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RELIGION LITURGY AND LIFE

Archive for the month “February, 2024”

24 Feb 2024

2nd Sunday of Lent

In the first Reading this Sunday God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice Isaac, his beloved son. At the moment of sacrifice, an angel stopped him, providing a ram instead. Abraham’s obedience led to God’s promise of countless descendants and blessings for all nations. The responsorial Psalm tells us that Despite despair, we recognize that the Lord values His faithful. Freed from our  burdens, we offer thanks and fulfil our  vows publicly, choosing to dwell in God’s presence. The second reading tells us that If God is for us, no one can oppose us. He gave His Son for us and will freely give us all things. God declares us righteous, and Christ intercedes for us, ensuring no condemnation. In the Gospel reading we hear about the transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus, accompanied by Peter, James, and John, underwent a miraculous transformation on a secluded mountain, where his appearance became dazzlingly white. There, Elijah and Moses appeared and conversed with Him.

Overcome by the moment, Peter suggested building shelters for them and we hear the voice of the father identifying  Jesus as “my beloved Son.”  the God who speaks to the disciples on the mountain directs all of us  to Jesus and tells  us, “Listen to him”. Our journey during lent is a journey of listening to scripture as the  readings tell the story of faith.  Mountains were  always seen places of retreat and encounter with the divine. Moses and Elijah are no strangers to mountain encounters with God. They met God on the mountain, but struggled to make God’s plan a reality back down among the people. Moses, the lawgiver and Elijah, the prophet, symbolized the rich religious tradition of the Jewish people. It is Through them, that tradition is in dialogue with Jesus. The voice from the cloud identifies Jesus as “my beloved Son.” Jesus invites all of us to make a journey throughout our lives. Our faith should be an exciting journey from birth right until we get to the pearly gates when we die. During Lent Repent, and believe the Good News is our call to take up the spiritual journey as we explore the great depths of God’s love for us as we climb the mountain of the Lord.

We, like the disciples, periodically need to go to a quiet place, our own private “mountain top.” There we find some quiet time to listen to Jesus through his Word. We could do that by ourselves, by setting aside a few minutes each day to read and meditate on the scriptures. The god who speaks to us through the scriptures directs all of us to Jesus that same voice of God  who spoke to the apostles on the mountain also  instructs us  to “listen to him” may we listen to  what he is saying  to us in the quietness and not be afraid to do what he asks of us this Lent. Then we will be more able to enter fully into the great events of Holy week and Easter when they come around in a few short weeks refreshed and renewed by our Lenten journey.

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17 Feb 2024

1St Sunday of Lent 2024

After the ashes of Ash Wednesday comes the hard work and commitment of the next 6 weeks. Our gospel story for this weekend tells us about Jesus going out into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness.  God asks us to undertake this time of renewal and that is why we have the penitential season of Lent. Why do we have Lent every year? Why penance? Why fasting? Why almsgiving? What does that have to do with us? If we take our faith seriously then Lent, penance, fasting and almsgiving have a great deal to do with all of us. The readings for the 1st Sunday of talk about  God who is faithful even when we wander away far from him. The first reading is about God establishing a covenant with Noah, his descendants, and every living creature, promising no future floods will destroy all life. The bow, set in the clouds, symbolizes this perpetual covenant, a reminder to God and humanity of this promise.   The psalm reminds us to be faithful as we ask the Lord to teach us  his ways, trusting in his salvation. We remember His mercy and love, as He shows the paths of righteousness to those who follow His ways.

The second reading connects the story of Noah to the sacrament of Baptism. It emphasizes Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection as the ultimate act of reconciliation between humanity and God. Baptism is presented not merely as a ritual cleansing but as a profound commitment to live in accordance with God’s will, empowered by Christ’s victory over death.  In our Gospel this weekend  Jesus asks for such significant changes from those who have heard him preach. After he was baptized by John, he spent time in the desert and underwent temptations. He was tested and accompanied by the Spirit came out strong and determined. Jesus announces the coming of the reign of God and he invites others who hear him to commit their lives fully to God and God’s ways. He preaches  “Repentance” which requires change of mind and heart. He doesn’t want some superficial or cosmetic change.  He isn’t asking for a few minutes, hours, weeks, or months of our time which, when completed, we can return to our previous ways of living. Perhaps we have given up wine or desserts for Lent.

Then we hope to hang on till Easter when we can pop the cork and slice the Easter cake. No, repentance isn’t just for a part of the year. It is a full-time, on-going commitment to change and be changed by God. We are called to turn away from whatever distracts us from God and to return to the embrace of the One who is infinite love. Such total change can easily be left for a more “convenient time.” We say we will start a more serious pursuit of God later on  after we finish school, when we have a family, after retirement, “When I’ll have more time to give to prayer and good works.” But Jesus is speaking in the in the here and now of the present moment, he is  not speaking about something that will happen in the future. ” Lent is a grace filled time when we will receive the help we need to turn our lives towards God. We are invited to reflect  on God’s faithfulness, the significance of baptism, the importance of repentance and conversion. So now as we begin Lent we are invited to recommit ourselves to God. Let us ask ourselves whether we are open to be really changed as gods people so we will be able to enter more fully into the great ceremonies of Holy Week and Easter.

