During this season of Lent we meditate on the Passion and Death of Jesus for our salvation. What do we learn from his embracing the cross of suffering? First of all, we recognize his sublime humility. He submitted to the cruel tortures, mockeries, insults and indignities without uttering a cry of retaliation. From the betrayal kiss of Judas, the scourging and crowing of thorns, the buffets, the mockery of a trial, the false accusations, and the inhumanity of crucifixion. He suffered all humbly, because there was something greater to be achieved, our salvation. How often we retaliate at the slightest indignity or affront, rather than silently accepting it, knowing the truth of who we are and what we have done. Lord, help me to learn how to imitate your humility.

 

Homily Third Sunday of Lent Year B

 

Reading 1: On the First Sunday of Lent we heard about the covenant which God made with Noah after the flood and the sign of that covenant was the rainbow. Last Sunday we heard the test that God put Abraham through by asking him to be obedient to their covenant by sacrificing Isaac his son. The obedience of Abraham to his relationship to God spared his son.  Today, we see the covenant that God made with the Israelites in the desert during their exodus from slavery in Egypt.

 

The Commandments were the way the people would reflect their relationship with God through obedience. The first three focus primarily on God.  The first Commandment acknowledges the oneness of God, who had delivered then versus the many humanly created gods of the pagans. Commandments two and three reflect the holiness of God and the need to reflect this through worship. The last seven commandments deal with right relationship with each other. Love of God and love of neighbor.

 

Though the people confirmed their acceptance of their relationship with God and one another and offered sacrifice to seal their covenant with God, we know it took them 40 years of wandering in the desert before they could truly affirm their relationship. They were a rebellious, stiff-neck people, who were still self-centered rather than other-centered. They complained continually and did not trust God but sought rather to do things their way.

 

St Augustine described sin as being caved in on oneself. Sin closes us in on ourselves whereas love draws us out of ourselves. As long as they remained in that state of rebellion and disobedience, they were not ready to enter the land of promise and the joy of freedom.

 

Gospel: On the First Sunday of Lent we reflected on the temptations of Jesus. He came to confront Satan and to restore right relationship with the Father, who loves us. Last Sunday, we reflected on the Transfiguration, when Jesus was prepared for his upcoming death on the cross for our sake. He experienced the glory that he had before his becoming man and the glory he would experience again in his resurrected body. At the same time the Transfiguration was also meant to be a grace for the three disciples, preparing them for Jesus’ passion and death on the cross. They were told to listen to him.

 

Today, we see where Jesus’ focus is on, namely, restoring the right relationship between the people and God. Though they had entered into a covenant with God, they were not faithful to it. Like us they made their own human adaptations and gave it their own interpretations. The Temple was the sacred place of God’s presence among his people. It was a place of worship and praise. In time, for human reasons and some personal benefits, it became also a place of commerce.

 

Jesus by his actions showed the zeal we should have for the Lord. “My Father’s house is a house of worship.” The response of the religious leaders, who had sanctioned the commercial activities, was to demand the source of Jesus’ authority. What sign supports Jesus’ actions?  Jesus pointed to his upcoming death on the cross and the resurrection. These will be the sign to the people who he really was, the Messiah. It would demonstrate his zeal for the Father, by doing his will and being obedient even to the death on the cross.

 

How zealot are we for God? How zealot are we in the discipline of Lent? How zealot are we in seeking the Lord’s will in our life?

 

Reading 2: On the first Sunday of Lent we were reminded that Jesus suffered and died for our sins and brought back to life by the Spirit. We experience salvation through the waters of baptism as Noah was saved by water. Last Sunday, we were reminded that if God did not spare his own son but allowed him to give his life for us because of his great love, what more can God do to show us the depth of his love. Today, we heard that a central mystery of our faith is Christ crucified. This sign of the Father’s love was a stumbling block to the Jews, who sought signs and to the Greeks, who accepted what was rational. For a man to die on a cross was foolishness. It does not make sense rationally.

 

How can the death of a man on the cross be anything but weakness? Where is the victory? Paul said the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. For Jesus didn’t just die but he rose from the deal. By these events he saved us from eternal destruction. We have been reconciled back to God. We now have access to eternal life with God, when before we were doomed to eternal alienation by virtue of our sins. Praise God for his mercy and love.

