"REJOICE IN THE LORD, ALWAYS!"

It's a good thing to be optimistic. We like people who are cheerful. We should look at the positive rather than the negative side of things. But "rejoice in the Lord, always" is something different. Optimism is based on one's nature or attitude, but rejoicing in the Lord is a matter of faith. We can rejoice in faith even when there is little reason for optimism.

"Have no anxiety, make your request known to God, and give thanks in all circumstances." The Lord knows our needs before we pray for them. By making our needs known to God, we give up the anxiety created by these needs. Then we can give thanks for the good we have and for the good we see around us. In short, to pray is to give up the anxiety of our needs so that we can praise God.

"I have the strength through him who empowers me." By giving up the anxiety of our needs, we gain the strength of him to whom we pray. We say, "Lord, hear my needs and take away my anxieties." Having given up anxieties we can give thanks and find strength. The first Christians expected Jesus to come back in their lifetime. For us, too, the Lord is near, and we find strength in him. Then we can give rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances.

November 24, 2024.        Bible studies: Paul's letter to the Philippians

"Leaving the bad behind, I stretch toward the good ahead"

Do not let the past be an obstacle for the future. There are things that we should forget, mainly bad feelings: discouragements from failures, resentment from having not been given a promotion, anger from having been badly treated by friends, fear of difficult tasks because we may fail, emotional distance from friends and family members, disappoint by the church, and even anger at God when things did not turn out as expected. All these bad feelings, we should put behind forever.

There are memories we should not forget, for instance, some memories of failures because we learn from them. Wisdom is learning from mistakes rather than forgetting them. We tend to systematically make the same mistakes and it may take years before we become aware of them and learn to correct them. David wanted to forget about his murder and adultery, but God reminded him of his forgotten sins. Then he had the courage to amend for the past.

We all like to look at the future as the promised land. We strive for success and material security, but let us also strain to follow the path of Jesus Christ, a little step at a time. We find the voice of God in the sacred scriptures. The daily or weekly reading of the bible is the best way forward. Reading and studying the bible is not easy: it is necessary to follow a method or a guide. There are many such guides on the internet. Let us strain toward what lies ahead, Jesus Christ. Let us make Him our hope and happiness.

November 17, 2024.        Bible studies: Paul's letter to the Philippians

"May love help you discerne what is best"

This is Paul's prayer for the Philippians; this is also our prayer for each other. It is a prayer to grow in the spirit so that we may discern what is best in all circumstances.

The knowledge of God and others helps grow in love, and love increases our spiritual knowledge of God and others. The more we study the word of God, the more insights we gain into God's plan, the more our spirit is inspired by self-giving which is what love is. Love is not self-serving, seeking its own advantages and satisfaction; love means going beyond our ego needs.

Discerning what is best is a precious gift in everyday life. Many times, what we do is self-satisfaction because we have not acquired the gift of discernment. To know what is best comes with experience; older people are often seen as wiser. But more than the knowledge of experience is required. Discernment is a gift of the spirit which comes with reflection; it comes from our reflections about experiences; young people can be wise and old people unwise.

We gain discernment by learning from mistakes. Life is a trial and error; we cannot learn without mistakes. Often people recognize the mistakes of youth and early adulthood only many years later. The righteous falls seven times and rises again, (Proverb 24:16). " “A person who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful." (Proverb 28:13). This is Paul's example: "Forgetting what is behind, I strain toward what is ahead, Jesus Christ." This should be our model and goal.

November 3, 2024.        Bible studies: Paul's second letter to the Corinthians

You are foreigners in the land, yet full of hope

This is the message of the first letter of Peter to people scattered throughout various provinces of the Middle East. He addressed them, depending on the translation, as sojourners, exiles, foreigners, strangers, pilgrims, aliens, and refugees. Clearly Christians are in this world but not totally of this secular world.

"From a new birth through Jesus Christ, you received living hope through his resurrection." Peter is very complimentary and encouraging, "Although you have not seen him you love him. Although you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice in him." This is the living hope: faith, love, and hope in Jesus Christ, and this brings "indescribable and glorious joy." This may be an overstatement for most people; yet deep down in one's heart, the new birth and a living hope bring peace and joy.

The new birth comes with expectations and requirements. " I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires." It is only to the extent that we feel somewhat aliens, sojourners, or pilgrims that we can distance ourselves from the worldly desires. Many worldly desires are for the good; only self-centered fulfilment without hope is to be avoided.

"Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you." In all societies minorities are discriminated against, especially if they are seen as aliens, foreigners, or strangers. Until recently, people of various religions lived in mutual acceptance. Unfortunately today intolerance and ideological differences often lead to discrimination, depending on the country, to discrimination against Christians, Muslims, Buddhist, Jews, or other minorities. Here again, Peter's advice is most appropriate: "Let your love be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins." The love of God and others will cover many sins of intolerance and hatred and bring peace.

October 27, 2024.        Bible studies: Paul's first letter to the Corinthians

It is love that makes us followers of Christ

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (First letter of John, 4:7). This invitation to mutual love emphasizes two dimensions of Christian love: God loved us first, and love is the work of the Holy Spirit transforming our mind and spirit.

Love is a powerful emotional bond between friends and couples. Love creates relationships that last for years but a love that turned sour can create mortal enemies. Christian love is more than an emotional bond. God's love in Jesus Christ is a model for us to imitate. That God loved us first should not induce shame and guilt because we do so little in return. Love is not a commandment like worshipping on Sunday or the children's duty towards their parents. For the disciples of Christ, love is a desire of the heart, even if our love is feeble and inconsistent.

"God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Romans, 5:5) and "God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." God's love is not received passively, like a mysterious supernatural gift, but actively through the power of self-control. We become infused by God's love when our spirit listens to the Spirit present in scripture and the church and learn over many years to put it into practice. The love of God and others is a practice of the heart that must be developed and improved over time.

If I have the gifts of teaching, preaching, evangelizing, and faith to move mountains, if I do not have love, it is nothing. To be able to teach or preach faith is useful, but these activities can be empty without the love of the heart. But love without deeds can also be empty. Love is practical, as St. Paul says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking," Love is to become all things to all people.

October 20, 2024.        Bible studies: Paul's letter to the Ephesians

Paul's prayer: Know the depth of Christ's love

After listing the many blessings which God has bestowed on us, Paul prays for individual growth of the inner self, so that we may understand the vastness of God's love in Christ which surpasses any human understanding. Here are the three points of his prayer (in Ephesians 3:14-19):

"I pay that out from the riches of his glory God the Father
may strengthen your inner self
through the power of his Spirit, —
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts in faith, being rooted and founded in love.
Then together with all the saints, you will be able to comprehend
the length and width and height and depth of Christ's love
which surpasses any knowledge."

May Christ dwell in our hearts! For the Hebrews, the heart is the center not just of emotions, but also of understanding and will. Christ is present to us intellectually through the understanding of the gospel. This is the easiest and first step of spiritual growth. He must be present in our will when considering the needs of others; this is more difficult because it involves more than giving money to the poor. Finally, we should be able to sense Christ's presence in our emotions in the form of joy and peace; this requires much prayerfulness and God-centeredness.

