REMAIN FAITHFUL IN THE LORD

II SUNDAY OF LENT - Luke 9:28-36

On this second Sunday of Lent, we are presented with the Transfiguration of Jesus before three disciples chosen for that extraordinary experience. Jesus took them to the mountain to pray. In prayer, we come into the presence of God, and for that, we need to elevate ourselves, leaving behind the cares of this world. At prayer, we put ourselves at God’s disposal to be touched by his power, mercy and love. We must allow God to fill our hearts and our lives. On Sinai, Moses was drawn into the cloud that represented the mystery of God’s glory.  And that glory was so overwhelming that people felt afraid. On the mountain of transfiguration, Peter, James and John went through the same experience and were touched by God’s glory manifested in Jesus. It was an experience beyond time and space, which filled them with joy and peace. Still in the body but already in heaven, Peter cried joyfully: “Master, it is wonderful for us to be here!” With Jesus, they saw Moses and Elijah representing the Law and the Prophets for the disciples to understand that the old covenant leads to Jesus, the giver of the new covenant. Sharing the glory of Jesus, Moses and Elijah spoke to Jesus about his passing that would take place in Jerusalem. Jesus was ready to offer his life in sacrifice, thus opening the way for us to share in his glory. From heaven, the Father testified that Jesus is the “Chosen One”, the Son. Being the Son, we must listen to him. And we are left in no doubt about that. The commandment is clear: “Listen to him.”

In the second reading, taken from the letter to the Philippians, Paul makes clear the implications of this commandment: Jesus Christ is the Saviour who comes from heaven to transform our bodies in the manner of his “glorious body”. As pilgrims here on Earth, we live in the hope of reaching “our homeland” in heaven.  For us to share in God’s glory, we must remain faithful and follow the same rule of life as Paul, which implies carrying the cross of Jesus Christ.

With the psalmist let us pray: 

The Lord is my light and my help.

It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;

  hide not your face.

Dismiss not your servant in anger;

  you have been my help.

The Lord is my light and my help.

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness

  in the land of the living.

Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.

  Hope in the Lord!

The Lord is my light and my help. (Psalm 27)

DO NOT PUT GOD TO THE TEST

I SUNDAY OF LENT - Luke 4:1-13

On the first Sunday of Lent, we are presented with the temptations that Jesus suffered in the desert. The three temptations summarise the great temptations suffered by Jesus as the Son of man. The temptation of selfishness is present everywhere and comes to everybody. If I have power, due to my position and role in society, I should profit from it. Is there anything wrong with that? Most people do that. Then, the craving for wealth and power is in everybody’s heart. And people live for that. A good number will use all means at their reach to accumulate riches and become powerful. That is the way honourable people behave. Is there anything wrong with that? Finally, is there anything wrong with becoming famous? By all means, we need to be recognised and appreciated in society at large and especially in the Church, where we deal with religious matters. To get noticed, some are ready to do crazy things, but does it matter?

The temptations represent the great value of the world proposed to us by the prince of darkness. They sound fair, honourable and good, but they lead to jealousy, envy, hatred, violence, exploitation and oppression. They are not the way to salvation and happiness. Jesus rejected this path and chose the true values that will lead humanity to happiness and true life. Jesus answered with a quotation from the Scriptures to each one of the proposals.

1. “Man does not live on bread alone.” Bread is needed, and we pray for “our daily bread”. Hunger and starvation do not manifest the dignity of God’s children, but we cannot live only for that. We must find purpose and meaning in our lives. Indeed, we need much more than bread. Created in the image of God, who is love, we need to love and be loved,
2. “You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.” Only God deserves to be worshipped and served. He is the one who sets us free and accepts us as his beloved children. Nothing can take God’s place and demand total obedience and service from us. Only God is God, and everything else exists to be at our service.
3. “You must not put the Lord your God to the test.” Whenever we use God’s name in vain and try to force him to satisfy our whims, we put God to the test. If we do that, we will suffer the consequences. God cannot be used for us to find influence and power or together recognition. We should not expect God to do for us what we can and should do ourselves.

Jesus came out victorious and showed us the way to remain faithful to the Lord. Let us pray with the psalmist:

His love he set on me, so I will rescue him;

  protect him for he knows my name.

When he calls I shall answer: ‘I am with you,’

  I will save him in distress and give him glory. (Psalm 91)

PLANTED IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD THEY WILL FLOURISH IN THE COURTS OF OUR GOD.

 VIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 6:39-45

In the first reading and in the gospel, we find several pieces of advice that should guide us in our daily lives and relationships with others. 

