The Parable Of The One Hundred Sheep

"What do you think of this?  If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, won't he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside, and go to look for the stray one?  And I tell you, when he finally finds it, he is more pleased about it, than about the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  It is the same with your FATHER in heaven.  Your FATHER in heaven doesn't want even one of these little ones to perish." - Matthew 18:12-14  

(The parable of the one hundred sheep is also found in the Gospel of Luke [15:1].  It teaches us several things: JESUS' special concern for sinners and those who stray and, therefore, the missionary dimension of HIS apostolate.  In fact, JESUS came "to seek and save the lost" [Luke 19:10], "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners" [Matthew 9:13].  This attitude should impel our parishes and Christian communities to constantly reach out to the unchurched and marginalized, instead of just working with those who already are in touch with the Church.)

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"The Blood Of The Martyrs Is A Seed."

"'Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in this world save it even to everlasting life.

Whoever wants to serve ME, let him follow ME; and wherever I AM, there shall MY servant be also.  If anyone serves ME, the FATHER will honor him.'" - John 12:24-26  

(Unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies.  JESUS will die and the universal Church will be born.  JESUS allows HIS lifeless body to be laid in the earth; on rising from the tomb, HIS same body, now glorified, will also embrace the believers united to HIM.  The life that is now HIS will be communicated to all the children of GOD.

Unless the grain dies.  This is the law for all life that will be fruitful [Mark 8:34].  The first believers were already saying: "The blood of the martyrs is a seed.")

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JESUS Walks On The Water

"Immediately, JESUS obliged HIS disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of HIM to the other side, towards Bethsaida, while HE HIMSELF sent the crowd away. And having sent the people off, HE went by HIMSELF to the hillside to pray. 

When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake while HE was alone on the land.  JESUS saw HIS disciples straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, and before daybreak HE came to them walking on the lake; and HE was going to pass them by.

When they saw HIM walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw HIM and were terrified.  But at once HE called to them, 'Courage!  It's ME; don't be afraid.'  The JESUS got into the boat with them and the wind died down.  They were completely astonished, for they had not really grasped the fact of the loaves; their minds were dull." - Mark 6:45-52   

(JESUS obliged them to get into the boat.  Why?  John's Gospel explains this [John 6:15].  Because the people, enthused by the miracle, wanted to make HIM a king and liberator sent by GOD.  Even the apostles eager for this to happen.)

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JESUS Heals An Epileptic Boy

"When they came to the crowd, a man approached JESUS, knelt before HIM and said, 'Sir, have pity on my son, who is an epileptic and suffers terribly.  He has often fallen into the fire, and at other times into the water.  I brought him to YOUR disciples, but they could not heal him.'

JESUS replied, 'O you people, faithless and misled!  How long must I be with you?  How long must I put up with you?  Bring him here to ME.'  And JESUS commanded the evil spirit to leave the boy, and the boy was immediately healed.

Later, the disciples approached JESUS and asked HIM privately, 'Why couldn't we drive out the spirit?'  JESUS said to them, 'Because you have little faith.  I say to you: if only you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could tell; that mountain to move from here to there, and the mountain would obey.  Nothing would be impossible for you.'" - Matthew 17:14-20  

(All things are possible for one who believes.  JESUS has gone back to the crowd and again HE meets with human unbelief.  The prayer of the child's father would be a model for all Christian prayer.  If we turn to GOD in prayer, it is because we have faith; and yet in doing this we discover the poverty and the fragility of our faith.

Why couldn't we drive out the spirit?  The apostles wonder: did JESUS not give them power over the demons?  They are not aware of their lack of faith and easily forget how far they are from their Master.  To them are directed the sharp words of JESUS: You, faithless people!  How many people think they are great believers when, in fact their faith has still not moved anything!).

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"If You Want To Follow ME, Deny Yourself. Take Up Your Cross And Follow ME."

 

"Then JESUS said to HIS disciples, 'If you want to follow ME, deny yourself.  Take up your cross and follow ME.  For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life, for MY sake, will find it.  What will one gain by winning the whole world, if he destroys his soul?  Or what can a person give, in exchange for his life?

