SING AND SHOUT FOR JOY FOR GOD IS IN OUR MIDST WITH HIS POWER TO SAVE

III SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Zephaniah 3:14-18

In the middle of the Advent, while waiting for the coming of the Lord, we hear the call to rejoice, proclaimed by the prophet Zephaniah and repeated by Paul. 

We may ask why should we rejoice, when we live in troubled times and the future looks hopeless. The prophet gives a clear reason for our rejoicing:

“The Lord your God is in your midst.” (Zeph 3:17)

He is in our midst as a victorious king, so we have no more evil to fear (Zeph 3:15). In our struggle, we are not alone. The Lord is on our side, to protect and defend us and to lead us to joy and happiness. And the prophet makes it very clear that God rejoices in being on our side:

“He will exult with joy over you,

he will renew you by his love;

he will dance with shouts of joy for you

as on a day of festival.” (Zeph 3:17-18)

It is interesting that the whole Bible is about this relationship of God with his people. It sounds as if God is in need of us and of offering his compassion, mercy and love in order to be God. Indeed, God is love (1 Jn 4:8), and he shows his divinity in the love he bestows on us, a love that fills him with joy.

Yahweh and Allah

In these times, when we hear so much about Islam, is good to compare the God - Yahweh - who reveals himself through a personal relationship with people, which leads him to intervene in human history with Allah, the God who reveals himself in the Koran.

Yahweh - is the one who says “I AM!” I am here for you.  He listens to our cries of suffering and despair, and he is ready to take us by the hand. 

On the other side, Allah is a distant God, who cannot see to be worthy of his divinity to have a personal relationship with people. He sent his messenger, Gabriel, to another messenger - Muhammad; he remained distant and absent. He does not walk by our side, and he does not pay attention to the cries of his slaves, who must simply submit and accept whatever he decides. Far from Muhammad to claim the experience of a personal relationship like the one Moses had: “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” (Ex 33:11).

Our God - Yahweh - is a God who listens to the cries of the oppressed, because is the travel companion who never abandons us. And he “so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16).

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote:

“There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.” (Ph 4:6-7)

Being sure of God’s compassionate and merciful love, we can live in happiness. And that’s what Paul desires for each one of us:

“I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness.” (Ph 4:4)

And we may sing the praises of God with the prophet Isaiah:

Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Truly, God is my salvation,

  I trust, I shall not fear.

For the Lord is my strength, my song,

  he became my saviour.

With joy you will draw water

  from the wells of salvation. (Is 12)

THE HANDMAID OF THE LORD

STARTING THE YEAR OF MERCY IN THE COMPANY OF MARY

Today is a very special day, a feast day dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, it is the beginning of the Jubilee, in which we recognise, celebrate and accept God’s mercy.

Mary recognised the great things that God did for her. Indeed, she is blessed, and all generations will call her blessed.

Today we celebrate the fact that Mary is the Chosen of the Lord to be the mother of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Having chosen her, God prepared her to the fulfilment of this vocation, by filling her with blessings in such a way that she is the Favoured one (Lk 1:28).

Mary herself was able to recognise the blessings of the Lord, which were bestowed upon her. She is aware that “all generations will call me blessed”, because “the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Indeed, “His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation” (Lk 1:48-50).

Today, we are made to remember that history had a new beginning with this woman that was able to give thanks for the great things God did for her. Instead of the disobedience and rebellion of Eve, the first woman and mother of the living (Gn 3:20), we have the obedience and faithfulness of the mother of the Saviour. Like her, we must have a listening heart to the word of God and with her we can learn to accept and recognise God’s mercies. 

Pope Francis proclaimed a special jubilee focussed on the celebration of the mercy of God; and we initiate this year of mercy with the Blessed Virgin Mary, being sure that she leads us to Christ, teaching us to be servants of the Lord, until the day when we will celebrate with her and all angels and saints the glory of Christ the King.

The Jubilee of Mercy goes from today - 08 December - to 20 November 2016, when it will close with the celebration of the feast of Christ the King.

The Jubilee of Mercy gives us the opportunity to celebrate and to receive God’s mercy. As we experience being forgiven and reconciled, we learn how to forgive and to reconcile. God’s mercy comes from his love, a love that he pours into our hearts.

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

 O give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

 O give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever. (Ps 136:1-3)

PAUL’S PRAYER

II SUNDAY OF ADVENT - 

John the Baptist is a central figure of this time of Advent. His voice, although proclaimed in the desert, echoes throughout the world, calling everybody to prepare a way for the Lord. The Lord is coming, and his coming is a time for rejoicing, as the prophet Baruch had announced:

“Take off your dress of sorrow and distress,

put on the beauty of the glory of God for ever” (Bar 5:1)

In times of sorrow and distress, we feel overwhelmed with pain, leaving us hopeless, waiting for death as our liberator, as if God himself has abandoned us and become our enemy, However, the prophets do not get tired of encouraging people, turning them to God as the only source of hope. Death will be overcome and we will “put on the beauty of the glory of God for ever”.