• the blind cannot lead blind people. However, that happens time and again in political and religious spheres. Some leaders pretend to be enlightened despite their ignorance and lack of common sense and give themselves the right to show the way. They end up falling into a ditch. They should be unmasked and denounced.
• As true disciples, we must follow in the footsteps of our teacher, Jesus Christ. We must be ready to be rejected as he was. Like him, we must carry the cross.
• We find it easy to point out others’ shortcomings and failures, ignoring and covering up our own. We must be hard on ourselves before being hard on others.
• The goodness of a tree is known by its fruits. In the same way, the goodness of a man is shown in his actions. Good behaviour comes from “the store of goodness in his (a man’s) heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness.”
• “For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.” The first reading, taken from Sirach, stresses the importance of the words as they reveal a person’s heart: “ The test of a man is in his conversation.” And it continues: “Do not praise a man before he has spoken,   since this is the test of men.” (Sirach 27:8).

In the second reading, taken from the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of our sharing in Jesus’ victory. With Him, we will overcome death, being able to sing a hymn of victory:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. 

Death, where is your victory? 

Death, where is your sting?”

“So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Co 15:54-58)

BE MERCIFUL AS YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL

VII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 6:27-38

Being created in the image of God, we should reflect His inner qualities in our lives and behaviour.

In the Holy Scripture, three passages set forward the ideal proposed to us by God:

• “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Lev 19:2)
• “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).
• “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36)

According to the letter to Ephesians, God “chose us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ep 1;4). Holiness is the goal God established for us. Once we achieve that, we will be perfect, as the Father is perfect. We may think that God is aiming too high, proposing to us something unachievable. Indeed, by our means, we will not get there. However, he will grant us the perfection in Christ. For that, we must become one with Christ, and the image of Christ must be present in us. It is a long way that demands effort and continuous conversion, only possible by God’s grace. Having received mercy from God, we must be merciful to others. God’s compassion and mercifulness are the clearest signs of his holiness.

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus presents the path of mercy to his disciples: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly.” It is a difficult path because our hearts, moved by a false sense of pride, are set on vengeance. Inside our hearts, we carry Cain, allowing ourselves to be dominated by jealousy and envy that lead us to violence.

In the first reading, we are presented with David as a role model for the greatness of exercising mercy within the political realm. David had done nothing to provoke Saul’s wrath. On the contrary, he had been a faithful servant. He was on the run to escape from Saul’s pursuit. Then, he had the opportunity to avenge himself and kill his enemies, However, with gracefulness, David chose to leave revenge in the hands of God. Vengeance belongs to God:

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Ro 12:19)

Let us learn with Jesus to be merciful, thus imitating the Father who as been merciful to us.

WE PUT OUR TRUST IN THE LORD

VI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20

Within us, there is a profound desire for life, and we never accept death as the end of our lives. Despite being confronted by death, we never get used to it. We pray and hope that death will not have the last word. For those who believe death is the gateway to God’s world, where we will be welcomed by him to share in his glory. However, we may be called upon to face reality and accept inevitable death as the end of our dreams.

In the Church of Jesus Christ, his disciples meet every Sunday to celebrate his resurrection, believing that we will rise to eternal life with him if we pass through death with him. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the nucleus of our faith. We, the followers of Jesus Christ, believe that Jesus rose from the dead and became the “firstborn from the dead” (Col 1:18), with us following him behind. As he rose, we shall rise to eternal life in his Kingdom.

Faith in the resurrection of Jesus has been faced with doubts and denial from the beginning. The religious leaders in Jerusalem accused the Apostles of stealing Jesus’ body and then spread the lie (falsity) of his resurrection. When Paul announced the resurrection of Jesus in Athens, people laughed at him, considering it a fairytale. It is no surprise then that many people refused to believe in the resurrection of the dead. That’s why, in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul had to reassert this essential point of the Christian faith: “If Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead?” And Paul concludes: “... if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins.” “If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.”

The resurrection implies that our bodily dimension will share in the glory of God. Paul wrote to the Philippians: Christ “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Phil 3:21). The whole person will be saved, body and soul.

We must strengthen our faith in the resurrection, which is the source of our hope. We know that God will remain faithful to his promise, and he will set us free from the corruption that enslaves us. We put our trust in the Lord. Indeed, “Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.”

CHOSEN AND CALLED TO BE FISHER OF MEN

V SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 5:1-11

In this time of ours, whoever doesn’t accept the politically correct is excluded and cancelled. DEI - diversity, equity and inclusion - are essential parts of political correctness that supersedes even religious belief. Thus, it has spread the idea that all religions are the same and all lead to God. Therefore, there is no need to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ or call people to conversion. If that is so, this Sunday’s readings are out of step with that way of thinking. Isaiah heard God’s call and answered: “Here I am, send me” (Is 6:8). He was ready to be at the service of the Lord, making God’s word known to the people.