Know, that the Son of Man will come, in the glory of HIS FATHER with the holy angels, and HE will reward each one according to his deeds.  Truly, I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death, before they see the Son of Man coming in HIS kingdom.'" - Matthew 16:24-28   

(Whoever chooses to save his life will lose it.  JESUS draws attention to the great option of every human life: we cannot discover GOD; we cannot make a success of life without sacrificing it.  All the rest is idle talk.  The option terrifies us in the same measure that life for us seems promising.  It is also the reason why marriage and family frighten many.

Christian freedom and happiness are found only in the joyous acceptance of the will of GOD which invites us to listen to HIS Son and follow HIM down the road and paths that HE traveled.)   

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The Transfiguration Of JESUS

"Six days later, JESUS took with HIM Peter and James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain, where they were alone.  JESUS' appearance was changed before them: HIS face shone like the sun, and HIS clothes became white as snow.  Then suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with JESUS.

Peter spoke up and said to JESUS, 'Master, it is good for us to be here.  If YOU wish, I will make three tents: one for YOU, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.'

Peter was still speaking, when a bright cloud covered them with its shadow; and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is MY Son, the Beloved, MY Chosen One.  Listen to HIM.'

On hearing the voice, the disciples fell to the ground, full of fear.  But JESUS came, touched them, and said, 'Stand up, do not be afraid!'  When they raised their eyes, they no longer saw anyone except JESUS.  And as they came down the mountain, JESUS commanded them not to tell anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man be raised from the dead." - Matthew 17:1-9   

(This manifestation of the transfiguration of JESUS is in fact one of the most important in the New Testament.  In the liturgy of oriental Churches, the feast of the Transfiguration holds a place of supreme importance.

Though not the summit, it is in fact the summary of all revelation.  Moses and Elijah, the spokesmen of the Law and the Prophets [in a word, of all the Old Testament] present the CHRIST of the Gospel to the apostles Peter, James and John, those who will be responsible for the preaching of the Gospel.

As Moses and Elijah were led by GOD to the Holy Mountain, to witness HIS glory [Exodus 33:18; 1 Kings 19:9], so the apostles are led apart by JESUS; they too climb the mountain and there JESUS manifests HIS glory to them.

JESUS had just announced HIS passion and HIS death: the day had come when the FATHER confirmed HIS end that was very near [Luke 9:31] and gave HIM a foretaste of HIS resurrection.  Moses and Elijah were the witnesses, they who, in a certain way, escaped the corruption of death [Deuteronomy 34:6; 2 Kings 2:11].

A cloud formed covering them in a shadow.  The cloud mentioned here is that which, in several episodes of the Scriptures, both indicates and hides the mysterious presence of GOD [Exodus 19 and 1 Kings 8:10].

Listen to HIM.  The apostles have been accompanying JESUS for more than a year, with misunderstanding increasing between HIM and the religious authorities of the people of GOD.  For them a question could arise: Is not JESUS mistaken?  Are not the certitudes of GOD's people on the side of the priests and scribes?

The FATHER HIMSELF intervenes, just as HE had done in the past for John the Baptist: Listen to HIM!  "Listen to HIM for HE is the Word made flesh" [John 1:14; Hebrews 1:1].  HE is the Prophet, and all the others speak only for HIM [Deuteronomy 18:17].

When JESUS worked miracles for the sick, and over the forces of nature, HE showed that the present order of the world is not permanent.  Now the curtains are partially opened: would that the apostles understood that the Son of Man, as JESUS calls HIMSELF, is close to HIS resurrection.  In a little while HIS fellow citizens will hang HIM on a cross.  In a little while, too, the FATHER will give HIM the glory that awaits HIM.  The shining cloud, the dazzling white clothes are external signs that indicate something of the mystery of JESUS: the day HE rises from among the dead, HIS human nature will be transformed and extended by divine Energies, so that HE may fill everything in everyone.)

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The Faith Of The Canaanite Woman

"Leaving that place, JESUS withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  Now a Canaanite woman came from those borders and began to cry out, 'LORD, Son of David, have pity on me!  My daughter is tormented by a demon.'  But JESUS did not answer her, not even a word.  So HIS disciples approached HIM and said, 'Send her away: see how she is shouting after us.'

Then JESUS said to her, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.'

