This is Fr. Sostenes Vieira’s Third English Homily preached at Canção Nova.

Nowadays we are used to see people appearing to show what group they belong to, for example, wearing a shirt of a team, the hair of the “emo”, the flag of some country (specially in the Olympics); they also show that they belong to another using for example a wedding ring, or tattoos with the names from those most loved people, or a picture with that person in a relationship website for example. Today the liturgy wants to propose to us two questions about this issue:
1. To whom do I belong?
2. How do I show it?

There is no doubt that Jesus belongs to the Father. Many times He said “I’m the son of man”, some times “the Son of God””, for example before the Sanhedrin (Lk 22,70). First of all, these readings are about Him. Isaiah (chapter 50), we found out the third anthem of the servant, that the New Testament recognizes in it one of Jesus´s true prophecies (Matthew 26,67).

Jesus really received a “well-trained tongue” to help the “weary”, He received the Father’s word to “rouse them”; do you remember? “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5,3).The servant, Jesus, could listen to the Father, “Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear”; these signs and several others can show that Jesus belongs to the Father and He also shows that He truly belongs to Him: I “have not turned back”. Jesus shows He belongs to the Father because He didn’t deny the signs, He didn’t deny the words, He didn’t deny his vocation; even though the suffering comes, who are you Jesus? I’m consecrated! He could show it with his life.

Both of them, the reading from Isaiah and Psalm 69 show that God helps the “chosen”: “See, you lowly ones” and “For the LORD hears the poor”. What’s the meaning of it, Father? The meaning is “I mustn’t be afraid before Him”. The servant needs to learn how to be transparent before his Lord, because “he spurns not” anyone; He doesn’t refuse us. Unfortunately, Judas was afraid to be transparent, afraid of being poor or lowly, to show his weakness, afraid to make a mistake by saying something wrong or acting stupid, maybe, but Peter talked a lot of stupidities to Jesus, as much as Jesus called him “Satan” (Mt 16,23).

So Judas was in bonds, because he hadn’t courage to say what was in his mind. He was turning back, he wasn’t living one as who belongs to God. He was not living in the light, but living in the darkness. He was denying his vocation. He wasn’t showing who belonged to God. Whoever belongs to God shouldn’t be afraid to be transparent, because when we don’t live in this way. We let “fear” guide us and not our God, whose we are. Do we belong to God? Are we His consecrated? So we need to learn to live as a true servant Jesus, we need to learn with Peter, who was transparent and to show it by trusting in his help.

To whom do I belong? Have you already the answer? I hope that everyone here has found out, really “We belong to God”. How do we show it? When we trust in the Father and are learning with Jesus who listens to Father, not turning back, not denying our vocation. We are with Peter who put his poverty before Jesus, as we have ours, because when you belong to God, you don’t need to be afraid. You can be transparent before Him, because He doesn’t spurn us, and He will help us. He will restore us. He will put us back, thus never forget: “We belong to God”.

Fr. Sóstenes Vieira
Community Canção Nova