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March 1, 2006 (Ash Wednesday)
Readings: Jl 2:12-18/ 2 Cor 5:20—6:2/ Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Lent is the 40 day period of preparation for the most important celebration of the Church, the day of the Lord's glorious resurrection. To receive well the benefits of Easter, we must dispose ourselves through conversion. We must remove all the obstacles that hinder us from getting closer to God. The most important of these obstacles are our personal sins. That is why one of the formulas for the imposition of ashes today repeats the Lord's preaching, "Turn away from sin and believe the gospel." In order to help us realize this, another formula reminds us of our existential condition, so that we do not get attached to the things of this world. "Remember man that from dust you came and to dust you shall return."
It is a good day to go to Mass, but Ash Wednesday is not a holyday of obligation. It is not obligatory either to attend the imposition of ashes, but it is a very good custom. And if we have it imposed, it is not necessary to try to keep the ashes on the whole day. What is obligatory today, and what we should practice in a spirit of penance, is the law of fasting and abstinence. Ordinarily, this means that those above 14 should refrain from eating flesh meat. Those between the ages of 18 and 60 should fast, eating only one full meal during the day. Needless to say, we should not see this as a mere external imposition, but we should practice it in a spirit of penance and sacrifice, for the love of God.
March 2, 2006 (Thursday after Ash Wednesday)
Readings: Dt 30:15-20/ Lk 9:22-25
The gospel of today contains an important rule of Christian life given by the Master himself: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Lent is a good time to go deeper into the meaning of penance and sacrifice in the Christian life. Some years ago, when the iron curtain was still standing, someone observed that in the West, we have Christ but no cross. In the East (referring to the communist countries where there was no freedom of religion), we have the cross (suffering and persecution), but no Christ.
The Gospel today tells us that there is no real Christ without the Cross. This is why, perhaps, many people in developed countries are unhappy and far from God. Christianity is a religion of joy, but it is not a namby-pamby easy-going doctrine. The Christian commitment demands sacrifice. How can we truly love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves if we are basking in comforts and are unwilling to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others?
March 3, 2006 (Friday after Ash Wednesday)
Readings: Is 58:1-9a/ Mt 9:14-15
The gospel today narrates how the followers of John the Baptist asked Jesus, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" (Mt 9:14). Fasting was a form of penance well known in the Scriptures. Jesus Christ did not abolish fasting, but clarified its context "The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast." (v. 15)
Christ himself fasted. And we see the early Christians engaging in penance and fasting (see 2 Cor 6:5, 11:27). The Church remains faithful to this tradition, specifying in each era certain penitential days in which the faithful are asked to fast, to perform works of penance and engage in other acts of piety and charity. The source of mortification that the Lord asks of us is our own daily life. We have so many opportunities during the day -- waking up on time, being punctual for our appointments, being orderly with our things and our activities, bearing with difficult persons, etc. How well do we take these opportunities to practice penance?
March 4, 2006 (Saturday after Ash Wednesday)
Readings: Is 58:9b-14/ Lk 5:27-32
When the people were scandalized that Jesus was eating with tax collectors (considered as public sinners in that milieu) and sinners, Jesus answered, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Lk 5:31-32). It is very moving to see how Christ describes himself as a physician, as a healer. He was obviously a healer in the physical sense, through the many miracles he wrought. But here, he talks of another kind of healing, a healing of the spirit, especially from the sickness of sin and all its consequences.
In order to avail of the services of a physician, we have to present ourselves to the physician and expound on our ailments. Jesus Christ acts as a physician in the sacrament of confession. Let us not be ashamed to reveal our ailments. We are asked to do so, not in order to be reprimanded, but in order to be healed. True, it may be shameful and embarrassing. But if we truly want to be healed, don't we tell even our embarrassing maladies to the doctor?
March 5, 2006 (FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT)
Readings: Gn 9:8-15/1 Pt 3:18-22/Mk 1:12-15
It is very consoling to see Jesus himself tempted. He prepared his public life with a fast of 40 days, similar to what we are doing during this Lenten season. At the end of it, he was tempted by the devil to satisfy his hunger in an illicit way, to go after riches and honors, and to make useless displays of vanity. If Jesus himself was tempted and Jesus is perfect God and man, then it stands to reason that to be tempted is not necessarily bad. Temptation is not a sin.
We should not rashly and deliberately expose ourselves to temptation. But when temptation comes without our looking for it, we should not lose our composure. We must reject the temptation, either by getting out of the occasion that is provoking it, or by decisively asserting the opposite of that temptation. For example, if we are tempted to be vain, then we can remember our failures and other considerations that will move us to be humble. If we are tempted to impurities, we should remove such thoughts by focusing on more important considerations -- for example, that we are temples of the Holy Spirit and should therefore keep our hearts pure and clean.
March 6, 2006 (Monday of the 1st Week of Lent)
Readings: Lv 19:1-2, 11-18/ Mt 25:31-46
The gospel today is about the last judgment. On that day, Jesus will pass final sentence on everyone. What will be the basis of the judgment? The gospel speaks of works of charity (to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit those in prison, etc.) that are done to our fellowmen, in whom we should see Christ.
St. John of the Cross said that at the twilight of our life (when we approach our death), the only thing that will really matter is love. Have we loved God, or have we loved ourselves? The Church has, over the years, identified the so-called corporal and spiritual works of mercy as genuine works of love. If we truly love Christ, we will end up attending to the bodily and spiritual needs of our neighbors. There is no place for egotists in the kingdom of heaven.
