JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD

IV SUNDAY OF EASTER - John 10:11-18

In our days, we go on preaching the same Good News the apostles preached: Salvation can be found only in Jesus Christ.

“For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.” (Act 4:12).

Jesus was rejected and sentenced to death on a cross, even though they could not find him guilty of any crime. However, God proved him right by raising him from the dead. He is like “the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone.” In him, we find the new humanity and upon him, the new people of God is set up. Jesus is the only Saviour through whom we can find meaning and purpose for our lives and the world. It is only through and in Jesus Christ that we can become God’s children. According to the second reading (1 Jn 3:1-2), God’s plan for humanity is to let us “be called God’s children; and that is what we are.” As God’s children, we will reflect on our faces the glory of God. Indeed, Christ “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Phil 3:21). Then, “we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.” (1 Jn 3:2).

The work of salvation was carried out by Jesus Christ, who came so that we may have life “and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10).

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus presents himself as the Good Shepherd. In the Old Testament, God is seen as the Shepherd who cares for his people. And in one of the most beautiful psalms, we address God as “my shepherd”: “he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths” and “I fear no evil; for you are with me” (Ps 23:1-4). Jesus is that shepherd, a good shepherd because he “lays down his life for his sheep”. He is not like the hired man, who cares only about his salary, working solely for earning a living. He does not pay attention to the needs of the sheep and will not put his life in danger to save any sheep. The hired man is moved by selfishness, while Jesus is moved by love and compassion. He is ready to lay down his life for his sheep.

In the Old Testament, the religious and political leaders were compared to shepherds and many of them behaved like the hired man, abandoning the sheep to themselves and causing them to get lost and to be devoured by the wild beasts of the forest. In Ezequiel, God condemns the evil shepherds and promises that one day he will become the shepherd of his people (Ez 34). Jesus is the fulfilment of that promise.

The people of God is in dear need of good shepherds in the manner of Jesus Christ. Let us pray for all the leaders of the world in all spheres of life that they learn with Christ to their lives at the service of others.

IN JESUS’ NAME, REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS SHOULD BE PREACHED TO THE WHOLE WORLD

III SUNDAY OF EASTER - Luke 24:35-48

In the first reading (Act 3:13-15,17-19), we have Peter addressing the people after the healing of the lame beggar. It is a short speech that goes straight to the basics. What happened with Jesus is an essential part of God’s plan of salvation and of the history of His actions to fulfil that plan. It is “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus”. God has proved right this Jesus who was rejected and crucified at the hands of the Romans by the instigation of the Jewish authorities. And Peter confronts the crowd with their sin: “It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life.” Peter speaks as if all his listeners were involved in Jesus’ condemnation to death and, most probably, they were not. Jesus’ arrest, condemnation and crucifixion were done in a hurry, in such a way that most of the residents of Jerusalem had no time to realise what was happening. Arrested late in the evening, by nine o’clock, Jesus was crucified. However, Peter wants to make it clear that with our sins - all of us - we are part and parcel of those who rejected Jesus and caused his death on the cross. With our sins, we are guilty of Jesus’ death. Most probably, like those who heard Peter’s speech, we are not aware of our sin and we don’t accept the sinfulness of our nature. We need to be called to repentance: “Now you must repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.”

In the second reading (1 John 2:1-5), John tells us that Jesus offered his life in sacrifice to take away our sins and the sins of the whole world. Thus Jesus reconciles us with God and becomes our advocate, always interceding for us with the Father.

In this Sunday’s gospel (Luke 24:35-48), we find the disciples walking on a difficult path, taking them from unbelief to belief. Being the risen Jesus, the disciples remained “in a state of alarm and fright” and Jesus had to call on them to look closely at him. And “they still could not believe” that Jesus rose from the dead and that he was with them. To prove to them that he was real and not any kind of ghost, he took a piece of grilled fish “and ate before their eyes.” Then, Jesus explained to them that what was written in the Scriptures - “the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms” - had “to be fulfilled”. And he “opened their minds to understand the scriptures”. The Christ should “suffer and on the third day rise from the dead”, thus reconciling us with God and opening for us the gates of heaven. The disciples are witnesses of his passion and death and then his resurrection. Being witnesses, they must proclaim the Good News to the whole world: in Jesus’ name, “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” must be preached, so that we may live as a reconciled community.