May we, together with the saints, come to understand the depth of Christ's love! This means understanding Christ's inner life in relationship to the Father and humanity. To know God is beyond human understanding, but it is not beyond our grasp. To com-prehend means to grasp together; to comprehend a theory is to grasp in one insight its various dimensions. We cannot comprehend God; we can only grasp some of his dimensions. We cannot comprehend the love of Christ, but we should try to grasp his various dimensions through the gospels and the whole bible. Friends and spouses know one another only after years of interaction. To know Jesus Christ similarly requires years of interaction in the inner self.

October 13, 2024.        Bible studies: Paul's letter to the Ephesians

God's gracious design to recapitulate all things in Christ

The letter to the Ephesians begins with a list of blessings. "The God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ has chosen us, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him." Our vocation is to be holy, with the expectation that the power of God and the action of the Holy Spirit will lead us to into holiness and worthiness. This is a blessing which fills us with joy and thanksgiving.

"He destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, according to his gracious design." The eternal will of God is to make us sons and daughters for his eternal glory. Our title as children of God allows us to have part of God's inheritance, and for eternity to give thanks and praise. The exaltation of God's name will fulfill our deepest aspirations, because by giving praise we find our deepest identity.

"He has made known to us the mystery of his will according to his gracious design, which is to unite all things in Christ at the fulfilment of time." We were given to know God' plan of salvation, but only dimly because God's gracious design exceeds the power of our understanding.

God's grand design is to sum up all things in the mystical body of Christ, the whole universe and all it contains. This mystical body is first of all the church, the body of believers. At the end of time, after Christ's return and our resurrection of the dead, the whole universe will be transformed into a new mystical reality. It will be a new Jerusalem with no sun and no moon because God will shine with eternal light.

"In him we were chosen so that we might exist for the praise of his name." We were chosen to sing praise, Amen! Alleluia! Let us sing, Praise be to you, o Lord Jesus Christ!

October 6, 2024.        Bible studies: Paul's letter to the Philippians

An early Christian hymn of Jesus as Lord, in Philippians 2:8-11:

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

This hymn written in about the year 50, just twenty years after the death of Christ, professes all the elements of the Nicene Creed formulated in 325, and professed every Sunday, when we proclaim or sing, "We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father; God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. Through Him all things were made."

Jesus renounced his divinity by taking human form and suffering all the limitations of the human condition. He suffered the agony of death, not like all of us, but in the criminal death of the cross, in obedience to God's eternal plan of salvation. By accepting this unjust death inflicted on him by sinners, he brought reconciliation between unjust sinners and the just and eternal God. Death was changed from curse to hope.

"Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names" We also profess in the Creed, "On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end." We believe in our own resurrection in his eternal kingdom.

"Every tongue [must] declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." This is what we do when we are disciples of Christ glorifying his name in words and deeds.

September 29, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Daniel

"May our God save us. But if he does not, we will not worship idols"

The book of Deniel tells two stories of faithful Jews who refuse to worship a false god. In the first, three young men are thrown into a white-hot furnace, but they walk in the flames praising God. In the second story, Daniel is thrown into a lions' den but the following day the king found him unharmed because God sent his angel to tame the lions.

This story has a universal meaning because we all are in a lions' den. As explained by the apostle Peter, "Be on your guard and stay awake.   Your enemy  the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." The lions' den is everyday life where the devil is tempting us unless we are on our guards and stay awake.

The lions that surround us do not seem very dangerous. They are the idols of consumerism and secularism which close our minds to anything beyond material goods. From waking up to falling asleep, we may be surrounded by the noise and the allures of cell phone and television ads that distract us from the important issues of life. They tell us about what to buy, what to eat, what to wear, and what places to visit. Do we need all these ads? We all know what to buy, eat, and wear. Consumer ads are like a fog that keeps us from seeing beyond consumer needs.

"Be on your guard and stay awake." Traditionally, people prayed first thing in the morning and last thing before going to sleep. They were also encouraged to find time for prayer in the middle of the day. But what is prayer? It can be reciting a short prayer learned in childhood. That's good, but we should also pray from the heart like the three young men praising God when thrown into the furnace. As explained by Paul, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God,  will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." This is the best way to be on guard and stay awake.

September 22, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Ezekiel

Jesus Christ is the living water
that flows into eternal life

The river that flows from the Jerusalem temple described by Ezekiel in chapter 47 symbolized God's gifts of renewal. The longer the land is exposed to this fertile water the more it is transformed. First there are just trees, then many kinds of fishes in the water, and later fruit trees that give fruit several times a year with the leaves of healing powers. At the end, the river flows into the Dead Sea to purify it of its saltiness. Then the world will be like a new paradise.

With Jesus Christ the river from the temple became a river of blessings for personal transformation. Jesus is the Sower who sows God's seeds. Today as in the past, some seed falls on the footpath, some on rocky soil, and some among weeds and thorns. These are the people who listen to the word of God only for a short time and only occasionally. Those who listen regularly, week after week, produce a lot of fruit, maybe ten to one. But those who are completely immersed in the river of God's grace may produce fruit fiftyfold, and even hundredfold.

Jesus is the living water. Whoever drink this water will never thirst again.  "Give me this kind of water,"  the Samaritan woman said. Jesus dit not answer because we cannot get it like getting water from a well. "The hour is coming when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth." By worshiping in  Spirit, we receive the water that wells up to eternal life.      

Spiritual transformation requires to be immersed in the river of God's living waters. When we have many worries about work, we just go ankle-deep or knee-deep into the river; we have little time to drink from the sacred waters. As we grow in faith, following apostle Paul's recommendations, we try to pray at all times, that is, to stay immersed in God's river of transformating power.

September 15, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Ezekiel

God's promise to Israel:
hope to return to the promised land

The Israelites in exile in Babylon complained, "Our bones are dried up. Our hope is gone." Did you ever feel that way? Then, the reading of today is for you: Ezekiel prophesized that the dry bones would come back to life. The Lord will open the graves of despair, and the Israelites will come out of them.

"You shall see that I am the Lord when I open your graves of despair and make you come out of them, Then you will settle again in your land," said the Lord. Very few people woll see it: the Israelites had been in captivity since 597, and Cyrus allowed them to return only in 539.

God makes miracles, but very people actually see one in a lifetime. Yahwe's prophecy of the dry bones is a promise of hope that requires faith. With faith, small miracles—signs of God's Providence—can happen quite often in every life. Can you remember such small miracles in your life?

Faith is not a remedy for exceptional situations. It is the belief that God is at work in our lives every day. When we wake up for another sunny day, in faith we can say, "Thank you, Lord." When things go well, we can say again, "Thank you, Lord." And when things go rough, it is time to say, "I believe and hope that You will take me out of this grave of despair." Our God is one of faith, hope, and love of others.