 By his sacred Blood we have been redeemed. Now united with him and restored, we are nourished and strengthened by his Blood in the gift of Eucharist. In the Old Testament, blood was a sign of life. In the Eucharist,  his Blood is a sharing in the Divine Life of God. We are renewed, refreshed and revived by the Blood of Jesus. This is not ordinary blood, it is the Blood of the Incarnate God. When we drink his Blood from the sacred chalice, we are doing what he himself told us at the Last Supper. As his sacred Body feeds us spiritually, so his sacred Blood, uniting us in faith and in reality to the One, True God. Through the sharing in his Blood, we are anticipating and longing for the eternal banquet that awaits us in glory. For it is by his Blood that the gates are heaven are once more open to those united with him on earth.

 Third Sunday of Lent: Gospel B

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 

· This is the first of three Passovers that John mentions in his Gospel. The other two are found in Jn 6:4 and 13:1.

He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the words of scripture, "Zeal for your house will consume me." 

· In the synoptic Gospels of Matthew and Mark the cleansing of the Temple by Jesus takes place at the end of his ministry just prior to his passion. But for John it fits better theologically here. It sets the stage for his ministry.

· The sheep and oxen and doves were the animals offered in sacrifice in the Temple. The doves were what the poor could afford. Recall that this was what Joseph and Mary could afford when they presented Jesus in the Temple. (Lk 2:24)

· “Zeal for your house…” Look up Ps 69:10.

· When have we felt such zeal for God’s glory?

· Do we feel at times the same is happening in our churches today?

At this the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 

· This is one of the charges that will be hurled against Jesus during his trial before the leaders.

· How often do we look for signs, when God is looking for response to the signs he has already given us of his love?

· The greatest and final sign of Jesus’ true identity is his death and resurrection. But even this will not be enough for some.

Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.

· Even though many people believed in him, their faith would be shaken by his arrest and death. Even the apostles faltered at the time of his death. Only the fact of the resurrection restored them.

· How strong is our faith in Jesus? Where have we faltered in our journey?

· Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. What needs to be cleansed within us so that God may be better glorified?

 We have been saved by the Blood of the Lamb. Let us reflect on this mystery. Why did Jesus shed his blood as part of our salvation? First of all, we are cleansed and washed from the defilement of sin, which we have incurred through our disobedience to the will of God. The people of the Old Testament splashed blood on the lentils of their doors, so that the angel of death would pass over them and not enter. The priests would sprinkle blood upon them to ritually purify them. But their sins remained. Our sins are removed from us, not because of anything we did, but what Jesus did in our name. By his blood we are redeemed and set free. Because of who Jesus is and what he has done for is, his blood is sacred.

"Jesus’ command, “Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate,” is a command to participate in the compassion of God himself. He requires us to unmask the illusion of our competitive selfhood, to give up clinging to our imaginary distinctions as sources of identity, and to be taken up into the same intimacy with God which he himself knows. This is the mystery of the Christian life: to receive a new self, a new identity, which depends not on what we can achieve, but on what we are willing to receive. This new self is our participation in the divine life in and through Christ. Jesus wants us to belong to God as he belongs to God; he wants us to be children of God as he is a child of God; he wants us to let go of the old life, which is so full of fears and doubts, and to receive the new life, the life of God himself. In and through Christ we receive a new identity that enables us to say, “I am not the esteem I can collect through competition, but the love I have freely received from God.” It allows us to say with Paul, “I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) Henri Nouwen

Dying to the old self and rising with a new self is one of the goals of Lent. That is the image of the seed falling into the ground, dying and producing something new. That is the image of the pruning of the vine. The old barren branches are cut off, so that new growth can occur. What is in you that is the old self, the self of sin and unrepentance? Is what you are doing for Lent addressing the roots of the old self? By the grace of God, what new life is beginning to bud forth in you? Are you more compassionate, more forgiving, more considerate, more loving, more patience, more other-centered? Pray for the grace to die to the old and to rise with a new self image, one in harmony with Christ.

 Lent is a time for something to die and something to rise. It is a time of new life. The old leaven of sin is to be destroyed, so that the new leaven can bring new life. It is no wonder that Lent begins in winter and ends in spring. We see the barren trees sprout new leaves. If we are truly to experience new life at Easter with the Risen Christ, the sin that makes us barren and fruitless needs to be put to death, so that new life may burst forth. If this is not our focus during this season of grace, our Easter will be interiorly barren. Our renewal of Baptismal promises will be mere lip service. There will not have been a transformation. It is still early to make Lent what it is meant to be.

