Ordination of priests in Madrid / September 20, 2020.

 

At 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2020, in the San Antonio del Retiro parish church in Madrid, Mons. José Cobo Cano, auxiliary bishop of Madrid, conferred the Order of Priests on our Franciscan brothers, Fray José Daniel Llácer Ibáñez (Ayacor, Valencia, 1959) and Fray Miguel Ángel Coronado Velarde (Madrid 1972), from the Zaragoza and Cáceres fraternities, respectively.

Despite the time of stormy downpours that we suffer these days in the capital, aggravating the restrictive measures recently adopted in the face of the advance of coronavirus infections, the presence of friars, family members and friends of José Daniel and Miguel Ángel in the celebration was significant. The bishop repeatedly exhorted to give thanks for the new gift that Christ made to his Church in this time of pandemic, with more austere and less crowded rites, but that will mark the ministry of the elect, whom he recognized for their personal trajectory, mission and the charisma with which he was equipped before his admission to the priesthood.

The candidates were presented by Friar Juan Carlos Moya Ovejero, Provincial Minister, who was concelebrating with the Bishop together with the guardian of the local fraternity, Friar Saturnino Vidal Abellán, and some thirty priests of the Province and some of the secular clergy. They were joined by relatives of the ordinands, including Miguel Ángel’s father and sister, with relatives and friends of José Daniel; our students from Murcia, who served the altar; several Poor Clare sisters and other friars from a good portion of convents. The parish choir, led by Fray Manuel J. Madueño Moreno, parish priest of Cristo de la Paz, in the Carabanchel neighborhood, and several women from the parish, regular cooperators, took part.

Returning to their places of origin, after participating in the fraternal agape that was served in the crypt of the church, the misacantanos already celebrate their first Masses surrounded by family, friends and fraternities of the three Franciscan orders.

Go, therefore, with these lines the praise of Christ, high and eternal priest, and the intercession of our supplications so that, to whom the teacher entrusts the task of sanctifying, instructing and guiding, they do not decline in their ministry and in the ardor of its delivery.

 

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XXV Sunday in Ordinary Time / September 20, 2020 / Fr. Antonio Majeesh George Kallely, OFM

Saint Mathew 20, 1-16

Hello friends and brothers: Peace and good

We begin our meditation on the word of the Lord

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN.

We invoke the Holy Spirit to help us understand and know the true mystery of the Lord’s word so that each day the beauty of the word touches us and transforms us from our entire person to live as children of God.

Today is the twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time/ We meditate on the reading of the Gospel according to Matthew 20, 1-16

The parable that we meditate today in the Gospel is in a certain way «scandalous», because it seems to favour a social injustice, or at least a certain «despotism» in the owner of the vineyard when it comes to paying the laborers. Now nobody would accept that one who works half the time as another, charges the same. In today’s world, forgiveness, or generosity, or gratuity does not enter too much. In the mind of God, yes. But Jesus’ intention is certainly not to teach us a lesson in social justice in work relationships, but rather to present, once again, the portrait of a God who is kindness and mercy, full of peace. Although we often do not understand God’s plans, these plans are full of love and grace, not just justice. the prophet Isaiah prepares us to hear this parable by reminding us that our ways are not God’s, nor are his plans our plans.

THEN THE MESSAGE OF THE LORD’S WORD TO US

In today’s parable we see that this goodness of God appears. The statement «I am good» is what gives meaning to the whole parable. It is not a lesson in wage justice – the owner of the vineyard pays everyone just enough – but in the generosity that God has, who admits as day laborers those who show up only at the last minute, without giving too much importance to this delay, and then he pays the latter more than they would have to do. God is generous. He does not reward only according to our merits, but according to his goodness. Your salvation is always free and free.

God is fair. But, in addition, and fundamentally, it is good. The apostle John told us that «he who does not love has not known God, because God is love.» We have to learn the ways of God, recognize his sovereign freedom, and not be scandalized because sometimes «the last are the first» and God is «too good» to sinners and also gives them his denarius, like Jesus to the good thief who at the last moment he showed signs of conversion. God continues to call young and old, strong and weak, men and women, religious and laity, etc. to work in his vineyard.

We would not have to project our calculations and measurements onto God. Sometimes we find ourselves perplexed before God, and we have no choice but to recognize that God is the Whole Other, that he is mysterious, that we cannot enclose him in our measurements, nor do our computer programming admit him. Sometimes we are silent before God. We don’t have an answer for everything. But what we can be sure of is that he does have it, that he loves us as a kind Father, who does not keep accounts of our «overtime», but gives us his gifts freely. He is not governed so much by justice, as by grace.

Well, my dear brothers and friends: to finish our meditation we are going to ask Saint Mary to help us to forgive and reconcile with our brothers and to wish to live and act like Jesus with our brothers. with mercy. We also ask for the brothers and sisters suffering from the coronavirus.

Peace and good

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XXV Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario/ 20 de septiembre de 2020/ Fr. Antonio Majeesh George Kallely, OFM

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