Fr. Ken's Pastoral Care

Readings: Amos 5:14-15, 21-24; Psalm 50 and Matthew 8:28-34.  ASKING CHRIST TO LEAVE   After Christ rebuked the storm, “ He came to the other side of the sea, to the country of Gadarenes, where two men with demonic spirit met him, coming out of the tomb, so fierce that no one could pass that way. ” At the sight of Christ, they observed a superior power over them and they cried out, “ What have you to do with us oh Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time? ” The demons tormenting these poor men wanted to be left alone. They did not want Christ to interfere with their horrible work. Their cry was a way to tell Christ to ‘Mind your business! Do not interfere with our trade! Leave us alone, and go elsewhere!’ How often do we ask Christ to leave us alone and go elsewhere?   It is interesting to note that, even if the demons have nothing to do with Christ, He has something to do with them. Recognizing the person of Christ as, ‘Son of God’, they plead...

Add caption Readings: Amos 3:1-8. 4:11-12; Psalm 5:5-8 and Matthew 8:23-27.  SAVE US LORD, WE ARE PERISHING.    We celebrated yesterday the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul as our ancestors in faith. The liturgy of today present to us the little faith of the apostles, how their faith was shaken to its foundation by the great storm as they cried for help, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” As storms make trees takes deep roots, in the face of anxiety and danger, God saves those who put their faith and trust in Him.   The Gospel present to us that Christ was asleep when the disciples were terrified of the great storm. It must have seemed strange to them that Christ could sleep in the midst of such a great tempest, as the boat was swamped by the waves. It convey a “dramatic contrast”; the storm raged, the disciples panicked, “But He was asleep.” We are impressed by the fact that He needed to sleep , showing His true humanity. He became tired and would sometime...

Readings: Acts 12:1-11; Psalm 34; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 and Mathew 16:13-19.  OUR ANCESTORS IN FAITH: THE TWIN FOUNDATIONAL “PILLARS OF THE CHURCH” IN ROME.     We realize many of our ancestors fought so hard so we could have the opportunities we have today, we appreciate them for the sacrifices they made for us and we learn from them the lessons for today. Today we celebrates the Solemnity of two most influential icons in the history of the Church (Saints Peter and Paul), who gave their lives for the sake of the Gospel. In relation to this that Tertullian said, “ The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity .” We have benefitted from it, can future generation benefit from us?   These two outstanding Apostle shed their blood for the Church of Christ to grow. There is a traditional story about Peter’s death in Rome during the persecution of Nero. When he heard about Nero’s plan to burn the city and blame the Christians Peter knew that the Church leade...

Readings: 2 Kings 4:8-11; 14-16a; Psalm 88:2-3, 16-19; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 and Matthew 10:37-42.  SENSITIVITY TO THE PLIGHTS OF OTHERS.    Sensitive people love deeply and think about life. The simple thing sometimes means the most to them. They are soft and do not let the world make them hard. They do not let pain make them hate, and do not let the bitterness in the world steal their sweetness. Today’s liturgy calls us to welcome Christ in our heart through His messengers and ask ourselves, are we sensitive to the needs of those around us? Are we generous to them or do we just act indifference to their needs?   The first reading present to us, a remarkable relationship between Elisha and the Shunammite woman who sought to do something for the prophet. Elisha did not seek anything from this woman; she eventually persuaded him to eat some food as the guest of her hospitality. Together with her husband, they were sensitive to the plight and immediate need of the...

Readings: Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19; Psalm 74 and Matthew 8:5-17.  ONLY SAY YOUR WORD AND MY SOUL SHALL BE HEALED  When life is heavy and hard on us, we lament badly. We lament when things do not go down well with us. If I may ask, must we lament in such situations? Even if we have to die, must we die lamenting? Is there anyone being hindered from smiling, cheerfulness and contentment in the midst of adversity? We can moderately lament on our past sorrows and for sorrows to come, we can wisely seek to prevent them. Yesterday we heard the laments of the Israelite on the rivers of Babylon in Psalm 137 and today’s liturgy calls us to reflect on the book of Lamentations and the laments of the centurion towards Christ. The book of Lamentation is a collection of five poems mourning the conquest of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah. The book has traditionally been ascribed to Jeremiah in reference to 2 Chronicles 25:25 to the prophet composing a lament to the king ...

