The Father is in Me and I am in the Father

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent | USCCB

In our gospel for today, we see the continued refusal of the Jews to accept Jesus as the Son of God. In their view, Jesus is just a man and is making himself out to be God. All throughout his ministry, Jesus was showing and teaching that he was true God and true Man. With the miracles he performed, the exorcisms he did, and the healing of the many people that came to him, he showed that he was more than just a miracle man. Further, earlier in the gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 58, Jesus tells the Jews, “…before Abraham came to be, I AM.” This phrase of “I AM” was used by God for Moses to use when he went to the Israelites. Moses told the Israelites that God’s name is: I AM. So, in the minds of those who were listening to Jesus, it seemed obvious that Jesus was making himself equal to God, something they considered blasphemy since they viewed Jesus only a man.

Jesus, in word and action, showed that he was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. Further, He was not afraid to speak the truth and to share the fact that he was indeed God. Because of this perceived blasphemy the Jews were ready to stone Jesus to death. As time went on, Jesus would eventually be crucified for what the Jews considered blasphemy.

There will be times when we need to share the truth of what we believe: that Jesus is Lord and God. There will be times when those in our lives will give us a hassle for this belief. They may accuse us of being fanatical. Following Jesus and accepting him as Lord and Savior will not always be easy but it is what we are called to do. We need to remain steadfast in our belief that Jesus is true God and true Man, even when it means facing issues and problems with those in our lives that may not see Jesus the same way we do. We are called to always live out our lives in relationship with Jesus according to His teachings, even when it seems contrary to what society is teaching. We are called, as Christians, to love God with our whole heart and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. By living out our lives in this way, we are showing that we are followers of Jesus Christ. There will be those in our lives that may not accept and share our beliefs, but we are called to bring Christ to the world that needs to know that he is indeed to Lord and God. We are to always to share this truth with all we meet, whether by word or by action, even when it’s not easy to do.

Lord Jesus, help us to be faithful in our belief that you are our Messiah, and help those in our lives to come to know you as we do: true God and true Man. Amen.

Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word

 

The scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord | USCCB

Today we commemorate the total giving of Mary to God’s plan for our salvation. Today we commemorate her fiat, her “yes,” to the Will of God in her life. In the gospel, we hear that Mary is at first frightened. Suddenly, the archangel, Gabriel, appears to her in her room, and says, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” Then Gabriel goes on to tell Mary that she will be the Mother of the Lord, the Messiah.

Mary is at first startled and surprised. She questioned the angel about how this could happen. Once she gets the answer, her love and openness to the Will of God helps her to respond, “I am the Handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Her whole life was that of prayer and love of God, and when the time came to do something so special, she was ready and willing to do it. She was allowing God to work through her to bring salvation to the world.

We are called to have the same courage that Mary had in doing the Will of God in our own lives. Like Mary we are to be open to God and His plan for us and our lives. She was a prayerful person, who always had God at the center of all that she did. We, too, need to have God at the center of all we do. We do this by our daily acts of prayer, the reading of scripture daily to hear what God is trying to teach us in our lives, and we are to attempt to receive our Lord, Jesus Christ, as often as possible in Holy Communion. Further, we are to live always in the presence of God, knowing that in all our actions throughout the day, God is with us.

Mary knew that by agreeing to say yes to God, her life would become complicated, but she also trusted that God would always be present to her as she lived out her life according to His Will. We, too, are all called to bring the salvation of Christ to those we meet each day. We’re not called to bring Christ into the world as dramatic as Mary did, but we are called to bring Christ to all we meet. We are to do so by the treating others with the love and respect that God expects us to give to all in our lives. By showing this love and respect to others, we are bringing Christ to those that most need to know the love of Christ. Like Mary, we will have our challenges in bringing Christ into this world, but it’s what God is calling us to do.

We may not have an angel to appear and direct us like Mary. But we can pray to our guardian angels and walk by faith, not by sight. When faith sustains us, we are confident that God will never let us down. As God calls us to bring Christ into our world, let us with Mary, pray, “May it be done according to your word.”

Here comes that master dreamer!

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Second Week of Lent | USCCB

In our first reading from Genesis, we hear the familiar story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers. As we hear in the story, their father loved Joseph more than the other brothers, and, because of this, the brothers were jealous. Further, Joseph had dreams that showed that God favored him over the other brothers. They hated him for it and were envious.

Family jealousies will always tear families apart, maybe not to the point of wishing the family member dead but just wishing them to be gone from our lives. What the story of Joseph and his brothers is teaching us is that we should attempt to bring reconciliation and forgiveness to all those in our lives, family or otherwise. We should never wish harm on anyone, but rather pray for them and for healing in our relationship.