September 8, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Jeremiah

Jeremiah in the pit of mud

Jeremiah was a tragic prophet sent by the Lord "to uproot and to destroy, to build and to plant." In about 587 when Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians, he proclaimed that the city would be destroyed unless the king surrendered to the enemy. That was treason, the betrayal of absolute trust in Yahweh, the national God. Officials of the court seized him with the consent of the king and threw him in a cistern full of mud. He sank and was left to die.

Sinking into despair is a common experience. On the cross Jesus prayed, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" Jeremiah went through a similar crisis of despair.

Cursed be the day I was born!
    May the day my mother bore me
not be blessed!
Cursed be the man who brought
my father the news,
    “A child is born to you—a son!”
Why did I ever come out of the womb
    to see trouble and sorrow
and to end my days in shame? (20:14-18)

The Lord spoke to his heart, "Get out of your pit of despair. Come back to me, for I am with you, to save and rescue you." Then Jeremiah regained his faith, "Yes, the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion." Let this be our prayer in times of despair.

September 1, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Jeremiah

"I knew you before you were born"

God knew me before I was born in ... (include here the date of yor birth; mine was in 1937.) At my birth, God knew everything I would be doing, my successes and my failures. But I know them, too, and at my age, there is not much time left for much more. Why would God want to tell us our past and our future? No, God is not interested in telling us our life history because we know it too.

"Before you were born, I set you apart." Now I can go over God's special favors to me: the accidents that could have been worse, the job problems that were solved, the money problem that ended happily, the family troubles that ended in peace. I can give thanks to God for all these favors, but there was nothing special in all of them. So, why did God set me apart at birth?

"God has chosen us before the foundation of the world to be holy and without shame before him," for the glory that he granted us in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 12:4) We were created for eternity, not just for a job or a mission. We can give glory to God ford all the good things that happen every day. It is easy and tempting to complain about the many bad things that happen to us and to the world. Instead of pointing to people's bad traits we can give them compliments for their good accomplishments. In all things, we can give glory to God for the gifts of creation. Pagans can do that; then these are good pagans, not far from the Kingdom of God.

We give glory to God when we imitate and follow Jesus Christ. He came to serve rather than being served; we, too, can serve others rather just ourselves. He is an example of mercy, compassion, and self-giving. We give glory to God when are merciful, compassionate, and self-giving.

August 25, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Isaiah

A call for hope in times of despair

In about 540 BC, 40 years of the fall of Jerusalem to the Assyrians, the deported Jews were still in captivity in Babylon. Their tituation was similar to that of exiled Palestinians and expelled Muslims today. Here are the encouraging words of Isaiah

Comfort, comfort my people,
 says your God.
 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service 
has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for.
Cry out, do not be afraid:
  “Here is your God!”
See, the Sovereign Lord
 comes with power,
 and he rules with a mighty arm.
 He tends his flock like a shepherd. 
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart.

These words were seditious. It was the time Cyrus of Persia was ready to conquor Babylon and invade Assyria. To preach "The Lord comes with a mighty arm" could be seen as political support for Cyrus against the Assyrians who dominated the Promised Land.

Isaiah's message is to expect comfort from the Lord, and not from political powers which come and go. The Empire of Cyrus will be replaced by the Empire of Alexander, but the power of the Lord lasts forever.

The power of the Lord is one of tenderness and mercy: "He tends to this flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms." The lambs of his flock are all those who suffer, and his comfort goes to all those who believe in him. Blessed be the Lord.

July 28, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Isaiah

A sign from God: Emmanuel, God with us.

In about 730 BCE King Ahaz of Jerusalem was afraid because his city was surrounded by a Syrian army that wanted to replace him. Then a sign was given to him by prophet Isaiah: "A young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall call him Emmanuel, God with us." No reason to fear when God is with us. The Syrian army was defeated and withdrew. Later the prophet celebrated the birth of Emmanuel:

A child is born to us, a son is given to us.
Upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name is Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
By judgement and justice,
Both now and forever
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Since then, inspired by this prophecy, the Jews have been waiting for a messiah to come. Not just the Jews but the whole world was waiting. Today many people are still waiting for a savior and deliverer, a prince of peace. We still live in a world of conflict, suffering, and insecurity. Hope was the precious gift of Isaih to his king, his people, and the generations to come. Hope is the ultimate power for survival.

Where and when will Emmanuel come to establish the kingdom of God? Like hope, salvation comes from within. The kingdom of God is not a political and social organization but internal peace and justice. This internal justice becomes a visible kingdom when we bring peace and justice to others and to the world. And this will happen when we follow the example of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, and God with us.

July 21, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Isaiah

"The Holiness of God"

In a vision, Isaiah saw the Lord "seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple." Seraphim surrounded the throne, shouting to one another:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory"

The triple repetiton of "holy" indicates that holiness is the very essence of God. What is holy must be separated from the profane, and the purity of our worship from the impurity of business. God revealed himself as separte in distant places, to Moses and Elija on top of Mount Sinai in the middle of the desert, and to Jesus on top of a mountain where Moses and Eliha apparead to him and a voice came from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son." God is more likely to speak to us in the silence of solitude.

"The earth is fillied with his glory." God is not the totally other, inaccessible, and distant. He appeared to Abraham asking him to move to a distant land to see a decendance as mumerous as the stars in the sky. He appeared to Moses in the burning bush telling him, "I have seen the suffering of my people in Egypt, and I have come to rescue them." He was a friend, advisor, and protector of King David in establishing his kingdom. "He spoke many times to our fathers through the prophets, but in recent times he has spoken to us through his Son whom he appointed heir of all things. (Hebrews 1:1-2). Finally, On Pentecost day, God sent his Spirit so that Jesus may be spiritually with us to the end of times.

The three time Holy God is also the loving father who say to anyone of us: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you! Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands." (Isaiah, 49:15-16).

July 14, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Micah

"From you, Bethlehem,
shall come the ruler of Israel."

Micah is remembered for his presentation of the Lord pleading his case against Israel in the form of reproaches. "My people, what have I done to you? How have I grieved you? Answer me." Then comes a long list of grievances. "I have brought you out of Egypt;" what have you done for me? These lines are famous because they are sung on Good Friday when Christ reproaches his people:

Sing along: O my people, how have I grieved you? Answer me.
I led you out of the land of Egypt but you have prepared a Cross for your Saviour
O my people, how have I grieved you? Answer me.
I opened the sea before you, but you have opened my side with a spear.

O Holy God. O Holy God.
O Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Micah also famously proclaimed, "You, Bethelehem, least among the clans of Judah, fom you shall come one who is to be the ruler of Israel." The Messiah will not come from Jerusalem, the center of power, but from the humble village of Bethlehem where David was born. The Messiah will be a new king David who came out of humble origin but became great because he was the annointed of the Lord. This is what we celebrate at Christmas.

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July 7, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Hosea

"It is love that I desire, not sacrifices"

Hosea was a contemporary of Amos. Both predicted and witnessed the destruction of Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom. Amos was mostly a prophet of condemnation; Hosea was a prophet of love. His words are unforgettable:

When Israel was a child, I love him; out of Egypt I called my son.
The more I called them, the farther they went from me.
It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them into my arms.
I fostered them like those who raise an infant to their cheeks; I bent down to feed them.

