GOD’S BLESSINGS FOR THE NEW YEAR

NEW YEAR FEAST - Luke 2:16-21

We start the New Year in the company of Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. When she visited Elisabeth, she was called the “mother of the Lord” (Lk 1:43), and Jesus himself, dying on the cross, entrusted her to his beloved disciple, that is to each one of us. At the beginning of this new year, in the company of the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, we praise the Lord and ask for his blessings. In her life, Mary experienced God’s blessings in an extraordinary way, being the chosen one to bring forth the Saviour, thus playing an important role in God’s plan of salvation. Accepting God’s will and graces, “she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Lk 2:19). In quietness and humility, she allowed the Spirit of God to transform her life and to guide her in the way of faithfulness. We must learn with her to entrust ourselves to the hands of God. Only in him, we may find peace.

Every year, at the beginning of the year, with Mary at our side, we reflect on what we must do to bring peace into this world full of violence and hatred. We reflect and pray, and this must enable us to act. The year just ended - 2016 - was a year full of terrible wars, which took place mainly in the Middle East. The Islamic State  caused havoc not only in Iraq and Syria, but also in Europe, bring fear everywhere with their terrorist attacks, but they are not the only ones who are responsible for the wars going on. In war, everybody shifts the blame to the enemy, assuming an attitude of self-righteousness, but all use the same weapons of war, which destroy, kill and maim. The civilians - mainly the children, the elderly and the women - are the ones that most suffer.

Jesus came as the Prince of Peace and he preached the ideals of peace, pointing out the way to build peace. Beings his disciples, we must become builders of peace. And for that, we must reject violence. Pope Francis calls for “Nonviolence: a Style of Politics for Peace”. Violence comes from the hatred of what is different. With an attitude of self-righteousness, we reject all those that do not think or behave like us, and we force ourselves upon them, even to the point of destroying them. Jesus calls us to see on the perceived enemy a brother or a sister. It is better to forgive than to revenge. Forgiveness builds a new society, while revenge only brings the shedding of blood and death.

In our daily lives, in our relationships with the others, we must work for peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God” (Mt 5:9).

In the Old Testament, Moses was ordered by God to bless people with the words:

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace. (Numb 6:24-26)

Enjoy the singing of those words in Bemba, with Anne Lubumbe Katongo singing:

Imfumu ingakupala no kukubaka.

Imfumu ileke impumi yakwe ilekusanikila,

ikuloleshe luse luse.

Imfumu ikulange impumi yakwe,

ikupele ne cibote.

Happy New Year and may God fill you with all his blessings.

Lesa amupale imwe bonse, amusunge umutende.

A CHILD IS BORN FOR US!

CHRISTMAS FEAST: Luke 2:1-14

Jesus is not a mythical figure created by the human mind to satisfy our inner needs. He is a historical figure, a real person, who lived in Palestine and was born during the reign of Caesar Augustus. In his gospel, Luke pays attention to this little historical detail and in a way he forces us to compare Caesar with Christ. Octavius, after defeating Antony, became the sole ruler of Rome, being the first of a long line of emperors. After wars and bloodshed, finally he brought peace - the Roman peace, and people started comparing him to the gods, giving him the title of Augustus, meaning that he deserves veneration, respect and obedience. And he was proclaimed Lord and Saviour. The history of humankind is full of people like Octavius, who think of themselves as divine, having the right to rule and to impose their will. They may bring peace, but their peace is imposed on people who are afraid of revolting and who prefer to go about their lives quietly. Coming from the people, they put themselves over the people, always ready to crush them. 

Jesus is presented as Prince-of-peace, Lord and Saviour. However, he was not born in a palace; instead, he shared the fate of the poor. Being the Son of God, he ignored his divinity and took upon himself the condition of the humble, the poor and exploited. He came to be God-with-us, the God who loves us so much that he chose to share our humanity in the weakness of our condition.

Two ways are set before us: Caesar’s way and Christ’s way. Caesar speaks of peace and in the name of peace they oppress and exploit, being always ready for war, fighting and destroying all those who oppose them. Caesar’s way is one of domination and violence. Christ ’s way instead is one of humility and service. In him, we discover that God’s ways are not are ways and his plans are not our plans. Only Jesus can set us free, and his way is the only way to life and salvation. He is the way, and only by him and with him we will go to the Father.

