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Homily for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time (July 13, 2025) Total Time: 11m44s

In this homily given on the Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (July 13, 2025), Fr. Mathias preaches on the essence of our Christian faith: love.  Our faith is ultimately about receiving the love of God in Christ and loving God and neighbor in response for the ultimate purpose of living with the God of love in heaven.    Because it's easy to dismiss our neighbor and pursue the world's definition of success, Father Mathias challenges us to remember that becoming a saint (loving God and neighbor) really is the purpose of our lives.  Father exhorts all of us to sincerely pray that God makes us a saint, which is one of the most important prayers we can say. 

Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 13, 2025

Mass Readings for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 13, 2025 Reading 1, Deuteronomy 30:10-14 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37 Reading 2, Colossians 1:15-20 Gospel, Luke 10:25-37

The Good Samaritan, the story of salvation, and "go and do likewise."

Delivered by Ariel from the Parish of Saint Albert the Great in the Diocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Exodus 1: 8-14.22; Rs psalm 124: 1-3.4-6.7-8; Matthew 10: 34 - 11: 1.SPIRITUAL SWORD The title for our meditation today is:Spiritual Sword. Why does the Lord Jesus describe the mission and coming of theKingdom of God in the forms of war, conflict and division? Jesus says to theapostles and all of us that He does not come to bring peace, but the sword. Thesword here is not in the physical sense that is used to cut off the head orinjure the body. But the sword or spiritual weapon that pierces into the depthsof the hearts and minds of men who are possessed by sin and in the power ofdarkness. The power of evil, sin and badintention cannot be defeated by human strength alone. What great, brave andsmart human person is, when he encounters the power of darkness, he will besubdued and perished. This power enters human beings with the aim of destroyingand afflicting those possessed either person or group of people. This powerdoes not have preference. It chooses anybody as its targets. It usually entersa person who is weak mentally and spiritually. One example for this should be theevil spirit happened to rule over the Egyptian king when Joseph the son ofIsrael had died. He was filled with the spirits of jealousy, discrimination,hatred, anger, greed and injustices. He decided to destroy the descendants ofIsrael by implementing forced labors and the killing of the newly born malebabies. The intention was to finally stop the increase number of thedescendants of Israel. The Egyptian King was fear that someday the Israelites wouldoutnumber his countrymen and eventually rule over them. This is a kind of war,like drawing a sword to cut off the spirit of human life and destroy thedescendants of the Israelites. The sword and war used in Egypt in thephysical sense had destroyed the human bodies, social and cultural life, andintegrity of life itself. The same sword and war but spiritually instead usedby Jesus to destroy the enemy namely sin and evil. The sword of Jesus is theWord of God with two equally sharp sides that protect and defend our spiritsand souls, considerations of the mind and the goals of the our hearts. So theWord of God is really the sword of the Spirit to destroy the spirit of darknessand any sinful act that destroy our dignity as sons and daughters of God. So Jesus says that He comes to bringdestruction and even division between brothers and sisters, because even in theclose relationship as a family there indeed exsists the power of darkness andevil that may continue to flourish. The Lord Jesus remains in his power to makeus sons and daughters of God to live righteously, peacefully and rejoice in theHoly Spirit. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... Encourage and fulfill our lives today, O Father, that the fire ofYour Spirit may burn our spirit to be active and diligent in fighting all kindsof darkness that can destroy us in any moment of our lives. Glory to the Fatherand to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...

Delivered by Christine Gunawan from the Parish of Saint Joseph Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Pontianak and Yurike Gunawan from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Deuteronomy 30: 10-14; Rs psalm 69: 14.17.30-31.33-34.36ab.37; Colossians 1: 15-20; Luke 10: 25-37.THE ONE VERY CLOSE TO US The title for our meditation on this15th Sunday in ordinary  timeis: The One Very Close To Us. Who is very close to us? Who is very close toyou? We can find the basic answer to this question in the second reading oftoday, from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians, that says about Jesusas the firstfruit of all creation, He is the head of all of us as the Church.The relationship between the head and the body is so united and we mean thatunity as an inseparable communion. Based from this understanding, we canhave a framework for further understanding of our closeness with others aroundus. The aspect of closeness comes from God. If some religons or a particular beliefin the world today view God as a very distant Being or unreachable Lord, we asfollowers of Christ do not. God incarnates in this actual world and us whoinhabit it. Jesus Christ teaches us to address the Lord as our"FATHER" who is generous, merciful and full of love. The personification of God as  the "Father" is very well shown byEvan, a grade 3 boy who is student of the elementary school. When asked abouthis understanding of the benevolent and loving God the Father, Evan said likethis: "Even though I did not see God the Father directly, but my fatherand mother always hugg me when I am tired and sick, then I know that God ishere to help me." For Evan, and according to our readings today, the onevery close to us is God Himself. He chooses to be close and living with us. To know and realize the presence ofGod does not need to exhaust our energy, mind, and all efforts to go out fromour places and seek Him. The book of Deuteronomy in the first reading says thatthe Word of God is within us: stored in our hearts, conceptualized in ourminds, arranged in the mouths, and made ready to be used and carried on ourfeet and hands. In short, God himself animates and uses ourselves to live andwork in this world. Jesus Christ explains this closeness by teaching that Godhimself is also found in our neighbors. So the ones who are also very close tous are our neighbors. Before I was present in this world, there were others whohad been ahead of me such as our parents, brothers and sisters. When I enter aplace or area, there are others who have been there first. They are presentwith all their exsisting situations. Included in this are those who suffer, insickness and  the sinners. They have beenthere, ahead of my presence, and it is my duty to be part of their lives. Thereis something more, we have sacred duty to provide assistance or attention tothose who are most in need. You are never alone like an island in the middle ofthe ocean. Let's pray. In the name of theFather... O God the Father who is most generous, make us full of love and tolove our neighbors without counting any cost. Hail Mary full of grace ... Inthe name of the Father...

