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Saturday 16 March 2024

Fifth Sunday of Lent - 2024



Jesus' HOUR 
As we prepare to enter Holy Week there are two important words that will focus our attention: HOUR and GLORIFY. Sometimes the word "hour" refers simply and literally to a short period of chronological time (a 60-minute period during the day). But in John's gospel, "Jesus' hour" refers more broadly and metaphorically to the climactic event of Jesus' death and resurrection, which it also refers to as his "glorification". (Jo.12:23; 17:1)

As you see these words occurring throughout the course of John's gospel, you realize how important they are to understanding the message of the gospel. Jesus understood well why he was sent, "... it is for this HOUR that I have come". We must understand how we too are connected to these words; that Jesus' HOUR continues through time, for it is the final HOUR in the story of creation. It is now our hour in time.

To be a true Christian, one must be drawn into the effects of this HOUR, for it is our destiny as well. We must share in the passion of the Cross by the "Christ-like" acceptance of the crosses in our lives. We must undergo the death of all desire for what is sin, the product of evil, until it no longer has influence over us. Finally, we say with Jesus, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit and we enter into our glorification.
We may be able to identify with suffering in its many manifestation. So too, we can appreciate the struggle that is required to conquer the inordinate passions that would subdue us. We will all face our own death, our final hour on earth. But how do we understand glorification?

It is not uncommon to hear the expression, "glorious", used to describe something one beholds with their eyes, i.e. a theatrical production, a celebration, such as a wedding or an Easter liturgy, sunset and sunrise, the vista of a natural landscape. By glorious we mean something of breathtaking beauty, fulfilled to perfection, eclipsing all our superlatives. Jesus' disciples beheld such a vision in the transfiguration of Jesus.

( He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Mtt. 17:2)

St. Paul beheld the glorious risen Jesus, which began his conversion. In Acts he describes it in his own words:  “But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ ... “And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. Acts 22:6

Paul tells that the glorious brightness of the light caused him to be temporally blinded so that he had to led by the hand into Damascus. This glorification, seen in Jesus, is the glorification God has planned every soul that comes into His presence. It is natural humanity transfigured into a new state, the state of grace. St. Catherine of Siena was given a vision of a soul glorified.

The Soul in the State of Grace- Catherine of Siena was permitted by God to see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace. It was so beautiful that she could not look on it; the brightness of that soul dazzled her. Blessed Raymond, her confessor, asked her to describe to him, as far as she was able, the beauty of the soul she had seen. St. Catherine thought of the sweet light of that morning, and of the beautiful colours of the rainbow, but that soul was far more beautiful. She remembered the dazzling beams of the noonday sun, but the light which beamed from that soul was far brighter. She thought of the pure whiteness of the lily and of the fresh snow, but that is only an earthly whiteness. The soul she had seen was bright with the whiteness of Heaven, such as there is not to be found on earth. ” My father,” she answered. “I cannot find anything in this world that can give you the smallest idea of what I have seen. Oh, if you could but see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace, you would sacrifice your life a thousand times for its salvation. I asked the angel who was with me what had made that soul so beautiful, and he answered me, “It is the image and likeness of God in that soul, and the Divine Grace which made it so beautiful.” (Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena )

The goal of the prayer of meditation/contemplation is to connect us consciously with the process of glorification that has begun in us, through our state of grace. This way of prayer opens a vista for us to see into our souls. We experience on a human level what is happening to us on a mystical level. The ways we perceive this experience can vary, from a sense of peace coming over our heart, to visions and revelations, such as describe by the saints and the spiritual writers, (like Catherine of Siena).

It is important that we realize our glorification has already begun in us by the state of grace of our souls. People may not be blinded by our outward appearance as we walk around, but there is an evidence that is perceptible to everyone. It is the fruit of our lives, the works of holiness and charity that we display by our actions. All the trees may look alike. You can tell the good ones by their fruit. (Mtt. 7:16)

The following are the references for Jesus' Hour in John's gospel.
  • Jesus, to his mother, at the Wedding at Cana: 2:4 – “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.”
  • Jesus, to the Jews (using the word "kairos"): 7:6 – Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.”
  • The Evangelist/Narrator: 7:30 – Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. 8:20 – He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
  • Jesus, to his disciples, before raising Lazarus from the dead: 11:9 – “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world.”
  • Jesus, to his disciples, after Andrew and Philip tell him that some Greeks wanted to see him: 12:23 – “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” 12:27 – “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.”
  • The Evangelist/narrator, beginning the "Book of Signs"; introducing the Washing of the Feet:13:1 – Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
  • Jesus, to his disciples, in the Last Supper Discourses: 16:2 – “They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God.” 16:4 – “But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.” 16:21 – “When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.” 16:25 [Jesus, to his disciples] – “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father.” 16:32 – “The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me.”
  • Jesus, praying to his Father, at the end of the Last Supper Discourses: 17:1 – After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you.”
  • Jesus, just before his dies on the cross: 19:27 – Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
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Jesus' HOUR 
Commentary by Dr. Brant Pitre





































































































































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Friday 8 March 2024

Fourth Sunday of Lent - 2024


  But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.

The media platforms and devices we have today are quite brilliant, not only in their technological make up but in the literal light they display. People actually use cellphones as flashlights some times. But more importantly is the message they beam out at us about what media calls truth. All too often the message is a dark shadow of falsehood enveloping us in all manner of deception and error, all be it quite appealing.

