Today we commemorate Jesus' death upon the cross. The first reading of today's services is from Isaiah 52: 13-53:12, in which Isaiah reminds us that: "it was our infirmities that he bore..."--yes, mine and yours, my sins and yours. It was "our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted." It was my sufferings and yours--sufferings we deserved for our sins, for our rebellion, for our disobedience to the Lord. Jesus "was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray, like sheep" Isaiah reminds us, "each following his [or her] own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all."
That guilt, the offenses of all humankind, including mine and yours--past, present and future offenses--crushed Jesus beyond words. The pressure was so great that Jesus' sweat in the Garden of Olives was actually blood oozing from his pores, leaving the slightest touch to cause Him great pain. The scourging was horrible, gouging chunks of skin from his back. Mocking Him and pushing a crown of thorns on his head and driving those thorns through His head--blood everywhere--was also torturous and inhumane treatment!
Being incredibly weak from the scourging and crowning with thorns, Jesus must have fallen many times on the way up to the hill where He would be crucified. Fearful that Jesus would not make it up the hill to Calvary, Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry the cross up to the place of crucifixion. Then Jesus was stripped of his clothes, thrown upon the cross beam and nails driven through His wrists. He was then hoisted upon the wood anchored in the ground waiting for the crossbeam. Once the crossbeam was in place, nails were also driven through Jesus' feet, one on top of the other.
To breathe, the crucified ones had to lift themselves up by their painful legs/feet. When the crucified could no longer lift themselves up, they died of asphyxiation. That is why the legs were broken. The executioners did not break Jesus' legs because he had already died.
"When [Jesus] was cut off from the living," Isaiah prophesies, "and smitten for the sin of his people, a grave was assigned him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers, though he had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood....If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him.....[H]e shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses"--yours and mine. That is how much God loves you and me! He held nothing back! Will you? Will I?
Friday, March 30, 2018
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Jesus' Obedience and Our Challenge
We open today's liturgy with the following antiphon: At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend of those in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, for the Lord became obedient today, death on a cross: therefore Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father"(cf. Phil 2: 10, 8, 11).
As Adam and Eve said "no" to God's design, Jesus and Mary said "yes" to God's plan. Jesus left heaven and took on human nature and was like us entirely, except for sin. That did not mean that sin would not impact his life and that He would not experience the effects of sin, of evil, rampart in the world, as Satan spares no one his taunts and jealousy, luring us into sin just as he lured Adam and Evil into sin. He did not have that power over Jesus and Mary, who unequivocally said "yes" to God!
Jesus became sin for us and nailed it to the cross. In his death and resurrection sin was destroyed--it does not have the power to take away our freedom to say "yes" to God's love and plan for our eternal life with Him for all eternity. In Christ Jesus, we will triumph over evil just as Jesus did, if we follow the Spirit's lead in our life, obedient to "small" and"big" invitations and not to the allurements of evil spirits at work in the world as well! Small acts of evil lead to bigger and bigger acts of evil, as in he case with Judas.
Judas was caught in a web of sin throughout his following of Jesus. As treasurer, one who guarded the purse, Judas repeatedly stole money from throughout those three years. In the end, his greed and obsession with money lured him into betraying Jesus so as to add some money to the treasury. He was led into a trap from which he did not escape. In despair, after realizing that Jesus, this time, would willingly go to His death and not escape those who arrested Him, Judas despaired. Often, he had seen Jesus escape those out to trip Him up and probably expected the same to happen this time.
When you and I are careless with playing with the "fire" of sin, --"oh, it's just a little lie," or "I only shoplifted a small item," or "oh, I was mean a little--it's no big deal," do we realize that Satan is preparing us for one of his bigger traps out of which we might be unable to escape, as, it seems, was the case with Judas? Let's not play with the "fire" of sin! May we not take lightly the Holy Spirit's nudges to not do certain things! Instead, may we follow the Spirit's lead to make right choices, choices we are capable of because of being baptized into Jesus' death and in His resurrection to new life in the Spirit through this sacrament!
As we pray in today's Collect, "O God, who willed your Son to submit for our sake to the yoke of the Cross, so that you might drive from us the power of the enemy, grant us, your servants, to attain the grace of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen."
A Blessed Holy Week, as you contemplative the Pascal Mystery.
As Adam and Eve said "no" to God's design, Jesus and Mary said "yes" to God's plan. Jesus left heaven and took on human nature and was like us entirely, except for sin. That did not mean that sin would not impact his life and that He would not experience the effects of sin, of evil, rampart in the world, as Satan spares no one his taunts and jealousy, luring us into sin just as he lured Adam and Evil into sin. He did not have that power over Jesus and Mary, who unequivocally said "yes" to God!
