Monday, 8 April 2019
Sunday, 7 April 2019
Audio Reflections of Monday, April 8, 2019
To hear the Audio Reflections of Monday, April 8, 2019 click HERE
Monday, April 8, 2019 - How will show today that you have opted for light and not darkness?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dn13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62; Jn 8:12-20
In
these verses, Jesus’ teaching places him in conflict with those who are opposed
to him. The text begins with an “I am” saying of Jesus and here the predicate
is “light of the world”. Light was an important symbol in the celebration of
the Fest of Tabernacles or Booths. By proclaiming that he is the light of the
world, Jesus declares himself to be the true fulfilment of Tabernacles joy and
hope. The lights at the feast illuminated only the city of Jerusalem, Jesus
illuminates the whole world.
The
response to this light can be one of two responses. One can opt to follow the
light and so have the light of life, or to walk in darkness.
The
Pharisees respond to Jesus’ invitation by questioning the validity of Jesus’
self-witness. However, Jesus’ knowledge of his origin and his destination
validates his self-witness, because it derives from his relationship to God and
his whole career as the Word. Thus, Jesus is the only one who can bear witness
“on his behalf,” because he is the only one who has seen God and can make God
known. Because his opponents do not share Jesus’ knowledge, they cannot
recognize the validity of his witness. The opponents of Jesus judge by what is
visible and so do not recognise the divine origin of Jesus. Though Jesus judges
no one, when a moment of judgement occurs, his judgement, like the witness out
of which it arises, is valid, because he judges at one with the God who sent
him, the same God who sent him for salvation.
Jesus then meets the Pharisees’ demand for two witnesses by offering
himself and God.
At
the conclusion, it is made explicit that the time set for Jesus by God governs
Jesus’ life, not human intentions.
The
choice of light and darkness exists even today. There are numerous times when
we too like Jesus’ opponents choose darkness over light. Sometimes we do this
because we imagine that darkness is more appealing than light, at other times
it is because it is more convenient and to our advantage. If like Jesus we are
able to see beyond the merely physical and recognise light for what it is, we
will always opt for the light.
Saturday, 6 April 2019
Sunday, April 7, 2019 - God does not need to forgive because God does not condemn
To read the texts click on the texts:Is43:16-21; Phil 3:8-14; Jn 8:1-11
A
Jesuit friend of mine, who is now with God, was steeped in Ignatian and Jesuit
Spirituality. He said to me one day, when he was 86 years old, “Errol, did you
know that God does not forgive.” I was taken aback by his statement and, in my
naiveté, began to quote the many texts from both the Old and New Testament that
speak of the unconditional mercy and love of God. After I had finished my
spiel, he turned to me with a twinkle in his eye and said, with a smile, “God
does not forgive, because God does not condemn”. A few months later, we met
again, but he had forgotten what he had told me and repeated the statement.
This time, I was ready and knew what was coming. However, since I did not want
to spoil the great finale for him, I pretended that I was hearing it for the
first time and again, began to quote the scripture texts of God’s unconditional
mercy, forgiveness, and love. When I had finished, he said, “God does not
forgive, because God does not condemn.” After that, every time we met, he would
begin his conversation with me by saying, “God does not forgive” and he would
end our conversation by saying, “because God does not condemn”. As I reflected
on his words, I began to think that if, as he grew older, that is all he
remembered, it was surely enough. He needed nothing more.
The
Gospel text of today speaks, not of the forgiveness of God but, of
non-condemnation. In the Gospel today, Jesus has no need to forgive the woman
caught in adultery because he has not condemned her. It is important to note,
however, that Jesus also does not condemn the condemners of the woman. He
condemns no one. Many fanciful interpretations have been given about Jesus’
action of writing on the ground when he is asked the question. While some think
that Jesus was writing the sins of the bystanders, others think that he did not
hear the question or, that he was trying to gain time to come up with a good
answer. Still others think that Jesus was overcome by shame and embarrassment
at the question and so, stooped down so as to hide his face. Nothing in the text
allows such interpretations and it may well be that the reason Jesus bent down
and wrote with his finger on the ground was to distance himself from the
situation and refuse to play judge. Be that it may, after Jesus has challenged
the accusers of the woman to cast a stone at her if they are sinless, he bends
down and writes on the ground once again. It seems plausible to interpret this
second action of Jesus as stemming from his desire to condemn and to judge no
one. He will not even accuse or judge the very ones who have accused and judged
the woman. This is the challenge of unconditional love.
