On Bits And Pieces: Along With Crooked Lines

© 2009 Mark A. Escobar. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

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Published by AuthorHouse  08/23/2023

ISBN: 978-1-4389-1932-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-4429-8 (e)

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Dedicated to my deceased parents – Nena and Pepe

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Over the course of my own journey while working on a compilation of these homilies, I came to know that gratitude is a key to wholeness. It is part of our connection to others as human individuals. This, along with the characteristics central to our stories of growth and transformation make us who we are.

I call to mind the cultural argument against immigrants, particularly the growing Latino population, that they will destroy America’s identity as an Anglo-nation.¹ On the other hand, studies have shown that the U.S. has been grateful for their contribution to the economy. This reality cements our relationship with one another and promotes appreciation for their goodness realizing that they commit to work and to their faith in God.

I should like to highlight here the poor immigrants who I walk with in my ministry at St Paul-Assumption Parish and St Margaret Mary Parish on Staten Island, respectively. They helped me better understand the biblical implications of preaching the good news to the poor with social connections to migration and relationship with other ethnic communities in the parish. They instilled in my mind that priority to be mindful of the poor (Gal 2:10) and to have a preferential love for the poor" (Catechism, 1586).

My religious community on Staten Island was a source of strength to me. Despite our individual differences, our stories of faith enabled me to weather many storms and show God to be alive in my ministry. I am grateful to Fr Matthew Didoné, my provincial superior, for his fraternal concern and support.

I must thank Msgr. Vincent Bartley for his advice and suggestion that helped me reinforce the sense of coherence in the homilies. I thank him too for his gift of friendship. To Sister Catherine Quinn, PBVM, former Vicar for Religious in the Archdiocese of New York, who has always been on hand to assist me in the sacristy before the celebration of the Eucharist, I thank her for her caring presence.

I have a vast store of grateful memories which includes my former parishioners, friends, and confreres who shaped my perspective as a missionary priest. I thank them for their gift of witnessing and their friendship. I am also indebted to Mrs. Nancy Marotta, a member of the Lay Scalabrinian Movement and former Assistant Principal of Public School 50 for her suggestions and editorial assistance especially in the final stage of the manuscript. Her patience and enthusiasm to be of help to others allowed me to trust in prayer that all shall be well.

I am also grateful to David Galloni, a friend from Brescia, Italy, who helped me edit my Italian homilies as part of supplementary readings. His friendship and assistance are worthy of mention here.

Members of my own family have consistently supported me with their love and understanding especially at a critical period when I was in the process of rewriting some of these homilies. To each of them I offer my love and gratitude.

Contents

New Year’s Day - Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mother of God - Lk 2:16-21

The Epiphany of the Lord

Following the light in the sky - Mt 2:1-12

Baptism of the Lord; Baptism of Jesus - Mt 3:13-17

Ordinary Time

Second Sunday in Ordinary

TimeThe Wedding at Cana - Jn 2:1-11

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus’ Inaugural Address - Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary

Time No prophet is honored in his own hometown - Lk 4:21-30

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Call of Simon the Fisherman - Lk 5:1-11

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ministering to a great multitude - Lk 6:17, 20-26

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Love of Enemies Lk - 6:27-38

Lent

Ash Wednesday Teaching about Almsgiving,

prayer and fasting - Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

First Sunday of Lent

The Temptation of Jesus - Lk 4:1-13

Second Sunday of Lent

The Transfiguration - Lk 9:28b-36

Third Sunday of Lent

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree - Lk 13:1-9

Fourth Sunday of Lent

The Parable of the Prodigal Son - Lk 15:1-30, 11-32

Fifth Sunday of Lent

A woman caught in adultery - Jn 8:1-11

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

The Passion Narrative - Lk 22:14-23:56

Holy Thursday

Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper - Jn 13:1-15

Good Friday

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion - Jn 18:1-19:42

Easter Season

Easter Vigil

The Resurrection of Jesus - Lk 24:1-12

Second Sunday of Easter

The Doubting Thomas - Jn 20:19-31

Third Sunday of Easter

The Appearance to the Seven Disciples - Jn 21:1-4

Fourth Sunday of Easter

The Good Shepherd - Jn 10:27-30

Fifth Sunday of Easter

The New Commandment - Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35

Sixth Sunday of Easter

The Advocate - Jn 14:23-29

Pentecost Sunday

Appearance to the Disciples - Jn 20:19-23

Ordinary Time

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Jesus’ Departure: Coming of the Advocate - Jn 16:12-15

