The Crucifixion and Forgiveness

Good Morning, dear reader. Happy Sunday! We embark on our journey into the third week of Easter. The resurrection was so glorious and miraculous that we celebrate it for 50 days, ending on Pentecost Sunday. As a matter of fact, the Easter season is more important than Christmas!! 

We have touched upon the book of Revelation in previous posts. As you will recall, Revelation is mostly symbolic in nature. It is not to be taken literally. There really isn't much explaining needed for this passage. In today's reading, you will see Jesus Christ referred to as the Lamb. We also hear this at mass when we pray "Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us." just before we receive communion. Equating Jesus with a lamb means that He is the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin. (There's a longer explanation, having to do with Passover and its celebration, but this is it in a nutshell.) All the creatures in heaven and on earth rejoice and honour God and His Son, Jesus.   

Now, on to John. Jesus asks Peter three times if he truly loves Him. He asks this because Peter was the one who denied Jesus three times before His crucifixion. So, now, Jesus is a little doubtful about how faithful Peter is to Him. However, Jesus is willing to forgive Peter and the role he played in His death. As we have seen throughout the Gospels, Peter becomes the most favoured and important Apostle. Probably because he did feel guilty about what he did to Jesus and now wants to make up for it. 

I think what this passage is trying to convey is that no matter how bad our actions are, Jesus is always willing to forgive and give us another chance. This doesn't mean you should keep doing something you know is bad just because you know that Jesus will forgive you. He can sense when you are insincere, and He will dole out punishment. I'm just saying, that in our everyday, imperfect lives, we mess up. We're all sinners. It's comforting to know that I can never be so awful that Jesus won't forgive me and bring me back to His care. This is our assurance of salvation through His death and resurrection. This is what Easter is all about. So, dear reader, you can rest assured that Jesus will never stop loving you or caring about you. Just try to be a nice human, though. The world will appreciate it. 😇

**I have omitted the video today because Father Bill doesn't upload any on Sunday. Also, it seemed today's readings were ones we have done previously, so I picked the second reading. You'll just have to make do with my thoughts! lol 

Forgiveness and Mercy through the Crucifixion

Good Afternoon, dear reader. Well, we certainly have our work cutout for us with so many readings. So let's get down to business.

Today is a waiting game. Everyone is trying to come to terms with what happened yesterday. How could Jesus be dead? Why did this happen? What do we do now? So many questions and no answers. Or is there?

The first two readings remind us that God created all we have. He reigns over all things living. It also reminds us that sometimes God puts us to a test to see how faithful we will remain when asked to do the impossible. This same theme is brought about in Exodus and the parting of the Red Sea. Moses was facing terrible odds. The Israelites were complaining. They were tired of travelling and not seeing any results. What was the point? They should have stayed where they were and made the best of it. But, Moses hung in there. He knew that this was something God wanted him to do. This can be viewed as Moses's test of faith. Could he still bring these people out of the mire they were in? Could he believe that God wanted this for His people? Moses remained faithful in his quest for God. God provided a way when there appeared to be none.

These readings resonate with me. At the moment, my husbaand and I are facing an impossible situation that doesn't seem to have an answer. We have tried our best and continue to keep going. My fear and anxiety multiply as each day passes. I don't want to face what the outcome will be if something doesn't materialise. But, my husband keeps reminding me to keep my faith in God, that He will provide an answer as He's always done when situations have been dire. 

I will be honest, dear reader. This has not been easy for me. I'm the sort of person who will work and work to find an answer. There has to be a way. There has to be something I can do to fix this. But, now, this time, there's nothing I can do. I've tried. And I have resigned myself to what the consequences will be. I've basically given up. BUT.. I have this teeny little glimmer, my hope in God, that He will somehow pull us out of this. So, I keep soldiering on... and I, as you,..continue to be a nice human. 😇

Father Bill's reflection on todays readings: https://youtu.be/FDNilYlRmXQ

Palm Sunday

Good Morning, dear reader!! A blessed Palm Sunday to you!! Today we begin our journey into Holy Week. It will be a week of mixed emotions, reflection and prayers. It is never easy watching Jesus during this time as we know what is to come. But, we also know of the joy that it will bring on Resurrection Sunday! 

