Contrite Hear to Return to Virtues and to Do God’s Will for the Kingdom with Humility – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

 From this Sunday (26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A), the Gospel readings for the rest of this liturgical year, which ends with the week of the 34^th Sunday (Christ the King Sunday), are taken from Jesus’ teaching during his last days in Jerusalem.  These are the days reflected in the Holy Week, which starts on Palm Sunday (Passion Sunday). As you remember, the Gospel reading for Palm Sunday Procession for this liturgical year was from Matthew 21:1-11. So, we know that what we read from the Gospel for the remaining Sundays  of this liturgical year are what Jesus preached in Jerusalem as his prophesized death was fast approaching. Below you see the Gospel readings for the Sundays of the rest of this liturgical year.

26th Sunday	Mt 21:28-32
27th Sunday	Mt 21:33-43
28th Sunday	Mt 22:1-14
29th Sunday	Mt 22:15-21
30th Sunday	Mt 22:34-40
31st Sunday	Mt 23:1-12
32nd Sunday	Mt 25:1-13
33rd Sunday	Mt 25:14-30
34th Sunday (Christ the King)	Mt 25:31-46

 

All of these are Jesus’ response to the Pharisees, and other religious leaders, upon agitating them by his cleansing act in the Temple (Matthew 21:12-17). During his last days in Jerusalem, Jesus had rather more intense arguments with the religious leaders, who were critical of his authorities (Matthew 21:23-27).  So, as you read and reflect the Sunday Gospel readings for the rest of this liturgical year, keep this in mind. There is a heavy  emphasis on the Kingdom with an eschatological tone to prepare us for the week of Christ the King Sunday to conclude this liturgical year.

The Gospel reading for the 26^th Sunday (Matthew 21:28-32) bears a similar pattern to the Gospel reading for the 25^th Sunday (Matthew 20:1-16a), because not only both of these Gospel narratives refer to the Kingdom with a metaphor of vineyard but Jesus makes a point in his teaching by contrasting two types of people. In Matthew 20:1-16a, the contrast was between the vineyard workers, who worked all day long, and the vineyard workers, who were recruited later, and therefore, worked less hours. On the other hand, in Matthew 21:28-32, Jesus draws a comparison between the two sons of the vineyard owner: the son, who said no to his father’s order to work but later changed his mind and actually worked, and the son, who said yes to his father’s order to work but did not work at all.

So, what did Jesus try to teach by making such comparisons, in facing those who challenge him during his last days in Jerusalem?

Basically, Jesus tells who are to be entitled to the Kingdom and who are not, pointing toward the eschatological judgement.

In Matthew 20:1-16a, the workers who worked all day long complained to the landowner that he paid the workers who worked less hours the same daily wage. To this, the landowner indicated to the complainers to go somewhere else if they did not like the way he manages the affair of his vineyard. This indicates that we may lose our privilege to enter into the Kingdom if we are not content with the providence of God, as well as grace of God, though Jesus paid the price for us, sinners, to be acquitted from condemnation and to be entitled to his Kingdom, on the Cross. In Matthew 21:28-32, a point Jesus makes is that what matters to our privilege for the Kingdom is to do God’s will.

Given the Gospel readings for the 25^th Sunday (Matthew 20:1-16a) and the 26^th Sunday (Matthew 21:28-32), Jesus’ message for us to prepare for the Kingdom at the eschaton is:

1.     To be content with what we have received from God, not to envy or to feel jealous about others for what they have received from God.

2.     To do the will of God for us, keeping our promises to His will, with humility recovered upon contrition.

In Matthew 21:28-32, the son who said not to his father’s command to work in his father’s vineyard but changed his mind and actually worked represents those who have been despised as “sinners” but actually have gone through metanoia and renew themselves, committing themselves to God and His will. Jesus gives an example of tax collectors and prostitutes for this type of people in the narrative. On the other hand, the son who said yes to his father’s command to work in the vineyard but never worked represents hypocrites, who are self-righteous but their actually behaviors do not match their professed faith and promise to God. And, according to Jesus, the religious leaders, whom Jesus responded to their challenge on his authority, are this type of people.

