IN THE WILDERNESS TO BE TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

The Season of Lent is here once more. Every first Sunday of Lent the Gospel introduces the Temptation of Jesus in the wilderness/desert. But why is this significant to the Lenten season? Because in the desert Jesus, as a human being, begins the struggle with evil so that he can defeat it by relying and feeding on “every word that comes from the mouth of God.” He also experienced temptation so that he would freely opt to rely on God’s faithful love without testing him. Further, he was tempted so that nothing can move him from worshipping God and God alone. The desert experience was not just his being in a deserted space but in his humanity experiencing and encountering the dryness, hunger, thirst, pain and insecurity that characterizes the human being from time to time.

Yes, the desert is a real human experience where disciples of the Lord encounter the temptation to be disobedient to the word of God. Each year as we begin our Lenten journey to experience the victories of Easter, we are called on to allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit. There, we too will be tempted. There too, we will experience being alone, we will experience being hungry for sustenance, we will be tempted to try to see if God really cares, if He really loves us. And we will be tempted to make the possessions and powers of the world our god and so worship them. But if we live on The Word God, we will be able to resist the temptations that come our way and angels will come and minister to us.

So, let’s face our desert experience during these forty days of Lent 2020, overcoming our temptations with every word that comes from the mouth of God. Let’s do so, praying at all times.

Blessings.
Fr. Clement Paul.                   Rev. Stephen Joseph
Parish Priest.                         Parish Deacon.

“SAY 'NO' IF YOU MEAN NO AND 'YES' IF YOU MEAN YES.”

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Today we are challenged to be Christians who live by what we believe and hold dear. And what is that? That we stand by our rejection of wrong and our affirmation and practice of what are true and just. We are being asked by Jesus to say ‘No’ when we mean No and ‘Yes’ when we mean Yes.

Today, more than ever, we are being called upon to be people who are steadfast in our resolve to promote honesty and right living. We live in a society where what has been tried and proved ethical over the years is now being corroded by shifting values. The ‘Yes’ our elders said to goodness and right living has now been corroded or is becoming obsolete. Values like modesty, prudence and sacrifice are being treated with a subtle but resounding ‘No’. And things that our fore-parents abhorred, or at least said ‘No’ to, even if and when they gave way, are even now being demanded.

In the Gospel of Matthew for today, Jesus urges us to be faithful and confident in our ‘No’ to what is false and ‘Yes’ to what is true.

Let’s say ‘Yes’ to Jesus and stay with our ‘Yes’ even when the crowds say contrary.

Blessings.

Fr. Clement Paul.                   Rev. Stephen Joseph
Parish Priest.                         Parish Deacon.

“...YOUR LIGHT MUST SHINE IN THE SIGHT OF OTHERS ...”

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

“...your light must shine in the sight of others so that, seeing your good works, they may give glory to your Father in heaven.” This is not just a statement, it’s a mandate. It’s a mandate now more than ever. Very few will doubt that ours is a society that is walking in dark shadows. Very few are unaware that our world is shrouded in darkness, terrorism, violence, lawlessness, financial challenges, climate change, and now the Corona pandemic. Can it get darker? It can, and will, if we, the New Testament people of God, fail to “let our light shine in the sight of men and women so that seeing our good works,” they come to see light in the proverbial tunnel.

Yes, when a fourteen-year-old can be charged with murder and a sixteen-year-old, the week after, the darkness is dark indeed. Today, Jesus mandates us to be the lights in the darkness around us. Didn’t he say in Matthew 5, ”You are the light of the world”? He went on further and said, “No one lights a lamp to put it under the bed...” And then the text, “...in the same way, your light must shine in the sight of men/women, so that, seeing your good works they may give the praise.” And they need to see the light if they are to give the praise due our Father in heaven.

Are you up to saying yes to the mandate? The Word of God asks this of you now.

Are you ready and willing?
 
May God bless you.

Fr. Clement Paul.                   Rev. Stephen Joseph
Parish Priest.                         Parish Deacon.

“... TO PRESENT HIM TO THE LORD...’”

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

“... the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord...” This text gives today’s feast its name – The Presentation of the Lord. But what makes it so special, you may ask. Remember, that at Christmastide we celebrated the love of God in becoming human so that he could share in our humanity. Today, we are being called upon to rejoice with the old man Simeon who, at the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, took the child Jesus in his arms and acclaimed him as “...a Light to enlighten the Gentiles”. In fact, the other traditional name for the feast is Candlemas. Hence, the blessing of candles on that day as well.

On this feast day, all consecrated persons are encouraged by the Church to renew their consecration to the Lord Jesus. Let’s thank God for their gift of themselves to use as instruments of the proclamation of the Word of God. Let’s thank God for the members of our Living Water Household, the Franciscan Sisters, the Pallottine Priests, the Jesuit and our dear Ursuline Sisters.

So, as we receive Jesus in our hearts in Holy Communion today, let’s join Simeon and acclaim, “...my eyes have seen your salvation, a light to enlighten...” And may that light shine on us as we journey along life’s way.

May God bless you.

Fr. Clement Paul.                   Rev. Stephen Joseph
Parish Priest.                         Parish Deacon.