Palm and Passion Sunday (B)

 

Palm/Passion Sunday (B)

[Mk 11:1-10] + [Mk 14:1-15:47]

24.03.2024

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem, His Passion and Ignominious Death

Readings: (1) Is 50:4-7 (2) Phil 2:6-11

1. Theme in brief:

Our life’s triumph and passion

2.  Focus Statement

Like Jesus, we too have our moments of glory and moments of suffering which include loneliness, abandonment, betrayal, humiliation and death.

3.  Explanation of the text

Here are some of the salient features of Mark’s account of Jesus’ passion in which we can very well identify our own human condition as well as the condition of so many other people in the world:

Ø  Jesus’ mental agony as he prays at Gethsemane during which he feels mentally broken and agitated with sorrow even to death with the thought of all the suffering and public humiliation he will have to undergo (14:32-34);

Ø  his obedient submission to God’s will that he suffer and die (14:36), while his disciples fail to comfort him as they  fall asleep (14:37);

Ø  his betrayal by one of his own disciples, Judas, with a kiss, out of greed for money (14:44-46);

Ø  the dramatic as well as pathetic denial by Peter that he ever knew Jesus by cursing and swearing an oath (14:71) as he comes under the pressure of a servant-girl and bystanders  (14:69-70);  

Ø  his desertion by all his own disciples  as they fled at the time of crisis (14:50-52);

Ø  Pilate’s decision to order his crucifixion under pressure from the crowd and his desire to satisfy the crowd or to please the Jewish authorities, though he knows that Jesus is innocent or not guilty of  any criminal charges levelled against him by the Jewish authorities (15:6-15);

Ø  humiliation and insults done to Jesus by stripping his clothes and giving him a mock cloak, crown of thorns, saluting him as a mock king, spitting on him, striking him on the head with a reed and crucifying him in the midst of two bandits (15:16-20,27);

Ø  ridicule and insults by passers-by, chief priests and scribes who challenge him to come down from the cross and save himself so that they may believe he is the Messiah (15:29-32).

Ø  his feelings of being forsaken not only by all near and dear ones but even by God himself (15:34) and his sacrificial death with a loud cry (15:37).

Mark emphasises the fact that Jesus who is crucified in between two criminals and dying in total abandonment by all, including God, reveals the true meaning of his mission as Messiah and King (14:61-62; 15:2, 21-37). The manner in which he dies leads even the Roman centurion to confess that Jesus on the cross is indeed the Son of God (15:39).

4.  Application to life

Today’s two-in-one liturgy presents to us two contradictory aspects of our lives: (1) joys and triumph; (2) sorrows and pain. Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem celebrated in the first part of the liturgy outside the church deals with the first aspect of our life; and his agonizing passion celebrated in the second part inside the church deals with the second aspect. The two gospel readings – about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in the first part (11:1-10) and about his agonizing passion in the second (14:1 – 15:47) are two sides of the same ‘coin’ (of our life). That is why the Church names this day as Palm Sunday as well as Passion Sunday. We have our own ‘Palm Sundays’ and ‘Passion Sundays’: Like Jesus we too have our moments of triumph and victory (that he experienced during his triumphal victory procession on the way to Jerusalem) and agony in the garden of Gethsemane and intensive suffering during his way of the cross. There are times when we rejoice; when we succeed in life and are elated; we are well settled in life; everything sails smoothly; the winds blow certainly in our favour; we get what we desire; our wishes are fulfilled; our jobs are secure; people love us to our heart’s content and our good health is our greatest wealth. There are also other joyful moments when people acclaim, applaud, praise, honour and support us. That is like people singing hosannas to us as they did to Jesus on the road to Jerusalem.

Then there is the other side of the coin – our moments of mental or physical agony and passion when we have to go through what Jesus went through in Jerusalem. Jesus bore all the suffering and evil which, we human beings are sometimes destined to undergo – betrayal and denial by our own family members and close friends, indifference of our neighbours and community members, mockery for upholding a moral principle, loneliness and lack of support, rejection by our dear ones, false accusation, unjust treatment, insults, humiliation, physical agony, mental torture and finally painful death. During Jesus’ solemn entry to Jerusalem, we observe people shouting ‘hosanna’ to him, but during his passion Jesus faces his agony in utter desolation as he is abandoned by his disciples in Gethsemane, betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter and deserted by all the disciples as they flee (14:50). He even feels forsaken by his Father as he suffers torture and cries out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (15:34).

