How to Keep God Alive in Your Life.
February 13, 2022, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday of the Prodigal Son
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Gospel: Luke 15:11-32
 
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration

Below is the link to Sunday's homily.

https://youtu.be/gJxtmrMkUY8

Also below are the full homily and readings.
 
Homily.
In our Melkite Catholic Church and all other Catholic and Orthodox Churches that follow the Byzantine liturgical tradition, there are always periods of preparation for the major feast days of the Church year.
 
That is why we don’t just celebrate Easter; we prepare for it with an entire week of special prayers that help us re-live the events before Jesus died and rose from the dead. And we also don’t just celebrate that preparatory week; we prepare for it through forty days of fasting and praying. And we don’t just celebrate the forty days of fasting, we also prepare to begin our time of fasting by reflecting on important themes before we begin our fast.
 
Last week we began our preparations for the period of the Great Fast, sometimes also called Lent. Then after four weeks of preparation, we have a forty-day fast period which is our preparation for holy week, which is our preparation for Pascha, the great feast of feasts, which celebrates Jesus’ death and resurrection. Of course, the hope is that after all these preparations we will be prepared to sing “Christ is Risen.”
 
Last week we read the Gospel of the Pharisee and the Publican which focuses on the importance of humility for our prayer to be authentic and real. The humble Publican who went to the temple and bowed his head in prayer should be a model for us. Jesus says: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14). Jesus reminds us that before we even think about fasting, we need to work on humility.
 
Today is the second Sunday of preparation for the Great fast. It is called the Sunday of the Prodigal Son and focuses on the importance of self-knowledge and repentance. We can also say that last week was a preparation for this week as without humility we can never develop a true picture of who we are, and we can never be honest enough to admit that even if we were the greatest of saints we still need to repent.
 
We always need to remember that saints are those who know they are sinners, while those who remain sinners are those who cannot believe that God made them to become saints.
 
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son, which is one of the most famous stories in the Bible. It is quite a dramatic and touching story that focuses on the actions and attitudes of three people: the hard work and jealousy of the older son, the selfishness, ingratitude, but then repentance and humility of the younger son, and the enormous patience, mercy, forgiveness, and love of the father.
 
A parable is meant to teach us a lesson about how much God loves us, but how we are sometimes distant. In this parable, the younger son demands from the father his share of the inheritance. Since children get their inheritance when their parents die, the greed of the younger son led him to treat his father as if he were already dead. This parable is not meant to tell us how silly the younger son is, but is meant to challenge us to ask, among other things, whether God is alive or dead in our lives.
 
The fact that we are here shows that God is alive for all of us. But how alive God is in our life will be determined by how we live our faith the rest of the week. It is easy to love God when we are here praying, but it is much more difficult when we face tough situations that really challenge or shake us. How we live the rest of this week will show whether we are part-time Sunday Christians or genuine lifetime Christians.
 
In addition to inviting us to reflect on how alive God is in our lives, this Gospel also reminds us that every one of us needs to change and become better in some aspect of our lives. We need to always keep the healthy balance of knowing we are precious children of God while at the same time having the daily intensity of recognizing our failures and working on them so that our lives can reflect that we are truly children of God.
 
When the younger son realizes what he did was wrong he says: “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; [19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants’ ” (Luke 15:18-19). We all need to have that humility. When we return to our heavenly Father’s house, it is there that we will find mercy and love, not rejection.
 
Jesus tells us that when the younger son returned home, the father saw him in a distance and went out to hug him. This reminds us that God does not hide or close the door. His doors are not only open, but God is always looking for us. Even if we are distant for a week or for years, He is with us and waiting for our return.
 
There are many other important themes in this beautiful story found in Luke 15:11-32. I encourage everyone to go home and read it slowly and reflect on how the different parts of the parable apply to different elements in your life.
 
Are we arrogant or are we humble? Are we able to recognize our sins, ask forgiveness from those whom we hurt, and go to confession? Is God dead in our lives or are our lives proof of how alive and wonderful God is?
 
There are other lessons as well which you will find in this gospel when you reflect slowly on it.
 
Our preparation for the forty days of fasting, which is a preparation for holy week, which is a preparation for Easter, which enables us to sing “Christ is Risen” begins now. This time of fasting and repentance is above all meant to remind us that at the end of the journey we will celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death, but that victory is meaningless if we don’t renew ourselves through humility, fasting, prayer, and repentance.

When we pray more often, realize we need to be humble, and think of our sins, this time of year will not only be a period of preparation. It will be a time of true and authentic growth in our spiritual life and in our relationship with God, our heavenly Father, who is always with us, who always loves us, and who always patiently waits for us to commit and re-commit our lives to Him. 

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.

Brethren, all things are lawful for me, but not all things are fitting. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of anyone. Food is for the belly, and the belly for food, but God will destroy both the one and the other. Now, the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. For God has raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a prostitute? By no means! Or do you not know that one who cleaves to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For the two, it is said, shall be one flesh (Gn.2 : 24). But he who cleaves to the Lord is one spirit with him. Flee immortality. Every sin a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your members are the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God and that you are not your own? For you have been bought at a great price. Glorify God therefore in your body and in your soul which both are God’s.

Gospel: Luke 15:11-32.

The Lord told this parable: “A man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.’ And he divided his possessions between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered up all his wealth and traveled to a far country; and there he squandered his fortune in loose living. And after he had spent all, there came a severe famine over that country, and he began to suffer from it. And he went and joined one of the local landowners, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. And he longed to fill himself with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one offered to give them to him. But when he had come to his senses, he said, ‘How many hired men in my father’s house have bread in abundance, while I am perishing with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” And he got up and went to his father. But while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the Father said to his servants, ‘Fetch quickly the best robe and put it on him, and give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet; and bring out the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; because this my son was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came close to the house, he heard music and dancing. And calling one of the servants he asked what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has got him back safe.’ But he was angered and would not go in. His father, therefore, came out and began to beg him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look, these many years I have been serving you, and have never disobeyed any of your orders; and yet, you have never given me a kid that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours comes, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes; you have killed for him the fattened calf!’ But he said to him, ‘Son you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours; but we were bound to make merry and rejoice, for this your brother was dead, and has come to life; he was lost and is found.’”

How to Live True Humility.
February 6, 2022, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican.
Epistle: 2 Timothy 3:10-15.
Gospel: Luke 18:10-14.
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/xj0A0Qe6B6E The full homily and readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily.
It’s always good to thank God. After reading today’s Gospel, one thing we may thank God for is that we are not like this Pharisee who brags that he is “not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11).
 
Unfortunately, if we were to do this, we would fall into the same trap the Pharisee fell into by judging the hearts of others and comparing ourselves to others.
 
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable that focuses on humility as a requirement for prayer. He presents the actions of two individuals: one a Pharisee and one a Publican (or a tax collector).
 
Although Jesus often portrays the Pharisees negatively, during His time they were respected because they were considered experts in the Jewish law and followed it strictly.
 
Publicans on the other hand were looked down upon by everyone. Although, no one then or today likes tax collectors, Jesus presents the one in today’s Gospel positively.
 
When we hear this Gospel, the framework we initially see of a contrast between good person and a bad person is not necessarily the correct one. The richer framework of this Gospel is that a person who appears to be good and respected by many, that is the Pharisee, is only performing superficial acts of religion. Whereas, the Publican, who is a tax collector and is despised by many people, is in fact praying with a sincere and genuine heart.
 
So, this Gospel is not about a good person contrasted to a bad person, but about someone who appears to be impressive in the eyes of people but is not, and on the other hand one who is looked down upon by many people but in fact is presented as a model for humility and prayer.
 
Virtue is not something we can ever brag about. We can never say, “Oh, I’m such a humble person.” or “I really know how to pray very well.” The arrogance that is present when we say these things immediately undoes any virtue attached to the action we do.
 
In His life and teachings, Jesus offers us the best example of humility. He did not speak about how humble He was but rather demonstrated it through His words and actions. From Jesus’s birth we see that although Jesus could have been born in the greatest palaces of the world, He accepted, and we can even say He chose, to be born in humility.
 
Also, throughout His life Jesus maintained a humble approach as he says: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20// Luke 9:58).
 
Before his crucifixion Jesus further demonstrated His humility by washing the feet of His disciples, then telling them: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. [15] For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).
 
If we find it hard to be humble, all we must do is think of the life of Jesus who was exalted because he lived a life of humility. That is why Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel: “every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).
 
The humility of Jesus we are all invited to live is beautifully captured in Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians (2:5-11): “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
 
Today’s Gospel presents us with the importance of thinking about how we appear before God and not worrying about how important we appear before people.
 
This is a special Sunday because we enter a period of preparation for the Great Fast. Today is called the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican and next week is the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. After that we have two more Sundays of preparation called “Meat-Fare” and “Cheese-Fare” before the actual 40 day fast begins.
 
On this first notice of preparation that the Great Fast is coming the readings remind us that humility is the first and most essential step along this path.
 
Without humility no other virtue can be reached and without humility every achieved virtue is quickly undone. That is why Jesus sets before us the words of the Publican who prays: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Luke 18:13).
 
It is important for us to know our talents and it is also important for us to know our weaknesses and our faults so that we can continue to become better people.
 
We all want to be exalted, but often forget that before Jesus rose from the dead, He walked to the cross and experienced its pain and humiliation and throughout His life, Jesus lived humility in so many ways.
 
One thing we can focus on as we begin our preparations for the Great Fast is a life of humility. This is very different than a life of humiliation. We are humble when we recognize our gifts are from God and use these for the service of others. We are also humble when we don’t try to be recognized for every good that we do. Finally, we are humble when we don’t try to elevate ourselves above others or look down upon them.
 
So, try to be patient with someone you have difficulties with by seeing something good in them. Perhaps, we can try not to respond in a harsh way to someone who says something that offends you. Maybe we can make a special point of doing something good without having anyone know we did it. Or choose some other action or word that may reflect the humility and love of Christ.
 
Jesus’s life was a life of humility, and in wanting to be His disciples we have no other path but to follow in His steps.

Epistle: 2 Timothy 3:10-15.
My son Timothy, you have followed my teaching, my behavior, my faith, my long-suffering, my love, my patience, my persecutions, my afflictions such as befell me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, such persecutions as I suffered: and out of them all, the Lord delivered me. And all who want to live piously in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But the wicked and impostors will go from bad to worse, erring and leading into error. As for you, keep on with the things you have learned and which have been entrusted to you, and remember from whom you have learned them. For you have known from infancy the Sacred Scriptures which are able to give you instruction for your salvation by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
 
Gospel: Luke 18:10-14.

The Lord told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and began to pray thus within himself: ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, robbers, dishonest, adulterers, or even like this publican. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all I possess.’ But the publican, standing far off, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you; this man went back to his home justified rather than the other; for anyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself shall be exalted.

Are Lebanese Women Smarter Than Jesus?
January 31, 2022, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Epistle: Hebrews 13:7-16. Commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Hippolytus of Rome. Our Fathers among the Saints and Great Ecumenical Doctors, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.
Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28 (17th Sunday after Pentecost). Sunday of the Canaanite Woman.
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. The full homily and readings are below. https://youtu.be/blJ0w83NgRY
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily:
When you open a Bible, you will find that each passage has a title in bold that summarizes the main point of each section. For example, there are titles like “The Healing of Many People” or “The Feeding of the Four Thousand.” Although these titles are helpful, they can only give one aspect of a section.
 
The title of today’s Gospel passage in the Revised Standard Version is “The Canaanite woman.” The New American Bible is more specific: “The Canaanite Woman’s Faith.” Since these titles are not written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, but added by the translators and publishers to help guide our reading, we should feel at ease to change or add to them if this modification helps us better understand more elements of each passage.
 
Although the title of today’s Gospel is “The Canaanite Woman’s Faith” there are other important aspects of this story. In this passage, Jesus goes to the region of Tyre and Sidon, which is today in southern Lebanon. Therefore, we can also call this passage “Jesus goes for a walk in Lebanon.” But Jesus did not just go for a walk, He healed someone while there. Therefore, another title of this passage could be “Jesus heals the Canaanite woman’s daughter while going for a walk in Lebanon.”
 
But there is more to this passage than just these elements. Unlike other passages in the Gospels, here Jesus first seems to refuse to heal the girl. It is only when her mother shows both patience and great intelligence that Jesus responds “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire” (Matthew 15:28a). Then Saint Matthew tells us: “Her daughter was healed instantly” (15:28b).
 
I love this Gospel not only because it takes place in southern Lebanon where my family comes from, but also because it shows how smart Lebanese and other Middle Eastern women are. Although the apostles told Jesus: “Send her away” (Mt. 15:23) she ignored their negativity and was able to convince Jesus to listen to her. Since she outsmarted the apostles, another title we can give this passage is: “The Lebanese woman who was smarter than the apostles.”
 
Since all these titles highlight the many aspects of this Gospel passage, let’s look a little closer at the details. Jesus walks into a foreign region and while alone a Canaanite woman approaches Him. Every culture has tensions between ethnic groups within and neighboring groups.
 
In this case, she was a double outsider. She was a woman, and she was not Jewish. At that time, these were two very good reasons for Jesus and the apostles not to speak or interact with her.
 
When the apostles come and see a Canaanite woman speaking to Jesus, they want Jesus to ask her to leave and Jesus responds in a way that seems very rude to us. This is sometimes a controversial passage because people read it too quickly and miss the important nuances.
 
Before they came, Jesus was patiently listening to her and had not yet responded to her request to heal her daughter. Jesus had already broken two social expectations by speaking to a Canaanite and a woman.
 
Jesus only says what seems to be rude when the apostles become annoyed at the woman’s presence and ask Jesus to dismiss her. In the presence of the apostles, Jesus tells her “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (:26). This is not what Jesus believed about her, but how the Jewish culture of the apostles would have seen outsiders like the Canaanite woman. Therefore, what Jesus says is primarily addressed to the apostles and the culture that rejected her as a Canaanite and as a woman.
 
Today, some people have dogs at home and consider a dog their best friend, but in Biblical times it was an insult to associate someone with a dog.
 
In the famous story of David and Goliath, we read in 1 Samuel 17:42-23: “When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, ruddy and comely in appearance. [43] And the Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.”
 
In Psalm 22:16 enemies are called dogs. “Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet.”
 
In Proverbs 26:11 a foolish person is compared to a dog. “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool that repeats his folly.”
 
The Canaanite woman knew that since she was both a Canaanite and a woman, she would have been considered an outsider and looked down upon as a dog. However, the Canaanite woman went beyond this category and demanded mercy when she said: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (Mt. 15:26).
 
The Canaanite woman tells Jesus and the apostles that even a culture that hates dogs still feeds them crumbs. Therefore, although they consider her an outsider Jesus should still give her some attention and heal her daughter. She publicly shows how smart and persistent she is, and Jesus publicly tells her: “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire” (Mt. 15:28).
 
Initially, it seems that Jesus is insulting the woman. However, when we look at the details of this passage, we realize that Jesus was listening to the woman before the apostles arrived and only repeated the cultural disdain for outsiders when the apostles came and asked Jesus to dismiss her. In this case, Jesus is not rude to the woman but wants the apostles to hear how ridiculous it is to ignore those who are not in our cultural or social group.
 
She was a Canaanite woman, an outsider as a Canaanite, and a double outsider as a Canaanite woman. This important exchange enables the woman as a double outsider to publicly proclaim her faith in Jesus and to affirm how Jesus gives voice to the voiceless and invites all people in all nations to have faith in Him.
 
This Gospel passage has so many aspects and can have different titles. In the end, Jesus tells the woman: “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire” (Mt. 15:28). Yes, this highlights the woman’s faith and perseverance, but it also invites us to move beyond categories that we place on others and others place on us.
 
The Canaanite woman outsmarted the apostles and the culture that told her she was not worthy of Jesus’ healing. Are we able to outsmart systems that keep us quiet? And are we able to overcome our own perceptions that make us hesitant or fearful to approach God and welcome His love, mercy, and healing?
 
If we are smart, we can.

Epistle: Hebrews 13:7-16. Commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Hippolytus of Rome. Our Fathers among the Saints and Great Ecumenical Doctors, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.

Brethren, remember your superiors who spoke to you the word of God. Consider how they ended their lives, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes, and forever. Do not be led away by various and strange doctrines. For it is good to make the heart steadfast by grace, not by foods, in which those who walked found no profit. We have an altar, from which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle (Cf. Lv.16:17). For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holies by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people by his blood, suffered outside the gate. Let us therefore go forth to him outside the camp, hearing his reproach; for here we have no permanent city, hut we seek for the city that is to come. Through him, therefore, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise always to God, that is, fruit of lips praising his name. And do not forget kindness and love, for by such sacrifices God’s favor is obtained.
 
Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28. 17th Sunday After Pentecost.
At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me." He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Prepare to Face Your Consequences.
January 9, 2022, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday After the Theophany of our Lord.
Epistle: Ephesians 4:7-13.
Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily https://youtu.be/Sh88OVar2SI

The full homily and readings are below.

Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

Homily.
Preparation, perseverance, and consequences need to always remain connected in our minds as we live our day-to-day lives and especially as we dig into the significance of the major celebrations of the Church year.
 
The feast of the Theophany is one of our feast days throughout the Liturgical calendar that we celebrate on more than one day. Theophany is on January 6. There is also a period of preparation, so we celebrate it on the Sunday before the Theophany.
 
This great celebration is so important that it cannot possibly be quickly overlooked by commemorating it on only one day. That is why there is also a period of perseverance where we continue to celebrate it on the Saturday and Sunday after the Theophany.
 
The reason we celebrate important feast days on more than one day is to remind us that to truly value something we need to prepare for it in advance, celebrate it in a special way on the actual day set aside for it, then persevere to remind ourselves on the days that follow how important what we celebrate is. This helps us appreciate that although the actual day set aside has passed, in fact, it has not passed because it is intended as an ongoing celebration where we continue to live the consequences and implications of this celebration.
 
This way of celebrating liturgical feast days, especially the Theophany of our Lord, reminds us that people prepared for these great events that took place in the past and there are lasting consequences in our lives associated with this event.
 
We can see this in the details of our celebration of the Theophany where Saint John the Baptist plays a special role. Today’s Gospel tells us that after John’s arrest, “Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ” This is found in Matthew 4:17.
 
However, in chapter 3:2 of the Gospel of Matthew, John is the one who says: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Saint John the Baptist prepared himself and others for the coming of Christ and it was through John that Jesus’s divinity was revealed. We also see that because of John’s faithfulness in proclaiming the word of God he was thrown in prison.
 
Every iconostasis in all byzantine Churches throughout the world, has Jesus’s mother, Mary, the Mother of God at Jesus’ right, and John the Baptist at Jesus’s left. By placing the Mother of God and John on Jesus’s right and left we show how important they are, but what many often overlook is how much they also suffered because of their faithfulness to Jesus.
 
The prophet Simeon prepared the Mother of God for the agony that she would experience when he told her: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against [35] (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed’ ” (Luke 2:34-35).
 
The place on the right and left of Christ may be places of honor, but they are not places of comfort.
 
James and John thought they were when they asked Jesus: “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory” (Mark 10:37). Jesus made sure that he gave them a clear response when he said: “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (Mark 10:38)
 
Being a follower of Christ is an honor, but it also requires perseverance in the truth, which always leads to suffering. Without some sort of discomfort and suffering, we cannot expect to get close to Christ.
 
This pattern of preparation, perseverance, and consequence is not only applicable to our faith but is one that applies to every other aspect of our life. We cannot want to be somewhere without preparing and persevering. We want to do many things in life, but we do not always have a clear sense of how we are going to do them. We want to lose weight, but still want to eat that chocolate cake. We want to have enough money to buy something important but cannot resist wasting our money on useless things.
 
Wherever it is we want to go, we must make sure that we are prepared to walk the path to get there.
 
As well, if we are somewhere we do not want to be we have to make sure we do not complain about where we are, but first try to figure out how we got here, then work hard to change our actions, or break the pattern that keeps getting us here.
 
They say that one definition of insanity is “doing the same thing and expecting different results.”
 
There is no consequence without a previous action, that was preceded by some sort of preparation.
 
The pattern of preparation, action, and consequence that we see in the life of Jesus, the Mother of God, and Saint John the Baptist is a great reminder to us of how great things come with a great personal price.
 
This is a challenge for us to aim high, to have high hopes, to have great expectations, but not to be afraid of the difficult journey that these dreams require.
 
Our goals of greater knowledge of our faith, good health, financial stability, academic excellence, a happy family, or anything else we can think of do not come easy.
 
Without preparation for our actions and perseverance during trials and difficulties, we can be sure that we will never see the consequences of achieving anything worth achieving.
 
The connection between preparation, perseverance, and consequences is integral to religious celebrations and of course to every other important aspect of our lives.
 
Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians (4:7-13).
Brethren, to each one of us the grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s bestowal. Thus is says, Ascending on high, he let away captives; he gave gifts to men (Ps.61:19). Now this ascending, what does it mean but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended, he it is who ascended also above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he himself gave some men as apostles, and some as prophets, and others as pastors and teachers, in order to perfect the saints for a work o ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the deep knowledge of the Son of God, to perfect manhood, to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ.
 
Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17. Sunday after Theophany.
At that time, When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen." From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Every Day is Christmas.
December 26, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday After the Nativity.
Commemoration of the Holy Joseph, spouse of the Mother of God, James and David.
Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19. Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost.
Gospel: Matthew 2:13-23. Gospel of the ninth hour of the Paramony of Christmas.
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. The full homily and readings are below. https://youtu.be/hbT2QygJ5ao
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily.
 
Christ is Born. Glorify Him. Almaseeh wulidah. Famijodoo.
 
One of the most common questions people ask each other is: “How are you doing?” A friend always answers: “I’m going great because every day is Christmas.”
 
Today we celebrate the first day of Christmas. If you say to someone “Merry Christmas” they will most likely tell you “Christmas is over. It was yesterday.” However, for us, Christmas has only begun. As the famous song tells us there are 12 days of Christmas and in the wider sense “Every Day is Christmas.”
 
In the Church calendar, we prepare to celebrate the major feast days and depending on the event, we either spend a day or a few weeks celebrating the special day. So, the way the liturgical services are set up, we begin preparing for Christmas with a 40 day fast on November 15 and we continue to celebrate Christmas until January 6, which is the feast of the Theophany, the baptism of our Lord. During this time, we continue to celebrate that Jesus was born and appeared in our midst and we do not fast on Fridays.
 
So, from now until January 6, we greet each other by saying: “Christ is Born. Glorify Him.” “Almaseeh wulidah. Famijodoo.” Not: “Christ is Born. He is truly born.” “Almaseeh wulida. Haqqan wulidah.”
 
The birth of Jesus always marks a new beginning for us because it is the good news of God’s love. This enormous love requires us to take on a new perspective in life. Love is always beautiful but as everyone knows for love to be authentic and lasting it must have an element of humility, obedience, and sacrifice. No couple who has been happily married for 10, 20, or 50 years can say they still love each other if humility, obedience, and sacrifice are not part of their life. If we truly want to show God how much we love Him, humility, obedience, and sacrifice must also be part of our spiritual life and our relationship with Him.
 
But how do we express these in our friendship with God? Today’s readings help us. In today’s Gospel reading, after Jesus was born, the angel said to Joseph “ ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ [14] And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt” (Matthew 2:13-14). Then: “When Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, [20] ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead’” (Matthew 2:19-20).
 
We do not know very much about Saint Joseph but what we have in today’s Gospel shows us how he was a man who was ready to practice humility, sacrifice, and obedience to God. Saint Joseph was always humble. Throughout all the Gospels he does not say a word, but he does respond and act. Saint Joseph was always ready to sacrifice His own plans for the good of others and he was always obedient to the word of God by responding immediately to what he needed to do.
 
These qualities are an essential aspect of the Christmas spirit. God showed His love for us by being born in the flesh. We show our love for God by responding in a real way to His love. We cannot do this if we do not take time out of our busy schedules to pray. The more time we spend praying, the more we learn how to be humble, how to sacrifice, and how to be obedient. We simply cannot survive spiritually without prayer, and we will not see the fruits of prayer without setting time aside for prayer.
 
There is a man who was walking in the forest and a bear started chasing him. When the bear got closer the man began to pray: “God help me. I need to be able to run faster than the bear.” Immediately God gave him the strength to run faster than the bear. Then he prayed again: “God help me. I’m getting tired.” God immediately gave him extra strength and he was no longer tired. Then finally he said: “God. Thank you so much for helping me but can you stop also helping the bear?”
 
This reminds us of two things: First, God wants to help all of us, and second, we need to pray not only when we are being chased by a bear. Prayer is not only an emergency call for help when we are desperate. God is not a soda machine where we go to get goodies when we need them then walk away.
 
Prayer is about slowing down our lives so we can think about how we can be humbler before God, how we can sacrifice for others, and how we can be obedient to the direction that God wants us to move in.
 
We are all legitimately busy. We have so many responsibilities and so many challenges in life, but we should never be too busy for God. We need to reflect on the love of the Christ child and perhaps busy ourselves with loving Him more.
 
On this last Sunday of the year, commit to set aside at least 10 minutes a day to read the Bible and ten minutes a day to pray. Thank God, learn to love God, and open your heart honestly before God by presenting him your deepest needs. This is true prayer.
 
God humbled Himself before us and God sacrificed Himself for us as proof of His enormous love. During this Christmas season which we continue to celebrate until the feast of the Theophany on January 6, we have a chance to reciprocate God’s love by setting aside a few minutes a day to humble ourselves before Him in prayer so that we can receive the greatest gifts of humility, sacrifice, and obedience.
 
Christmas is indeed not over. When we continue to receive these gifts every day through prayer, we will realize that Christmas has only begun. And when prayer leads us to see daily blessings, we will also live like Christmas is never over.
 
Christ is Born. Glorify Him. Almaseeh wulidah. Famijodoo.



A READING from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians (Gal 1:11-19).

BRETHREN, I give you to understand that the Good News that was announced to you by me is not of man. For I did not receive it from man, nor was it taught to me [by man], but I received it by a revelation from Jesus Christ. For you have heard of the way I lived before in Judaism: how I persecuted the Church of God and ravaged it beyond measure. And I advanced in Judaism above many of my contemporaries in my nation, showing much more zeal for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased him who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, immediately, without taking counsel with flesh and blood and without going up to Jerusalem to those who were appointed apostles before me, I retired into Arabia and again returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went to Jerusalem to see Peter, and I remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles, except James, the Lord’s brother.

Gospel: Mt 2:13-23. Sunday after the Nativity. The Flight to Egypt.

When the Magi had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Arise, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there until I tell thee. For Herod will seek the child to destroy him.” So, he arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and withdrew into Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod; that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Then Herod, seeing that he had been tricked by the Magi, was exceedingly angry; and he sent and slew all the boys in Bethlehem and all its neighborhood who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had carefully ascertained from the Magi. Then was fulfilled what was spoken through Jeremias the prophet, “A voice was heard in Rama, weeping and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted, because they are no more.” But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” So, he arose and took the child and his mother, and went into the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and being warned in a dream he withdrew into the region of Galilee. And he went and settled in a town called Nazareth; that there might be fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

How to Find Gold at Christmas?
December 19, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday Before the Nativity of our Lord.
Epistle: Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40.
Gospel: Sunday before the Nativity. Matthew 1:1-25. The Genealogy of Christ.
 
The full readings and homily are below. This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/MMqvkxQJr0c
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

Homily
For the big feasts of the Church year, we celebrate the day itself and spend weeks preparing for them.
 
For example, Pascha (or Easter) is preceded by a special holy week of preparation and before that a 40 day fast. The feast of Saints Peter and Paul is preceded by a fast and the feast of the Dormition is preceded by a two week fast.
 
Christmas also has a traditional preparation with a 40 day fast that begins on November 15 and during December several prophets are commemorated in the Church calendar. As we get closer to Christmas, our preparations continue.
 
Today is the Sunday before Christmas on which we read the Genealogy of Christ. We read the opening of the Gospel of Matthew, which may seem long to us, but is a very condensed list of men and women who anticipated the coming of the messiah.
 
