Category Archives: Lent

April 8, 2013 · 12:00 am

The Annunciation

The Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.  Luke 1:46-55

Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 45 or Psalm 40:5-11; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38

Surely Mary has been called blessed by all generations. She was selected by God the Father to become the mother of Jesus. By faith and trust she received the gift of God promised to her by the angel Gabriel. Mary’s reply to the angle was:

Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.

The blessing is in the receiving. This was not the case for King Ahaz in today’s Old Testament reading who refused to do what God asked of him.

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.  (Isaiah 7:10-14)

The message from God was not only for Mary. It is a message of hope and salvation for the entire world. Believing and receiving this message brings to each of us the greatest blessing from God. We are destined to participate in the eternal kingdom of God under the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Are we an Ahaz or a Mary? King Ahaz said that he did not want to trouble God. He did not want to hear from God. He did not want to listen to His Word. The Season of Lent is a time to open up to God and not be so busy or distracted. This is not so easily done by people who are full of this world. We need to empty ourselves before our maker and hearken unto His Word.

God has not finished speaking to us. He honors us by choosing to speak to us. Let us not isolate ourselves through either false humility, shame, or unbelief. Let us listen, believe, and receive His promises and blessings.

In today’s readings two people heard from God. One was King and one was a peasant. God made promises to them both. One refused to listen and one welcomed the promise of God. We give thanks to God for Mary and for her example. What is our example?

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March 19, 2013 · 12:00 am

Saint Joseph

Faithful Stewardship

2 Samuel 7:4,8-16; Psalm 89:1-29 or 89:1-4, 26-29; Romans 4:13-18; Luke 2:41-52

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.  (2 Samuel 7:12-16)

Joseph was a carpenter. He was not a rich man. He was a husband and a father. He was known in his village but his recognition probably did not extend much beyond it. He was devout as many good Jews were in his day. Joseph cared for his family and was a faithful in following the Jewish traditions and customs. He lived for a season and then he passed away.

Joseph was not unlike many of us. Yet, Joseph was also exceptional. Joseph was a descendant of David. He was part of a very significant chain of events. He was given a commission by God the Father to be the earthly guardian of His beloved Son. Not fully understanding what God was asking him Joseph accepted this commission. He accepted it under what, for him, were difficulty circumstances. Mary was already pregnant before Joseph married her. This would have been a disgrace in Judaism. He was asked to believe that her pregnancy was an act of God, something that was unheard of, yet Joseph willing and faithfully carried out his commission as a faithful steward under God.

We, too, are part of an ongoing chain of events. We, too, have been given a commission by God. One of the ways in which we realize this may be true is through the difficult circumstances in which we often find ourselves, especially when we are required to make a difficult choice. Faith, courage, and a trust in God are required. Life will test us. There will be difficulties and distractions. Yet we will prevail with His help.

What God asks us to do has great significance. We are part of an eternal plan of God. What we do now may seem fleeting or temporary. Nonetheless, God has established a permanent Kingdom that will not pass away and we a part of it. Our life and ministry are very much apart of that Kingdom. What we do now is recorded in heaven. We may not understand the significance of what might seem like unimportant events now but we will when all is revealed to us. In the meantime, God needs us to be faithful. Let us take courage and follow the example of Joseph.

Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing;
from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever;
you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
‘I will establish your line for ever,
and preserve your throne for all generations.’”  (Psalm 89:1-4)

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March 17, 2013 · 12:00 am

Fifth Sunday in Lent, Year C

jesus_anointedThe Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ

Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14;  John 12:1-8

Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”  (John 12:3-5)

We may do “good” by giving to the poor, provided our motives are pure. (Judas Iscariot’s motives were not.) Nevertheless, our good works will not purify us. If we ignore the passion and purpose of Christ we will miss the mark.

When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!  (Hebrews 9:11-14)

What does our love of Christ cost us? What do we give to Him to demonstrate our love? Mary sacrificed all that she had for her Savior. It is not that she purchased His love. She gave out of joy because she already knew that she had His love. Do we know the love of Jesus? If so, how do we demonstrate that we love Him in return?

This is how the Apostle expressed his love for Christ:

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.   (Philippians 3:7-11)

When we love Jesus we will answer His call. His call will cost us everything. Mary understood the cost and Jesus commended her for it. The cost is our lives in exchange for a greater life in Him:

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 3:12-14)

Are we ready now to press on, leaving all behind? Jesus is ready to give us a new and abundant life is Him.

Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing;now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?I will make a way in the wildernessand rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honor me,the jackals and the ostriches;for I give water in the wilderness,rivers in the desert,to give drink to my chosen people,the people whom I formed for myselfso that they might declare my praise.   (Isaiah 43:18-21)

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March 10, 2013 · 12:00 am

Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year C

murilloThe Prodigal Son

Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

The ultimate act of forgiveness has to be when Jesus uttered these words from the cross:

“Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.”   (Luke 23:34)

As disciples of Christ we are asked to follow His example. In today’s Gospel reading Jesus tells the well-known parable of the prodigal son which is perhaps His greatest teaching on forgiveness:

“There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”‘ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.   (Luke 15:11-20)

This parable shows that God the Father delights in forgiving us. In the parable, even before the prodigal son can make his confession the father rushes to receive his son with open arms of love and forgiveness. As parents what would have been our response under the circumstances. I am afraid that many of us might have responded more like the eldest son in the parable than the father. The eldest son was not pleased with his father’s act of forgiveness towards his brother:

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’   (Luke 15:25-30)

Why did the eldest son react in this way? Was it because he was keeping score on himself and his brother? Perhaps it was his sense of fairness and equality. How could his father overlook his brother’s despicable behavior and not notice his own faithful service to his father?

Forgiveness if difficult when we become the arbiter of fairness. It is even more difficult when we leave out the element of love. The Apostle Paul reminds us of the quality of love:

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.   (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)

God is love and we have received the mercy of His love. Let us remember that we are forgiven by God and have beens asked to participate in His Kingdom even while still on earth. We are no longer bound to make judgement from a worldly point of view:

From now on, 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. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.   (2 Corinthians 5:16-20)

We are new creation. Let us rejoice in our status with God and overlook the things in this world that would ensnare us.

Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven,
and whose sin is put away!

Happy are they to whom the LORD imputes no guilt,
and in whose spirit there is no guile!   (Psalm 32:1-2)

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March 3, 2013 · 12:00 am

Third Sunday in Lent, Year C

thevinedresserandthefigtree1-e1361133216732God is Faithful

Exodus 3:1-15;  Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9

No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.   (1 Corinthians 10:13)

In life there are always tests and trials. Our response to those test and trials helps determine the true measure of our character. Do we face these obstacles with faith and hope in a merciful God? If so, there is great reward in our doing so.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.   (Proverbs 3:5-6)

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.   (James 1:2-4)

Let us now turn to what may be a greater test for many of us – the blessings of God. This type of test was certainly a difficult one for the children of Israel when God rescued them for slavery in Egypt and led them towards the promised land. The Apostle Paul writes:

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.   (1 Corinthians 10:1-5)

God blesses us and we tend to lose sight of why we received those blessings. God blesses us for His purposes. With the blessings comes a grace period in which we are expected to respond to his blessings in positive ways. Jesus told this parable to illustrate this very point:

“A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”   (Luke 13:6-9)

We are expected to produce fruit from God’s blessings. John the Baptist warned the Pharisees and Sadducees:

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.   (Matthew 3:7-10)

God grants us a grace period to respond to His goodness and mercy, but that period is not without limits. God does His part. He waters and fertilizes and tends us with loving care. We must do our part. If we remain in His presence and under His direction we will surely produce the fruit that is required. Jesus gave these instructions to His disciples:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.   (John 15:1-4)

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February 24, 2013 · 12:00 am

Second Sunday in Lent, Year C

Jerusalem-Scopus“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35

Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world. King David established it as the capital of the united Kingdom of Israel in c. 1000 BC. He desired to build a temple there for God but God prevented him. David’s son, King Solomon, commissioned the building of the First Temple in the city. It became the dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant. Thus, Jerusalem was not only the capital but the primary place of worship in Judaism. The Psalmist wrote:

One thing have I asked of the LORD; one thing I seek;

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life;

To behold the fair beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.   (Psalm 27:5-6)

Jerusalem is perhaps the most contested piece of real-estate on the earth today. Today it is a holy city to three major religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Jerusalem, we might say is a very religious city. Unfortunately, religion can go astray. This is how Jesus spoke about Jerusalem just before His crucifixion:

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”   (Luke 13:31-35)

What is our Jerusalem today? What is our sacred shrine that takes the place of God’s true sanctuary? For some it is a historic building of a historic church. For others it is the church with the tallest steeple in the city. For still others it is the organ or choir. Things that are meant to facilitate our worship can easily become objects of worship. What ever our Jerusalem may be we should know that it is killing the prophet word of God. It is obscuring the true work of the Church because it is entrenched in the past and it glorifying a time or place that probably never that never as holy as people remember. Too often we set our minds on earthly things and not heavenly things. The Apostle Paul wrote:

For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.   (Philippians 3:18-4:1)

The great temple in Jerusalem was impressive. Jesus’ disciples spoke to Jesus about it as they were leaving the temple:

As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”   (Mark 13:1-2)

When Jesus was throwing out the money changers from the temple in Jerusalem he was asked by what authority He did such a thing:

So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”

But He was speaking of the temple of His body.   (John 2:18-21)

Jesus has become the sanctuary of God:

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.   (Hebrews 9:11-12)

In Christ we also participate in God’s true sanctuary:

For thus says the Highand Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the highand holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.   (Isaiah 57:15)

Are we that sanctuary today? Or are we worshipping false sanctuaries in the name of religion?

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