From Our Pastor's Desk
|
From Our Pastor's Desk
|
|
My dear brother and sisters, February 25th marks this year's last Sunday of Black History Month but the call to live in solidarity, faith, hope and joy has not ended. The theme for Black History Month 2024 focuses on “African Americans and the Arts”. African-American artists have used art to preserve history and community memory as well as for empowerment.
The first first stanza of the Black National Anthem goes “Lift every voice and sing. Till earth and heaven ring. Ring with the harmonies of Liberty. Let our rejoicing rise. High as the listening skies. Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us. Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. Facing the rising sun of our new day began. Let us march on till victory is won”. Recalling our history inspires us to appreciate the present and fills us with renewed hope and zeal in building a better future. A life full of hope and love founded on the Word of God, which faith produces. Harriett Tubman said “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” It is faith that inspires our dream. This Sunday’s first reading recounts how Abraham was tested by God. He was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac to the Lord and Abraham agreed. He took the road to Moriah and upon arrival. The Lord provided the ram for the sacrifice. The Lord we serve is not pleased with human abuse. One lesson for us today is the faithfulness of Abraham. He believed in God totally. He had left his land and country, had given up the security of his home and the protection that came from his family and tribe. He was sure that God would keep his promise and give him numerous descendants. But why should God ask him to sacrifice Isaac? Abraham might have had some questions, but he kept his faith in love and fidelity of his Lord. Such faith is worthy of imitation by us. God has promised us love, joy, serenity, peace. But disappointments occur, difficult and painful moments and we could have the impression that God has not kept his promises. The Lord keeps his promise. We are called to trust in him as “we lift every voice and sing till earth and heaven ring. Ring with harmonious liberty. I wish you a happy last Sunday of the Black History Month. Fr. Paschal Chester, svd THE TRIAL IN THE DESERT
The Church begins today with the intense preparation for the holiest week of the liturgical year, and helps us to revive the central mysteries of our faith. For this reason, we are invited to gather in these forty days of Lent around the mystery of Jesus in the desert so we can strengthen in our hearts the desire to live these holy days of our redemption very close to Christ. Brothers and Sisters: 1. We can only celebrate Passover with Christ if we let Him purify us and we reconcile ourselves with God. He wants to heal our illnesses, He wants to transfer to us the energy of the new life in Jesus Christ. He wants to renew the covenant with us. He gives us his hand. Again, let us be convinced and accept his friendly hand. Let´s look at the example of Christ and follow his path all the way until we reach total obedience of the Cross and then the happiness of Passover. 2. The desert, more than a geographical or temporal location, it is a theological place where one is forced to confront the bare truth. This desert can be an isolated place (a Retreat Home), a reserved time (a day of Retreat) or it can be the hectic city life where a person gets lost amongst the crowd. The theological desert can account for much evil as well as messengers of God. 3. The temptations of Christ, and ours, are not just about choosing right from wrong, but in knowing how to choose the means. How can we become true believers? Fighting, like Jesus, against idols that drive us only to death. Any thing, person, or ideology that takes God´s place... and drags man to emptiness, breaking his communion with love, is an idol. The life of man on Earth will always be a fight against temptation and a continuous effort to conversion. This means to fight against pride, against the pagan preoccupations and against disorderly sexuality. St Augustine says, "If in Him we were tempted, in Him we will win over the devil. You see that Christ was tempt-ed and you don´t notice that he conquered temptation? Recognize yourself tempted in Him, and recognized yourself also, victorious in Him". Let´s revive Lent´s traditions such as the Meditation of the passion and death of our Lord, Praying the Stations of the Cross, or reading the Passion in the Gospel. Let´s maintain an environment of penitence and live Holy Week with trascendent depth without forgetting the small sacrifices we can do to help missionaries and the generous charity to help the neediest. Amen. Source: ePriest.com / Best Practices and Homily Resources for Catholic Priests “I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation” , 1 Corinthians 10:31—11:1, Mark 1:40-45
SIN IS LEPROSY Today's Gospel narrates the healing of a leper and expresses very efficiently the intense relationship between God and man in these words: "If you wish, you can make me clean", says the leper. "I do will it. Be made clean", answers Jesus while touching the sick man, thus removing the leprosy. This passage tells us in very few words the entire history of salvation: Christ is God's 'hand" extended to humanity so that humanity can come out of the quicksand of illness, and we can get up again only by supporting ourselves on the firm rock of divine love. Brothers and Sisters: 1. Leprosy was considered as religious impurity, so the leper was expelled from the community because of his sins. Christ revolutionizes this condemning mentality. To the leper of the Gospel, He treats him like an ill person and is truly interested in his healing. Jesus sees the person. The Christian must learn two lessons: On one hand, the humble attitude of the leper: "If you wish, you can make me clean" - and on the other hand, his apostolic fervor to spread the work of God on willing souls. 2. Leprosy as God's punishment for our sins is an idea still present in the 21st century, just as it was two thou-sand years ago. This is a dirty and contagious disease, that makes a man impure. Father Damian, apostle to the lepers in Molokai, sails to that island, and lives amongst the lepers and heals the souls and bodies of those segregated, excluded and unwanted by society. He repeats this and makes human the miracle told by the Gospel: "moved by com-passion, He extended his hand, touched him; and instantly, the leprosy was cured". Confronted by a leper we could have two attitudes: either separate him so he doesn't make anybody else ill, or heal him so he can live amongst us. Could it be that too many times we live still in the Old Testament? We must bring ourselves to be true Christians so that our love can repeat the miracle of healing. 3. Christ loves each man, each sinner, each leper and for that reason He doesn't ignore leprosy. He cures it. In other words, He fights against evil because He loves man and He wants to save him. The Christian must understand, share, not judge, help all his neighbors; no matter how "leper" he looks... because a Christian knows that we are all sinners. A Christian also knows that if he wants to follow the Messiah of the Kingdom of love and charity, it is necessary to fight against all evil, help overcome it, and be intolerant against any pact that doesn't separate good from evil, truth from lies, justice and oppression. We are stalked by two temptations: unpermissiveness, that divides men among pure and impure, good and bad, and rejects bad from coexisting with the good ones. Permissiveness, which considers all equal. Let's not label our neighbor. Let's learn to forgive and excuse. We all are sinners and we have to seek Christ with faith and trust in his mercy. Christ wants to heal us. He is also waiting for us today in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Source: ePriest.com / Best Practices and Homily Resources for Catholic Priests |
Archives
October 2024
Categories |