THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD: MASS DURING THE DAY

Isaiah 52: 7-10;
Psalm 97;
Hebrews 1: 1-6;
John 1: 1-18

BREAKING NEWS: GOD HAS BECOME MAN

Today we celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation: God has become man; Jesus is born. This is an old news but always a breaking Good News. The Eternal Word of God has been made flesh and he lives among us. God has become one of us so that by faith we may become children of God. From his fullness, we have received grace upon grace (John 1, 1-18).

In the little child lying in a manger at Bethlehem, we contemplate God. The invisible God has been made visible. Man can now touch God, hear God crying and being consoled. In this little child, God communicates and reveals his love and mercy to mankind (Heb. 1, 1-6). He identifies himself with each one of us. He shares our human condition, our pain and joy, our misery. In this new born, God comes to live with us, to console us, to be our friends and walk the path of life with us.

And this is the Good News that is announced to us today: “How beautiful on the mountain, are the feet of one who brings good tidings, who heralds peace, brings happiness, proclaims salvation…” (Is. 52:7-10). This is the Good News we must carry to our world of fragile peace and broken promises. This is the good tiding we must bring to our brothers and sisters. This is the joyful news we must share in our homes. Christmas is a season of joy and sharing.

As the song goes: “Great things happen when God mixes with us, great and beautiful, wonderful things…” May this year’s Christmas bring you a breakthrough in whatever difficult situation you may find yourself. May the Infant Jesus, the Prince of Peace grant you peace, joy and fullness of life. Amen.

Merry Christmas!!!

Rev. Fr. Géorges KOUWONOU
(Priest of the Diocese of Atakpamé, Togo)

21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Joshua 24:1-2.15-18
Psalm 33:2-3.16-23
Ephesians 5:21-32
John 6:60-69

A TIME TO DECIDE

Faith is a personal adherence to God. To believe in God must be a free and conscious act, knowing it leads to freedom and salvation. Thus, how we live our life depends on our choice to believe or not to believe.

The people of Israel had arrived at the Promised Land. Thus, Joshua invited them to renew their commitment to God. When asked to choose whom they wish to serve, the people of Israel affirmed their resolution to worship the Lord their God who had saved them from slavery in Egypt (Jos. 24:1-2.15-18).

In the gospel, we are presented with the last section of the sixth chapter of John’s gospel. When the crowds decided not to go with Jesus, because his declarations about the Bread of Life were unacceptable to them, he asked the Twelve: “What about you, do you want to go away too?” To this, Simon Peter answered: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:60-69).

Sometimes, we need to make such leap of faith, to stand by Jesus and hold unto him. When the enthusiasm of our commitment begins to wane, when doubts begin to set in and tiredness weighs us down, when strong winds begin to blow and the world rages around us, and when despair takes over, we need to say “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Do not quit; do not give up. Hold unto Jesus.

However, we must know that deciding to stay with Christ is to allow him to give a new orientation and meaning to our life. It is to choose the way of selfless love and sacrifice, especially within the family. We must no longer live to dominate others but to love them, care for them and respect them. In doing so, our families or homes will become a source of healing, fulfilment and sanctification (Eph. 5:21-32). 
May the Lord bless and keep all of us. Amen.

TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Proverb 9:1-6
Psalm 33:2-3.10-15
Ephesians 5:15-20
John 6:51-58

THE MYSTERY WE CELEBRATE AT MASS

Today we come to the core of Jesus’ teaching on the Bread of life. At Holy Mass, we often hear words like “…Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.” Or again, “the body of Christ”, “the Blood of Christ;” and we respond “Amen”. But do we really understand these words? Do we believe them? The Jews understood very well what Jesus meant when he said he would give them his flesh to eat. They understood he meant his own body and blood. So they argued saying: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” They were neither cannibals nor blood drinkers. That was an abomination.

But Jesus became more emphatic: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Again, “For my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed”. And this is the mystery we celebrate in the Eucharist. St John Chrysostom said: “What we believe is not the same as what we see. For one thing we see is bread and wine, and another we believe is the Body and blood of our Lord. And such is our mystery.”

