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KINGDOM WARRIORS EMMANUEL (4:43) – Discover how these twin babies reveal the mysteries and proof of the existence of God! What a miracle testimony it is!

Is there Life after Delivery?

Does that sound like the Sadducees’ argument in today’s Gospel? According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “God revealed the resurrection of the dead to His people progressively” (CCC #992). Resurrection is implied in the earlier books of the Old Testament, becomes clearer in the later books and is emphatically asserted in II Maccabees (Ex 3:6; Jb 19:25-26; Ps 16:9-10; 49:15; 73:24; Hos 6:1-2; Dn 12:2). The teaching of Jesus and the Apostles on this topic is crystal clear in the New Testament [Mt 26:17-31, 31-46, 28:1-10,  Mk 16:1-8, Jn 3:16, 5:29, 11:1-57, 11:25-26, 2:19,  20:1-18, 20:10-18, Acts 1:1-11, 2:23-24, Rom 1:3-4, 4:25, 5:8, 10:9, 1 Cor 1:15, 1:18,  15:1-58, Heb 11:1, 12:2, 1 Thes 4:13-18, 1 Jn 3:16, 2 Tm 1:10.]  Hence, the whole of Christian theology is based on the belief in our resurrection and everlasting life of reward or punishment.

SOURCE: Fr. Tony’s Homily’s

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

Riddles Answered by Jesus

HBO MAX (6:39) – Bilbo Baggins and Gollum compete in a game of riddles.

There are no riddles with Christ because He will always tell the truth and no one can outsmart Jesus because He is God! 2 NextLet’s start with some fun; many of you will recognize them right away, so if that is you, please don’t answer.

• What is it? A box without hinges, key, or lid; Yet golden treasure inside is hid. [An egg].
• What has roots as nobody sees, Is taller than trees, Up, up it goes, And yet never grows? [A mountain].
• It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, ends life, kills laughter. [Darkness].
• This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, and beats high mountain down. [Time].

These were riddles between Bilbo Baggins and Gollum in the book The Hobbit!

What’s the purpose of riddles? Riddles are used for trying to outsmart another person! We will note 2 riddles in our Gospel passage today. What were they, why were they asked, and what were the answers? (Rev. Paul Clemente).

SOURCE: Fr. Tony’s Homily’s

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

In the 1950’s, the movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was an exuberant, fast-paced musical about seven brothers on the frontier of the United States who were all looking for brides. Such “commodities” were rare in their part of the world. But, of course, in the end each brother got his bride.

The story in our Gospel passage for today is about one bride for seven brothers, but the end of the story is not as happy and upbeat as was the movie. The story is part of a “knock-down, drag-out” debate or argument between Jesus and some of his most powerful opponents.

SOURCE: Fr. Tony’s Homily’s

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

The Courage of Martyrs

EWTN (2:31) – In 2015 Pope Francis reflected on the life and death of Blessed Oscar Romero – Wyatt Goolsby shares the story of the martyr.

One of the most intense episodes in the film, Romero, was the martyrdom of Lucia, a young beautiful lady who cooperated with Bishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador in his fight for justice for the poor. Lucia, asleep in her room, was abducted from that room at night, and gang-raped, by her captors who brutally cut off her tongue. The government henchmen then brought her to the city dump to be executed. They shoved her to the ground and ordered her to kneel. Lucia defiantly rose from the dump. With dignity, she courageously faced her executioners who shot her to death. While her lifeless body crumpled upon the filthy garbage, the blood of her martyrdom fecundated the community of believers in El Salvador..

The martyrdom of Bishop Romero, Lucia and many others replicates the courage of the Jewish martyrs narrated in this Sunday’s Old Testament reading (II Mc 7:1-2, 9-14) and evokes the faith they had evinced in the living God who would raise them up to eternal life.

Book of Maccabees is the story of invaders who had the job of convincing the Jews who remained faithful to the Law and Covenant, to give up their Faith. The invaders met with heroic resistance. In today’s passage, the resisters express their hope of resurrection, and this hope helps them defy their persecutors. The selection describes a Jewish family, consisting of a mother and her seven sons, who refused Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ command to eat pork, (forbidden as “unclean” by Jewish law).  Because of their obedient Faith in God, they endure suffering and accept martyrdom.

The conviction that the dead would be raised on the last day was not widely accepted at that time, nor even by the time of Jesus. But in our first reading, three of the brothers speak, and each of them finds strength in the belief that he will eventually be raised by God. One says, “You may discharge us from this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up.”  Another says that he hopes to receive his severed limbs again in Heaven.  The fourth son also says that he is “relying on God’s promise that we shall be raised up by Him.”

SOURCE: Fr. Tony’s Homily’s

Jokes of the Week

1) Sign boards found on church property. A singing group called “The Resurrection” was scheduled to sing at a Church. When a big snowstorm postponed the performance, the pastor fixed the outside sign to read, “The Resurrection is postponed.”

2 When is the Resurrection? A young preacher, very zealous about soul-winning,  came upon a farmer working in his field. Being concerned about the farmer’s soul the preacher asked the man, “Are you laboring in the vineyard of the Lord, my good man?” Not even looking at the preacher and continuing his work the farmer replied, “Naw, these are soybeans.” The young, determined preacher tried again asking the farmer, “Are you prepared for the resurrection?” This caught the farmer’s attention and he asked, “When’s it gonna be?” Thinking he had accomplished something the young preacher replied, “It could be today, tomorrow, or the next day.” Taking a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiping his brow, the farmer remarked, “Well, don’t mention it to my wife. She doesn’t get out much and she’ll wanna go all three days.”

3) During a recollection for a group of high school students, a boy voiced a problem: “My eldest brother was born ten years ahead of me, but he died when he was only two years old. My mother died when she was 50 years old. Suppose I die at 60 and then meet my brother and my mother in heaven, would I be older than either of them?”

SOURCE: Fr. Tony’s Homily’s

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