Can Easter make a difference in our lives? by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

Morning Mass

Acts 10: 34a, 37-43; Ps 118; Col 3: 1-4 (or 1 Cor 5: 6-8); Jn 20: 1-9 (or Mk 16: 1-7)

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Luke 24 tells us the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection of Jesus.  From that event, we can see that Easter announces four qualities that could make a difference in our lives:

1. Peace- Luke 24:36 Jesus knew they were confused and frightened. Naturally any unprecedented even like death and resurrection can leave people confused and frightened. He always understands our feelings, so he said in verse 36, "Peace be unto you." This is the first and immediate application of Easter: Peace. Without sticking on to Jesus there is no peace. Jesus is our peace.

2. Joy- Luke 24:41 The preceding verses tell us that the disciples were confused and thought they were seeing a ghost. They wanted to believe their joy; but their weak faith said, "This can't be happening!" Jesus let them feel him to see that he was flesh and bones, and he ate in their presence.  When Jesus settles our frustrations, peace brings it's companion, joy. Joy is a natural byproduct of peace when we understand the reason for our peace. And, joy is always better than happiness. The world wants happiness and fun. Happiness depends on outside stimuli being right, but joy comes from inner peace. Fun disappears when we're sad, but we can have inner comfort and joy even in tragedy. When we lose our loved ones, we're sad; but we have joy knowing they are with the Lord. Jesus is our true joy.

3. Hope-- Luke 24:44 A third quality Easter brings is hope. If Jesus fulfilled all prophecies concerning his first coming, he'll surely fulfill the promise of verse 49. That promise is the Holy Spirit. Sure enough, Jesus has returned in spirit now. When Jesus was here in person he was limited by his physical body to one place at a time. Now he can be with all his children all the time and everywhere. That gives us hope.  Jesus is our hope.

4. Mission--Luke 24: 47-48 Easter also brings a duty. Mission is a Bible word that the secular world has adopted lately. The church always needs a mission statement to remind us of who we are, why we're here, and where we're going. We are God's ambassadors here on earth continuing his work of evangelizing, and ministering to our world. Preaching the good news is our duty.

“The Christ event began with life from an empty womb and ended with life from an empty tomb”. William Hull

 

Palm Sunday Vs Passion Sunday 2024 by Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 WONDERING GURU

At The Procession with Palms – Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16

(Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11c; Mark 14:1-15:47)

We get the name "Palm” Sunday because as Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the disciples laid down palm fronds on the road ahead of the donkey. Some translations refer to them as “leafy branches cut from the fields.” In the culture of their day, a king would ride into town on a horse if he wanted the people to know that he was ready for war and that he was their warrior king. However, when a king rode into town on a donkey, that symbolized the time of peace was at hand. Jesus chose a donkey to show that the time for peace and love had come. The people were awaiting the king, but most of them thought the king would be an earthly king that would readily protect Jerusalem from all enemies. Jesus, however, came as a king of peace.

Today’s Sunday is also known as “Passion Sunday.” Let’s explore the difference between the two: Palm Sunday vs Passion Sunday. “Palm Sunday” could refer to the events that fulfilled the prophecies of long ago. The prophecies that Zechariah foretold about the king who would ride into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey and how the people went crazy with hope that they would be saved from the cruel Roman Empire.

But on the other hand, “Passion Sunday”, could tell a totally different story. This parade could refer to a funeral procession. This day marked the beginning of the end; the week of betrayal; and the week that would end in suffering and death. “Passion Sunday”, could refer to the stories of the last supper, and how Jesus shared with his disciples those things he wanted them to remember most.

When the Palm Sunday crowd saw Jesus riding into Jerusalem that day, they knew that something exciting was happening. They knew that Jesus was riding as the Messiah would, and they thought they knew what that meant. They thought it meant they would be free from the Romans, they thought it meant that Jesus was going to be their King. On the other hand, the Good Friday crowd turned against Jesus because he didn’t fulfill the dreams, they had of him the Sunday before.

