Author: yuengerwv

Years ago, there were two parishes that were merged because of declining number of priests and parishioners. The merger kept both churches open but with a single pastor. There came an event where both communities were to come together. People in one church said, “We don’t want THOSE people in OUR Church! The first reading seems to have a similar attitude when they didn’t want Saul around. How do we respond to others or to newcomers to our community? With open arms? Or do we demand proof of their faith or other issues?
In the gospel it speaks of the vine and pruning and producing fruit. What kind of fruit are we producing? How do we respond when “bad” things happen, which could be part of a pruning process? Do we consider ourselves so good that we don’t need any pruning? Is the fruit we produce that good and abundant that nothing could be improved? Remember the branches that don’t produce the fruit are taken away and thrown into the fire. Are we honest with what we produce?

Peter was being challenged and persecuted because he was doing a good deed, and the political establishment didn’t like it! How often in our world does the political establishment persecute people doing good things while it supports those doing bad things? Which side do we support?
The second reading follows up on this when it states, “the reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” How many people call themselves believers in God, or even believers in Jesus who do not live like they do or treat others as Jesus has taught?
How many people are willing to do the right thing in the face of adversity or political opposition? How many are in politics because they do so for pay, self-advancement, or other agenda and have no concern for the sheep? Do we pay attention to that or elect or keep re-electing them anyways. I remember someone telling me the only reason they voted for one person, who they admit wasn’t a good person, was because if they didn’t their brother would be out of a job.
Are we following the good shepherd and willing to lose money, power, position, to do the right thing for the sheep instead of other agendas?

In the first reading we hear that the people “acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did.” Ignorance seems to abound even to this day, even among our “leaders”. Are we willing to let go of our ignorance, or do we dig in our heals and say, “it is my way or the highway!”?
The psalm asks God to answer us and relieve us from distress. It asks that God lets the “light of your countenance shine upon us!” Yet are we willing to let God’s light shine on all our deeds and thoughts?
Why were some of the scriptures written? “So that you may not commit sin.” Do we pay attention? Yet the focus is not on the sin but on the fact that we “have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.”
In the Gospel we hear of others experience of the Risen Jesus. The Breaking of the Bread is a key factor in this Gospel. Jesus is made know to us each time we receive the Eucharist at the Divine Liturgy, the mass.
Do we recognize Jesus as we go forward to receive him. Do we reply “My Lord and my God” as Thomas did?

We hear in the first reading that the new “community of believers was of one heart and mind.” Does that sound like our communities today? Are we focused on the best for everyone or are we like the other empires of the past, only concerned about expanding our possessions or political power at the expense of anyone who gets in our way.
The second reading reminds us that if we do, in fact, love God, we will keep his commandments. How many of us claim to love God, yet want to do things our way, even if it violates what God has commanded us?
In the Gospel Jesus says, “Peace be with you.” Do we really want God’s peace, or do we want peace on our terms. There is an old reference to “Pax Romana”, a period of peace and prosperity.  Yet for whom? Not for the slaves made of the conquered people. Not for the people whose lives were dominated by the imperial armies of Rome. Not for the people who died defending their homeland from a foreign army coming to seize and take their land and possessions. The peace Jesus offers is a very different kind of peace, the kind that comes from knowing we are following God’s commandments and loving God as we are challenged to do. That is a different kind of peace. This Easter season let strive to observe the peace God offers us as we love him and our neighbor.

We begin the liturgy hearing today from Peter.   He commissioned the apostles to testify that Jesus “is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” When is the last time we testified about Jesus?
The Psalm response states: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” Do we truly celebrate and rejoice or is it just another Sunday. Maybe with a few extra decorations?
When we were baptized, Paul reminds us, we “were raised with Christ” and are called to seek what is above. How often are we more involved in earthly endeavors rather than seeking what is truly most important?
The Gospel points out that the disciples did not initially understand the meaning of the resurrection. Do we? Does that understanding make any difference in our lives?
If not, Why not? What can we do differently when we understand the significance of Jesus’ Paschal Mystery?

ln today’s reading from lsiah we hear that “he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled.” Do we allow our ears to be opened to God’s words? Do we rebel when we do not like what we hear? Do we give our backs to those who beat us? Or do we complain and say, ”That’s not fair!”
How often have we said, “God, why have you abandoned me?” I have often beard that ”when opportunity knocks, most often it is dressed in overalls and looks like work!” To rephrase it for today’s Gospel, “When God knocks, most often he brings us a cross to help him carry,” such as with Simon, the Cyrenian. Are we willing to help Jesus with “his cross” as be helps us with ours? We often confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, yet are we willing to make that confession when it means sufl’ering or persecution or financial disaster? As we listen to the passion this weekend, let us ask God for the grace to appreciate what Jesus did for us, and to give us the grace to do the same for him!

