Word Today, Mar. 1, 2005 (Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent)

Readings: Dn 3:25, 34-43/Mt 18:21-35

St. Peter must have thought he was being magnanimous when he suggested the number seven, the number of fulness, as the standard of forgiveness. But Jesus wanted to emphasize that forgiveness is a constant demand of the Christian attitude. “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Mt 18: 22) We can never overdo forgiving others.

This Christian demand is especially relevant for us. It might be a cultural trait that we tend to be quite sensitive to offences. In the vernacular, we say that a person has “balat sibuyas” (skin of onion). Many people also make a running list of offences, brood over them, and lose all sense of truth and fairness. Perhaps this is one reason why many Filipinos still find it hard to accept the Church position not to carry out the death penalty.

We can learn to forgive through the parable that the Lord gives -- about the servant who was forgiven a big amount but refused to forgive his fellow-servant a very small amount. That is how we stand before God. When we realize how much God has forgiven us, then it becomes easier to forgive others from the bottom of our hearts.

 

Word Today, Mar. 2, 2005 (Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent)

Readings: Dt 4:1, 5-9/ Mt 5:17-19

“I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Mt 5: 17) This is the attitude of Christ. He carries out what was foreshadowed in the old dispensation. He does not reject the old, just because it is old. He forges on to the new, making use of what was there before. For example, when he rejected the practice of divorce, he pointed out that he was restoring what was “from the beginning”, that he was restoring marriage to the original plan of God.

It is quite immature to reject the past, as if everything new were better and everything old were worse. When we take over a position, it is not wise to think that our predecessors were a bunch of morons and that we are the only ones who now have a grasp of the situation. In the Church, there is true progress in doctrine and apostolic methods. But this progress is always in continuity with what was there before.

 

Word Today, Mar. 3, 2005 (Thursday of the 3rd Week of Lent)

Readings: Jer 7:23-28/ Lk 11:14-23

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation.” (Lk 11:17) This was Christ’s refutation to those who accused him of driving out the devil through the power of the devil himself But it is also a teaching on the need for unity. Christ would later pray fervently for the unity of the Church -- “That all may be one just as you father in me and I in you.”

The ecumenical movement is the effort that different Christian communities are undertaking to achieve the unity desired by Christ. The Pope has devoted a whole encyclical to Christian unity. We can all help achieve this unity through a respectful and truthful dialogue with other Christians. We cannot achieve it through a watering down of essential matters, because this would be deceptive. On the other hand, we can bend and accommodate in whatever is not essential. Hence, to engage in ecumenical dialogue, we must be very well prepared in spirit and in doctrine.

 

Word Today, Mar. 4, 2005 (Friday of the 3rd Week of Lent)

Readings: Hos 14:2-10/ Mk 12:28-34

The gospel today contains the answer of Jesus Christ to those who wanted to know what was the most important commandment. Without hesitation, he talked of the great commandment of loving God and loving our neighbor, two sides of the same coin. We can concentrate today on the first side: “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, with your whole mind and with all your strength.” (Mk 12: 30)

How do we deal with God? Do we turn to God only when we are in trouble? Do we see God as a kind of genie who is at our service? This commandment tells us that we have to live for God. We are for God, and not vice-versa. It’s not enough to “not get into trouble” with God. We must really live for him. We must orient our whole lives, all our activities and ambitions, to the service of God. That is the only way we can fulfill our purpose in life. That is the only way we can be truly happy.

One important manifestation of our love for God is our love for Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar. There we have him, not in a distant and abstract way, but in a concrete and specific reality. Love for God, for a Catholic, must be shown in his love for the Eucharist.

 

Word Today, Mar. 5, 2005 (Saturday of the 3rd Week of Lent)

Readings: Hos 6:1-6/ Lk 18:9-14

The parable of the Pharisee and the publican is a clear lesson on the need for humility. The Pharisee, in spite of his external fulfillment of his religious obligations, was not justified before God. The publican, in spite of his bad reputation among pious Jews, went home justified before God.