Sometime before Christmas read all of Hebrews 11 and Matthew 1 and use your footnotes to help you find out more about who these great men and women are.
 
Hebrews 11 has a long list of men and women who waited in faith for the coming of Jesus the Messiah. Although these people are important, in verses 39-40 we read: “All these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, [40] since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39-40).
 
We must understand this verse to really appreciate an aspect of Christmas that we often miss. Yes, during Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but we are also celebrating that in the Old Testament God promised to send a Messiah/a Savior to save all of us from our sins. After thousands of years of preparation, Jesus was born. We call Him Immanuel which means “God is with us” and His name is Jesus because He came to save us.
 
Our ancestors prepared for the coming of the Messiah, but most died before He came. They were confident that although the Messiah did not come while they were alive, He will eventually come because God is always faithful to His word and promise.
 
Therefore, one of the important aspects of Christmas is that we have seen what they prayed to see before they died. We admire the faith of these famous people who expected the coming of the Messiah and we also celebrate that we are even more privileged than they because they celebrated that the Messiah will come and we pray that the Messiah has come.
 
Saint Symeon beautifully expresses this transition between the Old Testament and the New Testament when he saw Jesus and said: “Lord, now let you servant depart in peace, according to your word; [30] for my eyes have seen Your salvation [31] which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples” (Luke 2:29-31).
 
We know how hard we work for everything we have. We also know how disappointing it is to work hard for something, then give it to someone who does not appreciate it. For example, some children do not appreciate how much their parents suffered and how hard they worked to get what they have. Often the parents have worked hard, and the children have reaped the comfortable reward without appreciating the long journey. There are many other examples of someone working and someone else reaping the rewards.
 
Napoleon Hill tells the story of a man in the early 1900s who was caught by the gold rush fever. He borrowed money from his family and friends, bought expensive machinery, and headed to the richest mine in Colorado. He found enough gold to repay all his debts but then the gold ran out, so he sold the machinery to a junkyard for a few hundred dollars and took the train back home.
 
The man at the junkyard decided to call in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little calculating. The engineer advised that the project had failed because the owners were not familiar with “fault lines.” His calculations showed that the vein would be found just three feet from where the previous team had stopped drilling. So, he drilled in that direction and found gold. In this case, one worked hard, planned, and prepared, while the other benefited from the other’s hard work.
 
Our faith is more important than any gold we may find. The first drilling crew stopped three feet from gold and someone else came and benefited from their hard work.
 
Today as we prepare for the birth of our savior, we remind ourselves how blessed we are to be able to welcome Jesus as our Savior. How unfortunate it would be if we get so distracted by gifts and parties that we miss the fruits of all the prayers of the saints of the Old Testament and end up standing three feet from gold.
 
We are privileged to be called followers of Christ. However, as with every privilege, we cannot take it for granted.
 
I pray that all of us may spend this week in special spiritual preparation for the coming of Christ by realizing how blessed we are to know Christ and how much of a tragedy it would be if others waited for Christ but did not see him, while we see Christ and do not appreciate Him.
 

Epistle: Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40.

Brethren, by faith, Abraham lived in the Land of the Promise as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for the city with fixed foundations, of which city the architect and builder is God. And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barac, Samson, Jephthe, David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained the fulfillment of promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, routed foreign armies. Women had their dead restored to them though resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to yield for their release in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others again suffered mockery and blows, even chains and jailing’s. They were stoned, cut to pieces, put to the question, killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, distressed, afflicted (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves and holes in the ground. And none of these, despite the positive witnessing of faith, received what was promised, for God has something better in store for us, so that they were not to reach their final perfection without us.
 
Gospel: Sunday before the Nativity. Matthew 1:1-25 (Genealogy of Christ).
The book of the origin of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, Jacob begot Judah and his brethren. Judah begot Perez and Zarah whose mother was Thamar. Perez begot Hezron, Hezron begot Ram. And Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, Nahshon begot Salma. Salma begot Boaz of Rahab. Boaz begot Obed of Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, Jesse begot David the King. And David the King begot Solomon of the former wife of Uriah. Soloman begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, Abijah begot Asa. And Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, Joram begot Azariah. And Azariah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, Ahaz begot Ezechiah. And Ezehchiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, Amon begot Josiah. And Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brethren at the time of deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. And Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, Eliakim begot Azor. And Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, Achim begot Eliud. And Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, and of her was born Jesus, Who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations. And from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations. Now the origin of Christ was like this. When Mary His mother had been betrothed to Joseph, she was found, before they came together, to be with child by the Holy Spirit. But Joseph her husband, being a just man and not wishing to expose her to reproach, was thinking of putting her away privately. But while he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Do not be afraid, Joseph, son of David, to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.” Now all this came to pass that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son; and they shall call his name Emmanuel;” which is interpreted, “God with us.” So, Joseph, arising from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took Mary to be his wife. And he did not know her till she brought forth her firstborn son. And he called His name Jesus.

Can you Find an Excuse for God?
December 12, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Epistle: Ephesians 5:8-19. Father Spiridon the Wonderworker.
Gospel: Luke 14:16-24 (The Great Banquet). Sunday of Forefathers.
Eleventh Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.

Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/7KLkqj8NS8A The full homily and readings are below.

Homily.
Today’s Gospel is called the Gospel of the Great Banquet, but it could easily be re-named, the Gospel of the bad excuses because everyone ends up making excuses as to why they can’t make it for the great banquet.

Unlike the people in this Gospel, Christianity is a religion of finding good excuses to celebrate God’s love. However, when we are full of other excuses, we tend to miss out on the great things that God wants to give us especially during this time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Savior.

There are three kinds of excuses: bad excuses, irrelevant excuses, and good excuses.

All of us sometimes think of very creative excuses for not doing what we should be doing. If we are speeding, instead of thinking that we should slow down, we tend to think of an excuse to tell the police officer.

Police officers spend their lives listening to bad excuses such as these famous ones:
-I’m sorry officer without my glasses I can’t see the speedometer.
-I know it’s a school zone, but I was trying to keep my eyes on the children and did not notice how fast I was going.
-I know I was speeding, but my brakes need to be repaired so I didn’t want to wear them down.

Whatever your bad excuse for speeding may be, an excuse is only an excuse, and it still puts you and others in danger.
 
In addition to bad excuses, there are also irrelevant excuses

Sometimes when I’m driving near a dangerous-looking truck. I think “If this truck tips and hits me it will definitely not be my fault.” But if I end up in the hospital or dead, it does not really matter whose fault it is. Regardless of whose fault it is, an excuse in a situation like this is completely irrelevant. Some excuses are simply irrelevant because despite who is right and who is wrong the consequences are damaging or deadly.

Instead of thinking of a bad or irrelevant excuse to convince others of why we are not doing what we should be doing, it is much more helpful to think of a good excuse to convince ourselves to do what we need to do.

A bad or irrelevant excuse that we tell others only tries to justify our failures, while a good excuse pushes us to become better individuals.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a man who invited many people to a big banquet, but everyone made bad or irrelevant excuses as to why they could not come. The first person said that he had bought a farm, the second said that he had bought five yokes of oxen, and the third got married.

Why did buying a piece of land, buying five yokes of oxen, or getting married prevent them from attending a big banquet with many other people? They may have provided an excuse, but despite their bad or irrelevant excuses, they all missed the dinner invitation.

Today’s Gospel is read on the second Sunday before Christmas to remind us that during these upcoming thirteen days we are preparing for a great faith banquet.
 
Our faith is compared to a banquet because faith is meant to bring us together as a family into God’s house. When we gather as a community of faith, share our faith with each other, and help each other grow in faith, then we discover the source of the greatest kind of joy.

Our joy is also multiplied when we realize that Jesus has personally invited us to this faith banquet and Jesus is the guest of honor.

The three people in today’s gospel may have had an excuse but they missed the banquet because they had bad and irrelevant excuses.

Our life of faith is very similar. We are always full of excuses.

We sometimes make excuses for why we do not spend more time in prayer, why we don’t go to Church more regularly, why we do not read the Bible more often, why we do not spend more time with our family, and basically why we do not do what we know we want to do.

Today’s Gospel challenges us to move beyond the bad or irrelevant excuses to focus on some good excuses.

Instead of thinking about why we are not doing what we need to do, let us think of some good excuses to make sure we are growing in our faith.

What good excuse can I give myself for why I want to spend more time in prayer?

What good excuse can I give myself for preparing spiritually for Christmas?
 
What good excuse can I give myself for doing what I need to do?

Christmas invites us to reflect on the beauty, innocence, and glory of the Christ child.

Despite the billions of dollars that are spent around Christmas, the highest rates of depression are always in January. Why is this so? We may have thought of a thousand excuses to overspend but we have not thought of a thousand excuses to over appreciate.

We completely miss the point of Christmas when our focus is only on eating, drinking, and exchanging gifts. Faith is a free gift, like the banquet in today’s Gospel. We are invited to come and rejoice. We are not asked to bring anything with us other than ourselves.

During our Christmas rush and in the midst of the many bad or irrelevant excuses we think of, today is the day to ask ourselves: “What are the good excuses we can think of to appreciate God showing us His face this Christmas?” and “What are the good excuses we can think of to love and serve God more?”

Epistle: Father Spiridon the Wonderworker.

A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to Ephesians (Ephesians 5:8-19).
Brethren, walk as children of light (for the fruit of light consists in all goodness and justice and truth), make sure of what is well pleasing to God, and have nothing to do with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather expose them; for of the things they do in secret people are ashamed even to speak. But everything that is exposed is made manifest by the light: for all that is manifest is light. Hence it is said: “Awake, sleeper, and arise from among the dead, and Christ will enlighten you.” See to it, therefore, brethren, that you walk with care, not as the unwise, but as the wise, redeeming the moment, for the days are evil. Be not imprudent, then, but understand what is the Lord’s will. And be not drunk with wine, for in such is revelry, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord.

Gospel. Luke 14:16-24.

The Lord told this parable, “A certain man gave a great supper, and he invited many. And he sent his servant at supper time to tell those invited to come, for everything is now ready. And they all with one accord began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a farm, and I must go out and see it; I pray you hold me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yokes of oxen, and I am on my way to try them; I pray you hold me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ And the servant returned, and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant. ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, and the crippled, and the lame, and the blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, your order has been carried out, and still there is room.’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and make them come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you that none of those who were invited shall taste of my supper.' For many are called but few are chosen.”

How Not to Checkout of Christmas?

December 5, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.

Epistle: Galatians 5:22-6:12. Epistle of St. Sabbas.

Gospel: Luke 13:10-17. Healing of a Crippled Woman.

Tenth Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/sH8AZmSQitk The homily and full readings are below.

Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration

Homily.

There are only nineteen shopping days left until Christmas. Or should we say there are only nineteen days left of prayerful preparations for Christmas?

We are sometimes so busy with the buzz surrounding Christmas that we forget this is most of all a special time to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ.

Ironically, we are preparing to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, yet so little of what surrounds us is about Jesus or His birth into the world. Unfortunately, often people do not even attend the Christmas Liturgies because they are either too tired or at home opening gifts.

The word Christmas literally means the Christ Mass, so there is really no Christmas without a Christ Mass or the Christmas Divine Liturgy.

This is a very happy season of the year with time off work and school, lots of parties, gatherings with family and friends, and many gifts but we should never forget that “Jesus is the reason for this season.”

We all have our Christmas checklist.

-         Spend some time with family and friends. CHECK.

-         Buy a tree and decorate the home. CHECK.

-         Take time off work. CHECK.

-         Have a party and eat a lot of food. CHECK.

-         Buy some gifts and write another check. CHECK. CHECK. CHECK.

-         Get some exercise. No, not right now. That’s what New Year’s resolutions are for.

All these are good, but what does our spiritual check list look like? How are we preparing spiritually for the birth of Jesus?

During this time of year, the prayers of the Church focus on the people in the Old Testament who waited thousands of years for the coming of the Messiah. We as Christians often forget that Jesus came as a fulfillment of God’s promise to destroy the work of evil in this world and to restore our relationship with God.

This promise was first made in Genesis 3:15, an important yet often overlooked verse in the Bible, where God tells the serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.” This verse shows us there is a constant battle between the offspring of the devil, which is all evil, and the offspring of the woman, which is all humanity.

Since the beginning of creation, we as humans have battled with external evil and evil that we allow to grow within us. However, a descendant of the first woman, Jesus the Messiah, came to destroy the work of the devil and fulfilled the promise of Genesis 3:15 to strike at the head of evil.

To emphasize this point, some statues of Mary portray her standing on a serpent. This highlights that her offspring, Jesus, destroyed the work of the devil by being born in the same way that we are all born, then walking in our midst as Emmanuel, which means God is with us, then dying, and rising from the dead to restore our humanity to God.

Jesus destroyed the power of death over us and promised us that at the end of time we too will rise with him. When we appreciate everything God has done for us and all God has given us, our celebration of the birth of Jesus becomes full of a greater kind of joy than what we receive from buying, giving, and receiving gifts.

In order to emphasize the long period of preparation that took place from Adam and Eve until the birth of Jesus, in December our Liturgical calendar commemorates six of the Old Testament prophets who prepared the way for the coming of Jesus: Nahum on December 1, Habakkuk on December 2, Zephaniah on December 3, Haggai on December 16, Daniel on December 17, the Holy Ancestors of Christ, two Sundays before Christmas, the Genealogy of Christ on the Sunday before Christmas, and David on the Sunday after Christmas. These prophets and great figures never saw Jesus, yet they are an important part of our preparations, as they prepared everyone for His coming.

A friend of mine was teaching a class on the Old Testament prophets at a Catholic high school. He asked the class: “Who can name one of the prophets?” A Catholic student raised his hand and said: “Mohammed.” This shows us that we don’t know the importance of our own prophets and that the relationship between the Old Testament prophets who reminded people of the coming of the Messiah is often not very much appreciated.

The best way to appreciate that people prepared thousands of years for the birth of Jesus is to have “Reading the Bible” as the first point on your Christmas checklist. We best understand our identity as Christians by immersing ourselves in what is written in the Bible, the book that God Himself wrote as a gift to us.

The Bible has some difficult passages, but when we read it slowly and look at the footnotes it begins to make more sense.

The footnotes often show us the important connection between how the Old Testament prophets prepared for the coming of Jesus in the New Testament. For example, Mark 1:1-3 reads: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God]. [2] As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. [3] A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” ’ ”

When we look at the footnotes, we see that these verses come from both the book of the prophet Malachi 3:1 and the book of the prophet Isaiah 40:3.

When we turn to the book of Malachi we read: “Now I am sending my messenger -- he will prepare the way before me; And the lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple; The messenger of the covenant whom you desire -- see, he is coming! says the LORD of hosts. [2] But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand firm when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, like fullers’ lye. [3] He will sit refining and purifying silver” (Malachi 3:1-3a).

When we turn to the prophet Isaiah we read: “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. [2] Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her service has ended, that her guilt is expiated, That she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins. [3] A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! [4] Every valley shall be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low; The rugged land shall be a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. [5] Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1-5).

This Old Testament context helps us to appreciate that Jesus did not just appear one day. Rather, thousands of people eagerly awaited his coming for thousands of years.

The prayers of the Church encourage us to feel that same hope and expectation for the coming of the Lord, so that we may be able to experience the most possible amount of joy when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

That is why today we read the story of “a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself” (Luke 13:11). Faith above all reminds us “we cannot straighten ourselves.” No one can save himself and no one can dig himself out of a hole that he created. There is a saying “He who has himself as a spiritual guide has a fool.”

It is God who makes the difficult roads easy and flattens any mountain before us. When we read the Bible, we realize this is not just blind hope, but a hope that others had and which they saw fulfilled because their hope was in God.

Hopefully, during these next nineteen days, we will work on our spiritual checklist.

When we grow in appreciation of all the spiritual and physical gifts God gives us then we will be able to say:

-         A daily thank you to God. CHECK.

-         A daily commitment to learning more about my faith. CHECK.

-         A daily “I love you God” and “My life is yours.” CHECK.

-         A daily desire to put my faith in action. CHECK.

Keep checking these and others on our spiritual checklist.

Our Venerable and God-Bearing Father Sabbas the Sanctified.

Epistle: GAL 5:22-6:12.

Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians -page 268 – Saturday 27th week after Pentecost

Brethren, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, justification, faith, modesty, continence. Against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit by the Spirit let us also walk; let us not become desirous if success, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, even if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual instruct such a one in spirit of meekness, considering yourselves lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Gospel: 10th of Holy Cross, Luke 13:10-17 (Healing of a Crippled Woman).

At that time Jesus was teaching in one of their synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent over and utterly unable to look upwards. When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said to her, “Woman, thou art delivered from thy infirmity.” And he laid his hands upon her, and instantly she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, addressed the crowd, saying, “There are six days in which one ought to work; on these therefore come and be cured, and not on the Sabbath.” But the Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loosen his ox or ass from the manger, and lead it forth to water? And this woman, daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound, lo, for eighteen years, ought not she to be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” And as he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame; and the entire crowd rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

How to be as Prepared as God.
November 29, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Epistle: Ephesians 6:10-17. Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost.
Gospel: Luke 18:18-28. Gospel of the Rich Man.
Thirteenth Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/TC8NYfRdX-M The homily and full readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily.
I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
 
Think of how long you prepared for your Thanksgiving dinner. Was it worth it? Imagine if you prepared a table full of food but forgot to invite anyone to your house. Or imagine if you invited your family and friends but forgot to prepare any food.
 
As soon as we finished preparing for Thanksgiving, what did we do? We started preparing for Christmas.
 
We even prepared to come to Church this morning and some people are still preparing to come to Church and will be joining us in just a few minutes.
 
Preparing for events is an important part of our lives and we often prepare for something more than the actual event lasts. If we do not prepare, things do not work out as well as they do. As the saying goes, “If you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail.”
 
Being prepared is an important theme in the Bible and in our spiritual life.
 
Before God created a man and a woman, He prepared the earth for them. The book of Genesis tells us, God created “the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1), “light” (:3), “the day and the night” (:5), water, clouds, dry land, seas, vegetation, plants, fruit trees, stars, seasons, animals on land and in the sea, and only then did He create humans. By doing this God shows that He knows how to prepare.
 
It is less than a month before Christmas. What do we need to prepare? If we are having a party, we need to invite our guests, prepare our house, and prepare the food. We prepare all these things but so often forget that Christmas is not about preparing decorations and events but preparing ourselves for the birth of Jesus, our Messiah, and Lord. Although Christmas is more than the celebration of Jesus’s birthday, what is very strange is that we prepare for Jesus’s birthday but forget Jesus.

Sometimes people ask why we as Christians still use the Old Testament. The simple answer is because the whole Old Testament prepared for the coming of Jesus. From the time of the fall of Adam and Eve, God promised to send a Messiah who is our Savior to restore the broken relationship between God and all of us.

The Old Testament prophets focused primarily on reminding people that God wants us to be close to Him. For example, the first chapter of the book of the prophet Isaiah says: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. [19] If you are willing and obedient” (Isaiah 1:18-19).
 
If we are at school or work, or even among friends and family we must work hard to be appreciated and loved. The Bible on the other hand reminds us that God loves us unconditionally. We do not live our faith to win God’s approval. Rather, our daily walk with God shows how much we love God and want to be closer to Him. Hopefully, this journey makes our lives radically different.
 
Today’s Gospel contains a dialogue between Jesus and a rich man who asks, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18).
 
Jesus recites some of the commandments and the man surprisingly says, “All these I have observed from my youth” (Luke 18:21). Jesus then invites the man to go a step further and tells him “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22).
 
This might seem too radical for all of us, but we should not overlook the important point Jesus is making. We often want to do things to show God we are good people. We might even buy a cross or an icon, light a candle, help some people, or show up for Church occasionally. All these are important but if we do things with the wrong intentions then we are not doing them at all.
 
We do not come to Church to show God or others how good we are. We come to Church to remind ourselves that just as we spend our precious time doing so many other things, we want to spend our precious time with God who is more important than anything else we do. We also spend this one hour with God to thank God for all our life’s blessings and to prepare for the rest of our week’s journey with God.
 
Notice the commandments that Jesus recites to the man: “Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother” (Luke 18:20). These are all important commandments, but we should not feel we have accomplished something exceptional in life simply because we have not killed anyone or broken these commandments.
 
To live the fullness of our Catholic faith we of course start by making sure that we follow God’s commandments, but more importantly by making sure we don’t feel good about ourselves only when we do some random nice things.
 
God wants us, before all other things, to have a real relationship with Him. He wants us to talk to Him in prayer, read the Bible, and feel that He is always with us: both during our joys and struggles. He wants us to follow Him and to put Him first in our life.
 
Our preparations for Christmas are often very stressful because our priorities are frequently on all the external preparations of what we are going to buy, wear, or eat. These are important, but not as important as working on our spiritual preparations for the birth of Jesus.
 
Jesus tells the man in today’s Gospel “follow me” (Luke 18:22) because when we follow Jesus, we will find Jesus and we will feel His blessings in every aspect of our lives.
 
We have begun to prepare for Christmas because we would be very embarrassed if our home or our dinner table were not well prepared. As we begin these important preparations let us also remember that our spiritual preparations are what truly prepare us for the birth of Jesus, our Lord, and Savior.
 
Readings:

Epistle: Ephesians 6:10-17. Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost.

Brethren, be strengthened in the Lord and in the might of his power. Put on God’s armor that you may be able to stand against the devil’s wiles. For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness on high. Therefore, take up God’s armor that you may be able to resist on the evil day and stand perfect in all things. Stand, therefore, wearing the belt of truth. And the breastplate of holiness and with your feet shod in the readiness of the Good News of peace, and in all things take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to put out all the flaming darts of the most wicked one. And take for yourselves the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, that is, God’s word.

Gospel: Luke 18:18-28. Gospel of the Rich Man. Thirteenth Sunday of the Holy Cross.

At that time a certain man approached Jesus and asked him, saying, “Good Master, what shall I do to gain eternal life?” But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but only God. You know the commandments; ‘Thou shat not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor thou father and mother.” And he said, “All these I have kept ever since I was a child.” But when Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing is still lacking to you; sell everything you own, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When he heard these things, he was much grieved, for he was very rich. But Jesus, seeing him become sad, said, “With what difficulty will the wealthy enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And they who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” He said to them, “Things men cannot do alone, they can do with God’s help.”

How Jesus Redefines Neighbor.
November 14, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 8:26-39. Saint Philip.
Gospel: Luke 10:25-37.
Seventh Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.
Gospel of the Merciful and Compassionate Samaritan.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily https://youtu.be/VMlY-o3ucGQ Also below are the readings and the homily.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

Homily
Today’s Gospel contains one of Jesus’ most popular parables, frequently called the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Romania, United Kingdom, and the United States, have even been enacted “Good Samaritan Laws” that encourage bystanders to help those in need without being sued. Therefore, this parable has literally influenced people around the world in different ways.
 
There are many important details in today’s Gospel that help us better understand how deep this passage is. First, “a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” (Luke 10:25).
 
There is a stark contrast between the attitude of the lawyer who comes to test Jesus in today’s Gospel and last week’s Gospel where we read: “a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus’ feet he besought him to come to his house” (Luke 8:41). Jairus approaches Jesus with humility while the lawyer approaches Jesus as if he is interrogating a witness to prove his or her guilt.
 
Jesus knows what is going on and immediately flips the conversation and questions the lawyer: “Jesus said to the lawyer, ‘What is written in the law? How do you read?’” (Luke 10:26) Jesus does not accept to be interrogated and asks the lawyer to answer part of the question himself. The lawyer answers correctly: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).
 
This answer shows the lawyer knows the Old Testament very well as he quotes two important verses: first, Leviticus 19:18 “Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your own people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD” and second Deuteronomy 6:5 “you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.”
 
That should have ended the conversation as “Jesus said to him, ‘You have answered right; do this, and you will live’” (Luke 10:28). However, there is an important ambiguity in the text of Leviticus 19 that the lawyer picks up on. Technically “neighbor” refers only to the neighbors in our own community not to those in the neighboring neighborhoods who were considered outsiders.
 
Leviticus 19:16-18 only refers to the neighbors in our own community which consist mostly of our friends and relatives. This is highlighted six times in these three verses: “You shall not go about spreading slander among (1) your people; nor shall you stand by idly when (2) your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the LORD. [17] You shall not hate any of (3) your kindred in your heart. Reprove (4) your neighbor openly so that you do not incur sin because of that person. [18] Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against (5) your own people. You shall love (6) your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”
 
Although most people focus on the second part of today’s Gospel, the first part which introduces the parable is crucial to understand the depths of it. That is why Saint Luke tells us: “But the lawyer, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (Luke 10:29)
 
Then Jesus replied with the parable: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead” (Luke 10:30). Three people pass this man by. The first is a priest and the second is Levite, both of which were Jewish leaders and had just come back from praying in Jerusalem. The two knew the passages in Leviticus but did not follow it.
 
The third man to pass by was a Samaritan, who the Jews considered to be an outsider. Jews and Samaritans did not mix, they did not pray with each other, and they did not live in the same neighborhood. Therefore, although Samaritans and Jews lived in neighboring villages they technically were not “neighbors” in the sense of the book of Leviticus, that is neighbors within a village. Those in neighboring villages were considered strangers to be avoided rather than true neighbors to be taken care of.
 
The heart of this parable is that Jesus teaches the lawyer and us that everyone who is in need is our neighbor, not just our family, friends, and those in our immediate community. The lawyer had the law and the Samaritan had compassion and mercy. This parable shows us that the new law of Jesus is based on compassion and mercy.

Many countries in the world may have Good Samaritan laws to protect those who are trying to help, but we have a Good Samaritan faith that encourages us to see beyond our needs and the needs of our family and friends, to allow compassion and mercy to be the defining qualities of how we see others.

The lawyer could not outsmart Jesus, and neither can we. Jesus does not try to outsmart us, but rather, He extends to us a simple challenge to look at the compassion and mercy of the Samaritan and “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).
 

Epistle. The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles 8:26-39.

In those days an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This road is deserted. it happened that an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister to queen Candace of Ethiopia in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home, sitting in his chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, "Move up and keep close to that chariot." And Philip ran forward and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and asked, “Do you then understand what you are reading?" And he replied, “How could I, unless someone guide me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. Now, the passage of the Scriptures he was reading was this: As a sheep was led to the slaughter. As a spotless lamb silent before its shearer, he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away, and who shall declare his generation? For his life was taken away from the earth. (Is. 53:7) And answering Philip, the eunuch said, "Please tell me who is he referring to, himself or someone else?" Then Philip, opening his mouth and starting from this passage of Scriptures, announced to him the Good News of Jesus. And as they continued along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, it can be done.” And he answered and said, "I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” And he ordered the chariot to be stopped, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. But when they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
 
Gospel: 8th of Holy Cross, Luke 10:25-37 (The Merciful Samaritan).
At that time, behold, a certain lawyer got up to test Jesus, saying, “Master, what must I do to gain eternal life?” But he said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read?” He answered and said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength, and with thy whole mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” And he said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you shall live.” But he, wishing to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell in with robbers, who after both stripping him and beating him went their way, leaving him half-dead. But, as it happened, a certain priest was going down the same way, and when he saw him, he passed by. And likewise, a Levite also, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by. But a certain Samaritan as he journeyed came upon him, and seeing him, was moved with compassion. And he went up to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. And setting him on his own beast, he brought him to an inn and took care of him. And as he was leaving the next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I, on my way back, will repay you.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, proved himself neighbor to the man who fell among the robber?” And he said, “The one who took pity on him!” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do as he did.”

How Extraordinary is Jesus?
November 7, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th
Seventh Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.
Epistle: Ephesians 2:14-22. Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost.
Gospel: Luke 8:41-56. Healing the Woman and the Raising of Jairus’ Daughter.
 

This is a link to Sunday's homily https://youtu.be/CFQstygJfAY Also below are the full homily and readings.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily.
What is ordinary and what is extraordinary?
 
