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During the season of Advent, we are called to reflect, be attentive to the Word of the Lord, and make preparations for His will in our hearts and lives. The prophet, Isaiah, in the first reading, addresses the people who returned from exile unable and unwilling to observe their religion in their new home. For the restoration of the Lord's temple, these souls yearned to go back to their native land. We can assume that some members of the community preferred to remain in exile where they were, rather than face the even greater hardship of returning.

This feast was only introduced only in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Interestingly, as the Pope points out in an encyclical (letter of the pope) that accompanied the event, the introduction of the feast was a warning against the totalitarian governments of the 20th century.  It was a statement against the situation in Europe between the two World Wars.

Next Sunday is the Solemnity of Christ the King and the final Sunday of Ordinary Time. This past cycle of Ordinary Time Sundays (Year A) has focused on Matthew's Gospel and how he portrays Jesus as Teacher, the New Lawgiver, and the final revelation of the God of the Covenant. Today in the parable of the talents, we have a tale of three servants who are entrusted with funds in varying quantities in proportion to their abilities—five, two, and one. A further five were earned after the first servant invested everything he had. The one who had two talents has doubled his talents. The third servant dug a hole and buried his talent after being given just one.

We are coming to the end of the Liturgical year and the main theme of the readings at the Holy Mass will focus on the second coming of the Son of Man. The new year will begin with Cycle B and the Season of Advent, the name suggests the Season of "Coming." This week's readings feature the standard dire warnings that we must get ready for the end of the world, the end of time, and our ultimate departure to a new world. They tell us that a curious, alert, and ever-evolving soul is necessary for a robust belief in God. They want to know if we are prepared for these things, and if so, how.

We enter the month of November remembering our dear departed. Some of us still feel hurt at the departure of our loved ones. So, our hearts are filled with sorrow. We can also focus on the fact that we are powerful as we can intercede for our beloved departed with our prayers. This is a beautiful way of expressing love. One of the takeaways from my missionary experience in Africa is the memory of the departed as Ancestors whose memories I cherish and whose life as trail blazers give me courage to take risks to improve the world around me.

“Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evening, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Millions have found the Spanish mystic, Saint Ignatius of Loyola [1491-1556], as a potential and practical guide and mentor for spiritual journeys toward fullness in Christ especially by following the Spiritual Exercises. In this reflection on the Scripture of the week I would like to guide you through a contemplative exercise based on Ignatian spirituality. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises culminate in the Contemplation to Attain the Love of God. Since God's love is not something we can "attain" through our own actions, the title is sometimes "The Contemplation on Divine Love." The purpose of this contemplative exercise is to open oneself up to God's boundless love and to respond to that love with more love, more giving, and more independence.

“The Jewish people were forced to pay a census tax to the Roman occupiers of Palestine in the year 6 A.D. The provinces of Syria and Judaea, exhausted by their burdens, pleaded for a reduction of tribute in Book II.42 of Tacitus' Annals, written in 17 A.D. Soon after, Judas the Galilean instigated a tax revolt. As God alone was acknowledged as king and ruler of Israel, Judas the Galilean preached that "taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery" and that he and his followers had "an inviolable attachment to liberty." During Jesus' ministry, this current of tax-revolt swept throughout Judaea.“The Jewish people were forced to pay a census tax to the Roman occupiers of Palestine in the year 6 A.D. The provinces of Syria and Judaea, exhausted by their burdens, pleaded for a reduction of tribute in Book II.42 of Tacitus' Annals, written in 17 A.D. Soon after, Judas the Galilean instigated a tax revolt. As God alone was acknowledged as king and ruler of Israel, Judas the Galilean preached that "taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery" and that he and his followers had "an inviolable attachment to liberty." During Jesus' ministry, this current of tax-revolt swept throughout Judaea.

“Babette’s Feast” (1958) is one of the best-known short stories by Danish author Karen Blixen. “Babette’s Feast” (the movie is equally spectacular) focuses on themes of physical and spiritual nourishment, religious devotion, and artistic achievement. In a remote 19th-century Danish village, two sisters lead a rigid life centered around their father, who is the honored pastor of a small Protestant church that is almost a sect unto itself. Both girls had opportunities to leave the village: one could have married a young army officer and the other, a French opera singer.

The day after Jesus' prophetic action of cleansing the Temple, when he was teaching in the Temple precincts, the chief priests and elders come to challenge his authority for doing these things. As part of his response, Jesus tells the parable about the wicked tenants. Matthew remarks, “They knew that He was speaking about them.” How did they catch on so quickly? Jesus was drawing upon a prophetic tradition they knew very well.

