"God, you are a mystery as deep as the sea; the more I search, the more I find, and the more I find the more I search for you. But I can never be satisfied; what I receive will ever leave me desiring more. When you fill my soul I have an even greater hunger, and I grow more famished for your light. I desire above all to see you, the true light, as you really are." (St. Catherine of Sienna)

St. Catherine of Sienna reflects the longing of every soul that has once tasted the goodness of the Lord. It cannot be fully satisfied until it is possessed by God completely. That was the cry of St. Augustine: "Our souls are restless, O Lord, until they rest in you." That was the awareness of St. Francis of Assisi. We can not love God enough. The more we love him the more we desire to love him, for he is like a bottomless pit. This is our life journey. To love the Lord with our whole mind, heart and soul. 

We continue to reflect on God's mercy as told by Jesus to St. Faustina. "“Today the Lord said to me, ‘Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it.  Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul.  When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you.  I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul.  Here the misery of the soul meets the God of Mercy.  Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust.  If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity.  The torrent of grace inundate humble souls.  The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls.”  (1602, page 568)

It is God's compassionate and loving mercy that we encounter every time we received forgiveness of our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. How conscious are we of the presence of Christ and the outpouring of his mercy? Even after confession some people still question whether they are forgiven; some people, though they received the mercy of God, cannot show forgiveness and mercy to themselves. Is that the pride Jesus is referring to?
 

Second Sunday of Easter: Gospel C

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, 
for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 
· Why do you think Jesus greets them thus? Could it be because they had abandoned him and ran and he wanted them not to think he had come to condemn them? Imagine yourself in that situation as one of the apostles, what would you be feeling or thinking if Jesus so appeared to you?

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 
· What did the Father sent Jesus to do that Jesus was now sending the apostles to do? To be witnesses of his love and mercy. Do we have the same commission from Jesus? What are we doing about it?

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” 
· In John’s theology the Paschal Mystery is unified: The Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus and the Coming of the Spirit. In Luke’s Gospel there is a time factor between Easter and Pentecost.
· As the Spirit was essential in the ministry of Jesus so the Spirit would be necessary in the ministry of the Apostles and ours as well.
· Why did Jesus emphasized the power of forgiveness at this time? Who needed to know they were forgiven?
· What is the relationship between the gift of the Spirit and the experience of forgiveness?  How do you connect this to the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
· Why do you think Thomas responded this way? Was he reacting out of human resentment that Jesus had not appeared to him or was there something deeper? Have you experienced doubts in your life about faith issues?

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” 
· How did Jesus know Thomas’ heart? Does he know your heart as well?

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 
· Notice Thomas is not said to have put his finger in the nail marks or his hand in Jesus’ pierced side. Rather he moved from doubt or anger to faith and love.

Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” 
· Can we relate to what Jesus said to Thomas? Is our faith based on “seeing”?
 
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
· Is our faith in the person of Jesus whether we see signs or is it depended on signs and confirmations?

This coming Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. In preparation, my reflections will be on the Lord's mercy. Here is a quote from St. Faustina's Diary: “‘I am love and Mercy Itself.  There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted – it increases.  The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I Myself take care of it.’” (1273, page 459)

The mercy of God for us his people cannot be exhausted. No matter the misery we find ourselves in as a result of our own actions or those of others. His mercy is a reflection of his love which is unconditional and perfect. As often as we cry out for his tender mercy, he pours his grace upon us, at least to be able to handle the situation we find ourselves in if not to alleviate it. Jesus, I trust in  your mercy.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. John 19:25-27

"There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us. And on the far side of every cross we find the newness of life in the Holy Spirit, that new life which will reach its fulfillment in the resurrection. This is our faith. This is our witness before the world." – St. John Paul II

It is not only the cross that is our focus but the resurrection. As we are called to embrace our crosses in union with Jesus' passion and death, so we are invited to experience the new life that follows the cross, his resurrected life. As Paul tells us, we can't experience Jesus' new life without going to and through the cross. Only our faith assures of us that words and example of Christ are true. Look to the cross but  look also to the life that follows.

