God's Word to Us

Holy Family (December 27, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

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Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 04:12:00 +0000

Christmas
Luke 2:1-14

A Savior Has Been Born for Us in "the House of Bread"

Today, on this beautiful celebration of our Savior's birth, instead of a "technical" commentary, let us have a quick look at 3 details from the passage of Luke's gospel, and draw some connections from them.

(1). The angel of the Lord proclaims to the shepherds, "I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord."

The good news of great joy is that a savior has been born for all the people, for all of us, for me!

(2). The Savior is born in the city of David. This city, as well-known now, is Bethlehem. Beth-lehem, in Hebrew, means, "house of bread." It is believed to refer to "its many field." [1]

Jesus today continues to come to us every time we celebrate the Eucharist. Jesus is the bread of life. Each church, each altar, is now a Bethlehem, where the Savior comes to us.

(3). Mary and Joseph "laid Jesus in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

Is there room for Jesus in the inn of my heart when he comes to me today, in the Word, in the Eucharist, and in his brothers and sisters?

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[1] The Little Blue Book, Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, 2009; entry for December 21, 2009.

Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Readings (for all 3 Masses)

Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:30:00 +0000

4th Sunday of Advent - B
Luke 1:39-45

How Does This Happen to Me?

"How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" The question Elizabeth raises expresses her humble astonishment at the single blessing she receives from Mary's visit.

That question should be ours also. "How does this happen to us, that the mother of our Lord should come to us?" The Lord comes to visit the whole human race, and each one of us. And so, "How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"

Indeed, it is the Lord who is coming to us. Elizabeth's blessing is for all of us. So should her humble astonishment be ours.

Moreover, not only are we the recipients of the Lord's visit, we are also the carriers of the Lord's presence. Through our baptism, we become, like Mary, the bearers of Jesus Christ to our world.

How does this happen to me that I should be the carrier of the Lord? And so we are blessed!

Mary becomes God's bearer through her obedience to God's will and then, through her act of charity. A cousin reaching out to a cousin in need is no longer just an act of kindness. With Jesus in her womb, her act of charity becomes an encounter with the Savior for Elizabeth and her son . And Christ redeeming act begins.

4th Sunday of Advent - C (December 20, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

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Readings

Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:44:00 +0000

3rd Sunday of Advent - C
Luke 3:10-18

Do What You Are Supposed to Do First, then More

Tax collectors and soldiers come to ask John of what they should do. These are the people the society then despises. They are Jews who have become agents of a foreign ruler. They obey an illigimate government; then in turn, lord it over their own people. They often abuse their power for their own gains.

Yet, surprisingly, John does not tell them to quit and find another job. He tells them to be who they are supposed to be, and do what their responsibility demands of them.

It is indeed a provoking and challenging lesson for us who often wish we had a different life or a better job before we can do good.

In the human community, each person has a unique role. And that is also true in God's family. Fulfilling our vocation is the sure way of bringing God's reign of peace to our world.

Once we have done what we ought to do, and be who we are called to be, then we can do more. "Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise."

But John does not stop at telling us to "Be Nice." John's core message is also his life vocation. "A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him" (John 1:6-7). It is John who points out to all people, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29).

John's vocation is also ours. And today, John teaches us how to live that vocation well.

3rd Sunday of Advent - C (December 13, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:42:00 +0000

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Readings

Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:24:00 +0000

2nd Sunday of Advent - C
Luke 3:1-6

God in human time and place

St. Luke gives us a list of the civil and religious leaders at the time when John the Baptist introduced Jesus.
Luke also gives us the location of John's ministry. Why? Is Luke interested in teaching us a history lesson?

Not quite. But that is how Luke tells us that it is in a concrete moment of human history, at a particular location that "the Word of God came to John."

The Word of God entered and altered human history for ever. And that happened "within the setting of ordinary, every-day event and personalities." [1]

God continues to reveals God's love and presence among us in the same way. As John proclaims, "And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." It is in the here and now that we all can encounter the eternal God.