In the Gospel, Jesus calls Simon, proposing the mission of being a fisher of men. In carrying out his mission, Simon will have to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, calling people to repentance and conversion. They must turn away from the false gods that enslave them and keep them away from the true God. As we announce the Gospel, we denounce the idols that lead us to condemnation. Certainly, we cannot impose on others the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. We propose a way of Life that has Jesus as the role model for the ones who choose to live as children of God.

Can we have Isaiah’s attitude of service and obedience? Are we ready to be faithful to God’s call, or do we allow ourselves to be carried away by novelties that ignore the gospel? When questioned by Jesus about their loyalty and faithfulness, Peter answered in the name of the disciples: Where shall we go? Only you have words of eternal life. Indeed, only in Jesus can we find life and salvation.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us that he teaches what he was taught. He did not introduce novelties but remained faithful to what he had received, mainly about the resurrection and the eucharist. And he repeats: “... what matters is that I preach what they preach, and this is what you all believed” (1 Co 15:11).

JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD – Luke 2:22-40

According to the Law of Moses, the first born should be consecrated to God. Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for that purpose. In the temple, they presented and consecrated Jesus. He belongs to God, the Father. Thus, it is not surprising that, as a young adult, he remained behind in his Father’s house, where he belonged. However, to take Jesus with them, they had to offer “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Being the Son of God, he chose to be born under the Law to rescue those who were under the Law. According to the second reading taken from the letter to the Hebrews, Christ shared with all of us the same things that we have, flesh and blood «so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.» Sharing in everything that we are and have, except sin, «he is able to help those who are being tested», because «he himself was tested by what he suffered».

Taken to the temple to be consecrated, Jesus is recognised by Simeon as the Saviour, a «light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Before him, everybody will have to make a choice: either they accept or reject him. Nothing will remain hidden and the inner thoughts, feelings and decisions will be brought into the open. In Jesus Christ, we will find salvation or fall by the side. Simeon puts it clearly: «This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed.»

Let us accept Jesus as the light for the paths of our lives and proclaim him as the Saviour of the world.

In this feast of the Presentation of the Lord, we celebrate the day of Consecrated Life. Let us pray for all those who have surrendered their lives to the Lord, that they may remain faithful to the end.

THE WORD OF GOD

 III SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10

This Sunday is dedicated to the Word of God. The Word is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God who became flesh and lived among us. As the word, the Son reveals the Father and leads us to Him. He addresses us, calls us by name, and establishes a loving relationship. God speaks to us. His word is a call, and a challenge. We need an open mind and a listening heart to listen to God’s word. The word of God gives understanding and constitutes a guide to our lives. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

In this Sunday of the Word of God, we are invited to celebrate the Word and become aware of the great importance of the word in our lives and in the life of the Church. For this celebration, we are presented with two texts from the Scriptures: the first reading and the gospel.

In exile, the Jews learnt to live without the Temple as the great sign of God’s presence in the middle of his people. Little by little, the reading of the Scriptures in the community took the place of the sacrifices and the synagogue would replace the Temple. When the exiles returned to their homeland, the importance of the community reading of the Scriptures grew in appreciation. The solemn proclamation of the word came to be accepted as the opportunity for the community to hear God speaking to them.

The first reading presents the great assembly organised by Ezra and Nehemiah for the public and solemn reading of God’s word. The occasion is presented as a big feast in which the hearts of all those present were touched by the commandments of the Lord.

With the passing of time, the synagogues could be found everywhere. They were community houses where people gathered to hear the word and worship the Lord. In Nazareth, as in Capernaum as in many other places, there was a synagogue where a liturgy of the word was celebrated every sabbath. Jesus went there as he used to do and was called upon to read a passage from Isaiah. It was a passage about the Messiah, and Jesus understood it as speaking of him. He is the one anointed with the Spirit to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

The Scriptures speak of Christ and lead us to Christ. In them, we hear God calling us and revealing God’s loving heart to us.

YOU SHALL BE CALLED “MY DELIGHT”

II DOMINGO DO TEMPO COMUM - John 2:1-11

In the gospel of John, Jesus begins his ministry at the wedding of Cana in Galilee, where he changed water into wine. That was the first great sign Jesus gave, through which he revealed his Messiahship. The wedding was already a sign of God’s covenant and His faithfulness to it. God loves his people with great love, finding his joy in them:

“and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride,

so will your God rejoice in you.” (Is 62:5).