WHO CAN OVERCOME THE WORLD?

II SUNDAY OF EASTER - Divine Mercy Sunday - John 20:19-31

In this Sunday’s liturgy, in the second reading taken from the First Letter of John, we can hear the following question being put to us: “Who can overcome the world?” (1 Jn 5:5) We may be puzzled by the word “world”. Does it mean the universe, the earth on which we live or simply humanity?

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ep 2:1-2). In the gospel of John, we can find Jesus claiming: “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.” (Jn 12:31). Indeed, with Jesus’ death and resurrection “the ruler of this world is judged.” (Jn 16:11). Thus speaking of the “world”, John is speaking of humanity ruled by the power of evil, that is humanity that has rejected God and established itself as the only source of legitimacy and righteousness. The “world” refers to humanity guided by inverted values, humanity that praises selfishness, pride, lust, wealth and power. The “world” is humanity that blindly pursues the road that takes it to self-destruction. Is there a way out of the bottomless pit in which we have fallen? Only Jesus Christ can redeem us, pulling us out and raising us up. He alone is the Saviour given to us by God because he alone is the faithful One, who has defeated the ruler of this world.

In his first letter, John answers his question: Only the ones who believe that “Jesus is the Son of God” can overcome the world, finding the straight road to salvation. In this Sunday’s gospel, we find the journey of faith of Thomas, “called the Twin”. Being absent from the community’s assembly, he refused to accept the testimony of his friends. To believe, he demanded to see, touch and measure. When Jesus came to him during the community gathering, he was scolded for his lack of faith. However, taking into account his search for the truth, Jesus allowed him to touch his body and feel through his fingers the reality of Jesus’ wounds. To belong to the new world established in the Risen Christ, we must believe that he is the Son of God, who suffered death for us on the cross and then rose to life, thus affirming his power to save. In him, we are reconciled with God, being able to give thanks and praise for God’s loving mercy. The community of disciples received from the Risen Christ the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of the Lord - to take away our sins and reconcile us with God. This reconciliation must be shown forth in a reconciled community - the community of disciples, the Church of Jesus Christ, which is guided by the Spirit and not by the values of the world. In the first reading, the Acts of the Apostles present a community that has Christ as the cornerstone. In that community, we find solidarity and communion instead of selfishness and division. We must learn love and mercy from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And we must be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful (Lk 6:36).

THE FEAST OF LIFE AND SALVATION

EASTER CELEBRATION - Romans 6:3-11

The Passover Feast (Easter) is a very old feast, celebrated since the times the people of Israel fled the slavery of Egypt. Since then, Passover has always been a feast of liberation and has inspired countless liberation movements throughout the centuries. The Holy Scriptures speak abundantly of the first experience of liberation: The Pharaoh, king of Egypt, seeing a threat in the growing numbers of the people of Israel, decided first to enslave them and then planned to do away with them. In their suffering, as they faced doom, they cried out to God for deliverance. And God, listening to their cry, set in motion a plan for their liberation, taking them out of slavery and leading them to a land of their own, where they would be established as a nation with her own identity.

While the story of Exodus is being proclaimed during the most sacred Easter Vigil, it may come to our minds that the escape out of slavery in Egypt was mainly or even exclusively a political event, through which a people got their freedom, thus being able to affirm their own identity. However, as we listen to the word of God, during the Easter Vigil, we come to realise that the liberation from slavery and the exodus to the land of freedom is part of a much greater plan, that’s God’s plan of salvation. That Passover in Egypt was the first of many others celebrating God’s acts of salvation. We come to realise that we will only become truly free, when God himself set us free and when we recognise his primacy and accept his love and mercy. Whenever humanity turns its back to God, cuts all bonds with him and affirms its independence, taking God’s place and role, then humanity is running fast into slavery and true freedom is endangered. Left to ourselves, we don’t become gods but devils and evil become the master of our lives and society at large.