Even more heart wrenching:

My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred.
I will not vent to my blazing anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again.
For I am God and not a man, the Holy One present among you. (chapter 11)

Hosea condemned the sin of Israel no less than Amos: "There is no fidelity, no loyalty, no knowledge in the land. Swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery break out; bloodshed follows bloodshed." (chapter 4).

What we should remember is: "It is love that I desire, not sacrifices." Not sacrifices without love, nor love without sacrifices. Read chapter 11 and chapter 4 in Hosea (or starting in chapter 1).

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June 30, 2024.        Bible studies: the book of Amos

Amos: God has no favorites

Amos was the first prophet of Israel. He started preaching around 780-770 BCE in Northern Israel. Hosea also preached in the north starting in about 760. Micah came a little later, in 750, preaching in the south. Isaiah of Jerusalem is the last 8th century prophet. He covered the period from about 740 to 701. We will study these prophets in their chronological appearance.

The first and most important theme of Amos is that God has no favorite. His first three chapters are sweeping condemnations of the crimes of the middle East nations (Syria, Philistia, Tyre, Edom, Moab, etc.) ending with the crimes of Judah and Israel. God's chosen people deserves punishment like all other nations. Amos explains, "You (Israel) I have known among all the families on the earth, therefore"-- one expects "I will protect you." Instead, Amos preached, "therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." (3:2) All nations are responsible for their crimes: no exceptions! We tend to believe that the Christian God will favor Christians, the Muslim God will favor Muslims, and the Hindu gods favor the Hindus. No: God has no favorites; all are responsible for their sins. Read chapters 1 and 2, to chapter 3:2.

A second important theme is the imminence of the punishment. In the past, the Israelites could remember all of God's blessings, namely their escape from Egypt and their entrance into the Promised Land. The reminder of these blessings did not make them faithful to God. Amos lists recent punishments: no rain, "yet you did not return to me;" locusts and crop failures, "yet you did not return to me;" pestilence and diseases, "yet you did not return to me." (Chapter 4:6-11). Amos intercedes for his people when in a vision is saw a swarm locusts destroying all vegetation, "Forgive, O Lord, Israel is so small." In a second vision of rain of fire, "Stop it, O Lord, Israel is so small." Each time God forgave, but not in the third vision, "I will forgive them no more." Samaria, the capital of the Northern kingdom was destroyed in 721. Amos witnessed it, but he hoped to prevent it. He has preached, "Seek the Lord, and you shall live." This is still true today.

Read the first three chapters, and chapter 4: verses 6 to 11. Read also some of Amos' visions as in chapter 8.

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June 23, 2024.        Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7:21

Beliefs are not enough

Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist beliefs are not enough; one must practice one's beliefs. Muslims or Hindus who practice their religion are better than Christians who do not. Many people simply accept the beliefs of their family and friends. Religious beliefs by themselves are not enough.

"Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father." (Matthew 7:21) To say "Lord, Lord," in church or the temple is not enough. We must do the will of the Father which is, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor like yourself."

How do we know God's will? One is to listen to our inner voice, and the other to read sacred books. Or better: do both. Each time we have to make a choice , we can listen to God's voice inside us; it may tell us what is preferable and what we should avoid. Many times the inner voice is silent. Through prayer and the study of the sacred books we come to hear more clearly our inner voice.

"What do you profit from gaining the whole world if you lose your soul?" (Mark 8:34) We may be busy with things which we need and things we do not need, and in the process we may forget about our soul. In a consumer society we accumulate more and more things, but what do we gain in the long run? Let us seek the kingdom of God by putting our faith into practice.

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June 16, 2024.        Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7:1-6   

God does not judge the way we judge

In everyday life, it is advisble not to be critical of others, because the same judgmental attitude may be applied to us. We should also forgive other people's weaknesses, because if we are understaning, people will also be understadning toward us. If we are arrogant, people will put us down, but If we are loving and understanding, we will have many understanding friends.

If we are judgmental, God will NOT put us down, and if we unforgiving, God may still forgive us. A common theme throughout the bible is, "Merciful and gracious is our Lord, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He has not dealt with us as our sins merit, nor requited us as our wrongs deserve." (Psalm 103). This is the opposite of the worldly justice which requires "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," that is, a punishment equal to the offense; no mercy, no understanding.

"As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. For he knows how we were formed; he remembers that we are dust." Parents have compassion for their children because they know from their own experience the difficulties of life. God can be compassionate for us because he knows through Jesus Christ how hard it is to follow him, as he himself was misunderstood and rejected.

"Judge not and you will not be judged." This requires self-control and will power. But if we set our sight on God's mercy and patience, then we are moved from within, not by will power, to be merciful and patient with others. If God remembers that we come from dust, we can also understand other people's weanesses.

Psalm 103: "Praise the Lord, O my Soul.
Forgiving my sins, he heals all my diseases."

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June 9, 2024.        Sermon on the Mount. Luke: 11:34   

The eye is the lamp of the soul

"When your eyes are healthy, your soul is full of light." When our eyes see beauty, our soul is filled with joy and light. But when we see violence on television or around us, our soul becomes sad and dark. The outside world comes to us through the eyes; we can control the bad news of the world by controlling our eyes.

How much do you control your eyes? What do you see first thing in the morning? Do you begin by checking the weather, the news, and your emails or messages? Are the news and cell phone messages sources of joy or anxiety? We can eliminate theses sources of sadness by watching the news and checking messages only once a day unless necessary. Our daily happiness depends on what we allow our eyes to see.

"You, Lord, are the one who lights my lamp. The Lord my God illumines my darkness." (Psalm 18:28). Let us proclaim loud and clear that the Lord is our light. Whenever we are in darkness through the day or the week, we must turn to him and find an answer to our problem. Scripture is our light because it is through scripture that God has revealed himself and continues to speak to us, but that requires learning to listen. Scripture has an obvious meaning to is open to all; through study and meditation, we can come to understand the figurative meanings of God's word.

Proverbs 20:27 says, "The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD that sheds light on one's inmost being." All people have a conscience and have reason. We can listen to our inner voice to distinguish between good and evil. It is also very helpful to turn to others, especially those enlightened in spiritual matters, for their opinion. There is often more understanding through reflection of many people than one person alone. Reason must be cultivated through studies and reading books. The human spirit is the lamp of reason, and also the lamp of the Lord in each of us.

priateThe appro song for today is Taizé's song: "You are my lamp, Lord. O God, bring light to my darkness" (In French in Taizé: "C'est toi ma lampe Seigneur. Mon Dieu, éclaire ma ténèbre."