Readings: 2 Kings 25:1-12; Psalm 137:1-6 and Mathew 8: 1-4.  COMPASSIONATE GOD.    True compassion, is when you look beyond your pain and see the pains of others. It is an action word with no boundaries, which the liturgy of today calls us to reflect on.   The Israelites had a covenant with God, they were blessed and cherished by God insofar as they kept His law, as they had promised ; but if they abandoned the covenant they would be punished with exile and disaster. This is precisely the reason, why the Babylonians invaded them and carried off to shameful exile, as described in the first reading, Judah taken into exile out of his land. The reading present to us a compassionate God who allowed Jerusalem, the holy capital city of his people, to be destroyed, its temple burnt to the ground, the survivors of the long siege to be deported, with only a remnant left behind.   Today’s Psalm (137) gives insight to this event, “ By the rivers of Babylon there...

Readings: 2 Kings 24: 8-17; Psalm 79 and Mathew 7:21-29. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO HIS WORDS; WE NEED TO ACT ON THEM.   If we observe keenly, for weeks we have been listening to Christ’s Sermon on the Mount and today the Gospel present final section of His great Sermon. In this final section, Christ gave two claims of Lordship, the false lordship and the true Lordship.   We hear Christ saying in the Gospel, “Not everyone who call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is heaven.” He is saying to us that is not enough to say “Lord, Lord,” for we must also do the will of the Father in heaven. This warning of Christ applies to people who speak or say things to Christ or about Christ, but do not really mean it; they simply say the words very superficially. Their mind is elsewhere, but they believe there is value in the bare words and fulfilling some kind of religious duty with no heart, no soul, not spirit, only ba...

Readings:   Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 139; Acts 13:22-26 and Luke 1:57-66, 80.  BIRTH AND NAMING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.    When Christ said, “I tell you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John, yet even the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than him” (Lk 7:28). Just like the event of his naming on how people wondered on what will become of the child, many of us will begin to wonder, what is it that is unique about this man called John the Baptist? Some might wonder why is it that his birth is such a big feast, that even when it falls on a Sunday, it remains immovable? Some have ask why is his birth celebrated in the month of June?   To begin with, the date adopted for the solemnity of the birth of St. John the Baptist is calculated by reference to another important solemnity in the Church. Precisely three months ago, on March 25th, we celebrated the feast of the Annunciation, the feast the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus...

Readings: 2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36; Psalm 48 and Matthew 7:6, 12-14.  DIFFICULTIES IN DEALING WITH SUCCESS.    If the Lord does not build a house, in vain do its builders labour; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil (Ps 127:1). This psalm portrays the liturgy of today, not to depend on our reasoning and success alone, but on God and to follow His ways.   In the first reading, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria sent messenger to Hezekiah saying, “ Do not let your God on whom you rely deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the Assyrians. ” While the Assyrians empires spread to different cities and nations, this threat came to Hezekiah that their city would be delivered to the hands of Assyrians. In his pride, the Assyrian king did not hesitate to claim divine status and dared to blaspheme the Lord. Emboldened by their wealth and military might the Assyrians felt secure agains...

Readings: 2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18; Psalm 60 and Matthew 7:1-5.  PASSING JUDGMENT UPON OTHERS.    There is a story behind every person, which should always come to mind before judging them. Sometimes, we realize that everything we judge in others is something within ourselves we do not want to face. While some of us will be quick to judge Israel as the Lord removed it out of his sight, Christ in the Gospel calls us to look inwardly before passing judgments to others.   The first reading present to us how the Assyrians conquer the northern kingdom of Israel. Some of us will be quick to judge them as they sinned against God of which resulted to their defeat and captivity. It was a problem of sin. Those that may raise critics on Israel’s defeat, are they free from sin? Sometimes we see ourselves breaking the covenant we made with God, which in this case are embedded in our baptismal promise. This reading encourage us not to be quick in condemning others but rat...

Readings: Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 68:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35; Romans 5:12-15 and Matthew 10:26-33.  PERSECUTION, SIN, AND DEATH.   As we celebrate the twelfth Sunday in ordinary time, some comforting words of the Lord run through my mind, “ Wherever you go, I shall go; wherever you live, there shall I live… ” These promises of God in Ruth 1:6 build our trust and confidence in Him. He will continues to deliver us from all that threatens, and make life difficult for us, of which includes persecution, sin, and death as seen in the readings of today.   The first reading present to us how God delivered the prophet Jeremiah from the deadly plots and hands of evil men. He said, “ I heard many whispering. Denounce him !” It has often been observed that Jeremiah’s doubts were never expressed in public. Outwardly, he was the firm, unyielding prophet of the Lord, conveying faithfully the divine will to his people. But when alone with God, the tensions of his position were revea...