It is therefore Jesus Christ himself that we receive in the Holy Communion. The words from the book of Proverbs must always resonate in our ears: “come and eat, drink the wine I have prepared.” “Taste and see how good is the Lord!” says the Psalmist. This is an invitation we must eagerly yearn to hear and accept gladly if we really understand what it means.

And whenever we eat this bread and drink this wine, we become untied with Christ. We become one with him. We dwell in him and he in us. Holy Communion creates therefore a real life giving union with Christ and with one another.
May the Lord blesé and keep all of us. Amen

NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

1Kings 19:4-8 
Psalm 34 
Ephesians 4:30-5:2 
John 6:41-51

NOURISHMENT FROM ABOVE

Today, Jesus continues his catechesis on the Bread of Life as presented in the sixth chapter of John’s gospel. St Paul exhorts his audience not to grieve the Holy Spirit, but rather imitate God in his goodness and love. The first reading presents us the figure of the prophet Elijah.

The prophet Elijah was escaping the wrath of Jezebel who sought to kill him for having exterminated the prophets of Baal. The prophet flew therefore to save his life. But hunger and tiredness made him rather seek for death: “Lord, I have had enough. Take my life”, he said. But God gave him food and drink to re-energize him for the journey ahead of him.

In the Gospel, the Jews, knowing well the family background of Jesus, complained about him, for he said he is the bread that came from heaven. Thus, Jesus reiterates his statement by adding that the bread given for the life of the world is his own body. Jesus meant what he said: in the Eucharist, we receive the Body of Christ. As such, the Eucharist communicates to us the very life of Jesus. It gives meaning to our life and sows in us the seed of eternal life.

Therefore, the secret of a happy, fulfilled and meaningful life, a life full of hope amidst the crosses and difficulties of this life is in Jesus. In the Eucharist we celebrate Jesus Christ who offers himself to us. And the foundation of this self-giving is love.

Meanwhile, love puts away every bitterness, anger, wrangling and slander. Love is kind, generous, forgiving and tender. It is in this light that the exhortation of St Paul in the second reading is to be understood. We are children of God; we must therefore live our lives as such.

Let us pray, therefore, that God may strengthen and renew us through the nourishment we receive in the Eucharist. And so, we may journey with him and radiate his love in our homes and communities. Amen

EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Exodus 16:2-4.12-15
Psalm 77
Ephesians 4:17.20-24
John 6:24-35

SEARCHING FOR JESUS CHRIST

Why do we go to church? Why do we need to believe in Jesus? Are we miracles-driven Christians or faith-driven Christians? These are few questions we are invited to reflect upon today.

In effect, today’s gospel, which is a continuation of last Sunday’s gospel reading, invites us to make a deeper reflection on the reasons why  we are Christians. People go to church because they get satisfied with the singing and preaching during our celebrations. Others go to look for miracles. Still others go because they “should” be there to avoid social tagging. So, “I tell you solemnly, you are not looking for me because you have seen signs, but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat”.

Jesus had just fed 5,000 people with little bread and fish. But the people could not get him. In much similar way, the Israelites had just passed miraculously through the red sea dry-shod and their enemies drown in the sea. But they still murmured against Moses and God because they were hungry. They forgot that God could feed them from nothing.

This is common among us. We easily and quickly forget the wonderful things God has done and continues to do in our lives, especially when we are faced with challenges and obstacles. And this drives us away from Christ, looking for miracles elsewhere. We go to mallams and fetish priests that provide quick answers to our problems. We lose faith in him, who is really present in the Eucharist. The Jesus who fed the people and worked signs and wonders is the same Jesus in the Eucharist.

Therefore, like St Paul in the second reading, “I want to urge you in the name of the Lord, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live”. Do not go looking for miracles. You yourself are a wonderful miracle in this world. Put aside your illusory desires and follow Jesus in faith. Trust in him and your life will never be the same.
Amen

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

2Kings 4:42-44
Psalm 145
Ephesians 4:1-6
John 6:1-15

FEEDING FROM THE LITTLE

We  are serving a living God, the miracle worker. He is the God of Providence. Today's readings invite us therefore not to worry, but have confidence in God and bring him the little we have so that he may multiply it for us. Moreover, the unity and love that bind us together must lead us to  be willing to share  with others the little we have.

