Points to Say

SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION
(Acts 1:1-11, Eph 1:17-23, Mt 28:16-20)

Points:

1) The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord concludes the earthly ministry of Jesus. It marks the 40th day since the Mystery of the Resurrection. This event cannot be interpreted as a geographical event but a spiritual event in the life of Jesus.

2) The Ascension of the Lord is to be interpreted as ascending to a communion with the Father. The first reading speaks of the disciples as “looking on” and not “looking up.” As they were looking on, Jesus was “lifted up” to the realm of the Father. It is understood as communion rather than physically ascending up. Benedict XVI said: “In fact the verb “to lift up” was originally used in the Old Testament and refers to royal enthronement. Thus, Christ’s Ascension means in the first place the enthronement of the Crucified and Risen Son of Man, the manifestation of God’s kingship over the world.”

3) How about His Body? Jesus’ Body takes another mode of existence. There is now the New Body of Christ. St. Paul in the Second Reading today says: “And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.” The Church is the sanctified body of Christ.

4) The Ascension of the Lord reminds us also of the restoration and reign of Christ over all heaven and earth: a) Jesus said “all power in heaven and on earth has been given to me; b) St. Paul likewise said that the Father “worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.”

5) The disciples became one of the witnesses and the reasons for us to realize the need of the Holy Spirit. Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of the Father, the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of Heaven but the disciples were speaking of the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel. They asked the Lord right before His Ascension: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom of Israel?” To grasp and work for the Kingdom of God, they needed the Holy Spirit to understand and be brave enough to restore the Kingdom of the Father on earth. St. Paul in the Second Reading today said: “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory…”

6) The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “the Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Christ’s humanity into God’s heavenly domain. In the Ascension, Jesus precedes us into the Father’s glorious kingdom so that we may live in the hope of one day being with him forever. In heaven, Jesus intercedes for us and assures us of the permanent outpouring of the Holy Spirit” (CCC 665-667). It marks the return of Jesus to His heavenly glory and the conclusion of His earthly ministry.

SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST
(Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13; Jn 20:19-23)

Points:

The Solemnity marks the beginning of the Church moving towards the world outside the premises of Jerusalem and outside the boundaries of Israel. The Church now proclaims the Gospel to the Gentiles. This marks also the universality of the Church which is called “catholic.” This marks also the abiding presence, power, and guidance of the Spirit to animate the Church and the disciples of the Lord to proclaim that Jesus is the Christ and Savior of the world. This day also marks the universal mission of the Church which is termed as missio ad gentes or mission to the nations. It was Jesus who said “Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt 28:19)

There are four things we learn from the Solemnity of Pentecost:

1) The Faith in the Holy Spirit is an Important Element of the Creed. In the Creed, we unanimously proclaim the five characteristics of the Spirit: a) He is “Lord.” This is consistent with the Old Testament name of God. He was called the “Adonai.” He is God. b) He is the “Giver of Life.” The greatest gift of life that the Spirit has done in the world was the Mystery of the Incarnation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 485 says: “The Holy Spirit, "the Lord, the giver of Life", is sent to sanctify the womb of the Virgin Mary and divinely fecundate it, causing her to conceive the eternal Son of the Father in a humanity drawn from her own.” c) He “who proceeds from the Father.” This indicates that the nature of the Holy Spirit is divine and He is God in communion with the Father and the Son; d) He who is adored and glorified.” This indicates the oneness of the Father, Son and the Spirit because the glory of the Son is also the glory of the Spirit. There is oneness in their mission. The Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 728 says: “Jesus does not reveal the Holy Spirit fully, until he himself has been glorified through his Death and Resurrection.” e) He who has spoken through the prophets.” This indicates that the Spirit was already at work in the Old Testament even before Jesus would reveal Him to His disciples. There is continuity of the Old and New Testaments with regard to the work and power of the Spirit. The Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 702 says: “God’s Spirit prepares for the time of the Messiah. Neither is fully revealed but both are already promised, to be watched for and welcomed at their manifestation. So, for this reason, when the Church reads the Old Testament, she searches there for what the Spirit, “who has spoken through the prophets,” wants to tell us about Christ.”