There were some pharisees who became good followers of Christ. But many of them failed to recognize the signs of Jesus because of their pride. Pride disorients us and ends up deforming everything we handle. In dealings with others, pride makes a person oversensitive, impatient, uncharitable in judgments. In the religious life, it makes a person self-satisfied and complacent. The parable today shows us how to combat pride. To be like the publican -- acknowledge our failings, but turn to God with hope of forgiveness.

 

Word Today, Mar. 6, 2005 (FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT)

Readings: 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a/ Eph 5:8-14/ Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38

The fourth Sunday of Lent has traditionally been known as the “Laetare” Sunday because the entrance antiphon begins with the phrase, “Laetare Jerusalem...” which means “Rejoice, Jerusalem!” It is a kind of joyful break from the lenten austerity. The liturgical color of purple may be superceded (if it is available) by the more lighthearted pink.

The Church wants to remind us that joy is perfectly compatible with penance, mortification and suffering. In fact, we can even say that a person is never really happy until he can face the reality of the cross. The gospel today shows us a person who suffered from blindness, was cured by Jesus, and then was persecuted by Jesus’ enemies. Yet this man was joyful and grateful to Jesus.

If a person has no sense of sacrifice, if he only looks out for his own comfort and well-being, that person is doomed to sadness. When do we become angry, irritable and sad? Does it not coincide with the times when we are somehow concerned with our self. On the other hand, if we are ready to bear some sacrifice out of love, just like a good mother sacrifices herself for her children, that sacrifice is not a motive of sadness. It is the occasion for a deep sense of joy.

Word Today, Mar. 7, 2005 (Monday of the 4th Week of Lent)

Readings: Is 65:17-21/ Jn 4:43-54

There seems to be a note of complaint when Jesus Christ tells the official who asked for a miracle, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you do not believe.” (Jn 4:48) We can connect this to the comment of Jesus later on, addressed to the doubting Thomas, “Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.” (Jn 20: 29)

We all have a propensity to be attracted to the special thing, to the novelty, to the “signs and wonders.” In our religious life, these will not be lacking. But we cannot rely on such special manifestations of God’s wonders. We should open our eyes to the ordinary wonders -- to the providence of God manifested in the regularity of the laws of nature, to the wisdom of the moral precepts, to the love of God manifested in the gift of faith. Likewise, we should act accordingly. “Pray as if everything depended on God, but work as if everything depended on you.” We will be correct, both ways.

Word Today, Mar. 8, 2005 ( Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent )

Readings: Ez 47:1-9, 12/ Jn 5:1-16

The lame man at the miraculous pool was in a serious dilemma. To get cured, he had to get into the water first. But because he was lame, he couldn’t get there fast enough. So, when Christ asked him about his situation, he sized it up accurately, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred.” (Jn 5:7)

Might not our friends have reason to make the same complaint? Many people are far from God because, like the lame man, they cannot get themselves to go near to the sources of grace. For example, they may want to be forgiven of their sins, but they have an unreasonable fear of going to confession. Perhaps all they need is a reassuring presence of someone who will bring them to confession. We all have a responsibility to the people around us. May they never be able to complain to Christ when he asks them why they did not avail of the miraculous powers of the sacraments, “I had no one to help me.”

Word Today, Mar. 9, 2005 ( Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent )

Readings: Is 49:8-15/ Jn 5:17-30

The gospel today is replete with the reality of the identification of Jesus Christ with his Father, God. St. John observes that the reason why the Jews wanted to kill Jesus was that he “called God his own Father, making himself equal to God.” (Jn 5:18) Yet Jesus Christ, when he taught us how to pray, told us to address God also as our Father. Does that make us equal to God?

The Eastern Christian tradition is more explicit about our becoming “God-like”. St. Peter says that we are “participants in the divine nature.” Only Jesus, who is the only-begotten son of God, is the son who is equal to God. But since Jesus is the “first-born” among many (that is to say, ourselves, who have been reborn in Christ), we are also sons of God. This divine filiation somehow “deifies” us and elevates us to an unsuspected dignity. Let us never lose this dignity of being a child of God.