Delivered by Elyanne from the Parish of Saint James in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Genesis 49: 29-32; 50: 15-26a; Rs psalm 105: 1-2.3-4.6-7; Matthew 10: 24-33.TRANSPARENCY Our meditation today is entitled:Transparency. When people talk about transparency or openness, it is like lookingat an attractive girl. Today more and more people want to speak and understand whattransparency is all about. With the support of digital media, there are no morebarriers that limit personal data. Personal or group information is easilytracked through the internet. Any mode of work of exraordinary crime is easilyknown by Syber technology, so people are very careful about their digitalfootprints. Let us see this following illustration.In the past, the first human beings hid themselves after they fell into sin butthen God found them out. Then in His days, Jesus said that there is nothingclosed that will not be opened, there is nothing hidden that will not be known.These two descriptions may be considered somethings of the ancient time.Meanwhile, most of us today tend to think that hiding, being closed, or in secretis the personal business of every person. There are secret techniques andsystems that are used as if there is no human person, even God himself can knowit. That's how things are perceived, sothat people are so free to do as easily and promptly as they are in closed orhidden places. One hidden or secret act successfully done, will continue toproduce another hidden act and so on. Someone saw his fellow did evil  in hidden, but he was silent or afraid tospeak out, or even collaborated in that evil deed. Those who do not know tohide, learn from those who are experienced or experts in hiding. This is thebiggest challenge to transparency. The secret of the salvation for thefamily of Israel was kept for a long time by Joseph, who at that time becamethe chief official in Egypt and who had gathered all his family from Canaan.Towards his death, he revealed the secret that in proper time God would guidethe Israelites out of Egypt, to return to their ancestral homeland. With theseexamples, God actually wants to teach us that transparency is His divine will.The essence of God is openness. In the Trinity itself there is communication,and the most importat openness of God for His people is the incarnation, whenGod descended from His throne and became a human person. Actually, the purpose of transparencyor openness is to produce and maintain the truth. Philosophy teaches thissimple lesson: the absence of truth is a fault or untruth. We must also say thesame: no openness means closedness or concealment. So actually in the beginningthere was only truth and openness. Faults and closedness exist because there isno truth and transparency. Let's pray. In the nameof the Father ... O Lord of truth and justice, when we are unable to livehonestly, fill us with the Spirit of truth. Our Father who art in heaven ... Inthe name of the Father...

Delivered by Shendy and Andrew Jost from the Parish of Saint Albert the Great in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Genesis 46: 1-7.28-30; Rs psalm 37: 3-4.18-19.27-28.39-40; Matthew 10: 16-23.THE SPIRIT WHO SPEAKS The title for our meditation today is:The Spirit Who Speaks. A friend who is a priest has been a missionary for manyyears in a very remote and far away country. He even got a privilege to servethe Local Church and his religious congregation through various importantpositions. He said that, the secret he is very well accepted in the internalcircles of the Church, fellow members of his congregation and the people of thearea, is because he really enters into the hearts of people. He intended to explain that tounderstand what the locals' hearts and minds say, you must enter into theircircle and actively talk with them. Ironically, the culture of that societydoes not show that they like to talk openly and to freely express themselves.In general they seem silent and reserved. To other people or guests, someoneneeds to bow his head to show a proper way of speaking and communicating. According to the missionary, if youwant to be in their midst and understand their conversation, you need to bewith them when they talk and share about themselves and their lives. Whenexactly is that moment? He said, when they are drinking beer or alcoholicdrinks. The spirit or energy that makes them speak and express themselves isalcohol. Without that spirit and without being with them, a missionary or guestis still considered foreign to them, and is never considered belonging to them. For all people as we communicate aboutthe identity of our faith, Jesus Christ reminds us that we will be likestrangers in the midst of the world. We are like sheep in the middle of wolves.One simple example. I, who have faith and knowledge of God, I am in the midstof digital communication with its culture and ways of communication. I have totry my best to enter with my Christian spirit and values, which may fail or canbe carried away by the huge manifestations of the digital world interaction. Thereis a common choice to make is to do a compromise. In the midst of today's worldcomplexity, God teaches us to have the ability to hear and obey the Holy Spiritwho speaks. We do not choose the spirit of alcohol or the type of pleasure ofthe flesh or the world to make us speak. We need to provide appropriate spacein ourselves for the Holy Spirit so that He speaks to us, and sends us to speakto the world around us. That space is our heart and mind, which is in every personin good will and faith. That space can also be our families, groups andcommunities. Let us give the place and time for the Spirit to speak. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O most Holy Spirit, come to us and speak to us according to Yourwill. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the nameof the Father ...

