His Word Today: Lift

Good morning everyone,

As we prepare for the celebration of Easter every year, we hear the scriptures speaking of deeper meanings behind the final events in Jesus' life.  This year, these same readings seem to carry with them a new reality.  Perhaps our eyes are being opened by the severe restrictions that are being put into place.  Perhaps because many of us have had our daily routines interrupted, we have been able to slow down and we can now understand these words in new light.

Without realizing it, the Israelites had become accustomed to the comforts of their life in Egypt, even if that meant that they were living in slavery. The Book of Numbers recounts the unease that they encountered in the desert, to the point that they grumbled about having been led out of Egypt: out of slavery. To express his anger at their lack of appreciation, the Lord sent a plague of snakes which hit the people so that many of them died (Num 21:6).  This woke them up and reminded them of the gift they had been given.  When they cried out to the Lord for help, God's response was to instruct Moses to sculpt a bronze serpent and to mount it on a pole so that those who were bitten might look at it and be saved (cf Num 6:9).

One week and a few days before we celebrate Easter, the gospel passage for today's Mass places us with Jesus at a time when he was instructing his disciples so that they would be able to understand the meaning behind the sacrifice that he was to endure: When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am (Jn 8:28).  The word 'I am' refers to the name which was revealed when God first made himself known to Moses in front of the burning bush (cf Ex 3:14).

Today, let us lift up all our brothers and sisters who are sick and suffering.  Let us also lift up all those medical personnel, volunteers ... and all those who are working tirelessly to care for those who are suffering.  Let us look to Jesus, who was lifted up on the cross, and ask him to be close to all those who need his help today.  Placing them all in his hands, we must trust that he will take care for them all and lift them up when they are downtrodden.

Let us also pray for the countless men and women who have lost their lives in recent weeks and months, and for all those who have given their lives while they have been standing courageously on the front lines, offering their help to those who are in most need of their help.  May they rest in peace and know the glory of eternal life.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Forgiveness

Good morning everyone,

The scripture passages proposed for today's meditation present two cases that illustrate the great power of wrongdoing and the even greater power of forgiveness.  The first case is that of Suzanna, the wife of Joakim.  Falsely accused, she was brought to trial (Dan 13:28-41).  Regardless of the fact that the evidence brought against her was false, Suzanna was powerless to mount an argument in her own favour.  The gospel account presents a woman who has been caught in the act of adultery (Jn 8:3).  Unlike the case of Suzanna, this woman was guilty and she was well aware of the consequences she faced under the Law.  Like Suzanna, she too was powerless to mount an argument in her own favour.  In both cases, these women needed the help of an advocate, someone on their side who would be willing to argue their case for them.

Is this not the case for us as well?  The laws of our land have changed.  Women are no longer powerless in this country, but there are still many people who need an advocate: someone on their side who is willing to argue their case for them.  This is also true when we stand before God: we need an advocate to plead our cause, especially when we have sinned.

When we come before God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, there is a part of us that can relate very well with the powerlessness of the two women mentioned in the scriptures today, but luckily for us, Jesus is waiting to welcome us.  Like he did when the scribes and Pharisees brought the adulterous woman to him, he looks upon us with tender love.  At times when others would accuse us, at times when we feel most powerless because we have sinned and know that we deserve punishment, he looks upon us with tender love.  Jesus does not ignore the sins that we have committed, but neither does he use them to condemn us.  His response is always: Go, and from now on, do not sin any more (Jn 8:11).

Let us pray today for the great grace to hear these words in the depth of our own hearts.  Jesus speaks these words today to each one of us, offering us the great grace of forgiveness.  This year, many of us are being invited to live our Lent in a very different way.  The presence of the new coronavirus has caused many of us to be isolated within our own homes and as a result, even though we might want to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Easter, it is not possible.  The Church is aware of the suffering we are enduring and wants to be close to us.  Last Friday (20 March), some special provisions were outlined in order to make it possible for us to encounter the merciful heart of Jesus in preparation for Easter, and this past Friday, the Holy Father granted an indulgence to all those who participated in a moment of prayer that he led in Saint Peter's Square.

