Saint Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159), Cistercian monk, then Bishop

In praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Homily III (trans. Marie-Bernard Saïd and Grace Perigo, 1979)

The Word descended into the Virgin’s womb

The Word came from himself and came down beneath himself and dwelt among us (cf. Jn 1:14), when he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (Phil 2:7). That emptying was a descent. Yet he descended in such a way that he did not lose himself.

He was made flesh in such a way that he did not cease to be the Word, nor did the taking of humanity lessen the glory of his majesty. (…) Indeed, just as the sun’s brightness penetrates glass without breaking it, and as a glance of the eyes plunges into calm clear water without parting or dividing it, while it opens up all things to their very depth, so the Word of God drew near the Virgin’s dwelling and went forth from it, her virgin womb still closed.

(…)Therefore the invisible God was made visible man, the impassible and immortal showed himself passible and mortal. He who was not confined within the garments of our substance willed to be so confined. There is enclosed within the womb of a mother one whose immensity encloses the whole range of heaven and earth. And Mary’s body enfolds him whom the heaven of heavens does not contain.
If you ask how it was done, hear the archangel setting forth the plan to Mary, and saying to her: “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you.” (cf. Lk 1:35) (…) For he chose you before and above all others, that you may surpass all those who have been before or after you or shall be in the fullness of grace .

DOGMATIC TEACHING

The Solemnity of the Annunciation ( Doctrine of the Incarnation)

Incarnation, central Christian doctrine that God became flesh, that God assumed a human nature and became a man in the form of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the second person of the Trinity. Christ was truly God and truly man. The doctrine maintains that the divine and human natures of Jesus do not exist beside one another in an unconnected way but rather are joined in him in a personal unity that has traditionally been referred to as the hypostatic union. The union of the two natures has not resulted in their diminution or mixture; rather, the identity of each is believed to have been preserved.

The word Incarnation (from the Latin caro, “flesh”) may refer to the moment when this union of the divine nature of the second person of the Trinity with the human nature became operative in the womb of the Virgin Mary or to the permanent reality of that union in the person of Jesus. The term may be most closely related to the claim in the prologue of the Gospel According to John that the Word became flesh—that is, assumed human nature. (See logos.) The essence of the doctrine of the Incarnation is that the preexistent Word has been embodied in the man Jesus of Nazareth, who is presented in the Gospel According to John as being in close personal union with the Father, whose words Jesus is speaking when he preaches the gospel.

Belief in the preexistence of Christ is indicated in various letters of the New Testament but particularly in the Letter of Paul to the Philippians, in which the Incarnation is presented as the emptying of Christ Jesus, who was by nature God and equal to God (i.e., the Father) but who took on the nature of a slave and was later glorified by God.

The development of a more refined theology of the Incarnation resulted from the response of the early church to various misinterpretations concerning the question of the divinity of Jesus and the relationship of the divine and human natures of Jesus. The Council of Nicaea (AD 325) determined that Christ was “begotten, not made” and that he was therefore not creature but Creator. The basis for this claim was the doctrine that he was “of the same substance as the Father.” The doctrine was further defined by the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451), at which it was declared that Jesus was perfect in deity and in humanity and that the identity of each nature was preserved in the person of Jesus Christ. The affirmation of the oneness of Christ with God and with humanity was made while maintaining the oneness of his person.

Subsequent theology has worked out the implications of this definition, although there have been various tendencies emphasizing either the divinity or the humanity of Jesus throughout the history of Christian thought, at times within the parameters set by Nicaea and Chalcedon, at times not. It has commonly been accepted that the union of the human nature of Christ with his divine nature had significant consequences for his human nature—for example, the grace of great sanctity. The union of the two natures has been viewed by theologians as a gift for other humans, both in terms of its benefit for their redemption from sin and in terms of the appreciation of the potential goodness inherent in human activity that can be derived from the doctrine of the Incarnation.

Hearing God’s Voice
“I have no one to put me into the pool…”

I have no one…

No one helps me. No one cares about me. No one truly loves me.

This is a tempting and dangerous refrain we can tell ourselves at times. It can keep us angry, bitter, blind to reality, and paralyzed. And this can last for a long time for some (38 years, for the man in the Gospel today!).