This teaching of Jesus really made no sense to those who questioned Jesus’ authority. They were so proud of themselves for their privilege in religious leadership and contemning toward tax collectors (Luke 18:11) and sinful women (Luke 7:36-39), such as prostitutes. And, it was their pride on their righteousness that kept them blind to their need of metanoia , thus, making them akin to the son, who promised his father to work in his vineyard but never did, though his brother, who refused but later changed his mind and worked. So, Jesus rebuked their self-righteousness and blindness to their need of conversion with these words:

When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him. Matthew 21:32

This is why Jesus told that sinners who repented, as John the Baptist called for, represented by tax collectors and prostitutes, are going to the Kingdom ahead of the self-righteous religious leaders, who refused to convert and therefore failed to do the will of God as the religious leaders. And in Matthew 23, Jesus goes extensively on sharply rebuking their hypocrisy, which matches the son who promised his work in his father’s vineyard but never did.

The contrast between the son who first refused to work but later changed his mind and actually worked and the son who first promised to work but never worked in the Gospel reading (Matthew 21:28-32) is echoed in the First Reading (Ezekiel 18:25-28), which contrast a virtuous person turning away from virtue and committing iniquity and a sinful person who turns away the sins that he or she committed and acts right and justly. Ezekiel prophesizes the former will be condemned but the latter will be saved. So, Jesus indicates that repenting sinners are going to the Kingdom ahead of hypocrites who fail to fulfill their promise to God because they are unable to recognize their need of metanoia, due to their pride in self-righteousness. 

If you think that you have nothing to repent because you are virtuous or righteous, you may be at risk of forfeiting your privilege to the Kingdom, for which Jesus has paid with his blood on the Cross. And, such mindset is leading you to the failure to do your work for the will of God, you are in danger to losing the privilege to the Kingdom.

Those who were anointed as the religious leaders started out with virtues and promised God to do His will. However, as pride kicked in and grew in them, they have turned away from virtues and begun to become hypocrites, failing to do God’s will – failing to fulfill their privileged vow to God. As in Zechariah 11:4-17, they have failed and become subject to God’s condemnation. And, it was their pride that really led them to fail.

This is why Paul in the Second Reading (Philippians 2:1-11) calls us for humility, which is exemplified by Jesus. Who else can be as humble as Jesus, who is God but dared to come to reach out to sinners in the world by incarnating with the human flesh and died for us? Has his act of redemption for us on the Cross wakened us up to repent our sins and serve the will of God, starting with self-denial to carry our cross?

In this Second Reading, Paul also discourages self-centeredness as it prompts us to fail as the those Jesus rebuked in the Gospel Reading and as those condemned by God in the First Reading. For us to keep our privilege to the Kingdom, Paul encourages us to do the will of God, putting others’ needs ahead of us. Namely, this reflects the spirit of Jesus’ Mandatum Novum (John 13:34-35). It is also incorporated in “los hombres (y las mujeres) para los demas”, an objective of Jesuit education, as Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, has put it. Namely, it is agape, and the Gospel Reading for the 34^th Sunday (Matthew 25:31-46) reminds us how important this is to the judgement to enter the Kingdom.

We are on the pilgrimage journey to the Kingdom, being on exodus from sins, with contrite heart for metanoia and reconciliation, with grateful heart so that we are content with God’s providence, and with humble heart so that we are aware of our need of metanoia, not falling into self-righteous blindness to fail to do God’s will.

Our eyes are more sharply focused on the Kingdom and the King as we have 8 more Sundays to go for the remaining of this liturgical year with the Sunday Gospel Readings from Jesus’ teaching in his last days.

Think Not as Humans but as God for the Kingdom – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, A

Self-centric mindset is a major obstacle to the Kingdom and to our need to think as God does. In order to appreciate Jesus' teaching on the Kingdom through his parables, including the Parable of the Vineyard Workers, which is the Gospel Reading for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, Matthew 20:1-16, we cannot think as humans do but to adopt the mind of God. But, how? 

By overcoming our self-centric human thinking through self-denial.

As long as we only think as humans, then, we will be like the jealous workers, complaining about the wage, misinterpreting God's generosity for unfairness, out of jealousy. 


                                                                            *****

In explaining what the Kingdom of Heaven is like (Matthew 20:1-16), through the parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16), Jesus likens the Kingdom itself to the vineyard and God the Creator and Provider to the landowner. And, in this parable of the vineyard workers, the landowner goes out to recruit workers for his vineyard multiple times during the day. Some workers were brought in and started working early in the morning. But, other workers were recruited on the day and started working in later hours.

