EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN YOU BESIDES"

Mt 6, 24-34

Rev. Alexander Diaz

Today’s modern man has forgotten how to live, he does not have a life, he just survives his life, hence, he is mechanically limited by the multiple occupations he has imposed upon himself. Hardly anyone lives peacefully anymore, we are always on the run, we are slaves to time and to our jobs.

We are slaves to materialism, the ridiculous and ruinous desire to possess, we are always preoccupied about tomorrow, what is going to happen, worried about when will it come, the going back and forth of questions, always wondering, we get old and die internally.

One of the teachings that Jesus makes very clear this Sunday is in reference to the way money and material possessions are used. He tells us: “you cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt 6, 24-34). He makes it very clear that we have to be very straight and concrete on how we follow the gospel.

We have to follow the gospel in its evangelic way not half way, no half time or space, He is asking you to make a clear and uncensored decision. We cannot surrender our hearts to materialism. He wants it all for Himself, in other words, He wants you to be only His, to belong only to Him.

Jesus uses the word to serve. That does not mean you cannot have material possessions and that you should not seek them, of course we have the right to have them, to look for them, but Jesus wants us to understand that everything has to be done with caution and in moderation, without forgetting that you do not belong to those material things or the money, since these things are all temporary, they will pass, they will vanish one day, and when all these possessions disappear, you will be empty, you won’t have anything.

I will give you an example: when we buy new things, the happiness of having them lasts only a few days, when they get old there are other things that will take their place. It is precisely what our Lord refers to when He said not to be slaves to money, in other words, do not allow money to control us, or allowmaterialism to lead our lives. So then, it is not the sameto have wealth and serve or to be a slave to them. How will you know the difference between these two attitudes?

Jesus talks about two masters: God is one Master, the other one is money or materialism, or work or any other element that is not of God. We have to make this clear, we call “master” someone who has the power to dominate and make you his slave.

Money has the power to change the human being, to make of him whatever it wants. Satan has a way of taking possession of this area in a very ridiculous way. Jesus is warning us that money also pretends to be a “master”. And my question is: Can money make us be dependants of it?

Of course it can. When our life is only centered on or above everything else, in obtaining money or getting what money allows us to have, without us knowing it, we have turned ourselves into slaves of money and money has turned into our “master”.

Work has its’ importance, but not to the point of giving your whole life to your job. There are people, and I am not talking only about rich people, that give themselves in such a way to their work that everything else becomes subordinate to the job. And these other things are: family relations, friends, their relation with God, etc. How many people have changed their personalities, their way of thinking because of money, they have even killed and destroyed others.

That is why Jesus calls money “a master”, but a “master”, not with the strength or conviction that we call Him “Master”. I think thata huge portion of the economic crisis we are living now has its origin in the ambition and greed of people who were so centered in making money, in gaining a lot, that they did not care about tearing apart or destroying the lives of others.

They made wrong decisions that have ended in terrible consequences for lots of people. It is a good example and this Gospel is still relevant for us today. It does not pay to get overwhelmed. We have to trust in God, know that we are His divine providence for our brothers and sisters, and for ourselves too. We have to take care of each other because we are sons and daughters of God.

God wants us to understand who He is, He is the “Master” but not only to say He is the Lord, but believe it with all our hearts and souls. Because He created us, He is our “Owner”; we depend on Him. We owe our obedience andrespect to Him, because of Him everything exists and lives. Also, Jesus talks to us about how much God loves and takes care of us.

This is what we call: Divine Providence. Jesus explains this to us using the country images of the birds in the sky and the lilies of the field to ensure us that He directly takes care of our nourishment and clothing. If His Heavenly Father in Heaven feeds the birds in the sky, are we not more important than they? If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you? O you of little faith!” Mt 6, 30.

He is telling us something that is very evident, but we do not pay it any mind: God takes care of the grass that will perish and lasts only a short time, how will He not take care of us, who are destined to live with Him forever! Also, Hereproaches us: If we are so worried about our clothes is because we are people of little faith.

Why will He accuse us of having little faith? Because to have faith, we have to really believe in Divine Providence, our trust in God is a consequence of our faith in Him. Then He tells us what we have to do, how to do it, and what He wants: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given you besides”.

In other words, we should worry about obtaining our spiritual treasures, God’s kingdom, find out what He wants from us, look for what is needed to be able to acquire and possess theeternal treasures of God. If we seek God first, everything else, material things, an additional bonus, will be given to us without looking for it.