The wedding of Cana represents the beginning of the new covenant brought about by Jesus. In the episode presented by John, Jesus occupies the central stage. The wedding feast fell short of what was expected on such an occasion The guests felt disappointed, and the groom experienced inadequacy. Indeed, the old covenant, unable to fulfil our deepest desires, did not bring salvation. Mary, Jesus’ mother, represents the poor of Yahweh, who never loses hope in God’s love. She cries out to Jesus, calling his attention to the situation we are in. At Mary’s intervention, Jesus acted promptly, bringing forth the time of salvation.

Whenever we are overburdened by suffering and sorrow, we must look at Mary, and she will call Jesus’ attention to us. Then, he will change the water of our unhappiness into the wine of festivity. Only Jesus can bring consolation and peace.

“No longer are you to be named ‘Forsaken’,

nor your land ‘Abandoned’,

but you shall be called ‘My Delight’

and your land ‘The Wedded’;

for the Lord takes delight in you

and your land will have its wedding.” (Is 62:1-5)

Let us be the delight of the Lord.

 BAPTISED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD - Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

Many people became convinced that John the Baptist was the Messiah, but, being an honest and truthful man, he did not waste time in denying such a claim. Indeed, he never tried to present himself as someone he was not. He was a simple voice in the desert calling people to repentance and conversion. He came to prepare the way of the Lord. Thus, he points out the big difference between him and the Messiah. He was “not fit to undo the strap of his sandals” since the Messiah was much greater than he was. Aware of the Messiah’s greatness, John compares his baptism with the one to be bestowed by the Messiah. John baptises with water, while the Messiah will baptise with the Holy Spirit.

There is a huge difference between John’s baptism and the baptism given to us by Jesus Christ. Those who went to John were baptised by him while confessing their sins. They accepted the call for repentance and showed a willingness to convert. The baptism was a sign of their commitment to walk on the straight path of the Lord. In the baptism given to us by Jesus, we were anointed with the Holy Spirit, who recreates us and makes us children of God. By the Holy Spirit, we are made one with Christ, becoming with him children of God.

In Jesus’ baptism, his sonship was revealed when the voice from heaven proclaimed: “You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.” Anointed with Spirit, Jesus was ready to be the Servant of the Lord and carry out his mission for the salvation of the world. Jesus came to baptise us with the Holy Spirit so that the Father’s words are pronounced on each one of us: You are my son. We are God’s beloved children, and we may cry out: “Abba! Father!” (Ro 8:15).

In our baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, the water is a symbol and an instrument of the Holy Spirit, who is the one regenerating us. In Him, we are born from above (again), that is, from God.  As John wrote in his gospel: 

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Jn 1:12-13).

As we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, let us give thanks for our baptism and renew our commitment to be true followers of Jesus Christ.

ALL NATIONS SHALL FALL PROSTRATE BEFORE YOU

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - Matthew 2:1-12

From old times, the solemnity of Epiphany has been considered a great feast, as important as Christmas. The Magi represent the Gentiles who recognise Jesus as the Messiah and Saviour. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells us that the plan of salvation (the mystery) “has now been revealed through the Spirit”. Indeed, the “pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel.” (Ep 3:5-6). The promise made to the people of Israel was intended for all nations of the earth. Today, in this great feast, we celebrate God’s merciful love offered to all of us.

Through the story of the Magi who came from the East, Matthew presents the same truth taught by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. The story of the Magi anticipates what will happen to Jesus when he is rejected and excluded from his people, suffering death on the cross. The early Church will go through the same experience of rejection and exclusion.

The Magi came from the East, the land of the rising sun, following a star that leads to Christ, the true light of the world. Despite the exhaustion of a long journey, they did not give up looking for the Messiah. They were filled with hope, and this hope reassured them in the pursuit of their goal: to find the Saviour that would bring peace to their souls. In their search, they allowed themselves to be guided by the Spirit that led them to Christ. By contrast, Herod, the king of the Jews, filled with jealousy, decided to get rid of the child Jesus. For that purpose, he was joined by the religious leaders of Jerusalem. They live in darkness, with their hearts full of malice. Indeed, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (Jn 1:11) As a child, with his life in danger, Jesus had to find refuge in Egypt. Later on in life, as an adult, he would be sentenced to death on the cross for a crime that he did not commit. The high priest considered him a false prophet who deserved to die and took him to Pilate, the political authority, with the accusation of high treason. Jesus was rejected by his people and believed by the Gentiles. Walking on Jesus’ steps, the early Church suffered the same fate: rejected by the Jews, it was expelled from the Synagogue. Meanwhile, an increasingly large number of Gentiles entered the community of believers.

Let us join the psalmist in singing:

The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts

  shall pay him tribute.

The kings of Sheba and Seba

  shall bring him gifts.

Before him all kings shall fall prostrate,

  all nations shall serve him. (Psalm 72)