Hatred and bitterness within a family is not pleasing to God. We are called to love all those in our lives, especially in our families, and to wish no harm upon them. Joseph, in all innocence, loved his brothers, even though they treated him poorly. Eventually, later in Genesis, as Joseph rose to an important position in Egypt, he would be reunited with his father and his brothers. They needed his help and Joseph was able to help them. Joseph, in the spirit of love and forgiveness that God expects of each one of us, forgives his brothers of what they did to him. Instead of seeking revenge, Joseph forgave them for the wrong they did.

This coincides with the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ on the Cross. He was put to death out of jealousy by the scribes and Pharisees. They saw the love and respect the people were giving to Jesus throughout His ministry, and how he was bringing people back into relationship with God. These are the people that the scribes and Pharisees looked down upon most: people that they considered to be great sinners and not deserving of the love and forgiveness of God. Yet, from the cross, even though they put Him there out of jealously, Jesus prayed to God for the scribes and Pharisees: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

We, like Joseph in the first reading, and Jesus from the Cross, are to forgive all those in our lives that have hurt us. True love and forgiveness can bring peace and reconciliation to us and the joy that can only come from God when we love and forgive all those in our lives that have hurt us.

Let us pray for the gift of love and forgiveness for all those who may have hurt us in our lives: “Lord, help us become quick to repent and eager to forgive. Amen.”

Homily for II Sunday of Lent (2022)

 

We have a guest blogger for today: Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas.

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Rev. Fr. Arthur F. Rojas

Currently the administrator of Presentation-Sacred Heart Parish at Port Ewen and Esopus, New York, Fr. Arthur F. Rojas is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Yonkers, New York (class of 2006).  Fr. Rojas also helps with Hispanic ministry at St. Mary-St. Andrew Church, Ellenville, New York.  Finally, he is the spiritual director and moderator of the Ulster Deanery Respect Life Committee. The website for Presentation-Sacred Heart Parish can be found by clicking here.

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Homily for II Sunday of Lent (2022) 

 

Readings:         Gen 15:5-12, 17-18; Ps 27:1,7-8,8-9,13-14; Phil 3:20-4:1; Luke 9:28b-36

 

            On this second Sunday of Lent, we are living a paradox.  We have lost an hour of time due to the requirements of Daylight Savings Time and yet the rays of the sun will last longer today.  Abram was not yet a father and thus not yet the holy patriarch Abraham, our “father in faith” as he will be described by Eucharistic Prayer I, also known as the Roman Canon, just after the Eucharist is later consecrated on the altar at this Mass.  According to Genesis 15, however, which is the source of our first reading, in the midst of a childless old age Abram trusted that the LORD would fulfill His pledge of numerous descendants for him.  “Abram put his faith in the LORD, Who credited to him as an act of righteousness.” Gn 15:6. 

 

          In an age where rampant self-indulgence in America - as anticipated by Philippians 3:19 of our second reading (“Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their shame.”) is being confronted by rising inflation, shortages of various goods, and the complications of foreign affairs, Christians who take seriously the themes of Lent, e.g. more prayer, fasting and abstinence, and more works of charity, are heeding the Voice from Heaven in Luke 9:34 to make room for Jesus, Who is God’s chosen Son, in their priorities and schedules as well as in their bodies, minds, hearts, and souls.  By saying no this Lent to the activities that we enjoy or to the items that we like to have, even if they are good things, so that we may say yes to more noble things or namely the things that will bring us closer to God in this life and the hereafter, committed Catholics will make more credible the refrain of today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 27:1), “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”  This is how we – you and I – could await the Crucified and then Risen Christ with courage and stout hearts (cf. Ps 27:14).  At this time of paradox, let us cooperate with God’s grace to make fruitful in our lives the apparent paradox of Lent and even in the lives of the people around us.

…whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment…

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the First Week of Lent | USCCB

As we continue our journey through these forty days of Lent towards Holy Week, we are learning from God through scripture that our relationship with God is not only that of prayer and attending church, but of our relationship with one another. Yes, we are to worship God with our whole mind, hearts, and souls, but we are also to love our neighbors as we love God. True love of God also includes true love of neighbor.

In our first reading from Ezekiel, we hear the prophet encourage people to turn away from selfishness and to live according to the statutes or commandments of God. Ezekiel is encouraging us to live a life centered on God and focus on doing His Will by following the Commandments. This will preserve our life and we will find peace and contentment. Ezekiel goes on to say that if a person turns away from wickedness, “he shall surely live, and not die.” God will be present with the one who turns away from sin.

