Good Friday -God Suffers Human Death.

10 April 2019

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
Is 52:13-53:12, Ps 30:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25, R/ Lk 23:46. Heb 4:14-16, 5:7-9. Jn 18:1-19:42.

Saint John’s account of the Passion is more reflective and theological. He emphasises Jesus’ obedience to the Father’s will. The kingship of Jesus is asserted: the crucifixion is a victory, the hour of death is also the hour triumph. ‘Christ gives his life, he is “lifted up” on the Cross, but willingly’.

In contemplating the Cross of its Lord, the Church commemorates its own origin and its mission to extend to all peoples the blessed effects of Christ’s Passion that it celebrates on this day in a spirit of thanksgiving for his marvellous gift.

In the Universal Prayer, Bishops will arrange to have a special intention prepared for those who find themselves in distress, the sick, the dead, (cf. Missale Romanum). The adoration of the Cross by kissing it shall be limited solely to the celebrant.

Ponder today, this dark day, the final words of Jesus. Scripture records seven last statements, or the “Seven Last Words.” Take each phrase and spend time with it. Seek the deeper spiritual meaning for your life.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Jesus’ forgiveness of others was radical and to a degree never seen before. While hanging on the Cross and enduring the cruelty of others, Jesus spoke words of forgiveness. He forgave them in the midst of His persecution.

What’s more is that He even acknowledged that those crucifying Him were not fully responsible. They clearly did not know what they were doing. This humble acknowledgment of Jesus shows the depth of His tender mercy. It reveals He died not in anger or resentment, but in willing sacrifice.

Can you say these words? Can you call to mind the person who has hurt you and pray that the Father forgives them? Leave judgment to God and offer mercy and forgiveness.

“I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

What a consolation it must have been for the good thief to hear these words. He must have been experiencing a certain despair in life at that moment as he, along side of Jesus, was dying on a cross. What a gift it was to be there next to the Savior of the World, sharing in the sufferings of Christ in such a real way. And this man was privileged to be among the first to receive this gift of salvation won by Jesus on the Cross.

Jesus offers us the same assurance. He offers salvation to us beginning today. And He offers it to us in the midst of our own suffering and sin. Can you hear Him offer you this gift of mercy? Can you hear Him invite you to share His gift of everlasting life? Let Him speak this invitation to you and let the eternal life of paradise begin to take hold more deeply today in your soul.

“Woman, behold your son.”

What a gift! Here, dying on the Cross, Jesus entrusted His own mother to John. And in so doing, He entrusted her to each one of us. Our unity with Jesus makes us a member of His family and, thus, sons and daughters of His own mother. Our Blessed Mother accepts this responsibility with great joy. She embraces us and holds us close.

Do you accept Jesus’ mother as your own spiritual mother? Have you fully consecrated yourself to her? Doing so will place you under her mantle of protection and love.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus was not abandoned but He allowed Himself to feel and experience this complete loss of the Father in His human nature. He felt the deep experience of despair. He allowed Himself to know and experience the effects of sin. Therefore, He knows what we go through when we despair. He knows what it feels like. And He is there with us in those temptations enabling us to press on through any despair toward total faith and trust in the Father.

“I thirst.”

What a meaningful statement. He thirsted physically at that moment for water to quench His dehydration. But more than that, He thirsted spiritually for the salvation of all of our souls. Jesus’ spirit still longs for this gift of salvation. He longs to call us His children. He thirsts for our love.

Ponder Jesus saying these words to you. “I thirst for you!” He says. It is a deep and burning thirst for your love. You satiate Jesus’ thirst by returning that love. Satiate His thirst this Good Friday by giving Him your love.

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

These are the words we need to pray more than any. These are the words of complete surrender to God. Prayer is ultimately about one thing. It’s about surrender. It’s about trust. Say these words over and over today and let this perfect surrender of Jesus also be your surrender.

Surrender means God is in control. It means that we let go of our own will and choose only God’s. And it means that God pledges to accept our surrender and guide us into the perfect plan He has in mind for us.