Going through the history of salvation, we discover that God is constantly on our side, never wavering in his commitment to making life and salvation possible for us. The people of Israel broke their alliance with God time and again and caused God to be frustrated and disappointed. Despite that, God does not go back on his word and promise. He pays always attention to our suffering and is always ready to answer with love and mercy.

“Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty;

though you have no money, come!

Buy corn without money, and eat,

and, at no cost, wine and milk.” (Is 55:1)

Seeing that we addicted to evil and unable to become worthy of entering his Kingdom, the Lord decided to give us a new heart and a new spirit:

“I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances.” (Ez 36:25-27).

Passover goes to the root of slavery to cut it out and establish a way of true salvation. Passover is the feast of life and salvation.

The Passover in which we remember the passion and death of Jesus Christ and celebrate his victory over death and sin makes it clear that humanity left to itself is capable of the most heinous crimes. In an act of revolt and independence, humanity is ready to kill God and take his place. And nothing else is sacred, nothing else is beyond our reach. There are no limits to what we can do, pursuing the ideal of becoming the centre of the universe and of manipulating everything to our profit. That is the way for self-destruction. However, the Passover of Jesus Christ which we are celebrating puts forward a completely different way, the only way possible for salvation. Jesus, the Son of God, offered himself to come and, remaining faithful up to the end, he accepted death imposed on him by evil men and offered his life as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin and the reconciliation with God. The way to life passes through death. Like Jesus, we must carry the cross, so that dying with him we may rise to life with him. The Passover is the great feast of life and salvation, offered to us in Jesus Christ. In him, God has proved his love and his commitment to humanity, as if He cannot be God without us sharing in his glory.

Let us offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise - the sacrifice of Jesus Christ - for the salvation of the world. If we become one with Christ, we will share in his resurrection and his glory.

I wish everybody a happy Easter celebration. May the Risen Lord pour his blessings on each one of us and on the whole world.

HE EMPTIED HIMSELF, ASSUMING THE CONDITION OF A SLAVE

PALM SUNDAY - Philippians 2:6-11

On this Palm Sunday, as we celebrate Jesus’ solemn entrance in Jerusalem, being proclaimed as the Messiah, we listen to the Christological hymn quoted in the letter to the Philippians. Indeed, it is commonly accepted that the hymn about the mystery of Christ presented in Philip 2:6-11 was already in use in the Christian communities before Paul inserted it in his letter.

His state was divine,

yet Christ Jesus did not cling

to his equality with God

but emptied himself

to assume the condition of a slave

and became as men are;

and being as all men are,

he was humbler yet,

even to accepting death,

death on a cross.

But God raised him high

and gave him the name

which is above all other names

so that all beings

in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,

should bend the knee at the name of Jesus

and that every tongue should acclaim

Jesus Christ as Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

The hymn starts with a clear statement about Jesus Christ: “His state was divine”. In the passion reading, takes from the gospel of Mark, “The centurion, who was standing in front of him, had seen how he had died, and he said: In truth, this man was a son of God.” (Mk 15:39). Jesus was not a common Jewish man, even though he looked like anybody else. In the deepest of his being, he was divine, he was the Son of God. This is the Christian belief, a belief professed since the time of the Apostles. To say that Jesus is the Son of God is a bold statement, which sounds like blasphemy. Indeed, the Jewish religious authorities accused Jesus of blasphemy, indicted him of being a false prophet and condemned him to death. How can Jesus of Nazareth be the Son of God? Paul would write that we cannot recognise Jesus as the Messiah and Saviour but for the revelation of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3).

The hymn in the letter to the Philippians, after that first statement, goes on speaking of the mystery of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the first movement, the Son of God emptied himself and assumed the condition of a slave. That is the mystery of the Incarnation. The Son of God takes human nature, or as John puts it: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). To reconcile us with God, the Son of God shared our human nature and experienced the human condition enslaved to sin. he “became as men are; and being as all men are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross.” As the prophet Isaiah wrote: “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities” (Is 53:5). And he remained faithful up to the end, thus restoring humanity to its true self. God accepted him and the sacrifice of his life for sake of us all. So “ God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names”. And all must proclaim that Jesus Christ is “Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

During this Holy Week, we are going to remember Jesus’ life and death, so that by carrying the cross with him, we may share in his victory over sin and death. Dying with him, we will rise with him to the “glory of God the Father”.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE JESUS

V SUNDAY OF LENT - John 12:20-33

Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover feast, with attracted people from everywhere, even from distant lands. Even though the big majority were Jews, an increasing number of non-Jews were proselytes or sympathisers were participating in the feast. This Sunday’s gospel speaks about a group of Greeks who had come to Jerusalem “to worship at the festival”. By then, Jesus was the talk of the day. Certainly, they heard what was being said about him; maybe, they even had a glimpse of him as he entered Jerusalem, acclaimed as the Messiah. And they became interested in him. So they went to Philip and expressed their desire to see Jesus.

