Readings for Sunday, January 31st, 2010

1st Reading - Jeremiah, 1:4-5, 17-19
Jeremiah’s book (his work) is divided in 5 parts:
1) The call to Jeremiah;
2) Messages of God to the nation of Judah, and to its rulers during the time of Josiah, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, & Zedekiah;
3) Material from the memoirs of Baruch, Jeremiah’s secretary, including various prophecies and important events from the life of Jeremiah;
4) Messages from the Lord about various foreign nations;
5) A historical appendix, giving an account of the fall of Jerusalem, and the exile to Babylonia.

Half of Sunday’s reading is an excerpt of the very first chapter of Jeremiah’s written work. It is about God’s call to Jeremiah, to become a prophet and to become a worker, a warrior of God.
Jeremiah, who received this first call at a very early age, was reluctant to take on the job (of being a prophet). He feared that his young age coupled with his limited vocabulary would prevent him from doing a good job on behalf of God. But God Himself speaks to Jeremiah, and like a good father, He reassures Jeremiah that everything about to take place is being done on behalf of God, the Almighty, and therefore, it will all be ok.
At the time of Jeremiah, just like present times, becoming a prophet was not a simple thing. Putting on the shoes of one who speaks on behalf of God, the One and Only, is a very cumbersome task.
First of all, everyone will look at you as if you are completely and utterly out of your mind. What makes you think that you are so good and so special that you can speak on behalf of God? Second, if at all you are just a tiny bit credible on your delivery to the people, would you have the fortitude to stay within God’s path, over and over, repeating His prophecies to new groups, who in turn would question how sound you are and what real motives are pushing you to do what you are doing?

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2nd Reading: 1 Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, 12:31-13:13.
Speaking about God is speaking about love; therefore, speaking about love, is speaking about God, the Almighty. All things on Earth, living or inanimate, are guided by love: even sand in the desert is about love, because sand in the desert is part of God’s creation.
This Sunday’s 2nd reading is one of the greatest poetic and rhetorical creations of all times. Paul’s heart is on fire! His words come out with strength and conviction, wrapping themselves around those who read them and those who hear them.
Without love we are nothing! Without love we mean nothing! Can the concept be stressed any further? It does not matter how much richness we have, or how much power we can command, or how healthy our bodies are… because even with all of these factors on our side, without love they mean nothing!
On our daily lives we go to work, or stay at home and work from there; we eat, we sleep, we perform different activities… at the end of our day, we look for the welcoming touch, for the smile and the company of those who we love... and those who love us back.
All the problems, conflicts, and difficulties encountered throughout the day, reduce their size and their negative impact, after a loved one listens to us in a loving way. Obstacles that at one point appear to be insurmountable, suddenly become little... once we feel the support of someone who lovingly holds our hand and reassures us that things will get better.
So without much pomp and circumstance, love makes all bad things bearable; and makes all good ones, even better. Let us accept this fact, let us embrace it, with love; especially with God’s love, because with Him and His love on our side, our earthly lives become an exciting adventure that ultimately will lead us to paradise in the eternal company of God our Father.

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The Gospel according to Luke 4:21-30

Sunday's Gospel brings us to the day when a mature Jesus addresses the people at the synagogue and tells them "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
At first, all the ones present at the synagogue are in awe of this wise and discerning new version of the kid next door. They look at him and remember that this is the same boy, son of the carpenter Joseph, the one that they have seen growing up amidst their streets... And yet he sounds like an erudite; it almost seems as if He is a prophet.
Jesus, predicting what is about to happen within their hearts, reminds them "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place." And despite these insightful words, the people become furious and chase Jesus out of the synagogue, out of town, and to the brow of the hill, to where they plan to throw him down, headfirst. Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, passes through the midst of them, and walks away.

It is hard to hear the truth, especially when it comes from people younger than us. As humans we tend to corelate wisdom with old age, and we find it difficult to accept that it is possible for youthful people to also be wise. Was this Jesus' case? Was he too young to be so wise? Or was the truth too much for the people? Was there more to it?