We start our reading this morning with Jesus entering Jerusalem. I will share with you the footnote from my bible, as I think this gives us some good insight on this:

With the royal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, a new section of Luke's Gospel begins, the ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem before His death and resurrection. Luke suggests that this was a lengthy ministry there, which is  characterised by Jesus' daily teaching in the temple.*

Today is one of the few days we can feel joyous. He is heralded as King as He enters the city. But, the Romans ask Jesus to reprimand His apostles for calling Jesus King. They felt this was an insult to their king, who they saw as true ruler. Jesus told them that He would not do this because even if His apostles kept quiet, others would still recognise Him as King and would call out to Him as such. Jesus is the ultimate rabble rouser and rebel!! 

The reading from Isaiah is a prophetic one as Isaiah is referring to Jesus. Remember, Jesus's birth, death and resurrection are all foretold in the Old Testament. This reading laments the fact that the people will not heed Jesus's teachings. Rather, they are relying on the secular. Because of this, their sins will bring death and destruction to the land. 

As we move on to Philippians, we see the joy of Jesus, exalted by His Father, illustrating the fact that He is to be glorified and revered. Jesus did not act as a god, but as a servant TO God; He exemplified utmost meekness of character. This passage reminds us that we, too, should act like Jesus. Our actions should show our devotion to Him. 

Finally, we go back to the Gospel of Luke, where he tells us the story of The Last Supper. Jesus mentions that this is a Passover celebration. Passover is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt. However, Jesus wants it known that instead of making an animal sacrifice for the meal, He will be sacrificing Himself. This will begin a new tradition, as a way to "seal the deal" of the new covenant between man and God. When we partake in Holy Communion, we are recognizing the fact that our salvation was bought and paid for through the body and blood of Jesus Christ, acknowledging our belief in this. 

This is a good time to reflect on your own faith in Jesus. Are you willing to freely accept what He has given up for you? Are you willing to stand by your faith? This is also a good time to participate in the Sacrament of Reconcilliation. Speak of your sins and be willing to accept the consequences of them, thus clearing yourself to take part in communion. 

Be thoughtful and mindful this week, dear reader. And, as always.... be a nice human. 

**Senior, D., Collins, J. and Getty-Sullivan, M., n.d. The Catholic study Bible. (1995)

Injustice

Good Afternoon, dear reader. I do apologise for the lateness of my post. But better late than never. 

Today's reading in Daniel is one of the longest ones in this liturgical year. It tells the story of a woman named Susanna, who is falsely accused of commiting a sinful act. The two men, who are her accusers, want to get even with her for declining their advances. Susanna sticks by her story that she is blameless, but the people won't hear of it and condemn her. Susanna cries out to God to help her, to spare her this unfounded charge that will result in her death. God hears her pleas and sends someone who will appear as a neutral party to save Susanna. Daniel stops the crowd as they are leading Susanna to her end. Daniel uses a technique that police still use to this day. He seperates the two men to see if their stories corroberate. The one elder says that he saw Susanna under the mastic tree. The other says it was an oak tree. Obviously someone is lying here. Daniel tells the people that these men lie and they are to be put to death for their slander. Susanna's life and reputation are spared because she stayed true to her faith and knew God would save her. 

This is a very powerful story. In recent years we have heard so many stories of women who had bravely came forward after being sexually abused. Those that have spoken up were grilled mercilessly, their stories doubted. In some cases, even though the stories were true, there just wasn't enough concrete evidence to bring charges. That is a hard thing to face. The world is full of injustice. Life is unfair. It's as simple as that. The only way we can survive it is if we ask Jesus to keep leading us on the right path. To ease our suffering. To hear our pleas when we are at the bottom of the well. We need to pray for those who commit the wrongs just as much as we must pray for the victims. 

Our story in John plays out like some episode of "Law & Order". The Pharisees (think the prosecuting attorney) are telling Jesus He can't represent Himself. How will He be able to prove His case? It's His word against everyone elses! As the old saying goes "The man who represents himself has a fool for a client". But, here's the twist. Jesus is no fool. He is very shrewd and intelligent. He knows how to handle these people. He tells them that he can make His case. Then He goes on to remind the Pharisees of their own law "Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men can be verified." (Jn 8:17, NAB). This gives them pause, until they ask where Jesus's Father is. Jesus states simply that if these men knew who He was, they would also know God. In other words, if they believed in Jesus and that Jesus is more or less God's "proxy", then they would also know God. This shut down the Pharisees case!

The story ends with, "But no one arrested Him because His hour had not come" (Jn 8:20, NAB). This is the same ending we have been seeing in our readings. It just means that nothing is meant to happen to Jesus yet. The story isn't over. There's still more to go. We have another week to go before the prophesy of Jesus's death and resurrection come into play. 

There is a song playing currently as I write this, "Cry Out To Jesus" by Third Day. It is quite the divine providence that this would be playing now.. 