But Jesus exposes this refrain for the falsehood that it is. He embodies a different message: I am here with you. I care about you. I love you.

In this time of uncertainty, worry, and isolation, how can we reject that false refrain and be attentive to the voice and presence of Jesus in our lives? How can we be that presence for those who may be feeling particularly lonely, uncared for, or unloved? How can we embody that message that says: I am here with you. I care about you. I love you.

23rd March 2020

Faith is an act with which I entrust myself freely to a God who loves me

Today, the knowledge of science is not enough on its own. We do not only need bread, we need love, meaning and hope, a sound foundation. Faith gives us precisely this: it is a confident entrustment to a “You”, who is God, who gives me a different certitude, but no less solid than that which comes from precise calculation or from science.

Faith is not a mere intellectual assent of the human person to specific truths about God; it is an act with which I entrust myself freely to a God who is Father and who loves me; it is adherence to a “You” who gives me hope and trust.

—God has revealed that his love for man, for each one of us, is boundless: on the Cross, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God made man, shows us in the clearest possible way how far this love reaches, even to the gift of himself, even to the supreme sacrifice.

Reflect, today, upon your own level of faith and trust. And work to discern the actions of God in your life so that those actions produce greater faith. Cling to Him, believe He loves you, know that He holds the answer you need and seek Him in all things. He will never let you down.

Lord, please increase my faith. Help me to see You acting in my life and to discover Your perfect love in all things. As I see You at work in my life, help me to know, with greater certainty, Your perfect love. Jesus, I trust in You.

22nd March 2020

Fourth Sunday of Lent

“GO AND WASH”

Today, in the Fourth Sunday of Lent —also called rose or “laetare” (rejoice) Sunday— all the liturgy invites us to experience a deep joy, a great exultation, because Easter is getting nearer.

Jesus was a factor of great joy for that man who had been blind from birth, and who received his eyesight from Him along with the gift of his spiritual light. The blind believed and he received Christ’s light. On the other hand, those Pharisees, so engulfed in their own wisdom and light, remained blinded because of their heart hardness and their sins. In fact, «they refused to believe that the man had been blind and had recovered his sight» (Jn 9:18).

How essential it is Christ’s light to face reality in its right true dimension! Without the light of faith we should be almost blind. We have been bestowed with Christ’s light and we need our life to go on being enlighted by this light. Even more so, this light must flare in the sanctity of life so that it may appeal to those who are still unaware of it. All this means conversion and personal growth in Charity. Especially in this time of Lent and in this final stage. St. Leo the Great exhorts us: «Although, it is always good to exercise ourselves in the virtue of Charity, these days of Lent invite us to, in a more urgent manner».

One unique thing can move us away from the light and joy Jesus Christ gives us, and this is sin; trying to live far from Lord’s light. Unfortunately, many —at times, even ourselves— go deeply into this dark and gloomy road until losing the light and peace. Out of his own experience, St. Augustine, claimed that there is nothing unhappier than the happiness of those who sin.

Easter is getting near and the Lord wants to communicate us all the joy of Resurrection. Let us prepare ourselves to receive and celebrate it. «Go and wash» (Jn 9:7), Jesus tells us… To wash in the purifying waters of the Sacrament of Pennance! We shall find again the light and the joy and we shall better accomplish our best preparation for Easter.

21st March 2020

The Public Sinner heard about God’s Mercy and believes.

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

Our Gospel today is the narrative of the Pharisee and the Public Sinner. It talks about the nature of our offerings to God. To illustrate the type of sacrifice truly acceptable by God, What are the lessons for us on this mid point of Lent.

1 The Pharisee educated in theology and spirituality does not know the God he claims to serve. Jesus came to call the sinner and not the righteous. Heaven rejoices exceedingly over one sinner who repents. “It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.” (Hosea 6: 6).

2 The Publican no doubt guilty as accused like the Good Thief beside Jesus on the Cross at Calvary has heard about the extraordinary mercy of God. He believes what he heard and came to the Temple to seek out the God of all mercies and the Father of every consolation. He seeks and found what he sought and went home transformed and justified.

Do you believe that God may be speaking to you now to believe in His mercies and come to Him for Reconciliation in this Lent?

Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.

