Morning Voice

October 6 2019: Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - C   READINGS:  Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4 ;  Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 ;  2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14 ;  Lk 17:5-10 An Indian proverb says, “A person consists of his faith. Whatever is his faith, even so is he.” And Another proverb adds, “Faith has no eyes; he who asks to see has no faith.” Life teaches us that, to man belongs the watch, and to God the time. While we see all things in number and numerically, God instead sees them in terms of perfection. God has the perfect timing; never early, never late. It always asks from us a little patience and a whole lot of faith to see as God sees. But for the truth, it is always worth the wait. Thus, the French proverb, “there is no miracle for he who knows not how to wait faithfully.” Faith makes all things possible. Without faith, even the possible turns into impossibility. Man lives by faith, not by sight. Today’s liturgy is a catechism on faith, patience and obedi...

September 29 2019: Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - C   READINGS:  Am 6:1a, 4-7 ;  Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 ;  1 Tm 6:11-16 ;  Lk 16:19-31 An American proverb says, “Charity is not a bone you throw to your dog but a bone you share with your dog.” And another proverb adds, “The greatest charity is to enable the poor to earn a living.” Riches and poverty are a pair that has never been easy to reconcile. Many people seem to find as main cause of poverty the rich people. In that sense, some say, if one is poor, it is the fault of the rich. If one has nothing to live on, it is simply because another one has everything for himself. That could be understood in a certain view point, if only each one asks himself the right and genuine question: what have I done to be rich or poor? And what must I do now? In some other aspect, many people read the Holy Scriptures as categorically opposed to riches and to the rich. According to them, the Bible alwa...

September 22 2019: Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time   READINGS:  Am 8:4-7 ;  Ps 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8 ;  1 Tm 2:1-8 ;  Lk 16:1-13  A Latin proverb says, “Honesty with poverty is better than ill-gotten wealth.” And another proverb adds, “Beauty without honesty is like a rose without perfume.” I one day read this entering one office, “Be honest, even if others are not. Be honest, even if others will not. Be honest, even if others cannot…” And Warren Buffett to say, “Honesty is a very expensive gift. Don't expect it from cheap people.” We live in a world in which, it seems honesty has been sent away or has fled through the window, and dishonesty entered through the main door. From those in high authority until the lower and simple citizen or business holder, each one searches for his personal interests at the disadvantage of the weak and the poor. We all talk of corruption. We see the corruption in people in authority. We talk of cor...

September 15 2019: Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time   READINGS:  Ex 32:7-11, 13-14 ;  Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 ;  1 Tm 1:12-17 ;  Lk 15:1-32  A German proverb says, “God forgives sinners, otherwise His heaven would be empty.” We are all sinners. That is an undeniable truth. We are born in sin; we live in sin and we struggle as much as we can to not die in sin. However, in our struggle against sin and all kind of evil, we are not left alone, by ourselves. God is always by our side. Because, his name is mercy. Thus, St. Paul, filled with assurance affirms, “where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more” (Rom 5:20). The liturgy of this 24 th Sunday in the Ordinary Time C is a canticle of God’s mercy. We are given to contemplate a God who loves without taking merits into account. Because, God’s mercy goes beyond and before human actions and merits. For matter of fact, God’s mercy is not something one could say he or she deserved...

September 14 2019: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross   READINGS:  Nm 21:4b-9 ;  Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38 ;  Phil 2:6-11 ;  Jn 3:13-17 A Peruvian proverb says, “Only he who carries it knows how much the cross weighs.” “We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.” The cross, for Christians, holds a special significance. It is before all, the center point of our faith. It speaks words of humiliation, humility, sufferings, love and salvation. Because, the cross represents the instrument of Jesus’ sufferings and death. In that sense, Christians are well known and described through that symbol. There cannot be Christianism or Christianity without the symbolism of the cross. We are born at the foot of the tree of the cross. Moving from its first meaning of instrument of execution, the Cross, with Jesus has gain a very specific definition, that of love; and that is what today’s feast e...

September 8 2019: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary READINGS:   Mic 5:1-4a;  Ps 13:6ab, 6c;  Rom 8:28-30;  Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 or Mt 1:18-23 A Ghanaian proverb says, “One with more firewood than you, has more ash than you.” {Note: For reason pf Sunday’s preeminence, today’s feast won’t be marked. However, we will like to share here, with you, a meditation on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.} No Marian celebration is biblically found. That is one of the best critics’ people always raise against Catholics. And today’s feast won’t be an exception. Nowhere in the Bible will you find a mention of the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Do not bother yourself searching for biblical references. For some people, the Bible seems to be an Encyclopedia, a book of answer to all questions. They have a certain understanding of the Bible leading them to never believe anything which is not mentioned in the Holy Bible. Is worth of faith, only what is Biblicall...

September 8 2019: Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - C   READINGS:  Wis 9:13-18b ;  Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17 ;  Phmn 9-10, 12-17 ;  Lk 14:25-33 An Italian proverb says, “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.” Every decision one takes in life has its cost. Any choice has a counter-part. So it is, with choosing to follow the Lord. It costs the readiness to carry the cross, no matter how heavy that could be. Mankind is known to be a senseful creature; that is, one who makes use of his senses, full of reasonable sense; sound; and judicious. Sadly, oftentimes, some people show to make less use of their senses, mostly of their capacity of reasoning. Many people in some situations, seem to act before reflecting. Others speak first, and then ask later to understand what was it about. Many are those who act before trying to reflect or question on modalities… The process of questioning...