Reflections on the 1st Sunday of Advent Homily. Is 63: 16-17. 19b; 64:2-7; Ps 79; 1Cor 1: 3-9; MK 13: 33-37.

Crisis is the birthplace of hope

In last week’s readings, Ezekiel 34, the King of the universe identifies himself as a Shepherd whose role is to care for his flock. He gathers those who are scattered and lost; He heals the wounded and the sick. In fact, the people of Israel knew very well that God always comes to their rescue in times of difficulties. God will always be there for us. Even God’s anger against our wrong-doing is a sign of his love for us. God cannot forget us in times of crisis. In our times of troubles, God comes to us. In our sorrows and griefs, God comes to us. In times of problems, namely sickness, financial troubles, loss of loved ones, God will be there for us (Romans 8:31). God comes to us. He comes to us to console us; to strengthen us; to promise us a better future and everlasting life. Paul is grateful for all the gifts of God to the community. The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to them in order to strengthen them as they await for the coming of Jesus the Messiah, the fulfilment of our Hope. God we need your Holy Spirit. Lord, we long for your coming.

In this time of instability and many troubles, we long for a better future; a safer world; a stable economy and meaningful relationship. Yes, Jesus will come. We must stay awake. He will come to fulfill our deepest longing and our hope for the fullness of life. It is through pains, and death that Christ saves us. He comes to us. This is the spirit of Advent; a spirit of hope. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer 29:11). Indeed, this Advent; a time to stand still; a time to yearn; a time to long for a God who is so faithful to us. A God who will come and rescue us in times of troubles. The people of Israel in the first readings long for the coming of their Redeemer. “Tear down the heavens and come down” Yes Crisis is the birthplace of hope. Any occasion of pain or any difficulty is an entry point of God’s grace! Are you in trouble, sick, going through hard times, be assured, God will come to us to save us! But are worthy to welcome him in our heart: "Lord I am not worthy to receive you in my Lord"

May we please cleanse our hearts to prepare ourselves for Christ coming. Paul in 2 Cor 13: 5 says: "Examine yourself to see whether you are holding to your faith" May we do this examination throughout this week!

Happy first week of Advent!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO sac

Reflection on the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe.

Our Final Exam! Heaven made Easy!

Today we conclude the liturgical year A with the solemnity of Christ the King, the Alpha and the Omega. In our various readings, Christ as the King is: -- The Good Shepherd who takes care and leads his sheep (Ezekiel 34; Ps23); -- The Risen Christ through whom all believers will also rise (1 Corinthians 15:20-26); -- The Judge of all people and all nations on the basis of how we treat one another (Mt 25:31-46). Jesus gives us the areas of focus for our final exam. How do I prepare for the final coming of Christ?

A story is told of a young man who was drowning into the water. An older man saw him and saved him. A few years later the same young man broke into a jewelry store and was caught and was taken to jail. As he appeared to the judge, he recognized the man who saved him when he was drowning in the river. He said to himself: “Thanks be to God. This man saved me several years ago. If he could risk his life to save me when I was drowning. I know he will do everything within his power to save me”. Eventually, the judgement was passed and the young man was found guilty and was sentenced to prison. Then he cried out to the judge and said: “ Have you forgotten me. I am the same young man you saved from drowning few years ago. Please save me” and the Judge said: “yes I remember you. But on that day, you were drowning, I came to you as your savior, today I am here as your Judge”

St. John of the Cross reminds us that: “in the Evening of our life, we will be judged on love.” Our seat in heaven will depend on our capacity to do the works of mercy in the name of Christ. The way we treat one another, especially the most vulnerable and the less privileged will determine our destination. Our capacity of seeing Christ’s image in every human person and our capability of loving Christ through our neighbor is the right key to the eternal kingdom. Christ says: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you did it to me”. Each one of us is now expected to be Christ-Jesus, so to not look down at anyone. Remember the story of St. Martin de Tours, a Bishop born in Hungary 316. He was raised in Italy where he was a soldier and Christian. While still not a Christian, he divided his cloak, and gave half to a poor man. His fellows mocked him. Later, he had a vision of Christ with that man’s face. Christ was wearing half of his cloak. So, do see Christ in the poor everywhere, in your spouse, in your parents, in your children, in your neighbors, in your friends. See in them today, the Christ you wish to see in heaven tomorrow!

Lord, I need your Holy Spirit to help us see you in every human person. Help us to stay focused on our journey! You are the First and the Last. Come Lord Jesus, reign in our lives! Be our KING forever!

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

33rd Sunday, Year A

Faithful servant, take risk for God’s kingdom!