At the end of the long work day, each worker received their pay. And, workers who started working early found out that those who started working also received the same amount of daily wage – though they did not work long enough to receive the daily wage. So, they complained to the landowner, “These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat”(Matthew 20:12).

To this complaint, the landowner said, “My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or, am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 20:13-15).

Add caption

If you happened to be one of these who worked all day long from the early morning and found out that those who started working much later and worked for much less amount of time also received the same pay as yours, how would you feel? Would you also complain to your boss? or would you be glad that you get what you deserved and also others get paid, as well?

It all depends on your mindset.

If you only think as humans do, then, you would feel jealous of those who worked less hours and received the same pay – and complain out of your jealousy. In thinking only as humans do, the focus of your mind is always on yourself. The human mind has been working this way ever since Adam and Eve committed Original Sin. Remember, both Adam and Eve were self-centered, thus being unable to take their responsibility but blaming another (Genesis 3:12-13). And it is because of hyperconsciousness to self, symbolized with hiding the genital area as an immediate result of Original Sin (Genesis 3:7).

In fact, if we only think as humans do, influenced by self-centric psychological dynamics, we tend to be blind to what God thinks. That is why Jesus rebuked Peter with these words, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do”(Matthew 16:23), when he tried to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem as he was unable to see God’s will on Jesus to die and rise because he only thought as humans. And, Jesus indicated that we need to cultivate our mind to think as God does by self-denial, as it is a necessary condition for the discipleship (Matthew 16:24). In other words, we need to deny ourselves as Paul did by crucifying himself in order for Christ to live within (Galatians 2:20), in order to overcome the blindness inherent to human thinking and to be able to think as God does.

Jealousy arises in human mind when we feel what we have is  not enough as what others have or receive seems more in value – though it is not true, while envy is what human mind feels when we see another person having what we do not have.

The landowner indicated that the problem of the complaining workers is not on him being unfair but jealousy in their minds. They have already received what they deserve, as being promised by him. So, the landowner is fair to them. And whether other workers who worked less receive the same amount of daily wage or not is one of their business. It was their jealousy that mistakenly defines the landowner’s generosity to those who worked less as “unfairness”.  See, how a stain of Original Sin, self-centric propensity of human thinking, leads to distorted thinking through jealousy.

In jealousy, we feel not enough though we have or are given enough, because of our self-centric consciousness, which is a stain of Original Sin on human mind. The only way to overcome this problem is self-denial. That is why St. Ignatius of Loyola prayed hard to deny himself through these words:

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,\my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.

To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.

Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.

This humbling prayer is known as “Suscipe”, which means “to receive” in Latin, and found in the Spiritual Exercise of St. Ignatius of Loyola (#234). This is how St. Ignatius denied himself by emptying himself as Jesus practiced kenosis when he was crucified, letting God receive all he had in him. By emptying himself, St. Ignatius was being filled and content with nothing but God’s grace.

When you are content with what you receive from God, God’s grace, would you feel jealous?

As long as we only think as humans do, we remain under the influence of self-centric psychological dynamics. And, we may misinterpret generosity to others as unfairness to ourselves, not only as the complaining vineyard workers did (Matthew 20:12) and the older brother of the prodigal son (Luke 15:29-30), because of jealousy, which is a product of self-centric psychological dynamics of human thinking.

Remember, to remain in the Kingdom, we must follow Christ. And, its first condition is self-denial, which is also the first step to be able to think as God does by overcoming inherent problem of self-centric human thinking, including jealousy and envy.

Now, as we become able to think as God does, we can also come to understand what Jesus meant by saying, “the last will be first, and the first will be last”(Matthew 20:16) in making his point about the parable of the vineyard workers to illustrate what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

In the parable, the landowner began to pay the vineyard workers first with those who came to work last (those who worked for less amount of time) (Matthew 20:8). And, this suggests that those who are last in this world can be first to enter the Kingdom – that God’s generous grace is given first those who are last in the world. However, those who are first in this world but feel jealous of those who become first with God’s generous grace and in the Kingdom may not only be last but lose their place in the Kingdom, as reflected in the previous parable to this parable, the parable of the rich young man (Matthew 19:16:30). Both of these parables – the parable of the rich young man (Matthew 19:16-30) and the parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16) are about the Kingdom and are in pair. Both of these parables end with “last first, first last” contrast.

The Kingdom of Heaven is characterized “last first, first last”.  What does it mean? Does it mean that what is the world will be turned upside-down?

We need to be careful not to misunderstand by thinking like humans!

