I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD

IV EASTER SUNDAY - John 10:11-18

I came to Luanda, Angola, invited to be present at the ordination to the priesthood of the deacon Constantino Mario Chingalule who finished his formation in the Seminary of the Good News Missionary Society, in Valadares, Portugal. Taking place on the Saturday before the Good Shepherd Sunday, his ordination could not happen on a better occasion. As a priest, Fr. Constantino is called to share in Jesus’ ministry as a shepherd. Jesus presented himself as the good shepherd. Being a good shepherd means putting one’s life at the service of the flock, that is the community. Indeed, “the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.”

The shepherd has the duty not only to accompany the flock but to look after them as well. He must care for the well-being of the sheep, leading them to good pastures and clean drinking places. There are moments when he must be in front and the sheep will follow him and moments when he stays at the back, making sure that none of the sheep lags or goes astray. The good shepherd must be ready to protect and defend the flock, even if that endangers his life. As a good shepherd, he knows each one of the sheep and they put their trust in him, recognising that he loves them and does everything possible for them to have life and find salvation.

As we look to the Church at the end of the first quarter of the XXI century, we realise that we are in dear need of good shepherds in the Church who minister to the Church with a deep commitment, offering their lives at the service of the Kingdom of God in faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Some preach themselves instead of the Gospel, proposing new theories or accepting the prevailing ones in the world around them. The seduction of the current ideologies is stronger than the commitment to the Church. We may easily forget that we must be servants of the word of God. A good shepherd must be a true prophet who facilitates the communication of God’s word.

Whenever there is an ordination, we must rejoice and give thanks to God because there are so few that there are not enough priests to replace the ones that depart from this world. Very few young people are ready to hear the call and commit their lives to the service of the Gospel. We must pray to the Lord and entreat him to bring labourers to his vineyard: “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” (Mt 9:37-38)

YOU ARE WITNESSES TO THIS.

III EASTER SUNDAY - Luke 24:35-48

In his speech, Peter accused the people of Israel. They should know better since they are Israelites. They should know what the God of their ancestors - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - spoke through the prophets “that his Christ would suffer”. He “carried out what he had foretold”. But they behaved as ignorant. They “killed the prince of life”, handing him over to Pilate, while demanding the release of a murderer. “God, however, raised him from the dead and glorified the same Jesus they had handed over to the Roman governor. Now, they must recognise their sin, “repent and turn to God” for their sins to be wiped out.

In a few words, Peter presents us with the nucleus of the Christian Gospel. Jesus is the Christ, who was rejected by his people and accepted suffering and death, offering his life in sacrifice. Then, God glorified and exalted him and in his name is preached the forgiveness of sins.

Peter presented himself and all his companions as witnesses of Christ, because they lived with him, learning with his teachings and seeing his miracles. They witnessed as well his passion and death. Finally, they experienced the presence of the Risen Christ: they encountered him, talking with him, touching him and eating with him. This Sunday’s gospel speaks of that. We know that the disciples were puzzled when they discovered the empty tomb. Who could have taken Jesus’ body? The rumour was spread that the disciples had stolen his body. It was a false rumour spread to discredit the resurrection. The angels announced the resurrection to the women, but the apostles could not believe it. When Jesus appeared, their hearts sunk in fear, thinking that they were before a ghost. Jesus had to reassure them: “Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And Jesus shared with them a meal. We may remember that the two disciples going to Emmaus recognised Jesus during the breaking of the bread, as Jesus sat at the table and shared a meal with them. This Sunday’s gospel presents two essential elements to make the experience of the risen Christ: the Scriptures and the meal (the Eucharist). “He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures”. The Word of God makes possible the understanding of the mystery of salvation and the mystery of Jesus Christ, that is of his passion, death and resurrection. The Scriptures lead us to faith in Jesus Christ. However, the Scriptures alone are not enough for us to recognise the living Christ. We need to sit with him at the table and share the food that he prepared for us. It is in the Eucharistic celebration that Christ opens our minds and hearts to accept him and to live for him. Then, we are called to become Jesus’ witnesses. In his name, we must proclaim that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations”. Jesus’ name is the only name in which we can be reconciled with God and find life and salvation.

