FR. LEON'S HOMILIES

Theme: Jesus Opens our Graves and Have us Rise From Them

Today is the fifth and last Sunday of our Lenten Journey to the celebration of the Paschal Mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ. As it is my custom, let us recapitulate all the lessons that this Lenten Season taught us so far. The liturgy of Ash Wednesday was the kickoff of this Lenten Journey. The Scripture readings of that Mass taught us that conversion was a necessity. We need to repent. The ashes we received on our foreheads reminded us that since conversion is a necessity, then we should not postpone but start working on it “now” because remember, “we are dust and unto dust, we shall return.” Jesus, in that Gospel, exhorted us to do the Works of Penance:  Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving, as we journey through this forty-day penitential time.  The liturgy of the first Sunday taught us that the devil continues to tempt us today as he did with our ancestors Eve and Adam, and with Jesus in the desert. He knows that sin separates us from God and from our brothers and sisters, that is why he leads us to sin and so damages our relationships with God and with one another. His objective is to see us condemned as he is already condemned. The scripture readings of the first Sunday invited us to resist all the temptations of the devil as Jesus did in the desert. On the second Sunday, the Bible readings taught us that we are on our journey of faith, not only toward the Paschal Mystery of Easter but also toward our heavenly “Promised Land” at the end of time. The story of the transfiguration we heard in the Gospel showed us what our bodies will look like in the kingdom of heaven. Unlike Peter who suggested building three tents there, meaning that to stay there in that “glorious state”, Saint Paul, In that second reading, encouraged us to bear our share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes, not from human beings, but from God. So, our “journey of faith” consists of bringing the Gospel to others so that they too share the glory of the “Transfiguration” at the end of time. The scripture readings of the third Sunday marked the beginning of a series of John’s Gospel until the end of Lent because the Church prepares the catechumens for the sacraments of initiation that they will receive in Easter. In the Gospel, we heard the story of the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Two topics directed that conversation: the “Living water” and the “Divine identity of Jesus”. The way God provided drinking to the thirsty Israelites in that Sunday’s first reading, is the same way Jesus told us through the woman that he had Living Water to offer us which would give us eternal salvation. Regarding the second topic of their conversation, Jesus led the woman step by step in her faith journey until she realized that the one speaking with her was the Messiah. The woman became a missionary; she brought the news to the townspeople drawing them to Jesus. The catechumens who will be baptized in Easter and all of us who will renew our Baptismal Promises are expected to become the missionaries who bring the Gospel’s news to others inviting them to come to Jesus and have their own experience with him. In this way they can say as the townspeople of that Samaritan woman, “We no longer believe in him because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.” Last Sunday’s liturgy invites us to reflect on our journey of faith which culminates with God’s revelation. All the Bible readings share the same themes of Anointing, Light, and Water. The first reading recounts the story of how Samuel anointed David king of Israel. In the Gospel, after anointing the unnamed man born blind with clay made from his saliva, Jesus uses water to bring light to this man. And Saint Paul teaches us in our second reading that once (before baptism) we were darkness, but now (after baptism), we are light in the Lord. Jesus called us to believe in him, then he “will” bring us from the darkness of this world to the light of the kingdom of heaven. 

Here we are on the last Sunday of our Lenten Journey. As we move closer to the Paschal mystery celebrations, the Bible readings of this fifth Sunday of Lent invite us to meditate on the movement from Death and Life. The first reading mentions this movement when Ezekiel prophesied over the people of Israel that God will open their graves, have them rise from them, put his spirit in them, and that they may live. This is what Jesus did to Martha and Mary’s brother, Lazarus, in our Gospel. He opens his grave, has him rise from it, puts his spirit in a dead Lazarus, and Lazarus lives. In Easter, through the water of baptism in which the catechumens will be baptized and all of us Christians will be sprinkled in the renewal of our baptism, we will pass from death to new life with Christ. The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies as Saint Paul exhorts us in today’s second reading. 