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10 Feb 2024

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday we celebrate the 6th Sunday of ordinary time which is also the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. We remember in a special way all those who are sick and infirm for whatever reason and we pray for their healing. Then on Wednesday we begin the Holy Season of Lent with the ashes and we hear once again the call to repent and believe the good news as we begin Lent for 2024. It is a time when we reflect on our spiritual lives and how we can renew themIn the first reading the Lord told Moses and Aaron what to do about potential leprosy, this  required priestly examination and, if confirmed, the person concerned was declared unclean. Afflicted individuals had to signify their condition by their appearance, vocalize their unclean status, and live in isolation, highlighting the seriousness with which leprosy was treated. The treatment of lepers, as spelled out in the Book of Leviticus today, seems harsh. But let’s not demonize the Israelites. With little understanding of the cause of leprosy, but noticing its awful consequences on the bodies of its victims, the community was frightened of contagion. To keep themselves and their families safe they isolated the sufferers.

In the Second Reading  from Corinthians St. Paul tells us  that In everything, even in eating and drinking, we should aim to honour God. He tells us to avoid causing offense by what you do and say and seek the good of many for salvation. Today we too are called to follow the  example of St. Paul as he followed Christ’s own example so should we. In the Gospel for this weekend  the  leper’s plea for healing was met with Jesus’ compassionate touch and affirmation, leading to immediate cleansing. Despite Jesus’ directive for discretion and adherence to Mosaic law for verification, the healed man publicized his miracle, complicating Jesus’ public ministry. Our Gospel story is about much more than just the healing, it is about the faith that the leper had in Jesus. It is also about the faith we have in Jesus.  After he heals him Jesus tells the man to be silent. The man is to go first to the priests and go through the ritual cleansing prescribed in Leviticus (14:1ff.)  Maybe the priests would ask the man how he was cured and then they would hear about Jesus. Who better to give witness to Jesus than someone whose life has been changed by him? Who better to witness to the strength, joy, encouragement, hope and direction that Jesus gives than one who has been transformed by him? Do we allow ourselves to be transformed by the compassion and words of Jesus in order to show his compassion to others?

The man who Jesus cured proclaimed and spread the word and he brought others to faith even though he was told not to tell anyone. Word of Jesus power preceded him and the people brought all those who needed healing to him. In  fact so many people came from every place in Galilee that Jesus could not travel in the open for fear of the crowd. Aware of our need for healing, we, too, can take the initiative by approaching Jesus. We will be met with compassion and love. We can be restored to our rightful place as beloved sons and daughters. We, too, can tell the story of what God has done for us in our lives. May we share the healed man’s enthusiasm to make known the goodness and the love of God. Next Wednesday with the Ashes  and the call to be faithful to the Gospel we begin the season of lent with all the opportunities it provides for renewal of our spiritual lives.  Let us pray for a spirit of understanding and renewal as we journey through Lent to the celebration of Holy Week and Easter so that we can say with the psalmist Lord you are my refuge and you turned my distress into the joy of salvation.

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03 Feb 2024

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time

The readings for this Sunday ask us to reflect on Jesus’ power to heal us, both physically and spiritually. In the first reading, Job laments that he is experiencing so much misery and despair that he find’s that is just too hard to keep going. But then in the  psalm we are reminded  to “Praise the Lord, who heals the broken hearted” as he gives us the strength to go on. Paul’s reflections in the second reading on his role as an apostle underscores the theme of selfless service and sacrifice. His commitment to preaching the Gospel without seeking personal gain highlights the Christian call to serve others whenever they need our help and not to look for anything in return. In the   Gospel reading Jesus comes to Peter’s house, he finds that Peter’s mother-in-law is sick, and he heals her. The whole town hears of her healing and rushes all their sick to Peter’s house. The house is surrounded, and so is Jesus. Now, all of a sudden, Jesus seems to have become a one-man hospital the man who heals all their ills. He is so besieged that he can’t even pray in the house. He has to head out into the countryside secretly in the dark of morning. When his absence is detected, his disciples go looking for him. when they find him, they tell him “Everybody is looking for you!”

When the people of Capernaum saw Christ they saw man of power amongst them; when we see Jesus with the eyes of faith we realise  that he  is the Son of God our saviour who came on earth in order to make us the family  of God. We know who Jesus really is and we know the full meaning of his mission. We see that mission completed by his death on the cross and his resurrection. By his death he conquered death by his resurrection he opened the gates of heaven for us and he shows all of us his followers the road we must take to get to those gates. The road we have to take is not easy and many people have chosen other roads that lead in other directions . But we  believe that there are people  like us  out there looking for Jesus and they are finding and following him and as a result of their witness we follow Jesus as well. Jesus is alive in our midst through the lives of faith we have together. He is our way, our truth and  our life. Turn our backs on him, and our spirits, minds and hearts, might just shrivel up and die for lack of spiritual nourishment. We have come to know that the things of God are built on solid foundations of the rock of faith instead of the things of the world that are built on sand and have no lasting value.  The interaction between Jesus and those he heals, as well as the actions of the disciples, highlight the theme of community as we make our Christian journey.

It shows how faith is lived and experienced within the community, and how the community of believers plays a role in supporting, nurturing, and participating in the mission of the Church  as it brings the faith to others. We are challenged to look beyond the surface, to see the deeper spiritual significance of Jesus’ life and actions, and to embrace our particular role in continuing his mission in the world today. As we reflect on our mission within the church we are invited to deepen our relationship with God and to recommit ourselves to bring his message to the people wherever we are in this troubled world.

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