His Passion: The Reality-Show Of Our Redemption!

(Homily for Palm Sunday Year C)

     Today marks the beginning of the Holy Week or the “Great Week”, which will be crowned with the Pasqual Triduum, the culminating point of the whole liturgical year. In this WEEK, the Church celebrates in her Liturgy the great mysteries of her redemption (Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord). In the Holy Week God gives us an appointment of an existential and salvific REALITY-SHOW of the ‘Man’ on the Cross. The Cross, therefore, is at the center of this week, but not just as an ordinary instrument, but because of the ‘Man’ on it, who made it a sublime and salvific image. As such, we are called to ‘re-live’ with faith and love these events of our Salvation. In our Eucharistic celebration, we read the passion of the Lord, but prior to that, we celebrated his entrance into Jerusalem (His Triumphant entry), in the midst of acclamations by the people, the shouts of Hosanna that decorously accompanied Jesus, and the road that was decorated with palm fronts. In his triumphant entry we could imagine the presence of people of different calibres, the young and the old, the rich and the poor, all full of expectations, and yet they were not too sure of what was happening, they were pushing and pulling all around him, singing and dancing, shouting and ululating: “Hosanna! Glory to God, hail the King, Son of God, Son of David, Alleluia”. On the other hand, there were also the scribes, friends and opponents who understood better than others where all this would lead to.

     The disciples and the crowd proclaimed Jesus King and he was accompanied majestically, they hailed him as King who comes in the name of the Lord. They hailed Him with Hosanna, because in Jesus’ public ministry, he healed their sick, fed the hungry and performed so many miracles. These wonders he wrought in their midst aroused in them the desire to crown Him King, but afterwards the whole game changed from shouts of acclamation to shouts of elimination. Who would have imagined that the crowd which welcomed Jesus with such excitement and enthusiasm during his entrance into Jerusalem would turn against him with such hostility, as to demand for his elimination and death, from the ululation of Hosannah to the demand of his crucifixion. It is now obvious that those shouts and ululations of Hosanna were superficial.

     The readings of today unify two events: the commemoration of the triumphant entry of Jesus to Jerusalem and the “reality-show” of the Passion of Christ. The first event was remembered with the rite of entrance through the procession with palm fronts; with the proclamation of the Gospel about the entrance of Jesus in the Holy City. And the second event auspicates the reality of Jesus’ Passion. The essence of our reflection and of the events we are celebrating today is not as a result of the desire to remember just the past, but rather to render present today the Event of Christ through and in the liturgical celebration and in our lives. Hence, we are called to enter with Jesus into the drama of his Passion.

     In the first reading (Is. 50:4-7) we see what could be termed the prophecy of Jesus’ Passion: “For my part, I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard; I did not cover my face against insult and spite” (Is. 50, 5-6). By means of this prophetic passage we are called to reflect on the third Song of the Servant of Yahweh, which serves as a prefiguration of the sufferings of the future Messiah. In this period, it is presupposed that the Israelites were still in exile, and as such were rejecting the prophecies of Isaiah. They were weary and fed up with his constant predictions of deliverance despite the fact that the exilic experience continues. However, the prophet was not discouraged, even when it causes him suffering, he had confidence in God. Even the responsorial Psalm prefigures the Passion of Jesus, in the following words, “All who see me deride me. They curl their lips, they toss their heads” (Ps. 22:7).

     The second reading (Phil. 2:6-11) presents the hymn of St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians, which in no small way illustrates the mystery of Christ’s self-emptying in his death and supreme exaltation. This hymn is often called the Carmen Christi, and the Carmen Christi situates the death of Christ in its total context. St. Paul speaks of the kenosis (self-emptying) of Christ, “who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped. But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being” (Phil. 2:7). St. Paul points to his glorification thus: “And for this God raised him high, and gave him the name which is above all other names” (Phil. 2:9).  In this Christological presentation, the identity of Christ was revealed: Jesus is the Son of God, who in order to save man, became man, through an itinerary of suffering, humiliation and death.

     Indeed, the liturgy of the Palm Sunday presents to us a complete chart of the mystery of our salvation. Let us not forget, that we are called to be active in the whole event, because it was for the sake of man and his salvation that the Son of God passed through this heroic adventure. As such, St. Paul sets out to propose a model we all have to imitate, if man is at the center of Jesus’s Passion, he cannot remain only as a passive spectator. Little wonder, the apostle invites: “make your own the mind of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). We are invited therefore, to follow with faith and love the passion of the Lord.

          This liturgical year, we read the passion account according to St. Luke (22:14-23:56), and each of the four evangelists has his own distinctive perspective on the event of the Passion. Mark emphasizes on the isolation of Christ: betrayed and denied by his apostles, forsaken, mocked and tortured by his enemies etc. Mathew dwells more on the royalty of Christ, although a royalty that manifested itself in humiliation. Likewise, John on his part dwells on the royalty of Christ, but his is a visible royalty. Luke takes a different dimension, from tragedy to pathos, therein he presents the story of the martyrdom of one who goes out in sympathy for others, this is exemplified in the following phrases: “the daughters of Jerusalem”, “Father forgive them”, “Today you will be with me”.

     One of the major characteristics of Luke is the extreme consciousness with which Jesus was going towards his passion. He was not unprepared. He foresaw and desired it: “With longing have I desired to eat this Passover with you, before I suffer” (Lk. 22:15). At the Last Supper He anticipated the sacrificial offering of himself. And the Eucharist is the sign of his self-giving to death for us. His, was a pro existence, being for. “And taking bread, he gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this as a commemoration of me. Similarly also, he took the chalice after he had eaten the meal, saying: This chalice is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you” (Lk. 22:19-20). Jesus gave himself up for us sinners, as a full submission to God for love of us.

          St. Luke sees in Jesus the perfect image of the Divine Martyr. He went resolutely towards his Cross, without any iota of hesitation. He appeared less worried of himself, than for others. He consoles the women of Jerusalem: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children” (Lk. 23:28). He asks for pardon on behalf of those who would crucify him, “Father forgive them, because they know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34). He gave up his life in serenity and trust: “Father into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk. 23:46). St. Luke talks about the agony of Gethsemane in order to express deeply the painful experience of Jesus. “And being in agony, he prayed more intensely; and so his sweat became like drops of blood, running down to the ground” (Lk. 23:44). He nourished the arid ground of the human soul with His Blood.