2) The Spirit Brings Communion to the Church. At the Asension of the Lord, we remember the Lord Jesus ascending to the Father. It was not ascending to a geographical place but ascending to the realm of the Father. Where is the Body of Christ? The Body took a different form. St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians (Second Reading last Sunday) said: “And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.” His Body now is the Church. In the mystery of the Ascension, the Church is left behind as His Body. On Pentecost, God now unites Himself with His Body through the coming of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Mystery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit commemorates the descent of God to mankind in a different mode of presence and power. St. Luke mentioned that on Pentecost, the noise and wind "filled the entire house." This is symbolic of the collective gathering of the Church on which the Spirit descended. St. Luke uses the word "house" to refer to the place of God. In the finding of Jesus in the Temple, Jesus responded to his mother and said: "do you not know that I am in my Father's house?" (Lk 2:49)

3) The Spirit becomes Tangible through Cosmic Elements. We were told in the First Reading that when the Disciples were gathered in the upper room, suddenly there was “noise,” “wind,” and “fire” that “filled the entire house in which they were.” The cosmic elements of noise, wind, and fire symbolize the tangibility of the Spirit and its power. God can be tangible through His use of the cosmic elements of the earth. The “house” which was “filled” with the Spirit is Luke’s analogy of the “church” as the first beneficiary of the Spirit’s presence and power. The tangibility of the Spirit finds its apex in the cosmic elements of bread and wine which the “house” or the Church which the Spirit animates.

4) The Spirit Renews the Church. The renewing power of the Spirit is manifested through the renewal of faith, hope and love among those who firmly believe in Christ: a) forgiveness of sins. In the Gospel today, we were told that Jesus “breathed” on them and said: “receive the Holy Spirit” whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.” This illustrates the link between the Spirit and grace of forgiveness; b) ability to speak for Christ. We were told in the First Reading that the disciples were all able to speak “in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim;” c) acknowledge unity in diversity. There was only one word but different languages and cultures. They were all astounded: “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?” d) confess that Jesus is Lord. It is the Spirit, according to Paul that the Church as the Body of Christ learns to pray, to serve, to be united as body and to believe in God. “No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit” e) depend on the Spirit. The Responsorial Psalm for today reminds us of the power of the Spirit that every disciple should rely on. Without the Spirit, all will die and just return to dust. The Psalm says: “If you take away their breath, they perish    and return to their dust. When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.”

Points:

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is a wonderful feast that the Church celebrates after the celebration of Pentecost which commemorates the coming down of the Holy Spirit to the Church. As the body is united with the Spirit, the body becomes not only a recipient of revelation but the body becomes now an expresser of the faith received from God. Thus, Trinity Sunday is a celebration of faith. In the Gospel today, Jesus explicitly said: “Whoever believes in him will not be condemned…” Trinity Sunday then is celebrating the most fundamental element of faith which is to confess that there is a Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. In the immensity of the mystery of God, God chooses to reveal Himself and make Himself tangible to us. The readings today point to the mystery of mercy which is directly identified with God.

1. Mercy is the deepest Identity of God. Pope Francis said: “Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity” (Misercordiae Vultus, no.2). All three readings today speak of God as merciful. In the first reading, the Book of Exodus describes Moses as calling God as “Lord.” While he calls God as Lord, he likewise describes him as “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” It appears that mercy is inseparable from the nature of God. In the Second Reading, St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians describes Paul’s reminder to the faithful in Corinth that God will be merciful and he will bring peace to those who repent. Mercy will always accompany those who repent and mend their ways. In the Gospel, St. John records Jesus saying: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” This illustrates that when one has faith, God indeed will be merciful.

2. Mercy is Implored in the Celebration of the Eucharist. In the Holy Eucharist, the grace of the sacrament is implored by the priest so that through the mercy of God, the bread becomes the Body of Christ and the wine becomes the Blood of Christ. “Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, in his Catecheses, states that we “call upon God in his mercy to send his Holy Spirit upon the offerings before us, to transform the bread into the body of Christ and the wine into the blood of Christ. Whatever the Holy Spirit touches is sanctified and completely transformed” (Sacramentum Caritatis 13). Mercy is power of God, it the nature of His Being, and it is the grace of the sacrament. Without the love and mercy of God, there will be no Holy Eucharist. The entire celebration of the Eucharist is a celebration of the love and mercy of God.

3. Mercy is Due to every human being. God is a mystery. Human reason could not fathom the mystery of God; he is beyond reach. Thus, it is God who takes the initiative of revealing himself. God leaves traces of his presence and of his identity so that every human being would be able to know and understand Him through mercy. Pope Francis mentions 5 descriptions of what mercy is all about. He said: 1) Mercy “is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. 2) Our salvation depends on it. Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. 3) Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. 4) Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life. 5) Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.” (Misercordiae Vultus, 2).

Solemnity of Corpus et Sanguinis Christi
Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a; 1 Cor 10:16-17; Jn 6:51-58

Points:

1. The celebration of Corpus Christi reminds of the difference between Holy Thursday’s celebration of the Last Super and the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Holy Thursday’s celebration of the Last Supper is the commemoration of the Institution of the Holy Eucharist while Corpus Christi is the commemoration of the Church’s devotion to the Holy Eucharist.

