Homily - 1A Lent Sunday homily (26 February 2023) Reject temptations

 

TOPIC: REJECT TEMPTATIONS

1. STORY

Two friends, David and John, went out to eat at a buffet lunch.  Both were amazed at the amount and variety of delicious food.  They filled their plates and after finishing went for a second helping.  Though they were both full, David decided to eat despite of John’s warning of the consequences of stuffing himself.  He succumbed to the temptation and took his third helping resulting in his getting sick.  He learned the hard way the important lesson − for your own good, resist temptations.

 

2. GOSPEL, MATTHEW 4:1-11

A) JESUS IS TEMPTED

The devil tempted Jesus three times:

i) Jesus was asked to change rocks into bread.

ii) Jesus was asked to jump from the temple.

iii) Jesus was asked to worship the devil.

B) JESUS REJECTS THE TEMPTATIONS

Jesus rejected the three temptations. 

i) He rejected bread which represents a desire for material goods by living a very simple life.

ii) He refused to jump from the temple which represents a desire for fame as he was a very humble person.

iii) He rejected to worship the devil which represents a desire for power by obeying the will of God.

 

3. APPLICATION TO LIFE

A) WE ARE TEMPTED

Here are some examples of our temptations.

i) We are tempted to lose faith in God when our prayers for help are not answered. 

ii) We are tempted not to be kind and helpful to our family, friends and co-workers when they are not good to us.

iii) We are tempted to spend too much time on TV, computers, mobile phones, sports, and entertainment.

B) WE MUST RESIST TEMPTATIONS

Here are a few suggestions on how to strengthen our will to resist temptations.

i) Make a good confession during Lent. 

ii) Attend a retreat if at all possible. 

iii) Use one of the Lenten (mite) boxes to help the poor by donating some of your money. 

iv) Make the Stations of the Cross in church or at home.

v) Read the Bible, a spiritual book, or the Catholic newspaper.

 

4. CONCLUSION

We learned from the story that we help ourselves by resisting temptations.  Jesus resisted the temptations for the desire for material goods, fame, and power.  We resist the many temptations in our lives by going to confession, attending a retreat, helping the poor, making the Stations of the Cross, and doing spiritual reading.  A good Lent leads to a joyful Easter.

Homily - 7A Sunday in Ordinary Time (19 February 2023) Love your neighbor and your enemy

 

TOPIC: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND YOUR ENEMY

1. STORY

Archbishop Dominic Tang (1908­1995) was a Jesuit priest who was given a dangerous assignment when asked to become the bishop of Canton.  In 1958 at the age of 50, he was sent to prison by the Communist government.  He remained there for 22 years.  During this time he never received a letter from relatives or friends.  In 17 years he never received a bar of soap, and he always slept on a wooden plank.  Despite all of his sufferings and hardships, he could say: “Love the Church and love the country.”   He lived the command of Jesus to love our neighbor and to love our country.

2. GOSPEL, MATTHEW 5:38­48

A) LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND LOVE YOUR ENEMY

Jesus teaches us to love our neighbor, meaning those who love us, and also our enemies, meaning those who do not love us.  “For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?  Do not the tax collectors do the same?”  Jesus expects more from his disciples.

B)  BE PERFECT AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT

Jesus wants us to follow the example of our heavenly father who “makes his sun shine on the bad and the good, and causes the rain to fall on the just and unjust.”  We are asked to love generously with our whole heart.

 

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE

A) LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AND OUR ENEMY

i) We must respect others as they are created by God.

ii) We must be kind toward others by what we say.  Use words such as thank you, please, I am sorry, and excuse me.

iii) We must forgive others as Jesus forgives us.

B) BE PERFECT JUST AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT

i) We must try our very best to be good to others though they might not be good to us. T his takes great effort and can only be done if we rely on God’s help. 

ii) We must not become discouraged and must ask for the gift of perseverance.   As it takes great effort to walk up a steep mountain, it takes great effort to be perfect.

 

4) CONCLUSION

Archbishop Dominic Tang lived the command of Jesus to love our neighbor and our enemy.  Jesus also lived the command to love those who are good to us and those who are not good to us.  We carry out the command of Jesus by being respectful, kind, and forgiving to all. We do this as best as we are able to and continue despite the difficulty of the command.

Homily - 6A Sunday in Ordinary Time (12 February 2023) Avoid anger

 

6A Homily, Matthew 5:17-37, February 12, 2023

1) STORY
Abraham Lincoln’s army general had some trouble with one of his officers and complained to the president.  Lincoln told him to write a sharp letter to the officer, which he did.  The general then showed the letter to Lincoln.  After praising the general for the strong letter, he asked the general what he planned to do with it.  A bit surprised at this question, the general said he was going to send it to the officer.  Lincoln advised him to tear it up and write another one now that his anger has passed.  The president said not to send a letter when written in anger.