If we have and live with this conscience, we will go out and fight, to ensure that this world is a better place, a loving place where everyone, all people, can live and not only just survive, because that is the will of God.

That is the mystery of God that Paul talks about in the second reading. We are the administrators, the stewards of everything around us. God wants our lives. God will never leave us alone, He will always hold us in His arms. He will never forsake us, as we are reminded in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah.

AMEN!!

7TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“LOVE YOUR ENEMIES AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU, THAT YOU MAY BE CHILDREN OF YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER"

Matthew 5, 38-48

Rev. Alexander Diaz

The modern technological world is a competitive world, in an extraordinary way, there are large dimensions trying to create the best phone, make the best food, the fastest computer and see who has the best prices and the best deals.

To this huge progressive and competitive world, today's liturgy invites us, Jesus’ followers, to add value to our behavior, to define the differentiating factor in our behavior so that every day we can be better men and women.

The Lord offers us through the book of Leviticus: "Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.” A huge challenge that overwhelms us! With these words so clear, I begin to think: Can we accept this challenge?

Many people do not even realize that there is this challenge and that apart from being a challenge is a direct mandate from God to be perfect.

I worry about the simple fact that to talk about holiness in this time is an old fashioned thing, everyone wants to live their own life, their own space and their own life experience, all these is fine, but they do not want to include God in their life, we do everything else first, but leave God to the last.

John Paul II speaking on this subject stated: “Holiness is not something reserved to a few chosen souls, all without exception are called to holiness. For all the graces necessary are sufficient and no one is excluded. The temptation misleading and that is always repeated, is the desire to improve society by improving only the external structures, leaving aside the spiritual fulfillment of man that is where we find true happiness. The Church, rather than "reformers" have need of saints, because saints are the real and most prolific reformers”

I love the Pope's speech, because we always think of changing all existing structures, but we never bothered to change ourselves within.

To this challenge God commands us to in the Old Testament, Jesus in the gospel sends us a larger and more difficult one, he proposes: “You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”(Matthew 5, 38-48)

These words of Jesus make us nervous because they touch the innermost fibers of our being, we must recognize that our interior is sensitive to cultivate many grievances: friends of many years ended up hating each other, couples that separated and caused each other very deep wounds during this process; hatred between brothers over an inheritance. The examples could go on indefinitely.

These wounds will not heal automatically as a result of an act of will. Forgiveness and reconciliation are not from the purely human feelings but are the result of God's grace. Let us ask God's help so that we can move in that direction and thus heal the wounds of the heart, and leave behind old resentments.

The challenge propose to us by the Master, is to make a difference that requires us to follow Jesus, a difference that is not easy to make, requires humility and acceptance to follow-up, not look back, and without false appearances, authenticity and love, this is already a clear call to holiness that He does.

After this overview of the message communicated in today's liturgy, let’s consider some particular aspects, which Jesus invites us to live and change a millennial environment with respect to the law, if we want to be holy and find perfection we must do and make a difference.

Jesus makes a clear call to change the "law of retaliation": “You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.” (Mt. 5, 39)

When we hear this formulation we shudder because it sounds like a call for vengeance, but despite appearances, the content is very wise for what is demanded is that there is a proportion between crime and punishment, and calls no exaggeration or over-reactions in terms of imposing punishment.

The followers of Jesus must not content ourselves with fulfilling the minimum established in laws and standards, we must go further in terms of excellence so that we show a difference in the way we act as part of a family, as citizens and Church members, we see the law not as an imposition but as an element that help us live more fully our Christian life, the law is fulfilled by conviction not by obligation.

That the invitation that Jesus makes us this Sunday will help us to live fully our desire for holiness and sanctity that we get this love watching the grace that God gives us each day, dutifully fulfilling the standards.

Amen

THE SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“DO NOT THINK THAT I HAVE COME TO ABOLISH THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS, I HAVE COME NOT TO ABOLISH BUT TO FULFILL"
Mt 5, 17-37
Rev. Alexander Diaz

When God created us, He gave us free will, so we have the choice to choose with full conviction what it is that we want for ourselves. Do we want life or death? We are free to choose good or evil. We have ample capacity to analyze every element that passes through our hands, and that is why the first reading of this Sunday affirms: “God had set before you fire and water, to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.” (Ecle. 15,17)

Generally our humanity burdens us and it is hard to choose the right path, since choosing the right path requiresperseverance and sacrifice. We tend to look for short cuts and the easy way out for everything, we are always looking for what entails us the least amount of sacrifice.

