2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time C. Jan. 19, 2025

 2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time C. Jan. 19, 2025

Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11

Theme: “Do Whatever He Tells You”

 

Liturgical Context

The early Church identified three specific events that reveal Jesus’ divine nature. The modern Lectionary and liturgical calendar maintain them together in three liturgies. The first liturgy is the visit of the Magi in the feast of the Epiphany that we commemorated on January 5^th. The second is the Baptism of the Lord that we celebrated last Sunday. The third liturgy is the Sunday that follows the Baptism of the Lord (the second Sunday in Ordinary Time), which always has either a Gospel passage of the Wedding at Cana (Jn 2: 1-11) for the Liturgical Calendar Year C, or John the Baptist’s testimony to Jesus, the section that comes right before the Wedding at Cana (John 1:29-42). The first part of this passage (Jn 1:29-34) is read in the Liturgical Calendar year A, and the other part (Jn 1:35-42) is proclaimed in the Liturgical Calendar Year B. Since we are in the Liturgical Calendar Year C, today's Gospel passage is the story of the Wedding at Cana. The scripture readings of this Sunday reveal how God transforms us. In the first reading, God promised to transform the Israelites from “forsaken” to “My Delight” and their land from “desolate” to “Espoused.” The gifts of the Holy Spirit that Saint Paul talks about in the second reading transform each of us differently and enable us to serve the same Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus transforms water into wine at the wedding at Cana. This “sign” (miracle) transforms the bridegroom’s embarrassment into confidence, people’s sadness into joy, and the disciples’ absence of faith into the beginning of faith. This sign also reveals Jesus’ glory.

 

Historical and Literary Contexts

Our Gospel story is the first of seven signs in John’s Gospel. The story of the First Disciples (1:35-51) precedes our text, and that of the Cleansing of the Temple (2:13-25) follows it. The context is the revelation of Jesus as Messiah.

 

Form, Structure, and Movement

Our text is a narrative account with symbolism. Vv. 1-2 can be considered an introduction, and v. 11 a conclusion. The body of the text has two parts. The first part is the dialogue between the Holy Mother Mary and her Son Jesus regarding the Virgin Mary's request for more wine (vv. 3-4). The second part covers the Virgin Mary’s instruction to the servers, Jesus’s order to the servers, the water turning into wine, and the reaction of the head waiter (vv. 5-10).

 

Detailed Analysis

Vv. 1-2. Cana is a town in Galilee (see 1:43 and 2:11). On the third day. There are three tentative interpretations. The first interpretation connects Jn 2:1 to the previous stories to see if the third day is correctly counted. At the beginning of this section (The Book of Signs), the narrator mentioned the expression “The next day” three times: at 1:29, 1:35, and 1:43. The day John pointed his disciples to Jesus (1:29-34) can be considered as the first or second day if John the Baptist’s testimony to himself (1:19-28) is the first day. The second or third day was when Jesus revealed himself to the first disciples after John the Baptist identified Jesus as “The Lamb of God” and John the Baptist’s disciples followed Jesus (1:35-42). The third or fourth day was when he went to Galilee and found Philip (1:43-51). Therefore, if Jn 2:1 is counted from these previous stories, it should not be the third day but the fourth or fifth day.

The second tentative interpretation is that the third day could refer to the third day of the week of the wedding festivities. According to Jewish customs, in Jesus’ time, people celebrated weddings for the whole week. However, this interpretation cannot be supported for two reasons. First, no one could organize a week-long wedding and run out of wine after just two days. Second, the comments of the head waiter in 2:9-10 attest that they were in the last moments of the festivities.

The third tentative interpretation is that the third day is used symbolically. It alludes to the third day of Jesus’ Resurrection after his Passion and Death on the cross. Note that John recounts the sign of the wedding at Cana to reveal Jesus’s glory, which will be fully accomplished through Jesus’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Therefore, the third day refers to the third day of Jesus’ Resurrection.  

 Vv. 3-4. The Mother of Jesus: The Gospel of John does not name her. When the wine ran short: The wine runs out in the middle of the feast, causing sadness to the guests and embarrassment to the bridegroom. “They have no wine”: The only person concerned in this embarrassing situation is Jesus’ Mother. She tries to solve the problem by telling her Son, Jesus, about the chaotic situation. Her words to Jesus, “They have no wine,” can be interpreted as “They have no joy, people are sad, do something to restore their joy.” Here, Jesus’ Mother is an intercessor of the people to Jesus. “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” Jesus’ response seems to indicate his disinterest in the matter. “Women”: Jesus calls his mother “Woman.” This address is not disrespectful; it was a regular and polite form of address but unattested about one’s mother.^[1]  “What does your concern affect me?” Jesus means, “What is this to you and me?” “My hour has not yet come.” This could mean Jesus’ hour for the beginning of the ministry or his hour to transform the wine into his Blood at the Last Supper has not yet come.

