REFLECTIONS

SUNDAY REFLECTION: SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR C. (DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY)

Historical Analysis

In the year 2000 Our Holy Father Pope John Paul instituted a new feast, the Feast of Divine Mercy to be celebrated for the first time in 2001 on the Second Sunday of Easter, today. It arises out of a series of apparitions which a Polish nun, Sr. Faustina, received. Sr. Faustina was born in Poland in 1905. When she was twenty years old she entered the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy where she lived for the next thirteen years until her death on October 5^th 1938. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1993 and canonized in 2000.

In April 1978 the Holy See in Rome permitted spread of this devotion. The one primarily responsible for the Holy See approving the authenticity of the apparitions was Karol Wojtyla, then Archbishop of Cracow, later that year elevated as Pope. In 1981 Pope John Paul said his destined role was to bring the era of Divine Mercy into the world.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy and so we usually call today Divine Mercy Sunday. St. Faustina was privileged to receive apparitions from Jesus emphasizing his mercy, and especially his mercy today. Jesus promised that those who go to Confession and receive Holy Communion today will receive not only forgiveness of their sins, but the total remission of all temporal punishment for their sins. It is like a second baptism, all sin and punishment is wiped out. Confession during the week beforehand is also acceptable. Our attitude should be one of total trust in Jesus’ Divine Mercy. Confession before today in preparation for this feast is also okay, Sister Faustina used to confess on Saturday. Jesus’ promise is recorded three times in the Diary of Saint Faustina, each time in a slightly different way. This is the first teaching from Jesus. Going to confession is not the only way to prepare ourselves for this feast. We are also to be merciful, to perform acts of mercy.

The Mercy of God

The theme of the ‘mercy of God’ runs throughout the Bible.  God is ‘rich in mercy’ (Ephesians 2:4).  The Greek word ‘eleos’ means ‘mercy, compassion, pity, clemency’.

This feast of Divine Mercy reminds us of many parables taught by Jesus emphasizing God’s mercy. We remember the three beautiful parables of Luke 15. God is like a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to go in search of the one lost one. God is like a woman who searches the entire house to find the coin she lost. God is like a father who comes out of the house to welcome back his prodigal son and who comes out of the house a second time to entice the elder son to come in and join in the party. Today God has thrown a party during which we can receive God’s infinite mercy. Let us to the party and receive God’s mercy.

Attributes of God’s Mercy

In this season of Easter, it is most fitting indeed for us to focus our attention of the Lord, the Divine Mercy, as in truth it was the boundless, enduring and ever-present love that God has for each and every one of us sinners and unworthy people, that has allowed Him to extend such a wonderful and gracious mercy towards us. He does not want us to be destroyed and annihilated because of our sinfulness, and therefore, wanted to give us another chance.

The Lord has shown us such great love and mercy, in reaching out to all of us, who are sinners and wicked, and He wants to heal us from all of our brokenness and unworthiness. He Himself showed us all throughout His life and ministry, in how He reached out to the worst of sinners, to those whom the rest of the community had dismissed as being hopeless and unworthy to be saved, like the tax collectors and prostitutes. And that was what the disciples in our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles had done, continuing the good works of the Lord’s merciful love, by ministering to the poor, the sick and the dying, providing them with both physical and spiritual care, and healing those who were sick by the virtue of the power granted to them by the Lord. And they ministered to the people in various places.

The Implications

It is what all of us have also been called to do, to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Himself and His disciples, in doing the works of mercy in our daily living. Our Lord promises many great blessings and graces for the merciful when He says, “Give, and it shall be given to you…; the measure you give to others is the measure that will be given to you” (Lk 6:38). “Do them good and lend to them, without any hope of return; then your reward will be a rich one, and you will be true sons of the Most High, generous like Him toward the thankless and unjust” (Lk 6:35). This, therefore, is the greatest reward a person can expect. We become sons of the Most High for being merciful to our fellowmen. We can boldly call God our Father since we come with aid to His children and our brothers.

Divine mercy obtains for us graces and light, cleanses us from our sins, guides us to the Sacrament of Penance, and saves our soul from death that is from eternal damnation

Many of us have not been able to show mercy in our own actions and deeds in life, especially because we acted in the manner as how St. Thomas the Apostle had done, as mentioned in our Gospel passage today. St. Thomas has shown us all in our Gospel today, his lack of faith and doubt in the Lord’s resurrection, and he has always been the skeptical one, to the point of sarcastically commenting before the other disciples that the Lord was leading them all to their death when He was about to go to Jerusalem for His Passion.

