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GOD FAVORS THE HUMBLE The Word of God delivers to us today a message of humility.   If there is one quality of the heart that God seeks in any person and which God approves in every man, it is humility. Sirach 3 assures us that people appreciate the humble. But the writer stresses even more: “Humble yourself the more, the greater you are and you will find favor with God.” Humility is not a famous trait today.   It is misunderstood and therefore not desired in a society that focuses on competition and excellence.   And those who realize its worth struggle to live its demands. Do we still teach children and young people to be humble? When was the last time you were humble? The gospel of Luke (Chapter14) clarifies what humility is in the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ.   For Jesus, humility resides in two places:   the head and the heart. First, in our head, Jesus tells us to value ourselves rightly.   Humility is not debasing...

THE RIGHT QUESTION Getting to heaven is not a question of “how many.”   Getting to heaven is not a question of “who.”   Getting to heaven is a question of “how.”   The Jews around the Lord Jesus asked many questions. And they had reason to ask, to clarify, and to confirm.   For they believed that, they as a people, were destined to be God’s favorite forever.   They believed that those outside their gates were treading the wrong path, while they were entitled to a special preference when it comes to salvation. Jesus leads his hearers to the right question.   He came to lead people to the heart of the Father. He came to earth to open the gates that lead to eternal life with God. He knew the right question when it comes to salvation. It is not “how many” or “who.” It is a question of “how.” How does one attain the heavenly reward? The Lord teaches:   “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.”   This narrow gate is the ...

UNCOMFORTABLE GOSPEL When I preach I explain to people the teachings of the Church, in many occasions, about family life.   Once I spoke about the Catholic obligation to seek sacramental Marriage, not just civil marriage or live-in arrangements but a real church wedding. I reminded couples that they could not receive Communion if they were not married in Church.   I knew the message would be painful for some. In the congregation was a man who was enraged by what he heard, having been civilly married for years.   He decided he would ignore the message. But he refrained from Communion and was deeply troubled.   This led him to ask around and discover what being Catholic really meant.   He learned that God was indeed asking him and his wife to have their union blessed by God as a sacrament.   In the end, I officiated their church wedding and we became great friends. The gospel upsets our normal expectations of Jesus.   T...

WELCOME GOD’S SURPRISE Have you been surprised any time in your life?   The gospel brings us back to a famous quote from the Lord Jesus: “ Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come” (Lk. 12: 39-40). These words point us to the return of the Lord on the last day, something that we repeatedly affirm in every Sunday mass.   “I believe…He will come again to judge the living and the dead.”   But this return has the quality of unpredictability, of suddenness, of surprise. It is interesting to note that some experts say that while we are waiting for this ultimate coming of the Lord, we might be jolted that in fact, he has already come… like an unexpected thief in the night! It is true that the kingdom has already come and is among us now.   We will not only be sur...