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June 2, 2024.        Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 6:24-25   

"No one can serve two masters"

"Do not worry about what you eat or drink in reference to your soul." What does food have to do with the soul? Nothing! That's the point: we worry about details that have nothing to do with our soul. "Do not worry about what you wear in reference to the health of your body." Similarly, clothes have nothing to do with physical health. "Mens sana in corpore sano:" a healthy mind in a healthy body is the ideal to strive for, and both have special requirements. A healthy mind requires a spirit of discovery through new experiences, new learning, and new readings. A healthy body, like a good garden, requires constant attention to weed out what is unnecessary and harmful. If we do not pay attention, over the years we develop a small mind with an overweight body. Do not worry about details of food and clothes but pay attention to your spiritual and physical health.

No one can serve two masters, the details of food and clothes, and the needs of the mind and body. Sooner or later, one will take over. Children have great physical needs to develop; they do not understand yet the needs of the soul. Early in adult life we come to see the need of a healthy mind in work and relationships. Most adults lead a balanced life between self-centeredness and help to others. What will come in later life? Will it be more selfishness at the expense of others? Or greater generosity to give to others some the riches we have received?

"No one can serve two masters, God and Mammon." Not many people make money their master. Most people try to survive economically, and if possible, comfortably. But comfortable economic survival can become our master if we do not serve God first. Jews were required to give ten percent of their earnings to God. Today this is difficult because we pay already more then percent in taxes. But we should give ten percent of our free time to give praise to God for all the good things we have received, being aware that there are many people poorer than we are. Let us sing:

Bless the Lord O my soul,
Worship His holy name.
Sing like never before, O my soul.
I'll worship Your holy name.

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May 26, 2024. Sermon on the Mount     

The control of passions and desires

"Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." The Christian ideal requires self control, control of the eyes, the words we speak, and with whom we associate. Ultimately, spirituality requries mind control, which is central to all religions.

"If your right eyes causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away." This is not to be taken literally, buty figuratively. The things we consider important we call "the apple of our eye." These are the things we are very atached to, like money in the bank, our beloved car, our home, or possessions. These attachments may lead us to irrational behavior. The control of passions and desires is an important sign of maturality, in society and religion.

A common sense of justice is "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." Justice requires a punishment equal to the crime, not more, but never less. In every day life, this is "tit for tat." If someone insults you, insult him or her back. "I say to you, when someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well." When someone insults you, try to find a reconciliation that goes beyond mutual insults.

"You have heard, "love your neighbor but hate your enemy." I say to you, "Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you." It is very difficult to show love people who hate us, but we can silently think of good things about them. Everybody loves those who love them, but to be kind to those we dislike  "love your neighbor but hate your enemy."

How do you gain control of passions and desires? Not just by willpower, but with God's grace.

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May 19, 2024.     

" Blessed are the poor in spirit and the pure in heart"

The poor are needy; they need help. The poor in spirit are different: they are hungry and thirsty for spiritual help. Millionaires are not poor but satisfied. They are self-satisfied because they have money, social position, and power. They only want more of the same: more money and more power. If things go bad, they have solutions: health insurance, business insurance, and good lawyers to get them out of trouble. They clearly have no need of God.

When we are satisfied, satiated, or filled up, we feel we have not need. Life seems good; let's enjoy it. It is difficult to be poor in spirit because we have so many things that keep us satisfied. A good job is a blessing. A good job requires lots of work; we need to work long hours, in the evening, and even on weekends. Then we have little time for nearly anything else. We have become rich in work and poor in spirit. To have many friends is a blessing. It requires a lot of dedication, lots of discussions, and lots of communication. But the social media and our friends may take most of our energies, and there is little time left for anything else. We have become rich in friends but poor in spirit.

Gold and silver can be 99 percent pure. That's what being pure in heart means: to have eliminated all the impurities of selfishness. The pure in heart will see God. When we eliminate the impurities of selfishness, we become transparent to God and God becomes transparent to us.

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May 12 2024.       Solemnity of Ascension Acts 1:1-11 Mk 16:15-20

"You will receive the Holy Spirit
and be my witnesses to the end of the world."

In court, witnesses must say what they have seen and heard, not what they believe; they cannot come to defend an individual or an institution. A witness for Christ cannot just say what he or she has read in the bible. In our pluralistic world, witnessing requires deeds rather than words.

"You will be my witnesses" through deeds rather than words. Witnesses of Christ must show that they have been transformed by the Spirit of God. Then they will be witnesses of the power of God. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) There are many people who are naturally patient, kind, and good, for which they can be grateful to their creator. But for the followers of Christ, patience, kindness, and goodness are gifts from God because they are supernatural virtues. It is by being loving and peaceful, that Christians can bring love, joy, and peace to others. You can only give what you have received.

"The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.” (John 14:26) The Spirit is a friendly reminder of things we know but have forgotten. When Jesus explained to the disciples of Emmaus the meaning of the scriptures, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he opened their minds to things they already knew. They knew the scriptures but could not make sense of them. We all have heard bible stories; we need the light of the Holy Spirit to understand them.

"When The Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin, righteousness and judgment" (John 16:8).  Jesus did not come to judge the world but to heal it. The first condition for patients to improve is to recognize their sickness, for students to recognize their mistakes, and for all of us to recognize our failures. There can be no forgiveness without recognition of fault, and no salvation without recognition of sinfulness. Come Holy Spirit. Come!

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May 5, 2024.       Fifth Sunday of Easter   John 15:9-17

"Love one another. You are my friends if you do this."

To love one another is difficult. We do so in the family and among our friends, but how do you love strangers? “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). To love others means to keep Jesus' words and imitate his example. This means studyding his teachings and his actions. Jesus healed the sick, but that was only a small part of his ministry. He fed the people, but only twice in three years. He did not help all beggars he encountered on his journey. He did not go to prison to liberate those unjustely emprisoned. Like the prophets he called for justice but he did not speak out against Roman occupation. He did what he could, and this is all we can do.

"If anyone loves me, we will come and make our home with him." If we love others the way Jesus showed compassion for people in need, we will hear the voice of Jesus within us because God has made his home in us. This is the new covenant promised by Jeremiah and Ezechiel. "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Jeremiah spoke about six centuries before Christ, and six centuries before the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples. Yet twenty centuries later, we still act very often as if the law of God were not in our hearts. "If anyone loves me, then--and only then--- will we make our home with and in him." Love comes from the heart; that is where God resides. When we love God and others, God is with us and within us.

To love one another is to live by the sprit, which is in us, and this spirit will bring harmony around us. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23). If we live by the Spirit we are the friends of God because God is love.

Let us sing along, "Where there is love, there is God" (Ubi caritas et amor  Ubi caritas Deus ibi est)

April 28, 2024.       Fifth Sunday of Easter   John 15: 1-8

"Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit"

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22) Through the power of God, we become transformed into a different person, but this takes much time: patience, gentleness, and self-control take many years of effort.

Jesus Christ must be the center of our lives because he is the vine, and we are his branches. Jesus is our guidance and spiritual energy; we cannot just be Sunday Christians. With Christ as our guide, nothing else matters: money, success, and material comfort are not our priorities; our values are not those of the secular world. This requires daily reflection, time of prayer and bible study.

Christ is the Good Shepherd in whom we trust. This takes away many of the worries of daily life. What will I eat? How will I pay for this or that? After doing all we can, we must trust our Lord who feeds the birds and gives flowers their shape and colors. Confidence in God's providence gives much peace and comfort.