Word Today, Mar. 10, 2005 (Thursday of the 4th Week of Lent)

Readings: Ex 32:7-14/ Jn 5:31-47

“How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (Jn 5: 44) The growing tension between Jesus and the rulers of the Jews can be seen in today’s gospel reading. It will lead to the execution of Jesus Christ. But in this particular passage, we see the reason for the Jewish leaders’ inability to accept Christ -- their seeking of merely human glory.

Many people cannot accept the gift of faith or practice all its consequences because they are unwilling to let go of “human glory.” Instead of making the glory of God their last end (following that Ignatian phrase, ad majorem Dei gloriam), they strive after fame or riches. As a consequence, they are blind to supernatural realities. They seem to have a two-dimensional vision of things -- purely horizontal. They have lost the third dimension provided by the faith.

Word Today, Mar. 11, 2005 (Friday of the 4th Week of Lent)

Readings: Wis 2:1a, 12-22/ Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

The gospel readings of the past few days depict the growing rift between Jesus and the leaders of the Jews. In today's reading, this reaches the point where "they wanted to seize him, but no one laid hands on him because his hour had not yet come." The “hour” refers to the time when Jesus would indeed be apprehended by them and eventually killed. Just as Jesus would give his life for us, a Christian must be ready to give his life for Christ.

Martyrs, those who witness to the Faith through the shedding of their blood, have always been venerated in the Church. In the Philippines, the first Filipino saint and the next one to follow, were both martyrs. Every person who wants to follow Jesus must be ready to face difficulties and even to face martyrdom. If ever it comes, we know that it is all in the plan of God.

Word Today, Mar. 12, 2005 (Saturday of the 4th Week of Lent)

Readings: Jer 11:18-20/ Jn 7:40-53

The tension between Christ and the Jewish leaders continues to grow. They are obviously motivated by jealousy and hatred. But one among their rank speaks out for Jesus. He is Nicodemus, who had earlier asked Jesus about eternal life and got the mysterious answer about the need to be born again.

Since that conversation, Jesus’ words must have left their mark on this upright Pharisee. The message of Christ had been growing in his heart, and now he had the courage to speak out in favor of Jesus, demanding at least a fair trial. Later on, Nicodemus will be even more daring -- he will ask for the body of Jesus and come out in the open as a sympathizer of the “defeated” Galilean. He certainly must have been among the first Christians when the Lord had risen from the dead. Let us imitate these virtues of Nicodemus -- love for truth, uprightness and courage.

Word Today, Mar. 13, 2005 ( FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT )

Readings: Ez 37:12-14/ Rom 8:8-11/ Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

The gospel verse repeats the words of Christ to the sisters of Lazarus, the man who had died and whom Christ is about to raise from the dead: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” The answer of Martha, ever the practical one, does not delve into the intricacies of what Christ said. She just makes an act of faith that Jesus is the Son of God, implying that anything he says, fantastic as it may seem, is worth believing.

Lazarus was raised to life. But Christ was talking of another kind of life. Taking advantage of the occasion, he has opened up a new horizon. There is another life that cannot be taken away even by physical death. This is the life of God in us, that Christ had come to bring. Christ has performed a greater miracle in us than the raising of Lazarus. We should make sure we never lose this life again.

On this Year of the Eucharist, we must bear in mind that the Body of Christ is the “pledge” of this new kind of life. When we receive Christ in the sacrament, we have a foretaste of our future life in heaven.

Word Today, Mar. 14, 2005 (Monday of the 5th Week of Lent)

Readings: Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62/ Jn 8:1-11

The gospel of the woman caught in the act of adultery has a special relevance for us these days. Jesus did not deny the validity of the Jewish law to execute the woman for her crime. But he refused to implement it. “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus, the only really sinless one, did not cast the stone. He forgave but also admonished her to sin no more.

Many people still cannot understand the Church’s position on the death penalty. Well, here is a partial explanation. The position of the Church is the one most consistent with the attitude of Christ. We must give the sinner the chance to reform. Death penalty should only be resorted to as a last resort, when there is no other effective means to safeguard the common good. It should not be a product of vindictiveness or a misplaced sense of righteousness. We are all capable of the worst crimes if God did not give us the help to avoid them.