          Moreover, he introduces in his account episodes of intense participation by the people, “Large numbers of people, and women too, who mourned and lamented for him” (Lk. 23:27). Those who witnessed his cruel death appeared more curious and surprised, unlike the soldiers and the Chief priests who were rather hostile. The people seem to have understood: “And the entire crowd of those who came together to see this spectacle also saw what had happened, and they returned striking their breast” (Lk. 23:48). The centurion seeing what has happened was moved and it led him to the profession of faith: “Truly, this man was the Just One” (Lk. 23:47). The most surprising episode is that of the good thief, who unlike his fellow saw in the whole incident an opportunity for repentance. And here the account of Luke differs from those of Mathew and Mark, because the two thieves in their account both insulted Jesus, but Luke tells us of a good thief who rebuked the other who spoke ill of Jesus, and then pleaded: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom” (Lk. 23:42). And Jesus replied “Amen I say to you, this day you shall be with me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:43).

          The Passion of Jesus can be for us an opportunity for repentance (the repentant thief), an occasion to affirm His identity (the Centurion) or just as an incident that arouses hostility and indifference in us. So, are we like Judas that betrayed him? Like Peter that denied him? Like Pilate that delivered him to death? Like the stubborn thief that insulted Him? Instead let us cue in, in the line of Simon of Cyrene who helped him to carry his (our) Cross, of the women of Jerusalem that mourn for him, of the centurion who strikes his chest and recognizes him as the Son of God, of the good thief that believed and entrusted himself to Jesus. Does His Passion still move us today? His Passion should move and touch us because our sins inflicted those pains and sufferings on him. Let it not be a momentary touch or feelings, rather His Passion should move us to flee from our sins and abandon our old ways, for through His wounds we are healed (Is. 53:5; 1Pt.2:21) and made whole.

          In all, may His Passion lead us to the discovery of His real identity, and to the maturity of our faith in Him and here the gesture and proclamation of the Centurion is superb! “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mt.27:54; Mk.15:39; Lk.23:47). The pagan Centurion did not recognize his Sonship because he saw the tomb empty, not because he saw a shining light, but he discovered this at the heart of the event of His Passion: Jesus on the Cross, the reality-show! But all does not end here, we can only read and understand this event if we start from the end. Indeed, the Scripture, the Passion of Christ like the Hebrew alphabet is to be read from the end! Happy Palm Sunday!!!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

 

The Compassion That Transforms And Restores!

(Homily for the 5^th Sunday of Lent Year C)

          The first reading taking from the prophecy of Isaiah (43:16-21) in a simple but stricken manner gives us a message that condenses the three readings of today, a message around which other messages revolve. The fascinating message goes thus: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it. I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert”. Therein, “the former things” and “the things of old” refer to the first exodus. However, this is now replaced by a “new thing”, mainly the return. The “new thing” that God promised to do through the words of prophet Isaiah, is the new Exodus, a new liberation, of his people, the Israelites from slavery in Babylon and the redemption of mankind from the slavery of sin. The great thing he is going to do will be more powerful than that of Egypt. God can and does new things for the people he loves, for his own people. What is required of man is trust and confidence in God. The new thing and the turning around of situations that God accomplished for his people, is an anticipation and prophecy of a “new life”, the turning around of every ugly existential situation of his people through his Son Jesus Christ. He wants to liberate man from the slavery of sin to the freedom of God’s children; he wants to make a fountain of grace to spring up from barren souls and hearts. Indeed, we saw the realization of this in the experience of St. Paul in the second reading and that of the adulterous woman in the Gospel.

          In the second reading (Phil. 3:8-14): we see a transformed Paul after his encounter and experience on his way to Damascus. After that experience Paul never remained the same, he was transformed and renewed, from a die-hard persecutor to an ardent and zealous apostle. He abandoned his past, his fervent observation of the law, and he came to consider all to be “rubbish, refuse”.  In his words: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on the law, but that which is through faith in Christ”. This is the hit track of not only this reading but the whole of St. Paul’s experience. After his encounter with Christ he regarded everything as rubbish, and then he started seeking for a righteousness that is not based on law, but that through faith in Jesus. He continued, that “I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death”.  The legacy of Paul in this letter is that we can only be saved by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by observance of the old law, as some Jews believed. Truly, God can do great things as the psalmist expressed in our Responsorial Psalm, “What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.”

          Similarly, once again in the Gospel passage of St. John (Jn. 8:1-11), he situates us well into the context of the message of the preceding readings, the episode of the woman caught in fragrant adultery is a confirmation of God’s act of changing man’s heart. In that episode, the reaction of Jesus attracted the reaction and inaction of many people, his was a confirmation of God’s future for every sinner. At the beginning, St. John said they put the question to Jesus in order to trap him, but Jesus dismembered them and their plans. The whole situation changed from a test to accuse him to a testimony of Divine Mercy! A laboratory of mercy indeed! Jesus condemns not the sinner, but sin itself. He said that his earthly mission is to call sinners to repentance (Lk.5:32), and therefore not to condemnation. Of course, St. Paul was an object of this experience, little wonder he opined that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because the law of Spirit which gives life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Rm.8:1-2).