This
love was manifested to the people of Israel, as narrated in the first reading
of today, when, through the words of Isaiah, the Lord promised the people a
“new thing”. This was because the “former things” were not remembered anymore.
They were forgotten and erased. The “new thing” which the Lord will do is make
a way in the wilderness. He will travel like a shepherd on this way, and will
lead his flocks to safety and nourishment.
This
is also the “new thing” that Paul is convinced he has received and, because of
which, all the old or former things are of no consequence whatsoever. They are
to be counted as refuse when compared with the gain of knowing and experiencing
the unconditional forgiveness and love of God made manifest in Jesus. This is
also made explicit in the words Jesus spoke to the woman caught in adultery.
Jesus said, “Do not sin again”. He is not stating what is required for
acquittal. He is acquitting freely and without reservation. This unconditional
love has to become the starting point for a new life that one is challenged to
live.
The
readings of today are thus a consolation to everyone, no matter to which
category we may belong. If we are like the scribes and Pharisees in the Gospel
story of today, quick to condemn others and point fingers at them, the readings
are saying to us that God will not condemn us or point a finger at us. We have
been forgiven for this sin and forgiven unconditionally. If we identify with
the woman in the Gospel story, then to us, too, the message is that our sin has
been erased and that we have been forgiven, unconditionally. However, no matter
with whom we identify, the next step after having experienced the forgiveness
of God in Jesus is, like Paul, to forget what lies in the past and to press on
to what lies ahead. And, what lies ahead, is only unconditional forgiveness,
mercy, and love. Will we press on?
Friday, 5 April 2019
Audio Reflections of Saturday, April 6, 2019
To hear the Audio Reflections of Saturday, April 6, 2019 click HERE
Saturday, April 6, 2019 - Will you understand that God will reveal himself to you in ways you never even considered? Will you find him in everything that happens today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Jer11:18-20; Jn 7:40-52
The invitation of Jesus to
the thirsty to come and drink from the living water that he will give leads to
the discussion among the people which begins the text for today. While those
who come on hearing this invitation regard Jesus as “the” prophet, others
explicitly call him the Messiah. Still others question whether Jesus could
really be the Messiah because of the popular belief that the Messiah would come
from Bethlehem. Yet it was also true that some believed that the origins of the
Messiah would be a mystery and no one would know where he would come from.
These contrary views lead to a difference of opinion and though some want to
arrest Jesus they do not lay hands on him.
When the police return to
inform their masters that they could not arrest Jesus because they had never
heard anyone speak like him, they are accused of having also been deceived by
Jesus and taken in by his sophistry.
Nicodemus who is also one of
the Jewish authorities speaks on behalf of Jesus and reminds his companions of
the law and a hearing that was required before judgement. His question is
ironic and seems intended to bring out that his companions knowledge of the law
is a matter of doubt. They respond to Nicodemus in the same way in which they
respond to the temple police. They deride him and assert their seemingly
superior knowledge of scripture. Though they are emphatic that no prophet is to
arise from Galilee, this knowledge is faulty, because the scriptures do speak
of the Galilean origins of the prophet Jonah. John intends to convey through
this assertion on the part of the Pharisees that they had misunderstood both
the origins of the Messiah and who he is. Traditional messianic categories are
inadequate because they rely on prior assumptions and expectations rather than
judging Jesus on the basis of what he reveals about himself: that he is the one
sent from God.
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