Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together

Tuesday, 2 April 2019

RECLAIMING OUR SONSHIP IN CHRIST

20190403 RECLAIMING OUR SONSHIP IN CHRIST

03 APRIL, 2019, Wednesday, 4th Week in Lent

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading

Isaiah 49:8-15 ©

On the day of salvation I will help you

Thus says the Lord:

At the favourable time I will answer you,

on the day of salvation I will help you.

(I have formed you and have appointed you

as covenant of the people.)

I will restore the land

and assign you the estates that lie waste.

I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out’,

to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’

On every roadway they will graze,

and each bare height shall be their pasture.

They will never hunger or thirst,

scorching wind and sun shall never plague them;

for he who pities them will lead them

and guide them to springs of water.

I will make a highway of all the mountains,

and the high roads shall be banked up.

Some are on their way from afar,

others from the north and the west,

others from the land of Sinim.

Shout for joy, you heavens; exult, you earth!

You mountains, break into happy cries!

For the Lord consoles his people

and takes pity on those who are afflicted.

For Zion was saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,

the Lord has forgotten me.’

Does a woman forget her baby at the breast,

or fail to cherish the son of her womb?

Yet even if these forget,

I will never forget you.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 144(145):8-9,13b-14,17-18 ©

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

compassionate to all his creatures.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

The Lord is faithful in all his words

and loving in all his deeds.

The Lord supports all who fall

and raises all who are bowed down.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

The Lord is just in all his ways

and loving in all his deeds.

He is close to all who call him,

who call on him from their hearts.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn3:16

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:

everyone who believes in him has eternal life.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Or:

Jn11:25, 26

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;

whoever believes in me will never die.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Gospel

John 5:17-30 ©

The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and all who hear it will live

Jesus said to the Jews, ‘My Father goes on working, and so do I.’ But that only made them even more intent on killing him, because, not content with breaking the sabbath, he spoke of God as his own Father, and so made himself God’s equal.

To this accusation Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

the Son can do nothing by himself;

he can do only what he sees the Father doing:

and whatever the Father does the Son does too.

For the Father loves the Son

and shows him everything he does himself,

and he will show him even greater things than these,

works that will astonish you.

Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,

so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses;

for the Father judges no one;

he has entrusted all judgement to the Son,

so that all may honour the Son

as they honour the Father.

Whoever refuses honour to the Son

refuses honour to the Father who sent him.

I tell you most solemnly,

whoever listens to my words,

and believes in the one who sent me,

has eternal life;

without being brought to judgement

he has passed from death to life.

I tell you most solemnly,

the hour will come – in fact it is here already –

when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,

and all who hear it will live.

For the Father, who is the source of life,

has made the Son the source of life;

and, because he is the Son of Man,

has appointed him supreme judge.

Do not be surprised at this,

for the hour is coming when the dead will leave their graves

at the sound of his voice:

those who did good will rise again to life;

and those who did evil, to condemnation.

I can do nothing by myself;

I can only judge as I am told to judge,

and my judging is just,

because my aim is to do not my own will,

but the will of him who sent me.’

RECLAIMING OUR SONSHIP IN CHRIST

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 49:8-15; JOHN 5:17-30 ]

The whole season of Lent is to prepare Catechumens to share in the divine sonship in Christ, and for those already baptized, to renew their filiation with God as their Father. Although we are the Chosen People of God, yet we, like the Israelites in the first reading, have lost our identity and freedom as God’s people. Through our sins and infidelity, we have become prisoners of our passions and our enemies. But God is bountiful in mercy and compassion, as the psalmist declares, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.”

Truly, God wants to set us free by helping us to recover our dignity as His children. He wants to restore us to wholeness. This is what God spoke through the Prophet, “Along the roadway, they will graze, and any bare height will be their pasture. They will never hunger or thirst, scorching wind and sun will never plague them; for he who pities them will lead them, will guide them to springs of water. I shall turn all my mountains into a road and my highways will be raised aloft.” When we become conscious that He is our God and Father, and we are His people and His children, we will regain all that we have lost. There will be joy and freedom in our lives.

