Rise up in Spendor! Your Light Has Come

The word Epiphany means a showing, a manifestation. Our thoughts go back to the feast of Christmas. There we commemorated God the Father giving himself to us in his only Son. St. John the Evangelist  put it so beautifully in his Gospel, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life.” So everyone of us, every single member of the human race, was in danger of perishing, of eternal separation from God, from the life of the Blessed Trinity and and separation from heaven. And so God, in his infinite love, gives up his only Son. So we are reminded over and over again about the infinite love of God for each and every one of us, whether saint or sinner, whether Jew or Gentile, God shows no partiality. It is the will of God that everyone should be saved. Everyone without exception. God wants everyone to come to know him, to come to enjoy the abundant life, to enjoy that eternal life which we can begin here and now. Eternal life means participation in God’s very life. And eternal life does not mean that we have to wait until we die to begin to experience God’s life in our hearts, in our life, in our minds. 

So we are reminded of that gift of God. And as with every gift, there is also a task. Everyone who has been given a gift has also been entrusted with a task, a mission. So love of God is both a gift and a task. It is a gift and a talent. We have been given the gift of Christ. We have been given the gift of faith. We have been given the knowledge of God’s unconditional, unending love for each and every one of us. So we are reminded about our task, about our mission. 

God sends us a wake-up call. Isaiah says, “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem.” Let us insert our name here. “Rise up in splendor, Sally!” “Rise up in splendor, Sam!” He is calling each one of us. “Rise up in splendor! Your light has come!” Do not be sleeping! Do not hold onto the gift you have been given! Do not keep it to yourself! Rise up in splendor! Your light has come!  Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount, “You are the light of the world. So let your light shine before men and so that seeing your good works they may give glory to God.” So we who have been given this gift of Christ, who carry this gift of the light of Christ, are called to shine this light wherever we are placed. In the workplace. In our homes. In our schools. On the national level. Every Christian has got this commission to shine the light of Christ. So rise up in splendor! Your light has come! The glory of the Lord shines upon you. 

And sometimes we forget that. At times we think that we are too simple, too unworthy for the Lord to shine through us. But Isaiah tells us that darkness covers the earth, and why is that? Why this urgency to rise up in splendor? Because darkness covers the earth. Thick clouds cover the people. Look at the world. The world is filled with lies and corruption. The world is immersed in the darkness of sin. God wants to make you an instrument. And he wants to make you a conduit of his grace. And a conduit of his salvation. He is calling you to be a light in the world which is covered in darkness for upon you the Lord shines and over you appears his glory. 

Someone who understood this call was St. John Paul II. He understood this call to rise up in splendor. Isaiah says, “Nations shall walk in your brightness and kings by your shining radiance.” We must realize the gift of God that we have, that we have been entrusted with. And if you and I were to cooperate with God’s grace, then nations shall walk by our light. John Paul II’s life and testimony was such that nations walked by his light. 

As Pope,  John Paul II made a visit to his native Poland and on the last day of his visit, there was an outdoor Mass. Approximately 2 million people attended that Mass. In and during the Mass St. John Paul II extended his hands over everyone there and he quoted Scripture. He said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Over 2 million Christians gathered together and he quoted Christ, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Jesus said, after his resurrection, to the apostles, “Peace be with you. Receive the Holy Spirit.” And he was gone.  

I now quote to you from St. Paul, “Do not quench the Holy Spirit. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” My dear brothers and sisters, be strong! You must be strong! You must be strong in this strength that your faith gives you! Do not be discouraged. Never detach yourselves from Christ. St. Paul reminds Timothy, “I exhort you to stir into flame the gift that you received at the imposition of my hands.” This is what St. John Paul II did during his Mass. He stirred into flame the gift of God that those people had. It was not the gift of fear or timidity that the people received but the gifts of power and love and self-control. These are the gifts that you and I have each received. So we need to revive and turn into flame these gifts. And we do this by quoting Scripture. We should read Scripture every day and then we will see the Scriptures come alive and will begin to transform our lives. “Rise up in splendor! Your Light has come! Stir into flame the Spirit you have received. Go out and bring light into the darkness.”