“It is finished.”

It’s significant that He said “It is finished” as His last words. What does this mean? What is finished?

This spiritual statement from Jesus is one that affirms that His mission of the redemption of the whole world is accomplished. “It” refers to His perfect sacrifice of love offered for all of us. His death, which we commemorate today, is the perfect sacrifice which takes away the sins of all. What a gift! And what a sacrifice Jesus endured for us!

We are used to seeing this sacrifice on the Cross. We ponder this sacrifice every time we look at the crucifix. But it is important to note that our over-familiarity with the Cross can tempt us to lose sight of the sacrifice. It’s easy for us to miss what Jesus actually did for us. He accomplished the act that saves us and He is now offering it to us. Let this completed act of Divine Mercy penetrate your soul. He desires to say that His sacrifice has “finished” its work in your soul.

So today, on this Good Friday, it would be good if we spent the day pondering the reality of Jesus’ sacrifice. Try to understand what it was like for God Himself to suffer and die. Contemplate what it was like for God Himself, the Creator of all things, to be put to death by those whom He created, to suffer at the hands of those whom He loved with a perfect love.

Understanding Jesus’ sacrificial love will enable us to love as He did. It will enable us to love those who have hurt us and those who persecute us. His love is total. It is generous beyond description.

Lord, I know You thirst for my soul. You finished what You started by dying on the Cross for my salvation and the salvation of the world. Help me to understand Your love and to accept it into my life. Help me to forgive. Help me to invite you into my own darkness and sin. Help me to abandon all to You. I thank You, dear suffering Lord, for the gift of Your Precious Blood, poured out for the salvation of the world. Jesus, I trust in You.

Holy Thursday 9 April 2020

Morning: Is 61:1-3, 6, 8-9. Ps 88:21-22, 25, 27, R/ v2. Apoc 1:5-8, Lk 4:16-21.

The Easter Triduum

Christ redeemed us all and gave perfect glory to God principally through his paschal mystery: dying he destroyed our death and rising he restored our life. Therefore the Easter Triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ is the culmination of the entire liturgical year. The celebration of the paschal mystery is not simply a recalling of past events in history. It is a sacramental celebration that renders present and actualises the saving power of Christ’s death and Resurrection to the Church.

From an Easter homily by Saint Melito of Sardis, bishop

The lamb that was slain has delivered us from death and given us life
There was much proclaimed by the prophets about the mystery of the Passover: that mystery is Christ, and to him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

For the sake of suffering humanity he came down from heaven to earth, clothed himself in that humanity in the Virgin’s womb, and was born a man. Having then a body capable of suffering, he took the pain of fallen man upon himself; he triumphed over the diseases of soul and body that were its cause, and by his Spirit, which was incapable of dying, he dealt man’s destroyer, death, a fatal blow.

He was led forth like a lamb; he was slaughtered like a sheep. He ransomed us from our servitude to the world, as he had ransomed Israel from the land of Egypt; he freed us from our slavery to the devil, as he had freed Israel from the hand of Pharaoh. He sealed our souls with his own Spirit, and the members of our body with his own blood.

He is the One who covered death with shame and cast the devil into mourning, as Moses cast Pharaoh into mourning. He is the One who smote sin and robbed iniquity of offspring. He is the One who brought us out of slavery into freedom, out of darkness into light, out of death into life, out of tyranny into an eternal kingdom; who made us a new priesthood, a people chosen to be his own for ever. He is the Passover that is our salvation.

It is he who endured every kind of suffering in all those who foreshadowed him. In Abel he was slain, in Isaac bound, in Jacob exiled, in Joseph sold, in Moses exposed to die. He was sacrificed in the Passover lamb, persecuted in David, dishonored in the prophets.

It is he who was made man of the Virgin, he who was hung on the tree; it is he who was buried in the earth, raised from the dead, and taken up to the heights of heaven. He is the mute lamb, the slain lamb, the lamb born of Mary, the fair ewe. He was seized from the flock, dragged off to be slaughtered, sacrificed in the evening, and buried at night. On the tree no bone of his was broken; in the earth his body knew no decay. He is the One who rose from the dead, and who raised man from the depths of the tomb.