Long ago, the prophet Isaiah had already announced the coming of a child who comes to rule in justice and integrity:

For there is a child born for us,

a son given to us

and dominion is laid on his shoulders;

and this is the name they give him:

Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,

Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.

Wide is his dominion

in a peace that has no end,

for the throne of David

and for his royal power,

which he establishes and makes secure

in justice and integrity.

From this time onwards and for ever,

the jealous love of the Lord of Hosts will do this. (Is 9:6-7)

The poor and the strangers are the ones who welcomed him and who received the great news of a Saviour being born for us. The joy in heaven was so great that the angels had to come and share with us a song of praise and thanksgiving, which goes together with the assurance of God’s promise:

Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and peace to men who enjoy his favour. (Lk 2:14) 

For a very long time,

year after year,

generation after generation,

the announcement is made

and the news of great joy are spread:

a child is born for us,

and to us a son is given 

- the one who comes 

to fulfil the promise:

he is the Prince-of-Peace,

the Saviour, Christ the Lord.

In him we rejoice

and all peoples of the world 

celebrate.

He brings the light

that scatters our darkness,

filling our hearts with hope.

Ruling with justice and integrity,

he will set us free,

breaking the bonds of oppression

and destroying the weapons of war.

In him all peoples rejoice,

Singing at one voice

With the choirs of angels:

Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and peace to men who enjoy his favour.

Merry Christmas to all of you.

May the child Jesus fill you with his blessings.

Fr . José

JESUS IS “GOD-WITH-US”

IV SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Matthew 1:18-24

In his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us that he was “specially chosen to preach the Good News that God promised long ago through his prophets in the scriptures”; and that the Good News is about Jesus Christ, “the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took was a descendant of David” (Ro 1:1-3). This great mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God is what we celebrate at Christmas, which is a celebration of the fulfilment of God’s Promise, announced by the prophets, specially Isaiah:

“the maiden is with child

and will soon give birth to a son

whom she will call Immanuel,

a name which means “God-is-with-us.” (Is 7:14).

Our God, who calls himself I AM (YHWH), longs for a relationship with human beings and his desire is so deep and so strong that he wants to be “God-with-us”. The history of salvation presented in the scriptures is a human history in which God is present and plays a role. With the incarnation, God takes his presence to the highest level: 

“And the Word became flesh 

and lived among us, 

and we have seen his glory, 

the glory as of a father’s only son, 

full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1:14)

Joseph’s dilema

This Sunday’s Gospel introduces the role of Joseph of Nazareth in the fulfilment of God’s promise - that is in the coming of the Word - the Son of God - in human flesh. Jospeh was a carpenter (Mt 13:55) and he had betrothed Mary. However, before they got married,  he found out that Mary was pregnant, and this left him in a very difficult position. Should he denounce her, putting her life in danger, because the law was clear: accused of adultery, she would be stoned to death. Or should he accept the situation and marry her, as if nothing had happened?  But he could not come to terms to do either of them. How could he send to death the one he loved? And how could he marry her, when she was carrying a child that was not his child? Being in a dilema, Joseph decided for a third alternative: to break the engagement and abandon her. Doing that, he would be considered irresponsible, taking upon himself all the blame, but he was ready to do so, preferring this to injure Mary or to live  under the same roof with a grudge against her.

With Joseph, we discover that many times God’s plans interfere with our own human plans and we may remain as if lost. However, in carrying out his plans, God has always a way of leading us to do his will and to find peace in doing so. 

Through a dream

Matthew explains Joseph’s attitude by telling us that he was “a man of honour” and that he wanted to “spare her publicity”. Being so, God had to intervene and he did it through a dream. 

