Snatched from the World...Possessed by God

Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Lent or lesser known as Rose or Laetare Sunday; mid-point of Lent.  The word Laetare (“lay-TAH-ray”) means Rejoice and is taken from the Latin translation of Isaiah 66:10-11, which is the Entrance Antiphon for the day.  In this Mass, the colour violet or rose is used.  Today the Catholic Church interrupts Her Lenten mournfulness; the chants of the Mass speak of nothing but joy and consolation; to encourage her children to persevere more fervently and courageously towards the end of our holy Lenten journey.

 

Nevertheless, joy seems to be the last thing on my mind today.  A close aging relative is down with a mild stroke and has been bed-ridden and hospitalised; earlier in the week, admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit as he was down with severe dengue fever; a mosquito-borne viral infection.  There is no specific treatment for dengue/severe dengue but he was fed alternative traditional herbal medicine known as porcupine date; a rare “stone” as one would call it, found in the stomach of a porcupine.  It is said among traditional healers that when a porcupine is wounded or sick, it will look for herbs to heal itself and as the healing process takes place, a “stone” may form in the stomach.

My heart is also a little restless, given that I have been robbed by a motorcyclist yesterday of something which is of great sentimental value to me, given to me by my grandfather, something like 38 years ago; a gold chain with a simple cross and a medal of the Sacred Heart which I have worn since.  Truly, snatch thieves at petrol stations are cruel and heartless barbaric creatures.  On the flipside, I thank God for protecting me from any serious harm; my Guardian Angel and St Michael must be working extra heart, I am sure.  Otherwise, I could have been either fatally stabbed or mercilessly slashed.  I am humbled by God’s love for me, a sinner.

This incident reminded me of some verses taken from St Paul’s letter to the Philippians, Chapter 3 verses 8-9, “I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For him I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in him.”

 

Similarly, I have always been comforted by the Letter to the Romans, Chapter 8 verse 28 which reads, “And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good: to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints.”

My joy at this mid-point of the holy Lenten season is that I am happy because the anger did not rise within me for having “lost” some favourite material item.  Rather, I offered my prayers to the so-called aggressor so that the blessed chain and holy medals will touch and heal his inner being and bring him home, as appropriately mentioned in today’s gospel taken from St Luke on the prodigal son.  “..a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; was lost and is found.”

 

Deep down, this Lent, I have also come to be even more aware that God loves me more and has showered his grace upon me to enable me to surrender what I love most deeply so that he can work greater wonders for his greater glory.

I thank my God this Lent for giving me the strength to thank him for this rather unfortunate incident, as the consequence of this is that I have come to learn, albeit in a painful way, a little bit more about forgiving others, becoming overly attached to material things of the secular world and more importantly, about the radical work of his hands for me, a simple pilgrim, on my journey back home.

 

Lent 2013...A Time for Change

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

A simple sharing to begin the Holy Season of Lent...

The holy season of Lent is a time when we seek wisdom via self-sacrifice, becoming as much as possible and to the best of our human abilities, dead to sin; so that we can rise with Jesus to new life.  Yes, as Psalm 89 echoes that the Lord has been our refuge from one generation to another…yes, Lord, make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart.

This Lent, as we are reminded in the reading taken from the book of Tobit 4, let us once more all turn to the Lord with our whole heart, be faithful to Him throughout this season…never entertain the will to sin…never follow the ways that are not right…never turn our face from any poor man…to give bread to those who are hungry…most of all to bless the Lord God in everything.

“O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:13, Jerusalem Bible)

As Christians, we are constantly reminded to practise the Gospel values…our vocation…in our ordinary daily work…or more precisely, “ordinary busy daily work”.  Wherever we go, wherever we are…there is the Catholic Church.  We must strive to live faithfully and make our work holy…a testimony that God is with us and God goes with us…wherever we go.

In the secular world today, so much is happening so fast that we are constantly occupied or rather, busy; hardly have time to think, ponder, reflect or even pray!  People these days simply do not have time or make time to stop and think…people today are hardly bothered or contemplative of their journey, their path…we are all caught or trapped in a “rat race”; for what?  This is the question we all need to constantly ask ourselves; a question I always ask myself.

