Message from Fr. Brito:

19th and 20th Sundays Year A

19th Sundays Year A

“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”

      Last week we celebrated the transfiguration of Jesus, Jesus who takes upon himself our Humanity. “Though he was in the form of God Jesus did not deem equality with God something to grasp.” Jesus walked this earth like any other human being. But once in awhile his divinity would shine forth for those who were present to see.

     In today’s readings we have two theophany’s (God revealing himself to humanity). First is Elijah’s encounter with God. God communicates with Elijah to go to the mountain the Lord will pass by.  But God does not appear in a grand way. Instead he comes in ‘a tiny whispering sound”

   This is exactly how God comes to be with humanity. Jesus is born like all men.  He, who was rich chose to be poor for our sake. The poor are often overlooked. Jesus, that is God with us, was often overlooked”

    In today’s Gospel, after sending his disciple to go a head of him by boat, Jesus goes up the mountain to pray.  He soon joins them by miraculous means. As the disciples are being tossed about in the boat Jesus approaches them walking on water. When they see him walking on the water, they become terrified.

 

Jesus speaks: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”

 

      Now the next part can really teach us about life. Peter says “Lord if it is really you, call me to come to you on the water”.  As Peter first steps out of the boat, his trust and confidence in Jesus is strong. But like us in life we may have faith like Peter, but like Peter we can get distracted and overwhelmed with the storms of everyday life. We lose our focus on Jesus and we begin to falter. But like Peter this is when we should cry out, “save me Lord”

 

       At every Mass, the Lord will pass to us, not in a tiny whispering voice, but rather in a tiny piece of bread. Once in awhile the reality of the Eucharist is shown to man thorough the many Eucharistic miracles through out place and time. Every time we approach the Eucharist And Jesus says and I quote him again: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”

 

20th Sundays Year A

     Today Gospel can be very shocking for people to hear. When the Canaanite woman comes to Jesus to asking him to help her daughter, Jesus first ignores her, then he insults her. Our first reaction is confusion. This is not the Jesus we are used to. He literally calls the woman a dog. Now that is truly a low blow.  The woman in this story really gives us an example of how we should approach Jesus. She humbles herself before the Lord. How do we react in the face of insults? We usually get defensive and fire insults back. But the woman, who desperately needs Jesus’ help, is persistent and remains humble.

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This is what our Blessed Mother proclaimed in the Magnificat: “

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

My spirit rejoices in God my savior.

For he has looked upon his lowly servant,

The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.

He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.

He has shown strength of his arm,

And has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones from their thrones

and lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things;

And the rich he has sent away empty.

 

These words of the Virgin Mary ring true for the Canaanite woman.

When the Lord said: turn the other cheek what he meant is exactly what the poor woman did in the Gospel.

When Jesus said those harsh word to her; “It is not right to take the food of children and throw it to the dogs”, she response by turning the other cheek and she says: “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scrapes that fall from the table of their masters”. This brave woman turned the other cheek and was lifted up by Jesus. And he said to her: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish”

     Last week this is what he told Simon Peter: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt”

The storm that surrounds her does not distract the Canaanite woman, instead her great faith allows her to walk on water with Jesus and she receives what she asks for; the healing of her daughter. Amen

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