In our time we see increasing numbers of people, especially the young with cellphones in hand, walking away from religion and the Church and Jesus the true Light preferring, in the words of Jesus, the darkness.

If the situation we are in today is the spread of darkness then what is to be the solution? Here is a homespun image. When the power goes out in our home we find ourselves in the dark. So we look for things that give out light. We light candles, turn on battery devices for example. If we notice our neighbour is in total darkness we go and share with them some of our lights. As the neighbourhood digs up more of these light sources the brighter things begin to look until the major problem is finally solved.

Lent is a time to deal with what may be causing the absence light in us, we as individuals, we as the Church. Just as darkness is the absence of light so spiritual darkness is the absence of truth. 

 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.  

The true devotion of Lent invites everyone to come into the Light, so that the motive of their hearts may be exposed and where necessary the light of truth may expel any shadow of darkness that may have intruded.



St. Ignatius is an outstanding teacher of how to shine the light of discernment on our lives. It is called the Prayer of Examen. Here is a link. 

The Examen

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Saturday 2 March 2024

Third Sunday of Lent - 2024


The image of Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple is indeed quite striking, and on the surface, it could well be misunderstood. Let us have a deeper look.

The temple of Jesus’ time is the second temple, built by Herod the Great. The first temple built by Solomon in 957 BC. was destroyed by the  Babylonians in 586 BC. In Matt. 24:2, Jesus predicts the destruction of this temple, which was carried out by the Romans in 70 AD. In Jo. 2:19, Jesus, referring to his body as the new temple, predicts it too will be destroyed but then be raised up indestructible and remain unto the end of time. This temple is his Body the Church of which we are the present members. But this temple, of which we are component parts is also not without its problems requiring cleansing and purification. It is here that the Church wants us to focus our reflection this Third Sunday of Lent. 

The main problem Jesus has with the temple in today's gospel is the corruption of money and greed that has infiltrated the temple and is hindering people, especially the poor, from freely and devoutly worshiping God. With us who are parts of the new temple it is the corruption of serious sin that has infiltrated the temple of our hearts preventing true and holy worship to rise up to God. With each serious sin that enters us there is a demon attached, standing in our way, exacting a price we cannot pay for freedom to worship and pray with pure hearts.

Here the example of Jesus in today's gospel makes sense. We must drive out all obstructing sins with us. The merciful hand of Jesus to which we call out to with true repentance will give us the zeal we need to deal with all that is preventing us from faithful and holy worship.

Truly the Father loves us unconditionally. That is why he sent his Son to teach us how to deal with the Enemy that is trying to destroy us. 

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You Tube has an excellent video that takes you on a tour of the temple as it looked and functioned at the time of Jesus.



 




















































Saturday 24 February 2024

Second Sunday of Lent - 2024


 

We know that people in ancient times, in their religious worship of their gods, practiced human sacrifice – sometime of their enemies – sometime of their very own, even their children. These sacrifices were meant to appease the gods, so the gods would act favorably toward the worshipers. Israel was familiar with these religious practices – and could be susceptible to these erroneous ideas of God. So, God chose Abraham, to teach him, and all who would become believers in the One true God, that He did not want humans to be sacrificed.

God taught this important lesson to Abraham in this dramatic way, as we have just seen in today’s first reading recorded in the book of Genesis. Gen. 22:1ff  God does want man’s allegiance and unconditional trust, just not his possessions. God created us with the intention of letting us share in His glory. But before we could be entrusted with such a glorious destiny, we had to learn humility – otherwise, we too might become corrupted with pride as did happen to some the angels God had created.

In St. Peter’s first letter we read: “… But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.' Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives in reverent fear during your temporary stay on earth.” 1Pt. 1:16 - Leviticus 11:44.

And when we are holy as the Father is holy, what will we look like?

    "Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them." (Mark 9.2-10)

The Transfiguration is a glimpse into what awaits us. St. Paul tells it this way: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” 1 Cor. 2:9

Paul says: … “None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”  1 Cor. 2:8.
They lived a life totally conformed to this world, to a material way of thinking. And this is true of today’s secular way of thinking that gives way to an atheist mindset. Secularism wants to dismiss religion off into some obscure corner, out of the way, so that it will not contaminate the minds of people with its myths and superstitions.

Lent is a time to focus our attention on the central reason for our lives, “to be holy as our Father is holy.” A holy person who is transformed by God’s grace, in turn transforms the world around them into a place shaped by truth and beauty and goodness; a place where all evil is banished; a place transfigured in the image of God.



Catherine of Siena was permitted by God to see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace. It was so beautiful that she could not look on it; the brightness of that soul dazzled her. Blessed Raymond, her confessor, asked her to describe to him, as far as she was able, the beauty of the soul she had seen. St. Catherine thought of the sweet light of that morning, and of the beautiful colours of the rainbow, but that soul was far more beautiful. She remembered the dazzling beams of the noonday sun, but the light which beamed from that soul was far brighter. She thought of the pure whiteness of the lily and of the fresh snow, but that is only an earthly whiteness. The soul she had seen was bright with the whiteness of Heaven, such as there is not to be found on earth. ” My father,” she answered. “I cannot find anything in this world that can give you the smallest idea of what I have seen. Oh, if you could but see the beauty of a soul in the state of grace, you would sacrifice your life a thousand times for its salvation. I asked the angel who was with me what had made that soul so beautiful, and he answered me, “It is the image and likeness of God in that soul, and the Divine Grace which made it so beautiful.”.
Yes, this is our dignity and final destiny if we are faithful to God.







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