 "There is hope for the helpless, Rest for the weary, love for the broken heart. There is grace and forgivenesss, mercy and healing. He'll meet you wherever you are." (From the album Wherever You Are, 2005, © Third Day).

I think this is a rather fitting song to go with our readings today. It tells us that no matter what we are going through, no matter what hurt, what helplessness we may be feeling, all we need is to reach out to Jesus and He will give us that hand up that we need. He will give us respite from our suffering.  

Remember in your daily prayers those who are suffering injustice, who have been sexually abused, the ones who have been forgotten, the ones who battle every day just to stay alive. And, as always... be a nice human. 😇 Everyone is fighting some kind of battle.

Here is the music video for "Cry Out to Jesus": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmVxRl5bc4Y  

A reflection on today's reading from Msgr. James Vlaun, Pres & CEO of Catholic Faith Network: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video/2022-04-04-reflection-251

On being a nice human

Good morning, dear reader and a blessed Sunday to you. This is our last Sunday of the Lenten season. Next Sunday we begin the Passion of Christ, where we will see the story of His death and resurrection begin. 

We begin this morning with the prophet Isaiah. God is speaking to the people, reminding them that He is the God who makes way for all. He is the one who rules the oceans and the lands. He is also the one who punishes the wicked and rewards the just. He reminds us that He is the one who created us in His image. He is the one who puts on us the task of spreading His word. 

God also reminds us that we are not to focus on the things of the past. What's done is done. We are to savour today and enjoy the things He has given us. He has provided the life-giving waters of His words to help us on this journey. Without that, we become like the baren desert. We need to start each new day with His word, His instruction. It is through these words that we are to conduct ourselves and our life; to remind all that He is responsible for our being here. 

Philippians is one of my favourite books in the Bible. It was written by the apostle Paul, who, at the time, was in prison for spreading the word of Jesus, facing his imminent death. He is using this letter to guide the faithful Christians on how to live a life that speaks of Jesus. He is recounting his thankfulness for his conversion at Damascus (Acts 9:1-31). Paul is reminding us that we need to always remain thankful and humble for all that we have found in Jesus. To remember that it is not the material things in life that count, but our faith in Jesus is what is important. 

Moving on to our reading in John. We see Jesus is teaching the people who have come to the temple to listen to Him. In the middle of this, a group of men barge in, hauling with them a woman who they have caught committing adultry. They know that this is a mortal sin that breaks one of the great commandments. This sin must be punished. The men want to use this event as a way to solidify their case against Jesus. They're basically saying that Jesus knows this is a sin, that the woman needs to be punished, and if He doesn't punish her, then He is breaking the law as well. But their plan backfires. Jesus tells them that the person who is blameless, who is without sin, should be the first one to stone the woman. At this point, I imagine the gentlemen must've looked at each other, realising that none of them are as lily white as they claim to be. They slowly shuffle out of the temple, leaving the woman and Jesus alone. Jesus then looks at the woman and asks her where are the people who said she is guilty? Are they still here? He tells her that He is not here to judge her. He forgives her sins, tells her to be good and not do it again. He is giving her a second chance to change her life. I'm sure the woman was grateful and would not take a chance on her life again. 

All of this reminds us that we owe our lives to our Creator. That Jesus took our sins with us to the cross. All we need to do in return is live our lives according to the laws that God set before us. When we sin, and we will, we need to admit to what we have done wrong and ask forgiveness, promising that we will try to do better. This does not mean we are free to go and do it again, ask forgiveness again.. it doesn't work that way. If we constantly do the things we know are wrong, then we are not truly sorry for having done it. Those actions WILL be punishable. As the saying goes, we reap what we sow. And that, dear reader, is what I mean when I say be a nice human. Treat others as you wish to be treated, let your life speak of your faith, and be thankful every day. 

Enough of my preaching.. go out there and spread love and kindness. Be a nice human to all you meet!! 😇

Here is a video for the song "To The Cross" by Paul Baloche:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mzqwnAvpTQ

A New Creation

Good Morning, dear reader, and a blessed Sunday to you!! This morning we are looking at becoming a new creation in Christ. The two parables we read tell us about someone who has fallen away, but then repented and was received with great joy!

We see this same theme in Joshua, but in a slightly different manner. The Israelites have come through some awful trials. They are now on their way to a new, and better, life. They celebrate the feast of Passover joyfully. This is their new beginning. They remained faithful to God's word and followed His path. They are free to celebrate. They are free to worship God. 