Our first reading is the second part of the well-known story, “Vision of the Dry Bones”. (Ezekiel 37: 1-14).  Let us call the context of the full story. Prophet Ezekiel ministered to the people of Israel from the Southern kingdom of Judah during the Babylon exile. The Babylonian empire invaded Judah in 605 BC. Johoiakim was retained as its vassal king Because he refused to pay tribute to king Nebuchadnezzar, Babylonian armies sacked Jerusalem and exiled their leaders in 598/7 BC. Most Biblical scholars agree that Ezekiel was ... READ MORE

Theme: Anointing, Light, and Water

We are on the fourth Sunday of our Lenten journey to Easter Sunday. The liturgy of the first Sunday taught us that the devil continues to tempt us today as he did with our ancestors Eve and Adam, and with Jesus in the desert. He knows that sin separates us from God and from our brothers and sisters, that is why he leads us to sin and so damages our relationships with God and with one another. His objective is to see us condemned as he is already condemned. The scripture readings of the first Sunday invited us to resist all the temptations of the devil as Jesus did in the desert. On the second Sunday of Lent, the Bible readings taught us that we are on our journey of faith, not only toward the Paschal Mystery of Easter but also toward our heavenly “Promised Land” at the end of time. The story of the transfiguration we heard in the Gospel showed us what our bodies will look like in the kingdom of heaven. Unlike Peter who suggested building three tents there, meaning that to stay there in that “glorious state”, Saint Paul encouraged us to bear our share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes, not from human beings, but from God. So, our “journey of faith” consists of bringing the Gospel to others so that they too may share the glory of the “Transfiguration” at the end of time. The scripture readings of last Sunday marked the beginning of a series of John’s Gospel until the end of Lent because the Church prepares the catechumens for the sacraments of initiation that they will receive in Easter. In the Gospel of that third Sunday of Lent, we heard the story of the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Two topics directed that conversation: the “Living water” and the “Divine identity of Jesus”. The way God provided drinking water to the thirsty Israelites in that Sunday’s first reading, is the same way Jesus told us through the woman that he had Living Water to offer us which would give us eternal salvation. Regarding the second topic of their conversation, Jesus led the woman step by step in her faith journey until she realized that the one speaking with her was the Messiah. The woman became a missionary; she brought the news to the townspeople drawing them to Jesus. The catechumens who will be baptized on Easter and all of us who will renew our Baptismal Promises are expected to become the missionaries who bring the Gospel’s news to others inviting them to come to Jesus and have their own experience with him. In this way, they can say as the townspeople of that Samaritan woman, “We no longer believe in him because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.” 

Like last Sunday, this Sunday’s liturgy invites us to reflect on our journey of faith which culminates with God’s revelation. All the Bible readings share the same themes of Anointing, Light, and Water. The first reading recounts the story of how Samuel anointed David king of Israel. In the Gospel, after anointing the unnamed man born blind with clay made from his saliva, Jesus uses water to bring light to this man. And Saint Paul teaches us in our second reading that once (before baptism) we were darkness, but now (after baptism), we are light in the Lord.

We need to know the background of our first reading to grasp its message. Before Israel’s transition to leadership under a king, each tribe of Israel was led by a judge. Samuel is the last of these judges when the people requested one king to govern all the tribes like other nations. (See 1 Samuel 8: 5). Samuel feared that with one person as a king, the people would start worshiping the king and so they would disobey God. But per God’s command, Samuel appointed Saul as the first king of Israel. However, God rejected Saul because he failed to obey his Word. Though Saul continued to rule Israel, God asked Samuel to anoint David as a second king. This is now our first reading’s story. Samuel anointed David in secret. 