And when the disciples saw the Lord and witnessed His resurrection, St. Thomas doubted and refused to believe the words of the other disciples, to the point that he publicly mentioned that he would not believe unless he was able to prove it by his own hands, that the Lord Jesus truly rose from the dead and not just an apparition or a ghost. He wanted to see if the One who appeared was truly the crucified Christ.

This is exactly what many of us are suffering from as well, this inability to have that genuine faith in God, in His love and in His mercy. Many completely do not trust in the mercy of God. They continue to feel the guilt of their pasts even after having confessed their sins. Today’s gospel calls for complete trust and faith in Jesus and His merciful heart.

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A little boy named John and his sister Ijeoma stayed at their grandparents’ house for a week during the Christmas Holidays. John had just received a brand new catapult. However, John was not a good shot. His grandma called him in for supper. Frustrated, John took a shot at his grandma’s duck. However, this time he hit the duck in the head and killed it dead. John panicked. He took the duck’s corpse and hid it under a bush. His sister Ijeoma had watched the whole thing. Ijeoma said to him, “You would better do what I say or I will tell Grandma.” So, the next day after lunch, Grandma said, “Ijeoma, I need you to help with the dishes.” She responded, “John wants to do it.” Ijeoma looked at John and whispered, “Remember the duck.” The Following day, Grandpa said to the children, “Let’s go fishing at the pond.” Grandma said, “I need Ijeoma to help with supper.” Ijeoma said, “John wants to help.” She looked at John and whispered, “Remember the duck.” After a few days of being Ijeoma’s slave, doing chores, and obeying her every whim, he confessed to Grandma what he did. Grandma retorted, “Honey, I was standing at the window when you accidently shot the duck. I forgave you there and then. I was just wondering how long you were going to be Ijeoma’s slave. This is actually what the devil has been doing to us, we think that God will not forgive us again; we think God’s mercy is very far, from us, we then find it hard to confess our sins to Him, not knowing that He is expecting us to use the freedom He gave us to come back to him. It is then by the mercy of God that we are forgiven, transformed, and changed. If God has had mercy on you, remember you are a changed individual. Do not be enslaved by the Devil’s reminders of your past. Go and confess your sins to God. His mercy is great. Spread this mercy also by being merciful also to others.

God bless you.

   SUNDAY REFLECTION THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR C                               

       EXODUS 3:1-8, 13-15, 1 COR 10:1-6, 10-12, LUKE 13:1-9

Luke gives us a pair of stories that call us to repentance. The Gospel reading makes us meditate deeply on how God detests sinful living and the destructive power of sin (vv. 1-5). He also gives us a parable that illustrates the patience and love of God for humanity (vv. 6-9).  Both stories call for repentance.  The story of the Galileans warns of the coming judgment and the reality of uncertainties of life. Anything can happen at any moment.   Jesus using the event again to warn about living in sin indicates that sin also brings punishment. Secondly, the fig-tree parable (vv. 6-9) offers hope that the Lord always waits for the sinner to repent. The second part of the story from Luke is somehow in consonance with that of the message of the first reading of today. The first reading expresses God’s readiness to save the people of Israelites in the midst of slavery in Egypt. He hears their cry and now has come to save them. This expresses God’s love for humanity and readiness to help those who call on him in times of trouble. It is this God’s love that still kept us alive despite our unworthiness. In the gospel reading then, the fig tree has already stayed for three years without bearing fruit and the number 3 in Hebrew numerology indicates a complete number. Three is the first number to which the meaning “all” was given. It is the number of the whole as it contains the beginning, middle and an end. So the 3 years indicates that the chance given to the tree to bear fruit has already completed and in essence has to be uprooted. Remember that in John 15:1-2, Jesus calls God the Vinedresser” “My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit”. So, It is the will of God that no one will perish but have eternal life.  Another year given to the tree to bear fruit indicates God’s grace and love for his people. He still gives chances upon chances to come back to Him. This expresses the significance of the Lenten season as a season of grace and God’s mercy for sinners.