If we were to summarize Jesus’ life, most would say, He was a great teacher, He did many miracles, He died, and rose from the dead. We tend to think these things were ordinary for Jesus. We overlook that each of these elements of Jesus’ life is exceptionally significant. If we assume we already heard this story, then that which is supposed to be extraordinary becomes ordinary and perhaps even boring.
 
At first reading, we may think today’s Gospel is just another ordinary day in the life of Jesus. He instantaneously heals a woman who was sick for twelve years, had spent all her money trying to get better and did not find anyone to help her. We assume that’s normal for Jesus so this great event does not move us in the same way it should. Then today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus then went on to raise from the dead a twelve-year-old girl. We sometimes overlook how extraordinary these are because we assume they are ordinary for Jesus.
 
When we read the Bible, we always need to read it with fresh eyes. We must realize that what we may have gotten used to seeing as ordinary is in fact quite extraordinary at many levels.
 
First, let’s get surprised and excited that Jesus healed a woman who was sick for twelve years and rose from the dead a twelve-year-old woman, both within an hour. Let us remind ourselves this is quite extraordinary and impressive. Let us also remind ourselves that Jesus did not just walk around trying to impress people, but He did these things to show us that God’s love, mercy, and power are revealed through Him.
 
That would be amazing enough and could keep us marveled for a long time. However, what Jesus did in his life is not only extraordinary followed by another extraordinary. It is exponentially extraordinary where extraordinary is multiplied by extraordinary. When we slow down to look at the nuances in today’s Gospel we see an example of this extraordinary extraordinariness.
 
In addition to showing Jesus’s power and love, today’s Gospel goes deeper by showing us Jesus’ power and love shared equally with everyone regardless of their social status. We can only see this extra element by reading this text carefully.
 
Let’s start with the first part where Jairus approaches Jesus. The nuances in the Gospel are always important. St. Luke tells us Jairus is a ruler of the synagogue, who was an official appointed by the elders to look after the building, its contents, and its arrangements for worship.
 
Jairus was a publicly recognized and respected figure. Therefore, he had a very high level of both social and religious status. The next part of the text is also important: “falling at Jesus’ feet he besought him to come to his house” (Luke 8:41). This shows us that someone with this high level of public respect was not afraid to humble himself publicly.
 
This would have been an ideal opportunity for Jesus to heal Jairus’ daughter before she died. However, this event seems to be interrupted by a surprising distraction. “As Jesus went, the people pressed round him. [43] And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and could not be healed by any one, [44] came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased” (Luke 8:42-44). What may seem like a distraction is in fact a crucial part of the message of Jesus.
 
The Gospel tells us of two people, one is a man whose name we know and is publicly recognized socially and religiously. The second is a woman who has a disease that according to the Mosaic law (Lv. 15:25–30) was considered unclean and unfit for contact with other people. Unlike Jairus who speaks to Jesus on a one-to-one basis, she appears in a crowd, we do not know her name, and Jesus did not even see her face when He healed her.

This is one of the many social and religious contrasts that St. Luke makes to emphasize that despite the social and religious categories we put people in, Jesus sees everyone with equal dignity. Although Jesus healing her is extraordinary, the further level of extraordinariness is that Jesus leaves Jairus’ request and gives priority to a miracle for an unknown and outcast woman.

We cannot overlook these details because in addition to this being a random healing account, it in fact teaches us a greater lesson that we all stand equal before God. We may create categories for ourselves and others, but God does not. We may think that some are more worthy of God’s love and mercy, but Jesus manifests how God sees us equally. Jesus tells us: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). When we hear the word “all” do we really believe it?
 
By the end of the Gospel Jesus heals the woman and brings back to life Jairus’ daughter. When we hear this Gospel, do we think this is ordinary, extraordinary, or extraordinary extraordinariness?
 
The Gospel illuminate God’s love. The Gospel brings to life how Jesus’s every action is a manifestation of God’s mercy. The Gospel also reminds us to welcome God’s love and mercy in our lives and to extend it to everyone in our lives.
 
When we do this, we will appreciate how Jesus has made the extraordinary ordinary and how He teaches us to make the ordinary extraordinary.
 
Epistle: Ephesians 2:14-22. Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.
A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians 2:14-22
Brethren, Christ is our peace. He it is who has made both [Jews and Gentiles] one, and has broken down the intervening wall of the enclosure, the enemy, in his flesh. He has voided the Law of commandments expressed in decrees, so that of the two he might create in himself one new man, and make peace, and reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having destroyed their enmity within himself. And as he came, he announced the good tidings of peace to you who were far away, and of peace to those who were near: because through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Therefore, you are now no longer strangers or foreigners, but citizens with the saints and members of God’s household: you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Cf.Is.28: 16) with Christ himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole structure is closely fitted together and grows into a temple holy in the Lord; in him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.
 
Gospel: 7th Sunday of Cross. Luke 8:41-56. The Healing of the Woman and Raising of Jairus’ Daughter.
At that time behold, there came a man named Jairus to Jesus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at the feet of Jesus, he entreated him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. And it happened as he went that he was pressed upon by the crowds. And a certain woman who for twelve years had had a hemorrhage, and had spent all her means on physicians, but could not be cured by anyone, came up behind him and touched the tassel of his cloak; and at once her hemorrhage ceased. And Jesus said, “Who touched me? But as all were denying it, Peter, and those who were with him, said, “Master, the crowds throng and press upon thee, and dost thou say, ‘Who touched me?” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; for I perceived that power had gone forth from me.” But the woman, seeing that she had not escaped notice, came up trembling, and falling down at his feet, declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been healed instantly. And he said to her, “Daughter, thy faith has saved thee; go in peace.” While he was yet speaking, there came one from the house of the ruler of the synagogue, saying to him, “Thy daughter is dead; do not trouble him.” But Jesus on hearing this word answered the father of the girl, “Do not be afraid; only have faith and she shall be saved.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and James and John, and the girl’s father and mother. And all were weeping and mourning for her. But he said, “Do not weep; she is asleep, not dead.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he, taking her by the hand, cried out, saying, “Girl, arise! “And her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately. And he directed that something be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Destroy the Devil Within.
October 24, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sixth Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.
Epistle: Galatians 6:11-18. Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost.
Gospel: Luke 8:27-39. Gerasene Demoniac.
 
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. The full text of the homily and readings are below. https://youtu.be/b4uMzprFw6M
 
Homily.
There are several Gospel texts that speak about demons and unclean spirits. People are sometimes fascinated with this topic mainly because of how demons are portrayed in art, literature, and film. To make this topic interesting, the devil is often portrayed wearing a red suit, horns on his head, a long red tail, a pitchfork in his hand, and a silly grin on his face. Sometimes the devil and our guardian angel are portrayed fighting for our attention and for our soul. In some movies, evil spirits possess people, and all sorts of crazy things happen.
 
Jesus often speaks about demons and unclean spirits but not in the way they are popularly portrayed. In today’s Gospel, we have an example of a man who was tormented by demons. However, we have very few details about them. Perhaps this is done on purpose to show us that for us as believing Christians these details are not so important. Rather, the Gospel focuses on how we deal with things that torment us. Today’s Gospel does not show the power of the demons it shows the power of Jesus over every evil spirit and how they fear the presence of Jesus.
 
We heard today: “When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me’ ” (Luke 8:28).
 
When we think of powers that are out there that we fear or that we think are stronger than us, whether we have a fear of what we know or what we do not know, we need to remind ourselves that there is nothing that is more powerful than Jesus. Every day we need to place ourselves under Jesus’s protection and remind ourselves that His power is greater than all the things we may fear.
 
We pray before meals to remind ourselves that the food we have is a gift from God. We bless our homes to remind us that God’s presence is in every corner of our house, and we are dedicated to welcoming Him into our lives every day. Our daily prayers should also reflect our love for God and our acknowledgment of His power in our life and His power over every negative thing that may be affecting us.
 
When we appreciate this aspect of our faith, we avoid the fear of life and begin to learn to embrace whatever may come our way. If what today brings me is good, I will rejoice in it. If today brings me challenges I will overcome them with the power of God that is with me and that is in me. There is no disappointment or obstacle that we cannot overcome when we see things through the eyes of faith.
 
Today’s Gospel shows this by the stark contrast between the state of the man before and after encountering Jesus. He is very troubled at the beginning. But at the end, the Gospel tells us he is “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind” (Lk 8:35).
 
Today’s Gospel describes an external demon. This is like the images that we have of the devil wearing a red suit and waiting to tempt us. However, in addition to the external forces that affect us, we often overlook the internal emotional turmoil. What we need to fear most is not what surrounds us, but what we allow to happen in us.
 
Everyone has a best friend and worst friend. But these are not people you have met. Your best friend and your worst friend are the same person, and that person is you. We can give ourselves the sincerest kind of encouragement and we can also fill our minds and lives with the biggest delusions and lies. When we do this, we become our worst enemy. What we should fear is not what will happen to us today through the regular actions of life, but what we will do to ourselves, how we will see the world, and how we see others. This will negatively impact our day and our future in ways that no external force can have on us.
 
Today let us be aware of these external and internal forces. When we place our lives and everything in our life under God’s protection, we can be certain that regardless of what may happen to us, God is with us to help us pull through.
 
Also, and perhaps more importantly, God is also with us guiding us to make better decisions so that we will not end up where we should not be. It is very important to take responsibility for where we are in our lives and not feel that we are victims of the negative external forces of life. We cannot blame those around us for the accident we got into if we were driving too fast. It is only when we take responsibility will we learn and grow.
 
Sometimes when we feel that evil within, we need to immediately turn to God who is also within and who is more powerful than anything in us or around us.
 
There may be evil out there, but the evil we really need to be aware of is the evil direction we may be moving in because of the decisions we make today and where those decisions will lead us tomorrow.
 
We are under God’s protection when we invite God into our daily life to help guide us to avoid the many pitfalls around us. We are also under God’s protection when we think about our faith to make important decisions in our life. Good things only happen when we are faithful to who we are and the grace of goodness that God has placed within us.
 
Epistle. Galatians 6:11-18.
Brethren, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand! All those who want to please in a human way are forcing you to be circumcised merely to avoid persecution because of the cross of Christ. For not even the circumcised observe the Law: but they want you to be circumcised that they may boast of your subjection to external rites. But as for me, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new creation is of any account. And whoever follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and on God’s Israel. From now on, let no man give me trouble, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
 
Gospel. Luke 8:27-39.
At that time when Jesus came to the country of the Gerasenes there met him a certain man who for a long time was possessed by a devil, and wore no clothes, and lived in the tombs, not in a house. And when he saw Jesus, he fell down before him, and crying out with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I pray thee, do not torment me.” For he was charging the unclean spirit to go forth from the man. For many times it had laid hold of him; and he was bound with chains and fetters, and kept under guard, but he would break the bonds asunder, and be driven by the devil into the deserts. And Jesus asked him, saying, “What is thy name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many devils had entered into him. And they entreated him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was there, feeding on the mountainside. And they kept entreating him to give them leave to enter into them. And he gave them leave. And the devils came out from the man and entered into the swine; and the herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and were drowned. And when the swineherds saw what had happened, they fled and reported it in the town and in the country; and people came out to see what had happened. And they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the devils had gone out sitting at his feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. And those also who had seen it reported to them how he had been saved from Legion. And all the people of the Gerasene district besought him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear. And he got into a boat and went back. But the man from whom the devils had gone out prayed him that he might remain with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to thy house, and tell all that God has done for thee.” And he departed, proclaiming throughout the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.

Find Your Destination Through Your Journey.
October 10, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Third Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.
Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19. 20th Sunday after Pentecost.
Gospel: Luke 7:11-16. The Widow’s Son.
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily https://youtu.be/YSmGQWFqUps The full homily and readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily.
When you are on a road trip with your family, there are two questions someone will ask: “Where are we?” and “How long will it take us to get where are going?”
 
These are also important questions for all of us to ask every day as we focus on both our journey through life and our ultimate destination. It is interesting that although a GPS tells us how long it will take us to get to our destination, the first thing that it locates is where we are.
 
Where we are is so important that it is the first question God asks Adam, after he and Eve turned away from God and hid: “The LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ ” (Genesis 3:9).
 
Why did God ask Adam this question despite knowing where Adam was? God knew where Adam was, but God wanted to know if Adam knew where Adam was and if Adam knew where God was.
 
The answer that God was looking for from Adam was not: “I’m over here. The third tree to the left.” But rather “Where are you in terms of your relationship with me?” Adam knew this and that is why he replied, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid” (Genesis 3:10).
 
Today, God is asking all of us: “Where are you?” and we too should ask ourselves “Where are we?” Because if we do not, we will never make it to the second import life question “How long will it take us to get to where we want to go?”
 
Today’s readings focus on the importance of knowing where we are in the various stages on our life journey.
 
Saint Paul emphasizes that our spiritual journey begins from the time we are in our mother’s womb and is often filled with surprises. He says: “He who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, [16] was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16).
 
Saint Paul knew where he was and was flexible with how long it would take him to get where he wants to go.
 
Jesus shows this balance between the destination and the journey many other times throughout His life. Note how in today’s Gospel Jesus was going to the town of Nain, but He did not even make it to the gate of the town. In a sense we can say that Jesus did not make it to His destination. Saint Luke tells us: “As Jesus drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out” (Luke 7:12a). His destination was the town, but Jesus found there was something important for Him to do along the journey as He saw a dead man being carried out of the town.
 
Saint Luke gives us some important details about this man. He was: “the only son of his mother, and she was a widow” (Luke 7:12). Jesus’s destination was the village. However, the destination took second place because there was something more important to accomplish along the journey such as noticing the only son of a grieving widow. Jesus did not just walk past a grieving woman and her dead son because He had other things planned for the day. Although Jesus’ destination was important, He did not overlook the needs of the people along His journey.
 
There is another very important element in this story that we need to notice. At the time of Jesus, people avoided dead bodies because they immediately began to decompose and smell. People avoided corpses at all costs and tried to get the dead body out of the city as soon as possible. Touching a dead body was also considered to make a person unclean in a religious sense. However, Jesus did not walk away from the dead body. Jesus walked to the dead body, noticed the mourning of the mother, had compassion on her, and consoled her by saying “do not weep.” He then went a step further and touched the stretcher and perhaps the dead body itself.
 
This is something no one would have done at the time. The miracle in this story is not what happened when Jesus went with the large group into the town of Nain, but what happened despite not making it into the city.
 
No doubt, someone in the large group with Jesus asked got impatient along the journey and asked: “Where are we?” and “How long until we get there?” By stopping, Jesus showed everyone that if we do not live the blessings of the journey, then we are heading to the wrong destination.
 
What blessings are we missing in our life by either not having a clear destination or forgetting the many blessings around us along the journey?
 
There is no point trying to be successful in life if we end up hurting others in the process. There is no point being educated if that education makes us arrogant. And there’s no point in getting to a certain position in life but losing our integrity in the process.
 
Jesus shows us that although the destination is important, blessings are also found along the journey.
 
Regarding so many things in our life, we might not be able to answer, “How long until we get there?” but we definitely need to answer the question “Where are we?” especially “Where are we in relation to the gifts God gives us?” “Where are we in our relationship with our parents, children, relatives, and friends?” “Where are we in our honesty and integrity” and “Where are we” in so many other important aspects of our life.
 
If we cannot answer “Where are we?” we will never know where we are, where we are going, and whether we will ever get to our true earthly and heavenly destinations.

Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19.

Brethren, I give you to understand that the Good News that was announced to you by me is not of man. For I did not receive it from man, nor was it taught to me [by man], but I received it by a revelation from Jesus Christ. For you have heard of the way I lived before in Judaism: how I persecuted the Church of God and ravaged it beyond measure. And I advanced in Judaism above many of my contemporaries in my nation, showing much more zeal for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased him who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, immediately, without taking counsel with flesh and blood and without going up to Jerusalem to those who were appointed apostles before me, I retired into Arabia and again returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went to Jerusalem to see Peter, and I remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles, except James, the Lord’s brother.
 
Gospel: Luke 7:11-16. Third Sunday After the Holy Cross.
At that time it came to pass that Jesus went to a town called Naim; and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. And as he drew near the gate of the town, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large gathering from the town was with her. And the Lord, seeing her, had compassion on her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” And he went up and touched the stretcher; and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to thee, arise.” And he who was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. But fear seized upon all, and they began to glorify God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us.” and “God has visited his people.”

How Barbaric Are You?
October 3, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Second Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 11:31-33; 12:1-10. 19th Sunday after Pentecost.
Gospel: Luke 6:31-36. Love Your Enemies.       
 
This is the link to Sunday’s homily https://youtu.be/wBfCofDA0PQ The full homily and readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily.
Are you barbaric, civil, or Christian?
 
You have probably heard the saying “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
 
Hopefully, you have never said it or used it, as this verse is often used by someone who is angry and wants revenge. If we operate at this level, we are barbaric.
 
Social chaos results if we live this barbaric way:
-If someone rips my shirt, I want to rip his shirt.
-If someone slaps me, I want to slap him.
-If someone burns my house, I want to burn his.
-If someone kills a relative, I want to either kill him or one of his relatives.
 
Although this thinking is often the standard mode of society, it is nothing short of barbaric because I don’t get a new shirt if I rip someone else’s, and I don’t get back the life of the one I lost if I take a life.
 
If we live by insisting on this kind of revenge, we will all end up with no teeth, no eyes, or even dead because throughout life, not only do others hurt us but unfortunately, we also hurt others in so many ways.
 
In our different life situations, there are three attitudes we can have. First is barbarism, second is civility, and third is Christianity. Once again: barbarism, civility, or Christianity; in that order.
 
We are barbaric when our anger leads us to want revenge. If we live this way, we are on the opposite spectrum of Christianity.
 
If someone commits an offense or a crime against us, we should want to be compensated but we should never want revenge. Revenge is when we want to hurt someone for the hurt they have caused us while justice is when we insist on what is owed to us. If we hurt someone, we must apologize. If we steal something, we must return it. And, if we borrow someone’s money, we must give it back. This is how we live justice towards others. Since justice works in two directions, we insist on justice for ourselves if these things are taken from us, we work to get them back.
 
Therefore, barbarism is when we want revenge while civility is when we want compensation and are also ready to give it. Although the first is always bad and the second is always good, we are called by Jesus to an even higher level than just seeking the good in civility. That is why Christianity takes us beyond both barbarisms and civility as it calls us to be at inner peace when dealing with the offenses that others have committed against us. It is difficult for us to live justice with others, and it is even harder to demand it from others. That is why, it is only when we have inner peace can we set aside our anger and focus on the forgiveness and mercy that Jesus wants us to live. Personal peace and forgiveness are even more important than revenge and whatever justice others can give us.
 
Today’s Gospel challenges us to set aside barbarism, go beyond civility, and reach the heights of Christianity. Everyone has a different criterion for friendships, but Jesus clearly says: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. [33] And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same” (Luke 6:32-33).
 
We live with daily choices of whether to be either barbaric, civil, or embrace Christianity. Hating those who love us is barbarism. Loving those who love us is civility. However, loving those who hate us is Christianity. You have reached the heart of Christ’s teachings when we are able to see and desire good even to those who have hurt us.
 
There is a particularly inspiring story of the freeing power of forgiveness.
 
In 1985, Ruth Pelke, a 78-year-old Bible teacher, was murdered at her home by four teenage girls. Three of the girls received long sentences and one received the death penalty. Ruth’s grandson, Bill Pelke lobbied the court to reverse the sentence and even became an advocate against the death penalty. The family said that their decision to forgive brought them “tremendous healing.” Ruth’s grandson then requested to meet with the teenage girls. After eight years he was allowed to visit them in prison and told them “We forgive you.” Bill went even further by offering to help them re-establish their lives after they were released from prison.
 
What is the purpose of living this way? Jesus answers this question when he says, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).
 
When we are merciful to others, we are not just being nice or doing them a favor. We are reflecting the mercy, forgiveness, and love that God shows us every day. When we are having a hard time forgiving, we should think of what would happen if God punished us for our every bad thought or action? Of course, not one of us would be innocent.
 
Jesus not only says nice things, but throughout His life, He demonstrates how love, mercy, and forgiveness are possible. These are not just theoretical ideas, they are real and bring us great peace, freedom, and joy.
 
In our day-to-day life, we have three choices to make when others hurt us. We can be barbaric and want revenge, we can live civility by seeking justice and compensation, or we can reach the heights of the teachings of Christ by setting aside all anger to live forgiveness and mercy.
 
Barbarism, civility, or Christianity. Jesus had a choice and consistently chose one of these. Which one will you choose?
 
Epistle. 2 Corinthians 11:31-33; 12:1-10.
BRETHREN, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows that I do not lie. In Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me, but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands. (12:1) It is not fitting for me to boast: but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know: God knows) was caught up into paradise and heard secret sayings that man may not repeat. Of such a man I will boast; but of myself I will glory in nothing except my weaknesses. For if I do wish to boast, I shall not be foolish, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I give up, lest any man have an idea of me beyond what he sees in me or hears from me. And lest the greatness of the revelation puff me up, there was given to me a thorn for the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me. Concerning this, I begged the Lord three times that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for strength is made perfect in weakness.” Gladly, then, will I glory in my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ may dwell in me.
 
Gospel. Luke 6:31-36.
The Lord said, “Even as you wish men to do to you, so also do you to them. And if you love those who love you, what merit have you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what merit have you? For even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive in return, what merit have you? For even sinners lend to sinners that they may get back as much in return. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, not hoping for any return, and your reward shall be great, and you shall be children of the Most High, for he is kind towards the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, therefore, even as your Father is merciful.”       

How to Find Yourself by Losing It.
September 19, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday After the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.
Epistle: Galatians 2:16-21. Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost.
Gospel: Mark 8:34-9:1.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/Fy5TPVZOkS0 The full text of the homily and readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration

Homily:
Like all other teachers and leaders, Jesus died. But Jesus is not just another figure among the list of many others who are now long dead, because He, unlike anyone else, rose from the dead.
 
Without the Resurrection, there would be no Christianity. That is why Saint Paul tells us: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).
 
To fully understand the full relevance of Jesus’ we need to keep together the connection between Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection.
 
These elements of Jesus’s identity are beautifully summed up in Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians where he says: “Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:5-9).
 
However, for us Christians, it is not enough to believe in the details of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. We need to bring that story into our life and ask ourselves some important crucial questions: How are we born to new life with him? Are we ready to die for and with Him? And are we ready to rise with Jesus in everything we do?
 
Today is the Sunday after the feast of the Holy Cross and the readings focus on the cross in our life. These readings challenge us to ask ourselves, “As followers of Jesus are we ready to carry our cross?”
 
In today’s Gospel Jesus says: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [35] For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it” (Mark 8:34-35).
 
Why would Jesus want us to lose our life, if he gave it to us and what is the connection between denying ourselves and following Jesus?
 
We have in each one of us our real self that is made in the image of God. This real self sees the goodness that God creates in us and around us. This real self is in love with God, with life, and with everything God gives us. However, sometimes we question God and ourselves. We become negative about God, ourselves, and others. If we make a mistake, we are often too hard on ourselves and even call ourselves dumb or stupid. Or we magnify the mistakes of others and tear them down.
 
Every day and in every action, we have the choice of amplifying our real selves which sees the real beauty that God creates in others, or we can distort the image that God creates in us and in others by only seeing negativity and faults.
 
It is specifically this aspect of ourselves that is an emotional virus and invades all aspects of our thinking that Jesus asks us to deny. Jesus does not ask us to deny the blessings that He gave us, rather He asks us to deny the curses that we place on ourselves by doubting or ignoring His blessings.
 
We should rejoice that we are good people, but we grow in our spiritual life when we realize that good can either get better, or the good in us can easily be spoiled if we allow ourselves to get distracted from the cross of Jesus in our life. We should never put ourselves down, and we should also not live the myth of goodness and feel that we do not do anything wrong or cannot do anything wrong. Spiritual growth only takes place when we live the daily sacrifice of the cross and put to death in us the words, emotions, and actions that are not of God.
 
Saint Paul warns us in his first letter to the Corinthians: “You yourselves wrong and defraud each other, even your own brothers. [9] Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, [10] nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:8-11).
 
Today, as we reflect on the cross in our life, we can ask ourselves what we are doing that is not of God. With the power of the cross, God will give us the strength to deny that part of ourselves that sinks us into a dark pit of dishonesty, emotional attractions to the variety of perversions around us, negativity, despair, cynicism, and the other spiritual cancers that we allow to grow in us.
 
Even these things in small quantities can begin to disfigure the face of God in us. When we set aside even the little things that distance us from God, we begin to see real growth in our faith. We keep progressing from being a good person to being an even better person who is daily transformed more and more in the image and glory of God.
 
Jesus tells us: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [35] For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it” (Mark 8:34-35). Therefore, the key is to deny whatever is in us that stops us from being all that God wants us to be and all that God creates us to be.
 
We lose our life when we allow our own emotions and priorities to take over our lives, and we save our life by growing in the many gifts that God puts in us. We move from the death of the cross to the glory of the resurrection when we allow God’s life to grow in us and to transform us into men and women of integrity, honesty, courage, modesty, and daily faithfulness to Him who was born, died, and rose for us.
 

Epistle: Sunday after the Holy Cross, Galatians 2:16-21. Epistle of the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost.

A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians
Brethren, we know man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Hence we also believe in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law, because by the works of the Law no man will be justified. But if, while we are seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ, therefore, the minister of sin? By no means. For if I rebuild the things I destroyed, I make myself a sinner. For through the Law I have died to the Law that I may live for God. With Christ I am nailed to the cross. It is now no longer I who live, but Christ is living in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live within the faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me.
 
Gospel: Sunday after the Holy Cross Mark 8:34-9:1.
The Lord said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For anyone who would save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will save it. For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but suffers the loss of his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes with the holy angels in the glory of his Father.” And he said to them, “Amen I say to you, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death, till they have seen the kingdom of God coming in power.”

Two Ways to Not Sink Your Spiritual Life.
September 12, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday Before the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.
The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up. God So Loved the World. 
Epistle: Galatians 6:11-18. Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost.
Gospel: John 3:13-17.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/ft2xXWHfAiQ The full text of the homily and readings are below.

Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily
We can only understand some sayings if we know the context they refer to. For example, when someone doesn’t have a solution for a problem they are in, they can say: “I’m up the creek with no paddle.”
 
This specifically refers to river kayaking. If you have ever gone kayaking in a river you know that you need both a good kayak and a good paddle. The last thing you want is a hole in your kayak or to get stuck up a river or a creek with no paddle. A good kayak ensures you don’t sink, and a good paddle helps you navigate the changing currents and conditions of the river.
 
Yes, you might be able to take your paddle out of the water and cruise down for a few minutes but if you are not watching carefully, you will either hit a rock, get washed ashore, or even worse find yourself going off a waterfall.
 
Just as a good kayak and a good paddle are essential to navigate through the rough waters and changing currents of a river so too in our spiritual life, we need at least two important elements: a good personality and good choices.
 
Like a kayak, a good personality helps us remain above the waters of life’s constant distractions and temptations and like a good paddle, good choices help us direct our life through the currents that are working against us.
 
We cannot live a healthy spiritual life if we do not develop a balanced personality that regularly makes good decisions despite how difficult our trials may be.
 
The key to kayaking is to stay in control despite the changing conditions of the river and the key to a healthy spiritual life is to stay in control of our emotions and actions and not get swept away by the unhealthy pressures and the temptations that surround us.
 
Today is the Sunday before the celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. What does kayaking have to do with the cross?
 
We think of Jesus as having a journey and a destination: his life, teachings, and miracles were the journey, and His death and resurrection were the destination.
 
However, we sometimes overlook that Jesus did not just cruise down the river of life but navigated through it with great difficulty.
 
Jesus had fun during His life. He went to a wedding banquet and changed water into wine, healed people who were sick, forgave sinners, and spoke to thousands of people.
 
But He also had people chase Him out of the synagogue and want to throw Him off cliffs.
 
How was Jesus able to survive through all these emotional currents and dangers?
 