Vv. 5-10. “Do whatever he tells you.” Although her Son did not assure her he would grant her request, Jesus' Mother advised the servants to do whatever Jesus told them. This indicates that Jesus’ Mother knew her Son very well from home. In v. 3, Jesus’s Mother was the intercessor of the people to Jesus, and here, she is the intercessor of Jesus to the people. 

V. 11. As the beginning of his signs:  This is Jesus’ first of the seven signs in the Gospel of John. Jesus did it to reveal his glory. His disciples began to believe in him: This first sign marks the beginning of the journey of faith of Jesus’ disciples.

 

Pastoral Implication 

In our Gospel story, we heard Jesus, his disciples, and his Mother were invited to a wedding feast in Cana, a town in Galilee. The wine runs out in the middle of the feast. The bridegroom is embarrassed, the guests are sad, the head waiter and servants are confused, the faith of Jesus’ disciples is low, Jesus’ Mother is concerned, and Jesus seems disinterested. The wedding feast represents the heavenly banquet we celebrate at each Mass. The water Jesus transforms into wine represents humankind, and the wine represents Christ-likeness. The Blessed Mother Mary is the only one concerned about this chaotic situation who tries to solve the problem. She intercedes to her Son, Jesus, in favor of the people. She tells Jesus, “They have no wine.” Here, the Blessed Mother tries to tell her Son that the people are missing one thing that makes them happy. In other words, humankind is missing divinity. So, she requests that Jesus, who shares the human condition (except for sin) through the Incarnation mystery, may allow the people to share his divinity. Until today, our Blessed Mothe Mary has been concerned about all the worries and pains we are going through. She is our intercessor and mediator to her Son, Jesus. She takes our worries to her Son whenever we pray to Jesus through her.

Jesus replies, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” The first part of Jesus’ answer teaches us that the concerns of our Blessed Mother Mary become the concerns of her Son Jesus. When we pray the rosary and other devotional prayers to the Blessed Mary, we ask her to make our problems become her concerns and bring them to her Son, Jesus. All the prayers that pass through the Blessed Mother to Jesus are granted because the concerns of the Virgin Mary affect her Son. In the second part of Jesus’ answer, “My hour has not yet come,” there are two interpretations. First, Jesus refers perhaps to the hour of his ministry, which has not yet started. Second, He alludes to the Last Supper hour when he will transform the bread and wine into his Body and Blood, prefiguring his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. So, this transformation of the water into wine here prefigures the Jewish feast of Passover that Jesus will transform into the Eucharistic celebration at the Last Supper.

The Blessed Mother asks the servers to do whatever Jesus tells them. In her role as mediator between us and her Son, the Blessed Mother Mary not only takes our concerns to Jesus, but she also brings Jesus’ concerns to us. She asks Jesus to do what we want, and she asks us to do what her Son Jesus wants. In this part of the Gospel, the Church first encourages us to have devotion to the Virgin Mary. She is our mediator and intercessor to her Son, Jesus. No one in this world knows Jesus better than her Mother Mary. In our devotional prayers to the Virgin Mary, she takes our needs to Jesus and brings her Son’s needs to us. Second, the Church teaches us that the “sign” (miracle) is the junction of Jesus doing our will and us doing Jesus’ will. Many of us want Jesus to do what we request, but we ignore doing what Jesus wants us to do. Jesus wants us to believe in, love, and follow him. He wants us to serve and support his Church. He wants us to be the “other Christ” wherever we live. Let us have a devotion to the Virgin Mary and do whatever her Son Jesus tells us.

Note all the transformations that took place in this Gospel story: water into wine, sadness into happiness (the guests), embarrassment into confidence (the bridegroom), and following Jesus with no faith into following Jesus with faith (the disciples). All these transformations happen in every Eucharistic celebration (Mass) we attend, like the one we celebrate now. The gifts we have brought will be transformed: the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, our sadness into joy, the divisions among us and our families into unity, our lack or little faith into immense faith. Jesus continues to reveal himself in the liturgy of the Mass. Let us always celebrate Mass with reverence. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

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[1] NABRE, note to John 2:4. 

The Baptism of the Lord – Jan. 12, 2025

The Baptism of the Lord – Jan. 12, 2025

Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

 

Theme:  Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Beloved Son

Last Sunday, we celebrated the feast of the Epiphany, the manifestation of Jesus' divine nature. The early Church identified three specific events that reveal Jesus’ divine nature. The modern Lectionary and liturgical calendar maintain them together in three celebrations. The first celebration is the visit of the Magi, which we celebrated last Sunday. The second is the Baptism of the Lord, which we celebrate today. The third celebration will be on Sunday that follows the Baptism of the Lord (the second Sunday in Ordinary Time), which always has either a Gospel passage of the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11, Year C) or John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus (the section that comes right before the Wedding at Cana: Jn 1:29-34, Year A, and John 1:35-42, Year B), which reveals Jesus’ divine identity. Today’s first reading is Isaiah’s prophecy to the people of Israel when they were in Babylonian exile. Isaiah prophesizes the end of their exile by foretelling the coming of the Lord God with the power to feed and gather his flock like a shepherd. The tradition identifies the fulfillment of this prophecy with Jesus. The Lord God who comes to end the servitude of the people of Israel is Jesus. In our Gospel, John the Baptist and the Father’s voice reveal Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. Jesus accepts to be baptized, not because he needs repentance (he is sinless), but to give us an example and sympathize with us. We are saved through baptism and renewal by the Holy Spirit, as Saint Paul exhorts us in the second reading. What we need now is to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age.