Word Today, Mar. 15, 2005 (Tuesday of the 5th Week of Lent)

Readings: Nm 21:4-9/ Jn 8:21-30

The gospel of today finds Jesus talking about “being lifted up”, an obvious reference to the crucifixion. He is also talking about the Old Testament figure of the bronze serpent. The Israelites in the desert who had complained against God and who had been punished by a plague of snakes could be cured of the venomous bites by looking up at the mounted bronze serpent forged by Moses upon God’s command. That serpent is a type of Jesus who, mounted on the cross, would be the salvation of mankind.

We are all bitten by the serpent. Satan, inciting our first parents to sin, appeared as a serpent. Salvation from sin comes from looking at Jesus Christ hanging on the cross. We must unite ourselves interiorly to the sacrifice of Christ, to make it our own. We best do this in the Eucharistic liturgy since the Mass is the unbloody renewal of the very same sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. On this Eucharistic Year, we can bear in mind the words of the Pope, “By virtue of its relationship to the sacrifice of Golgotha, the Eucharist is a sacrifice in the strict sense, and not only in a general way…” (EDE, 13). Attend Mass well and you will see how it strengthens you in the struggle against the serpent.

Word Today, Mar. 16, 2005 (Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent)

Readings: Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95/ Jn 8:31-42

Jesus said, "The truth shall make you free." Many people associate freedom with the mere absence of external constraints. But while that may be an important condition for freedom, the core of freedom does not lie in an absence or a negation. Freedom is an affirmation. It is an affirmation of our ability to make choices, to decide, to determine ourselves.

If freedom is the ability to choose, then true knowledge is something that liberates. And the opposite of truth, error or ignorance, is what really oppresses man. The more we search for truth and embrace it, the freer we become. But if we allow ourselves to be moved by our whims and passions instead of true principles, we will find ourselves enslaved by those very whims.

Word Today, Mar. 17, 2005 (Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent)

Readings: Gn 17:3-9/ Jn 8:51-59

The gospel today contains one of the clearest assertions of the divine nature of Jesus Christ. "Before Abraham came to be, I am." Jesus was obviously referring to the proper name of God, unmentionable to the pious Hebrew, "Yahweh" or "I am who am," the name by which God identified himself to Moses at the burning bush.

We cannot reduce Christ to a popular political figure, a great teacher of life or a philosopher. The most important reality about this man whom the gospels talk about is that he is the true Son of God, God himself. A Christian believes not only in the wisdom of Christ's teachings, he believes in the person of Christ himself. He believes him to be God, otherwise he is not a Christian. That is why, with all due respect for their opinion, the Philippine sect called "Iglesia ni Cristo" that follows the Arian teaching that Jesus is only a very special man, cannot really be considered "Christian."

Word Today, Mar. 18, 2005 (Friday of the 5th Week of Lent)

Readings: Jer 20:10-13/ Jn 10:31-42

The gospel of today shows us that to be the true "Son of God" is the same as to be God. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, which is recited at the Eucharistic Celebration, contains the formula that Jesus Christ is "God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, one in Being with the Father." That repetition of like coming from like refers to the unity of nature between God the Father and God the Son. To be the true son is to be of the same nature as the progenitor.

Jesus then is the "only-begotten" Son of God. But, as John says in his gospel, we also have the power of becoming sons of God. We can become so not by nature, but by grace, by a kind of adoption by virtue of our union with Jesus Christ. Our "divine sonship" is the foundation of our Christian life.

 

Word Today, Mar. 19, 2005 (Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Readings: 2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16/ Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22/ Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Lk 2:41-51a

Today is the solemnity of St. Joseph. Over the years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of the figure of St. Joseph. Just like Mary, who is the Queen of All Saints, Joseph’s role in our redemption was a quiet but very crucial one. Hence it is not surprising that he has been declared the “Patron of the Universal Church”, not just a section or aspect of it, but of the whole People of God.

