20 March 2015

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Friday, 20 March 2015 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s readings all speak of the same theme, that is of rejection by the world on Jesus and all of His teachings, just as they have rejected the prophets and messengers sent to remind the world and the people of the sins they have committed and the faults which they have done. The world dislikes what Jesus had done, because it does not belong to God, but it is the dominion of the evil one, Satan, who ruled the world and all of its worldliness.

It is a clear reminder to all of us that as long as we profess our faith in the Lord, the world, that is Satan and all of his fellow fallen angels, will always oppose and harass us as to the best of their abilities. The first reading from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah shows us that just as the wicked people refused to listen to Jeremiah, his words and warning to them, therefore they have done the same to Jesus, refusing to listen to Him and being adamant in their sinfulness. The same too will happen to us who remain faithful in He who had come into the world.

All of those rejection and wickedness, the stubbornness of heart are all because of one thing, that is our pride and arrogance, and our refusal to let go of that pride and ego. We are by our nature prideful and filled with desires. Just like the people of Israel when they continued to complain and rebel against the Lord and His will during their journey through the desert to the Promised Land.

How many times we always think about ourselves first? And whenever we do something wrong, how many times do we find excuse to save ourselves first? How many times we use the word, ‘I’ whenever we talk with others? All these are signs of our own insecurities, and our inability to deal with our pride and desires, all of which threaten to bring us all to damnation.

All of us are called in this holy season of Lent, in order to think through our actions and whatever we have done in this life. We are called to conversion and to change our way of life, so that if we were once sinners and like the attitudes of the people in the past, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who rejected Jesus and plotted against Him, then from now on, we should open our hearts and allow the Lord to enter into it and speak to us from deep within us.

It may not be easy for us to begin to change, as we all have our temptations and insecurities, and the pull of inertia, in refusing to change is truly great. But if we never begin, then it is most likely that we will never do it at all. We have to learn to resist the temptations of sin and all the other allures of Satan and the world. It is the purpose of why we fast and do all the penance works during this season.

In this season of Lent, let us all learn to shut out more of our desires, our pride and all the evil temptations and corruptions that Satan had placed inside each one of us. We have to learn to listen more to the Lord, who speaks in our heart, deep in the silence of our soul. If we are too busy and too preoccupied with ourselves, then most likely we will not be able to listen to God speaking in our hearts, and we will be prone to fall into sin.

Let us all find a time to retreat from all the busy schedules we have in the world, and be in deep conversation with our Lord and God. We have to intensify our prayer life, that is contemplation and focusing ourselves on the Lord and what He wants from us. It is important that we do so now and do not delay any longer. We never know when the Lord will come and judge us for whatever we have done or for whatever we have failed to do.

May this time in Lent be a beneficial one for us all, that we may all be called to genuine conversion to the cause of the Lord. May Almighty God shows His grace upon us and bless us with His abundant blessings. God bless us all. Amen.

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Friday, 20 March 2015 : 4th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 7 : 1-2, 10, 25-30

At that time, after Jesus told the people that He is the bread of life, Jesus went around Galilee; He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews wanted to kill Him. Now the Jewish feast of the Tents was at hand.

But after His brothers had gone to the festival, He also went up, not publicly but in secret. Some of the people of Jerusalem said, “Is this not the Man they want to kill? And here He is speaking freely, and they do not say a word to Him? Can it be that the rulers know that this is really the Christ? Yet we know where this Man comes from; but when the Christ appears, no one will know where He comes from.”

So Jesus announced in a loud voice in the Temple court where He was teaching, “You say that you know Me and know where I come from! I have not come of Myself; I was sent by the One who is true, and you do not know Him. I know Him for I come from Him and He sent Me.”

They would have arrested Him, but no one laid hands on Him because His time had not yet come.

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Friday, 20 March 2015 : 4th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 33 : 17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23

The Lord’s face is set against the wicked to destroy their memory from the earth. The Lord hears the cry of the righteous and rescues them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the distraught. Many are troubles of the just, but the Lord delivers them from all.

He keeps all their bones intact, and none of them will be broken. But the Lord will redeem the life of His servants; none of those who trust in Him will be doomed.

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Friday, 20 March 2015 : 4th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Wisdom 2 : 1a, 12-22

Led by mistaken reasons they think, “Let us set a trap for the Righteous, for He annoys us and opposes our way of life; He reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing.”

“He claims knowledge of God and calls Himself Son of the Lord. He has become a reproach to our way of thinking; even to meet Him is burdensome to us. He does not live like others and behaves strangely.”

“According to Him we have low standards, so He keeps aloof from us as if we were unclean. He emphasizes the happy end of the righteous and boasts of having God as Father. Let us see the truth of what He says and find out what His end will be. If the Righteous is a Son of God, God will defend Him and deliver Him from His adversaries.”

“Let us humble and torture Him to prove His self-control and test His patience. When we have condemned Him to a shameful death, we may test His words.”

This is the way they reason, but they are mistaken, blinded by their malice. They do not know the mysteries of God nor do they hope for the reward of a holy life; they do not believe that the blameless will be recompensed.”