1Adv15c: A world has to end

Readings

A new adventure begins. A new liturgical year. I like going through liturgical cycles because not matter what happens to me I am always faced with the truth that comes from the life of Jesus. Every year I see Jesus in a different way, and every year I try to follow Him in ways that are always new. What a great invention these liturgical cycles!

This year, Luke is the one who will guide my steps. As I read these words, I meditate on the world that that is to come. For a new world to come, an old one needs to end. I long for the Kingdom to be established, where the values of the King become the values of the citizens of the Kingdom.

My attention, however, is taken by the big "signs" that are given to us. The Sun, the Moon and the Stars get all my attention. No matter how important they are, they are falling. They have to go. I am reminded of the roles that these celestial bodies played in the mind and cultures of the people who first listened to the Gospel. They were divinities, they had values, and many were guided by them as they chose a path to trod. I can't help thinking about my life: what gives meaning? where do I get my own values? what guides my path? When I have to make a decision, what are the values I choose to follow?

I cannot welcome "the One who is to come" if I do not let my old world die. The more I remove the values of the world from my heart and from my vision, the more I will let the Son of Man to come in. Jesus does not share values with the world. I have to choose which one I am going to follow.

As I pray: "O come, o come, Emmanuel," I ask Jesus to be "God-with-us," then I cannot let Him share my loyalty with any other things.

I am ready to start this new adventure, this new liturgical year, with great joy! I know that my world is ready to end so that His may begin. And His … will last forever.

Jewels on the King's Crown.

I am still thinking about the feast of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe.

And I am still thinking about the conversation between Pilate and Jesus. I can't stop thinking about the big challenge it brings me.

How do I know that Jesus is the King? Is it because someone else told me? or is it because I experience Him as King? Honestly, it's not easy to give an answer. My belief began by believing someone else. But that belief now has become my own. When I live consciously the values of the King then I experience His rule. Considering that He establishes His Kingdom in love it is only in and through Love that I experience God alive in my heart.

And, when I look around, I see that His kingdom is everywhere and so many people are working so hard to live the values of the King. I have been so inspired by some of these people. I do not know if they are Christians or not. And it does not matter to me a bit. I consider these people as true Jewels on the King's crown.

The first one is Antoine Leiris, the husband of one of the victims in Parish. His facebook entry and interview made me cry. I didn't cry only because of the pain he and his son are feeling but because of the great courage this mas has to believe that hate is not an answer.

The other Jewel is Adel Termos, of Beirut who tackled down a second suicide bomber. He was taking a walk with his young daughter when he spotted the terrorist. In a split second he decided! And his sacrifice saved countless lives.  He leaves behind his wife, Bassima, 6-year-old daughter, Malak, and 2-year-old son, Akram.

These are signs that behind so much darkness some people still let their light shine. 

Christ the King of the Universe

Readings

Here I am, seated in my chair after a very long Sunday. My heart is filled with great joy for the big holiday celebrated today - Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe. I also just came from an ecumenical "Thanksgiving" Prayer service. Once again, I feel that I am totally immersed in the Kingdom and everything gives me an opportunity to worship the King. But, why, then, my heart still seems to skip a bit. Something doesn't sit well with me.

It could be that it is because I am still carrying with me the events of these past weeks - evil, once again, made itself known and visible. I am obviously shaken by the idea of their threats. But I am quite certain that what makes my heart sink has been seeing the reaction of so many "big shot" Christian leaders, preachers, etc.  writing all sorts of things about ISIS and, especially, about the Syrian refugees: should we allow them to take refuge on our soil, or not? Becuase some of them are terrorist, should we punish them all? Not easy to find answers; especially those that make... Christian sense.

I read comments that people wrote about the Gospel and its demands to respond to the refugees crisis. One said that he can take the Gospel as long as his constitutional rights are not given up. What does that even mean?  I was particularly hurt when I read one article in particular, that used the parable of the Good Samaritan as a test case. And this is a Catholic author! (I even got a copy of this article in an email!) He claims that the parable justifies our action of not taking refugees into our homes but ... it's ok for us to help them... in some other ways.

He said that since the Samaritan didn't take the victim to his home but put him into a hotel then we don't have to open our homes to the refugees, but have to offer some aid. My goodness! How can anyone twist the words of Jesus to reach such a conclusion? The author forgot that it is a parable, and the point of the story is not where the Samaritan placed the victim but that he, who was supposed to be the "bad" guy, actually behave more like God. Also, the author forgot that in the parable the Samaritan was traveling. He could not bring the victim home; yet, it's remarkable that he took care of him by placing him in an inn and pay for him (without using humanitarian aids!).  Jesus did not use the parable to teach us we need to put people who need help in a hotel. He taught us to be like God who cares for all people, and not to judge people according to where they come from. A lesson quite different from the one this author wants us to learn. The author forgot to place the parable within the larger context of the Gospel where Jesus ends up saying some strange things like: "Love your enemies," and "whatever you have done to the least of my brothers you have done it to me"

He also mentions the Maccabean revolt to justify physical violence. Unfortunately, the revolt has nothing to do with terrorism or refugees. The crisis started when the Jews began to deny who they were (they tried to cover the sign of their circumcision) and started to take on the values of the Greek.

