EASTER SUNDAY

First Reading: Acts 10:34.37-43
Psalm: 117:1-2.16-17.22-23
Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4
Gospel: John 20:1-9

“Tell us Mary: say what thou didst see upon the way.
The tomb of the living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as He rose! […]
Christ, my hope, has risen […]
That Christ has risen from the dead we know.”

These verses are taken from the Victimae Paschali (Paschal Victim), the sequence that is said or sung on the Mass of Easter day, before the Gospel acclamation (and during the Octave of Easter).

The Victimae Paschali is an explosion of joy! Christ has risen: there is no reason to cry any more, no room for grief and despair. Yes, Jesus is the Lord indeed, everything He has said has been fulfilled. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world by his sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection.

There are witnesses who saw all this. They know that they have spoken the truth and they have given this evidence so that today we may believe as well (cf. Jn 19:35): Mary of Magdala and the other women who went to the tomb on Easter morning; Peter and John, who ran there as fast as they could; the other apostles; the disciples of Emmaus and all those ones to whom our Lord appeared.

And this is the testimony on which Christian faith is built and stands firm: Christ is the Lord and He has risen! “If Christ has not been raised – says St Paul – your faith is pointless and you have not, after all, been released from your sins. […] In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:17.20), of those who have died.

In the first reading we see St Peter announcing the Good News to Cornelius, a pagan. He also says: “Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection” (Acts 10:41). Furthermore, Peter points out that “it is to him that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.” (Acts 10:43).

Jesus himself, appearing to the apostles on Easter evening tells them: “This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms, was destined to be fulfilled. […] So it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this” (Jn 24:44.46-47).

From the Prophets on, during the centuries, there were men and women who believed and testified that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died for our sake, was risen from the dead… He, the only one who has the power to forgive our sins!

What is more, there is an even greater testimony: “the deeds my Father has given me to perform, – said Jesus – these deeds of mine testify that the Father has sent me. Besides, the Father who sent me bears witness to me himself” (Jn 5:36).

What else do we need to believe?

Let then joy fill our hearts, in order to profess our faith with no fear and live out the mission that our risen Lord has entrusted to us: “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Gospel to all creation” (Mk 16:15), because we are witnesses too! We bear the witness of the Church as well as our own testimony, that is precisely how we came to know God, and how we experienced him… his living and loving presence in our lives!

The apostles’ preaching was very bold: that is because of a strong awareness, rooted in their hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit: Christ is the Lord and He has risen from the dead!

“Something which has existed since the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have watched and touched with our own hands, the Word of life – this is our theme. We are writing this to you so that our joy may be complete” (1 Jn 1:1.4).

May the Holy Spirit help us to tell of the wonders of God, by both words and deeds, with the same boldness of the apostles.

May the risen Lord fill our hearts with his joy, now and forever!

Christ, my hope, has risen
Alleluia!

PALM SUNDAY 2021

First reading: Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm: 21:8-9.17-20.23-24
Second reading: Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel: Mark 14:1-15:47

Today the liturgy invites us to reflect on the account of Jesus’ Passion. We are invited to go through two chapters of St Mark’s Gospel: from the anointing at Bethany, the Last Supper with the institution of the Eucharist, to the prayer in the Gethsemane, Judas’ betrayal, the arrest, the trial at the Sanhedrin, Peter’s denial, the trial before Pilate, the scourging, the mockeries and crowning with thorns, the way to Golgotha, the crucifixion and death, the burial.

The Church invites us to reflect on Jesus’ sufferings and to follow him with our mind, heart and soul in his painful way of the cross, fixing our eyes on him: on his gestures, words, face, breath, on his firm resolution to carry out the mission the Father has entrusted to him, even when the weight of the cross and our sins crushes him to the ground.

The first two readings come to our aid, helping us to understand better this moving and awesome mystery of our salvation.

The first reading is taken from the so known third Song of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah. Here the prophet describes this servant in such a detailed way that he seems to refer to a specific historical person. According to the Jewish tradition, he was thought to be the mediator of salvation yet to come, the Messiah.

The aspect of suffering is clearly underlined in this hymn. Jesus has spoken many times about the suffering He was going to endure, and the Christian community identified him with the same suffering servant foretold by Isaiah. The Jews were expecting a victorious warrior-Messiah, and so they were ill prepared for Jesus’ answer to their hope: a Messiah who offers his back to those who struck him, his cheeks to those who tore at his beard, to insult and spittle (cf. Is 50:6)!

Christian religion is the only religion in the world in which we see a God who humbles himself and suffers for the love and sake of mankind. It is absolutely far beyond what we expected God to be!

And Christ’s humility is even clearer in the second reading, from the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians:

“His state was divine, yet Christ Jesus did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are, and being as all men are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross” (Phil 2:6-8).

And for this reason… “God raised him high, and gave him the name which is above all other names” (v.9).

What is this name? The Name above all other names is the name of God, the tetragrammaton (YHWH) which the Israelites do not pronounce. They use instead the term Adonai, which means Lord.

But there was only one occasion in which the high priest pronounced the holy name of God: in the day of Expiation, Yom Kippur (cf. Leviticus 16). This was the annual day to obtain reconciliation and peace with God. As part of the ritual, a scapegoat was sent out in the desert, after the high priest had laid his hands on it, confessing all the iniquities and sins of Israel. The high priest also offered sacrifices for the sins.

Jesus Christ, because of his sufferings and death on the cross, is exalted and He is given the name which is above all names, the name of God, so that “every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord” (v.10), Adonai! St Paul is writing here something that is so shocking for his Jewish readers! He can say so, because Jesus’ sacrifice of expiation on the cross is the perfect fulfilment of that expiation rite, Yom Kippur, once and forever. Jesus becomes Lord, Adonai, because by his death and resurrection He ransoms humankind.