How can I prepare for such an encounter? How can I become more sensitive and alert for God's saving presence in my daily and ordinary life?

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[1] Francis J Moloney, SDB. This is the Gospel of the Lord: Year C. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1994, p. 50.

2nd Sunday of Advent - C (December 6, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:12:00 +0000

Readings

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Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:42:00 +0000

1st Sunday of Advent - C
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Do Not Be Drowsy Because of the Anxieties of Daily Life.

The Gospel for this year's First Sunday of Advent does not look at the key Biblical figures commonly associated with Advent and Christmas, such as Isaiah, John the Baptist, Elizabeth, or the Virgin Mary. Nor does it speak of preparation for the first coming of the Messiah in Bethlehem. Instead, it speaks of the future coming of the Son of Man in the first half of the passage (verses 25-28).

Jesus uses images common to his Jewish audience to speak of the end time, the time of his return. The message, as vivid as it may sound, says nothing about the exact time of such events. We know from Jesus' teachings elsewhere, and from human experience, that we do not know the time nor the hour. Moreover, it is beyond our control. It's in God's hands.

The only thing we can do is how we live our lives in the here and now. And that is the best preparation for the Messiah's future coming.

The second part of the Gospel passage (verses 34-36) then instructs us how to live the present moment. Jesus warns us not to "become drowsy." Drowsiness is often caused by "carousing and drunkenness." But Jesus also warns us of another sourse of drowsiness, namely, "the anxieties of daily life."

If I believe that God loves me and cares for me, then I would not become anxious of daily life.

The same loving God who watches over my future, and in fact, the future of the whole universe, is the God who loves me today. It is the same God who gives me this day out of love. And that's the only thing I have for sure. It's only today that I can and need to live well. And if I live well today, I would not be drowsy and miss the presence of God in my daily life, nor will I miss the Messiah on the day he comes.

1st Sunday of Advent - C (December 29, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:35:00 +0000

Readings

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Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:28:00 +0000

Christ the King
John 18:33b-37

Truth and Love- the Qualities of the King and His People

It is quite clear in Jesus' response to Pilate's interrogation that Jesus' Kingdom is in the world, but not of the world: "My kingdom does not belong to this world." He does not deny his kingship, but he adds, "as it is, my kingdom is not here."

As it is, the kingdom is not here. So, what conditions must there be for Jesus' kingdom to be among us?

The answer is given in the mission that Jesus identifies himself with. "For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth."

And Jesus gives us the truth at another place in John's gospel, "God so loves the world that he gave his only Son" (John 3:16). The truth is "God is love." (1 John 4:8, 16) [1]

That truth reaches its climax on the cross, when Jesus gives his life out of love. [2]

And citizenship in the Kingdom Jesus established on the cross is for "Everyone who belongs to the truth" -- the truth of love.

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[1] Francis J Moloney, SDB. This is the Gospel of the Lord: Year B. Homebush, NSW, Australia: St. Paul, 1993, p. 203.
[2] Ibid.

Christ the King (November 22, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Readings

Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:41:00 +0000

33rd Sunday - B
Mark 13:24-32

What's certain, and what's not?

The way Jesus explains it, everything of this world that we take for granted will not last. That's certain. It begins with the end of the physical realities of the sun and the moon darkened, and the stars falling from the sky -- traditional Jewish cosmic signs of the end time. And it extends to the powers that people might think control events of life. All will end. And that is certain.

It is also certain that the power of God, revealed in "the Son of Man" will prevail. And it is not by accident. He will come to "gather his elect."

When that will happen is uncertain to us.

Yet, that we are God's elect is certain. And Jesus assures us that his words will not pass away. That fact should give us hope, even when everything we know passes away.