Does it mean that first in the world is always last in the Kingdom? Not necessarily so. But, it is certain, given both parables – the parable of the rich young man and the parable of the vineyard worker – that “the last” in the world to be the “first” in the Kingdom are those who have given up most in the world for the discipleship and not feeling jealous of those who have given up, according to the parable of the rich young man, and those who come to know the work for the Kingdom last in the world are those who receive first the benefits of the work, according to the parable of the vineyard workers. In addition, the parable of the vineyard workers also suggests that those who are the first for the Kingdom are not necessarily those who worked most in the world (cf. Ephesians 2:4-10).

The bottom line for the Kingdom and for us to appreciate Jesus’ parables on the Kingdom, characterized with “last first, first last” (Matthew 19:16-30 and 20:1-16) is to think as God does by self-denial. The first reading (Isaiah 55:6-9) is a humbling reminder to adopt God’s thinking as our thinking and God’s thinking are different. In the Second Reading, Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a, Paul encourages us to choose a life in Christ over our self-centric life so that we can let Christ be magnified in us as we act faithful to the Gospel of Christ. This way, what we give up in our self-centric life in the world is gain in our Christ-centric life (Philippians 1:21). The greater we give up in our life, the lesser we become in the world, and the first we may become in the Kingdom and the most we may enjoy God’s generosity.

Forgiveness – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Forgiveness is ultimately for our own benefits - psychologically and soteriologically. But, we must live for Christ, not for ourselves.

No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.

Reinhold Niebuhr, "The Irony of American History", University of Chicago Press (1952/2008) p. 63

                                                               *****

As the Gospel reading for the 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, Matthew 18:21-35, is the immediate sequence to the Gospel reading for the 23^rd Sunday, Matthew 18:15-20, it is important to refresh what we read and learned on the Sunday before.

In the Gospel reading for the 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus was teaching how they are to respond to a faith community member who has sinned against them. To this, Jesus presented three-step process to confront and correct the matter resulting from offenses: private conversation, conversation with a few, and public confrontation in the assembly (Matthew 18:15-17a). These three steps are for fraternal correction to prevent the Church from being fissured by the consequences of unattended offenses.

For the sake of preserving the harmonious unity of the Church, Jesus also taught that if a sinning member fails to repent and to reconcile after all these three steps, then, this member deserves to be expelled (Matthew 18:17b), echoing his teaching in Matthew 18:6-9. The spirit of this teaching is later applied to the nascent church in Corinth by Paul (1 Corinthians 1-13).

In fact, the purpose for Jesus to tell his disciples how they can facilitate repentance and reconciliation through fraternal correction with care is to maintain the harmonious unity of his Church. Though the Church was not yet born, Jesus had already given his disciples a blue print of how the Church should be. And Jesus told that he is present in our koinoinia as we gather in his name. It also means that he is certainly present in our ekklesia, namely the Church. And, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, the Church is, indeed, one body of Christ, born of One Spirit, the Holy Spirit, with many parts, which are us. Jesus came to us as the Logos-Theos, incarnated in the human flesh, to dwell among us, so that he is with us in our gathering of at least a few in his name. But, for him to be with us, we should – our assembly – his Church – should be in harmonious unity. For this, Jesus wants all of us constituting the Church to watch each other with care to make sure offenses among us, sins among us, are not unattended but are fully addressed for repentance and reconciliation.  This fraternal correction practice to keep the harmonious unity of the Church, one body of Christ, in which we are its parts, is like our body’s immune system or self-correcting function during sleep. But, if pathology is beyond these function and threatens to affect the rest of the body, then, the problematic part of the body is surgically removed or amputated – to preserve the health of the body. That is why Jesus also gave a harsh teaching to remove such a member who stubbornly refuse to repent and be corrected to reconcile.  Such a person’s uncorrected sinfulness can bring negative effects to the rest of the community.

Now we know what to do if a fellow brother or sister in our faith community sins against us.  We practice fraternal correction. We do not ignore. Neither do we accuse nor judge him or her. Not to mention, we do not respond him or her with retaliation.

