In Lk. 14: 7-14, Jesus teaches His disciples about the virtue of humility. When we do not take the “choice seats,” but take the lowest place, we learn to be humble.

“A humble person is blessed.” Many of our problems and troubles could have been avoided if we practiced humility to God and to others. Pride is disobedience to God, believing that we can do without Him. Thus, the road back to God’s heart is humility. As they say, unless and until we take this road, we will not have true peace.

Many of our problems can be healed only with humility. When we accept our failures in humility, reach out to God and to others, forgive others and forgive ourselves in humility, we experience true healing and freedom. As someone put it beautifully, the best “calming tea is humility.”

The Gospel says strive to enter the narrow door (Lk. 13, 22-30). In heaven, there is no trespassing, no one can gate crash their way to enter heaven. Sometimes we would think that a merit system works in heaven, through good work or acts of goodness. Worse, some think they can buy their way to heaven. Remember, the road to hell is a highway, and the road to heaven is a stairway. Salvation is God’s grace, mercy and a blessing. To have faith is to enter the narrow door, to take the stairway rather than the highway. The journey of life is not a matter of taking the fastest lane that would lead us to the farthest destination. The journey maybe slow, the distance short, with a lot of inconvenience, and at times difficult. To have faith, is making a personal choice to stay in the stairway. Many times, we think we know how to save ourselves. It is for God to save, and it is for us only to enter the narrow door and stay in the course of the stairway.

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us to make a radical decision to change the direction of our lives. He urges us to go beyond mediocrity and self-preservation and take the path of true commitment. He wants his disciples to be on fire, neither cold nor lukewarm, but like a burning coal.

How real is our faith, and how deep is our commitment to God? Many Christians fall into the habit of complacency and mediocrity. They are good at watching things at bay. They belong neither here nor there. They are also self-appointed commentators when it comes to everything and everyone, but end up having nothing to do with everything and everyone.

Lk. 12:32-48: Missio-destination

The Gospel says, to be “like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when He comes and knocks.” Jesus wants us to be watchful and vigilant. May our worldly treasures: possessions, achievements, power, and prestige not sidetrack us, so that we lose sight of the real treasures in this life and in the life to come.

One of life’s greatest fear is losing something or someone of great value to us. I’ve always said, fear is inversely proportional to faith. As fear increases, faith decreases, but as faith increases, fear decreases. The sooner we learn to have faith and trust in God, the sooner we will have peace. Faith is surrendering and not managing, where we tend to control, push, and at times play games with God. Jesus reminds us, to seek security not in worldly plans and achievements, but faith in His will and providence.

“Not rich in matters of God.” Lk. 12:21

Securing the future is one of the obsessions of man. In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus reminds us that worldly possessions do not guarantee absolute security for the future. Our only true security is in God, thus, the rest, everything and everyone are all just false security. For after securing our future with wealth, power, and relationships, God says, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you.” Yes, we bring nothing with us when we leave this world, everything and everyone fades away except the love and goodness we have shared. The Wisdom of the Lord says, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Our heart will gain peace when we number our days aright and work towards storing up riches in heaven.”

“Give us each day our daily bread” Lk. 11:3

One of the things we ask in the “Our Father” prayer is to give us “our daily bread.” It is noteworthy, that we are petitioning God for the food provisions that we need every day, not just for plenty or just enough to survive. The Church Fathers believe that the daily bread that we ask for is not just for ordinary food but also for the Eucharist, the food of the soul. Thus, if we ask God for the “daily bread” in the Eucharist, why do so many Christians go to receive it once a year? “Receive daily what enriches every day and live your daily life in such a way as to be worthy to receive it.” (St. Ambrose, De Sacramentis, 5,4)

If you come to think of it, Mary's posture is that of disciple, sitting beside the Lord at His feet totally absorbed at every word that comes from the mouth of Her Master. Her focus was to just listen to Jesus, like a disciple listening to His Rabbi. (Acts. 22:3) In discipleship there is a time to listen and there is a time to serve. The posture of Mary is exactly what the voice in the Transfiguration asked every disciple to do, "Listen to Him" (Lk. 9:35). If only Martha realized the great blessing that she was missing, by trying to serve the Lord. When instead she should have been listening to Him. Mary choosing the better part also meant, that the aspect that takes priority in welcoming the Lord is "listening to Him," and to His message of salvation. That is exactly what Mary was doing. The better part, like a good soil… is to absorb all the nourishment that comes from the Lord.

Is our life dominated by the many cares of the world? Do we have time every day to really listen to our Lord? Prayer is listening to the Lord; do we have time to pray?

Be in God,
Fr. Bing

“Who is my neighbor?” Lk. 10:29

The central figure of the Gospel today is the Good Samaritan, the one who had compassion upon his neighbor, a person in need and treated him with mercy. We need to actively help our neighbor. They are the people we meet, and are with, in the present moment.

Our God is the Best Samaritan. He is always moved by compassion for those who are in need, and He acts to save them. Just as God showed compassion and mercy to those in need, we also are to act in mercy and compassion to those around us. As Pope Francis says, one day we will be face to face with God, and God will look at us and say to us, “Do you remember the people you met who are in need?” “That was me.”

“Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Lk. 10:20

Joy is one of the marks of the followers of Christ. In the Gospel the 72 disciples returned from their mission rejoicing. Since the Gospel is a treasure, all who are entrusted with it should be spiritually rich, and have hearts rejoicing. Although radical poverty was demanded of them, they did not mind because they knew that they had a Shepherd guarding and providing for them. The Gospel describes the disciples coming back rejoicing for the many wonderful things God had done through them. But most especially, it is because “their names are written in heaven.” Meaning, that there is a permanent home for them in the heart of God, and safety and security in His communion.

“Follow me.” Lk. 9:59

As Jesus went from one place to another, more and more people wished to follow Him. The first disciples, the Apostles “left everything and followed Him.” In the Gospel, many of those attracted to follow the Lord still have attachments to their old life, and their way of thinking is different from Jesus. Following the Lord oftentimes requires a radical “Yes” and commitment to a “way of life,” the Way of Life of Jesus. Sometimes the will and the spirit are willing to follow the way of the Lord, but at the same time seek recognition and approval of others. This kind of will and spirit will not lead to genuine holiness.

“Blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples...” Lk. 9:16

The multiplication of loaves introduces the super abundance of gifts that is the sign and proof of the Messianic age and prefigures the Eucharist. When we receive the body and blood of Christ, we increase our communion with the Lord, forgive our venial sins, and it preserves us from grave sin. The Eucharist strengthens the bond of charity between the communicants and Christ, and reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ. (CCC 1416)

“He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine...” Jn. 16:14-15a

These verses reveal the special relationship and the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. There is complete unity and equality in the three divine Persons of the Holy Trinity. In verses 14-15, everything that the Father has is the Son’s, and everything that the Son has is the Father’s, while the third person of the Trinity has what is common to the Father and the Son, in a knowledge known as divine essence. The encounter of the Father and the Son takes place in the Holy Spirit.

"Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Jn. 20:23

The Lord instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation after his resurrection, he breathed upon them, and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit…” It is the belief of the Fathers of the Church that by this uplifting action of Jesus, and the words that followed this gift, the power of forgiving and retaining sins was granted upon the Apostles and their lawful successors. This was the will of the Father expressed through the Son, the power to reconcile the faithful who have fallen after their baptism. (Council of Trent, De Penetentia, chap. 1)