Why does this upset me? Firstly, I really don't like it when the Gospel is used in this way. The Gospel is what I use to define my lifestyle. But I got upset because, as I was meditating on the relationship between Jesus and His Kingdom's citizens, I realized that we are betraying our call - we must value what the King values, we must do what the King does. And since this King told us that He came to serve and not to be served, it makes me wonder what are we waiting for? Why have we forgotten this?

What does the image of Jesus as King tell us today? We live in a country where our leaders are voted in, and should we not like them anymore, we can vote them out. When I see this complete reluctance of being like the King, I feel as though we are voting Him out and placing ourselves, or some of our ideas, on the throne.

When I think about the King and the Kingdom, I realize that a new type of Christianity has arisen. A type of Christianity that places Christ and His Gospel under the political agenda one can hold. Jesus, God and the Church must fulfill my expectations regardless of what the Gospel says and what the Church teaches. Should there be a conflict, it is because "they" are the opposite of me... and if things don't change, I can even change church (or at the least parish) until I find the one that agrees with my opinions. The Gospel's voice of radical discipleship is once again choked and the true power of the Living King is hidden behind the promise of salvation that doesn't require the Cross, but only the right political candidate.

I cannot buy into this type of Christianity, no matter how popular it may be; I must let the Gospel form and inform my mind and my conscience so that I can follow Christ and allow the Father to accomplish what He desires to do in Christ.

The Lord is King; He is robed in majesty. I pray that I will be more and more like the King, that I may make mine His values, rejoice in what makes Him rejoice and stay away from what He detests. 
Robe me in your majesty, Lord, then; that I may pray "let your Kingdom come," and truly mean it!

Our Lady of the Rosary: an experience

October 7, 2015               Today's readings 

Today we celebrate the feast of our Lady of the Rosary. It's an opportunity for me to reflect on the beginning of my christian life, the life I began to live when I made my choice of God. After realizing that only the Gospel could help me live my life as truly myself, I began to ponder and wonder how I could deepen my own prayer life. For some "coincidences" I was introduced to the Rosary. I found it fascinating. I enjoyed the feeling of the beads passing through my fingers, and I certainly found it quite useful to memorize the "Mysteries," as they were like the major plot of the life of Jesus. I became so fond of the Rosary that, although I started by saying only one decade a day, I reached the highest peak when I said the "whole" thing.

It certainly helped the fact that my high school was in Pompei (Italy). Every day I passed by the wonderful Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary. Once, I learned that if I took the train prior to the one I was used to take, I could partecipate to the Rosary and the Daily Mass. Awesome... another big step ahead.

I still remember when I shared these "accomplishments" to someone who, although impressed, asked me: "That's wonderful but how do you live the Rosary; do you just say the Mysteries or do you contemplate THE Mystery?" Live it? What could that even mean? Wasn't the rosary something you just... say? And, mind you, I would say even quite devoutly. And what was "THE" Mystery?

Apparently all these accomplishments weren't enough. Saying the Rosary was not enough. I was missing something! Later I understood that to be really devoted to Mary did not mean simply and solely to say prayers to her. It meant to become "another Mary;" to become the one who, like her, said Yes to God's Love and, by trusting in His will, allowed Jesus to be born in one self. My goodness! That was something a bit too much. I could not possibly take on all that. I understood that "THE" Mystery was that wonderful life that God, in His Grace, was sharing with me in Christ.

I understood that to be a true disciple of Jesus, I had to be like Mary - focused entirely on God and His "Mystery." With much difficulties, after a long hiatus, I took back my beads and I started again. But this time, I wasn't only saying the Rosary, I wanted to live those Mysteries with Mary, as together we journeyed towards the Cross.

Slowly (read: very slowly) each Mystery of the Rosary took its own life in me. It began to shed light on the Gospel, and each word of the Gospel enkindled my prayer. The Mystery of God living in us became always more real to me.

Today I recommit myself to "take Mary into my house" and, with her humility and availably, I start again saying Yes to the Mystery of God's Love that in Christ reaches out to all people. I want to say Yes to God's Will so that each prayer I utter with Mary at my side, is another way for me to move closer to God.

bread & fish: towards a life of Multiplication

July 29, 2015 - St Martha - Daily readings 

The life that Jesus wants us to have continues to challenge me. 