     At that decisive moment when the Scribes, the Pharisees and the woman were caught up before the mercy seat of Jesus, they wanted to stone her, as prescribed by law. And Jesus intervened: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone on her” (v.7). Here is a glaring illustration of Jesus’ saying thus: “Judge not, that you may not be judged” (Mt.7:1). Jesus brought to their and our consciousness, that before condemning others, we need to look deep within and inside ourselves, to see if we are better off. Their action was full of malice and hypocrisy, but that of Jesus was filled with love and mercy. And interestingly, it was as if, Jesus introduced them to an intense examination of conscience, and afterwards “they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him”. This scene of only Jesus and the woman is the hallmark of the woman’s conversion. Jesus looked into her eyes, he must have heard how fast her heart was beating. Behold, here comes the divine transforming compassion. One could imagine, after that silence Jesus looked up and asked her “where are they? Has no one condemned you? She said, No one, Lord” (v.10). Finally, with and in the presence of Jesus, the woman that was not allowed to utter a word, can now express herself. Jesus first restored her freedom and dignity as a human person. And afterwards Jesus restored her dignity that sin has rubbed off from her, her dignity as a child of God. Jesus said to her “Neither do I condemn you; go and do not sin again” (v.11).  He invites her not to sin again because “Christ set us free, so that we should remain free” (Gal.5:1). This is divine mercy in action! One could imagine the relief that the woman felt in her heart at that very moment, upon hearing the words of Jesus. We can equally imagine the symbolic nature of Jesus’ act of writing on the ground, even though some say that Jesus was writing the sins of the scribes and Pharisees, but what interest me most here is that Jesus from writing on the ground, he wrote on the heart of the woman. As the word of God says: “No, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel, when those days have come, the Lord declares: In their minds I shall plant my laws writing them on their hearts” (Heb. 8:10). The mercy of God cancels our past, and creates a future of many possibilities and ways. He even makes a way in the wilderness (cf. 1^st reading). His is a continuous invitation to repentance, “As I live, declares the Lord Yahweh, I do not take pleasure in the death of the wicked but in the conversion of the wicked who changes his ways and saves his life” (Ez. 33:11).

          My dear brothers and sisters, as we can see sin rubs from us both our dignity as human persons and our dignity as God’s children, but it is only God through His Son Jesus Christ, who can restore them to us. Ours indeed, is a God of second chance. For in and with our God, every sinner has a future and every saint has a past. In the Gospel passage, John did not give us the name of the woman, and this choice of St. John is symbolic, for the woman in question could be you or I. Therefore, whatever your past life has been, even if your experience was a scandalous one like that of the adulterous woman, let us make haste and go to Jesus, and certainly we shall hear those words of His re-echoing in the ears of our heart “Go and sin no more”. His words are liberating and transforming. For “If Christ sets you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36). Jesus in today’s Gospel accomplished double conversion, hopefully on the side of the scribes and the Pharisees and certainly on the side of the adulterous woman. May his words of liberation continue to ring bell in our hearts, for he has not come to condemn us, but to set us free, even when the scribes and Pharisees in our life want and desire to stone us, Jesus will certainly intervene. May He continue to intervene in the experiences of those that have been assassinated character wise, those their dignity is in question because of intimidation and threat, and those who are stigmatized because of their frailties. May God show us all His restoring and transforming compassion! Happy Sunday to U all!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

Unlimited Mercy Vs Prodigal Freedom!

(Homily for the 4^th Sunday of Lent Year C)

     In the Lenten Period the word or vocabulary that resounds and reechoes in the Liturgy, is the word: Conversion. The word conversion in today’s Gospel (Lk. 15: 1-3.11-32) forms the pivot around which every other word or theme revolves. The parable we heard today in the Gospel, is a parable with many facets, and as such could be meditated upon, reflected or contemplated from different angles. Sometimes it is called the parable of the Prodigal son, some call it that of the Merciful father, others call it parable of the unforgiving brother and few others call it parable of the repentant son. But a closer look at the parable reveals that the father is the central actor, his actions, reactions and gestures are of paramount importance even to the homecoming of the repentant son, especially when considered as a response to the Scribes and the Pharisees. The attitude of the father towards the son signifies what God does for us when we stray, when we abandon God or when we relegate Him to the background. God never abandons sinners, for He says: “by considering and turning himself away from all his iniquities…he shall certainly live, and shall not die” (Ex. 18:28). Again, the psalmist questions: “If you kept a record of our sins, Lord, who could stand their ground?” (Ps. 130:3). Jeremiah speaks of the freshness of God’s mercy: “Surely Yahweh’s mercies are not over, his deeds of faithful love not exhausted; every morning they are renewed; great is his faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).

     Before we continue in our reflection, let us situate ourselves well into the context of this parable. The context of the parable as it was presented by St. Luke is: that the publicans and sinners came to listen to Jesus, while the scribes and the Pharisees were murmuring, accusing Jesus of receiving and eating with sinners and outcasts. Then, in order to correct this erroneous impression Jesus narrated the parable.

     Reflecting on this parable, we see that there are four figures: Jesus, the merciful father, the repentant son (called the prodigal son), the elder brother (the Big brother).

 ●Jesus: in the first verses of the passage we see the attitude of Jesus towards sinners and publicans, it is not only that Jesus does not condemn them, but he ate with them. Jesus does not condemn sinners, he condemns sin. He condemns not the person, but the act. What in a nutshell is sin? Sin is the abandonment of God for idles, it is a refusal of God’s love. Jeremiah captured it vividly well, when he opined: “For my people have committed two crimes: they have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and dug water-tanks from themselves, cracked water-tanks, that cannot hold water” (Jer. 2:13). As it is demonstrated in the Gospel, Jesus destroyed the mental scheme of the scribes and Pharisees, for their interrogation and murmuring gave rise to Jesus’s exposition of the Father’s love and mercy towards sinners.

●The father: the father in that parable demonstrated unlimited love and concern towards his son. And this father represents God who never abandons sinners to their fate, but He waits trustingly and expectantly for the return of the prodigal son, in order to welcome, pardon and reinstate him in his dignity as son. He went out twice to see if the son is on his way. This is exactly what God does for us, no matter how notorious a sinner might be, God is ready to welcome and reinstate him in the filial dignity (as son). God not only forgives our sins, he also retains our position as his children (sons and daughters). He continues to come out in search of us!

●The repentant son (prodigal son): is a representation of the sinful man who strays from God, in fact, we can say that he is the representation of all of us. He is symbolic of one who deceives oneself thinking that he will be better outside and far away from the father’s house. He requested for his own share of his father’s property, and afterwards he went to squander the money, but later he discovered that true freedom cannot be realized away from home, from the one who gives us all we have.  From the spiritual standpoint, we say that true and authentic freedom cannot be realized away from the Liberator, from the freedom-Giver (God). In our society today, this attitude of the prodigal son is repeated by many, it is seen in those who think that they can be realized as persons away from God. Today, you hear slogans like: “I don’t need God, I have all I need”, “if there is God, it does not change anything”, it is not true He changes everything! It is worthy to note that in the experience of the prodigal son there was a “before” and an “after”. A “before” of distancing himself from the father, of abandoning the father; and an “after” of recognizing his limits and sinful act, and therefore decides to go back home. “I will arise, and go to my father…” Waoh! There is hope for us! We need a humble recognition of our sins, “we have sinned, we have committed sacrilege; Lord our God, we have broken all your precepts” (Bar. 2:12).