This Lent, fellow pilgrims, let us not fall into the trap of workaholism; our tendency to overwork.  Have we all lost focus on eternity and instead choose to live in this temporal life on earth?  Does everything that we labour and plan for now, focus on eternity?  What are we so busy about?  Have we not taken time to stop and think deep enough?  What is our perspective of life, our journey?  Do not the ashes marked and crossed on our foreheads remind us of anything?  What has the materialistic world come to for us when we sometimes cannot even find time to get decent rest?

I quote from Scott Hahn’s book on his spiritual journey in Opus Dei, “We have succumbed to the materialism of Revelation’s beast, marked repeatedly by the sixth day (of Creation) – 666 – perpetually returning to the world of the workweek…” and not finding the seventh day which is the Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. (Exodus 31:15)

Each year, more than the season of Lent, we welcome and even look forward to the invention of new techy gadgets, labour-saving devices, the Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy SIII, Galaxy Note II…all aimed at extending the 6^th workday well into our time in the car, at home, with the family, at church, even at mass on Ash Wednesday!  The world we live in is losing (or has totally lost) its ability to sense God’s being and His holy presence.  Our secular work has transformed us (by our very own choice) to worship our work, our bosses, our projects, our salary slips…emptying the church of its “body”; as a consequence, worship, prayer time, scripture reading time, God's time…are being shoved aside…we push God out of our lives with the simple excuse that “there is simply no choice but we have to work to feed the family, our children's future, for our retirement, etc., etc.”.

This 2013 Lent, let us choose to remember our baptism when God entered or was poured into the rhythm of our lives.  Without God, we would simply be music with no rhyme, i.e., noise.  From my own journey, I can testify that without God, work becomes chaotic, disordered and empty.  God is simply all we need...God alone is enough!

This solemn Lent 2013, there is also a veil of sadness in our hearts following Pope Benedict XVI's emotional farewell retirement announcement, radically breaking a 600-year tradition, deciding to retire on February 28, 2013; after nearly 8 wonderful and memorable years...for, as he puts it, the good of the Church.  This Pope has taught us very simply about not being held to ransom by power; instead, to simply serve the flock.  Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that the path of power is not the road of God.  Let the truth be spoken rather than what needs to be heard.  The Pope has taught us, this Lent, that individually, we are not as important as the institution that we lead.

This Lent, we all struggle to decide to bring some spiritual order into our ordinary work days; to make it a bit more extraordinary for God and for others.  Let us not forget God and fall into the sin of depending on our own mortal selves too much, too easily.  Without God, our lives would have been un-livable and restless, distracted by the seductive noise of the world...we then become part of this noise.

This Lent, be simply quiet and listen to the whisper of the Lord.  Surrender your work to Him.  Turn around, turn God-ward, be a good Catholic, not a Workaholic!  The choice is yours...but then, as humans, none of us would know if there would be another Lent for us...  Therefore, in full solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI, let us choose to make more room for God in our lives today...choose to make music with our lives for God, as part of His heavenly orchestra praising and glorifying God.

Lent...Making the Choice to Defeat the Evil One

Quietly but surely, the season of Lent is dawning upon us again.  It only seems like just yesterday that we have celebrated Christmas...looking for the star...searching for Christ.

Once again in this early part of the New Year 2013, we experience a fast forward from the hidden silent growing up years of Jesus in Nazareth and dive straight from the scene in Bethlehem to Jerusalem…transforming what is just a mere 10 km or 6 miles distance between these two venue to a key moment that has changed humanity forever.  From the birth of our Jesus to the Passion of the Christ…from the wooden crib to the wood of the cross…from the manger in Joseph’s hometown to the unused tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

The Latin term for this most Holy and penitential season of Lent is “quadragesima” or more commonly known as “forty days”…forty days prior to Easter…a time of scrutiny, self-examination, quiet reflection, penance, fasting, sacrifices, repentance, turning-over, change…bringing about discipline, towards a new spring into our lives…renewing our journey through life…renewing hope.

I would like to see it simply as an annual time of preparation for the celebration…re-steering our lives, our journey back towards God…living the Gospel values daily…becoming a bit more like Jesus…to others.

 

For the majority around the world, the beginning of Lent merely passes by without a whisper of reflection, sandwiched between the more “popular” Valentine’s Day and Chinese Lunar New Year of the Snake.

