GOD’S LOVE AND MERCY

IV SUNDAY OF LENT - Luke 15:1-3,11-32

The parable of the father who had two sons, commonly known as the parable of the prodigal son, is one of the masterpieces of Jesus’ teaching. It deals with human sin and with God’s love and mercy. It speaks about the relationship ofGod with us human beings. And the way we relate to God has implications on the way we relate to each other. God is represented by the father in the parable, while humanity is represented by the two sons.

The father is not autocratic, even though both sons feel oppressed, desiring to live as if the father did not exist. Humanity tries to get rid of God in order to conquer independence and take his place. The younger son rejected the father and turned his back on him to be able to mark out his own way and establish his own rules. His attempt ended in so big a disaster that he would accept to become a servant so as to survive. His survival was only possible by going back to the one he had rejected. His attempt at independence without the father and against the father was a total failure. Indeed, humanity needs to hit the bottom rock to turn back to God. Are we at that point now? Or do we need to sink even lower? Money, power, knowledge and science will not lead us to salvation since they deliver false happiness and create rivalries that lead us to violence and war. Like the father in the parable, God allows us to make our own choice and find out for ourselves what we are capable of. The end result is messing up everything. Without God and against him, we run to self-destruction. Many times, that is the only way for us to accept our fragility and sinfulness. Meanwhile, the father is waiting for the son to return. When he does, the father embraces him with all his love.

As we read the parable, our attention is drawn to the youngest son, the one who misbehaved terribly. It is as if we see ourselves in him. Looking at him, we realise that we have not lost everything yet. There is still time to repent and to turn back. However, we should look attentively at the elder son as well. He is a well-behaved son, who never left his father’s house. He is obedient, hard-working and responsible. He is among the best and his father can be proud of him. In the end, we discover that from him we got a false picture. He did not live like a son in his father’s house and he behaved as if he had no brother. Where was he when the younger one left the house? He did not intervene because he didn’t care. Maybe he was even happy since he remained alone. In his self-righteousness, he could judge everybody else, mainly all those who did not behave or think like him. Full of pride and selfishness, he is the only one who dictates the rules and sits on judgement. The father was no match for him. How could he be, if he did not punish the young one for his misbehaviour? As for his brother, he had no brother. As a brother, he was dead and, if alive, he did not deserve a second chance.

A distorted relationship with God brings forth a distorted relationship with others. Where there was a brother, now there is an enemy that should be brought down and destroyed.

Maybe, we can read the parable in the context of the present war between Russia and Ukraine. All of us are sinners. And God, the father, is waiting for his children to realise how self-destructive their behaviour is. Some nations and their leaders point fingers at others accusing them of being devilish, forgetting that they have done the same time and again. Instead of looking for ways that may lead to peace, they add fuel to the fire, as if all of them together are ready to burn the world.

To find peace, we must recognise God as the Father of us all and then recognise the others as our brothers and sisters.

Father, give us your Spirit, change our hearts for us to be pacemakers, accepting our brothers and rejoicing with them.

THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

III SUNDAY OF LENT - Luke 13:1-9

Can we be sure of salvation and are we already saved? There are so many people asking this question. And many of them feel assured of salvation because they believe and they accepted Jesus as their saviour. To the Corinthians, St. Paul wrote: “The man who thinks he is safe must be careful that he does not fall.” (1 Cor 10:12). We may fall and lose our way to salvation. We were called and chosen, and we said “yes” to God’s call. Thus we entered the path to salvation; however, we haven’t arrived yet and we may lose the way. And, according to Paul, the people of Israel are an example of that: 

“They were all baptised into Moses in this cloud and in this sea; all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink, since they all drank from the spiritual rock that followed them as they went, and that rock was Christ. In spite of this, most of them failed to please God and their corpses littered the desert.” (1 Cor 10:2-5).

Salvation is not something we can achieve by our effort, no matter how much we strive. Salvation is always a gift bestowed on us by God, who loves us, having decided in his merciful love to call us to share in his glory. However, this gift must be accepted with thanksgiving. To God’s love, we must reciprocate with love. This love is shown through obedience and faithfulness. If we turn our backs on God and abandon the path of righteousness, then we will end up lost in despair. God has called us and we must accept his call and show forth our love to Him in our daily existence. We are on the road to salvation and may the Lord, in his great mercy, grant us his Spirit so that we may reach our destination and find the welcoming arms of Jesus Christ. We must produce fruits of justice, mercy and love. The Lord gives us extra time as he did to the fig tree. However, in the end, if the tree doesn’t produce any fruits, it will be cut down.

Meanwhile, we are called to repentance and conversion. Let us turn our hearts to God that he may cleanse us of our sins and make us holy according to His holiness.

THE TRANSFIGURATION

II SUNDAY OF LENT - Luke 9:28-36

On the mountain, while praying, Jesus was transfigured, revealing himself before Peter, James and John in his glorious body.