The Tragedy

The news is indeed terrible. Galileans came to the temple to make their sacrifices, and Pilate’s soldiers slaughtered them in that holy place, profaned the altar with human blood. Luke is our only source of information about these tragedies. The mention of Pilate, mingling the blood of Galileans with their sacrifices appears to refer to a massacre of a group of Galilean pilgrims in Jerusalem. The narrative does not reveal why Pilate slaughtered these people, but the deed nevertheless corresponds with what other historical writings tell about Pilate’s penchant for brutality. A scholar explained that this was one of the reasons Jesus was brought before Pilate. They know he must condemn Jesus to death.  Jesus also refers to the collapse of “the tower of Siloam.” a structure that collapsed without warning and crushed eighteen hapless Jerusalemites.

Jesus seizes on these two calamities to invite His followers to repentance. Both kinds of events lead the rest of us to realize how precarious our existence is. Jesus implies that the victims did nothing wrong, nothing that caused their demise. He characterizes life as just as capricious. Life is full of uncertainties. One should not take whatever happens to him as a punishment from God, so we must not equate tragedy with divine punishment. Some tragedies just come. Not every tragedy is a result of sin. This still calls for daily preparation. No one knows what may happen in the next second.

Unless you repent you will all Perish

When Jesus says, twice, “Unless you repent, you will all perish” like the others did, he does not promise that the godless will be struck by an asteroid. He refers to death in an eschatological sense, a destruction of one’s soul (compare Luke 9:24; Luke 17:33). He emphasizes the uncertainty of life and suddenness with which this death comes. Just as  the tower’s victims did not enjoy the luxury of choosing the time of their demise, likewise the unrepentant will suddenly find they have delayed too long and lost themselves. He does not promise freedom from calamity, but urges his hearers to be prepared always and run away from sin. Jesus denies that the Galileans suffered because of their sins, but calls his listeners to repent lest they suffer for theirs. We all have sinned. Jesus constantly calls his listeners to repent so that they might escape the consequences of sin.

Now what does “perish” mean? Sometimes the word simply means to suffer in the sense that we all will suffer physically. But that would not fit here since Jesus implies that if we repent, we will not perish, and also there is a clear indication that both the righteous also experience suffering in this world “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish implies that” If you DO repent, you won’t perish. But still many suffer.  So perish is something more than simply die a physical death or going through earthly suffering. To perish also indicates eternal damnation for the sinner.

Luke gives us illustrations of “perishing” in the face of judgment. Luke 10:13–15 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. Luke 11:32 “The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. Luke 16:29–31 “After his death the unrepentant rich man is in torment. He asks Abraham to send someone to warn his brothers, so they don’t perish in this place of torment”. From time immemorial God has called people to Himself. We choose to respond and be saved or refuse to respond and be damned. The choice is ours.

The Barren Tree

Here Jesus continues to emphasize the danger of living in sin. He harped on the inability to produce good fruits and the reality of God’s love, who also gives the tree time, not just giving it time but adding more manure to ensure its growth. After creation, one of the injunctions God gave man is to be fruitful, which entails righteous living and good use of what God has given to us. These verses indicate the importance of not just avoiding sin but the need to do good. When a tree bears fruit, it does not eat its fruit; the fruit is eaten by others. This passage expresses the need to help others around us, the need to show love to the needy and those around you and the need to be good. It also expresses the need to make good use of whatever that is handed to your care. Make out something from what is given to you. How do you use your gifts in the service of others? How do you care for the flock handed to you? How do you take care of those you are in charge of? God expects you to bring something good out of whatever He has handed to you.

This parable also expresses how unproductiveness can invite the anger of God, the constant availability of the grace of God to produce good fruits and the reality of the love of God. God loves us so that His love can lead us to repentance. When you harden your heart towards God, he gives you time to repent, he will bring people to you, make you hear His word constantly and even cause many events to happen to you only to make you fruitful and  repent. Obstinacy to these gracious acts cannot but lead one to be cut off into eternal damnation. God is full of mercy and compassion. He is patient and loving, But God is also a God of judgment, and Christ is warning here that a time of final judgment will still come, especially a life that has had opportunities to repent. Repentance is necessary, and it is possible with God’s help. He is patient and grants us time to change and bear fruit. Yet at the same time, none of us knows how much time we have left. So we better redress our steps and come back to God. God has given you another year, another moment to come back to Him. This is Lenten season. What are you waiting for?

