Sunday reflections for October 25, 2026: (From) the year 2014 (A), Edited
October 26, 2014
Liturgical readings
Exodus 22:20-25
Psalm 18
1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10
Matthew 22:34-40
"The second is like the first: love your neighbor as yourself."
This Sunday's gospel passage has two parallels in Mark 12:28-34 and Luke 10:25-28. There is only a slight difference in the text between those three gospel parallels.
The three synoptic passages all present the great commandment, which is rooted in the Shema Israel found in the OT. In Matthew, the text is presented as:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
Matthew's list to love God mentions "heart...soul...and mind" in succession. Mark and Luke have different sequences in their versions. Mark lists "heart...soul...mind...and strength", and Luke lists "heart...soul...strength...and mind" (Revised Standard Version 1952). All three gospel passages also use the phrase "your neighbor as yourself", but Luke's version in the RSV translation does not include the word love. Each evangelist writes specifically for his target audience, with Matthew writing to Jewish converts to Christianity.
Returning to the gospel passage in Matthew, and mentioning the Shema, which means "Hear", that reference from the Old Testament is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5,
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." (RSV 1973)
What was the original biblical Greek word used by the evangelist Matthew for the word "love"?
The word used is agape. Agape is the noun form. The root verb of agape is agapao. The conjugated verb form is agapeseis. The noun form agape means self-giving love. Agape as self-giving love is distinct from eros, storge, and philia, which are also Greek words for love. Christian writer C.S. Lewis wrote a book entitled "The Four Loves" that explains in detail the nuances between those terms.
So if the nuance used for love in the gospel means self-giving love, then it is the love Christ Himself taught not only by word, but by His entire life and deeds. It is a self-giving love that heals the sick, resurrects the dead back to life, defends the sinner from condemnation and gives her a new beginning (such as the woman caught in adultery), washes the feet of His apostles, and sacrifices His life on the Cross for the salvation of the world. This is the love that is also found in the Eucharist, which is the highest form of prayer and gratitude for Christ's self-giving love to all people. Christ is the example par excellence of this love, which all Christians are called to practice. The martyrs and the Saints are the chosen few who exemplified this Christian love in their work and life.
Returning again to the gospel, we find the lawyer from the group of Pharisees and Sadducees testing Jesus. When Jesus stated the summary of the Law in the Great Commandment, He gave a new meaning to the concept of love the Pharisees knew. Christ taught a love greater than one that is based only on the letter of the Jewish Law. Jesus raised the meaning of love to the "spirit of the Law" - a self-giving love: agape.
From the streets of biblical Palestine, to the Cross at Golgotha, to the empty tomb and the Resurrection appearances to all His followers, at the Mount of the Ascension, to the cenacle at Pentecost, that self-giving love of Christ was poured out from the apostolic community into the world of Jews and Gentiles: beginning at Jerusalem, to many areas of the Roman Empire, and to Europe through the early Irish monks and the Benedictines, to the Catholic universities, and the New World missions spearheaded by Jesuit missions to India, China, and the Americas.
This concept of agape, is a concept distinct from the modern world's concept of love. Agape love is the love celebrated in the Eucharist. It is a love that binds all Christians to each other in God for the mission of extending it to all humanity.
What about the love that the world presents? In itself, it is not evil. But that love can be abused, distorted, and uprooted from the context in which it ought to be according to universal norms and the teaching of the Catholic Church. The youth are influenced by the expression of love they see in the media. Without guidance the youth can get disoriented, distracted, and directed into paths that end up in destructive and self-destructive behaviours. That is why the Church is keen on presenting love in the Christian context, to guide the youth back to a more unitive and communitarian love.
If one looks back to the Classics, sometime in the 17th to the 18th century in France, you can discover a bishop in Geneva named St. Francis de Sales. St. Francis de Sales taught the counsel of love for all Catholics of all walks of life: from soldiers to craftsmen, to princes and servants; to the widowed, married and single. All Christians. He wrote those counsels for everyone in his book "Introduction to the Devout Life". This book earned him the reputation of "Doctor of the love of God and neighbor".