For Catholics and certain denominated Christians, the sacred period of Lent is an opportune time of grace showered upon us to save ourselves from the eternal fires of hell.  For many others, in certain parts of the politically corrupt world, on-going oppression and persecution persist against the backdrop of unhealthy, corrupted and stained so-called “democracy”, whereby general elections are rigged and mainstream news media twisted to report lies and brain-wash; the people’s cry for change constantly dampened and evil continue to blatantly rule the day.  For the latter, only a clean and fair general election can provide the only opportunity to evict the ruling government for the first time after 50+ years.

 

Lent in this Year of Faith 2013 will be so much more significant and meaningful for many across the world who constantly harbour hopes of change for a more equitable, clean, free and just future, free of the evil sins of corruption and provoking racial persecution; many a land across the world must be healed and turned God-ward.  Indeed, Lent 2013 will be a period of intense spiritual warfare where the good will prevail to see the ultimate defeat of the evil one.

 

With this, let us pray this Lent that we will always keep our eyes constantly fixed on Jesus and to simply and meaningfully reflect on the reason and purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice and death on the cross for each and every one of us.

Indeed, if we simply listen to our hearts and dare exercise our choices bravely and wisely, Lent will be a time for the cleansing of our souls…the beginning of a new and better tomorrow, the rise of a new dawn…the healing of this noisy and corrupted materialistic world, the forging of solidarity amongst humanity…acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the Alpha and the Omega…and Allah as the One True God for the Christians, Jews and Muslims.

 

Experience The Holy Week...

Watch, listen and reflect on the journey of the Passion of Our King with Doug Barry of Radix...  I promise you a life changing experience...I promise you will be touched to the deepest corners of your heart.  Wishing one and all a Blessed and Meaningful Holy Week ahead.

"And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani?  Which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?..." (Douay-Rheims, Mark 15:34)

This cry still echoes in our lives and in our world today...

LENT...Finding Life's Compass...

Not many days from now, on February 22, the holy season of Lent will once again dwell upon us...Ash Wednesday.

The events that preceded the death and resurrection of our dear Lord Jesus Christ will come upon us yet again; the Via Dolorosa...way of the Cross.  It is a season of gratitude.

This is yet another opportunity, graced upon us, to examine our own life, our journey...to determine those parts of us that need to die...parts we must let go...grudges, fears, laziness, resentments, old habits, etc...a time for us to repent.

It is also a time for each one of us to journey to Jerusalem with Jesus once again; renewing bits of ourselves, peeling away another layer of our human condition.  Each year comes and goes quickly...as impatient as we all are...the transformation and birth of our true self only takes place in God’s time.  We must patiently and humbly wait for Him...but we must stay awake...we must be sensitive to God’s presence around us...we must learn to listen to His quiet whisper...most of all we must simply place our full trust in Him.

As I begin to jot down the above reflection, my thoughts rushed back to last weekend when I visited a terminally ill colleague.  He has been journeying or rather; crawling through life...battling and hanging on to whatever bits of life that remains in him; with Stage IV nasal cancer...which of late has spread to parts of his body...now both his kidneys seem to be failing him.  His breaths are short and much weight has been lost.  Time seem to stand still...

Yes, cancer is such a cruel disease...created by mankind...it does not choose...it does not warn the victim.  Cancer brings so much silent pain for the parent and family, but even much more hopelessness for the innocent victim.  Does God punish us?  How can one find faith and hope under such circumstances?

The seconds become minutes, the minutes spill into hours, the hours into days, days turn into weeks, into months, into years...into eternity...  What simple words of comfort does one offer such a friend?  The journey towards Golgotha seem endless...

Encouragement, strength, courage, a touch, a hug, a smile...most of all one’s humble presence...only the sacred silence where both human spirit simply and quietly reach out to bond as one creation... through Him, with Him, in Him but ever most of all, loved and cherished by God...no matter how far we have drifted or turned away, no matter how broken our bodies have become...God will always love you!

My dear friend would surely swap his condition, just lying on the hospital bed, waiting...for the good health that most of us able-bodied take for granted day in and day out.  Through our daily actions and worldly pursuits, we display absolutely no gratitude for life...for God!

Such is the hopelessness and regret that is felt when one’s time on earth is almost up...when one’s breath enters into sudden death...not knowing the hour that is to come.  Soon the tiredness will be put to rest.

