Weekly Newsletters
The Latin American song writer and singer, Ricardo Arjona, is very well known for his lyrics and music that has a sublime message with which we either identify ourselves or it creates an opportunity to engage in a dialogue. At the beginning of his professional career as a singer, with the lyrics and music of Jesus is a Verb, not a Substantive, he began to attract international attention; especially in the Spanish speaking countries, which led him to reach the peak of fame, where he would express his thoughts and philosophies later on.
Jesus is a Verb not a Substantive is a personal description of how faith should be lived, according to Arjona’s understanding. Although some parts of the song represent poor theology, Ricardo is correct when he affirms that “Jesus is a Verb, not a Substantive.”
I consider myself a very fortunate person in having had the chance of growing, literally, in the great region of the Colombian Amazonia. To the south of this beautiful nation, in where it was possible for me to appreciate and interact with a unique biodiversity. Exotic flowers such as orchids, birds of paradise and so many others were part of the gardens of those who had small or big country homes. It was not uncommon that mothers took pride in their beautiful gardens and shared the secrets that helped them in having the most beautiful flowers and plants, which adorned their homes mainly the famous corridors, Louisiana style, in such a natural way.
The glory and the joy of the Risen Christ is still latent in the heart of the church. The disciples have been exposed, not only to the good news that their teacher is alive, but the great event, that once He overcame death, Jesus continues and will continue alive amongst His people; which is why as we listen to the words of the Gospel for this Sunday, it has been confirmed that He continues being our Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for His sheep. We, His redeemed people, benefit from His generous and voluntary gesture.
When using the image of the “Good Shepherd”, Jesus reaffirms that beautiful dynamics of a relationship in which a fundamental element of the total self giving exists, because His sheep are very important. He, who seemed to be “the wolf”, or the number one enemy of the flock, has no longer any power to divide it, the author of this Gospel tells us, that He gave His life, so that we may have ours and have it in abundance.
Look at my hands and my feet", are the words Jesus uses to reaffirm His resurrection to the disciples. They, however, are still afraid of the painful and humiliating event of the crucifixion; they are not yet able to grasp the few experiences to which some of them have been exposed to in the "new life of their teacher."
Although the narrative images of the gospel expose us to the joy of the experience of the resurrection, it is very difficult to imagine the emotions the apostles were going through; after all, the crucifixion was the cruelest and humiliating sentence that could be given to any person. Whoever died on the cross was considered an anathema or cursed.
The greatness of the resurrection not only expresses Jesus' new life, in fact, it also manifests the power of God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, who is the new strength that will edify and sustain the Church. Today we continue to live out the joy of Jesus' new life.
In his gospel, St. John exposes two ways of reacting before the resurrection. First, a live expression of joy, "We have seen the Lord", and the other, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe". Both reactions go with a human feeling. The first one is the affirmation of knowing that Jesus is not only alive, but that His presence gives us the gift of peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Second, is the need for proofs to reaffirm the opposite of everything that has happened; after all the crucifixion, was not only a very sadful event but also a very painful one.
“The first day of the week,” is a common phrase in the gospels proclaimed at the Easter Vigil and today, Sunday of the resurrection. The fact that Christ resurrected from the dead is not only an “extraordinary” event, but also the start of a new way of life, proclaimed by the dawn of a “first day”.
Every start is full of hopes, expectations, and new ways of looking at something thru different eyes. Innovation is something that causes joy; therefore, the resurrection of Christ, a manifestation of a new way of life, is not only the cause of great joy but also fills us with hopes and new expectations.
The signs given in the Gospel of today turn into allegories or images which we can apply in our lives to fill us with the hope of a new life, which allow us to make the words of the psalmist our own, specifically when he joyfully proclaims, “this is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”
A few days ago many fans of the American football, especially those great fans of the Giants, the Super Bowl champion, gathered in the famous "Canyon of Heroes," to honor their players for having obtained the ultimate prestige that honors them as the best in the sport. Although it was a regular work day, on February 7th many came together to see, from up close or at a distance, the team which today made them feel very proud of being their fans. There is not an approximate estimate of the amount of people that attended, but at least from what the media informed us, we can say it was a great celebration, an opportunity to show the pride for the sport, bringing to life the national American spirit.
We are concluding our Lenten journey and as time goes by, our final destination, seem clearer with every step we take: Easter. Throughout the previous days we have been invited to conversion, which is means by which we encounter Christ. In the Gospel for this fifth Sunday of Lent, our Lord speaks to us about the mystery of life and the secret of spiritual fecundity: "I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit". While for men the habitual order of concepts is life - death, in Jesus Christ it is the opposite: death - life. Man wants to bear fruit without dying, however, this is impossible. It is necessary for the grain of wheat to die, as it is necessary to lose life in order to live eternally. Jesus accepts to be the grain that dies beneath the soil of the Earth to give abundant fruit and it is in Him that two antagonistic realities join hands: death and fecundity.
Today’s Gospel has one of the most famous Bible passages known to the world: John 3:16 – “For God so loved the World that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” I used to wonder when I was younger why I would see this sign on TV at every major sporting event. When I learned what the verse was, I still wondered about the people behind the sign. Did they really mean to have this shown all over the world or was it simply a distraction for their 5 minutes of fame? Today people still bring the sign but most TV channels seem to avoid it.
On the third Sunday of Lent, the Lord invites us to recur to mercy as the source by which we remedy our sins through fasting, prayer and works of mercy. The Lord shows a great sign of love and mercy when He removes His people out of Egypt and from slavery. He was straightforward when He indicated that there was but one God and He needs not be compared with other gods; He is the only God in the heavens, on the Earth and in the seas. The Lord has called us to be monotheists, in other words, to believe only in one God, creator of heaven and earth. Hence, know that “I am jealous and dislikes when My name is used in vain.”
