Today we celebrate the greatest solemnity of our Faith; the foundation on which our hope and faith as Christian stands. We celebrate and rejoice that Our Lord Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. By rising from the dead, He has defeated the power of death, Satan, evil forces, falsehood, and injustice and took the Glory. God made Him to rise from the dead to prove that He has power over life and death. As Paul would say, “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and our faith is in vain.” 1 Cor 15:14-15. But because Christ has been raised, we have hope, and our faith is credible and that is what we celebrate. That is the reason we shout Alleluia! Alleluia! Indeed, the Lord has truly risen.

The passion narrative gives us an insight of what Jesus suffered for us, especially the love He has for us that made Him endure all the insults and humiliation for our sake. Today’s liturgy does not require a long homily but to allow the events of the passion story to speak directly to us in the silence of our heart. Our meditation is on Jesus’ suffering and death for our sake. He came and gave Himself completely to us by His preaching, miracles and healing and finally of giving Himself in humility on the cross.

Beloved Parishioners,

As our Lenten season gradually draws to a close, I wish to communicate to you about Our Holy Week and Easter Celebration which would be good if you take note of some of the changes. Its aim is to update you and keep you informed of the activities at these sacred moments and assist us in deep appreciation of the great mystery of our salvation which has roots in the old tradition of the church.

Beloved Parishioners,

Today, I intend to share a reflection with you on exploring the depth of prayer. It was St. John Damascene who gave that classic definition of prayer, as “the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.” (CCC, no. 2559, citing St. John Damascene, De Fide Orth. 3, 24). The Catechism further tries to reinforce that point when it teaches that prayer is a “vital and personal relationship with the living and true God” (CCC, no. 2558).

In today’s first reading we are called to a complete obedience and respect for God’s commandment if we are to maintain a good relationship with God and with one another. God’s commandment is designed for our good and when we obey it for what it is, it gives meaning to our lives as the only way we can demonstrate our love for God is to keep His commandments. Thus, Jesus tells us in John’s Gospel “If you love me keep my commandment.” Jn 14:15

Today is the second Sunday of Lent, a season of grace, prayer, penance, and almsgiving that helps us walk with God. The Lenten observances and practices are meaningful if they are carried out in loving obedience and faith to God. Lent, as a season of grace, is a time we leave behind those distractions and develop a deeper relationship with God. In today’s liturgy, we are called upon to have absolute faith in God irrespective of the challenges and trials that confront us every day. Such challenges can lead to loss of faith in God but from the example of Abraham in the first reading and Paul’s injunction in the second we are encouraged to remain firm and steadfast.

Lent is here again when we draw closer to God and go into the desert with the Lord in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The season of Lent is a season of grace because by walking with the Lord, for these forty days journey, we draw strength and grace from the life of prayer, fasting and almsgiving we do. We grow during Lent by accepting and living the Good News deeper in our lives. No matter how much the power of sin and its effect have flooded every area of our lives, salvation is possible for us the moment we make a complete turn around and embrace the mercy and love of God which He offers us every day. This is possible when we enter into the desert of our inner self to discover whom we are and what God intends for us and Lenten period that offers us that opportunity.

Beloved Parishioners,

May the peace, blessings, and healing grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ abide in each one of you and your families. This is another time of the year we thank God for what has been accomplished in our parish for the past one year through your generous support.

In the gospel passage of last Sunday, Jesus was seen in the Synagogue teaching with authority and casting out demons from a man under demonic influence and possession. In that, Jesus demonstrates His power over evil forces and demons. In today’s gospel reading He demonstrates His power over pain and sickness. We read that “when he came into Peter’s house, the mother-in-law of Peter was sick with fever and immediately they told Him of her. And He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up and the fever left her.”

The Gospel tells how Jesus taught His audience with authority unlike the Scribes and Pharisees who came before Him. To teach with authority is to demonstrate that everything comes from Him and not appealing to any outside authority to convince His audience as done by the Scribes and Pharisees of His day. This finds confirmation in the first reading of today when Moses spoke to the people saying the Lord says, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth, he shall tell them all that I command him.”

One remarkable feature in Mark’s Gospel is that the first time ever we hear Jesus speak. His words were “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.” This shows Jesus came to reconcile us with the father and be at peace with him. Reconciliation and peace are achievable through repentance and belief in Jesus who has come to save us. Similarly, the message of repentance and reconciliation is also what we see in today’s first reading from the book of Jonah. The Lord orders Jonah to go to Nineveh, capital of Assyria and preach repentance to the Ninevites.

The call of Samuel, in the first reading, demonstrates how God calls each of us individually. Just like Samuel who was unaware of God’s call at the beginning, we too may be unaware when God is calling us but with patience, steadfastness, focus, and an open heart we can recognize His voice in our lives. Just as Eli pointed out to Samuel that it was God calling him so too, we can recognize God’s voice when we pay attention and listen to our parents, teachers, priests and those God has placed to look after us.

Today, being the feast of Epiphany, we celebrate Jesus the incarnate word being revealed to all the nations of the world. The Church calls it, the feast of appearance or manifestation of the Lord. Epiphany comes from the Greek word and means “Manifestation”. The Church celebrates the light of God’s revelation of his Son as human in Jesus Christ. The story of the magi is the story of the ways in which God reveals Himself to us and even more about the different responses and reaction this revelation receives. The Lord of the universe who reveals the star of Bethlehem to the Gentiles of the East gives each one of us the same light of revelation to recognize and accept Jesus as Our Lord and Savior.