MY LORD AND MY GOD!

II EASTER SUNDAY - John 20:19-31

That Sunday - the first day of the week - was an extraordinary Sunday by all accounts. Early in the morning, it was discovered that the body of Jesus was not anymore in the tomb and such a finding left the disciples very much upset. Who could have taken Jesus’ body? The women reported to Peter and he with another disciple went there to check for himself. And they were surprised by the order and harmony which they found, interpreting that as a sign of the resurrection. Then, throughout the day, several people reported experiences of the Risen Christ. He appeared to Mary of Magdala, to Peter, and those two disciples going to Emmaus walked with him, received from him the interpretations of the Scriptures that spoke about him and recognised him in the breaking of the bread. Then, in the evening of that same day, the disciples were gathered together and Jesus came in to be present in their meeting. After greeting the disciples, Jesus entrusts them with the same mission he had received from the Father and, in order to carry out that mission, he gives them the Holy Spirit, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be able to exercise the ministry of reconciliation, forgiving sins. This passage of the gospel makes it clear to us that the forgiveness of sins is central to the role of the Church, so that she may bring people back to God and reconcile them with Him. 

Since Pope St. John Paul II, this Sunday is celebrated as the Sunday of Divine Mercy, so that we may recognise, accept and celebrate God’s mercy, who is always ready to accept us and to welcome us back. He never closes the door on us, because he is the loving who cannot forget or forsake his beloved children.

The second half of this Sunday’s gospel reading presents the figure of Thomas, the Twin. He had absented himself from the community meeting and then did not believe in the testimony of his friends. Thomas’ attitude represents well our modern man, dominated by a positivist attitude, accepting only what can be seen and touched, weighed and measured. Any conclusion or affirmation of truth must be based on experiment, repeated over and over again, following a specific and well-controlled method that always produces the same result, a result that can be measured and verified. Our age is dominated by a scientific spirit in which doubt, interrogation and search are essential, and any conclusion that is not the fruit of such research effort is looked upon with contempt. Thomas wants to check before believing, without realising that there is no need for belief on what has been seen and touched. We should be reminded that the most profound things in life are difficult to touch, weigh and measure. If we pay attention to the signs of life, we may come to an inner certainty about a God that reveals himself. This is an experience that each one gas to do for himself, and that must be shared and lived in community. Having met the Risen Christ, we cannot remain silent; like the apostles, we must give witness that he is risen and is alive. We must listen to him  as he reassures us, presenting himself as the Living One:

“Do not be afraid; 

it is I, the First and the Last; 

I am the Living One, 

I was dead and now I am to live 

for ever and ever, 

and I hold the keys of death 

and of the underworld.” (Rev 1:17-18)

With Thomas, we can proclaim our faith, saying:

“My Lord and my God!”

THE LORD HAS RISEN, HALLELUJAH

EASTER SUNDAY - John 20:1-9

The resurrection is part of the mystery of life, which is entangled with the mystery of being, that is the mystery of God, a mystery which goes far beyond our understanding and of which we may see only a glimmer of light. We cannot have full proof of God’s existence and action, but time and again we find plenty of signs that direct us to him. If we pay attention to them, they become overwhelming.

The Risen Christ - on a tomb in my home Parish Church - Tarouca.

The passage of the gospel of John which we read on Easter Sunday starts by putting forward a fact which was verified by witnesses of different background and interests: early in the morning of the first day of the week - that is Sunday - it was discovered that the tomb was empty, that is Jesus’ body was not in the sepulchre anymore. Mary of Magdala got very worried when she discovered that fact and the first thought that came to her mind was that someone had taken away the body of Jesus. She was ready to do anything in her power to find the body. In the gospel of Matthew, we are informed that the guards were instructed to spread the lie that the disciples had stolen the body during the night. So, it is a fact that Sunday morning the body of Jesus was not anymore in the tomb. The possibility of the resurrection did not occur to the disciples, even though Jesus had spoken about it.

Having found the tomb empty, Mary of Magdala reported the fact to the leaders and Peter with the beloved disciple went to the tomb in order to check the facts. Indeed, the body of Jesus was not there, but the beloved disciple was surprised by the order and the harmony that he found. Everything was in the right place. For sure, there was no robbery and nobody had taken away the body in a hurry. There was no messing up. And something clicked in the disciple’s mind: he saw the signs and it dawned on him that Jesus had risen. The gospel summarises it in a very short sentence: “he saw and he believed”. Jesus was alive indeed. He rose from the dead. Touched by the signs, the disciple was able to believe and to make the experience of the Risen Lord.

Let us rejoice with all the disciples who have met with Jesus Christ and who have experienced him alive. And with all the Church, let us sing “Hallelujah”.

           Yangeni Singers from Lubengele Parish, Chililabombwe, Zambia.

I wish everybody a happy and blessed Easter.

O LORD, DO NOT LEAVE ME ALONE

PALM SUNDAY - Luke 22:14-23:56

With his disciples, Jesus was pressing on ahead to Jerusalem. He had to in time for the great feast of Passover. From all over Palestine and beyond, there were many people walking towards Jerusalem who formed crowds, as they approached the holy city. Recognising Jesus, who had become famous as a healer, a miracle worker and a prophet, many joined in, acclaiming him as the Messiah, ”the King who comes in the name of the Lord” and who will bring peace and give glory to God. The Pharisees, who heard the cry of the crowds, got alarmed because the Romans could understand those words as treacherous and the exact punishment on everybody. In order to prevent such reaction from the Roman authorities, they asked Jesus to rebuke his disciples. Jesus refused to do so because he should be recognised as the Messiah (Christ) and glory should be given to God. However, he did not enter Jerusalem as a powerful king, mounted on his horse and surrounded by his armies. He went in like a humble servant, riding a young donkey, which would not signal danger to anyone. In spite of that, Jesus would be arrested in Jerusalem, accused of proclaiming himself as king of the Jews, thus preparing a revolt in order to get independence.