The Gospel reading for the 24^th Sunday, Matthew 18:21-35, takes off from Jesus’ teaching of fraternal correction for the sake of preserving the harmonious unity of his Ekklesia, which assembles koinoinias of his name, in which he is present. And it seems that Peter understood the necessity of forgiveness in practicing fraternal correction. So, Peter wanted to know more about forgiveness in practicing fraternal correction and asked Jesus how often we need to forgive, thinking as many times as seven times (Matthew 18:21). But, to his surprise, Jesus told Peter, “seventy seven times”(Matthew 18:22).  Of course, these numbers are not to be taken literally. By saying “seventy seven times”, Jesus was teaching that we should not put a limit as to how often or how many times we are to forgive those who offend us.

When Peter asked Jesus, if he would need to forgive as often as “seven times”(Matthew 18:21), he could have been thinking seven as the number of completeness, as it is so in the Old Testament thinking. It is because God’s Sabbath day is the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). And, when Jesus answered with the specific number of “seventy seven”, it is believed that Jesus was also reversing sinful Lamech’s boasting of his vengeance in Genesis 4:23-24.

Then, Jesus spoke a parable about a servant, who refused to forgive his fellow servant for owing him, even though his debt to his master was forgiven by the master (Matthew 18:23-35) to teach the importance of forgiveness.

This parable on forgiveness humbly reminds us that we have been in immeasurable debt of gratitude to God, because God has forgiven and redeemed us (Colossians 1:13-14; cf. Acts 26:18).  It is because God the Father is so merciful to us, as reflected in the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12), because God the Son, Jesus, has offered himself as the ultimate Korban Pesakh (Passover Sacrifice), letting his blood save us from the wrath of God the Father (Exodus 12:1-13, 21-28; 1 Corinthians 5:7; John 1:29) and as Korban Chattat (Sin Offering )(Leviticus 16:6, 15-16) for atonement (kippur)(Galatians 3:13). There is no way that we can pay back what we owe God. But, God has forgiven our debt through the Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are like the servant, whom his master forgave his entire debt in the parable.

The question we must ask ourselves as often as “seventy seven times” – ask ourselves always is:  Are we also forgiving our fellow brothers and sisters, who sin against us or who offend us, as God has forgiven us? Or, are we refusing to forgive our fellow brothers and sisters, like the servant who treated his fellow servant mercilessly for not being able to pay what as owed to him?

The parable also reminds us that the servant, who refused to forgive his fellow servant’s debt but treated him harshly, was severely punished by his master, who forgave him when he owed him (Matthew 18:31-35). And, in concluding the parable, Jesus is challenging us:

Should you not have had pity (mercy) on your fellow brothers and sisters, as I had pity (mercy) on you? (v.33)

In other words, Jesus, our master, the Lord, is prompting us to ask ourselves, “Shouldn’t we be merciful and therefore forgive those who owe us and those who offend us, as God the Father has forgiven us through God the Son’s sacrifice and his blood?

Jesus further reminds us that if we do not forgive, then, we may face the kind of fate that the unforgiving servant had – punitive judgement. And, this is also reflected in the First Reading ( Ben Sirach 27:30—28:7), which rebukes the inability to forgive and holding grudge.

After all, forgiveness is ultimately for our own benefit and wellbeing. And this teaching from the Gospel Reading and the First Reading is also consistent with psychological research study by Ashley Ermer and Christine Proulx, “Unforgiveness, depression, and health in later life: the protective factor of forgivingness” in Aging & Mental Health, Vol. 20 (10), 2016, pp.1021-1034. Not to mention, our inability to forgive may cost our eligibility to enter the Kingdom at eschaton.

Finally, the Second Reading (Romans 14:7-9) gives a psychological insight as to what helps us to forgive and what can contribute to difficulty in forgiving. In this, Paul reminds us that our existence is not for ourselves but for the Lord. In other words, Paul gives psychological and existential insights that our life is not for ourselves but for the Lord. It means that we were born and given life to live on earth to serve Christ. Remember, the two main conditions that Jesus has taught for the discipleship? These are: self-denial and carrying our cross (Mathew 16:24), as reminded on 23^rd Sunday. In fact, self-denial and carrying our cross are closely related, because unless we deny ourselves, we would not be able to carry our cross.

The principle of self-denial is an indispensable psychological factor for us to forgive. But, if we are clinging to our ego, as we live for ourselves, then it is very difficult to forgive but we are more likely to hold grudge. As Paul has said in Romans 14:7-9, we are not living to cling to our ego but are living for Christ by overcoming ego (by denying ourselves) to the extent of giving up our own lives (carrying our cross). And as we live for Christ, then, we are more able to be like Christ. Therefore, as he has forgiven those who tortured him and put to death through his Father’s mercy (Luke 23:24), we are also able to forgive those who sinned against us and offended us – as we deny ourselves and live for Christ. This psychological insight is also empirically verified by Julie Exline’s study, “Forgiveness and the Ego: Why Hypo-egoic States Foster Forgiveness and Prosocial Responses” in “The Oxford Handbook of Hypo-egoic Phenomena”(2016), edited by Kirk Warren Brown and Mark R. Leary.