CORONA VIRUS AND PROPHETIC MESSAGE

Before Samaria fell to the power of Assyria, Hosea brought God’s warning to his people who were living in a state of moral and spiritual decay. Rather than rebuke or condemnation, the message was that of an open invitation from a tender and loving God. It urged the people give up their rituals and devotion to their many pagan gods and return to the ‘one’ God who has been ever faithful to them. The Lord God would heal their disloyalty and help them prosper in a land that would flourish with His abundant blessings. Unlike the other gods, the Lord did not demand holocausts or sacrifices or elaborate rituals, but their single-minded devotion.

20th March 2020

No to Idols

“Assyria will not save us, nor will we mount horses; we will never again say, ‘Our god, to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion.” (Hosea 14: 4)

You may call the message of this Friday “No to Idols.” Why? Because the first Reading from Hosea, the Responsorial Psalm and the Gospel from Mark all blast idols. Below are some of the Scriptures:

1 “Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord, for you are great and do marvellous deeds; you alone are God.” (Psalm 85: 8, 10).

Only God is God. Not money, technology, good health, science, credit score, etc.

2 “Assyria cannot save us,

we will not ride horses any more.”

The banks, the credit agencies cannot save us. Investments in stocks and property cannot save us in the day of wrath.

3 “We will never again say, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion.”

If you say the above and mean it, blessed are you.

4 “What has Ephraim to do with idols any more when it is I who hear his prayer and care for him?”

God promises to prosper us when we reject idols completely.

5 “Let there be no foreign god among you, no worship of an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt.” (Psalm 81: 14).

This is Lent. Hear the word of God. Reject the idols that make a fool of us and come back to God with all our heart.

6 “Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12: 29).

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower; whoever finds this seed will remain for ever.

19th March 2020

The Silent Man – The Solemnity of St Joseph.

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1: 20 – 21).

Lent is suspended today to celebrate the Solemnity of St Joseph.

Who is St Joseph?

The Church considers St Joseph the greatest Saint after the Blessed Virgin Mary. God chose St Joseph to be the guardian and protector of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“God called Joseph to “take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit”, so that Jesus, “who is called Christ”, should be born of Joseph’s spouse into the messianic lineage of David.” (CCC 437).

St Joseph is a man of faith and obedience. He heard the command of God in a dream. Joseph woke up from the dream and obeyed the word of God. He teaches us that faith is obedience. You hear the word of God and do it. This is obedience of faith. Joseph is a man of incredible humility. Throughout his life in the holy family, he kept entirely to the background. We see here that faith is humility. If you truly believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, your body language will automatically react to this truth just as it would if you are entering the Oval Office. Joseph also teaches us that faith is patience. Isaiah teaches that faith that is firm is also patient. Joseph did not insist that everything should be explained to him on the spot. Once he believed that God is in control, he surrenders everything to God’s time and ways.

Joseph is a powerful intercessor and those who are devoted to him like St Teresa of Avila attest to this. St Joseph pray for us.

17th March 2020

St Patrick, Great Missionary Saint.

“The servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan.” (Matthew 18: 26 – 27).

Tuesday 17th March 2020, of 3rd Week of Lent is the feast of St Patrick (389 – 461) Bishop and Missionary. Patrick was captured by Irish pirates at the age of 16 and subjected to the harsh life of slavery for years. He escaped, went to Europe and became a priest. Then he came back to Ireland to convert the Irish people to Christianity. St Patrick is the Apostle of Ireland and patron saint of Puerto Rico and Nigeria and 29 dioceses all over the world.

In our Gospel story, the servant who was unable to repay his huge debt was forgiven everything by his master.
“You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?” (Matthew 18: 32 – 34). Note that the servant was forgiven the huge debt because he asked his master. Nothing is too much for God to do for us.

St Patrick was magnanimous in his forgiveness of the Irish people who enslaved him and maltreated him. After his ordination to the priesthood in Europe, he chose to return to Ireland and labored for over 30 years and made Ireland a beacon of Christianity.

From the Gospel, we see that harsh punishment is the lot for one who is forgiven but refuses to forgive his neighbor. Remember always the ABC of Mercy:
A: Ask for Mercy.
B: Be Merciful.
C: Completely trust Jesus for Mercy.

HAPPY FEAST DAY OF ST. PATRICK.