 “Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbor. The Lord, who overcame the deceptions of the Tempter during the forty days in the desert, shows us the path we must take. May the Holy Spirit lead us on a true journey of conversion, so that we can rediscover the gift of God’s word, be purified of the sin that blinds us, and serve Christ present in our brothers and sisters in need.” Pope Francis

What are the goals of our Lenten journey? Pope Francis says: "Rediscover the gift of God's word, be purified of the sin that blinds us, and serve Christ present in our brothers and sisters in need." Let's look at the first one: rediscovering the gift of God's word. How important, in reality, is the Word of God to us? How often do we read, reflect and act on it? God has given us his Word to govern us on our life's journey. It gives us our goal and the means to get there. Who would begin a long journey to a specific destination without a road map? The Scriptures are our road map. The Spirit is the guide with us, enabling us to discern the directions and how to apply them. Daily reading and reflecting on the Word of God should be part of our Lenten practices.

 

Homily: Second Sunday of Lent Year B

 

Reading 1: Last Sunday we heard of the covenant God made with Noah after the flood. The sign of that covenant was the rainbow.  The reason for the flood was the spread of sin. Much later after the flood, God invited Abraham to follow him. He promised him many blessings, many descendants and a new land flowing with milk and honey.

 

For many years Abraham did not see any descendants. His wife Sarah remain childless. Finally, after she was beyond the natural age of conceiving a child, God appeared to Abraham and said that Sarah would bear a son, whose name was to be Isaac. This was the beginning of God fulfilling his promises to Abraham. After the birth of Isaac God made a covenant with Abraham. The sign of the covenant was circumcision.

 

When Isaac was about twelve, God put Abraham to the test. The question in Abraham’s mind is why would God give him a son and then demand the sacrifice of his only begotten son? The question was would Abraham trust that God could still provide him descendants? Could he obey God in this matter?

 

Abraham chose to trust and to be obedient, even though he didn’t understand. But instead of the death of Isaac, God wanted Abraham to see how strong his response to the covenant was. Abraham chose God rather than self. Isaac’s life was spared.

 

There is a deeper meaning here. Though Abraham’s only beloved son was spared, God, the Father, did not spare his only begotten Son from embracing the cross. Jesus gave his life for ours on the cross, so that we could be spared eternal death and be saved. In this gift Jesus established and sealed the new covenant through the shedding of his blood.

 

Gospel: Last Sunday, we looked at the temptation that Jesus endured as the first stage of his life as our Messiah. He came to confront and overcome the pseudo power of the devil. The temptations were the first volley. Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross would be the final blow that would defeat and break the diabolic bond Satan held over humanity.

 

In preparation for this ultimate moment, Jesus prophesied to the disciples his upcoming passion and death and resurrection. Peter rejected the thought. So Jesus takes Peter, James and John with him up the mountain to pray with him. There Jesus’ experiences the glory that he emptied himself of by becoming man and the glory he would experience once more in the resurrection. This was the Father’s way of preparing Jesus for his passion. It was also to strengthen the apostles.

 

In the vision Moses represented the Law of the Old Testament and Elijah the prophets. Both of them spoke of his upcoming passion and resurrection. Just as at the baptism the Father revealed himself and the Spirit is manifested, so now the Father tells the apostles to listen to Jesus. In other words, heed the words of Jesus about his upcoming passion and death, even though they did not understand.

 

Our theophany or epiphany moments may not be as dramatic, but their purpose is the same. 1) To reveal to us the person of Jesus in a clearer light, seeing or experiencing him in a way we have never done before. 2) To remind us to listen to Jesus, even when we don’t understand. To act on his word. 3) To recognize that God desires to share his eternal glory with us, but first we must experience the mystery of the cross in our life. The cross is that which strips us of everything except God in our life.

 

Reading 2: Where God spared the son of Abraham from being sacrificed, God did not spare his own Son, Jesus, from the wood of the cross and the sacrifice of his life freely for our sake. Is this a sign of God’s condemnation of us or a sign of his love? “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

 

 God tested the commitment of Abraham to God, even if he asked for the death of his promised son. Jesus embraced the will of God to be the sacrificial lamb, a perfect offering for our sins. Abraham loved God. Jesus loved the Father. God so loved us that the gift of Jesus’ life for our salvation was not too much to ask. One can look at the crucified Savior and see nothing but what appears on the surface. Or one can look at the crucified Lord and see the depth of his love for us.  “Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for his friends.” But greater is that love, when one lays down his life for his enemies, those who deliberately chose to sin and to separate themselves from God, not one but repeatedly even after saying they were sorry. The reality of his sacrifice must be seen in context of the repetitive cycle of our sinfulness. That is true love.