So, are you free from ego’s holding forces as you try to forgive your fellow brother or sister, who has offended you? Are you living for Christ, who has forgiven, as having denied yourself and thus living in the hypo-egoic state so that there is no obstacle in forgiving? Or, are you still living for yourself as having difficulty with self-denial, thus, also having hard time to forgive but tending to hold grudge?

Remember, we practice fraternal correction for each other with love and forgive one another from our hearts as these are our ways to love one another as the Lord has loved us. This way, the harmonious unity of Jesus’ Church, the health of one body of Christ, is sustained.

Pater Noster, Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.

 

The Nativity of Mary: Why Reading about the Nativity of Her Son, Jesus, on Mary's Birthday?

 Why do the Scripture readings for the Feast of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary (Micah 5:1-4a or Romans Rom 8:28-30; Psalm13:6ab, 6c; Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23) hardly mention her? In these readings, Mary was mentioned toward the end of the Gospel reading, in Matthew 1:16 and 18-23. However, these verses are not about the birth of Mary but in regard to how Mary’s unplanned and virgin pregnancy troubled Joseph and how he resolve the issue and accepted Mary as his wife so that Mary could give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. And, the first option for the First Reading (Micah 5:1-4a) is also about an Old Testament prophecy of the birth of the Messiah, made during the pre-exilic period. Namely, the Gospel Reading (Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23) and the first option for the First Reading (Micah 5:1-4a) are about the birth of Mary’s Son, Jesus, but have nothing to do with the birth of Mary, which we celebrate today. As a matter of fact, these readings are also for Advent: as the text of Micah 5:1-4 is read for the 4^th Sunday of Advent, Cycle C, and the text of Matthew 1:1-17 is read for Tuesday of the 3^rd week of Advent, Cycle A.

So, we do we read about the birth of Jesus when we celebrate the feast of the birth of Mary?

In order to reflect and ponder upon this question, take a moment and imagine Mary without Jesus.

What would Mary be like if she had nothing to do with Jesus?

Perhaps, we would never get to know her, as she would have been one of these Jewish women of her time.

In fact, it was God the Father, who made Mary special even before she was conceived.

Way back when Adam and Eve were evicted from Eden, God had already predestined Mary to be the Theotokos, the mother of God the Son, in figuratively warning Satan of his defeat by the Son of God born of Mary (Genesis 3:15). And, Satan’s resist to this is envisioned in Revelation 12 but his defeat in Revelation 19:1-20:10. Mary was predestined to give birth to God the Son, the Messiah, so that not only her Son’s blood can save us but the Son can defeat Satan, consummating the grand plan to reverse the evolving effects of Original Sin committed by Eve and Adam, tempted by Satan. As said in Jeremiah 1:5, God knows each of us even before God formed us in our mothers’ wombs. In regard to Mary, God the Father had planned her to be the mother of His Son to save us and to defeat Satan (Genesis 3:15), way before Mary was conceived immaculately in the womb of her mother, Anna. Thus, Mary has been intended to give birth to and to raise the Son of God. Therefore, Mary would not be Mary as we know, without Jesus, who is God the Son, the Messiah, and the victorious King, who defeats Satan.

The second option for the First Reading (Romans 8:28-30) reminds that God has destined all of His beloved for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And, we are His beloved, predestined in accordance to God’s will. Not to mention, so is Mary. But, she is the most favored one (Luke 1:30) among all of God’s beloved. So, she had been conceived without any effects of Original Sin. Thus, God had willed her to be the Immaculate Conception, completely free from stain of sin, preserving her from impacts of Original Sin. This way, God the Logos can be incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus without any problem of satin of sin, as his flesh comes from Mary’s. Mary had to be conceived immaculately in the womb of Anna for God the Son to have the unblemished flesh – so that he can offer up himself as the perfect Korban Pesakh (Exodus 12:1-28). And, John the Baptist called him “Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi”(John 1:29).   The blood of God the Son is the saving blood of Korban Pesakh (Exodus 12:13), cleansing us to fit to be saints in heaven (Revelation 7:13-14), and is the life of our souls (299, Diary of St. Maria Faustina). Without Mary’s flesh, God the Son would not have the blood to shed to save us, wash, and to give life to our soul.