33rd Sunday - B (November 15, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Readings

Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:25:00 +0000

32nd Sunday - B
Mark 12:38-44

The Widow who Offers Her Life to God

The English translation of the currency in Mark 12:42 does not provide a clear idea of how little money the poor widow puts in the treasury. In the Greek text, we learn that she puts in two lepta, which are worth 1/64 (one-sixty-fourth) of a denarius - a day's salary of a regular laborer. [1]

She may have offered just a tiny amount of money, but it's "her whole livelihood." (v. 44) In fact, the word bios used for livelihood also means "life." This double meaning of the word suggests that she offers to God more than just what she has to live on, but her very life. For this trusting generosity, Jesus praises her, commenting "This poor widow put in more than all the other contributors." (v.43)

In the larger context of the entire Gospel according to Mark, the disciples of Jesus have given up their livelihood when they abandons everything to follow him (1:16-20; 2:13-14). Then, throughout the Gospel, especially after each time Jesus predicts his passion and death, Jesus invites them to give up their lives in serving other (9:33-37; 10:41-44), and in carrying the cross and follow him (8:34; 10:38-40). Now, he points out to them an example in the trusting and generous widow who gives all she has, even her life. [2]

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[1] Francis J. Moloney. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002; footnote 168, p. 247.
[2] Ibid., p. 247.

32nd Sunday - B (November 8, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Readings

Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:09:00 +0000

All Saints
Matthew 5:1-12a

We Become Saints Together

Matthew gives the setting of the Sermon on the Mount in this way, "[Jesus'] disciples came to him. He began to teach them."

Throughout the four Gospels, Jesus hardly ever teaches one person individually. And it's no difference here as Matthew presents the core of Jesus' teaching.[1]

This simple sentence , therefore, is an appropriate reminder for all followers of Christ as the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints. None of us will become a saint alone. It is to the community of believers that God chooses to reveal the truth of salvation. It is in the community that we find the support and inspiration we need to live God's way. This community of saints begins in our families. It then extends to all believers, both in heaven and on earth, and even those who come after us. Together, we build God's Reign.
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[1] "For Christians, next to the Ten Commandments as an expression of God's will, the eight beatitudes have been revered for expressing succinctly the values on which Jesus placed priority." Raymond Brown. An Introduction to the New Testament. New York: Doubleday, 1997; p. 178.
- Reference: Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 1965 and 2764.

All Saints (November 1, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Readings

Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:56:00 +0000

30th Sunday - B
Mark 10:46-52

Obstacles in Being Followers of Jesus

From previous passages in Mark's Gospel, we learn what prevents the disciples from being authentic followers (disciples) of Jesus. Their own idea of the Messiah, their self-importance, and their ambition are probably their three biggest obstacles. And in today's passage, these elements come up again. This time, they prevent the disciples from truly understanding and following Jesus. Moreover, they even cause the disciples' attempt to stop the blind man Bartimaeus coming to Jesus.

The disciples have witnessed Jesus moved with pity for the crowd who had no shepherd or were hungry (6:31; 8:2), and reaching out to those in need (for example, the blind man at Bethsaida in 8:22) [1] . Yet, they still have not understood Jesus nor acquired his attitude. As a result, they "rebuke" Bartimaeus and tell him to be silent. They want Jesus and others to operate by their standards.

The disciples see only their own importance. They fight over who is the greatest. They try to secure the best position for themselves. And they become "indignant" when they learn that others were trying to outdo them. Bartimaeus, who is blind, on the contrary, sees his desperate situation and knows his need for Jesus. So he cries out, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." And nobody can stop his act of total faith in Jesus.

The disciples' ambition is evident at the various incidents mentioned above. Unlike them, Bartimaeus is humble. When Jesus calls him, he throws aside his cloak, "the only vestige of dignity," [2] springs up, and comes to Jesus. He addresses Jesus as "Master" and makes his request.

The disciples carry their baggage of their own ideas about the Messiah, their pride and ambition. As a result, though they journey with Jesus, they have not yet followed him. Bartimaeus, on the other hands, sees past his blindness and accepts the Messiah as he is. Acknowledging his needs, with humility, he ask the Messiah to have pity on him. He then "receives his sight" and "follows Jesus on the way" - the way to Jerusalem.

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[1] Francis J. Moloney. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002; p. 209-210.
[2] Ibid.

