5th Sunday of Easter

 We are reminded today that without the Lord we can do nothing: "Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless is abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me." (Jn 15: 4) Is it possible that once I have been baptized and confirmed that I have all I need in my relationship with God? Do I need to go to Mass, or can I pray by myself and direct my own spiritual path? The answer to this is "no." By osmosis we absorb harmful influences from the surrounding society, and we are misled internally by our pride and delusions of self-sufficiency. Jesus tells the disciples: "You have already been cleansed by the word I have spoken to you." (Jn 15: 3) We need constant "cleansing" through listening to the Word and receiving the sacraments. The Early Church knew that it was not acting independently of Jesus and of Peter, the Rock, on which he built his Church: "Then I (St Paul) laid before them... the Gospel I had proclaimed among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain." (Gal 2: 2). The Risen Lord told them: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Mtt 28: 20) and at the conclusion of St Mark's gospel: "And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it." (Mk 16: 20)

4th Sunday of Easter

 Jesus in today's gospel is the Good Shepherd. This Sunday is often used to promote vocations to the ordained ministry. The world, when it seeks to attack the Church, will inevitably try to destroy Our Lady and the priesthood. The ministry of Pope Francis and the bishops is essential to keeping us united as Catholics. We need to remember to listen to the voices of our shepherds and not to other alien and hostile voices who seek to discredit the authority and teaching of the Church which has endured through the centuries since the resurrection. As much as they are weak, in keeping with our general human condition, the mark of a true shepherd is that he gives his life for the flock. The example and commitment of Bishop John and the priests of this diocese is a visible witness of such love for the Church.

 

3rd Sunday of Easter

 Did Jesus and his followers seek revenge for the killing of Jesus? No, the First Reading for today shows St Peter inviting his fellow Jews to repent: "Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out." (Acts 3: 19) God did not give up on the Jewish people and nor does he give up on us. Jesus did not give up on the disciples who were on the way to the Emmaus and away from the rest of the community. Likewise, God does not give up on us or anyone who turns away from him but rather calls them to return and receive the benefit of his love and joy which is the fruit of the resurrection. Let us, therefore, not be pessimistic or full of anger towards a society, in the West, that has repudiated the Lord. We can hear St Peter say also to them: "And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers." (Acts 3: 17) It can be difficult because our feelings can be hurt by the actions of those who demonize the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, the Second Reading reminds us: "...he (Jesus) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for us only but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 Jn 2: 2) His love is for everyone including those who persecute him and his Church.

2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy)

 The greeting of the Risen Lord to his Apostles is: "Peace be with you." (Jn 20: 19) The prayer the priest prays, prior to the sign of Peace in every Mass, starts: "Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: peace I leave you, my peace I give you." Thus, every time we attend Mass we are recalling and invoking the presence of the Risen Lord to our celebration. We can, like the Apostles in the Upper Room, be paralyzed by fear: "...the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jewish authorities." (Jn 20: 19) Just as the Apostles were empowered by Jesus so too, we, as missionary disciples in 2024 are reinvigorated in our mission to share the joy of the Gospel with the community around us. Lest we be scandalized by our weakness the priest goes on to pray: "... look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever." The Divine Mercy assures us of the forgiveness of our Lord. Furthermore, we are not alone. We are supported by the faith of the Church which includes the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostles who continue to help us in our own struggles and weakness.

Easter Sunday

 The Lord is risen! Alleluia! We sing alleluia now but what was the first response of the disciples to the Resurrection? We read that the angels tell them: "Do not be alarmed" (Mk 16: 6) or "Do not be afraid" (Mtt 28: 5), because: "The women were terrified." (Lk 24: 5) They reacted with fear: "So they went away from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid" (Mk 16: 8), or confusion: "They have taken the Lord out from the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." (Jn 20: 2) Fortunately, we live after Pentecost and have seen the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church since that resurrection morning, most likely seventy two hours after 3pm on April 13, AD 30. As much as the contemporary world, with all its challenges, may cause us fear or confusion we can have a sure and certain hope that Jesus Christ is indeed risen. The willingness of early Christians to die for this belief points to its truth. Thus, our appropriate reaction is Easter joy. We give voice to this in the Mass, especially the alleluia which has remained silent throughout Lent! May God bless you all on this Easter day and fill you with wonder at the beautiful faith we have received from the Apostles. Alleluia!