During the Mass he celebrated at the Casa Santa Marta on the morning of 20 March, Pope Francis said:  I know that many of you go to celebrate confession before Easter, but many might say, where can I find a priest, a confessor, because I can't leave the house, and I want to make my peace with the Lord.  I want him to hug me.  He is my Father.  I want his embrace.  How can I do that unless I find a priest?  Do what the Catechism says.  It is very clear.  If you can't find a priest to go to confession, speak to God.  He is your Father.  Tell him the truth: Lord, I did this and this and this. Forgive me.  Ask him for pardon with all of your heart, with an act of contrition and promise him that afterwards, you will go to Confession, but do this and right away, you will return to God's grace.  You yourself can draw near - as the Catechism teaches us - to God's forgiveness without having a priest at hand. This is a favoured moment, this is the right moment. An act of contrition that is well made.  Thus, our souls become white as the snow.

Let us give thanks today for the great gift of God's mercy and let us celebrate today the power of his forgiveness.

Have a great day.

A significant encounter

Detail from 'The Resurrection of Lazarus' by Giotto

The gospel narrative for this fifth Sunday of Lent recounts three particular moments in the life of Jesus and of those who were dear to him.  Each of these moments provides us with food for our reflection and prayer.

The first moment is presented in this way: The sisters of Lazarus sent a message to Jesus, 'Lord, he whom you love is ill' (Jn 11:3).  Martha, Mary and Lazarus lived in Bethany, not far from Jerusalem.  On many occasions, their home had been a place of welcome for Jesus and his disciples.  They were friends of his, so when Lazarus was dying, they sent word to him, probably thinking that he would want to visit with him.  Hidden in these few simple words is also a plea: the sisters had no doubt heard of other occasions when Jesus had performed miracles; perhaps they too hoped that Jesus could cure Lazarus.

How often have we heard such news?  A friend of ours, an acquaintance or a family member has fallen ill.  Perhaps he or she has been hospitalized.  Maybe we have even heard that there is not much time left.  Most of us would try to move mountains so that we could be present, so that we could see our loved one, just one more time.  Even if we are physically present at the bedside of someone who is gravely ill, there is a sense of powerlessness as we watch our loved ones growing steadily weaker, yet it is a comfort for us and for others to be close to those we love when such experiences occur.

This is what makes Jesus' response even more curious.  Instead of running to his friends side, he said: This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory ... (Jn 11:4).  His disciples must have been perplexed by these words, yet there was a lesson that he wanted to share.  Sometimes it happens that we pray for certain outcomes but it doesn't seem as though God answers our prayers.  In such moments, we have a glimpse of the questions that must have circulated among the disciples at that particular moment.  Jesus waited two more days before he set out for the home of Martha and Mary (cf Jn 11:7).  Even if we try to be people of faith every day, it can still be very difficult for us to learn to put our own wills aside and to trust that God will answer our prayers in His time.

The second moment that feeds our prayer is described in this way: When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home (Jn 11:20).  Perhaps Mary was overwhelmed by her grief at the moment when he arrived and Martha did not want to trouble her.  Instead, she went outside the house to speak with Jesus.  It is evident that Martha was disappointed: Lord, she said, if you had been here, my brother would not have died (Jn 11:21). These are words of anguish, but they are also words of deep faith, a depth of faith that is further demonstrated in the second part of her declaration: ... even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.  Even in the depths of her sadness, Martha believed that Jesus could change the situation.