2) GOSPEL, MATTHEW 5:17-37
A) TO BE ANGRY WITH YOUR BROTHER

The fact is that sometimes we are angry with God, with our family, neighbors and even with ourselves.

B) YOU WILL BE LIABLE TO JUDGMENT

Jesus teaches us that we will be punished for being angry. Certainly, one punishment will be that we will be unhappy.

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE
A) ANGER IN OUR LIVES

i) We are angry with God if he does not answer our prayers. We think he has forgotten us or does not care about our sufferings and problems.  It is useless to depend on him for help.  It is better to believe that he is powerless or does not exist.

ii) We are angry with our family, friends, co-workers, Catholics, and neighbors.  They have hurt us by their words or actions.  They have not come to our help when we are in need.   They have hurt our reputation by lying or exaggerating our weaknesses.

iii) We are even angry at ourselves because we have made stupid mistakes, have failed to achieve our goals, and because we are unhappy.

B) AVOID ANGER 

i) God loves us, cares for us, and wishes us to be happy.  He is wiser than we are.  He will give us strength to carry out his plan for us.  He will give us the wisdom to know what to do.  We must keep asking for his help and above all never abandon him.

ii) We must remember that others are weak, busy, and have to carry their own crosses.  Do not demand too much from them.  Be grateful for any help you receive from them.

iii) We must not demand too much from ourselves.  We will gradually continue to improve.  We must do our best and leave the rest to God.

4) CONCLUSION

Lincoln gave wise advice to the angry general.  Jesus teaches us that anger will result in serious consequences for us.  We must avoid anger toward God and our brothers.

Homily - 5A Sunday in Ordinary Time (05 February 2023) You are important

 

5A SUNDAY HOMILY, MATTHEW 5:13-16, February 5, 2023

1) STORY

As soon as a fierce tiger saw a person, he ate him.  The tiger promised a friend that he was going to change this bad habit.  If he saw a Catholic, he would not eat him.  However, a few days later he saw a Catholic and ate him, leaving only the lips.  When his friend reminded him of his promise not to eat Catholics, he replied that he smelled the man but could not find the smell of a Catholic except for his lips.  So he ate the man leaving only the lips saying that the man spoke like a Catholic but did not act like a Catholic.  He was a Catholic in name only.

 

2) GOSPEL: Matthew 5:13-16

A) YOU ARE SALT AND YOU ARE LIGHT

Salt and light were very important in the past and today.  Salt was used for preserving food, such as meat and fish, in the days when there were no refrigerators.  It is used to season food.  There were no electric lights in Jesus’ time so light from oil lamps was important for working, guiding people, and for safety reasons.

B) YOUR LIGHT MUST SHINE BEFORE OTHERS

For salt and light to be useful, they must be used.  Salt must be sprinkled on food to preserve and season it.  It is of no use if kept in a container. Light must be placed on a lampstand and not under a bushel as to help people see.

 

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE

A) YOU ARE IMPORTANT

Just as salt and light are important, so are you.  You are important to your family, to your friends, to your employer, to your church, and above all to Jesus.  You are brothers and sisters of Jesus, and you are his disciples.  For example, during Mass the following are important: the altar servers, lectors, choir and organist, ministers of Holy Communion and money collectors.  Jesus wants us to know that we are important.

B) YOUR ACTIONS ARE IMPORTANT

1) You are important to God our Father.  We must pray daily thanking and praising him and asking for help and for forgiveness.  We must go to Sunday Mass to hear his instructions and receive the Eucharist. 

2) We are important to others.  Use often the following words: thanks, please, excuse me, and I am sorry. 

3) You are important to yourself.  Make every effort to stay healthy by eating properly, getting enough rest, and learning to relax.

 

4) CONCLUSION

The tiger could tell a Catholic in name from a true Catholic.  Just as salt and light are important so are we important.  We must live as true Catholics in our daily lives by our prayer life, being good to others, and caring for our health.

Homily - 4A Sunday in Ordinary Time (29 January 2023) Blessed are the merciful

 

4A SUNDAY HOMILY, MATTHEW 5:1-12, JANUARY 29, 2023

1) STORY
Mary was trying to find her first job and decided to apply to a company which was looking for staff.  It was a rainy day and while riding on the bus she noticed other girls her age going to the same place to apply for work.  As she was getting off the bus, a middle-aged woman in front of her slipped and fell on the curb.  The other girls saw this but went on while Mary stopped to help her get up.  The woman asked Mary if she could help her to her office.  Mary did help her but was worried she might be late and lose her chance for a job.  When they arrived at the company, the middle-aged woman introduced herself as Mrs. Chan and thanked Mary for being so kind and helpful.  When it was Mary’s turn to see the employment manager, she entered the office and was astonished to see Mrs. Chan who warmly welcomed her.  Mary got the job.