But the woman was already kneeling before JESUS and said, 'Sir, help me!'  JESUS answered, 'It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to the little dogs.'  The woman replied, 'It is true, sir, but even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table.'  Then JESUS said, 'Woman, how great is your faith!  Let it be as you wish.'  And her daughter was healed at that moment." - Matthew 15:21-28  

(The Jews usually looked down on pagans with marked contempt: they were the sons, the pagans were the dogs.  JESUS answered the afflicted woman repeating this well-known scornful saying.  HE said this to test the woman's faith: would she insist when it appeared that even GOD would reject her?)

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Prayer For Renewal

"O YAHWEH, the nations will revere YOUR name, and the kings of the earth YOUR glory,

when YAHWEH will rebuild Zion and appear in all HIS splendor.

For HE will answer the prayer of the needy and will not despise their plea.

Let this be written for future ages, 'YAHWEH will be praised by a people HE will form.'

From HIS holy height in heaven, YAHWEH has looked on the earth to hear the groaning of the prisoners, and free those condemned to death.

YOUR servants' children will dwell secure; their posterity will endure without fail.

Then the name of YAHWEH will be declared in Zion, and HIS praise in Jerusalem,

when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship HIM."

- Psalm 102:16-18. 19-21. 29. 22-23

(The psalmist experiences psychological and bodily disintegration.  This pathetic expression of grief suddenly changes into a confident prayer for GOD's protection on Zion, HIS holy city.  So, we suffer with all who suffer in the Church--while being certain, that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

The LORD indeed freed those condemned to death when JESUS cried out again in a loud voice and gave up HIS spirit [Matthew 27:50].  At that time, 'tombs were opened and several holy people who had died were raised to life' [Matthew 27:52].  Therefore, unlike the Psalmist who seems very hurt and afflicted, let us rejoice and give thanks and book our place in heaven.

In the face of social chaos and a premature death, we can pray with this psalm, ratifying our hope:  'YOUR servants' children will dwell secure'.)

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The Death Of John The Baptist

"At that time, the reports about JESUS reached king Herod.  And he said to his servants, 'This man is John the Baptist.  John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in John.'

Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.  For John had said to Herod, 'It is not right for you to have her as your wife.'  Herod wanted to kill him, but he did not dare, because he feared the people, who regarded John as a prophet.

On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced among the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked for the girl, following the advice of her mother, said, 'Give me the head of John the Baptist, here, on a dish.'

The king was very displeased, but because he had made his promise under oath, in the presence of his guests, he ordered it to be given to her.  So, he had John beheaded in prison, and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl.  The girl then took it to her mother.

Then John's disciples came, took his body and buried it.  Then they went and told JESUS." - Matthew 14:1-12   

(King Herod.  This refers to Herod Antipas, son of the other Herod who reigned when JESUS was born.

King Herod respected John, but he was prisoner of his milieu and of his vices.  As king of Galilee, his misconduct constituted a public counter-witness.

All through the Scriptures we see prophets stressing the particular responsibility of those who wield power. If they have to lead the people, they must be, by the rectitude of their life, and example; John the Baptist could not speak of justice without reproaching Herod for his infidelity.

People said that John the Baptist has been raised from the dead.  They considered John a martyr and believed he would rise from the dead to punish Herod.  Some associated JESUS with John--JESUS performed miracles that John had not done.  Others, less informed, thought JESUS was an apparition of John.)  

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JESUS Walks On The Water

"Immediately, JESUS obliged HIS disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of HIM to the other side, toward Bethsaida, while HE HIMSELF sent the crowd away.  And having sent the people off, HE went by HIMSELF to the hillside to pray.

When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake, while HE was alone on the land.  JESUS saw HIS disciples straining at the oars, for the wind was against them; and before daybreak HE came to them, walking on the lake, and HE was going to pass them by.

When they saw HIM walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw HIM and were terrified.  But, at once, HE called to them, 'Courage!  It is I; don't be afraid!'  Then JESUS got into the boat with them, and the wind died down.  They were completely astonished, for they had not really grasped the fact of the loaves; their minds were dull." - Mark 6:45-52  

(JESUS obliged them to get into the boat.  Why?  John's Gospel explains this [John 6:15].  Because the people, enthused by the miracle, wanted to make HIM a king and liberator sent by GOD.  Even the apostles were eager for this to happen.)

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