Jesus reminded Himself every day that He did not come to earth for comfort but for service. When we serve each other, we quickly realize that service is tough and requires daily sacrifice.
 
Jesus was able to remain strong throughout His life and to embrace the cross as His ultimate sign of love for us. He did this by making good decisions throughout His life and by maintaining His self-control despite all the difficult situations He passed through.
 
Jesus did not run away from the cross but embraced it. He says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…[17]…I lay down my life, that I may take it again. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:11, 17-18).
 
Jesus knew that His crucifixion was not an accident or a trap. That is why Jesus chose and accepted the agony of the cross to bring about our full restoration through His resurrection.
 
Today’s Gospel reading also emphasizes that Jesus chose the cross so that we can see His love. Jesus says: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).
 
When we see His love shine through His sacrifice on the cross, hopefully, this will encourage us to not run away from our own cross. If Jesus had preferred conveniences and ran away from the suffering of the cross, He would have died peacefully in old age but lived miserably.
 
What we all must realize on a daily basis is that Jesus saved the world through both the agony of the cross and the joy of the resurrection. Without the sacrifice of the cross, there would not have been a resurrection.
 
This reminds us that in our lives we can above all other things seek pleasure, power, or a sense of importance, but all these will not last. Even worse they will hurt us. However, if above all other things we seek to develop our personality and to make better choices, then a healthier and longer-lasting kind of pleasure, a well-balanced sense of power, and a truer feeling of importance will follow.
 
These will follow if we do the right things but if all we do is seek these then the right things will not follow.
 
The world surrounds us with temptations of pleasure and comfort. However, the greatest irony in life is that when we search for pleasure and comfort all we end up with are frustrations and addictions. Yet when we commit our lives to sacrifice and service, we will have temporary discomfort but also a healthy and well-balanced personality and a deep sense of lasting happiness and joy.
 
On a trip down a river, we will find dangerous rocks that can sink us, streams that can take us in different directions, and waterfalls that can kill us. We cannot survive if we do not have a good kayak, a good paddle and if we are not making good decisions along the way.
 
We can think of our life as a journey down a river. The essentials of that journey of faith consist of seeking to grow in our faith in the cross. This will not only make us stronger but will help us, above all other things to find true peace and joy in God’s love.
 
A good kayak, a good paddle, and good decisions will make sure that we have a wonderful day on the river. A good personality, a daily practice of good actions, and good decisions will make sure that every day is a blessed day that embraces the cross to experience the glorious joy of the resurrection. 
 
Epistle.
Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost- Galatians 6:11-18.
A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians:
Brethren, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand! All those who want to please in a human way are forcing you to be circumcised merely to avoid persecution because of the cross of Christ. For not even the circumcised observe the Law: but they want you to be circumcised that they may boast of your subjection to external rites. But as for me, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new creation is of any account. And whoever follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and on God’s Israel. From now on, let no man give me trouble, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
 
Gospel: Sunday before the feast of the Holy Cross. John 3:13-17. Son of Man must be lifted up.
The Lord said, “No one has gone up into heaven except the One Who has come down from heaven: the Son of Man Who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that those who believe in Him may not perish, but may have life everlasting.” For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that those who believe in Him may not perish, but may have life everlasting. For God did not send His Son into the world in order to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

What’s Up?
September 5, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost. Gospel of The Great Commandment.
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 4:6-15.
Gospel: Matthew 22:35-46.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily https://youtu.be/x6qgTc32zf0 The full text of the homily and readings are below.

Homily
Good morning, or as some people say “What’s up?”
 
There are different ways of saying “What’s up?” and the meaning changes depending on how you say it. For example, “It’s good to see you. How are you doing?” is “What’s up?” But “What do you want?” is “What’s up?”
 
Unfortunately, when I go into a store, I most often get the rolled-eyed “What’s up?” Which means “It’s not really that good to see you, unfortunately, you probably have a question or want something, I am even more unfortunate to have to work at this place, and since you’re here, I have to deal with you, so “What’s up?”
 
The shaky head “What’s up?” attitude is what most people give us. God on the other hand is always asking us “What’s up?” and always means “It’s so good to see you. How are you doing?” God’s “what’s up?” is not a formality, but a sincere desire to know how we’re doing. God really wants to know “what’s up in our lives.”
 
Some people think God is too busy for us and is not really interested in what happens to us during the week. Sunday is so important because, in the book of Genesis, it is the first day that God begins creation. Sunday begins our week with God and is also the last day of the week where we gather to give thanks for our past week. This reminds us that God is with us every day. We begin our week with God, live our week with God, and end our week with God. God is always asking us “What’s up?” because He wants to know what we are doing, but more importantly, how we are doing.
 
Prayer is an honest conversation with God. It is important to have this daily conversation because we often think God is far away, whereas He’s always right there. Regardless of how young or old we are, we easily develop a negative view of ourselves, of others, and God, that we can correct by sitting in silence and listening to what God wants to tell us.
 
One of my favorite songs is called “You Say” by Lauren Daigle. A section of the song goes like this:
“You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And You say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don’t belong, oh You say that I am Yours
And I believe, oh I believe
What You say of me
The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me
In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity.”
 
We always need to live with the pure image that God has of us rather than carrying the burden of what others or we believe of ourselves. It is specifically when we have hardships in life that we need to turn to God.
 
Today’s letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians reminds us that when we recognize God is with us and for us, all our trials become manageable. Saint Paul says: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).
 
How is this possible? When God says, “what’s up?” we can be fully honest with Him in prayer:
“You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing

You say I am strong when I think I am weak.”
 
“The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me

In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity.”
 
This “What’s up?” that God asks is not just meant for us to feel good about ourselves, but the starting point of how we need to see others. If we have bad self-worth, then our view of others is cloudy. If we hate ourselves, how can we love God who created us?
 
That is why in today’s Gospel Jesus summarizes the entire message of the Bible when he says: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. [38] This is the great and first commandment. [39] And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [40] On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).
 
When God says, “What’s up?” He wants to know how we’re doing and what we’re doing. He calls us to mirror this in our relationships with others. He wants to know whether we care about how others are doing. Therefore, prayer also encourages us to ask those around us “What’s up?” in a genuine way. God corrects us when we develop an unhealthy view of ourselves.
 
What negative views of themselves or of life do people you know have? Is there a way for you to show them how much you care and how much God loves them?
 
We discover the full joy and meaning of life when we hear God’s loving “What’s up?” every day and when we are able to extend to those who need to know we care, a loving “What’s up?”
 

Epistle.

A Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (2 Cor 4:6-15).

Brethren, God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts, to give enlightenment concerning the knowledge of God's glory, shining in Christ Jesus' face. But we carry this treasure in vessels of clay, to show that its superabundant power is God's, and not ours. In all things we suffer tribulation but we are not distressed, we are sorely pressed but we are not destitute, we endure persecution but we are not forsaken, we are cast down but we do not perish: always carrying around in our body the dying of Jesus, so that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodily frame. For we, the living, are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh. Thus death is at work in us, but life in you. But since we have the same spirit of faith, as shown in that which is written, I believed, and so I spoke, (Ps. 115:1) we also believed, wherefore we also speak. For we know that the One Who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up also together with Jesus, and will place us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace that abounds through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound for God's glory.
 

Gospel.

15th Sunday of Pentecost, Matthew 22:35-46 (The Greatest Commandment)
AT that time one of the doctors of the Law, putting Jesus to the test, asked him, “Master, which is the great commandment in the Law?” Jesus said to him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them, saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “David’s.” He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand till I make thy enemies thy footstool?’ If David, therefore, calls him Lord, how is he his son?” And no one could answer him a word; neither did anyone dare from that day forth to ask him any more questions.

Dig Into the Bible’s Meaning.
August 22, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost. Gospel of the Wicked Tenants.
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 16:13-24
Gospel: Matthew 21:33-42.
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/KuYpK18ru4s The full text of the homily and readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily
There are some passages in the Bible that are very easy to understand and do not need much explanation.
 
For example, Saint Paul provides us with some clear and straightforward instructions. In his letter to the Colossians, he says: “Put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. [9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices” (3:8-9). Saint Paul does not tell us to do these things when we feel like it but instructs us to do them all the time. As hard as it may be to do these things, the Bible is clear we should never become angry, malicious, talk about other people, lie, or swear.
 
There is a story about a priest who was driving away from the hospital, and someone cut him off. Instead of swearing he honked his horn. A policeman stopped him and said “Father can’t you see the sign. It says, ‘Absolutely no honking in front of the hospital.’” The priest answered, “Yes officer, I did see the sign, but the Bible tells me that I should never swear so honking was my only choice.”
 
Some Bible passages are clear and straightforward when it comes to what we should or should not do and some are less clear.
 
Today’s Gospel is clear only if we read it within the context of God’s full message to us throughout the Bible. When we read the Bible, we need to keep in mind God’s full plan of salvation. Jesus tells a story about a landowner who planted a vineyard, leased it, then sent his servants and son to get his share of the grapes as an example of God’s plan of salvation.
 
To understand this parable, we need to know that in the Old Testament and the New Testament the vineyard was used as an image of the relationship between God and us.
 
For example, we read in the book of the prophet Isaiah (5:4) “What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? … [7] For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry!”
 
In other words, God plants gifts in us and gives us so much yet we sometimes do not develop these gifts and thus produce very little fruit.
 
Jesus also uses this example of the vineyard when he says: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. [2] Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.…[5] I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John.15:1, 2, 5).
 
Therefore, to understand today’s Gospel we have to realize that Jesus is speaking about the long loving relationship that God has had with every single person He created from the time of Adam and Eve all the way each one of us today.
 
The first part of this parable speaks about a man who plants a vineyard and provides everything for it to grow. This is meant to take us back to the book of Genesis where we read: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The verses that follow tell us how God also provided light, water, land, vegetation, plants yielding seed, fruit trees bearing fruit, and living creatures.
 
We see here an important parallel. Just as God creates the world and everything in it with great care, so too the landowner in today’s Gospel plants a vineyard and surrounds it with many things. Furthermore, as God places a man and a woman in the world that He created, the landowner in today’s Gospel leases his vineyard to vine-dressers and asks them to take care of it. Both give their precious treasure over to others and expect their hard work to bear much fruit.
 
The second part of today’s parable tells us that the landowner sent his servants to receive the fruits of the vineyard but those who were supposed to be taking care of the vineyard ended up killing the landowner’s servants. This is parallel to the Old Testament prophets that God sent to remind people that God expects everyone to produce fruit in their lives. Unfortunately, both then and now prophets and their message are not very welcome.
 
For example, in the first book of Kings, the prophet Elias says: “for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:14).
 
Also, as Jesus prepares for his death and resurrection, He shows that He is the son in today’s parable that the vinedressers were supposed to respect but ended up killing. In His final days, Jesus says: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!” (Matthew 23:37)
 
The irony is that Adam and Eve did not appreciate the paradise that God created for them, the people throughout the Old Testament were not always favorable to God’s prophets, and we too do not fully grasp that we live in an absolute paradise that unfortunately we repeatedly abuse.
 
Today’s Gospel reminds us that as the landowner planted a vineyard and gave it over to vine-dressers, God created the whole world and everything in it for us. We are not an accident but are purposefully created because God loves us, wants to provide for us, and wants us to bear fruits of goodness in His abundant garden of life.
 
We would not be able to understand today’s Gospel without the wider context of the whole Bible. It is important to read the Bible frequently and carefully because some passages are very easy to understand while other passages, like the one we just read, require a little more digging.
 
Epistle:

A Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 16:13-24).

Brethren, watch, stand fast in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let everything you do he done out of love. Now, I beg you, brethren: you know that the members of Stephanas’ family are the first-fruits of Achaia and have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. To such as these, you too become subject, and to every helper and worker. I rejoice at the presence of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because what was lacking on your part they have supplied — for they have refreshed both my spirit and yours. To such as these, therefore, give recognition. The churches of Asia greet you. Acuila and Priscilla with the church at their house greet you heartily iii the Lord. All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, greet you with my own hand. If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him he accursed. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. My love is with all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.
 
Gospel:

Matthew 21:33-42. The Parable of the Criminal Tenants.
The Lord told this parable: “There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard, and put a hedge around it, and dug a wine vat in it, and built a tower; then he leased it to the vine-dressers, and went abroad. But when the fruit season drew near, he sent his servants to the vine-dressers to receive his fruits. And the vine-dressers seized his servants, and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent another party of servants more numerous than the first; and they did the same to these. Finally, he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But the vine-dressers, on seeing the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance.’ So, they seized him, cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. When, therefore, the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-dressers?” They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men, and will lease the vineyard to other vine-dressers, who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The Stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone; by the Lord this has been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.’”

Stop Working and Listen.
August 15, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
The Dormition of the Mother of God (Theotokos)
Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11
Gospel: Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28

This is the link to Sunday’s homily https://youtu.be/BzxvDYzgF4g The full text of the homily and the readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily.
Are you a Martha or a Mary?
 
This is a frequently asked question in the spiritual life as Martha represents the life of action and sometimes busyness while Mary represents the life of quiet listening.
 
The spiritual life is never about one of these over the other but how well we balance the two.
 
Today’s Gospel is very rich and contains many important details.
 
First, Jesus visits Martha at her house. What would you do if Jesus comes to your house? You would obviously prepare a meal for Him. Perhaps you would prepare several meals for Him. As we all know, hospitality is very important if we want to honor a guest. In addition to this, hospitality also shows our sense of personal honor. We honor guests by taking care of them and our guests honor us by appreciating our hospitality. It is an honor to be served and it is an honor to serve. Therefore, when we read in Luke 10:38 “Jesus entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house” we would expect Martha to serve Jesus something. In fact, we would be surprised, and He may have been offended if she did not.
 
However, the second important nuance in this Gospel is the part: and Martha “had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching” (Luke 10:39). We may ask the question, “why is Mary sitting” instead of helping with the meal. This is exactly what Martha says: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me” (:41). There is an important verse that precedes this one where Saint Luke tells us: “But Martha was distracted with much serving.” Therefore, it is not wrong that Martha was busy serving her guest Jesus, but that she was distracted with serving.
 
The word distraction means that although she was doing something that was expected and was an honor for her and her guest, at that specific time it was not the right thing to do. That is why Jesus tells her: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; [42] one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.” Therefore, if someone asks: “Are you a Martha or a Mary?” we would probably say we want to be a Mary because Jesus told Mary that she has chosen the better part.
 
However, can you imagine Jesus coming to your house and not serving Him anything? A proper understanding of this Gospel is not whether we are one or the other, but whether we live a balanced spiritual life of both prayer and work.
 
It is common for people to say I don’t need to go to Church to be close to God, I just try to do some good works. This is absolutely false because Jesus never asked us to keep busy.
 
We don’t get extra spiritual points by being as busy as Martha. Jesus specifically tells her: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful.” What Mary did is the one thing that is needful. Mary “sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.” Jesus tells this to all of us today.

It is important to work hard. It is important to serve our families. It is important to serve society. It is important to serve the Church. But service without the right attitude is not helpful. A healthy spiritual life consists of first sitting at the Lord’s feet to listen, learn, and feel His presence with us. We need to find time to stop, set aside all the things that we are busy with, and listen to the Lord. This is exactly what we do when we gather in Church to worship God as His family. We listen to His word as we sing the prayers of the Divine Liturgy. We listen to His word in the readings and homily. And finally, we listen to His word that tells us to go out and continue to listen to His word as we pray every day by yourself and with our family.

Authentic service to others is only healthy if we are grounded in the word of God. If we serve to be appreciated, then we will quickly get disappointed because no one can appreciate us to the level we deserve. If we serve to get noticed, a few people may notice us, but we will get frustrated that more people did not notice us. However, if we serve because of the love of God in our hearts, then every action, every word, and even a small act of kindness, which may seem insignificant, is an opportunity for us to grow in our love for God and for those around us.
 
It was good for Martha to serve. This Gospel does not criticize Martha for serving, because this is the right thing to do when Jesus visits her and when we see needs around us. The fault of Martha and our fault is when we fail to slow down our life to spend time like Mary listening to Jesus. 
 
Are you a Martha or a Mary? Hopefully, you are both. A healthy spiritual life combines a balance of prayer and work.
 
Hopefully, we are all like Martha who loved to serve. Hopefully, we are like Martha who saw that it is an honor to have guests in our home, it is an honor to serve them, and it is an honor for them to appreciate us serving them.
 
In addition to this, hopefully, we are like Mary who stopped to listen to the Lord to be filled with God’s peace, direction, and wisdom. Without this, our work and serving become an oppressive burden rather than a source of joy at the privilege that we are serving God through the needs of those around us.
 

Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11.

Brethren, have the same attitude as Christ Jesus had, who though he was by nature God, did not consider being equal to God a thing to appropriate, but emptied himself, taking the nature of a slave and becoming like man. And as he appeared in the form of man, he humbled himself, being obedient to the point of death — even of death on a cross. Therefore, God also has exalted him and has bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.

Gospel: Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28.

At that time Jesus entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed him to her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also seated herself at the Lord’s feet, and listened to his word. But Martha was worried about much serving. And she came up and said, “Lord, is it no concern of yours that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her therefore to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; and yet only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the best part, and it will not be taken away from her.” As he was saying these things, a certain woman lifted up her voice from the crowd, and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nursed you!” But he said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”

Spiritual Plowing.
August 8, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost.
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:2-12.
Gospel: Matthew 18:23-35.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily https://youtu.be/aim4M79_kw0 The full text of the homily and the readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration

Homily.
We heard in today’s epistle from Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: “The plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop.” (1 Corinthians 9:10)
 
Before we try to understand what Saint Paul means we should get a clear image in our mind about how a plow and a thresher work. A plow is an instrument that prepares the soil for planting and a thresher separates the grain or seed from the plant. Both of these stages are important because without a plow the soil would be too hard and a seed or plant could never be placed in it. The thresher is also important because after wheat grows the part that we can actually eat is very small. With other plants as well, we only eat a small part of the whole plant. Therefore, the plow is important to prepare the soil for the plant to be able to grow and the thresher is important to separate what we can eat from the larger plant.
 
Why does Saint Paul use this image of a plow and a thresher? Saint Paul does this because he was speaking to an audience that was very familiar with farming principles. To them, this statement meant a lot. A farmer and even someone who plants one tomato bush works hard to prepare the soil, water the plant, watch it grow, waits for it to ripen, then greatly enjoys the fruit of what he/she planted. Saint Paul is not trying to write a farming manual but is trying to use familiar and creative imagery to encourage people to reflect on their spiritual life.
 
Everyone wants to be blessed, everyone wants to be happy, everyone wants to be successful, and everyone wants to be respected. However, before we expect the fruits of a blessed life, we should first ask ourselves how we have used our spiritual plow and our spiritual thresher. Have we plowed and have we separated between that which is bringing us closer from that which is separating us from God? We should set very high goals to want peace in our homes, success at school or work, or a greater closeness to God, but what practical things are we doing to achieve these?
 
Many people are returning to school in the next few weeks. In general people do not like school because it is hard work and they do not see the fruit immediately. However, those who study and keep in mind their goals find school and education exceptionally exciting. Those who are thinking of the fruit when they are plowing work with great excitement.
 
Think of how hard the farming process is. You need a plow to prepare the soil and you need several plants, some of which will die in the process. Even if the fruit grows there is the danger that the birds will get to your fruit before you do. It is only at the end of this long and difficult process that you can enjoy a few ripe and tasty fruits.
 
Everything in our life is like that. All these stages can be applied to whatever we are doing. We are always in a plowing stage, we are always in a waiting stage, and we are always in a collection stage. Even when we are enjoying the fruits of our success, we need to also be simultaneously preparing the ground for future successes. Even if we are successful at work or school, if we do not maintain the same discipline that got us there, we will quickly find ourselves in trouble. A successful student who got an A in the last test will not get an A in the next test without working just as hard as he/she did before the previous test. Someone in a successful position will not remain in that position if he/she does not keep working with the same ethic that got them there.
 
There are many people who have gone from great successful to great failure. For example, the former NBA All-Star Vin Baker was an Olympic gold-medal winner in 2000 then went on to become a four-time NBA All-Star before ending his professional basketball career with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2006. During his career he made $108 million dollars. Four years after his last professional game he declared bankruptcy and started working at Starbucks.
 
This not only happened to Vin Baker it happens to us all the time. We do well in something then get lazy or neglectful and the success we had quickly evaporates. You could take care of your garden for 50 years, but if you do not take care of it for one season it will look unrecognizable.
 
However, more important than school, finances, or our garden is our spiritual life. It is wonderful that we are all here in Church today to give thanks to God for the gifts He has given us and also to ask for strength in different aspects of our life. So many parents tell me that it is easy to take their children to church when they are young but then it becomes very difficult. And sometimes when children grow up then parents also stop going to Church and only come back if they are sick or something tragic is happening in their life.
 
God is definitely always there for us in times of difficulty, but the Church is not just an emergency room. One person told me quite honestly: “I don’t go to church if I don’t need to just like I don’t go see a doctor if I’m not sick.” We should take a healthier approach to our spiritual life. That is why the image Saint Paul presents us is so important. If we come to Church regularly, we should ask ourselves why? If we come irregularly, we should also ask ourselves why?
 
Do we treat Church like a drop in gym and expect to be healthy by simply walking in? Do we want the fruit of the tree with very little preparation, work, and consistency? Our spiritual life requires more discipline than work, school, or planting anything. We should never let a day pass without first stopping for a few minutes to thank God for everything He has given us. Every day we need to also invite Jesus into our life. We can say simple prayers like “I invite you to be with me today” or “Help me to help me with whatever challenge I may have.”
 
Third, every day we need to think about how we are using and how we can better use the gifts and talents God has given us.
 
Finally, we need to always want to learn something new about our faith by reading the Bible and some other spiritual article or book.
 
This is the spiritual discipline that will keep our faith strong. We always need to have a spiritual plow in our hand, be patient and watch the fruits of our spiritual life grow, then learn to pick and make use of our spiritual blessings. Just like at work, at school, or on the farm, past successes are no indication of where we will be in the future. We will only grow in our love for God when we are working on this relationship every day. We will only grow in knowledge of our faith when we are working on it every day. We will only discover the depths of God’s gifts to us when we keep searching every day.
 
Saint Paul’s words are very rich: “The plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop” (1 Corinthians 9:10). We cannot be successful in anything without planning, vision, hard work, disciple, and wisdom. If we even need these when we plant a tomato, how much more important are they for our spiritual life which should be for us a slightly higher priority than preparing a tasty and healthy salad.
 
Epistle: 11th Sunday of Pentecost, 1 Corinthians 9:2-12.
A Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians:
Brethren, you are the seal set upon my apostleship in the Lord. My defense against those who question me is this: Have we not a right to eat and to drink? Have we not a right to take around with us a sister woman, as do the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have not the right of exemption from manual labor? What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends the flock and does not drink of the flock’s milk? Do I speak these things on human authority? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain. (Dt.25:4) Is God concerned about the oxen, or does he say this simply for our sakes? These things were written for us. For he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes. in the expectation of partaking of the fruit. If we have sown for you spiritual things, is such an affair if we reap from you material things? If others share in this right over you. why should it not rather go to us? Yet, we have not used this right, but we bear all our expenses. lest we be a hindrance to Christ’s Good News.
 
Gospel. Matthew 18:23-35. Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.
The Lord told this parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who desired to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun the settlement, one was brought to him who owed him millions. And as he had no means of paying, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all he had, and payment to be made. But the servant fell down and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will pay you all.’ And moved with compassion, the master of that servant released him, and forgave him the debt. But as that servant went out, he met one of his fellow-servants who owed him a small amount, and he laid hold of him and throttled him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ His fellow-servant therefore fell down and began to entreat him, saying, Have patience with me and I will pay you all.’ But he would not; but went away and threw him into prison until he would pay what was due. His fellow-servants therefore, seeing what had happened, were very much saddened, and they went and informed their master of what had taken place. Then his master called him, and said to him, ‘Wicked servant, I forgave you all the debt, because you begged me. Should not you also have had pity on your fellow-servant, even as I had pity on you?’ And his master, being angry, handed him over to the torturers until he would pay all that was due to him. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if you do not each forgive your brothers from your hearts.”

Mirror Your Life to the Bible.
August 1, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost. Healing of the Epileptic Boy
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 4:9-16.
Gospel: Matthew 17:14-23.
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily https://youtu.be/J The full readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
A Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:9-16).
Brethren, I think God has set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death, so that we would become a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, but we are without honor! To this very hour, we hunger and thirst, and we are naked and buffeted and have no fixed home. And we labor, working with our own hands. We are reviled and we bless, we are persecuted and we bear with it, we are maligned and we console; we have become as the refuse of this world, the scum of all until this present time. I write these things, not to put you to shame, but to admonish you as my dearest children. For although you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you have not many fathers. Therefore, I beg you, be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Gospel. Matthew 17:14-23.

At that time a man approached Jesus, and threw himself on his knees before him, saying, “Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic, and suffers severely; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus answered and said, “O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked him; and the devil went out of him, and from that moment the boy was cured. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith; for amen I say to you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here,’ and it will move. And nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.” Now while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him: and on the third day he will rise again.”

Let Us Be Attentive.
July 18, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Eighth Sunday After Pentecost.
Sunday of the Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils
Epistle: Titus 3:8-15.
Gospel: Matthew 5:14-19.
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily: https://youtu.be/auooRUrRtOY
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 

A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to Titus (3:8-15).

My son Titus, this saying is true, and in this matter, I want to insist that those who believe in God be careful to excel in good works; these are good and useful to people. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and quarrels, and disputes about the Law, for they are useless and futile. Avoid a factious man after warning him one or twice, knowing that such a man is perverted and sins, since he is condemning himself. When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to meet me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Help Zenas the lawyer and Apolos on their way, taking care that they lack nothing. And let our people also learn to excel in good works, in order to help cases of urgent need so that they may not be unfruitful. All my companions greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. The grace of God be with all of you. Amen.

Gospel: Matthew 5:14-19.

The Lord said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but upon the lamp-stand, so as to give light to all in the house. Even so let your light shine before men, in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Do not think I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For amen I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one letter or one stroke shall be lost from the Law till all things have been accomplished. Therefore, whoever does away with one of these least commandments, and so teaches men, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever carries them out and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Sensing the Good Shepherd.

July 11, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Seventh Sunday After Pentecost. Healing of the Two Blind Men.
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.
Gospel: Matthew 9:27-35.
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily https://youtu.be/UZnSUpQ4SSk The full Sunday readings and notes are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV #Catholic #Bible #Inspiration

A Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (6:1-10). 16 SA Pentecost.

Brethren, yes, working together with him, we beg you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, in an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation, I have helped you. (Is.49:8) Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation! We give no offense to anyone, that our ministry may not be blamed. On the contrary, let us behave in all circumstances as God’s ministers, in much patience, in tribulations, in hardships, in distress; in stripes, in imprisonments, in riots; in labors, in sleepless nights, in fastings; in innocence, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unaffected love; in the word of truth, in God’s power; with the armor of justification on the right hand and on the left; in honor and dishonor, in evil report and good report; as deceivers and yet truthful, as unknown and yet well known, as dying, and look, we live; as punished, but not killed, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet enriching many, as having nothing, yet possessing all things.

Gospel: Matthew 9:27-35.

At that time as Jesus was passing on, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying “Have pity on us, Son of David” And when He had reached the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this to you?” They answered Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “Let it be done to you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus strictly charged them, saying, “See that no one knows of this!” But they went out and spread His fame abroad throughout all that district. Now as they were going out, behold, there was brought to Him a dumb man possessed by a devil. And when the devil had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, “Never has the like of this been seen in Israel.” But the Pharises said, “By the prince of devils He casts out devils.” And Jesus was going about all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Good News of the kingdom, and curing every kind of disease and infirmity in the people.