When Christ is our shepherd, people around us will gain from it. We can see it when people get better through the power of the Spirit, and others can also see it when we are more pleasant to live with. This has an effect around us: our children are more likely to follow our example, and our neighbors and coworkers may come closer to God. Life in a true Christian community is so much enjoyable!

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April 21, 2024.       Fourth Sunday of Easter   John 10: 11-18

"Jesus, You are my Lord and my Shepherd"

The Lord knows me better than I know myself. "You know when I sit and when I rise. Before a word is on my tongue,  you, Lord, know it already." I can run away, I can hide, but you are still me with. "Even  if I settle on the far side of the sea, your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139). I may ignore you, but you will not ignore me. I can fall, unwilling to rise, but you are there ready to help me.

The Lord is our companion because we have been made God's friends. "I have called you friends because I have told you everything I have heard from the Father." Jesus has told us the secrets of God, so now we are friends of God and friends of Jesus. Now we can say with the Psalmist, "My heart leaped for joy when they said, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." For it is there that we find peace and happiness in the companionship of the Lord.

Companionship with the Lord is our goal and desire. We should glorify him when we sit and when we rise, when we run away and when we hide, when we fall and when rise. To be a follower and companion of Jesus means we keep him present in our thoughts through the day and the week. Christian fellowshhips not just a Sunday activity. What can you do? What will you do? Scripture is the word of God, and Jesus is the eternal Word of God. Scripture is the best way to know the Lord.

This week it is most appropriate to sing Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie in pastures green. He leads me by the still waters. His goodness restores my soul."

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March 31, 2024.       Easter Sunday    John 20:1-9

"My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" 
No, God does not abandon his suffering servants!

"I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I know their suffering. I have come to rescue them." God chose Moses, although he wanted to refuse, saying, " I am a poor speaker, slow and hesitant." God answered, "I am with you -- always." Nothing can stop God from saving his suffering people.

In the Sinai desert the Israelites cried out for food and water, and the Lord gave them mana and water springing from a rock. When confronted with enemies, God was on their side. He led them to the Holy Land and had the walls of Jericho tumble down. He established David as messianic king as an image for a new kind to come. When Israel was threatened by destruction by the Assyrians because of their sins, God sent them prophets to warn them, and after the deportation to Babylon, he sent prophets of hope to bring them home. Finally, at the appointed time, God became flesh to save humankind, but his own people did not accept him. "Listen, Israelites," Peter proclaimed on Easter Sunday, "This Jesus you crucified, God raised him up, because it was impossible for him to be held by death." God never abandons his suffering servants but raises them up to divine glory.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." This is the message of Easter: God does not abandon those are weary and burdened, as most of us are. In the midst of despair, doubt, and uncertainty, there is hope. "Alleluia" is a song of victory and hope.

Let us all sing, "He Arose, Hallelujah, Christ Arose"

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March 24, 2024.       Passion Sunday    Mark 14-1-15:47

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

On Good Friday, Justice was killed and the hope for justice vanished. The Jews expected a military and political savior; Jesus did not answer their expectations. His followers were promised that in the Kingdom the poor will be blessed, those who morn will be comforted, the hungry will be satiated, and those who weep shall laugh. On Good Friday, the followers of Jesus were disappointed when they heard, "My Kingdom is not of this world." Then all hope of peace and justice on earth was dashed. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble, because they crucified my Lord, and justice was killed.

After Jesus' death, things got worse. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem, the Christians were thrown to wild beasts in arenas, the Roman Empire collapsed, Rome was reduced to ruins, wars ravaged the world for centuries, six million Jews were exterminated, fifty million people were killed in World War II, and wars continue to this day. Is there any future for the Kingdom of God? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh! Sometimes I tremble, tremble, tremble, because they crucified the prince of peace.

Oh! Sometimes I tremble, tremble, tremble, because the Kingdom of God is not of this world and not in another world. The Kingdom is in this world but not of this world. The kingdom is not given but it must be created. "Blessed are the persecuted because theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Oh! I tremble, tremble, tremble. When they crucified my Lord, the Kingdom in this world but not of this world was born.

You may like to listen and sing this old Negro spiritual, Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

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March 17, 2024.       Fifth Sunday of Lent    John 12:20-33

Since ascending into heaven, Jesus draws all people to God
through the Holy Spirit

Before ascending into heaven, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, and he gave his disciples the mission to be his witnesses to the end of the world. "You will receive the power of the Holy Spirit, and you will be my witnesses to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). But they will not be left alone: "I will be with you to the end of time."

Through the ages, the Jesus of the cross has drawn to himself the poor and the suffering who trust in him. For them the cross is not a sign of defeat but a symbol of hope, because death and suffering can be overcome. This is the daily experience of thousands. Have you experienced hope in the midst of suffering and despair. Many people -- and I -- can testify to the power of suffering Christ drawing people to himself.

From the cross and from heaven Jesus draws to himself the poor in spirit, even if they are rich and prosperous. Every year, many young peole give up promising careers of material success to serve Christ in others. These followers of Christ may serve in many fields: education, health services, church services, material assistance, economic development of poor countries, and support of prisoners and the persecuted.

For the black slaves of America, their faith in God was also a faith in freedom. Their faith in the Lord gave them an inner freedom in spite of slavery. They created many songs which are songs of faith, hope, and inner freedom. Here is a very popular black spiritual that goes back to the time of slavery:

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March 10, 2024.       Fourth Sunday of Lent    John 3:14-21

"You must be born again:" at any age, throughout life.

"Truly, truly, I say to you. Unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Nicodemus objected to Jesus, "How is this possible at my age?" Age makes no diference. To be "born from above" happens in all ages.To be born from above and from the spirit must take place throughout one's life.

Nicodemus was a pious Jew. He acknowledged that Jesus' miracles came from God, because "no one can do the signs that you are doing unless God is with him." He did not come to Jesus for a miracle. He did not need to be converted because he was already a secret follower of Jesus. Yet Nicodemus is the only person Jesus ever invited to be born again. This clearly shows that all Christians need constant rebirth from above.

Life is a constant transformation from childhood to old age, and from the first job to retirement. It must also be a constant transformation into a greater life from above. All depends where you stand. If you never pray, pray occasionally. If you seldom go to Church, go more often. If you never read inspring books, begin reading. In all professions, reading is the surest way to move forward. Reading the Bible is good, but not always sufficient: most people need explanations and commentaries. Was the world created in seven days or 13.7 billion years? In what sense is the Bible inspired and a model for us? Scripture contains stories of leaders and saints; we can learn a lot from their examples.

You may like to read Psalm 1 whichdescribes the way of the ungodly in contrast to the ways of the Lord. You may also like to listen to the singing of this psalm.

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March 3, 2024.       Third Sunday of Lent    John 4: 5-42

"If you knew the gift of God...
I would give you living water"

Jesus was tired and sat down next to a well. "Please give me a drink of water," he asked a woman who came to the well. "How can you ask a Samaritan woman to give you water," she replied, you a Jew?" Jesus answered, "If you knew the gift of God, you would have asked me for water, and I would have given you living water."