In our gospel, Our Lord is telling us that we are to have love and respect for all people. He confirms that the commandment of “Thou Shalt Not Kill” goes beyond just physically killing someone, but also includes when we become angry at someone, then we are just as guilty of murder. Jesus clearly says, “…whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to the judgement…” (Mattew 5:22) It’s not always easy to love everyone in our lives. There will always be someone in our lives that we just can’t get along with, whether family or friend. But we are called to love everyone and to not wish harm on anyone, no matter how deserving we may think they are of harm. We are to leave it in God’s hands to respond to those who may hurt us. Further, if there is someone in your life that you have a problem with, it’s okay to back away from them, and to pray for them. This will be the best for our own spiritual growth and happiness.

As we journey through these 40 days of Lent, let us ask God for His help and guidance to not only to know, love and serve him in this world and to be happy with Him in the next, but also pray to God for those in our lives that really get on our nerves and are in most need of God’s love and forgiveness.

 

I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners

 

The scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Saturday after Ash Wednesday | USCCB

Our readings for this Saturday after Ash Wednesday provide us with a simple way to live out our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. 

In our first reading from the Prophet Isaiah, we hear of how to live out our lives as believers in God: we are to live honestly with others by not oppressing them or falsely accusing them of wrong. We are not to speak maliciously about others or about God. We are called to feed the hungry and satisfy the afflicted. Plus, we are to keep holy the sabbath. These directions from Isaiah help us to understand the two most important commandments of God: to love God with your whole mind, heart and soul, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. These directives from Isaiah are what our Lord focused on in His teachings: love of God and love of neighbor. 

In our Gospel for today we hear of the tax collector, Levi, turning away from his sinfulness and turning towards God. With the simple request from Jesus to follow him, Levi got up and followed Him. The scribes and Pharisees had a problem with our Lord being with what they consider an outcast of society. To the scribes and Pharisees, by being with such sinners such as Tax Collectors, it would make them unclean as well. They forgot that relationship with God is for all people, especially for those who feel most rejected by society. Instead of judging others according to their sinfulness, we are to encourage them to turn away from their sins and turn to God for reconciliation. 

We are to imitate Jesus in the way we treat other people who may be away from the church and not in relationship with God as we feel they should be. People are away from the church and God for many different reasons in their lives, but we are called to share the Good News that God loves them and always has His arms open to them to come back to relationship with Him. We are not to judge their motives for being away from God, but we are called to love them as our Lord loves them: as people made in the image of God. 

Pray for those people in your life that may be away from God and, if possible, during this time of Lent, invite them to come to church with you. With your prayers and encouragement, those who are away from God, like Levi the Tax Collector, may return to God and receive the forgiveness and love that Jesus Christ has to offer them.

“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them…”

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Ash Wednesday | USCCB

Today, the first day of Lent, we as a church start our 40-day journey of prayer, fasting and penance. It’s a time where we take time out of our busy lives and make time to reflect on our relationship with God as we move towards Holy Week with the Institution of the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday, followed by the betrayal of Jesus in Gethsemane by Judas, the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday, and His glorious resurrection on Easter.

During this time of Lent in preparation for Holy Week and Easter, we are to reflect on how we live out our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. Our Lord in today’s gospel is teaching us to do these acts of prayer, fasting and penance in a way that only God can see. We are not to brag about these things that we do during Lent to others, but we do them to grow closer to the Lord and to become more pleasing to Him in all we do. It’s more than just giving up something for Lent. It's about how we can improve ourselves spiritually in the eyes of God. We don’t pray, fast, and do penance to show other people how good we are, we do it to be pleasing to God in all we do.

During this time of Lent, our Lord is calling us to make more time for Him by the daily reading and mediation on scripture.  By spending 10 to 15 minutes of time mediating on scripture each day we will grow more aware of where the Lord is leading us in our lives and our relationship with Him. If you don’t have time to spend 10 to 15 minutes in one sitting to be alone with God, spread it out during the day. By spreading quiet time and reflection on scripture throughout the day, you will be making the day more God centered and pleasing to Him as our Creator.

Finally, make time during Lent to go to confession and take your shortcomings and sins to the Lord for forgiveness. It is in the sacrament of confession that we can be healed of our sinfulness and grow closer and more pleasing to God.

Take this time during Lent to make it fruitful. Ask God for the strength and humility to have Him as the center of all you do during this Lent, and then you will have a joyful Easter knowing that you pleased God during this time of preparation during Lent.