Jesus became sin for us and nailed it to the cross. In his death and resurrection sin was destroyed--it does not have the power to take away our freedom to say "yes" to God's love and plan for our eternal life with Him for all eternity. In Christ Jesus, we will triumph over evil just as Jesus did, if we follow the Spirit's lead in our life, obedient to "small" and"big" invitations and not to the allurements of evil spirits at work in the world as well! Small acts of evil lead to bigger and bigger acts of evil, as in he case with Judas.
Judas was caught in a web of sin throughout his following of Jesus. As treasurer, one who guarded the purse, Judas repeatedly stole money from throughout those three years. In the end, his greed and obsession with money lured him into betraying Jesus so as to add some money to the treasury. He was led into a trap from which he did not escape. In despair, after realizing that Jesus, this time, would willingly go to His death and not escape those who arrested Him, Judas despaired. Often, he had seen Jesus escape those out to trip Him up and probably expected the same to happen this time.
When you and I are careless with playing with the "fire" of sin, --"oh, it's just a little lie," or "I only shoplifted a small item," or "oh, I was mean a little--it's no big deal," do we realize that Satan is preparing us for one of his bigger traps out of which we might be unable to escape, as, it seems, was the case with Judas? Let's not play with the "fire" of sin! May we not take lightly the Holy Spirit's nudges to not do certain things! Instead, may we follow the Spirit's lead to make right choices, choices we are capable of because of being baptized into Jesus' death and in His resurrection to new life in the Spirit through this sacrament!
As we pray in today's Collect, "O God, who willed your Son to submit for our sake to the yoke of the Cross, so that you might drive from us the power of the enemy, grant us, your servants, to attain the grace of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen."
A Blessed Holy Week, as you contemplative the Pascal Mystery.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
God as our Reward, our Recompense
In today's first reading, Isaiah 49: 1-6, Israel shares the following realization with us: "Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God.... ...I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my strength!"
Think of a time when you felt this way. For instance, you went out of your way fulfilling your responsibilities as a parent, a teacher, a counselor, a leader of your company, a supervisor and your efforts are met with sarcasm, rudeness, and/or meanness. The person whom you were guiding gently, calmly, and honestly turns against you, lashes out at you, and turns the table on you, accepting no responsibility for the behavior that needs changing. Imagine yourself leaving that situation and talking to the Lord about your frustration. Imagine also that you providentially open the Bible to Isaiah 49: 1-6 and read: "Though I thought I had toiled in vain and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God.....I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my strength."
Whenever we encounter difficulties and come away wondering whether our efforts were for nought, weather we toiled uselessly, we need to remember that our "reward is with the Lord, [our] recompense is with God." In difficult encounters, it is our responsibility, as Christians, to imitate Jesus' behaviors of compassionate, caring and honest communication. No matter the outcome, if we remained respectful of the other person, kept our cool and were honest about what needs to be addressed, we then can be assured that "our reward is with the Lord and our recompense is with God." Any desire to retaliate or to angrily force our feedback in efforts to make the other person acknowledge inappropriate behavior dissipates when our focus is on the Lord.
I hope that this has been your experience, also, when encountering challenging episodes in guiding others under your supervision or leadership. May God bless you!
Think of a time when you felt this way. For instance, you went out of your way fulfilling your responsibilities as a parent, a teacher, a counselor, a leader of your company, a supervisor and your efforts are met with sarcasm, rudeness, and/or meanness. The person whom you were guiding gently, calmly, and honestly turns against you, lashes out at you, and turns the table on you, accepting no responsibility for the behavior that needs changing. Imagine yourself leaving that situation and talking to the Lord about your frustration. Imagine also that you providentially open the Bible to Isaiah 49: 1-6 and read: "Though I thought I had toiled in vain and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God.....I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my strength."
Whenever we encounter difficulties and come away wondering whether our efforts were for nought, weather we toiled uselessly, we need to remember that our "reward is with the Lord, [our] recompense is with God." In difficult encounters, it is our responsibility, as Christians, to imitate Jesus' behaviors of compassionate, caring and honest communication. No matter the outcome, if we remained respectful of the other person, kept our cool and were honest about what needs to be addressed, we then can be assured that "our reward is with the Lord and our recompense is with God." Any desire to retaliate or to angrily force our feedback in efforts to make the other person acknowledge inappropriate behavior dissipates when our focus is on the Lord.
I hope that this has been your experience, also, when encountering challenging episodes in guiding others under your supervision or leadership. May God bless you!
