Easter Sunday

In contrast to the chaos of Good Friday and the silent grief of Holy Saturday we experience today wonder, joy and peace. The tomb is empty but in order: "... he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, went in, and he saw and believed" (Jn 20: 6-8) Our response to the Easter event needs to be one of faith which is "hope in things not seen." (Heb 11: 1) We have not seen the empty tomb nor have we, like the apostles and other disciples, encountered personally the risen Christ. yet, the Holy Spirit has been sent into our hearts as the first fruits of the new creation: "And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying 'Abba! Father!' " (Gal 4: 6) 

Without the resurrection our hope are in vain yet we know in faith that death no longer has any power over him: "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ is the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ." (1 Cor 15: 20-23) This does not give us solely some historical phenomenon, therefore, but a living hope that we will share with Christ in his glory: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have to suffer various trial, so that the genuineness of your faith - being ore precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have no seen him, you love him; and even though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome for your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Pt 1: 3-9)

Easter Vigil

The end of Lent is signaled by the Easter Vigil. It is the beginning of the great festival of Easter which, at fifty days, surpasses the forty days of preparation we embarked upon on Ash Wednesday. What a tragedy that this majestic and compelling liturgy, which is the climax of the Church's year, will not be enacted in churches this year due to the corona virus emergency! Nevertheless, how many parishioners have never attended a Vigil? Those of you who have Sunday Missals or can access it online, I encourage to read all the readings that the Church gives us for this celebration. Enter into the mystery of salvation and open yourselves to the glory which outshines the angels who appeared the the shepherds at Christmas. Let us all be mindful of the amazing gift of baptism and how the promise of the resurrection fills us with joy and enables us o overcome suffering in all of its forms: "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in  a resurrection like his." (Rom 6: 3-5)

Holy Saturday

There are no readings for today. There are no sacraments today. The Church and church are quiet. For many of us in lock down this has become a daily experience. The absence and loss experienced by the disciples after the events of Good Friday have, in part, become our own not just today but throughout the time of this crisis. We need to use this as a time to enter more deeply into the mystery of Christ and the radicality of his love for us. The Jewish people, in the Book of Lamentations, speak in a period of loss and despair not just of their grief but also of their confidence in God's love that never fails. Let us all place our confidence in this love that knows no end even in darkness and uncertainty:

He has made my teeth grind

on gravel,

and made me cower in ashes;

my soul is bereft of peace; 

I have forgotten what happiness is;

so I say, "Gone is my glory,

and all that I had hoped for in the LORD"

The thoughts of my affliction and

my homelessness

is wormwood and gall!

My soul continually thinks of it

and is bowed down within me.

But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope.

The steadfast love of the LORD

never ceases,

his mercies never come to

an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

"The LORD is my portion," says

my soul,

"therefore I will hope in him."

The LORD is good to those who

wait for him,

to the soul that seeks him.

It is good that one should wait

quietly

for the salvation of the LORD.

It is good for one to bear

the yoke in youth,

to sit alone in silence

when the Lord has imposed it,

to put on'e mouth to the dust

(there may yet be hope),

to give one's cheek to the smiter,

and to be filled with insults.

For the Lord will not

reject forever.

Although he causes grief, he will

have compassion

according to the abundance of

 his steadfast love;

for he does not willingly afflict

or grieve anyone. (Lam 3:16-33)

Good Friday

The Passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we commemorate today, reveals to us the power of suffering redeemed through the love of God. Suffering and sin, in themselves, are absurd. Without faith in God people are enslaved by them to anxiety and fear or resort to idolatry as we seek to "buy off" the invisible powers or fate which seem to govern our lives. Another option is to distract ourselves from the emptiness and pain through retail therapy, abuse of substances or incessant travel and entertainment. Through faith we can know the power of God's mercy and love which would otherwise be beyond us when we are blinded by selfishness and despair. This applies to all human beings regardless and is available across all ethnic and social divisions. St Paul says: "For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood effective through faith." (Rm 3: 22-25) This gift needed to be given purely out of love because we had nothing to offer God in return: "But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." (Rm 5: 8)

This begs the question: "How can I avail myself, in a society oppressed by fear of the corona virus and economic hardship, of this amazing love?" As we have just seen St Paul tells us that this  grace is made effective through faith. This faith, brought about through love, transforms our lives. "For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has dies for all, so that those who live might love no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them." (2 Cor 5: 14-15)  It is important to realize that this faith does not make of us mere spectators of God's work and suffering but makes us participants in it and therefore of its saving power: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I live I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2: 19-20) and "The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Rm 6: 10-11) 

This means that we cannot by passive, rather, we must all strive to make the lessons of Christ's Passion a reality in our everyday conduct. This is so our faith can become a vital and enlivening principle that guides us in all. We remain as disciples, not yet masters, since we are yet to attain the glory of the resurrection that is promised to us: "No that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. beloved, I do not consider hat I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3: 12-14)

The result of all this is that our own activity takes on a new significance: the way we speak, the way we use money, the way we show love. The passion of Christ is made present in our own response to our own suffering and that of others. Our conduct becomes a signpost to the efficacy of faith and the wonderful love of the pioneer of our salvation who is Christ Jesus. Thus, we are made heralds for Christ and invite others to journey with us "in this vale of tears.We accompany one another on this pilgrimage of life not oppressed by fear but with a song of joy in our hearts and on our lips: "From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once new Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in this way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, who has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Cor 5: 16-20)

Holy Thursday - Mass of the Lord's Supper

In the Opening Prayer/Collect, for this Mass, the Holy Eucharist is called: "this most sacred Supper," "a sacrifice new for all eternity" and "the banquet of his (Jesus) love." In the Prayer over the Offerings it is called "the memorial of this sacrifice" and in that after Communion: "the Supper of your Son" and "his banquet." The summary of what all this means is articulated in Preface I of the Most Holy Eucharist: "For he (Jesus) is the true and eternal Priest, who instituted the pattern of an everlasting sacrifice and was the first to offer himself as the saving Victim, commanding us to make this offering as his memorial. As we eat his flesh that was sacrificed for us, we are made strong, and, as we drink his Blood what was poured out for us, we are washed clean." In the 1983 Code of Canon Law we read: "Canon 897 The most August sacrament is the Most Holy Eucharist in which Christ the Lord himself is contained, offered, and received and by which the Church continually lives and grows. The Eucharistic sacrifice, the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated thorough the ages is the summit and source of all worship and Christian life, which signifies and effects the unity of the People of God and brings about the building up of the body of Christ. Indeed, the other sacraments and all the ecclesiastical works of the apostolate are closely connected with the Most holy Eucharist and ordered to it. "

All of this is a teasing out of the statement by Jesus in the Second Reading: "Do this in remembrance of me." (1 Cor 11: 24) Yet, all of this is inadequate. The only way to get some kind of purchase on the significance of this amazing sacrament is to enter as fully as we possibly can into the mystery. That most of us are obliged to fast from the Eucharist in this time of crisis can call us to reflect on the meaning of the Holy Eucharist for each one of us and what the act of receiving Holy Communion brings us. After all, for the laity, their participation in the sacrifice of the Mass is a Marian one. It is a sacrifice of praise and gratitude as we stand with Our Lady at the foot of the Cross. The joy of the Presentation in the Temple is joined with the anguish of Good Friday and ultimately the glory of the Resurrection and the Assumption. let us be caught up in this sacred mystery even as we are deprived of its communal celebration.  

The Mass of Chrism

The Mass of Chrism is one of those ceremonies which has unchanging readings. Every year the priests and people gather with everyone looking slightly older. They still come forward to collect the sacred oils from the far corners of the diocese and the priests renew their promise to serve the people. This year all of that will all be gone! We are left with the readings as we remain in lock down. The Word of God still speaks to us and we can share it through our prayer and devotions in private knowing that others around the globe are doing the same thing. We can empathize with clergy and laity who live under persecution or imprisoned or without access to the Mass for much of their year. To be united with them at this time helps us to understand what it means to part of the Universal Church. Jesus, in his programmatic sermon from the gospel of Luke, quotes from the prophet Isaiah: "...to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour", then, being seated and all ears attentive to him he says: "today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Lk 4: 19 and 21) Do we live in a year of the Lord's favour? 