My merciful Lord, Your humility is awe-inspiring and overwhelming. Please wash me clean with the blood and water flowing forth from Your pierced Heart. Help me to receive this gift in the way it was given: with humility. I thank You, I say “Yes” to Your gift, I receive You and I invite You to cleanse me. I am a sinner, dear Lord. I need Your cleansing action in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.

Wednesday in Holy Week 8 April 2020

Is 50: 4-9. Ps 68:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34, R/ v 14. Mt 26:14-25.

Every sin is a betrayal of trust and friendship.

“What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.” (Matthew 26: 15 – 16).

Spy Wednesday we call it – for Judas has left his mark on our calendars. The pain of his betrayal is to be felt in the account of Saint Matthew’s Gospel. And thirty pieces of silver goes into language currency ever since. At the end of this lent, which has seen us trying to purify ourselves of all that is not Christian, these thirty pieces of silver come before us as a warning.

Our key Scripture for today deals with the tough and ugly truth of betrayal. Every sin is a betrayal. Every betrayal is a sin against trust and friendship. He who says: “I have no sin is a liar.”

For Judas, his price for betraying Jesus is thirty pieces of silver. What is your price for betraying Jesus? For working on Sunday? For that cruise holiday? That plumb job? Every sin has its price. In marketing, we say: “Put the right incentive on the promotion and the fish will bite the bait.” So be humble my friend.

In God’s most loving and merciful Providence, our Savior has given us two great Sacraments to deal with our sins:

1 Sacrament of Reconciliation:

Medicine for the Journey. We journey to our permanent home through vast and dangerous forests. Snake bites, serious bruises from falls are the norm. Neglect the Sacrament of Reconciliation to your peril.

2 The Eucharist:

Eucharist (Bread of life and Food for the Journey). When you are on a long journey, you do well to pack adequate nutritious food.

The saints, our brethren who preceded us in this Journey of Faith know the value of these two Sacraments and they urge us to use them frequently.

Peter and Judas betrayed Jesus. Peter used the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist to regain the lost ground. Judas chose suicide because of pride. We have few days to the Most Solemn Feast of Easter. Let nothing keep you from full participation in the Solemnity.

Lord, help me this Holy Week to have the courage I need to face my sin and weakness. I am a sinner, dear Lord, but it can be very hard for me to admit it. May I entrust my sin to You so that I may be set free and receive, in its place, Your abundant mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.

Tuesday 7th April 2020, Tuesday of Holy Week.

PAINFUL BETRAYAL

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” John 13:21

It’s very important to note here that Jesus was “deeply troubled.” This shows His humanity. Jesus had a human heart and loved Judas with a divine love through His human heart. As a result of this perfect love of Judas, Jesus’ heart was deeply troubled. It was “troubled” in the sense that Jesus could do nothing more than He had already done to change the mind and heart of Judas. It’s not that Jesus was personally offended or angered by Judas’ betrayal. Rather, it’s that Jesus’ heart burned with a deep sorrow at the loss of Judas whom He loved with a perfect love.

Judas had free will. Without free will Judas could not freely love Jesus. But with free will, Judas chose to betray Jesus. The same is true with us. We have free will and we are given the same ability that Judas had to accept the love of Jesus or to reject it. We can let His loving gift of salvation and grace enter our lives or refuse it. It’s 100% up to us.

Holy Week is an ideal time to seriously contemplate the road you are on. Each and every day of your life you are invited by God to choose Him with all your might and love. But, like Judas, we so often betray Him by our refusal to enter Holy Week with Jesus, embracing His Cross as ours. We so often fail to give completely of our lives in a sacrificial and generous way, as our Lord did that Holy Week.