"If we knew the gift of God..." Often we do not. We are like the Samaritan woman busy with the chores of getting water and food for daily living. Yet we may ask, "Give me your special water so that I do not have to come back to this well." But this special water is not a magical recipe, and it cannot be found in grocery stores and super-market.

"Call your husband and come back," Jesus said. What does the husband have to do with living waters? "Yes, you have no husband," Jesus stated. "You had five and the one you have now is not your husband." What does this woman's private life have to do with the living waters? By asking her to call the husband Jesus invited her to look inside at the problems of her life. The living water can heal the thirsty soul, but one must establish a right relationship with God.

To be able to receive the living water that quenches the inner thirst, we must first look inside and see what hinders our relationship with God. Like the Samaritan woman, we can go from one boyfriend or girlfriend to another without establishing a right and lasting relationship. Temporary and unstable relationships can absorb our emotions and energies and prevent us from deeper waters what well into eternal life.

Remember the story of King David and  Bathsheba. From his rooftop the king spotted a beautiful woman bathing nearby. He became obsesses with her.  Bathsheba was married, so he had her husband killed. David did not repent until confronted by Prophet Nathan. "Look inside" and you will see how to receive living water for eternity.

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February 25, 2024.       Second Sunday of Lent     Mark 1:12-15

The test of our faith: what will you give up?

The above mosaic of the sixth century depicts the story of Abraham and Isaac. In a vision, Abraham saw three visitors (in the center of the picture). At once he offered them refreshments and food (on the left of the picture). When the visitors left, one said, "Next year, your wife Sarah will have a son." Hearing this, Sarah (at the extreme left) scoffed and laughed. But the Lord said to Abraham, "Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do?" One year later, Isaac was born.

"Some time later, God put Abraham to the test and said, 'Take your son and offer him as a sacrifice.'" The following day, Abraham set out on a trip to sacrifice his son. Did it really happen? The Jews always believed it. They also believed that the world was created in seven days. Some people still believe it. Whether it happened or not is not the issue. The main point is that Abraham's faith was put to a test, and he was willing to do anything rather than doubt God's promises.

If in a dream God were to ask you: Are you willing to give up your most precious possessions and trust me? Give up your computer? your cell phone? your career? your health? This is the question raised by the story of Job who lost his wealth, his wife and children, and his health, yet he did not curse God. He only asked, Why? "My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways," says the Lord. Why did God test Abraham since he knew in advance that Abraham would trust him? Abraham had already been told, "Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do?" If we believe that, then we will pass any test of faith that we mill encounter.

Listen to Psalm 27: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is my life's refuge; of whom shall be afraid?"

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February 18, 2024.       First Sunday of Lent     Mark 1:12-15

Faith in the gospel leads to a new life

Lent is a time of transformation, but it cannot happen only because of our efforts. We must have faith in something greater than ourselves. When young people believe in a better world, they can change it. When political leaders point to peace and justice beyond materialism, they transform society. When Christians believe in Jesus Christ, they are transformed into a new life.

Faith is more than the intellectual acceptance of religious doctrines; faith is putting one's trust in the hands of a guide. The mountain climbers of Mount Everest must have faith in the first climbing rope to guide them to the top and avoid accidents. Believers in Jesus Christ have faith in their guide, and they can sing, "the Lord id my shepherd; I shall not be in want. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23).

We must make Jesus Christ our guide and Scripture our source of inspiration. This requires daily reading of the Bible, and spending time reflecting about it. The Bible is not just words about God but words from God to each of us. It takes much time of listening to hear the word of God to each of us. Jesus is the Word of God; we must make him our guide and model.

Even with the best guide in the valley of death, we need to work at our transformation. What are your plans for Lent 2024? To be a follower of Christ requires self-disciple, like being an athlete. We must be able to control the desires of the mouth, the irrational use of our tongue in words, the absence of control of the eyes, and the constant wandering of our thoughts. Self-discipline in food is the easiest way to begin. Some people decide only to eat at the meals and not in-between. Lent is a good time to reduce our dependency on coffee. A good self-discipline is checking our cell phones only ao few times a day (except for business purposes). Find something special to do during Lent 2024.

At all times, PRAISE GOD for all things, good and bad, big and small.

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February 11, 2024.        Mark 1:40-45

Jesus is more than a miraculous healer
for desperate causes

After healing the leper Jesus ordered him to tell no one about it, but he went around spreading the news. If God had healed you, would you not want to make it public? For sure the leper praised God for his healing; isn't that great? No, because as a consequence, Jesus could not enter any town without having to face numerous sick people asking for help. So, what's wrong with that?

Most people only pray when they are desperate and do not know what to do. Like the leper, they kneel down and beg, "If you wish, you can heal me." And Jesus might say again, "Yes, I want to. Be healed." And then, all happy, they forget about God until the next crisis. Acting in this way, we become beggars of God and think of God as the miraculous healer for desperate causes.

“I have come that you might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) A healthy life of the body is a gift. The creative life of the mind is an even greater gift. But life in the Spirit of God is the greatest gift. Who is God the creator of all life? We only know him through Jesus Christ and the Scriptures; these are the greatest gifts of God.

"Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." These are not abstract generalities but lived experiences for committed believers. Whoever believes in him will never thirst because faith is the living water that satisfies for eternity. Whoever drinks from the the sources of life in Scripture has an inner fountain of hope, faith, and joy.

Jesus is more than a miraculous healer for desperate causes. Let us turn to him at all times.

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February 4, 2024.        Mark 1:29-39

Can God heal your fever?

We all believe that God can heal fevers, but we do not turn to him for little things. When we have a cold or a fever, we can take an aspirin, or Ibuprofen, or tea with honey. We turn to God for big things, for things we cannot solve ourselves. Right?

What do we pray for? For serious things like money problems, the sickness of a child or parent, a job when we are unemployed, or for passing an exam at school. These are things we cannot control. We may pray and pray, as if God were deaf or not listening. We tend to believe that if we pray long enough, God will give in. We pray like beggars, hoping for God's mercy.

Something is wrong with that. Jesus healed those who begged him, but his biggest miracles were not to beggars. He changed water into wine although nobody asked him to. He fed thousands with a few loaves of bread and fish, although he could have sent people home. He called Lazarus back to life out of friendship, not because of any demand. God became man so that man can become God, out of love, not because we asked him to.

To believe in God's love means believing that he cares about everything in our lives: physical health, happiness in family life, and success at work. If we believe that God cares about us, then we do not have to beg for these things. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Mt. 6:33). St. Paul's advice to the Philippians is most useful, "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done." And also, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances."

It is God who allows that we get a cold or a fever, and it is God who allows that the fever goes away, with or without medication. We must change our attitude and become God-centered instead of self-centered. In all circumstances, whether in a financial or job difficulty, we must believe that God will help us get out of it. We must do everything possible, but praying like a beggar is not he right way. "Tell God what you need," and let him arrange a solution. "Rejoice always, and give thanks in all circumstances."