Among all the salient features of Mark’s passion narrative (mentioned above) this one stands out very strikingly: the absolute abandonment and utter desolation of Jesus during his suffering and death. Though abandonment is a common theme in all the Synoptic gospels, Mark alone writes that when Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, all the disciples deserted him and fled (14:50), in spite of his fore-warning that all of them would become deserters like sheep getting scattered when the shepherded is struck (14:27). He alone mentions about “a certain young man” who ran off naked leaving the only piece of linen cloth with which he was covering his body when the soldiers caught him (14:51-52). Though we do not know who this young man was, what is clear is that he did not mind facing such an embarrassment and shame as well as humiliation of running away naked to save his own life and abandon Jesus to face his ordeal alone. Here we get a picture of the height of desertion or abandonment by someone close to us. It is probable this has happened to us in the past or may happen in future. We are to firmly believe that Jesus is with us when it happens and gives us the courage to face it.  

Who among us has not experienced any rejection, abandonment and loneliness (even in a small scale) either in one’s own life or noticed it in the life of others? Mother Teresa said: “Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat…..Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own.” We raise our minds in gratitude to Jesus for becoming one with us in our loneliness and rejection and continuing to be with us in these moments.

Look at the way Jesus became one with our human condition of abandonment and loneliness! In times of suffering and loneliness, we sometimes feel abandoned like him by our close friends, family members, and sometimes even by God himself. Abandonment by our own near and dear ones in times of calamity and crises; experiences of facing sorrow, pain, sickness, suffering and hardships alone; and feelings of God’s absence in times of suffering are the bitter pills that many of us have to swallow in life. We observe instances of married partners abandoning each other over their differences or in times of sickness and trials; children abandoning their parents in sickness and old age; friends hanging around us by singing ‘hosanna’ to us in fair weather but abandoning us when we face difficulties and troubles; the very person whom we helped so much joining the opposite camp/party instead of supporting us; priests finding nobody with whom they could share their problems whereas lay people share their problems with priests; the religious men and women feeling betrayed and humiliated by the same people whom they helped so much; etc. In all these situations, we have to look upon the crucified image of the One who was like us in all these conditions, and find strength and consolation from him. Let us meditate on the feelings and agony of the One who hangs alone on the cross, exposed to the mockery of the people whom he came to save.

As we sing hosanna to “the son of David” (Christ) with palm branches in our hands, we highly exalt his holy name “above every name” in heaven and on earth (Phil 2:9-10). He walks with us on our journey to ‘Jerusalem.’ In every respect he was tested as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15). That is why he becomes a source of eternal life for all who obey him (Heb 5:9). We have to realize that there are moments when we have been unfaithful and disobedient disciples. On the one hand we sing hosanna to Christ and sing “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” (14:9) during the liturgical worship, but on the other hand ‘crucify’ him in real life by our conduct that is similar to various personalities in the passion narrative. For instance, by condemning the innocent like Pilate; denying Jesus by our evil ways; betraying him for personal gains and selfish purposes; deserting him by living a life of alienation from him and totally rejecting his teachings; etc. Our faith is severely tested in times of trials and suffering, especially when God does not rescue us from our problems, in spite of regular prayers and petitions (15:32).

Today’s procession by holding palm branches in our hands is a sign that we are willing to walk with Jesus in both his passion and in his triumph. Though the word ‘passion’ here refers to Jesus’ suffering, in English language it also means a strong feeling or commitment for something. Jesus had so much passion for life, truth, justice and service to the needy that he had to pay the price of his life for it during his suffering and shameful death. If we try to imitate the same passion which he had, it may lead us to the cross of opposition, criticism, insult, rejection, or even fear of losing our jobs, threat to life, etc. The question is whether we are willing to take up these crosses and walk with him to ‘Jerusalem,’ or evade them totally by taking a comfortable position. Jesus went knowingly to Jerusalem to suffer and die. What about us? Do we go where we know there will be suffering and crosses?

5.  Response to God's Word

How do we respond in faith to situations/experiences of abandonment, rejection, loneliness, desertion and desolation of our lives faced by Jesus during his passion? Do we respond to it positively or negatively; with faith or doubt in God’s goodness? Does Jesus’ powerful example and identification in every human condition become a source of grace and strength for us? Do we have a passion for life, truth, justice and service to the needy as Jesus had? Are we willing to take up the cross of opposition, criticism, insult, rejection and walk with him to ‘Jerusalem?’ Are we faithful to our divinely ordained mission as Jesus was, and are we ready to fulfil it till the end?

