Tag Archives: homily

28th Sunday (Ordinary Time – A)

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This is a slideshow presentation based on Matthew 22:1-14, the Gospel reading for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). You may embed this slideshow into your own blog/website or download the original PowerPoint/Pdf file so you may use it in your liturgical celebrations.

Year A: 28th Sunday Ordinary Time (Matthew 22:1-14)
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READING: Matthew 22:1-14

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, “Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.” But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

‘But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?” And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’

REFLECTION

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Parable of the Wedding Banquet. Have you ever planned a big party and sent out the invitations to your friends, but no one showed up? In Jesus’s parable, a king threw a big party for his son’s wedding, but none of the people he invited showed up. Of course the king got angry and ordered his servants to go to the main streets to invite everyone to the banquet. The servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the wedding hall was full. In those days, wedding robes are given to guests for free. That explains why the king got angry when he saw a man not wearing a wedding robe. So the king had him thrown out.

By refusing to attend the banquet, the invited guests did not only disrespect the king, but also rejected his authority over them. Accepting God’s invitation to be intimate with Him is of supreme importance that it should relativize all our other plans and concerns. And we need to bear in mind that God invites us not because we are worthy but because God loves us and wants us to be with Him.

Just like the man who did not wear a wedding robe, there are those of us who think that all we have to do is to show up. We need to be “properly dressed”, we need to become like Christ, whose only concern is to do the Father’s will. We need to live our lives in accordance with the Father’s will: love our neighbors and help those in need. If we do not accept the Father’s love and reject his will, we will have no place with him in his heavenly banquet.

27th Sunday (Ordinary Time – A)

This is a slideshow presentation based on Matthew 21:33-43, the Gospel reading for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). You may embed this slideshow into your own blog/website or download the original PowerPoint/Pdf file so you may use it in your liturgical celebrations. You can also view a high quality and printable version of the slides by clicking here.

Year A: 27th Sunday Ordinary Time (Matthew 21:33-43)

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READING: Matthew 21:33-43

‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’

Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes”? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.

REFLECTION

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. The owner of the vineyard sends out his servants to collect from his tenants. But the tenants beat one, killed another and stoned a third. Believing that they will respect him, the owner then decided to send his own son. But the tenants rejected the son and killed him too.

Many biblical scholars agree that the owner in the parable represents God and the tenants are the people of Israel. The servants are the prophets and other messengers sent to convert Israel. The Son is Jesus who was rejected and killed.

Although this story was told about two thousand years ago, this does not mean that it doesn’t apply to us today. We need to make sure that we are good tenants and take care of the vineyard and remember that God is in charge. God created us to be the stewards of the world. He gives each of us a particular work to do in his vineyard. God also give us the grace and the freedom to fulfill our responsibility – to produce the fruits of the Kingdom. We are God’s “tenants” who need to exemplify God’s ideals in action in today’s world.

26th Sunday (Ordinary Time – A)

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This is my first attempt at making a series of presentations for Sunday homilies. Feel free to download, remix and share the slides with others.

Reading: Matthew 21:28-32
‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Year A: 26th Sunday Ordinary Time (Matthew 21:28-32)
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In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Parable of the Two Sons. The first son says “I will not go” but went and the second says “I go, sir” but did not go. The question is obvious: which of the two sons did the father’s will?

The first son represents those who voluntarily make wrong decisions but later on repent and make amends by doing what is asked of them. The second son represents those show good intention and make promises quickly, but do not fulfill them.

The Father has commanded us to do His will.
Our words and deeds must concretely express our “yes” to God’s will. Good intentions are not enough. We must strive to put our intentions into action. God will judge us by our actions, not by our intentions.

Graduation Homily

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Homily addressed to the High School Graduates of Saint Alphonsus Catholic School
18 March 2000, 2pm @ The Virgen de la Regla Parish Church, Lapu-lapu City

Dear graduates:

Today, more than anything else, is a day of recollection and reflection. It is a time of looking back and of gazing forward. As you look back you will see how far you have already gone. As you gaze forward, you will realize that there is still so much to go. This day, therefore, is a wonderful moment to appreciate the past and contemplate the future.