March 7, 2006
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March 12, 2006
March 13, 2006
March 14, 2006 (Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent)
Readings: Is 1:10, 16-20/Mt 23:1-12
Referring to those in authority who do not follow the principles they are supposed to represent, Jesus said, "You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practice what they preach." (Mt 23: 2)
Sometimes people excuse their lack of religious practice on the basis of the bad behavior of some ministers of the Church. We should remember that while the Church, as the mystical body of Christ, is holy and contains many elements of goodness as well as many wonderful persons (priests, laity and religious), it is also composed of human beings with their shortcomings and weaknesses. Bad elements have always been present and will always be present, and we can see this even within each one of us. But this cannot serve as a valid excuse for abandoning our religious practice. We should pray for ministers who err and help them if we are in the position to do so. But we must remember that what they teach, if they are faithful to the Church, continues to be true and valid no matter what their personal conditions might be.
March 15, 2006 (Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent)
Readings: Jer 18:18-20/Mt 20:17-28
Today's gospel reading shows us the ambition of the brothers James and John, who wanted to take the first positions in the future kingdom of heaven, which they probably conceived as an earthly prerogative. But what is more moving here is the reaction of Jesus Christ. He does not get impatient but he makes use of this very human tendency, to channel the zeal of these brothers to something better.
"To share the cup" is a gesture of intimacy and friendship. This is something we should all cultivate with the Lord. But in the case of Christ, it also means to be willing to suffer out of love and to do the will of God. Thus, Christ referred to his passion, during the prayer in the garden, as "the cup" that he would have preferred to forego, but was willing to take if it was the Father's will. In the end, the two brothers did share the cup, the cup of friendship and the cup of suffering. James was the first apostle to undergo martyrdom, decapitated by Herod. And John would be the last apostle, suffering persecution and exile for many years.
March 16, 2006 (Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent)
Readings: Jer 17:5-10/ Lk 16:19-31
The gospel today presents the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Lazarus's patience and long-suffering were rewarded with being in the "bosom of Abraham" while the rich man who did not care for others and spent a completely selfish life was punished in hell. There he suffered unbearable pain, and without any remedy. Hell is forever.
In his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, the Pope John Paul II talked about the reality of hell. It is an essential part of our faith. He says that "there is something in man's moral conscience itself that rebels against any loss of this conviction...Isn't final punishment in some way necessary in order to re-establish moral equilibrium in the complex history of humanity? Is not hell in a certain sense the ultimate safeguard of man's moral conscience?" It is not a question of frightening us into behaving. We have to be moved by the love of God. But it is also good to remember the reality of hell. When the temptations are strong, it is good to know the foolishness of choosing eternal damnation for a moment of satisfaction.
March 17, 2006 (Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent)
Readings: Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a/ Mt 21:33-43, 45-46
"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this is the Lord's doing and we marvel at it." This mysterious phrase applied in the first place to Jesus Christ, whom the leaders of the Jews rejected, but who was in fact the promised Savior. But we can allegorically apply this to other paradoxes in life.
We tend to reject sufferings and setbacks. Yet very often, such setbacks can turn out to be blessings in disguise. Actually, if we are trying to do God's will, apparently negative things that occur to us must have a deeper meaning. Since God is a loving father, he will never abandon us. God is able to draw good from evil. What we have rejected can be the cornerstone of greater unity with God.
March 18, 2006 (Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent)
Readings: Mi 7:14-15, 18-20/ Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
The awareness of our personal sinfulness should not lead us to despair or discouragement. Quite the contrary, it should lead us to get even closer to God because, as we see in the parable of the prodigal son in today's gospel, this humble acknowledgement brings us very close to God. The situation of the prodigal son is the situation of the sinner -- our situation.
The prodigal son found himself in the worst possible circumstance that a man of his background could be in. Remember that the Jews consider pork as "unclean." Yet here he was, having to take care of a herd of pigs. He was even envious of what the pigs were eating. When we commit sin, we somehow find ourselves losing our human dignity. From being a son of God, we go even lower than our nature and become like an animal. But we never really lose our dignity. We are constantly asked to recover it. For that to be possible, we must first acknowledge our sinfulness then be ready to ask for our Father's forgiveness in Penance.
March 19, 2006 (THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT)
Readings: Ex 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17/1 Cor 1:22-25/Jn 2:13-25
The first part of the Gospel--Jesus' anger and forcefulness at those who were desecrating the temple--is very instructive for us. Evidently, Jesus was angry. Evidently too, He could not have sinned. How can we be angry but not sin?
Anger is an emotion or a passion which we experience when faced with an evil that presents itself as an obstacle that has to be overcome. It is not bad in itself. When directed at something that is really bad in itself, and when it remains under the control of our reason, it is really a good thing and it provides us with the emotional force that we need in order to overcome that evil. If Jesus had been soft and indecisive with these hardened hawkers, they probably would have driven Jesus away instead of being driven away themselves.
But anger is not the same as "to lose the temper." When the anger is so strong, a person may allow that emotion to cloud his sense of judgment, the reason loses control then one "loses his temper," ending up in excesses and wrongdoing. One can get angry but without losing his temper. The detail in the gospel of Jesus "making a kind of whip of cords" (Jn 2:15) indicates that Jesus did not fly into a rage or lose His temper. He had complete self-possession, enough to weigh His actions and determine that He needed a good weapon or instrument in order to drive away the vendors.
March 20, 2006 (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.
March 21, 2006
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March 27, 2006
March 28, 2006 (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."
March 29, 2006 (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?
Christian tradition is 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.
March 30, 2006 (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.
March 31, 2006 (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.
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