6.  A prayer

Blessed are you, Jesus, who come in the name of the Lord God. Hosanna to you. Though you were in the form of God, you did not cling to your heavenly position, but emptied to become one like us in every respect, including our loneliness, rejection, every suffering and death. Be a source of powerful example, grace and strength for us when we have to face what you faced in your passion. Amen.

Fifth Sunday of Lent (B)

 

Fifth Sunday of Lent (B) [Jn 12:20-33]

17.03.2024

Jesus Foretells His Death and Exaltation

Readings: (1) Jer 31:31-34 (2) Heb 5:7-9

1.    Theme in brief

Our daily experience of dying and rising

2.    Focus Statement

Only by dying to our self we can gain life. Or only by spending or losing our lives in self-forgetful love we can save it.

3.    Explanation of the text

In today’s gospel Jesus speaks about the necessity of his being “lifted up” (that is, crucified) in order to draw all people towards the gift of salvation he offers (12:32). He illustrates this truth with an agricultural example in the context of the visit of some Greeks, who had come to Jerusalem to worship at the time of Jewish Passover. Here John wants to tell us that some representatives of the Gentile world also wanted to “see” Jesus (12:20). At that time they could see him only with physical sight. But a time would come when they would “see” him in faith as the Saviour of the world.

But before such a change, first a “grain of wheat” should fall into the earth and die (12:24). On this occasion Jesus speaks about his own “hour” of death. He calls it the hour of his glorification (12:23), because it becomes the gateway to his resurrection and exaltation. Citing the image of a seed used for sowing in the agricultural setting of Palestine, Jesus says that if a grain of wheat is not sown in the ground (field), it remains alone as a single grain in a basket (12:24). But when it is sown it gets buried into the earth and dies (or decays). It is only by dying it will sprout and later on will bear much fruit (12:24). He applies this metaphor of the dying grain of wheat sown in the ground to his own suffering, death on the cross and burial, and its sprouting to his resurrection. This will bring forth the great fruit of salvation to all those who ‘believe’ in him, that is, put their trust in him. Then his disciples would become a part of the abundant “harvest” (Jn 4:35-36) – referring to the universal gift of salvation brought by Jesus to both the Jews and the Gentiles.    

After citing this metaphor about his own condition, Jesus lays down the requirements for his followers. He says that the excessive love of self is not going to be the hallmark of his disciples. He illustrates the kind of self-denial he wants from his disciples by making use of contrasting phrases: of “loving” one’s life and “losing” it; “dying” like a seed in order to sprout (rise) and “bear much fruit”; and “hating” one’s life in order to “keep it for eternal life” (12:25). He instructs that his disciples should not love life in such a way that all their energies are focussed on themselves; instead, they should be willing to lose (spend) their life or die to their selfishness. When they "die" to their selves, they "rise" to new life in him. “Dying to oneself” means “crucifying” or "putting to death" one’s self-will and  saying "yes" to God’s will. He wants that his followers should be willing to “hate” their life (meaning, their self), that is, should take care that they do not love their own self more than him (12:25). Here the phrase “hating one’s life” does not mean an intense aversion for one’s own life as we normally understand. It means a disciple should prefer him over everything else, or be detached from self in order to free oneself fully to obey him. Or it means a replacement of one’s self with a total and undivided devotion to him.     

Jesus further says that a servant (disciple) must be willing to follow the Master and do what he does. It means, like the grain of wheat, a disciple also must be willing to die for bearing a rich fruit or ‘harvest’ (for the salvation of others). The reward for such a self-denial or total detachment from self is “to be where Jesus is” (that is, a final share in his eternal life, 12:25) and to be honoured by the Father (12:26). When applied to the present life, it could mean: where service is, where cross is, there Jesus is; and there his disciple also should be. A denial of self opens one to receive the divine life that never dies. Hence, only a self-forgetful love or service can lead his followers where he himself is. Later on, he will say more clearly that he will depart from this world to prepare a dwelling place for his disciples (Jn14:2-3). By his death on the cross and his exaltation to the Father (in John’s terminology “when he is lifted up from the earth”), Jesus drives out Satan (the ruler of this world) and draws all people to himself (12:31-32). The cross which is a sign of defeat and shame becomes a means for the defeat of the devil and the gathering of all people into a community of believers.