We know that most of the times our dreams are related to our worries and our deep desires. In a way, they speak of ourselves and may force us to reflect upon our lives and to question our attitudes. But we cannot allow the dreams that come in our sleep to rule our lives. Most of the times, they are just dreams, with reality and imagination mixed up. However, there are many people who pay attention to them and ask for interpretation of their dreams, mainly when they are connected with a religious experience or with the word of God. In the Scriptures, we find some dreams that were of paramount importance for the future history of salvation. Jacob dreamt with a ladder reaching to heaven (Gn 28:12) and Jesus would refer to that dream to explain his ministry (Jn 1:51). And Peter dreamt with food coming from heaven (Act 10:11), thus becoming aware that there are no impure foods. In the same manner, Joseph had a dream and the angel of the Lord appeared to him, explaining that Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit and that she was carrying the Saviour in her womb. So he should bring her home and take good care of her. And Joseph, at peace with himself and with Mary, did as the angel told him. He accepted to play the role that God had prepared for him - to be the protector both of Mary and of Jesus. Under his care, Jesus would grow up and prepare himself for the proclamation of the Good News of salvation.

We need to prepare ourselves to welcome the Lord Jesus in our lives, even though he may disrupt our human plans, but it is in him that we will find peace and joy.

DO NOT FEAR! HERE IS YOUR GOD.

III SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Matthew 11:2-11

John the Baptist was a hard man - hard on himself and on the society, which he rejected, living like a hermit in the desert, where he had a very simple and frugal life. “John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.” (Mt 3:4). In his time, he was not the only one; others had gone to live in the desert - like the Essenes (possibly the community of Qumran) - in protest and rejection of the corrupt society in Jerusalem.

Even though he looked strange, John was recognised as a prophet, attracting crowds and “the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan”. Like all the prophets, he preached a very clear message, calling on people to repent and to turn back to God. Those who heard is message, accepted his baptism and confessed their sins (Mt 3:5-6). Even people of the high society of Jerusalem went to him, but he did not trust their intentions and did not mince his words or soften his message, calling them “brood of vipers!”. They must put in place a real change of their way of life, that is they must “bear fruit worthy of repentance” (Mt 3:8), not deluding themselves as if they are beyond reproach.

The crowds coming to him were convinced that he was more than a prophet and many were convinced that he was the Messiah. Straight away, he rejected that, claiming to be only a voice calling people to repentance, so that they “flee from the wrath to come” and prepare themselves for the impending judgement. He was preparing for the Messiah and he was convinced that the Messiah was at the door, ready to enter. However, for him the Messiah’s coming was the coming of judgement:

“Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Mt 3:10,12).

John was preparing people for the Day of the Lord, the day of wrath, when God will separate the grain from the chaff, that is the good from the evil.

To a certain point, John’s ministry was successful; he had big crowds coming to him and a group of disciples  followed him. When Jesus came into the scene, John was convinced that he was the promised one and pointed him out to his disciples. Some of them left, and went to Jesus. Then, he was arrested and thrown into Herod’s dungeons. And the reports he heard about Jesus were quite unsettling, because he was not announcing the day of judgement but the day of mercy; so he sent some of his disciples to Jesus, asking: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” (Mt 11:3)

And Jesus answered, telling John that the signs of the Messiah were being fulfilled.

“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.” 

Jesus is God’s compassion and tenderness in our midst. Surely, there will be a time for judgement, but God is patient and gives us plenty of time to mend our ways and accept his love and mercy. Jesus did not come to show the wrath but the mercy of God.

Jesus comes to fulfil God’s promise presented in Is 35:5-6

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

then the lame shall leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

He came to bring the good news to the poor (Is 61:1). And we are called to rejoice and regain hope.

“Strengthen the weak hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who are of a fearful heart,

“Be strong, do not fear!

Here is your God.

He will come with vengeance,

with terrible recompense.

He will come and save you.” (Is 35:3-4)

Indeed, do not fear! Here is your God.

That’s why Christmas is a time of rejoicing; it is a feast of hope. The clouds may be stark dark, but the sun of justice is going to dissipate them and bring the light of peace.

CALLED TO PRODUCE FRUITS OF REPENTANCE

II SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Matthew 3:1-12

In this Sunday’s readings, we are presented with two major figures of Advent: Isaiah and John the Baptist. Both of them were prophets; although different, both of them are announcers of a message of hope. 

