Reflection

Good Friday – April 10, 2020

Frackville, From the Pastor, PNCC /

We have listened to the story of Jesus giving His life for us. St. John tells us that the reason for this was love: love of the Father and love of His disciples. In St. John’s Gospel Jesus has no need of help: there is no Simon of Cyrene to assist Him with carrying the cross. He takes up His own cross and marches to Calvary which is the scene of His fulfilling His mission and revealing God to the world. His last words are not a cry for reproach, accusing God of abandoning Him, but a shout of triumph: It is accomplished. In the final scene of today’s passion reading, we meet once more the character called Nicodemus: he is no longer the shadowy figure who comes to Jesus under the cover of darkness. Now he appears boldly in broad daylight to assist in the solemn burial of Jesus, which involves a royal and extravagant amount of spices and oils. The mention of Nicodemus might remind us that he was the one to whom Jesus summed up the message of the Fourth Gospel, which reaches its climax in the paschal event which are celebrating today. Jesus told Nicodemus: God loved the world so much that He have His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life.

Is it too good to be true? Could someone love us enough to give their life so that we might live? Jesus’ mission was to reveal God’s love for human beings and invite us into a relationship with God is best described as friendship. Throughout St. John’s version of the Gospel story we are given examples of people coming to believe in Jesus, growing in their appreciation of who He is and what He means to them. Today we are invited to consider that the cross is more about love than it is about justice.

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Maundy Thursday – April 9, 2020

Frackville, From the Pastor, PNCC /

In our Gospel reading, the whole idea of hierarchy is turned on its head. Jesus’ washing the feet of His disciples is a symbol of what the whole event of His passion means. It is primarily an act of love, the ultimate giving of Jesus’ self for His disciples and all people. A Jewish slave couldn’t be compelled to wash anyone’s feet. Yet here, the master, freely and on His own initiative, takes a place lower than the most lowly servant in the household. The Gospel tells us that Jesus loved His disciples to the end of His life and also to the furthest extent possible, that is, by giving His life for them. When Peter refuses to allow Jesus wash his feet, Jesus warns him that unless He does, he can have no part with Jesus.

Jesus himself gives the application of His action: “you should wash each other’s feet”. Perhaps the persons whom this most obviously concerns are those in any position of authority. Leadership within the community of disciples should be exercised as humble service, something particularly evident in our Holy Church. The symbolic washing of parishioners’ feet is not just a ritual, but a true expression of the way we live, the relationship between the person performing the action and those who are having their feet washed.

We can all learn from the example of Jesus and work to live it even better. Authority and power are not the same: Jesus is giving us an example of what authority involves, namely the courage to be humble, to be a servant of our brothers and sisters. If we can do this, then we are truly following His example.

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All Saints Solemnity – “A” – November 1, 2014

From the Pastor, PNCC /

The witness of life of so many of the saints of the Church has been characterized by joy. We read in some stories of martyrs who suffered horrific deaths in the cause of Christ that they so looked forward to being united with their Lord that they sang on the way to their execution. It wasn’t that they despised life in this world, only that they saw the life of the kingdom was much better.

Our readings today remind us of this strange truth. The vision of John reveals great rejoicing in heaven among the angels and saints at the victory of God. This was won first of all by the Lamb of God, and then by all those who wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, all those who have been through persecution. The teaching of Jesus in Beatitudes makes this truth clearer still; the values that He promotes are contrary to human expectations.

Confidence in the providence of a loving God will bring us more happiness that anxiety over our bank balance. Human and material resource are put at the service of wealth. Human beings and the environment are sacrificed for the sake of making a few people wealthy. Jesus warns us today that only the gentle will have the earth for their heritage. The followers of Jesus are urged to retain their ability to weep with those who mourn, to forgive those who do us harm, to hang on a vision of the beauty of life and human relationships, and to do all this with a passion – to have a hunger and thirst for all that is right and just. This is what Jesus himself would do. This is the way to build the kingdom of God.

So today we celebrate the feast of All Saints, all those who have lived the Christian life faithfully. There are thousands of ordinary men and women of every age who have faced up to the challenges of their own time and place and found strength to do so in their relationship with Jesus. Now it is our turn. We belong to community of saints. We share the witness of all those who believe that the love of God is still at work in our hearts and in our lives.

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