So, now we know for sure that Mary was conceived immaculately and born, as God’s most favored one among His beloved, for the sole purpose to be the Theotokos , so that God the Son, conceived in her womb and born of her, while she remained virgin, can give us the precious blood that saves and washes us, while is the life of our soul.  This is why the Scripture readings for her birthday are about the birth of her Son, Jesus, who is the Messiah and the Lamb of God, the ultimate Paschal Lamb. And, Mary was predestined to be this way as early as God was about to expel Adam, Eve, and Satan, from Eden.

Mary came to this world because of her Son, who is God the Son. If not him, she would not be conceived as she was and be born. No Mary as we know without Jesus. Period. Therefore, our devotion to Mary leads to deepen our faith in Christ.

For those who want to know how Mary was born and how she grew up and met Joseph to be the mother of Jesus, you can read the Protoevangelium of James, though it is not a canonized scripture. This can be paralleled to the canonical Gospel texts of the birth of Jesus in Matthew and Luke, in addition to learn about Mary’s birth and childhood. According to the Protoevangelium of James, the parents of Mary, Joachim and Anna had grieved for being childless. Anna was even hard to her maid servant, Judith, as she was grieving and angry about being childless. But, her grief and anger were overcome when an angel of God told, “Anna, Anna, the Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth; and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world”( Protoevangelium of James, 4). To this, Anna responded, saying, “As the Lord my God lives, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God; and it shall minister to Him in holy things all the days of its life” (ibid.). With this background of her birth, Mary was brought to the Temple to be consecrated and dedicated to God, being raised by the priests in the Temple. And, as a result of the priests’ prayers, she was introduced to Joseph – of course, to give birth to Jesus, as written in the Gospel Reading to celebrate the birthday of Mary.

Watchmen of the Church with Love - for Harmonious Unity and Purity of the Church: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Upon Peter’s proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 16:16), Jesus stated that he would build his Church upon Peter, the rock (Matthew 16:18).  He also gave Peter the keys to his Kingdom, sharing his authorities with Peter to bind and loose what is on earth to what is in heaven (Matthew 16:19). Namely, Jesus appointed Peter to serve as the chief administrator of the Church, as Eliakim was so to the Kingdom of Judah, when Hezekiah was king. (Isaiah 22:20-23).

(21^st Sunday – Matthew 16:13-20)

Then, Jesus foretold his death and resurrection, as the Messiah (Matthew 16:21). But, Peter protested to the prospect of Jesus’ death, and Jesus rebuked Peter for being an obstacle to Jesus’ Messianic mission, even calling Peter “Satan” (Matthew 16:22-23). Jesus attributed Peter’s problem to thinking as humans do but not as God does (Matthew 16:23). Upon this, Jesus explained what it takes to follow him as his disciples: self-denial and carrying cross, indicating that being his disciples could cost their lives (Matthew 16:24). And Jesus assured of great reward for offering themselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) (Matthew 16:27), reminding not to forfeit this great reward from God for saving their own lives.

(22^nd Sunday – Matthew 16:21-27)

Those who constitute the Church that Jesus builds upon Peter, the rock, are those who follow Jesus. Namely, they are disciples of Jesus. They all understood and practiced self-denial and carried cross in following Jesus. And, from the day of Pentecost, the day of the birth of the Church, on, it was Peter, who led the apostolic mission of the Church, as written in the Acts of the Apostles.

The very first auxiliary bishops of the nascent Church were the original twelve disciples (Matthias replacing Judas – Acts 1:21-26), and Peter was the first archbishop.  Although the term, “Pope” was not used until the time of St. Leo the Great in the 5^th century, given what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18-19, Peter is considered as the first Pope. Peter was the one, whom Jesus shared his authorities with, as symbolized in the keys to the Kingdom to bind and loose what is on earth to what is in heaven (Matthew 16:19). However, in the Gospel text for the 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus further extended the authorities shared first with Peter to the rest of his disciples – allowing them to bind and loose what is on earth to what is in heaven (Matthew 18:18). This indicates that Jesus wanted the rest of his disciples to assist Peter. Jesus architected the structure of Pope among the cardinals or archbishop among bishops (auxiliary bishops).