--Father James Kumbakeel

Our Close and Passionate God

I will heal their disloyalty;
   I will love them freely,
   for my anger has turned from them.
⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel;
   he shall blossom like the lily,
   he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon.
⁶ His shoots shall spread out;
   his beauty shall be like the olive tree,
   and his fragrance like that of Lebanon.
⁷ They shall again live beneath my shadow,
   they shall flourish as a garden;
they shall blossom like the vine,
   their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

⁸ O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?
   It is I who answer and look after you.
I am like an evergreen cypress;
   your faithfulness comes from me.  (Hosea 14: 4-8)

The readings throughout the season of Lent give us a glimpse into the inner life of God. Contrary to our catechetical approach, the prophets show us a God who is not distant, not impassionate or disinterested. Through the prophet, God calls out in heart-wrenching cries because His people have abandoned Him. Saint Mark notes how Jesus' heart was moved with pity for the crowd (CF. Mk. 6:34). The God of Israel is not indifferent to the self-absorption of His people. Seeing them on a self-destructive path, He immerses Himself in their rescue.

Jesus, who only does what He sees the Father do, sees the impending doom of the city He loves and is so moved with pity that He sobs. The Son of God weeps uncontrollably because the eyes of His people are dry and tearless and their hearts were unmoved. God had created human beings in His image and likeness and yet they were cold and unresponsive to the needs of the poor and marginalized. This is the horror of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Seeing the man naked and bleeding on the side of the road, a priest and a Levite both cross the road and do nothing, all in the name of ritual purity (CF. Lk. 10: 30-37). Jesus came into the world to seek out the lost. Sinners do not contaminate Him, but by touching them, He makes them whole and pure.

Because God's compassion flows from the depths of His being, those who were brought into being by a breath of His mouth can learn to be fully human again. The prophet begs the people to repent of their sins and set their gaze on God. Man is rebellious and burdened with sin, yet the divine potter loves the work of His hands. Through the words of the prophet, God speaks heart-to-heart with His people, giving heart to those who had forgotten how to feel. Through the Eternal Word, God invites every man, woman and child to offer the one sacrifice that is truly pleasing to Him, a heart consumed by the fire of divine love.

God is jealous of His handiwork and will not be satisfied with anything less than fruition of His creative will. During these days of Lent we fast and abstain from our ungodly appetites so as to come to the fullness of life in Christ. The prophet attempts to awaken in us a desire to be all that we were meant to be and to heighten our dissatisfaction with what we have made of ourselves. God does not ask for costly sacrifices. What He desires are words of repentance flowing from a contrite heart. When our conscience moves us to cry for deliverance, the Lord leans down from His majestic throne on high and answers us. At that moment we are not far from the kingdom of God.

Father Jerome Machar, OSCP

Why Lent?

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
(Deuteronomy 30:19)

Lent is a time for us to reassess the decisions we have made and to reorient our life’s journey. Are we running on the path of the Lord’s commandments? Choices have consequences. Moses begins the passage in Deuteronomy with a stark and dramatic choice – a fork in the road in which one path leads to life and prosperity, the other to death and gloom – but the reality of making that choice is more subtle. Choosing the good path means doing things every day that may seem ordinary: obeying, loving, walking, and keeping. Yet these ordinary practices lead to living, growing, and even occupying a place of blessing and security. Certainly most people are familiar with Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken


I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


If we take the road to life, we will discover the value of love and the joy of being loved. Responding to the call of faith we shall, in fact, be following the road less traveled by. Even though there may be pitfalls along the way, we will know the peace and joy of the Lord. With that peace comes a sense of humor and a joyful spirit. Suddenly we discover that ordinary day to day virtues become the seedbed of gospel living. Today’s gospel reading reminds us that following Christ demands a daily dying to self and embracing the Word of Life. May God prompt our actions by the inspiration of His Spirit, further them with His constant help and bring them to completion in His heavenly Kingdom.