In these tender words of assurance to His people in exile, who were feeling abandoned and about to give up hope,God reveals not only His fatherhood but motherhood for us all. Hence the prophet of hope exhorted the people, “Shout for joy, you heavens; earth, exult! Mountains, break into joyful cries! For Yahweh has consoled his people, is taking pity on his afflicted ones. Zion was saying, ‘Yahweh has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forget her baby at the breast, feel no pity for the child she has borne? Even if these were to forget, I shall not forget you.” So, if we are feeling burdened, abandoned, alone in our problems and imprisoned by our past, crippled by sin and anger, then let it be known that God has not abandoned us. He is with us even during such dark periods in our lives, when everything seems so hopeless and forlorn. God, who is our Father and our Mother, will never abandon us.

What is needed is to have faith in Jesus who came to give us back our sonship. Jesus is the Suffering Servant, as prophesied in Isaiah. “At the time of my favour I have answered you, on the day of salvation I have helped you. I have formed you and have appointed you to be the covenant for a people, to restore the land, to return ravaged properties, to say to prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.'” Jesus is the One who will lead us prisoners out of our dungeon of darkness and misery. To come out of this hell, we must first “show ourselves”, that is, make ourselves available to Him. What does showing ourselves entail? Simply, it means that we must learn from Jesus what and how one can become the son of the Father. Only in Jesus can we be restored to our sonship, since we are sons of the Father only in the Son. We are sons and daughters by adoption, not by nature. To be sons and daughters in the Son, we must deepen our knowledge of Jesus’ relationship with His Father.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us that the Father loves Him and has given everything to Him. “For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does himself, and he will show him even greater things than these, works that will astonish you.” In claiming this love of His Father, Jesus made it clear that He is the Mediator of the Father. He came to reveal to us His Father’s love and mercy in His teachings, and especially in His works, particularly of forgiveness and in setting people free from sin, illnesses and the bondage of the Evil One. Most of all, His passion, death and resurrection will reveal the greater things that God does.

It is true for us too. If we want to learn how to be children of God, we must learn from Jesus who Himself learnt from His Father. To be a son implies having full knowledge of the Father. Sonship is the corollary of Fatherhood and vice versa. Every child must, therefore, represent the Father and become one with the Father who is the source of his life. Indeed, in another text of the gospel Jesus says, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Mt 11:27) Knowledge of the son is at the pleasure of the Father, who communicates Himself to His son. All parents would like to hand down their values and traditions to their children, especially their skills and trade. They hope that their children will perpetuate the values of their fathers and race as well. In the case of God our Father, He entrusted everything to the Son without reservation.

To His Son, He gave Him the power to give life. “Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses; for the Father judges no one; he has entrusted all judgement to the Son, so that all may honour the Son as they honour the Father.” Jesus, therefore, is our life-giver. He is the source of life and light for everyone. This life, however, is only ours if we accept Jesus as the Son of the Father. Faith in Jesus is paramount and the ultimate criterion in finding the fullness of life.

Faith in Jesus, therefore, is more than mere trust in Him but to believe in Him so that His life is reflected in ours. He assures us of fullness of life if we listen to Him, a life that begins the moment we accept Him. “Whoever listens to my words, and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life; without being brought to judgement he has passed from death to life. I tell you most solemnly, the hour will come – in fact, it is here already – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and all who hear it will live.” What a wonderful promise from the Lord; that without being brought to judgement, we have already passed from death to life. In other words, even before we face the final judgement at the end of our life, this life of God is already ours, if we share in the life of Jesus.

This life requires that we do the will of the Father as Jesus did. “I can do nothing by myself: I can only judge as I am told to judge, and my judging is just because my aim is to do not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” To be a true son and daughter, like all good children, we endeavour to please our parents. Children always seek approval and the love of their parents for whatever they do, because they owe their origin and life to them. Similarly, if we are called to be God’s children, it will not be to the approval of man that we seek, but only God’s. This was always the attitude of Jesus towards His enemies, and the people as well, for His one and only desire was to serve His Father and to do what the Father would have done. Identified with the Father fully, He gives life to all who come to Him.

We must also bear in mind that sonship is ultimately spelt out in servanthood. This explains why Jesus considered Himself as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah. He took upon Himself as the One His Father had chosen to be the light of the Covenant and set His people free. As we draw closer to the passion and death of our Lord, let us continue to walk in this path of servanthood too. Life is ours as we give ourselves more and more to Christ and His people. We who have been chosen as His sons and daughters are called too, to bring others into God’s family. So the concrete way for us to participate in the sonship of Christ is the way of humble service and self-emptying for the good of humanity. As Jesus assures us, “Do not be surprised at this, for the hour is coming when the dead will leave their graces at the sound of his voice: those who did good will rise again to life; and those who did evil, to condemnation.” So let us not wait till Easter to live the resurrected life, but this life is already ours as a foretaste if we imitate Jesus in being the instrument of God’s love for others. Following Jesus, let us be life-givers, by our words and actions. Let us be people of hope and be like God who assures those who are depressed and alone or lost that we are with them and there is hope in God. Giving life to others is the way to find life ourselves.

Monday, 1 April 2019

DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL AGAIN?

20190402 DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL AGAIN?

02 APRIL, 2019, Tuesday, 4th Week in Lent

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading

Wherever the water flows, it will bring life and health

The angel brought me to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream came out from under the Temple threshold and flowed eastwards, since the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar. He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side. The man went to the east holding his measuring line and measured off a thousand cubits; he then made me wade across the stream; the water reached my ankles. He measured off another thousand and made me wade across the stream again; the water reached my knees. He measured off another thousand and made me wade across again; the water reached my waist. He measured off another thousand; it was now a river which I could not cross; the stream had swollen and was now deep water, a river impossible to cross. He then said, ‘Do you see, son of man?’ He took me further, then brought me back to the bank of the river. When I got back, there were many trees on each bank of the river. He said, ‘This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome. Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’

Responsorial Psalm

The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

God is for us a refuge and strength,

a helper close at hand, in time of distress,

so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,

though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea.

The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within, it cannot be shaken;

God will help it at the dawning of the day.

The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

The Lord of hosts is with us:

the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Come, consider the works of the Lord,

the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.

The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps50:12,14

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

A pure heart create for me, O God,

and give me again the joy of your help.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Gospel

The healing at the pool of Bethesda

There was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now at the Sheep Pool in Jerusalem there is a building, called Bethzatha in Hebrew, consisting of five porticos; and under these were crowds of sick people – blind, lame, paralysed – waiting for the water to move. One man there had an illness which had lasted thirty-eight years, and when Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had been in this condition for a long time, he said, ‘Do you want to be well again?’ ‘Sir,’ replied the sick man ‘I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; and while I am still on the way, someone else gets there before me.’ Jesus said, ‘Get up, pick up your sleeping-mat and walk.’ The man was cured at once, and he picked up his mat and walked away.

Now that day happened to be the sabbath, so the Jews said to the man who had been cured, ‘It is the sabbath; you are not allowed to carry your sleeping-mat.’ He replied, ‘But the man who cured me told me, “Pick up your mat and walk.”’ They asked, ‘Who is the man who said to you, “Pick up your mat and walk”?’ The man had no idea who it was, since Jesus had disappeared into the crowd that filled the place. After a while Jesus met him in the Temple and said, ‘Now you are well again, be sure not to sin any more, or something worse may happen to you.’ The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had cured him. It was because he did things like this on the sabbath that the Jews began to persecute Jesus.

DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL AGAIN?

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZEKIEL 47:1-9,12; PS 46,2-3,5-6,8-9; JOHN 5:1-16 ]

In the gospel, there was this man who was paralyzed for thirty-eight years lying at the side of the pool hoping that he could get into the pool when the water was disturbed so that he could find healing. Yet it is significant that when the Lord saw him, the question He asked was, “Do you want to be well again?” The man did not respond to the Lord. Instead, he was more focused on wanting to get into the pool so that he could walk again. “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; and while I am still on the way, someone else gets there before me.” And this is true also for most of us. Many of us are more concerned about our physical health and financial well-being than our spiritual health and personal relationships with God and our fellowmen. We think that spiritual and affective needs are secondary when they are critical in living a purposeful and meaningful life.

That was why the Lord asked the paralyzed man whether he wanted to be well again. For Jesus, to be well extends beyond the ability to walk again. It means living an authentic life of integrity and holiness. Hence, after healing the paralyzed man, we are told: “the man was cured at once, and he picked up his mat and walked away.” He did not seem to be transformed in his heart or interiorly. He was healed physically but perhaps not spiritually. He did not show gratitude to the Lord or even ask for His name. It was only later when he was questioned why he was carrying the sleeping mat on a Sabbath that he found it necessary to lay the blame on Jesus who healed him of his illness and that it was because of His instructions that he was carrying the sleeping mat. In other words, he wanted to exonerate himself from breaking the Sabbath Law. So when he found Jesus, instead of protecting Him, he went to report Him to the authorities. “The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had cured him. It was because he did things like this on the Sabbath that the Jews began to persecute Jesus.”

Consequently, when the Lord met him in the Temple, He said, “Now you are well again, be sure not to sin anymore, or something worse may happen to you.” Truly, more unfortunate than physical illness is the sickness of the heart and of the soul. Many who are physically sick or immobile are much happier and at peace within themselves than those who are supposedly healthy and able to move about. Happiness in life is not whether we are able to take care of ourselves, or how healthy we are, but whether our hearts are at peace and whether our minds are pure, thinking positively of others, and that we have a beautiful relationship with God and our neighbours. So long as we have a clear conscience and a heart of love and compassion, we can be happy in whatever state we are in and in whatever situation we are found.

Indeed, the scripture readings today urges us to prepare ourselves to be renewed in the cleansing waters of the sacrament of baptism at Easter so that we can be well again, not just physically but spiritually. The pool is a symbol of the baptism font. The water in the pool reminds us of the sacrament of baptism. St John Chrysostom taught that whereas the pool of Bethzatha cured physical ailments, Baptism cures those of the soul. Furthermore, at Bethzatha only one person was cured whereas in the pool of baptism, many are cured of their illnesses and most of all, their sins. We read in the first reading that the flowing water that exits from the threshold of the temple and flowed east brought life to both plants and fishes. “Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along with the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.” God’s healing grace comes to us through the waters of baptism.

Indeed, the sacrament of baptism brings about new life through the forgiveness of sins which is the deepest form of healing. With forgiveness from God, we are able to forgive those who hurt us and then forgive ourselves for the wrongs we have done to others and to ourselves. Forgiveness is the deepest form of healing that we need before any other forms of healing could take place.

Thus, the season of Lent prepares the Elects for baptism at Easter. That the healing of the paralyzed man took place on a Jewish festival indicates that it happened either at Passover or Pentecost, both of which are related to the Christian celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the Passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord. The forty days of praying and fasting help the Elects commit themselves to Christ at baptism. It reminds us of the story of Noah when the entire human race was deep in sin. God allowed the flood to purify the people. The season of Lent similarly is an occasion for sinners to be washed clean of their sins and be saved. Water, too, is not just related to baptism but to Pentecost because flowing water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we live in truth and holiness.

Hence, we must take our growth in holiness seriously. It is not enough to seek baptism but to be baptized means that we intend to grow in holiness. St John Paul wrote, “It implies the conviction that, since Baptism is a true entry into the holiness of God through incorporation into Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit, it would be a contradiction to settle for a life of mediocrity, marked by a minimalist ethic and a shallow religiosity. To ask catechumens: ‘Do you wish to receive Baptism?’ means at the same time to ask them: ‘Do you wish to become holy?’ It means to set before them the radical nature of the Sermon on the Mount: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). (Novo Milenio Ineunte, 31)

Indeed, we must avoid falling into the same mistake as the paralyzed man who resigned himself to his paralyzed state. He was lamenting to himself and engaging in self-pity when he said, “I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; and while I am still on the way, someone else gets there before me.” This is the case of many Catholics and people who are living in misery and pain. They are not making efforts to get out of their miserable state of life. They are bitter with their current lifestyle that is meaningless, but they are not making efforts to come out of it. They wallow in self-pity. Instead of being creative and taking risks to make the changes, they are just sitting by the pool waiting for a miracle to happen. Hence, Jesus told him in no uncertain terms, “Get up, pick up your sleeping-mat and walk.” In other words, stop living in self-pity. Get up, pick up your crosses and start walking.

Some of us fall into the state of mediocrity because of routine. That was the case of the religious leaders. They were not happy that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. They were simply contented to obey the laws meticulously, slavishly and blindly. They did not know how to apply the laws to their lives creatively as Jesus did when He saw the greater need to heal the paralyzed man than to keep the Sabbath Law which forbade work. When we become slaves to tradition and laws, we practise them out of routine rather than out of love and compassion. For Jesus, He healed out of compassion for their suffering, even at the cost of being misunderstood and even persecuted for doing good.

By growing in holiness, our souls become healthier and better, as does our physical health. A sound mind produces a sound body. Jesus in the gospel reminds us, that “every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Mt 7:12-20) When we ask for physical and material things, worse things could happen to us because we use our health and resources to do evil rather than to do good. We cause harm to ourselves and to others when we have a bad and guilty conscience. We are distressed, anxious and restless. That is why we need to take care of our soul and our heart as much as we take care of our physical body. This is what holiness is all about.