After speaking about requirements and reward, Jesus speaks frankly about the mental agony going on inside of him as his “hour” is approaching.  He lays bare the trouble going on in his soul whether to accept the cross or to run away from it. He wishes his Father could save him from such suffering (12:27). But he changes his prayer immediately when he realizes that  he has come to the world for this reason, that is, to lay down his life in total obedience to the Father and to glorify his name (12: 27-29). As he surrenders to his Father’s will, the voice of his Father approves his decision and strengthens him (12:28-29).

4.    Application to life

We began the Lenten season on Ash Wednesday with the intention of practicing more ardently Lenten observances like charitable deeds and sharing of our goods with the needy. Today’s gospel focuses on the obstacles to genuine love (charity) and the way to overcome them by obeying Christ’s teaching and imitating his example of self-forgetful, self-giving, self-sacrificing and self-emptying love. In John’s Letter we read that God is love and love is known by laying down our lives for one another just as Jesus laid down his life for us (1 Jn 4:8; 3:16). But opposed to this, we constantly experience an inner pull of selfishness that blocks genuine love.

In a way, all humans are selfish by nature, which is a basic instinct needed for self-preservation and survival. No doubt, genuine care for oneself and concern for one’s own welfare are not only not sinful but also necessary. This type of justified ‘self-love’ is quite different from selfishness. Even the biblical command to “Love your neighbour as yourself” presumes or presupposes the love of self as the natural condition of all humans. What the Bible commands is to love our neighbours as we already love ourselves naturally without taking any lesson from the Scriptures or anybody. Since human tendency is to be preoccupied with one’s own love, Jesus commands or reminds us everyday to win over this natural tendency by balancing self-love with love of neighbour. When we love ourselves exclusively or more than our neighbours, or when the balance gets tilted to our direction more than 50%, we become selfish in the real sense.

The selfishness or egotism of this type is the root of all sins and totally goes contrary to God’s nature. The selfish persons are interested only in themselves and desire everything for themselves. They find no joy in giving, but only in receiving or taking. They focus only on what they can get from others, human society and country, but never bother to think of what they can give. They relate with others only in terms of their usefulness to themselves. Such selfish persons are incapable of loving not only others, but also themselves. If we selfishly hold on to life to safeguard our own “little world,” we will stay alone like an unsown grain of wheat in a basket. Jesus was alone on the cross, but out of his sacrifice he has brought forth the fruit of millions of followers. Jesus invites us today to spend and give life rather than save and hoard it. Only by spending our lives for the love of others do we save it. Or only when we die to our selfishness, we rise to new life. Hence, true death is not physical death but withdrawal into ourselves and refusal to give ourselves. Our life becomes fruitful only when we lose/ give/ spend life and die to our selfishness and bury it.

Look at the ways people try to save or prolong their life! As the rate of illnesses related to blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol goes higher and higher, people are becoming more and more health conscious. They meticulously follow the latest medical tips of water-therapy, naturopathy, morning walks, jogging, yoga practice, physiotherapy, sugar-free/ cholesterol-free food, etc. If we go to public parks early in the morning in many cities we find them crowded with morning walkers and joggers. All these health precautions are good and necessary for life. But more important than this is to think why we want to live longer. If it is only for own fitness, enjoyment, long life, welfare and security, we may live longer, but will be forgotten very soon! If we do not take care to spend our lives in self-forgetful service and live only for ourselves without lifting a finger for doing good to others, then what Robin Sharma writes in one of his books will be true of us: “Who will cry when you die?”

Who are the people we remember the most in our life even after their death? Who are our role models? Of course, those who went out of their way to contribute substantially for human cause and spent their life in generous service. We have been greatly influenced by such role models, because they did not think of only their safety, security, selfish gain and advancement. Only by spending their lives in selfless service, they retained it, and they continue to live in our memory. Jesus invites us to imitate not only him but also such models by putting to death and burying our personal desires and ambitions. Nowadays, social analysts point out that children mostly consider film stars and sports hero-heroines as their role models and not their parents and teachers! Today’s gospel makes us reflect on the reason for this……...?