Isaiah is the prophet of God’s promise, a promise of salvation that fills us with hope, but like John he denounced the people’s behaviour, calling them to repentance.

Isaiah announces that the Messiah will come with justice and peace, protecting and defending the poor and the oppressed:

“He does not judge by appearances,

he gives no verdict on hearsay,

but judges the wretched with integrity,

and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.

His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless,

his sentences bring death to the wicked.

Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,

faithfulness the belt about his hips.” (Is 11:3-5)

He is full of integrity and faithfulness, and his word is the word of truth with which he strikes the ruthless and the oppressive. This promise and the announcement of its fulfilment puts in check the leaders of this world who are ready to use lies and all kinds of crooked ways to keep and impose their power. Our society, the society which we live in, is a society where the true values have been inverted and turned upside down. That’s why there is need of prophets like Isaiah and John the Baptist to denounce the false values that we cherish and to call us to conversion.

John appeared as a voice, calling out to people for them to repent and to come back to God. Indeed, people went to John and “confessed their sins” (Mt 3:6). Like them, we must recognise our sinfulness and entrust ourselves to God’s mercy. Even though John’s call to repentance was addressed to everybody, he was surprised when he saw the Pharisees and the Sadducees coming to him as well, and he sounded the warning: beware of your own assurances; do not put your confidence on being the children of Abraham, and doing nothing to show that you are faithful like Abraham.

By his presence, his attitudes and his words, John the Baptist denounces and challenges us. His word is not comfortable, but unsettling; it is a confrontational word, which points out very clearly our evil deeds and our failures. We need to produce fruits of repentance, or we are deluding ourselves. We cannot be complacent, reassuring ourselves that our salvation is guaranteed, in spite of refusing to repent and to convert.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul points out the type of behaviour that shows repentance. 

• We must be guided by the example of those who came before us and who struggled not to give up, but to remain faithful.
• The Scriptures present us with those examples and they were written to teach us about hope, because we are strengthened by hope.
• And we must follow Jesus Christ, whose example supersedes all others.
• Guided by Christ, we learn how to be tolerant with each other.
• We must become united in mind and voice, in this way giving glory to the Father.
• We must “treat each other in the same friendly way as Christ treated you”. (Ro 15:4-9)
• And we must recognise that God’s mercy is for all, Jews and pagans.

As we enter the second week of Advent, let’s listen to John’s appeal and make an effort to change our ways and prepare a path for the Lord, so that we may welcome him in our lives.

LET US WALK IN THE LIGHT OF THE LORD

I SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Isaiah 2:1-5

We enter the liturgical season of Advent, in which we turn ourselves towards the coming of the Messiah, that is the birth of Jesus Christ, when we celebrate God’s love for humanity, and so great that love was that he came to be God-with-us.

Advent is a time pregnant with promise and hope. It is God’s Promise that keeps our hope alive, because we are sure that God will fulfil his promise. We call this season Advent, because he has come, and he is coming. Indeed, he is the one “who is and who was and who is to come” (Rev 1:8).

If we stop for a while, look around and listen attentively, we remain with a feeling of hopelessness and even despair, because these times we are living in are so dark that we cannot find a direction or discover where we are moving to. That’s why the prophet Isaiah advises us: Walk in the light of the Lord. Only his light can disperse the darkness that surrounds us. We cannot find a way, but with him, because he is the Way.

The Gospel of this first Sunday of Advent tells us that in Noah’s time people just went on with their lives “eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands”, as if everything was in order. They didn’t question themselves and they didn’t listen to Noah’s warnings; and so they did not become aware of the impending disaster that would destroy them. It is the same with us, in spite of so many warnings of danger. There was a time, when we thought that peace would be possible, because man was learning from the mistakes of the past, thus showing much greater respect for human rights and for the dignity of our neighbours. It seemed to us that finally all peoples of the world were being set free and the wealth was being more equally shared, while at the same time we were gaining victories against major diseases. But the reality has shattered all that optimism: there are as many wars today as before, and they are more vicious and bloody than before. It seems that humanity is intent on self-destruction, destroying the world - the common house of all, and destroying ourselves. The thirst for power and domination and the hunger for riches are bigger than ever. It is as if we are thirsty for human blood. And in the name of freedom and human rights, we dominate and exploit, feeding ourselves on the lives of the poor, whose number is on the increase. However, in the name of political correctness, we cannot speak out. The true values that make us human, as created in the image of God, are thrown out as old fashioned. We are intent on creating a society where God is never mentioned and never thought of, forgetting that man left to himself is consumed by self-hatred, easily going astray and never finding the way back.