In the book of Exodus, we are told that coming down from Mount Sinai, Moses had a shining face. He had to cover his face with a veil, because “they were afraid to come near him” (Ex 34:29-35). The brightness on Moses’ face was but a reflection of God’s glory. 

Jesus, being the Son of God, is the light, a light that is hidden under the veil of his body. However, in the transfiguration, the apostles were able to see through his body the radiance of his glory. Jesus’ transfiguration is the pre-announcement and the promise of our transfiguration. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote that Jesus “will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body” (Phil 3:21). We are called and we are promised to be transfigured in Jesus’ manner. For us to reach that glory, we must follow Jesus’ path - a path that goes suffering and death on the cross. Moses and Elijah - that is the Law and Prophets - point to that, but the disciples and the people, in general, could not understand that. How could they accept a suffering Messiah? All their hope was in a Messiah full of power and earthly glory, which they would share. They expected an earthly reward for being followers of Jesus. It is not surprising that, while Moses and Elijah “were speaking of his passing”, the three apostles “were heavy with sleep”. They made an effort to keep awake and were able to see Jesus’ glory. He was thrilled with the vision and expressed his profound desire to remain there: “Master, it is wonderful for us to be here.” Before such a statement, Luke concludes: “He did not know what he was saying.” Here, on earth, we cannot have but passing moments of contemplation. “Our homeland is in heaven” (Phil 3:20) and the way to reach there is full of difficulties. For that, we must obey God’s commandment: “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.” Indeed, being the Word, Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6).

MAN DOES NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE

I SUNDAY OF LENT - Luke 4:1-13

At the beginning of Lent, we are invited to reflect upon the temptations of Jesus. One thing is true, Jesus was tempted many times, at different places and in different circumstances. They asked him for a sign and he was called upon to descend from the cross as proof of his divinity. Luke summarises all temptations in three, as he presents Jesus in the desert reflecting upon his mission and choosing the path he would follow to carry out that mission. The three temptations are paradigmatic, representing the big temptations that seduced the people of Israel and go on seducing the Church. And the people of God have fallen prey to them many times.

1. There is always the danger of confusing the Kingdom of God with an easy and good life, where our welfare is guaranteed. Progress and development are not the same as the Kingdom of God and, if not well managed, they will us away from it. To the Romans, St. Paul wrote: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” According to Jesus, the Word of God must always be the guide for the appraisal of human endeavour.
2. Wealth and power are not the way to salvation, since they easily become gods to which we prostrate ourselves. If we live for wealth and power, we become blind to the reality of pain and suffering that surrounds us. We become insulated, building ivory towers from which we exploit and dominate the world and we change the brothers that surround us into slaves oppressed by us.
3. The danger of using God for us to gain prominence is constant. Instead of giving glory to God, we use God to get our own glory. God is put at our service and in his name we impose ourselves. To do that is to put God to the test, and that will bring a bad outcome for us. 

Jesus rejected each one of the proposals giving a biblical quotation as the reason for his choice. The word of God is of paramount importance because it sets forward the great values that must guide our lives. And some of them are worthy of sacrificing our lives for them.

Only God is God and nothing can take his place. Whatever we put up instead of God is a false god that, in the end, destroys our lives. God is the only foundation of our dignity and the guarantee of our freedom.

Finally, we cannot force God to do for us what we can and should do ourselves. He calls us to cooperate with him in the work of salvation.

JESUS' TEMPTATIONS

the song "Intunko shake Yesu" (Jesus' temptations) is sung by Yangeni Singers of Lubengele Parish, Chililabombwe, Zambia. The main singer is Clement Musonda; the melody was composed by Boniface Sandwe.

SATAN

 

What are you doing here

Suffering with hunger?

Are you not the Son of God?

What is your power for?

Why are you doubting?

What are you doing here hungry?

If you are the Son of God

Change these stones into bread,

Eat and be satisfied.

 

JESUS

 

It is written

That man does not live

By bread alone

But by every word 

that comes from God.

 

SATAN

 

Yes, it is written!

He gave orders to his angels about you.

They will keep and protect you,

They will carry you in their arms,

So that you don’t stumble and be hurt.

Yes, it is written!

Then, why are you doubting?

Throw yourself down!

Throw yourself!

Believe!. Be confident!

Throw yourself down!

Throw yourself!

Don’t doubt.

Throw yourself down!

Throw yourself.

It is written.

Throw yourself down!

Throw yourself.

Believe.

Throw yourself down!

Throw yourself!

Believe.

Throw yourself down!

Throw yourself!

 

JESUS

 

Truly, it is written:

Do not put God, your Lord, to the test.

 

 

SATAN

 

Look at the world:

How beautiful.

By my power,

They become wealthy

And from me

They become kings.

Look at the world.

 

Everything is mine,

Let it be yours;

I give it to you.

Everything is mine,

Let it be yours,

If you kneel down

And worship me.

Everything is mine,

Let it be yours.

I am your god.

Everything is mine,

Let it be yours.

 

JESUS

 

Be gone, Satan!.

For it is written:

Worship the Lord your God

And him alone shall you serve.