Numbers 27:17. [15] Then Moses said to the LORD, [16] “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all humanity, set over the community someone [17] who will be their leader in battle and who will lead them out and bring them in, that the LORD’s community may not be like sheep without a shepherd.” [18] And the LORD replied to Moses: Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man of spirit, and lay your hand upon him. [19] Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and commission him in their sight. [20] Invest him with some of your own power, that the whole Israelite community may obey him. [21] He shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who will seek for him the decision of the Urim in the LORD’s presence; and as it directs, Joshua, all the Israelites with him, and the whole community will go out for battle; and as it directs, they will come in. [22] Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. Taking Joshua and having him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, [23] he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD had directed through Moses.
 
1 Kings 22:17. [14] Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I shall speak whatever the LORD tells me.” [15] When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to fight at Ramoth-gilead, or shall we refrain?” He said, “Attack and conquer! The LORD will give it into the power of the king.” [16] But the king answered him, “How many times must I adjure you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?” [17] So Micaiah said: “I see all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd, And the LORD saying, These have no master! Let each of them go back home in peace.”

Sheep in NT.

Matt.10:16. "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Matt.12:11-12. He said to them, "What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? [12] Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath."

Matt.18:12. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?

Matt.26:31. Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, `I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

John 10:1-30 [21x: sheep, shepherd, sheepfold].
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; [2] but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. [5] A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." [6] This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. [7] So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. [8] All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. [9] I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. [10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. [11] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [12] He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. [13] He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. [14] I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, [15] as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. [17] For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father." [19] There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. [20] Many of them said, "He has a demon, and he is mad; why listen to him?" [21] Others said, "These are not the sayings of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" [22] It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; [23] it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. [24] So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." [25] Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me; [26] but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. [27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; [28] and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. [30] I and the Father are one."

John 21:16-17. A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." [17] He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
 
Acts. 8:32. Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this: "As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.

Heb. 13:20. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,

Psalm 23:1-6.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; [2] he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; [3] he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. [4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. [5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. [6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

 
Matthew 9:27-35.
[27] And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David."
  -Jesus did not see them. They did not see Jesus or any one else because they were blind.
  -Jesus did not hear them. They heard Jesus and “followed him.”
  -Jesus heard them “crying aloud” but did seen them (they followed).
 
[28] When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord."
  -Jesus saw them.                     “They entered”.
  -They heard Jesus. Jesus heard them.    “Do you believe” “they said”.
 
[29] Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you."
  -They felt Jesus.
  -They heard Jesus.
 
[30] And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, "See that no one knows it."
  -They saw Jesus.
  -Jesus saw them.
  -They heard Jesus.
 
[31] But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
  -They saw Jesus,
  -They saw the people,
  -The people saw them,
  -The people heard them.

Not a Heavy Homily
July 4, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost.
Epistle: Romans 12:6-14.
Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8.
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. The full readings are below. https://youtu.be/xMkjyXrvpF8
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

Epistle: Romans 12:6-14.
Brethren, we have gifts differing according to the grace that has been given us, such as prophecy to be used according to the degree of faith, or ministry in ministering, or instruction in teaching, or exhortation in encouraging, or almsgiving in being generous with simplicity, or leadership in leading with discretion, or works of mercy in performing them joyfully. Let love be without pretense. Hate what is evil. Hold to what is good. Love one another with fraternal charity, being the first to honor the other. Be not slothful in zeal; be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope. Be patient in tribulations, persevering in prayer. Relieve the saints’ needs, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you: bless, and do not curse!
 

Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8.

At that time, getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over and came to his own town. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic lying on a pallet. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven you.” And behold, some of the Scribes said within themselves, “This man blasphemes.” And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” then he said to the paralytic “Arise, take up your pallet and go to your house.” And he arose, and went away to his house. But when the crowds saw it, they were struck with fear, and glorified God who had given such power to men.

Are You Saved?
June 27, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Fifth Sunday After Pentecost.
Epistle: Romans 10:1-10.
Gospel: Matthew 8:28-9:1.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/kHR3wZDFpd8
The full text of the homily and the readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV
#Catholic #Bible #Inspiration
 
Homily.
“Are you saved?” “Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?” Someone may have asked you these important questions.
 
Before you answer these questions or anyone other faith related question, make sure you clarify what the words in a question mean?
 
There is a story about someone who was getting baptized. The person baptizing him puts his head in the water and asks: “Do you believe?” A man was getting baptized and the person baptizing him put his head in the water and asked: “Do you believe?” “I believe” the man said, after his head came out of the water. A second time, the person baptizing immersed the man in the water and said, “Do you believe?” “Yes, I believe,” he said with an even louder voice, when he got his head out of the water. He dunked him again and this time asked, “tell us what you believe?” After he got out of the water and caught his breath, the man said: “I believe you are trying to drown me.”
 
In this story it makes a big difference how we are using the word “believe” and it always matters what we mean by the words we use.
 
Before we can answer the question “Are you saved?” or any related question about salvation, we have to ask, “what is salvation?” And before we can answer “Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?” we have to ask what the word “accept” means.
 
Specifically, is “accepting” something you do and claim you have done in the past? Or is “accepting” something you have done, are currently doing, and will continue to do? The way we define the words “salvation” and “accept” can change the answer, change how we view God, and change how we view our spiritual responsibilities.
 
The word “salvation” is a very important one regarding our faith, because the word “Jesus” literally means, “He who saves.” Jesus came to save us. But “What did He save us from?” and “What did He save us for?”
 
In the book of Genesis, we read how God created us in His image and likeness, but humanity turned away from God and disfigured the image of God. A lamp can have a good bulb and good wiring, but if you unplug it, then no more light will come from it. In a sense we can say that humanity unplugged itself from the light of God and sin in our life is when we unplug ourselves from God.
 
The Book of Genesis also shows us that although we are not always faithful to God, God never turns away from us. That is why God promised Adam and Eve to send a savior. Throughout the whole Old Testament people were waiting for the Messiah who would come and save them from the separation that took place when Adam and Eve turned away from God: when they unplugged themselves from God’s life.
 
Saint Paul explains salvation in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. [21] For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. [22] For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
 
However, this salvation from sin and death that Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection does not mean we get a VIP pass to heaven. Salvation is not imposed on us. Rather we are invited to accept it and only takes place when we do accept it.
 
In today’s letter of Saint Paul to the Romans, the word “salvation” appears three times. In verse one, Saint Paul says: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved” (10:1). Then in verses 9-10 he says: “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved.” Therefore, the proper Catholic understanding of salvation is that we are saved by what Jesus did for us by taking on our humanity, by dying, and by rising from the dead.
 
Second, not only are we saved, but we are being saved when we accept that Christ died for us. He died for us and invites us to accept that salvation that cost Him His life, but that He freely gives everyone who accepts to believe in Him. Therefore, the answer to “are you saved?” is: We are saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved. Salvation is something that has happened, is happening, and will happen.
 
Yes, we are saved because Jesus saved us through His death and resurrection. But we cannot just say “we are saved” because of what Jesus did, we have to say “we are being saved” because we need to respond every day in a positive way to Jesus’s invitation. We need to keep responding. When we do this, we can be sure that “we will be saved” because we have not only made an initial proclamation of our faith but remained faith. Therefore, we can await to hear from Jesus the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:23).
 
Today, let us be practical in our thoughts on salvation. First, let us reflect on what Jesus has done for us. If we love someone, we want to communicate with them by either reading what they write or by speaking with them. That is why it is important to read the Bible, which is a compilation of God’s love letters to us. We need to pray, which is how we speak with God and allow God to speak with us.
 
We also need to accept God’s gift of eternal life by specifically telling God that we do accept Him in our life and that we want to live our life according to His plan and will for us. We cannot live in a default mode. We need to choose our settings and repeatedly check and reaffirm them.
 
Finally, we need to live like we mean it. Decide to do something practical and real that reflects what you believe. In short, if you are taken to court today for being a follower of Jesus, make sure there is plenty of evidence by your faith that is expressed in your words and actions that Jesus has saved you, that Jesus is saving you, and that Jesus will save you.
 
A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans (10:1-10).
Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God in their behalf is for salvation. For I bear witness to them that they have zeal for God, but a zeal that is not informed. For ignorant of God’s holiness and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to the sanctification offered by God. For Christ is the consummation of the Law in terms of justification for everyone who believes. For Moses has written that the man who brings about that justification which is of the Law shall live by it. (Lv.18: 5) But the justification which is of faith says, Do not ask in your heart, who shall go up to heaven that is, -- to bring down Christ. Or, Who will descend into the abyss (Dt.30: 12) that is, to bring up Christ from the dead? But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. (Dt.30: 14) that is, the word of faith which we preach. For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For a man believes with the heart and attains justification, but he professes his faith with his mouth and attains salvation.
 
Gospel: Matthew 8:28-9:1 (Healing of the Gerasene Demoniacs).
At that time as Jesus reached the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two men who were possessed, coming from the tombs, so exceedingly fierce that no one could pass by that way. And behold, they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with you, Jesus Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now at a distance from them there was a herd of many swine, feeding. And the devils kept begging him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” And he said to them, “Go!” And they came out and entered into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed from the top of the cliff into the sea, and perished in the water. But the swineherds fled, and going away into the town, they reported everything, and what had befallen the men possessed by - demons. And behold, all the town came out to meet Jesus; and on seeing him they insisted that he leave their district. And getting into a boat, he crossed over and came into his own town.

Bishop Nicholas Samra’s June 16, 2021,

Pastoral Letter "Return to the Eucharist."
Read by Father François Beyrouti.
 
https://youtu.be/0b2TgE4IKUc
The full text is below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV 
#Catholic #Bible #Inspiration

Bishop Nicholas Samra
The Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Newton
3 Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway
West Roxbury, Massachusetts 02132
(617) 323-9922
www.melkite.org
 
June 16, 2021
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
The Eucharist is our life-line, without it we cannot live. The Sunday Divine Liturgy is the community celebration of Christ in our midst, the event that unites us all together as the Body of Christ. Celebrating the Eucharist is not just a commandment of the Church, but an inner necessity. Christ sustains us, and, without Him, our lives are empty. It is time to return to full parish life, with precautions, and to come back to church weekly to participate in the Lord’s banquet and receive Him in Holy Communion, by which we become the Body of Christ.
 
Participating in the Divine Liturgy is the best way to remember the sabbath and to keep it holy – the third commandment from the Old Testament. The Lord Himself rested after six days of creation and “blessed the sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:8,11).
 
In the gospel account, we see Jesus observing the sabbath by going to the synagogue and teaching there. We mirror the life of Christ by conforming to what Jesus Himself did. At the Last Supper, Jesus commanded us to take and eat and drink, and to do it in His memory (Mt 26;26-30, Mk 14:22-26, Lk 22:14-20, 1Cor 11:23-26). The Eucharist is our food on life’s journey, filling us with joy, and transforming us to be witnesses of Christ to our world.

It has been a long, difficult year since March 2020. Many have experienced great pain and suffering during the pandemic. Many have died and many are still recovering from the long-term effects of Covid-19. We honor the heroes - nurses, doctors, and all medical professionals - who brought comfort, along with priests who brought the Sacrament of the Sick to Covid patients.

Now, as we trust in the Lord, and with great confidence in the vaccines, our lives are opening up to more activity. It is time to return to the obligation of Sunday Divine Liturgy. Because our communities are scattered over many states, we still must follow the guidelines given us in the areas where we live. Most states have opened up once again. Churches are included in the re-opening.
 
Our obligation to participate in worship at the Divine Liturgy is an obligation of love as well as a command of the Lord. Worshiping by watching a live-stream Liturgy is permissible only for those who are ill, have recently been exposed to Covid-19 or any other communicable illness. For those who are home-bound or in hospitals or other health-care facilities, those not yet vaccinated, and those of advanced age, Holy Communion is to be provided by a visit of the priest or deacon. I recommend we continue live-streaming our services for them. All other parishioners who are well and ambulatory need to be in church to receive the Eucharist.
 
The obligation to return to Sunday Divine Liturgy attendance becomes effective June 27, 2021. We look forward to welcoming all our faithful back to the celebration of Divine Liturgy after this long and difficult year.
 
  Most Reverend Nicholas J. Samra,
  Eparchial Bishop of Newton

Fly to Suffering.
June 13, 2021, homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Third Sunday After Pentecost.
Epistle: Romans 5:1-10.
Gospel: Matthew 6:22-33
 

This is the link to Sunday’s homily.

The full text of the homily and readings are below.

https://youtu.be/AYnGtPsidgI
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV
#Catholic #Bible #Inspiration

Homily.
You probably want to fly away for a vacation soon. When you book a flight, a few inches of extra comfort could cost you thousands of extra dollars. We desire more and more comfort that of course comes at a very high cost.
 
For example, you could buy a regular round trip ticket from New York City to Mumbai, India for only $786. However, if you need a little more comfort you could book the most expensive commercial flight available which is a 125 square foot luxury suite with three private rooms for $76,000. Therefore, you could pay one price for normal comfort or approximately 100 times more for a trip with exceptional comfort.
 
We are used to wanting more and more comfort in all aspects of our life, but the letter to the Romans we read today actually speaks of something that we may not be too comfortable with. There Saint Paul tells us: “We rejoice in our sufferings.”
 
When was the last time you rejoiced in your suffering?
 
It is difficult for us to find meaning in our suffering and very often we get bitter and angry when we suffer. But Saint Paul explains why he rejoices in his suffering: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not disappoint us…” (Romans 5:3-5).
 
Of course, we should never specifically want to suffer, but we should keep in mind that during our life a certain amount of suffering is inevitable. Suffering is not always a bad thing or a thing that we should avoid at all costs. All great people who achieved exceptional accomplishments would agree with Saint Paul who associates suffering with endurance, character, and hope.
 
There has never been a saint, a Nobel prize winner, a successful athlete, or anyone at any time throughout history who has accomplished anything great who has not suffered in one way or another. Therefore, although we should not search for suffering, we should also realize that no personal development is possible without some suffering.
 
To understand why Saint Paul says that “suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,” we must keep in mind three things: First, suffering is not necessarily a result of failure. Second, suffering does not mean that God does not love us or that He has abandoned us. Third, we should not see suffering as an end, but rather as a journey to something greater.
 
If we look at the first point that suffering is not necessarily a result of failure, we realize that Jesus suffered a great deal throughout his life, but He was not a failure. When He was born Herod tried to kill him. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph suffered when they had to flee to Egypt instead of going back home to Nazareth. Also, during His life, people misunderstood and persecuted Jesus. And of course, Jesus suffered a most horrific scourging and crucifixion.
 
Jesus suffered but was a success because He was willing to suffer for His mission of teaching, healing, forgiving, dying, and rising. Jesus thought of His mission more than He thought of His comfort. If Jesus ran away from suffering, he would have also run away from what He came on earth to accomplish.
 
Whenever we are tempted to think that our suffering is a result of our failure we should reflect on the life of Jesus and wonder whether our present suffering is preparing us for something greater in our life.
 
Second, suffering does not mean that God does not love us or that he has abandoned us. Sometimes when we are sick or going through difficulties we turn to God for help. Unfortunately, during these difficult situations, we sometimes also turn against God because we think that God is not with us or that God is punishing us.
 
There is a beautiful poem about a man who saw his life like footprints in the sand. He saw that during most of his life there were two sets of footprints, one that was his and the other was God’s. He also noticed that during the most difficult times in his life there was only one set of footprints. He was upset at God and asked Him why He had left him during the toughest moments in his life. God told him “My child, where you see only one set of footprints in the sand, those were not the times that I left you, those were the times that I was carrying you.”
 
Suffering does not mean that God has abandoned us. It means He is already carrying us.
 
Third, we should not see suffering as the end of a journey, but rather as a means to something greater. Jesus did not run away from the suffering of the cross because He knew that without the cross there would be no resurrection.
 
Saint Paul not only rejoices in his suffering but in his second letter to the Corinthians he also says: “I also dare to boast that…Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; [26] on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; [27] in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked. [28] And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 11:21, 24-28)
 
How many of us would rejoice and boast of this kind of suffering?
 
One of the greatest dangers in our contemporary society is that we are afraid of suffering. When we get addicted to comfort, we begin to live a frustrating irony. We search for greater comfort but become more anxious when we realize that greater comfort cannot satisfy us. Even if we spend $72,000 for an ultra-luxurious plane ticket, after the flight we would still have all the problems we had before we departed.
 
These three points that suffering is not necessarily a result of failure, that suffering does not mean that God has abandoned us and that we should not see suffering as an end, but rather as a means to something greater help us understand why Saint Paul says: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not disappoint us…” (Romans 5:3-5).
 
This verse is important for us regardless of how old we are because when we appreciate the true nature of suffering in our life, we also realize that past difficulties have indeed made us better people who have greater strength and character. We will also realize that when we approach difficult situations with the right attitude, we do not allow them to crush us but will rather overcome them with the hope that God puts within us.
 
We can experience great blessings when we embrace our suffering because true comfort is not when we acquire a luxury item but in knowing that every day we are being carried in God’s comforting hands.

A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans (5:1-10).
Brethren, now that we have been justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have access by faith to that grace in which we stand and exult in the hope of God’s glory. And not only this, but we exult also in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces endurance, and endurance challenge, and challenge hope, and hope does not deceive, for God’s love is poured forth in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us. For why did Christ die at the appointed time for the wicked while we were still weak? Hardly would someone die for a just man; perhaps someone would have the courage to die for a virtuous man. But God proves His love for us, since Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Much more now that we are made just in His blood, shall we be saved by Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled with God through His death, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.

Gospel. Matthew 6:22-33.

The Lord said: The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness itself! No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will stand by the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore, I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat and drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall wear. Is not life a greater thing than food, and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you of much more value than they? But which of you by being anxious about it can add to his stature a single cubit? And as for clothing, why are you anxious? See how the lilies of the field grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. But if God so clothes the wild flower of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more you, O you of little faith! Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’, or, ‘What are we to wear?’ (For all these things the Gentiles seek); for your heavenly Father knows you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all the rest shall be given you besides.”

Don’t Kill 452 Sheep.
June 6, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Second Sunday After Pentecost. The call of the First Apostles.
Epistle: Romans 2:10-16.
Gospel: Matthew 4:18-23.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily https://youtu.be/jtBeSQnQESI
The full text of the homily and the Sunday readings are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV
#Catholic #Bible #Inspiration

Homily.
I once heard a saying: “There are more people who have heard of a Bible than have one. There are more people who have a Bible than read it. There are more people who read their Bible than understand it. And there are more people who read it than actually live it.”
 
We take it for granted that we have easy access to a Bible. Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the printing press, printed the first Bible in 1492. Before that, all Bibles were entirely handwritten. Usually, texts were written on sheepskin, and it took the skin of 452 sheep to produce a single Bible. If only one monk was working on a Bible, it would take him over three years of doing nothing but writing all day to produce a Bible. The whole process from beginning to end was exceptionally costly to produce the materials and it took thousands of hours to make only one Bible. This process usually took place in Catholic monasteries where monks dedicated their whole life to reproducing both religious and other important writings.
 
Today we do not have to kill 452 sheep to be able to have a Bible. All we have to do is go to a bookstore or order one online. Or even simpler we can download an entire Bible on our smartphone and read it a few minutes a day instead of spending our free time playing Angry Birds, Candy Crush, Minecraft, or other time-wasting games.
 
In today’s Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans, we heard: “It is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified” (Romans 2:13). Because we are in Church today, we are hearing the word of God. We have taken time out of our busy schedule to thank God for the many blessings He gives us. We are also here because we want to re-commit our lives to Him and to His word. Our presence at Church reminds us that our weekly point of reference is God’s word. Regardless of where we work, regardless of who we are, regardless of how difficult or wonderful our week has been the home we return to every Sunday is the Church and the voice that we long to hear amidst the voices that both surround us and bombard us is the voice of God. It is unfortunate that many others who are not here are missing this opportunity to slow down and appreciate the abundance of God’s gifts. Yes, life is difficult. Yes, life is busy. Yes, we can be doing so many other things. But a fast life without the word of God is like a fast car without a steering wheel.
 
The good that we need to do we cannot do by ourselves. Saint Paul says in chapter 7 of his letter to the Romans: “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. [15] I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. [16] Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good” (Romans 7:14). Therefore, we only grow in our spiritual life when we move from hearing to doing. We cannot push ourselves to good works by ourselves. Our presence here in Church enables us to humbly ask God for help. If we think we can push our own car out of our ditch then we will be struggling for a very long time.
 
Today’s Gospel shows us the kind of response we should have. Jesus saw two sets of brothers. He first approached Peter and Andrew and said to them “follow me.” The gospel tells us “at once they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:19-20). Then Jesus went to two other brothers, James and John, and called them. Here too the Gospel tells us: “immediately they left their nets and their father, and followed Him” (Matthew 4:22).
 
There are many things in this world that we are following. Perhaps we like a particular singer, a actor or actress, athlete, or popular TV series or online program. We easily rearrange our entire schedule to follow them. Regardless of how many things we have to accomplish or how busy we are, our interests in particular things and people quickly become our highest priorities. The intensity that some play video games, watch TV, watch movies, or listen to music, should not exceed the intensity that we have for reading the Bible or attending Church.
 
By being present here today, we have taken the first step of hearing and reflecting on the word of God in our life. The next step is what we are going to do with what we hear. With our presence in Church, we not only hear the word of God through the readings and the prayers we also hear the word of God through the voice of goodness that God places in us.
 
There’s a story about a couple who sent their son a letter every month with a large check in it. After six months they went to check up on their son. They found that he had been living in terrible conditions. They asked him whether he has been receiving their letters. He replied angrily that he needed a new couch not a bunch of letters. They told him that if he had opened the letters, he would have seen the checks.
 
We have all received a letter from God that does not take 452 sheep to produce. We put ourselves in spiritual poverty if we do not open it to read the treasure that God has personally written to us. When you leave Church make a point of reading a few minutes of the Bible every day to discover that treasure. Like Peter, Andrew, James, and John who responded immediately. Today respond immediately and generously to God by moving from hearing His word to living it in practical ways in your daily life.

A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans (2:10-16).
Brethren, glory, honor and peace to everyone who does good works, first to the Jew, then to the Greek, since with God there is no favoritism. For all those who have sinned without the Law will perish without the Law, and all those who have sinned under the Law will be judged under the Law. (Before God, indeed, it is not those who hear the Law who are just, but those who follow the Law who will be justified. When the Gentiles who do not have the Law do by nature what the Law commands, while they do not have the Law, they are their own law: they show the work of the Law written in their hearts. The conscience bears witness to them, even when conflicting thoughts accuse or defend them) on the day when God will judge the hidden secrets of men according to what I preach, through Jesus Christ.
 
Gospel. Matthew 4:18-23 (Call of the First Disciples).
At that time as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). And He said to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left the nets and followed Him. And going farther on, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. And immediately they left their nets and their father, and followed Him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Good News of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

The Saint You Are.
May 30, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
All Saints Sunday. First Sunday after Pentecost.
Epistle: Hebrews 11:33-12:2.
Gospel: Matthew 10:32-38 & 19:27-30
 
This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/lwS3MfvVZ6c

The full readings and main Bible texts referred to in the homily are below.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV
 
Epistle: Hebrews 11:33-12:2.
Brethren, all of the saints by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained the fulfillment of promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, routed foreign armies. Women had their dead returned to them through resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to yield for their release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others again suffered mockery and beatings, even chains and jailings. They were stoned, they were cut to pieces, they were put to the test, they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, anguished, afflicted (of whom the world was not worthy) wandering in deserts, mountains, caverns and holes in the ground. And all of these, in spite of the positive witnessing of faith, failed to receive what was promised, for God was keeping something better in store for us, so that they were not to reach their final perfection without us. (12:1) And so, having such a cloud of witnesses over us, let us get rid of every burden, and of the sin entangling us, and run with endurance to the fight proposed to us, contemplating the author and final end of faith, Jesus.
 
Gospel: Matthew 10:32-38 & 19:27-30.
The Lord said to His disciples, “Everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I in turn will disown before My Father in heaven. Anyone who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.” Then Peter addressed him saying, “Behold, we have left all and followed You; what then shall we have?” And Jesus said to them, “Amen I say to you that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, shall also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting. But many who are first now will be last, and many who are last now will be first.”
 
Homily.
-Wouldn’t you love to be a Saint?
-We sometimes say: “This person is a saint” or when someone passes away: “That person was a saint.”
-The word saint comes from the Latin word Sanctus, which means holy.
-Today is the Sunday of all the Saints, that is all the Holy Ones and all that is Holy.

-But what does this word mean?

The words “holy” and “saint” are interchangeable and refer to and are used in various ways in the Bible.

1 Peter 1:14-16. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, [15] but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; [16] since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

-Leviticus 20:26. You shall be holy to me; for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.

We are holy because God who created us is holy. This is a foundational text.
-Genesis 1:27-28. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28] And God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ ”

Ground is Holy as the place God manifests himself and Humanity encounters Him.

-Exod. 3:2-6. The angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. [3] And Moses said, "I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." [4] When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here am I." [5] Then he said, "Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." [6] And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
 
God is Holy, Holy, Holy.

-Isaiah 6:1-3. In the year that King Uzzi'ah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. [2] Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. [3] And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory."

-Revelation 4:6-11. Round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: [7] the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. [8] And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, and day and night they never cease to sing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" [9] And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, [10] the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, [11] "Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and were created."

To the Saints/called to be Saints.
-Acts 9:32. Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda.
-1 Cor. 1:1-3. Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sos'thenes, [2] To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: [3] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

-Eph.1:1-2. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus: [2] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

-Col.1:1-2. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, [2] To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colos'sae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Holiness is decision and an invitation for everyone with eternal effects and consequences.

Embrace the Wholly Spirit.

May 23, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Pentecost Sunday. Seventh Sunday after Pascha.
Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11.
Gospel: John 7:37-52 & 8:12.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/dLuV3sLTdUI

The full text of the homily and readings are below.

Homily:
Today on Pentecost Sunday we celebrate the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and also reflect on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Very often people are confused about who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does.

When I was in the Seminary, we learned that when we speak in Church we have to let the Holy Spirit work in us so that we are not only presenting what we want to say but what God wants to say through us. Our teachers told us that the apostles spoke with great power because they allowed the Holy Spirit to work through them. For example, in chapter one of the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus tells his apostles: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
 
When they received the Holy Spirit, they were no longer afraid but spoke with clarity and conviction. We see an example of this in chapter 4 of the Acts of the Apostles: “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders,…” (Acts. 4:8) Peter was not afraid to speak to the people and the elders because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. We learned that when we speak, we should not worry because like Saint Peter and the other apostles we too will have the Holy Spirit with us who will give us clarity and wisdom.
 
I am not sure how often I can say that applies to me, but I try to be open to the Holy Spirit.
 
There is a story of a newly ordained priest who was nervous before his first homily. He remembered that he learned the Holy Spirit will speak through him. He prepared well, and although he was nervous, he managed to give a good homily.
 
After Church, someone walked up to him and said: “Father, that was a good homily.” He wanted to be humble, so he said “That wasn’t me. It was the Holy Spirit speaking through me.”
 
The person looked a little puzzled then said to the newly ordained priest: “Father that was good, but it wasn’t that good.”
 
Therefore, we sometimes are not only confused about who the Holy Spirit is, but also about what the Holy Spirit does.
 
Although the topic of the Holy Spirit has many aspects, I would like to focus today on two points: (1) Who is the Holy Spirit? And (2) What does the Holy Spirit do?
 
In brief, the Holy Spirit is God. When we think of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we are not referring to three gods or three parts of God. Rather, we believe in God who revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We may find this understanding of God as three in one a little difficult, but there are many things around us that are three and one.
 
For example, a triangle has three angles, yet it is only one triangle. You can’t have a triangle with only one angle, two angles, or four or more angles. Every triangle must have three angles, but it remains only one triangle. In a similar way, God has revealed Himself as three persons, yet He remains only one God.
 
Although aspects of the Son and the Holy Spirit are found in the Old Testament, it was only with the coming of Jesus that the Son became visible and with the sending of the Holy Spirit that the role of the Holy Spirit became clearer as God’s presence in every one of us. Because of this Jesus tells His disciples that He must depart in order to send the Holy Spirit who will be in all places and fill all things.
 