In the first reading, a man from Baal-Shalisha brought his first fruits to Elisha, the man of God. The latter miraculously fed hundred people with the twenty loaves the man had brought him. He did this out of confidence on the word of God (2Kgs 4:42-44). The psalmist says that the eyes of all look hopefully up to God, who provides food to every living thing in due season. In the gospel, Jesus fed five thousands men out of five loaves and two fish. It was a little boy who gave out the little he had to feed the multitude  (John 6:1-15).

It is of no wonder that St Paul exhorts us in the second reading to bear with one another, show love, and live in peace and unity with everybody. Brotherliness, fellowship, selflessness and sharing must therefore characterize our homes and communities

Let us learn from the man from Baal-Shalisha to support our priests and pastors. Let priests and men of God learn from prophet Elisha to help the needy with the little they have. Let us all learn from the little boy in the gospel to be willing to share our resources with others. In every situation, may we trust in God who provides for our needs.
Amen

PENTECOST SUNDAY, YEAR B

Acts1:1-11
Psalm 103
Galatians 5:16-25
John 15:26-27.16:12-15

THE TRANSFORMING EXPERIENCE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

The solemnity of Pentecost commemorates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. The event took place on Pentecost, the Jewish Harvest Festival, an occasion when the Jews recalled their covenant with God on Mount Sinai, fifty days after their escape from Egypt.

This day was announced by Jesus Christ. For he promised the disciples that he would send them the Paraclet, the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit would glorify him, bear witness to him and empower the disciples also to bear witness to him. The Holy Spirit would teach them the ways of God and lead them to the whole truth (John 15:26-27.16:12-15).

The first reading narrates the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise. As described by Luke, the Pentecost event was a spectacular and transforming experience. The Holy Spirit opened the closed doors of the Church to everyone, freely involving anyone it comes across as the wind, having a burning and transforming power like fire, empowering men and women to proclaim the wonders of God to all peoples. This way, he freed the disciples from cowardice and fear, and empowered them to speak freely about the wonders of God (Acts 1:1-11).

We too have received the Holy Spirit at our baptism. We are therefore called to live by the Spirit, to bear fruits and outdo all the works of the fresh (Gal 5:16-25). Our lives are to be living testimonies to the wonders of God. For each of us is a miracle of God’s grace given to us in the Holy Spirit. It is high time therefore to come out of our self-inflicted prisons caused by fear, selfishness, wickedness, divisions, etc so as to preach fearlessly the love of God to all.

May the Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on us, mold us, fill us and use us, enabling us to be true witnesses of Christ. Amen.

SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B

Acts 1:15…26 
Psalm 102
1 John 4:11-16 
John 17:11

             PRAY LIKE JESUS

The period between the Lord’s Ascension and Pentecost is a period of waiting in prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus himself. 

In the first reading, the Apostles prayed God to choose the one to replace Judas Iscariot, the traitor. The lot fell on Matthias, who was then listed among the Twelve. Here we see the implicit action of the Holy Spirit guiding the decisions of the nascent Church. 

In the second reading, we are called to abide in the love of God, by loving one another. This communion with God is made possible by the Holy Spirit, which is the gift of God to us. It is therefore love that makes God present in us. 

The gospel is an excerpt of Jesus’ prayer commonly known as Jesus’ Priestly Prayer (John 17). This prayer shows how dear we are to Jesus. This is the mystery of Christian prayer: Jesus Christ prays for us, in us and with us. And this is our consolation and security: our Lord has prayed for  us and continues to pray for us, for he is now seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us.    

We must therefore strive to tighten our relationship with the Lord through prayer. It is in prayer that we can experience the loving care of God. It is in prayer that we can ask for guidance of the Holy Spirit in everything we do as individuals or as a Church. A Christian cannot live without prayer. Let us therefore make prayer the air we breathe and ask the Holy Spirit to direct us in making the right decisions at the right moments. 

Amen 

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B

Acts 10:25…48
Ps 97
1 John 4:7-10
John 15:9-17

FRIENDS OF JESUS CHRIST

The inner longing of every man and woman is to love and to feel loved. For we were created out of love, in love and for love, by a God who is love. In effect, the second reading gives us another name of God: love. “God is love”. He loved us first and gave us his only Son for our salvation. As such, those who truly love are sons and daughters of God (1 John 4:7-10).