●The elder brother or better the big brother: the big brother is ungrateful, egoistic and jealous. He appears to be “all good”, but in reality his heart is far from the father. In fact, we can say that the big brother represent the scribes and the Pharisees who were murmuring against Jesus’ attitude towards sinners. He is unhappy; he accuses and passes judgment on the brother, even given us information that was not heard elsewhere, that the brother spent the money with his women. But he can also represent us (you and I): if we find it difficult to show mercy to others, when we do not rejoice for the repentance of sinners, when we do not appreciate the precious gift of being in the father’s house (those active Christians who murmur against the so called passive ones). Many a times, we call ourselves Christians but we find it difficult to appreciate the handiwork of others, we criticize others, we always tend to find the fault of others, ignoring our own faults. The syndrome of the Big brother, is that of not looking inward in himself, but he ‘projects’ towards others. He was a good observant of law, of the rules of the house: “Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command…”, he respected all the rules but he lacked love, he was pharisaic in his relationship with the father. He remained with the mentality of the Judaic law of retribution, but the father was inviting him to employ the law of merciful love. We are called to be servants of mercy like the servants of the father, and not judges of mercy! At the heart of the parable, the Father came out to meet the son, to stand where he (son) was in order to bring him back home. Similarly, God in Christ came out to meet the sinful humanity. He still comes out to bring us back home!

     In the second reading (2Cor. 5:17-21) interestingly St. Paul makes an appeal to the same people he called “a new creation”, to be reconciled to Christ. This appeal boils down to the existential fact that the community’s status as the new creation is by no means an assured possession (just like the prodigal son’s sonship is not a mere given), instead it is something that requires continuous effort. And the renewal of that status is the apostolic ministry of reconciliation. It is indeed, God’s saving act in Christ. St. Paul brings to our consideration the theme of reconciliation. He re-proposes the central message of the Lenten period: “in the name of Christ we appeal to you to be reconciled to God” (v.20). St. Paul goes beyond the parable, for he assures us that God has already reconciled with us through Jesus Christ (vv. 18-19). Jesus is the sacrament of reconciliation personified “for God made him who did not sin to be sin for us” (v. 21). He continued, “We beg you in the name of Christ reconcile with God” (v.20), that is, make yourselves available to his love. Paul affirmed, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us”. Indeed, the reconciliation of man with God comes through the ministry of the church.  In the parable, the prodigal son went directly to the father and said I have sinned, but St. Paul here introduces the historical mediation of Christ and the sacramental mediation of the Church. Through the word of God and the sacraments, especially the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) the Church continues to reconcile us and the Father. But how often do we realize our separation with God and decide to go back to Him like the repentant sinner. “I will arise”, today take the decision and arise, go to confession! Reconcile with God!

     God in his invitation to reconciliation does not impose himself, and he does not invite through coercion, rather he waits for our decisive response to his gift of love. In the book of the Revelation the image of God that is presented is the image of one who stands outside the door and knocks, and therefore he does not enter if you refuse to open, “look, I am standing at the door knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20).

             The first reading (Jos. 5:9.10-12) presents glaringly the reconciliation that St. Paul was talking about as God’s initiative. God said to Joshua: “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you”, that is, the long, painful and humiliating slavery in Egypt. And the people of Israel for the first time in full freedom celebrate their Passover in the Promised Land. The interesting and consoling message of the first reading is that every difficult situation, every problem, all adversities have expiring date; just as it happened in the case of the slavery of the Israelites and in the experience of the prodigal son.

     Above all else, however, we are reminded that God is always and ever ready to liberate us from our moral and spiritual slavery, but we have to reconcile with Him. And reconciling with Him entails leaving from that “our distant country”, and that distant country is a place or a thing, it can even be a person that alienates us from God; our vices, our sinful life, those things and persons that do not allow us to be real children of God. What is your own distant country? Have you discovered it? If you have, then, leave! Begin a journey of homecoming. In all, the readings of today, especially the Gospel is an invitation to every sinner to turn back to God. To start up his/her journey back to God, ready to show remorse and say like the repentant son “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father,  I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son…”. May we make a passage from this beautiful parable to real life, to our real condition now. If you are like the prodigal son, go back home. If you are like the elder brother, stop being judgmental, rather show mercy, remain where you are and be contented! Happy Sunday Friends!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

 

 

 

The Ever Present God Who Calls For Conversion!

 (Homily for the 3^rd Sunday of Lent Year C)

          The three readings of this day present the different traits or better qualities of the Christian God. In the Gospel, St. Luke presents a merciful God, who desires ardently the conversion of sinners, he patiently waits for our conversion, before he intervenes with his justice (tzedakah). In the first reading, God appeared like a fire that burns but never consumes, and God presents Himself as: “I am who I am”, but prior to this, we remember Moses who abandoned everything in order to answer the call of the Lord, thereby to go to Egypt for the liberation of his people. And in the second reading, St. Paul presents God as a provident God. Therein we are presented with the history of the people of Israel, and thus, to reawaken our own spiritual consciousness that even when we decide to follow the Lord, we are not immune to temptation.

          The single thread that runs through the readings of this Sunday is indicated by the name of God as revealed to Moses: “I am who I am”. As such, He is not an impersonal reality, rather he intervenes powerfully in human history. Indeed, at the heart of this message is the manifestation of the saving act of God in Christ, who sees the affliction of his people and “comes down”, he intervenes and delivers his people from the slavery of sin, from the historical Egypt and ‘our own Egypt’. Drawing the issue further, at the heart of today’s readings is God’s desire to bring his people back to freedom (first reading), his desire for us to be converted to Him (Gospel), and His invitation to be conscious of the fact that our spiritual journey is not a one-time conquest: “let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (second reading).

