Lent
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Wednesday, March 31st, 2010Wednesday in Holy Week : March 31, 2010
Reading : Matthew 26: 14-25
Reflection: “If Jesus knew that Judas would betray him, why didn’t he have Judas removed? Why didn’t he turn his back on Judas?”
Jesus, in not turning Judas away from himself, reveals a God who not only desires to be with us when we do the “right” or “holy” thing, but also a God who wants to be with us in all the aspects of our lives.
In Jesus we do not find a God who desires that we reach some state of perfection before he will be with us; rather we find a God who is actually willing to work with us as we journey to the completion of who we are as human beings.
In Jesus we find a God who is not only the goal of our journey through this life, but also a God who desires to be with us as we make that journey. Our journey may at times be challenging. We may stumble and fall. We may even take a wring turn or two along the way. Today’s reading, however, reveals a God who will not give up on us. Today we are reminded of how determined our God is to be with us and how much he wants us to be with him.
Prayer: Father, through your Son Jesus you are with me in all things. Help me to know that you are with me in my failures and mistakes as well as in my accomplishments and successes. I ask this in Jesus’ name.
Holy Week - 2010
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010Tuesday in Holy Week : March 30, 1020
Reading : John 13: 21-38
Reflection: We may desire to complete an important project either for ourselves or for others. We may desire to reach some goal with all our heart. All too often we can fail in our attempts. Such failure can lead to feelings of disappointment and may, at times, cause feelings of guilt.
Today we are reminded of our need to consult and include Jesus in the pursuit of our goals. We will need his strength if we are to complete the good we seek to do. We will need to be nourished by him if we are to succeed in our goals.
There may indeed have been a very good reason why the first disciples were called to spend time with Jesus before they ventured out on any mission. There may be a very good reason why Jesus cautioned Peter about trying to follow him into the passion before Jesus himself had risen from the dead. There may be a very good reason why we need to be very careful about setting goals for ourselves before we have spend sufficient time in prayer, reflection and worship in the presence of Jesus. It may be that we, like the first disciples, need to spend time with Jesus before we begin any important task.
Prayer: Father, through your Son Jesus you have revealed yourself to be the One who can bring me to completion. Help me to spend time with your Son before I begin important projects in my life. I ask this in Jesus’ name.
Holy Week - 2010
Monday, March 29th, 2010Holy Week
We begin the holiest week of the Church Year. It is the holiest because during these upcoming days the climatic events of our salvation, namely the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, will once again be made present in the way the Church remembers those events.
Monday in Holy Week : March 29, 2010
Reading : John 12:1-11
Reflection: We seek the presence of Jesus. In our seeking we engage in activities such as personal prayer, scripture reading, acts of service, gathering with others in worship, sharing in the blessed bread and wine of the Eucharist and others. We are often able to experience the presence of Jesus in such activities, but there are times when we do not. Jesus is present but we do not experience his presence. Such moments of “absence” do not necessarily mean that we are doing anything wrong.
Today’s reading reminds us that the presence of Jesus is sometimes hidden from us. Although it is important to maintain our faith activities and especially important that we continue in personal prayer and communal worship, there is no guarantee that the “hidden presence” of Jesus will be made known through what we do. Jesus is not a genie in a bottle accessed through an incantation.
What is important is that we enter into our faith activities no matter how absent or dry they may seem to be at the time. Part of our faith is a willingness to allow Jesus to make his presence know to us in ways of his choosing. We do not have control over such revelation. It is, however, important to our faith that we continue to go to where he may be found.
Prayer: Father, through your Son Jesus, you reveal your presence with me. Help me to persevere in my attempts to experience his presence so that I may be open to finding him when his presence is revealed to me. I ask this in Jesus’ name.
Lent - Week five 2010
Friday, March 26th, 2010Friday : March 26, 2010
Reading : Ezekiel 37:21-28 John 11:45-57
Scripture Verse: Jesus would die for the nation—and not for this nation only, but to gather into one all the dispersed children of God. John 11:51-52
Reflection: As children most of us had a place we called “home”, a place where we could go and feel part of a family. As adults we create new homes—places of love and caring.
Both readings today speak about making a home. In Ezekiel, God speaks about making a home among the Jewish people: “My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (37:27)
The message of Jesus is also evident: he will bring home all the dispersed children of God. Jesus’ resurrection has a universal effect, unite all people in a renewed creation. As Jesus says: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (John 12:32)
We believe we are part of a holy catholic church—“catholic” because the church embraces all people—because in the church, all followers of Jesus—regardless of race, gender, status, age, ability etc. find a common home, a place of kinship and communion. The church as “home” is a small foretaste of what will happen at the end of time when the whole of humanity will be reunited in Christ (see Revelation 7).
Since we share the same church “home” and in our entry through baptism into the Christians family we acknowledge “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism—One God and Father of All.” (BAS page 151) we are called to fight against violence, injustice, inequality and every ideology that seeks to deny that all people are created in the image of God. (BAS page 159) We are called to “seek and serve the Christ in all persons” (BAS page 159)
In Lent we are invited to re-dedicate ourselves to “loving our neighbour as ourselves” and respecting “the dignity of every human being” as God gathers his children into his home.
Lent - Week Five 2010
Thursday, March 25th, 2010Thursday : March 25, 2010
Readings: Jeremiah 20: 10-13 John 10: 31-42
Scripture Verse: “O Lord of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart to you I have entrusted my cause” Jeremiah 20: 12
Reflection: What does it mean to be free? Some might think that being free means they have no responsibilities. They can come and go as they choose, do what they want when they want.
In our baptism we promise to “proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ.” (BAS page 159) We accept responsibility for preaching the gospel in word and deed. In being faithful to this mission we become free.
Jeremiah was a prophet who found his freedom in proclaiming God’s word to the people of Israel. In so doing he became free from the jeers, threats, mocking and violence that surrounded his ministry. He was free to proclaim that the Lord rescues the life of the poor from the power of the wicked.
Jesus speaks of his commission to be God’s Son. Jesus speaks the Word of God and does the work of God. In so doing he is free from being trapped by the expectations and fears of the people around him.
So many times in our lives, God calls us to be free to proclaim the good news of Jesus. God calls us to rise above the murmurings and mocking that are around us in our culture and to speak God’s word of love and to work for God’s will for justice in a world trapped in greed and accumulation. We might read 1 Corinthians 9:16 and reflect on Paul’s insights.
In Lent we are invited to experience the freedom that comes with faithfulness to the mission and ministry entrusted to us.