 "Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy." Pope Francis

What is our spiritual lethargy? Is it a slowness to convert our hearts back to God? Is it an insensitivity to the reality of sin in our lives? Is it a denial of the needs of others around me? Is it a sense of spiritual comfort, when in reality I am not drawing closer to the Lord? Whatever it is, God gives us the grace to overcome our lethargy, if we ask him. For spiritual lethargy is a false sense of our true spiritual state in relationship to God. When Jesus says at the beginning of Lent, "Repent and believe in the Gospel," he was calling us out of our comfort zone to begin walking on the narrow road that leads to eternal life. Lethargy prefers the wide road of ease. "If today, you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts."

 Second Sunday of Lent: Gospel B

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. 

· It is important to know that prior to this in Mk 8:31-33 Jesus made his first prediction of his upcoming passion and death on the cross and resurrection.  This experience of Jesus’ glory is to help the disciples to deal with the mystery of Jesus’ death.

· These three disciples were part of Jesus’ inner circle. They also will hold prominent roles in the leadership of the early church. Along with Andrew they were the first four disciples to follow Jesus.

· Many times in biblical understanding the mountain is the place for new revelation.

And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. 

· The transfiguration of Jesus is an anticipation of his resurrection and future glory as well as our future glory.

· Why Elijah and Moses? Elijah stands for the prophets and Moses for the Law. Jesus is the fulfillment of both the Law and the prophets. The ultimate fulfillment is through his death and resurrection.

Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. 

· How would you react if you witnessed the glory of God?

Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." 

· When was the last time we heard this affirmation of Jesus? At his baptism.

· Here is another Trinitarian revelation: The voice of the Father, the transfigured Son and the cloud, symbolizing the Holy Spirit

· The cloud is reminiscent of the cloud covering the meeting tent during the desert journey of Israel. The cloud also enveloped the Holy of Holies of the Temple at the time of  the dedication. Both symbolize the presence of God.

· The Father tells the disciples to listen to Jesus when he prophesies his own death and resurrection.

· In what area of my life does God want me to listen to Jesus?

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Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. 

· In Mark’s theology the Son of Man could not be fully understood until his death and resurrection. That is why Jesus keeps telling different one, “Don’t tell anyone what you experienced.”

· But we know that Jesus has died and risen. We know that he is the Lord and Messiah. Are we still waiting to tell others about Jesus?

· What do we take from the Gospel passage and apply to our life today?

 The prayer of the Church for Lent: "Father, look on us, your children. Through the discipline of Lent help us to grow in our desire for you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen."  

The purpose of our life, but especially in Lent, is "to grow in our desire for" God. Our resolutions for Lent should be directed to this end. Repentance of sin is to turn our hearts more to God. Our believing in the Word of the Lord is to draw closer to him. If we are not drawing closer to God, then our efforts are unfruitful. What does it mean to grow in our desire for God? It means that we want to focus on the will of God, so that our heart is united to his heart. Our ultimate purpose for existence is to be with God eternally, praising his name. This should be the underlying motive for all we do. For we want to see God and please him in gratitude for all his blessings.

 "Essentially, there are two kinds of people, because there are two kinds of love. One is holy , the other is selfish. One is subject to God, the other endeavors to equal Him." St. Augustine

Jesus makes love the basic response to God's infinite, unmerited love for us. This love is a response, not a pay back, to God's love. Jesus simplified the Ten Commandments by saying the first is love God with our whole being and the second is to love our neighbor as God has loved us. Jesus further specifies the love of neighbor by saying "what you do the least you do to me....what you did not do to the least, you did not do it to me." Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. Every human being has been redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus.  As a result, we are called to perfect our ability to see Christ in our neighbor, no matter the person's race, status, class, looks or deeds. Each person is loved and held  in esteem by God. We grow in holiness to the extent we see and treat the other as if that person was Jesus. What does this do to our Lenten observance?

 “Lenten diet – 1. Eat your words, 2. Swallow your pride, 3. Digest God’s teachings, 4. For dessert, indulge in prayer.” What a menu for fasting! And to complete the Lenten trio: share with the poor.”

Lent is a time of conversion and transformation, a time of change of direction in our lives, a time of spiritual renewal. Where do we possibly offend God the most? In our words. How often it is easy to slip into a half truth, to allow anger to erupt in us, to speak unkindly to and about others, to gossip, to take the Lord's name in vain?  The root of all sin is pride. When we crush this, we will be more in union with God. How often to we immerse ourselves in the Word of God, rather than secular readings? Our Lenten diet of this sort could drastically change our lives and unite us more closely with God.