For most of us, who are truly “alive”, do we actually realize and cherish life as a gift? Are we conscious of our “alive-ness”?

Or, are we simply more distracted by how this “gift of life” is packaged?  Whether we have this or that, whether we are born into a rich and wealthy family, so many whether and what ifs.

The more that we come to the realization (and this is not simple) that life is freely gifted from God, the more our life will be a life of faith and spirituality; a life where we come to know God, where we journey in relationship with Him...where God becomes real in our lives.

As truly simple pilgrims through this life, the meaning of our short pilgrimage on earth must not depend on reaching any particular destination, accumulating a certain level of material wealth or striving to achieve any worldly goal...the world label this as success.

Very simply, it should instead depend on our humbleness, simplicity, openness, faithfulness, hope and trust...that God knows the way far better than we do – He will lead us, if we just let Him.  He will love us, if only we allow Him.

However, as prideful as we all are, in our entire majestic ego, we become impatient, restless, we seize control, we want control, we want worldly assurance...we want to become powerful in the eyes of the world.  In the course of this mad obsession, we put layers after layers upon us, until we lose our simple identity; we forget our humble roots, becoming deaf to the call to discipleship, blind to others, mute to sharing the goodness of God, losing our sense of direction...becoming out-of-touch with God.

This Lent, we must come back to the Gospel...diligently journey the Via Dolorosa with Jesus...He will surely give us hope, He will bring us home.  Trust Him with your entire life.  This is the best investment one can make...with guaranteed returns!

Hope does not pretend that everything will be alright.  Hope simply means knowing that Jesus will sustain us and walk with us...as our faithful companion.  As I mentioned to someone recently, my simple view is that “God is good ALL the time.”

It is almost certainly the selfish acts of mankind, with its egoistic human condition, that causes chaos all around and subsequently, having to face drastic consequences of such actions...both from the past, but most of the time, changing the course of many generations into the future.

As I reflect on the Apostolic Letter entitled, “Motu Proprio Data” of the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI for the indiction of the Year of Faith which is due to begin on October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013, I am reminded that the “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for each one of us.

“We must rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the Word of God faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples.”

The life of Christians, as pointed out in this simple Apostolic Letter, knows the experience of joy as well as the experience of suffering.

“This is a great joy to you, even though for a short time yet you must bear all sorts of trials; so that the worth of your faith, more valuable than gold, which is perishable even if it has been tested by fire, may be proved - to your praise and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  You have not seen him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him you believe in him and so are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described; and you are sure of the goal of your faith, that is, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:6-9, New Jerusalem Bible)

This short papal letter moves on to remind each one of us that what the world is in particular need of today is the credible witness of people, like you and me, enlightened in both mind and heart by the Word of the Lord, and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life...a life without end...a life that is journeyed with the hope of the resurrection...a journey travelled with Jesus as an Easter people.

As such, the trials of this short and finite life, while helping us to understand the mystery of the Cross and to participate in the sufferings of Christ, are a prelude to the joy and hope to which simple faith ultimately leads to.

Next week, beginning Ash Wednesday, onwards into the coming holy season of Lent, let us commit, discipline and entrust ourselves to the Lord Jesus, who is and will always walk beside us as our faithful Companion, as He always knows what we need and most of all, what is best for us.

Wishing one and all across the world, a holy and healing season of Lent, coupled with a meaningful Via Dolorosa with Jesus...towards the door of faith...  May the hands of the Lord touch your hearts in a way that will move you ever closer to Him.  Amen.

Remember...We are Easter People...

The 40 days journey through Lent 2011 has passed…the Holy Week, too…all the events of the solemn Triduum behind us…Easter Sunday celebrations over and simply gone…



What now?  We go back to business as usual...back to the grind…back to our own lives…financial worries, unemployment, sickness, terminal diseases, exams, 'Hollywood' marriages, indifferent attitude, laziness, injustice, work stress, suffering, discrimination, character assasination, corruption, etc?  Sucked back into the whirlwind tornado of chaos and noise of the world.


How easy we humans forget…  Are we merely an ‘event’ type of people?  How do we sustain our lives…our journey with the flame and light of Easter?


This seems to be exactly some of the thoughts that are running through my human mind these past few days.