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Feeding of the Five Thousand - Lk 9:11b-17

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary

Time Repentance as a gift offered by - God Lk 7:36-83

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

The Birth of John - Lk 1:57-66, 80

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Departure for Jerusalem; the would-be followers - Lk 9:51-62

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Mission of the Seventy-Two - Lk 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:19

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Parable of the Good Samaritan - Lk 10:25-37

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Missionary Implications of Hospitality - Lk 10:38-42

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Lord’s Prayer - Lk 11:1-13

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Parable of the Rich Fool - Lk 12:13-21

Transfiguration of the Lord

Jesus transfigures - Lk 9:28b-36

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dependence on God - Lk 12:32-48

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary visits Elizabeth - Lk 1:39-56

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus: A Cause of Division - Lk 12:49-53

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Salvation and Rejection - Lk 13:22-30

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Taking the lowest place and the great banquet - Lk 14:1, 7-14

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Cost of Discipleship - Lk 14:25-33

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Genealogy and Birth of Jesus - Mt 1:1-16, 18-23

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Parable of the Prodigal Son - Lk 15:1-32

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The parable of the Dishonest Steward - Lk 16:1-13

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus - Lk 16:19-31

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Parable of the Unprofitable Servants - Lk 17:5-10

Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Cleansing of Ten Lepers - Lk 17:11-19

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Parable of the Persistent Widow - Lk 18:1-8

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector - Lk 18:9-14

All Saints’ Day

The Beatitudes - Mt 5:1-12

All Souls’ Day

The Commemoration of all the faithful departed - Jn 6:37-40

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Zacchaeus, the Tax Collector - Lk 19:1-10

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

The problem of the Resurrection - Lk 20:27-38

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus’ Discourse on the Future of

Jerusalem and the temple - Lk 21:5-19

Thanksgiving Day

Taking time to give thanks to God - Lk 17:11-19

Solemnity of Christ the King

The Crucifixion - Lk 23:35-43

Advent Season

First Sunday of Advent

The Unknown Day and Hour –

The Coming of the Lord at the End of Time - Mt 24:37-44

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Announcement of the Birth of Jesus - Lk 1:26-38

Second Sunday of Advent

The Preaching of John the Baptist - Mt 3:1-12

Third Sunday of Advent

The Message from John the Baptist –

Jesus as the Messiah - Mt 11:2-11

Fourth Sunday of Advent

The Angelic annunciation made to Joseph - Mt 1:18-24

Christmas Season

Christmas Day

Solemnity of the Lord’s Birth - Jn 1:1-18 or Jn 1:1-5, 9-14

Feast of the Holy Family

The Flight into Egypt - Mt 2:13-15, 19-23

Supplementary Readings

Bibliography of Cited Works

Endnotes

About the Author

INTRODUCTION

This collection of homilies, aligning the path of the Church calendar, can be compared to a journey. Any journey or even a walk through the neighborhood with all its twists and turns needs to be navigated. Sometimes that walk is a power walk or a gentle stroll; sometimes there are unexpected interruptions that peak interest and cause one to wander through an unplanned route. Preparation is part of an extended journey as much as it is part of a neighborhood walk: Does this journey - - or walk - - require a hat, gloves, a light jacket to shed along the way? And then there are the challenges, big and small, that make a journey interesting: a misplaced passport, a sudden thunderstorm.

A well-renowned author and conference speaker who has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley-California since 1969, John MacArthur states, The gospel Jesus proclaimed was a call to discipleship, a call to follow Him in submissive obedience.² These homilies invite us to respond to the call of Christian discipleship through a journey of reflections. Punctuated with varying themes and connections to life, they convey a message that is rooted in individual experiences.