 

A man got lost in the desert. Walking and walking, he was so desperate to slack his thirst with a drink of water, then, he found a shack and entered to look for water. There was no water except an old, rusty water pump. He run to it and pumped it. No water came out. He staggered back, weak, discouraged. He squatted on the floor. He found a jug beside him. He took it and brushed the dust off the outside markings. “You have to pour the water from this jug to make the pump work. P.S. Be sure to refill the jug with water for the next use,” it said. Thoughts were racing: “Should I pour all the water? If so, what if the pump won’t work? Or should I just drink the water? If so, what about the next user? If I poured all the water, I could lose everything. It could yield fresh, cold water as well. If I just drink all the water, there won’t be any water to pump out water from the well.” He thought for awhile and then poured all the water. At first, no water came out. “Squeak, squeak, squeak,” sounded the pump until finally water gushed forth. He had enough water for himself and for the next user. He took the jug and added the following words: “Believe me, it really works. You have to give everything away before you can have a refill of good water.”

Lent is a time to entrust ourselves more deeply to the Lord and to trust fully in his life-giving word. This is not easy, because within us is a constant voice (not from God) which asks, "What if this does not work"?  It really comes down to whose voice will I really listen to. When I listened to the other voice, what happened? Temporary satisfaction. What did I miss out? Union with God now forever. Like the man in the story you have to trust and act on the word. Nothing may happen at first, but then the life-giving water wells up.  The risk and the waiting is worth it in the end.

 "I know that Lent is going to be a very hard time for me. The choice for your way has to be made every moment of my life. I have to choose thoughts that are your thoughts, words that are your words, and actions that are your actions. There are no times or places without choices. And I know how deeply I resist choosing you. Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every place. Give me the strength and the courage to live this season faithfully, so that, when Easter comes, I will be able to taste with joy the new life which you have prepared for me. Amen." Henri Nouwen

We are making many choices throughout each day. Some are in accordance with God's will for us. Some are in accordance with our will, contrary to God. St. Paul gives us a plan by which to do the first. "Do not conform to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, choosing what is God's will, what is good, pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:2) This is not an easy task, because there is not only my human weakness to contend with, but the sinful urgings of the Evil One. The grace of God prompts us to do the will of God. The temptation of the Devil lures us to act contrary to God's will for us. Lent is a time of spiritual discipline, learning to follow the example of Jesus, who rejected the allurements of the father of lies, and chose the way of the Father of truth.

 First Sunday of Lent: Gospel B

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. 

· The same Spirit that descended upon Jesus after his Baptism now moves Jesus internally to go into the desert to prepare for his forthcoming mission.

· The forty days of prayer and fasting is reminiscent of Israel’s forty years in the desert before entering the Promised Land.

· Why do you think that the first experience of Jesus after his “desert training” was facing temptation? If Jesus, True Man and True God, is our model, then he shows us how we are to deal with temptation in our own lives.

· Mark’s account doesn’t go into detail about the temptations Jesus endured. Read Luke 4: 1-13.

· What is the basic temptation that Jesus will face? Not to fulfill the Father’s call in his life as Messiah through death on the cross.

· What is our basic temptation? Not to fulfill the call of God in our life as his son or daughter to be with him eternally.

· In his humanity Jesus experiences the grace of the Spirit and the onslaught of the Evil One.

· Where the first Adam failed when tempted, the second Adam remained faithful to the Father.

· How often have we failed to heed the move of the Holy Spirit and yielded instead to the lie of the evil spirit?

He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. 

· Recall how God sent his angel to provide nourishment to Elijah on his journey in the desert.  (1 Kings 19:5-7)

·      When have we experienced this in our life?

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." 

· John’s ministry was a preparation for Jesus’.  Recall the words of John: “He must increase and I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30)

· What does the “kingdom of God” mean to me? Where is God the Lord in my life and where is he not?

· As we begin this Lenten season we are reminded:

a) that we are being led by the Spirit during this forty-day journey to Easter;

b) that we are to pray and fast like Jesus to prepare for the purification to come;

c) that we are to come to a deeper repentance of our sins;

d) that we are to come to a deeper commitment to live as the Gospel calls us.

As we begin this Lent, what grace do you want to ask of God?

