REJOICE IN THE LORD!

III SUNDAY OF ADVENT:Phil 4:4-7

What are we looking for? Pleasure or joy and peace?

In todays world, many people confuse joy with pleasure. Indeed, they may go together, as two partners walking hand in hand; however, time and again, pleasure is but a mask of true joy, leaving a sour of aftertaste, filled with disappointment, which may turn into despair. The search for pleasure is seen as a supreme good that should be looked for at all costs. This search for pleasure is many times an attempt at hiding the emptiness and drowning the sorrows deep down in the heart. We refuse to face ourselves and to recognise how much our hearts are confused and anxious, in turmoil. Sometimes, it seems as if the more we look for pleasure, the more true joy stays away from us.

Looking for joy in the wrong place

Why all that? May be we look for joy in the wrong place. Already in his time, the prophet Jeremiah reproached his people, because "they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer 2:13). 

Nowadays, the broken cisterns that hold no water are the in drugs, alcohol, sex, wealth and power, inn which we take refuge. They bring some pleasure, but after a while, they become our masters, and we their slaves, with our lives destroyed and wasted.

In this Sunday, we hear a call to rejoice. The prophet Zephaniah shouted in a loud voice: 

"Shout for joy, daughter of Zion,

Israel, shout aloud!

Rejoice, exult with all your heart,

daughter of Jerusalem!

The Lord has repealed your sentence;

he has driven your enemies away.

The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst;

you have no more evil to fear." (Zeph 3:14-15).

Why should we rejoice? Because the Lord is in our midst, and he has defeated our enemies. We have no reason to fear. We are in his hands, in his safe and caring hands.

Be happy: the Lord is near!

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul repeats a similar message:

"I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near.

There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:4-7).

It is easy to be tolerant, when our hearts are at peace. And God is a God of peace. There is no need to worry, because God will guard our hearts and our thoughts. We must not fear God; we can approach him with confidence, putting before him our needs, our worries and our sufferings.

JOHN THE BAPTIST CALLS FOR FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE

All kinds of people came to John, to be baptized and to receive guidance from him. Luke presents John as an upright man, who stood for the truth and who was not afraid of speaking out. He presented himself as a Voice, the voice that calls out in the desert, asking people to repent, to convert and to adopt new attitudes - attitudes of fairness and of justice. He spoke against exploitation, extortion and oppression.

To the tax collectors he said: "Exact no more than your rate." And to a group of soldiers who came to him, he advised:"No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!"

John reminds us that the coming of the Messiah must bring about a society based in fairness, justice and peace.

JOHN THE BAPTIST IS AN HISTORICAL FIGURE

II SUNDAY OF ADVENT:Lk 3:1-6

“In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the lands of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrach of Abilene, during the pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas the word of God came to John son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.” (Lk 3:1-2)

In this Sunday’s gospel, Luke is very careful in situating John the Baptist historically. The gospels are not first and foremost books of history. They are proclamations of the Good News of salvation brought to us by Jesus Christ and, at the same time, they are catechesis - the catechesis  given in and to the Christian communities, in order to deepen the knowledge of Jesus Christ and of his way of life and in order to guide and strengthen them, so that they stand as true witnesses to the love of God. The writers of the gospels were neither secretaries writing a report nor journalists putting down the detailed facts observed by them. Empowered by a deep and strong love of Jesus Christ, they felt obliged to help many others to have a share in that love.

The Greek and Roman world were full of stories of heroes and of gods, which expressed the most deep human desires, revealed through the most vile or the most honourable and glorious actions. Luke makes it very clear that John the Baptist and the Messiah that he announced were not fairy tale stories. They were real people who lived among other people. Their lives can be situated in a certain time and in a certain place. John started his ministry during “the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign” (Lk 3:1).

As Christians, we do not believe in fairy tales. Jesus and Jesus’ gospel have their feet well grounded on the soil of human living. And that is what we are preparing ourselves to celebrate at Christmas: the mystery of the Son of God who came to share our life and our suffering, in order to bring salvation.

My prayer

“My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognise what is best.” (Fil 1:9-10)

A TIME OF EXPECTANCY AND HOPE

I SUNDAY OF ADVENT: Jer 33:14-16

This Sunday, we start the season of Advent, which is a time of expectancy and hope.