May God give us the strength to abide by his word and respond to His grace around us. God has given us another second chance to repent, may He give you the strength not to misuse this opportunity again in your life. Amen

Fr. Sanctus Mario

SUNDAY REFLECTION FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR C

Gospel reading: Luke 4:1-13

INTRODUCTION

Lent is a time of repentance.  In this lenten journey, This text invariably makes us understand that temptation must surely come. Jesus was brought out of the ordinary into a place where he was tempted off course with three temptations; to comfort, power, and wealth. Money, power and comfort can lead us astray. Today’s text also reminds us that our capacity to repent and to resist temptation comes from our relationship with God and the grace of his deliverance rather than from our own strength and initiative. It is, therefore, no accident that Lent begins with a reflection on Jesus’ time in the desert. This story takes place in two significant locations: the wilderness and Jerusalem. Historically, the wilderness was the place where God met the Jewish people at Sinai after rescuing them from Egypt. In the wilderness, God shaped them into God’s covenant people cared for and led by God with cloud and fire. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is also led, this time by the Holy Spirit, in the wilderness, and he faces temptation by his adversary, the devil. The location of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness reminds us of the narrative of God’s rescue of Israel. Jerusalem, the city of David, is the center of Jewish power, identity, and worship. At the time of Jesus, the second temple had been renovated and expanded by Herod the Great and was the center of worship for the Jewish people. This place of power and worship is the setting for the final temptation.

He was led by the Spirit

In keeping with a central theme of his gospel, Luke says that Jesus was filled with the Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. For Luke, the presence of the Spirit is the evidence that God is with Jesus and that Jesus is from God. Jesus ministry was empowered by the Holy Spirit. All His miracles, wonders and works were done through Him by the Power of God; the Holy Spirit. In Luke 4; 18 Jesus says “the Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free”. Through the same power of the Holy Spirit who was already with him, Jesus conquered temptation; this shows that every Christian needs daily encounter with the Holy Spirit to conquer temptations in life.  If Jesus can be tempted, anyone can be tempted. The spirit of God gives the strength.

Secondly Jesus was tempted at the time he wanted to withdraw from the world. The devil wanted to distract him from his ministry. Beloved you will discover that anytime you want to have some moments with God through spiritual programs and prayer sessions, the devil will always come to distract you with many things. Sometimes temptation abounds immediately you have decided to come back God. Sometimes they come when you have made a decision to live a good life and go to confession. The devil knows the rewards of the Lenten season too, and he will also try to distract you from participating in it.

Jesus was Hungry

After his fasting, Jesus was very hungry. The devil knows he needs food and wanted to use it as a bait to pull him down. Many Christians do fall at this point. The devil sometimes uses your needs to bring you to him. One may need a child, and he will come in to suggest ways you can get the child which is not in line with Christian values. Today to solve their problems, many have wandered from one place to the other. If you are not patient and careful the devil will use your needs, problems and challenges to trap you. Jesus never allowed the devil to mislead him at the point of need. Do not give the devil any opportunity even it seems there is no hope in life. Do not allow any problem pull your faith away from God.

Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone

Bread signifies human needs and quests. No matter how and what you acquire, they will never ascertain you happiness and long life. They will never give you life assurance. Man needs God. Jesus answered the devil that man shall not live by bread alone but by the word that comes from God. Firstly, here, Jesus emphasizes his dependence on God and not on what the world can give. Secondly, Jesus is the word of God. Life is only and truly found in Jesus, because he is the way, the truth and the life. You cannot live by the worldly bread alone. Everything ends in this life. True life comes from Jesus. He is the surest way to everlasting life.  Jesus is the only way to the father.

If you worship me, I will give you the whole world.

The difference between God and devil is that the devil can never give you something beyond what the world can give. Devilish gifts are also conditional; you will do this or that to attract his favours, but God surpasses the world. God loves and gives unconditionally. Whatever the devil can give ends in this world. Here the traps of the devil are exposed; power, wealth, honour. Remember what he told Adam and Eve, if you eat this you will be like God. This exposes the importance of humility and contentment in the life of a Christian. In the quest to acquire wealth and power many have gone astray, many have killed, many have entered secret societies. They were not wise to fall in these devilish traps. No matter what you acquire and how much you control, all will end with you here. The devil promised Jesus the whole world but he refused the temptation but many have perpetrated all sorts of evil just because of a political office or position. Nothing you will have now will follow you in the life after. All the bread will end here, only if you have Jesus, you are sure of the life after.