We are at the end of Mathew’s Gospel and Jesus is about to do his triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday). It is time for Jesus to entrust his Church to his disciples, he teaches us a great lesson. Even if his second coming is not imminent, the disciples of all times will need to take initiatives so that his message may bear fruits. This great teaching is drawn through a parable. “A man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted them his property;to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.” God loves us all and treats us equally but each person according to their abilities. All he asks of us is to trust Him as he trusts us to the point of entrusting his kingdom. He does not hold us accountable for what is beyond our capacities. Like with the two first good servants, God would like us to enter into his project of salvation. “Do only what you can do for the kingdom of God. Do it to your abilities. Do it well”. God trust is something marvellous as he even expects us to take risks and initiatives with what he has entrusted us. “Master, you gave me five talents, and I made five more”;” Master, you gave me two talents and I made two more”. And we can hear the Master Praising and encouraging such servants: “You have been faithful in little, I will set you over much.” This is indeed what I read from the Book of Proverb: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” (Prov.9:9). Dear Sisters and Brothers, entrusted to his Word and his kingdom, may we take initiatives and bear fruits for his kingdom so that you can hear: “Good and faithful servant … enter into the joy of your Master”

Blessed Sunday!

Fr. Georges sac

32nd Sunday, Year A

Reflection on the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time year A. Wis 6:12-16; Ps 63, 1 Thes 4:13-18; Mt 25, 1-13.

Meeting with the bridegroom

As we are heading toward the end of the liturgical year, the Church continues to call her spiritual children to reflect daily on the “four last things” : Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell (CCC, 12 ; #1020 -1042). Death is the separation of man’s mortal body and man’s immortal soul as a result of original sin. After death, each person will be judged by God and based on his conduct, he will go either to hell or to heaven. Hell is the eternal state of torment and despair prepared for those who in this life have freely rejected God and the happiness which God offers. Opposed to hell, there is heaven, the eternal state of perfect happiness resulting from face-to-face with God as the reward of those who have served God throughout their lives. Jesus, the bridegroom, died so that we can be there with him in heaven forever. But we do not know either the day nor the hour when the bridegroom will come. Are we ready to meet with the bridegroom in heaven?

In this passage of the Gospel of Mathiew, Jesus gives us the parable of the ten virgins. Among them, five (5) are wise because they made provisions for the extra oil. This means utilised, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, their faith, the love and the grace of God for the service of God’s kingdom. They set their priority right. We must do the same. That is the true oil that leads to heaven. The five (5) others were  foolish probably because they spent their abilities, resources and time focusing on non-essentials. All of them were aware that in the context of the Jewish wedding in Palestine of the first century, the bridegroom would always come at an unexpected time. So we should always be “AWAKE”.

This parable has first to do with the people in the time of Jesus. They knew about the coming of the Messiah but when Jesus, The Messiah came, they rejected him. They were unprepared.

This parable is told for a timeless generation. It speaks of our individual death and the second coming of the Son of Man can catch us unprepared. Paul tells us that “Christ himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of trumpet of God” (1Thessalonians 4:16) The time of death still remains very unpredictable. Always ready to meet with the bridegroom. For the one who fails to prepare prepares to fail. According to our first reading, wisdom is the key to faithful religion and watchfulness the key to wisdom. Be watchful! Saty always prepared!

In today’s parable, the refusal of the wise virgins to share their oil with the foolish ones is in no way a lack of charity, but it simply means that there are things people cannot do on our behalf, and things that we cannot do on behalf of others. Our relationship with God is personal and unique. No parent, spouse, no child, no priest, nobody can believe on behalf of others. We cannot go for confessions on behalf of others, or receive the sacraments on their behalf. Martin King Junior says: “You are going to die alone. You had better believe alone” so to meet with the bridegroom in heaven. Get ready by living a good life, having enough oil on the lamp of your soul, pray, go to confessions, center your life in the eucharist, stay close to Mary, meditate on God’s word, so as to get into the heavenly banquet! 

FR. G. R. BIDZOGO SAC

31st Sunday, Year A

Reflection on the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time year A.  Mal 1, 14b-2,2b.8-10; Ps 130; 1Thes 2, 7b-9.13; Mt 23, 1-12.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

The strong words of Jesus against the Scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel and even the words of Malachi against the religious leaders of his time in the first reading, challenged me as a priest to examine myself.  Am I convinced of what I preach and do I practice it in my daily life? Jesus.

Malachi realises warns the priests about their wrong behaviours and god even threatens to send a curse upon them for they have made the law an occasion of downfall instead of a means for salvation. How do you use the rules and laws of the Church or even the countries? Are they there to help us better serve God and one another or they have become burdens and means of enslavement?

Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and the Scribes who preach but they do not practice what they preach; they tie heaven burden to carry and only lay them upon people’s shoulders. They only act in order to be seen. They prefer eye service to heart service.  This criticism of Jesus is indeed an invitation to us today to examine our ourselves leaders and disciples of Jesus. Jesus definitely challenges the way we live and share our christian faith as bishops, as priests, as parents, as any civil servant or any civil authority.

We are called to tell the world about Jesus, his love, our joy and his promises of eternity. How do we do this daily?

1)We must practice what we teach. Pope Paul VI: “The world needs witnesses more than it does teachers.” Heaven is our goal. Therefore to bring as many people as we can, we should make our lives the best sermon, the best homily, the best good news we bring to the people. People want more of our witnesses. A witness is a person who produces the evidence of what he has seen and heard. Am I convinced of the christian message? Do I live by it? How many people do I attract to / or send away from the Church because of my good or bad examples?

2) Taking Jesus as my teacher and Master. Jesus preached throughout his entire life by his own example. He did not only preach about compassion, but he showed his compassion; He did not only preach about love but he was the incarnation of love; he did not only speak about humility but he became man; he did not only preach about service but spent his life washing the feet of his disciples and doing everywhere. Jesus himself invites us in the Gospel to learn from his words and his life; to be imitators of Him. Paul in the second reading, shows us an example of how to preach the gospel by showing kindness, humility and  loving service to the Thessalonians. Paul puts it in this way: “We were gentle among you as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well”. Living as Jesus lived, will help others to see Jesus and follow then follow him.

Lord give the grace to follow you as the true founder of the Church. May I believe whatever I preach, live whatever I preach through the intercession of Mary our Mother! Amen.

30th Sunday (Year A)

Reflection on the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time year A.

Exodus 22:21-27; 1Thessanians 1:5c – 10; Mt 22: 34-40

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

As we now head towards the end of the liturgical year our focus should be on what is more important for us? What could be the summary of Christ’s teaching? What is it that we cannot live our Christian Faith without jeopardizing our identity as a Christian? In a context where we really live in a crisis of love for our neighbor in our world today, we thank the Pharisees for bringing up this question to Jesus. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Was it to entrap Jesus like in Mathew 22:15-20 last Sunday? “Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entrap him in speech…” If Jesus chooses only one commandment among others; they will conclude that he has thrown the rest away. They also might have found the amount of the 613 commandments very bothersome to be recited every day and to be put into practice.

For the Jewish people, the commandments refer to either: the Decalogue, which Augustine considers as “the summary and epitome of the entire law of God," the Pentateuch (The 5 Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Number, Leviticus and Deuteronomy), or the entire Jewish Scriptures (The Old Testament) and 613 laws (Mitzvot) put out by the teachers of the law.

Jesus as the one who fulfills the law, gives us on this Sunday the compendium of our Christian identity. He goes back from the Jewish scriptures: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deut 6:4-5). The people in the Old Testament did not only know that the Lord is one, but they were also aware that one shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any other person and they shall love their neighbor as themselves (Cf Leviticus 19:18). Jesus reminds us that true Christianity consists in love of God and love of neighbor as yourself. Yet the true love of God is expressed in the way we treat the neighbor just as God is treating us. Christianity is the summary and the meaning of the law. it is a real application of the Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would like them to treat you” (Mt 7:12). People must always use themselves as a yardstick.

The Book of Exodus in the first reading is saying exactly that when it reminds the Israelites not to wrong or oppress a stranger for they were strangers in the land of Egypt; not to afflict any widow or orphans, any poor for they are directly under God’s care and protection. Love is what matters. We must love God as he has loved us. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”. (John 13:34) To truly love is indeed becoming imitators of Christ. For St Augustine says: “Such love is impossible for human beings without the help of grace — it is a gift & one of the three theological virtues”  

Our entire life, that is, our worship, our relationship, choices, our service to the community, our commitment must be motivated by the love of God and the love of neighbors. That is the greatest commandment. A life without love is like an engine without oil, actions without faith, marriage without love, a body without a soul. Do we make love the core element of our Christian identity?

There is a story of one of my friends Stanley and his wife, Jeanette. As they were driving back home, Jeanette turned to Stanley and asked, “Eh Honey, did you notice Nancy who was just in front of us. She seems to be adding some weight. She is not married; do you think she is pregnant?” And Stanley, “I did not notice dear my dear”. After a few minutes, she asked: “Did you notice how short Suzanne’s skirt was. At her age, really?” What bothers me is that she dresses that way to Church! Again, Stanley said: “My dear I’m not sure, I noticed what Suzanne was wearing today” Then after a few more second, she turned again to the husband and said: “Hmm Stanley, I am sure you noticed Robert’s kids, how they were crawling over everything and distracting everyone at mass today.” Stanley said: “ha Robert’s kids! I am not sure I noticed that''. At that point, his wife turned to him, shook her head and said: “Honestly, Stanley, I don't even know why you go to Church anymore. You don’t notice anything.”