The challenge of interrelations with humanity implies a commitment and, as a Christian, a continuing call to imitate Jesus It is a multi-faceted call which reflects a transformed vision, a commitment of faith and obedience. The goal is to walk with Jesus in the spirit of discipleship keeping in mind the words of St Paul: there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one (1 Cor. 12:4-6).

The word disciple comes from the Greek word mathetes, meaning learner, or adherent. It refers to an apprentice or pupil attached to a teacher or movement; one whose allegiance is to the instruction and commitments of the teacher or movement.³ Hence, one becomes a disciple through his response to that call, his willingness to follow commands and to make commitments.

As discipleship demands new perspectives and priorities, these homilies articulate relationships in a variety of settings, images and lifestyles of being in the world with others. Though they help us understand the presence of God in our lives, living with our own mystery and spirituality becomes like a dependable compass that is always there to guide us.

God sees what is in each human heart and we give ourselves the space and the time to nourish it with the mystery of his love for us. It is our road map as we walk by faith and not by sight alone. Jesus’ life, teaching, and ministry in a particular place, time, and culture have great significance to our journey as far as our mission is concerned. He identifies himself with the people across cultures and he enters into solidarity with those in need.

St Augustine once said, Faith is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe. We may not know where our journey takes us because there is not much of a plan, but it is our faith that sustains us to complete a journey through thick and thin. It provides us with the opportunity to let the mind wander and watch and listen to God in prayer.

While it is true that we come to the core of the conundrum where we bring to light the image of God in the humanity of Jesus of Nazareth, the need for spiritual transformation would open vistas that run parallel to the interconnected workings of God in our lives. By the same token, the path of imitatio Christi would mold our lives with love and service that is fueled by commitment to the gospel values. Hence, whether it is a daily walk or the journey through daily life, these homilies are offered to help us continue with confidence; with enthusiasm to move on and in every sense be men and women of the Gospel. After all, as the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta once wrote: We cannot all do great things, but can do small things with great love."

Mrs Nancy Marotta

Fr Mark Escobar, cs

NEW YEAR’S DAY – SOLEMNITY OF THE

BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

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Readings: Num 6:22-27; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. . . . And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

While preparing to clean up my room yesterday, I could not believe that another year has passed into history. My Filipino⁴ blood seemed to be stirred up reflecting on the experiences, challenges or the blessings of the last 12 months (2007). It was a great deal about who I was, and the meaning about what I became in the past. But it has been a harsh year for our world with so much of hate, greed and war. The tragedies of nature and of people like that of recent assassination of the opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan⁵ have left us to reflect on a basic question: What better metaphor can there be to describe the past and the present for the new year 2008?

Last night I was watching revelers from across the nation converge in Times Square to experience the city’s biggest New Year’s Eve party as the giant crystal ball⁶ makes its 100th descent. I felt how amazing it was to see them as they welcomed the New Year.

Today, however, is a fresh start in the New Year. Perhaps it is a time not only for festive celebrations but also for reverence, reflection and resolution. As some psychoanalytic teachers have said, the archaic is never that deep within. And rituals are vital to the psyche; they can help us to think about what we did or did not accomplish and to look to the year ahead as we think about what we want to accomplish. It is an opportunity to do better, to improve or to move forward amid some difficulties along the way.

In past centuries, reflections of Babylonian festivals were referred to a new year as a holiday around March 23. This, however, would last for eleven days. But as each new emperor came along and played with the calendar, the Roman senate established January 1st to be the New Year. That was the time that the Roman god Janus – the god of doorways – was identified with the changing of the year. The Romans thought of him as someone who looks forward into the future and backward into the past. However, during the Middle Ages, it was moved back to March for the feast of the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised our calendar. This is the one we all know -- the ‘Gregorian Calendar’. For Western cultures, New Year’s Day has been celebrated on January 1st since then. But, not every culture celebrates it on the same date. For instance, there is Chinese New Year (with the dragon dance and other Chinese traditions) which occurs in late January or early February based on two full moons after the winter solstice. The Islamic New Year has it on the first day of Muharram. Their calendar is based on 12 lunar months which has only 354 days, with eleven days earlier each year.

As we rediscover the gift of each year and recapture the momentum of progress, we find that the world has become like a social fact⁷ where there are developments of new institutions, a new culture, and civility. There’s a continuing discovery of so many things. There’s a lot of innovations going on; a rapid changing of technologies, etc.