In the Gospel readings this morning, Jesus uses parables, stories that teach a basic truth or moral about life, to demonstrate His point that even if it is one soul who departs from Him, it is still important to Him. He will seek out that one person and console them with His love and forgiveness.

In our first part, from the Gospel of Luke, we see the story of the lost sheep. The people who were assembled could not understand why Jesus would invite the sinners and the tax collectors to eat with Him and to pray with Him. Why would someone as Holy as Jesus choose to be with these kinds of people? Jesus uses the metaphore of the lost sheep to explain it. We should not ignore or foget the ones who fall away. We need to seek them out. We need to bring them back into the fold. We need to reassure them that Jesus loves them just like He loves the faithful and obedient ones. We need to celebrate the ones who choose to come back. We need to love the ones who voluntarily leave their sins behind so they can follow Jesus. 

In the second part of the parable, the prodigal son, we see how the son who stayed on to help his father, the one who remained faithful to his father, become indignant when the son who ran off to squander his fortunes, was welcomed back with a big celebration. Why would his father do that? This one did not stay to help. Rather, he went off to spend what was given him, to indulge in things that were sinful. What he didn't understand was that the son who wandered away was the one who CHOSE to come back and seek forgiveness. He was truly sorry for what he had done. It required him to humble himself to his father and beg forgiveness. It's a difficult thing to admit we were wrong, to admit our failings. It's quite the vulnerable place for most of us.

In our readings from 2 Corinthians, we are reminded that when we go to Jesus and admit our sins, when we admit our weakness, when we repent for our sins, we become new. We are given a second chance through Jesus's love for us. He will never turn away from one that willingly comes to Him. He reminds us that no matter how far we may have fallen, He will always be there to catch us. He will always forgive us if we are truly sorry for what we have done. It's not an easy task. And it shouldn't be. If it were easy, we would just keep doing what we were doing, and keep asking for forgiveness. But it doesn't work that way. We need to suffer, in a sense, for what we did. And we have to try and not do it again.

When Lent begins, it is a good time to reaffirm our choice to follow Jesus. We need to take the time to rekindle the flame of our excitement. It is also a time to celebrate with those who are newly born into God's family! It is our chance to help lead them along the path! 

Take some time today to be thankful for your faith. Take time to celebrate Christ and what He sacrificed for us. Remind yourself WHY you chose to follow Him. And, as always, dear reader, be a nice human. 😇

“A Prayer Of Affirmation Of Faith”**

Father, we are grateful to be Your children. It is not by our own goodness, behavior, or generosity that we purchase or earn this standing. It is because of Jesus, who came clothed in human flesh so that He might reach His own people and release them from their sins. Though many reject the Gospel message, we choose to believe and gratefully declare that we are the children of God. Nothing can compare with such privilege or power as we make our earthly journey below and anticipate eternity in heaven above. In the name of Jesus, we reaffirm and joyfully proclaim our decision to follow You all the days of our lives. Amen.

**Source: https://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2021/12/10/a-prayer-of-affirmation-of-faith/

Here is a wonderful song that reminds us we can never fall too far from Jesus's grace and mercy. https://youtu.be/Sa7PrjpE8dY 

Mercy and Forgiveness

Good afternoon friends! Happy Tuesday! Our readings today emphasise the goodness of God's mercy and forgiveness, but also reminds us that our faith in the Lord MUST be unconditional. We can't say that we follow Christ, that we believe in Christ, except...._______ (insert excuse here).  

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego* refused to worship the statue created by King Nebuchadnezzar, it was because they held on to their belief in God. They would not abandon Him to save their own selves. Upon hearing this refusal, the king had them thrown into a white hot furnace. The three men prayed and exhalted God. They knew that they had done things in their lives that didn't exactly live up to what God expected. They knew they were sinners (as we all are sinners). They felt that this was God's judgement on them. However, they also understood that it lay in God's hands to forgive them, as He had promised "For Your name's sake, do not deliver us up forever, or make void Your covenant." (Dn 3:34, NAB). What these men did is what we should do every time we pray. We are asking for God's mercy on our souls. We understand that there will be some form of punishment for what we did, but we freely give ourselves to be washed clean in the blood of Christ. 

In that same vane, in Matthew, we hear about forgiveness and mercy, but we look at our own ability to forgive. Peter asks Jesus how many times he is expected to forgive others. Although Jesus answers with "seventy-seven times", He doesn't mean that after you have forgiven the seventy-seventh time, you're off the hook. It's meant to illustrate that we are to forgive always. 

