Clung to Peter and John

March 31, 2016 9:11 pm

“As the crippled man who had been cured clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried in amazement toward them in the portico called ‘Solomon’s Portico.’ ” (ACTS 3: 11)

The “crippled man who had been cured” needed a community of believers. He met in Peter and John not their „power or piety,” but the saving power of Jesus Christ, His love of people, especially in great need or in danger, and love of sinners—His love released him. “Clung to peter and John:” he will learn how to pray and how to praise the Lord. In the community he will grow.

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

walking and jumping and praising God

March 30, 2016 6:00 am

„Peter said, ‚I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.’ Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong. He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.” (ACTS 3: 6-8)

The beginning of the Church, based on the words and actions of the Apostles, followed Our Lord’s example: „I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.” And this powerful Name made „his feet and ankles strong.” „He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.” When we are touched by God’s word, we also should „go into the temple with them” and praise God because when we are thankful, when we see and admire what Our Lord did for us, we touch God’s heart.

„This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

The promise is made to you and to your children

March 29, 2016 6:00 am

“’What are we to do, my brothers?’ Peter said to them, ‚Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.’” (ACTS 2: 37-39)

„What are we to do, my brothers?” This looks like our question so many times–questions about our faith and no time to pray, about our work-life balance or about our marriage which is (again) in crisis. The answer is simple: „repent and be baptized.” „Repent” (a change of mind and heart toward God reflected in the actual goodness of one’s life) is active and „be baptized” is passive. This is a good strategy for our daily lives: go back to our rituals, keep our relationship with God and our spouse vital, pray shortly but often, „and we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” and He will lead us. We should remember that whatever we invest in our relationships (God and spouse), our „children” will be rewarded too.

„This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

Ran to announce the news to His disciples 

March 28, 2016 6:00 am

„Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples.” (MT 28: 8) 

The tomb is empty, so „Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb.” They had many reasons to be sad, fearful or in despair. They were „fearful yet overjoyed.” That gave them a huge motive, and they „ran to announce the news to His disciples.” When we are overjoyed, we are focused on sharing with others our good news; when we are fearful, we are focused on our situation. When we decide to be a gift of self, we are looking where to serve and how to make people happy. After Our Lord’s resurrection, we see in a new way every „day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it,” and we can run to announce and to share with others the good news.

„This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

He saw and believed 

March 27, 2016 6:00 am

„When Simon Peter arrived after him,  he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.” (JN 20: 5-9)

This is the begging of our faith—the apostles who „saw and believed.” Even they, His closest companions, „did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.” With them we are now one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church: apostolic—based on their faith. With them we can announce to the whole world the Good News—the death and the devil are defeated; our sins are forgotten; „Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed”; we are saved—„let us then feast with joy in the Lord.”

„Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed; Let us then feast with joy in the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

He will heal us, He will bind our wounds

March 26, 2016 6:00 am

“Come, let us return to the LORD, for it is he who has torn, but he will heal us; he has struck down, but he will bind our wounds. He will revive us after two days; on the third day* he will raise us up, to live in his presence.” (HOS 6: 1-2) [From Laudes]

Our Lord, who died for us and our salvation, who suffered from His own nation and was rejected and who was betrayed by His own disciple, never focused on Himself but always on us. What we can do is „return to the Lord.”

By His stripes we were healed

March 25, 2016 6:00 am

„Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.” (IS 53: 4-5)

We are loved, not because we are perfect and deserve love, but because we are His children. He knows everything about „our infirmities” and „our sufferings” and about „our offenses” and „our sins.” The only way to bring us back to health was to „become obedient to the point of death.” „By His stripes we were healed.”

„Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes

March 24, 2016 6:00 am

“’This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‚This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” (1 COR 11: 24-26)

In these days we celebrate paradoxes: „the death of the Lord until he comes,” „my body that is for you” or „the cup of His blood” to drink. Paradoxes of faith. Paradoxes of God’s love who died for us to keep us alive and Who dies during every Mass and is forever the Everlasting God. Love given became a new commandment: „love one another as I have loved you.”

„I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

In your house I shall celebrate the Passover

March 23, 2016 6:00 am

„On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, ‚Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?’ He said, ‚Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‚The teacher says, <<My appointed time draws near;  in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.>>’’ The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover.” (MT 26: 17-19)

From this moment this is one of the most precious places for us: the house where the Last Supper took place. We can imagine the honor for „a certain man” to be a host of this. We can also think how to prepare our houses to be ready to receive Our Lord to celebrate with Him the Passover.

„Hail to you, our King; You alone are compassionate with our errors.” (Gospel Acclamation)