Per God’s order, Samuel fills his horn with oil and went to Jesse’s house in Bethlehem to offer sacrifice to God and also anoint one of Jesse’s sons. He invites everyone to come and join him in the rite of the sacrifice. Seven sons were present excluding the youngest David who was shepherding the flock of his dad at that time. Samuel examines all seven sons one by... READ MORE

Theme: The Living Water and The Divine Identity of Jesus

We continue our forty-day Lenten journey. The liturgy of the First Sunday taught us that the devil continues to tempt us today as he did with our ancestors Eve and Adam, and with Jesus in the desert. He knows that sin separates us from God and from our brothers and sisters; that is why he leads us to sin and so damages our relationships with God and with one another. His objective is to see us condemned as he is already condemned. The scripture readings of the First Sunday invited us to resist all the temptations of the devil as Jesus did in the desert. On the Second Sunday of Lent (last Sunday), the Bible readings taught us that we are on our journey of faith, not only toward the Paschal Mystery of Easter but also toward our heavenly “Promised Land” at the end of time. The story of the transfiguration we heard in the Gospel showed us what our bodies will look like in the kingdom of heaven. Unlike Peter who suggested building three tents there, meaning that to stay there in that “glorious state”, Saint Paul encouraged us to bear our share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes, not from human beings, but from God. So, our “journey of faith” consists of bringing the Gospel to others so that they too share the glory of the “Transfiguration” at the end of time. 

Starting today, the Third Sunday of Lent, till the end of this Lenten Season, we will be reading the Gospel of John because today catechumens start an intensive preparation for initiation into the sacraments. The Gospel texts that are chosen for the remainder of Lent are a kind of sacramental catechesis. The liturgy of this Third Sunday of Lent invites us to meditate on the theme of the “Living Water” and the “Divine Identity of Jesus”.  The first reading speaks of God providing drinking water to the thirsty Israelites. The Gospel speaks of Jesus who gives living water and makes God known to the Samaritan woman and to each of us. We are invited to accept the living water that Jesus offers us for us to have eternal life. Here living water represents the water of Baptism with which the catechumens will be baptized and all of us Christians will be sprinkled after we renew our baptismal promises on Easter. “Living water” is the proof of love that God has for us. While we were sinners, Christ died for us. This is what Saint Paul teaches us in our second reading. 

Today’s Gospel tells us the story of the conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. The topic of this conversation is “water”, and the setting is the well of Jacob in the city of Sychar. We are already introduced to this topic of water in the first reading that we heard. The author of Exodus recounts the famous incident that happened in the desert in which God’s people (on their trip from ... READ MORE

Theme:  Lenten Season is a Journey of Faith

Today is the Second Sunday of our 40-day journey of repentance called Lent. In the Scripture readings of last Sunday, we heard two stories of temptation by the devil. Satan tempted Eve and Adam using the threefold concupiscence namely the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. His goal was to break the relationship that our first ancestors had with God. The author of the book of Genesis told us that Eve and Adam fell to these temptations and consequently, sin entered the world. The second story of the temptation was in the Gospel. The same devil came to tempt Jesus in the desert using the same threefold of concupiscence. Note that Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in prayer and fasting to prepare himself for the beginning of his public ministry. The devil’s aim in tempting Jesus was to lead him to sin and stop him from starting his mission of building the kingdom of heaven on earth. The evangelist Matthew recounted that three times Jesus overcame these temptations. Saint Paul who summarized both readings told us that through the disobedience of Eve and Adam, we were made sinners, so through the obedience of Jesus we are made righteous. 

The Scripture readings of this Sunday, which talk about the “Journey of Faith”, remind me of the dramatic long journey on foot that I did which marked the beginning of my priestly formation. I started my official training as an SVD seminarian in July 2002, two weeks behind my classmates. All the other groups traveled together in a very good jeep of the SVD missionaries without me. I was obliged to follow them using public transportation. Note that the road was very bad at that time. I took a big truck with many other passengers. While traveling on the road, the truck suddenly broke. I left my suitcase there, and earlier in the morning I set on a long journey of over 55 miles on foot with nine other passengers. After about 25 miles, two people were so tired and were no longer able to continue. They decided to stay in one village waiting for the repaired truck to pick them up. As we were advancing, two more passengers got tired and did the same as the first group. Later after a couple of miles, again two more dropped off until we stayed just four, three men who were cousins and me. It was very dark, around 8 pm, when we were crossing the last big forest. One of the cousins declared that he could not walk any longer. His two feet swelled terribly. He suggested we stay with him for at least the whole night and in the morning, we can continue on the road. The two cousins refused, continued their journey, and ... READ MORE