Monday, March 26, 2018
Jesus' Servants
Isaiah 4: 1-7 speaks of Jesus. Isaiah prophesies, saying: "Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not showing, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall nor break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the eared; the coastlands will waist for his teaching."
Imagine the following conversation with Jesus:
(Insert your name), just as I am the Father's servant made so by Him, so, too, are you my servant designed so by the Father. I delight in you as the Father delights in me.
You: But I am a sinner, Lord, far from you.
Your sins are as far from Me as East is from West, North from South. I have destroyed sin in you when I poured out my blood for you upon the cross and do so every day in the Eucharistic celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Your sins may be scarlet.I wash them clean in my blood daily.
Thank you, Lord!
You are my servant. Every day I awaken you to serve Me in little ways: a smile, a kind greeting, a prayer for another in need, your love for those you serve, your taking time to talk to one who is downtrodden.
Thank you, Lord, for doing this good work through me.
You are welcome.
Lord, you reached out and touched everyone I touched today with Your love.
Thank you, (insert our name) for the many ways today that you touched other people with your love your caring concerns, your kindness.
I ask that you continue to fan into flame the smoldering wicks and to carefully tend to bruised reeds. of those who feel downtrodden. Thank you when you do that! I love you, (insert name) and delight in you, my servant!
Imagine the following conversation with Jesus:
(Insert your name), just as I am the Father's servant made so by Him, so, too, are you my servant designed so by the Father. I delight in you as the Father delights in me.
You: But I am a sinner, Lord, far from you.
Your sins are as far from Me as East is from West, North from South. I have destroyed sin in you when I poured out my blood for you upon the cross and do so every day in the Eucharistic celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Your sins may be scarlet.I wash them clean in my blood daily.
Thank you, Lord!
You are my servant. Every day I awaken you to serve Me in little ways: a smile, a kind greeting, a prayer for another in need, your love for those you serve, your taking time to talk to one who is downtrodden.
Thank you, Lord, for doing this good work through me.
You are welcome.
Lord, you reached out and touched everyone I touched today with Your love.
Thank you, (insert our name) for the many ways today that you touched other people with your love your caring concerns, your kindness.
I ask that you continue to fan into flame the smoldering wicks and to carefully tend to bruised reeds. of those who feel downtrodden. Thank you when you do that! I love you, (insert name) and delight in you, my servant!
Sunday, March 25, 2018
O the Love of our God
A reflection on today's reading from Isaiah 50: 4-7. In this passage, Jesus says to you and me:
Because I love you, (insert your name), I did not flee from my persecutors. I deliberately, willingly and courageously entered Jerusalem this day. I knew what lay ahead for me, even though palm branches were strewn on my path and people shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." I went to Jerusalem for you, (insert your name). I have not rebelled against suffering. I have not grumbled against my persecutors. I gave my beard willingly to those who plucked it. I gave my face to those who spit upon me, mocking me, making fun of me: "Look at him. Spit running down his his face. How disgusting is this man." I gave my head to those who pushed a crown of thorns upon it, mockingly saying "Behold the King of the Jews." I gave my back to those who viciously beat me with whips laced with razor blades. I cried out in pain but not in curses toward those torturing me.
My Father was there helping me and I felt no shame. I did not feel disgraced, though I took on the shame and disgrace of all sinned against and those abusively sinning against others. I took all your shame upon me, insert your name, to free you from its burdens!
O Lord, our God, have mercy on us!
O Lord, our God, thank you for your love.
O the Love of our God!
O the tenderness of our God!
O the courage of our God!
O the compassion of our God!
O the strength of our God!
God, be praised!
God be glorified!
God be thanked!
Because I love you, (insert your name), I did not flee from my persecutors. I deliberately, willingly and courageously entered Jerusalem this day. I knew what lay ahead for me, even though palm branches were strewn on my path and people shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." I went to Jerusalem for you, (insert your name). I have not rebelled against suffering. I have not grumbled against my persecutors. I gave my beard willingly to those who plucked it. I gave my face to those who spit upon me, mocking me, making fun of me: "Look at him. Spit running down his his face. How disgusting is this man." I gave my head to those who pushed a crown of thorns upon it, mockingly saying "Behold the King of the Jews." I gave my back to those who viciously beat me with whips laced with razor blades. I cried out in pain but not in curses toward those torturing me.
My Father was there helping me and I felt no shame. I did not feel disgraced, though I took on the shame and disgrace of all sinned against and those abusively sinning against others. I took all your shame upon me, insert your name, to free you from its burdens!
O Lord, our God, have mercy on us!