See the bad impact of our failures to make self-denial: an ever increasing rate of corruption, fights, groupism, hatred, complaints (when one’s wish is not fulfilled), grumbling, bitterness, desire for revenge, non-cooperation, indifference, etc. In the Lenten Season, this passage invites us to spend our life more and more in love and service and not to hoard it by withdrawing into ourselves. Therefore, if we want to practice charity more ardently in this Lent, we need to keenly observe who needs our service, where it is needed and how can we render it. Jesus’ teaching about self-giving and self-sacrificing love needs to be shown in concrete or practical ways by visiting the classmate/ neighbour/ relative/ colleague who is sick; doing household chores without being ordered by parents; giving tuition to poor children; consoling somebody who is in distress or sorrow; volunteering to do a community service which others do not want to do; sharing our resources; becoming sensitive to the needs of others, etc. When we proactively serve anybody in need or make sacrifices for the welfare of others, we “die” to self. This leads to the experience of glimpses of joy and glory of eternal life already to some extent here on earth, and finally to the fullest extent when Jesus’ “servants” (we) will reach where their Master is.

Our whole life is a series of dying and rising. When I reflect on this principle, I realize how much I have to struggle everyday to die to my own comforts or needs to work for others’ comforts or needs; how much I need to move from my own rigidity to flexibility, arrogance to humility, coldness and indifference to zeal or enthusiastic service, insensitivity to others’ needs/ feelings/ religious faith/ culture to sensitivity and respect, narrow/ghetto mentality to pluriformity, and from my own comfort-zone to another zone of sacrificial offering of my time and energy for the welfare of others. If I want to die to my arrogance, intolerance, superiority, perfectionism, I’m-ok-you-are-not-ok attitude, beforehand I need to count the cost of daily self-sacrifices or self-denials.

Dying to self is also called self-emptying just as Jesus emptied himself of all his heavenly privileges to become obedient to the point of death on a cross (Phil 2:6-8). This type of death to the false self is a form of suffering and may generate physical and mental agony in us. Like Jesus, we too wish that God should save us miraculously from all suffering (12:27). We are tempted to rebel against God’s will and evade crosses. But like Jesus we need to surrender wholeheartedly our will to the will of the Father. By our union with Christ we learn to share in his life of sacrifice.  Then, as Paul says, we learn to crucify our old self with Jesus so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin (Rom 6:6).

5.    Response to God's Word

Do we love ourselves exclusively or more than our neighbours, or does the balance of love gets tilted to our direction more than 50%? Do we find joy only in receiving or taking, or also in giving? Do we prolong our life through health care only for enjoyment of long life, or want to contribute something lasting our family and human society? For what we like to be remembered? What are the negative consequences we have faced by loving only our own life or failing to die to self? Do we give our life more and more in love and service, or hoard it by withdrawing into ourselves? What self-sacrifices or self-denials Christ expects from us in order to follow him and to be where he is?

6.    A prayer

Lord, grant that I may be a grain of wheat sown in the field to bear a plentiful harvest for you.  Give me the strength to follow you faithfully by walking the path of self-sacrifice, self-denial and self-emptying so that I may be where you are. Remain with me in my struggle to die to my selfishness and rise to share in your divine life. Amen.  

 

Fourth Sunday of Lent (B)

 

Fourth Sunday of Lent (B) [Jn 3:14-21]

10.03.2024

The Lifting Up of the Son of Man and God’s Boundless Love

Readings: (1) 2 Chr 36:14-16.19-23 (2) Eph 2:4-10

1.    Theme in brief

Forgiving and healing power of the cross

2.    Focus Statement  

A loving gaze at the crucified image of Christ on the cross with the eyes of faith can reveal to us the infinite love of God flowing from it and can lead us to repentance and to get a healing remedy for the poison of sin.

3.    Explanation of the text

According to today’s gospel, in his dialogue with a leading Pharisee named Nicodemus (Jn 3:1), Jesus discloses the mystery of his “being lifted up” from the earth (3:14). In John’s gospel this phrase (repeated in 8:28; 12:32; 12:34) refers to his (1) being lifted up on the Cross, and also (2) being lifted up to the right hand of the Father through his resurrection and ascension or exaltation. By using an analogy, Jesus compares it with Moses’ lifting up of the bronze serpent on a pole in the desert (3:14). When the people of Israel were bitten by poisonous serpents in the wilderness because of their rebellion and sin, God instructed him: “Make a fiery (or poisonous) serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten shall look at it and live” (Numbers 21:8). Analogically, now whoever looks at the uplifted, i.e. crucified and exalted Christ (for John both of these go together) in faith is healed from the poison of sin.