Celebration of the Lord's Passion

 What is the point of the Passion of the Lord? The letter to the Hebrews tells us: "Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him." (Heb 5:8-9) The deeply unpopular concept of obedience is therefore pivotal to the history of salvation. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, by eating from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and sought to overthrow Him. They were expelled from the Garden. Jesus dies on a Tree in obedience to the Father and opens paradise not just to the repentant thief but to all those who believe in him. Each one of us, not just priests and religious, need to learn obedience so as to be perfected in love of the Lord who died to save us from our sins.

Mass of the Lord's Supper

 Jesus tells Peter: "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." (Jn 13: 8) This can speak to us of prevenient grace. Unless we recognize the God's acts ahead of us and gives us the grace to respond to his love we will not truly have a share in his mission: "For the love of Christ urges us on." (2 Cor 5: 14) Let us be open to his grace, especially this Easter. We need to be humble enough to accept Jesus' example and lead. Otherwise, our faith can be self-indulgent and self-willed. In this way we would work for ourselves and not for the Lord. Thus, there would be no share in the mission of Christ because we are acting out our own mission.

The Mass of Chrism

 Every year we have the same readings for this beautiful celebration that blesses, for us, the holy oils to be used at the Easter Vigil and the coming year. The gospel speaks of Jesus declaring, in his person and ministry, an ongoing year of Jubilee: "... to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour... today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Lk 4: 18 and 21) Thus, every time we proclaim the gospel at Mass the living Word opens us up to the blessings which Jesus proclaimed on that day. It is his Word, not a dead letter, rather an active presence in the liturgy: "Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper that any two edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account." Let us, therefore, not be indifferent to the blessings of the gospel and carried away by intellectual and academic obfuscation. We have the Church Fathers, the Papal Magisterium and other tools from the Church to assist us in interpreting the Word. Let us not, like the hearers of that sermon by Jesus on that day, be scandalized by the generosity and superfluity of God's grace and mercy which surpasses anything that we could imagine: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Cor 2: 9)

Palm Sunday (Year B)

 In the Gospel of St Mark the expression "King of the Jews" is used four times by Pilate and the Romans. They put Jesus on trial, display him before the rabid crowd, and mock him before putting it as a title on the cross, where he is executed as a criminal. The Jewish authorities taunt him: "Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe" (Mk 15: 32) Yet this label is inadequate. As St Paul points out in the second reading that: "... at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2: 10-11) Jesus in the triumphal entry to Jerusalem, was greeted as the Messiah foretold by the Scriptures for the Jewish people and is revealed, in the resurrection, as the King of the Universe to whom even knees in heaven must bend. Let us not be scandalized by Jesus' suffering for it is through them that we experience the divine love most powerfully for us. Jesus is not only the one who saves us but also sets the pattern and example for our own Christian experience which, in one way or another, includes the experience of the cross. As the write of the Letter to the Hebrews puts it: "It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of our salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters." (Heb 1: 10-11)   

Palm Sunday (Year A)

 The concept of "Messiah" is immensely important to understanding the events of Plam Sunday, indeed the whole of Jesus' mission, and how the Jewish authorities, in particular, reacted to it. We can sometimes overlook this significance because we use the Greek word "Christ," as a rule, even to the extent that it becomes his surname. Every time we profess "Jesus Christ" we are affirming "Jesus Messiah." This means we are one with the crowd on Palm Sunday who recognized Jesus as the one chosen by God to liberate his people. He does so, not as many were expecting, by freeing them from Roman rule, but rather by freeing them from sin and death and the rule of Satan. This victory, brought about through his passion, death and resurrection, means that Jesus is not only the promised Messiah for the Jewish people but for the whole of humanity: "Therefore God highly exalted him and gave him a name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2: 9-11)

5th Sunday of Lent (Year B)

 The message of this Gospel runs counter to so much of our instinct for self-preservation. For those who believe that we are simply more highly evolved animals, in a materialist universe, the most important thing is to pass on your genes. Somehow this is enough to give purpose or meaning to life! Jesus points to a higher purpose: "Those who love their life lose it; and those who lose their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (Jn 12: 25) How can we believe that this is true? Why should we live our lives for others and obey the Gospel when the world and media continue to tell us otherwise? The key, of course, is the resurrection with the personal example of Jesus Christ revealing the truth about God's love, power and plan of salvation: "It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters." (Heb 1: 10-11) Let us look to Jesus and follow him, especially in times of tragedy and misfortune, so that the power that vindicated him in his obedience to the father will also be manifested in us now and for eternal life.