Everything that happened to Jesus during His life was part of God's plan to save us from our sins. The calvary did not begin three days before Jesus' death, but it began in Nazareth, when the very neighbors of Jesus gave Him a taste of the road that was ahead of Him. Jesus did not waiver in His commitment to follow through, because He knew that ultimately, His sacrifice would mean the salvation of humankind. And so, instead of confronting the folks that threw Him away from town, Jesus chose to move on and bring the word of God to others who were open to listening about the Good News.

Indeed, at the time when these events happened, seeing Jesus walk away did not mean much to those who were present. And yet, as we read the Scriptures today, we can learn from Jesus' reaction and make an example of it. Let us not be quick to anger, let us avoid judging people. Rather walk away and give them time and space, so they are able to reconsider their actions, and maybe even reevaluation and correction can occur. Let us keep present the fact that prophets live among us; they are not always far away and looking old. The boy next door can be God in disguise, just like the man outside the store who is asking for a penny can be Jesus asking for our help. Above all, let us never forget that God's love for us is like a fountain filled with the type of water that can quench, not only our body's thirst, but also our spiritual thirst.

God's love for us is eternal.

Readings for Sunday January 24, 2010

I Reading: from the Book of the Prophet Nehemiah,
8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
The Book of the Prophet Nehemiah is divided in four parts:
1) Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem, where he had been sent by the Persian Emperor with the purpose
of governing Judah;
2) The reconstruction of Jerusalem ‘s walls;
3) The solemn reading of the “Law of God” (by Ezra), and the confession of the people’s sins;
4) Nehemiah’s activities after he became Governor of Judah.
Sunday’s 1st reading finds its origins on the third part of Nehemiah’s book, at the time when Ezra is reading the Law of God to his people. A special pulpit –placed higher than anyone within the vicinity- had been built with the express intention that Ezra would use it to read the Law of God, and just so everyone could hear Ezra’s words.
Judah’s people listen not just to the reader but also to the interpreters helping him, and their reaction to the words are not of annoyance or discouragement, but instead they welcome the readings with great conviction, repeating the word “amen”, giving an example of faith to future generations. Judeans feel happiness in hearing the words that come from God, prostrating themselves in front of Him, with their faces on the floor, in signal of complete submission, taking in the words that come from God.
All of those present feel moved by the message, and they weep. Ezra and the other doctors of the law explain that this day and this reading are holy, so it is imperative that each one of them return to their homes to celebrate the new blessing that they have received from God.
The word of God, the one that we receive by means of the Holy Scriptures –whether it is during Sunday mass or during any other weekly mass- is not, under any circumstance, cause for sadness or laziness to those who have heard it.
God’s word is a tool for us. Us, the ones blessed because of attending one or many more masses.
The word of God is not just history of what our ancestors did or did not do. On the contrary, the word of God -the Holy Scriptures-, are concrete evidence of what our ancestors did do in order to be able to reach paradise after they have breathed their last breath.
Can we follow the example of our ancestors who, after hearing Ezra’s readings, went out to celebrate the richness that comes with knowledge?
Beware, as the instructions are specific and we are reminded that the celebration should take place, not just with the blessed ones who have heard the word but also with those who were not able to be present during the gathering.
Once we leave church at the end of a mass, we have a responsibility of sharing the joyous news of the word of God not just with our brothers and sisters present during mass, but we have a duty of sharing the word with those who, for one reason or another, could not participate of the celebration of the holy mass.
Thus we come to the understanding that...the Good Christian is not selfish; the Good Christian shares without differentiation; the Good Christian does not judge his absent brother but instead shares with him… And it is in sharing that the Good Christian finds reason to celebrate the good news of the word of God.
Two of our most important roles as Good Christians are, first, to share; and second, to avoid judging our brothers.