"By nothing else except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ has death been brought low: The sin of our first parent destroyed, hell plundered, resurrection bestowed, the power given us to despise the things of this world, even death itself, the road back to the former blessedness made smooth, the gates of paradise opened, our nature seated at the right hand of God and we made children and heirs of God. By the cross all these things have been set aright…It is a seal that the destroyer may not strike us, a raising up of those who lie fallen, a support for those who stand, a staff for the infirm, a crook for the shepherded, a guide for the wandering,a perfecting of the advanced, salvation for soul and body, a deflector of all evils, a cause of all goods, a destruction of sin, a plant of resurrection, and a tree of eternal life." – St. John Damascene

In other words, the cross has turned something objectively distasteful and horrible into something that is beautiful and life-giving. None of this takes away the reality of the cross which Jesus' experienced for our sake. Rather, it helps us to understand the great love that God has for us. Instead of experiencing the eternal consequences of our sins, we are able to receive the consequence of Jesus' becoming sin for us.

"As they were looking on, so we too gaze on his wounds as he hangs. We see his blood as he dies. We see the price offered by the redeemer, touch the scars of his resurrection. He bows his head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that he may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as he was once fixed to the cross in every part of his body for you, so he may now be fixed in every part of your soul." (St. Augustine)

Gazing on the crucified Christ, see his great love for us. It was our sins that we freely committed that brought him to this decision. Only unconditional love can blot out sin and restore life. We can't love unconditionally and perfectly like Jesus, but we can choose to love by avoiding sin consciously and intentionally. If to free us from the eternal effects of sin is Jesus' purpose for embracing the cross, then our response to his great love should be clear. Love can only be responded to with love.

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"The measure of love is love without measure....We find rest in those we love, and we provide a resting place in ourselves for those who love us....There are four degrees of love: 1. Love of self for self's sake; 2. Love of God for self's sake; 3. Love of God for God's own sake; 4. Love of self for God's sake....Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; it is its own fruit, its own enjoyment. I love because I love; I love in order that I may love." (St. Bernard of Clairvaux)

How different is the world's understanding of love. The love which is proposed by the world is empty in time because it is self-focused. It is like a boomerang. It is thrown in order for it to come back to me. True love is like an arrow, shot from a bow. When it hits bulls eye the archer feels elated. What do you want your love to be like, that reflected by St. Bernard or that reflected by the world?

"If a person wants to be always in God's company, he must pray regularly and read regularly. When we pray, we talk to God; when we read, God talks to us." (St. Isidore of Seville)

What should we read? The Scriptures and writings of spiritual authors. Daily reading of the scriptures is more important than daily reading of the news, magazines, watching TV, keeping up on what is on our ipad. Not that these are bad, but not as spiritually beneficial as the scriptures and good spiritual reading. For the world talks to us through the former, whereas it is God who speaks to us through the latter.

It is a matter of establishing a healthy, spiritual habit. Try it for thirty days or more and see the difference it can make in your life.  Whose company do you want to be in and whose voice do we really want to hear?

Fifth Sunday of Lent Gospel C

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. 
· How often do we come to Jesus to listen and to be taught?
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
· Their hearts were not right. They were not interested in doing what is right but in discrediting Jesus. Do we sometimes act of wrong motives?  Do we sometimes seem more righteous than others?
If they were so righteous, why did they not bring the man who was guilty of the same sin?

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 
· Even knowing their real motive, Jesus was extending a hand of mercy to them. Even when others are wrong and we know it, are we judgmental or merciful like Jesus? Do we condemn or give them a way out?
·       Jesus reminded them and us that we are all sinners and who are we to judge the other? In another passage, Jesus says that we should take the beam out of our own eye before we point to the splinter in the        other.

Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. 
· What was Jesus doing? Some interpret Jesus’ action by saying that he was writing their sins in the dirt. Others say that he was giving them a chance to save face and not condemn themselves as they were condemning the woman.
·      Beginning with the elders, was this because they realized they had more sins?

So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
· Jesus knew the scriptures. God desires not the death of the sinner but that the person repents and lives. If we choose to die in sin, that is our choice.
· Jesus doesn’t condemn us for our sins but offers us the grace of repentance. He called sin, sin, but he extended forgiveness and mercy to the sinner.
· Do we reflect on our sinfulness? Do we remain in sin? Do we repent and heed the word of Jesus: “Go, and from now on do not sin any more?”
· When was the last time you went to confession?

The Good Thief on the Cross

Even though he may had originally joined in the crying out against Jesus, did this criminal responded such because the grace of Jesus’ first words convicted his heart? Maybe he had heard about Jesus or even heard Jesus himself before this. Aware of his own sinfulness and aware of the shortness of his life, he now recognizes and acknowledges who Jesus really is.  He was aware that above Jesus’s head was the sign: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.  He acknowledges Jesus as King.