In the first reading, this love of God is proven boundless, open to all men, irrespective of their nationality. God has no favourite, but accepts anyone who fears him and does what is right. Thus, by pouring his Spirit upon the pagans, whom Jews considered unworthy of God’s mercy, love and salvation, God broke the barriers of our prejudice and self-sufficiency (Acts 10:25…48).

Similarly, Jesus in the gospel invites his followers to love one another as he has loved us. What is specific of the love of Christ is that he loved us to the end and gave his life for us. He has made us his friends (John 15:9-17). He is the only selfless, faithful, loyal and true friend.

This way, Jesus invites us to experience love in its true sense: a love that overcomes fear, selfishness, and pride. A love that seeks the good of the other for the sake of the other. A love that endures and forgives. It is only when we love in this way that we become true friends of Jesus. Anything apart from this is a caricature of love. 
May the Lord Jesus teach us how to love as he loves us. Amen

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B

Acts 9 :26-31 
Psalm 21 
1 John 3:18-24 
John 15:1-8

ABIDING IN JESUS CHRIST

On this fifth Sunday of Easter, the gospel proposed for our meditation is the parable of the vine (John 15:1-8). This parable is an invitation to abide in Jesus Christ so as to bear much fruits. Either you are connected to Christ or you are disconnected from him. If you abide in him, you will bear much fruits. But if you do not abide in him, you become fruitless, sterile. You go from frustration to frustration, from crisis to crisis, for a life without Christ is a life with crises: “For without me, you can do nothing”, says Jesus.

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. Consequently, the fruitfulness of our life depends on our connexion or intimacy with Jesus Christ. We must therefore remain always connected to him. We must develop a personal relationship with him through prayer, listening to the Word of God and the celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. To remain in Jesus also means finding the reason to live and hope in spite of everything. It is to make him our shelter, our dwelling, therefore our security.

One cannot abide in Jesus without being like Jesus, without loving like him. To abide in Jesus means keeping his word that calls us to love one another (1 John 3:18-24). To abide in Jesus has therefore a social dimension. Sometimes, it means integrating sinners, the rejected, the marginalized and the abandoned into our community. Other times, it means forgiving others and lettting go the wounds they had inflicted us.

This is exemplified in the first reading. The community of believers in Jerusalem found it difficult to accept Paul, despite his conversion on the road to Damascus, for he was a persecutor of Christians. It took the intervention of Barnabas for him to be recognized as a disciple of Christ.
May the Lord help us to abide in him so as to bear fruits to the glory of God. Amen

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B

Acts 4:8-12
Psalm 117
1 John 3:1-2
John 10:11-18

SHEPHERDS AFTER THE HEART OF JESUS CHRIST

The fourth Sunday of Easter is also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” and is set aside to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In today’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims that he is the Good Shepherd. As the Good Shepherd, he freely lays down his life for his sheep, knows them, cares for them, defends them from foreign attacks and goes out to look for the lost sheep. He gathers his sheep into one sheepfold (John 10:11-18).

Praying for vocations therefore is a way of asking the Lord to give us shepherds after his own heart, as he himself had promised (Jer. 3:15). For we need priests and religious who care for God’s people, who are close to them, know them and listen to them. We need holy priests and religious, people who touch lives by their way of life.

There are two main vocations by which the Lord calls each one of us to service. One is the married life and the other priestly and religious life. God has called each one of us, but what we are to be has not yet come (1 John 3:1-2). Therefore, as pilgrims, let us cultivate the virtues of patience and perseverance. We live in a world which is becoming more hostile to the Gospel. Like Peter in the first reading, let us be bold and fearless in preaching the truth about Jesus Christ, for in him alone there is salvation (Acts 4:8-12).

Let us all pray for, encourage and support vocations. Let us pray expecially for young people that many may respond positively to the call of the Lord and give their lives to the Risen Lord in priestly or religious life. Amen

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B

Acts 3:13-15.17-19
Psalm 4
1John 2:1-5
Luke 24:35-48

THE WITNESSING CHRISTIAN

Jesus of Nazareth, the Prince of Life was put to death, but death could not overcome him. This is an old news but always new, transforming lives to the glory of God. Today, he appears to his disciples. It was in the evening of the day of his resurrection. The prevailing atmosphere among the disciples was one of fear and doubt, sadness and deception. But the encounter with the Risen Jesus renewed their faith and filled them with joy.