The story of the king who showed mercy to his servant by cancelling his debts is a great illustration of this. There was an unspoken expectation that just as the king cancelled the debt of his servant, the servant was to show that same mercy to others. When he found out that the servant punished those who owed him, the king felt that this man had taken advantage of his kindness. He demanded that this man needed to be punished for what he had done (which is only fitting, really).

At the end of the story, Jesus reminds Peter "So will My Heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart." (Mt 18:35, NAB). The point here is that God's absolution is already bestowed upon us. However, if we refuse to forgive others as God has forgiven us, that mercy will be withdrawn upon our final judgement. We will be held accountable and justly punished.

It's not easy to forgive others who have hurt us. I know I still hold much resentment for past hurts. We all do. We wouldn't be human, really, if we didn't. We are supposed to show the same mercy to others that God shows to us. But, sometimes, this can be so difficult to do. That hurt just runs too deep and it's been there for too long. Still, at some point it needs to be let go of. If you are having a hard time with it, pray to God to help you to release it. In time, it will become easier to just let it go. Let Go and Let God.

I found this prayer and thought I would share it with all of you. Ask God to help you.

Be blessed my friends. And, as always..... be a nice human. 😇

Father Bill's reflection on today's readings: https://youtu.be/6CVpZxp6b6Q

A great song by Matthew West about forgiveness: 

https://youtu.be/FMn0QNdiuGE

*Abednego.. King Nebuchadnezzar had changed his name from Azariah (which means "Yahweh has helped.") to Abednego.  The boys' names were changed as a way of encouraging them to forget the God and traditions of their homeland and conform to the ways and gods of Babylon.

Spiritual Health Pt II

Today we are revisiting the topic of spiritual health, but in a slightly different way. Read on, lovely people......

I used to work as a medical assistant for a small practice. I was the one who would take you back to the exam room, get your vitals, get some information, and then pass it on to the doctor. When I would go in to brief the doctor, I would give her my impressions about the person she was about to see. Was the person acting sick? Did they seem depressed? Was there more going on than what they were telling me? The information I passed on to the doctor was helpful in that she knew what to expect when she would go in with the patient. 

People in health care are tasked with taking care of others WITHOUT passing judgement. We handle a lot of sensitive information. The patient has to know they can trust the person they are talking to so that they can get the best care possible. They have to reveal details that they normally wouldn't tell others. They trust in the fact that we will keep this information to ourselves, that we won't pass judgement on  them. We have to keep an open heart and mind, have a compassionate spirit. 

This is what today's readings are about. That we promise to follow God's rules and trust in the fact that He knows what He's doing. He's the ultimate physician, who holds our lives in His hands. He is the only one who can judge us.  He is the only one who can heal us when we have sinned. He is the only one who can breathe new life into us when we accept His covenant. 

Be Blessed my friends. And, as always, be a nice human. 😇

Saturday after Lent

 

Read: Isaiah 58: 9-14; Luke 5: 27-32

Did you ever wonder why Jesus hung out with the lowliest of people? It was because He knew that those people needed Him more than those who followed His word and His expectations. As He remarked in Luke, "I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but the sinners." (Luke 5:32, NAB). 

Think of it like this, when you are sick, you call a doctor. You are in need of some form of healing. Well, Jesus is that doctor. He heals your sins. But, you also see the doctor regularly to make sure you stay healthy. You want to prevent yourself from getting sick in the first place. Same deal with Jesus, except you see Him on a daily basis. You ask Him to keep you on the straight and narrow. However, try as we might to stay on this path, we are all human. We are all sinners. So, back we go to Dr. Jesus to once again heal us, to make us better. 

When you go to the doctor, at the end of your visit you are expected to pay for your visit. For some, this can be a costly venture. For others, not so much. Well, guess what?! Jesus doesn't heal us for free, either. He expects some sort of "payment". Only this payment comes from our heart and spirit. He wants us to work for that healing. He expects you to come to Him willingly and admit your wrong doings, admit your faults, ask forgiveness. This means giving of ourselves, whether it be in doing for others or through prayer and repentance or both. 

From the moment we are born, we are already in debt to Jesus. He had to die so that we could live through Him. He already knew we were sinners. He already knew what it was to suffer. So, for us to want to "give back", to pay down that debt, it is the least we can do for Him. This is precisely why we come to Him with humility and a grateful heart for His sacrifice. 

At the end of the day, when we look back on money we spent that day, when we balance out the checkbook, make sure you look back on what you did that day. Make sure you "make a payment" to Jesus. This way, you start tomorrow with a clean slate. 

God Bless and keep Jesus in your heart.