Have you ever been frustrated with another person? I can imagine God’s frustration with people whom he rescued from slavery and, yet they refuse to listen to his messengers. The prophet today says God realized finally that it didn’t work. The covenant of old was written on stone, like stony hearts! The law for the people was an exterior work, something outside of oneself. Something new was needed. “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts.” Yet has it worked any better? Do we not still do the wrong and sin. Yet even with our sins, God bas said, “for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.”
ln the Psalm we ask, “Create a clean heart in me, O God.” Do we mean it? Are we ready to let go of our sins and vices? I have heard some today say, “This is who I am. Live with it!” Such is self-centered ego and saying such to God is not part of what asking forgiveness is all about. We think we are Good just the way we are and should be above suffering.
Yet Paul points out that Jesus, “learned obedience from what he suffered!” Ouch! What a way to learn a lesson! As we prepare ourselves during Lent to be obedient to God’s will, let us recognize that our sufferings are nothing compared to Jesus’.

When we read the history of the chosen people, we find it not that much different from the people of today. “In those days, all the princes of Judah [politicians], the priests, and the people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations.” Like to the people before us, “Early and often did the LORD, send his messengers to them.” Do we pay any more attention than they did? Like of old, we too, “mock the messengers of God.” We take for granted that we have a “God, who is rich in mercy.” Have we been using our Lenten journey to help correct our ways and make straight our path?
We often hear the quote from John’s Gospel, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Yet do we read the rest? “And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.” We have this Lenten journey to help us to prefer the light over the darkness and the truth over the false thinking of humans. John closes this section with, “But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.” Let us ask God to direct our hearts to comply with bis Truth and his Light.

In our first reading we hear from Exodus what we call the ten commandments.  The Psalm says, “Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.  The law of the LORD is perfect.” The commandments describe what God expects of us in relation to himself and in relation to others.  How are we doing?  During this Lenten season have we made progress in eliminating those sins from our lives that interfere with our relationship with God or others? 
Paul says, “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom.”  Do we believe that God’s law is perfect, or do we think we can ignore some of God’s laws because they are old fashioned and not part of today’s enlightened thinking and political correctness?  Many have seen the Church’s teachings as “a stumbling block” or “foolishness.” Paul points out that, “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom.” 
The Gospel says that Jesus, “did not need anyone to testify about human nature.  He himself understood it well.”  This Lent do we conform ourselves to God’s wisdom or human thinking?

Today we have the familiar story of God putting Abraham to the test.  If God were to put us to the test today, what would be the greatest challenge we would face?  What are our greatest weaknesses and are we struggling with them or just “giving in”?  Do I believe, “even when I am greatly afflicted”?  Do we ask God for help in our weaknesses or figure we can do it alone?  Do we seek company and advice or figure we don’t need anyone’s help?  I have heard it said that to really stick with an exercise it is often best to team up with someone.  Someone who can support us and whom we can support.  As we go through Lent we may need to team up with others as a community so as to support each other.  Do we stop to think, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Have you ever been caught off guard when you were surprised by someone or something where you “hardly knew what to say”?  Today’s Gospel refers to the disciple’s experience of Jesus being transfigured before them.  One can imagine it was a dramatic moment that left them with a certain degree of shock.  How many of us have had that shock when we heard someone we love just received notice from their doctor that their condition was “terminal”? 
What can we really say?  During Lent, we realize Jesus is like Isaac yet with the distinction that Jesus knew he was “terminal”.  Jesus once said, “as you do to others you did to me.”  We may not be able to comfort Jesus as he journeyed but we may be able to comfort others. As we continue forward during our Lenten journey, perhaps it is appropriate that we reach out to those around us, as we would to Jesus.