Today’s appearance story follows Jesus’ manifestation to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, where they recognized him in the breaking of bread. Three things are worth highlighting in today’s passage. First, he offers peace to his troubled and frightened disciples and reassures them that he is the same who was dead but now is alive. Second, he makes them understand the Scriptures which foretold his Passion, death and resurrection. Third, he invites them to be witnesses of his saving work.

Consequently, in the first reading, Peter boldly bears witness to the Risen Lord before the people and calls them to conversion. St John, in the second reading, reminds us that Jesus’ death is the expiation for our sins and those of the whole world. This way, he has become our advocate before God.

Indeed, Jesus died, but now he is alive. He died for our sins. This is the news we must preach to the world and call our contemporaries to conversion. But we ourselves must be converted first so as to be living testimonies of God’s mercy and love.
May the Risen Lord give us peace and joy. Amen

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B

Acts 4:32-35
Ps 117:2-4,15-18, 22-24
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

If the Risen Christ appears to his disciples many times, it is to strengthen their faith, and assure them that he has not abandoned them. Henceforth, he is present and active in the sacraments to offer them consolation and reconciliation. Today, he shows them the marks of his Passion, expression of God’s Mercy for mankind.

John narrates the appearance of the Risen Lord to his disciples. In the evening of the day of his resurrection, Jesus offered three gifts to his disciples: peace, the Holy Spirit and a mission. The peace he gives them is the peace that forgives, forgets their failures and mistakes, reconciles them with himself and assures them of his presence. He breathed on them and gave them the Holy Spirit to strengthen them for the mission he entrusts them. Their mission is to be his representatives in the world as ministers of God’s mercy, as he himself is the Face of God’s mercy.

Moreover, today’s gospel outlines the appropriate response to Jesus’ resurrection: faith. After one week of doubt, Thomas finally makes a great and unparalleled confession of faith in the Risen Jesus: “My Lord and my God”. According to the second reading, faith in the Risen Lord as the Son of God is the great weapon to overcome the world (1 John 5:1-6).

If we profess and live out our faith in Jesus Christ as we ought, indeed, we shall overcome today’s world marked by selfishness, individualism, corruption, division, consumerism, desire to exploit others, etc. Our faith will inform us that we ought to live our life with and for others. The first Christians understood this; that is why they put their belongings in common, sharing them to each according to his needs (Acts 4:32-35).

Let us also cultivate the habit of sharing. May the Risen Lord help us be authentic witnesses of his resurrection. Amen

EASTER SUNDAY

Acts 10 :34.37-43 
Psalm117 
1Corithians 5 :6-8 
John 20 :1-9

HE HAS RISEN INDEED

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. For we celebrate the foundation of our faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ (cf. 1Cor. 15:13-14).

However, from the gospel reading, we understand that the Lord's resurrection is not a scientific fact to be proven. It is to be believed in. No one saw Jesus coming out of the tomb. But some "facts" and events indicate that something extraordinary happened: the empty tomb, the appearances of the Risen Lord, and the witness of the apostles.

From what happened on Good Friday and these indicators, we come to believe that Jesus was dead, but now he is alive. On Good Friday, our hopes were shattered. But today, our hope has come alive. We now know our Redeemer lives. Easter is therefore a period of joy and hope.

This is the Good News we must carry. Let us bring this joy and hope to those around us. Let us show by our way of life that we are Easter people. Let us celebrate this Easter not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, unforgiveness and self-pity, but with sincerity, truth, and self confidence (1Cor. 5:6-8). May the Risen Lord bless and keep all of us.
Amen

PASCHAL TRIDUUM, GOOD FRIDAY

Isaiah 52:13—53:12
Psalm 30
Hebrews 4:14-16.5:7-9
John 18:1—19:42

THE CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S PASSION

Today is the second day of the Sacred Triduum. Apart from the stations of the cross that characterizes the day, today’s liturgy is made up of three parts, namely, the liturgy of the Word which helps us understand the true meaning of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, the veneration of the cross and the liturgy of the Pre-sanctified or Holy Communion. The focus of today’s liturgy is the cross.