 We are told by St. Paul that we are to get rid of the old leaven. Jesus told the apostles to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and that of Herod. As we are about to enter into the Lenten season, this would be a good focus for us to have. What was the leaven of the Pharisees? Pride, refusal to believe, stubborn of heart, self-righteousness, elitism, held to the letter of the Law rather than the spirit of the Law, critical, negative and judgmental attitude. What was the leaven of Herod? Worldliness, sensuality, seeking to be self-satisfied, refusing to respond to the truth, when told, giving in to what others may think of him. These are just some of faults of the Pharisees and Herod. During Lent we are called to look  into our own hearts and honestly identify the leaven within us that corrupts us, separating us from the relationship with God that he desires. 

 Thoughts from Pope Francis. "Do you want to fast this Lent? Fast from hurting words, and say kind words. Fast from sadness, and be filled with gratitude. Fast from anger and be filled with patience. Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope. Fast from worries and have trust in God. Fast from complaints; contemplate simplicity. Fast from pressures and be prayerful. Fast from bitterness; fill your hearts with joy. Fast from selfishness, and be compassionate. Fast from grudges, and be reconciled. Fast from words; be silent and listen."

Fasting is part of our Lenten regimen. Most of us think only of fasting from food, which is good. Do we think about fasting from sin and what leads us to sin? The Pharisees fasted regularly from food, but they still found fault with the good words and deeds of Jesus. Would they had fasted from pride and a hardened heart. True fasting from food is to enable us to more readily deal with the sins which prevent us from growing in holiness before the Lord. Uprooting sin should be our focus during the season of Lent.

 As you look over your Lenten resolutions of last year and your spiritual journey since last Easter, has anything changed in your relationship with God? Lent is a time of "metanoia," a time of change. It is a time of turning from something to turning to something or someone. That someone is God. The forty days journey to Easter is meant to prepare us to better celebrate the death and rising of Jesus. It is a time of spiritual spring house cleaning. What are the sins that keep tripping you up? What can you do to remove these stumbling blocks? You can't do it alone. God's grace is there for you, if you but ask. May your Lent be lastingly fruitful.

 During Lent, especially, we are to reject Satan and all his works, but also all his promises. Since he is the Father of lies, his promises are half truths and destructive promises. We are called to discern between the lies of the Evil One and the truths of the Eternal God. God promises what leads to eternal life with him.  Satan promises what leads to eternal life with him in the fires of hell. On the surface, his promises are enticing. He is like the salesman who tells you the nice things about a used car, but doesn't tell you it has no engine. His promises are facades. Through prayer, fasting and almsgiving during Lent we seek to better our discernment gift, knowing what is of God, of the world, or of Satan. Then, hopefully, we will choose that which is of God. This will make our Lent fruitful.

 

Homily Sixth Sunday Year B

 

Reading 1: In those days, leprosy was a highly contagious disease. Because of lack of medical knowledge, they did not know how a person got leprosy, nor how it is communicated. So to protect the community, it was decided to isolate the leper from all contact with others. It is like COVID 19. Lepers had to warn others of their disease and remain in isolation. Today, leprosy is treatable and under control.

 

But what are we doing with spiritual leprosy, sin? The spread of aids, the use of heavy drugs, the easy access to pornography, the promiscuous life of pre-marital and extra marital sex, the quick money from fraud—these and others are the spiritual leprosy that can destroy us. Where leprosy today is contained and curable, the spiritual leprosy is destroying the lives of hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world.

 

Leprosy made a person ritually unclean. Sin makes us unclean. It separates us or dampens our relationship with God. It is amazing how we are more concern about physical disease such as cancer and COVID 19 than about the spiritual cancer of sin. We rightfully go to great lengths to eradicate cancer, so that we can extend our human life for a few more months or years. But what do we do to eradicate the spiritual cancer of sin, so that we can live eternally with God?

 

We are going to enter into the grace season of Lent this week. Will we respond to Jesus’ invitation to repent, namely, to turn away from sin and turn more radically to God?

 

Gospel: The leper acts contrary to the restrictions of the first reading. He didn’t stay at a distance, crying unclean. He came in direct contact with Jesus. Can you imagine the reaction of all those around?  Jesus was moved with compassion. Jesus saw beyond the leprosy to the person himself. He saw the faith of the person. The leper knew he had no right to demand healing. “If you will, you can…” There was no doubt about Jesus’ healing power. But it was Jesus’ choice to heal him or not.

 

 

In his turn, Jesus tells the man that he has come to heal and set free those under the bondages of sin. Then Jesus does the unimaginable thing, he touched the leper. In the eyes of the Law, Jesus made himself ritually unclean. But in this gesture, Jesus was taking upon himself our sinfulness. As St Paul said: “He became sin for us.”