II reading – 1 Corinthians, 12: 12-30
At the time when the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians was written, Corinth –the capital of the Roman province of Achaia- was a very cosmopolitan city. Corinth was a cultural center, notably famous for its thriving commerce. As such, Corinth was afflicted with the problems that afflict great cities: corruption, immorality, division, variety of religions.
The church built by Paul in Corinth was as sick as Corinth herself. The church was also divided and immoral.
So Paul’s letter, the excerpt that is read this Sunday, addresses how important roles and jobs are, and yet it focuses on the higher importance of the members over their roles.
The Corinthian community, arguing about spiritual gifts, was unable to find common grounds regarding this issue, so Paul’s letter intends to restore peace, to impart sound teaching, and to correct the misunderstandings that have led some astray.
To ignore the humor upon which Paul has built the chore of the letter, to overlook how he gives importance to an ear for being an ear, to a foot for being a foot, to an eye for being an eye, ignoring the humor, would be a great disservice to Paul’s work.
In today’s world, poor nations versus rich ones face the same awkwardness and displacement that the people of Corinth experimented. The poor nations of today’s world are considered of less importance than the rich ones. The voices and opinions of the poor nations do not carry the same weight as the rich ones do. Families come across the same issue. Sometimes Dad’s opinion or dad’s judgment is given more importance than Mom’s or the children’s opinions.
On his letter, Paul with a funny wit, reminds us that each member -whether it is from the world’s community, or whether it is within a family unit-, is important.
If and when one nation of the world suffers, the rest of the nations suffer along. They are unable to find balance until the suffering has ended. Just like that, if one family member is in pain or unhappy, the rest of the family members experience similar suffering and unhappiness. Unless the whole group with all its members are in a good situation, the whole group would live through the unbalance that the rest of the world feels when one of its nations is in distress (see Haiti’s current situation, following the 7.0 earthquake).

The Gospel according to Luke, 1:1-4, 4:14-21
Sunday’s readings combine fragments of chapters one and four of the Gospel according to Luke. Although at first there seems to be no connection between them, the second fragment cannot be read without including the first one.
The writings of Luke, historical in great part, lay emphasis on the importance of prayer; they place the Holy Spirit in a position of significance; talk about the role of women in the ministry of Jesus; and last but not least, focus on God’s forgiveness of our sins. Addressed to Theophilus, the readings are meant to reinforce confidence onto the teachings that he has received regarding the life of Jesus and Jesus’ ministry.
And so it happens that one day, at the synagogue, when Jesus is reading the scrolls of the Prophet Isaiah, Jesus applies the writings directly to Himself.
To hear Jesus voice saying: “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”, oh what a treat!!! Jesus reassuring those present at the temple, that a prophecy is being fulfilled in front of their very own eyes!!!
Jesus was aware of how Israel treated her children (penalty of death) and yet He did not fear the consequences of His actions… Jesus, from the begining, was always prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice for the love of the world!!!
Even today, on the 21st century, there are countries in our world where men and women are prosecuted and face the penalty of death because of their faith. Like them and like Jesus, may their example give us strength to maintain our grounds and to speak on behalf of our God, even if this choice puts in peril our earthly bodies.

Readings for Sunday January 17, 2010

1st Reading – from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, 62: 1-5
For the past three weekends Sunday’s 1st readings have originated on the Book of Isaiah. By now we are familiar with the fact that this book is divided in three parts, and we can easily recognize that today’s reading has its roots on the third and last part of the Book.
At this time the people of Israel has already returned from Babylon. Although they have been freed from the shackles of slavery, they find themselves under great emotional stress. God, the Great Doctor, the Great Psychologist, identifies that what His beloved people is experiencing is what we, on the 21st Century, would categorize as Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD). So being a wise and caring Father, he remains close to them, tending to their needs, providing them with immeasurable reassurance and encouragement.
God tells them “I will not be silent until she (Jerusalem) is saved”. As clear as water from a mountain stream, God assures Jerusalem that His help is available until they have successfully emerged from their dark stage, and He reaffirms that He will no longer be quiet about it. He will rename her, and with the new name vindication will reach all of Jerusalem. This message from God implies joy, and it encourages the people of Jerusalem to delight in their long awaited moment of triumph.
In our times of need, God is with us… Though He never leaves us by ourselves, He makes sure that we are aware of His presence during times of sickness or distress. When the bad times are gone and the good ones have arrived, God wants us to cry out loud our bliss, so that the rest of the world can also delight in our victory.
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2nd Reading – from the 1st Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians, 12: 4-11
Unity; no divisions; one tree and many branches; one mansion and many rooms… This is the message. The Corinthians have managed to turn the extraordinary talents and gifts of the Holy Spirit, into a source for discord and pride. These gifts, though different from one person to another, have the same simple objective: to glorify our Lord so we can find our way to Heaven and an eternal life in His company.
If we have difficulty comprehending the letter’s message, this analogy could help: the Holy Spirit is the equivalent of a successful company, and His gifts to us are the equivalent to the different departments that are a fundamental part of the company. Payroll is different from Human Resources, which in turn is different from Customer Service, which in turn is different from Purchasing, and so on. Each department can work independently from the other and yet their goal is to work together to achieve success. Just like this, our individual gifts from the Holy Spirit are interconnected between one person and the next.
Individualism is important and yet, it becomes obsolete unless it is put to work for the greater good. We must take a moment to look, find, and recognize our own individual gifts, received from the Holy Spirit; and once we have become acquainted with them, it is our responsibility to use them and share them in the building of a stronger parish, and a better world.
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The Gospel according to John – 2: 1-11
This reading narrates Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana. In turning regular water into fine wine, Jesus demonstrates one of the abundant gifts that He came to share with us. Mary’s intervention is pivotal, and she gives her son that last oomph just so his ministry can become public. With unwavering trust in her son, she states to Him “They have no wine.” Demonstrating complete faith in her son’s abilities, she tells the servers “Do whatever he tells you.” A model to us, leading by example, Mary shows us how much faith we can have in God.