Yes, no doubt, because the Lord is with us and will always be with us. The sacramental life of the Church will go on and the Kingdom of God will expand while other ideologies and way of life fall away. The joy of knowing Christ and being incorporated into his body through baptism outweighs all of our sufferings, not on account of our own merits but the love of the one who suffered for us and calls us to him: "But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you." (2 Cor 4: 7-12) 

Passion (Palm) Sunday

How do you find living in an enforced fast from the sacraments? The Jews in exile from their Temple, in the Prayer of Azariah, prayed:

"For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation,

brought low everywhere in the world this day

because of our sins. We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader,

no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense,

no place to offer first fruits, to find favour with you.

But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received;

As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bulls,

or tens of thousands of fat lambs,

So let our sacrifice be in your presence today and find favour before you;

for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.

And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we seek your face.

Do not put us to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.

Deliver us in accord with your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord." (Dan 3: 38-43)

Let us use this time in lock-down as an opportunity to re-discover the role and importance of the sacraments in our lives. In this we can identify more closely with the sufferings of our ancestors as well as, ultimately, with their joy: "Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" (Mtt 21: 9)

5th Sunday of Lent

The gospel states: "Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him." (Jn 11: 45) It is interesting to see what counts for people when they come to believe in Jesus Christ. The Samaritans heard from the woman at the well: "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done" (Jn 4: 29) and believed once they saw Jesus for themselves. With the man born blind the Pharisees are so scandalized that Jesus worked a healing o the sabbath that they say: "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." (Jn 9: 24) Today it is the bringing back of Lazarus from the dead. The question that can occur for us is: "what counts for me?" Often it will come down to the life and example of someone who has been a witness to the power of God. This makes it incumbent on me, as someone called in baptism to be a missionary disciple, to set such an example and to be a witness to how God's power has been at work in my life. In that way our joy can be complete since we will rejoice at seeing that power at work in the lives of others. 

4th Sunday of Lent

The focus for today's Gospel is predominately on the man born blind. Interestingly, we have not only his interaction with Jesus but also with the Jewish authorities. As a Jew he does not have the benefit of the New Testament, the example of our parents or other sources that we have when we come to rely on in faith. Rather, he can only go on what he has experienced in his encounter with Jesus. he reasons thus: "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." (Jn 9: 30-32) This highlights that for everyone who wishes to become, or to remain, as a Christian and grow in discipleship that the encounter with Jesus is foundational. Our faith is not a "head trip," a fantasy or a self-help guide of collective wisdom. It is about a first hand experience of the person of Jesus Christ, his revelation of the Father and gift of the Holy Spirit. St Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God." (1 Cor 2: 4-5)

3rd Sunday of Lent

Today we hear of the Samaritan "woman at the well" that: "Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city." (Jn 4: 28) In the context of the whole passage it is clear that "water", "well" and other elements in the conversation are not to be taken at literal/face value. What does the "water jar" and "well" mean for the woman? She has been returning to the well time and time again and yet she is still thirsty. After encountering Jesus she is freed from this need and as a result no longer needs the water jar. For all of us there remains what is the "well" and the "water jar" for us? Is it alcohol, personal repute, buying shoes, sex, etc such that we continuous return to a behaviour and are never satisfied? Lent is an opportunity to encounter Jesus anew so that we can be empowered to leave behind bad habits and even addictions. If people see the power of God at work in us then they will be open to experience for themselves. Then they can say to us in turn: "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world." (Jn 4: 42) I recommend to parishioners that, for a fuller reflection, they go to that given by Bishop Robert Barron of Youtube speaking on The Woman at the Well during the Year of Mercy.

2nd Sunday of Lent

In the First Reading for today we hear: "Abram was seventy five years old when he departed from Haran" (Gen 12: 4) and, in the Gospel: "When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome with fear." (Mtt 17: 6) The encounter with God and my response to his call will always take me outside of my comfort zone.  This also goes for the Church as a whole. When we consider the challenge of Pope Francis to all Catholics to become "missionary disciples" it unsettles many. They are happy to live in the parish of school community as they have know it over the years and the idea of venturing out beyond the walls of the institution is frightening. Yet, that is what we are called to do. The Church of today needs to commit afresh to the spread of the Gospel and not be afraid of past failures or disappointments. Like St Peter we can hear the words: "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch" and reply: "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing." (Lk 5: 4-5) Nevertheless, let our response also be: "Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." (Lk 5: 5) I exhort all parishioners, as well as myself, to be open to the teaching of the Church on evangelization and discipleship so that we may share in the joy of the saints as we have shared with them in their mission: "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." (Lk 5: 10)