According to St. Francis de Sales, loving God means a strong resolve to follow His commandments, counsels, and inspirations. And the first step to practice this love is to purge oneself from sin, especially the desire to sin and the avoidance of occasions of sin. One has to resist all temptations and all situations which can lead to vice and sin. And the strength to do so comes from God through prayer and the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). This direction obtains the graces necessary to put to right your relationship with God, with others, and yourself.
From the teaching of Christ to the counsels of St. Francis de Sales, the Christian message of love remains true for all time. It is rooted in God's Word as it is heard in every homily of the Sunday Eucharist. Sunday Mass helps all Catholics to purify their love. Love that does not have its source and end in God can lead to evil. It has to be rooted in the meaning, value, and actions of Christ.
That is why the Church perseveres in her mission to bring that twofold counsel to love exemplified by His Son Jesus to everyone. And as each one embodies that love of God, neighbor, as well as oneself, in his work and life, that love can bridge individuals and communities, and heal the world from its direction towards vice, sin, destruction, and self-destruction.
Scripture quote:
"I love you, O Lord, my strength, O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer." (Psalm 18)
"You shall not wrong any widow or orphan." (Exodus 22)
"If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people, you shall not act like an extortioner toward him." (Exodus 22)
The Four Loves, by C.S. Lewis
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Thursday, October 22, 2026
29th Sunday of the Year (A)
Edited Sunday reflections: From liturgical year 2014 (A)
October 19, 2014
Liturgical readings
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Psalm 96
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b
Matthew 22:15-21
"Lord, we know you teach God's way sincerely."
Although the Pharisees and the Herodians said this statement in bad faith, "Lord, we know you teach God's way sincerely," the Lord used it as a wedge to teach the wisdom of God. And God's wisdom sometimes presents a solution that eliminates any conflict of interest, in this case between paying taxes to the Roman emperor or not.
The Hebraic Law, which the Pharisees uphold, emphasizes the following of numerous and complex legalities. And much of the ministry and apostolic works Jesus performed went against many of them. So the Pharisees always sought occasions to trap the Lord in His speech. This Sunday's gospel presents one such occasion.
We read in the gospel how the Pharisees asked Jesus: "Is it lawful to pay tax to the emperor or not"? Jesus gave a simple solution. He did not quote any law of the Roman Empire nor any law of their Jewish religion to solve the conflict of interest. This would only complicate the matter all the more. So He simply asked for a coin used to pay the taxes. This coin is a concrete object with text and an image inscribed on it that everyone can see plainly. Then Jesus questioned the Pharisees: "Whose head is this inscription"? When the group of Pharisees and Herodians answered, "Caesar's", the Lord replied:
"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, but give to God what is God's."
Jesus teaches from a perspective and a context that is beyond the worldly understanding of the Pharisees and the Herodians of His time. He preached about God's Kingdom and its spiritual treasures. And He taught about this Kingdom and its treasures to the people in a format they were all familiar with: like the previous Sundays' parables. Those parables describe familiar situations:
The people naturally listened more to Jesus because He spoke about family, vineyards, tenants, kings, and servants. Plain everyday realities that His people easily understood. The Pharisees naturally became hostile to His leadership. They were not only threatened because Jesus challenges their legal expertise and authority, but because Jesus presents, in its nascense, what will be "universally" right, true, and good for all cultures and time.
But since Jesus was born, lived, and worked in a specific time and culture, He complies with what is required of taxation laws by the Roman authorities over the Jewish people. And this is what amazed the Pharisees with His reply: He juxtaposes both the requirement to pay taxes and obedience to the will of God in a manner that, as it were, resolves the issue.
