Calling All Fishermen

Click on the image to hear a homily on the call of the first disciples and what it has to do with us today.  Here is the Gospel pericope for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, Mark 1.14-20.  After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

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The Three Gifts – A Homily for the Epiphany of the Lord

Here below is a summary of my homily for the Epiphany of the Lord, 2018.

Today we celebrate the day when the wise men of the East seek the Child. Today they are an example for us when we come into the presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We noticed that found the one whom they were seeking, they were filled with joy, and prostrated themselves before him and gave him homage. What does that mean? In the Holy Scriptures, people would prostrate themselves upon entering God’s presence. The wise men, by this gesture, recognize Jesus as God.  Not content with this gesture of adoration, they give him gifts that reveal the true identity of this child.

The gold reveals that this child is a King, since only the rich people, like kings and rulers could afford this gold. The wise men were looking for the King of the Jews, and yet they found the King of the universe.

The incense reveals that this child is divine, which means that he is God. In the ancient world, incense was burned as an offering in the worship of a god.

The last gift, myrrh, was a special spice that was used in medicines and ointments. It could also be added to the wine and taken as a drink. Thirty-three years later, we read that Jesus would also be offered myrrh mixed with wine while hanging on the cross. Myrrh would also be used to prepare his body before placing it in the grave. This gift refers to the fact that Jesus would be the Saviour of the world with his death and burial and his resurrection from the dead.

These gifts do not only reveal things about Jesus. They also help us see how we can imitate these wise men by giving gifts to Jesus. In fact, we can give more precious gifts than gold, frankincense and myrrh. The greater gifts that God really wants are the spiritual gifts that we can offer.   Gold, incense and myrrh are symbols of how we can offer ourselves to God.

In the Bible, gold can symbolize wisdom. How can I give wisdom to God? He is the source of wisdom. However, when we obey the Lord’s commands, we are wise. We know that the ways of the Lord lead to true fulfillment, happiness and eternal life. Our obedience to the Lord is like gold in his sight.

The prayer in the Bible is symbolized by the smoke of incense that burns and rises to the Lord. We read in the Psalms, “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you.” The Lord wants to be with us when we raise our hearts and minds to him in prayer. In prayer, this conversation with God where God speaks to us first in the Holy Scriptures and we meditate on his Word and respond to him, we offer him a gift of our mind and heart.

We remember that the myrrh symbolizes the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, where he poured out his life for us. When we sacrifice ourselves, our time, our energies, our resources for the good of others, like Jesus, we offer God the gift of our life. Saint Paul writes: “…present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Therefore, today we imitate the wise men in the Bible, kneeling before Jesus truly present under the appearances of bread and wine. We can add to this adoration, the spiritual gifts of our heart: golden obedience to his commandments, the fragrance of sincere prayer, and our sacrificial offering of a life lived for God and the good of our neighbour.

Image of God

To listen to a homily on the Pharisees and the Herodians testing Jesus about paying taxes, (Matthew 22.15-21), click on the image.  

How To Be A Living Stone

For a homily on how to be a living stone, click on this image.

What is the Mass: A Meal That Seals a Covenant

In addition to being a memorial of Jesus sacrifice on the Cross, and He being truly present among, the Mass is also a communal meal, wherein we share in the sealing of the new and everlasting covenant made in the Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.  To hear a homily on how that is so, click on the image.