For the past few weeks, it seems that many parts of the routines that we considered to be normal parts of our lives have been changed.  First, the coronavirus was discovered in another part of the world, then it began to spread.  At first, perhaps we thought that it would have been possible to contain the contagion, but then the relentless march began.  In recent weeks, we have watched the number of cases of COVID-19 rise continually, even in this country.  Political leaders, health care professionals and many others are doing everything they can to control this unknown virus, and to prepare for the eventuality that someone - perhaps many people - will need to be treated.  As we hear news of the increasing number of cases in various parts of the world, we too have been calling out: Lord, our brothers and sisters, the ones you love, are ill.  We pray and we hope that those we love will be kept safe, but we really do not know what will happen.  Perhaps all we can do is to repeat the words that Martha spoke: ... even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him (Jn 11:21).  We must pray and we must place all our loved ones in the arms of God, trusting that he will not abandon us.

In China, in Italy, in Spain and in many other countries throughout the world, many of our brothers and sisters have already fallen victim to this new virus, and many of them have died.  This is an alarming truth, but even in such times of powerlessness, we Christians have the gift of our faith to help us.  The prophet Ezekiel reminds us that the Lord God has said: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves ... (Ez 37:12), and we saw further proof of this in the gospel today.

The third moment that is described recounts the details when Jesus came to the tomb and told those who were there with him: Take away the stone (Jn 11:38-39).  Physical death is not the end of the story.  In a few days' time, we will begin the celebrations for Holy Week, yet even now, the encounter between Jesus and Lazarus reminds us that God has the final word.  In the midst of their disbelief, Martha and the others stood by and watched as Jesus called out to the dead man: Lazarus, come out! (Jn 11:43).  Only God can speak such words.  Only God can call out to those who are dead and raise them to life. The spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us (Rom 8:11). This is the hope that has been planted in our hearts ever since the day of our Baptism.  One day, when Jesus calls our name, this hope will become a reality: we too will be raised and set free.

His Word Today: See

Good morning everyone,

As a child, I used to be fascinated by encounters with those who could look at what seemed to be regular, every-day occurrences, and be able to recognize God's presence.  It takes some time, and a certain amount of experience in order to be able to see God's presence, and then it takes courage in order to point it out, but this is what we disciples need to do every day.  The world around us needs us to see the events of this time through the eyes of faith, and to have the courage to speak boldly about what we see.

People who saw Jesus, who heard him speak, knew him, knew where he was from.  They knew his family, they knew his reputation (cf Jn 7:28), but they did not recognize him as the fulfillment of God's plan.  Only through the eyes of faith have we been able to recognize in Jesus the fulfillment of the prophecies that had been spoken long before he came to live among us.  The words from the Book of Wisdom are a foreshadow of the suffering that he endured.  As we read them today, we are transported into Holy Week, to the drama of Good Friday: He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father.  Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him.  For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes.  With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience.  Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him (Wis 2:13-20).

Let us pray today for the grace to see the happenings in our world through the eyes of faith.  With God's help, we will be able to look at what seems to be the every-day occurrences happening around us, but we will see them differently.  Instead of choosing to ignore the sufferings of our brothers and sisters, let us look compassionately at the challenges they face.  Instead of condemning them or ignoring their plight, let us do our part to take care of them.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Testimony

Good morning everyone,

Today's gospel passage (Jn 5:31-47) begins by pointing out an interesting truth which we should always remember.  Jesus says to the Jews: If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true (Jn 5:31-32).  This maxim holds true even today: if I speak on my own behalf, no one is bound to trust my words.  Others may choose to believe them based on established credibility, but in the absence of such previous experience, hearers would be right to question any words I spoke.

Jesus then goes on to give further testimony: The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me (Jn 5:36).  The Jews who were hearing Jesus' words that day did not understand that Jesus was the Son of God, but Jesus was steadfast in his mission.  He knew what he was about.  He had been sent by God the Father in order to testify to the fact that God is always close to us, like a loving father, watching over us and wanting us to walk with him on the journey of life.

Today, Christians all over the world are still called to testify to the truth that God our Father loves us, is watching over us, is walking with us on the journey of life.  We know that Jesus came to earth in order to do this and we need to share this good news with everyone we meet.  Let us not be afraid to tell others about the reason for our joy.  The Holy Spirit is still with us today, walking with us, guiding our steps and inspiring us to be faithful disciples.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Annunciation

Good morning everyone, and happy feast day.