The idea that we can only allow God to multiply our breads and fish by realizing that we live in function of the other. 

Weed: a plant that grows where it is not supposed to grow. We need to remove it. 

Holiness: to be “separated,” to make sure that what belongs outside stays outside. 

Holiness is contagious (just as sinfulness is). The more we are with the Holy One the more we are transformed, like Moses did.  

We must make sure, however, that we remain “balanced.” It’s not just saying “Lord, Lord…” but doing the will of God. St Martha may help us to find the courage to focus on the “only one thing,” that is… to become more and more like Jesus - a man of prayer and of action. All lived in one life. 

E14 ' Lost and Found

Wednesday of #rd Week of Easter -- Daily Readings 

IN almost every church I have been assigned to I noticed that there is a box in a room with a handwritten sign that reads "Lost and Found." It's quite amusing, for me, to see what's in it: the most popular items in the box are glasses and rosaries, but sometimes one  may find the occasional baby shoe, keys and wallets. Once I even found an adult shoe. Just one adult shoe. And it always made me wonder, who left the church without realizing that one shoe was missing?

More interestingly, however, was the fact that many of those items would remain in the box for a long time. They were left there until the head usher would empty the box in the garbage can for the yearly cleaning. Why is it that people did not claim their items? were they not valuable? perhaps, they didn't realize they were missing? or perhaps they didn't realize that there is a Found and Lost box? 

The Church is very much like a Lost and Found box. Here, we can find people of all kinds and types and all have one thing in common: we either are lost and we are waiting for someone to claim us, or we have been found and, out of gratefulness, we celebrate our returning Home. 

Meditating on today's Gospel ignited in me the desire to be Found. Not that I am lost, at the least I don't think I am. But because I know that there are parts of me that get lost in the day to day activities and, at times, they never come home. Life has a way to pulling us in all different directions, both physically and spiritually. Sometimes a conversation turns into a discussion that gets out of hand and, without even knowing it, I leave something of me there... maybe my peace of mind, or my patience. Then I go to the next event of the day and I realize that I am short and rude. 

Fragments of me, all over. Lost and in need to be found. Do I realize that God considers me to be valuable? So valuable that He sent His only Son that I could be found and brought Home, where I belong? Do I consider myself as "God's Valuable?" 

Jesus calls me to come to Him because He is doing the will of the Father: that nobody may be lost. So, I want to respond to this; I go to Him, fragmented or not, even with one shoe on. I want Him to find me. I want to be found. (I always say that line with the same emphasis that Gandalf used in The Lord of the Rings movie!). 

And knowing that He's attracting me to Him gives me strength to approach all things with Love. I can only become myself in Christ because He gives me my own true identity. Then, the fragment that is lost can be found in Christ-who-lives-in-the-other. Jesus will not let me go. He's constantly giving Himself to me, and in so doing, He gives me to myself. 

I want to live today with the awareness that Christ is finding me, right here and right now. And, as I discover Him in me, around me and in the other, I want to make it easier for Him to bring me to the Father. 

L14 - Finding our name

3/20/2014 - Daily Readings

What's in a name? I can't imagine living in a world where people do not have names. Having a name means to have an identity, to be 'one rather than another.' I read the pope's homily today and he pointed out that the rich man did not have a name. He lost it.

This thought allowed me to enter a bit deeper into our reality as human and I noticed how easily we trade our names for another identifier. "Hey, did you hear about Mary? Mary, who? Mary who has the new red coat." We also apply this to ourselves. If I consider my image of being funny, or smart or whatever, I do whatever it takes so that people identify me as funny, smart or whatever.

We get lost easily; and just as easily we trade our identifier. After a while we grow confused in a world that identifies us in so many ways and we don't know who we are. How can we hear God calling us, He who always calls us by name, if we don't remeber our name anymore."

The rich man in the parable had lost his name; he remained too focused on his role and his possessions. Even in the after life, he couldn't stop being in "charge" of others, telling other people what to do.

Names also have meanings. Lazarus means "God is my help." Certianly, if we read the parable from the point of view of Lazarus we can certainly say that it doesn't look like God was really helping him. But he is not the main character. God was trying to help the Rich Man.

When we help 'Lazarus', God helps us to be who we are. Every time we focus on someone other than ourselves we become truly ourselves. When we trust in ourselves only, we are not a blessing but a curse; by helping others, we become a blessing because we let God help us.

Out there there are many Lazarus who are waiting for me to love them so that I can be myself. I want God to help me and now I know how.

Lazarus: wait for me! I am coming!