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Today the Church recognizes the exceptional men, women, and even children who accepted the ultimate sacrifice for the Christian faith in China between the years of 1648 and 1930.  Their story could be said to have started in the 600's when monks arrived in China from Syria. Unfortunately, these monks not only carried silk to be traded with the Chinese people, but also the Nestorian heresy which denies the divinity of Christ. The Chinese emperor welcomed the monks and permitted them to share their faith. Over the next couple of centuries, churches were built and converts were made. Persecutions began in the 8th century, however, until almost all the Nestorian Christians were wiped out.  The Spanish Dominican priest, Fr. Francisco de Capillas, arrived in China in the mid-1600's after spending twenty years in the Philippines. He was successful in winning over many converts and started a lay order of Dominicans. The tolerant Ming Dynasty was then replaced by the Qing Dynasty and persecutions began again in earnest. Fr. De Capillas was arrested for “teaching false doctrine” and opposing the new emperor. He was beheaded while praying the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary in 1647. Persecutions settled down after Fr. de Capillas' death, but that changed in 1707 when the Pope Clement XI issued a decree forbidding ancestor worship. The Emperor used this as an excuse to expel all Christian priests, confiscate church lands, and close all churches. By the end of the 18th century, there were only one hundred thousand Christians left in the country and they had to practice their faith in secret.  Fr. Augustine Zhao Rong, whose name is attached to today's memorial, was a Chinese soldier ordered to accompany a French Bishop, John Gabriel Turin Dufresse, to his imprisonment and martyrdom. Zhao Rong was impressed with the Bishop's gentle demeanor and courage. Upon the completion of his duty, he asked to be baptized. He progressed in the faith until he was the first native Chinese to be ordained a priest. Fr. Augustine was later arrested, tortured, and died of his injuries in prison.  Other persecutions followed, the worst during the Boxer Revolution in 1900, which produced eighty-six martyrs including many religious sisters, priests, catechists, and other laity. The final two martyrs honored today died in 1930.  In his canonization homily, Pope John Paul II said:   Today the Church is grateful to her Lord, who blesses her and bathes her in light with the radiant holiness of these sons and daughters of China… Young Ann Wang, a 14-year-old, withstood the threats of the torturers who invited her to apostatize. Ready for her beheading, she declared with a radiant face: “The door of heaven is open to all,” three times murmuring: “Jesus.” And 18-year-old Chi Zhuzi, cried out fearlessly to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: “Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian.”  May our prayers join the prayers of our Christian brothers and sisters in China as they continue to inspire new converts to the faith. St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, pray for us.  Blessings, Fr. Kevin MacDonald, C.Ss.R.