Today, the Church celebrates the Annunciation of the Lord.  In the midst of our Lenten observances, we celebrate today with great joy because our God has given us a sign.  In the depths of our fears and worries about keeping ourselves and our families safe while the cases of COVID-19 are on the rise across this country, today we hear the words of the prophet Isaiah: the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us' (Is 7:14; 8:10).

At the conclusion of his Angelus greetings this past Sunday, Pope Francis asked all Christians to pray together.  In these days of trial, while humanity is trembling under the threat of the pandemic, I would like to propose to all Christians to unite their voices in prayer to Heaven (Angelus, 22 March 2020).  His Holiness is asking us to pray the Lord's Prayer at 12:00 noon Rome time today (that's 7:00am EDT).  What a wonderful expression of faith this is: voices of all Christians, voices of all confessions all calling on God with the words that Jesus has taught us while we prepare to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ at Easter.

In the midst of our uncertainties, the Lord is with us.  He is a loving and caring father who is close to all his children.  He knows our worries.  He knows our fears.  Together, let us turn to him, the one who sent his angel to a young woman in Nazareth (cf Lk 1:26-27) to proclaim the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, to send his angels to surround us and protect us.

Several times a day, let us raise our voices in prayer:  Our Father ...

Have a great day.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Lord's Prayer

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today, we have agreed to meet, all Christians of the world, to pray the Lord's Prayer together, the prayer that Jesus taught us.

As trusting children, we turn to our Father.  We do this every day, many times a day; but in this moment, we want to implore mercy for humanity during the trial of the coronavirus pandemic.  And we do this together, Christians of all Churches and Communities, of all traditions, of all ages, languages and nationalities.

Let us pray for the sick and for their families; for the health care workers and for all those who are assisting them; for the Authorities, the Military and the volunteers and the ministers within all our communities.

Today, many of us are celebrating the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of the Virgin Mary, when in her Yes, here I am, which was humble and total, she herself mirrored the words - Here I am - spoken by the Son of God.  We too entrust ourselves with full trust into the hands of God and with one heart and with one soul, we pray:

Our Father ...

His Word Today: Life

Good morning everyone,

It seems that in these days, life keeps changing: one day after another there are more and more things that are impacting our lives in increasing degrees.  Yesterday, the Premier of Ontario announced that as of tonight, all non-essential businesses will have to close their doors and all employees will have to work from home.  These increasingly severe measures are for our good, but it seems as though they are restricting our movements more and more.

It might be hard to comprehend the fact that these increasing protective measures are all aimed at increasing our collective chance at overcoming the threat that is being imposed by the scourge of this new virus, but this is exactly the point. In the midst of forced isolation, how are we supposed to find life?

The liturgical season of Lent provides us with a privileged moment during which we can come apart from the daily grind that we call life, but we often say that it is difficult to discipline ourselves enough to truly appreciate the gift of this time.  Perhaps this year, while we are being forced to live this time at a different pace, we can listen afresh to the good news that is being proclaimed.

In the prophecy of Ezekiel, we hear the story of water that gushes in the desert: Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.  Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail (Ez 47:9, 12).

The Lord has not left us alone to face the trial that stands before us.  This is a privileged time.  Our God wants to walk this road with us.  This trial will lead to a renewed abundance of life, but perhaps we can only picture it at the present moment, just like the man who had been ill, lying by the pool of Bethesda for so long (cf Jn 5:5).  Had he dared to hope for so long that things would get better, or had he almost given up hope when Jesus came by?

The words that Jesus spoke to that man, he also speaks to us: Rise, take up your mat and walk (Jn 5:8).  In these times of trial, Jesus calls us to rise above the temptation to regard these very strange times as some kind of punishment.  Rather, we are being called to see these precautions as necessary steps to protect us and for our own good.  Let us ask the Lord today to refresh us with the water of his love and to help us to rise so that we can walk in faith.

Have a great day.