Saint Cornelius, Pope and Martyr and Saint Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr (2022-2023)

Today we celebrate the memorial of two friends in the service of Christ and his Church.

Cornelius, a Roman, was the twenty-first Pope during the reign of the Emperor Gallus and Volusian. He had to oppose Novatian, the first anti-pope, who believed that apostates who repented could not be forgiven. Helped by St. Cyprian, Cornelius confirmed his papal authority. He was beheaded in exile at Civitavecchia, Italy in 253.

Saints Cyprian and Cornelius are mentioned in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) of the Mass.

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My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, in the Gospel Reading, we are reminded of a fundamental truth.

All our actions bear fruit, either good or bad.

For every action, there is always a reaction and consequences that follow.

Our Lord knows this, and that is why He desires for us to bear good fruits. This is not an option but an essential aspect of the Christian life.

Of course, it does not mean we will be free from our failures.

Even when our actions lead to bad fruits, with our sincerity and regret, God can transform them into something good. We call it Trust.

In our world, nothing is perfect immediately, and it never will be.

Recall the moment when you, your children, or your grandchildren learned to walk, how imperfect and funny it looked. Nobody at that moment of life was capable of taking part in a marathon.

Everything has its own rhythm, time, and place, although it seems that we don't always respect these rights.

God is patient, and He is in no hurry anywhere. He looks deeper than we do.

Our whole life is to be transformed so we can see God’s divine plan as our own plan. So, even when we don't always bear good fruits, through repentance and humble asking for mercy, we can still be transformed, even from the bad fruits.

But what about those who called the Lord, Lord in today’s Gospel reading but do not bring good fruits?

Basically, their main fault was not imperfection, but the lost connection with God.

Their focus was on the external rather than the internal.

When I was in high school, my good friend told me about his neighbors - a married couple who, from Monday to Saturday, were fighting so loudly that everyone could hear. But on Sunday, they were the example couple, holding hands when they went for Sunday Mass.

My dear Brothers and Sisters,

Attending church, fulfilling religious duties, and even engaging in acts of charity do not guarantee our salvation.

We must go beyond the surface, living our faith authentically and consistently.

There is a saying that goes, "There are those who speak like angels but live like devils; they have Jacob's smooth tongue but Esau's rough hands."

In other words, our words must be backed by our actions, even if it means asking for forgiveness a thousand times because we fail.

Our daily life has to be evident of our faith.

We truly don’t need to speak too much about our faith but to live with sincerity and dedication.

As we leave this Church this morning, let us ask the Lord that our actions be a testament to our love for Jesus.