Daily Readings and Homily - 2021-01-16 - Fr. John Paul

[Music] family a prayer that we pray together is a powerful prayer so please pray together with me our ewtn family prayer today we pray for those who have left the church lord jesus christ good shepherd we praise you you founded the church on the foundation of the apostles and promised that the gates of hell would never prevail against her bring those who have left the faith back into the fold of your catholic church give them the grace of conversion from sin stir and to flame the gift of the holy spirit within them and restore to your prodigal children their lost dignity lord jesus mercy amen behold the lamb of god who takes away the sins of the world take this all of you and eat of it for this is my body which will be given up for you take this all of you and drink from it for this is the chalice of my blood [Music] do this in memory of me [Music] our saints are happy in heaven because they followed christ [Music] they rejoice with him forever because they shed their [Music] is [Music] of him [Music] as it was [Music] [Music] christ may rejoice with him forever [Music] in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit the grace of our lord jesus christ and the love of god and the communion of the holy spirit be with you all brethren let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries i confess to almighty god and to you my brothers and sisters that i have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words in what i have done and in what i have failed to do through my fault through my fault through my most grievous fault therefore i ask blessed mary ever virgin all the angels and saints and you my brothers and sisters to pray for me to the lord our god may almighty god have mercy on us forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life [Music] is [Music] [Music] christians [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] let us pray lord god you sanctified the beginnings of the order of friars minor by the glorious struggle of your holy martyrs barard and companions as they did not hesitate to give up their lives for you so may we bear staunch witness to you by our lives we ask this through our lord jesus christ your son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit one god forever and ever a reading from the letter to the hebrews the word of god is living and effective sharper than any two-edged sword penetrating even between soul and spirit joints and morrow enabled to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart no creature is concealed from him but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render in account since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens jesus the son of god let us hold fast to our confession for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses but one who has similarly been tested in every way yet without sin so let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help verbum domini [Music] your words lord are spirit and life the law of the lord is perfect refreshing the soul the decree of the lord is trustworthy giving wisdom to the simple the precepts of the lord are right rejoicing the heart the command of the lord is clear enlightening the eye the fear the lord is pure enduring forever the ordinances of the lord are true all of them just but the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you o lord my rock and my redeemer oh [Music] oh [Music] the lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives [Music] [Music] [Music] jesus went out along the sea all the crowd came to him and he taught them as he passed by he saw levi son of alphaeus sitting at the customs post jesus said to him follow me and he got up and followed jesus while he was at table in his house many tax collectors and sinners sat with jesus and his disciples for there were many who followed him some scribes who were pharisees saw that jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners jesus heard this and said to them those who are well do not need a physician but the sick do i did not come to call the righteous but sinners verbum domini [Music] i there is something special and unique in particular about one's vocation story how a particular person ends up in a particular place whether it's a vocation story to the priesthood or religious life or how a man and woman met one another and got married it's always amazing to hear the work of grace in a person's life how a person cooperates and responds to grace and even how a person even resists grace how a person might hear a call to follow christ and resist and over time god never ceases to give up on a person he always invites he always proposes he never imposes saint matthews called his vocation story and the gospel is very short wasn't dramatic it was a response to an invitation from jesus the words follow me saint matthew by example shows us the urgency to follow christ he shows us the unhesitating response that a disciple should have unhesitating to follow christ at his invitation the gospel of saint mark tells us that many people were drawn to jesus the unwanted the unlovable these were the lame and the blind and the lepers the homeless the abandoned the widows who were drawn to him these people in the eyes of the world were quote unquote unlovable but not unlovable to god always in god's eyes the vulnerable the outcast the lame the blind most especially widows those are those special to the lord jesus did not turn down anyone public sinners and even town prostitutes even the most corrupt of businessmen tax collectors sat and ate with jesus at table and this sitting at table is a foreshadowing of the banquet that the lord invites us to most of all the table in heaven the eternal banquet feasts a wedding feast of the lamb that he invites us to in heaven from this class of people tax collectors it is matthew who is considered the worst of all sinners tax collectors who jesus calls and who would compose one of the four gospels himself jesus calls sinners to follow him he doesn't call the perfect some scribes who were pharisees complained why does he eat with test collectors and sinners and when jesus heard it he said to them those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick i came not to call the righteous but sinners the passage before today's gospel speaks of the paralytic who was carried by four men and lowered down through a roof the paralytic man being lowered down through the ceiling is an excellent example of the fallen state of man being lowered down to the divine physician notice that jesus addresses the spiritual problem before the physical deformity jesus forgave the man's sins he reconciled him the scribes regarded this as blasphemous because only god for can forgive sins jesus proved his divinity once again by not only forgiving the paralytic sins but healing his bodily but healing his bodily state only god himself can get to the root of any problem including your problems and my problems god himself knows the problem he knows the diagnosis and he knows the cure as the mystical body of christ we are not somehow a section of