News in Homilies

Commentary to the FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

The Bible guarantees a paradox: true and lasting joy is born of commitment, renunciation, self-denial, sacrifice, and accompanied by pain. “Now I am glad to suffer for you,” says Paul to the Colossians (Col 1:24). To persecuted Christians, James recommends: “My brethren, consider it as the greatest happiness to have to endure various trials” (James 1:2). And Peter recognizes: “You ... rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8).

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

 Today’s Gospel is made up of three parts. First of all, with a quotation from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus’ activity in Galilee is introduced (vv. 12-17). Then there is the vocation story of the first four disciples (vv. 18-22). Finally, the activity of Jesus is summed up in one sentence (v. 23). After the conclusion of John the Baptist’s mission, Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum. It became the center of his activities for nearly three years.

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

It is this message of hope and joy that, through the Baptist, John, from the very first page of his Gospel, wants to announce to the disciples. Despite the apparent overwhelming power of evil in the world, what awaits humanity is the communion of life “with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” These things—John says—I write, “so that our joy may be complete” (1 Jn 1:3-4). 

BAPTISM OF THE LORD – A

Luke does not specify where the baptism of Jesus took place, but John alludes to it: "It happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing" (Jn 1:28). The tradition has correctly located the episode in Bethabara, the ford where the people of Israel, guided by Joshua, crossed the river and entered the Promised Land. The gestures of Jesus contain explicit references to the passage from slavery to freedom and the beginning of a new exodus to the true Promised Land. Bethabara also has another recall, less obvious but equally significant: geologists assure it is the lowest point on earth (400 meters below sea level).

Epiphany of the Lord

 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, bring us peace

The author focuses on “popular Marian piety.” This is only one of many possible Marian themes, but it is of radical importance since for Bergoglio “feeling with the Church” is not only linked “ to feeling with its hierarchical part.” With regard to Mary, “if you want to know how you love her, you have to ask the people. In turn, Mary loved Jesus with the heart of the people.”

December 30, 2022 - Feast Of The Holy Family

 Every family has its cares and worries. On today’s feast of the Holy Family we are shown that Mary and Joseph and Jesus had more than their share of problems and woes, especially that the very reason and heart of this family was Jesus, this bewildering son. They did everything for him. What is typical in the Holy Family is that in everything they sought God’s will; the same is true for Jesus, God’s will was to be his food and drink. Let the heart of our families, be like that of Jesus, and together with Mary and Joseph may we ask ourselves what God wants of us and joyfully do it.

The Birth of the Lord – Years A B C

GOD HAS REVEALED HIS JUSTICE

At Christmas, God reveals the immensity of His unconditional love. This is his justice. All people are invited to contemplate with wonder and let themselves be freed from fear because "there is no fear in love. Perfect love drives away fear, for fear has to do with punishment: those who fear do not know perfect love"(1 Jn 4:18).

Commentary to the Fourth Sunday of Advent-Year A

 In Mary, the Only Begotten of the Father is not only sinewed with muscles but fully inserted in our human condition. He had feelings, emotions, and passions. He experienced the joys of affection and the disappointment of betrayal. He shared our anxiety, sorrow, humiliation, ignorance, satisfaction in learning, and our fear of death. He was not just united with a real body but became a man like us in every way, except sin. For this, he is Emmanuel, God with us.

Commentary to the THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR A

The inquiry by John seems to contradict what happened at the baptism of Jesus by John. Here Matthew deals with Jesus as the true messiah, the anointed one of God. To the disciples of John the Baptist who came asking about the messiah, Jesus replies by pointing out the redemptive joy that wells up in the hearts of the blind, the lame, the deaf, the lepers, the poor, and the dead who have come back to life. Paul invites us to wait in joyful patience as the sower does, for the fruits of his labor.

Commentary to the Immaculate Conception of the blessed Virgin Mary

There is a way to present the figure of Mary that discourages instead of animating. She is referred to as the absolutely exceptional woman, exempted from original sin and its tragic consequences—and that's not because of her own merit, but for a unique divine privilege—confirmed in grace, preserved from making mistakes, blessed in all her works ... We wonder what this wonderful woman has in common with us.

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR A

Today we have much need to listen to the words of Isaiah because discouragement and  pessimism are very widespread in our society; it is enough to listen to certain speeches that  we hear, sometimes they sound like a race to denounce more and more evils in our world;  ‘times are bad, everything stinks, the world is getting worse and worse.’ Isaiah wants us to  see our world as God sees it. And so, instead of just stopping in complaining about the pains  of childbirth, we will begin to rejoice thinking about the new creature, the new world that is  being born.

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

“Fear the judgment of God!” Some preachers still use threats to discourage us from evil, but it is becoming less and less effective. The image of God as a judge is present in the Gospel, especially that of Matthew, in which it appears on almost every page. More importantly, this final judgment of a forensic type pronounced by God at the end of life will no longer be of help to anyone. At that point, it will be impossible for anyone to make up for the lost or badly used time.

Solemnity of Christ the King

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, is the crown of the liturgical year. Today’s liturgy summarizes the mission of Christ. He died on the Cross for us to reveal to us the depth of God’s love and his boundless mercy on sinners.

THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR C

Using apocalyptic language and images, Jesus wants to tear the veil that prevents us from seeing the world with God's eyes. When he seems to announce the end of the cosmos, he is not referring 'to' the end of the world, but helping us understand 'the' end of the world. Apocalypse does not mean catastrophe, but revelation, unveiling. We need the Word of Christ to enlighten us and, beyond the blurred path traced by men, to allow us to choose the direction that the Lord is describing.

DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA

The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the Pope as Bishop of Rome. It was built by Constantine and was for centuries the habitual residence of the Popes. Even today, although he lives in the Vatican, the Pope annually presides on Holy Thursday the Eucharist and the Washing of the Feet in St. John Lateran. This basilica is a symbol of the unity of all Christian communities with Rome. It is called “mother of all the Churches,” and r this reason, we celebrate this holiday worldwide.

Faithful Departed - November 2

From the third century there appears, in the catacombs, the figure of the shepherd with the sheep on his shoulder. It is Christ, who takes by hand and cradles in his arms the person who is afraid to cross alone the dark valley of the death. With him, the Risen One, the disciples serenely abandon this life, confident that the shepherd to whom they have entrusted their life will lead them towards lush meadows and quiet streams (Ps 23:2) where they will find refreshment after a long tiring journey in the desert of this dry and dusty earth.

Novembre 1: The feast of all Saints

Today there is a tendency to resort to the saint to ask him/her to present to God a request that is fading. We turn to the Lord more and more, directly, with the confidence of children. The saints—Mary too—are rightly regarded as sisters and brothers who, with their lives indicate a path to follow Christ and invite us to pray all the time, along with them, to the one Father.

31rst Sunday in Ordinary Time– YEAR C

 Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see Jesus because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” 

Commentary to the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year C

The listeners are “some who presumed of being righteous and despised the others.” They are not the Pharisees of Jesus’ time but the Christians of Luke’s community. It is in them that the dangerous Pharisaical mentality is insinuated. The parable is directed to the Christians of all times because the idea of ‘meriting’ before God is profoundly rooted in the person.