2) GOSPEL, MATTHEW 5:1-12
A) BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL

Jesus was merciful.

i) He told us about the merciful Samaritan in the parable of the Good Samaritan, (Luke 10:25-37).

i) When Jesus was on the cross, he promised the thief that he would be with Jesus in paradise (Luke 23;42-43).

B) YOU WILL BE SHOWN MERCY

Jesus tells us we will be rewarded when we are merciful toward others.  “If you forgive others their sins, your heavenly father will forgive you" (Matt.6:14).

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE
A) BE MERCIFUL

i) We should be merciful to those who are good to us and also to those who are not.

ii) We are merciful by our kind attitude towards others, by our gentle words, and by our caring actions.

B) YOU WILL BE SHOWN MERCY

i) Jesus will bless us when we follow his example. 

ii) We will have peace in our hearts knowing we are doing good.

iii) People will recognize and reward our acts of mercy.

4) CONCLUSION
Mary was rewarded by showing mercy to the lady in need. Jesus taught us by word and example to be merciful.  God will reward us for being merciful in word and deed by giving us peace of heart.

Homily - 3A Sunday in Ordinary Time (22 January 2023) Come follow me

 

3A Sunday Homily, Matthew 4:12­-23,  January 22, 2023

1) STORY
During the war, after fierce fighting in a small town, a soldier found a beautiful statue of Jesus with his two hands missing.  He did not want to throw it away, yet he feared to place it anywhere as it was.  He solved this problem by putting it at the entrance of the town with a sign in front of it, “LEND ME YOUR HANDS.”  In today’s gospel Jesus asks us to lend him our hands.

2) GOSPEL: MATTHEW 4:12­-23
A) COME AFTER ME

Christ asks us to follow him.  We do this because

i) He is the light of the world leading us to happiness.  The first reading tells us that "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light."

ii) He is the bread of life who gives us the spiritual strength to live as his friend in a world filled with temptations and difficulties.

B) I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN

Christ wants us to bring people to him.  Many do not know that he exists and is the source of the gifts which they are searching for happiness, joy and peace.

3) APPLICATION TO LIFE
A) FOLOWING JESUS

We follow Jesus, our teacher and guide, by listening to his instructions as found in the bible and by ideally reading it each day.  We hear this word during Mass.

B) BRING OTHERS TO JESUS

We bring others to Jesus:
i) By word

We should share with others what we know about Jesus, how he helped people when on earth, and how he continues to help us each day.  He is the source of our happiness, joy, and peace.

ii) By our actions

We bring others to Jesus by our kind and caring acts, by willing to listen to those in pain, and by helping those in pain, and by helping those in need.

4) CONCLUSION
In the story we learned that we are the modern hands of Jesus.  We follow Jesus by listening to him as he speaks to us through the bible, by praying to him, and by receiving the Eucharist.  We bring others to Jesus by our kind and caring words, by listening to those in pain, and by helping those in need.  Jesus is the source of our joy, happiness and peace.

 

Homily - 2A Sunday in Ordinary Time (15 January 2023) Be Gentle

 

2A SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, JOHN 1:29-­34, JANUARY 15, 2023

1)  STORY
A king loved his son very much.  The son was hunchback, and the king made every effort to find a cure for him.  He consulted a wise man and was told to have a statue made resembling his son.  However, it was to have a straight back and the statue was to be placed in the palace garden.  Each time the boy saw this statue he would say, “That’s me.” Gradually the boy was able to straighten his back and have a normal posture.  The statue became his model which he imitated.


2) GOSPEL: JOHN 1:29­-34
A) JESUS, THE LAMB OF GOD

John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God because Jesus was like a lamb, gentle, obedient and humble.  We know that Jesus was gentle towards the sick, blind, deaf, the hungry, children and all those in need.

B) JESUS TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD

John the Baptist also said that Jesus, the Lamb, would take away the sins of the world.  We know that Jesus forgave sinners, his disciples who fled when he was most in need, those who put him to death, and the thief on the cross.


3) APPLICATION TO LIFE
A) BE GENTLE AND KIND

Jesus is our model, and we should imitate him by being gentle and kind towards others.  We know this gentleness especially when we speak using kind words and showing respect by our actions and attitude.  We must control our anger, our impatience, and our rough and rude ways when dealing with others.

B) FORGIVE OTHERS

It is difficult in our busy lives to completely avoid hurting others and being hurt by others, whether deliberately or not, in word and deed. Just as Jesus forgives us, we should forgive others.   We should ask for forgiveness if we have offended others.


4) CONCLUSION
Just as the king’s son was helped by seeing the statue in the garden, we are helped by seeing and following the good example of Jesus. Just as Jesus, the Lamb of God, was gentle, obedient and humble, we must also be gentle when dealing with others.  As Jesus forgives us our sins, we must forgive those who have sinned against us; and we must ask for forgiveness from those whom we have offended.  When we imitate Jesus, we will be blessed with his happiness and peace.