Reflect, today, upon the love Jesus had for Judas. It was His love for Judas, more than Judas’ sin, that brought so much pain to Jesus’ Heart. If Jesus didn’t love him, the rejection would not have hurt. Reflect, also, on the love Jesus has for you. Ponder whether or not His Heart is also troubled as a result of the actions in your life. Be honest and do not make excuses. If Jesus is troubled in any way as a result of your actions and choices this is no reason to despair as Judas did. Rather, it should be the cause of rejoicing that you are aware of your weakness, sin and limitation. Turn that over to Jesus who loves you more than you love yourself. Doing this will bring your heart much consolation and peace. And it will also bring much consolation and peace to the Heart of our Divine Lord. He loves you and is waiting for you to come to Him this Holy Week.

My dear suffering and rejected Lord, I do love You but I also know that I cause Your Heart to be troubled by my betrayal. Help me to see my sin honestly this Holy Week. In seeing it, may I let go of that which keeps me from loving You more deeply, so as to walk with You to the Cross to share in Your glorious triumph. Jesus, I trust in You.

Monday in Holy Week 6 April 2020

Is 42: 1-7. Ps 26:1-3, 13-14, R/ v 1. Jn 12:1-11.

Anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair»

On Palm Sunday, we celebrate the first joy of the season, as we celebrate Our Lord’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem where he was welcomed by crowds worshiping him and laying down palm leaves before him. It also marks the beginning of Holy Week, with the greatest tragedy and sorrow of the year.
Jesus’ triumphant return to Jerusalem is only one side of the story.

Jesus carrying his cross, By now many of the Jews are filled with hate for Our Lord. They want to see him stoned, calling Him a blasphemer, especially after offering proof of His Divinity during a winter visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Dedication.
After this, Jesus went to Perea, where he was summoned to Bethany. There he raised Lazarus from the dead, a miracle which wins Him such renown among certain Pharisees that they decided finally to end His life.
Jesus took refuge at Ephrem returning six days before Passover to Bethany, triumphantly entering Jerusalem. That evening, He leaves Jerusalem and returns Monday. He spent time with Gentiles in the Temple, and on Wednesday left for the Mount of Olives. Here he foretold the apostles the events of the next several days, including His impending death.
He returned to Jerusalem on Thursday, to share the Last Supper with His apostles. He was subsequently arrested and tried. He was crucified at Calvary on Friday, outside the gates of Jerusalem.
He was buried the same day, and arose three days later, on Easter Sunday.
All of this is done by our Lord for forgiveness of our sins, and for life everlasting with Him.
God so loved us, that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us, so that our sins maybe forgiven.

Our attention is now focused on the great mystery of Christ, dying and rising. The sense of impending doom hovers over the actions of Jesus. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, Christ does not cry out or shout aloud. Mary’s anointing becomes one of preparation of the body for burial after death. All things are being readied for the final hour. The chrism is prepared for blessing by the bishop this week: it will be used to sign new Christians with the Cross, to seal them for Christ.
Today, the Gospel summarizes two attitudes about God: Jesus Christ and life, in itself. Judas criticizes Mary for anointing Jesus’ feet: «Judas, son of Simon Iscariot —the disciple who was to betray Jesus— remarked, ‘This perfume could have been sold for three hundred silver coins and turned over to the poor’» (Jn 12:4-5). What Judas said did not make sense, and it ties in with Jesus’ doctrine. But it is much too easy to criticize what others may do, even when they had no hidden intentions, as it was the case with Judas.
Whatever our protest it must be an act of responsibility: with our protest we have to ask ourselves how would we do it instead, what are we willing to do, to do it better. Otherwise, our protest may just be —as it is actually the case here— the complaint, those who normally do it, wrongly use to make before those who try to do it the best they can.
Mary anoints Jesus’ feet and she wipes them with her hair, because she truly believes this is what she must do. Her behaviour can be qualified of splendid magnanimity: «Mary took a pound of costly perfume made from genuine nard» (Jn 12:3). It is an act of love, and like any act of love, difficult to understand by those who do not share it. I think that, as of that moment, Mary realized what, centuries later would write saint Augustine: «Maybe in this world the feet of our Lord are still in need. For, of whom, other than his members, said He: ‘Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me. You spend that which you do not need, but you have done that which is good for my feet’».
Judas’ complaint has no utility whatsoever, and it only led him to treachery. Mary’s act led her to love her Lord even more and, as a consequence, to love more all the “feet” of Christ there are on this world.