It is good to listen to Isaiah’s advice: Walk in the light of the Lord. And as he advises us, Isaiah puts forward God’s Promise as a source of hope and motivation to change direction. The time has come for us to learn the ways of the Lord, “so that we may walk in his paths” (Is 2:3). If we start waling in the paths of the Lord, then we will enjoy the peace that comes from the Lord.

Nation will not lift sword against nation,

there will be no more training for war. (Is 2:4)

Advent is a time of preparation - a time to be awake and to stand ready:

“Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Mt 24:44).

Let us prepare ourselves to welcome the Lord by walking in his ways. He is the way, he is the truth and the life (Jn 14:6).

JESUS CHRIST IS THE PRINCE OF PEACE

CHRIST THE KING - Luke 23:35-43

We end the liturgical year with the feast of Christ the King and we proclaim him to be “the King of kings and Lord of Lords” (1 Tim 6:15; Rev 19:16). Lord - translating the Greek word - κυριος - which was the word used in the Septuaginta translation of the Bible (done about 300 years before Christ) to translate the name of God, YHWH. In today’s translations of the Old Testament, whenever we find the word LORD, we know that it corresponds to YHWH in the Hebrew Bible. Calling Jesus LORD was like calling him by God’s personal name YHWH, and the Jews considered that a great blasphemy. 

In this Sunday, the whole Church, united to all past generations, proclaims that Jesus is LORD and that he is the King of kings. He came to establish the Kingdom of God and his mission will be fulfilled. 

Not like the earthly kings

However, we cannot be induced in error by thinking that Jesus is a king like the earthly kings. And in this Sunday’s gospel, we can discover how Jesus’ kingdom is completely different. The reason for his crucifixion was given in an inscription fixed on the top of the cross: “the King of the Jews.” (Lk  23:38). Such words sounded like a mockery: If he is king, then his throne is the cross. But that is the truth. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus is glorified on the cross; and in the same way, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’ kingship is proclaimed and recognised on the cross. The ones responsible for his condemnation abused him and challenged him to prove that he is “the Christ, the Chosen One” (Lk 23:35). In Jesus, they only could see a false prophet. It was one of the criminals crucified with him who was able to recognise the truth and to believe that Jesus is indeed the Christ who came to save us and set up God’s kingdom, and he prayed: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Lk 23:42). Jesus answered his plea with the promise that they would enter together in paradise to share the blissfulness of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ kingship is one of faithfulness, service and love. He so loved the world, the he gave his life for us, so that we have a share in his glory.

God’s Kingdom is completely different from the Muslim Caliphate 

Speaking of a kingdom, we may think of power in the same way we think of the political powers of this world. Nothing further from the truth. How different is Jesus’ kingship from the Caliphate of the Islamic State founded on the footsteps of Muhammad and the Caliphs that came after him. They spread Islam through the power of the sword and have kept it through the centuries with an iron fist, killing those who disenchanted with Islam go in search of other answers for their lives. Unlike Muhammad, Jesus never used the power of the sword. Instead of killing all those that opposed him, as Muhammad did, he suffered death at their hands and promised suffering and persecution to those who follow him. Jesus’ power is the power of love and of mercy, and in him we experience God’s love and mercy.

Jesus made peace by his death on the cross

The second reading, taken from the letter of Paul to the Colossians, speaks of this great mystery, which is the salvation in Jesus Christ.

“He is the image of the unseen God

and the first-born of all creation,

for in him were created

all things in heaven and on earth:

everything visible and everything invisible,

Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers –

all things were created through him and for him.” (Col 1:15-16)

It is in Him that we can make a true experience of God. Everything was created through him and for him. He is the first to be born from the dead,

“because God wanted all perfection

to be found in him

and all things to be reconciled through him and for him,

everything in heaven and everything on earth,

when he made peace

by his death on the cross.” (Col 1:19-20).