Readings: 2 Chronicles 24:17-25; Psalm 89 and Matthew 6:24-34.  GOD AND MAMMON     The day after the celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Mother Church celebrates the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The closeness of the two celebrations shows how the heart of Mary is close to the heart of her Son. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her joys and her sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, her love for God and a compassionate love for all people. The traditional image of the heart of Jesus is of a pierced heart, a heart that has suffered because of love. The heart of Mary is also a pierced heart. When Jesus was presented in the Temple, Simeon said to Mary, “A sword will pierce your heart” (Lk 2:35). Mary, like her Son, knew the pain that love brings, and when Christ went missing at a tender age, she suffered the pain of loss in her heart just like everyone who has ...

Readings: Deut. 7:6-11; Ps. 102:1-4, 6-8, 10; 1 John 4:7-16 and Mt 11:25-30.  THE HEART OF LOVE.    The heart has been the center of the human person, the wellspring of our emotional life and love. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, of which we meditate on His interior life and the attributes of His Divine Heart. This day, we can gain plenary indulgence by making an Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart.   Historically, it is a devotion that has been on since the Middle Ages and became widespread in the 17th century owing to the preaching of St Jean Eudes (1602-1680). It gained greater ground through the visionary Margaret Mary Alacoque of Paris, until 18th century, the devotion was only in France and was later extended to the universal Church by Pope Pius IX. Today, the devotion to the Sacred Heart underlines the centrality of Divine love, encouraging all to trust in God’s overflowing benevolence towards the world He has made. ...

Readings: Sirach 48:1-14; Psalm 97 and Matthew 6:7-15.  THE PATTERN OF ALL PRAYERS.  This week, Clerics of the Catholic Church have been reflecting on the treatise of St. Cyprian on the Lord’s Prayer as contained in the Divine Office. Similarly, the liturgy of today calls us to reflect on this prayer taught by Christ himself as the pattern of all prayers after urging his disciples not to use empty phrases like the Gentiles do, for God knows what we need even before we ask him.    The pattern of prayer Christ gave us is public prayer and is for all. When we pray, we pray not for single person but for the whole people, because we are all one. That is why we do not say 'My Father, who art in heaven', or 'Give me this day...' but 'Our Father..." An indication that we share in the sonship of Christ, the teacher of harmony, who taught unity and wants us to pray for one another. The singular pronoun is absent. Man enters the presence of the Father, and then pray...

Readings: 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14; Psalm 31 and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18.  DOUBLE STANDARD LIFE   When a person attempt to do something good for the community or family as it may be, we find ourselves giving different interpretation to it. Some of us sees the person as seeking favour from higher authorities or superiors. We sometimes tag such persons with names that discourages them to continue the good works. Today’s liturgy present to us the good legacy Elijah left with Elisha and the motive or intention behind the good works we do.   The first reading gives us the account of Elijah’s ascension into heaven by a whirlwind. Before his departure, he invited Elisha to make a request, Elisha asked for a double portion of the mighty spirit of Elijah. He saw how great the Spirit of God worked through Elijah, and he wanted the same for himself. The idea of a double portion was not to ask for twice as much as Elijah had, but to ask for the portion that went to the firstborn son, a...

Readings: 1 Kings 21:17-29; Psalm 51 and Matthew 5:43-48. THE BLEND OF JUSTICE AND MERCY   Yesterday we saw the abuse of power expressed by King Ahab and his wife Jezebel of which they unjustly took the life of Naboth and took possession of his vineyard. Today’s reading reports a divine punishment that was predicted from God through the mouth of his prophet Elijah, that Queen Jezebel who was the brain behind the murder of an innocent man will go in for it together with King Ahab.   The word of the Lord came to Elijah to announce to them, who have killed and also taken possession of Naboth vineyard, “ Behold, I will bring evil upon you; I will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male… for the anger to which you have provoked me and have made Israel to sin .” He went further saying, “ The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the bounds of Jezreel. ” Naturally speaking, this is justice to the evil they have done and is considered as the Mosaic law of retribu...

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II. Readings: 1 Kings 21:1-16; Psalm 5 and Matthew 5:38-42. DO NOT RESIST ONE WHO IS EVIL. 15.06.2020.   What a sad story that was presented to us in the first reading of today, the judicial murder of the innocent Naboth is a glaring example of injustice. The story of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel towards Naboth expresses the misuse of power and a picture of a society where the ordinary people are seen as nothing and their human rights are being disregarded. Though King Ahab was unable to harm Naboth directly, but was a complicit to the crime of his wife for condoling evil just to have their will. Their combined crime of man’s inhumanity to man cried out to heaven for vengeance.   The Gospel of today present to us a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount. Christ interprets the law of retribution, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist...