Lent 4th Week: March 31- April 5
March 31: Monday: Jn 4:43-54:
The context: According to John’s Gospel, after facing
rejection by his hometown, Nazareth, Jesus went to Jerusalem in Judea for the
Passover feast. From Jerusalem, Jesus returned to Galilee and to his
headquarters, Capernaum, where people received him as a miracle-working
preacher and prophet. Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus did a long-distance
(telepathic) healing for the dying son of an official employed in the royal
court of king Herod. Jesus was preaching at Cana, twenty miles away from
Capernaum. Herod’s officer came on horseback from Capernaum to Cana urgently
seeking Jesus’ presence for the healing of his dying son. He was desperate
enough to swallow his pride and make a public request to a wandering preacher
for this healing. Jesus’ critical comment on the lack of belief in the
Pharisees did not discourage the official. With expectant Faith he pleaded with
Jesus, reminding him of the seriousness of the illness. So, Jesus told him, “Go;
your son will live.” With trusting Faith in the assurance Jesus had
given him, the officer rushed back toward his house. On the way there, he
received the good news that his son had been healed at the very time Jesus gave
his assurance. The officer was so grateful that he and the other members of his
family accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah without fearing the ridicule of fellow
officers and friends.
Life message : 1) Miraculous healings can take place in our lives, too, if we approach Jesus the healer with true humility, trusting Faith, earnest prayer and the willingness to surrender ourselves to God’s will. We might not experience immediate answers or healing, but no prayer ever goes unanswered. Each prayer is answered according to God’s will. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
April 1: Tuesday: Jn 5: 1-2, 10, 25-30:
The context: Today’s gospel passage describes Jesus’ secret
journey to Jerusalem to participate in the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths), amid
rumors of a possible arrest. But Jesus courageously made his public appearance
in the crowd in Jerusalem and started teaching in the Temple. Naturally people
started wondering why the authorities did not arrest him.
Jesus’ messianic claim and the Jewish reaction: Jesus made
two unique and seemingly blasphemous claims. 1) He claimed that he was the
Messiah, God’s Anointed One. 2) Jesus made the additional claim that only he
knew God as He is because he came from God. By this claim Jesus contradicted
the Jewish belief that they had the perfect and final revelation of God given
through Moses and the prophets. Besides, Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah and the
“Son of Man” prophesied by Daniel with exclusive and intimate knowledge of God
was, they thought, nothing but blasphemy. The Jews argued that a mere
carpenter-turned- wandering-preacher from Nazareth could not be the Messiah
because nobody was supposed to know where the Messiah would come from.
According to Jewish belief, the Messiah would emerge quite unexpectedly from
Mount Olivet, cross the Kedron Valley, enter the city of Jerusalem, be anointed
by Elijah the prophet, take possession of the City and the Temple and establish
his messianic kingdom.
Life messages: 1) Like the Jews, we, too, can be prejudiced
and occasionally refuse to accept and follow the teachings of the Church. Let
us have the humility to honor the teaching authority of the Church and its
guidance by the Holy Spirit. 2) Let us accept Jesus as our Lord and personal
savior, experience him through prayer and the sacramental life and surrender
our lives to him. 3) Like the Jews who expected the surprise appearance of a
super-human Messiah we, too, show the tendency to seek God only in miraculous
and extraordinary events, ignoring His presence within us and everyone around
us. (Fr. Tony)
April 2; Wednesday: Saint Francis of Paola,
hermit: Jn 5:17-30:
Context: Today’s Gospel passage gives Jesus’
explanation, vindicating himself when he has been accused by the Jews of
breaking the Sabbath by healing on that day, and of being a blasphemer, by
claiming, as God’s Son, equality with God and the same authority and power as
God.
Jesus’ claims and justification: In general, Jesus claims
that he is one with the Father in all he does as Mediator, and that there is a
perfect understanding between him and his Father in the whole matter. But, at
the same time, he is obedient, and so entirely devoted to his Father’s will
that it is impossible for him to act separately from his Father in anything.
Thus, Jesus claims that his identity with the Father is made visible in his
complete obedience: Jesus always does what his Father wants him to do. Then
Jesus proves his equality with the Father by doing some works that are the
exclusively works of God Who is his Father. For example, it is God’s
prerogative to forgive sins, and to raise the dead, restoring them to life, and
Jesus exercises these prerogatives. Jesus has received Divine power from the
Father to exercise His judgment and authority over life and death. That is why
Jesus’ words bring healing and restore life to those who believe in the One Who
sent him, and condemnation to those who do not. At the last judgment, all who
have heard Jesus’ voice and obeyed his word will be raised to eternal life.
Life message: True Christian life is the
surrender of our lives to God with the same love and obedience which Jesus
demonstrated for his Father. (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
April 3: Thursday: Jn 5:31-47:
The context: In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus
defends His Messianic claims. The Jews demanded proofs for Jesus’ Messianic
claims, quoting Dt 19:15 which requires two or three witnesses to substantiate
a person’s claims. Here, Jesus presents four witnesses who approved His
Messianic and Divine claims:1) John the Baptist, 2)his own
miracles, 3) his Heavenly Father, and 4) the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old
Testament).1) John the Baptist, whom many Jews considered a prophet, bore
witness to Jesus as the “Lamb of God” and the Holy One whose paths he had come
to prepare. 2) The miracles Jesus worked could only have been done by the power
of God his Father. 3) God the Father attested to the Divinity of Jesus at
Jesus’ Baptism (cfr. Jn 1:31-34); at the Transfiguration (cfr. Mt 17:1-8), and
later, in the presence of the whole crowd (cfr. Jn 12:28-30). 4) The Hebrew
Scriptures, especially, the Law and the Prophets, [Toa & Nebim] bear
testimony to Jesus’ Divine and Messianic claims. It was the Spirit of God Who
prompted the prophets of the Old Testament to record their Messianic
prophecies. Then Jesus identifies four obstacles which prevented the Jews from
recognizing him as the Messiah and Son of God: 1) their lack of love of God, 2)
their striving after human glory, 3) their prejudiced interpretation of Sacred texts,
and 4) their lack of Faith in Moses and the prophets.
Life message: When we have doubts about Faith and the Church’s teachings we need to 1) read the Bible with trusting Faith; 2) pray for an increase of Faith; 3) learn the teachings of the Church, starting with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the official documents of the Church; 4) accept the mysteries of our Faith, relying on the Divine Authority and veracity of Jesus; and 5) examine how strong our own Christian testimony is. Does our life reflect the light of Christ so much that it brings light to the darkness in others? (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
April 4: Friday: Saint Isidore, Bishop and
Doctor of the Church: Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30:
The context: Today’s Gospel passage describes
Jesus’ secret journey to Jerusalem to participate in the Feast of Tabernacles
(Booths), amid rumors of his possible arrest. But Jesus courageously made his
public appearance in the crowd in Jerusalem and started teaching in the Temple.
Naturally, people started wondering why the authorities did not arrest him.
Jesus’ Messianic claim and the Jewish reaction: Jesus made
two unique and seemingly blasphemous claims. 1) He claimed that he was the
Messiah, God’s Anointed One. 2) Jesus made the additional claim that only he
knew God as He is because Jesus had come from God. By this claim, Jesus
contradicted the belief of the Jews that they had the perfect and final
revelation of God given through Moses and the prophets. In addition, Jesus’
claim to be the Messiah, and the “Son of Man” prophesied by Daniel, with exclusive
and intimate knowledge of God was, they thought, nothing but blasphemy. The
Jews argued that a mere carpenter-turned-wandering-preacher from Nazareth could
not be the Messiah because nobody was supposed to know where the Messiah would
come from. According to Jewish belief, the Messiah would emerge quite
unexpectedly from Mount Olivet, cross the Kedron Valley, enter the city of
Jerusalem, be anointed by Elijah the prophet, take possession of the City and
the Temple and establish His Messianic kingdom.
Life messages: 1) Like the Jews, we, too, can be
prejudiced and occasionally refuse to accept and follow the teachings of the
Church. We need to have the humility to honor the teaching authority of the
Church and its guidance by the Holy Spirit.
2) We need to accept Jesus as our Lord and personal Savior,
experience him through prayer and the Sacramental life and surrender our lives
to him.
3) Like the Jews who expected the surprise appearance of a
super-human Messiah we, too, show the tendency to seek God only in miraculous
and extraordinary events, ignoring His presence within us and in everyone
around us. (Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
April 5: Saturday: Jn 7:40-53:
The context: Today’s Gospel describes the
reaction of the people, the Pharisees, the Temple police, and Nicodemus, the
Sanhedrin member, to Jesus’ pubic claim to be the promised Messiah and
the “Son of Man” prophesied by Daniel.
The common people say that Jesus probably is the expected
Messiah because of His authoritative teaching and authentic miracles. But the
Pharisees, the Scribes, and the Jewish priests can only see Jesus as a Galilean
from Nazareth, and they argue from Scripture that the real Messiah must be born
in David’s family in Bethlehem. The Temple police, whom they have sent to
arrest Jesus, report that they have not arrested Jesus because, “nobody ever
spoke like Him.” They are impressed by Jesus’ wisdom and authoritative
teaching. Nicodemus, a prominent member of the supreme council of the Jews
defends Jesus, demanding that the Sanhedrin give Jesus a fair trial before they
have Him punished for blasphemy on unfounded claims.
Life messages: 1) We believe in Jesus’
teachings, based on His authority as God. We believe in the Sacred Scriptures
based on the teaching authority Jesus gave to Peter and his successors. Since
Jesus and His Apostles believed in the Old Testament Books as the inspired word
of God, and since the Church teaches the same thing, we, too, believe them to
be the real word of God, and we follow the instructions given in the Bible.
Hence, we need to follow the Bible as the guide of our Christian life and
accept the traditional interpretation given to the word of God by the teaching
authority in the Church.
2) Today we Christians are also “a sign of contradiction,”
as Simeon described Jesus, because we are different and challenging when we
stand for Christ and choose His teachings while others reject them. We need to
have, and act on, the courage of our Christian convictions.
(Fr. Tony) (https://frtonyshomilies.com/)