          The first reading (Ex. 3:1-8a.13-15) introduces a fresh theme for our reflection today, it talks about God’s revelation and the revealing of his identity. As if, the first reading is giving us reasons on why we have to repent. We are to be converted because God is not man, He is a God for his people, He is a personal God, who loves us individually and enters into relationship with us. And as a response to his presence and love we are called to conversion. In the encounter between Moses and God, we see the invitation to Moses: “Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Ex. 3:5), this therefore entails that we have to remove anything that do not allow us to approach God. We must put off sandals of distraction and sin, in order to behold God!

          In the passage proper, we heard about the extraordinary divine revelation that Moses had through the famous vision of the burning bush that was not consumed by fire. God is the fire that burns but does not consume. In the old mentality, fire is a symbol of power and divine force. In the Old Testament it is also the symbol of the divine presence. God is eternal, that is why the fire of his presence and power cannot be consumed. God revealed himself as a faithful God, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that is a God that maintains his promises. He revealed himself as a liberator of his people. He liberated them out of his spontaneous and gratuitous initiative. God says: “I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them” (vv.7-8). In the first and the second readings we are reminded of the liberating work of God, and that should stimulate us for conversion. Moreover, later God confers on Moses the responsibility to lead the people to freedom and He assures him of complete success in his mission, revealing His name: “I am, who I am” (v.14). The name “I am who I am” means a God that is present, He is not an absent God. Indeed, the great novelty of this revelation was not necessarily the name, but rather the revelation of the significance of the name. The verb “to be” is intended in the sense of being present, of being there, but not in the sense of an abstract or absolute being, but in the sense of a relational being. He is God for his people, little wonder, the Messiah will be called Immanuel: God with us (cf. Is.7:14; Mt. 1:23). If you draw the significant of the name further it not only means “I am” but “I am for you”. Yahweh is the Being that is for man. On the other hand, in revealing himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, more interestingly God reveals himself as a personal God. And because he is a personal God, he calls us individually to conversion.

            In today’s Gospel (Lk. 13:1-9), Jesus taking inspiration from the two incidents (the murder of some Galileans and the construction accident), taught his listeners a great lesson. The first incident has to do with the killing of some Galileans whose blood mixed with the sacrifice in the temple (by Pilate’s soldiers). The second is about the eighteen persons from Jerusalem who died when the tower of Siloam collapsed. However, at that time, it was a widespread opinion that prosperity and well-being are signs of recompense for a good and honest life. On the other hand, sickness and calamity are signs of punishment for sins. Even in our present world, there is this common mentality. If an evil, sickness or calamity befalls someone, people tend to trace the cause to their misconduct. So also, sometimes, when things are not moving according to one’s expectations, you see questions like: “what have I done to deserve this?” Why me?”.

            Jesus is out to correct this impression and mentality, and in doing this he tries to appeal to their consciences and to reawaken in them the consciousness of how erroneous this conception is. Therefore, he asked: “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? Or those eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No” (vv. 2-5). Jesus negates that expressly. There is no relation of cause and effect between sin and misfortune, between personal sin and sickness. Jesus never taught that on this earth the wicked will be punished, while good people will receive their premium. Rather, premium and recompense are promised for the next life; as such the punishment for those who are obstinate in evil is for the world beyond, little wonder he warned: “No, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (vv.3.5).

          Jesus discarded that erroneous conception, and maintains that what is important is our change of heart and mind, mainly our conversion. He vehemently affirmed, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (cf.vv. 3 &5). This phrase is the hit track of this passage. It reveals God both as a just and a merciful God. He is a God of second chance, these words are equally addressed to us today, “unless you repent”, God is continually calling us for repentance, for a change of mind and heart. For this, St. Paul admonished the Romans thus: “Do not model your behaviour on the contemporary world, but let the renewing of your minds transform you, so that you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God” (Rm. 12:1). And indeed, this divine benevolence orchestrated through his merciful love, cannot but prompt in us an attitude of praise and thanksgiving to God, little wonder the Psalmist in the responsorial psalm blesses God thus: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all within me, his holy name…and never forget all his benefits” (Ps. 103:1-2). He calls us not only to praise God, but also to the remembrance of all his benefits, Yahweh’s faithfulness and the human infidelity; this aspect of remembrance is a fundamental attitude of every pious Jew: “Be careful not to forget Yahweh your God, by neglecting his commandments” (Deut. 8:11); “Remember; never forget” (Deut. 9:7).

            Conversion per se comports a firm decision and a continuous renewal to liberate oneself from sin, desirous of putting into practice the words of Jesus. Jesus’s invitation to conversion is not to be taken for granted, it is not to be procrastinated ad infinitum. It calls for personal decision, and the time for that is here and now. The two incidents we heard, took place unexpectedly, that is way, we don’t have to waste time, and we have to profit from the present moment of grace. Furthermore, with the parable of the fruitless fig tree (vv. 6-9) Jesus wanted to call our attention to two possible ways of human thinking: First, of those who think, ‘already it is too late for me to change my life’, ‘God is tired of me’, or ‘God cannot  forgive all my sins’. Second, of those who reason, ‘God is too patient’, ‘there is always time for conversion’. But the real position is that God is patient, his patience cannot be programmed, and the possibility for conversion is always open. However, we should not take his patience and mercy for granted. We must hasted ourselves and comprehend the urgency for conversion. The time is now! At this point, we cannot but remember the spiritual refrain of Pope Francis: “God never gets tired of forgiving us”. The brief parable on the fig tree reinforces Jesus’ demand of repentance, and thus proffers a link with the second reading, for as St. Paul opined: “Let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”. As such, to avoid a false sense of spiritual security.

           In the second reading (1Cor. 10:1-6.10-12), St. Paul presents an urgent and stimulating motive for that conversion. In the history of the chosen people God showed a particular attention and preference. In their favour, so many times he intervened with extraordinary signs. St. Paul observed, that even though “our fathers were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the supernatural drink…Nevertheless, with most of them, God was not pleased”. St. Paul continued, “Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil as they did and were destroyed by the Destroyer”. We have to appropriate this admonition of St. Paul, because in our own experiences, in so many ways God has been blessing and showing us his love. Yet, at times his goodness and benevolence to us do not draw us closer to him. Besides, it behooves us to understand that all the blessings he has lavished upon us require a good dose of responsibility, on our side, and as such the duty to be converted to him. In all, he teaches us that our salvation is a fruit of God’s gratuitous act, but this does not exclude the human cooperation to the divine grace. There should be no presumption of certainty: “Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall”.

