b. Denounce the former abuses

c. Pride themselves in being better: would not have committed such sins

d. Testify against themselves (by rejecting Christ)

          1) Show themselves to be descendants of murderers

          2) Fill up the father’s cup of murder

e. Result: have become snakes, vipers-doomed to hell

Thought: False religion is the most beautiful and deadly tomb among people. It leads to the eternal death of people’s spirits. God shall judge the sinful hearts those who reject the prophets and the teachings of God.

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Tuesday: 21^st Week in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8: We were eager to hand over to you not only the Good News but our whole lives as well.

Gospel: Matthew 23:23-26: You should have practised these matters of the Law, without neglecting the others!

The Eight Accusations against False Religionists, Mt 23:13-36

Jesus attacked and denounced the false religionists (The Scribes and the Pharisees) frankly and openly. He exposed their hypocrisy and inner hearts and minds which were corrupted and doomed to hell. Jesus levelled eight accusations against the religionists.

1. False religionists stress the lighter commandments and neglect the important ones (v.23-24)

a. They stress the lighter duties and neglect the more important duties

b. They avoid the lesser sins and commit the greater sins

2. False religionists are blind to real cleanness (v.25-26)

a. Their outside appears clean

b. Their insides are full of greed and self-indulgence

c. Their need: First clean the inside; then the outside will be clean

Thought: The false religionists (The Scribes and the Pharisees) fail at justice, mercy and good faith.

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Monday: 21^st Week in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5.8-10: You broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and you are waiting for his Son, whom he raised from the dead.

Gospel: Matthew 23:13-22: Alas for you, blind guides!

The Eight Accusations against False Religionists, Mt 23:13-36

Jesus attacked and denounced the false religionists frankly and openly. He exposed their hypocrisy and inner hearts and minds which were corrupted and doomed to hell. Jesus levelled eight accusations against the religionists.

1. False religionists shut the door to heaven against seekers (v.13)

a. They do not enter themselves

b. They do not allow seekers to enter

2. False religionists are missionaries who double the corruption of new followers (15)

3. False religionists mislead others: They are blind guides in oaths and commitments (v.16-22)

a. Their blindness: They stress the secondary over the primary (two examples)

1) They stress the temple gold over temple

2) They stress the gift over the altar

b. Their folly: They try to evade commitments and responsibility, v.17,19

c. The raw facts

1) All commitments and oaths are heard by God-there is no evasion

2) All commitments and oaths are binding and  are accountable to God

4. False religionists stress the lighter commandments and neglect the important ones (v.23-24)

a. They stress the lighter duties and neglect the more important duties

b. They avoid the lesser sins and commit the greater sins

5. False religionists are blind to real cleanness (v.25-26)

a. Their outside appears clean

b. Their insides are full of greed and self-indulgence

c. Their need: First clean the inside; then the outside will be clean

6. False religionists disguise inner decay (v.27-28)

a. Illustration: They are like white tombs

          1) Outward: appear clean and beautiful

          2) Inward: full of death and uncleanness

b. Their wrong

          1) Outward: appear righteous

          2) Inward: full of hypocrisy and wickedness

7. False religionists pride themselves in a godly heritage (v.29-33)

a. Honour the relics of the past

b. Denounce the former abuses

c. Pride themselves in being better: would not have committed such sins

d. Testify against themselves (by rejecting Christ)

          1) Show themselves to be descendants of murderers

          2) Fill up the father’s cup of murder

e. Result: have become snakes, vipers-doomed to hell

8. False religionists reject and abuse many of God’s present day messengers (v.34-36)

a. Their abuse: they persecute and kill

b. Their judgement

          1) They shall have imputed to them the sins of all the righteous bloodshed throughout history

          2) All these things shall come upon this generation

Thought: The false religionist fails at both points of sin. He sins both by omission and commission. He neglects the more  important duties, and he commits the greater sins.

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21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: Joshua 24:1-2,15-18: Joshua gives the people of Israel the opportunity to choose between Yahweh and idols (the pagan gods).

II Reading: Ephesians 5:21-32: The relationship between Christ and the Church is symbolised by that between a loving husband and wife.

Gospel: John 6:60-69: Jesus is rejected by many of his early followers who are unable to accept the challenge of his words on his body and blood as the eternal life.

In today’s three readings we find God’s covenantal love and faithfulness. Joshua summoned the leaders of all tribes and whole people of Israel at Schechem and raised a stone as a witness to God and made a covenant with God. Joshua gave them a choice where to follow God or idols. Joshua said, “whatever your choice be, I and my family will serve no other god, but our God.” The whole assembly shouted after hearing Joshua; we will also serve Yahweh, is our God.  

In the second reading, Paul talks about the relationship between Jesus and the Church and the husbands and wives as a covenantal love, faithfulness and unity.