The first part of our Gospel (3:15-16) is taken from the section about John the Baptist’s preaching of repentance, which prepared the people for the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry (3:1-18). The second part (3:21-22) is Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. Between these two parts, Luke recounts the story regarding the arrestation of John the Baptist (3:19-20) (which chronologically and logically occurred after Jesus’ baptism) to serve his understanding of the periods of salvation history. Israel’s period, which is the time of promise, ends with John the Baptist’s arrestation; Jesus’ period, the time of fulfillment, commences with Jesus’ baptism and the descent of the Spirit upon him.[1] Luke recounts Jesus’ baptism not in the context of repentance (Jesus does not need repentance since he is sinless) but as an occasion to demonstrate, before Jesus’ public ministry, that Jesus is the Messiah, Son of God, and equipped with the Holy Spirit. Immediately after our Gospel episode, Luke recounts the genealogy of Jesus (3:23-38), in which he again stresses Jesus’ divine sonship.

Our Gospel passage is a narrative story structured in two parts. Vv. 15-16 discuss John the Baptist’s testimony regarding his identity and that of Jesus. Vv. 21-22 narrate the story of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist.

The first part of our Gospel (Vv. 15-16) is John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus. When Luke wrote this passage, there was tension and misunderstanding in Luke’s community regarding the identities of John the Baptist and Jesus. John the Baptist’s followers claimed their master to be the Messiah. Luke expresses this misunderstanding in v. 15: “Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.” In v. 16, he clarifies that John the Baptist is not a Messiah but a precursor; the Messiah is Jesus. He uses two arguments. The first argument is that John’s baptism is with water (the ritual bath called mikvah), and Jesus’ baptism is with the Holy Spirit and fire. While in the Acts of the Apostles, the Spirit and fire symbolize the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), here in John the Baptist’s context, the Spirit and fire are related to their purifying and refining characteristics.^[2] The second argument is John the Baptist’s testimony, in which he says that Jesus is mightier than he is and that he is unworthy to untie the thongs of Jesus’ sandals. Unfastening the strap of some’s sandals was the work of slaves (see Acts 13:25.) Here, John the Baptist confirms that, in comparison with Jesus, he is not even fit to perform the work of a slave. Therefore, Jesus is the Messiah, and John the Baptist is the precursor.

This first part of our Gospel teaches us two lessons. The first lesson is John the Baptist revealing that Jesus is the Messiah, foretold by the Old Testament prophets. This means Jesus is the “Lord God” of whom the prophet Isaiah speaks in our first reading: “Here comes with power the Lord God, who rules by his strong arm; here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd, he feeds his flock; he gathers the lambs in his arms, carrying them in his bosom, leading the ewes with care.” (NABRE, Is 40:10-11.) Jesus’ mission is to free us from the slavery of sin and grant us eternal life. So, like John the Baptist and Isaiah, let us continue to reveal Jesus and his mission to our brothers and sisters wherever we live. Isaiah teaches us how we should do that. He asks us to “Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of good news! Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Cry out, do not fear! Say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God!” (NABRE, Is 40:9.) Here, Isaiah calls us to reveal Jesus and his mission through preaching and providing a good example of our faith to the people where we live. We should do that with no fear or shame.

 The second lesson we learn from the first part of our Gospel is the virtue of humility. While the people considered John the Baptist the Messiah, he humbled himself and spoke of Jesus as the Messiah, not him. He humbly affirmed that Jesus was mightier than he was and that he was not worthy of untying the thongs of Jesus’ sandals. We are called to humble ourselves and recognize the merits of others. In our second reading, Saint Paul exhorts us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age (Titus 2:12).

 In the second part of our Gospel story (vv. 21-22), Luke reports three events of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. (1) Jesus was praying when he was baptized. Luke presents Jesus in prayer at essential moments of his ministry, for instance, here at his baptism, before he chose his Twelve disciples (6:12), before Peter’s confession (9:18), at the transfiguration (9:28), when he teaches his disciples to pray (11:1), on the Mount of Olives (22:41), and the cross (23:46).^[3] (2) The heaven was open, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in bodily form like a dove. Here, Luke intends to tell his readers that Jesus was equipped with the Holy Spirit in his public ministry. (3) The heavenly message in which God identifies Jesus as his Son. Here, Luke informs his audience that Jesus is the Son of God. Unlike Luke and Mark, where the Father’s voice addresses directly to Jesus: “You are my beloved Son,” in Matthew, God’s voice addresses to John the Baptist (eventually also to the people present there): “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:17). Matthew switches “You are” to “This is” to reflect Is 42:1.