          May God help us to understand the urgency of conversion! May His word and presence propel us for an authentic conversion, and may He continue to liberate us from all that entangle us to sin! Amen!! Happy Sunday To you All!!!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

Be New! Be Transfigured!!

(Homily for the 2^nd Sunday of Lent Year C)

      In exception of what I read and saw on movies about mountains, I never knew the existential importance of mountains, until my experience at the Northern part of Italy. There, people go to the mountain for relaxation, to enjoy the beauty of nature, to enjoy fresh and uncontaminated air, it is a place of peace, tranquillity and rest. It does not only introduce one in a wonderful contact with nature, it also leads to the imagination of the brain behind such beauty, and as such to the Creator. In the Sacred scriptures, the mountain is a place of encounter between God and man, even in the Old Testament, it is a place of prayer. When I remember the first time I climbed a mountain, I recognize the aim of Jesus for climbing the mountain, without being told. And in our Gospel today, St. Luke (Lk. 9: 28-36) readily tells us that Jesus went to the mountain to pray, and not to be transfigured. The transfiguration happened within the context of an intense prayer, when Jesus elevated His Soul to His Father. It was as if his prayer triggered of that event, because while he was praying his face changed. Prayer transforms and changes us and our different situations. St. Luke never talked about transfiguration in his Gospel; rather he talked about the change of his countenance and his clothing that became dazzling white. Indeed, prayer transforms, it changes us and makes a person become one with what he contemplates. And the collocation of this episode in the context of prayer is the particularity of Luke. In his own account of the episode instead Mark never talked about prayer (cf. Mk 9: 2-13). A closer look, at the Liturgy of the Church reveals that every second Sunday of Lent the Church invites us to reflect on the episode of Jesus’ Transfiguration. The Church draws our attention to this biblical episode in order to confirm our faith in Jesus as Son Of God and as God. Secondly, that his transfiguration is an indication that we his followers should also strive to be transfigured, to change in mind and heart.

     In the third Gospel, the episode of the Transfiguration is collocated in a difficult context: Jesus just finished announcing to his disciples for the first time about his passion: “The Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day” (Lk. 9:22). And after this moment of obscurity, the Gospel presents a luminous moment, on which we have to fix our gaze especially in difficult and bloody moments of life. Besides, the transfiguration event is not an episode that occurred unexpectedly in the life of Jesus, rather it is to be understood within the range of the incidents preceding and succeeding it. In the earthly life of Jesus, one question kept on bothering many: who is Jesus? He has performed signs and wonders (Lk. 4, 5, 6), he cast away demons (8), and he declares himself superior to Moses (6, 5). He gathered around himself disciples and apostles like one of the great masters of that time (6:12-16) and he sent them on mission (9: 1-6). It is obvious that the public will begin to question his identity. Even Herod interrogated: John I beheaded, who then is he? Who is Jesus? (Cf. Lk. 9:9).

      The transfiguration in no small way sheds light on the identity of Jesus and to the question of who he is. The answer to the great question who is Jesus is proffered in the transfiguration event. Indeed, the answer is that Jesus is not only a man, He is above all, the “Son of God”, as the voice from above proclaimed. It also reveals that He is God. In the Old Testament we see a similar event in the book of Exodus, the change in the appearance of Jesus’ face is reminiscent of Moses’ on Mount Sinai (cf. Ex. 34:29), it talked about the splendor of Moses’ face. But while in the case of Moses the splendor on his face was a reflection from the glory of Yahweh, Jesus’ splendor is his own glory.

      We can reflect on the transfiguration of Christ in two major ways: ●With reference to Christ (Christological); ●With reference to the Church and every single Christian (ecclesiological). With reference to Christ it is the revelation of his identity. For the three apostles (Peter, James and John), it was a sensible, visible and audible manifestation of the glory, the power of God that covered Him and the voice that says “this is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him”. Jesus is revealed as the fulfilment of the Old Testament represented by Moses and Elijah (law and prophets respectively). The Cloud that covered him and the apostles are indications of the divine presence (theophany). At the same time, the transfiguration is a kind of prelude to the future glory of Jesus, of his resurrection. Similarly, it pre-empts the way through which Jesus will enter into his glory (the way of the Cross), and this formed the content of his discussion with Moses and Elijah. Furthermore, with reference to every single Christian, it is a sign, a prelude, a prefiguration and an anticipation of the “future” for which the Church and all of us are in a continuous journey. Moreover, transfiguration is also about our actual identity as Christians, because every Christian has experienced a form of transfiguration, assimilation to Christ, a transformation in Christ. No doubt, the transfiguration in question here started with our Baptism.

      The peak of the episode was the voice from above: “this is my Son, the chosen, listen to him”. We equally heard the same words at the event of his Baptism: “You are my Son today I have fathered you” (Lk. 3:22).  In the Lukan redaction he emphasizes on the revelation of the Father, who proclaims Jesus “The chosen Son”. Prior to the voice from heaven, probably the apostles were ready to accept Jesus as one of the end time figures, alongside with Moses and Elijah. But the Voice from heaven proclaims and ascertains the finality of Jesus: “This is my Son, listen to him”, this alludes to Deuteronomy (18:15): “Yahweh your God will raise up a prophet like me; you will listen to him”. This episode proclaims Jesus as the Son of God and the second Moses who accomplishes the new exodus through his Cross. And having known Him, the voice invites us to listen to Him. How often do we actually listen to Him? And while coming down from the mountain Jesus ordered the apostles not to tell anyone, because the event serves as a sort of preparation to them for the scandal of the cross. The transfiguration episode is incomplete without the cross episode (they are like Part 1 and part 2). Little wonder, Jesus makes prediction of his passion and death within the context of his transfiguration.