The gospel this Sunday also presents the theme of a people subject to a foreign governing power: of the Jewish people under the Roman Empire. When Christ said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's", He brought clarity to an issue concerning their Jewish religion and the laws of the Roman Empire. This is similar to present laws separating the Church and the State. With many aware of the laws separating Church and State, Catholics know that practicing a moral balance in obeying these two institutions is the right thing to do. And respecting the laws of both institutions is also cultivating respect for oneself as well as for others.
Both the laws of the Church and the laws of the State are meant to bring order, peace, and harmony to all individuals, families, communities, institutions, and nations. The order implemented by both intersect and bring about a creative tension that produces the basic services needed by all: food, clothing, housing, essential services, and security from the State, and the life of the human spirit and moral standards from the Church necessary for ethical conduct in the management of these goods and services for themselves and the common good.
God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to save both the individual and societal structures from the sinful state and situation they find themselves in since time began. Jesus became man to heal both personal sin and social sin that causes darkness, lack, and disorder in the life of any individual or society. This mission of Jesus is continued since biblical times to this day by the Church and her missionaries to heal all cultures and generations from the causes and effects of sin. And the Church works in coordination with the international order to heal families, communities, and nations from any social structure that deprives them of life, dignity, respect, and especially, justice.
The Church brings healing to a world wounded by sin in many ways: through apostolic works, educational institutions, parish/diocesan structures, and through the Sacraments. She provides a rich treasury of spiritualities that bring order to personal lives and to all social structures. And the strength comes from Heaven. God's grace helps the Church to persevere in this mission even with the sinfulness her own members also have to contend with. It happens and succeeds one day at a time, one Sunday Mass at a time, one religious consecration at a time, one ordination at a time, one mission at a time, one parish community at a time, one school building at a time. Conscientization takes time. But they do happen. It is the work of God's Spirit in the Church. When there is healing from sin, all can see that order, justice, and peace have their ultimate source in a God who entered human history and became part of it.
Scripture quote:
"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, but give to God what is God's." (Matthew 22)
October 19, 2014
Liturgical readings
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Psalm 96
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b
Matthew 22:15-21
"Lord, we know you teach God's way sincerely."
Although the Pharisees and the Herodians said this statement in bad faith, "Lord, we know you teach God's way sincerely," the Lord used it as a wedge to teach the wisdom of God. And God's wisdom sometimes presents a solution that eliminates any conflict of interest, in this case between paying taxes to the Roman emperor or not.
The Hebraic Law, which the Pharisees uphold, emphasizes the following of numerous and complex legalities. And much of the ministry and apostolic works Jesus performed went against many of them. So the Pharisees always sought occasions to trap the Lord in His speech. This Sunday's gospel presents one such occasion.
We read in the gospel how the Pharisees asked Jesus: "Is it lawful to pay tax to the emperor or not"? Jesus gave a simple solution. He did not quote any law of the Roman Empire nor any law of their Jewish religion to solve the conflict of interest. This would only complicate the matter all the more. So He simply asked for a coin used to pay the taxes. This coin is a concrete object with text and an image inscribed on it that everyone can see plainly. Then Jesus questioned the Pharisees: "Whose head is this inscription"? When the group of Pharisees and Herodians answered, "Caesar's", the Lord replied:
"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, but give to God what is God's."
Jesus teaches from a perspective and a context that is beyond the worldly understanding of the Pharisees and the Herodians of His time. He preached about God's Kingdom and its spiritual treasures. And He taught about this Kingdom and its treasures to the people in a format they were all familiar with: like the previous Sundays' parables. Those parables describe familiar situations:
- a father with a vineyard and two sons (26th Sunday of the Year),
- a father with a vineyard who sent his son to obtain the harvest where the tenants worked for pay (27th Sunday of the Year),
- and a father-king who organized a wedding feast for his son and invited both those who have and those who have not (28th Sunday of the Year).