2. The Holy Eucharist which is adored and celebrated today finds its source in Christ. Before Nicodemus, Jesus declares that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him might not perish, but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). The Eucharist finds its source in the love of God (for God so loved the world…) and because of that love, God sent His Son. This Son now says: “this is my body…” “this is my blood…” Celebrating the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is re-trace the source and origin of the one who says: “Take this and eat it…” “Take this and eat it…” The Eucharist is born because of the Trinitarian love.

3. The Holy Eucharist speaks of the command of the Lord to remember and not to forget. In the First Reading today, the Book of Deuteronomy (deutero- second, nomos- law) recorded Moses saying to the Israelites: “Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert…” Do not forget the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery…” Therefore, the Holy Eucharist is a source of grace for those who remember the Lord and the Holy Eucharist becomes a venue for gratitude. Those who celebrate the Eucharist form a community of believers and also those who remember the Lord. Indeed, the Eucharist speaks of Jesus saying: “do this in memory of me.”

4. The Holy Eucharist encourages the actuoso participatio as a source of grace and strength. We all participate in Jesus even from the moment of our Baptism. St. Paul reminded the Corinthians in the second reading, “the cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” In the Eucharist we participate in the celebration of the Lord’s Paschal Mystery. It is in “participation” that we become part of the Kingdom. The rite of the Eucharist is a celebration of God’s redemption for us. When we celebrate the Eucharist, “faith is expressed in the rite, while the rite reinforces and strengthens faith.”

5. The Holy Eucharist is the food for our souls. It is even the Bread of Angels (Panis Angelicus). Every Eucharistic celebration we repeat the words of Jesus which are effective and true. During consecration of the bread and wine, we meditate and repeat the words of Jesus because Moses said: “not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.”

6. Jesus presents to His disciples the deepest way towards eternal life: to eat the Bread of Life. Jesus said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Many who tried to follow Jesus could not take his words: “to eat” His flesh for it was tantamount to cannibalism. Benedict XVI clarified: “In the Eucharist Jesus does not give us a “thing,” but himself; he offers his own body and pours out his own blood. He thus gives us the totality of his life and reveals the ultimate origin of this love. He is the eternal Son, given to us by the Father” (Sacramentum Caritatis 7).

7. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the venue where we give and entrust to Christ all our being, our pains, our future, our frustrations, our hopes, our desires, our disappointments, our feelings, our thoughts and everything. St. Peter Julian Eymard, the founder of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers in the 19th century said: “The Eucharist is everything, because from the Eucharist, everything is.” Besides, the saint said that the Holy Eucharist is where we feel and know of the immense love of God. He said: “The Eucharist is the supreme proof of the love of Jesus. After this, there is nothing more but heaven itself.”

Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist
Is 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Lk 1:57-66, 80

Points:

Celebrating the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist is a fascinating one especially how he points to the Savior and revealing the identity of Christ regarding to the people. Most images depicting the ministry of John the Baptist are all about his act of baptizing Jesus at the Jordan river. However, on this feast of St. John the Baptist, we may reflect on one of the famous images regarding him, and it is the image of the finger. His encounter with Jesus in the ministry would reveal the value of his finger pointing to Jesus to reveal the Savior’s identity.

1. The finger of John the Baptist pointing to Christ as the “Lamb of God.” In John 1:29 we witnessed John the Baptist pointing to Christ as the anointed Savior now approaches for Baptism. He said: “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” This act of pointing reveals Jesus as a priest and his priestly ministry. This symbolizes Jesus as the paschal Lamb to be sacrificed, celebrated, and worship. John the Baptist reminds us of our priestly vocation to be a “priestly nation, and a holy people fit for the Lord” (cf Exodus 19:6).

2. The finger of John the Baptist pointing to Christ as the “Baptizer.” In Matthew 3:14, we witnessed John the Baptist hindering Jesus to remind him that it is he should be baptized by Christ. He said to Jesus: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus retorted saying: “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). This act of John the Baptist illustrates the prophetic ministry of Christ. Jesus retorted John saying “allow this thing to happen now” it will have an important spiritual dimension in the future. He has to fulfill what the Old Testament especially the prophets spoke about the Christ. John the Baptist reminds us of our prophetic role. We have to think and move towards a definitive future.