This Palm Sunday Hosanna episode in the gospels seems a bit out of place because we know where Jesus is going. We know he is not going to Herod’s palace. We know he is not going to confront the Roman authorities. We know he is not going to topple the corruption of the temple leaders. We know he is marching through this city, going through this triumph, heading for a vicious cross. And we wonder, what do the words of triumph mean. What do their hosannas mean? Hosanna actually means save us. Imagine the Palm Sunday crowd saw this man as their king, and they thought he would save them in the way other great leaders had saved them. Looking to be saved from the oppression of a Roman occupation, from those in the temple who collaborated with the occupiers.

But Jesus wanted them to see the reality of who he was, not an earthly king, but a heavenly king. He was not a warrior who would come to destroy the Romans. Jesus was a warrior who would come to destroy sin and death.  Jesus was painting a picture of a suffering Messiah. A Messiah who would suffer for the sins of all the people. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:  "God allows himself to be edged out of the world and on to the cross and that is the way, the only way, in which he can be with us and help us. Only a suffering God can help."  The crowds on that first Palm Sunday wanted a Warrior King, but Jesus came as a suffering Messiah. Jesus came as one who would die on a cross for the sake of human kind.

Palm Sundays/ Celebrations in our life teach us nothing but we learn great wisdom and life’s lessons on Passion Sundays/Sufferings.

Daring Discipleship in the New Covenant by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

Fifth Sunday of Lent, 17th March 2024

Jeremiah 31: 31-34; Psalms 51: 3-4, 12-15; Hebrews 5: 7-9; John 12: 20-33

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

The Difference between the Old & the New Covenant: - The words "New Covenant" indicates that Jeremiah is comparing two different covenants through which God established a relationship with his people. If God is going to make a new covenant, that means there was an old one. The first reading tells us that if the people, observed his laws and observed his commands, he would bless them. But if they failed to live as his law instructed, they would suffer. Yet before the ink was dry on the old covenant, they had already broken it by engaging in all sorts of pagan immorality. They had forgotten what God had done for them. Now let us fast-forward several hundred years to the sixth century B.C., When Jeremiah served the little nation of Judah, the remaining fragment of God's Covenant. Now Jeremiah's book is filled with doom and gloom and warnings to the tribe of Judah, because the people had forsaken God. They had forsaken him time and time again. Finally, God gave them a seventy-year "time out".  He allowed an enemy nation to attack, defeat, and deport them from their homeland for seven decades. That was the historical backdrop about today’s first reading.

We the people have continued in that sinful tradition. In reality, this game show has been played over and over in God's word, beginning in the Garden of Eden. God had given Adam the sweetest deal. Free run of the Garden, a beautiful wife, peace, no war, no famine, no poverty, no hate, and an intimate personal relationship with the creator of the universe. Then Satan came along (Genesis 3) tempting Eve with a new deal. One that he portrays as a better Deal. Satan basically says to Eve that if she takes his deal she will be like God.  There is an old saying "Opportunity knocks once but temptation beats on the door every day."  We are constantly being tempted to take a bad deal. 

What does God's "New deal" or the New covenant offers us?

 "'This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,' declares the Lord. 'I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people, 'For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.'"  This New Covenant was no longer only to the Old Testament people but also for the New Testament people as well. The new covenant relationship with God is not based on what people do. It is based on God, on Jesus Christ.  The promised Messiah brought this new covenant relationship to fruition by his sacrifice: "I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Jer 31:34; Heb 8:12). Iniquity against God pardoned for the sake of his Son. He will separate our Sins as far as the East is from the West and He will cast them into the depths of the sea (Psalm 103:12; Micah 7:19). This is the New Covenant, a covenant of Grace. A New Covenant based on faith, not obedience to a law. Through this New Covenant we are set free from the bondage of sin no longer slaves but children of God.

Daring Discipleship: We live in a world where heavenly things confuse our earthly minds. Jesus tells us that our very usefulness or our fruitfulness for God is tied to our willingness to surrender our lives even to die for Him. There are about six instances where Jesus mentions bearing fruit as a Christian - and five of those are tied to the cross or dying. In Short - it is in dying and not in doing that we bear fruit for God. Some examples of biblical contradictions that human mind finds hard to understand.

We see unseen things (2 Cor. 4:18); We conquer by yielding (Rom. 6:16-18); We find rest under a yoke (Mt. 11:28-30); We reign by serving (Mark 10:42-44); We are made great by becoming little (Luke 9:48); We are exalted by being humble (Mt. 23:12); We become wise by being fools for Christ’s sake (1 Cor. 1:20, 21); We are made free by becoming His bond servants (Rom. 6:10); We wax strong by being weak (2 Cor. 12:10); We triumph by defeat (2 Cor. 12:7-9); We find victory by glorying in our infirmities (2 Cor. 12:5); We live by dying (John 12:24, 25; 2 Cor. 4:10,11)

Conclusion: Jesus is looking for people who will follow Him with a reckless abandon. He wants people who will throw caution to the wind and embark on the journey called discipleship. Jesus is searching for a few daring hearts who will fully devote themselves to Him. Jesus is searching for people who will give their lives for Him. Jesus is looking for people just like you and me. The only question that remains is this: will you join the journey? Will you take up the call Jesus issues: Come, follow me? Will you dare to be a disciple?  Discipleship is not for sissies.

 

“When Christ calls someone; He bids them to come and die”.

(Dietrich Bonhoeffer- German theologian)

 

The Story of the Greatest Gift of Love & Life by Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 WONDERING GURU

Fourth Sunday of Lent—Year B – 10^th March 2024

(2 Chronicles 36: 14-16, 19-23; Psalm 137: 1-6; Eph 2: 4-10; John 3: 14-21)

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Introduction: How can we explain the meaning of Christmas in just a few words? Well, the best way I know is found in today’s Gospel: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Many scholars agree that John 3:16 is the Gospel in a nutshell. John 3:16 tells us the Story of the Greatest Gift of Love & Life.

1. The Greatest Love – God so loved the world. It’s truly so amazing that God chooses to love each one of us humans when He has the whole galaxy to love. He loves us even though we are sinners. He even loves those who don’t believe He exists. That is hard to believe, but He does. He doesn’t love their sins, but He loves the person. Every person in the world can be assured of His love. This is the greatness of our God.  The unconditional love of God encompasses the whole universe.

2. The Greatest Gift –He sacrificed His One and Only Son for us.

I don’t know why our life is so important to God that He allowed His son to go to the Cross for our sins. Parents say the love you have for your children is so great and profound that it could never be put into words. Losing a child to death is so horribly difficult to accept. It’s a nightmare for parents.  Knowing those two feelings, and knowing that God chose to allow His Son, His perfect blameless Son to die for us still dumbfounds me every time I think about it. May be this illustration could help us to understand this gift. A gem dealer was strolling the aisles at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show when he noticed a blue-violet stone the size and shape of a potato. He looked it over, then, as calmly as possible, asked the vendor, "You want $15 for this?" The seller, realizing the rock wasn’t as pretty as others in the bin, lowered the price to $10. The stone has since been certified as a 1,905-carat natural star sapphire, about 800 carats larger than the largest stone of its kind. It was appraised at $2.28 million.  It took a lover of stones to recognize the sapphire’s worth. It took God the Lover of His people to recognize the true value of ordinary-looking people like us.

3. The Greatest Life – Everlasting life. Life with Jesus is greater than any other life there is. People run after pleasure: drinking, smoking, eating, sleeping around and they call it the “good times” of life. After a while people get fed up and call such experiences empty or nothing. King Solomon called such life as vanity of vanities.  St. Augustine after experiencing such emptiness uttered “our hearts were made for you Lord; they are restless until they rest in you”.

Back in 1830 George Wilson was convicted of robbing the U.S. Mail and was sentenced to be hanged. President Andrew Jackson issued a pardon for Wilson, but he refused to accept it. The matter went to Chief Justice Marshall, who concluded that Wilson would have to be executed. "A pardon is a slip of paper," wrote Marshall, "the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. If it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged."

2,000 years ago, God the Son – Jesus the Christ issues a pardon but just like in the case of George Wilson the value of the pardon is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned.  If it is refused, it is no pardon. We don’t have to accept the life Christ offers us. We can refuse. His offer is of eternal life. But he who refuses to accept this gift knowing full well that life on earth is temporary is a fool.

Conclusion: God’s Love is a story of the Greatest Gift of love and Life. All we have to do is accept it. The Love is free. The Gift is free. The choice is us to make. Let’s make the right choice with the grace of God. Amen