The people naturally listened more to Jesus because He spoke about family, vineyards, tenants, kings, and servants. Plain everyday realities that His people easily understood. The Pharisees naturally became hostile to His leadership. They were not only threatened because Jesus challenges their legal expertise and authority, but because Jesus presents, in its nascense, what will be "universally" right, true, and good for all cultures and time.
But since Jesus was born, lived, and worked in a specific time and culture, He complies with what is required of taxation laws by the Roman authorities over the Jewish people. And this is what amazed the Pharisees with His reply: He juxtaposes both the requirement to pay taxes and obedience to the will of God in a manner that, as it were, resolves the issue.
The gospel this Sunday also presents the theme of a people subject to a foreign governing power: of the Jewish people under the Roman Empire. When Christ said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's", He brought clarity to an issue concerning their Jewish religion and the laws of the Roman Empire. This is similar to present laws separating the Church and the State. With many aware of the laws separating Church and State, Catholics know that practicing a moral balance in obeying these two institutions is the right thing to do. And respecting the laws of both institutions is also cultivating respect for oneself as well as for others.
Both the laws of the Church and the laws of the State are meant to bring order, peace, and harmony to all individuals, families, communities, institutions, and nations. The order implemented by both intersect and bring about a creative tension that produces the basic services needed by all: food, clothing, housing, essential services, and security from the State, and the life of the human spirit and moral standards from the Church necessary for ethical conduct in the management of these goods and services for themselves and the common good.
God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to save both the individual and societal structures from the sinful state and situation they find themselves in since time began. Jesus became man to heal both personal sin and social sin that causes darkness, lack, and disorder in the life of any individual or society. This mission of Jesus is continued since biblical times to this day by the Church and her missionaries to heal all cultures and generations from the causes and effects of sin. And the Church works in coordination with the international order to heal families, communities, and nations from any social structure that deprives them of life, dignity, respect, and especially, justice.
The Church brings healing to a world wounded by sin in many ways: through apostolic works, educational institutions, parish/diocesan structures, and through the Sacraments. She provides a rich treasury of spiritualities that bring order to personal lives and to all social structures. And the strength comes from Heaven. God's grace helps the Church to persevere in this mission even with the sinfulness her own members also have to contend with. It happens and succeeds one day at a time, one Sunday Mass at a time, one religious consecration at a time, one ordination at a time, one mission at a time, one parish community at a time, one school building at a time. Conscientization takes time. But they do happen. It is the work of God's Spirit in the Church. When there is healing from sin, all can see that order, justice, and peace have their ultimate source in a God who entered human history and became part of it.
Scripture quote:
"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, but give to God what is God's." (Matthew 22)
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
28th Sunday of the Year (A)
Edited Sunday reflection for October 11, 2026, from the year 2014 (A)
October 12, 2014
Liturgical readings
Isaiah 25:6-10a
Psalm 23
Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Matthew 22:1-14
"They rounded up everyone they met, bad as well as good."
Some parables of Jesus involve the theme of God's judgment. This Sunday's parable of the wedding feast is a good example of that theme. The judgment of God is shown through an analogy made for the parable, with a king representing the image of God.
The parable presents a king who organized a big banquet for his son's wedding and sent out invitations. When the feast was ready, the king ordered his servants to summon those invited for the wedding feast, but those invited refused to come. The king then sent a second group of servants. The servants encountered these responses: one ignored the invitation and went to his farm, another did the same to manage his business, and the rest got hold of the servants and killed them. The king naturally got furious, and in his wrath, he sent his army to destroy the killers and burned their city.
Now the wedding feast for his son had already been prepared. It would be a great waste if the feast did not proceed. So the king again sent out his servants to invite anyone they could see. The servants invited everyone, filling the wedding hall with guests, both bad and good.
How do the classics interpret this parable?
According to St. Thomas of Aquinas, the banquet in the parable is like the Eucharistic banquet. In the Eucharist, all are invited to come and partake of it - both saints and sinners. All are healed and comforted. Sins are purged away. Virtues are increased. Souls are enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. All who celebrate the Eucharist are privileged to receive the wonderful effects which every Mass provides.