About 1,220 days ago, you walked into SACS High School as hopeful and enthusiastic boys and girls, willing to learn and be tested. Today, you will walk out so much more. Many of you started high school without knowing where you were going or where you would end up. For four years you have struggled with getting up early, with sleeping late, with minimal allowance, with meeting deadlines, with peer pressure, with lengthy homeworks, with cramming for exams, with inconsistent grades, with demanding parents, with hard-to-please teachers, with cute crushes who don’t even know you exist, with unwanted pimples, with yearend clearances. For four years you struggled too with getting a life, with developing your own personality, with strengthening your faith, with having a clear direction in life. There might have been a point when you just wanted to quit. But for sure all those struggles you’ve faced also made you stronger and prepared you to face the many obstacles you will encounter in life. So look at yourselves right now. You are not the same person you were four years ago. You have become God-loving, responsible, committed, and focused young people. But more importantly, you have become Alphonsians. Today, you are not only graduates, you are Alphonsian graduates.

We call graduation a day of commencement. And rightly so. I think the word “commencement” beautifully and meaningfully describes the new birthing you are about to experience as graduates. As you begin afresh, I believe this is the message you should take with you – everything you have done in the past and will do in the future will never be as important as living a life that reflects the values instilled in you at Saint Alphonsus Catholic School.

Where will you go from here? What will you do? Who will you become?

As you graduates go from SACS to wherever it is you are headed, to whatever it is you want to do, to whoever you might become —– may you bring some of SACS with you. You each have a responsibility to carry SACS principles and values with you and use them to shape and create your own life. Stay true to yourself and be an authentic Alphonsian.

There is a quote that I keep dear in my heart. “The really important thing is not to simply live, but to live well.” You have learned so much from the school the past four years, but more importantly, it has taught you how to live well. Think back over the past four years. SACS has not only taught you how to survive academically, but it has also taught you how to thank God, how to care for others, how to forgive, how to love, how to give back to the community what it has given to you. That is why you have gained so much. I am sure that each and every one of you will someday be able to look back and remember how your time in SACS strengthened your faith, developed your character, shaped your future, and prepared you to deal with life’s many twists and turns. SACS has given you a strong foundation.

Thank God for this school and its amazing staff.
Thank God for your teachers.
Thank God for your family.
Thank God for your friends.
Thank God for your classmates.
Thank God for the gift that is you.

The Gospel we have just heard talks about what is really important in life. I will tell you right now that what is important in life is not money, power, nor fame. It is not even success. For all these things will but perish. It is not also the score you got on the accounting final that really matters nor your mastery of Starcraft and Brood War. It is not even the valedictorian medal or the Miss Prom award. In the end it does not really count if you’re the hottest varsity player or the coolest vocalist of a rock band or one of the top ten students. So what is really important in life? It is to live for God. It is to make sure that people can see God through you. Ask yourself – in all four years, did I do something worthwhile? And by that I don’t mean winning the chess finals or getting perfect in all math exams. What I mean is – did you comfort a heartbroken classmate, did you try to ease the burdens of your parents, did you say “salamat” to the multicab or tricycle driver, did you listen to your teachers, did you say “hello” to the security guard, did you try to help the school janitor? Not medals, not grades, not popularity, but the ability to respond to a need, to help all those around you, to be nice and caring, to stand up for what is right, to be kind and honest. Even if you have the lowest grade in Filipino and P.E.H.M., or even if you failed all your subjects, but you take every effort to care, to love, to forgive and understand, you graduate with the highest honors.

As I look over the faces of your parents and teachers, I get the impression that their hopes and expectations are similar to mine. They are not really expecting you to graduate as the coolest or the most handsome or the prettiest of the class, they are only hoping that you grow to become learned, responsible, faithful, and mature persons. And I know that each of you has the ability and the willingness to actualize their hopes. I know that each of you has the ability and willingness to make the right choices and act for change. Being a learned, responsible, faithful, and mature person is something you never graduate from. So when you say goodbye to Saint Alphonsus Catholic School, know that you’re not ending your education… you’re just continuing it somewhere else.