Delivered by Josephine Mercy Ho from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Genesis 44: 18-21.23b-29; 45: 1-5; Rs psalm 105: 16-17.18-19.20-21; Matthew 10: 7-15.GRATIS Our meditation today is entitled:Gratis. A promotional board that stands in front of a restaurant states:"Welcome! Here you get gratis for some and not gratis for others." Agrandfather and his wife wanted to eat at the restaurant. The restaurant ownerwarmly welcomed them. They talked much about various topics before the food wasserved to them. Before eating, grandma told the waitress that they wanted toget a free offer of the restaurant. After eating, a payment note waspresented to that elderly couple. Of course it surprised them, because from thestart they had wanted the gratis offer of the restaurant. "Because it iswritten ‘Here you get gratis for some' and so we choose the free one".Then they got an explaination that said the food and drinks consumed must bepaid. While the free ones are moments of friendship, encounters, greetings,sharings, conversations and exchange of ideas that they had done. Despite theprotests, the rule is always clear: food and drinks must be paid. Free offering or gratis is a form ofgenerosity. A free attention or gift is done on the basis of freedom, joy, andlove, so that both the giver and the person given experience a pleasant andcomplementary relationship. Today, the word of God speaks about free gifts inthe form of grace and divine mercy from God to the apostles sent to proclaimthe good news of God's Kingdom. The Lord says that they receive these gifts forfree, so they also have to share them for free too. God does not give them money or foodthat has its prices. God complements everyone with His grace, mercy andblessings. All these we receive for free. For example in terms of hospitality,which is one type of gift that is naturally in us. We smile, greet friendly,invite and get acquainted, then give the impression that our interlocutors areat home while talking to us, all of which are part of our humanity and the giftof love from God. It often happens that when we share free spiritualgifts with others, the reward we receive indeed extraordianry. We will receiveattention and love from more people. In the name of God, all gifts like thisare priceless blessings. Loveis its basic and core, not properties or things, as Joseph did to his brotherswhen they came up to the moment of brotherly reconciliation among them asbrothers.Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O generous and kind Lord Jesus, bless us always, that we may always begenerous as you are. Glory  to the Fatherand to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two otherswhom he sent ahead of him in pairsto every town and place he intended to visit.He said to them,"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.Go on your way;behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way.Into whatever house you enter, first say,'Peace to this household.'If a peaceful person lives there,your peace will rest on him;but if not, it will return to you.Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,for the laborer deserves his payment.Do not move about from one house to another.Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,go out into the streets and say,'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,even that we shake off against you.'Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.I tell you,it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpionsand upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two otherswhom he sent ahead of him in pairsto every town and place he intended to visit.He said to them,"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.Go on your way;behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way.Into whatever house you enter, first say,'Peace to this household.'If a peaceful person lives there,your peace will rest on him;but if not, it will return to you.Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,for the laborer deserves his payment.Do not move about from one house to another.Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,go out into the streets and say,'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,even that we shake off against you.'Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.I tell you,it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpionsand upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two otherswhom he sent ahead of him in pairsto every town and place he intended to visit.He said to them,"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.Go on your way;behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way.Into whatever house you enter, first say,'Peace to this household.'If a peaceful person lives there,your peace will rest on him;but if not, it will return to you.Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,for the laborer deserves his payment.Do not move about from one house to another.Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,go out into the streets and say,'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,even that we shake off against you.'Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.I tell you,it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpionsand upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two otherswhom he sent ahead of him in pairsto every town and place he intended to visit.He said to them,"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.Go on your way;behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way.Into whatever house you enter, first say,'Peace to this household.'If a peaceful person lives there,your peace will rest on him;but if not, it will return to you.Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,for the laborer deserves his payment.Do not move about from one house to another.Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,go out into the streets and say,'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,even that we shake off against you.'Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.I tell you,it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpionsand upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 6, 2025

Delivered by Vivian from the Parish of Saint Thomas the Apostle in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indoensia. Genesis 41: 55-57; 42: 5-7a.17-24a; Rs psalm 33: 2-3.10-11.18-19; Matthew 10: 1-7.LOST SHEEP Our meditation today is entitled: LostSheep. We do not feel strange or out of context about sheep often mentioned inthe scriptures, or expressed by Jesus Christ Himself, that refers to all of usas His followers. Even now, the intention is broadened to include all thebelievers living in this world as the sheep of the Lord. What God desires toall is that none of these all be lost. There is a fish in a pond that islonely, and has never joined other fish. He tends to hide behind rocks. Hispresence is unknown to others. A turtle passed around the rock and rebuked thefish: "You are a lost sheep. You are in here, but you make yourself lost,so you are alienated of this world." This simple illustration wants to giveus a hint about the loss and alienation of people in this world, even thoughthey are actually in the world, especially among those who love them. Suchlosses, in the understanding of living togetherness and social life, are oftenreferred to the marginalized or abandoned people in our society. The Scripturesand Jesus Himself say that they are the lost sheep. They must be sought, foundand brought home to the loving kindness of God the Father. In a particular point of view, theMother Church is very concerned and sad about her lost sheep. The universalchurch, the Local Church of the Dioceses, the territorial Church of theparishes and the most basic Church of our families, feel how painful suchlosses of their members. There are sheep who are lost because of the manychoices and offers of worldly manifestations directing them to the wrong paths.There are sheep who are excluded because of their evil behavior towards othersand are denied being part of the Church. There are sheep who abandon theirfaith and enter into other beliefs. There are sheep who deliberately andquietly move away or disappear from togetherness and brotherhood in the Church. What the Lord Jesus revealed in Histime about lost sheep, then the apostles were sent to bring them home, is areality that is very relevant to our situation. Each of us is supposed to carryout that mission. We take that responsibility with the aim of bringing back thesheep that have been away and lost. A disconnected relationship because of sinand evil that disowns one another, must be rejoint, as exemplified by Josephthe son of Jacob who was in Egypt, reunited with his family from Canaan. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O generous and kind Father, kindly look at us and restore us fromthe sins that alienate us from each other. Hail Mary full of grace ... In thename the Father ...

Homily for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time (July 6, 2025) Total Time: 15m6

Resemblance to Christ through the cross. 

A plan for life and spiritual success. Father Danny Herman delivers the homily at the 9 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville, Tenn.