For this simple reason we tend to fail, we end up stuck in the mud of sin, despair and errors. And how sad is the flavor of our life after we have chosen the wrong path, therefore we should be prudent to obey the will of God, and to carry it out.

A few days ago I heard someone say that laws were made to be skipped or jumped, probably many of us also have that mentality, but the reality is very different. God left us His laws so we can lead a better life, so we can follow the right path.

Sometimes when I see the way human beings act, even with the laws around us, acting in a very despotic and tyrannical way, I ask myself, what will the world be like without laws? The world will be a total chaos or something worse.

Jesus is very clear when he spoke about the law, he gave us the guidelines, the rules as to what his teachings were all about. He leaves everything clearly defined, established, that he has not come to abolish the Old law but to perfect it.

And the perfection to the old law that he is introducing is based more on LOVE than the fulfillment of the Old Law itself.

He begins by focusing in one of the strong commandments of the mosaic law, the ancient precept of “Thou shall not kill”.He makes it very clear and explains that to kill someone is not merely taking his life, it is more than that. We can kill a person when we insult him, we kill him with our anger, with our aggression, with our disdain or contempt, our scorn, with our resentment towards that person.

Jesus explain in great detail: “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother and then come and offer your gift” (Mt. 5, 23-24).

Do we do this? When we come to Mass and we receive the body of Christ, have we really forgiven the ones who have hurt us? Have we asked forgiveness to the one we have hurt?

Have we gotten rid of all the resentments we have towards others? The Rite of Peace that we do together before receiving Holy Communion indicates precisely what the Lord is talking about.

In actuality, do we really “give each other a fraternal sign of peace”, as the celebrant invites us to do? At that moment,the people we have “close to us” represent “our neighbor”,they represent “our brother” whom the Lord is talking about in this passage.

This gesture should not be an empty or courteous greeting, but something definite, concrete and demanding, showing that we have no bad feelings towards anyone, that our heart is clean of resentments or grudges, that we can communicate the Peace that the Lord has given us.

Only by doing that, if we are completely reconciled with our brother, can we go forward and receive communion, the Body of Christ. Only then can we “come and offer our gift”, by doing and carrying out the Lord’s will, by following the conditions the Lord has indicated.

To forgive is difficult. This is one of the demanding precepts that Jesus asks in His Law of Love. If it is hard for us, let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us this Grace. The grace to pardon, to forgive, is one of the good things the Lord wants us to ask for, so He can give it to us.

Another perfection with regards to the Old Law is, that it is not enough to act in a way that goes against the Law to break it, but just the thought of wishing to do anything against the law, is a fault in itself.

That is why, whoever talks against somebody else, especially if it is a slander or a lie, has killed his brother in his heart. The same applies to a person who looks at another with desire in his or her heart, even if this wish does not materialize, he or she has committed adultery in his/her heart.

Also, the Lord speaks in the Sermon of the Mount against divorce and is in favor of a Christian Marriage lasting forever, this marriage should not be dissolved or annulled.

It is not licit to get divorced and then remarry, based on this law. The Church does not allow the reception of Holy Communion to the ones who are in this irregular position but does invite them to come to Holy Mass, to pray, to do acts of charity and to participate in activities in the church, inviting them to always ask for the grace to be able to regulate their situation and do the right thing.

Judging these demanding precepts from God with human wisdom, they are impossible to understand and very hard to accept.

But if the Christian lets himself be penetrated by Holy Wisdom, he will be blessed because he will be able to enjoy “what God has prepared for those who love Him”. And what God has prepared, we are unable to even imagine.

Saint Paul said: “eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, is what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor.2.) Instead of thinking that the precepts of the Lord are impossible to fulfill or too difficult to carry out, it is better to pray with the words of Psalm 118: “Lord show me the path of your laws and I will follow carefully”.

“Lord show me your will and I will keep it with all my heart”. Because if we, as real and true Christians, do not allow ourselves to understand and live the law based in the love and the will of God, it will be very difficult for us to find the real meaning of our existence.

Let us remember that the laws and norms have not been created to be bypassed or broken, but to be respected and obeyed for our own good and our interior growth. If we all were capable of obeying and carrying out the laws, we would live in order and harmony, respecting each other.