With the three events reported in the second part of our Gospel, Luke reminds us of three things: Prayer must be the center of our lives; we received the Holy Spirit in our baptism; and God claimed us his sons and daughters with whom he is well pleased. In our second reading, Saint Paul tells us that in our baptism and renewal by the Holy Spirit, God justified us, through Jesus, not because of our righteous deeds but because of his grace and mercy (Titus 3:4-7). Then, as the children of God, Saint Paul exhorts us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age (Titus 2:11-12).

May the liturgy of this Eucharist enable us to reveal Jesus to our brothers and sisters through our Christian lives. Amen.  

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

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[1] NABRE, note to Luke 3:19-20.

[2] NABRE, note to Luke 3:16.

 [3] NABRE, note to Luke 3:21. 

The Epiphany of the Lord – Jan. 5, 2025

The Epiphany of the Lord – Jan. 5, 2025

Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a; 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12.

 

Theme: Jesus is the Epiphany of God, and We are Called to be the Epiphany of Jesus

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. From its Greek origin: epi, “on, upon,” and phaino, “to appear, to shine,” the word “Epiphany” refers to the divinity of Jesus “shining upon” the world. So, Epiphany is the celebration of God’s self-manifestation through Jesus. The early Church identified three specific events that reveal Jesus’ divine nature. The modern Lectionary and liturgical calendar maintain them together in three celebrations. The first celebration is the visit of the Magi, which we celebrate today. The second is the Baptism of the Lord, which we will celebrate next Sunday. The third celebration will be on Sunday that follows the Baptism of the Lord (the second Sunday in Ordinary Time), which always has either a Gospel passage of the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11, Year C) or John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus (the section that comes right before the Wedding at Cana: Jn 1:29-34, Year A, and John 1:35-42, Year B), which reveals Jesus’ divine identity. Today's Gospel relates the story of Jesus’ self-manifestation to the three wise men called the Magi. A star led them to the place where Jesus was born. This star echoes the light that the Prophet Isaiah talks about in our first reading, which shined forth from Jerusalem, attracting peoples from near and far, from land and sea. In the second reading, Saint Paul teaches the Ephesians and us that the Gentiles and all of us are members of the same body of Christ. God continues to reveal himself to us today through our “stars”: the sacraments (especially the Eucharist and Confession), Bible Study, Faith formation, and all our Church ministries. We are called to reveal Jesus to our brothers and sisters as Jesus reveals God to us.  

According to Brown’s setting of the Gospel of Matthew, our text is situated in the first section called “Introduction: Origin and Infancy of Jesus the Messiah,” which forms the prologue of the Gospel (1:1 – 2:23).^[1] This prologue consists of a genealogy (1:1-17) and five stories. Our text comes immediately after the story of the “birth of Jesus” (1:18-25), and it is followed by the “flight to Egypt” (2:13-15,) the “massacre of the Infant” (2:16-18,) and the “return from Egypt” (2:19-23) which concludes the section. Through this infancy narrative, the narrator presents the coming of Jesus as the climax of Israel’s history and the events of his conception, birth, and early childhood as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy.^[2]

Our text is a narrative story. It can be structured in three movements. First, the narrator puts in the scene the magi who need further information on where the newborn king is born, Herod and all Jerusalem who become troubled in hearing this information, and the chief priests and scribes from whom Herod got information regarding what the Old Testament prophets wrote about the Messiah (vv. 1-6). Second, the narrator tells Herod's request to the magi (vv. 7-8) and the encounter of the magi with the Infant Jesus and his parents (vv. 9-11). Third, the story concludes with the magi departing for their country, not returning to Herod, but in another way (v.12).  

Matthew commences this Gospel account of the birth of Jesus by mentioning Bethlehem, King Herod, and the magi. (Matthew 2: 1-2). Explaining these three names will help us better understand the theological meaning of our Gospel passage. First, “Bethlehem of Judea,” the birthplace of Jesus, is where David was anointed king. (1 Samuel 16: 1-13). So, by mentioning “Bethlehem of Judea” here, the evangelist wants to confirm that Jesus is from the line of David. Therefore, this newborn is the Messiah foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament. Second, Herod was appointed by the Roman senate to rule Judea (37 to 4 B.C.) The Jewish historian Josephus reports that he was a brutal tyrant. He executed large numbers of political opponents, including his own family members. The primary goal of his life was to maintain his power. That is why he was constantly vigilant against possible threats to it, particularly those who pretended to fulfill the royal prophecies foretold by the prophets. Herod was highly paranoid to the point that all people feared him. My assumption in the context of our Gospel is that the people in Herod’s city and court were not pleased with the magi's arrival insofar as their interpretation of a king born among the Jews would provoke Herod’s paranoia. And when Herod’s paranoia enflamed, people would die.