Delivered by Joanna from the Parish of Saint Gabriel in the Diocese of Bandung, Indonesia. Genesis 32: 22-32; Rs psalm 17: 1.2-3.6-7.8b.15; Matius 9: 32-38.RISK OF LOVE The title for our meditation today is:Risk of Love. Someone who is famous is not spared from various kinds ofcontroversy. A good fame, for example as a generous person, does notnecessarily satisfy everyone. A good and sincere intention to love is notalways pleasing to everyone. Even a devout and strong believer can be acontroversy between people who like him and those who are jealous or dislikehim. In other words, the love we do toanyone, even to ourselves, always has risks. The light or heavy risks arevaries. For example, I am very tired and want to stay away from the crowd torest and reflect on myself about everything that has happened to me. That is aconcern and love for myself. But this is not well understood and accepted tothe people around me. Some might misunderstand and assume that I am selfish andavoid the opportunity to be together or work together. The risks of love are many. WithJesus' act of healing miracles, the general response of those around him waspraise or admiration for God's great work, and ridicule or rejection ofunbelievers. They alleged that Jesus performed a miracle with the power of theleader of the Satan. From this incident we can describe the various risks oflove we mean here. Our first and easiest risk of love isto obey God's command by avoiding evil deeds and to do good. For example, wesuppress evil intention to insult a friend, then replace it by greeting him asa friend as usual. The next level is that we do good and are not cared forappreciation from others. When you take care of a job properly and thoroughly,but there is no word of thanks given to you, or there isn't even a statementfrom someone: "Who did this work?" The third risk requires a great spiritof love, that we do good in secret, meaning that we don't need to tell anyone,which means we do not need to be appreciated by others. The fourth, evenharder, is that we do good and right, not only intending to be recognized byothers, but also preparing to accept their rejection because of the good we do.And the highest risk, is that we really want to do good and love those who hateor dislike us. This is Jesus' own action and He wants us to be able to do itnow and here. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O Lord, bless us that can we love as You always love us. Our Fatherwho art in heaven ... In the name of the Father ...

Mass Readings for 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 6, 2025 Reading 1, Isaiah 66:10-14 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20 Reading 2, Galatians 6:14-18 Gospel, Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

Homily given at St. Thomas à Becket on the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 6, 2025).

Delivered by Vici from the Parish of Saint John the Baptist in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. Genesis 28: 10-22a; Rs psalm 91: 1-2.3-4.14-15ab; Matthew 9: 18-26.GOD IS IN BETHEL Our meditation today is entitled: GodIs In Bethel. In the tradition of Judaism, bethel means the house of God. Thereis an altar inside where God is believed present. The Jews always call the nameof God with a loud voice because they believe that God lives far away inheaven. Bethel is just a representation or means to call and greet the AlmightyGod and to feel His presence. The story of how a Bethel was formedis a story about the journey of Jacob. In his long journey he stopped at aplace of worship for the gods of nonbelievers. He was exhausted and sleptthere, and in that sleep he met God in a dream, which gave him a vision. Hethen took the stone where he put his head, made it a memorial stone, poured oilon it, then named it bethel. How simple to make a house of God likewhat Jacob did. This is the making of the house of God that is free andpersonal that differs from how people today make chapels, churches, cathedralsor other houses of worship. Making a bethel, the place where God dwells as whatJacob did is the same as our understanding of the gospel and Christianspirituality that justifies each person's conscience to be the house of God. We often notice someone who waslooking for God but not even finding Him. It is something not really true. He issearching God who is actually living in Bethel, the house of God, namely hisown conscience. The Trinitarian God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit personified inJesus of Nazareth, strengthens our belief that there is truly the house of God,the bethel where God can be found. The Gospel of today tells that  an unbeliever officer came to Bethel, spokewith the Lord and asked for His help to bring into life his daughter who hadjust died. God dwells in bethel, that is our dailylife, starting with a simple prayer as soon as we get up in the morning untilwe raise our thanksgiving to Him when go to rest at night. We make ourselves asbethels, so we will feel comfortable, we are happy and firm with ourselves. Whenother people come to us, they feel close and at home with us. Furthermore, theplace and environment we are in is a bethel too, because we bring ourselves tothat place. Hopefully there will be a lot of blessings anywhere, where we areand work. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O God, we thank you for you dwell in our hearts,  the holy temples. May we always care for ourhearts to remain pure and obedient to you. Hail Mary full of grace ... In thename of the Father ...

2025 Jul 6 SUN: FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Is 66: 10-14c/ Ps 66: 1-3. 4-5. 6-7. 16. 20 (1)/ Gal 6: 14-18/ Lk 10: 1-12. 17-20 Our Scriptures begin today with an image from the prophet Isaiah of the most natural thing in the world: a mother feeding her child with her own milk. It is an image of comfort. And comfort is something that we all need. We turn then to the Gospel and it seems as if there's not much in the way of comfort. These 72 disciples are to go out on Jesus' command to proclaim the Kingdom of God in various towns. And Jesus himself seems to foresee, well, you're going in among wolves. That doesn't sound very comforting. They go in pairs and if we, if we reflect on this, we realize that if two people can get along with each other that would seem to be a proof of the integrity of what they are talking about. And it happens that they come back rejoicing. They are proclaiming and in so many cases successfully proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Now that expression is something that we hear very often but we may not have a good grasp of it. We know the kingdom of the world. We know that our world operates according to many rules that need to be discarded. We proclaim the Kingdom of God to the extent that our own hearts are changed, to the extent that we bring God's peace and love into our own social situations. And in fact we are instruments of this kingdom. Our hearts have been changed and from those changed hearts we bring comfort to the world and we ourselves find comfort. So we must all live on behalf of the Kingdom of God and we must all be disciples like these 72. We take responsibility for bringing good news to a world which needs to be healed and comforted. These 72 came back rejoicing. You and I, as we carry out our own discipleship, may find that the process is wearying; but we know that our God gives us the perseverance which is necessary for us to keep going. A perseverance which has a goal in mind: our own fullness of life. We hear today from St. Paul at the end of his letter to the Galatians and he is reflecting on the ways in which God has changed him and how he has found that he is to preach freedom to people across the world that he knows. And he is looking at his history of doing this and he says, I bear the brand marks of Jesus on my body. He is speaking about what can be seen. We have to look deeper and remember that, yes, with those brand marks in place there is also a heart which is overflowing and again saying I am here to give comfort to God's people.