30th Sunday - B (October 25, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Readings

Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:16:00 +0000

29th Sunday - B
Mark 10:35-45

What a Teacher We're So Lucky to Have!

This passage in Mark is significant on a number of levels. First, this is the last conversation Jesus has with his disciples before he enters Jerusalem to accomplish his mission. Secondly, this conversation takes place after the third time Jesus tells his disciples of his passion and death (The verses between what we heard last Sunday and today - Mark 10:31-34 - reports this prediction). Thirdly, this is another time the disciples fail to understand Jesus.[1] In the case of John, it's the second time he shows his lack of understanding.

It is quite upsetting, on the human level, to hear that the disciples who seem to have the hardest time to understand the teaching of Jesus and to accept God's way are those who are closest to Jesus. After all, Peter, James and John are the privileged disciples. Besides witnessing with other disciples Jesus's power at different healings and his teaching authority, they are the only three who Jesus would select to be at special events in his life and ministry, such as the cure of Peter's mother-in-law (1:29-31), the raising of Jairus's daughter (5:35-43), and the transfiguration (9:2-8). Moreover, the three of them, together with Andrew, have been with Jesus the longest, since they were the first of the disciples whom Jesus called (1:16-20). And yet, they are the ones who fail to understand Jesus over and over again. As a result, though Jesus has just told them - for the third time - that he would be condemned to death, James and John still tell Jesus, "We want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." The other ten are not much better, since "they become indignant at James and John" when they hear of their request.

Yet, Jesus would not fail them. Patiently, over and over again, he teaches them, explains God's way to them, and forewarns them of what will happen to them. Most consolingly, Jesus does not give up on them. By the fact that he keeps inviting them to live his way, he shows his trust in them. In addition, he prepares them to become true leaders in the community of his followers. [2] Ultimately, he inspires them to live as he does. "Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man comes to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

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[1] After the first time Jesus tells his disciples of his passion, Peter tries to talk him out of it (Mark 8:31-33). After Jesus' second attempt to warn them of what will happen to him, the disciples turn around and argue among themselves who is the greatest (9:30-37). John then complains to Jesus that some person is driving out demons in Jesus' name, but the man does not follow the disciples (9:38).

[2] Francis J. Moloney. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002; p. 206-7.

29th Sunday - B (October 18, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Readings

Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:17:00 +0000

28th Sunday - B
Mark 10:17-30

Thank God, it's not up to us!

"What must I do to inherit eternal life?" the man asked Jesus. From the very beginning of the conversation, he has already asked the wrong question. For him, it's all about what he has done and wants to do. "What must I do?"

With that approach, God's commandments become a list of obstacles to overcome, or a list of items to check off. The man now feels that he has accomplished all that, then what's next.

The man has lost sight of God's loving intention when God gave the commandments to Moses. The Lord God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, the place of slavery (Deuteronomy 5:6). God then gave them the commandments so they "may live and prosper, and may have long life" (Deuteronomy 5:33). In fact, God's commandments were given as the way to life and liberty, not as obstacles to overcome, or things to check off.

The man has been treating God's commandments as obstacles not as gift. Consequently, he feels a false sense of accomplishment. "All of these I have observed."

Coupled with that false sense of accomplishment is his wealth, which seems to have created in him a tendency toward self-reliance and self-determination. Together, his negative approach toward God's commandments, his false sense of accomplishment, and his tendency of self-determination become obstacles for him to follow Jesus. He only wants to follow Jesus in his own way - "What must I do," not in Jesus' way.

The disciples, in contrast, put their question in the passive voice, "Then, who can be saved?" This suggests that they have a better understanding that the Kingdom of God is not something humans can acchieve. [1] God alone can save. Moreover, for those who do not rely on their own wealth, possessions, and connections; those who follow Jesus in God's way are rewarded "a hundred times more now in this present age,... with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

Today, we must ask ourselves, "What or Who do I rely on?"

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[1] Francis J. Moloney. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002; p. 202.

28th Sunday - B (October 11, 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Fr. Dominic Danh Tran, SDB) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Readings