Therefore, when we think of the Holy Spirit, we need to think that God’s love is so great that not only did he become flesh in Jesus Christ, but He continues to live in each one of us through the Holy Spirit. That is why Saint Paul says: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; [20] you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
 
This leads us to the second point: “What does the Holy Spirit do?” We can say the Holy Spirit does nothing and the Holy Spirit does everything. The Holy Spirit does nothing if we do not invite God to work in our lives. God will not force us to love Him, to pray, or to do any good. So, if we don’t want God in our lives the Holy Spirit does nothing.
 
However, when we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives, we notice that the Holy Spirit is doing everything. We begin to see a power working in us that is much greater than any power that we have on our own. We also begin to see good things happening to us that make us better than we ever imagined we could be.
 
In Saint Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he contrasts the works of the flesh with the works of the Spirit. He says: “The works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, [21] occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:19-22. NAB).
 
So when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us we discover a part of ourselves that is stronger than if we were acting on our own will alone.
 
Pentecost Sunday is one of the biggest feast days of the Church because we celebrate that God is not only present in heaven, but that God is active and working in our world, and specifically in and through us every day and in every way.
 
That is why it is important for us today to look at the things in our lives that are not going well because we have ignored the voice of God and insisted on walking according to our will and desire. We do not want to live according to our own human wisdom, but rather according to the wisdom of God. God shows us this wisdom when we invite Him. Today let us commit ourselves to walk as children of God by allowing the Holy Spirit to work more in our lives.
 
Let’s say a short prayer to the Holy Spirit and never forget to re-invite the Holy Spirit into our lives every day.
 
“O God, because you love us so much you revealed yourself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I thank you for the gift of my life and all the blessings you have given me. I thank you for my family, my friends, and my talents. I want to open my heart and my life to the work of the Holy Spirit. Give me the strength and wisdom to always be faithful to you. Help me to set aside my own hopes, ambitions, and dreams so that I may discover the richness of your power and love in my life. I want to always live according to your spirit, and I recommit my life to you today and every day.”
 
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-11).
When the days of Pentecost were ending, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them separate tongues as of fire, and they settled upon each one of them, and all were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in foreign tongues, as the Holy Spirit granted them to speak. Now, there were staying in Jerusalem devout Jews from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, a great crowd gathered, and they were astounded because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And all of them, amazed and wondering, were saying to each other, “Look, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? How then have all of us heard our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Lybia around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, Jews also and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs, we have heard them speaking in our own language of the wonderful works of God.”

 
The Holy Gospel According to St. John the Evangelist (John 7:37-52 & 8:12).
Now on the last, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Anyone who believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘From within him there shall flow rivers of living water.’” He said this, however, of the Spirit, whom they who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. Some of the crowd, therefore, when they had heard these words, said, “This is truly the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” Some, however, said, “Can the Christ come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say it is of the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived, that the Christ is to come?” So there arose a division among the crowd because of Him. And some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him. The attendants therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees; and these said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?” The attendants answered. “Never has man spoken as this Man.” The Pharisees then answered them, “Have you also been fooled? Has any one of the rulers believed in Him, or any of the Pharisees? But this crowd, which does not know the Law, is accursed.” Nicodemus, the man who had come to Him at night, who was one of them, said to them, “Does our Law judge a man unless it first gives him a hearing, and knows what he does?” They answered and said to him, “Are you also a Galilean? Search and see that out of Galilee arises no prophet.” And again Jesus spoke to them saying, “I am the Light of the world. Anyone who follows Me does not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

More to the Church Than…
May 16, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday of the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea.
Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18, 28-36.
Gospel: John 17:1-13.

This is the link to Sunday’s homily. The readings are below. https://youtu.be/dQqQpHhTbaY

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (20:16-18, 28-36).
In those days Paul decided to sail past Ephesus so as not to waste time in Asia. For he was hurrying as much as he could in order to reach Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost. From Miletus, however, he had sent an invitation to Ephesus for the presbyters of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them, (20:28) “Be careful about yourselves and the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops, to herd the Church of God which He has redeemed through His own blood. For I know this, that after I am gone fierce wolves will get in among you and will not spare the flock. And from among you, some men will rise, speaking perverse doctrines, to draw away the disciples after them. “Watch, therefore, and remember that for three years, night and day, I did not cease to warn with tears every one of you. And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, Who is able to edify and to grant you an inheritance among all His blessed ones. “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing. You, yourselves, know these hands of mine have provided for my needs and those of my companions. In all things, I have shown you that by working in this way you should help the weak, and remember that the Lord Jesus said in person, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” And after saying this, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
 
Gospel: John 17:1-13.
At that time Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come! Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You, even as You have given Him power over all flesh, in order that to all You have given Him, He may give everlasting life. Now this is everlasting life, that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent, Jesus Christ. I have glorified You on earth; I have accomplished the work You have given Me to do. And now do You, Father, glorify Me with Yourself, with the glory that I had with You before the world existed. I have manifested Your name to the men You have given me out of the world. They were Yours, and You have given them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have learned that whatever You have given Me is from You; because the words that You have given Me, I have given to them. And they have received them, and have known as a fact that I came forth from You, and they have believed that You did send Me. I pray for them; not for the world do I pray, but for those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep in Your name those You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those You have given Me, I guarded; and not one of them perished except the son of perdition, in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to You and these things I speak in the world, in order that they may have My joy made full in themselves.”

Open Your Bible Parachute.
May 9, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday of the Man Born Blind.
Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 16:16-34. Gospel: John 9:1-38.

Christ is Risen. He is Truly Risen.

The full Sunday readings are below. Look up Genesis 1-3 for sections referred to in today's homily.
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (16:16-34).
In those days it came to pass that as we the disciples were going to pray; we were met by a girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her masters much profit by her soothsaying. Now, she was following Paul and us, and kept crying out loudly, “These men are servants of the most high God, and they announce to you a way of salvation!” This she did for many days. But Paul could not stand it, so he turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ: get out of her!” And it went out of her that very moment. But seeing that their hope of profit was gone, her masters seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the market-place before the authorities; and bringing them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city. They are Jews, and they advocate practices it is not permitted for us to adopt or observe, since we are Romans.”
And the crowd opposed them too, and the magistrates tore off their cloaks and ordered them to be beaten with rods. And after inflicting many blows on them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to keep them under safe guard. And he, receiving this command, consigned them to the inner jail and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight, while Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God, the prisoners listened to them. And suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and at once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose. But when the jailer woke up and saw all the doors of the jail open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Do not hurt yourself, for we are all here!” Then calling for a light, he ran in, and trembling with fear, fell at the feet of Paul and Silas. And he let them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved together with your household.” And he spoke to him the word of the Lord, and also to all his household. And he took them at that same hour of the night, and washed their wounds; and he himself was baptized, and all those of his household immediately after. And taking them into his house, he set a table before them, and rejoiced with all his household over his faith in God.
 

The Holy Gospel According to St. John the Evangelist (John 9:1-38).
At that time as Jesus was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who has sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither has this man sinned nor have his parents, but the works of God were to be made manifest in him. I must do the works of the one who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” When he had said these things, he spat on the ground and made clay with the spittle, and spread the clay over the man’s eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is interpreted ‘sent’).” So, he went away, and washed, and returned seeing. The neighbors therefore and those who had seen earlier that he was blind began saying, “Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is.” But others said, “He only looks like him.” Yet, the man declared, “I am the one.” They therefore asked him, “How were your eyes opened?” He answered and said, “The man who is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ And I went and washed, and I see.” And they asked him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” They took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. Now, it was a Sabbath on which Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Again, therefore, the Pharisees asked him: how he received his sight. But he said to them, “He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner work these signs?” And there was a division among them. Again therefore they said to the blind man, “What do you say of the one who opened your eyes?” But he said, “He is a prophet.” he Jews therefore did not believe of him that he had been blind and had got his sight, until they called the parents of the one who had gained his sight, and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, of whom you say he was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered them and said, “We know this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we ourselves do not know. Ask him; he is of age, let him speak for himself.” These things his parents said because they feared the Jews. For already the Jews had agreed that if anyone were to confess him to be the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. This is why his parents said, “He is of age; question him.” They therefore called a second time the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God! We ourselves know this man is a sinner.” He therefore said, “Whether he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.” They therefore asked him again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, but you did not listen. Why would you hear a second time? Would you also become his disciples?” They heaped abuse on him therefore and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know God spoke to Moses; but as for this man, we do not know where he is from.” In answer the man said to them, “Why herein is the marvel, that you do not know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes. Now we know God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God, and does his will, him he hears. Not from the beginning of the world has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered and said to him, “You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” And they turned him out. Jesus heard they had turned him out, and when he had found him, said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and he it is who speaks with you.” And he said, “I believe, Lord.” And falling down, he worshipped him.

Spring to Life. 
May 2, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday of the Samaritan Woman.
Transfer of the Remains of our Father among the Saints, Athanasius the Great.
Epistle: Hebrews 13:7-16. Gospel: John 4:5-42.
 
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

Homily.
Hybrid cars initially became popular because you do not have to fill them up as often as regular cars. Although electric cars are now more popular, you still have to take time to charge them over and over again. The ultimate dream would be a car we never have to fill up or recharge.
 
The Samaritan woman in today’s Gospel faces a problem with water that we face with our cars. She regularly had to go and fill up. However, Jesus told her “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).
 
Initially, she is interested in Jesus’ words for reasons that are not very spiritual. For her to end both her hard work and public shame, she wanted to get the kind of water that never runs out. She was also interested in this conversation because Jesus was speaking to her in a respectful manner. Jesus offers her things she needs and does not regularly experience because she was an outcast at several levels.
 
First, she was a Samaritan. The Samaritans were an offshoot of Judaism who only believed in the first five books of the Old Testament. They also refused to pray in Jerusalem because they felt the original and more authentic place to pray is on Mount Gerizim. They were considered outcasts by the Jews and the two groups did not mix. Therefore socially, the Samaritan woman was part of a rejected people. Second, she was an outcast because she was a woman at a time when the role, rights, and appreciation of women was not particularly valued. Third, she was an outcast among the women because of her multiple marriages.
 
The Samaritan woman came to the well at noon, which in a hot country, is the worst time of day to be walking or working. She specifically went to the well at this hour because she knew that no one else would be there. If she had gone at any other time, she would have risked the negative comments and stares of the Jews because she was both a Samaritan and a woman, and the negative comments from the Samaritans, even the women, because of her bad reputation.
 
Therefore, she felt rejected by absolutely everyone. This is like a Cinderella story. She was hated by those whom she expected to hate her and unfortunately also by her own community and family who should have loved and accepted.
 
When she goes to the well to get water, she is not expecting to see or talk to anyone. However, when Jesus sees her, He not only speaks to her, He also starts a meaningful conversation with her. Jesus says to her “Give me to drink.” She is first surprised because a man is speaking with her, second because a Jewish man is speaking with her, and third because Jesus wanted her to give him water.
 
This final point is particularly important because Jesus initiates a situation of hospitality with her. In essence Jesus tells her “I accept to be your guest.” As we know hospitality in a Middle Eastern culture is a sign of great honor for those who are welcomed but also for those who welcome and serve.
 
How many times have you had this argument with your family or friends: “Come to my house for dinner.” “No. Come to my house for dinner.” “No. No. Come to my house for dinner and then I’ll go to your house for dinner.”
 
Or how many times have you had an argument at a restaurant when the bill arrives. “I’ll pay.” “No. I’ll pay.” “No. No. I’ll pay this time and you can pay next time.” I have been to restaurants where after a wonderful meal everyone starts to fight about who is going to pay. At one restaurant the waitress said to us: “I have never seen anything like this happen before.”
 
This still happens today because hospitality, that is serving and being served, is an honor. Because of her situation, the Samaritan woman expects to be treated as an outcast but Jesus honors her by speaking with her and honors her by asking for a drink from her hands.
 
After it becomes clear to the Samaritan woman that Jesus is honoring her, they begin a more spiritual conversation that leads to a discussion about the Messiah who is to come. Jesus tells her clearly: “I who am speaking with you am the Messiah.” Jesus spoke with her dignity and in a way no one else did. She then goes to her town and tells everyone that she found the Messiah. She is so convincing, that when the other Samaritans meet Jesus, they are able to say “for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).
 
Her encounter with Jesus transforms her personally. She rejoices because she meets the Messiah who gives her living water. Before she meets Jesus, she is shy, rejected, and lives like an outcast. She also rejoices because after her encounter with Jesus she boldly proclaims to her whole town of Samaritans the good news that she met the Messiah. When she accepts Christ as her living water, she goes from being rejected to being a self-confident and respected leader. Prior to this encounter her source of shame is everyone around her, after the encounter her source of joy is Christ, who becomes the living water in her.
 
We search for happiness and satisfaction in many passing things. This Gospel teaches us that we discover lasting joy when we allow Christ to be our living water. Many people will tell us all that is wrong with us. It is so easy for us to walk around in shame because of what others do not like about us. However, we always need to set this aside and focus on our greatest joy which is Christ who lives in us and gives us His living water.
 
If we search for admiration and acceptance from those around us, we will always be dissatisfied because no one, other than ourselves, can fully recognize and appreciate the gifts that God gives us.
 
When we fill up our car, the tank soon gets empty again. The same is true if we look for love and acceptance from others. We might feel good for a while, but we will soon feel empty.
 
Today’s Gospel reminds us that everyone who drinks of the water of trying to impress others will one day be lonely and sad again, but whoever has the living water of Christ that brings joy, peace, self-confidence, and faith will never thirst again for the temporary things of life.
 
Christ is the source of nourishment for all our needs. We grow in the beauty of our faith when daily we welcome Christ as our living water. We will then live an abundance of joy as we see Christ’s streams of living water flowing in us and out of us.

Epistle: Hebrews 13:7-16.
Brethren, remember your superiors who spoke to you and the word of God. Consider how they ended their lives, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes, and forever. Do not be led away by various and strange doctrines. For it is good to make the heart steadfast by grace, not by foods, in which those who walked found no profit. We have an altar, from which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle (Cf. Lv. 16:17). For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holies by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people by his blood, suffered outside the gate. Let us therefore go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach; for here we have no permanent city, but we seek for the city that is to come. Through him, therefore, let us offer up a sacrifice of p rise always to God, that is, fruit of lips praising his name. And do not forget kindness and love, for by such sacrifices God’s favor is obtained.
 
Gospel: John 4:5-42.
At that time Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sichar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, wearied as he was from the journey, was sitting at the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a Samaritan woman to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me to drink,” for his disciples had gone away into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, although you are a Jew, ask drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman?” For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to, her. “If you only knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me to drink,’ you perhaps would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no pail, and the well is deep. Where can you get living water from? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well, and drank from it, himself, and his sons, and his flocks?” In answer Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again. He, however, who drinks of the water I will give him shall never thirst; but the water I will give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up unto life everlasting.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst, or come here to draw.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have said well, I have no husband, for you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. In this you have spoken truly. “The woman said to him, “Sir, I see you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you say Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father also seeks such to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming (who is called Christ), and when he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak with you am he.” And at this point his disciples came; and they wondered that he was speaking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What do you seek?” or “Why do you speak with her?” The woman therefore left her water-jar and went away into the town, and said to the people, “Come and see a man who has told me all I have ever done. Can he be the Christ?” They went out from the town and came to meet him. Meanwhile, his disciples begged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” The disciples therefore said to one another, “Has someone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me, to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Well, I say to you, lift up your eyes and behold that the fields are already white for the harvest. And the one who reaps receives a wage, and gathers fruit unto life everlasting, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. For herein is the proverb true, ‘One sows, another reaps.’ I have sent you to reap that on which you have not labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” Now many of the Samaritans of that town believed in him because of the word of the woman who bore witness, “He told me all I have ever done.” When, therefore, the Samaritans had come to him, they begged him to stay there; and he stayed two days. And far more believed because of his word. And they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you have said, for we have heard for ourselves and we know this is in truth the Savior of the world,” the Christ.

From Physical to Spiritual Health.

April 25, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
 
This is the link to today's homily. Christ is Risen. He is Truly Risen.

https://youtu.be/k5BqFfTIUa4
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

An outline of the homily and the full readings are below.
Sunday of the Paralytic. Feast Day of Saint Mark the Apostle.
Epistle: 1 Peter 5:6-14. Gospel: John 5:1-15.

Homily outline. John 5:1-15.
A confirmed illness.
-[5] One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
 
Jesus sees us and asks us our needs.
-[6] When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?"
 
We need to reply.
-[7] The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me."
 
Jesus responds. Jesus publicly shows his mercy and concern.
-[8] Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk."
 
Jesus shows his power.
-[9] And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the sabbath.
 
Objection.
-[10] So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet."
 
Fear.
-[11] But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, `Take up your pallet, and walk.'" [12] They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, `Take up your pallet, and walk'?" [13] Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.
 
A greater healing and warning to not return to a previous state or worse. From physical to spiritual health.
-[14] Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you."
 
A joyful proclamation.
-[15] The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.
 
The First Epistle of St. Peter the Apostle (1 Peter 5:6-14).
Brethren, humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand, that he may exalt you at the proper time. Cast all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you. Be sober, be watchful, for your adversary, the devil, prowls around seeking some to devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same suffering befalls your brethren all over the world. But the God of all grace, who has called us to his glory in Christ Jesus, will himself, after we have suffered a little while, perfect, strengthen and establish us. To him is the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus the faithful brother (as I account him), I have written to you thus briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is God’s true grace. Stand firmly in it. The church which is in Babylon, chosen as you are, greets you, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a holy kiss. Grace be to all of you who are in Christ. Amen.
 
Gospel. John 5:1-15.
At that time Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem, by the pool of the sheep, a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. In these were lying a great multitude of the sick, blind, lame, and those with shriveled limbs, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel of the Lord used to come down at certain times into the pool and the water was stirred. And the first to go down into the pool after the stirring of the water was cured of whatever infirmity he had. Now a certain man was there who had been thirty-eight years under his infirmity. When Jesus “saw him lying there, and knew that he had been in this state a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred; for while I am coming another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your pallet and walk.” And at once the man was cured. And he took up his pallet and began to walk. Now that day was a Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; you are not allowed to take up the pallet.” He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your pallet and walk’ “They asked him then, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your pallet and walk?’ “But the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd in the place. Afterwards Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are cured. Sin no more, lest something worse happen to you. The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Mindful or Mindless Meaning.
April 18, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
 
This is the link to today's homily https://youtu.be/402aadUF4Y4

Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

Christ is Risen. He is Truly Risen.
The full text of the homily and the readings is below.

Sunday of the Ointment Bearing Women.
Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7. Gospel: Mark 15:43-16:8.
 
Homily:
We are all looking for greater meaning in our life. That is why we often ask ourselves: “Why am I here?” “How meaningful is my job, studies, or friendships?” or “Is what I am doing meaningful?”
 
In the psychiatrist and neurologist Victor Frankl’s (1905-1997) book Man’s Search for Meaning, he says “Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for.” He also found in his research that those who best survive difficult situations are not those who are the most physically strong but those who retained a sense of control over their environment and were able to find meaning in what they are doing. Therefore, our search for meaning in all aspects of our life is very important.
 
One morning a woman was having breakfast with her husband. She told him: “I had a dream last night that at dinner tonight I was wearing a gold necklace with 50 diamonds.” She then continued: “What do you think that dream means?” He looked her straight in the eyes and said “Honey, within an hour. I will bring you an answer to the meaning of that dream.” She was so excited. He left home and came back with a nicely wrapped box and said to his wife: “In this box you will find the meaning of your dream.” She was excited and quickly opened the box. Instead of a gold necklace with 50 diamonds, she found a book titled The Meaning of Very Strange Dreams. We sometimes find meaning in the things we are doing and at other times we must keep searching for meaning.
 
Regardless of whether we discover the meaning for everything, it is always important to keep in mind that as men and women of faith, our thoughts have meaning, our words have meaning, and our actions have meaning. These all have meaning because our life has meaning. Our faith in the Resurrection of Christ also reminds us that in addition to the meaning of our life here on earth there is an important connection between our life as we are living it now and our eternal life with God after we leave this temporary world.
 
Saint Paul in his letter to the Romans reminds us: “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his …if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Romans 6:5,8).
 
Christianity grew from a group of 11 scared men who were hiding behind closed doors to the largest religion in the world because in the resurrection of Christ the early Christians saw great meaning in who they were and what they did. Above all, they discovered the meaning of the resurrection by establishing a community that prayed together, learned more about their faith, and served the needy.
 
In today’s readings, everyone is either praying, learning, or serving. In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles we see how the early Christian community focused on the “word of God” and “serving at tables” (Cf. Acts 6:2). They prayed together, learned together, and served together. They saw a clear connection between professing their faith in the Risen Lord and the practical meaning that that event had on their entire life.
 
We also see in today’s Gospel how Joseph of Arimathea believed in Jesus and served Him even before his resurrection. Saint Mark tells us: “Joseph of Arimathea bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb” (Mark 15:46). We also read another courageous story of service on that first Easter Sunday morning when “Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices so that they might go and anoint Jesus” (Mark 15:2).
 
What is beautiful about these passages is that despite the risk of getting killed as followers of Jesus they were willing to serve Him and because they were willing to serve, they were blessed with the joyful message from the angel: “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him” (Mark 15:6).
 
The common theme that we see in today’s readings and in the life of the early Christians is that Jesus’s life had meaning, Jesus’s death had meaning, and Jesus’s resurrection had meaning. These all had meanings that extended beyond the life of Jesus to the life of every believer in very practical ways. Those who believe in Christ become new creatures as Saint Paul witnesses in his second letter to the Corinthians: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
 
Jesus’s life was meaningful because He spent His entire life serving others. Jesus’s death was meaningful because He freely accepted the sacrifice of the cross. Jesus’s resurrection was meaningful because He restored our fallen humanity and renewed our hope in eternal life.
 
If we are looking for greater meaning in our life through our dreams of gold and diamond necklaces, we will be very disappointed. God did not create us to acquire material wealth. Some people work hard all their life so they can be the richest person in the cemetery.
 
As sons and daughters of the resurrection, we discover meaning by who we are not what we have. The death and resurrection of Jesus transform us and everything we are doing.
 
The early Christians found great meaning in their life by gathering to pray, to learn, and to serve. For our Paschal celebrations to remain meaningful in our lives we need to keep asking ourselves: “What kind of meaning has the death and resurrection of Jesus brought into all aspects of our lives?”

Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7.

In those days, as the number of disciples increased; there arose a complaint among the Greeks against the Hebrews, in that their widows were being neglected in the daily service. And so, the twelve summoned the many disciples and said, “It is not good that we give up the word of God and serve at tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom that we could put to this service, while we devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the plan was pleasing to the whole crowd, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicholas, a recent convert from Antioch. These they presented to the apostles, who then prayed and laid their hands upon them. And God’s word was growing, and the number of the disciples increased considerably in Jerusalem; and many of the priests also accepted the faith.

Gospel: Mark 15:43-16:8.

At that time there came Joseph, the one from Arimathea, a councillor of high rank, who was himself looking for the kingdom of God. And he went in boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. But Pilate wondered whether he had expired so soon. And sending for the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen cloth, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone to the entrance of the tomb. But Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jose were looking on and saw where he was laid. And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, in order to go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb, when the sun had just risen. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll the stone back from the entrance of the tomb for us?” And looking up they saw that the stone had been rolled back—now, it was very large. But on entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were amazed. He said to them, “Do not be terrified. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goes before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you.” And they left and fled from the tomb, for trembling and fear had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Jesus Nailed It.
April 4, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Pascha (Easter Sunday).

Christ is Risen. He is Truly Risen.

This is the link to today's homily. Below is the full text of the homily and the readings. https://youtu.be/ipEDg5e-vGE
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

Acts of the Apostles 1:1-9. John 1:1-17.

Homily
On August 22, 1485, King Richard III died in the Battle of Bosworth Field. This was one of the most important battles in British history as it marked the end of the dynasty of the House of York and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. King Richard III lost the York dynasty when he lost his life, he lost his life when he lost the battle, and he lost the battle when he lost his horse. In William Shakespeare’s play “Richard III” King Richard shouts as he is dying “A Horse! A Horse! My Kingdom for a Horse!” (Act V, Scene 4).
 
People also remember this battle with another verse: “Because of the nail the shoe was lost, because of the shoe the horse was lost, because of the horse the battle was lost, because of the battle the kingdom was lost; all was lost because of one horseshoe nail.”
 
This chapter in history shows us that sometimes very little things can have very large implications on us and on so many people around us.
 
The life of Jesus was very much like this. Today we celebrate Jesus’s death and resurrection, which is the biggest event in human history. No one before Jesus nor anyone after Him has ever risen from the dead. However, prior to this very big event, there were many little but very important steps that led to the death of Jesus.
 
Before His crucifixion, the soldiers placed a crown of thorns on his head, they gave him a cross to carry, they nailed him to the cross and waited for him to die, they pierced his side and watched blood and water flow out, they placed him in a tomb, then they covered the tomb and felt that they had won the battle with this so called-Messiah.
 
The crown of thorns, the cross, the nails, the death, and the tomb, were supposed to mark the end of the kingdom of Jesus. Even the followers of Jesus faced great doubts and may have proclaimed: because of the nails, the hands were lost, because of the hands the body was lost, because of the cross Jesus was lost, and because of the tomb hope was lost; all was definitely lost when they placed Jesus in that tomb. However, unlike King Richard III who lost his life, lost the battle, and then lost the kingdom, Jesus lost his life, but in so doing won the battle and won the kingdom because His death was the battle that inaugurated a different kind of kingdom.
 
Those who thought that the crown of thorns, the cross, the nails, the death, and the tomb, were going to mark the end of Jesus’s kingdom forgot that Jesus had already told Pilate: “My kingship is not of this world…” (John 18:36). Jesus’s death and resurrection is the only time in history that someone won the battle after He was killed in it. Usually, when someone loses a battle the other side is victorious, but Jesus was victorious in dying for the kingdom. In fact, He inaugurated the kingdom by dying, then by rising.
 
We do not mourn the loss of Christ, we do not mourn the death of Christ, we do not mourn the end of His earthly reign. Rather we celebrate the victory that Christ won through His death and resurrection. Saint Paul reminds us: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [18] Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [19] If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. [20] But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:17-20)
 
That is why after forty days of fasting we can now all say: Christ is Risen. He is Truly Risen. Almaseeh Qaam. Haqqan Qaam. Christos Anesti. Alethos Anesti.
 
Today we remind ourselves that we are no longer afraid of death, but rather we laugh at death because, with the victory that Jesus won, death is no longer the last word for those who believe in the resurrection of Jesus. We laugh at death as did Saint Paul when he said: “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ [55] ‘O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?’ [56] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. [57] But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
 
We need to take our celebrations a little further and ask ourselves “Where is the victory of Jesus’s resurrection in our life?” We live that victory not by trying to win the big battles of being important in the eyes of people or by trying to win the applause of those around us. Rather we win the biggest victory of the biggest battle and inherit the eternal kingdom by doing the little things for the love of God.
 
We fasted for 40 days but our fasting is not over. We can now have meat, dairy, and anything else we gave up, but now is the time to keep developing whatever spiritual victory we won. If we have gained a sense of humility, then we need to continue to walk on that path. If we have had greater prayer moments, now is the time to rejoice in that victory and remain spiritual champions by setting aside a specific time each day to pray and read the Bible.
 
We sometimes want to do great things in life to show how important and successful we are. However, during His life, Jesus showed us that the little things made a big difference in His life and in the life of those around Him.
 
Mother Theresa said: “God does not want us to do great things, God wants us to do little things with great love.”
 
There would be no joy in the resurrection had not Jesus done all the little things in His life. He healed the sick, he comforted the afflicted, he fed the hungry, he taught, he forgave sinners, and above all Jesus was courageous and showed compassion.
 
It is important for us to read all these little stories in the Gospels to discover just how significant they are. For example, Jesus embarrassed those who wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery and they all walked away. He then turned to her and said: “ ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ [11] She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again’ ” (John 8:10-11).
 