Now, in the Gospel Reading text, Jesus tells his disciples one of the tasks that they are authorized by him is to serve as watchmen in ecclesiastical koinoinia, namely, the Ekklesia (Church). Having a watchman in the community of the faithful was not something that Jesus initiated for his Church. As a matter of fact, God the Father had commissioned Ezekiel, a prophet and priest, to serve as the watchman for the post-exilic faith community in Jerusalem, as described in the First Reading (Ezekiel 33:7-9). Because the Israelites lost Jerusalem to the Babylonians as divine judgement for their sins (i.e. Jeremiah 5-6; 9:11; 13:9; 19:8; 26:18; Psalm 137), God wanted to ensure that the restored Temple in Jerusalem and its faith community were not plagued with sins. For this, God appointed Ezekiel as the watchman so that none would be subject to judgement – so that Jerusalem would not face judgement. And, God also warned that a watchman would be guilty if he failed to warn a guilty sinner, resulting in his judgement (Ezekiel 33:8).

In envisioning his Church, Jesus commissions his disciples as presbyteries, Peter being the chief presbytery, giving them the authorities to serve as the watchmen – to help a sinning member of the faith community repent and reconcile. This way, the harmonious unity of the community will not be lost – keeping as one body of Christ with no part of the body missing (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). What Jesus instructed to his disciples, who were to be the first batch of bishops of his Church, as to call a sinning member in private for penance and reconciliation (Matthew 18:15). This way, this member would not be embarrassed. It is a confrontation of sinner’s sin with care. But, if the sinning member is not able to repent and reconcile, then, the next step was to call this person to a small council of maximum two persons (Matthew 18:16), reflecting the principle of Deuteronomy 19:15.  Basically, having multiple members in helping the sinning member repent and reconcile is to ensure that the tribunal is fair and just. Now, if this step does not work, then, Jesus instructs the leaders to bring the sinning member to the entire Church community, letting the Church confront the sin (Matthew 18:17). This is like brining a sinning member to a great assembly, in a manner of public tribunal. And, if this final step does not work, then, Jesus instructs to treat the sinning member, who refuses to repent and reconcile as a Gentile or tax collectors, meaning to regard this person as an outsider (Matthew 18:19). It means that a sinning members who stubbornly refuse to admit their sins for repentance and reconciliation are to be excommunicated. And, later, Paul gave the same teaching to the nascent church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:1-13).

 So, the disciples were, thereby, given by Jesus the authorities to put sinning members of the Church to progressive tribunals until they come clean with their sins and reconcile, as the watchmen and as their ecclesiastic authorities (Matthew 18:18). Remember the expression of “binding and loosing…on earth and in heaven”(Matthew 16:19; 18:18) means the authorities given by Jesus.

Jesus wants his Church to be the community of prayer and harmony (Matthew 18:19), and he is present among the faithful witnesses in harmonious unity (Matthew 18:20).

When Jesus spoke about the Church that he builds, with Peter as the chief presbytery (Matthew 16:18), when Jesus spoke of what it takes to be his disciples and follow him (Matthew 16:24-27) and when he gave the authorities to serve as watchmen for his Church (Matthew 18:15-18), Judas was among the twelve disciples.

There is a curious question as to whether Judas would have been restored by Jesus to the discipleship – if he did not commit suicide but reconciled with Jesus. Judas obviously realized how grave his sin against Jesus was by returning the dirty money he received for “selling” Jesus, awaken to his conscience (Mathew 27:3-4). At least, Jesus watched over Peter, who once abandoned him, and called him for reconciliation and restored him to the discipleship (John 21:1-19).

Jesus, who has founded the Church, wants to keep her one body with all her parts in harmonious unity. He wants her, his bride to be (Revelation 19:6-9) to be healthy and pure (cf. Ephesians 5:25-27). By keeping the watchmen within with authorities, he can assure the health and purity due to harmonious unity of all parts. The authorized service of the watchmen in the Church by the ecclesiastical leaders, to help sinners repent and reconcile, is corresponding to the self-healing function of the body. And, the Second Reading (Romans 13:8-10) suggests that the ecclesiastical service of the watchmen is an act of Jesus’ mandatum novum: loving one another as he has done (John 13:34). It means that serving as watchmen, calling sinning brothers and sisters of the koinoinia should not be judgemental and accusatory. It must be done with love – care and mercy, reflecting these words of Jesus: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36).