MY INDIAN NEWS MARCH 2010

MY INDIAN NEWS

I was in the UK during January when  my younger brother died. He had been ill for quite some time with a complicated form of cancer. However he bore up well but finally succumbed to it on January 5^th. I was happily with him when he died. Because of the snow and ice at the time the funeral only took place on the 20^th.  I returned to India on the 26^th

^{Funeral Service of my brother Paul in Chorley Lancs and the burial in the family grave in Southport.}

 

^{"Salt to the Earth".  This is a book of my reflections on the Sunday Gospels. It covers the three year cycle and all the feasts that may occur on a Sunday. It was printed by the beginning of March and released on the 14th.}

^{I am happy to say that readers have received it well and hopefully they find it useful.}

^{The reception of "Salt to the Earth" has encouraged me to continue writing a second book, "Looking for Jesus? The Gospel for Searchers". Jesus has promised to be with us. I would like to help people find him.}

^{While I still have strength and energy I want to be engaged in the mission of bringing Jesus to our world. For the last year or so I have lived in Hyderabad but want to move to the rural areas and live close to the people there. I plan to take a house on rent in one of the villages.} 

^{FASHION DESIGNER TRAINING}

<sup>Meanwhile I will upgrade the tailoring centre I started in Pargi. Every day 20 young women receive training in tailoring. they come from all backgrounds and different religions too. I want to increase the number of women under training and train them so that they are proficient in fashion designing.

They will then be able to earn well for the big garment stores everywhere now in the cities of India. We will begin by next month.







COMPUTER TRAINING CENTRE</sup>

^{We have given basic training in computers. Now we are going to upgrade this so that young people will learn specialised skills and so improve their career opportunities. Being in the rural area there is a need also for the teaching of English. With English and skills then doors open.} 

 <sup>Some of the 108 young women whom we are helping study for a career.

These are studying in different colleges in Pargi which is about 80 km from Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

They stay in our boarding home of St. Gonzalo Garcia.

I can only do all this because so many of you help me</sup>

<sup>We have more than forty girls studying general nursing and seven or so studying B.Sc. nursing.

This thirty girls will finish their training and then be employed.

They have imbibed the desire to help others and many of them want to do special service for the poor. I feel if they can be employed in Govt hospitals they will serve the poorest of the poor and they can bring the spirit of love to their service. This is something that is often lacking there.

We have retreats for these students to help them in spiritual formation and so reach out to others.</sup>

Faridhabhi is a Muslim from Pargi and the fourth wife Her daughter was brutally attacked by her husband some two months ago. He poured kerosene oil over her and set her on fire. He was under the influence of alcohol. When Faridhabhi had spent all she had she came to me and I am happy to help her daughter as she fights to save her life. She has been in the Govt. hospital in Hyderabad for two months with 60% burns. We have to buy the injections and medicines as well as new blood. It has cost more than £100 and she still has a long way to go. 

Two of my friends. On the left is Srikanth, a homeless man who suffers very badly from varicose veins. He is not able to do any work and anyway no one will give him any either. He is a very good man, a Hindu.I always help him when he comes to see me and is always welcome to stay here.

On the right is Peter Singh. He lost his parents when he was very young and was also struck with polio so that he has lost the use of both legs from the waist downwards. Nonetheless he has struggled and is proficient in several instruments. He has completed the eighth grade for Trinity College of Music in several instruments including the key board. 

 BHASKAR

Some 26 years ago Bhaskar's parents came to me holding their six months child in their arms. They told me he had lost the use of his legs. I took them straight away to the hospital  and the doctors diagnosed polio. All the same he has struggled in life and finished his education              through   the medium of English. We also helped

him do his college studies and becomeproficient in animation.

 He is now able to earn and look after himself, though he still has needs. He needs to buy a small plot to build a couple of rooms. And nowadays this is a lot of money.                                           

 BHASKAR DOING HIS JOB

         These are some of the things we are doing in the mission - Jesus4ourWorld. I am so grateful to all who join me in the work by prayer and financial sacrifices. I welcome your emails to me at ftgreenway@yahoo.com

For the convenience of those who would like to assist in the work of bringing some happiness to some people regardless of their religion or race, I give my account:  Barclays Stockport Branch, 20-82-14, a/c name & number FT Greenway, 80431761.