5th Sunday of Lent (Year A)

 The raising of Lazarus is a revival or return to his own life. Therefore, it is not the same as the resurrection of Jesus. Lazarus eventually died, as we all will, and relies on the risen Lord for his participation in eternal life, when all things will be restored. This sign, like all of those in John's gospel, points to the truth about Jesus: "But these (the signs) are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name." (Jn 20: 31) The purpose of us listening to the Word is not recreation, amusement or academic interest, it is a living Word that calls forth a response of belief in Jesus Christ just as Jesus' conversation with Martha asks for faith in him. Let our response, together with the catechumens and candidates preparing to come into the Catholic Church be: "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." (Jn 11: 27)

4th Sunday of Lent (Year B)

 In the First Reading we hear today of the great tragedy of the Babylonian exile. The desolation of that event is recorded in the Old Testament in the Book of Lamentations. The Jews could have blamed God for the disaster and decided to take on the Babylonian religion. This would mean that they would have lost their identity and faded into history like so many of the peoples who were victimized by the great powers of Assyria and Babylon. Yet, when we read the rest of the Old Testament, we see that the Jews had a deep conviction of God's love for them. It is fundamental to Christianity that our suffering are not inflicted by God. Rather, God allows suffering so that a greater good may arise. The freedom we possess is the condition of the love we are given and invited to receive. The entry of Jesus into our human reality, including the phenomenon of suffering and death, shows that God not only loves us but transforms the absurdity of our suffering through the power of His great love so as to save the world. Jesus puts this perfectly to Nicodemus when he tells him: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.  (Jn 3: 16)

4th Sunday of Lent (Year A)

 Today the First Reading tells us: "...for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks in the heart." (1 Sam 16: 7) When we turn to the Gospel we can hear how the Pharisees are divided. Jesus has healed the man who was born blind, however, he did so on the sabbath. Some of the Pharisees, therefore, say "This man is not from God" (Jn 9: 16) while others wonder: "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" (Jn 9: 16) So much of what we seek to accomplish through our Lenten observances is oriented towards a change in our inward state. Human beings, as enfleshed spirits, necessarily manifest their interior dispositions through their bodies. Every Sunday we are invited by the Church to have a period of fasting before Mass. This is not as rigorously observed as previously but still has considerable value. It is also laudable to wear our "Sunday best" as a way of recognizing the dignity of the celebration. In addition, we can prepare for the Mass through reflecting on the readings for the coming week and praying with them. Let us be mindful to assist the transformation of our hearts, by attending to bodily disciplines, so that we may ultimately be pleasing to the Lord who sees what is in our hearts. 

3rd Sunday of Lent (Year B)

 Last week we heard: "So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean." (Mk 9: 10) Today, from the Gospel of John, we hear: "After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken." (Jn 2: 22) So much of what Jesus said and did makes sense from the perspective of the resurrection. Likewise, so much of what happens in our lives will only make sense from the perspective of eternity when, by the grace of God, we will enter into the resurrection ourselves. St Paul writes: "From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way." (2 Cor 5: 16) Our Lenten journey, like life itself, looks towards the Easter mysteries even though we might not clearly see the way: "... for we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor 4: 7) Let us have the commitment to stay the course with our Lord Jesus and not give up on the faith which has been handed on to us even when we cannot see a clear way ahead.

