Homily Reflections

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Wisdome 9:13-18b II: Philemon 9b-10,12-17

Gospel
Lk 14:25-33

25 Great crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and addressed them,
26 "If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
28 Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?
29 Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him
30 and say, 'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
31 Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
32 But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
33 In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

Interesting Details

• (v.25) In the preceding parable (16-24), several guests were invited to a banquet but all found excuses for not coming. Having told this parable of rejection to the leaders in which an overinvolvement with possessions and relationships closes those invited to the call of God, Luke has Jesus "turned and addressed" to the great crowds and repeat the same warning for those who would wish to follow Him.
  
• (v.26) "Hate" is harsh. It has been suggested that the original Aramaic meant simply "love less than". It denotes an attitude - turning away from; and mode of action - detach oneself from, not emotion.
  
• (v.27) "Carry his own cross". Again, this command must be taken in context. It does not mean that all true disciples must be martyrs in the literal sense.
  
• (v.28) The costs are indeed staggering. God undertook the plan of salvation at the cost of the beloved Son's life (Rom 8:32); and Jesus, determined to journey to Jerusalem (9:51) to lay down His life. Neither God, nor Jesus asks of disciples anything that they themselves were not prepared to do.
  

One Main Point

Jesus challenges us to take up the demands of discipleship. It demands everything we are and everything we have.

Reflections

1. What are the costs of discipleship in my case? What possessions and relationships do I need to forgo? What to foster?
2. To the extent that I have been able to follow Christ, what results have I experienced? To the extent that I have shied away from following Christ, what have been the results?
3. What concrete steps do I plan for my life: staying the current course, or making specific changes? How will I be able to do it? 

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Exodus 32:7-11,13-14 II: 1 Tm 1:12-17

Gospel
Lk 15:1-32

1 The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him,
2 but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3 So to them he addressed this parable.
4 "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?
5 And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
6 and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'
7 I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.
8 "Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it?
9 And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.'
10 In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
11 Then he said, "A man had two sons,
12 and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them.
13 After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
14 When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need.
15 So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
16 And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.
17 Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.
18 I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19 I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."'
20 So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
21 His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.'
22 But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23 Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast,
24 because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began.
25 Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.
26 He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
27 The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.
29 He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
30 But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.'
31 He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.
32 But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'"

Interesting Details

• (v.1) "Listen": This clearly shows that this group of tax collectors & sinners responds to Jesus' invitation in the previous chapter (14:35). Listen is a sign of conversion, of repentance.
• (v.2) "Complain": While tax collectors and sinners listen to Jesus, the Pharisees and the scribes complain about him. Complain is a clear indication of rejection.
• (v.6) "Rejoice". The lost sheep and the coin are not worth much in comparison to the ninety-nine or the nine. Yet, when found both the shepherd and the woman rejoice: Nothing and no one is insignificant to God. 
• (v.15) To tend the swine of a Gentile is about as alienated as a Jew could imagine being.
• (v.20) "Ran": This is an undignified behavior for an elderly Oriental gentleman. This is to shows how eager God is to forgive us when we repent.
• (v.22) The father's forgiveness of his prodigal son is well displayed: a ceremonial robe; a signet ring; and sandals. These indicate the status of free people. 
• (v.28) By refusing to come into the house the elder son is acting like those who stand outside the heavenly banquet while many others enter in. (13:28-30)
• (v.29) "I served you": Here, the elder son repudiates his sonship and distances himself as a servant.
• (v.30) "Your son" instead of "my brother". The elder son does not want to accept his "dead" brother as alive and as his brother. 
• (v.30) "Prostitutes": The elder son exaggerates his brother's sin which the narrative itself does not mention. His language is remarkably revealing of his anger.
• (v.32) The father's use of "your brother" represents a subtle correction of "your son".

One Main Point

Jesus uses three different images to portray the compassion and love of God. Nothing and no one is insignificant to God.

Reflections

1. When, or in what area of life, do I feel worthless, inconsequential, helpless, or defeated? What does God say to me and the second son then?
2. Have I felt being treated unjustly, and not wanting to consider the offender my brother or sister? What does God say to me and the older son then?
3. Different people have different problems, but God loves, consoles, and helps each one. Do I experience this unconditional love as I go through different phases of life?

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Amos 8:4-7 II: 1 Timothy 2:1-8

Gospel
Luke 16:1-13 

1 He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.
2 And he called him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'
3 And the steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
4 I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.'
5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
6 He said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'
7 Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' He said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'
8 The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations.
10 "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.
11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches?
12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." 

Interesting Details

• Context: The whole of chapter 16 is about the need to share our possessions with the needy. 
• (v.1) "Rich man" was apparently an absentee landlord, typically not likable. 
• (v.2) "summoned the manager": some day each of us will also be summoned before the Lord to account for what we have been given. 
• (v.3) "What shall I do" is a way Luke uses to describe a crisis. The wicked manager was able to orchestrate an active response to the crisis. 
• (v.4) "People will receive me": the wicked manager was able to recognize the value of people's favor. 
• (v.5) "How much do you owe?" The amount probably includes a very high interest already, is what people must promise to pay back, much more than what they originally borrowed. 
• (v.6) "One hundred containers": each container was about 5 to 11 gallons. 
• (v.7) "Write eighty": the manager commonly does this, namely estimating what people needs to pay back plus the profit to his boss. Now he adds in a new component: what will be helpful to him later when he no longer has the control of any money. 
• (v.9) "When [money] fails" or when it runs out, what is left is the effect of how the money was used. 
• (v.13) "You cannot serve both God and Mammon." If money is the ultimate goal, then it is a Mammon. It needs to be subordinate to God and to loving, serving others. 

One Main Point

Use our possessions wisely (serving the poor) so that when it runs out and when we are summoned to God in the final day, we will be received into God's house. 

Reflections

1. What are in my possessions? How do I manage them? When God summons me, what can I say? 
2. When my possessions run out, what is left? Will the Lord receive me?