May you have a happy and blessed Easter,

Fr. Tim 

Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

FOLLOWING JESUS THROUGH LENT

How to meet Jesus

1. Give time every day. Sit quietly in a comfortable position, recollect yourself. Concentrate on Jesus who is present to you. Call on the Holy Spirit, your Teacher and Guide. Take your time. There is no rush and there is no fixed rule to follow. Be free in the Spirit.

2. Be aware that Jesus is with you. Use a mantra if you like, e.g. ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ..’

3. Read the passage with Jesus who was there and in the Holy Spirit who inspired it. It is a dialogue. You want to get to know Jesus, to get a new insight into ‘the Son of Man’. Understand the meaning of the passage, use a commentary if necessary.

4. Try and live the passage in your imagination. Remember it is not just imagination because Jesus is present now with you. Put yourself in the scene. Speak to Jesus.

2010 Mar 28 SUN:    PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION
                                    Procession: Lk 19:28-40. Mass: Lk 22: 14 – 23: 56

                                           Picture in the church at Bethany near Jerusalem

The Death of Jesus

³³ When they reached the place called The Skull, there they crucified him and the two criminals, one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.' Then they cast lots to share out his clothing. ³⁵ The people stayed there watching. As for the leaders, they jeered at him with the words, 'He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.' ³⁶ The soldiers mocked him too, coming up to him, offering him vinegar, ³⁷ and saying, 'If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.' ³⁸ Above him there was an inscription: 'This is the King of the Jews'. ³⁹ One of the criminals hanging there abused him: 'Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well.' ⁴⁰ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. 'Have you no fear of God at all?' he said. 'You got the same sentence as he did, ⁴¹ but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.' ⁴² Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' ⁴³ He answered him, 'In truth I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.' ⁴⁴ It was now about the sixth hour and the sun's light failed, so that darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵ The veil of the Sanctuary was torn right down the middle. ⁴⁶ Jesus cried out in a loud voice saying, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' With these words he breathed his last.

Jesus came to take our sins away. So he became a man tracing his ancestry back to Adam. Adam and Eve sinned by rebelling against God.. Their children increased their disobedience and rebelled even more. Where men had refused to love and obey God, Jesus came to love Him with all his heart and soul and obey Him in all things. This Jesus did perfectly. He had to pay a heavy price. The leaders decided to kill him. The crowds were uncomprehending and his disciples were weak. One conspired with the priests and handed him over to them in the darkness.  Jesus submitted trusting his Father to vindicate him. In his last moments he offered his life asking his Father to forgive our sins. By his Sacrifice we are forgiven and receive all God’s blessings ‘He loved you and gave his life for you’. What are you doing for him?

2010 Mar 29 Mon:    Monday of Holy Week  Jn 12: 1-11 

¹ Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. ² They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those at table. ³ Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was filled with the scent of the ointment. ⁴ Then Judas Iscariot -- one of his disciples, the man who was to betray him-said, ⁵ 'Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?' ⁶ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contents. ⁷ So Jesus said, 'Leave her alone; let her keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸ You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.' ⁹ Meanwhile a large number of Jews heard that he was there and came not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ since it was on his account that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.

The drama of the Passion is fast approaching. Notice the characters. The setting is a meal in Bethany. The Disciples are there and Lazarus and many people have come to see Lazarus. Martha is serving. The chief priests are there without being physically present. Mary has a deep and passionate love for Jesus. She alone seems to realise the mystery of Jesus’ personality. She pours perfume over his feet. It is not ordinary perfume but that used for burial. It cost the equivalent of almost a year’s wages for a labourer. Judas objects to the ‘waste’. His heart is hardened. The others don’t understand as we know from the other Gospels. Mary represents the true Israel of all who accept Jesus. Does she represent you? How can you show your love for Christ?  Let us too first love  the poor rather than just give to them, as Judas suggests.
2010 Mar 30 Tue:      Tuesday of Holy Week Jn 13: 21-33, 36-38