Third, the magi were learned men, academics, or scientists of their time. They studied astronomy, which was not distinct from astrology in antiquity. As astronomical phenomena were identified with historical events, the magi were the ones to bring interpretations. Matthew reports an astronomical event around the time of Jesus’ birth and the interpretation of the three magi, indicating a new royal line among the Jews.

In this Gospel passage, Matthew tells us that the first persons to whom the divinity of Jesus was revealed were not the insiders from the Jewish community but the foreign magi who came from the East. This illustrates the universalism of God’s revelation. In our first reading, Prophet Isaiah already prophesied that caravans of camels shall fill Jerusalem; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the Lord. (Isaiah 60:6). Also, in our second reading, Saint Paul confirms this universalism of God’s revelation when he says that “the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:6). God continues to reveal himself to people from different backgrounds. The Church is the visible sign of God’s revelation as it welcomes people from all nations.

Matthew speaks of the star that guided the magi to where the new King Jesus was born. To see and know God, we must go to Jesus, the Epiphany of his Father. So, we need to find our star, the light from above, who can lead us to him. Our Gospel says that the three wise men came from afar, meaning they traveled a long distance to discover where the newborn King was born. No doubt they were tired, but they did not give up. They faithfully followed the star. You and I are the “magi” of today. Our earthly life is a long journey to Jesus, who reveals who God is. We need revelatory stars that lead us to Jesus. And once we find them, we need to follow their guidance faithfully.

The Eucharistic celebration (Mass) is the first and most excellent star that draws us closer to our Lord. During Mass, Jesus reveals God to us. When we attend Mass, we take part in the heavenly banquet; we sit at the same table with Christ; we hear him when he speaks to us through the Scripture readings, and he hears us when we lift up our petitions, prayers, and songs to him. At the celebration of the Eucharist, we touch Jesus through the Holy Communion that we receive, and we become one with him. Mass is the star that leads us to Jesus.

The Word of God (Bible) is another star that shows us the way to Jesus. God reveals himself in the Bible. Saint Jerome said that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. So, our Holy Mother Church exhorts us to open our Bibles regularly, read, study, share, and pray with the Word of God. I lead the Liturgical Weekly Bible Study all Mondays at 6:00 pm Central Time virtually via Zoom (Zoom Meeting ID: 836 4516 5259. Passcode: Bible) and in person (Holy Family Catholic Church: 820 Forest Ave., Jackson, MS 39206). I encourage you to join my Bible Study Classes to grow up in our knowledge of God.

There are many more stars that we should also use as our guides, such as Church ministries (choir, lector, Eucharist Ministers, catechists, Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils, Men club, Ladies club, Young Adult Ministry, Youth Ministry, Usher/Security, and all ministries, commissions, and committees). We strengthen our relationship with God when we serve God in these ministries and committees.

The path of the magi did one stop in Herod’s territory. The magi revealed to everyone that they were searching for the newborn king of the Jews because they saw his star rising. Herod was greatly troubled when he heard the news about the Newborn King Jesus. Matthew tells us that “all Jerusalem” was troubled along with him (Mt 2: 2-3). That was not good news for Herod, who did not want anyone to threaten his power. As I mentioned above, Herod was highly paranoid. He had such control over his subjects that they were too afraid to show any disloyalty to him. When Matthew says that all people in Jerusalem were afraid along with Herod, this does not mean that they worry about the power of their king Herod. Instead, the people worried about their peace. They knew that when Herod was distressed, people would die. Today, Herod represents all who take comfort in the darkness and fear the light. Those who do not accept Jesus to be the king of their lives. We must abandon all the works of darkness and come to the light as prophet Isaiah exhorts us in our first reading.

When the magi encountered the newborn Jesus, they prostrated themselves, did him homage, and offered him the presents of gold (meaning that Jesus is a King), frankincense (Jesus is a high priest and God), and myrrh (predicting the redemptive passion and death of Jesus). The gestures of the Magi and the meaning of their gifts are found in the liturgy of the Eucharist. At Mass, we praise Jesus, our Lord, the king of the universe. He is the Higher Priest who celebrates his own Mass through the human priest. At Mass, we commemorate the Paschal ministry (the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus).

After experiencing the “Epiphany of our Lord” in their mystical contact with Jesus, the magi departed for their country in another way, avoiding the way that would lead them back to Herod, the symbol of sin in this context. During the liturgy of the Mass, a mystical encounter occurs between us and Jesus, provoking a metanoia, “conversion.” That is why, at the end of the Mass, being transformed, we are called to return to our homes using a different way, which is the way of conversion. We abandon our old life and start a new one with Jesus.

Jesus, the star of our lives, is God's Epiphany. He draws us closer to God. As his followers, we are called to be the stars for our brothers and sisters. We must help them see Jesus and come closer to him through good examples of our Christian lives. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Church, Jackson, MS

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

 

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[1] Raymon E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Doubleday, 1997), 172.