I remember almost a year back when I chose, after much praying and discernment, to take a sabbatical from work (the ridiculous stress!)…and found much needed quality quiet time to reflect on my spiritual interior, read many spiritual literature, spent meaningful time with my family…my elderly mother…but most of all, the time to chart my thoughts here…to listen to myself…to listen to God…to allow Him to disturb me in whichever way He chooses…to find more clarity with my life.

It has not been an easy journey of late…surrendering everything to God…trusting Him…waiting for Him to lead…  Easier said than done; the human condition.  The fact remains that…faith alone does not feed the family…fuel your vehicle…pay for your groceries…  Yet, amidst these so-called realities of life, I still feel a deep sense of calmness and trusting in the Lord…I continue to patiently pray and wait…while searching for a suitable income source...or whichever direction He choose to lead me.  Nevertheless, being human, it can get pretty confusing and rough at times...


Reading Thomas Merton’s reflections today reminded me that Divine strength is not usually given to us until we are aware of our own weaknesses and that too, knowing that the strength received is a purely a gift from God.


My own journey through Lent, the Holy Week and Easter has been especially meaningful this time because I have put myself in this most vulnerable situation; some deem it silly, stupid and ‘such a waste’ to ‘throw’ away what is perceived to be a well-paying job.  I choose to think of it as simply finding enough guts to finally empty myself before Him...awaiting for Him to fill me.


At times, I do find it a mystery of God’s love, to be able to gather the courage and faith to finally stand up for what is right, to preserve my own human dignity, rather than to be enslaved by the seduction of money and worldly corporate politicking…at the expense of others.  The relentless pursuit of this whole 'rat race' or 'career advancement' seem to have just evaporated and overcome by the hunger to have to better relationship with God, at this point in my life.


This Easter, I learnt that the Cross is not merely to know my own suffering – it is to know that I am saved by the suffering of Jesus Christ, to be able to experience that I am saved by Him.  To find true meaning to this short life's journey...towards something much greater at the end...in union with God and in communion with all the saints.

Throughout this past year, I am blessed to have been able to experience and truly appreciate the love and comfort of God, through the words, actions, support and love of my family especially, and friends.

It is only through Jesus that our lives are saved – He is truly the Alpha and the Omega…the beginning and the end.  Spiritually, “no man is ever saved by his own suffering”, adds Merton.


Through the contemplation and blogging of my own thoughts, the Via Dolorosa, the Lenten, Triduum and Easter reflections, I have grown and gained more insight into the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ; growing stronger in union with God.  Life can truly become more meaningful and its journey more worthwhile, if we know our God and come into a relationship with Him.


I now know more clearly that it is not by my own mere suffering that I earn God’s love.  God did not create suffering and Saints are not made saints by mere suffering alone.


We need to freely choose to make time to build on our own relationship with God, with ourselves, our families and our neighbors in order to be able to know and experience His love on this short journey through life.


Only then will we, as pilgrims, grow in the awareness that suffering, in the here and now, does not really matter…suffering, in fact, destroys what is not important to our relationship with God.  Alleluia!  Alleluia!  We carry the hope in us as we are Easter people...continually refined by the Lord...into His image.


This Easter season, I invite you to contemplate and reflect on…what is it that you love most in life?

As for me, myself and I...this journey back home continues with hope...simply and quietly...meeting more companions along the way...

The Cross or The Crucifix?...A Simple Reflection

Here is sharing with you a simple reflection as we journey towards the Easter Vigil of the Holy Triduum.



Why would millions of people around the world today want to follow and have relationship with a man hanging on the gallows – the Cross…the Crucifix?

It is just so out of this world…so morbid…so repulsive…such an unsuitable sight…so crude…such an awful instrument of torture.  Many people have resorted to commercialize or to soften the image, eradicating the sombre side, the bloodiness, by removing the figure on the Cross…leaving just a bare Cross…some believe this move to be a better image of the risen Christ…depicting the Cross as the place for true glory…

In the process of doing so, people hope to result in a Christian religion that is more cheerful...more popular...more acceptable...more marketable...   This softened image might have just withdrawn the Cross from the reality of human tragedy.