If we all made the decision to lives our lives in this way, a world of peace and harmony would not just be a utopia – it would become a reality. It is in our hands to transform our lives for the better.

Give the best of you to the Lord, by carrying out joyfully the mandates and laws of the Lord. Amen

FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

“JUST SO YOUR LIGHT MUSH SHINE BEFORE OTHERS"
Mt 5,13-16

Rev. Alexander Diaz

This Sunday’s Gospel is so rich in imagery and so powerful in its instruction for how we are to live our lives. Jesus teaches us using two common elements from our everyday experience. Who does not know about salt and light, as both elements have a big significance in the life of every human being, and most of all, in the life of all Christians?

Salt is a very potent component that has had a strong influence in the development of humanity through history. Salt is good to give flavor to the food we eat, it purifies our food, it prevents the corruption of certain foods which will spoil if they are not refrigerated, and at the same time if you eat too much salt, it causes you to get thirsty. These are important points, because in reality, that is the life of a Christian, that is what Jesus is in our lives.

Sometime people live morally compromised lives or have gotten accustomed to living in mediocrity and deceitfulness, imitating the spiritual poverty of the Pharisees. They need to be saved with the good news of Jesus. They need to be purified of their rotten ways, because otherwise they will keep on being rotten. I understand very well that it is hard to talk in these terms, but it is the spiritual life of the human being that is at stake.

The same happens with the practice of our faith, to which we have to give the flavor and taste of Jesus, otherwise our spiritual lives will be filled with empty rituals, without any real sense or value, they will turn into circus spectacles that will take us nowhere, that will not transform or change the corruption we have.

This part of the sermon is addressed to the apostles and disciples, they are the ones with the mission of salting the flour, which will turn to bread, to be food for many.

Jesus gives us a great responsibility. We are the salt of the world. This means that the world exists but in many cases it has no flavor. Life has become unbearable for many. Our mission is to keep the candle of faith lit in a world that has turned too technical, and too absorbed in accumulating wealth.

The world is the people who suffer. We are also the light of the world. The light is something immaterial, invisible. The light allows us to see but is itself invisible. The light is the Faith. Faith is not something we keep hidden to prevent from losing or for it to get damaged or deteriorate.

The more that light is shared, the bigger it gets. We see people around us who say they don’t know what to do in life, they do not know how to manage their lives. Faith is always an invitation to look ahead, to go forward, to progress in the path of life, in union with Christ. We have light in ourselves as much as we accept the Light.

Our salvation comes from faith in Christ, but Christians must respond to that faith with good deeds. Only Christ saves, but that salvation needs to be announced and lived. The Gospel tells us that the light of faith, when it shines in front of the people, turns to praise the Father. We have to do our deeds in Faith.

Today’s world is tired of big words and all the theories that are offered to it. It seems as if people had no ears to listen to the transcendental. It is as if life is reduced to the answer that we want to obtain.

We have lost the sense of excitement and hope. To be the salt and the light of the world is reminding us, time and time again, about the project that the Lord has for humanity.

God does not want us to suffer anymore because Jesus took upon Himself all our pains, all our suffering. He does not want anymore violence because Jesus took all our punishments.

He does not want us to be disoriented because with His life, Jesus showed us the path to the Father. To be salt and light, is to be aware of all this and live it with joy.

Jesus points out heaven as the place of God and it is the truth. Heaven is God. Each person can have heaven close to him or her in their heart, in its spiritual throbbing, in the daily giving of himself or herself.

There is a space that only we can open to the Lord and to others. It is the field of our hearts and our lives. If I close myself off to Christ, if I do not let Him inside my heart, I will never understand that love, the love that loves me even when I ignore it.

To be salt and light is to be conscious, to be aware of the existence of that love. When salt dissolves, it turns invisible but the flavor endures. The light gets bigger and bigger when it is shared. The lighted wick of a candle will be the love of God, the origin of the light.

The light that comes from the candle wick and that illuminates the world is the fruit of that love. The mission of the human being is to keep on sharing that light with all the human beings of our times and of all times. That is our first and principal priority, to live in the truth, to live in the light and to live in it is to be that light and be that light with joy and excitement.

Then we will show the path to others, we have to become the brilliant torches that go in front, showing the way, that valuable path of truth.

I invite each one of you to be salt and light in this world that walks in darkness, without taste, without hope, without sense.

Amen!