By focusing on St. Joseph, the Church is teaching us where true greatness and holiness lie. He was a “just man”, a holy man who quietly but heroically fulfilled the tasks God gave him. He showed us the great value of doing our daily work and responding readily to the plans of God even if they do not coincide with our own.

 

Word Today, Mar. 20, 2005 (PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION)

Readings: Mt 21:1-11 (37)/ Is 50:4-7/ Phil 2:6-11/ Mt 26:14—27:66 or 27:11-54

With today’s remembrance of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we begin the Holy Week. It is a week dedicated to the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, culminating on Easter Sunday, when we focus on the risen Lord, who is forever with us. Precisely in order to appreciate Christ’s paschal mystery, we should now devote ourselves to prayerful reflection on the Lord’s passion.

Just notice how so much of the gospels are devoted to the passion of Christ. It must have meant a lot to the apostles and to the early Christian community. We can also think of the age-old practice of the Way of the Cross. While there are other alternative stations, there is an ancient remembrance of the specific sites in the city of Jerusalem where Christ walked as he struggled to do the will of God the Father. We can say that Christians of all ages have been nourished by the meditation on the sufferings of the God-Man Jesus Christ.

When we meditate on the passion of Christ, following the account of it in today’s gospel reading, let us not forget that all those sufferings reflect Christ’s love for us. He himself said that there is no greater love than that a man should lay down his life for his friends. He is telling us that he is our friend, that he wants to be our friend. And proof of it is his willingness to undergo those atrocities for our good.

Word Today, Mar. 21, 2005 (Monday of Holy Week)

Readings: Is 42:1-7/ Jn 12:1-11

In the gospel of John, after Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive ointment, Judas Iscariot complained, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (Jn 12:5) Later on, this same person would sell the master for the price of a slave.

There is no opposition between caring for the poor, having a preferential option for the poor, and dedicating good and rich things to the service of God. People are more important than things, and our efforts should go to alleviating the needs of people. But it is also the need of people to worship God with dignity and decorum. Let us not be stingy when it comes to the worship of God. The incense that goes up in smoke is not wasted. Man needs to manifest his attitude of adoration through appropriate external means.

Word Today, Mar. 22, 2005 (Tuesday of Holy Week)

Readings: Is 49:1-6/ Jn 13:21-33, 36-38

The gospel today is selected to prepare us for the celebration of the “holy three days”, starting Holy Thursday. Now we focus on the betrayal of Judas, which would trigger off the next events. Christ knew of the betrayal since it was part of the plan of redemption, but it must have hurt just the same, coming from someone he had trusted. By all indications, Judas was “trusted” because he held the money of the group.

Betrayal is one of the most bitter of human experiences. Spouses can find it very hard to forgive a partner who has been unfaithful. To be betrayed by a friend or business partner leaves a person cynical about all friendships. But we should not become negative about love and friendship. True, there was betrayal. And even the ones who did not betray Christ were too weak to give him the human support he sought. But the grace of God later on gave them the strength to be faithful even to death.

On our part, knowing how difficult it is to be betrayed, we should resolve to be faithful to our loved ones and friends. For that, we must be “faithful in little things” as Christ recommended in one of his parables. That is the effective way to be faithful.

 

Word Today, Mar. 23, 2005 (Wednesday of Holy Week)

Readings: Is 50:4-9a/ Mt 26:14-25

The gospel today still focuses on the betrayal of Judas. This time, we can analyze his actions a bit more. The gospel begins by telling us how Judas had already made a deal with the enemies of Christ. Yet he had the gall to dissimulate his betrayal by pretending to act innocently and asking, like all the other disciples, if he were the traitor. Perhaps Jesus’ words showing Judas that He knew all along were an invitation for Judas to change his mind.

We talked earlier of the need to be faithful, especially in little things. One sign of fidelity is truthfulness and sincerity. On the other hand, a clear sign of betrayal is lying and deceit. If we resolve to be very sincere, to love the truth at all costs, we will have taken a major step in being faithful. To recognize our little lacks of fidelity prepares us for the struggle to be faithful to our commitments.