John’s gospel chapter 6 deals with the Bread of Life. Jesus said, unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood will not have eternal life. The leaders, scribes and Pharisees and many of his followers did not understand his doctrine and teachings  of Jesus and finally they left him.

In today’s gospel Jesus challenged his twelve disciples and today he is challenging us  and asking these questions “What about you? Do you want to go away too?” (Jn 6:67). “Have I not chosen you, twelve you? Yet one of you is a devil.” (Jn 6:70). Judas Iscariot was chosen and near very close with Jesus but he was too far and miles away from Jesus because he did not accept and love Jesus or true living God.

Our response should be in the words of Simon Peter during the time of temptation: “Master to whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68?).

Jesus established the Eucharist as a covenant which  nourishes us and become our spiritual food. Jesus wants us to renew our covenant with God during Baptism and in the Eucharist where Jesus loves us continuously and gives his life for us in the form of bread and wine.

Jesus becomes our real spiritual food and nourishment through our faith in Christ, the Word of God which is creative, active and alive. The words of Jesus are the Spirit which gives the new life.

It is our duty and responsibility to be faithful to Him always by choosing a right decision to love and serve the true living God and His people.

Let us be united and come back to the Lord as a repentant believer and experience God’s love, joy, peace, happiness and forgiveness…in our lives.

The Reason Some People are Offended by Christ,

The Bread of Life, Jn 6:59-71

People are often offended by Jesus Christ. Four things in particular offend them:

1. Jesus’ message was to the synagogue crowd in Capernaum (v.59-60)

          a. Many disciples were present

          b. They had difficulty accepting his message

2. There is the idea of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood (v.51-56, 61)

3. There is the ascension and exaltation of Christ (v.62)

4. There is the teaching that the Spirit quickens, gives life and the flesh commits for nothing (v.63-64)

5. There is the fact that God saves human, human does not save him/herself (v.65)

6. The conclusion: There were three responses (v.66-71)

          a. The disciples who turned back

          b. The disciples who believed Jesus was the Christ

          c. The disciples who betrayed Christ

To be “saved” means “to be with God in our present and future life” to see Him, to share His life and joy and peace. To be “lost” means not to be admitted into God’s presence and to be deprived of God’s life, joy and peace for ever.

When we speak of “heaven” and “hell”, we are not speaking about places but of “states” (ways) of being: “heaven” means “to be with God”, while “hell” means to be deprived of Him. God wants and longs that everyone may be saved in heaven with Him and forever. It is up to each one of us to decide or choose whether to be saved or to be lost. We need to try to enter by the narrow door with humility and obedience to God’s teachings and commandments. We cannot enter into heaven with pride, Selfishness, self-righteousness, disobedience to God’s will and teachings, jealousy, envy, hatred and all evil actions.

Thought: It is our own free will to choose the true living God to receive the eternal life from Jesus Christ than the devils or idols who perish our lives and lead into hell. 

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Saturday: 20^th Week in Ordinary Time-B

I Reading: Ruth 2:1-3.8-11; 4:13-17: The Lord has not left the dead man without next of kin to perpetuate his name. This was the father of David’s father, Jesse.

Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12: They do not practise what they preach.

The Warning against False Religion

In the minds of the leaders, Christ was a threat to their position, power, wealth, security and nation (Mt 12:1-8, 10;15:1-20). They were forced to discredit Jesus before the people and wanted to kill him. This background lies behind the present chapter-the most sever attack Jesus Christ ever spoke against the scribes and the Pharisees because of hypocrisy of their lives and religion-a religion which stands as a symbol of the false religions of the world (cf. Rom 2:17-29). The false religion is a man made religion.

1.    Jesus spoke to the crowds and to the disciples (v.1)

2.    False religion is a religion that claims to “sit” in the truth, Moses’ seat (2)

3.    False religion is a religion of hypocrisy (3)

a.    It is good to obey their preaching

b.    It is not good to follow their practice

4.    False religion is a religion of heavy burdens (4)

a.    Leaders imposed heavy burdens upon others

b.    Leaders did not imposed the burdens upon themselves

5.    False religion is a religion of show, of display (5-7)

a.    A religion of appearance: Dress, clothing

b.    A religion of position: position that honour and exalt people

c.     A religion of titles: Titles that honour and exalt people

6.    False religion is a religion to be guarded against (8-12)

a.    Because position and relationships are already established

1.    God is your Father

2.    Christ is your Teacher

3.    You are brothers and sisters

4.    Because greatness is measured by SERVICE

5.    Because judgement is coming

Thought: God has no favourites among people. Why should we seek to appear as a favourite? Why should we seek appearance, positions and titles and honour that point toward him/her instead of his/her Lord?

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