us quarantined off from one another's sins and failings sin damages the mystical body of christ but on a greater note holiness charity builds up and heals and restores the wounds and repairs the wounds of the body of christ and brings about unity where there is division in a world where we have somehow become used to the idea and the word quarantine we are not somehow quarantined off from one another as the body of christ somebody who is alone right now quarantined off so to speak in their home is not in the most radical sense quarantined off from the body of christ the church each one of us the baptized we are in a radical way this is something to meditate upon often we are grafted on to christ and to one another we are not quarantined off from one another that can never happen we can separate ourselves from one another from the church from christ through sin but in a more radical sense holiness when we live the life life of charity faith hope and love we are grafted onto christ we are his we belong to him and he belongs to us st mark records in today's gospel as he passed by levi son of alphaeus sitting at the customs post jesus said to him follow me and he got up and followed jesus he got up and followed again no hesitation following the lord saint jose maria escriva would often say that when the word of god is proclaimed jesus is passing by just in a few weeks the third sunday of ordinary time will celebrate the word of god sunday inaugurated by pope francis last year when the word of god is proclaimed at holy mass or in when we're reading the word of god privately even jesus is passing by are we following are we listening attentively do we allow him to pass us by without hearing his invitation follow me this invitation transformed the life of levi known as matthew and led him eventually to lay down his life for christ in martyrdom in hebrew matthew's original name levi means adhesion adhesion in other words adhesion is a process of attachment of one substance to another surface after two words follow me matthew's life was a total adhesion to christ and his teaching follow me his gospel another question we might ask ourselves is how much of the world are we allowing to become glued to us again the sense of adhesion how much of the world and not of christ do we allow to be glued to us is our adhesion to christ and his holy church or to worldly possessions that will pass away ultimately worldly possessions can become like black tar in our hands a sticky mess if anyone has ever worked in putting down ceiling for driveways the very sticky black mess if we get it on our hands it's almost literally impossible to get off it takes days even weeks to get the sticky mess off this is like the mess that can be it glued to us and leading us away from the lord following christ turned levi into matthew a sinner into a saint god loves each of us too much for us to remain in the current condition that we are in he is always prodding us inviting us proposing to us and drawing us into a further relationship with himself and with one another in being grafted onto christ again we are not simply quarantined off from one another but we are more united with one another the closer we get to christ the greatest witness to christ is that of the martyrs today is the memorial of the proto-martyrs of the franciscan order saint berard and companions proto-martyrs means first martyrs saint stephen was the first martyr of christ considered the first martyr before christ passion death and resurrection but saint berard and companions of the order of friars minor are the proto-martyrs of the order saint francis and his early followers had a unique zeal and a desire to convert the muslims to the faith of christ francis himself went to the orient and tried to convert the sultan while the other friars a band of friars burrard and companions went to the west and eventually ended up in the south in morocco where they were martyred the king offered the friars positions of high honor and prestige and all the pledges trees of life if they would renounce christ and become mohammedans become muslims berardin the friar is refused unhesitatingly we heard that in the collect opening prayer this unhesitating to follow christ to lay down one's life they refused and they said we despise all these things for the sake of christ they went on to urge the king mere mullin of his own conversion to the faith they wanted so much for him to convert for the entire kingdom that he ruled to convert to this to the faith of christ and each one of the friars died on this day on 12 20 after the king split their heads with his sword dying for the true faith on hearing of the death of these men francis announced now i can truly say that i have five friars minor i love that now i can truly say that i have five friars minor in other words i have five brothers who have laid down their lives for christ after the martyrdom of these first franciscans their bodies were being carried back to italy and while passing through portugal a young augustinian priest was so inspired by their example of martyrdom that he asked permission to leave the augustinian cannons to join the franciscans who was this man saint anthony saint anthony of padua was so inspired by the example of these proto-martyrs of the franciscan order that he himself wanted to follow in this method this way of life at the holy altar this day we are fed with the bread of life the sacrament of charity the food for sinners that sanctifies us to become saints may each of us hear the word and the voice of christ resound in our own hearts follow me and respond in the way that matthew did and respond in the way that the proto-martyrs berard and companions did and also respond in the way that saint anthony of padua did unhesitatingly to follow christ and his commandments we adore and praise our god who reigns above the heavens he is the lord of all things and before him all creation is as nothing humbly we place our needs before him that the church may rejoice in the boundless mercy of god which has achieved our salvation and celebrate the glory that has been bestowed upon us in christ we pray to the lord lord hear our prayer that the lay faithful may have the courage and generosity to take on increasing responsibility for the church's works of education and evangelization we pray to the lord lord hear our prayer that we may not be afraid to be faithful to jesus's teaching on the dignity of human life even if our faithfulness causes some to separate from us we pray to the lord r lord hear our prayer for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life we pray to the lord lord hear our prayer that those who have died may rest in peace we pray to the lord hear our prayer we pray for the people of indonesia who suffered an earthquake we pray for those who died for those who lost their lives for the blessed repose of their souls we also pray for father leonard's father peter revilla for his blessed repose we pray for comfort and consolation for father leonard and his brother during these times we pray to the lord god of power and mercy by whose grace your people give you praise