 

What is our spiritual leprosy which spiritually disfigures us in our relationship with Jesus and others? Just as the man came to Jesus with expectant faith, asking for a healing, so we need to recognize that Jesus wants to free us from the spiritual leprosy of our sins. But we must come to him.

 

There is another point in the Gospel. The man is told not to witness to others what Jesus did. Jesus had not yet died and risen. Lest that people should focus on part of Jesus mission and not the full reason for his coming, the man is admonished to focus on being certified free of leprosy by the high priest so that he can enter fully back into the community.

 

But the man did witness freely concerning the miracle. While the man was able to rejoin the community, Jesus had to isolate himself, the reversible in life styles.

 

Reading 2: “Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it for the glory of God.” In another place, Paul said: “Whatever you do in speech or in action, do it for the love of God, giving thanks to the Father through Jesus Christ.” The ordinary is changed by intention into something extraordinary. Everyday actions and common experiences are made grace moments, bringing us into the presence of God. Holiness consists, not in extraordinary sacrifices, but by living in the present moment, consciously seeking to please God in response for his love and blessings already received.

 

Paul says that the focus is not himself but others. In doing what he says he does he indicates that he is following the example of Christ. What if we made a conscious intention and be attentive to live this way? Would our life be different?

 As we enter into Lent, we are called to not only reject the temptations of Satan but also to reject his works. The works of Satan are the variety of sins that have been part of our journey since baptism. It was not that the fruit of the tree was not something to desire for Eve and Adam, but it was what acting on that desire would mean to their relationship with God. In other words, it wasn't the fruit that was the sin. It was their disobedience to God and their desire to be equal to God that was sinful. Paul reminds us that there is a law of sin within us.  This is what we are called to reject. Paul did by turning to Jesus for his help. "Our help is in the name of the Lord."

 Sixth Sunday of Year: Gospel B

A leper came to him (and kneeling down) begged him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean." 

· In the Old Testament we find two instances where lepers were cured: Numbers 12:10-15 and 2 Kings 5:1-14.

· Leprosy was very contagious. Because of this the Mosaic Law stated that lepers were both physically and ritually impure. Therefore, they were not allowed to be in contact with others less they too would become affected and made ritually unclean.

· The man sought to be made clean or healed so that he could live a normal life and worship with others.

Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I do will it. Be made clean." The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. 

· Normally, there is revulsion at the sight of a leper. But Jesus feels a deep compassion for the man.

· How often have we experienced the compassion of God over some area of sin or affliction in our lives?

· Technically, according to the Mosaic Law, when Jesus touched the leper he himself became ritually unclean.  But Jesus knew that the reason for the Law was preventive medicine and had nothing to do with one’s relationship with God.

· In a symbolic way in touching the leper Jesus became “sin” for us. He took on our sins.

Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.  Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” 

· Jesus healed not for his sake but to manifest the love and plan of God.

· The only command Jesus gave him was that he be obedient to the Mosaic law—namely be certified as healed—so that he could once more be part of the community.

· The reason why Mark has Jesus tell the man not to publicize the healing is that in Mark’s theology to fully understand who Jesus really is one must wait for his death and resurrection. Jesus is more than a healer. He is the Messiah. But this revelation will not become clear until Jesus completes his mission on the cross.

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. 

· What does this event say to you about your relationship to Jesus? What is the “leprosy” –the area of sin--in your life that Jesus wants to free you from?

· What is preventing you from coming to Jesus with confidence and trust in his love for you and in his power to restore you?

· The man wanted to be made clean. Do we want to be freed from the bondage of sin?

 Our focus for Lent (as well as all year round) is to reject the temptations of Satan. He tempts us to draw us away from God's plan in our lives. This he did to Adam and Eve. This he tried to do with Jesus. While Adam and Eve failed, Jesus rejected Satan. Lent is a training ground for us. We are told by Paul to put on the armor of God. "Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground." (Ephesians 6:11-13) What is that armor during Lent? Prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Jesus prepared himself for the battle with Satan by praying and fasting for forty days. 

 What will you do during the season of Lent to prepare for the renewal of your Baptismal promises at Easter? The focus of the first three promises refer to reason Jesus suffered and died for us on the cross. He gave his life so that we may be freed from the bondage of sin. So, the first three questions are: "Do you reject Satan? And all his works? And all his empty promises?" Thus, the focus of our Lenten journey is the areas of sin in our lives. If what we choose to do during Lent does not address this block to our relationship with God, then our Lent will be fruitless. Our renewal of promises at Easter will be mere lip service. But if our focus is to uproot the source of our sins, even if we don't succeed a hundred percent, the grace of Lent will have been effective in our lives. So, what will you do?

