“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all,  how will he not also give us everything else along with him?” (Rom 8: 31-32)

When we give a nice gift to our friends, we give them … a nice gift. When we give ourselves as a gift, we give “also . . . everything else along with” us. We are invited not only to give nice gifts but also to be a gift: total, free, creative and joyful. Total, because if we are not totally in, we are not in at all; free, because only in freedom can we be a gift; creative, because love is creative; and joyful, because everyone loves a joyful giver. God is first in our lives as a Giver and Gift: “He did not spare His own Son,” and He gave Him “for us all.”

“From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard: this is my beloved Son, listen to him.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Mt 5: 23-24)

We can see in today’s Gospel what is more important for our Lord: our “gift to the altar” or “reconciliation with our brothers” There is no true prayer or true gifts we can bring to the altar where there is no true relationship with our brothers and sisters. It is like being a perfect father/mother for a child but having no relationship with a spouse. Agere sequitur esse—action follows being. When we are reconciled with our brothers, we are closer to God because we are created in His image and likeness, and His mission on earth was to reconcile us with God and each other.

“Cast away from you all the creatures you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. ‘Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.’” (Mt 7: 11-12)

One of my favorite phrases in the Bible: “how much more.” Our God is beyond all kind of competition; if we love–He loves more, if we respect–He respects more, if we give ourselves to Him–He gives more. It is so joyful just to think about this: “how much more…”  And one of the possibilities for us is to do the same with our friends and “others.” Make others more happy and joyful.

“A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.” (Is 58: 6-7)

Fasting is not for losing weight, but for losing ourselves. It is a very special time to open our hearts, our wallets and our imagination for people in need: the hungry, oppressed and homeless. Every day we can share something with somebody.

“Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord will be with you.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” (Lk 9: 23-25)

Giver or demander? To protect our lives or the lives of our friends? Our goal is “to come after” Him, so we “must deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily and follow Him.” When we think of our friends and our families and when we are concerned about what we can do for them, not about what they should do for us, we have better lives. And this will save our lives.

“Repent, says the Lord; the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.” (Jl 2: 13)

“Return to the LORD, your God” not to our own vision of God. Because we are created in His image and His likeness, we are not only responsible to remember this but also responsible to keep this image and likeness vivid and alive. “Return to the LORD” is a program for our whole lives, but especially for Lent, when we are invited to imitate Him in His graciousness, mercy, farsightedness, kindness and forgiveness. Is it a program for me?

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“So the LORD said to Cain: ‘Why are you so resentful and crestfallen. If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.’” (Gn 4: 5-7)

From the beginning of our creation, we were invited to be masters: “Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.” As we see, not only do we have mastery over the creatures but also, after our fall, we have mastery over sin. Sometimes we feel like we are under heavy attack, the “demon is lurking at the door, his urge is toward us,” but God’s promise and grace always support us—“yet you can be his master.” It is good to remember that we alone are weak, but with Jesus we are so strong.

“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (that is, ‘Be opened!’). And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.” (Mk 7: 32-35)

All of us have some “speech impediment.” Sometimes it is closed ears, not being able to listen to the requests or needs of my neighbors; sometimes it is using the tongue all the time with sarcasm or seeing only “my point of view,” and at other times, it is incessant groaning that nobody takes care of us. It is very good if we have friends who will beg “Our Lord to lay his hands on us.” Our Lord, so respectful and very delicate, will take us “by himself away from the crowd and will say to us, ‘Ephphatha!’ (that is, ‘Be opened!’).” It is so good when we can speak plainly: with gentleness, respect, freedom, creativity, and joy, having time not only to speak but also to listen… Speak plainly.

“Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.”

God, who is Trinity, when He created us “in His divine image, after His likeness,” knows perfectly that “it is not good for the man to be alone,” so He created “a suitable partner for him.” When we are in relationship, sometimes we are focused on our differences, which can make us from time to time even angry, forgetting that “suitable partner” is first of all an answer for our loneliness and doesn’t mean: someone like me.

“Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.” (Gospel acclamation)

“Then God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.’ God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” (GN 1: 26-27)

We received incredible dignity— “created in His divine image, after His likeness,” and great responsibility “to have dominion over… all the creatures,” not in order to abuse them but to remember Who created them, Who gave us this responsibility. We are created in His image, and we are committed to show it in our lives–not as owners of the world, but as servers–not to rule but to love.

“Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; and favored me with your law.” (Gospel Acclamation)