The Grain

Fifth Sunday of Lent (B)

John 12: 20 -33     “Unless the grain of wheat is brought down into the earth and dies, it remains

                                    just a grain of wheat”

March 25, 2012

To follow Christ, means to travel the same road as His, to lay down our lives, and to leave everything totally in the hands of God our Father. To drive home this point, Jesus takes an example from the world of nature. Our lives, like Christ’s, must be like the grain of wheat which is brought down into the earth to produce new life. The grain of wheat dying in the earth shows us how we must uproot our attachments, our selfishness before we can start living the life of Christ. We must never forget that we ourselves are God’s grain of wheat. What does to be buried in the earth mean? It means avoiding sin, accepting suffering and living for others. Christ’s way of the cross begins at our own doorstep and this is His challenge to each one of us – to follow His path of pain and suffering in our daily lives.

Firmly believing that God our Father will bring us through our pain and suffering to everlasting life, we now pray: “ O LOVING FATHER, YOUR SON TELLS US THAT HE IS THE GRAIN OF WHEAT WHICH IS BROUGHT DOWN INTO THE EARTH AND DIES IN ORDER TO YIELD A RICH HARVEST. LIKE YOUR SON JESUS, HELP US TO UPROOT OUR SELFISHNESS SO THAT OUR LIVES MAY BE MORE OPEN TO YOUR LOVE. THIS IS OUR PRAYER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST YOUR SON OUR LORD. AMEN.” 

Born Again

Fourth Sunday of the Lent (Year B)

John 3: 14 – 21        “Can anyone be born again?”

March 18, 2012

 Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that all who believe in him may be healed and may have eternal life.”

Today’s Gospel contains the response of Jesus to Nicodemus’ question – “Can anyone enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?”

Jesus answered Nicodemus: “Just as the serpent was lifted by Moses in the desert to heal the people, so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that all who believe in him may have eternal life and healed by Jesus on the cross.” In John’s Gospel, Jesus came to earth both to become fully human and to lift all people to eternal glory.

Like Jesus, we are born human and now we try to lift that humanity to glory through the rebirth of baptism and through the powerful love of the Savior on the cross. “Faith,” Jesus says, “leads us to eternal life. The deeper our faith the better foundation we have for being lifted up by the healing form above to the glory of the Kingdom.”

With confidence, we now bring our concerns to God the Father: “GOD OUR FATHER, LOOK WITH LOVE ON US YOUR CHILDREN AND SAFELY GUIDE US ON OUR PILGRI M JOURNEY. THIS IS OUR PRAYER THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.”  

The Two Giants

Third Sunday of Lent Year B

John 2: 13-25    “Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”                           

March 11, 2012

Jesus told those who were selling doves: “Get them out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

At the time of our Lord, two giants were continually at war with each other – the Marketplace and the Father’s House, and when He saw that it had been infiltrated by the money changers, His inborn pride triggered a violent reaction. Acting alone, Jesus drove them out!

We are attracted to both the Marketplace and the Father’s House. Take the issue of life. Can it be bought or sold or it its value beyond all price?

Lent is fitting time both to catch a spark form the fiery zeal of the Lord and to clarify our values.

We now pray: “O LOVING FATHER, ENLIGHTEN US THAT WE MAY CLEARLY SEE THE TRUE VALUE OF OUR FATHER’S HOUSE. THIS IS OUR PRAYER THROUGH JESUS YOUR SON OUR LORD. AMEN.”

Go On

Second Sunday of Lent (Year B)

Mark 9: 2 - 10     “Jesus was transfigured before their eyes”

March 4, 2012 

            What is the importance of the transfiguration of Jesus? Jesus had decided to go to Jerusalem to accept the cross. But before he could go on, Jesus had to be absolutely sure that he was right. On the mountain top, Jesus received the approval of his decision. When Jesus met Moses, the supreme law-giver and Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, they both said to him, “Go on!”

            When Jesus went to God his Father and asked, “What wilt thou have me do?” God said to him, “You are acting as my own beloved Son should act. Go on!

            What, then, is the main message of this gospel passage for us? To enter the Kingdom of God, the only available path is the path of Jesus - the way of the cross that eventually leads to the resurrection.

            “O LOVING FATHER, INCREASE OUR FAITH AS WE MAKE OUR JOURNEY THROUGH DIFFICULT MOMENTS OF OUR LIFE. THIS IS OUR PRAYER THROUGH CHRIST YOUR SON OUR LORD. AMEN.