Saturday, January 14, 2012

1/15/2012 – homilia - segundo domingo del tiempo ordinario – Juan 1:35-42


          Juan el Bautista estaba con nosotros en el tiempo de adviento antes de Navidad, y hoy, cuando regresamos al tiempo ordinario, Juan el Bautista está con nosotros otra vez.  En adviento, Juan estaba con nosotros para preparar el camino para Jesús y para su predicación del reino de Dios.  Ahora, Juan estaba aquí para revelar la identidad de Jesús antes de llamar a sus discípulos. 
         Para seguir a Jesús no es algo muy fácil.  Necesitamos tener nuestros corazones abiertos para la verdad y los desafíos en el reino de Dios.  Necesitamos dejar nuestro voluntad propia y nuestro egoísmo para entrar este reino con todos nuestras fuerzas.  Juan nos proclama en el Evangelio que Jesús es el verdadero Cordero de Dios, y esta proclamación pica el interés y la curiosidad de los dos discípulos de Juan.  Y Jesús da esta invitación a esto discípulos -  “Venid a verlo.”
         Todos de nosotros tenemos una llamada para seguir a Jesucristo como nuestro Señor, como el Cordero de Dios.  El Cordero  en el culto de Israel en los tiempos de Jesús era el signo más importante para dar una ofrenda y un sacrificio a Dios. Y en nuestra vida de fe en la Iglesia Católica, proclamamos a Jesús como el Cordero de Dios para decir que la manera mas importante para dar alabanzas y gracias a Dios es para escuchar a la llamada de Dios y para caminar como sus discípulos.  En las aguas de nuestro bautismo, entramos en la muerte de Cristo, y entramos en una nueva vida en El.  Juan el Bautista reconoció a Jesús como el Cordero de Dios, y nosotros debemos reconocer esta identidad también.  Además, esta identidad debe tener un impacto importante en nuestra vida.  Juan el Bautista era un testigo para nosotros, para guiarnos a la fe.  Y nosotros tenemos la responsabilidad para ser testigos también.  
¿Qué buscan?, Jesús pregunta a los dos hombres. Hoy, nosotros tenemos esta pregunta también.  En verdad: ¿Qué buscamos? ¿Qué es nuestra razón de ser, nuestra razón de vivir?

Thursday, January 12, 2012

1/28/2012 – 2 Samuel 12: 1-7a, 10-17 – homily - Saturday of third week in ordinary time


         God's grace and God's truth can come to us in many different ways, even when we want to avoid it at all cost.  In today's first reading from the 2nd book of Samuel, we hear how his truth and grace come to David in the form of a story told by Nathan.  It is the story of a lamb that is treated like a child by a poor, simple man.  Yet, a rich farmer, who has hundreds in his flock of livestock, steals this poor man's beloved lamb to serve as a meal for a visitor.  David doesn't immediately see the truth and the irony in this story, as it is really a story about him, how he took Bathsheba away from her husband, Uriah the Hittite.  God uses this story to expose the wretchedness of David's sins. 
         It is striking that even though Nathan is a prophet, in this case he acts as David's faithful friend.  He willingly and courageously helps David through pointing out his sins through compassion and love.  He does this in order to help David and the nation of Israel.  It also shows us that while we are often blind to our own sins, as David did not even initially see himself in the story, God sees our sins and is there to help us in the process of repentances and conversion.  David learned through this experience that his sin was not worth the price he would ultimately pay, which is a good lesson for us of us to heed. 
         Another good lesson for us to take away from this story of King David is that we are all capable of sinning, no matter who we are.  We can be tempted and lured into sin, we can be blinded to the truth and the reality of a situation. 
         As we get closer to the holy season of Lent, may the Holy Spirit lead us to disciplines and practices to incorporate into our lives of faith that will help us to turn away from sin, that will help bring about conversion & renewal in our lives.  May we become more aware of the sins that exist in our lives as we continue on our journey of faith.  

1/27/2012 – 2 Samuel 1:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17 – Homily - Friday of the third week of ordinary time -


          For the past 3 weeks, we have been hearing from the 1st and 2nd books of Samuel in our first readings, about the story of the prophet Samuel and the first kings of Israel, Saul & David.  We recently heard of David's heroism and courage in slaying the warrior Goliath, of David's mercy and compassion in sparing Saul's life when Saul himself was out to kill David.  Yet, today, we hear the tragic story of David's adultery and of his murder of Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba.
         Our sins have consequences, & David's sinful actions certainly had consequences for him.  Our responsorial psalm response today pleads: “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”  We are to come to the Lord in repentance for our sins, asking for his mercy and wanting to turn away from sin.  Just as our faith can grow like a small mustard seed into a large bush, our sins can also grow and grow if we let them.  The sacrament of reconciliation is there for us as a grace from God in order to forgive us from our sins & to help through the process of conversion, repentance, forgiveness, & renewal.  May we approach this sacrament each time in sincerity & humility, being truly repentant for our sins and wanting to repair and renew our relationship with God and with our brother and sisters. We need to get beyond the superficial sins that we usually confess to see the truly sinful actions and impulses that take ahold of us.  It is important to recognize that God's forgiveness is just a new start for us, not the end of the story.  We need to do penance and to do everything in our power to not return to our sins.  In many cases, with addictions of any kind and with other kinds of sin, this may be a life-long process and struggle. 
         As we continue to listen to the first readings from the 1st and 2nd books of Samuel, may we learn from the journey of the people of ancient Israel & see what lessons there are for us to incorporate in our own lives of faith. 

1/26/2012 – Thursday – Memorial Timothy & Titus – 2 Tim 1:1-8


         Today, we celebrate the memorial of Timothy & Titus, two companions of St. Paul on his missionary journeys.  We celebrate this memorial the day after the conversion of Paul.  Timothy later became the administrator of the important community of Christ's followers in Ephesus, while Titus served the Church in Crete. 
         In Paul's letter of 2nd Timothy, he recalls the importance of the Holy Spirit in the gift of our faith, as well as how our faith has been passed down to us, with Timothy being greatly influenced by the faith of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice.  The faith of our fathers and mothers, the faith of our ancestors, lives on in us.  I look at how so many of you in our parish have had their lives of faith greatly influenced by the faith of your parents and grandparents, and how the elders of our parish so influence the faith of our younger members.  Things have not changed since the time of Paul, Timothy, and Titus. 
         Paul exhorts Timothy to stir into flame the gift of God that has been given to him, telling him, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather of power and love and self-control.”  Truly living our faith and our Christian values in our lives, discerning the will of God for us & trying to follow it – this is stirring into flame the gifts and the blessings that God has given to us. 
         Our lives of faith are not always easy.  Paul and his companions suffered great hardship & persecution for their faith, but their steadfastness, zeal, and the grace of God kept their faith alive.  May the faith of our fathers and mothers, may the faith of the great missionaries such as Paul, Timothy, and Titus, stir the flame within us, keeping our faith alive and vibrant.