Lent acts as an annual call to renewal, and can easily be used as a seven-week period of formation. New ministries can be started and existing ones renewed, while the whole parish becomes refreshed and ready to answer its baptismal call to service…
We live in an age of pollution and crisis. Our earth’s air and our water are becoming so contaminated that we fear an ecological crisis. The fresh-water image, therefore, in the prophecy of Ezekiel has all the more appeal today; its miraculous origin all the more necessary. Only by the mercy of God, it seems, can the destruction of our planet be reversed. Ezekiel offers us reasons to hope and pray.
Through Isaiah, God promises us “new heavens and a new earth.” We look forward to a vibrant life, even better than just the old-made-new… for it will be a new creation, a total transformation. Although in the next age we and everyone else will somehow be the same persons who lived on this old planet earth, God’s creative power will lead into a heavenly existence so marvelous that the things of the past shall not be remembered . . .No longer shall the sounds of weeping be heard there.
Are we, in some ways, “walking in darkness,” unaware of our true spritual state, blind to the gravest of our faults and to the needs of others. The Gospel remedy is to let the Spirit of Jesus shine into our hearts this very day, to take away our blindness and help us see things his way. But sometimes too, by undervaluing our gifts or being only too burdened by our failures, we might fail to make our proper mark in life – just as young David’s family never imagined that he could possibly serve God’s people as their king. St Paul assures us that each individual person is gifted and chosen, enabled through baptism to live in God’s shining grace, and to share it with others.
Traditionally, this Sunday is called Laetare Sunday, which means ‘a day for joy’. Lent is half over, and the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus is nearer. At this midpoint of Lent, it is traditional to honour mothers, treasuring those still with us and praying for those we have lost to death.
If we know our Bible well, especially if we have memorized a lot of key passages, we have a rich storeroom of guidance, allowing us to find a good spiritual response for every occasion. The accompanying danger is that this store of memorised texts could wrap a mantle of false piety about us and so feel very theologically superior and self-righteous. But even the devil can quote Scripture for his purpose…
Both readings today are in a dialogue style and offer an excellent example of how to prayerfully study the Sacred Scriptures. We are to consider ourselves in the presence of God, but also in the presence of our larger community
Jeremiah 7:23ff. Jeremiah presents human life in terms of a simple, obedient response to God. Disobedience was the cause of their disasters. Luke 11:14ff. His miracles of healing proved that Jesus was acting with the authority of God, and was not, as his critics claimed, in league with the devil. Basic Human Virtues While the…
Deut. 4:1ff. Belonging to God’s people is a privelege, implying responsibilities, and a wonderful destiny. Matthew 5:17ff. The spirit of prophetic renewal, that Jesus both taught and lived by, embodies and deepens the best features of Israel’s past. It’s not enough to keep the letter of the law; one must genuinely seek and do the…
Daniel 3:25ff. King Nebuchadnezzar is deeply impressed by the miraculous escape of the three young Jews Matthew 18:21ff. Within this church-related chapter in Matthew, we find the spirit of mutual forgiveness that Jesus wants to characterise relationships within his church. Making a New Start An integral wholeness and thorough consistency dominate these two biblical selections….
2 Kings 5:1ff. Naaman, commander of the Syrian army, takes the prophet’s advice and is cured of his leprosy. Luke 4:24ff. The townspeople of Nazareth turn against Jesus, a classic proof of the dictum that “no prophet is accepted in his own home town.” Believing in Miracles At its heart biblical faith includes a belief…
Theme Christ quenches our spiritual thirst with the living water of grace: the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This living water is like a spring inside us, welling up to eternal life. The Samaritan Woman’s desire for spiritual growth and renewal draws Jesus to say some vital words…
Opening Comment
Today’s readings about water and thirst remind us that this is a baptismal season. During Lent, many people all over the world look forward to their baptism, while those already baptised prepare to renew their promises.
Micah 7:14ff. The prophet trusts that God, as a merciful shepherd, will again have compassion on his lowly and needy people. Luke 15:1ff. The parable of the Prodigal Son portrays a profoundly compassionate God, and includes a sharp warning against self-righteousness. Our Inheritance: Remembering God In these passages the Bible speaks of an inheritance, promised…
(this text is also included in our Sundays & Feasts section) Theme: Wonderful News The Annunciation story is full of splendid promise, radiant with a bright future. God’s messenger tells of a coming Saviour who will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High and will reign forever. The Word becomes…
Jeremiah 17:5ff. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord rather than in mere mortal power. Luke 16:19ff. The contrasting fortunes in the next life, of “Dives,” the uncaring rich man and his poor neighbour, Lazarus. In God We Trust In the curse of Jeremiah and the parable of Jesus we meet a lifetime of…
Jeremiah 18:18ff. In his hopeless situation the prophet calls out the great prayer of hope: “Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies!” Matthew 20:17ff. Jesus’ reply to the request for prominent places goes too often unheeded: “the greatest among you must be our servant.” Believing in God’s Plan, No Matter What Both biblical readings record an…
Isaiah 1:10ff. A ringing prophetic call to personal conversion: “remove your evildoings from before my eyes” Matthew 23:1ff. Unlike the hierarchical customs of Judaism, in Jesus’ circle “the greatest among you will be your servant.” Charity is vital, in order to have genuine personal integrity The Scriptures for this day inculcate consistency and integral wholeness…
Daniel 9:4ff. The exiles’ prayer of repentance. Humbled by the experience of being conquered and taken away as captive slaves, they turn back to God their Saviour. Luke 6:36ff. Jesus calls us to be perfect in the virtue of mercy, in imitation of God himself. Beautiful Compassion Where Matthew’s gospel has Jesus say, on the…
Opening Comment
Now that we are ten days into the season of Lent, our goal is clarified in today’s liturgy. The Gospel of the Transfiguration reminds us that we are destined for glory. Like the disciples, we keep this glimpse of glory in our hearts in the dark days ahead. Resurection will follow, as surely as day follows night.
