Life on the Rock
Life on the Rock” refers to the kind of life we Christians, and the Church to which we belong, live. It is a life based on something firm and lasting. The Rock refers to everything that God thinks about His people, and what He dreams for them. The Rock therefore is understood as a divine perspective.
From the human perspective, Life on the Rock can mean living a “Catolico Cerrado” kind of life. But, the Rock is not the result of human achievement and faith; but rather, it is the result of grace, the actions of God who chooses us first before we are able to choose Him. Life on the Rock is a celebration of God’s dominion over all.
The social teachings which are suggested in the gospels for this month focuses on our relationships based on the perspective of grace. In this way, the true values of the human person, the society, and its rulers are justly revealed by God’s love and care.
18th Week in Ordinary Time A
Theme for the Week: Some people “play God” but fail.
Sunday / August 3:
Is 55,1-3 Hasten and eat.
Rom 8,35,37-39 No creature can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ.
Mt. 14,13-21 They all ate and were satisfied.
Homiletic Ideas for the Sunday Gospel
Jesus asked his disciples to give the people something to eat themselves, to which the disciples balked. Exactly the point Jesus wanted to make. Only God can fully satisfy us. Man is not the measure of things and of himself either.
Monday: Some people play God by claiming to be the only source of truth: Relativism, Rationalism, Consumerism, Communism, Capitalism, Pragmatism, Ecclecticism. Many believe in them, but realize they were given only half-truths.
Tuesday: Some people play God by “walking on the water”: claiming justified use of public funds (as if it were their own) for personal travel disguised as official government business. The public is amazed by their brazenness but the public is not amused.
Wednesday: Some people play God by doing corruption and justifying it by involving many people to “share in the benefits” of “working for the country.” Many are benefited, many more are hurt.
Thursday: Some people play God by claiming a name or reputation for which they did not earn public trust. Many laugh at them.
Friday: Some people play God by claiming lives. Many are silent, but angry.
Saturday: Some people play God by “healing and helping the nation” through posturing and image building. Many are not impressed.
The Social Teachings (CSDC):
¨ #379. “Jesus rejects the oppressive and despotic power wielded by the rulers of the nations… and rejects their pretension in having themselves called benefactors…”
¨ God alone can demand everything from man, ibid.
¨ #382. “When human authority goes beyond the limits willed by God, it makes itself a deity and demands absolute submission…”
¨ #411. “Among the deformities of the democratic system, political corruption is one of the most serious because it betrays at one and the same time both moral principles and the norms of social justice.”
¨ #383. “Christ reveals to human authority, always tempted by the desire to dominate, its authentic and complete meaning as service.”
¨ #385. The political community finds its opportunity for nobleness of deeds in its reference to people.
Parallel Commandment: 1st & 10th Commandment.
19th Week in Ordinary Time A
Theme for the Week: The Noble More than Just Great
Sunday / August 10
1 Kgs 19,9. 11-13 Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord God.
Rom 9, 1-5 I would willingly be condemned if it would help my brother.
Mt 14,22-33 Command me to come to you over the waters.
Homiletic Ideas
Peter desired to perform great things. And Jesus prods him to pursue this desire, albeit it was not magnanimous. For Jesus it was not simply a matter of walking on the water; it must have a noble reason. To impress others is only for the eyes of men, nobility however secret delights God. Magnanimity is the pursuit of greatness in noble things.
Monday: The greatness of having a huge fund, though from extortion. The nobler greatness of edification. The greatness of giving P500 pesos per poor family. The nobler greatness of fixing the economy.
Tuesday: The nobler greatness of being lowly and humble.
Wednesday: The greatness of winning an argument. The nobler greatness of winning over your brother.
Thursday: The greatness of evoking fear among your constituents. The nobler greatness of earning their trust and confidence.
Friday: The greatness of getting your own way. The nobler greatness of working for the common good.
Saturday: The greatness of smooth living (superlotto promises, & of all forms of gambling). The nobler greatness of learning from troubles and problems.
The Social Teachings (CSDC):
¨ #186. On the basis of this principle (of subsidiarity), all societies of a superior order must adopt attitudes of help therefore of support, promotion, development with respect to lower-order societies.
¨ #182. The principle of universal destination of goods requires that the poor, the marginalized and in all cases those whose living conditions interfere with their proper growth should be the focus of particular concern.
Parallel Commandment: 1st & the 8th Commandments.
20th Week in Ordinary Time A
Theme for the Week: Only twisted minds do not see the loving call of God to repentance.
Sunday / August 17
Is 56,1.6-7 My sons who come to me I will lead to my holy mountain.
Rom 11,13-15,29-32 The gifts and call of God are irrevocable.