Delivered by Nia from the Parish of Good Shepherd in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Isaiah 66: 10-14a; Rs psalm 66: 103a.4-5.6-7a.16.20; Galatians 6: 14-18; Luke 10: 1-12.17-20.THE SACRED NUMBER The title for our meditation today is:The Sacred Number. In the scriptures there are many numbers that are used toindicate important meanings about God's plan and work. One of them is number 70(or 72 according to other tradition). In the holy Gospel this Sunday, it issaid that Jesus Christ appointed and sent 70 of His disciples. Their duty wasto become servants of the Word of God. The number 70 was also used by Moseswhen he chose 70 elders to assist him in leading and taking care of the peopleof Israel during their wandering in the wilderness. The body of Sanedrin, theleadership of Israel as a nation, is a composition of council with 70 members.In Jesus' time, this number of 70 was a symbol to indicate that in this worldthere were 70 nations. Therefore Jesus sent the 70 disciples to each nation asapostles of the good news of God to them. The assignments for the mission wereindeed given priority to the 70 discipels. But we need to be honest that thecontents of the mission in the form of Jesus' commandments also apply to us. Inevery commission rite of the Eucharistic celebration and worship services, weare always sent to our Christian missions. The contents of the mission are inthe form of instructions on how we can carry out tasks as messengers of theLord. A messenger of Jesus must be a person who uses smartness andintelligence. This element requires that each messenger must have basicknowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Church that havebecome our sacred traditions. A messenger must equip himself withthe fullness of love, a form of selfless love, so that in every form ofself-sacrifice, he truly presents Jesus Christ Himself. The messenger is willedby God as a peacemaker, because it is a way to achieve a common living togetherwhere there is a life that is just, harmonious and solid. A messenger isexpected not to depend his life on mere worldly facilities and goods, such asmoney, clothes and food. All that, according to the Lord Jesus, is alreadyavailable in places and people to whom the messengers associate in theirmissions. Therefore the messenger needs to prioritize a simple lifestyle,meaning he depends entirely on divine providence. In essence, a messenger works not forprofit, but for saving souls and for the glory of God. But Jesus emphasizesthat if people do not accept all the preaching, ministry and work of themessengers, they are actually provide punishment for themselves and their ownlives. Let's pray. In the name of ...O most loving God, may we grow and renew ourselves as your trusted messengers.Hail Mary full of grace ... In the name of the Father ...

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Delivered by Bella from the Parish of Kristus Raja in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Genesis 27: 1-5.15-29; Rs psalm 135: 1-2.3-4.5-6; Matthew 9: 14-17.PARTY STYLE AND FASTING STYLE The title for our meditation today is"Party Style and Fasting Style. A party requires the presence of peoplewho celebrate it. In the family of Isaac, the feast was celebrated in such away, though through a tactic of lies when Esau was absent, while Jacob wasdisguised to occupy Esau's position, then the element of celebration wasfulfilled. It's very difficult to understand aparty or celebration is made without the presence of all people concerned. Aparty contains meetings, talks, eating, drinking, ceremonials, singing,dancing, fun, and enjoying the joy of each other. In this understanding, thestyle of a party is clearly very different from a fast. Doing a fast, the most importantaspect in it is to experience an absence and emptiness. Aspects that are partof the absence and emptiness are like not eating, no joyful fiesta like music,singing, dancing, and meetings. There is an understanding that the Most High towhich the party is directed, neither near nor present with us humans, so thatby fasting, one can have the opportunity to focus more on finding, seeking andhoping to be with Him. These two different styles arepresented in the Gospel reading of today. John's disciples and Jewish people ingeneral did not realize, that Jesus as God was with them. They consider God wasvery far, He must be sought and asked for His coming. The strategy was to fast.While the apostles and disciples of Jesus were experiencing joy and feastbecause the Lord Jesus was with them. When the day came, when Jesus was notwith them anymore, then they fasted. For us today, fasting is stillimportant as well as parties. The Church provides regular opportunities for usas the faithful to celebrate them according to the time reserved for each ofthem. Personal fasting is often an option when people want to do certainspiritual practice. The party is also carried out both jointly and personally,as an opportunity to celebrate the presence of one another, God and men.Anyway, each one is done well, regularly and cannot be mixed up. Respect andsupport for others who are fasting or having parties are highly recommended,thus avoiding actions or certain interventions that disturb dan create trouble. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O Lord Jesus Christ, give us all courage to obey Your teaching aboutfasting and penance, and may we be guided always in Your Spirit to be able tocarry out the discipline of spiritual life to reach perfection as You want fromus. Hail Mary full of grace ... In the name of the Father ...