Theme: We are Called to Overcome the Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, and Pride of Life

Lent is the forty-day penitential time in which we Christians prepare ourselves to celebrate the Paschal Mystery: the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have started this journey last Wednesday (with the Ash Wednesday Mass). The ashes we received on our foreheads at that Mass symbolized our firm decision to work on our repentance by observing the three Lenten disciplines of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. This work of repentance must start not tomorrow but now because “we are dust and to dust, we shall return.” 

The liturgy of this first Sunday of Lent invites us to meditate on the three sorts of temptations that the devil used on our first ancestors Adam and Eve (first reading), on Jesus (Gospel), and that he continues to use on each one of us today. They are the lust of the flesh called also bodily appetite, the lust of the eyes (the desire for power and possessions), and the pride of life (the desire for glory or worldly recognition). This threefold love of the world is known as the threefold concupiscence. All sins that people commit are regrouped into these three categories. Note that the reason why the devil tempted Eve and Adam, Jesus, and continues to tempt us today is that he wants the people to be condemned along with him as he is already condemned. He uses this threefold love of the world as a strategy to lead us to sin because he knows very well that sin breaks our relationships with God and with our brothers and sisters. The scripture readings of this Mass tell us on one hand how our first ancestors (Adam and Eve) failed to the temptation of the devil. As consequence, sin entered the world and brought condemnation. (First reading). On the other hand, Matthew recounts that Jesus resisted the devil’s temptations. As a result, he brought us back to our original alliance with God. (Gospel).  Now, to maintain this salvation that Jesus brought us, the Church calls you and me to overcome the same temptations every day. The traditional Lenten disciplines of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving are the keys to resisting all temptations.  

The devil started his series of temptations with the lust of the flesh. The Gospel tells us that Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights, and so he was hungry. (v. 2). We too feel hungry every day. Hunger in this context represents all the lust of the flesh. The devil pushed Jesus to use his divine power and transform the stone into bread to satisfy his hunger. Quoting the Scripture (Deuteronomy 8: 3), Jesus answered, “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (V. 4). While the tempter wants Jesus to focus on his physical hunger that the bread can satisfy and maintain his physical life, Jesus refers to  ... READ MORE

Theme: Works of Penance: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving

Today, we start the season of Lent. This is a forty-day penitential time in which we prepare ourselves to celebrate the Paschal mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ. Note that Penance is part of the Christian way of life. It has to do with Sin and Conversion. Do not ignore it. Let us journey together as a Church. This Ash Wednesday Mass is the kickoff. The ashes that we are going to receive on our foreheads today will have only as much meaning as we are giving them. Please, make this symbolism a meaningful beginning of a time of penance. The ashes remind us that since conversion is a necessity, then do not wait until tomorrow; work on it now because “you are dust, and to dust, you will return”. This can happen at the moment you least expect it. Prophet Joel, in today’s first reading, invites us to return to God: “Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning” (Joel 2: 12). Saint Paul also in our second reading implores us on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God. What the first and second readings invite us to do is called “Penance”. The Gospel then explains the works of this penance: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. 

The Church exhorts us to observe prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving during this Lenten Season to help us spend these forty days of preparation well. They are the external works of Penance. They have no  ... READ MORE

ST. AUGUSTINE AND ST. BARTHOLOMEW CATHOLIC CHURCHES

2022 ADVENT REVIVAL

Theme: The Power of Prayer

Revivalist: Rev. Fr. Leon Ngandu, SVD

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