The daily news are a litany of natural disasters and wars, compounded with an economy in recession and people suffering from all kinds of strange diseases, leading many to loose faith and to despair. This time of Advent comes to remind us that, in spite of all the hardships and sufferings, we must look forward, because better times are coming.

Stand erect and hold your heads high!

In this world, where most people are full of apprehension, misgivings, and suspicion, the Christians must be a beacon of hope. Even if the end of the world is near,  as some preach, Christian must “stand erect and hold their heads high” (Lk 21:28), because the PROMISED ONE is coming with salvation.

The prophet Jeremiah was considered a prophet of doom, because he was constantly warning the people about the incoming catastrophe. His call was for change and conversion, so that the disaster might pass them by. However, in his later life, he transformed himself into a prophet of hope, helping people to see beyond the present suffering. 

In his old age, St. Augustine saw the Vandals enter his city, bringing destruction and death. Many people thought that it was the end of the world, and they looked to Augustine for guidance. And his answer was: It is the end of this old world, and the birth of a new world.

Honesty and integrity in the land

A Christian can never lose hope. Let us listen to Jeremiah’s words, full of promise: 

The “Promised One” (the Messiah) 

“shall practise honesty and integrity in the land.

In those days Judah shall be saved

and Israel shall dwell in confidence.

And this is the name the city will be called:

The-Lord-our-integrity.” (Jer 33:15-16)

The hope that fills our hearts will gives the courage and boldness to practice “honesty and integrity” and to work for justice and peace in the land.

Psalm 25:8-10,14

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

He teaches his way to the poor.

His ways are faithfulness and love

for those who keep his covenant and law.

The Lord’s friendship 

is for those who revere him;

to them he reveals his covenant.

CHRIST THE KING, a king of love and mercy

XXXIIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Jn 18:33-37

In the last Sunday of the liturgical year, we celebrate Christ the King. Everyday, as Christians we proclaim Jesus as Lord. Indeed, he is Lord of lords and King of kings.

What kind of king is Christ?

If Jesus Christ is king, then, we may ask what kind of king is he? The title of king, applied to Christ, can be very misleading, if misunderstood. Jesus himself never claimed to be a king, except during his trial, when he was being questioned by Pilate. Asked by Roman governor, if he was a king, Jesus answered with a question: You yourself, do you think that I am a king? Or are you accepting as a fact what others told you about me? 

In chains, before the Roman tribunal, the affirmation that he is a king sounded like a joke, and Jesus himself referred to it by saying: Where is my army? Where are my soldiers? And where are our weapons? 

How could the Roman State feel threatened by such a king? In court, Jesus was straightforward in his statement: “My kingdom is not of this world.”

His kinship is of service

Jesus is a king, but not like human kings. According to the book of Revelation, he is “the faithful witness” (Rev 1:5). He is a witness to God’s love. He is the truth, and in him, we find the truth. His rule is not imposed by oppression and injustice. His kingship is of service. He is a king of love, who “loved to the end” (Jn 13:1), who gave himself totally for the ones he loves.

Jesus had been accused of high treason, and Pilate ordered that to be stated clearly on the cross: Jesus, the Nazarene, king of the Jews.

He was proclaimed king on the cross

Jesus was proclaimed king on the cross. The cross, on which he gave the supreme proof of his love, is the throne from which he calls everybody to share the life that he gives.

He “made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:6). He shares with us his kingship, and he will allow us to sit on his throne of glory, but for that we have to walk in the same path: to fill our hearts with love and to put ourselves at the service of others.

TO WHERE DOES A TREE FALL?

XXXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: MK 13:24-32

The end of the world

We are reaching the end of the liturgical year, and, this Sunday, we are presented with readings about the end of the world.

The message, both in the Gospel (Mk 13:24-32) and in the first reading (Dan 12:1-3), is a prophetic message, not so much as a prediction of the future, but as a call for the present. Yes, the readings are concerned with our present attitudes, and try to motivate us to look critically at ourselves and the society in which we live, so that we make a radical change. 