 

Word Today, Mar. 24, 2005 (Holy Thursday)

Readings: Chrism Mass: Is 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9/ Rv 1:5-8/ Lk 4:16-21 // Lord's Supper: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14/ 1 Cor 11:23-26/ Jn 13:1-15

Today there are two liturgical celebrations. In the morning there is the “Chrism Mass” in which the bishop will consecrate the holy oils for the celebration of the sacraments and in which the priests will be united around their bishop. The focus of this Mass is on the institution of the priesthood by Christ. Pope John Paul II customarily writes a letter to priests, exhorting them on this day regarding some aspect of their priestly life. Later in the day, the “evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper” will commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist.

The Eucharist and the priesthood are the greatest gifts of Christ to his Church. Let us consider today the value of the priesthood. Without the priest, we cannot have the Body of Christ in our midst. The Chrism Mass gospel talks about how the prophecy of Isaiah applied to Jesus: “The spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me…” The priest is “another Christ”, another “anointed one” present to serve us. Today is a good day to pray intensely for our priests. Let us resolve to be very supportive of priests. In spite of their failings, they have chosen to answer the call of God to a life of service requiring great sacrifice. On this Year of the Eucharist, let us pray that there be many generous young men who will listen and respond to the call of Christ. As the Pope said in his encyclical on the Eucharist, “The centrality of the Eucharist in the life and ministry of priests is the basis of its centrality in the pastoral promotion of priestly vocations.” (N. 30)

 

Word Today, Mar. 25, 2005 (Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion)

Readings: Is 52:13—53:12/ Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9/ Jn 18:1—19:42

Today the Church celebrates the memory of Christ’s death. The liturgical celebration consists of the reading of the passion of the Lord, the communion service and the adoration of the cross. During the day, there is a widespread devotion of reflection on the seven last words of Christ.

The liturgical notes today say that “after the veneration of the cross and tomorrow until the solemn Paschal Vigil one genuflects before the cross.” What does this mean? In the Roman liturgy, genuflection is a posture of adoration and not just veneration. Veneration can be manifested by bowing the head and it signifies recognition of special honor due to the saints and, in a special way, to the Blessed Virgin Mary. But adoration is due only to God. It is to acknowledge the supremacy of God.

On this special day, since the Body of Christ in the Eucharist is reserved in private in anticipation of Easter, the gestures of adoration are shown towards the symbol that represents Christ, and this is the cross. What counts is not the materiality of the cross but the person represented by it. Since we acknowledge Christ to be God-made-man, we validly give a cult of adoration to the humanity of Christ, represented by the cross.

 

Word Today, Mar. 26, 2005 (Holy Saturday)

Readings: Vigil: Gn 1:1—2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a/ Gn 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18/ Ex 14:15—15:1/ Is 54:5-14/ Is 55:1-11/ Bar 3:9-15, 32—4:4/ Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28/ Rom 6:3-11/ Mt 28:1-10

This is the day of the buried Christ. There is no liturgy for today. What we have is the Easter Vigil which properly belongs to the Easter celebration. The Easter Vigil is like the mother of all vigils.

What is the point of a vigil? To keep vigil over something that is about to happen is to anticipate that event. It expresses our eagerness for what we are to expect. A father, watching over his wife about to give birth, is in vigil. Here we are expecting the resurrection of Christ. Together with the new life of Christ, we are also eagerly awaiting the new life of Christ in us. That is why the Church has preferentially wanted to celebrate the sacrament of Baptism, our new birth in Christ, on this day. We all participate in this new life through the renewal of our baptismal commitments during the Mass.

 

Word Today, Mar. 27, 2005 (EASTER SUNDAY: THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD)

Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43/ Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8/ Jn 20:1-9 or Mt 28:1-10 or, at an afternoon or evening Mass, Lk 24:13-35

Easter is the most important celebration in the Church. It commemorates the final victory of Christ over sin and the devil. It signifies our liberation from sin and all that oppresses man. Above all, it means that Christ is alive. He is not a historical figure that we simply remember, like a Jose Rizal, Mahatma Gandhi, Plato or Socrates. The resurrection means that he is alive NOW, and not just as a separated soul but as a man of flesh and bones. So important is this that St. Paul says that without the resurrection, our faith would be vain.