In Jewish understanding, the cross was the emblem of shame, curse, punishment, condemnation, torture, suffering and death. The imagery of a cross was something absurd and resentful. It pointed to anger and bitterness, hatred and violence.

But Jesus changed the perspective of the cross. With Jesus the cross has become the emblem of friendship, redemption and glory. It has become the symbol of triumph and not defeat, life and not death, forgiveness and not condemnation. As the Suffering Servant, Jesus was thought of as someone cursed, punished by God. He was despised, rejected, humiliated, a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief, finally crucified. And yet, through his Passion and death, he has become the source of salvation, healing and wholeness for mankind.

Today, let us reflect on the culture of death and violence that characterizes our world today. Innocent people are unjustly condemned, jailed or killed. Innocent lives are lost through abortion and war. Out of our selfish ambitions, we sell others. The love for power has taken over the power of love. We destroy the reputation of others through backbiting and blackmails. We break the hearts of those who love us and trust us; we reject and abandon them at the moments they need us most. And the culture of revenge and unforgiveness is growing even among Christians.

May the Lord forgive us! May he be the consolation and strength to those who are suffering. Amen

PASCHAL TRIDUUM, HOLY THURSDAY

Exodus 12:1-8.11-1
Psalm115
1Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-15

MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER

Today's Mass in memory of the Last Super opens the "Pascal Triduum", a three day's journey that commemorates the events that led to our Redemption: the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The focal point of today's liturgy is the Upper Room, where Jesus took the last Super with his disciples. Three events are celebrated:
- the giving of the new commandment of love, expressed in gestures of  humble service,
- the institution of the Eucharist as a symbol of his self giving for us,
- the institution of the priesthood to perpetuate his presence among his people. That which holds these three mysteries together is Jesus' love for us.

The first reading narrates the institution of the Jewish Passover, marked by the immolation of the lamb. The eating of the Passover lamb preceded the exodus event. The second reading explains the Eucharist as instituted by Christ himself during the super that preceded his Passion and death.

At the Last Super, Jesus stood among his disciples as one who serves. He washed his disciples' feet as a concrete example of serving one another. Such humility is an example for us to follow. Moreover, he gave his Body and Blood as a ransom for many. This act of self giving demonstrates Jesus' love for us. Thus, those of us who partake in the Eucharist must also give ourselves in serving others.

Today, let each of us spend some time in adoring the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Amen

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR B

Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 51:3-4.12-15
Hebrews 5:7-9
John 12:20-33

THE CHRISTIAN PARADOX

This is the Sunday that precedes Palm Sunday that ushers us into the Holy Week. We are told in the gospel that some Greeks wanted to see Jesus. But nothing is explicitly said if their request was granted. Nevertheless, Jesus indicates the way any person wanting to see him can do so: raising one’s eyes towards the cross. It is on the cross that we can recognize the Son of God. The hour of his crucifixion becomes the hour of his revelation, glorification and exaltation.

He therefore compares his death with a grain of wheat that falls into the ground. There is no harvest that is not preceded by the sowing of a seed. The seed that is buried in the ground goes through degradation before germination. If we wish to ne great and spiritually fruitful, we must be humble and accept humiliation.

It was by accepting the humiliating death on the cross with all its associated pains and torture that Jesus became the source of eternal salvation for us. He himself learnt to obey through suffering, tears and earnest prayer. We too can only bear fruits if we accept to suffer little.
It was by dying on the cross that Jesus fulfilled the promise of God as presented to us in the first reading. The blood he shed on Calvary became the blood of the new and eternal covenant.

If we wish to meet Jesus, we must go to Calvary. If we wish to have life, we must let our ego and old ways of life die in us. If we wish to be great, we must become little. If we wish to be transformed, we must first allow ourselves to be deformed.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR B

2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23
Psalm  136:1-6
Ephesians 2: 4-10
John 3:14-21

LAETARE SUNDAY

The fourth Sunday of Lent is usually called "Laetare Sunday" or Sunday of rejoicing. Why rejoicing in this time of penance and regret of our sins? Because we serve a God who is patient and loving. He never gets tired of loving us despite our sinfulness and weaknesses; for He does not take pleasure in the death of the sinner.