This story questions our motivations as for why we go to Church. Why do we live? What are our true motivations as we relate to others? Love should always be our motivation and heaven our goal. Let us love always and everything will fall into place.

Lord, teach us to love as you love. Amen.

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

29th Sunday (Year A)

Reflection for the 29 th Sunday in ordinary Time year A. Is 45:4-6; 1 Thes 1:1-5b; Ps95; Mt 22:15-21

A win-win with God?

Context.

Sometimes there seems to be a great tension between our “being” Christians and our involvement in the life of the city. Sometimes we seem to separate what is secular to what is religious. In light of today's readings, we see uses all that he has created for the fulfillment of his plan and his glory. In the first reading (Isaiah 45, 1. 4-6), the temple had been destroyed in 587 by Nebuchadnezzar and the Jewish been in exile for 50 years. Yet Cyrus, the Persian King is the new world’s king who rules with a humanitarian heart. He does not kill those he has conquered; he does not destroy whatever he finds on his way. Whenever he finds the exiles in a new territory, he sends them back to their homeland and helps them to rebuild their country. Isaiah’s prophecy comes in this context of despair. He wants to give hope to the exile people of Israel. “Thus says the Lord, to his Messiah Cyrus to whom he has given power to subdue nations…” 

God is sovereign and all-powerful

The message of Isaiah is that: 1) God is faithful. He can never abandon his chosen one. He says: “Because of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen one, I called you by your name”. 2) God is sovereign above all. “I am the Lord your God; beside me, there is no other”. Everything belongs to him. All people belong to him including the kings of the earth. So God will definitely use Cyrus to bring his people and to rebuild the temple. God is master of every situation, we must never despair. That is why the responsorial Psalm sings the hope of the people: “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord all the earth. Sing his wonders among all nations'' (Psalm 95,1). Again, besides God, the world is nothing; our history and our existence is nothing. The advice of St. Paul to the Thessalonians applies to us today. Our faith must remain active. We must put love for God and one another into practice. Our hope must stand firm in the Lord for God is all-powerful and must always be at the center of our life.

Are we hypocrites?

The question of the centrality of God is addressed in a tricky way in today’s gospel. There, we see the Pharisees and Herodians, who were two opposed groups, approaching Jesus with a question in order to trap him. “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Jesus reverse the roles against them. “ why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?” “Show me the coin that pays the census tax” “Whose image is on this coin?” To which the crow replied: “Caesar”. Then Jesus replied, “repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God”. What a honest and wise answer. We should never try to trap Jesus. He is God-himself. In both situations, Jesus would have been accused. On one hand, if he says ‘yes' , he could be considered betrayer of his own people because paying Roman taxes is a sacrilege, a blasphemy for the Jewish already paying a tithe to the Lord. On the other hand, if he says: “no”, he could be considered as a trouble maker or an insurgent who is trying to cause a rebellion against the Roman occupant. They know the truth but are only being hypocrites. Are you a hypocrite? 

Whose image is on this coin?

The symbol of the coin with the image of Caesar is a powerful answer to them and to us today. By asking the deanery, Jesus is referring to a particular kind of coin with the profile of the emperor Tiberius with the inscription written: “Caesar Augustus Tiberius, son of the divine Augustus”. In the first century, Julius Caesar and Augustus were regarded as sons of the divine by even the Romans. By this, Jesus is on one hand asking us to accomplish the civil duty of paying taxes and participating for the well-being of our society. That is what belongs to Caesar. On the other hand Jesus is also reminding us that just as the image of Caesar is engraved on the coin, so is the image and likeness of God is engraved in us (Genesis 1:26-27). While giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar to contribute to the building of communities, we give ourselves totally to God in whose image we are made. Jesus invites us to love the Lord with our heart, mind and soul (Mt 22:37). It means, everything that we are and own, our families, our leisures, our political stand, our choices and the choices for our families must always glorify God in whose image we are made. No win-win game. God is always the winner. Ask the Lord to give you the grace and the strength to return to him with your whole life. St. Augustine once said: “In the same way as Caesar looks for his image on a coin, God looks for his in your soul.”

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit. Renew my faith, and take Lordship over my life!

 Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC