Cycle C - Year I:

31 March 2013 - Easter Sunday

(Liturgical color: White)

John 20:1-9

Jesus our Lord' is risen!
 
Today we rejoice with the Psalmist with shouts of joy: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad." (Ps 118) For indeed Jesus our Lord is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

John, the beloved disciple, brings us the Good News this Sunday. The gist of his gospel narratives: When Mary of Magdala came to visit the tomb of Jesus early morning on the third day, she saw the stone cover already removed from the entrance of the tomb, and the the tomb empty. Hurriedly she went back to the other disciples and reported what she saw. Simon Peter and John went with Mary again to the empty tomb. They saw the burial clothes there, and the cloth that covered Jesus' head neatly rolled up in a separate place. They saw and believed that the Lord is risen, even when they did not yet understand what is written in the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

Thus by the account and personal testimonies of his closest disciples, Jesus is risen and wins over sin and death for all of us. The resurrection of our Lord is the very cornerstone of our Christian faith. Because if Jesus did not rise to redeem us from sin, then everything we did during the Holy Week, and everything we do now, is meaningless.

In the Catholic Church, Easter is the principal feast of the ecclesiastical year. That is why it is called the greatest feast (festum festorum). Christ's resurrection is a concrete and historical event which is the strength and foundation of Christianity. It is a day of celebration because it represents the fulfillment of our faith as Christians.

Like Mary of Magdala, Peter and John, we too believe that the Lord is risen! Alleluia! In every Eucharistic celebration of the Mass we share in Jesus' Paschal Mystery, that is to say, in his passion, death and resurrection. We encounter the risen Christ again in the Holy Eucharist.

Easter invites us to be witnesses to the world that Christ is truly risen from the dead. And so we ask: how do we do that? Well, through our authentic Christian living. That is to say, we must live like liberated and joyful people in whatever situation of our earthly life, repentant yet full of hope and happiness. Because united with our risen Lord, we too become children again of our loving Father in heaven.

Happy Easter to all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!

Cycle C - Year I:

24 March 2013 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

(Liturgical color: Red)

Luke 19:28-40; 23:1-49

Our Lord's journey of love!
 
We are almost there, that is to say, the agonizing journey to Calvary of our Lord Jesus marked by betrayal of his closest friends that led to his death in the hands of his enemies.

But first today we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. The liturgy has two Gospel readings from Luke: the first is Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which is read after the blessing of palm branches and before the Mass proper; the other Gospel reading during the Mass is about the Passion and Death of Jesus. We are invited to reflect on both these Gospel proclamations.

Palm Sunday: Jesus enters the holy city of Jerusalem amidst the shouts of the people, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" The people were spreading their cloak on the road as they welcome him.

Going to Jerusalem is a decisive step in completing Jesus' mission as he makes final preparation for his journey to Calvary. But amidst the shouts and welcome of the crowd, Jesus sees beyond their noise his suffering, torture and death on the cross of salvation. Yet he submits himself completely to do the will of the Father.

In the Church's liturgy, Palm Sunday marks our entry into the holiest season of Holy Week.

The Passion and Death of Jesus:  In the second Gospel proclamation we hear the same crowd who welcomes him in Jerusalem, this time shouting a different tune as Jesus is brought before Pilate: "Crucify him! Crucify him!" they shout. And so the road to Calvary is sealed for Jesus; he is crucified and died on the cross. His triumphal entry into Jerusalem ended in a journey of love in Calvary, as he gave up his life to redeem us from sin.

Reflection: We, too, are called to enter into our own "Jerusalem" as we are challenged to surrender ourselves completely to the will of God, whatever it may be. As we discern God's will, sometimes, or even often times perhaps, we may not always understand. Yet that is not an excuse to waiver in our faith. Because we must trust our God as loving Father who cannot forsake us.

As we meditate more intensely on the Passion of our Lord during the rest of the Holy Week, we know and believe that indeed God so loves us to give up his only Son to die and so redeem us from sin. There is no greater love than this:  by his suffering, death and resurrection our Lord Jesus Christ has bridged the gap between God and man.

In his first address to the faithful and to the world, our new Pope Francis asked us to join him in the Church's journey of brotherhood towards the Father.  Are we ready to join him, and so together join our Lord Jesus in his journey of love, from the Kingly entrance into Jerusalem until his self-sacrifice of love in Calvary?A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!

Cycle C - Year I:

17 March 2013 - 5th Sunday of Lent

(Liturgical color: Violet)

John 8:1-11

We need forgiveness as well!
 
It is easy to find faults with anyone but ourselves. And yet we also know that we are all sinful and imperfect beings!

This human tendency to judge and condemn others goes back even to the time of Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees were upset that Jesus freely associates with sinners.

In the Gospel narrative this Sunday, they wanted to entrap Jesus with the religious and civil authorities. They confronted him on the issue of adultery and retribution.

Under Jewish law adultery is a serious crimes punishable by death. Because it violated God's ordinance and wreaked havoc on the stability of marriage and family life.

They brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus. In their evil intent, they wanted to put Jesus in a dilemma. If Jesus would pardon the woman, they could accuse him of encouraging the people to break the law of Moses. On the other hand, if he would agree that she be punished for the crime, then Jesus would lose his reputation for mercy.

Jesus outsmarts them all by turning the challenge towards his accusers instead. Jesus told them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." In effect, the Lord leaves the matter to their conscience.

In the end the adulterous woman was left alone with Jesus. No one had the guts to throw the first stone at her.  Jesus looked at the woman and showed her mercy but strongly exhorted her to not sin again.

We see a contrast in attitude towards others by the major players in the story. The scribes wished to condemn, Jesus wished to forgive and restore the sinner to health. By Jesus' example he showed the path that we should all be taking as his followers, which is the way of mercy and forgiveness to our erring brothers and sisters. The message of the gospel story is clear: Jesus condemns sins but pardons the sinners with a call to repentance. Because we need God's mercy and forgiveness as well.

In practical life, the much harder path to follow as Christians is the one of letting go of our tendency to judge others. It is a challenge to show someone who has done us wrong the same mercy and forgiveness that Christ has first shown us in respect of our own failures and shortcomings in life.

In Holy Mass, let us therefore pray for God's grace to enable us to confront our sins and to turn back to God with a repentant heart and a thankful spirit for God's mercy and forgiveness. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ has the power to change our lives and to set us free from our selfish and unruly desires and worldly passions. Bear in mind that a sinful living is essentially unfaithfulness to God.

As we near the end of our Lenten pilgrimage, Mother Church encourages us to experience the joy of repentance and a clean conscience through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!

Cycle C - Year I:

10 March 2013 - 4th Sunday of Lent

(Liturgical color: Violet)

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

God is faithful and loving Father!

Christians are forgiving people. We are taught to despise sin but not the sinner.  Because before God we are all sinners.

Jesus finds himself in the company of tax collectors and sinners who were all drawing near to listen to his preaching. So the Pharisees and Scribes criticize him for welcoming sinners and eating with them.

Of course, we know that Jesus' action towards sinners manifests God's mercy. He receives sinners in order to convert them.

So Jesus uses this opportunity to tell the parable of the prodigal son in today's Gospel reading. Some say it is actually the parable of a loving father. Because this is one of Jesus' most beautiful parables which teaches us that God is a kind and understanding Father. It describes the infinite, fatherly mercy of God and his joy at the conversion of sinners.

This parable of the prodigal son is well known among Christians, and there is no need to re-tell the parable here. Instead, let us reflect on the message of the parable for inspiration in christian living.

The younger son who asked the father for his part of the inheritance, and then foolishly squandered all his share, is a symbol of the person who cuts himself or herself from God through sin. We are shown the unhappy effect of sin by what happened to the younger son in the story. His experience of hunger evokes the anxiety and emptiness a person feels when he or she is far from God. In the end the prodigal son decided to return home and ask for his father's forgiveness. The father doesn't greet him with reproaches but with immense compassion.

Like the father in the parable, God is waiting for us with open arms, even though we don't deserve it. It doesn't matter how big our sin is, all we have to do is open our heart and return to Him. God always hopes for the return of the sinner, and wants him or her to repent.

In other words, the Gospel teaches us that no one is excluded from God's forgiveness and that sinners can become beloved children of God if we repent and convert.

We return to the Father's house by means of the sacrament of reconciliation in which, by confessing our sins, we put on Jesus Christ again and become his  brothers and members of God's family.

What about the attitude of the older son in the parable who was angry that his father welcomes home again his squanderer-brother? Well, we should likewise consider that if God has compassion towards sinners who repent, He must have much more compassion and love towards those who strive to be faithful to Him. Because God loves each one in a special way.

In the Father's house, there is no room for jealousy in God's mercy and love. God is a faithful and loving Father to those who follow in his way.
 
A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!