Homily: Fifth Sunday Year B

 

Reading 1: We can possibly relate to Job’s negative attitude about life in general and his life in particular.  Life feels like a drudgery, with long periods of misery, of restlessness, of feeling hopeless and helpless. Basically, a life without much happiness. Job has lost everything, both material possessions and personal relationships. He is afflicted with multiple sores and scabs on his body which causes him much pain. Basically, Job wants to die. Have we every felt like this at times? Today, people would try to medicate themselves with drugs, alcohol and pleasure.

 

But the real issue with Job’s disposition is he feels totally innocent. He blames God for his situation. He wants God to justify why he has caused Job to so suffer all these calamities. In spite of his distressful life, there is a pride and an arrogance in Job. He is right and God is wrong. God owes him a justification.

 

God responds but doesn’t answer him directly. In his confrontation with God, Job experiences the truth. He is not god. He will never fathom the mind of God. All he could do was to surrender himself to God’s plan for him, in order to experience true happiness again.

 

Life is not a drudgery but a mystery. We are not the beginning and end of life, nor the center of life. God is. Difficulties are part of the human journey because of the sin of Adam and Eve.  In the midst of our present situation in the world, with the pandemic, with the bleak economy news locally, with the turmoil in the world, we have a choice. We can despair like Job or hope in the Lord. The choice is to be overwhelmed by the darkness or expect the light of a new dawn.

 

Gospel: An encounter with Jesus brings about a choice: to believe and follow him temporarily or permanently or to walk away and remain the same. Simon, Andrew, James and John were encountered by Jesus. As a result, they left their former way of life to follow Jesus, not always perfectly, but willing to be discipled and formed.

 

Simon’s mother-in-law was encountered by Jesus, who healed her. She, in turn, served his needs. Many of the sick were touched by Jesus. What was their response? Some may have become disciples. Others went their way to be different or to be the same. We don’t know. Jesus encountered the evil spirits. They acknowledged who he was, but remained in their state of eternal alienation.

 

Have we had a personal encounter with Jesus that has made a difference in our life? What has happened to us as a result? Have we become disciples and followers, so that we can grow in our relationship with him? Have we been convicted by the message of the Gospel, namely, the cross of Jesus, by which we have been saved?

 

The foundation of Jesus life and ministry was grounded in his relationship with the Father. He knows, in his humanity, the importance of spending time in prayer with the Father in the midst of ministry. It was in these moments that Jesus came to discover the Father’s will for him in any present moment of life. He was not about his ministry but the Father’s ministry. Is this what moves us in our lives?

 

Reading 2: Paul’s life after his conversion to the person of Jesus Christ was anything but pleasant and comfortable. He was beaten, imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked, felt abandoned, even to the point of despair.  But for Paul what or who made the difference was the person of Jesus Christ and his gospel of salvation. Once Paul came into the light of salvation, he felt compelled to preach Jesus and him crucified and risen. He went so far as to say: “Woe is me, if I do not proclaim the Good News, whether convenient or inconvenient.” 

 

Because of Jesus and the freedom of faith in Jesus, Paul willingly gave his total self to reaching out to all, so that at least some would be saved. Once his personal encounter with Jesus changed his life, Paul could not and would not be the same. “I live now, not I, but Christ Jesus in me…In him, I move and live and have my being…I want nothing but to be conformed to his passion, so I can share in his resurrection.” Has our encounter with Jesus affected our lives in a meaningful way?

 "Be sure to taste the moment to the full. The Lord always reveals himself to you where you are most fully present. In your prayer, try to present your anxieties, struggles, and fears to him, and let him show you the way to follow him. More important than anything else is to follow the Lord. The rest is secondary. If you follow him, you can follow him as a priest, as a lay minister, as a single person, or as a married person; but what really counts is that he is the center." Henri Nouwen

It is hard for us to live in the present moment. One of the tactics of the devil is to entrap us in the past or disillusion us about the future. For he knows that God is not in the past nor in the future. God is always in the present moment. But if we are not attentive to the present moment, we may missed the grace. Jesus said that his sheep know his voice and follow him. We can't follow him in the present moment if we are living either in the past or the future. In those moments, it is not Jesus we are following.