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion – April 5, 2020

Readings: Mt 21:1–11 • Is 50:4–7 • Ps 22:8–9, 17–20, 23–24 • Phil 2:6–11 • Mt 26:14—27:66 (or 27:11–54)

Palm Sunday without the palms. Without the Mass. Without the Eucharist. It seems so empty.

In the first reading, Isaiah practises humility as God wants Him to, knowing that God will not let him be disgraced. The second reading too tells us about humility. Jesus humbled Himself even though He is God. In the Gospel, Jesus rode on a donkey instead of a horse – also a sign of humility.

“And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?” And the crowds replied, “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21: 10 – 11).

Today we honor Christ Jesus our triumphant King.From time immemorial the Church has honored her triumphant King and Savior through processions and waving of palms on Palm Sunday. This has been done in war and peace, during plagues and normal time. It is difficult to find in history a time when this is not the case. The universal Church is experiencing today what no prophet had foretold. We must place our faith and destiny in the hands of the Bishops whom Jesus committed the entire Sacraments of Salvation and instructed us in no uncertain terms:
“Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” (Luke 10: 16).

“The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.” (Matthew 21: 9).

“Cease striving and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46: 10.)

Jesus, was welcomed with palm branches, which is a symbol of peace and victory. The King of glory comes in peace, His death and resurrection bring victory and those who walk the way of the Lord are called to do so in humility.

Today, let the palm leaves remind us to serve love and walk in humility, as the Lord did.

My glorious Lord, I cry out to You, “Hosanna!” You are the King, the High Priest, and the Spotless Lamb of Sacrifice. As I enter into this Holy Week, enable me to walk with You and to offer my own life as a sacrifice in union with Your own perfect Sacrifice. May Your Holy Week transcend time and permeate every aspect of my life so that, as I die with You, I may also share in the glory of Your Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.

Saturday 4th April 2020 of the 5th week of Lent

The feast of St Isidore (560 – 636), Bishop and Doctor of the Church.
Isidore was Bishop of Seville in Spain and a leading light in the Church in Spain. He initiated many local Church councils. St Isidore earned his place among the Doctors of the Church by his rigorous scholarship especially his extensive Encyclopedia (Etymologies) which was popular up to the Middle Ages.

Some six centuries before Jesus, Jerusalem fell and the chosen people of Israel were exiled to Babylon. There, far from their promised land, they suffered a spiritual winter wondering if their God had severed all ties with them. At this time, the prophet Ezekiel brought them hope, assuring them that God would restore them to their former glory!

Through the Old Testament, we repeatedly hear of God saving His people – bringing back the scattered tribes – and we see this realised in the New Testament in God’s supreme salvific act through Jesus.

“Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the scattered children of God”

Today, while on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus is aware he is persecuted, harassed, sentenced, because the greatest and newest his revelation has been —the announcement of the Kingdom of God— the greatest and wider has been too the division and the opposition He has found amongst his audience (cf. Jn 11:45-46).

The negative words by Caiaphas, «It is better to have one man die for the people than to let the whole nation be destroyed» (Jn 11:50), will be positively assumed by Jesus in the redemption performed for us. Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, dies in the Cross for the love of all of us! He dies to make true the Father’s plan, that is, «to gather the scattered children of God» (Jn 11:52).

And this is the wonder and the creativity of our God! Caiaphas, with his sentence («It is better to have one man die…») and out of his hate, does nothing else but to try to eliminate an idealist; God Father, instead, by sending his Son out of his love for us, does something wonderful: to transform that malevoulous sentence into a work of redemptive love, because to God Father, each man is worth all the blood shed by Jesus Christ!