Indeed, in the times we are living in, we need this message of hope. In fact, all our fears and hopelessness come from the fact that we have strayed from the right path and turn our backs on the Lord. But our God is a God full of kindness, mercy and love. And the prophet announces that 

“God will guide Israel in joy by the light of his glory

with his mercy and integrity for escort.” - (Baruch 5:9)

God’s mercy and faithfulness walk by our side, protecting and defending us, so that we may reach the end of our journey and find fulfilment in God’s love.

Quoting from Isaiah, Luke puts forward the aim of John’s preaching; he proclaims that

“All mankind shall see the salvation of God.” (Lk 3:6).

God’s salvation is offered to all, and only those who refuse to accept it, will remain outside it.

During this time of Advent, we should make ours Paul’s prayer for the Philippians:

“My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognise what is best. This will help you to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of Christ, when you will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.” (Phil 1:9-11)

We need to grow in love and to grow in the understanding and knowledge of our faith, so that we may recognise what is best, doing always the will of God. In need to prepare ourselves for the Day of Christ, in order to be found “pure and blameless”. This will not come about by our only effort, because the perfect goodness is produced in us by Jesus Christ, but he will be able to do nothing if we do not open our hearts to him, so that he becomes the Lord whom we serve.

THE DAYS ARE COMING...

I SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Jeremiah 33:14-16

“See, the days are coming”!

In Bemba, a similar statement - “Mukacimona!” You will see it! - is taken as a curse, and as such it brings fear, leaving the ones to whom it is addressed very worried. You will see it falling upon you, that is evil days full of suffering are coming to you.

However, in the mouth of Jeremiah, “the days are coming” is a pronouncement of the Lord and it refers to the day of salvation, “when I am going to fulfil the promise I made”. It is not the threat of a curse, but the message of hope, proclaiming that liberation is at hand. There will be “justice and righteousness in the land” and our land will be called “The-Lord-our-integrity” or “The-Lord-is-our-righteousness”. (Jr 33:14-16).

And this is the message of Advent, a message of hope. We are not under a curse, but a promise - the promise of life and salvation. Surely, that day will be a terrible day for the ones who refused to prepared themselves and to welcome the offer of salvation. Jesus advises us to “stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.” 

“Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.”

We must live in a state of alertness. It is interesting that in the world, mainly in Europe, because of the threat of terrorist attacks, people are called upon to be in constant alert. They may strike anywhere and at any time. Our alertness means to be always prepared to answer the call of the Lord. And Jesus tells us very clearly what he means, when he calls us to be prepared:

“Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap.”

In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul gives us a similar advice

“we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants”.

Nowadays, from everywhere, we receive conflicting messages. On one hand, in the capitalist and competitive society in which we live, people are called to excel, fighting always for the first place. For many people, this is an impossible task and the struggle to carry it out destroys them. On the other hand, people are called to enjoy life and to take it easy, going through all kinds of satisfying experiences. However, easy life leads nowhere; in fact, most of the times, it leads to emptiness and even despair.

Paul reminds us that our life is a journey in which we struggle daily to move forward. We must make an effort to make more and more progress to live as God wants us to live. In the end, God will grants us the fullness of joy, peace and love.

May the Spirit of wisdom and love guide us and strengthen us, so that we “may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.” (1 Thes 3:12-4:2).

CHRIST, THE KING

XXXIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Rev 1:5-8

In the book of Daniel, we are presented with the Son of Man, an heavenly figure, “coming on the clouds of heaven” and on whom “was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.” (Dan 7:13-14).

Who is this Son of Man? As the son of man, he is a human being, but he is the Son, and so divine. Being divine, he is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and he will be recognised and obeyed by all.

Jesus presented himself as the Son of Man, and the expression appears time and again in the Gospels.

“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.” (Mt 16:27)

“When the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Mt 19:28)

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.” (Mt 25:31)

The book of Revelation, addressing the Church (represented in the seven churches), proclaims this same belief:

“Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:5-6)

However, as we proclaim and celebrate Jesus’ Lordship, we should not fall into the mistake of misunderstanding his power and his ruling. He did not come to be a king of this world, be it a dictatorial and totalitarian ruler or a most complacent and benevolent one. He totally rejected political power, and when people tried to make him a king, he went into hiding. To Pilate, he made it very clear that there was nothing to fear about his political ambitions, because he had none. His kingdom is not of this world. He came to bear witness to the truth, and his servants are those who search for the truth and listen to his voice (see Jn 18:33-37).

As we celebrate Jesus Christ the King, we may have a look at what is happening in our world. In the name of a god and guided by the example of a prophet, there are people who are ready to kill in the most barbaric manner. As I am writing, the breaking news are of an attack to a hotel in Bamako, Mali. Before that, were the killings in Paris, and still before, the downing of a Russian airliner - and all  these crimes were committed in the name of the Islamic State, which wants to conquer the world and impose Sharia law on all.

