Fullerton T

4th Sunday of Lent

JESUS HEALS THE BLIND MAN

Well here we are at the midpoint of Lent, Hopefully the things that we have given up or perhaps taken up have not been as stressful as we thought. Many people young and old  have given up things such as sweets, a glass of wine or perhaps their favorite food or drink items whatever they are, they might then pass on the money saved as Lenten Alms. Or maybe people have taken up doing things such as going to the early Mass (7.30am in our parish) or the Lenten devotions and prayers or whatever spiritual retreats or events that are out there for everyone. All in all Lent is a time for giving things up that might not be as good as we think it is also a time for taking up other more meaningful things. Things that lead us out of the darkness into the light of Christ.

Two weeks ago in the readings we were told to ‘Listen up!’ This week, the readings tell us to get rid of the darkness, and to learn to see things good and bad as God sees them or at least to try and see things as God Sees them. There are so many dark places in our lives where we need to shine a light and there are many people who have turned out the light of faith in their lives permanently for many reasons.

Many people are blind just because they simply don’t want to open their eyes to look around them and see the many things that abound in our modern world that run against what we are meant to be as Christians that is followers of Christ. There are so many things that really destroy the light of faith in our lives such as abortion and euthanasia to name but two and there are so many other things besides these that extinguish the light of faith. The light of Christ  is about letting god work through us and as a result being the light in the darkness of life and living  for others.

If we are to really see clearly, we need to let Jesus heal us of our blindness  and open our eyes as He did the man born blind in this weekend’s Gospel. Even though Jesus was right in front of him, the blind man couldn’t see Him until Jesus removed the scales from his eyes, and restored his sight. Only later, after much harassing from the narrow-minded Pharisees, was he able to really see spiritually, and to see Jesus as the Son of God. It was all possible when he saw through the “lens” of the Holy Spirit. We can be like that in so many ways We are invited to celebrate this Sunday with joy, because through our baptism and confirmation we have been invited to live in the light and to act with the power of that light. We also pray for those adults who will take up the light of Christ for the first time when they are baptized at the Easter Vigil may they be a light to those around them as they come to the joy of baptism and confirmation.

3rd Sunday of Lent 2014

THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

As we continue our journey of prayer for lent we come to the 3^rd Sunday and our gospel story for this weekend tells us about the Samaritan woman at the well. One of the responses for the Easter Vigil is with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation and this sums up what the reading from johns gospel is about. It is about the great joy that comes from being a Christian a believer in the good news of the Gospel.

Jesus breaks the law to speak to a Samaritan woman who had come to Jacob’s well to draw water. What a surprise it must have been to her, when Jesus, tired, hungry and thirsty, asks her for a drink of water! He broke all the rules in speaking to her. Now, He keeps on talking, ignoring her hostility, aware that, in this unexpected encounter, the Father has provided Him with an opportunity for piercing the heart of this sinful woman with His love and also leaving an example for all those who thirst. Jesus suggests that He can give her living water that is far superior to anything she had ever tasted. Certainly her five husbands (plus her newest lover) haven’t brought her what she is really looking for. We know that she had tried cheap love, and i am sure she was no stranger to intoxication, power, and money! This isn’t a gentle lady who comes to draw water from the well, but a toughened cynic. Cynical with the world around her in her time as so many are cynical  in our modern world for many different reasons.

Jesus forgets His own needs, and offers this woman living water that is spiritual grace. Finding her heart curious and open to this miraculous water, He proceeds to raise her vision. He asks her to go back and bring her husband to the well with her. Of course, this is the turning point of the story. When He confronts her with the truth, she could have flounced off in righteous indignation and denial as many people do when confronted with the truth but she doesn’t. In true humility, she accepts the reality of her sordid life. Because of her humility, Jesus floods her soul with grace. Dropping her bucket, she runs back to spread the good news. “I’ve found the Messiah!” And she had!