Mt 15,21-28 Woman, your faith is great.
Homiletic Ideas
The Canaanite woman shames those who evenly reject the calls of the local Church in Philippines for repentance and condemnation of corruption. The most benign, most loving, most transforming call of God can only be refused by the very twisted minds. Jesus expressed a special predilection for those who believe, and yet corrupt believers never give a second thought about their abuses. For them, those in the Church are sour-graping for not being able to share the “booty.”
Monday: The most avaricious minds can refuse God’s call of conversion.
Tuesday: The most questioning rationalist minds can refuse God’s call of salvation.
Wednesday: The laziest and the busy-bodies can refuse God’s call.
Thursday: The busiest and materialist people can refuse God’s promptings.
Friday: Those who are most unwilling to be satisfied with any goodness can refuse the calling of love.
Saturday: Those who think they have done already so much for man and community and also think they deserve compensation, most surely will refuse the almighty commandments of God.
The Social Teachings (CSDC):
¨ #32. “Meditating on the gratuitousness and superabundance of the Father’s divine gift of the Son, which Jesus taught and bore witness to by giving his life for us, the Apostle John grasps its profound meaning and its most logical consequence… we also ought to love one another.”
¨ #34. The revelation of Christ of the mystery of love is also the revelation of the vocation of the human person to love.
¨ #81. The object of the Church’s social doctrine entails also to denounce, when sin is present…
¨ #82. The intent of the Church’s social doctrine is of the religious and moral order.
Parallel Commandment: The first three Commandments.
21st Week in Ordinary Time A
Theme for the Week: The leadership that is most needed.
Sunday / August 24
Is. 22, 15,19-23 I place the key of the house of David upon his shoulder.
Rom 11, 33-36 From him, through him, and in him are all things.
Mt. 16,13-20 You are Peter, to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Homiletic Idea
Any society that does not see beyond itself the values that govern relationships between humans, and the rest of the universe needs real servant-leaders. Power is given for service. The esteem and honor of a leader is not for himself but is for others’ edification.
Monday: The most needed leadership that defends values not interests.
Tuesday: The most needed leadership that exudes nobility, not style.
Wednesday: The most needed leadership that is respected because of nobility of character, not wealth.
Thursday: The most needed leadership that evokes foresight and preparedness for the future.
Friday: The most needed leadership that does not repeat or worsen the sin of past leadership.
Saturday: The most needed leadership that would not sacrifice the common good.
The Social Teachings (CSDC):
¨ #417. The political community is established to be of service to civil society, from which it originates.
¨ #418. The State must provide an adequate legal framework for social subjects to engage freely in their different activities and it must be ready to intervene, when necessary and with respect for the principle of subsidiarity.
¨ #384. The human person is the foundation and purpose of political life.
¨ #399. It is a grave duty of conscience not to cooperate, not even formally, in practices which, although permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to the Law of God. Such cooperation in fact cannot be justified, not by invoking respect for freedom...
Parallel Commandment: 1st & 4th Commandments.
22nd Week in Ordinary Time A
Theme for the Week: Paradoxes
Sunday / August 31
Jer 20,7-9 The word of the Lord has meant derision for me.
Rom 12,1-2 May you present your bodies as a living sacrifice.
Mt. 16,21-27 Whoever would save his life will lose it.
Homiletic Ideas
The tension created in Christian life results from an uncompromising attitude towards worldly matters. But, the Christian sometimes forgets his pilgrim orientation: not to “stay” or cling to the world. The true end of man is to be with God. Anything that identifies man with either of two possible ends (world and God) creates tension: the more in one means the less in the other. But usually, these tensions are called “paradoxes.”
Monday: The paradox of OFWs and the economy. (No prophet is accepted in his own native place.)
Tuesday: Paradox of demonic possession (and temptations) among a people who actually put their faith in God.
Wednesday: Paradox of love: more for others while none for yourself.
Thursday: Paradox of working hard by yourself and finding yourself empty; working according to the prompting of Jesus and finding yourself over-flowing.
Friday: Paradox of observance of the law and yet no depth to one’s life.
Saturday: Paradox of the son of man as lord even of the Sabbath.
The Social Teachings (CSDC):
¨ #192. The paradox of solidarity: unity in diversity.
¨ #185. The paradox of the personalist principle, which is actually socialistic in consequences.
¨ #171. The right to work of any person ought to contribute to the universal destination of goods.
¨ #189. Leadership is not to dominate, but to be “dominated” by the participative efforts of subordinates.
Parallel Commandment: 1st & 5th Commandments.
Note: This is only a guide with ideas with a head start for further development in personal reflection.