3rd Sunday of Lent (Year A)

 The liturgy allows for the use of the readings from year A when catechumens are preparing for baptism. This is the case for CPH in 2024. As diverse as our communities are over six Sunday Masses, we are united in our solidarity with all who wish to be disciples of the Lord and furthermore request the sacraments. All of us are constantly challenged to renew our commitment to Christ and listen to the Word afresh. In the gospel today the disciples are puzzled: "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" (Jn 4: 33) Sometimes we are also mystified by God and do not understand what He is doing. We all need to return to the primordial teaching (Gk: kerygma) of the Apostles so that our sight is clarifies and our hearts renewed. Then we can become authentic witnesses to the power of God in our lives. Then it can be said: "Many Samaritans from that city believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony." (Jn 4: 39)

2nd Sunday of Lent

 Last Sunday we were with Jesus in the desert. This Sunday, we find ourselves on the Mount of Transfiguration. Our Lenten journey reveals to us different aspects of the Christian experience. As missionary disciples we follow closely behind the Lord to hear his Word and grow in knowledge and love of him. Our encounter with the Lord, both in his living Word and the Blessed Sacrament, is not a static experience. The liturgical experience is fundamentally a living memory, (Gk anamnesis), which makes present the whole of the mystery of Christ. As we hear in Eucharistic Prayer III: "Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial (anamnesis) of the saving Passion of your Son, his wondrous Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, and as we look forward to his second coming, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice." I invite you, through your Lenten observances, prayer and fasting, to accompany the Lord on his journey, not just in his glory, but also in his suffering and life giving death, so that his risen power may be manifested also in you. 

1st Sunday of Lent

 One of the key words in today's gospel is "repent" which in Hebrew is shuv meaning to "turn around." That if, as we hear in the Second Reading: "Christ suffered for sins once for all the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God." (1 Pt 1: 18), what is my response? What is the correct course of action to take? Once I take on board the offer of salvation, made to me in Christ Jesus, a primary emotion I should feel is gratitude. This manifests itself primarily in Eucharist. To gather for Eucharist is to give praise and thanks to God. Such gratitude results in a desire to conform myself to Christ Jesus and imitate him in his love. The sacramental mode for implementing this is baptism: "Baptism, which this (the ark) prefigured, now saves you - not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ..." (1 Pt 3: 21) Let us, this Lent, renew our baptism relationship with Jesus Christ and deepen our experience of the Mass so that the grace and love of God may be made ever more powerful in us.

Ash Wednesday

 One of the mysteries of our life as missionary disciples is that we do not live out our mission of sharing the joy of the gospel alone. At the conclusion of the longer ending of the Gospel of Mark we read: "And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it." (Mk 16: 20) We also hear in the Second reading for today: "As we work together with him (Jesus), we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain." (2 Cor 5: 21) Ash Wednesday and the season Lent help us to reform, our lives so that through almsgiving, prayer and self-denial we do not receive the grace of God in vain. The ashes on our foreheads or the top of our heads show an attitude conducive to repentance and openness to the Gospel such that when Easter comes our rejoicing will be amplified since we have witnessed the power of God to save personally.

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Recent experiences of fear regarding the contagious covid virus should give us some insight into the astounding action of Jesus towards the leper in today's gospel: "Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him." (Mk 1: 41) To touch a leper was effectively to condemn oneself to becoming a leper and sharing the same fate of ostracism from the community. The amazing gesture of Jesus shows us not only his power to heal but also his willingness to enter fully into the human condition of suffering which reaches its greatest expression in his sacrificial death on the Cross. St Paul put it this way: "For our sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5: 21) The former leper does not obey Jesus' instruction to keep quiet and endangers Jesus by going on to proclaim to all and sundry that he was healed by Jesus. Rather than staying away from Jesus, the Scripture tells us that: "... people came to Jesus from every quarter." (Mk 1: 45) Likewise, this Lent, we should not be scandalized by the Cross. We, too, need to approach Jesus and avail ourselves of his mercy and redemption which is actualized in the sacrament of reconciliation.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

 Coming forty days after the Nativity of the Lord we see the child Jesus presented in the Temple. He was revealed successively to the shepherds, then the Magi and finally, now in the house on earth of his heavenly Father, to the Temple. This is the temple which, in due course, will be cleansed by the grown Jesus as he reveals fully his messianic identity and mission. There Simeon and Anna, faithful and prayerful Israelites who have long awaited the Messiah, rejoice at his presence. The darkness that has hung over the people is dispelled and the light of God's love suffuses the world. This is not just for the Jews but also, as Simeon prophesizes: "... a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to his people Israel." (Lk 1: 32) Tus, the last of the feasts of the Incarnation concludes. The blessed candles, which we use on the altar throughout the year, are an echo of this feast in our liturgy and remind us of how we are enlightened by Christ and called to the same kind of prayer and faithfulness we see in the Holy Family, Simeon and Anna.