With Palm Sunday, we initiate the Holy Week, a week set apart for the remembrance of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. After the solemn entrance with the palms, we read the passion according to the Gospel of Luke (since we are in year C). The events narrated in the Passion took place in less than twenty-four hours, and all of them on Friday, following the Jewish calendar, in which the day began at sunset. Late in the evening, when it was already dark, Jesus had the Last Supper with the Apostles. Then, they went to Mount of Olives to pass the night. While the apostles went to sleep, Jesus went to pray and during his prayer, he felt enormous anguish and fear, because he was aware that the tragic moment of his passion and death was close. And in the dark of the night, a group of men, guided by Judas, the traitor, fell upon him and arrested him “and they took him to the high priest’s house”. Most of the Apostles run away. Peter followed behind, but confronted by some servants, he denied to be a companion of Jesus or even to know him. Jesus was alone, without anybody to stand by him or to speak in his favour. There, he was abused and insulted. Then, early in the morning, the religious trial took place before the council of the elders of the people, presided by the high priest and he was found guilty of blasphemy, which carried with it the death penalty. Without wasting time, they took him to Pilate, the Roman governor, so that they could have him crucified. However, to the governor, they presented a political accusation, an accusation of high treason against the emperor and the Roman state. Pilate appears to doubt about the truth of the accusation, but, in the end, he passed judgement and condemned Jesus to death on the cross. And they took him to the cavalry, carrying his cross (or the beam of the cross). Exhausted and weakened by the flogging that usually took place before a crucifixion, Jesus could not walk under the weight of the cross; so the soldiers grabbed Simon of Cyrene, a foreigner who was coming from the fields and forced him to carry the cross for Jesus. By middle morning, he was crucified and the first words that he pronounced on the cross were a plea for all those who were involved in his death: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” One of the criminals asked for forgiveness and Jesus told him: “Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus’ final words were: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” By fifteen hours, he was dead.

On the cross, Jesus prayed Psalm 22:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

All who see me deride me.

  They curl their lips, they toss their heads.

‘He trusted in the Lord, let him save him;

  let him release him if this is his friend.’

Many dogs have surrounded me,

  a band of the wicked beset me.

They tear holes in my hands and my feet

  I can count every one of my bones.

They divide my clothing among them.

  They cast lots for my robe.

O Lord, do not leave me alone,

  my strength, make haste to help me!

I will tell of your name to my brethren

  and praise you where they are assembled.

You who fear the Lord give him praise;

  all sons of Jacob, give him glory.

  Revere him, Israel’s sons.

GO, AND FROM NOW ON SIN NO MORE

V SUNDAY OF LENT - Jn 8:1-11

Last week, we heard Jesus telling the story of the father with two children (mostly known as the parable of the prodigal son). It is a nice story and we can question ourselves about its practical implications. In this Sunday’s gospel, we have a real story - the story of the woman caught in adultery, being judged and condemned by the Pharisees and the scribes, who behave like the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son. Jesus with his mercy and compassion refuses to condemn her and gives her the opportunity to repent and to convert. By doing so, he shows the Father (God)’s mercy in action.

As we read this passage (or hear it being read - Jn 8:1-11), we are called to reflect upon it and see the implications for our lives.

1. Adultery is an infidelity which many times destroys the relationship in marriage. In ancient times and in many traditional cultures, it was considered a crime and many times it was punished with death. In our modern societies, that is unthinkable; however, we need to be aware that it is no so in all cultures, even today. In the Law of Moses, the cultural practice of punishing adultery with death is presented as God's law: "If a man commits adultery with his neighbour's wife, an adulterer and an adulteress shall be punished with death." (Leviticus 20:10, see also Dt 22: 22-24). 
2. Hearing the passage of the woman caught red-handed, we should be surprised that the woman was arrested alone and an obvious question comes to mind: what happened to the man who was with her? How did they allow him to get away? The willingness to punish the woman alone indicates serious discrimination, even against the letter of the law, which imposed the same punishment on both of them. In fact, in such situations, the weak and the poor are the ones who suffer, while the rich and the powerful manage to get away. We may remember the case of Judah (Gn 38:24) and the case of David who committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11,4). 
3. The law plays an indispensable role in society, regulating human behaviour and facilitating the establishment of order and peace. However, when the law becomes absolute, it crushes the weak and the vulnerable, presenting a vengeful dimension over those who break it. The law does not contemplate the possibility of reform and conversion. And those who defend the law at all costs, thinking of themselves as righteous and just, end up doing or accepting summary executions and even mob justice which easily leads to lynchings, forgetting that they are sinners as well. 
4. Jesus showed towards the woman the love, affection, compassion and mercy of the Father who welcomed the returning son. We may get the idea that for Jesus "anything goes”, but it is not so since Jesus called her to conversion. Jesus knew that to feel loved, forgiven, accepted and recognised, gives the possibility of finding a new direction, of changing course and starting anew. Jesus refused to condemn the woman, giving her a second opportunity, the opportunity to redeem herself. We are human, and we go easily astray. However, we must be prepared to offer and to receive forgiveness, making reconciliation possible.