“A faith which speeds through the idyllic days of Galilee to the Easter garden, with Good Friday missed out, is a faith trivialized, turned into opium of the people, a way of escape.  ….What the eye don’t see the heart don’t grieve about.  …To be truthful, religion too must enter the darkness and face the fact of evil.  …True religion is that which bears the marks of the Passion and is thus able to touch the hearts of those who are haunted by the ghastliness of the world.” (Peter Cornwell, On the River’s Edge)


Ghastliness of the world can be construed as the evils that threatens, diminishes and destroys human fulfillment; poverty, injustice, suffering, human wickedness, indifference, earthquake, famine and disease…all these cast a dark shadow over the world.


“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of the tradition of your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled…” (1 Peter 1:18, 19, Douay Rheims)

Wikipedia defines Crucifix as coming from the Latin Cruci fixus meaning “(one) fixed to a cross” a three dimensional cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus (Latin for "body"); a holy symbol especially important and evident in all the Catholic Church.

Sadly, even in the midst of this Easter Triduum, there are still those that claim to follow Jesus that still do not accept the Cross as a symbol of Christianity; regarding this as idolatry. Some others view it more appropriate to have crosses without the corpus as Jesus has been raised (aiming to focus more on the glory rather than the suffering) – reducing the Cross of its true meaning of the real Cross of Jesus Christ.

Catholics throughout tradition continue to believe that the Cross, an instrument of torture and humiliation, only becomes meaningful with the presence of Jesus Christ on it; the corpus. Jesus was probably the first to embrace the cross on the way to Golgotha, transforming and redefining it into something that is to be revered.  Having said that, the resurrection of Jesus at Easter is similarly exulted no less in many ways within the Catholic Church rich liturgy and apostolic tradition.


“…without shedding of blood there is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22, Douay Rheims)


This Easter Triduum weekend, we remember that the Cross of Jesus Christ, is not just any two beams of wood.

The precious blood of Jesus shed on the Cross has transformed these cruel wooden beams to becoming a holy instrument for our salvation and redemption for all our sins.  The Passion and Jesus cannot be separated from the Cross.

Ultimately, it is the Crucifix that serves as the holy symbol of our redemption, salvation and hope of eternal life.


When we meditate on the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross, we solemnly gaze at the Crucifix, we reverently and prayerfully kiss the Crucifix, wear and carry the Crucifix…because we want to remember that our salvation came at the greatest of cost; there was a huge price to be paid by the Son of God for the salvation of humanity.

We remember also the sins of mankind, caused by our fallen nature...our human condition…the suffering Jesus had to endure…the consequences of our sins that nailed the Son of God on the Cross.

The Crucifix reminds us all of the great love of God…that at the end of the day, we are all great sinners in need of His Divine Mercy.


As we move into the hours before Easter…prayerfully gaze at the Crucifix and remember…your journey.

What's So Good About This Friday?...



Today, Good Friday, we mourn the brutal death of Jesus…the sinless One…our Redeemer.  Today, we enter into the deep mysteries of faith…a relationship with the one loving God.

We gaze and contemplate on the Cross today…the Cross, whose shadows spans across time and covers all of humanity…the Cross, whose two beams contradict the many seductions of the world…the many pursuits of mankind.


Despite seeing Jesus and witnessing His ministry…listening to His Words…many still choose to deny Him…to reject Him…to crucify Him...  Perhaps, many are actually afraid to acknowledge Him.


It is a human condition that mankind frequently choose to take control of their own lives, make their own destiny and follow the ‘messengers’ rather than hear the radical Truth…the ultimate Truth that points to the one God that is all goodness, all love and almighty…the Truth that points us all to the Kingdom of Heaven…eternal life.


Today, we have the benefit of the Holy Scriptures to point us towards God in our lives, a God to heal our soul and a God to lead us on our journey home.


“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. A nd the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.


There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him.  He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light.  That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.” (John 1: 1-12, Douay Rheims)


Today, ponder for yourself, in your life, the important question, “What is so good about this Friday for you?”


Love is naturally stronger than death.  That is why perhaps this Friday is so good.  Love Incarnate died for each one of us and transformed the door of death into the portal of eternal life and communion.

This Night...Different From All Other Nights...Stay Awhile

This Holy or Maundy Thursday, we set our reflection at two venues in Jerusalem.  The Upper Room, supposedly the site of the Last Supper; where the real presence of the Holy Eucharist and Priesthood was born, and the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus went to pray after the Last Supper with his disciples; the place where He was betrayed and subsequently arrested – where the whole Via Dolorosa began.