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 In today's gospel Jesus is not content to stay in his home area. He says: "Let us go to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do" (Mk 1: 38) There is an urgency to his ministry as he looks to communicate with as many in Israel as possible. Born before all time, as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, he is now restricted by his incarnated nature to personally preach the message to the towns of Israel. St Paul, too, feels the need to proclaim the gospel not just in Israel but to the ends of the earth. He sees it as an obligation imposed on him by the risen Lord whom he had previously been persecuting: "... woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!" (1 Cor 9: 17) In another letter he explains it this way: "For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them."(2 Cor 5: 14-15) Likewise, our call to missionary discipleship is impelled by the love of Christ and our encounter with him as the power and wisdom of God. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit asking for opportunities to share the joy of the gospel and reveal God's love for all people.

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 The people respond to the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, thought to be son of a carpenter: "What is this? A new teaching - with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." (Mk 1: 27) The word that Jesus spoke then is our Gospel today and we acknowledged it last week on Word of God Sunday. Jesus is the prophet foretold in the First Reading: "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among your own people." (Deut 18: 18) His words and actions speak directly of the will of his heavenly Father so he has no need of other verification or authority. Let us listen to the Lord and deepen our insight into his divine teachings so that his Word and life may be powerful in us. We are all called to serve the Lord as missionary disciples in the way that he has provided for each of us. As St Paul exhorts: "Brother and sisters, let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God has called you." (1 Cor 7: 17) We also need to pray for more vocations to the priesthood so that the Word of God may be more widely proclaimed and the sacraments given.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 There is a clear contrast between this week's Gospel from Mark and that last week from John. Last week the emphasis was on the ministry of John the Baptist, who points out the Messiah, and the interaction between the disciples who respond to Jesus. Mark simply states: "After John was arrested...". (Mk 1: 14) Mark speaks of the urgency of Jesus mission and the speed with which the disciples respond to his call and leave their former lives behind to follow the Lord: "... immediately they left their nets and followed him" (Mk 1: 18) and "... Immediately he called them." (Mk 1: 20) This response can be compared to Jonah who is mentioned in the First Reading. Jonah sought to escape his call and ended up being swallowed by a fish before complying with God's call. Andrew, Peter, James and John hear the call and follow straight away. We can ask ourselves, as we confront the challenges and opportunities of 2024, how are we responding to our baptismal call to be missionary disciples who spread the joy of the Gospel? 

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 The First Reading and Gospel for today have a strong emphasis on discernment and call in the spiritual life. We are not capable of identifying and executing for ourselves God's plan for us alone. We see this in the failed initial attempts by Moses and St Paul to please God which end in violence and failure. Rather an ongoing dialogue of prayer and discernment is necessary not just in the beginning of our vocational journey but throughout the whole of our lives. This is not always easy. We see this with the temptations of the Lord not just in the desert prior to his ministry but also when he is challenged by St Peter and in the Garden of Gethsemane. There are many distractions which can derail our missionary discipleship and this is where our Second reading comes into play. Sexual temptation and sin can deafen us to God's voice. There are many other sins as well such as greed, gluttony, self-righteousness, pride, etc. All of these impede our ability to hear God's voice and weaken our ability to respond appropriately. Let us always strive to follow God's call and avail ourselves of his healing mercy when we fail, so as to get up and move forward again. 

Feast of Baptism of the Lord

 I think that this feast has the potential to be the most understood of the liturgical celebrations in the liturgical calendar. It is about the Incarnation not about the sacrament of baptism! Jesus identifies with the people whom he has come to save. Like Moses he will lead his people on an exodus - not from Egypt to the Promised Land but from death to the resurrection. It is important that we note that the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus after the baptism. The baptism in water identifies Jesus with his people. He is Jewish and is immersed in the life and history of the Chosen People of which he is a part. To be human is to be immersed in the sitz im leben, life situation, of one's people and family. In the resurrection Jesus transcends human categories. As Saint Paul writes: "From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way." (2 Cor 5: 16) Thus, Christian baptism is in a different category from that of the baptism of St John the Baptist. Nevertheless, in Christ, we can still hear the words: "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." (Mk 1: 11)