One week from today, we shall sing —in solemn vigil— the Easter Proclamation. With this wonderful prayer, the Church praises the original sin. And it does not do it because the Church ignores its gravity, but because God —in his infinite goodness— has done some deeds as a response to man’s sin. That is, in the face of the “original disgust”, He has replied with the Incarnation, with his personal immolation and institution of the Eucharist. This is why, next Saturday, our liturgy will sing: «O, admirable condescendence of your goodness! O, immeasurable predilection which you have loved us with! O, lucky guilt, that has deserved us so great a Redeemer!».

If only our sentences, words and actions could be no more a deterrent for the evangelization, since we, too, have been requested by Christ to gather the scattered children of God: «Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit» (Mt 28:19).

Reflect, today, upon the coming commemoration of the persecution of our Lord. Let your mind begin to ponder the many reactions and experiences people had that first Holy Week. Put yourself in their shoes and try to live it with Jesus. The goal is to find ourselves there at the foot of the Cross with Him on Good Friday with love and courage, standing by Him and loving Him every step of the way.

_Lord, may I follow You this coming Holy Week. May I have the love I need to love You even in Your rejection and pain. Help me to shed all envy and selfishness and to see You especially in the sufferings of others and in their goodness. Jesus, I trust in You.

April 3, 2020
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Be not afraid’ was a constant refrain of St. Pope John Paul II, inviting Catholics to be authentic witnesses of their faith to the world. The readings today will remind us that this is no easy task.

For all his preaching, Jeremiah reaped only scorn, ridicule, rejection and enmity. Jeremiah’s bitterness is not so much from the abuse meted out to him, but because of the stubbornness of the people, refusing to accept God’s message.

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” John 10:31–32

As we draw closer to Holy Week, and to Good Friday, we begin to see that hatred was growing toward Jesus. Just as we saw in yesterday’s reflection, this makes no sense. To hate Jesus and to desire to stone Him to death is an act of the greatest irrationality. But this is what happened. Little by little, those who were against Jesus grew in boldness until that ultimate day came when He laid down His life for us and willingly embraced His death.

Over the next two weeks it’s good to face this irrationality and persecution head on. It’s good to see the hatred of so many and to name it for what it is. No, it’s not a pleasant thought, but it is reality. It’s the world we live in. And it’s a reality we will all face in our lives.

When confronting evil and persecution, we should do so as Jesus did. He faced it without fear. He faced it with the truth and never accepted the lies and calumny that so many threw at Him.

The fact of the matter is that the closer we grow toward God, the greater the persecution and hatred we will encounter. Again, this may not make sense to us. It’s easy to think that if we are close to God and strive for holiness everyone will love and praise us. But it wasn’t that way for Jesus and it will not be that way for us either.

One key to holiness is that in the midst of persecution, suffering, hardship and sorrow, we stand firm in the truth. It’s always tempting to think that we must be doing something wrong when things do not go our way. It’s easy to be confused by the lies and calumny that the world throws at us when we try to stand for goodness and the truth. One thing God wants of us, in the midst of our own crosses, is to purify our faith and resolve to stand firm in His Word and Truth.

When we face some cross or some persecution it can be like getting hit in the head. We may feel like we are in a daze and can give into panic and fear. But these are the times, more than any other, when we need to stand strong. We need to remain humble but deeply convicted about all that God has said and revealed to us. This deepens our ability to trust God in all things. It’s easy to say we trust God when life is easy, it’s hard to trust Him when the cross we face is quite heavy.

Reflect, today, upon the fact that no matter what your cross may be, it is a gift from God in that He is desiring to strengthen you for some greater purpose. As Saint John Paul the Great said over and over during his pontificate, “Do not be afraid!” Face your fears and let God transform you in the midst of them. If you do so, you will discover that your greatest struggles in life actually turn out to be your greatest blessings.

Lord, as we draw near to the commemoration of Your own suffering and death, help me to unite my crosses to Yours. Help me to see in my daily struggle Your presence and strength. Help me to see the purpose you have for me in the midst of these challenges. Jesus, I trust in You.

