holy week continues

As we enter into Holy week and prepare for Holy Thursday and Good Friday and Easter Vigil, here are few words from the letter of Hebrews to move us along this journey...

"Do not refuse to hear him who speaks.

For if the Israelites did not escape punishment when they refused to listen as God spoke to them on earth, how much greater punishment will be ours if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven!

His voice then shook the earth, but now he promised, "I will once more shake not only earth but heaven!" And that "once more" shows that shaken, created things will pass away, so that only what is unshaken may remain.

Wherefore we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should hold fast to God's grace, through which we may offer worship acceptable to him in reverence and awe. For our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:25-29

"Once again Jesus cried out in a loud voice,and then gave up his spirit. Suddenly the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, boulders split, tombs opened...Centurian and his men were keeping watch over Jesus were terror stricken at seeing the earthquake and all that was happening, and said, "clearly this was the Son of God." Matthew 27:50-54

May you be shaken this week and come to know the fire that seeks to consume and recreate you anew.

palm Sunday

Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22 My God, My God, why have you abandoned me? Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:14-23:56

Thus we begin Holy Week. This week is the most essential week to the life of a Catholic, a Christian, even for the World. Redemption comes for all of creation.

As we ponder the gospel today, I couldn't help but gravitate to the words of Isaiah, "You have given me a well trained tongue that I might speak to the weary a word that will rouse them."

..."to speak...a word...to rouse..."

I remember some years back when a cell phone company had an advertisement in which people would walk around with a phone attached to their ear trying to get reception with the constant issuing from their lips, "can you hear me now."

In the passion of Jesus we experience and proclaim on this Palm Sunday, God is saying, "Can you hear me now."

The word is spoken that is sent forth to rouse us from our slumber.

In the silence of Jesus as he sweats drops of blood falling to the ground in the garden, as he embraces the kiss of his betrayer, as he receives the condemnation and hears the words, "crucify", as he embraces the verdict and walks to calvary, as he climbs the cross and the nails pierce his flesh, as he breathes his last and death falls upon the world, as the burial clothe is wrapped around his still warm but lifeless body, he speaks a word that is meant to rouse us from our slumber...

It is time to wake...

In the words of Jesus to his apostles, "get up and pray..."

May we enter fully into this week and not let the word go by unheard, unheeded.

Can you hear him now.

Receive the word and be awaken to new life, new hope, new love.

The word is sent forth breathing love for those who have ears to hear.

justified

Jeremiah 20:10-13; Jn 10:31-42

"The jews picked up stones to throw at Jesus..."

"But the Lord is with me, a mighty champion..."

Growing up, we would often watch Western movies. My dad was and is a big fan of the wild west and the gunslinger movies. Recalling the movies there is one detail that I remember.

In most of the movies, there was always a lot of violence and aggression and fighting. Bullets were always flying around. Someone was going to get it and it was just a matter of time.

The Good guy seldom drew his gun first. He always waited to be called out by the guy in black. The guy in black always set the rules of the game. He always drew first. It was the action of the guy in black that allowed the man in white to be justified in pulling his gun and shooting the bad guy.

The good guy was always justified.

The gospel today begins with violence and a display of aggression. The jews have had enough of Jesus. He has been frustrating to deal with and they have been waiting for this moment. They finally have a reason to act on their anger, their frustration, their fear.

They have been holding back because they really did not have anything solid, just speculative thinking. But now they had Jesus, it was time for him to pay. It was high noon and they were justified.

The jews think they are the ones wearing the white hat. They think they are the good guys.

But isn't this the case most of the time in our life. We always think we are in the right. We always think we are justified. We always think that we are the ones wearing the white hat.

We seem to always make the other guy a bad guy. Are we truly justified?

The jews thought they were, but were they? How often have we acted merely on what we have thought without checking it with others?

We must remember that life isn't like the movies. There are not two kinds of people: good guys and bad guys. In fact there is only one kind: human in need of redemption.

Jesus is willing to take on the accusation of the Jews with out retaliation. He refuses to draw first, neither does he draw second. But yet by his act of love on the cross, in our faith in him, we are all justified.

We are all the same whether we like it or not...in need of grace...in need of giving ourselves fully, giving ourselves outright.

Today is the birthday of Robert Frost.

Here is a snippet of a poem he wrote called "Gift Outright"

"Something we are withholding made us weak

Until we found out that it was ourselves

We were withholding from our land of living

And forth with found salvation in surrender

Such as we were we gave ourselves outright"

announce

Isaiah 7:10-14; Hebrews 10:4-10; Lk 1:26-38

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation. This is the feast that inaugurates Jesus into history.

The angel Gabriel comes to Mary and imparts the invitation for her to "rejoice."

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you."

The greek word for "Hail" is "rejoice" to leap for joy.

Interesting note: The last time the angel Gabriel appears in the OT is to the prophet Daniel, Chapter 9.

Daniel was seeking to understand the scriptures and seeking to understand when fulfillment of time would come. He beseeches God for guidance and for understanding.