Actually, it was not the image of that snake lifted on a pole that saved Israelites from death – as if it had magical or superstitious powers – but, as the OT itself explains, their faith in a saving God (cf. Wisdom 16:7). In other words, the image of snake was only a visible reminder or an external sign of a saving God who invited them to have faith in him and repent for their sins. In a similar manner, whoever looks at the uplifted (i.e. crucified and exalted) Christ in faith and a repentant heart is healed from the poison of sin.

After speaking about the healing power of the cross, Jesus tells Nicodemus about the saving and life-giving power of the cross. Cross of Christ is the ultimate proof of God’s intense, pure, selfless and universal love for a world broken and damaged due to sin or evil. In the most often and widely quoted verse in today’s gospel, he tells Nicodemus, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life (3:16).” Here the word “so” loved refers to the intensity of God’s love. The word “world” is used by John in various senses; in this context it means all the people of the world. “Giving” implies both giving of a gift and giving up or sacrificing somebody. God’s love for all humans was so intense that he gave his Son not only as a supreme gift to them but also as a sacrificial offering on the cross. Thus, this oft-quoted verse points out clearly that the basic nature of love is self-giving. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross was an act of total self-giving and life-giving love.

The purpose or motive behind God’s seemingly ‘irrational’ love is (1) to share (communicate) his divine life (eternal life) with humans (3:16), so that (2) they may be saved by partaking his divine life (3:17). Thus, Jesus makes it clear that God’s intention of giving and sending his Son into the world was twofold: (1) not to allow anybody to perish eternally but have divine life through his Son (3:16), and (2) not to condemn anybody but save all those who believe in his Son (3:17). Though God loves everyone, in order to make his love effective, the receivers must fulfil two conditions: (1) They must believe in his Son (3:15,16). ‘To believe’ in John’s gospel does not mean intellectual assent given to the truths of faith, but a decision to entrust oneself to Christ or to put one’s trust in him or to be personally attached to him by faith. (2) They must accept God’s offer of salvation freely. Their actions determine their own salvation and condemnation (3:17-18). By their evil deeds done in darkness and by refusing to be exposed to Christ’s light, human beings condemn themselves (3:19-21). This happens when they obstinately reject God or his offer of love/salvation. Therefore, in this context, John’s gospel uses the word ‘world’ in another sense to mean an unbelieving world – a symbol for those who stubbornly refuse to come to the Light (= Christ) or hate the Light (3:20).

To sum up, John’s reflection on the mystery of the cross teaches us about: (1) God’s initiative in saving us by sharing his eternal life with us through the cross and resurrection-exaltation of Christ; and (2) the motive behind such an action being his pure, intense and universal love (because it is given to everyone – Jews and Gentiles, saints and sinners).

4.    Application to life                     

Lent is the most favourable time to reflect on the boundlessness of God’s love showered on sinners like us not only by giving his Son to the world but also by allowing him to give up or sacrifice his life on the cross to redeem the world. It is a time to go back in our memory lane to look at our past history and discover God’s infinite love and mercy shown to us in spite of our infidelity. A deeper reflection on our past as well as our present can teach us one thing: What a contrast between God's boundless goodness or faithfulness and our own sinfulness or unfaithfulness! Lest we get discouraged, the Church invites us through today’s gospel to fix our gaze at the icon of the crucified and exalted image of Christ on the cross not only with our physical eyes but also with our inner eyes (eyes of faith) and see the infinite love, mercy and healing power flowing from it. This reflection could move us towards repentance for our sins, begging for God’s forgiveness and an experience of inner healing from the poison of sin.

Jesus did not die any kind of death but death on a cross – a capital punishment given by the Roman government to convicted criminals in those days. The cross – considered as an object of curse and disgrace in Jesus’ time – speaks to us about a God who loves us so intensely that he does not mind permitting his Son to suffer this kind of death. The cross is the climax of Christ’s love for sinners and proof of the Father’s love for the broken world. In the season of Lent, when we meditate on the mystery of the cross, a thought should crop up in our minds: Look at the extent God went to save us and make us sharers of his own life! If ever God wanted to save us through the death of his Son, was there no better way of dying, a more honourable death? Why a criminal’s death on the instrument of curse and shame?

