Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The question raised by the doctor of the law tries to lead Jesus to take a stand concerning the rabbinic schools of the time. There were very strict rabbis who would easily find a new precept of the law to be turned into a commandment. This way they multiply the requirements for the faithful, making religion a burden. Other rabbis were soft and condescending, interpreting the law in such a politically correct way that it would become obsolete and irrelevant, making religion meaningless.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The treacherous question posed to Jesus by the disciples of the Pharisees along with the partisans of the Herodians is hiding a dimension that often stays hidden. The payment of taxes to the emperor goes beyond the submission to an oppressive power from which everyone wants to be set free, including the Pharisees. They knew very well the weight of iniquity that the occupation of the Romans was imposing on them.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

Today's parable calls attention to one possibility in Christian discipleship: discipleship does not depend on worldly status. The fake discipleship shows the externalities, and appearances but is shallow in commitment to conversion and holiness. The rash way in which the improperly dressed individual was treated is a warning. Whoever welcomes and accepts the Kingdom of God and its call to conversion and holiness, in faithful discipleship, must live a life that reflects it. What about the disciple who is selfish, merciless, biased, racist, unjust, or proud? His life betrays what he says he believes.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

Jesus often is confronted with the hardness of heart of many of his listeners. He identifies in their behavior traces of that same hardness of heart present in the history of the people of Israel. They are a people to whom God manifests His love, care, and mercy and yet are incapable of giving back such love, care, and mercy to God and to others.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The arrogant attitude of some religious authorities was always a target in Jesus' preaching. In fact, The high priests and the elders were often criticized by Him. He would always reveal their behavior and their apparent faithfulness which was just a hidden denial of God's will and ways.

The parable of the two sons illustrates two contrasting ways of aligning (conforming) oneself to God's will. The high priests and elders correspond to those who say 'yes' but refuse to obey. Representing those who are lip worshipers, who practice a false religion of appearances and exterior practices only.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The question of precedence in the kingdom of God arose among the disciples very early on. The criteria of “first come first served” was the general idea. The first disciples called, naturally took precedence over the others, they thought. The more recently they were called, the more they deserved the last places. But was that God’s criteria? Jesus shows them that the reality is very different. Our Lord has criteria very different from our human way of thinking.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

Reconciliation is a demand (exigence) of discipleship. The person who breaks up with their brother/sister and does not feel bad about it doesn't understand the whole idea of the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, the Kingdom of Heaven lives in unity, inclusion, and truth.

Those who exclude reconciliation from their life because of its difficulty to put it into practice miss the point of embracing the project of the Kingdom.

This week we have this response in the Psalm. This small phrase has a strong message for all who listen. As we continue to walk in the path of our faith, we have to go out to a world that is full of noise, with many sounds distracting us everywhere we go. That means that when we try to pay attention to a particular sound it becomes harder for many of us, and many time impossible to heard or even making out the sound. We are surrounded by many ways of distraction and often we give up listening, and that many time leads us to just go in automatic form.

In the Gospel this week, we encounter Christ on the road with the disciples. This week, too, we re-encounter Peter, being the first one to speak. Peter is the one who represents the human encounter with the divine. What do we mean? Well, if we pay attention, how many times do we put ourselves in the shoes of Peter? We, as followers of Christ, after seeing everything that he does for us and after seeing the miracle of life that we see every day. And yet, we question the plan of God.

This is a question that resounds in the Gospel. We have the apostles answering with the things they have heard from others. Then Jesus follows with another question, "But who do you say that I am?" and the one that speaks is Peter. If we have been attentive in the previous Sunday readings, Peter has been very outspoken. Only sometimes saying the right thing, and yet being the first one. In this Gospel Reading, he does not make an exception. However, if we pay attention, the disciples can say what others have said about Jesus, but only Peter expresses his faith.

Brothers and Sisters,

This week we are celebrating our Patron Feast. This week we have special readings that express the life of Saint Rose of Lima and her life as a holy woman that cared for people experiencing poverty of her time. The reading of the book of Sirach gives us an introduction to the life of Holiness.

Humility and greatness come together; it might sound like two polar words. However, if we look at the life of Saint Rose of Lima, it shows that these two words come to express the life of a Saint. Brothers and Sisters, let us come together and celebrate the life of this saint and learn from Saint Rose.

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Peace.

In the Gospel reading, we see an instance in which those who follow Jesus were afraid. That also should make us ponder the relationship of those who followed Jesus in their time; they were insecure. We could also say that even in our time, we are not different from those disciples. We struggle to follow and become afraid or discouraged in times of trouble.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

According to the dictionary definition, to be transfigured is to “transform into something more beautiful or elevated.” This is what we see happening in Matthew’s Gospel today: Jesus takes his closest disciples up the mountain and there he is transformed – he is transfigured – before them. "His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light”.