Having said this, Jesus was deeply disturbed and declared, 'In all truth I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.' ²² The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he meant. ²³ The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; ²⁴ Simon Peter signed to him and said, 'Ask who it is he means,' ²⁵ so leaning back close to Jesus' chest he said, 'Who is it, Lord?' ²⁶ Jesus answered, 'It is the one to whom I give the piece of bread that I dip in the dish.' And when he had dipped the piece of bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, 'What you are going to do, do quickly.' ²⁸ None of the others at table understood why he said this. ²⁹ Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, 'Buy what we need for the festival,' or telling him to give something to the poor. ³⁰ As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. It was night. ³¹ When he had gone, Jesus said: Now has the Son of man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. ³² If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon. ³³ Little children, I shall be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.

Simon Peter said, 'Lord, where are you going?' Jesus replied, 'Now you cannot follow me where I am going, but later you shall follow me.' ³⁷ Peter said to him, 'Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' ³⁸ 'Lay down your life for me?' answered Jesus. 'In all truth I tell you, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.'

Judas’ betrayal pierced the heart of Jesus. The psalmist expresses his anguish. “If this had been done by an enemy, I could bear his taunts, but it is you, my own companion, my intimate friend. How close was the friendship between us.”. “The traitor has turned against his friends. He has broken his word. His speech is softer than butter but war is in his heart. His words are smooth like oil, but they are naked swords”. Jesus is deeply troubled. He has appealed to Judas, but been rejected. With Judas gone a burden falls from Jesus’ shoulders. He is now with his own and he can reveal his heart to them, even if they in their weakness will abandon him and Peter will deny him. They will all come back. Judas will not. At this Supper where are you? Are you the consolation or grief of Jesus?

2010 Mar 31 Wed:     Wednesday of Holy Week  Mt 26: 14-25

Then one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and said, 'What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?' They paid him thirty silver pieces, ¹⁶ and from then onwards he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. ¹⁷ Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, 'Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?' ¹⁸ He said, 'Go to a certain man in the city and say to him, "The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples." ' ¹⁹ The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover. ²⁰ When evening came he was at table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating he said, 'In truth I tell you, one of you is about to betray me.' ²² They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, 'Not me, Lord, surely?' ²³ He answered, 'Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!' ²⁵ Judas, who was to betray him, asked in his turn, 'Not me, Rabbi, surely?' Jesus answered, 'It is you who say it.'

John has mentioned that Judas is a thief. Now Matthew seems to say that one of the motives was love for money. He betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Judas fell from great heights. In his betrayal the Scriptures are fulfilled but they do not force him. He has freely chosen and so is responsible. Jesus had loved him and chosen him to be his apostle. He must have had great hopes for him. Judas allowed sin and greed to enter his soul. He is a warning to everyone and especially to those who have been specially called. We can become a Judas if we allow love for money to grow in us and do not come to Jesus in our weakness and sin. Judas’ greater sin is that he didn’t return to Jesus. His soul was bereft of love for Jesus. Now there is no hope for him.

1^st April

Holy Thursday.

                                 They came to a place called Gethsemane, garden of olives.

John 13:1-15

¹ Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, having loved those who were his in the world, loved them to the end. ² They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, ⁴ and he got up from table, removed his outer garments and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; ⁵ he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?' ⁷ Jesus answered, 'At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.' ⁸ 'Never!' said Peter. 'You shall never wash my feet.' Jesus replied, 'If I do not wash you, you can have no share with me.' Simon Peter said, ⁹ 'Well then, Lord, not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!' ¹⁰ Jesus said, 'No one who has had a bath needs washing, such a person is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.' ¹¹ He knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said, 'though not all of you are'. ¹² When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments again he went back to the table. 'Do you understand', he said, 'what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. ¹⁴ If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you must wash each other's feet. ¹⁵ I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.