When we fix our gaze on the “uplifted” Christ on the cross, in the silence of our hearts we hear an agonizing voice coming from his tortured body: “Is there any greater love than this…?” (cf. Jn 15:13). We can also imagine another voice crying out with his outstretched arms: “My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me” (cf. Good Friday’s liturgy). Further, we can imagine him saying: “What more could I have done for you?” How do we respond to this cry? As St. Ignatius of Loyola taught, we need to ask ourselves before the crucified image: (1) What have I done for Christ? (2) What am I doing for Christ? (3) What ought I to do for Christ? If he has done so much for us, what have I done with my life, to one another and to human society? If the sin of the world has caused so much suffering to God’s Son, what are we doing to defeat evil in ourselves and in the world?

Sin and its consequences continue to bite us like snakes of the desert during the journey of Israelites. We need to become more and more conscious of how this poison spreads all over the society, contributing to its brokenness. We sometimes sting or bite one another with our harsh (violent) words used in quarrels and fights. By spreading unsubstantiated rumours and engaging in gossip against people in their absence we poison hope of social integration. The fewer children we have in our families today, the more selfish and greedy they become, since they don’t have other brothers and sisters to share what they have. The more time we save due to modern electronic gadgets and motor vehicles, the less time we have for people or for human relationships. Our society’s ‘worship’ of secular values such as power, status, success and achievement at the cost of others poisons genuine love. If not on our guard, the process of secularization becomes a poison or virus that comes from outside and infects our hearts from within killing genuine love-relationships and all the age-old family and community values. Exaggerated individualism leads to disinterest in building up communities and fraternity. Instead of imitating the universality of God’s love, we limit our love to exclusive relationships and narrow-minded attitudes. Instead of coming to the light, we hate it and run away from it to ensure that our evil deeds, selfishness and greed are not exposed (3:20).

Faith in the healing power of Christ flowing from his cross is a wonderful remedy for the poison of sin. The forgiving and healing power of the cross can be experienced by us by following these steps: (1) by deeply reflecting on God’s immeasurable and boundless love as well as compassion poured on us to the extent of permitting his Son to die a criminal’s death on the cross; (2) by entrusting ourselves into his hands in an act of total faith-surrender; (3) by repenting for the times we allowed the poison of sin or evil to infect our hearts and became unfaithful to God or to our call; (4) by repeatedly asking the Lord to purify and heal us from this deadly poison with his precious blood; and (5) by placing an unwavering hope in Christ’s words that anyone who believes in him will not be condemned but saved. Jesus invites us from the cross either to embrace it or to reject it. It is up to us to accept or refuse his invitation? We embrace the cross when we experience the pain of giving up our selfish, sinful and ungodly ways, or when we make sacrifices and self-denial for our own and the world’s salvation. By obstinately (stubbornly) refusing to accept the cross, we refuse God’s love, and condemn ourselves. Thus we create or choose a hell for ourselves.

When some people observe rampant corruption, violence, crime, rape, terrorism, wars, riots and injustice and other ills of the modern world, they say that it has gone to the dogs. They wonder whether God loves such a world (3:16)! Today’s gospel tells us emphatically that God not only loves this gone-to-the-dogs world but also proves his love for such a broken world by permitting his Son to die a criminal’s death on the cross.  He does not want to condemn the unbelieving and sinful world but wants to save it; he does not want that anyone should perish but wants that all should live eternally. As God’s children, instead of condemning the world for all its ills, it is our duty to cooperate with God to save it. Imitating God’s own nature, the best penance we can do in this Lent is not to condemn or judge anybody (especially those whom we think are ‘wicked’), but try to save or help as many as possible by our service, sacrifice, prayer, guidance, support, consolation, etc.

5.    Response to God's Word

Do we allow secular values such as power, status, success and achievement to poison genuine love among us? How do selfishness, greed and a dwindling sense of sharing among us poison loving relationships in family/ society/ community? Do we contribute to the fragmentation of our society by our individualism and apathy towards community building? Do we poison the hope of social integration by spreading baseless rumours? Does the boundless love of Christ flowing from his cross create a sense of repentance and remorse in us for our sins? Do we embrace the cross of Christ by making sacrifices and self-denial for our own and the world’s salvation, or refuse it? What are we doing to save or reform the world and promote a civilization of life in it, instead of only condemning others or gossiping about ‘bad’ people?

6.    A prayer

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world. We thank you for the healing, saving, life-giving power of your holy cross. Grant that we may be able to come closer to your light in this Lent so that our sins of omission and commission may become exposed. By fixing our eyes on your crucified image, we pray that the power of infinite love and mercy flowing from your cross may cleanse and heal us. Amen.