He will send his angels charge over you

In the third temptation, the devil told Jesus to jump down the mountain and God will send his angels to protect him. The devil here quoted psalm 91. Many people use their religious background and identity to deceive people, the devil also appears in sheep clothing; using religion and the church to cover. Many devil’s agents today have hidden agenda, they present one thing before you but they have another thing at the back of their mind. Jesus also withstood the devil through the word of God. The more you read the word of God and live by its principles, the more the Spirit of God is active in you, and surely, He will always give you the strength to conquer temptations.

Secondly, to withstand the devil, Jesus reminded the devil who He is. Jesus is Lord and the devil is a creature. Whenever the devil comes with his troubles, remind him the type of God you worship. Here when Jesus responded “do no tempt the lord your God, Jesus reminded the devil that he is a creature and has no power over Him, his God. Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth and not the devil. So devil cannot but respect the power of His name. The devil has no single power. Do not give him authority over you, he didn’t have such authority. The devil left Jesus to wait for another opportunity. This is call for all Christians to be alert at all times and never give in to the wiles and temptations of the devil. Always rebuke Him like Jesus did.

Fr. Sanctus Mario

SUNDAY REFLECTION 8^TH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR C

Sirach 27:4-7, 1 Cor 15:54-58, Luke 6:39-45

I welcome you to the 8^th Sunday of ordinary time of the year. This is the last Sunday before the Lenten season. My reflection today will center mainly on the gospel which also has a little connection with the first reading from the Book of Sirach. In the First Reading today (Sirach 27:4-7), the writer tells us that as the fruit of a tree shows the care it has had, so does one’s speech disclose what is on the person’s mind and the passage goes on to instruct that it is wrong to praise someone before he (she) speaks. Also while addressing the crowd in the Gospel of Matthew (15:11-20), our Lord Jesus Christ declares that it is not what goes inside of a person that defiles the individual but what comes out from the heart where evil thoughts get their formation. The mouth, in turn, serves to let out the thoughts in words. From this description, we understand that the words that come out from our mouths are verbal expressions of our thoughts. The principle is that our words and works reflect accurately the condition of our spiritual heart in the same way that an X-ray or an MRI reflects the condition of our physical heart.  Our words and works make it clear what is in our hearts. So what you give is simply what you have. Let’s have a critical look at the gospel.

“Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?”

In Matthew’s version of this saying, Jesus is speaking of the Pharisees as blind guides (Matthew 15:12-14), but here the application is more general. These are rhetorical questions. The first expects a “No” answer and the second expects a “Yes” answer.

Jesus often refers to the Pharisees as hypocrites. The word “hypocrite” comes from the Greek word which means ‘actor’. An actor portrays a role that is different from his true self. He performs only for show, for other to see. In the spiritual life, when a person acts contrary to his beliefs and convictions, then he is a hypocrite, a spiritual actor. He may portray an image of holiness and piety, especially when inside the church. This is obviously to get the admiration and praise of people. But in his daily life, he is actually greedy and selfish. Then he becomes an abomination to the Lord. His worship is pointless, for God looks into the heart. He is just like the Pharisees and scribes whom Jesus condemned. The point of this first image is that we must be careful when choosing whom to follow lest we stumble into a pit alongside our blind guide. A corollary is that we have no business trying to guide others unless we ourselves can see clearly.

In the natural plane, this image also points to all who claim to know it all but they have nothing to offer. This is an important message to many who control our spiritual affairs, our financial affairs, our medical affairs, our family affairs etc to be deep rooted in their different fields before they come out to practice what they have learnt. What you have is what you can offer. If you are blindfolded in your fields you cannot offer anything tangible to the world. All you can offer is camouflage. Today many fake miracles, many fake anointing etc just to attract attention, if you are blind spiritually, you are blind spiritually. It can never be hidden, one day the truth will surface. Secondly, In this election period, if you elect illiterates, don’t also expect them to do miracles and wonders. They cannot give what they do not have.