We have become very familiar with the script of the Last Supper, the Washing of the Disciples’ Feet, Judas the betrayer, the Breaking of Bread, the Wine, transubstantiation into the Body and Blood of Christ…the Memorial…Jesus eating a final or last supper with His disciples…the celebration of the Jewish Passover.


“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.  Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.  A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup.  For anyone, who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-29, NAB)

Then there is the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane where, after just a few hours after the celebration in the Upper Room, sorrowful Jesus Christ sweat blood, prays to His Father in Heaven, facing tremendous pressure…temptation, preparing for His Passion…the Via Dolorosa…the Way of the Cross to Golgotha.

In the Passover, the question posed by the youngest is, “why is this night different from all other nights?”…the child is confused. Similarly, at the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus the Son of God knows that this night will be different from all other nights. Jesus can foresee the betrayal, the insults, the torture, the humiliation, the scourging, the crowning of thorns, the falls, the nails, the hammer, the spear, the blood and water gushing forth to give new life and wash away the sins of humanity…the sacrifice.,,the Divine Mercy...


This night is different from all other nights because Jesus knows these are His final hours. What would you do if you knew you had just a few more hours of life, that death is imminent?  How would you live your final hours?  How will you spend your final hours?


Would you sleep it away like the disciples – wasted, tired, depressed, sense of abandonment, feeling alone and give up?


Would you pursue the pleasure of the flesh, wealth and materialism like Judas – not a care for the soul – live for today, even at the expense of others, not to worry about tomorrow?


Would you imitate Jesus – embracing the pain, in service, loving, praying, turning to God, preparing, trusting and accepting?


Life is fragile.  Our end-of-life issues often touch the depths of our being, stir up our emotions, and raise profound questions.


Death is the end of our earthly pilgrimage.  Only God’s grace through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit enable us to respond to God’s gratuitous offer of salvation for our souls.


Jesus assures us that death marks the transformation to a new and eternal life.


From the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus, in His final hours, does not deny the reality of death, along with its suffering and separation. Through Jesus, we know that though life, as we know it, will be changed, it has not ended…


This is what this night is all about. Stay awhile and contemplate.

Holy Thursday...The Gift of the Real Presence

Today, Holy Thursday, we commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus…similarly, we celebrate the institution of the Holy Eucharist.

God's love for us is poured out in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, where Jesus Christ becomes truly present for us, giving us life and healing.


We remember Jesus, His life and love for each one of us in the celebration of the Eucharist.


We remember the presence of Jesus through the Eucharist…hidden in the consecrated bread and wine. We proclaim the death of Jesus Christ until He comes in glory.


“And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke, and gave to them, and said: Take ye.  This is my body.  And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it.  And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many.” (Mark 14:22-24, Douay Rheims)

“The simplest way to express what Christ asks us to believe about the Real Presence is that the Eucharist is really He.  The Real Presence is the real Jesus. We are to believe that the Eucharist began in the womb of the Virgin Mary; that the flesh which the Son of God received from His Mother at the Incarnation is the same flesh into which He changed bread at the Last Supper; that the blood He received from His Mother is the same blood into which He changed wine at the Last Supper.  Had she not given Him His flesh and blood there could not be a Eucharist.


We are to believe that the Eucharist is Jesus Christ - simply, without qualification.  It is God become man in the fullness of His divine nature, in the fullness of His human nature, in the fullness of His body and soul, in the fullness of everything that makes Jesus JESUS.  He is in the Eucharist with His human mind and will united with the Divinity, with His hands and feet, His face and features, with His eyes and lips and ears and nostrils, with His affections and emotions and, with emphasis, with His living, pulsating, physical Sacred Heart.  That is what our Catholic Faith demands of us that we believe.  If we believe this, we are Catholic.  If we do not, we are not, no matter what people may think we are.” - Father John A. Hardon S.J.

“And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body.  And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this.  For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28, Douay Rheims)


The Roman Catholic Church has consistently held fast to the belief in the Real Presence of the Holy Eucharist.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:


“The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique.  It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as “the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all sacraments tend.”  In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist “the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.” “This presence is called ‘real’ - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be ‘real’ too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present.’”(The Catechism of the Catholic Church: para 1374)