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February 4, 2024     Luke 15:1-32

More joy in heaven for 1 conversion than for 99 righteous

The joy of heaven at the conversion of one sinner is illustrated by the anxious expectation of the father for the return of his prodigal son. When the father saw his son still far away on the road, he ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him. This is a parable, not a real life story. In the parable, the angels rejoice, but in real life we would have to face a problem, that of a son who spent half the fortune of the family, and now he comes back. The money lost will never come back; the son comes back but not the money. Now what? Jesus' parable is about conversion, not estate management.

The older brother wants to have nothing to do with the celebration for the returning son. He tells the father, "Your son swallowed up your property with prostitutes, and now for his return you slaughter the fattened calf." It's not right. It's bad property management. Yes, it is bad property management, but this is not the point of the parable. The point is to rejoice when a lost brother comes back to life, when the one who was lost has been found again. This is what angels in heaven rejoice about.

There are many prodigal sons around us: drug addicts, alcoholics, food-addicts, homeless people by accident or by their own fault, adolescents with no purpose, adults unstable at work and in relationships, etc. We can easily say with the older brother, "They wasted their lives; it's all their fault" – which may be true but not helpful. Jesus' parable expects us to be like the father mourning his son's loss of a productive life and waiting for every opportunity to bring him home. Like the angels in heaven we must celebrate the good rather than complain about the bad.

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January 28, 2024. John 21:1-19

Jesus to each of us: "Do you love me?"

What a strange question. "Of course, I love you. Why do you ask?"

Love is more important than anything else. "A new command I give you: Love one another." At this is the sign people will recognize that we are Jesus' disciples: loving one another.

The Torah commanded the Jews, "Love God with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength." This is the Shema prayer; it is a pledge pious Jews recite every day. Jesus emphasized another dimension of the Torah. He said, "Love your neighbor is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." Then, if Temple sacrifices were to atone for sins, much more will love to atone for a variety of sins.

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and their brother Lazarus. Yet when he was told, "the one you love is ill," he did not rush to his beside. He saw this illness in a broader perspective, "so that the Son of God be glorified through it." Martha greeted him with a complaint, "If you had been here my brother would not have died." This too, was for the greater glory of God. It allowed Jesus to say, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me will live." Yet, when confronted with the death of Lazarus, seeing Mary and Martha weeping, Jesus wept. And the Jews to say, "See how much he loved him."

Jesus called Lazarus back to life, yet he wept. Working for the Kingdom of God does not take away human feelings. Jesus was not an insensitive hero who can confront death without feelings. Human feelings are part of the Kingdom of the incarnated God. "What can separate us from the love of Christ? Trouble or hardship or persecution or danger or sword? No! Nothing can anything ever separate us from Christ's love" For the apostle Paul, this love was passion and enthusiasm; these emotions are as important as other expressions of love of God and neighbor.

"Do you love me?" We can answer in the secret of our hearts.

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January 28, 2024.        Mark 1:21-28

Satan confronts Jesus in the synagogue

In this story, it is the demoniac who comes to Jesus and shouts, "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth?" Leave us alone. It seems that in the presence of the Holy One, evil cannot remain silent and seeks a confrontation. By saying "Why do you interfere with us?" the demon forced Jesus to rebuke him. "Be silent!" To be silence is what the devil should have done to start with. Quite often in life, evil individuals come to religious people to tease and challenge them, "You're not better than anyone else! Can you prove that God exists? Your prayers are useless, and you are a hypocrite!" It is very tempting to shout back with similar insults, but, No! It is better to remain silent and pray God to expel the evil spirit.

Why were there so many demonic possessions in Jesus' time? Evil takes many forms, and many are natural. Sickness is a natural evil; it has nothing to do with the devil. Psychological pathologies have always existed. Quite different are demonic evils that become more apparent in the face of the sacred. "We know who you are: the Holy One of God." This why the demons in this man spoke up. At the beginning of Jesus' ministry in his 40-day fast and prayer, Satan was already there. When holy people do holy things, Satan may appear to destroy them. "Have you come to destroy us?" shouted the possessed man. No, Jesus did not come to destroy the possessed man but to deliver him. "Be silent! and come out of this man!" Jesus commanded. In a loud cry, the unclean spirits came out of him.

People were amazed. "He commands even the unclear spirits, and they obey him." God has command over the evil spirits, but Satan remains the master of the world: evil is still present all over the world. Part of our work is to eliminate evil as much as we can, but our only true weapon is the faith and hope that God will triumph when Jesus comes in glory to judge the living and the dead. Our prayer is, "Marana tha!" Come Lord Jesus!

 

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January 21, 2024.         Mark 1:14-20

ALL ARE CALLED TO FOLLOW HIM

Jesus called his first disciples around the Sea of Galilee, but since then he continued calling people not just in Galilee but all over the world. His first disciples were fishermen, but today people of all professions and social classes are called to follow him. All have special talents that are useful for the reign of God.

We are all called to bring forth the reign of God in our family. The parents are the spiritual guides of their children, but our responsibility extends to the wider family. We also have some responsibility towards uncles and aunts, cousins, nephews, and nieces. We often forget about the extended family. Keeping in touch is the first step. Knowing their needs, we may be able to help.

Today we also have responsibilities as citizens. There is a tendency to think that government is not our business, but in many countries, government begins in one's town and even one's neighborhood. Citizenship begins by cleaning the front of our house and removing litter. The first step in local government is knowing our neighbors and helping when needed. Today citizenship requires avoiding waste, recycling paper, and conserving energy.

Where is the kingdom of God in all this? Jesus calls all people to follow him, that is, to live in his company. Psalm 40 is a very appropriate prayer for today:

"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
 I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”

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January 14, 2024.         John 1:35-42

God may call us under a different name

Jacob was given new name, that of Israel, the name of the future chosen people. The angel Gabriel greeted Mary, not by her name, but as "you the blessed one." She will conceive a son, "and you shall name him Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High." At Jesus' baptism and transfiguration, a voice from heaven called him "My beloved Son." A name can be a symbol of one's personality. Our parents gave us a name that would represent their wishes for us.

In today's reading, Andrew introduced his brother Simon to Jesus who said, "You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas, which is translated as Peter (or Rock)." This new name was a mission. Simon was not always a rock, but this was his mission. He could fail, but knowing his mission he could get up and recover. Not all popes who succeeded him were strong rocks for the church, but all recognized their mission. It is this mission that allows all Christians to criticize their shepherds.

At confirmation in some countries, young people are invited to select a new name, usually the name of the saint. We already call ourselves "Christians" or followers of Christ. Our new name and our new Christian personality should correspond to the vision and name God has for us. We can get that new personality by trying to do God's will, doing the things that please the Lord.

We all have a mission in life. It is often difficult to guess what that mission is, but it often corresponds to what we wish to achieve, like a happy family and successful career. Our mission is not success, but a Christian accomplishment in our worldly endeavors. This is what we hope for when we wish another a Happy and Blessed New Year.

See the 2023 Reflections