O Lord, our God, thank you for your love.
O the Love of our God!
O the tenderness of our God!
O the courage of our God!
O the compassion of our God!
O the strength of our God!
God, be praised!
God be glorified!
God be thanked!
Saturday, March 24, 2018
God's Covenant of Love Sealed by Jesus' Death and Resurrection
In today's first reading, Ezekiel 3: 21-28, God says to the Israelites through the prophet Ezekiel: "I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have come (some have gone south and some north) and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms....I will make them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the Lord, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever."
Those are God's words spoken to the Israelites long, long ago. God has spoken and so shall it be in kairos time--God's time! Fast forward to today's Gospel, John 11: 45-46, where Caiaphas prophesies that Jesus will die "for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God"--you and me and everyone dispersed throughout the world, people of all religions! God will create one out of many. There shall be one flock and one shepherd, all gathered into one Kingdom, the Kingdom of God when life here on this earth comes to an end in kairos time--God's time.
You and I are on a journey to that time. We are on our way to our eternal home, to the eternal Kingdom that God has secured for us by Jesus' death on the cross to show us the depth, the breadth, the height and the width of God's love for us and to free us from sin and Satan's lies. This week--the holiest week of the year--we contemplate the Paschal Mysteries--Jesus' dying and rising. May we make this week a very holy week by the choices we make to remember and contemplate God's love for us that knows no end! Nothing is too much for God to say: "I love you personally, unconditionally and eternally! For you I died to save you eternally from the darkness of sin and eternal death. I love you! Do you hear me?"
Those are God's words spoken to the Israelites long, long ago. God has spoken and so shall it be in kairos time--God's time! Fast forward to today's Gospel, John 11: 45-46, where Caiaphas prophesies that Jesus will die "for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God"--you and me and everyone dispersed throughout the world, people of all religions! God will create one out of many. There shall be one flock and one shepherd, all gathered into one Kingdom, the Kingdom of God when life here on this earth comes to an end in kairos time--God's time.
You and I are on a journey to that time. We are on our way to our eternal home, to the eternal Kingdom that God has secured for us by Jesus' death on the cross to show us the depth, the breadth, the height and the width of God's love for us and to free us from sin and Satan's lies. This week--the holiest week of the year--we contemplate the Paschal Mysteries--Jesus' dying and rising. May we make this week a very holy week by the choices we make to remember and contemplate God's love for us that knows no end! Nothing is too much for God to say: "I love you personally, unconditionally and eternally! For you I died to save you eternally from the darkness of sin and eternal death. I love you! Do you hear me?"
Friday, March 23, 2018
Rescued from "the power of the Wicked"
In today's first reading, Jeremiah 20: 10-13, Jeremiah says to the Lord: "I hear the whisperings of many: 'Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!' All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. 'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.' But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O Lord of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked."
Many of the just, I believe, are being tested by today's administration. Evil will not triumph. Good will, as it did in Jesus' day. Those who put Jesus to death did not triumph; Jesus did in the resurrection to new life. Those unjustly treated by persons in power will also triumph. Those involved in evil will, I believe, "in their failure...be put to utter shame" in time unless they change their evil ways.
The questions you and I need to answer are: Are we engaged in behaviors to trip up others, to bring them down and raise ourselves up? Are we on "watch for any misstep" of another person, hoping that that person "will be trapped" so that we "can prevail, and take our vengeance" out on them? How easily in the political environment in which we live it is to take sides and hope that the side we oppose "will be trapped." God have mercy on us. And God help all of those in public office to be awakened to God's will for justice for all and be given the power they need to engage in just practices and in legislation that promotes the common good for all peoples. And may the efforts to bring other people down by false advertisements and slanderous statements cease!
Many of the just, I believe, are being tested by today's administration. Evil will not triumph. Good will, as it did in Jesus' day. Those who put Jesus to death did not triumph; Jesus did in the resurrection to new life. Those unjustly treated by persons in power will also triumph. Those involved in evil will, I believe, "in their failure...be put to utter shame" in time unless they change their evil ways.
The questions you and I need to answer are: Are we engaged in behaviors to trip up others, to bring them down and raise ourselves up? Are we on "watch for any misstep" of another person, hoping that that person "will be trapped" so that we "can prevail, and take our vengeance" out on them? How easily in the political environment in which we live it is to take sides and hope that the side we oppose "will be trapped." God have mercy on us. And God help all of those in public office to be awakened to God's will for justice for all and be given the power they need to engage in just practices and in legislation that promotes the common good for all peoples. And may the efforts to bring other people down by false advertisements and slanderous statements cease!
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