[2] NABRE, note to Matthew 1: 1-2:23.

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph - Dec. 29, 2024

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph - Dec. 29, 2024

1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; Luke 2:41-52

 

Theme: The Holy Family of Nazareth, the Model for our Families

Nowadays, across the country and worldwide, we are witnessing a breakdown of the family and its values in our societies. In this Solemnity of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the Scripture readings present us with two different families as models: The Holy family of Jesus, the Blessed Mother Mary, and Saint Joseph (the Gospel) and the family of Hannah, her husband Elkanah, and their child Samuel (the first reading). These two families have some things in common. They raised their sons in religious traditions, the parents set good examples of faith for them, they consecrated their sons to God in the Temple, and there is a symbol of the Church (the House of God) where both sons stayed. Then, the sacred author of our second reading reassures us that we are all children of the same Father God through his Son Jesus. This means that the way the Son Jesus was obedient to his parents is the same way we, the children of God, must be obedient to our Father God.

Luke is the only Gospel writer who recounts this story of Jesus lost and found in the temple of Jerusalem. He situates our pericope at the end of the extensive section of the Infancy Narrative (1:5 – 2:52), right before the account of the public ministry of Jesus. This is to present the role of the faithful boy Jesus, who is reared in the traditions of Israel and obeys and fulfills the requirements of the laws. The setting of our passage is in the Temple. So, the extensive section begins and ends in the Temple. This reflects the centrality of Jerusalem and the Temple in the Gospel of Luke.

Our text is a narrative story. It begins with an introduction describing why the Holy Family of Nazareth (Joseph, Mary, and the boy Jesus) went to Jerusalem (vv. 41-42). The body of the text recounts how the boy Jesus got lost, was found in the temple amid the teachers, and returned home with his parents (vv. 43-51). The story ends with concluding comments on how the boy Jesus grew up in wisdom and age (v. 52).

In this Gospel passage, Luke recounts that the Holy Family of Nazareth went to Jerusalem each year for the Jewish feast of Passover as all devout Jewish families did. The event reported in our Gospel passage was on their trip when the boy Jesus was twelve years old. After the celebration, they returned home, but Jesus was not with them; he got lost. Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Joseph returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days of anxiety, they found him in the Temple amid the teachers listening to them and asking them questions. The narrator comments that all those who were listening to Jesus were astounded at his understanding and his answers (v. 47). To his parents who questioned him, trying to know why he did such a thing to them, which caused them great anxiety, Jesus replied, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be at my Father's house?" (v. 49). The narrator comments that his parents did not understand what Jesus said to them. Jesus went back home with them and was obedient to them.  He grew up in wisdom and age and favor before God and man. The Blessed Mother Mary kept all these things in her heart, meditating and reflecting on them.

The first reading is the story of Hannah, who consecrated her firstborn son Samuel to God in the Temple. In the passage that immediately precedes our text, Hannah, who was childless, prayed to God, weeping freely, asking him to bless her with a male child. She promised God that she would consecrate her son to him all the days of his life if God granted her request. Since Hannah was praying silently, Eli, who was in the Temple watching her, thought Hannah was drunk. He came to talk to her, asking her to stop making a drunken spectacle of herself. Hannah told him that she never had wine or liquor; she only poured her heart out to the Lord. Eli understood her and prayed that God might grant her prayer. That reading ended by saying that God remembered Hannah, and she became pregnant (1 Samuel 1:9-19).  Now, our first reading picks up from here. Hannah bore a son and named him Samuel (vv. 20-22). When the son was weaned, Hannah fulfilled her promise. She took him to the “House of the Lord” and consecrated him to God (vv. 24-28).

 These two families teach us some lessons. First, the parents in both families raised their sons in the traditions of the Church. They set good examples of faith for their children. Luke tells us that the Blessed Mother of Jesus “kept all these things in her heart.” This phrase means that she reflected and meditated on them. Here, the Blessed Mother is the first contemplative disciple. We know that her husband, Saint Joseph, was also righteous (see Matthew 1:19). Our first reading tells us how Hannah stayed longer in the “House of the Lord,” praying to the Lord. Her husband, Elkanah, was also faithful (see 1 Samuel 1:3-5, 21).  We are witnessing a breakdown of the family and its values in our societies today because many parents are no longer extended models of Christian faith for their children. Our Holy Mother Church here exhorts all parents to be the men and women of prayer, active in the Church by coming to Masses, especially on Sundays, so that the children see your examples and imitate you.

Second, Hannah consecrated Samuel to God. Blessed Mary did the same with Jesus. These parents teach us to offer our children to God to serve the Church in different ministries and later to continue serving God in the vocations of marriage, priesthood, religious life, or diaconate.

Third, both readings mention the “House of the Lord," where Samuel and Jesus stayed. Jesus let his mother know that it was in the “House of God,” the Church, where he must be. Our youth need to hear that. The Church is the House of God, where they should be frequently for Masses (especially on Sundays), religious education, and other Church activities. Parents should encourage and accompany them to the Church, the House of their Father God.