Jesus came to serve and not be served. Though God he humbled himself and took the form of a servant. He emptied himself on the Cross offering his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. In the Eucharist Jesus offers this one eternal sacrifice of the Cross. Both are identical. As members of his body we share in this offering. We are to share not just ritually but by being ourselves servants of one another. And so today John emphasises that as Jesus’ life of love can be summarised by the washing of his disciples feet likewise if we wish to share in the offering of the Eucharist we too must live a life of love and service. We are united to Jesus who washes feet out of love. Do you see participation in the Mass as joining your life of service to others with the offering of Jesus?

Olive garden in Jerusalem

2^nd April 2010  Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

Calvary in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Jerusalem.

The Death of Jesus (John 19:17-30)

They then took charge of Jesus, ¹⁷ and carrying his own cross he went out to the Place of the Skull or, as it is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, ¹⁸ where they crucified him with two others, one on either side, Jesus being in the middle. ¹⁹ Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: 'Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews'. ²⁰ This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. ²¹ So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate, 'You should not write "King of the Jews", but that the man said, "I am King of the Jews". ' ²² Pilate answered, 'What I have written, I have written.' ²³ When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck to hem; ²⁴ so they said to one another, 'Instead of tearing it, let's throw dice to decide who is to have it.' In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled: They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothes. That is what the soldiers did. ²⁵ Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. ²⁶ Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, 'Woman, this is your son.' ²⁷ Then to the disciple he said, 'This is your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. ²⁸ After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed and, so that the scripture should be completely fulfilled, he said: I am thirsty. ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a hyssop stick, they held it up to his mouth. ³⁰ After Jesus had taken the wine he said, 'It is fulfilled'; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.

This is his hour when Jesus glorifies his Father. He lived for him and now dies for him. Likewise it is the hour when the Father will glorify him. Jesus is not a helpless victim. He lays down his own life and takes it up again. He reigns from the Cross. Though he allows his enemies to divide up his outer life casting lots for his garments, he is supreme. They cannot tear his inner garment. He himself offers up his spirit. Mary is a symbol of true Israel waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises. Israel in Mary is the mother of the Christian community. Mary too is the New Eve and brings forth her children in pain, only to later rejoice. Jesus gives up his spirit, the Holy Spirit, to her children. Jesus gives his Spirit to all who believe. As you kiss his Cross receive his Spirit.

April 3^rd 2010 Holy Saturday.

Luke 24:1-12

¹ On the first day of the week, at the first sign of dawn, the women went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. ² They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, ³ but on entering they could not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ As they stood there puzzled about this, two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared at their side. ⁵ Terrified, the women bowed their heads to the ground. But the two said to them, 'Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee: ⁷ that the Son of man was destined to be handed over into the power of sinful men and be crucified, and rise again on the third day.' ⁸ And they remembered his words. ⁹ And they returned from the tomb and told all this to the Eleven and to all the others. ¹⁰ The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. And the other women with them also told the apostles, ¹¹ but this story of theirs seemed pure nonsense, and they did not believe them. ¹² Peter, however, went off to the tomb, running. He bent down and looked in and saw the linen cloths but nothing else; he then went back home, amazed at what had happened.

The women went to the tomb expecting to find the body of Jesus and anoint it. The tomb was empty and the young men told them “he isn’t here. He has risen”. Jesus has conquered death and for us too. The poison of death has been removed. We have to undergo it but it is no longer the death it was. Then death reigned supreme and after our life we would go at best into a land of shades. Jesus has revealed that we have a Father who longs for us and who sent Jesus to win reconciliation for us. Our Father takes delight in showing mercy and Jesus is an advocate pleading our cause. Death is still our enemy but it has been made the gateway to a life of happiness with God himself. We need only to call on Jesus from our heart to share his victory.

“He descended into hell”  Jesus saving Adam and Eve

5th Sunday of Lent

FOLLOWING JESUS THROUGH LENT

The Dawn of Mercy

2010 Mar 21 SUN:    FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

                                    Is 43: 16-21 / Phil 3: 8-14 / Jn 8: 1-11

¹Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ² At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them. ³ The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in the middle ⁴ they said to Jesus, 'Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery, ⁵ and in the Law Moses has ordered us to stone women of this kind. What have you got to say?' ⁶ They asked him this as a test, looking for an accusation to use against him. But Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. ⁷ As they persisted with their question, he straightened up and said, 'Let the one among you who is guiltless be the first to throw a stone at her.' ⁸ Then he bent down and continued writing on the ground.