Lent is a time for us to let Jesus satisfy our thirst for the truth. Like that woman, we too have tried the wrong kinds of water to quench our thirst for happiness, satisfaction, and peace of mind without really finding it. The psalm in the Easter Vigil tells us that with joy we will draw water from the wells of salvation and this  is the time for us to find real joy and satisfaction of letting the Lord fill us with the grace during  the season of Lent in order to fully enjoy the season of Easter. We will find that our joy from that comes from the well of salvation the living water is greatest when we share the gift of salvation with others by really listening to them, praying from the heart in a quiet place, reflecting on the Word privately or at daily Mass, and letting the Eucharist change us into the Body of Christ. The Samaritan woman reminds those who doubt, or struggle with faith and we are all like that as we all have doubts to stay in a conversation with Christ.

She came looking for physical water and found Jesus, the “living water,” who would quench her thirsty spirit. May we find joy at the wells of salvation which is Jesus Christ the light of the world. Today we also think of those  adults who will be baptized at the Easter Vigil as they continue their particular journey and we pray in a special for them, their families and all the people who are journeying with them at this time. They  are seeking  with joy the wells of salvation as they head towards their baptism at Easter.

2nd Sunday of Lent

Well here we are at the 2^nd Sunday of Lent, as we continue our journey along the road that leads to Holy Week and Easter. In the Gospel, we get further advice for the journey. On the mountain, Peter, James, and John will catch a glimpse of the glory of God. As they approach the summit, the three suddenly notice a change in the garments Jesus is wearing. They become dazzlingly white. The disciples then see two famous figures appear. They recognize Moses the Lawgiver, and Elijah the Prophet. They are both discussing something with Jesus. Then their joy is turned to fear when suddenly a cloud comes between them and the sun, and a Voice thunders out, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” As the disciples fall to the ground, Jesus calms them and tells them not to be afraid. The glory has faded and they proceed down the mountain. On their spiritual journey, they are to focus on listening.

 What does all this mean for us on our spiritual journey? If we’re really serious about Lent, we’ll take the Transfiguration experience as Jesus intended. As He taught a lesson in patience and hope to Peter, James, and John, so He teaches us to listen and wait, to listen intently to Jesus and His message. We have the advantage of knowing and believing in the Resurrection. In our Lenten journey this week, we remember Jesus transfigured on the mountain–and listen! Whether it’s daily Mass, a Holy Hour, private prayer or work, may we keep in mind that God and the community around us provide us with encouragement and strength to continue in faith

1st Sunday of Lent 2014

The readings for the 1^st Sunday of Lent  should convince us that we really are sinners, and that it’s pretty arrogant of us to deny it I am often reminded of the scripture lord be merciful to me a sinner! It is time to make Lent what it is meant to be, a time for correcting our faults and raising our minds and hearts to God. A time for personal and community conversion! A time for personal and community renewal! A time for coming face-to-face with God – our origin, our purpose and our destiny – and being changed for the better and forever by that healing encounter!

 The bottom line for all of us during Lent is that we should try to get to know God better so that those not too easy to detect lines separating good and evil will become more apparent to ourselves and everyone else through us.   The Church teaches that prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are significant ways to become closer to God.  The decision for each of us is to determine what form of those three things to make our own this Lent. The temptations, to which our Lord allowed himself to be submitted, are a source of encouragement and consolation for all of us. If our Lord and master underwent temptation, we cannot and must not expect to live a Christian life without experiencing similar tests and trials. The three temptations Satan put to our Lord were suggestions to forget his purpose in life that is his messianic mission of redemption for one and all. He was urged to get all the bodily comforts of life, all the self-glory which men could give him, and all the possessions and power this world has to offer. In the same way all the comforts of life are put before us including the self indulgence and glory which is the exact opposite of our calling as followers of Christ. We are called during Lent not to give in to the temptations of this life as we are called to renewal of heart mind and Spirit.

As we begin our Lenten journey may god give us his grace to make a good Lent as we begin our journey  on the road to Easter .