Breaking the bread: my reflections about the Scriptures: Readings for Sunday January 10, 2010

Breaking the bread: my reflections about the Scriptures: Readings for Sunday January 10, 2009

Readings for Sunday January 10, 2010

1st Reading: from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah - 40: 1-5, 9-11

Last week, as Sunday Scriptures introduced us to the Book of Isaiah, we learned that his book was divided in 3 parts.

This week's first reading, a message of hope, comes from the 2ND part of Isaiah's Book, which leads us through the time when Jerusalem's people remained as slaves in Babylon... A time when their spirits were crushed an when all hope had vanished from their hearts.

What a sad and difficult time this time must have been!!! The perfect environment to brew depression and chaos. After being told that they were "the chosen ones", cruel destiny turns them over to the Babylonians, and from being the golden children they become the golden slaves.

How deafening must have been for Jerusalem to hear orders from the Babylonians, and yet, Sunday's reading does not reflect on the present time but instead helps us into what is next, into the time that is about to come... Sunday's story is not about the current state of affairs but instead it is about the prophecy that is about to become a reality!

The time of freedom has arrived! "Comfort my people" is God's opening statement, "their sins are forgiven."

Every piece of the puzzle is now in place, in the right place... The mountains will be leveled and the valleys will be filled, and just like the Red Sea parted at the sound of Moses command, just like that the roads will open up to the Glory of God that is about to be revealed to all the towns of Judah.

Isn't this the most wonderful message any human can hope to hear? Specifics coming directly from God Almighty!!! God Himself reassuring them, reassuring us "comfort". We, all of us, the co-heirs, the co-partners, the co-owners! This message touches us all, then and now, because our sins are forgiven! The Lord Himself has said it so!

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2ND reading: from the Letter of St Paul to Titus -
Titus was a Gentile converted to Christianism, a young man who went to work for Paul as a missionary, to the isle of Crete. Titus was left in Crete to supervise the work of the new church. The letter, addresses three important issues:
First, it reminds Titus about the type of character that he must display, especially as a result of the personality displayed by the people of Crete;
Second, Paul advises Titus of the right way of teaching the Good News, addressing each unique portion of the population in a way that would be beneficial for each group; the old men should be taught one way, the old women -who in turn would educate the young women- would be taught in a different way, and so on for the young people and the slaves;
Third and finally, Paul advises Titus about good Christian conduct... He addresses the need to be peaceful and friendly, to avoid hate, arguments and especially to avoid divisions within the ministers of the church...

The letter reminds Titus that it is thru baptism that our sins will be forgiven and that baptism is a present given to us from God's infinite mercy to His children.

