26 January 2014, Sunday, Matthew 4:12-23 (Gospel and Homily)

Gospel, Matthew 4:12-23

12 Hearing that John had been arrested he withdrew to Galilee,

13 and leaving Nazara he went and settled in Capernaum, beside the lake, on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali.

14 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

15 Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali! Way of the sea beyond Jordan. Galilee of the nations!

16 The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who lived in a country of shadow dark as death a light has dawned.

17 From then onwards Jesus began his proclamation with the message, 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heavenis close at hand.'

18 As he was walking by the Lake of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast into the lake with their net, for they were fishermen.

19 And he said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.'

20 And at once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.

22 And at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

23 He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and illness among the people.

Homily

• If our dreams don't set in with reality, we leave them saying "It was never meant for me."

• Trials and challenges lead dreams to erode, thus easily giving up on those dreams.

• You can dream bigger than who you are.

• Limitations in life can sometimes be very very cruel. We want to go beyond our limitations, but not everyone can be successful.

• Everyday we have our own dreams, it is a part of our lives.

• Our day dreams are the closest desires and belongings to what God is offering us.

• if we try to look closely, our whole life is always hungry for something we do not know because some of that something we do not have. 

• Most authentic of our dreams - something that we do not know, something that we do not have and something that we cannot live without.

• In our dreams we are the greatest person, and it is not being selfish. 

• In our experiences, we end up suffocating ourselves. We change our big dreams to small but many dreams and yet it is still not enough to replace the big ones. Then we become sad and feel suffocated. 

• Repentance in the time of Jesus is not just being sorry, but to really change your ways. If it is possible, change your career and your whole life.

• If it is not working for you, go for something that God is offering you so that you can live a worthy life.

• You cannot find something that you do not have, something that we do not have a name for, something that you could not live without in places where you expect to find it.

• Be adventurous. Don't just go for the usual. Don't just go for the ordinary. God Himself loves adventures.

• God is most of the time in the unexpected of places and you will meet Him in the most unexpected persons in the most unexpected moments.

by Rev. Fr. Ramon N. Eloriaga

Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph - Project 3, Quezon City

26 January 2014, Sunday - 9:00 AM Mass

05 January 2014, Sunday: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord - Matthew 2:1-12 (Gospel and Homily)

Gospel, Matthew 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.



Homily


by Rev. Fr. Ramon N. Eloriaga
Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph - Project 3, Quezon City
05 January 2014, Sunday 9:00 AM