     Besides, we cannot but remember that the scene of the Transfiguration is concluded with the account of the miracle of the epileptic boy (9:37-43). When Jesus was on the mountain, it was as if the Church, the apostles were unable to drive the Devil out, this made Jesus to address them as a faithless and perverse generation. But when there seems to be no remedy, Jesus intervenes in favour of his people, and he imposes the devil to go out of the boy and thus gives rise for the hope of the final victory. Interestingly, while everyone was awestruck and full of admiration about what he has done, he said to his disciples: “The Son of man is going to be delivered into the power of men” (Lk. 9:44). Jesus continues to situate the upcoming event of the Cross into the context of the manifestation of his glory, for his glory will be manifested eloquently on the Cross.

      In the second reading (Phil.3:17-4:1) St. Paul gives us an interpretative key to the readings of today, especially the Gospel. He reminds us that our true homeland is in heaven, and that Jesus one day will transfigure our mortal bodies to conform it to his glorious body. The theme that dovetails into the epistle and the Gospel readings is the theme of change. While the former speaks of the change of our earthly existence at last, the Gospel speaks of the change of Jesus’ countenance as he prayed on the Holy Mountain. In this passage we see an allusion to the term “glorious body” or spiritual body to denote the apocalyptic hope, in this hope the life to come is not a sort of a prolongation of the present life, rather an entirely new one, a transformed existence. It is in this transformed way of existence that Christ entered into, after the event of his Resurrection. Indeed, he entered into that existence mainly as the “first fruits” (1Cor. 15:20). As such, he made it possible for believers to enter into that transformed existence. This indeed, is at the basis of our Christian hope!   

     Therefore, the transfiguration of Jesus is a sign and a prophecy of what will become of us one day. Our Christian life is tailored in being and becoming, between reality and hope, between the already and the not yet. Our being, our reality or our already is in Christ. Little wonder, the apostle reminds us: “You are in Christ Jesus” (1Cor. 1:30). St. Paul reminds us that our homeland is in heaven, but to participate in his glory, to transfigure in him we need to stand firm in Him (Phil. 4:1). Therefore, we don’t have to behave like the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose god is stomach; their glory is in their ‘shame’. Their minds are occupied with earthly things (v.19). My dear friends let us strive to become friends of the cross of Christ, so that we shall be transfigured like him.

     In the passage of the first reading (Gen. 15:5-12, 17-18) we see the combination of three different themes: God’s promise to Abraham, His promise to the land of Israel, and the sealing of that promise with a covenant ceremony. In and through Abraham God intervened out rightly in human history in order to establish a people for himself. This indeed, is a manifestation of God’s grace. The Responsorial Psalm serves as a bridge between the first and the second readings. For in stanza 4 it says: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living”. In the context of the first reading, for Abraham this land is the land of Israel, while in that of the second reading, for Christians, the land is the Kingdom of God.

     Lord Jesus may our daily encounter with You and your Word be a veritable source of transformation and change for us! Help us to understand that our present and future, our being and becoming, our reality and hope lie in you!! Lord make us transfigurable!!! Be new, be transfigured!!!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

Do Not Let The Devil Win!

(Homily for the 1^st Sunday of Lent Year C)

          Every first Sunday of Lent we read the Gospel passage of the temptation of Jesus, which in turn serves as a reminder for us to always say “No” to Satan and his promises as Jesus did. Secondly, it reminds us that in our lives temptations must come, but we are called to resist as Jesus did. Jesus’ experience of temptation evidences that we humans are not immune to temptation. The author of the letter to the Hebrews was firm on this fact when he affirms: “we do not have a high priest who is incapable of feeling our weakness with us, but one who has been tempted in all things like us, but has not sinned” (Heb. 4:15). So, the Devil will continue to tempt us, but God does not, He only tests us. St. James in his letter says that “God tempts no one” (Jm. 1:13). The purpose of temptation is to make us bad, but the purpose of test is to make us better. One thing we have to bear in mind is the fact that condition favors Satan in his antics and temptations, he saw Jesus in the desert, hungry after 40 days fasting.

         In the Gospel reading (Lk. 4:1-13) we see the threefold temptation of Jesus. This account is found both in Mathew (Mt. 4:1-4) and in Luke, although there is a little difference in their manner of presenting the temptations, while Mathew has bread-temple-mountain, Luke has bread-mountain-temple. It does appear that Mathew’s intention was to bring together the two questions pertaining to Jesus as Son of God. As such, for Mathew the temptations of Jesus are messianic in character. On the other hand, Luke’s ordering is suggestive of his desire to emphasize that Jesus is the new Adam, the antitype of the first Adam, who fell when tempted by the serpent. Also Luke’s choice has a theological reason, namely, the climax of Jesus’s temptation will take place in the Holy City on top of the temple, for the ultimate victory of Jesus will take place there. The attempt of Satan to make Jesus abandon his mission will be rejected by Jesus, but the final victory of Jesus will be accomplished three years later on the Cross. As a matter of fact, given that we are reading the Lukan version, we are going to thread the line of St. Luke, therefore, seeing Jesus’ temptation as the temptation of the new Adam. St. Luke in his account affirmed that the devil left Jesus “until an opportune time” (v.13), this is of great importance to the theology of St. Luke. St. Luke links the temptation story with the event of the Passion. The three temptations condense the three fundamental relations of man:

●Towards oneself (stone or bread) Concupiscence of the body

●Towards others (power and science) Concupiscence of power

●Towards God (God at my disposition) Concupiscence of the eyes

         The first temptation was the demand of the Devil to Jesus to change stone to bread. Even though it is true that bread is good, but the word of God is best. It is also true that we need “bread” to survive, but what keeps us in being is the word of God. His “word are spirit and they are life” (Jn. 6:63), so also man “lives of every word that comes out of the mouth of the Lord” (Mt. 4:4). This is the temptation to use his power to His material and personal advantage, to satisfy his hunger, after 40 days of fasting, but the real word that satisfies is the word of God. Till today we are still faced with the temptation of turning everything to “bread” just for personal satisfaction. Little wonder, greed, selfishness and insatiable desires for material things is erupting the foundation of our world.