As Mother Teresa so often would remind us, We are not called to be progress-oriented or to be successful, but to be faithful. And Mary’s example has great importance to our life today. Her motherhood involves a special communion with the mystery of life, her openness to new personhood,⁸ to the will of God. This enables her to discover herself through a sincere gift of self, along with her faith commitment to God.

Let her contemplative attitude towards God be our learning experience, example, and our foundation to holiness. Indeed, she’s an example of one who listens to God and allows the Holy Spirit to inspire and guide her.

Perhaps as we think about the motherhood of Mary we remember that incident during the Crucifixion when Jesus said to his mother, Woman, behold, your son. Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his home (Jn 19:26-27). As Jesus entrusts his mother to the beloved disciple, he also places that disciple into his mother’s care. They are to care for each other.

May this New Year 2008 be an awareness that we can learn from every recorded event and mystery in our Blessed Mother’s life. Let us act out as we form ourselves by our actions.

I love to recall what Willy Loman cries out in that play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, attention must be paid. Indeed, attention must be paid to our lives, our journeys where great moments often catch us unaware, beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one. To one and all, happy New Year!

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

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Readings: Num 6:22-27; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6,8; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21

There is Irish blessing we pray that you may know: May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm at your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, until we meet again. May God hold you in the palm of his hand. We also have a beautiful prayer which priests in the Old Testament pronounced over the people. It is taken from the Book of Numbers 6:22-27. It goes this way: The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! (First Reading). This is what the Church invokes as God’s blessing for the next 365 days, for the whole year especially now that we begin a new year -- year 2009.

The New Year also heralds the solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos). This is the oldest of all Marian celebrations even in the earliest times. Mary has already been honored under the title of the Mother of God since it was during the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) when the Church declared it as dogma of faith that Mary is the Mother of God (Theotokos).

The meaning of our celebration today is that the Church entrusts us believers to the love and protection of a mother. Just as a child begins to call her mother Mommy or Mamma, so also as believers we call on the Mother of God and our mother in our first liturgical act of the year.

The title Mother of God is the highest title of Mary. It has to do with her Son who is truly God, who remains to be God even if he chose to become a human being for the sake of our salvation. She is not only the Mother of the historical Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, but the mother of God --God-man and Emmanuel - God-with-us.

The gospel message we have today enables us to contemplate Mary not only as the God-bearer but also as a woman of faith elevated by the grace of God to his majesty. One particular and significant attitude that Mary shows us as a faithful disciple is: And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. She remains a faithful mother because she opens her heart to the designs of God for her Son and for herself.

May the New Year bring us better and brighter prospects. May we all survive the national and individual crises we may be experiencing. Hope springs eternal. Let this be our motto for this year. Happy New Year!

The Epiphany Of The Lord ⁹

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Readings: Is 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-1

Following the light in the sky

In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: "And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel."

Just at the beginning of this year our media networks have spiced up the Pandora’s box that unfolds another chapter of tragedy, misfortune and disaster. Then the tsunami in Asia five days before 2005 arrived and piled up in subsequent months with Hurricane Katrina and its parallel in Guatemala, followed by the earthquake in Pakistan.¹⁰

The catastrophes brought us this consciousness-raising about the reality in the world now. It’s like a new awakening of the spirit of Christianity.¹¹ Our response is another epiphany that enables us to show our humanitarian compassion and solidarity with those who are afflicted with these calamities. Personally, I pray, aloud to God I cry; aloud to God, to hear me; on the day of my distress I seek the Lord (Ps 77:1-3).

While reflecting on these things and knowing that after the marathon of merriment in Christmas holidays we are now back into the swing of our routines. Parties and other festive celebrations have already faded in the bigger picture and now they liberate us from exhaustion of preparations, fun and sleepless nights. In January we normally take the time to calm down, resume the familiar rhythms and obligations of our lives, though, we may miss those people and events for the party days gone by.