Very few people believe that there is anything to be taught about love. The act of loving is seen as easy, but finding someone or something worthy of one's affection is seen as more challenging. When we talk about someone being "attractive," we usually mean that they have a desirable set of traits. What is considered physically and intellectually attractive changes over time. Love relationships among humans follow the same pattern of exchange that governs the commodity and the labor market, which is hardly surprising in a culture where the marketing orientation predominates and where material success is the outstanding value.

During my Bible Study with people in the parishes, I have found that the Parable of the vineyard workers from Mathew 20:1-16 is a story that annoys a lot of people rather than inspire. Their sense of justice seems to put the landowner in some bad light. Here is a retelling of this story in the Mediterranean cultural context. Judah Bensirah, is a day laborer who has been struggling to find work because of the influx of laborer’s from the North. He was lucky during the harvest seasons of barley, wheat, and figs. During the past week, due to his good connections, he found work in the vineyard of a kind landowner not too far from home.

Living under a ruthless foreign power like the Roman Empire and in a society where rivalries were rampant, Jesus dared to teach about forgiveness as a major theme. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; for this is the Lord's prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Peter is curious as to the maximum number of times he must forgive someone who has wronged him. Peter wants to know how many times he must forgive that person. Jesus tells Peter a parable about forgiveness with disproportionately large numbers because he knows Peter wants to use numbers to explain the concept of forgiveness.

The training of young adults, teachers, and professionals in leadership, management, media, spirituality, and personal growth has been an additional hat I have worn since my college days and throughout my priestly ministry. Playing a game was a common thread that ran through many of the sessions. A good example can be found right here. One person in each pair was blindfolded while the other guided them to a new location through touch alone (verbal communication was forbidden). The sharing session that followed this Trust Walk exercise was surprising as some were anxious and fearful while others enjoyed the adventure. Our personal lives have many twists and turns and on some turns, we walk quite blind. Today’s Gospel narrative is quite an ‘eye opener’ in bringing light to the dark paths of human relationships.

In the Gospel text of today – which is the continuation of last Sunday’s, when Jesus asked the disciples: “Who do you say I am”, and Peter made that powerful claim: ‘You are the messiah, the Son of the living God” – Jesus continues to talk about His impending suffering and death.  For the disciples this is unacceptable. There is doom for their aspirations for power and their ride to fame will have a short-fuse end. In their understanding – as it is perhaps in our own expectations – happiness is the absence of suffering.  Peter once again becomes their spokesperson: “Heaven preserve You Lord, this must not happen to You” (Mt 16: 22). 

Today's gospel story places the action it describes in Caesarea Philippi. Jesus takes the disciples on a three-day trek of over 40 miles to the mountainous area to the north of Capernaum. This journey would have given them some privacy from the hectic lifestyle of preaching and healing ministry. The setting in the mountains is beautiful, and it is a traditional setting for encountering  God by humans, especially in the Old Testament. The Greek god Pan, the patron deity of shepherds, also had a temple in Caesarea Philippi and the temple to Caesar Augustus  was in the vicinity too.

The theme of the 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time is that God wants everyone to be saved. The Israelites find out in the first reading that non-Jews, who keep the laws of the Lord, worship the same God. The second reading features Paul's description of his work among non-Jews. And in the Gospel, Jesus cures the Canaanite woman's daughter.

This Sunday, the Word of God speaks the truth to the face of conventional ideas about what it means to be great. It shows us that God comes to us when we are at our weakest, and it extends an invitation to change our lives and the way we relate to others. We need to be humble and brave enough to let go of our need for control and accept God's will as it is.

For the past three Sundays, the Gospels have focused on the image of the Kingdom of God through parables. The Lord's Transfiguration Feast appears to be the series' final celebration, but its description of ‘the kingdom’ goes into greater depth and complexity than those that came before it. Considering the foregoing, it follows that God's kingdom is a space of great aesthetic and spiritual comfort. We have to climb the mountain first, though. Climbing a mountain is not a simple task, requiring perseverance, dedication, and self-control.

One of the greatest gifts we've been given is the capacity for free will, also known as the ability to make a decision from a set of alternatives. Humans have been endowed with free will by God. So, we're going about our days, making our own decisions, and exercising our independence. Options abound in this life. Every day, God gives each of us the opportunity to choose the path we believe will lead to our greatest good.

Since its earliest days, the Church has preferred to tolerate varying degrees of commitment and holiness, as expressed by the phrase, "let them grow together until harvest." God has been described in the Bible as "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness," so an accepting mindset is consistent with that description of God in the Hebrew Scriptures. The world, which is often quick to judge, quick to anger, and eager to uproot weeds even at the cost of damaging the good plants, could learn a lot from a Church that is kind and lenient toward its own members and toward everyone else.