Sometimes the more familiar we are with someone the harder it is to actually see their goodness and the presence of God in their lives. Often, we are tempted to look at them and presume we “know all about them.” As a result, what we can often do is simply highlight their faults and weaknesses in our minds and see them only through the lens of these faults and weaknesses.
Brethren, today we continue our reflection on the identity, person and mission of Jesus, from Sunday up to today. As we have seen, Jesus is a Son of God, who came to earth to give life in fullness to whoever believes in Him (John 3:16) and save us from our sins as the promised Messiah whom God had promised when the first man sinned. However, it was difficult for the Jews to believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah and that is why we see many confrontations with Jesus especially when he calls himself Son of God (John 5:18). This did not stop Jesus from fulfilling his mission and he first tells the Jews the relationship between him and God, his father, as we saw in yesterday's gospel. This still was not easy for Jews to understand and in today's Gospel which continues the confrontation of Jesus with the Jewish leaders on the Temple, Jesus points out the witnesses that witness to his divinity and his mission as the saviour of the world. All these were to bring the kingdom of God here on earth but also that all will believe and have life everlasting with God. these witness are:
LENT SERIES DAY 29: WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT (The Easter Duty) (https://youtu.be/XETMMRIQNXI)
Brethren, as we move towards Holy Week and Easter, the readings continue to reveal gradually who Jesus is gradually and more importantly why he was killed. In the eyes of Jews, Jesus was a law breaker: eating with and welcoming sinners, performing miracles on Sabbath day as we saw yesterday healing a sick man at the sheep pool of Bethesda. This was the first accusation laid on him. Today, the gospel gives us the second accusation: calling himself God by claiming authority which only belongs to God, calling himself Son of God and God his Father, and made himself equal to God.
LENT SERIES DAY 28: TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT (How Should We Give Alms?) (https://youtu.be/lY5vrS9TuJg)
Let Us Pray.
Brethren, today’s Sunday is traditionally called Laetare Sunday. It is called so following the first word of the opening antiphon: "Rejoice, Jerusalem and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were mourning, exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast." Laetare means Rejoice and therefore this Sunday is a Sunday of joy. It marks the half of the Lenten season (though strictly speaking, it is on Thursday of the third Sunday of Lent) and Easter is enticingly nearby. The vestments worn by the celebrant are rose-colored, not traditional purple. This Sunday is also important because it is the day of the second scrutiny in preparation for the baptism of adults at the Easter Vigil. Laetare Sunday is paralleled to Gaudete Sunday.
Brethren, in today's Gospel, we are presented with the self-righteous Pharisee and a sinner who went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee boasted of his doing good, while a sinner humbled himself, knowing that he is a sinner, and he went away justified.