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Delivered by Gabriella from the Parish of Good Shepherd in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Genesis 23: 1-4.19; 24: 1-8.62-67; Rs psalm 106: 1-2.3-4a.4b-5; Matthew 9: 9-13.LIFE AND DEATH IN FAITH The title for our meditation today is:Life and Death in Faith. Abraham and Sarai as God's chosen couple lived theirfaith fully, namely their lives and deaths were in God. Sarai died at the ageof 127 years, while Abraham died later at the age of 175 years. To this couple God gave such a greatpromise, which was to make it a blessed family with great and countless descendants.In fact, until they died, they had only Isaac as the only blessed son. Saraidied without seeing Isaac getting married and generating offsprings. Abrahamhimself also had no chance to see all the promises realized, while he onlychanced to see his two grandchildren, Jacob and Esau. Their faith remained strong but hadbeen tested, coupled with all the divine promises they had not yet enjoyed. Isthis a sign of the failure of faith? This is not the case. Rather, the LordJesus said that faith as small as a mustard seed will grow big and great,provided that faith is preserved and taken care. Jesus himself died at the age about 33years and declares Himself to be the Savior; He presented himself as the way,the truth and the life. But many people did not accept Him, and He wasabandoned by His disciples at the moment of His death. But this is not afailure of faith. In fact, good fruits come along in a world that is empoweredby the establishment of the holy Church. Faith preserved firmly in the Church. This church is built on the solidfaith of the first Christians with Jesus as the head. That solid foundation isthe faith of the apostles. Matthew the tax collector who was called by Jesus athis own time and received strong protests from the people around him, seemed tobe a wrong decision of faith. But he had proven to be one of the foundational figuresof the Church and is believed to have written one of the four Gospels. Of all the small, simple, yet strongand lasting examples of faith, stands together with God's plan and promise thatis so great, the best way to bridge this gap is when we commit to live and diein this faith. This means that our respective vocation is an important sign ofour faith. Joining this vocation is the work and responsibility we must carryout also in giving content to our faith. Then the fruits of our work, dutiesand responsibilities are signs of the fruits of our faith in God. So the advicefor us would be this one: do not underestimate your calling, work and fruits ofyour work. You certainly disappoint God if you underestimate or neglect them! Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... We ask for Your Fatherly blessings, O Lord, that our callings andworks give fruits that will contribute to the building up of our lives togetheron this world. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... Inthe name of the Father ...

Delivered by Ria from the Parish of Good Shepherd in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Ephesians 2: 19-22; Rs psalm 117: 1.2; John 20: 24-29.DISAPPOINMENT The title for our meditation today is:Disappoinment. It is not too much to reflect on the apostle Thomas with the feelingof disappointment. He is one of the 12 apostles who is unique. He is alsocalled Didymus and known as a person who is doubtful. He was with other disciples and manypeople in his time, had perceptions about Jesus the Messiah, who would become aking like David as the liberator of the State of Judaism. But this perceptionwas totally wrong. Jesus turned out to be executed so shameful. This clearlydisappointed many people who already believed in the power of the Messiah. Disappointment grew strongly amongmany of these people, and one of them was Thomas. Consequently he chosed tostay away, was ashamed and perhaps also cried over the regret for had beenfollowing Jesus all that long. Anyway, he was very disappointed. The testimonyof the women who met the risen Jesus, along with the story of other fellowapostles who saw firsthand the risen Jesus, was not an interesting thing forThomas. He was very disappointed, so he needed other evidence that was strongerand not just stories. A great disappointment must beovercome with a new spirit that is far more superior. This spirit is not enoughto be given by humans, but must be given from above, namely God's intervention.So Jesus himself came to give evidence of his own resurrection. With this superintervention of Jesus, the apostle Thomas could change radically through therecognition of his very strong faith, "my Lord and my God". Every one of us has experienceddisappointment, despair and broken-hearted. This condition varies from the simpledisappointment to the severe one. Whatever the conditions, the suffering of thistype requires recovery. For those who experience disappointment, despair orsevere broken-hearted, of course, they need spiritual treatment. This serves togive them a new life, a new spirit in the Christian spirituality, and the strongrecognition of faith in God. Then we may have the following wiseadvice proposed to all of us, namely, if you are now experiencing such severedisappointment, heavy despair or painful broken-hearted, rely always on God's powerand intervention. Avoid hiding yourself, crying over yourself, even the worstis blaming God. Every disappointment, hopelessness or broken-hearted has itstime to terminate. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... In your grace and power,  OFather, strengthen us to always be in Your love, especially whendisappointment, despair and hurt befall us. May the Virgin Mary, guardianangels and saints always accompany us in those difficult moments. Hail Maryfull of grace ... In the name of the Father ...