The Eucharist is not exclusive; it is inclusive - always seeking to include more. But even when the invitation is for all, some do not give the Sacrament the importance and value it has since Christ instituted it in the Last Supper. As the Christian faith grew in the history of the Church, not all were consistent with their baptismal vows. They "ignore it, go their way to their farm or to their business". And others even lay hold of its servants, "insulting them and killing them" - as the many names of martyrs in the martyrology of the Church testify.
From another perspective, the point of the parable can be explained in a modern context. Fr. Herman Hendrickx, CICM, a well known bible scholar and professor, wrote about this in his book, "The Parables of Jesus." His analysis of the text is very exegetical. But it can be understood, by simply looking at the types of persons represented in the parable: the rich and the poor. It was the rich and the well-to-do who saw excuses to ignore the invitation. They had a farm, a business, and even political clout to disrespect the king's servants and kill them.
Since the setting of the story was a "kingdom" and kings had absolute power, those who killed his servants thus received the judgment of the king - their death and the burning of their city. But there is another theme, not that obvious, that can be gleaned from this parable. There is also the message of grace - a gift, something totally gratuitous. The invitation to the wedding feast extended now to those who did not expect it; those who were well-to-do with farms and businesses, but maybe not "known to the king" or not within the king's "inner circle". And this is the great blessing: it included the poor and the outcasts who may have heard about the event but naturally did not expect to be invited. All were gathered in the wedding hall.
Returning to the story, the parable continues with the king entering the wedding hall to meet the guests. It appears that there was one without a wedding garment. The king was not happy with that guest and had his servants put him out of the wedding hall. This has been interpreted by some bible scholars as representing Christians who receive baptism but do not behave or conform in a way which is consistent with their initial baptismal response. Many are indeed invited, but few are chosen.
Applying the analogy of the wedding banquet as pointing to the Eucharist, just as the king's wedding feast for his son invited both rich and poor, the Eucharist is for all political, socio-cultural and economic classes. Christ instituted the Eucharist for everyone. The sacrament is meant to strengthen the good in all, and to prune away what is evil. The Church's mission is to make known the value and importance of God's Word and Sacrament in the Eucharist. But the Church also respects religious freedom and teaches that non-Catholics who do not convert to the Church can still receive salvation from God, but not its fullness. A Vatican II document teaches that full salvation still "subsists" in the Catholic Church.
This is one reason why the Church now integrates religious freedom as a human right, but at the same time continues to send and expand the Kingdom of God through its priestly, religious, and lay missionaries. These missionaries teach the Bible, the prayer traditions, and the value of the Sacraments to non-Catholics and non-believers. They certainly deserve the universal Church's prayers and support, because even in this present time, the experience of God's servants being "insulted and killed" for witnessing to the Christ of the gospels is a continuing reality.
We know that commitment is not cheap. Through the hard work of these missionaries, God's faithfulness and mercy become real. God in the Church continues to call, to enter people's lives, and make them aware of Christ, His Son, the great spiritual treasure of the Eucharist. And the Church brings this treasure even to the remotest mountain villages of the world.
Scripture quote:
"On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples...a feast of rich food and choice wines...The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth." (Isaiah 25)
October 12, 2014
Liturgical readings
Isaiah 25:6-10a
Psalm 23
Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Matthew 22:1-14
"They rounded up everyone they met, bad as well as good."
Some parables of Jesus involve the theme of God's judgment. This Sunday's parable of the wedding feast is a good example of that theme. The judgment of God is shown through an analogy made for the parable, with a king representing the image of God.
The parable presents a king who organized a big banquet for his son's wedding and sent out invitations. When the feast was ready, the king ordered his servants to summon those invited for the wedding feast, but those invited refused to come. The king then sent a second group of servants. The servants encountered these responses: one ignored the invitation and went to his farm, another did the same to manage his business, and the rest got hold of the servants and killed them. The king naturally got furious, and in his wrath, he sent his army to destroy the killers and burned their city.
