IV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Deut 18:15-20

Prophetic voices

The prophets are one of the most extraordinary experiences in the religious and cultural history of the People of Israel. The prophets were people with a deep experience of God, who felt being called by God and sent by him to the people. They were totally committed to the mission of upholding God’s place and rights in the middle of the people. With courage, they denounced policies, teachings, customs and attitudes, which they consider as betrayal of the Covenant with God; and they were bold enough to challenge the people and their leaders, calling them to change direction (conversion) and to allow themselves to be guided by God’s word and God’s values. They interpreted the great events that made the history of the people, giving meaning to them. In spite of sometimes using angry and harsh words, their message is full of hope, as they give guidance and encouragement to the people. 

The prophets shaped the religious life of the people, deepening their understanding of God and of his place in human history. We must remember that their message was always full of political and social implications.

Through Moses, God promised to send prophets who, moved by a inner urgency, would speak out and give guidance to the people. Throughout human history, in all cultures and civilisations, God has always raised men and women who speak God’s own message. Their voice is a challenging voice. We must listen to them, as they call us to be our true selves, by allowing God to be God in our lives.

Be aware of false prophets

Moses promise comes with a warning: there are false prophets who communicate their own message instead of God’s message and who lead people astray with words that sound very appealing. 

We need to scrutinise them, listening to the different messages being addressed to us with a discerning mind. Be aware of sweet words and easy promises. The way of truth and faithfulness was never an easy one – and that is the way that takes us to happiness (to true life and salvation).

III SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Jonah 3:1-5,10

Jonah tries to run away from God

The book of Jonah presents the story of “an anonymous individual”, who pretended to know better than God, and who decided to go his own way, instead of carrying out God’s command. When ordered to go to Nineveh, he got up and went in the opposite direction. God forced him back.

Indeed, we cannot run away from God, and waste our time defying him. God will find a way of dealing with us, so that we do his will.

All nations are God’s people

We can understand Jonah’s attitude. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, which had destroyed the Kingdom of Israel (the Northern kingdom) and deported most of its population.  How could God send him to the enemies of the people of Israel? And how could God care about them and decide to warn them of the impending disaster? Jonah had forgotten that all nations belong to God and that he cares for all of them. The prophet Isaiah had already written: “The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance." (Is 19:25).

Our God is a God of mercy

Hearing God’s warning through the mouth of Jonah, the people of Nineveh repented and changed their ways. Seeing their change of heart and their new behaviour, God relented and forgave them. Instead of rejoicing in God’s mercy, Jonah became disappointed and angry. He wanted revenge and punishment. However, our God is a God of mercy and compassion, who calls all and accepts all who turn back to him.

LIFE CHANGED BY AN ENCOUNTER

II SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Jn 1:35-42

John the Baptist had his own disciples; and many of them maintained their separate identity for long time, because Paul still found them in Ephesus (Act 19:1-3); however, others left John to follow Jesus, and John himself encouraged that, as we can discover in this Sunday’s Gospel. Impressed by their master’s words about Jesus, who he presented as the Lamb of God, two disciples followed Jesus behind with curiosity and apprehension. What kind of person was this Jesus, and how was he going to react?

What are you looking for?

Jesus felt the steps of people following him behind, and turning back, asked a very common and simple question: What are you looking for? This is a very deep and important question, which is asked of each one of us: What are you looking for? What is motivating you?

What answer do we give to this question? Most of the times, we do like those two disciples, who seemed to be caught by surprise, not knowing what to answer; so they replied with the most obvious, a simple question: Where are you staying?

Come and see

Jesus replied with an invitation: Come and see. And they went, and stayed with Jesus. That encounter and the following experience of staying with Jesus touched them deeply and changed their lives completely. Many years later, they still remembered that “it was about four in the afternoon” (Jn 1:39), when that encounter took place. To encounter Jesus is always a deep personal experience that marks our lives. Jesus does not impose himself on us; he just invites us to make the experience of staying with him.

“Come and see” is an invitation to each one of us. Faith is not something that you are told about; but it has to be a personal experience of Jesus that gives meaning and direction to our lives.

The experience had been so rewarding and joyful that they could not keep it a secret; on the contrary, they could not wait to go and share it with the friends.

In this short story, we discover that others, by their words and their deeds, can trigger our interest in Jesus; and that becomes the starting point of journey with Jesus. However, we must go after Jesus and make our personal experience of him. He welcomes us into his house like friends. After discovering him and accepting his invitation, we can say like Andrew: We have found the Messiah.

II SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Jn 1:35-42

JESUS, THE LAMB OF GOD

This Sunday’s Gospel starts with a strange proclamation about Jesus, made by John the Baptist. Seeing Jesus passing by, he told the two disciples with him: “Look, there is the lamb of God.” (Jn 1:36).

This is a proclamation of faith, and the Church considers it so important that she repeats it three times during the Eucharistic celebration. This proclamation is an affirmation about Jesus’ mission of salvation.

The words “lamb of God” bring to our minds two passages of the Old Testament: 

The Passover lamb

In Ex 12, each family is ordered to get a lamb “without blemish” to be slaughtered, and to use its blood to mark the doorposts and lintel of the houses, so that those houses are passed over, remaining untouched by the destruction that is going to fall upon the Egyptians. In remembrance of that night of liberation, every year, in the great feast of Passover, the Israelites sacrificed lambs in celebration of their redemption from slavery.

Like a lamb led to the slaughter

In Is 53:7, the Servant of the Lord is compared to a “lamb that is led to the slaughter”, suffering in silence, without opening his mouth. However, “Moreit was our pain that he bore, our sufferings he endured”; in fact, “he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed.” (Is 53:4-5).

Jesus is the true lamb who offered himself in sacrifice. He is the sacrifice of the new liberation from the slavery of sin; he died for our sins, in order to reconcile us with God and with ourselves, setting us free and enabling us to be recognised as God’s children. Jesus is the new Passover sacrifice; he is a sacrifice of reconciliation and peace, and a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin.

“Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us and bring us peace”.

CELEBRATING JESUS’ BAPTISM, WE REFLECT ON OUR OWN BAPTISM

Painting of baptism from 3rd century

In the countries where the feast of Epiphany was celebrated yesterday (Sunday), instead of six of January, Jesus’ Baptism was celebrated today. And this celebration is an opportunity for us to remember our own baptism. Sometimes, there are so many discussions and even quarrels about the baptism and the form that it must take. 

It is always y important to know where we come from and to refer to our roots in order to understand what we do today.

The instructions of Didache about the baptism

There is a booklet called Didache (or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) written at the end of the first century (may be not much later than the Gospel of John). It gives instructions on various issues; one of them being the baptism. It says:

“Now about baptism: this is how to baptize. Give public instruction on all these points, and then "baptize" in running water, "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." If you do not have running water, baptize in some other. If you cannot in cold, then in warm. If you have neither, then pour water on the head three times in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Before the baptism, moreover, the one who baptizes and the one being baptized must fast, and any others who can. And you must tell the one being baptized to fast for one or two days beforehand.” (From Didache)

THE GREAT FEAST OF EPIPHANY

Epiphany is a Greek word, which means “appearance” or manifestation. As a feast, it is older than Christmas, and was celebrated already before 194 ad. In Western Christianity, it has lost most of its impact, but in the Orthodox Church it is still a very important solemnity. 

Three main events are celebrated

In this feast, we celebrate three main events that imply the manifestation of Jesus’ glory: 

1) the search and recognition by the Magi of Jesus as saviour of all peoples of the world; 

2) Jesus’ baptism, with the coming of the Holy Spirit and the proclamation of Jesus as the beloved Son; 

3) the marriage in Cana, where Jesus’ glory was recognised by his disciples. 

In this feast, the Orthodox (Eastern Church) puts the stress on the Baptism of Jesus, while the Western Church puts the stress on the Magi, also referred to as Kings, coming in search of the Messiah.

Guided by a star

It is interesting that they came from the East, from the rising sun. From there, the great enemies of the people of Israel (Assyria, Babylonia, Persia) had come as well, in the previous centuries. The Assyrians and Babylonians always showed a great interest in the study of the stars and dedicated themselves to astrology, trying to discover their influence in human life and behaviour. It is not surprising that a star guided the Magi, and that star indicates a heart full of hope in their continuous search for the Saviour. In the search for life and salvation, one needs to join forces with others, accepting their contribution, even when they try to lead you astray or to make use of you for their wicked plans (as it was with Herod).

The search for meaning, life and salvation

This ability to read the signs that present themselves in our history and the ability to search tirelessly for meaning and for the Saviour is essential in our lives.

Those nameless strangers searched for Jesus, and Jesus allowed himself to be encountered, recognised and revered by them; while the political and religious leaders in Jerusalem were afraid of Jesus and plotted to kill him. When we become contented with what we are and what we know, stopping the search for truth, justice and holiness, then we become entrapped in the web of our own making and will become like the cruel and unjust Herod.

The feast of Epiphany is the celebration of Jesus coming as Saviour of all those who look for him and are ready to accept him.