As we talk about improving our families, we should know that we all are from one Christian family. We are all children of God through Jesus Christ. This is what the sacred author of our second reading teaches us. He calls us to obey God our Father by believing in the name of Jesus and loving one another as Jesus commanded us. He says that we, who keep God’s commandments, remain in him, and he in us, through the Holy Spirit that he gave us (vv. 21-24).

May this liturgy of the Mass enable us to imitate the two families in our Gospel and first readings, especially the Holy Family of Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Joseph, and our Lord Jesus. Amen.

Today, I will bless all the families during this Mass. And I ask all the parents and those who stand for parents that when you return home after this Mass, please bless your homes and family members who did not come to Church today. Please take the Holy water that I am going to bless, use it, and use this prayer that I join here to bless your homes.

 

Catholic Household Blessing and Prayer

(When everybody is gathered, start with the sign of the cross, then say this prayer.)

Almighty and eternal God, your fatherly tenderness never ceases to provide for our needs. We ask you to bestow on our family and home the riches of your blessing. With the gift of your grace, sanctify all of us who live here so that, faithful to your commandments, we will care for each other, ennoble this world with our lives, and reach the home you have prepared for us in heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(You may use the Holy water now and sprinkle the whole house. In the end, conclude with the prayer of “Our Father” and the sign of the cross.)

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

 

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas): Night. Dec. 24, 2024

 The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas): Night - Dec. 24, 2024

Isaiah 9:1-6; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14

 

Theme: “Today is Born our Savior, Christ the Lord”

This night makes us recall that glorious night when the Blessed Mother Mary bore the savior Jesus Christ for the world. We who prepared our hearts and families during Advent, now our savior is born in our hearts and families. In our first reading, Isaiah foretold his names: Wonder Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, and Prince of Peace. (Is 9:6). In our Gospel, the angel of the Lord exhorts us to fear no more because this child born in us is our savior, Messiah, and Lord. (Lk 2:10-11). From now on, since we have let Jesus be born in our hearts and families, Saint Paul, in tonight’s second reading, calls us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age until the second coming of our Lord at the end of time. (Titus 2:13-14).

The story of the birth of Jesus we heard in the Gospel is part of the extensive section of the Infancy Narrative (1:5 – 2:52) in the Gospel of Luke. Our text is preceded by the story of the birth of John the Baptist and the canticle of Zachariah (1:57-80); it is followed by the visit of the Shepherds (2:15-20). Luke intends to show that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of both Jewish and gentile cultural worlds. He already made his readers observe an example of Jewish fulfillment in the stories of Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary. And now, in the opening verses of chapter 2, he recounts the events in the pagan world, cooperating and foretelling the birth of the Messiah in Jesus Christ.^[1] There are notorious historical problems with the names and dates of the people Luke mentions in our text.^[2] Luke attests that both John the Baptist and Jesus were born under Herod the Great (37 B.C. – 4 B.C.), but most scholars agree that it would be impossible for these events to have occurred at a time when Caesar Augustus, Herod the Great, and Quirinus were all simultaneously in power as Luke attests.^[3]

Our Gospel text is a narrative story about Jesus's birth. It can be divided into two parts. In the first part, the sacred author uses numerous historical and geographical names and dates to confirm that Jesus came from the lineage of David (vv. 1-7). In the second part, he uses the presence of an angel and a multitude of the heavenly host to confirm Jesus’ divine origin (vv. 8-14).  

The Evangelist Luke commences his account of the Lord’s birth with particular attention to secular historical details that pose a historical problem. For instance, he tells us that Quirinus was the Governor of Syria at the time of Jesus’ birth. However, various historians attest that Quirinius was not made governor of Syria until A.D. 6, when he took control of Judea at the expulsion of Herod’s son Archelaus. Despite all historical issues with the dating and names found in this passage, the vital point of Luke’s theological intention is to tell us that the True Prince of Peace, Jesus, came to the world during the Pax Romana when the Gentile world looked to Augustus Caesar as the prince of peace. To make this point, the author of the third Gospel uses historical facts (such as the census) and remolds them to suit his theological aim, just as ancient historians would do.

After the historical facts in which he demonstrates that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (not Augustus Caesar), Luke’s subsequent preoccupation is to prove that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament promises (especially that of the prophet Isaiah we heard in our first reading).

Isaiah’s prophecy in our first reading is part of the dialogue that Isaiah undertook with Ahaz, the king of Judah (See Isaiah 7-9). Today’s passage can be interpreted in the context of the eighth-century BC situation in which Isaiah speaks about the freedom of the Northern tribes of Israel from Assyrian occupation at the time of the great king Hezekiah, son of Ahaz. The people of Israel managed to survive a period of oppression, and now they enjoy a new life of liberation. Isaiah describes them as people journeying from a time of “darkness” into “great light.” God brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing. Their rejoicing is compared to the joyful celebration during an abundant harvest when the people divide spoils. (v. 3). The author identifies Assyria as the “yoke,” “pole,” and “rod” that burdened the people during the oppression. Isaiah compares Israel’s victory over their oppressors to the “day of Midian,” alluding to when Gideon successfully defeated the Midianites. (See Judges 7:15-25).