Father Jerome Machar OSCO

God's Love Knows No Bounds

In the face of violence and terrorism, Lent reminds us that God loves everything and everyone He has created. In the face of hatred and prejudice, Lent reminds us that God is Love and because He cannot deny His own nature, He loves even those who do not love Him. In the face of a culture of death, Lent reminds us that God know that we are dust, but as creatures that He loves, we bear a treasure in earthen vessels. In the face of a society that is becoming more and more isolated, Lent reminds us that God made us to live in relationship with Him and with one another.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God speaks a word of comfort to the heart of each of His creatures. In that word is found a gracious offer of pardon and peace. Unlike His creatures, God is rich in mercy. No matter how mired we are in sin, God seeks us out and calls us to repent and return to His loving embrace. God so loved the world that He sent His only-begotten Son to save all who are willing to accept Him. Salvation is on God’s terms and not ours. For this reason, He has a claim on our obedience and allegiance.

The mercy of God is everlasting and His love is without measure and His Word is Truth. In love He speaks the truth to our hearts and He expects us to respond in truth. We can respond to the call of mercy because God has first sought us and the Holy Spirit is at work, ready to transform us, provided we allow Him. This transformation is total. It requires a change of mind and heart whereby we seek to conform ourselves to the mind and love of God. To repent is to return to the Lord from Whom we have wandered.

The word that proceeds for the mouth of God is living and life-giving. The letter to the Hebrews enlarges upon Isaiah’s theme: “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). God’s Word produces a spiritual change in the mind of men, which neither rain nor snow can make on the earth. It shall not return to the Lord without producing important effects. Gospel grace can and will transform us and bring about newness of life in Christ. Provided we truly repent of our sins, we will be delivered from the wrath to come and come to live in peace with one another and with ourselves. Because we have come to know the mercy of God Who sought us while we were mired in sin and guilt, we can show compassion to others who are enslaved to sin.

God offers His People forgiveness and peace. Like those who have gone before us, we have to leave the land of our slavery. Freedom from guilt and shame comes when we choose to abandon the fleshpots of Egypt and journey towards the Land flowing with milk and honey. The Word of God can soften our sin-hardened hearts only if we are willing to immerse ourselves in it. The Word of God is effective and active only if we allow it to take root in our souls. During the forty days of Lent may the Lord make our hearts like His, firm and merciful, attentive and generous. Having pondered the word, may we be joyous heralds of mercy and hope.

Father Jerome Machar OSCO

Responding to Correction: How Do You Treat the Gift of Love?

My joy is gone, grief is upon me,
   my heart is sick.
Hark, the cry of my poor people
   from far and wide in the land:
‘Is the Lord not in Zion?
   Is her King not in her?’
(‘Why have they provoked me to anger with their images,
   with their foreign idols?’)
‘The harvest is past, the summer is ended,
   and we are not saved.’ (Jeremiah 8: 18-20)

After listening to the reading from the prophet Jeremiah, we can easily say, our reaction to correction has not changed. We do not like what we are doing with our lives, but just let someone try to suggest ways we might change – WATCH OUT! We refuse to listen. When Jeremiah called the people to repentance, they contrived a plot against him. He was intent upon their redemption but they were intent on his death. As their ancestors did to Jeremiah, so also did the contemporaries of Jesus. In every age, the People of God have repeatedly rejected the bearer of the message of salvation. The physician of souls offers His people a diagnosis of their ills and its proper remedy, but instead of taking the cure, they plot to murder the caregiver.

God created us in His image and likeness. He made us to share in the glory of His heavenly kingdom. He hand-crafted the earthen vessel into which He breathed the treasure of life. The devil had seduced Adam, Eve and, subsequently, all their offspring, blinding them to their unique destiny and hoping to bring about their ultimate ruin. If he could not possess eternal glory, neither would any creature of clay. By continuing to allure human beings with that which they could see and touch, the devil kept them blind to the grandeur that lay unseen at the core of their beings, in their very hearts. Snared in habitual sin and addictive behavior, human beings became more and more isolated from one another and insulated against the greatness that was theirs as the handiwork of God.

In this context, it might be good to consider the words of Deuteronomy: “The Lord, your God, is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deut. 4:24). God loves the works of His hands and jealously claims all He has made as His own. He would never freely allow a lesser being to subvert His rights as Master of the Universe, even if He needed to engage in mortal combat to reclaim that which He created and loves. To untie the thongs of those in slaved to sin, the Lord of Life was put in chains. To clothe His people in robes of glory, the Lord of Glory was stripped naked and brutally scourged. Having proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom, He knew that by accepting rejection He would overcome the sin and darkness of His beloved People.