It is by his death on the cross that we are reconciled and that the door of God’s kingdom is open to all who are one with Christ. This is the mystery of God’s plan, a plan made of love and mercy, as Paul puts it:

“Because that is what he has done: he has taken us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.” (Col 1:13-14)

Celebrating God’s mercy

As we celebrate Christ the King, we conclude as well the Jubilee of Mercy. This Jubilee has helped us that God’s merciful love is in the centre of his plan of salvation, and Jesus Christ, who came to carry out that plan, has taught us to be merciful as the Father is merciful (Lk 6:36).

Even though the Jubilee of Mercy is coming to an end, the spirit and the attitude of mercy are an essential part of being a Christian. As children of God, we must practice mercy, because our Father is merciful. We pray for those who are our enemies and ask God’s blessings upon them. Only being merciful, can we expect to receive mercy.

THE DAY IS COMING…

XXXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Malachi 3:19-20

The day is coming… It sounds like a threat or at least a warning. Which day is the prophet talking about? The day of judgement, when justice will be done. It will be a fearsome day for evildoers. And seeing so much injustice and violence in the world, where the poor are  trampled upon, many people say with a deep feeling: Let that day come, before we loose hope. The wealthy and the powerful live as if they are the owners of the earth, claiming the right to be served by everybody else, whom they transform into slaves, condemning them to suffering. And the poor cry out to God. It may seem that God does not care and does not pay attention to them, abandoning them to their own fate. However, if we read through the Bible, we find this constant that God is on the side of the poor and listens to their cry. 

Yes, the day is coming… The Virgin Mary was so sure of its coming that she saw it already here, praising God for it:

“He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.” (Lk 1:51-53)

That day will be the day of the coming of the Lord, and for those who walk on the ways of the Lord, that day will be a day of rejoicing. The prophet Malachi announces that day as a day of healing and salvation:

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays. (Malachi 3:20).

And we must look forward to that day with hope. It is not surprising that, since the beginning of the Church, the Christians have always cried out: Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus. (1 Cor 16:22; Rev 22:20). Come Lord, and bring your Kingdom, a kingdom of justice and righteousness, a king of peace. And we pray daily: “They Kingdom come!”

Being anxious for the coming of the Lord, there are people who announce the day of its coming. Jesus warns us about that, saying:

“Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them.” (Lk 21:)

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus mixes up the prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem and the teaching about the end of times. They are two different things, but putting them together, Jesus wants to enable us to look at the tragedies of the present moment as reminders of the times to come. We must be prepared and confident in God’s love and mercy. If we are true disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be prepared for persecution, because we will be rejected, despised and hated. We must pass through the way of the cross, following in the footsteps of Jesus. And there we will give witness to the Lord.

“You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.” (Lk 21:17-19).

And in the Lord we will find salvation.

***

Reflecting on Trump’s election

We are still trying to digest the big surprise of Trump becoming the president of the United States of America. Very few were foreseeing it. And most thought that the American people would be wise enough to reject  a crazy man. But he was chosen to the surprise of many.

It was a protest vote of people disenchanted with a political class that separated themselves from the common man. They are bored and tired with what the politicians have been offering.

Hilary Clinton had a far better organised and funded campaign, but she did not speak to the soul of the people. She should have seen the warning signs in the struggle she had to go through in order to get the nomination. The young people and the poor people were not with her. They saw her policies as a carrying on of Obama’s policies and the media, while campaigning for her, liked to indulge in the common assumption that she shares her husband’s corruption.

People are tired of the political correctness and from one day to the other they threw it off the board. Going against the feeling of many people, the Obama administration imposed transgender bathrooms in the public schools, meaning “that students who identify as transgender must be allowed to use the private facilities that match their gender identity with “no medical diagnosis or treatment requirement.” 

Small but vocal groups have all their rights safeguarded, while the rights of the majority are ignored. To promote  gender ideology is  a sign of political correctness, and gay couples are allowed to adopt children. Religion - mainly Christianism - is seen as an obstacle for the advancement of policies like the gay agenda, the gender ideology, abortion and euthanasia. They were preparing to create groups and movements to fight the Christian Churches from within.

