MORE HIM LESS OF ME : AMAZING GRACE

In almost every horror movie you watch, whenever the “victim” enters a dark room or stumbles about in the darkness of night and the music intensifies, you know that something horrible is about to happen. Ghosts, vampires and demons inhabit the darkness. We watch and hope the person will survive to the morning where there is light, goodness and safety. 

Darkness and light are two powerful images often used in cinema. The Bible has used these images as well: darkness is the absence of God, the realm of evil and Satan; light represents the kingdom of God where Jesus is the “light of the world.” In a similar way, blindness is symbolic of separation from God; vision is symbolic of wisdom or faith. This biblical association of darkness and evil was such a part of the Jewish religion that if a person were blind, i.e. literally living in darkness, it was assumed that person or family member was a sinner or evil.

In today’s Gospel John tells us that even the disciples believed this to be true. Jesus however has a greater understanding of the ways of God. When asked by the disciples as they approach a blind man: “who sinned, this man or his parents?”, Jesus replies that neither sinned, rather God allowed the man’s blindness so  that “the works of God might be made visible through him,” i.e. to provide for this opportunity for Jesus to work a miracle, demonstrating the Father’s mercy and love!

Jesus also uses this opportunity to demonstrate the sin of spiritual blindness of the Pharisees. They had no visual impediments, in fact had witnessed many of Jesus’ miracles, yet refused to accept (see) Him  as the messiah. Ironically, it is only the man whom the Pharisees considered a sinner because he lacked physical vision who can truly “see” (recognize) who Jesus is. “Do you believe in the Son of Man” the Lord asked? “I do believe Lord, and he worshiped him.” Sin lies in those who choose to stay “in the dark” instead of walk in the “light” of the knowledge of Christ.

Perhaps this would be a good time for a spiritual vision “checkup”. Have our fasting, penance, prayer and charitable works begun to clear up our “eyesight”? Do we see Jesus as the “light of the world”? Or have we allowed ourselves to remain in the darkness, blind to our sin and the presence of Jesus? This week might be a good time to pray, and ask for God’s Amazing Grace to touch the eyes of our heart, as he did the man in the gospel, so we too might “believe in Him”.

I invite you to check our special section for the Season of Lent and some of the opportunities we are offering at our parish to connect. I also encourage you to check our special section for our Lenten Message Series - More of Him, Less of Me. We also have weekly videos for you to watch too.

More of Him, Less of Me : REFRESHMENT

I am sure we all have seen some poor soul standing on the corner with a sign “I’ll work for food”. While food and drink for many of us is a social luxury, for others, especially those who are marginalised in society, securing a daily meal is a constant challenge.

In the time of Jesus, food and safe drinking water were extremely scarce commodities, even more so in the summer desert heat. In today’s Gospel, we see a Samaritan woman who at midday, a time when the rest of the community was in the cooler shade of their homes, searching to fulfill the most basic human need: refreshing, life sustaining water. It is obvious that she was a marginalized outcast of her community. Why else would she be out alone during the hottest part of the day? On her way to Jacobs well, a very old, very deep artisan well that was fed by “living water” (flowing, bubbling underground springs), little did she realize she was heading for a divine encounter!

Jesus, traveling through the Samarian countryside, needed to rest and refresh himself. But Jesus came to the well for a more important purpose: to fulfill a need of the Samaritan woman far greater than water. All people, no matter who, or where or when, need to feel they are part of a community; to feel they are accepted;to feel loved and forgiven and to know that they are good; that they are a unique child of God. That sense and deep understanding unfortunately can be even scarcer to come by than water! 

Jesus could see this “deeper thirst” in her, like so many in our own day who try to satisfy it with the false hope and false joy of engaging in drugs, sexuality, greed, or fame. When Jesus asks the woman “Let me have a drink”, he was saying that he was thirsting not for water as much as He was for her trust and her faith! And if she would reveal her innermost needs and concerns, no matter how long she has been burdened, no matter how “deep the well” they are buried, He will give her the “living water” that is His Holy Spirit! Only in Jesus would she find everlasting refreshment, acceptance, forgiveness and peace.

