Rejoicing in the Law (3rd Sunday - Cycle C)

The First Reading and the Psalm for this Sunday show us how much the ancient Israelites rejoiced in the law they had received from God. The Mosaic Law or the Torah, as the law code God had given them through Moses was called, had two main functions.

One was highly practical. Many of the precepts of the Mosaic Law provided protection for the Israelites amid the harsh vicissitudes of ancient desert life. The other function of the law was to set the Israelites apart from the nations around them. By following the law, the Israelites could not blend in with the surrounding cultures, which had various depraved customs, such as child sacrifice and perverted religious rituals.

Read more...

Jesus Gave Mary the Choice (2nd Sunday - Cycle C)

We might find the tone of Jesus puzzling in today's Gospel reading. He seems to dismiss his mother, the Virgin Mary, rather harshly. What are we to make of his words in this passage? As always, we must look at the theological, cultural, and biblical context of the passage to understand what Jesus is saying.

To begin, let us recall the 4th Commandment, which mandates that we honor our father and mother. If Jesus had disrespected his mother, whether in public or in private, he would have been guilty of a sin. We know that, being God Incarnate, Jesus was completely free of all sin. Thus we should dismiss the idea that his words to the Virgin Mary might have been disrespectful in some way.

Read more...

Baptism Is the Foundation (Baptism of the Lord - Cycle C)

At the time of Jesus, baptism was already a custom showing repentance and a sense of recommitment to the spiritual life. Culturally, ritual bathing could be the sign of inner spiritual cleansing. Of course, Jesus himself had no need of cleansing. Being God Incarnate, he was free of all sin. So why did he need go through baptism? In fact, in the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist himself wonders why Jesus would want to be baptized by him, given that Jesus is the Lord.

Two reasons come to the fore as to why Jesus had John baptize him. One was to set an example for his future followers. Jesus made baptism the foundational sacrament of the Church, the entryway into the new life of salvation he offers to all of humanity. Even though Jesus did not need to get baptized, he underwent baptism to show the way.

Read more...

The Magi Knew the Answer (Epiphany - Cycle C)

The Feast of the Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men, also known as the Three Kings or the Magi, who traveled a long distance, most likely from Persia, to see the child Jesus. The visit of the Magi has deep theological significance. Jesus was born among the Jewish people and was the fulfillment of the ancient Hebrew prophecies of the coming of the Messiah. However, the Magi recognized that his mission was not just to the people of Israel, but to the whole world. His work of redemption was to be for all of humanity.

When they find the child Jesus, the Magi prostrate themselves before him, which is a sign of worship. Thereby, they recognize Jesus as the true power in the world. They do not reverence Herod, who is the local king, installed by the Roman Empire, which controlled the area. Nor to do the Magi show worship to the Roman Emperor, who was regarded as a divine figure. Persia was outside the control of Roman Empire and the Magi show no sign of bowing before the power and majesty of mighty Rome. Instead, they single out the child Jesus for their obeisance. The true power in the world is not the emperor controlling formidable armies but the child Jesus, who is God Incarnate.

Read more...

All Happy Families Are Like the Holy Family (Holy Family - Cycle C)

The Gospel reading for this Sunday depicts a scenario that might puzzle us. How could St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary not realize that Jesus had not set out with them from Jerusalem? How could they leave him behind for three days? We might be tempted to think that they grew careless and had a sort of Home Alone moment. But if we look at the cultural context of the passage, we can see that the situation is very understandable.

At the time of Jesus, people often traveled in caravans for protection, just as Joseph and Mary do in the passage. Recall the story of the Good Samaritan, where a traveler journeyed by himself and was beset by robbers. Having a group travel together provided safety. Since the caravan included extended family and acquaintances, Joseph and Mary did not need to be worried if they didn't see Jesus for a while on the trip back home.

Read more...

The Day That Changed the Universe

Christmas is a day that changed the whole course of creation. In the beginning, God created a perfect world, with no defect. But through human sin, suffering and death entered the world. Human sin created a wedge between God and humanity, cutting the human race off from the grace of God. But God did abandon humanity in our brokenness. Right after the fall of the human race, God promised the coming of the Savior, who would redeem the fallen world.

The celebration of Christmas has four different Masses, each with its own readings - the Vigil Mass, the Mass During the Night, the Mass at Dawn, and the Mass During the Day. In the Gospel passage for the Vigil Mass, we see the genealogy of Jesus from the time of Abraham. The passage shows the centuries of preparation for the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of the world. In fact, the entirety of the Old Testament period is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. Contemporary Christian readers are often puzzled by some of the contents of the Old Testament. But everything falls into place if we approach those texts through the lens of the New Testament, through the Gospel message of Christ.

Read more...

Reclaiming Christmas: Practical Suggestions for the Catholic Celebration of the Christmas Season

Our culture starts celebrating Christmas right after Thanksgiving or even Halloween and stops on December 26 or at most on January 1. But for Catholics, the Christmas season begins at sundown on Christmas Eve, December 24, and is still far from over as the New Year begins. In a previous article, I discussed how we can reclaim the season of Advent from our secular culture. Let us explore here how we can do the same for Christmas.

Read more...