Have you the courage to meet Jesus? Today’s Gospel gives the answer. Jesus is deeply affected by our response. The Jews opposed him constantly. Jesus was scathing in his judgement of their sinful hypocrisy. He even said, “You will die in your sin”. But Jesus has another side. Here is a woman, caught in the act of sin, dragged into his presence. Jesus does not take the side of those who would punish her with death. On the other hand he does not condone her sin. He is strong in his opposition to her unjust aggressors. To the woman in misery he is the personification of kindness and gentleness. He refuses to pass judgement. He only appeals to her to repent and not to sin again. We can approach him in our sinfulness because our high priest can feel for us in our weakness (Heb 4:15) We are the woman.  

2010 Mar 22 Mon:    5th Lenten Wk

                                    Dn 13: 1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13: 14c-62 / Jn 8: 1-11

John 11:1-46

¹ There was a man named Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister, Martha, and he was ill. ² It was the same Mary, the sister of the sick man Lazarus, who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. ³ The sisters sent this message to Jesus, 'Lord, the man you love is ill.' ⁴ On receiving the message, Jesus said, 'This sickness will not end in death, but it is for God's glory so that through it the Son of God may be glorified.' ⁵ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, ⁶ yet when he heard that he was ill he stayed where he was for two more days ⁷ before saying to the disciples, 'Let us go back to Judaea.' ⁸ The disciples said, 'Rabbi, it is not long since the Jews were trying to stone you; are you going back there again?' ⁹ Jesus replied: Are there not twelve hours in the day? No one who walks in the daytime stumbles, having the light of this world to see by; ¹⁰ anyone who walks around at night stumbles, having no light as a guide. ¹¹ He said that and then added, 'Our friend Lazarus is at rest; I am going to wake him.' ¹² The disciples said to him, 'Lord, if he is at rest he will be saved.' ¹³ Jesus was speaking of the death of Lazarus, but they thought that by 'rest' he meant 'sleep'; ¹⁴ so Jesus put it plainly, 'Lazarus is dead; ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there because now you will believe. But let us go to him.' ¹⁶ Then Thomas -- known as the Twin -- said to the other disciples, 'Let us also go to die with him.' ¹⁷ On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. ¹⁸ Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. ²¹ Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died, ²² but even now I know that God will grant whatever you ask of him.' ²³ Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' ²⁴ Martha said, 'I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.' ²⁵ Jesus said: I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live, ²⁶ and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? ²⁷ 'Yes, Lord,' she said, 'I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.' ²⁸ When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in a low voice, 'The Master is here and wants to see you.' ²⁹ Hearing this, Mary got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Jesus had not yet come into the village; he was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who were in the house comforting Mary saw her get up so quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. ³² Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' ³³ At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who had come with her, Jesus was greatly distressed, and with a profound sigh he said, ³⁴ 'Where have you put him?' They said, 'Lord, come and see.' ³⁵ Jesus wept; ³⁶ and the Jews said, 'See how much he loved him!' ³⁷ But there were some who remarked, 'He opened the eyes of the blind man. Could he not have prevented this man's death?' ³⁸ Sighing again, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. ³⁹ Jesus said, 'Take the stone away.' Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, 'Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day since he died.' ⁴⁰ Jesus replied, 'Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?' ⁴¹ So they took the stone away. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said: Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer. ⁴² I myself knew that you hear me always, but I speak for the sake of all these who are standing around me, so that they may believe it was you who sent me. ⁴³ When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!' ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with strips of material, and a cloth over his face. Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, let him go free.' ⁴⁵ Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what he did, believed in him, ⁴⁶ but some of them went to the Pharisees to tell them what Jesus had done.

“Now Jesus loved, Martha, her sister and Lazarus” “So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was” How strange! Should he not have left immediately? Can we put Jesus into our categories? If we surrender to him, things will be well. If we are close to him and let him love us as he loved his friends in Bethany, we can rest assured. Let us not put conditions. Jesus wants trust and belief rather than understanding. “Lazarus had been in the tomb four days”. It would appear an impossible situation. “Whoever believes in me, even if he dies will live”. Even death cannot overcome one Jesus loves. Mary “fell at his feet”. When Jesus saw her weeping, “he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.” “He wept”. “Lazarus come out”. Be the friend of Jesus. You will live.