MY LORD AND MY GOD

II SUNDAY OF EASTER - Divine Mercy Sunday - John 20:19-31

In the gospel, we are presented with the Apostles gathered together on the first day of the week. we are made to guess that the first day of the week - that is Sunday, the day of the Lord - is the day of the Christian assembly. This first day signifies a new beginning or a new era, that is the era of salvation, in which humanity is created anew in Jesus Christ. The first day of the week is the day of the New Covenant, sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ. On this first day, the disciples of Jesus are called to gather together as the new people of God. However, “the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews.” The disciples were not ready yet to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. They met together but in hiding, afraid of being rejected, caught and punished. It was in such a situation that they experienced the presence of Jesus, who came to bring peace to their hearts, breathing on them the Holy Spirit, who was to guide and strengthen them to be true witnesses of Jesus Christ. Jesus entrusted them with the mission he had received from the Father. They must proclaim the Kingdom of God and call people to repentance and conversion. They are endowed with the Holy Spirit to be able to exercise the ministry of reconciliation. It is through the Holy Spirit that they receive the power to forgive sins, making it possible to establish a new community, the community of the disciples gathered together in the name of the risen Christ. Such a community is to be guided by the commandment of love, where selfishness is overcome, giving place to sharing and communion. This new community is built upon the belief that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. Only those with such a belief have overcome the world, that is the power of evil that enslaves us, creating enmity and bringing chaos.

The faith in the risen Christ is the foundation upon which the new community - the Church - is built. Thomas - the one who could not believe it - had to come to his senses, making the encounter with the risen Lord, to become a full member of the community. In the end, his profession of faith expresses the belief of all of us: My Lord and my God.

As we gather together during this Sunday - that is, this first day of the week - let us proclaim aloud our faith, preparing our hearts to receive the Spirit that makes reconciliation possible. 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! - Christ has risen!

EASTER CELEBRATION - Colossians 3:1-4

Easter is the greatest celebration of the Christian calendar and Easter Sunday is the culmination of the Paschal Triduum, which started on Thursday evening with the celebration of the Last Supper. On Good Friday, we celebrated the passion and death of Jesus Christ. With his death and ensuing burial, a great silence came over the earth. In this silence pregnant with hope, we are eagerly awaiting the resurrection of Jesus Christ and, then, we will sing a cry of victory - the victory of life over death and love over hatred. Christ has risen and has come forward in triumphant victory. Through his blood shed on the cross, Jesus Christ has wiped away our sins and reconciled us with God. He destroyed division and enmity to bring peace and love.

During these most holy days, we celebrate God’s loving passion for humanity. He created us in his image, thus being the foundation of our dignity and the source of our glory. However, dominated by jealousy, we turned against God and decided to get rid of him and occupy his place. That is the great sin that has enslaved us, leading us to turn against each other. Our hearts became filled with pride, envy and hatred, which brought violence and war., planting chaos where there was harmony. God could have abandoned us to our fate, but he did not because he loved us so much that He sent His Son to live among us, being one like us, that he may redeem us and elevate us to divinity.

At Easter, we celebrate God’s love for us - a merciful love revealed and made present in Jesus Christ. Indeed, “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (Jn 13:1). For us, Jesus gave his life so that, if we pass through death with him, we will share in the glory of his resurrection.

“Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.” (Col 3:1-4)

“Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,

  for his love has no end.

Let the sons of Israel say:

  ‘His love has no end.’” (Ps 118:1-2)

EVERY TONGUE CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD.

 EASTER 2024

During this most holy triduum,

we concentrate our gaze,

as well as our hearts and minds,

on Jesus, the Christ, who suffered

in his flesh the most horrible torture

and death on the cross.

Indeed, in the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind”,

“he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.”

Looking at Jesus on the cross,

we can see the cruelty and injustice

evil men are capable of.

Jesus submitted in faithfulness,

going through the pain of death.

“Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows”.

As we bow down before Jesus’ cross,

let’s bring with us all the suffering of the world,

especially the one brought about by conflict and war.

Let us remember that

“he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.” (Is 53)

Jesus Christ, “though he was in the form of God, 

he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 

but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, 

being born in the likeness of men. 

And being found in human form, 

he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, 

even death on a cross. 

Therefore God has highly exalted him 

and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 

in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

to the glory of God the Father.” (Fl 2:6-11)

Let us give praise and glory to the Lord,

let us sing: Christ has risen from the dead,

and seated at the right hand of the Father,

he intercedes for us. Alleluia! Alleluia!

I wish all of you a blessed Easter.

INDEED, HE IS THE SON OF GOD

PALM SUNDAY - Mark 14:1-15:47

With Palm Sunday, we enter the Holy Week, a week set aside for us to celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this week, we go through joy and sorrow. We join the crowds who acclaimed Jesus as the Messiah and then, in a twist of behaviour, we join them again in shouting: Crucify him!

Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph, acclaimed as king and saviour: 

‘Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming!

Hosanna in the highest!’

However, he does not behave like any other king. He comes seated on a colt and, instead of an army, has his disciples and a crowd of common people. His kingship is of truth and love. In a few days, we would be arrested, tried, condemned and executed.

Jesus knew what was in wait for him and, in the Last Supper, he gave the meaning of his incoming death: “This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many.” He accepted his death as a sacrifice, the sacrifice of the new covenant, shed for the remission of sins.

In the passion drama, all of us are intervenient. Are we like Judas who, being disappointed, turned against Jesus, being ready to profit from his betrayal? Are we like the disciples who ran away or like Peter who lied, denying Jesus to save his own life? Are we like the High Priest and all the other religious leaders of the people, who were blinded by their power and wealth? Are we like the Roman governor, Pilate, who did not care about truth and justice? In our world, how many innocent people suffer Jesus’ fate? Insulted, despised and abandoned even by friends! And then tortured beyond imagination! On the cross, his cry is the cry of the suffering servant, the cry of all those who suffer injustice and seem to be ignored even by God.

We begin the Palm Sunday acclaiming Jesus as the Messiah and then, we end it with the proclamation of faith of the Roman centurion: “In truth this man was a son of God.”

Jesus is the Son of God, who put aside his divine dignity to become one like us so that we may be raised high into glory with him.

JESUS IS THE SOURCE OF ETERNAL SALVATION FOR ALL WHO OBEY HIM

V SUNDAY OF LENT - John 12:20-33

The letter to the Hebrews defines the centrality and the role of Jesus Christ with that simple sentence: “he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.” (Her 5:9). We can only find salvation in Jesus Christ, and that implies obedience to him. We are used to hearing say and to say it ourselves that we are saved by faith, as if do not need anything else but faith. “By faith” means by grace. That is, we cannot gain salvation as a reward that we deserve and have a right to receive. Salvation is a gift of God’s merciful love. However, to receive it, we must follow Jesus Christ, ready to obey him. It is useless to claim to be a disciple if I don’t behave as a disciple. In this Sunday’s gospel, John makes it very clear as he presents some Greeks looking for Jesus.

The Greeks represent the Gentiles, those who did not belong to the people of God. By that time, there were groups of people who felt attracted to the great values of the Jewish religion. Among those sympathisers, some converted, being circumcised and following all the Jewish customs and Mosaic Law. The evangelist does not clarify to whom he is referring. However, one thing we know: they had come for the great Passover feast. Their attention should be on the Temple, the house of God; instead, they turned their minds and their hearts to Jesus. Indeed, Jesus replaces the Temple as the place of encounter with God.

We assume that his passage reflects the situation at the beginning of the Church when there was a great discussion about the acceptance of the Gentiles, with many of the Christian Jews refusing to accept them without their total conversion to Judaism. It took time for the Church to come to a clear-cut decision. This is reflected in the passage. The Greeks went to Philip and he did not want to decide alone; so he went to Andrew and both of them went to Jesus. It remains clear that the decision to take the Gentiles to Christ is a Church decision.

Philip and Andrew informed Jesus and we may be shocked to notice that Jesus did not reply to their request. However, if we listen attentively to what Jesus said, we discover his answer: “If a man serves me, he must follow me,” If they are ready to serve Jesus, they must follow him and become his disciples. They must follow Jesus’ way to find salvation. We may ask: what are the implications of that? 

• We have to follow Jesus in his hour, that is, in his passion and death
• We must be ready to lose our lives.

If we follow Jesus, we will be with him: “Wherever I am, my servant will be there too.” And then, the one who serves Jesus will be honoured by his Father. He will share in Jesus’ glorification.

SAVED BY GRACE

IV SUNDAY OF LENT - John 3:14-21

Whenever we read the Holy Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, we find a thread linking the whole narrative. Behind all human interactions, there is a plan of salvation designed by God a plan is presented in a sketchy form immediately at the beginning: God promised that the offspring of the woman will crush the head of the serpent (Gn 3:15). The evil power that sows chaos in the world will be defeated and become harmless. The Scriptures try to show the unfolding of this plan through the history of the people of Israel. God’s commitment to his promise and his plan of salvation is shown in the covenant he established with the people of Israel. God remained faithful to his promise, despite the continuous betrayal on the side of the people. The first reading, taken from the book of Chronicles, presents an attempt at reading the history of Israel through the lens of the covenant. Time and again, the people were unfaithful to God, causing God to grow tired and become angry at them. In the end, God’s mercy and compassion would prevail, leading him to redeem his people. Thus, the victory of the Persian king Cyrus over the Babylonians is seen as planned and willed by God to give respite to his people and offer them salvation.