Now the wedding feast for his son had already been prepared. It would be a great waste if the feast did not proceed. So the king again sent out his servants to invite anyone they could see. The servants invited everyone, filling the wedding hall with guests, both bad and good.
How do the classics interpret this parable?
According to St. Thomas of Aquinas, the banquet in the parable is like the Eucharistic banquet. In the Eucharist, all are invited to come and partake of it - both saints and sinners. All are healed and comforted. Sins are purged away. Virtues are increased. Souls are enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. All who celebrate the Eucharist are privileged to receive the wonderful effects which every Mass provides.
The Eucharist is not exclusive; it is inclusive - always seeking to include more. But even when the invitation is for all, some do not give the Sacrament the importance and value it has since Christ instituted it in the Last Supper. As the Christian faith grew in the history of the Church, not all were consistent with their baptismal vows. They "ignore it, go their way to their farm or to their business". And others even lay hold of its servants, "insulting them and killing them" - as the many names of martyrs in the martyrology of the Church testify.
From another perspective, the point of the parable can be explained in a modern context. Fr. Herman Hendrickx, CICM, a well known bible scholar and professor, wrote about this in his book, "The Parables of Jesus." His analysis of the text is very exegetical. But it can be understood, by simply looking at the types of persons represented in the parable: the rich and the poor. It was the rich and the well-to-do who saw excuses to ignore the invitation. They had a farm, a business, and even political clout to disrespect the king's servants and kill them.
Since the setting of the story was a "kingdom" and kings had absolute power, those who killed his servants thus received the judgment of the king - their death and the burning of their city. But there is another theme, not that obvious, that can be gleaned from this parable. There is also the message of grace - a gift, something totally gratuitous. The invitation to the wedding feast extended now to those who did not expect it; those who were well-to-do with farms and businesses, but maybe not "known to the king" or not within the king's "inner circle". And this is the great blessing: it included the poor and the outcasts who may have heard about the event but naturally did not expect to be invited. All were gathered in the wedding hall.
Returning to the story, the parable continues with the king entering the wedding hall to meet the guests. It appears that there was one without a wedding garment. The king was not happy with that guest and had his servants put him out of the wedding hall. This has been interpreted by some bible scholars as representing Christians who receive baptism but do not behave or conform in a way which is consistent with their initial baptismal response. Many are indeed invited, but few are chosen.
Applying the analogy of the wedding banquet as pointing to the Eucharist, just as the king's wedding feast for his son invited both rich and poor, the Eucharist is for all political, socio-cultural and economic classes. Christ instituted the Eucharist for everyone. The sacrament is meant to strengthen the good in all, and to prune away what is evil. The Church's mission is to make known the value and importance of God's Word and Sacrament in the Eucharist. But the Church also respects religious freedom and teaches that non-Catholics who do not convert to the Church can still receive salvation from God, but not its fullness. A Vatican II document teaches that full salvation still "subsists" in the Catholic Church.
This is one reason why the Church now integrates religious freedom as a human right, but at the same time continues to send and expand the Kingdom of God through its priestly, religious, and lay missionaries. These missionaries teach the Bible, the prayer traditions, and the value of the Sacraments to non-Catholics and non-believers. They certainly deserve the universal Church's prayers and support, because even in this present time, the experience of God's servants being "insulted and killed" for witnessing to the Christ of the gospels is a continuing reality.
We know that commitment is not cheap. Through the hard work of these missionaries, God's faithfulness and mercy become real. God in the Church continues to call, to enter people's lives, and make them aware of Christ, His Son, the great spiritual treasure of the Eucharist. And the Church brings this treasure even to the remotest mountain villages of the world.
Scripture quote:
"On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples...a feast of rich food and choice wines...The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth." (Isaiah 25)
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