And in today’s liturgy of Palm Sunday we see our Lord Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem: He is proclaimed king by that same crowd that will later cry out: “Crucify him!”. He passes through those gates from which He will later come out under the heavy weight of the cross. The Suffering Servant of God, God himself made man, has become the sacrifice of expiation and reconciliation for the forgiveness of our sins and iniquities.

Let us follow our sweet Lord along the way of the cross, in this Holy Week, and wait with him for the dawn of resurrection!

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

First Reading: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16.19-23

Psalm: 136:1-6

Second reading: Ephesians 2:4-10

Gospel: John 3:14-21

Today’s Gospel reading is taken from Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. Nicodemus is a pharisee, leader of the Jews: he comes to Jesus by night, to speak with him.
It is interesting to see how Jesus answers to his questions. Jesus does not speak in parables (the way He used to address the crowds). He speaks clearly, revealing the mystery of God’s plan of salvation for mankind.
And this conversation takes place in the night. Night is a deeply meaningful time.

Night: language of lovers. Heart speaks to heart

Night is the time in which lovers speak to each other. It is the time for intimacy and private conversations. And God speaks there, in the night, to our heart. Heart to heart. There He reveals the mystery of his love for us. “Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son…” (v.16)

Night: silence and stillness. A taste of eternity

Night is also a time when all is still and calm: it seems like time does not flow, does not pass. We are taken to another dimension; we have a taste of eternity. And in it the Lord reveals the mystery of eternal life.
“…So that everyone who believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life” (v.16)

Night: longing for the dawn

 This is the night every believer has to live, relying on faith, waiting for the dawn.
Even though there is darkness, Jesus speaks about light: like the night of Transfiguration, this night shines with His glory, a glory still concealed that will be fully revealed in the resurrection.
Like Nicodemus, we are called to pass from darkness to light.

The Gospels show this man’s own journey in faith: from the fear of being seen speaking to Jesus, to the courage to go to Pilate (with Joseph of Arimathea) and ask for the permission to remove Jesus’ body from the cross and bury it (Jn 19:38-40). So, he finally showed himself a disciple, at the cost of risking his life.

Night. Time to speak about love, in which God reveals his love;
time of silence and stillness, in which we have a taste of Eternity;
night that has to be lived fully in order to see the new dawn of Resurrection.

May we be always ready to listen to Him, both when night is sweet and when it is bitter, knowing that He loves us so much that He gave all of himself for us.

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

First Reading: Genesis 22:1-2.9-13.15-18

Psalm: 115:10.15-19

Second Reading: Romans 8:31-34

Gospel: Mark 9:2-10

The Gospel reading of the Second Sunday of Lent is about Jesus’ transfiguration.

“Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white […]. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus” (Mk9:2-4).

Why did not Jesus show his glory to all the Jews, or, rather to all mankind? Why did He choose just three of his disciples and lead them apart, where nobody could see?

If He had been transfigured in front of all Israel, people would certainly have fallen at his feet and they would have believed in him. He would have gained obedience. Obedience out of fear, but not out of love. Not out of our free choice of him as our God and king. Even those three disciples, who were supposed to be the most used to see his wonders, “were so frightened” (v.6) at the sight of his glory.

As said in last Sunday’s reflection, Jesus does not like easy options, easy ways to be recognised as God. He rather wishes a response of sincere love to his own Love, which is an immeasurable and unconditional love.

In the first reading, from the book of Genesis, we see Abraham who is asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac.

There were no child-sacrifices among the Israelites:  human sacrifices were forbidden. Instead, this was a practice of other nations, like the Canaanites. In Israel, the firstborn child was offered to God, but not to be sacrificed. It was to be “bought back”, “redeemed”. And this was also to remember how the firstborn sons of the Israelites were spared during the final plague of Egypt, when all the firstborn of the Egyptians died.

And Isaac as well, Abraham’s beloved son, has his life spared. It is very interesting to compare this episode with what God did for us in Jesus Christ: not men’s firstborn sons to be offered to God anymore, but God’s only begotten Son to be offered to all humankind, once and forever.

And his life was not spared. He really died. And He himself offered this sacrifice to the Father for our sake. And then the Father gave him back his life, redeemed him and us all in him. He is God and lives forever.

As we read in today’s second reading: “With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give” (Rm 8:31-32)

The Father looks now at the whole human race through the open wounds of his Son. How can we ever doubt his love? Or be afraid of him? His only Son has taken on our flesh: now, every man on the face of the earth reminds the Father of his dearly beloved Son.

And it is true what Jesus says: “You have loved them as you have loved me” (Jn 17:23)

And what about that awesome experience on the mountain? Do you remember in which other passage Jesus takes these three disciples apart? In the Gethsemane. He asks Peter, James and John to go to pray with him (Mt 26:36-38; Mk 14:32-35). No light is shining there. Human sadness and anguish are fighting in Jesus’ heart against his firm resolution to do his Father’s will. But in this very moment Jesus’ glory shines as well: in his final obedience to the Father. Saint John often uses the term “glorify” and “hour” to refer to Jesus’ Passion:

“«Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’. No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name! ». Then a voice came from heaven, «I have glorified it, and will glorify it again».” (Jn 12:27-28). In this passage, Jesus has already entered Jerusalem, where his Passion will take place. The voice of the Father is heard again, as in the baptism and in the transfiguration.

Let us then follow our King of glory even when his glory seems to be concealed from our eyes: in our own hour of sadness, suffering and loneliness. Let us keep firm in our faith. Our Lord’s glory will shine on us, suffering will be unexpectedly changed into joy, and death into life and resurrection!