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27 March 2016
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord (Luke 9:28b-36)
The very first image we get in today's Gospel is of that renowned sinner Mary Magdalene coming to the tomb early when it is still dark. This is the woman of whom Jesus had said, when she anointed His feet in the home of Simon the Leper, "Much is forgiven her, and therefore, she has great love." Her love is what draws her to the tomb to weep and mourn yet again over the death of her beloved Jesus, who had loved her, forgiven her, and cast out from her seven devils.
Another image we have is of "the disciple whom Jesus loved" sprinting to the tomb with Peter as fast as they can. Like Magdalene, who experienced Jesus' personal love for her, John the Apostle also knew Jesus' unconditional love; he could never forget Him and longed to see Him again and to know His love once more.
Mary and John had both experienced in Jesus a kind of love they had never known before. And Jesus' love was indeed stronger than death. His is the only love that truly satisfies the human heart, and gives the one loved a desire to love Him back. St. Faustina wrote: "I want You, Jesus. I want to love You, with the same love that You have for me. I beg You for only one thing: to make my heart capable of loving you." (Diary 587).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your great love, which led You even to die on the cross for me. I know my love for you is very weak, and so I ask You: Allow me to experience Your love more deeply, so that I will strive to love You more fervently. Amen.
20 March 2016
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord (Luke 19:28-40, Luke 24:13 - 23:56)
Each year on Palm Sunday we witness the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem amid cheers of "Hosanna," followed by the drama of the Suffering Servant, as our innocent Lord Jesus endures betrayal, abandonment, rejection, condemnation, mockery, torture, humiliation and finally execution. But why? Why did the kindest person who ever lived, the most gentle soul ever to walk the face of the earth, the actual Son of God, why did He end up hanging on a cross for three excruciating hours before finally giving up the ghost?
Jesus became a man like us for one reason alone: to atone for our sins and by doing so, to re-open for us the gates of heaven. So we should never try to fool ourselves. Indeed it is our sins that caused Him to suffer.
Through prayer, Sr. Faustina came to understand the evil of every sin. She wrote in her Diary: " (...) I meditated on Jesus' terrible Passion, and I understood that what I was suffering was nothing compared to the Saviour's Passion, and that even the smallest imperfection was the cause of this terrible suffering. Then my soul was filled with very great contrition..." (Diary 654).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, I repent of every sin that I have ever committed, since each one of them was the cause of Your most bitter Passion. Give me the grace I need to accept my own sufferings in reparation for my sins, and to root out of my life every trace of sin and selfishness. Amen.
13 March 2016
The Fifth Sunday of Lent (John 8:1-11)
Today's Gospel of the woman caught in adultery shows us Jesus' attitude toward the sinner, toward each one of us, when we stand before Him in the truth of our sinfulness, feeling guilty and humiliated. Why are we so afraid to stand before Jesus in truth? He already knows us through and through, anyway; He knows all of our sins and all of our secrets. Yet He did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. He does not condemn the adulteress, nor does He condemn us. Rather, He patiently waits for us to make the step toward reconciliation with Him. As often as we have the humility to confess our sins, He absolves us and tells us, "Go and sin no more."
We should never be embarrassed or too prideful to own up to our sins in sacramental confession. Jesus told St. Faustina: "When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. (...) The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls" (Diary 1602).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, save me from pride, so that I won't miss out on Your graces. Send Your Holy Spirit to help me see myself in truth, the way You see me. And help me make a good confession to prepare my heart for Easter. Amen.
6 March 2016
The Fourth Sunday of Lent (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)
Today's parable of the Prodigal Son gives us insight into the unconditional love which God the Father has for each one of his sinful children. We wander off looking for worldly pleasures, trying to satisfy our heart's deep need for love, while He patiently waits for us to come to our senses and realize that He alone can satisfy the longings of our heart. And once we return to Him, He showers us with His mercy and love.
St. Faustina wrote: "Let no one doubt concerning the goodness of God; even if a person's sins were as dark as night, God's mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary: that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God's merciful grace, and then God will do the rest. But poor is the soul who has shut the door on God's mercy..." (Diary 507).
The older son in the parable had actually shut the door on God's grace. He may have been physically in his Father's house, but in his heart he was longing to party with his friends, and to follow his younger brother in running after worldly pleasures. The obedience he showed his Father was motivated out of fear, and not love.
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, I also let fear motivate me instead of love. I also wander off from the heavenly Father looking for contentment. Help me to open wide my heart to receive the love and mercy that will satisfy my deepest desires. I trust in You! Amen.