My reflection from 19th Feb Homily
7th Sunday in Ordinary – St. Barbatus Sunday, February 19, 2012
1. Isaiah was written in the time of hopelessness of the Jews which was brought by their own actions, in exile.
2. It was within this that God said they should forget about the past & He will do something new.
3. God tells us same that we should forget about the past.
4. 2nd reading St. Paul tells us that when says Yes He means Yes, He is not like us, who will mean No when He says Yes. God is not a darega God.
5. In the Gospel we hear the Story of the Paralytic, just from hearing that Christ was coming, he was able to get people to carry him to Christ. He did not allow his inability to walk & poverty to inhibit him.
6. He did not allow any impediments to prevent him, not even the milling crowd. Do not allow anything or anybody to prevent you to get to Christ. The people even had covered the door, but the sought another route through the roof. God healed the man because of the faith of the people.
7. What made them succeed was because of the positivity, they will not allow the majority to be dissuaded.
8. Note that the crowd questioned how Christ could forgive sins. Even as Catholics we still question the ability of Christ to forgive our sins in the Sacrament of Penance. But Christ tells us that who ever sin you forgive on earth is forgiven in Heaven.
9. We should focus on the future & stop looking back & we allowing the negativity of the past to hold us back. God will make the bad thing of the past anew.
10. May do something new in our life’s
There was a Debate on the topic Sola Scriptural – only Scripture
The Motion The Holy Scriptures is the only rule of Faith
For the motion, the main speaker used the following verses
1. 2nd Tim 3:16
2. 1Corth 4:6
3. Deut 4:2
4. Col 3:21
5. John 17:17
6. John 13:35
7. Act 2:44-47
8. 1 Corth 14:15-17
9. Scripture is Prophetic accuracy – Det 28 to Det 31
10. Rev 22:18 –
11. Ex 16:46-52
12. Mat 5:17-19
13. Ep 3:25
The main speaker Against the motion
Tradition is the teachings passed on from the Apostles orally before the Scriptures in the New Testament were written
1. Jesus did not say that it will be all written
2. The word was there before the World was created
3. Creation was before the writer, how did he get
4. Lk 10:16 – listening to them, so Oral Tradition which is inspired is also
5. The succession of the Apostles have been preserved in the Church
6. Close connection between Tradition & Scriptures
7. Jh 20:30-31- not all was written
8. 2 th 2:15
9. 2 Tim 4:6-8
10. Paul instructed Timothy to pass on the Oral teaching
11. John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
12. The Bible was complied 400 years after Christ, so for 40 years after Christ that the 1st book of the New Testament was written.
13. The Challenge is which Oral Tradition do we up hold, same as which Scripture do we uphold.
St. Barbatus born in Benevento, Italy, in 612. He took his faith seriously and especially liked to read the Bible. As soon as he was old enough, Barbatus was ordained a priest. Later he was made a pastor. But his life as a pastor was not easy. Some people did not like it when Father Barbatus encouraged them to lead better lives or when he reminded them to be sorry for their sins. Some of the people got angry. They persecuted him and finally forced him to leave the parish.
The young priest felt badly. He went back to Benevento where he had been born. He was received with great joy. But there were challenges in that city, too. Many converts to Christianity still kept pagan idols in their homes. They found it hard to destroy their good luck charms. They believed in magical powers. Father Barbatus preached against these superstitions. But the people hung on to their false gods. Barbatus warned them that because of this sin, their city would be attacked by enemies. And it was.
Afterward, the people gave up their error and peace returned. Father Barbatus was made bishop. He continued his work to convert his people. He died on February 29, 682, at the age of seventy.
❦
Good parish priests, like St. Barbatus, will challenge us to live according to the teachings of Jesus. Let’s listen to their advice and follow it.
This post has already been read 25559 times!
Post Comment