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The Gospel according to Luke: 3:15-16, 21-22
The greatness of the Holy Spirit and the immense happiness that Jesus gave to His Father,Our Eternal Father, is evident in this weekend's Gospel. Jesus' importance comes afloat when God the Father descends from Heaven to tell His son about the satisfaction that the Father experiments because of His son's accomplishments. John, a very humble man, reminds everyone that he is not the one that everyone is waiting for. Instead he clarifies that "the one" is coming after Him... The one is so great that John is not worthy of even unlacing the thongs of His sandals.

God the father makes a special apparition, to reinforce to the world that Jesus is His only beloved son, the One upon He rejoices...

May we be as blessed as Jesus, in that our Eternal Father experience the same satisfaction from our actions and deeds throughout our earthly pilgrimage.

In Your Name We Pray,
Amen

Readings for Sunday January 3, 2010

1st Reading from the Prophet Isaiah 60: 1-6

Isaiah, a great Prophet who lived on the latter part of the 8Th Century B.C., wrote a book, which is divided in 3 parts:
Part I, Chapters 1 to 39 -- the time when Judah was threatened by a mighty neighbor, Assyria, and a time when the its residents were very sinful and disobedient towards the law of God;
Part II, Chapters 40 to 55 -- the time when the majority of citizens of Judah were in exile in Babylon, as slaves, and the Prophet proclaimed to them that God would fulfill His promise of freeing them from slavery;
Part III, Chapters 56 to 66 -- the time when the people from Judea have returned from Babylon, and find themselves in need of God's reassurance; they are called to observe the Sabbath, to do acts of sacrifice, and to dedicate time to prayer.

This Sunday's 1st reading has its origins on the third part of Isaiah's book: remember to observe the Sabbath, the importance of sacrifice, and a call to prayer... At this time Jerusalem was reminded that her time of darkness (slaves in exile) would be followed by times of great radiance, a radiance that would emanate from the face of God, who looks upon His chosen people...

God's call to Jerusalem is the same call that we hear from Him today, some 2000 years later... The call is simple: acts of sacrifice and kindness, prayer, observation of the Sabbath... Not too difficult ah? Can we do this? Can we comply and be active participants of the call of God? 2nd Reading: from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6

This is a letter that brings great news to the Gentiles!!!: the Kingdom of God is now open to us too!!! Along with the Jewish people, we are now, together, one in Jesus the Christ!!!
We are co-heirs, co-partners, members of the same body (of Christ).



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2nd Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6

This is a letter that brings great news to the Gentiles!!!: the Kingdom of God is now open to us too!!! Along with the Jewish people, we are now, together, one in Jesus the Christ!!!
We are co-heirs, co-partners, members of the same body (of Christ).

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The Gospel according to Matthew: 2: 1-12

The gospel according to Matthew, presents us with the story of the three magi, who followed the star that announced the birth of the Son of God.
Coming from the east and on their way to find the child, the magi meet first with King Herod -a very cruel king, who killed his wife and other family members-, who asks them to find the child and to report to him of his whereabouts, just so Herod can also honor the child Jesus.
Following the star, the magi continue their journey, finding the newborn in the small town of Bethlehem. Prostrating themselves in front of the child, the magi present the child with gifts of frankincense, myrrh, and gold.
Having been warned in a dream about Herod's real intentions, the magi return to the east taking a different route.

They came from everywhere, shepherds and royalty, looking for the son of God. Despite the odd circumstances of being born amidst poverty, they all believed and came to honor the newborn King of the Jew. They traveled from close by and from afar... What a magnificent scene, what a great moment! What would we give for the chance to have been there, amongst the shepherds and the animals, accompanying Mary and Joseph, caring for the baby Jesus... For the chance to listen to the baby's voice asking His mother for milk, to look at those baby eyes searching for his mother's face, for his mother's scent... What would we give for the chance to help clean the baby's facy, His little feet, His little hands... For the chance to rock Him to sleep...

Had Jesus been born in a castle, would the castle guards have allowed shepherds to reach out to the newborn child? Or would they have allowed "royalty only" to enter into the child's chambers... God, in His magnificent wisdom, knew very well what circumstances where needed to ensure that His son could be reached by all, regardless of their social status or skin color... Rich and poor could enter the manger, diversity found its way there too... One of the three magi is depicted with dark skin... How beautiful, peace on Earth, amongst all her children, amongst all men of goodwill...