After describing the mighty victory of the people of Israel, Isaiah directs his prophecy toward the foretelling of the Messiah. “For a child is born to us, a son is given us, upon his shoulder dominion rests.” (v. 6). In his conversation with King Ahaz in Isaiah 7: 14, he said that this Messiah would be named “Emmanuel.” Here, he lines up different names: “Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (v.6). Note that in Hebrew, the name signifies the person's essence. “The Wonder Counselor” and “Prince of Peace” are King Solomon’s titles. This means that this “Son-Messiah” will stand in Solomon’s place. The titles of “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father” are divine. They indicate that this “Son” will be more than a human being. King Hezekiah, who brought the people of Israel to freedom from Assyrian oppression, was a mere human being. Here, Isaiah is prophesying a divine Man on David’s throne. So, these words of Isaiah transcend this immediate context of the eighth-century BC and become the vision for a future child who will be God himself present among his people. This prophecy is fulfilled tonight in this solemnity of the nativity of Emmanuel, the Prince of Peace.

Back to our Gospel, let us notice the fulfillment of all the references to the Davidic covenant that Luke presents to us. He tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David, and Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather, was of David’s house and family. The presence of shepherds reminds us of David, the shepherd. The child Jesus was laid in a “manger.” Note that the name “Bethlehem” literally means “House of Bread,” and a “manger” is the place where the sheep eat. Here, Luke tells us that Jesus, the Bread of Life, was born in the “House of Bread” and laid in a “feeding place.” Our local Churches are the “Bethlehem,” the “Houses of the Bread,” where Jesus, “the Bread of Life,” is born and where he always dwells. At each Mass we attend, he is laid on this altar, our “manger,” where we come to feed ourselves when we receive him in Holy Communion.

Mary and Joseph did not find a suitable place for the birth of their firstborn son. For four weeks during Advent, You and I have prepared to offer Mary suitable places in our hearts and families. Making our hearts and families available for Christ to be born in means that we accept cooperating with God in his plan to save the world as Mary and Joseph did. So, the newborn Jesus transforms each one of us to become “another him” and save the people where we live. First, we become the “Bethlehem” (the “House of Bread of Life”). We are called to offer our hospitality to the people who are in need. May our Christian lives be “a Bethlehem” for the people where they feel safe. Second, we become the “Bread of Life” for others. Many people around us and overseas are hungry (physically and spiritually). We are called to provide them with food to sustain their physical and spiritual lives. Third, we become the “feeding place” (manger). The way the “manger” serves as the place where the sheep come to get food, our Christian lives should be the inspirational source for those who feel physically, morally, and spiritually weak.

Luke says that the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, the glory of the Lord shone around them, and he announced to them the good news of great joy that will be for all people. (vv. 9-12). Note that shepherds were the poorest people in society. They did not own land or sheep. They work for hire. God chooses the poor shepherds to be the first to know about his coming. He makes the shepherds his ambassadors to the world, announcing a message of his birth. Jesus calls each of us to be his ambassadors where we live, bearing this message of “good news of great joy” to everyone.

Luke ends this passage telling us that the multitude of the heavenly host with the angel was praising God, singing: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (vv. 13-14). Notice that these are the words we use in the “Glory to God” song we sing at Masses. When we sing this song, we join the heavenly host with angels and praise God. This is a significant song. Whenever we sing it, please let us sing it with reverence.

Jesus is born. God took our human flesh and dwells now among us. We have made our hearts and families become the “Bethlehem” and the “manger” for the “Bread of Life.” Now it is time, as St. Paul exhorts us in our second reading, to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age as we await his second coming at the end of time with hope. Remember that you and I are chosen to be God’s ambassadors wherever we live, announcing this good news of great joy to everyone, starting in our families, Church, and neighborhood. Amen.

Merry Christmas 2024 and Happy New Year 2025!

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

 

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[1] Michael F. Pattella, The Gospel According to Luke: New Collegeville Bible Commentary, Volume 3 (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2005), 17.

[2] Even though the Roman historian Suetonius reports that there were registrations of Roman citizens in 28 B.C., 8 B.C., and A.D. 14 (Divus Augustus 27.5), most Bible scholars, for instance, Michael Patella, sustain that outside the New Testament, there is no record showing that Caesar Augustus (27 B.C.-A.D. 14) decreed the enrollment of the whole empire, that is, non-citizens, for any purposes. Even though we consider the probability of the local registrations from time to time within various provinces, there is still a problem because Luke reports that such census occurred under the Roman legate Quirinius, while he was not made governor of Syria until A.D. 6. 

[3] Michael F. Pattella, The Gospel According to Luke, 17.