Through this episode, the evangelist wants us to become aware of two important things: 

1. It was not enough to go to the Temple, offer sacrifices and worship there. Jesus is the new Temple and true worship can’t be offered but through him, who is at the same time the priest and the sacrifice. If the gentiles (the Greek, in this case) want to have a share in God’s plan of salvation, they need to encounter Jesus and accept Him as the Messiah. Converting to Judaism is not the way to find salvation, since only Jesus brings salvation. 
2. It took time for the Church to open her doors to the Gentiles. The first Christian communities were Jewish and though that the Gentiles should only be accepted if they accepted the Jewishness of the Christian faith by accepting Jewish customs and traditions. at was a great opportunity to see Jesus. These Greeks went to Jesus through the Church, approaching the apostle Philip. Being a serious issue, Philip consulted Andrew and together they went to Jesus. The gentiles were led to Jesus through the Apostles, who are the foundation upon which the Church is built.

In the second part of this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus makes it clear that to be his disciples, we must accept his way: “If a man serves me, he must follow me”. As Jesus, his disciples must be ready to lose his life, so that he may find it again in Jesus. And Jesus speaks of his “hour”, the hour to be glorified, and that will happen as he glorifies God by being faithful up to the end. Jesus’ crucifixion is the moment of his glorification because by offering his life in sacrifice, he overthrows “the prince of this world” and ushers in the Kingdom of God. “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all men to myself.”

WE ARE GOD’S WORK OF ART, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS

IV SUNDAY OF LENT - 2 Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23

The history of the people of Israel is not much different from the history of any other people. They went up and down, turned left and right; they went through times of peace and times of war, times of prosperity and times of poverty. And they went through times of religious fervour and times of indifference and even apostasy. What is different about them is that they were able to reflect upon their history and find in it God’s presence and action. They read their history as a dialogue and an interaction with God, in such a way that God is never absent from their history. Surely this capacity to look back and see the presence of God is possible only through God’s inspiration.

The book of Chronicles presents a rereading of the history of the people of Israel through the lenses of God’s plan. Yes, God had a plan for his people and he was going to carry it out despite the people’ infidelities. Thus, the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians are seen as God’s punishment for their continuous betrayal of the covenant. However, God remains faithful to his word and promises. Most of the people of Judah were taken as prisoners of war to Babylon and there remained for seventy years, seen as a sabbath for the land and the nation of Israel. During that period, while in a foreign land, people became aware of their sin and felt confronted by God who called them to repentance and renewal. After that, liberation came. And we get a big surprise, realising that God’s salvific and liberating presence takes place through the hands of a stranger. Cyrus king of Persia established his empire through conquest. Entering Babylon, Cyrus established a new policy, which allowed the conquered and dominated peoples to live in their land and follow their culture and religion. Thus, many Jews went back to the land of Israel, rebuilt the temple and reestablished the cult prescribed by the Law of Moses. Cyrus was seen as the liberator sent by God to set his people free. He was considered an anticipation of the Messiah, the Anointed of the Lord, who brings salvation to Israel and the world. The coming of Cyrus was the assurance that God had not forgotten the promise he had made to his people.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul reflects on God’s plan of salvation, a plan that His love and mercy. Indeed, “God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy” (Ep 4:4). Despite our sin, God saved us and brought us to life through Jesus Christ. We are not saved, because we are clever, rich and powerful or because we good, honest and just. We are sinners and, due to our sin, we are unable to attain salvation. We are saved by grace: “not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done so that nobody can claim the credit.” From beginning to end, “We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live it.” (Ep 2:10).