Delivered by Gladys from the Parish of Saint Gabriel from the Diocese of Bandung, Indonesia. Genesis 21: 5.8-20; Rs psalm 34: 7-8.10-11.12-13; Matthew 8: 28-34.JUSTICEFLOWS LIKE A RIVER Ourmeditation today is entitled: Justice Flows Like a River. In a particularkingdom, the king, staff and officials, and all its peoplelived in fairness and prosperity. This kingdom was prosperous because it had abundant wealth to sustain every family. The king made justice as the principle rule to be observed by every one. Justice aimed to maintain the prosperity and happinessof everyone in the entire kingdom. Themost important dutyto maintain justice is the law andregulation to be alwaysenforced as best as the power holder can do. This is the same to what the king ofthat kingdom had practiced which was to make justiceflowing its way like a river. The way of the river must not beblocked so that the water will not stopflowing. Justice must continue to go its way inorder to keep protecting sense of security, comfort, prosperity,and unity as the one citizenship of a nation from which every one lives in happiness and peace. If the good king and his kingdom were able to make such a life in the world so peaceful and prosperous, how much more a kind of justice that the Almighty God provides for us. God's justice must be far more powerful and cannot be competed by anyone's justice or whatever justice exists in the world. The Lord our God had had established justice and taught it to Abraham on how to treat his offspring, that according to God would be abundant.Abraham believedin that teaching and he indeed guidedhis family based on thewill of God. Nowthere is a simple question to raise here is this: What is the most suitable, most effective and easiest way to create justice in our lives? The answer should be in a negative way,namely by eliminating all forms of injustice and opression. Abraham and Sarah saw the potentialfor injustice to happen iftheir ownson Isaac and the child from Abraham's slave wife would live and share their lives together. Then a solution was taken by Abraham and his wife Sarah that eventually givingthose two sons of Abraham each ownplace and opportunityto be followed. Each person mustbe able to respond tohis own life that isaccording to his calling. TheLord Jesus had madeit very clear to uphold justice from God, by silencing and expelling the evil power who tortured and destroyed human life. It is so unfair if our life possessed and oppressed by the devil. If the evil spirit and all his influences remain in power and leading our life, there will be no way for us to have a true relationship with God. The evil spiritsin our world today manifest themselves in materialism and all kinds of world allurement. This destructivespirit must be first removed from our midst so that we can create a just and peaceful evironment. Through this way, the Holy Spirit will fill us with anew life-giving spirit. Peace is obtained by the creation and perseverance in justice. Everyone of us iscalled to create justice. Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O God Almighty, cleanse our lives from all evilinfluences from this world, so that we can fully lead our hearts to you. Our Father who art in heaven ... inthe name of the Father ...

Delivered by Samue Ivan Gunarsa from the Parish of Mary of All Nations in the Diocese of Bogor, Indonesia. Genesis 19: 15-29; Rs psalm 26: 2-3.9-10.11-12; Matthew 8: 23-27.STORM The title for our meditation today is:Storm. A person who is very distress, a family that is facing economicproblems, a Church hit by disputes between factions of faithful, and a countrythat is massively destroyed by corruption; these are all examples of stormsthat hit our human life. All people are affected by the damage of theirphysicall, mental and spiritual lives, just like natural disaster that destroysthe life of a particular neighbourhood. Various kinds of storms that threatenhuman life and their environment are known as the natural forces that do notprovide comfort and serenity, but trouble and destruction of life. When natureis calm and beautiful, we are certainly very fascinated to enjoy it. Naturetruly offers a kind of nourishment to our souls, so that we become peaceful andjoyful. But when nature rebels, for example hurricanes, floods, or earthquakes,human life instead perils. In the scriptures we can find so manynatural phenomena. In our lives, especially in the Indonesian lands, naturaldisasters have become the story of the entire population of the archipelago.Often people interpret every disaster as a form of punishment given by nature.The punishment is actually a consequence of human behavior which damages natureand does not care for the nature. This understanding can be further deepening.God allows the disasters or storms to happen to strike human life, so thathumans become aware of their sinfulness then return to God. The question we canwould be: by allowing that, is God far away and watching us suffer? Is itpermissible for humans to be tortured while God does nothing to protectcreation that He loves so much? Of course the answer is no. Godremains in the hearts of every human being. He is in the homes of families, inplaces where men work, and in all matters of this world. He lives there and isoften silent. We may be too busy with all things of the world, that is why wedo not remember and realize the presence of God in our midst. He seems to besleeping soundly in the midst of all the busy life of this world. But thestorm, even though as big as we cannot imagine, is impossible to eliminate thislife, because God is there, He is truly with us. We should always remember, realize andcall on Him when the storm comes and threatens us. With Him, even if the stormis real and very harmful, we are certainly able to face it. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O Lord, bless us that we are able to survive and face all kinds ofstorms in life. Our Father who art in heaven ... In the name of the Father ...

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Monday of the 14th Week of Ordinary Time  July 8th, 2014