No One Is Perfect

Jesus asked the Pharisees, “Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye”. I think this is a follow up to what Jesus said earlier on, in this chapter (Luke 6) in verse 37, Jesus warns against condemnation , he said “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven’. The problem with judging is that the person who sets him/herself up as a judge of another person’s imperfections is also imperfect. So no one is perfect. The one who points accusing fingers to others has his or her own imperfections.  Here also Jesus calls for self knowledge. One has be to aware of his own imperfections to understand the weaknesses of the other. Since Jesus does not condemn you, who are you then to condemn the other.

Each Tree Is Known By Its Own Fruit

A fruit is always a product of something. Here we are seen as trees. Our fruits depend on the type of trees we are. The first reading from Sirach corroborates this; whatever one says or does, is a sincere replica of what he truly is. The fruit of any tree is not hidden. You cannot see a mango fruit and think that it comes from an orange tree. Every tree produces its own kind. No one gathers figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush” A good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears either bad fruit or no fruit. “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks” (v. 45) A fig tree bears figs, and a thorn bush bears thorns. A grapevine bears grapes, and a bramble bush bears brambles. Jesus states this self-evident principle to illustrate a parallel principle in our spiritual lives. A good person will always bear good fruits wherever you put him but a bad person no matter how holy he claims will bear bad fruits. By their fruits we shall know them. A man of God will always be an agent of peace, unity and Love, but a devils agent will is always known for his wickedness and jealousy and agents of discord. A good man will always want to help out and see that things are going well, but the other pretends but inside him or her, he does not want them. What you are is simply known by what you give to the world around you.

What you are is what you give. A blind man will always show those essential characteristics of blindness in whatever he does. For you to effectively direct those you lead ask for Gods wisdom and knowledge. Seek for more expertise within the areas of your endeavour. And seek to know God more so that you can give God to the world. No one is perfect, pay attention to your imperfections and correct them, ask God the grace to conquer your weaknesses so that you can lead people in love and not in condemnation. All of us have our own sins, weaknesses, and failures.  The Lord simply wants us to be reminded always of all these, so that we may avoid falling into the trap of misleading people.

Be a good tree so that goodness will surround whatever you do. All of us have our own sins, weaknesses, and failures.  Sometimes, we have the false feeling that we are better than others and we do not need any form of growth and improvement. It is on account of this faulty thinking that our Lord in the Gospel today (Luke 6:39-45), maintains that we notice the splinter in our brother’s eye but do not perceive the wooden beam (plank) in our eyes. This happens when we are quick to blame, criticize, judge and deride other people while making ourselves “saints” and unimpeachable. From our “plank-studded eyes” we don’t lie, steal, cheat, gossip, nor hate. It is always “the others” not “us”. Note this very well, judging others does not define who they are, it defines who you are! Life should be more about what God thinks about us. Instead of wasting time pointing out the mistakes and misdeeds of other people, There is a constant need to examine and re-examine ourselves to remove the wooden beams that block us from critical self-examination.

SUNDAY REFLECTION

Jeremiah 17:5-8, 1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20, Luke 6:17,20-26

Today, the sixth Sunday of Ordinary time, the Church invites us to place our trust in God and in his only son Jesus Christ. These readings provide us with two ways of living; those who trust in mere mortals and those who trust in the Lord. Through his resurrection, Christ conquered death and strengthened our faith and hope of eternal life. Our faith then should have their stronghold in Jesus the giver of life. Today’s readings then pronounce blessings on those who trust God and curses on those who do not.

The first reading from the book of Jeremiah succinctly reminds us of the consequences of trusting solely on our abilities, on our human strength and on human beings: “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” Through this, we are reminded that all these will fail us because, our success and survival do not depend solely on them.

The second reading then emphasized on whom and where we should anchor our faith, which is in Christ Jesus.  The epistle tells us that if Christ has not risen from the dead our hope is dead. Our faith is a joke. Empty. Meaningless, “But,” writes St. Paul, “in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1Cor 15: 20). This message is the core of our Faith. Without it Christianity is either the dumbest or most evil religion ever. Jesus Christ is the foundation stone on where our faith lies. Among all great teachers and avatars that existed, Jesus is the only one among every founder of religion that resurrected from the dead.