          The second temptation was the Devil’s open challenge to Jesus. He took Jesus up to a height and showed Him all the Kingdoms of the world, and then the Devil tells Jesus (God) to worship him. The devil invited Jesus to succumb to his logic, for him to have everything. What an irony! Here we see the logic of the devil: “I give you, you give me”. This is the temptation for power (to have power over others). This temptation for power has dealt with our present world. This indeed is the exact contrary of God. God in His logic loves us first, and gratuitously too. He loves and gives without asking for anything in return. The devil’s logic is “nothing goes for nothing” and God’s logic is “something goes for nothing”.

        The third temptation was the devil’s attempt to put Jesus to his disposition. He took Jesus up the pinnacle of the temple, and challenged Him: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge over you, to guard you…” And Jesus to the devil, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”. Here, the devil asks Jesus for a miracle. The devil used the written word of God to tempt the Incarnate Word of God. Peter made a similar request to Jesus at the episode he saw Jesus walking on water. “Lord, he said, if it is you tell me to come to you across the water” (Mt.14:28), and Jesus allowed him, but after three steps, he became afraid and started to sink. Indeed, miracles are not necessary for one to have faith. We remember Jesus performed so many miracles in Galilee and Samaria, yet his people wanted to throw Him down from the hill in Nazareth (cf. Lk. 4: 22-30). It is not miracle that gives faith, it is a supernatural gift. This is the temptation to make God succumb to the devil’s will, sometimes also we are like the devil, when we want to bend God’s will to our will, when we command God for miracles because we want them, not because He willed them. Some of us tempt God with: Give me, do this or do that etc. We want God to act when and how we desire.

     Jesus in the threefold temptation teaches us to always put God first in our life. The responses (Man shall not live by bread alone, you shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve, you shall not put the Lord, your God to the test) of Jesus to the devil manifest that Jesus put God first in everything. Who is first in your life?

     These three temptations are the three ways through which man deserts the way of God:

●temptation of idolizing material things (selfishness)

●temptation to grab power for the sake of domination

●temptation to desire for success and personal prestige

        We too, are constantly tempted to deviate from God, but Jesus indicates to us through his experience a major road in order not to fall into temptation. We should avoid a type of an accommodating Christianity that tends to please man, rather than God.

          Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit, and he was tempted. He felt that there is an obscure power in the world he has to wage war against. And at the end of the temptation the devil left him, but St. Luke added: “the devil left him, until the opportune moment” (Lk. 4:13). And truly he did return, when instead of the pinnacle of the temple he took him (Jesus) to the pinnacle of the Cross and says to him: “if you are the son of God come down from the cross” (Mt. 27:40). Satan departed only for a moment, he waited for another chance, as such, we must never be complacent to his antics, a Christian need to always be on the tiptoe. In the episode of today’s passage Jesus started his fight against sin and against Satan the Instigator. Through his victory over Satan He created a new possibility for us: that is the possibility of overcoming temptation and sin. He is the antithesis of Adam. He (Adam), man wanted to be like God; but Jesus even though God became man to save man from his evil inclination and desire. St. Paul says of him: “Who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God…But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross” (Phil. 2:6-8). The temptation of Eden has not ended, for there are still many serpents who continue to lead man astray and make him deviate from the divine will, but Jesus has opened a new possibility for us, he won Satan and his temptations in the desert, we too can win him in the desert of our human existences.

          In the first reading (Deut. 26:4-10) we see the confession of faith of the chosen people, but prior to their confession of faith they strayed. This passage reminds us that whenever we sin, is as if we forget who we are and what God has done for us. Here, the Jews remembered who they are and what God has done for them, by liberating them from the hands of the Egyptians, to Canaan. They Israelites fell into temptation and sinned when they loosed sight of what God has done for them (we can say that the greatest sin of the Old Testament is forgetting the greatest miracle of the Old Testament, the Exodus). Likewise, when we lose sight of what God has done in our lives, we fall into temptation and sin, we forget the pivotal element of our faith: Jesus’ death and resurrection.

          According to some exegetes this passage from the book of Deuteronomy is fundamental in the whole of the Old Testament, or precisely in the Pentateuch. Deuteronomy 26:4-20 occupies a similar position to that of 1Corinthians 15:3-8 in the New Testament. As such, what Christ’s death and resurrection are to the New Testament, the exodus is to the Old Testament. Therein, the mighty acts of God prompted a confession of faith, and a recall of those mighty works.

        The second reading (Rm. 10:8-13) presents the confession of faith of the believers in Christ. St. Paul presents a New Testament confession of faith (cf. v.9), which corresponds with the Old Testament confession in the first reading. Therein, St. Paul declared the fundamental truths to be believed in order to be saved:

●to believe that Jesus is Lord

●to believe that the Father raised Him from the dead.

St. Paul went further and affirmed that whoever that invokes the name of the Lord will be saved. Here it is not all about believing and professing our faith in Him with “the mouth”, it is necessary to believe and profess it “with the heart”.

     As we reflect on the episode where the Devil tempted Jesus for three good times, the tempter had a sort of a formula: “if you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread” (v.3); “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down” (v.6); “I will give you all these, if you fall at my feet and do me homage” (v.9). The “if question” was something recurrent in the life and mission of Jesus, indeed, the part of the struggle he had to contend with was that of doubt and challenge, even upon the cross: “If you are the Son of God come down from the cross” (Mt. 27:40). Peter was caught up with the same question, upon seeing Jesus walk on water, “Lord, he said, if it is you tell me to come to you across the water” (Mt.14:28). The same question was addressed to him regarding his identity at the beginning of his public ministry. In our own experiences today, despite our human frailty and sins, we are invited to put the “if question” into the hands of God, and allow Him to fill us with the assurance of his presence and divine grace.

     Above all else however, the Lenten season brings to our consideration the necessity to evaluate our faith. Whether our faith is full of only words and inconsistency, or is concretized in good works and in love. We are indeed invited to follow the way of Christ in dealing with temptations and the tempter. Remember do not let the Devil win! May He who was tempted in the same way we are, and yet remained without sin continue to strengthen us in our daily struggle to resist the devil and his promises. We pray earnestly in this season of Lent that we may experience more deeply God’s mercy, goodness and love! Amen!!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)