The angel Gabriel is sent to help him understand.

Daniel 9:21-25 "I was still occupied with this prayer when Gabriel, the one whom I had seen before in a vision, came to me in rapid flight at the time of evening sacrifice. He instructed me in these words, 'Daniel, I have now come to give you understanding. When you began your petition, an answer was given which I have come to announce, because you are beloved. Therefore, mark the answer and understand the vision:

Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and for your holy city. Then transgression will stop and sin will end, guilt will be expiated, everlasting justice will be introduced, vision and prophecy ratified, and a most holy will be anointed..."

The appearance of Gabriel to Mary, marks the fulfillment of the prophecy, the coming of the end of guilt and promise of the anointed one is to be realized.

Gabriel comes to announce again that the fullness of time has come...rejoice!

set free

Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Glory and praise for ever; Jn 8:31-42

"...and you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free."

What will the truth set you free from?

In today's first reading we encounter the three Jewish youths, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, who refuse to bow down and worship the idol.

They are being threatened by a white-hot furnace of fire and destruction if they do not comply with the request of King Nebuchadnezzar.

The circumstances do not look good, are not in their favor and the question is what would we do in a similar situation?

Would we sell out in order to save our skin, pretending everything was going to be fine as along as we just go along and just get by?

Or would we stand our ground and be thrown into the fire knowing full well that our life might be ended but at least we were faithful and honored God by the choice we make?

What would you do?

This reading sounds a lot like the "worse case scenario" trivia game. The game is ordered around different scenarios in life. There are different questions and the teams have to guess the right answer, the answer that will keep them alive given the particular situation.

A question might be: what do you do if you are being chased by a black bear?

a) play dead b) climb a tree c)turn and fight

Your group has to pick the answer that is correct and get points and move on.

The game is set up on the hypothesis that the circumstances of each situation determines your course of action.

Life's action is determined by the circumstances you are in!

The three young men in today's first reading free us from that reality. They show us that when it comes to faith, our faith life is never determined by the circumstances we are in.

The truth of faith sets us free from slavery to circumstances.

The circumstances should never dictate our faithfulness, but rather our faithfulness leads us through all circumstances.

The outcome will always be the same regardless of the circumstance: "There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If our God whom we serve can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up."

The truth will set us free from our faith being dictated by the circumstances that surround us.

belly-ache

Numbers 21:4-9; John 8:21-30

Today we encounter the Israelites complaining, belly-aching about their situation.

They are complaining directly against God for the gift of food he had given them to nourish them. They didn't like it they wanted something better.

They focused on what was wrong rather then recognizing what was right-they were free, slaves no longer; they had witness wonderful sights and victory at the hand of God.

But, yet they lingered in the belly-ache.

How often are we this way? We fail to recognize what is right and focus o what is wrong and lose sight of the gift right before our nose.

We can complain about the rosebush having thorns or we can praise God for the thorn bush that has beautiful roses.

Gratitude brings us strength; a heart fill with gratitude is a heart that will always be faithful. If we lose sight of gratitude, we lose sight of grace.

atrophy of Conscience

Daniel 3;psalm 23 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for yo are at my side; Jn 8:12-20

Today we read from the book of Daniel; we read the story of susanna.

The story of Susanna is about many things: purity, false accusations, falsified conscience, lust and perversion, innocence suffering, prayers and prayers answered.

It is a beautiful story that relates to life quite easily.

Susanna is describes as a beautiful and God-fearing woman.

The judges are described as wicked.

Already from the beginning the stage is set for drama to unfold when the beauty of Susanna encounters the wickedness of the judges.

"When the old men saw her enter every day, they began to lust for her. They suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments."

The smallest thought of lust gone unchecked dismantles the will of the two old men.

Such a little thing, such a big problem.

St. Thomas tells us the smallest error in the beginning leads to the greatest of mistakes in the end.

The story from the beginning reminds us that the conscience of each individual is organic not an oracle. It can be falsified, suppressed.

The conscience needs to be trained and formed and exercised properly. Without proper exercise the conscience like muscles can go into atrophy and lose its sharpness and ability to read reality correctly.

The conscience can be stunned, stunted, stamped out and moved in error.

We must train our conscience daily.

Notice at the beginning of the story, it is mentioned how Susanna was trained according to the law of Moses. Her conscience was pristine and well oiled.

Picking the right time, the old men spring their trap. They try to coerce young Susanna into sexual perversion, but the beauty of her conscience not her physical beauty gets the upper hand.

She refuses to be led into sin, "it is better to fall into your power without guilt then to sin before the Lord."

Susanna refused to suppress her conscience. She was willing to die rather than betray the love of God.

In the end, Righteousness is vindicated. Susanna's prayers are heard because of her loyalty to God. Wickedness is destroyed.

Daniel intervened. Daniel refused to be a spectator, a mere observer of events. He was willing to put is life and reputation on the line in order to take a stand for innocence and justice and truth.

Daniel's role is our role. The Spirit of God is already in us. God has already moved us to act for justice. It is time for us to follow where the Spirit leads.