Christian life is not just following a set of rules or high ideals. Above all, it is the following of a person, and the person is Christ, the Son of God made man. A Christian must be personally committed to Christ and he must have a personal relationship with Christ. Through this relationship, the Christian also relates to the other persons of the Most Holy Trinity. That is why it is very crucial for us that Christ is alive. The resurrection of Christ is not just a desire or a product of our collective psyche. It is an objective historical fact that, at the same time, requires the virtue of faith to be accepted.

 

Word Today, Mar. 28, 2005 (Monday in the Octave of Easter)

Readings: Acts 2:14, 22-33/ Mt 28:8-15

Today is the second day of the Easter Octave. Today’s gospel recounts the experience of the holy women to whom the Lord appeared first. “Octave” means a period of eight days. We are celebrating the whole week after Easter as one whole “Easter week”. In fact, the whole year can be considered a celebration of Easter because the heart of the Christian message is the “paschal mystery” -- the victory over sin and death through the death and resurrection of Christ.

The fact that we remember Easter for the whole week reflects what the Pope has called “the Church’s culture of remembrance” as opposed to the “media culture of transitory news,” as he pointed out in a message on World Communications Day. The problem with our culture is that it is so fast paced, and the attention is focused on clamorous current events so that we very soon forget the past and fail to draw the lessons of wisdom we could learn from them. We are left with pure information without much reflection. We can learn from the celebration of Easter octave to see the value of things that are worth remembering.

Word Today, Mar. 29, 2005 (Tuesday in the Octave of Easter)

Readings: Acts 2:36-41/ Jn 20:11-18

The gospel today narrates the apparition of the risen Jesus to Mary of Magdala. She may have been the woman who, for having been forgiven much, also learned to love God very much. That is why we can understand her answer to the angels who were asking her why she wept. “They have taken my Lord away and I do not know where they have put him.”

Whenever we sin, we take the Lord away from our heart. When we realize our wrong and turn our heart back to God, we are filled with a certain sadness that is called contrition or sorrow. If we realize the depth of our loss, such contrition may even lead to tears. But the important thing is not our emotional reaction but the deep conviction in our heart that we would like to turn back to God by rejecting our wrongdoing.

 

Word Today, Mar. 30, 2005 (Wednesday in the Octave of Easter)

Readings: Acts 3:1-10/ Lk 24:13-35

In the gospel today, two disciples were on their way to Emmaus, leaving Jerusalem, disappointed at the death of Christ. They were disillusioned. Perhaps they felt that they had wasted some of the best years of their life. Jesus Christ, without revealing his identity, helped them to recover their spirits and their faith. And at the end of everything, when they were fully recovered and they had recognized Jesus, they said, “Was not our heart burning within us while he was speaking on the road and explaining the scriptures to us?” (Lk 24:32)

Every Christian is like another Christ in the crossroads of the world. If we are consistent with our faith, we actually make Christ present in our daily surroundings -- in our place of work, in school, in the family. How wonderful it would be if people could say, because of our dealings with them, that their hearts were burning -- that they were being encouraged and enlightened by our conversation and presence.

 

Word Today, Mar. 31, 2005 (Thursday in the Octave of Easter)

Readings: Acts 3:11-26/ Lk 24:35-48

In today’s gospel, Christ appeared to the eleven apostles and wanted to reassure them that he was not a spirit. He showed them his wounds, he made them touch him. And finally, like a final proof of his being truly risen, he asked for some food and had a meal with the apostles.

We know that Jesus himself, in the glorified state, did not need to eat. He ate for the sake of the apostles. He ate, not so much for the material aspect of eating, but for its social dimension. For us human beings, everything has to be “humanized”, even our most fundamental bodily needs. We should not eat just to fill ourselves and be satisfied. We should also see the human aspects of eating. For example, when we eat as a family, bonds are strengthened. When we eat with friends, we get closer to them. It’s good to enjoy the meal, but it’s even better to enjoy the company.