and worthy service save us from faltering on our way to the joys you have promised we make our prayer through christ our [Music] lord [Music] the lord [Music] peace [Music] in [Music] foreign [Music] is [Music] is [Music] god [Music] r pray brethren that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to god the almighty father holy father receive the gifts we bring you in memory of your holy martyrs barrard and companions and grant us your servants the grace to be your steadfast witnesses we ask this in the name of jesus the lord the lord be with you lift up your hearts let us give thanks to the lord our god r is truly right and just our duty and our salvation always and everywhere to give you thanks lord holy father almighty and eternal god for you are glorified when your saints are praised their very sufferings are but wonders of your might in your mercy you give ardor to their faith to their endurance you grant firm resolve and in their struggle the victory is yours through christ our lord therefore all creatures of heaven and earth sing a new song in adoration and we with all the hosts of angels cry out and without end we acclaim [Music] is [Music] [Music] me [Music] you are indeed holy o lord and all you have created rightly gives you praise for through your son our lord jesus christ by the power and working of the holy spirit you give life to all things and make them holy and you never cease to gather a people to yourself so that from the rising of a sun to its setting a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name therefore o lord we humbly implore you by the same spirit graciously make holy these gifts we have brought to you for consecration that they may become the body and blood of your son our lord jesus christ at whose command we celebrate these mysteries for on the night he was betrayed he himself took bread and giving you thanks he said the blessing broke the bread and gave it to his disciples saying take this all of you and eat of it for this is my body which will be given up for you in a similar way when supper was ended he took the chalice and giving you thanks he said the blessing and gave the chalice to his disciples saying take this all of you and drink from it for this is the chalice of my blood the blood of the new and eternal covenant which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins do this in memory of me the mystery of faith when we leave this bread and drink we proclaim your death therefore o lords we celebrate the memorial of the saving passion of your son his wondrous resurrection and ascension into heaven and as we look forward to his second coming we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice look we pray upon the oblation of your church and recognizing the sacrificial victim by whose death you will to reconcile us to yourself grant that we who are nourished by the body and blood of your son and filled with his holy spirit may become one body one spirit in christ may he make of us an eternal offering to you so that we may obtain an inheritance with your elect especially with the most blessed virgin mary mother of god with blessed joseph her spouse with your blessed apostles and glorious martyrs with saint berard and companions and with all the saints on his constant intercession in your presence we rely for unfailing help may the sacrifice of our reconciliation we pray o lord advance the peace and salvation of all the world be pleased to confirm in faith and charity your pilgrim church on earth with your servant francis our pope and stephen our bishop the order of bishops all the clergy and the entire people you have gained for your own listen graciously to the prayers of this family whom you have summoned before you and your compassion and merciful father gather to yourself all your children scattered throughout the world to our departed brothers and sisters and to all who are pleasing to you at their passing from this life give kind minutes to your kingdom there we hope to enjoy forever the fullness of your glory through christ our lord through whom you bestow in the world all that is good through him and with him and in him o god almighty father in the unity of the holy spirit all glory and honor is yours forever and ever [Music] at the savior's command and formed by divine teaching we dare to say our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil deliver us lord we pray from every evil graciously grant peace in our days that by the help of your mercy we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our savior jesus christ lord jesus christ who said to your apostles peace i leave you my peace i give you look not on our sins but on the faith of your church and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will who live and reign forever and ever the peace of the lord be with you always [Music] me [Music] is [Music] is um behold the lamb of god behold him who takes away the sins of the world blessed are those called to the supper of a lamb lord i am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed you are the ones who have stood by me faithfully in my trials and now i confer a kingdom on you says the lord you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom for those who cannot now receive jesus in the blessed sacrament we offer the following prayer o my sweet savior jesus christ thou art my sovereign good the fountain of all good my god and my all what a blessing it would be for me could i at this moment possess thee in my heart and there enter thee my praise and lay before thee my necessities and share in the graces thou bestowest on those who really receive thee oh come to me dear lord in spirit and take full possession of my heart and of my soul to thee i give my memory that thou mayest always dwell in my thoughts my understanding that it may ever be engaged in contemplating thy love and goodness and my will that thou mayest direct it to the keeping of thy holy law to thee i give my whole self o my jesus make me to be ever thine may the virtue of thy divine sacrament increase my faith fortify my hope purify my charity and fill my heart with thy love oh let me be thine and thou mine from henceforth and forever and grant that nothing in life or death may ever separate me from thee anymore amen [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] grace r [Music] me [Music] is [Music] peace [Music] let us pray god our father and your holy martyrs you show us the glory of the cross through this sacrifice strengthen our resolution to follow christ faithfully and to work in your church for the salvation of all we ask this through jesus christ our lord the lord be with you may almighty god bless you the father and the son and the holy spirit go and announce the gospel of the lord [Music] [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] he was [Music] r [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] by the power of god [Music] oh [Music] thank [Music] [Music] you [Music] jesus you

Channel: EWTN

Views: 9,076

Keywords: ytsync-en, homily

Id: B79dapwwWrU

Length: 57min 16sec (3436 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 16 2021