2010 Mar 23 Tue:      5th Lenten Wk / Nm 21: 4-9 / Jn 8: 21-30

²¹ Again he said to them: I am going away; you will look for me and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come. ²² So the Jews said to one another, 'Is he going to kill himself, that he says, "Where I am going, you cannot come?" ' ²³ Jesus went on: You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴ I have told you already: You will die in your sins. Yes, if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. ²⁵ So they said to him, 'Who are you?' Jesus answered: What I have told you from the outset. ²⁶ About you I have much to say and much to judge; but the one who sent me is true, and what I declare to the world I have learnt from him. ²⁷ They did not recognise that he was talking to them about the Father. ²⁸ So Jesus said: When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of my own accord. What I say is what the Father has taught me; ²⁹ he who sent me is with me, and has not left me to myself, for I always do what pleases him. ³⁰ As he was saying this, many came to believe in him.

 God alone is immortal and lives in unapproachable light and whom no one has ever seen or can see (1Tim6:16). Here is this man saying, if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins. Jesus repeats again. When you lift up the Son of Man you will realise that I AM. Talking of Abraham he will say, before Abraham was, I AM. He is a man just like them with all the weakness and fragility of a man’s life and he is saying I am Yahweh God. The Jews cannot accept this. But it is true. God has come from his unapproachable light and is among us. He is with us today too even hidden in the bread of the Eucharist. Can we accept he is present? He has come because he loves us and wants to be our friend. Is he your friend?

2010 Mar 24 Wed:     5th Lenten Wk / Dn 3: 14-20, 91-92, 95/ Jn 8: 31-42

³¹ To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said: If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; ³² you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free. ³³ They answered, 'We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, "You will be set free?" ' ³⁴ Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave. ³⁵ Now a slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it for ever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free. ³⁷ I know that you are descended from Abraham; but you want to kill me because my word finds no place in you. ³⁸ What I speak of is what I have seen at my Father's side, and you too put into action the lessons you have learnt from your father. ³⁹ They repeated, 'Our father is Abraham.' Jesus said to them: If you are Abraham's children, do as Abraham did. ⁴⁰ As it is, you want to kill me, a man who has told you the truth as I have learnt it from God; that is not what Abraham did. ⁴¹ You are doing your father's work. They replied, 'We were not born illegitimate, the only father we have is God.' ⁴² Jesus answered: If God were your father, you would love me, since I have my origin in God and have come from him; I did not come of my own accord, but he sent me.

Jesus invites us to remain in his Word and if we do we will know the truth, the truth about ourselves and the truth will make us free. If we do not listen to God’s Word we will be imprisoned in lies. We will be bound by a poor image of ourselves, feelings of inferiority, of being unloved and unappreciated, of worthless and of hatred for ourselves so that we have suicidal thoughts. God’s word will teach us that we are precious and so valuable that God became a man, loved you and died for you so that you can live with him forever in glory. Jesus is the one who makes us free, because he befriends us. He knows your worth and loves you. In daily prayer look for the one who searches for you. The Jews closed their hearts, may we open ours to Jesus and live.

2010 Mar 25 Thu:      5th Lenten Wk / Gn 17: 3-9/ Jn 8: 51-59
                                    ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD  (Solemnity)
                                    Is 7: 10-14; 8: 10/ Heb 10: 4-10/ Lk 1: 26-38

²⁶ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with you.' ²⁹ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, ³⁰ but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. ³¹ Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; ³³ he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.' ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?' ³⁵ The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. ³⁶ And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, ³⁷ for nothing is impossible to God.' ³⁸ Mary said, 'You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.' And the angel left her.