ASH WEDNESDAY

As we begin the season of Lent we begin a period of reflection and renewal for our personal spiritual lives and hopefully those around us will be doing the same. It is a time when we undertake a certain amount of giving up things or doing things that well may be out of the ordinary such as getting up to go to an early Mass before going on to work or school or giving up this that or the other. But the season of Lent should be much more than doing things though all of the above mentioned things are important. There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that a good Lent makes a wonderful Holy Week and Great Easter. I don’t mean that we should be like the man who, when asked why he was beating his head against a brick wall, said ‘it’s just so nice when I stop!’ There is more to Easter than the first bite of chocolate, sip of wine or gasp of cigarette on Easter Sunday after the Lenten fast. Lent is not all about making life ghastly and hard for ourselves for 40 days just to show we can do it, but it is actually about so much more. It is about Holy Week and Easter, and our focus has to be on the distant light of Christ at the Easter vigil that we should be looking towards right from the very start on Ash Wednesday and then as we travel the road of Lent, Holy Week and Easter.

 Instead of giving up things I think that we need to take up things, things such as the scriptures, the word of god, or maybe the pope’s message for lent or the  various forms of prayer and prayer books or whatever means we may have for bringing ourselves to God. The question to be asked and applied to you and I is this, does my prayer life deepen my relationship with God? Do my daily choices truly reflect my commitment to become Christ like in my life and dealings with others? What can I change to better embody the good news of Christ so others might follow? Lent offers the gift of 40 days to re-evaluate the way we are going and gives us a chance to empower ourselves to do better. Our penances and prayers are all about the resurrection; not just our Lord’s, but our own. They are all about allowing the grace of God to do its work in us, making us more like him, becoming less self-centered and more other person and God-centered so that we are more able to proclaim the kingdom of God by our words and deeds.

8TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Well here we are at the 8^th Sunday of ordinary time as we face into the season of Lent with all the opportunities it provides for us on the spiritual front.  Lent means many things Ashes, Fasting, and may be even Fish on Fridays. These and many more things come to mind as we begin this important  40 day period of preparation in the Church year  as we head towards Holy Week and the great feast of Easter. Though the Church requires fasting and abstinence, these are not the most important things about Lent. Fasting and abstinence are no help to us unless they move us to deeper prayer; bring us to a deeper commitment to the most important truths about our life in faith: baptism, forgiveness of sins and a share in the Resurrection through conversion of heart and mind.

The readings for this Sunday are about three questions that are ultimately responsible for our general attitude as we live our daily lives.  Who has not felt forgotten by the Lord?  Who has not felt judged prematurely by others?  Who has not worried about having the basics of everyday life?  These are common and reoccurring feelings that we all experience throughout our lives. Sometimes these feelings are deeper or stronger than at other times, but they still get to people whenever they feel most unsure or vulnerable about something that they consider important at that particular time. We find ourselves at different places in our lives at different times and different feelings  good and bad certainly come and go.  God is always there though: God does not come and go he remains the same as he was as he is and as he will be in the future the alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end.  “Can any of us add a single moment to our life-span by worrying?”  No, we can’t!  The only thing we can do is trust that the Lord is in control of our lives journey and we are in control of how we spend the time that he gives us and hopefully we use the time  wisely. During Lent we are called to a period of renewal that is renewal of heart, mind, body and more importantly renewal of our souls. This time of renewal should bring us to a deeper commitment to the most important truths about our life in faith. Let us  Open our mind and hearts to the presence of God in our lives and our daily living and not be afraid to embrace the opportunities for us to grow in the Faith of Christ who is the light of the world during the season of lent.

5th SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

In today’s Gospel  passage Jesus speaks again in the present tense, “You are the salt of the earth….You are the light of the world.” It is very common these days, upon entering a church or religious institution, to see the community’s “Mission Statement” prominently posted. Usually, such a statement is the result of a prayerful dialogue by the community to arrive at a description of its identity and mission in the light of the Gospel.

At one parish some members of the staff told me their Priest  composed and published the statement without consulting members of the staff, parish council or parishioners. A woman said, “Since we didn’t have any input, how can we identify with and fulfill that mission statement? It’s not ours, it’s his She was right. But Jesus has that authority. Jesus’ mission statement to us, his followers, fits the requirement of a brief, focused and easily remembered summary of our task. Even those who don’t read much scripture can quote today’s teaching, “You are salt of the earth….You are light of the world.”