3. The finger of John the Baptist pointing to Christ as the one who should increase. In John 3:30, we witnessed John the Baptist saying: “He should increase, and I should decrease.” This illustrates the kingly ministry of Jesus. As king, he should be the one to give authority to all leaders and kings of the world. The kings of the world should decrease as Jesus as the King of the Universe increases. The humility that kings should elicit before Christ becomes a gesture revealing Christ’s kingly identity.  As John the Baptist was born on June 24 which is the brightest of all days, should decrease because he is not the light while Jesus who is born in the darkest of all days should increase. In our life, the Baptist reminds us of our humility before the great king.

SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Rev 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10ab; 1 Cor 15:20-27; Lk 1:39-56 

Points:

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in both Body and Soul is one of the most moving and inspiring events in the life of Mary through Jesus. Pope Pius XII in his Apostolic Letter entitled “Munificentissimus Deus” clarified that Mary, through the grace of her Son, Jesus had been graced with her assumption by the power of her Son and need not wait for the consummation of the world for her to be called redeemed. He said: “She, by an entirely unique privilege, completely overcame sin by her Immaculate Conception, and as a result she was not subject to the law of remaining in the corruption of the grave, and she did not have to wait until the end of time for the redemption of her body” (MD 5). As we look up to Mary, who was pronounced “full of grace,” we ought to desire for the share of redemption Mary received from Jesus. Mary is the concrete sign of God’s goodness and love for all mankind. These would be the reasons for celebrating the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary.

First, the new title of Mary as Ark of the New Covenant. In the First Reading today, Mary is introduced as the “Ark” of the New Covenant. In the vision of St. John, he wrote that the Temple was opened, and there he saw the ark of the covenant and a great sign appeared in the sky, a “woman” clothed with the sun. The mention of Mary as the promised woman by God in the Book of Genesis and the redeemed woman after the resurrection of Christ. Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant because she carried in her womb the Savior of the world. In the Old Testament, the ark of the covenant was made of wood but now it is a woman in whose womb carried the “Word” that became flesh. Benedict XVI said: “Mary expecting the birth of her Son Jesus is the Holy Ark that contains the presence of God, a presence that is a source of consolation, of total joy.”

Second, Mary is the figure of a redeemed human being. In the second reading, St. Paul reminded the Corinthian community that “the last enemy to be destroyed is death.” It was St. Paul who said: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). Death is inseparable from sin thus, the grace of forgiveness, the gift of holiness of life, the virtue of purity, and the work of sanctification reaps eternal life. Mary is the image of a redeemed humanity and the picture of a redeemed Church. Mary illustrates the power of God’s grace in man. Benedict XVI said: “God is man’s home.” The home of man is not in this world but in God’s prepared space for us. Benedict XVI continued to say: “in the Assumption we see that in God there is room for man, God himself is the house with many rooms of which Jesus speaks of.” (cf. Jn 14:2) The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary reminds us that we all have a place in God’s life.

Third, the Assumption of Mary reveals the life we share in Christ. In the second reading today, St. Paul clarifies that since death came through one man, so the resurrection from death came through one man. Mary is the first to receive the fullness of redemption which Christ brought to the human race because she received the fullness of God’s grace. She was human but she received the honor and prestige in God and in the Church. Pius XII said: “when it was solemnly proclaimed that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, was from the very beginning free from the taint of original sin, the minds of the faithful were filled with a stronger hope that the day might soon come when the dogma of the Virgin Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven would also be defined by the Church’s supreme teaching authority” (MD 6). Mary also had her piece of share in the suffering of Christ. She had to face the challenges of being human that merited her prestigious place in the heart and mind of God. First, she gave birth to the Savior. The first reading says: “She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.” Second, she had to protect the Child from any form of enemy. The first reading continues to say: “the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.” Third, she had to escape and go to the wilderness as she escapes to bring the Child to Egypt to protect the child from Herod who was after of the Child. The first reading says: “The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God.” Mary had her pains, hardships, and challenges that Jesus had to reward her of total dedication to God’s will.

Fourth, the Assumption reminds us to the enormous love God has for us. The love and mercy of God overflows towards Mary and the Church. Mary is the concrete sign of God’s love to humanity. The glorification of Mary is the sign of God’s benevolence so that in Mary all will have to hope for a world beyond this earthly life. Pius XII says: “It is to be hoped that all the faithful will be stirred up to a stronger piety toward their heavenly Mother, and that the souls of all those who glory in the Christian name may be moved by the desire of sharing in the unity of Jesus Christ’s Mystical Body and of increasing their love for her who shows her motherly heart to all the members of this august body.” (MD 42). Thus, let us think, if Jesus promised the thief “today, you will be with me in paradise, where do you think will Jesus bring His own Mother?