Do you feel marginalised, alone, needing a friend, or a little love? Are you in need of renewal, a clean start,refreshment? Jesus wants a divine encounter at “well of our hearts”; wanting to drink of our faith so He can fill us with the “living water” of the Spirit. Only by making it More of Him and Less of Me can we be fully satiated and satisfied.

I invite you to check our special section for the Season of Lent and some of the opportunities we are offering at our parish to connect. I also encourage you to check our special section for our Lenten Message Series - More of Him, Less of Me. We also have weekly videos for you to watch too.

More of Him, Less of Me - TRANSFORMATION

I invite you to check our special section for the Season of Lent and some of the opportunities we are offering at our parish to connect. I also encourage you to check our special section for our Lenten Message Series - More of Him, Less of Me. We also have weekly videos for you to watch too.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus leads Peter, James and John to a seemingly very odd place: up a high mountain. The mountaintops are where God met the great prophets of the Jewish religion. Both Moses and Elijah (of whom it was foretold would return to inaugurate the coming Messiah), encountered God on Mt. Sinai. Upon arrival at the peak of the mountain, the disciples received a most unexpected surprise!

Matthew tells us Jesus “was transfigured (transformed) before them”. As Jesus was transfigured, Moses and Elijah appeared, and they all heard the voice of the Father. Jesus had decided to show his three friends, (if they had any doubts), that hidden beneath his human form was DIVINE GLORY and he was not only the fulfilment of the law and the prophets, but of all their hopes and dreams. By their witnessing this, Jesus was letting them know how much HE LOVED THEM, and that HIS LOVE could transform their trust in him to eternal glory! Filled with joy, Peter exclaimed: “Lord, it is good that we are here”. Peter knew he had reached a good place. Very good indeed!

We are now in our second week of Lent. So, where are we? Are we in a “good place” spiritually? Had any mountaintop experiences? Hopefully our fasting is having a greater benefit than simply avoiding chocolate; our prayer is more than just some well needed quiet time; our penance has a greater value than just bringing closure to a tough relationship; and acts of charity take us to a higher place than only “a good feeling”.

If we spiritually follow Jesus “up the mountain”, our Lenten sacrifices can transfigure…. transform our lives if we let them. Our fasting can help us break our dependency on material things and move us closer to trusting Jesus to provide for our needs. Our penance can be an act of healing and unity to our families. Our works of charity can help transform individual lives and entire communities. And our prayer can be moments when we actually hear the voice of God tell us, as he did His son Jesus, “I love you” and “I am well pleased”! This would be a very good place for us to be. Very good indeed!

Lent Begins - More of Him, Less of Me

As we look to welcome the coming of spring we also welcome Lent. In fact, Lent is a word derived from Middle English which means “spring”. Both spring and Lent follow the vernal equinox (a date that changes yearly), a time of year when the earth tilts closer to the sun.

During spring, the dark cold days of winter fade, giving way to sunshine, warmth and new life springing up in all of nature. As the earth moves closer to the sun in spring, during Lent, the church encourages us to move closer to THE SON by uniting ourselves with Jesus’ forty days wandering in the desert, a place of dryness, desolation and solitude. We do this by practising the disciplines of fasting, prayer, penance and charity. 

“Led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil” as a test of his love, Jesus certainly must have felt weak at times and may have even thought of giving in. But Jesus persevered in his mission of love. He did not give in to the devil’s temptations of hunger, or to test the Father’s love for him, or worship something other than God. Jesus persevered and never forgot that “man does not live on

bread (or money, power or fame) alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”. He commanded Satan to “Get away” and the devil left Him.

Throughout the next six weeks of Lent we may begin to grow weak and falter in our practice. We may even be tempted to give up, wondering what value fasting or works of charity may provide. But be reminded that the constant Gospel message of Jesus this entire Lent is: “I know you love me”. We should find these words encouraging and providing strength to persevere! Just like Jesus, if we command our temptations to flee, we will endure and make it to Easter!

I invite you to check our special section for the Season of Lent and some of the opportunities we are offering at our parish to connect. I also encourage you to check our special section for our Lenten Message Series - More of Him, Less of Me.