We are to be witnesses to the world. Jesus begins to describe the task for his disciples by using two images. We are to affect the world the way salt and light affect their environments. Salt seasons food, and in Jesus’ world, it was used as a preservative. It kept food from spoiling. Light removes or pushes the darkness back. Even one lighted match can be seen at a distance on a dark night. It doesn’t take much to have a surprising good effect when light is lacking.

With the salt image comes a warning. “But if salt loses its taste…it is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Christians cannot merely co-exist and comfortably fit in we too could loose our saltiness and be trampled underfoot. We must change what needs changing. Remember the saying, “If it were a crime to be a Christian, would they have any evidence to convict you?” would the charges be against you and me be upheld and what exactly would we be convicted by? Hence, Jesus’ warning that salt can lose its capacity to season the food it is in and should be thrown out. We are sent on mission into the world to change it – not merely to live in it. Jesus tells his disciples that, though they are only few in number, they are salt.

The danger for the church is that, being in the world, we disciples can take on worldly ways and lose our “saltiness” to flavor those around us. We are called as Disciples to draw out goodness in the world by supporting what protects, nourishes and enhances life, while rejecting what limits or destroys it. For these and other positions of the status quo or the same old thing  “salty disciples” are to be agents of change. If we cannot bring about more humane conditions for all, then Jesus is right, we are salt without flavor and useless for his purposes of passing on the good news. In the Gospel reading today, Jesus, says to those who had just heard His teaching on the Beatitudes, “You are the salt of the earth … you are the light of the world.” In this passage, Jesus urges them not to “light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket.” No, “your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” We need always to look outward to those who are looking for light, as well as to those who have given up hope of ever finding it! As we hear the challenging mission Jesus gives us we can feel what those first disciples must have felt – we are not large or influential enough to affect the world and resist the powers that “run the world’s business.” On our own, that’s true.

But remember we are not on our own. Jesus began his words  with a reminder of God’s blessings here and now. At this Eucharist, through Word and Sacrament, we are again formed and reformed by God. We are called to be salt of the earth people and followers of Jesus whom God blesses and Jesus sends on mission. We strive, with God’s grace, to live out the gospel mission statement Jesus has enfleshed by his life, death and resurrection.

3rd Sunday year A

FOLLOW ME AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN

The whole thrust of this week’s readings are about the call of Jesus to Peter, Andrew, James and his brother John to follow him as disciples. The great words that Jesus spoke way back then “Follow me and you will be fishers of men” have resonated throughout the ages as many people have taken up the call of Jesus .

When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been arrested, he left Nazareth and went to Capernaum. Herod Antipas was ruler of this territory, Galilee of the Gentiles, regarded as a region of God-forsaken pagan ways. It is here that Jesus goes to take up what is now the dangerous mission of John, to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom.Jesus then proceeds to call Peter, Andrew, James and his brother John to follow him as disciples. Through Jesus, what has been spoken through the prophet Isaiah is at last fulfilled: “. . . the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, and on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has risen.”

The light becomes an efficacious means to express God’s involvement in human history. God manifests Himself as ‘The Light’ that disperses the darkness. The light illuminates, encircles, defines things, emphasizes the colours and gives depth to space. The light heartens and comforts: to be in an enlightened place helps us to accept reality for what it is and makes one feel happier, more certain and protected. A joy and happiness that became real in Jesus’ presence. He is the promised light that has come into our midst, His physical presence that expresses the definitive arrival of the Light. The light that shines brightly marks God’s initiative performing His first merciful and free step towards a wounded humanity.This dynamic is expressed through Jesus call of the first Apostles. He chooses them with an unequivocal call, ‘Follow Me’. Faced with God’s sudden interruption in their lives He invited them to abandon the nets and trust themselves totally to the Lord for a new ‘catch’, a new definitive horizon. At the Last Supper, the end of His earthly life, Jesus reminds His disciples ‘you did not choose me, no, I chose you’ (Jn 15:16).

 This Sunday’s our  Gospel invites us to remember that our personal vocation is founded on God’s original and absolutely free choice.  This means that we are totally free to accept or deny his invitation to us to take up the vocation that is for us.  Let us ask the Lord, for us and the whole Church, for the gift of a true conversion of our hearts enabling us to receive Christ as the only Light to follow. Christ is the only one that really dispels the darkness within and around us.