2nd April 2020

St Francis of Paola, Patron Saint of Plagues.

“God did not spare his own Son, but handed him over for us all;
with him, he has given us all things.” (Romans 8: 32 – Communion Antiphon).

Thursday 2nd April 2020 of 5th week of Lent is the feast of St Francis of Paola (1416 – 1507), Hermit. Francis attracted followers and they formed a community of Hermits with the Rules of the St Francis of Assisi to guide them. Gifted in diplomacy, the hermit Francis was used by the Church for sensitive diplomatic missions. St Francis of Paola was patron saint of the following:

• Plague
• Sterility
• Sailors, boatmen, mariners
• Travellers
• Naval officers

Our key Scripture is from the Communion Antiphon. If Abba Father could sacrifice Jesus on the Cross because of His love for us. It is ridiculous to think that He could deny us anything good for us. Imagine what God did for our Saint of today. For his holiness and obedience, God made him patron saint of issues affecting Christians.

We believe in the Communion of the Saints. Christ Jesus our Lord is glorified when we honor His saints. Although all the saints are enjoying heavenly bliss, they are still engaged in the affairs of the Church militant on earth. They experienced our struggles and know our needs. Ask for the aide of the saints with Obedience of Faith and Obedience of humility thus:

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU COMPLETELY. THROUGH THE Intercession OF ST FRANCIS OF PAOLA, I SURRENDER MYSELF TO YOU COMPLETELY. TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING YOUR WAY. AMEN.

1st April 2020

There are four freedoms that we cherish: freedom of speech, freedom of belief, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. And it is only the truth that can bring us these freedoms! Jesus says this repeatedly in today’s Gospel.

In the second century before Jesus, the Jews suffered violent persecution under the Syrian tyrant Antiochus IV. These chosen people were forced to deny the truth by giving up their monotheistic belief; if they didn’t worship the false gods of the Syrians, they would be eliminated. In such a situation, the book of Daniel provided inspiration, urging the people never to give up the truth. Today’s first reading has one such example. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego could never be absolutely certain that God would save them, and yet their past experiences assured them that God would never desert them. So they hold on to the truth that their God is the only ‘One’ true God and refuse to worship an idol that Nebuchadnezzar set up. Eventually we hear how the truth set them free.

The truth will set you free! But do you have the courage to hold on to it?

In the Gospel, , the Lord directs harsh words to the Jews. Not to some Jews, but precisely to those who embraced the faith: Jesus said «to the Jews who had believed him» (Jn 8:31). This dialogue of Jesus reflects, without any doubt, the beginning of those difficulties caused by the Jewish Christians in the first hours of the Church.

As they were descendants of Abraham according to their kinship, such Jesus’ disciples considered themselves superior not only to Gentiles who lived away from the faith, but also better than any non-Jewish disciples of the same faith. They said: «We are Abraham’s descendants» (Jn 8:33); «Abraham is our father» (v.39); «The only Father we have is God himself.”» (v.41)

Despite being disciples of Jesus, we have the impression that Jesus meant nothing for them, nothing that could improve whom they already owned. But it is there where they all made a big mistake. True sons are not those by physical descent but the heirs of the promise, that is, those who believe (cf. Rom 9:6-8). Without faith in Jesus it is not possible for anyone to reach Abraham’s promise. That being so, among the disciples, “there is neither Jews nor Greeks; neither slave nor free; nor is there man and woman”, for they are all brothers because of Baptism (cf. Gal 3:27-28). Let us not be seduced by spiritual pride. Jewish considered themselves superior to other Christians. It is not necessary to speak, here, of separated brethren. But let us rather think of us. How often some Catholics consider themselves better than other Catholics just because they follow this or that movement, or because they observe this or that discipline, they abide by this or to that liturgical trend. Some, because they are rich; others, because they studied more. Some, because they hold important positions; others, because they come from noble families. «« I would like that each one should feel the joy of being Christian…. «God guides his Church, He sustains it always, especially at times of difficulty» (Benedict XVI).