The Gospel today presents four blessings and four curses in Luke’s Gospel. Some call this discourse the “discourse on the plain” because, according to Luke, Jesus came down from the mountain and stopped in a place which was flat and there He pronounced His discourse. In Matthew’s Gospel, this same discourse is given on the mountain (Mt 5:1) and is called “The Sermon on the Mount.” In Matthew, in this discourse there are eight Beatitudes, which trace a program of life for the Christian communities of Jewish origin. In Luke, the sermon is shorter and more radical. It contains only four Beatitudes and four curses, directed to the Hellenistic communities, formed by rich and poor. The Gospel pronounced blessings also on four categories of people and their rewards; on the poor, Mathew made it explicit, that the blessing is not just for any poor fellow but the poor in Spirit. Theirs is the kingdom of God.  Then the hungry, those who weep now and those excluded, reviled and insulted on account of the Son of Man. They are going to have their fill, laugh and rejoice for surely their reward is great in heaven. In the gospel similar to the first reading, Jesus pronounced curses on some categories of people:  those who have wealth, those who are full, those who laugh now, and those who seek for people’s approval and praises. The world is immersed in a lust for pleasure and riches; immersed in consumables and lost of faith in God. Not that Jesus detests wealth but those who put all their faith and love for it forgetting Him who is the foundation of our life. So the gospel begins with a blessing for those who are ready to do God’s will. The beatitude is a great song which calls us to a life of virtue, reflection and total surrender to God’s will. It is Christ’s song which calls us to trust firmly in God, while looking forward to eternity. These blessings are for those who are totally and willingly ready to place everything in God’s hands. The beatitudes also remind us that all we do and work for here will gain us eternal life. That is, if we do them for the sake of God.

For those who simply put their trust in Jesus. It is not that they will experience no adversity, No!  But they are rooted in their relationship to God, a relationship that nurtures them through adversity and keeps them from despair. Everything works for good for those who love God. It is not enough to simply turn away from something like sin; we must also turn towards God! Millions believe in God, they believe He exists, but they do not place their trust in God.

To trust in the Lord means more than believing in whom He is and what He says; the word here for trust can also mean “to have confidence in.” Having confidence in something means having an assurance that leads to action. Trust in the Lord is a faith that lets us boldly serve and lead us to do something believing that God is steering the wheel. This confidence should infuse our whole being. Trusting in the Lord is the only path to life, and nowhere is this seen more fully than in the life and work of Christ. In His life, He trusted the Father totally, even to His death; through His work on the cross, his resurrection which is the basis of our faith as explained in the second reading.

The word of the Lord has power to create and power to destroy, to bestow curses or blessings. Man is constituted that we must make a choice.  We can trust in mere flesh or we can trust in God.  We cannot have it both ways.  To turn toward something other than the Lord is to turn away from the Lord.  We cannot face both directions at the same time. It is not a sin to trust people, but it is a sin to trust in people, to invest our deepest faith in another person and to derive our dearest hope from that person, to give that person the place in our hearts that rightfully belongs to God. We might be tempted to invest our ultimate trust in an ideology or philosophical system or some get rich schemes. So many people put their trust in drugs to live other than God that gives life. Many trust in their own wisdom, wealth, strength and resources. The more gifted or wealthy we are, the more this is likely to be our temptation. The first reading used desert to describe those that put their faith mortals. The desert shrub is a metaphor for a person living under harsh circumstances.  Deserts are hot and arid.  Survival under such conditions is difficult.  Furthermore, desert shrubs are not very productive.  How many desert shrubs produce abundant fruit, as do apple trees and orange trees?  The person who places his/her ultimate trust in mere mortals can expect to live a marginal existence.

I will stop this reflection with my five ‘do not trust commandments”

• Do not place your trust in weapons; “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7). “He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword” (Revelation 13:9).
• Do not place your trust in wealth or riches; Paul wrote: “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). We must place our trust in God, not in money.
• Do not place your trust in yourself; “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5,6).
• Do not place your trust in man or in governments: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes” (Psalm 118:8,9). “Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help” (Psalm 146:3). Some people expect the government or some political system to solve their problems. Any form of government is bad if the people in charge are bad, and most politicians are not known for their goodness. The only resources the government has come from God. Trust in God rather than in governments
• Do not place your trust in words of men. Man will always disappoint but God can never disappoint you. “Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever” (Psalm 125:1). Do not place your trust in weapons, in riches, in yourself, in man, in governments or in the lying words of a godless society. Put your trust in God. God bless you.

Fr. Sanctus Mario