In his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus speaks of God’s great love for humanity: “Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life.” This great love is shared by the Son, who offered himself to be sent and lifted on the cross. Salvation is found whenever we accept this love and that is done when we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son. The Son was not sent to condemn the world, “but so that through him the world might be saved.”

Salvation is obtained through faith in Jesus Christ and damnation will come upon those who refuse to believe. The unbelievers live in darkness and prefer it to the light. We must search for the truth and always come out into the light so that everything we do is done in God.

In the second reading, Paul writes to the Ephesians that being saved by faith we are saved by grace, by the grace of God’s merciful love. Salvation is not something that we acquire by our endeavours, the fruit of our strength or intelligence. 

“Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit.” (Ep 2:8-9).

JESUS’ BODY IS THE TRUE SANCTUARY

III SUNDAY OF LENT - John 2:13-25

After hearing the proclamation of this Sunday’s gospel, what is our reaction? How can we classify Jesus’ behaviour? We get the impression that he was a troublemaker, who tried to initiate a riot. The Temple authorities could not be pleased with such behaviour and questioned him: How can you “justify what you have done?”

The Temple was built on top of Mount Sion, thus being called as well Temple Mount. The whole area around the temple was considered to be part of the temple. The same gospel of John presents Jesus “walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon” (Jn 10:23). As part of the temple compound, there was a big courtyard, where the Gentiles could go. It was there that the sellers of the animals needed for the sacrifices would set up their shops. Anywhere, when there is a big feast, traders put up their stalls and all kinds of businesses thrive. In Jerusalem, mainly for the Passover, there were always thousands of pilgrims. Most of them, would not carry the animals for the sacrifices; instead, they would buy them at the temple. However, most of the business taking place at the Temple Mount was controlled by the High Priest’s family, which was accused of abuse and exploitation. 

In the line of the prophets, Jesus did an action of protest that would be well accepted by the majority of the people. According to Jesus, the temple stopped being a place of worship and became a market, that is a place of business, where all kinds of business take place. Thus, moved by the zeal of God’s house, Jesus takes action and cleanses the temple, so that it becomes a place of encounter with the Lord.

Answering the Jews who questioned his action, Jesus alluded to the destruction of the Temple. However, John tells us that, using ambiguous language, Jesus was referring to his body as the Temple. He is the true Temple where the Father dwells and where he can be worshipped. The leaders of the Jews will try to destroy that Temple by sentencing Him to death, but Jesus will rise victorious on the third day. He will suffer death and then overcome it through his resurrection.

Jesus’ body is the true sanctuary that makes true worship possible.

WE BELONG TO GOD

II SUNDAY OF LENT - Mark 1:12-15

In the Bible, we can find stories that seize our attention and force us to reflect upon ourselves in relation to God, to others and the world. Some stories leave us perplexed, forcing us to ask questions for which there seems to be no clear answer. The sacrifice of Isaac is such a story.

What kind of god is this God who demands the sacrifice of one’s son as proof of faithfulness? Indeed, we are baffled by God’s demand that Abraham sacrifice Isaac, his beloved son. In which way is Yahweh different from so many other gods who demanded human blood to be appeased?

Many of the biblical stories must be approached from different angles to be able the grasp their meaning. Thus, the sacrifice of Isaac must be heard in the religious and social context of the times. Abraham was a Chaldean living in a foreign land, the land of Canaan, where human sacrifice was common. In difficult times. to appease the gods, they would sacrifice even their firstborn son. It is well possible that Abraham went through difficult moments and even a crisis of faith, which led to the conviction that God was demanding the sacrifice of his son. In the end, God presented Abraham with a substitute to offer in place of his son. Later, in the Law given to Moses, God forbade the offering of a son in sacrifice, considering that to be an abomination: “You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way” (Dt 12:31).