There are many people who try to explain this violence by saying that it is the fruit of a radical ideology that has nothing to do with Islam, claiming that Islam is a religion of peace. Indeed, most of the Muslims are peaceful people, but the seeds of violence are in their role model and in the word that he proclaimed. When the Christians involve themselves in violence, they abandon their role model Jesus Christ, turning their backs on him. Instead, when Muslims practice violence in the name of their faith, they are being true followers of their founder. 

When John and James asked for positions of power, Jesus taught them and all the Apostles the following lesson: 

“You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mk 10:42-45)

That’s why when Peter tried to use the sword, Jesus rebuked him:

“Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mt 26:52)

Jesus was a man of peace, who ended up crucified, because of his faithfulness to the Father’s will.

On the contrary, Muhammad was a man of war. He himself took part in 27 expeditions of war, and ordered 73 more (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_expeditions_of_Muhammad). He imposed his religion by the sword. He was not only the founder of a religion, but the founder of an empire as well. And empires are built with the sword.

The Christian martyrs were and are non-violent people who suffered torture and death because of their faith in Jesus Christ. The Muslim martyrs are violent people who die fighting (or even commit suicide) to defeat the infidels (the unbelievers).

We want to be servants of Jesus Christ, who proclaims blessed those who work for peace and those who are mercyful as the Father is merciful (Mt 5:9; Lk 6:36).

THE SON OF MAN WILL GATHER HIS ELECT

XXXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Daniel 12:1-3 

As the liturgical year approaches its end, we are called to reflect on the end of times, because there will be an end to the world. It is interesting that even science speaks of the end of the world and presents different scenarios of how it will happen. Some Christians make this the centre of their spirituality and live in the expectancy of the end of the world in their life time. Some false prophets even announce the year when it will happen, forgetting Jesus’ warning, when he told his disciples: “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mk 13:32).

According to the book Daniel and according to Jesus’ words, the end of times will be a time of anguish and great distress, a time of tribulation and suffering. That time will be dominated by the coming of the Son of Man, and he will come “with great power and glory” (Mk 13:26). Nobody will miss his coming. According to Daniel, that will be the time for the resurrection, when “those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Dan 12:2). It will be a time for judgement, when people will be divided in two groups, the ones who enjoy eternal life and the ones who suffer eternal contempt.

In Mark, Jesus tells us that the Son of Man will send his angels to “gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” (Mk 13:27).

There are some Christians who let their imagination go wild and believe strange things about the end of the world. However, what the Holy Scriptures teach can be presented in a few and straightforward statements:

• The world will come to an end, but only the Father knows when;
• There will be a time of tribulation, and then our faith will be tested;
• Christ will come in his glory as the King of kings. It will be his second coming;
• The dead will wake up. It will be the time of the resurrection;
• It will be a time of judgement;
• The elect will share in the glory of Christ. 

Jesus uses his words about the end of times to present us with a call for alertness and readiness. We do not know the time and the hour when we will be called, and so we must be always ready, that is we must always walk in the company of Jesus, allowing him to guide us by the hand. We cannot presume that we are already saved, because until the last moment  we run the risk of falling aside and of turning our backs on Jesus. That’s why we must pray daily, asking the Lord to keep us faithful to the end.

GOD CANNOT BE BRIBED

XXXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Mark 12:38-44

Today’s world is ruled by those who have plenty of money and make more money. The higher your profits are, the greater your power is. In the capitalist system that has taken over the world, the big companies must maximize their profits or they will they lose the confidence of the investors and risk be wiped out. The markets rule the world, and we speak of the markets as if they were personal powers able to make decisions. But the markets are just people buying and selling, most of the times manipulating prices and the supply of money. 

The capitalist economy is an economy dominated by greed, without consideration or respect for any other values. And when greed invades our hearts, setting therein its throne, mercy and compassion are thrown out. As a result, the poor are exploited and oppressed. Greed is never satisfied, and grabs everything that is within its reach, taking over the hearts of people and dominating all institutions. Even the Church is not free from its filthy dominion and exploitation. Jesus reproached the Pharisees for exploiting the poor for whom they prayed.

Since old times, many people have tried to buy their way out to salvation with money. However, salvation cannot be bought with money, since God cannot be bribed into favouring us. There is no way we can use the money of corruption to enter heaven. In fact, God has no need for our money or for the goods we buy with our money.

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus makes it very clear that God does look at the amount of money that we offer, but at the attitude of our hearts. And he presented the widows’ offering as an example to his disciples. In terms of numbers, she gave so little that it would not make any difference in the income of the Temple, but she gave everything she had, and so she gave herself wholly, heart and soul, without reserves. She offered her life totally to God. Her offering was a sign of her trust in God; she put herself in his hands, knowing that God will not abandon her. This kind of faith is found only in those who know the futility of relying upon the things of this world. 

Money, no matter how important it may be, is never enough to sustain any relationship, be it with God or with those who are most close to us. In fact, it easily destroys relationships, because the love of money does not leave space in our hearts to love the others, but leads instead to use and abuse them.