Without God there could be no universe. Though everything existed through Him, He could not be seen or experienced. But He loved his world so much and men and women were precious to Him and so He decided to become one of them. They lived in moral darkness and sin. He would be their Shepherd and their Saviour. Today we celebrate how God embraces the human race by becoming man in the womb of the Virgin. Today He shows how valuable we are in his sight. Today he calls us his brothers and sisters, ‘I am one among you’. Today he stands at your door and knocks. If you open your door he will come into your life. People did not believe he was God. They persecuted him and then killed him. He didn’t give up. He continues to invite us to be his friend. Wht is your response?

2010 Mar 26 Fri:        5th Lenten Wk / Jer 20: 10-13 / Jn 10: 31-42

³¹ The Jews fetched stones to stone him, ³² so Jesus said to them, 'I have shown you many good works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?' ³³ The Jews answered him, 'We are stoning you, not for doing a good work, but for blasphemy; though you are only a man, you claim to be God.' ³⁴ Jesus answered: Is it not written in your Law: I said, you are gods? ³⁵ So it uses the word 'gods' of those people to whom the word of God was addressed -- and scripture cannot be set aside. ³⁶ Yet to someone whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world you say, 'You are blaspheming' because I said, 'I am Son of God.' ³⁷ If I am not doing my Father's work, there is no need to believe me; ³⁸ but if I am doing it, then even if you refuse to believe in me, at least believe in the work I do; then you will know for certain that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. ³⁹ They again wanted to arrest him then, but he eluded their clutches. ⁴⁰ He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to the district where John had been baptising at first and he stayed there. ⁴¹ Many people who came to him said, 'John gave no signs but all he said about this man was true'; ⁴² and many of them believed in him.

Who is interested in the Truth? It was difficult for the Jews to accept Jesus. The prophets had taught that there is only one God. Jesus says he is not the Father and yet he  is God. The Jews thought, ‘Does this not mean that there are two Gods? This is blasphemy.’ Yet they would not study the evidence of Jesus – his Words, his Works, his Life. They were closed. They would not get close to his Heart, to believe in Him. How many today are deeply interested in studying the claims of Jesus, to know the Truth? Do they not prefer to be undisturbed in their own traditions? Do we want to get close to Jesus? Do we fear it may upturn our lives? Are you satisfied with a ritualistic religion, with saying prayers, but not having a face to face encounter with Jesus in faith?

2010 Mar 27 Sat:       5th Lenten Wk / Ez 37: 21-28 / Jn 11:45-46

⁴⁵ Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what he did, believed in him, ⁴⁶ but some of them went to the Pharisees to tell them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting. 'Here is this man working all these signs,' they said, 'and what action are we taking? ⁴⁸ If we let him go on in this way everybody will believe in him, and the Romans will come and suppress the Holy Place and our nation.' ⁴⁹ One of them, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said, 'You do not seem to have grasped the situation at all; ⁵⁰ you fail to see that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people, rather than that the whole nation should perish.' ⁵¹ He did not speak in his own person, but as high priest of that year he was prophesying that Jesus was to die for the nation- ⁵² and not for the nation only, but also to gather together into one the scattered children of God. ⁵³ From that day onwards they were determined to kill him. ⁵⁴ So Jesus no longer went about openly among the Jews, but left the district for a town called Ephraim, in the country bordering on the desert, and stayed there with his disciples. ⁵⁵ The Jewish Passover was drawing near, and many of the country people who had gone up to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves ⁵⁶ were looking out for Jesus, saying to one another as they stood about in the Temple, 'What do you think? Will he come to the festival or not?'

Jesus had said to the Jews, ‘the dead will hear the voice of the Son of Man and will live’. Then Lazarus died and had been in the tomb four days when Jesus arrived. There was no fanfare, no great prayer of petition. Jesus simply stood by the tomb and said “Lazarus come forth”. The dead man heard his voice and came out. Many honest Jews believed in Jesus, but not the leaders. They hardened themselves even more. Jesus gave such a sign that he had come from God and must be accepted, but they reject Him and determine to kill him. Their thoughts are of this world only. Others like Mary, sister of Lazarus, will show extravagant love by anointing Jesus. Where do you stand? Can you imitate Mary? Have you a passion to hear his voice and live? Jesus invites us to believe in Him.