According to the Law, the firstborn belongs to God: “... all the firstborn are mine.” (Numbers 3:13). Abraham was called to give back to God his son. There is a Bemba proverb that says: Umweo wa nkoko waba kuli cibinda (the life of the chicken is in the hands of the owner). Only God is the centre of everything. Only He is supreme and everything else is relative and exists anchored on him. That is something that we must never forget. Many times, parents behave as if they took for themselves God’s place. I remember hearing many times people saying: Abafyashi ni baLesa wa cibili (parents are a second god). However, that is not true. As human beings, they have in them the image of God, but they are not God. They are at the service of life and the service of their children. The moment will arrive when they must cut their children loose and let their children go. They become adults and must assume responsibility for their lives. And this applies to everybody. There are moments in life when to go forward, we must relinquish what is dearest to us.

Isaac represents Jesus, the beloved Son, who accepted to carry the cross and be sacrificed for us. Through his death on the cross, we find life and salvation.

DELIVER US FROM EVIL

I SUNDAY OF LENT - Mark 1:12-15

Temptation is part of human life. We may ask ourselves what is temptation. It is a proposal of an alternative path and an easy way to live our lives and get quick joy, self-satisfaction, pleasure and fulfilment. This may come from within or from outside, be it from other people or from the circumstances we find ourselves in. These proposals run against other proposals that lead us to a life lived in truth and righteousness. Within us, there is a continuous struggle in which we are forced to choose between good and evil. However, we may be easily deluded, because temptation makes the evil options sound like the good ones, leading us to mistake the evil for good and vice-versa. To make the right choice, we must enlightened by God’s light, which gives us the wisdom to see through the evil intent in the temptation. In the temptation, evil is masked as good, seducing us and leading us astray. The temptation of Adam and Eve is a good example of that. The disobedience and the revolt were instigated by false statements that sounded true. They suspected God of hiding from them the possibility of becoming a god and counted God’s prohibition as oppression. On the other side, the serpent’s proposal sounded reasonable and worthy of pursuit. Since then, humanity has been tempted, being seduced by temptation.

Jesus went through the common human experience of temptation and stayed firm, remaining faithful to God. It is that faithfulness that makes possible the harmony that had been destroyed by the revolt of Adam and Eve.

In the prayer taught to us by Jesus, we are told to pray: deliver us from evil and don’t allow us to fall into temptation. May the Lord grant us his Spirit to strengthen our resolve to overcome temptation.

IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN CURE ME.

VI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Mark 1:40-45

This Sunday’s gospel is about a leper who went out of his way to meet Jesus. Nothing is said about that leper. We don’t know the name, the sex or the age. The only information that sets him aside is that he is a leper. Being a leper, he was an outcast, who had to live alone, far from society. Without a family and a community, it is as if he is already dead. Still alive, but already in hell. In his body, he experiences decay and, in his heart, he has to deal with sorrow and loneliness. Everybody stays away from him and even God has abandoned him. The first reading, taken from the book of Leviticus, presents the harsh laws that dealt with leprosy. “A man infected with leprosy must wear his clothing torn and his hair disordered; he must shield his upper lip and cry, “Unclean, unclean.” (Lev 13:44-46). 

To understand the harshness of those laws, we must remember that leprosy is a contagious and incurable disease. The community should be protected and, without a cure, the only protection was to exclude the leper from the community. The sickness of leprosy had a religious connotation of uncleanness. Thus the leper was punished by society and by God.

In the gospel, the leper stands for all those who are ignored, despised and excluded. They are rejected and considered as garbage. They have no place in society or even in the Church. Certainly, there are many situations of exclusion. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we went through a similar experience. Everybody lived in fear and tried to keep away from others who were seen as dangerous. We were not even allowed in churches.

The leper of the Gospel tried to break free of the constraints imposed by tradition and law. Out of despair, he approached Jesus and cried out: “If you want to, you can cure me.” It all depended on Jesus. And he entrusted his fate to Jesus. Then, going against law and tradition, “Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him.” By doing that, Jesus became unclean and should keep away from other people until he performed a rite of purification. However, he did not bother about that. At the leper’s request, Jesus answered: “Of course I want to! Be cured!” Then, he ordered the leper to present himself to the priest, for his healing to be recognised and to become again an active member of the community.

Jesus was well aware that his action would have repercussions. That’s why the leper was told to keep quiet and “say nothing to anyone”. However, his joy was so great that he could not keep it a secret. He had to announce what Jesus had done for him. As a consequence of this announcement, “Jesus could no longer go openly into any town but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived.” It is as if Jesus himself had become an outcast. Despite that, many people looked for Jesus: “… people from all around would come to him.”

Let us proclaim with thanks what Jesus has done for us and let us learn with his mercy and compassion.