But today the church celebrates another revelation - the feast of the Epiphany.¹² It is one of the four revelations being represented when Jesus manifests to the whole world his glory and his kingship. These are the Nativity or Incarnation of Christ (bringing light to the world), Epiphany (following the Light in the sky), The Baptism of Jesus (Washing away darkness) which closes the Christmas celebration of the Incarnation, and the Wedding in Cana (making a potentially dark evening a night full of joy) which is found only in John’s gospel.

Epiphany is traditionally celebrated to mark the arrival of the Magi¹³ in search of the Christ Child. It may be Oriental in tone as they call it the feast of the Jordan but Christians of the West prefer to call it the feast of the Kings. As a biblical story, its meaning speaks of a ‘dramatis personae’ – Jesus, the child, is being recognized as the Messiah. At Matins of the Epiphany, Pope St Leo distinguishes these feasts with classical precision: He who on that day the Virgin bore, on this, the world acknowledged.

According to some scripture scholars, the story of the wise men is the story of a great gift. The child in the house, on the one hand, represents a present richer than any precious stones or ointments. The child is our redemption and the gifts of the magi symbolize both Christ’s redeeming power and the price he has to pay for it. St Gregory the Great explains that those symbolic gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh have meanings. Gold (Kingship) – God indeed is fitting for a King; incense (God/divine nature) is offered in sacrifice to God, while the bodies of the deceased are embalmed with myrrh (redemptive suffering and death).

The Magi were the first pagans who received faith to recognize the Messiah and through centuries, successors and descendants of these Gentiles, western people have continued to celebrate their gift of faith. They did not look for political stability that aims to overthrow the Roman power but, for a light which would shine out from above to all creation so that, as the psalmist says, In your light, we see light.

Reflecting on the meaning of today’s feast of the Epiphany, I thought about the time when my mother was dying. I felt as though I were putting one foot in front of the other – not knowing what’s going to happen. I just kept quiet and pondered that what was required was to move on. There’s no assurance, just a gift of faith to entrust her in God’s hand. This seems to say that like the wise men, they did not know where the star would lead them. They just followed it until it brought them to Bethlehem where they found the Child Jesus. It is the same thing in our longing to be in connection with God. Many times he comes into our place with all its ordinariness where he meets us in our own life-experience. Every time we make God present in our lives, we have an epiphany. It calls us to step up to the plate and bring our own treasures – ourselves to be a people for others regardless of color, nationality or culture because Jesus was a man for others. And what matters in our lives is that we have this gift of sharing as we live each moment in silent celebration for the gift of relationships. God bless you.

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Readings: Is 60:1-6; Ps 72; Eph 3:2-3, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12

A Light Comes To Us, Shines For Us, And Reveals Some Meaning

Today as we conclude the twelve days of Christmas with the feast of the Epiphany of our Lord, I am quite drawn to recall some experiences which I consider epiphanies in our lives. According to Webster Dictionary, epiphany means a sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something. Crossroads in life happen for a reason. Many times the lessons learned may not be visible right away but they are very valuable as materials for reflections. I call to mind the tsunami in Asia, hurricanes in Louisiana, Mississippi, endless war in Iraq and many others.

In this age of The Sopranos we should probably call the Magi the Three Wise Guys. But as has often been said, wise people still follow the Star that leads to the sacred. Epiphany as we all know is about Light – not the flourescent light that we see but the Light that Christ gives to those who seek him: not in power and prestige and worldly glory but in the wisdom of experiences and humility.

Through the centuries countless stories, traditions and customs have been developed to highlight the spirit of Epiphany. In Latin countries, boys and girls leave hay in their shoes for the camels on the eve of the Epiphany. They hope the camels will reciprocate by leaving gifts. In France, cakes are baked and coins placed in each. He or she who gets the coin is king or queen for the day. In Greece, a cross is thrown into the water. Whoever retrieves it receives gifts. The old Pennsylvania Dutch custom on the inside of the card depicting the Magi says that on the eve of the new year three silver coins are placed outside the house where the Magi can find them and cast their blessings as they travel toward Bethlehem seeking the Babe. The blessings of the Magi are peace, love, and health to all who live therein. Please take one of the quarters.

A light comes to us, shines for us, and reveals some meaning that can give direction and hope to our lives. This is the meaning of epiphany. Jesus comes as a great light to those who languish in