The joy of the resurrection reminds us that Jesus did not come to condemn us but rather to walk with us and strengthen us in the little things in our life. All the little things that Jesus did prepared Him and others for His death and resurrection. These showed that Jesus is a true and genuine leader because He knows how to serve in very little ways.
 
A nail was a central part of the life of both Jesus and King Richard III. King Richard III, lost the nail, that lost the shoe, that lost the horse, that lost the battle, and that lost the kingdom. Jesus accepted the nail, the cross, and the tomb. These were all little things that won a great victory, that won a great battle, and that won an eternal kingdom.
 
We will keep building on the spiritual progress we made during these last forty days by asking ourselves one simple question: “What are the little things that we will do today that will show that we are sons and daughters of Jesus’ everlasting kingdom?”
 
Christ is Risen. He is Truly Risen.
Almaseeh Qaam. Haqqan Qaam.
Christos Anesti. Alethos Anesti.
 

Epistle. The Acts of the Apostles (1:1-9).

In the preceding book, Theophilus, I was concerned with everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, until the day he was taken up, after giving commandments through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. To them also he showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about God’s kingdom. And while eating with them, he told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise, “of which you have heard,” he said, “by my mouth. For while John baptized with water, you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit within a few days.” Now, those gathered there questioned him, asking, “Lord, is it now that you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” But he answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or the proper moments the Father has set by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and even to the very ends of the earth.”
 
Gospel of Pascha. John 1:1-17.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was made nothing that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness grasped it not. There was a man, one sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness, to bear witness concerning the light, that all might believe through him. He was not himself the light, but was to bear witness to the light. It was the true light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. He came to his own, and his own received him not. But to as many as received him he gave the power of becoming children of God; to those who believe in his name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us. And we saw his glory (glory as of the only-begotten of the Father) full of grace and of truth. John bore witness concerning him, and cried, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘He who is to come after me has been set above me, because he was before me.’” And of his fullness we have all received, grace for grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Suffering, Comfort, and Joy.
March 28, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Palm Sunday.
 
This is the link to Sunday's homily. The full text of the homily and the readings are below. https://youtu.be/EbGAYkjxWPk
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

Philippians 4:4-9. John 12:1-18.
 
Homily:
After the reading of the Gospel in every Divine Liturgy, the priest gives a reflection called the homily.
 
Homilies are not easy to prepare. Once, a priest told his community that he suffers a lot every week when he prepares the homily. After the Divine Liturgy was over, one of the parishioners told the priest “Father, you suffer every week when you prepare the homily and we suffer even more when we have to listen to your homily.”
 
There are different things in life that bring us suffering. The homily is not supposed to be one of them. However, today is not a day of suffering; it is a day of great joy. It is a day of great joy because we welcome Jesus our savior among us as the crowds in Jerusalem welcomed him with palm branches and said “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” They welcomed Jesus because they recognized Him as the promised messiah who will save the world from sin and death.
 
The prophets of the Old Testament gave people signs to recognize the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the messiah. The prophet Isaiah, who wrote 800 years before Jesus, prophesied the specifics of Jesus’ birth when he said, “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”, that is God is with us (Isaiah 7:14).
 
Psalm 22, which was written 1000 years before Jesus, gives specifics of Jesus’ death on the cross: “a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet -- I can count all my bones -- they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots” (Psalm 22:16-18). The amazing thing is this Psalm was written even before crucifixion had been invented as a means of torture.
 
The specifics of Jesus’ welcome into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday was also prophesied in the Old Testament. 520 years before Jesus, the prophet Zechariah wrote: “Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (9:9).
 
This image of a king riding on a donkey would have been a very strange one to everyone listening, because kings ride on horses as a sign of victory, whereas a donkey is a humble animal used for labor and service. By riding on a donkey, Jesus shows that He is a humble savior who came to serve us, heal us, die for us, and conquer death. Today we welcome Jesus as our humble king who comes into our lives not to conquer but to serve.
 
Jesus wants to comfort us but we should never get too comfortable. Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection are not ideas. These are the main points of a lifestyle to which we daily need to commit.
 
We may be proud that Christianity is the largest religion in the world. There are 1.2 billion Catholics, approximately 250 million Orthodox, and all the different protestant denominations together number around 900 million. Therefore, there are over 2.5 billion Christians. However, the heart of Christianity is not in numbers it is in the simple and humble message that Jesus proclaimed.
 
Today is a day of great joy because we are all together. We are able to see each other and pray with each other. This joy can only last when we remain focused on the source of our joy, that Jesus was born, died, and rose from the dead for us. We need to ask ourselves some simple questions.
 
Jesus is the prince of peace. Do we, who are His followers, live His peace in our lives?
 
Jesus forgave sins. Do we, who are His followers, forgive others and ourselves?
 
Jesus died for us. Have we, who are His followers died to a life that is contrary to the Gospel, and are we ready to embrace His message in a new and vibrant way in every aspect of our lives?
 
This is hard in a culture that surrounds us with messages that are so contrary to the Gospel, but today, we need to ask ourselves these and other difficult questions.
 
We as a parish need to remind each other why we are followers of Jesus, what this means in our everyday life, and how we can share that joy with others. We always want to keep Christ at the center of our parish and personal life.
 
The profound message of Christ requires discipline and commitment. We have to understand what we believe, live what we believe, and share what we believe. This is authentic Christianity that is simple, humble, yet profound and life-changing. Regardless of where you are in your faith, today welcome Jesus in a new way into every aspect of your life.
 
When I give a homily, my intention is not to suffer or inflict suffering on those who are listening. However, today, let us all suffer as we reflect on every aspect of our life and let us uproot anything that is standing in the way of us becoming full and active disciples of Jesus.
 
Before we say “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” let us invite Jesus to be the master of everything we think, say, and do.
 
Let us now and every day spend a few minutes in silence to welcome and recommit our lives to be humble and authentic followers of the suffering and Risen Lord.
 

Epistle: Philippians 4:4-9.

Brethren, rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety, but in every prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God. And may God’s peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever honorable, whatever just, whatever holy, whatever lovable, whatever of good repute, if there be any virtue, if anything is worthy of praise: consider these things. And what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, these things practice — and the God of peace will be with you.
 
Gospel: John 12:1-18 (The Glorious Entry into Jerusalem).
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany the home of Lazarus, he had raised from the dead. And they made him a supper there; and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those sitting at table with him. Mary therefore took a pound of ointment, genuine nard of great value, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and with her hair wiped his feet dry. And the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then one of his disciples, Judas son of Simon the Iscariot, the one who was about to betray him, said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?” Now he said this, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and holding the purse, used to take what was put in it. Jesus therefore said, “Let her be: she was to keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you have always with you, but you do not always have me.” Now the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there; and they came, not only because of Jesus, but that they might see Lazarus, the man he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also. For on his account many of the Jews began to leave them and to believe in Jesus. Now the next day the great crowd which had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took up palm fronds and went out to meet him. And they cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel!” And Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon it, as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Sion; behold, thy king comes, sitting upon the colt of an ass.” These things his disciples did not at first understand. But when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him. The crowd therefore, which was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness to him. And the reason why the’ crowd also went to meet him was that they heard he had worked this sign.

What and Why Do You Want?
March 21, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
 
This is the link to Sunday's homily. https://youtu.be/ssbnPFAHBLk
The full text of the homily and the readings are below.

Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

Fifth Sunday of Lent. Sunday of our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt
Hebrews 9:11-14. Mark 10:32-45.
 
Homily.
One of the most common phrases we use is “I want.”
 
If you are fasting, one of the first things you are going to do after Easter is to go to “In-n-out” and wait for someone to ask you “What do you want?” You are going to say “I want a burger. Actually, I want a double, and I want extra cheese, and I want an extra tomato.” From there your imagination can go wild as you tell the cashier what you want.
 
The phrase “I want” is good because it is important to know what I want to eat, what I want to drink, what I want to wear, what I want to study, and what I want to do. The famous artist, Pablo Picasso, said “Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act.” Those who do well in life know what they want and they work hard to get it.
 
However, in our spiritual life we have to ask ourselves not only “what I want” but more important “why I want?” If we do not also ask “why I want?” we will become too self-centered. When we think of our spiritual life, we always have to see “what I want” in relation to how “what I want” will help me develop the gifts that God gives me. From here, we move to try to understand how God wants us to use those gifts for the good of others.
 
Throughout Jesus’s ministry, He was clear about what He wanted and why He wanted it. In today’s Gospel, we see a great contrast between two radically different “I wants.” First, Jesus tells his disciples that He will be “delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; [34] and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise” (Mark 10:33-34).
 
Maybe some of the disciples were listening but it seems that James and John were not because they did not focus on what Jesus said but on what they want. Immediately they tell Jesus: “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.… [37] Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory” (Mark 10:35, 37). Jesus speaks about an “I want” that accepts humiliation and death, while James and John speak of an “I want” that consists of personal glory and earthly benefits.
 
We should challenge ourselves daily to discover what God wants to tell us as we read the Bible and what God wants to tell us as we pray. Many people only think about God when they want something. They spend their whole time telling God what they want Him to do for them, rather than reflecting on what God wants from them.
 
Palm Sunday is in a week and Easter is in two Sundays. During these last two weeks of fasting, it is important for us to ask ourselves whether what we want in life is connected to what God wants for us. There may be many earthly things that we want but it is always good for us to ask ourselves why we want these things. Do we want them only for our personal comfort and convenience or do we want things for a greater good that is connected to serving God? Do I want more money so I can help more people or simply show off the extra toys I have? Do I want to study to gain knowledge or tell people I’m smarter than they are?
 
On a daily basis and especially when we come to Church, it is important to pray for wisdom and to specifically ask God to show us what He wants from us today and in the future. Spend time in silence and give God permission to direct your life in ways that He wants. If you do not know what God wants, ask Him, and in silence patiently wait for God’s answer. He will answer.
 
The contrasts we see in today’s Gospel help us question our intentions in order to be more like Jesus whose “I want” is always connected to a greater good that serves others. Let us not work, pray, and think only about what we want but what God wants. We discover great blessings not when we get what we want but when we get what is good for us and what God wants for us.
 
Next time we say, “I want” let us also ask ourselves “why I want.” This will pull us out of selfishness to help us discover more and more what God wants and how He wants us to use our gifts to serve others.
 
 

Epistle. Hebrews 9:11-14.

Brethren, when Christ appeared as the high priest of the good things to come (Cf.Lv.16: 14; 19: 4), he entered once for all through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands (that is, not as a part of the present creation), nor again by virtue of blood of goats and calves, but by virtue of his own blood, into the sanctuary, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkled ashes of a heifer sanctify the unclean for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ (Cf. Rv. I: 5), who through the Holy Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God!
 
Gospel. Mark 10:32-45 (The greatest in the Kingdom).
At that time Jesus took the Twelve, and began to tell them what would happen to him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the Scribes; and they will condemn him to death, and will deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him and scourge him, and put him to death; and on the third day he will rise again.” And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him, saying, “Master, we want thee to do for us whatever we ask.” But he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at thy right hand and the other at thy left hand, in thy glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking for. Can you drink of the cup of which I drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized?” And they said to him, “We can.” And Jesus said to them “Of the cup that I drink, you shall drink; and with the baptism with which I am to be baptized, you shall be baptized; but as for sitting at my right hand or at my left, that is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the ten heard this, they were at first indignant at James and John. But Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers among the Gentiles I lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wishes to become great shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be the slave of all; for the Son of Man also has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Spiritually Solid Ladders.
March 14, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Fourth Sunday of Lent. Saint John of the Ladder.
Hebrews 6:13-20. Mark 9:17-31
 
This is the link to Sunday’s homily. https://youtu.be/GpRhC226hxU The full text of the homily and readings are below.
 
Details on our “Faith, Hope, and Healing” Stewardship Campaign at www.HolyCrossMelkite.org
 
Online commitment card at: www.osvhub.com/holy-cross-melkite-catholic-church/forms/commitment-card
 
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV

Homily
Some people have big dreams and work their entire lives to achieve them. For example, everything about Stew Leonard’s dreams were big. The Guinness Book of World Records listed his store in Connecticut as the “World’s Largest Dairy Store.” Visitors included tourists, families, politicians, business people, and celebrities from all over the world.
 
Everyone was amazed at the shopping theme park, the petting zoo, the life-size robot animals that sing and dance, and the dozens of pictures of Stew with famous people. The New York Times called it “the Disneyland of Dairy stores.” Books and documentaries highlighted Stew Leonard’s success and when he started his own management school, the biggest corporations and government departments sent people to attend. President Ronald Reagan even gave Mr. Leonard a Presidential Award for Entrepreneurial Achievement.
 
What a great ladder to have climbed to the top of. Wouldn’t you love to have dreams and accomplish something like this in your life?
 
Unfortunately, Stew Leonard made some serious mistakes climbing up the ladder of success. In June of 1991, his reputation crumbled as authorities stopped him at the airport with $75,000 in cash before he boarded a plane to the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. In 1993, after the investigation and trial, he was charged with tax fraud, and his scheme to divert more than $17.1 million dollars in cash register receipts was uncovered. He then served almost four years in prison and was finally released in June 1997 when he was 67 years old.
 
Stew was very smart, but perhaps a little too smart. Stew was very wealthy, but what he had was not enough for him. He wanted to be even wealthier and wanted to be even smarter than everyone, even the government.
 
He climbed up the ladder of success, the ladder of wealth, the ladder of intelligence, the ladder of fame, the ladder of influence, and many other ladders. He was on top of the world until, all of a sudden, he fell off all those ladders.
 
We might laugh or feel sorry for Stew, but every one of us is climbing a ladder in our life right now. We want to get better grades, graduate faster, have more friends, be more successful at work, have more digits on our bank account statements, or whatever other ladder we are climbing. However, are we doing the right things as we climb up the right ladder?
 
On this fourth Sunday of Lent, we commemorate Saint John who was born in Syria in 579 and became the abbot of a Monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt. He is famous for writing the book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, also called The Ladder of Virtues. Just as the title may suggest he felt the most important ladder we should be climbing is that of virtue and faith. We climb up so many ladders every day. We put pressure and expectations on ourselves and on our families in many ways, but sometimes those ladders are not leading us to where we should be.
 
Imagine if you want to fix your roof because it was leaking and damaging your house. You get a ladder, get to the top, hire some people, and spend thousands of dollars and countless hours. When you’re done, you get down, you take some pictures, and are amazed at how great the roof looks. You did everything right, then you realize you made only one mistake: you went up the wrong ladder and you just fixed your neighbor’s roof.
 
In his book, Saint John teaches us to make sure we are on the ladder of virtue not the ladder of worldly success. In particular, he encourages us to focus on renouncing the attachments we have for things of this world. His 30 steps of the ladder include topics such as detachment, repentance, control of our anger, talkativeness, gossip, lying, purity, vainglory, simplicity, and a few others.
 
The Bible also teaches us to work harder at climbing the ladder of virtue than we do at every other ladder we are currently climbing. In Matthew 6:33 we read: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” If we work hard to live a life of virtue we will be happy, but if we only seek happiness, then virtue is often compromised. That is why patience with ourselves and God is important. As today’s letter to the Hebrews reminds us: “Thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise” (Hebrews 6:15).
 
We might think that Stew Leonard was smart but too greedy. His life is tragic because he climbed up the wrong ladder then fell off. Which ladders are we climbing? The fact that we are here shows that we want to climb up the right ladder of faith and virtue. In this journey, we should be solidly convinced that God is with us and helping us on every step. At work? God is with us. At school? God is with us. At home? God is with us. God is with us to make every aspect of our life even better. And when we struggle, stumble, or fall, God is also with us. Jesus says: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).
 
Unfortunately, sometimes our faith is shaken when things go bad for us in life: if we have health problems, if we go through financial difficulties, if we have a death in the family, and all the other life challenges. When these things happen, we need to hold on with a firmer grasp of our ladder of faith, rather than let go.
 
Faith is like a train, it leaves the station, then goes up and down mountains and sometimes through tunnels. We keep trusting the conductor throughout the journey and definitely don’t jump out when we go through a dark tunnel or over a rough patch. Rather, we trust the skill of the conductor who will get us through to our destination.
 
Faith, especially in times of darkness, brings us comfort and helps us see the bigger picture of the meaning of our life. We are not here to simply eat, drink, buy, sell, work, and sleep. God has a bigger plan for us both here and in heaven.
 
Stew Leonard was on the wrong ladder, then slipped off it. He paid for it, both financially and with his tarnished reputation.
 
Saint John wrote that the ladder of virtues is the right ladder. By fasting and prayer, we move from one-step to the next. This daily journey of faith helps us to hold on so that we do not fall off, hurt ourselves, and those around us.
 
As we continue our Lenten journey and as we get closer to our celebrations of the death and resurrection of Jesus, let us always be confident that when we are on the ladder of living our faith God strengthens us in each step as we draw closer and closer to Him.
 
Epistle. Hebrews 6:13-20.
Brethren, when God made his promise to Abraham since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you, and will surely multiply you.” And so, after patient waiting, Abraham obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and an oath given as a guarantee is the final settlement of all their disagreements. Hence God, meaning to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the firmness of his will interposed an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to deceive, we may have the strongest comfort ― we who have sought refuge in holding fast the hope set before us. This hope we have as a sure and firm anchor of the soul, reaching even behind the veil where our forerunner Jesus has entered for us, as he became a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
 
Gospel. Mark 9:17-31.
At that time one of the crowd came to Jesus and bowed to him saying: “Master, I have brought to you my son, who has a dumb spirit; and whenever it seizes him it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth; and he is wasting away. And I told your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” And he, answering him, said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought him to him; and the spirit, when it saw Jesus, immediately threw the boy in convulsions, and he fell down on the ground and rolled about foaming at the mouth. So he asked his father, “How long is it since this has come upon him?” And he said, “From his infancy. Oftentimes, it has thrown him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if you can do anything have compassion on us and help us.” But Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to the man of faith.” At once the father of the boy cried out and said with tears, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, go out of him and enter him no more.” And crying out and violently convulsing him, it went out of him, and he became like one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him and he stood up. And when he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind can be cast out in no way except by prayer and fasting.” And leaving that place, they were passing through Galilee, and he did not wish anyone to know it. For he was teaching his disciples, and saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and having been killed, he will rise again on the third day.”

Image is Everything.

February 21, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
First Sunday of Lent. Sunday of Orthodoxy.
Hebrews 11:24-26; 32-40; 12:1-2.
John 1:43-51 (The Call of Nathanael).

This is the link to Sunday's homily: https://youtu.be/To7WDfSGgAI. Below are the full readings and the full text of the homily 
 
Homily.
Someone once told me “Image is everything.”
 
There is a lot of truth to this. Some spend thousands of dollars working on their image. They buy the right car to have the right image and buy fashionable clothing to present a certain image. Companies and celebrities even hire image consultors to help them improve their image. They do this because they believe that image is everything.
 

We as Catholics also believe that image is everything, but a different kind of image. That is why we call the first Sunday of the Great Fast, the Sunday of Orthodoxy, and on this day celebrate the Church’s use of images, which we call icons.
 
We need to define two important words. The word for image in Greek is “eikona” and the word orthodox means “right teaching.” So today, we are celebrating the right teaching about the right image. In essence, we are celebrating that “image is everything.” However, not just any image, the right image is everything.
 
To understand what this right image is, we go back to Genesis 1:27, where we read, “God created man in His own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” The image God created is everything, but not the one that we re-create or distort. That is why Deuteronomy 27:15 reads, “Cursed be the man who makes a graven or molten image.”
 
This is true because what we make, we also tend to worship. We worship the image that we make of ourselves. This is classic narcissism. We also worship our human-made image of the world. Unfortunately, the image that we make of ourselves is quite different from the one that God made for us because God’s image is not simply an external one, but an image that has depths and is the right image on both the outside and the inside.
 
The prophet Jeremiah says, “Every man is stupid and without knowledge; … for his images are false, and there is no breath in them” (10:14). God created us as living and life-giving images, whereas we sometimes ignore the radiant beauty God made in us and settle for much less.
 
That is why on this first Sunday of Lent we focus on working on the right image and not just on any image. We want the right image that recognizes the image that God has created in us. We also want to work all our life to develop this image in the multitude of skills and talents in which we are capable. This is the Christian image of humanity, which is the right image.
 
Unfortunately, we spend more time thinking about what we will eat, the color or shape of our hair, or deciding how we are going to dress, than we do on how to develop our personality and how we are going to act, think, or speak. God has made us in the right image, but we sometimes make up an alternate image. We all have a changing and passing image that is not everything and we have our true image that endures and is everything.
 
Jesus warns us: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
 
The image that God wants us to work on is not only the right image of ourselves but also our right image of the things around us. For example, we often create false images that lead to false expectations. Such as: a man needs to be macho and always right, a woman is supposed to be attractive and maybe even seductive, family life is a prison and constricting, people are to be used, and if I am not getting everything my way, life is boring or not fair. If we have the wrong image of these things, then we need to make some changes. That is why we fast to work on the right image, which actually is everything.
 
If we are having problems with the directions, God says to read His directions in His Book. Though simple, God’s directions are profound. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives clear and simple directions to his disciples: “Follow me” (John 1:43). He also tells us: “Follow me and you will know your image and the image that I want you to live.”
 
On this first Sunday of Lent, we commemorate the pictures of the saints, which we call icons because image is everything. Not the image that I create for myself, but the image of God that the saints radiate through their faith and actions. We want to keep the image of the saints before us and surround our homes and Churches with their icons because the saints had the right image and lived God’s image in them. Fasting and self-discipline remind us this same image is in us and we need to work hard to discover, appreciate, and develop it.
 
That is why Saint Paul says: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). We have the right image when we can say “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
 
This is the image we want to develop and work on during these 40 days of fasting because only the right image is everything. Let us work on our image. Not just any image, but the image in which God created us and which can continue to shine through us.
 
A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews (11:24-26; 32-40).
Brethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, denied he was a son of Pharaoh’s daughter (CF. Ex, 2: 11) ― choosing to be afflicted with God’s people rather than to have the enjoyment of sin for a time, estimating the indignities suffered by Christ to be of greater value than the Egyptians’ treasures (Cf. Ex. 2:32): for he was considering the reward. By faith he left Egypt not fearing the king’s wrath: for he persevered as if he were seeing the One who cannot be seen. By faith, he celebrated the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the one who destroyed the first-born might not touch these. By faith, they passed through the Red Sea, as through dry land ― whereas the Egyptians attempting it were swallowed up. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell after people had gone around them for seven days. By faith, Rahab the prostitute who had received the spies in peace did not perish with the unbelievers. And what more shall I say? For time will be too short to speak of Gideon, of Barac, of Samson, of Jephthe, of David and of Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained the fulfillment of promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle routed foreign armies.    Women had their dead restored to them through resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to yield for their release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others again suffered mockery and blows, even chains and jailing. They were stoned, cut to pieces, put to the question, killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, distressed, afflicted (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves and holes in the ground. And none of these, despite the positive witnessing of faith, received what was promised, for God had something better in store for us, so that they were not to reach their final perfection without us.
 
Gospel of the 1st Sunday of Lent, John 1:43-51 (Call of Nathanael).
At that time Jesus was about to leave for Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no guile!” Nathanael said to him, “Where do you know me from?” Jesus answered him and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him and said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel.” Answering, Jesus said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, you believe. Greater things than these shall you see.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

You Don’t Need More Toys.
February 14, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Cheese Fare Sunday. If You Forgive. When You Fast. Treasure in Heaven.
Romans 13:11-14:4. Matthew 6:14-21.

This is the link to Sunday's homily. The readings are below. https://youtu.be/LfGB8Ch0roU

A Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans (13:11-14:4).

Brethren, now our salvation is nearer than when we came to believe. The night is far advanced: the day is at hand. Let us, therefore, lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Let us walk becomingly as in daytime, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in debauchery and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and as for the flesh, pay no attention to its lusts. But whoever is weak in faith, receive him without arguing about opinion. For one believes he may eat all things but another who is weak, let him eat vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who does not; and let not the one who does not eat judge the one who does, for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls but he will stand, for God is able to make him stand.

Gospel. Matthew 6:14-21.

The Lord said, “If you forgive men their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their offenses, neither will your Father forgive you your offenses. And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, who disfigure their faces in order to appear to men as fasting. Amen I say to you they have had their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not be seen by men to fast, but by your Father, who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where worm and rodent consume, and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither worm nor rodent consumes, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will be your heart.”

Our Choices Make Us.
February 7, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Meat Fare Sunday. The Last Judgment.
1 Corinthians 8:8-13 & 9:1-2. Matthew 25:31-46.

This is a link to Sunday's homily. Below is the full text of the homily and readings. https://youtu.be/y53-Zp2ItQM
 
Homily.

Today is Meat-fare Sunday, which is the last Sunday we eat meat before Easter.

Today’s Epistle may seem like the worst way to prepare for the great fast. Instead of telling us to stop eating meat, Saint Paul says “Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do” (1 Corinthians 8:8). 

Why would Saint Paul say this and why do we read this particular text today?

Although fasting is an important aspect of spiritual growth, an incorrect attitude towards fasting can be just as dangerous as not fasting at all. This passage is especially important to remind us that if all we focus on during the period of the Great fast is eating and drinking, then we are missing the importance of fasting.

During the Great Fast, we change our eating habits. However, we can change our eating habits for many reasons that are not related to anything religious. For example, if we are going to do a particular medical test, the doctor tells us what we should not eat or drink. If we have high-blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes, the doctor tells us what to eat or not eat. Therefore, it is not a great accomplishment only to change our eating habits.

Changing what we eat should help us think of our daily actions and choices. Today’s Gospel reading helps us understand a crucial element of the Great fast. In this Gospel, we read a story about God separating all the nations of the world. He places some on the right and some on the left based on these specific actions. I was hungry and you gave or did not give me food. I was thirsty and you gave or did not give me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed or did not welcome me. I was naked and you clothed or did not clothe me. I was sick and you visited or did not visit me. I was in prison and you came or did not come to me. Therefore, our focus during the great

Fast should be on how our decisions help us become more aware of God and the needs of others.

When we stop eating certain foods for a few weeks, we remind ourselves of the decisions we make every day. With both food and our daily actions, sometimes we do not stop enough to think about what we are doing. The great fast helps us stop and take ourselves out of the default mode we have put ourselves into with regard to what we eat and what we become dependent on.

Even more important than the default mode of what we eat or drink, we need to move to the next level and reflect more purposefully on our daily actions and decisions. A change in our eating habits should lead us to a change in habits that have a more harmful effect on our lives and those around us.

For example, during this period of the Great Fast, we can be more aware of what we say and realize that our words can either help or hurt people.

We can be more aware of the people we spend time with and realize that the company we hold can have either a positive or a negative influence on us.

We can be more aware of the music we listen to and ask ourselves whether the lyrics we are listening to are consistent with our faith.

We can be more aware of the TV programs and movies we watch and be aware of the messages with which we surround ourselves.

We can be more aware of the amount of time we spend on social media and ask ourselves whether we can be doing something better with our time.

We can be more aware of the inappropriate TikTok videos we produce and realize that we should not be imitating certain dance moves or singing about certain topics that are contrary to our basic beliefs.

We can be more aware of the pictures we should be embarrassed to share or post.

We can also be more aware of the many other aspects of our life that do not lead us to any spiritual or personal growth.

When we stop to reflect on all these different aspects of our life, we quickly realize that we often keep ourselves busy with things that are of little importance and with things that are even harmful to others and ourselves.

To change a way of thinking or acting we first have to stop, break ourselves out of the pattern that we have gotten ourselves into, reflect on the usefulness or harm of what we are doing, then once again purposely make a decision to either continue doing it or cease entirely.

The great fast is only great if something great happens to us during our Fast. We cannot grow spiritually if we are not ready to challenge our comforts. We all have something we feel we cannot live without but in reality, we actually can live without all these things but have often gotten ourselves overly attached or addicted to them.

