Word: The mercy and compassion of Christ calls us to live a life of holiness.
Order: “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” (Jn 8:11b)
Reflection:
The liturgical readings for March 2016 covers the 4th and 5th Sundays of Lent – Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday – in which we participate and share in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Father has declared this year as the Jubilee Year of Mercy. He “strongly desires this Jubilee celebration of mercy to be lived out in the daily lives of the faithful, and all who turn to God for compassionate love and mercy.” Pope Francis explains: “… this is the time for mercy. It is the favorable time to heal wounds, a time not to be weary of meeting all those who are waiting to see and to touch with their hands the signs of the closeness of God, a time to offer everyone, everyone, the way of forgiveness and reconciliation.”
In consonance with this, our Community Word for the month states: The mercy and compassion of Christ calls us to live a life of holiness. We join the whole Christendom in commemorating Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, and as we ponder His suffering, we will find our hearts reaching out to the immensity of God’s love. We continue to partake in the mystery of our salvation with greater freedom, wisdom and joy through the weekly themes discerned for the BLD Community.
The theme for the 4th week of Lent is: We live a life of holiness when we repent of our wrongdoings and are reconciled with God and with one another. The readings of the 4th Sunday of Lent are replete with mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation. Luke presents a moving parable of the lost son who in the end realizes his wrongdoings and decides to return and seek forgiveness from his father.
In the gospel, Jesus calls us to exercise mercy and compassion and to forgive the sins of others against us, no matter how grievous these may be. This does not mean that we should tolerate the sin but rather, we choose to move beyond it. We are allowed to protect ourselves from future offences against us, but not without giving the offending person another chance. This is difficult and sometimes next to impossible, but it is at the heart of the Gospel-message of God who has chosen to forgive all of our sins. Through mercy and reconciliation, the Lord will say to us: “You are here with me always, everything I have is yours.” (Lk 15:31).
We live a life of holiness when we do not pass judgement on those who have gone astray. This is the theme for the 5th week of Lent. The encounter of Jesus with the woman caught in adultery demonstrates that all of us are sinners, and we should stop judging others. We have no right to point to the sin of others while we ourselves commit the same sin. Thus, if we condemn others, we also condemn ourselves. This is not to say that we should turn a blind eye on sin, but we must forebear judgement based on appearances or unverified information. When Jesus said not to judge others, he did not mean that no one can identify sin for what it is, based on God’s definition of sin.
St Paul declares that for him, all things are rubbish and any righteousness he possesses is based, not on the law, but on grace and faith in Jesus. Our calling therefore, is to be righteous before God and to live according to His will, rather than watching others fall. Jesus shows us how to deal with those who have gone astray. Compassion is His first reaction, therefore, He does not condemn the woman caught in adultery, but sends her on her way with an admonition to change her ways and sin no more. The promise for this week, therefore is: “Although they go forth weeping, they shall come back rejoicing,” (Ps 126:6).
On Palm Sunday, our theme is: We live a life of holiness when we willingly share in the suffering of Christ. We now enter into a week made forever “holy” by the self-surrendering love Jesus. As we remember how He loved us, we can let the power of this week be the background of our daily reflection on the passion and death of Christ. He came into our life, with its profound joys and potential for evil, that we may never again face the struggle against sin alone. No matter what we experience this week, we can let it become a “Holy Week “for us, by allowing our souls be touched by the grace it brings.
As we journey with Christ, from His humble yet triumphant entry into Jerusalem, to active visualization of ourselves standing at the foot of His cross, let us allow this week to help us bring all the elements and experiences of our lives to the font of Jesus’ redeeming and liberating passion, death and resurrection. Oh, that we might know the depth of the love being offered us, and the power of the gift of life He won for us! Our promise this week tells us: “I confer a kingdom on you, just as my father has conferred one on me that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom,” (Lk 22:29-30).
We celebrate Easter Sunday with this theme: We live a life of holiness when we believe in the power of Christ’s resurrection. Central to our faith as Christians is the resurrection of Christ, the indisputable truth that Jesus rose from the dead. As Easter people, we believe that Jesus overcame death, for to deny His resurrection is to deny our own salvation. Because of His resurrection, we can now live in the glory of Christ and be transformed – from a life of darkness to a life lived in the light of God.
Easter is a seven-week season of joy and grace. Starting with the Triduum in Holy Week and ending with Pentecost Sunday, this 50-day period has been called “the radiant center of the liturgical year.” We keep celebrating so that we may continue to enter into the meaning of the resurrection and to deepen the way it touches our daily lives. We should always reflect on its truth and nature, and pray for the grace to live it daily and be witnesses of transformation to others whom we meet. Truly, Jesus is alive, and that makes all the difference in the hope and courage we possess to face any struggle or fear, even of death, because, our promise this week tells us: “When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.” (Col 3:4)
Prayer:
If you want to accept Christ as your Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying like this:
“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you into my life and heart to be my personal Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always. Amen.”
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