A prophetic call

The world will end. Even science admits that. However, the texts of the Scriptures have nothing of scientific about it. Instead, they are a prophetic warning: do no take God for granted! There will be a time of judgement, in which we will be called to answer for our deeds. That must be taken seriously. Indeed, our relationship with God and the implications of it for our daily lives, must be taken seriously. Or we may loose it all. There is a Bemba proverb that says: the trees fall the side where they are inclined to. That’s is obvious about trees. However, the proverb is about people, not about trees, meaning that our end will depend on how we deal with our daily attitudes. So we must ask ourselves: Where are we inclined to? To which side are we going to fall?

Our future is decided now

Jesus advises us no to spend our time and our energies trying to guess when the end of the world will be, because that is God’s secret. We must concentrate on making our daily life meaningful. Then, we will recognise the signs of the coming of the Son of Man, and we will welcome him with joy, not with fear. We will fear, if we have been moving in the wrong direction; then, we will fall to the wrong side, and we will not find life, rejoicing in God’s love, but we will find the pain and agony of loneliness, and the burning fire of hatred.

The end of the world will be the end of this world and the beginning of a new world, in which God will be “all in all” (Eph 1:23). We must think about the end of the world, and mainly our own end, with hope, not with despair. However, we must always remember that the choices are made now, and we will reap what we are sowing now. 

MONEY DOES NOT BUY THE KINGDOM OF GOD

XXXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: MK 12:38-44

In a world dominated by the big finance, money can achieve nearly everything. We may even think that it has taken  the place of God, or at least, we can buy a place in God’s kingdom with it. There are people, and they are many, who have an insatiable hunger for money and for wealth. It is never enough. They always need more.

Never satisfied

Surely, human beings are always in search of more, whatever it may be. And they are never satisfied. This dissatisfaction should lead us to God, because only in him we can find peace and fulfilment. However, wealth and power have hijacked this deep desire of our hearts, misleading us and transforming what should be a tool at the service of all into a tool of oppression and exploitation.

In this week’s Sunday Gospel, Jesus tells us clearly that we cannot get God’s approval with the amount of money we offer. It is not like in auction, where the highest bidder gets his prize. Seating in front of the treasury box, Jesus observed people depositing their offerings. And then a poor widow approached and threw in a little coin. Humanly speaking, she offered nothing, and her contribution would not make any different. In spite of that, in God’s eyes, she was the one who offered most, because she offered all that she had, with a pure and sincere heart and with total confidence in God’s compassion and care.

God does not count the money

God does not count the money that we give; he doesn’t need it. We are the ones in need of money, and then trust money more than God. But God doesn’t look to our hands to see how much they are carrying; he looks to our hearts to see how much we are ready to share and how much we entrust ourselves into his hands.

ESSENTIAL VALUES AND ATTITUDES

XXXI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Mk 12:28-34

An important question

People can ask all kinds of questions. And the same question may be asked time and again, sometimes just to test you, most of the times, to get understanding and reassurance.

Jesus was asked many questions by common people, by his disciples, by people of influence and by his enemies. The Pharisees asked Jesus many questions about his doctrine and his mission. In this Sunday’s gospel, the question came from a scribe. The scribes were teachers and interpreters of the Law of Moses. And he asked: “Which commandment is the most important of all?”

A profession of faith: Only God is God

As a scribe, he knew the answer. Maybe, he just wanted to make sure that Jesus knew the answer as well. Jesus answered quoting Dt 6:4-5, which was (and still is) part of the morning and evening daily prayer of the Jews, called Shema. It is not only a prayer, but it is also a profession of faith: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

We do not believe in many gods. To believe that there is only one God is the most fundamental article of faith, which has profound consequences for our lives. He is life and the source of life. In truth, only He can say “I am!” Nothing can take his place; everything else is relative and only he is absolute. He must occupy the centre of our lives: it is from him that we come, and to him we go, unless we get lost in the way.

Before God, only love matters

Already in the Old Testament, it was stressed that the correct attitude towards God is an attitude of love. God is love, and he calls us to live in love. Once we recognise and accept God, we are filled with his love, and that must be shown in our attitude of love towards our neighbours (see Lev 19:18). That is what matters before God. 

In the end, the scribe praised Jesus, stressing that concern, care and love for our neighbour constitute the true worship, much more important than any sacrifices we may offer to God. Our faith must be expressed in attitudes of love. Only then we will resemble our Father in heaven.