In addition to fasting from certain foods, the great fast is the perfect time to give up some things and to focus on why we have such a strong attachment to them. Our ability to separate between the good things on the right and the harmful things on the left is the foundation of our spirituality and even our humanity. If we never get out of default mode concerning the things we are eating, saying, or doing then we are compromising our spiritual life and our humanity. Our choices and our decisions make us who we are and even more importantly and even more dangerously, they make us who we will become if we keep doing them.

Despite what we may think, we can live without our comforts. However, we cannot live a truly spiritual life if we do not question our attachment to our comforts and learn to confront our discomforts.

Fasting from food is a great way to lead us to this higher level. To assure that our discussion of the Great Fast does not remain at the level of what we are going to eat and what we are going to drink, today we read Saint Paul’s message: “Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do” (1 Corinthians 8:8).

Fasting helps us to stop and press the refresh button on our life. When we do this, we will begin to see a much clearer picture of who we are and how the things we are often dependent on are holding us back from seeing God and others in a more faith-filled way.
 
From the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 8:8-13 & 9:1-2).

Brethren, food does not commend us to God. For neither shall we gain any advantage if we eat, nor suffer any loss if we do not. And yet, beware lest perhaps this right of yours become a stumbling-block to the weak. For if a man sees you who “have knowledge” sitting at table in a place dedicated to idols, will not his conscience, weak as it is, be emboldened to eat idol offerings? And through your “knowledge” the weak one will perish, the brother for whom Christ died. Now, when you sin in this way against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore if food scandalizes my brother, I will never again eat any more meat so as not to scandalize my brother. Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? And if to others I am not an apostle, yet to you I am. For you are the seal set upon my apostleship in the Lord.

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46 (The Last Judgement).

The Lord said, “At that time when the Son of Man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory; and before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the king will say to those on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; naked and you covered me; sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the just will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you to drink? And when did we see you a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ And answering, the King will say to them, ‘Amen I say to you, every time you did it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left hand, ‘Go away from me, accursed ones, into the everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his ministers. For I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take me in; naked and you did not clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Amen I say to you as long as you did not do it for one of these least ones, you did not do it for me.’ And these will go into everlasting punishment, but the just into everlasting life.”

Are We All Equal?
January 31, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday of the Prodigal Son.
1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Luke 15:11-32.

This is the link to Sunday's homily. The full text of the homily and readings are below. https://youtu.be/l_6yqIq_8o4

Homily:
In 1669, the Dutch painter Rembrandt produced one of his last oil paintings based on today’s Gospel and it became one of his most famous works.

This painting shows the son kneeling in front of the father who embraces him with two hands. A unique feature of these hands is that one is a fatherly hand and the other is a motherly one to symbolize the tension between justice and mercy that parents need to balance within a family.

In the first part of today’s parable, one of the two sons wants to leave the family home. In addition to this tension of separation from his father and brother, the son also demands his share of the inheritance, which he would have received when the father is dead. Therefore, the pain the father experiences is the loss of his son but also the son treats the father as if the father were already dead.

Despite the absence of any mention of why the son wanted to leave the father and demand his independence this story resonates with all families because within every family there is always a desire for some level of independence between couples, between siblings, or between parents and their children. 

However, we cannot have it both ways. We cannot live in a family, receive the blessings of family life, and at the same time want full independence. Family life is about healthy dependence and co-dependence. Parents and children depend on each other for happiness and support and this grows when there is a high level of trust and love within a family. Dependence may not be an appreciated word, but healthy families celebrate when there is a healthy dependence.

However, in addition to a parable about the importance of faithfulness, love, forgiveness, and mercy in family life, this parable is also about our place in God’s house as His beloved and faithful children. We should all remind ourselves that we are God’s children. 

We read in the first letter of Saint John: “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1).

Today we can reflect on how responsible and appreciative we are of our family and we can reflect on our place in the family of God, which is the Church.

Just as the father had two sons who had a different attitude about the father, the Church is the same. Everyone in the Church knows there is a God but not everyone responds to God’s gifts in the same way.

We are in a world that rightly emphasizes equality. This is an important principle because a short should not have more or fewer rights than someone who is tall. A person who graduates from university does not get more votes than someone who did not.

Even in the Church, we emphasize equality between all members. In our Melkite Catholic Church, we give communion to infants after baptism to emphasize that even children are equal members of the Church.

However, there is one important oversight when we emphasize equality both at home, at work, in our country, or in the Church.

Today’s parable demonstrates the actions of two sons who were equal in their father’s eyes. The father did not prefer one to the other and both had the same family privileges. Therefore, from this angle, they were both equal in the father’s eyes. We too are all equal in God’s eyes.

Although the two sons were equal in dignity and importance in the eyes of the father, the sons were not equal in their actions. One was faithful and the other was rebellious. One produced and the other was wasteful.

Our role in the Church is very similar. We are all equal in God’s eyes. God does not love one person more than another. He created us all in unique ways and with unique talents. When we appreciate how creative God is in creating us we can also appreciate our unique contributions and how we can contribute to society in unique ways.

However, not everyone responds to those gifts equally. Not everyone responds to God’s love equally. Not everyone responds to the needs of others equally.

Everyone who works at a company may show up but not everyone contributes their gifts equally. Everyone who lives in a house is breathing the same air but not everyone in the home shares their gifts equally. Everyone who is Catholic was baptized but not everyone is living his or her Catholic faith.

One of the many lessons we can learn from today’s Gospel is to appreciate how we are contributing to our environment: our work, our school, our home, or society in general. Although we are equally important as parents, children, students, or citizens, are we just hanging out or fulfilling our potential as a member of our family or society?

Also equally important is our presence here in Church. Although we are here in Church it does not mean that we are all in the Father’s house in the same way. One of the things we can focus on today is our spiritual response to God’s love for us. Are we here only in the body or are we fully engaged with our faith? Are we joyfully responding to the gifts God gives us?

Are we just here because we are here or have we made an active decision to follow Christ? The son in the parable was in the father’s house but was not a responsible member of his father’s house.

Our journey of faith is very similar. Through baptism, we entered the Father’s house, but how engaged are we in our Father’s house?
Our challenge today is:
1)   To realize we are in the Father’s house and ask ourselves what God is saying to us?
2)   What are we saying to our heavenly Father by our words, actions, and the way we live?

The parables of Jesus help us learn important religious and life lessons. Today’s parable challenges us to be active members of our family, our church, and society.

The balance between justice and mercy is not always easy to find. Justice encourages us to be responsible; mercy helps us forgive when we, or those around us fall short.

When the Dutch painter Rembrandt painted the picture of the embrace between the father and the son, he painted the father to have one fatherly hand for justice and one motherly hand for mercy.

Today, our heavenly Father invites us to look at the many daily spiritual blessings He gives us. Although God is merciful when we fall short, He wants us to live justice by thinking of our responsibilities to Him, to ourselves, and to those around us.

That is the beauty and joy of living in the Father’s house.
 

Epistle. 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.

A Reading from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians.
Brethren, all things are lawful for me, but not all things are fitting. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of anyone. Food is for the belly, and the belly for food, but God will destroy both the one and the other. Now, the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. For God has raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a prostitute? By no means! Or do you not know that one who cleaves to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For the two, it is said, shall be one flesh (Gn.2: 24). But he who cleaves to the Lord is one spirit with him. Flee immortality. Every sin a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your members are the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God and that you are not your own? For you have been bought at a great price. Glorify God therefore in your body and in your soul which both are God’s.

Gospel: Luke 15:11-32.

The Lord told this parable: “A man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.’ And he divided his possessions between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered up all his wealth and traveled to a far country; and there he squandered his fortune in loose living. And after he had spent all, there came a severe famine over that country, and he began to suffer from it. And he went and joined one of the local landowners, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. And he longed to fill himself with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one offered to give them to him. But when he had come to his senses, he said, ‘How many hired men in my father’s house have bread in abundance, while I am perishing with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” And he got up and went to his father. But while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the Father said to his servants, ‘Fetch quickly the best robe and put it on him, and give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet; and bring out the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; because this my son was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came close to the house, he heard music and dancing. And calling one of the servants he asked what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has got him back safe.’ But he was angered and would not go in. His father, therefore, came out and began to beg him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look, these many years I have been serving you, and have never disobeyed any of your orders; and yet, you have never given me a kid that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours comes, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes; you have killed for him the fattened calf!’ But he said to him, ‘Son you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours; but we were bound to make merry and rejoice, for this your brother was dead, and has come to life; he was lost and is found.’”

The Bible's Window & Mirror to God.
January 24, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican.
2 Timothy 3:10-15. Luke 18:10-14.

This is the link to Sunday's homily. The readings are below. https://youtu.be/uwUMCZTcPm0
 
A Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy 3:10-15.
My son Timothy, you have followed my teaching, my behavior, my faith, my long-suffering, my love, my patience, my persecutions, my afflictions such as befell me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, such persecutions as I suffered: and out of them all, the Lord delivered me. And all who want to live piously in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But the wicked and impostors will go from bad to worse, erring and leading into error. As for you, keep on with the things you have learned and which have been entrusted to you, and remember from whom you have learned them. For you have known from infancy the Sacred Scriptures which are able to give you instruction for your salvation by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Gospel: Luke 18:10-14.

The Lord told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and began to pray thus within himself: ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, robbers, dishonest, adulterers, or even like this publican. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all I possess.’ But the publican, standing far off, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went back to his home justified rather than the other; for anyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself shall be exalted.

The Talents in Your Palm.
January 10, 2021 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday after the Feast of the Theophany.
Ephesians 4:7-13. Matthew 4:12-17

This is the link to Sunday's homily: https://youtu.be/aE2q2tS03lI. The full homily and readings are below.
 
Homily
In 1996, if you had a Palm Pilot, you could brag about owning the most revolutionary hand-held device on the market. The Palm Pilot was amazing, but it did not have a phone, a camera, the ability to play music, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, but it did come with 128 KB of RAM. The first press release boasted that it could store 750 addresses, one year of appointments, and 100 to-do items. Although that was a lot of storage in 1996, today it is equivalent to the amount of space that a 30-page document takes up on your home computer. 

In the year 2000, the company’s shares had gone up to $95, but this excitement did not last long. In 2009, only nine years later, its shares had gone down to $3, and a year later, at the young age of 18, the company went out of business.

How could this and other revolutionary products, which at one time were so popular and indispensable, be hardly remembered today? Very often companies do not use their strengths properly and even more often they underestimate their weaknesses.

In the rise and fall of the Palm Pilot, we can see an important parallel in our lives. Some people can achieve great things, then within a very short time end up move from success to dismal failure. Three problems are at the heart of this rise and fall phenomenon. We often do not appreciate what we have, do not focus enough on developing these gifts, and are also slow to adapt in a changing world.

We read in today’s letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians: “Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Ephesians 4:8).

Everyone has more than one unique gift. In fact, we all have an abundance of unique gifts. But, have we acknowledged these gifts? Are we using these gifts to serve others? And are we developing these gifts so that what we have today does not become irrelevant tomorrow?

It is important for us to think of what gifts God has given us. There are general gifts like, if we are good at math, science, sports, art, or any other field. Then there are specific gifts that help us discover specific gifts within these fields. If I am good at math, I need to ask myself how God wants me to use this skill? Should I teach, be an accountant, or should I put this skill to some other use? Regardless of how young or old we are; we should always be thinking about these talents because these are God’s gifts to us and these gifts form our unique personality.

However, a gift that is not appreciated, left undeveloped, and that does not adapt soon disappears and becomes irrelevant. The Palm Pilot may have been the most wonderful invention at one time, but since it did grow, adapt, and develop, it became useless.

The human person is very much like that. If you got 100% on your grade 4 arithmetic test but did not continue to develop those skills, then you would never have been able to graduate from grade 12 algebra. If you did very well in elementary school, then struggled through university, then got a job that you were unhappy with, then got fired, and finally barely had enough to retire, then that grade four math exam that you got 100% at was a talent that you misused for the rest of your life. You may have been a good Palm Pilot, but ended up being a lousy smartphone.

Today’s letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians speaks about the variety of our gifts as having their source in God: “His gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11). He goes on to emphasize that God gives us these gifts to serve others. In Ephesians 4:12-13, he continues: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.”

This emphasis on personal gifts is also important for us as a community. The strength of a community is based on the strength of each member and how each member contributes to the growth of that community. For us to continue to grow as a healthy community of faith, we all need to ask ourselves how our gifts can be developed and used in the service of others.

Perhaps you can use the gifts God has given you to help in the Sunday School program or help develop faith formation programs and activities for the youth, young adults, and parents.

Or perhaps you can use your God-given gifts to serve in the choir, to help welcome people on Sunday, with gardening, maintenance, or a variety of other Church needs.

We should be confident that we are a wonderful Church composed of wonderful people. There is so much about us that is amazing. 

However, this self-admiration should only be our starting point. If we do not move from only focusing on our personal gifts to ask ourselves how we are going to develop those gifts and how we are going to use those gifts to serve others, then in a very short time our gifts will be as irrelevant as a Palm Pilot.

There are Churches around the world that have become restaurants, night clubs, museums, or apartment complexes. We cannot take our Church for granted. If we do not use the strengths within our community to keep growing as faithful servants of Christ by developing our gifts, by sharing our talents with others in patience and humility, then who knows where Holy Cross Church will be in ten years.

Even in our personal life, if we think we are on top of the world, then we’re only on top of a delusional world that we have created for ourselves which will quickly crumble.

When we reflect on our personal or community life we all need to identify our talents, develop those talents, and be generous in serving others with them.

Nobody today wants a Palm Pilot because what it has to offer is irrelevant. Nobody here will brag that in grade one, they knew how to count to 10 because this too is irrelevant. For our talents to remain relevant, we need to always recognize them, be grateful to God for them, and develop them so they will grow and bear fruit in our lives and life of those around us.

Epistle: Ephesians 4:7-13.

Brethren, to each one of us the grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s bestowal. Thus, is says, ascending on high, he let away captives; he gave gifts to men (Ps.61:19). Now this ascending, what does it mean but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended, he it is who ascended also above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he himself gave some men as apostles, and some as prophets, and others as pastors and teachers, in order to perfect the saints for a work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the deep knowledge of the Son of God, to perfect manhood, to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17.

At that time, When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen." From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Don't Invent God.
December 27, 2020 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
Sunday after the Nativity of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Commemoration of the Holy Joseph, spouse of the Mother of God, James, David and Protomartyr Stephen.
Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 6:8-15, 7:1-5; 47-60.
Gospel: Matthew 2:13-23



This is the link to Sunday's homily: https://youtu.be/aRYIQ2c-Fuw  The full homily and readings are below.

Homily
Sometimes people wonder, how we know that what we are supposed to believe is real. Some who are more cynical ask whether someone made all this stuff up. Some aspects of our faith may at times seem hard to understand but a very basic aspect of Christianity is that our faith is about how God reveals Himself to us not about what we can figure God out on our own.
 
Many religions and philosophies try to explain the world through observation and creative theories. Some focus on how humans can control the powers of nature and others on how the gods can bring them fortune and safety.
 
For example, the ancient Egyptians believed in a complex system of over 100 main gods and approximately 2000 in total. These gods were present in and controlled the forces and elements of nature and there was one for almost every place and human situation. The ancient Egyptians felt that the purpose of religion was to win the favor of the gods.
 
As far back as 2000 years before Christ, the ancient Chinese also worshiped many different gods that represented the weather, natural forces like the sun, the moon, or the rain, and some symbolized more abstract concepts such as prosperity, happiness, or luck.
 
Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, there were also many gods who represented such qualities as love, beauty, the sun, music, war, wisdom, the arts, the harvest, wine, the underworld, the family, trade, and the seas. They had a god for practically everything imaginable.
 
Many of these gods were thought to offer people special protection from the forces of nature and other daily human situations.
 

Our Christian faith is radically different. We believe in one God who does not need us to offer Him sacrifices to keep him happy.
 
We do not sacrifice to our God because he protects us from nature and the many forces around us. Rather we love and serve our God because he gave us nature, the many gifts that surround us, and the powerful forces within us.
 
We do not worship God so that nothing bad happens to us, but we enter into a relationship of gratitude for all the good that is happening to us.
 
We do not fear God because he controls and protects us from natural catastrophes. Rather we love our God because He is with us and He gives us the strength to overcome all catastrophes.
 
It is important for us to think of our understanding of God in order to make sure that our concept of God reflects our Christian belief and not those of pagan cultures or the various ideologies around us.
 
In today’s readings from the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of Matthew the image of God that we read about is radically different than that held by ancient cultures. We do not need to try to figure out who God is because God has already revealed Himself to us.
 
Saint Stephen says in the Acts of the Apostles: “Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran” (Acts 7:2).
 
Also in today’s Gospel, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph two times to give him instructions. Both Saint Stephen and Saint Joseph do not spend much time trying to figure God out because God is revealing Himself and instructing them.
 
We celebrate Christmas for twelve days from December 25 until January 6, the feast of the baptism of Christ. Originally these were celebrated together but the Church extended the celebration of Christmas in order to focus on the different ways that God reveals Himself to us. During these twelve days, we continue to greet each other by “Christ is Born. Glorify Him” because Christmas is not over.
 
At Christmas, God did not reveal Himself as the one who controls the forces and elements of nature such as the wind, the sun, and the rain. Rather He reveals Himself as the Christ child who is humble before us and invites us to love Him as He loves us.
 
Ancient cultures and today’s popular ideologies dream up many versions of gods who have various degrees of power. This Christmas let us remind ourselves that God has revealed one version to us. He is the humble God who came to bring us peace and love. The catch however is we need to search for His peace and love which is meant to serve others rather than serve ourselves.
 
Some people may wonder whether religion is made up. The beauty of our faith is that we could not have invented a kind of God who is born as a child in a manger, reveals Himself to us in this way, and wants to be with us in a personal way. When people tried to understand the powers of nature they came up with a multitude of powerful gods. However, when God revealed Himself to us He revealed Himself in simplicity and invited us to live that same simplicity.
 
We keep the true spirit of Christmas alive by continually reminding ourselves how God has revealed Himself to us and by revealing our love to Him by living His love and humility.
 
Epistle: Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 6:8-15, 7:1-5; 47-60).
In those days Stephen, full of grace and power, was working great wonders and miracles among the people. But some of the members from the synagogue called “of the Freedmen” and from that of the Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and from that of Cilicia and Asia rose up to challenge Stephen, and they were unable to withstand the wisdom of the Spirit that was speaking. Then they bribed men to say, “We have heard him make blasphemous statements against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and throwing themselves upon him, they seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin. And they produced false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases uttering blasphemous things against this holy place and against the Law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the tradition Moses handed down to us.” And all who were seated in the Sanhedrin stared at him, and saw his face as if it were that of an angel. (7:) And the chief priest asked, “Is this true?” Then he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your family and come to the land I will show you.’ (Gn. 12:1) Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father’s death, he [God] moved him to this land where you now live, and he gave him no property in it, nor even a place to set his foot. (7:47) “But Solomon built him a house. Yet, the Most High does not dwell in housed made by hands, according to the prophet’s saying, ‘The heaven is my throne, and what earth a footstool for my feet. What house will you build me, says the Lord, or what shall be the place of my repose? Did not my hand make all this?’ (Is. 66:1) “Hard-headed and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you have now become the betrayers and the murderers, you who received the Law as angelic commands — and did not keep it!” On hearing this, they were cut to the heart and gnashed their teeth at him. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looking up to heaven and had a vision of God’s Glory and Jesus standing at God’s right hand, and he said, “Look, I see the heavens opening and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed upon him altogether, and throwing him out of the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses left their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. And while they were stoning Stephen, he prayed aloud and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” And falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin!” And as he said these words, he fell asleep.

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-23. Sunday after the Nativity.

When the Magi had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Arise, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there until I tell thee. For Herod will seek the child to destroy him.” So he arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and withdrew into Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod; that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Then Herod, seeing that he had been tricked by the Magi, was exceedingly angry; and he sent and slew all the boys in Bethlehem and all its neighborhood who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had carefully ascertained from the Magi. Then was fulfilled what was spoken through Jeremias the prophet, “A voice was heard in Rama, weeping and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted, because they are no more.” But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” So he arose and took the child and his mother, and went into the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and being warned in a dream he withdrew into the region of Galilee. And he went and settled in a town called Nazareth; that there might be fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Become a Christmas Bird.
December 24/25, 2020 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
The Nativity of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Thursday, December 24, 2020. Hebrews 1:1-12. Luke 2:1-20.
Friday, December 25, 2020. Galatians 4:4-7. Matthew 2:1-12.
 
Christ is Born. Glorify Him.
Almaseeh Woolida. Famajidoo.
God bless you and your family as we celebrate the birth of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.
 
This is the link to my Christmas homily: https://youtu.be/wpCE6GC_5A0
The full homily and readings are below.
 
Become a Christmas Bird.
December 24/25, 2020 homily by Father François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
The Nativity of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Thursday, December 24, 2020. Hebrews 1:1-12. Luke 2:1-20.
Friday, December 25, 2020. Galatians 4:4-7. Matthew 2:1-12.
 
Subscribe to the weekly video homilies at: YouTube.com/MelkiteTV 
#Catholic #Bible #Inspiration

Christmas Homily. December 24/25, 2020.
Christ is born. Glorify Him. Almaseeh Woolida. Famajidoo.
 
I wasn’t sure whether to come to Church today, because I am very busy. I have paperwork to do, messages to send and read, and a Christmas dinner to go to. Besides, I usually go to Church on Sunday. That should be enough.
 
But, despite all of these busy plans, it is great to be here with each other on this Thursday night. But it is not any Thursday night, it is Christmas night. The night we celebrate Jesus’s birth.
 
As with other Church events, we do not celebrate the birth of Jesus as a past event. We celebrate it as happening here, today, and with us as personal witnesses. That’s what makes it not only extra special but actually real.
 
People waited thousands of years for the birth of Jesus the Messiah. They waited but did not see Him, but we are privileged to welcome Him today into the world and into our lives as our Messiah and as our Savior.
 
The first two verses of the Letter to the Hebrews speaks about this privilege that we have that others did not have: “In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)
 
A basic element of our Christian faith is that the God who created the world became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary and after nine full months was born as a baby. As the king of kings and as the prince of peace he could have been born to wealthy parents who had access to the most comfortable living conditions of the time. However, he chose to be born to a poor family to a mother who “wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).
 
Sometimes these religious concepts seem too complicated for us. It may be easier to accept Jesus as a good teacher, a healer, or a wise man, but how could Jesus be God who came in the flesh. This mystery of the incarnation, which is one of the basic elements of our faith, sometimes sounds too obscure for some people.
 
There is a great story that makes this important idea a little more relatable. There was a man who refused to go to Church with his family during Christmas because he thought this idea of God becoming one of us is too difficult to believe and too abstract to comprehend. He stayed at home and pitied his family and everyone else who believed in such things.
 
As he was sitting in his kitchen a bird flew into the window and fell to the ground. He looked at this bird and wondered if it was ok. When the bird flew away he put something on the glass so another bird would not hit the glass.
 
But then a few seconds later the same bird flew into the window again. He put on his jacket, went outside to scare the bird away hoping it would not come back, and hit the glass again. Once again the bird flew back into the window, and unfortunately this time the bird died.
 
The man went back inside his home and felt so bad that he could not do anything. He thought to himself “I tried to get the bird to not hit the window but it didn’t work. If I could have become a bird, I would have told the bird that he is going to die if he keeps hitting the window.” He repeated to himself: “If only I was a bird I could have saved that bird’s life.”
 
Then he realized that our Christmas celebration that God became one of us is very much like that. We are birds who keep flying into the window. God gives us many signs to tell us that if we keep flying into windows we will get hurt and will eventually die.
 
In the Old Testament, God sent the prophets as messengers and God continues to send us people who remind us of God’s love. Regardless of how wonderful these messengers and role models are they are only partially successful so at the right time God decided to become one of us.
 
Saint Paul speaks about this in his letter to the Galatians: “when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
 
When the man realized that his desire to become a bird in order to save the bird is very much like God’s desire to become one of us in order to save us, he ran to Church to celebrate the beauty of this profound yet simple mystery.
 
We read in the Gospel of John: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17). So today we celebrate that God became one of us, that God wants to save us, and that God is with us.
 
However, this is only the beginning. God is with us in the flesh and God is also with us in the Bible. When we read the word of God we learn more about God and we continue to reflect on the many ways that God appears to us.
 
Also, today as we remind ourselves that God is with us, we want to ask ourselves whether we are with God? The Gospel of John tells us: “To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (John 1:12). God became one of us in order to get closer to us. What are we doing to bring ourselves closer to Him?
 
Challenge yourself to learn more about your faith and realize that regardless of what you know there is more you need to know. Realize also that regardless of how much we love God we can always love God more and find more ways to serve Him.
 
The man who saw the bird fly into the window wanted to become a bird to save the bird’s life. God became one of us because he wants to save our lives but more importantly, He wants to invite us into a loving friendship with Him.
 
You definitely have a lot going on in your life, but it is a blessing that you make time for God in your busy schedule. Today as we get together, sing Christmas carols, and over-eat, let us remind ourselves that if this is all we do we have missed what Christmas is truly about.
 
We are celebrating the birth of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. We are celebrating His appearance to us. We are celebrating His immense love for us. We are celebrating all these as happening here, today, and with us as personal witnesses.
 
Let us take this wonderful opportunity to offer our lives once again to God who offered His life to us. It is only in this way will we really be celebrating Christmas.
 
Christ is born. Glorify Him. Almaseeh Woolida. Famajidoo.
 
Thursday, December 24, 2020. Christmas Eve Readings.
Epistle. Hebrews 1:1-12.
Brethren, God Who in many places and at many times in the past spoke to the fathers through the prophets, has last of all spoken to us in these days through His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the world — Who being the brightness of His glory and the image of His substance, and holding up all things by the word of His power, has brought about man’s cleansing from sin and been enthroned at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much superior to the angels as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels has He ever said, “You are My Son, I this day have begotten you (Ps. 2:7)”? And again, “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? And again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all of God’s angels adore Him (2 Kgs. 7: 14).” And of the angels indeed He says, “He makes spirits His messengers and flaming fires His attendants (Ps. 96:7).” But of the Son, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a scepter of equity is the scepter of Your kingdom (Ps. 103:4). You have loved holiness and hated iniquity; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellow men (Ps. 44:7-8).” And, “You in the beginning, O Lord, did found the earth, and the heavens are works of Your hands. They shall perish, but You shall continue; and they shall all grow old as does a garment, and as clothing shall You change them, and they shall be changed. But You are the same and Your years shall not fail (Ps. 101:26-28).

Gospel. Luke 2:1-20.
In those days, a decree went forth from Caesar Augustus that a census of the whole world should be taken. This first census took place while Cyrinus was governor of Syria. And all were going, each to his own town, to register. And Joseph also went from Galilee out of the town of Nazareth into Judea to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and family of David) to register, together with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child. And it came to pass while they were there, that the days for her to be delivered were fulfilled. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds in the same district living in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them and the glory of God shone round about them, and they were very much afraid. And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all the people; for today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, Who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will among men.” And it came to pass, when the angels had departed from them into heaven, that the shepherds were saying to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” So, they went with haste, and they found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen, they understood what had been told them concerning this Child. And all who heard marveled at the things told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept in mind all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken to them.
 
Friday, December 25, 2020. Christmas Day Readings.
Epistle: Galatians 4:4-7.
Brethren, when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So that one is no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, an heir also of God through Jesus Christ.

Gospel. Matthew 2:1-12.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, Magi came from the East to Jerusalem saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” But when King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and so was all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and Scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the prophet, ‘And you, Bethlehem, of the land of Judah are by no means least among the princes of Judah; for from you shall come forth a leader who shall shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod summoned the Magi secretly, and carefully ascertained from them the time when the star had appeared to them. And sending them to Bethlehem he said, “Go and make careful inquiry concerning the Child, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may go and worship Him.” Now they, having heard the king, went their way. And behold, the star they had seen in the East went before them, until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly. And entering the house, they found the Child with Mary His mother, and falling down they worshipped Him. And opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another way.