Hence, the first reading tells us that the Lord, the God of Israel tirelessly sent his prophets to the Israelites. But the people did not listen to them. Thus, God delivered them in the hands of the Babylonians. They went to exile, a bitter experience in the history of the Israelites. Even then, God delivered them by raising king Cyrus of Persia to liberate them from exile. This is how loving, how forgiving our God is!

In the second reading, St Paul says that “God so loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy, when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ.” This is how immensely rich God’s saving grace is!

The gospel proclaims that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son to us so that anyone who believes in him may be saved. He came not to condemn the world, but to save the world. To hepl us better appreciate the amazing grace and the love of God for us, Jesus makes a reference to the lifting up of the golden serpent by Moses in the desert (Num 21:6-9).

The serpent was a symbol of consolation and healing to the Israelites in thé desert. Jesus on the cross is the sign of our salvation, sign of God’s love for you and me. Yes, on that cross which is the emblem of humiliation and torture, death and condemnation, is found the emblem of love, forgiveness and liberation. By looking on the cross, we come to appreciate how our sins, transgressions and disobedience have nailed Jesus. We must believe in this love of Jesus and be obedient to his Word.
Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR B

Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 18:8-18
1Corinthians 1:22-25
John 2:13-25

THE PASSION IN PERSPECTIVE

Today is the third Sunday of Lent, a time for conversion and coming back to God. But for some of us, Sunday has become like any other day for business, a day for morning jogging, recreation, shopping or enjoyment. And Christianity is becoming more of an entertainment industry, a means of making money. But Sunday must be for us a day holy to the Lord, a day of worship. This is what the third of the Ten Commandments asks of us as presented in the first reading (Ex. 20:1-17).

Today’s gospel speaks of the cleansing of the Temple. Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive away those selling and buying in the Temple. Why did Jesus do that? Because the people had turned the House of God into a market, the Temple into a supermarket, the house of prayer into a business center. Religion had become an enterprise.

Moreover, it was hard for the Jews to understand what Jesus meant when he said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” But the text explains that he was speaking of the temple of his body. This event therefore invites us to have in mind what lies before us in this Lenten season: the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 2:13-25).

This is the centre of Christianity: the cross and the empty tomb. We preach a crucified Christ, says Paul in the second reading. The drama of the cross, however, was nonsense for the pagans and a stumbling block to the Jews. But for us, it was and is still the power and wisdom of God. For on the cross hang the one who has saved us (1Cor. 1:22-25).

May the Lord help us to accept the reality of the cross and follow Christ carrying our own crosses.
Amen. 

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

1 Samuel 3:3-10.19
Psalm 39(40)
1 Corinthians 6: 13-15.17-20
John 1: 35-42

OUR CHRISTIAN CALL

Life is a vocation. The Christian life is also a vocation. It begins with the encounter with a person, Jesus Christ. In any vocation, it is God who calls and man responds. In today's first reading, it is God who calls Samuel by his name (1Sam. 3:3-10.19). In the gospel reading, it is Jesus who initiates the conversation by asking the two disciples of John: "What are you looking for?" Then, he told them : "Come and see" (John 1:35-42)

Christian life is therefore a call to be with the Lord. Being with him requires certain attitudes. Two of these are proposed to us in today's readings:

1. Listening
Like Samuel, we need to listen to God who speaks to us. Eli the priest taught the young boy to respond to the unknown voice: "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening". God continues to speak to us, but we find it difficult to respond to him, because our life is full of noise. Even in prayer, we like speaking to God without allowing him to speak to us.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said: "God is the friend of silence. He cannot be found in noise and restlessness." Do you want to find God, do you want Him to speak to you? Learn the art of silence.

2. Bringing others to Jesus
The encounter with Jesus is a wonderul experience one cannot keep for himself alone. It must be shared. That was what Andrew did. When he met Jesus the Messiah, he told his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus.

We too must bring others to Jesus. Witnessing is that which authenticates our faith. Ironically, the more Christian chruches multiply, the more immorality abounds in our world today. Hence, St Paul advices us to avoid immorality. God has called us to dedicate our bodies to him (1Cor. 6:13-15.17-20). May he bless and keep all of us.

Amen.