It is not surprising that some people in the Christian Churches accused Clinton of being the Devil, because of being surrounded by people with an atheistic agenda.

However, with Clinton, we knew what to expect. Trump is unpredictable. He is a rich man who will be on the side of the rich, without any consideration for the poor, the refugees, the ilegal immigrants. Where is he going to take America? Many of those who voted for him will be disappointed.

Let us pray for a better world, a world of peace, where justice is for all.

WE BELIEVE IN GOD’S PROMISE THAT HE WILL RAISE US UP

XXXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 20:27-38

This Sunday’s readings are about the resurrection, a central belief of our faith and a theme that needs to be revisited time and again, and nowadays more than before, since there are many people who do not belief anymore in the resurrection. For the Jews, the belief in the resurrection was a theological novelty, and that’s why the Sadducees, traditionalists in matters of religion - did not believe in it. They wanted to have a good laugh, and so they tried to prove to Jesus how ridiculous this belief is by inventing the story of the woman who got married to seven brothers, without having a child from any of them. Their thinking was: whose wife will she be, if there is resurrection? However, Jesus proved them wrong, because “you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Mt 22:29). 

In fact, “those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God” (Lk 20:35-36). Following the Scriptures, there is no marriage neither sexual intercourse in paradise. In this, the Christian concept of Paradise is different from the Muslim Paradise, where the ones who are rewarded with it will enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, having plenty of perpetual virgins to satisfy them. Paul wrote that the time will come when God will be “all in all” (1 Co 15:28). And God will be our joy and our peace, our freedom and our salvation, our victory and our life.

And Jesus reminded the Sadducees of this simple truth that our God “is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.” (Lk 20:38). In the first reading, taken from 2 Maccabees 7:1-2,9-14, we find the same truth: God is the Lord of life, the God of the living, and those who put their trust in him find life. It was the faith in the faithfulness of God that led people to believe in the resurrection, and that gave the seven brothers the boldness to defy the king and to despise their own earthly lives: 

“Ours is the better choice, to meet death at men’s hands, yet relying on God’s promise that we shall be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection, no new life.” (2 Mac 7:14)

The book of the Maccabees was written to record the Jewish revolt against the oppressive regime of Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria, who forbade the Jewish religion and imposed the Greek culture and religion. The ones who refused to keep this law were persecuted, tortured and killed. They were the first martyrs, dying for keeping their faith. Since then, thousands have offered their lives in sacrifice in order to remain faithful to the God of life, sure that we can find life only in him. Hearing the story of the seven brothers, we must remember and honour the thousands upon thousands of people who preferred death to betrayal and apostasy, because God is the Lord of life and the Lord of their lives. Let us remember specially all those who live under islamic law in islamic countries, being second class citizens, always in danger of being accused and persecuted. May God give them the strength and the courage of those seven brothers.

Let us pray with the psalm:

Guard me as the apple of your eye.

  Hide me in the shadow of your wings

As for me, in my justice I shall see your face

  and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory. - Ps 17:8,15

WITH ALL SAINTS, WE SING GOD'S PRAISE

SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS - Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14

Today, we are celebrating the solemnity of All Saints. In Portugal, it is holiday.

We remember and celebrate all those who went before us, all those who have been received in God’s kingdom as his beloved children. This remembrance and this celebration strengthens our hope, because we are on our way, guided by Jesus, to reach our eternal dwelling in God’s kingdom.

Celebrating this day, I put two videos from Lubengele Parish, Chililabombwe, Zambia.

The first presents the Litany of the Saints, where we ask the Saints to intercede for us:

And the second is a song of thanksgiving and praise, the song sang by the choirs of heaven, with words from the book of Revelation.

“Now the salvation and the power 

and the kingdom of our God 

and the authority of his Christ have come, 

for the accuser of our brothers 

has been thrown down, 

who accuses them day and night 

before our God. 

And they have conquered him 

by the blood of the Lamb 

and by the word of their testimony, 

for they loved not their lives even unto death". - Rev 12:10-11