Saint Paul had an insight into the redeeming power of Love when he wrote the Corinthians. “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2Cor. 12:9). In order to break the yoke that had burdened His people, He chose to carry His cross to Calvary. In order to recreate the work of His hands, He breathed out His Spirit upon all who would gather beneath His cross. By emptying Himself, Jesus filled us with newness of life. By becoming weak, the Beloved Son strengthened all the children of God to live in the Kingdom of Light and Life. By becoming poor, God-With-Us enriched our poverty making us bearers of a heavenly treasure in earthen vessels. May we have the humility to accept Love's gift.

Father Jerome Machar, OSCO

Guilt and Shame vs. Healing and Mercy

            Guilt and shame are powerful barriers to our relationship with God. They cause us to run and hide from the one person we need the most. They make it almost impossible for us to ask for and to accept mercy. The evil one uses them to keep us from standing before the Lord and seeking His pardon. Because of guilt and shame, we do not enjoy peace of conscience. When our hearts condemn us, it is the Lord who is seeking us and calling us out of our hiding places. At these moments, when the devil would have us wallow in despair, God sends forth His Holy Spirit to prompt us to trust in His merciful love. When we cannot find rest for our souls, God applies the healing balm of the Spirit. When we are speechless, the Lord gives us the Words of everlasting life. God is quite different from sinful human beings. It might be good to ponder these words taken from the Letter to the Romans. “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the One Who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will” (Rom. 8: 26-27). 

            The Evil One seeks to isolate us from one another and from God by accentuating our guilt and shame. God, on the contrary desires to engage us in a dialogue of love and reconciliation. To those who are weighed down with guilt and shame, the Lord calls out, “Don’t hide, but come to me. Lay down your burdens and I will give you rest and peace of mind” (Cf. Mat. 11: 28). The devil accuses us day and night, attempting to make us squirm and hide from God. God, on the other hand never tires of forgiving us. The devil seeks to deafen us with his accusations and the Lord desires to open our ears to the sound of His voice, calling us back to wholeness. The Lord does not condemn us because of our faults; rather, He accepts us no matter how imperfect our efforts. May we recognize the presence of the Lord accompanying us along our life’s journey and allow Him to open our hearts to the healing sound of His voice and the recreating power of His grace.

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO

Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs of Japan, and Pope Francis' response to 12 year old's question about suffering

The third-century writer, Tertullian wrote: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” The feast of Saint Paul Miki and Companions reminds us that the Gospel needs to be proclaimed even in the face of persecution. Believers need to be will to present themselves to God as whole-burnt sacrifices, a sweet fragrance before the divine majesty. The city that had been the target of the second atomic bomb on August 9, 1945 was also the place where Paul Miki and his companions were crucified. As they hung upon their crosses, the Martyrs sang hymns of praise to God. They offered themselves for the glory of God and allowed their lives to be crushed out, just as the sacred elements placed upon the altar are made by the crushing of grapes and the grinding of wheat. 

Saint Paul Miki and Companions

Suspended between heaven and earth, Paul Miki preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. “The sentence of judgment says these men came to Japan from the Philippines, but I did not come from any other country. I am a true Japanese. The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason I die. I believe that I am telling only the truth before I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you to become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.” 

The Disciples of Christ must be willing to follow the Master, walking in His footsteps and laying down their lives for the sake of the Kingdom. By emptying Himself, Jesus purchased for Himself a peculiar people of  priests for His Father. They were to be zealous in performing good works and supportive of one another in the bonds of love. When love is genuine, it is active and life-giving. Love shows itself in praying with and for one another. Whatever the disciple is as to this life, he considers the favor and service of God as the one thing needful. This he desires, prays for and seeks after, and in it he rejoices even when subjected to cruel torture. 

Pope Francis embracing a 12 year old girl in Manila. She had asked why so many bad things happen to others, especially the children, and could not get her words out until she broke down, weeping. The Pope embraced her and comforted her in silence.

The crucifixion of the martyrs and the nuclear holocaust of Nagasaki have led many to wonder why God allowed these things to happen. Of course, the same "why" can be asked regarding any difficult circumstance that we see as being contrary to God's loving providence. This question found its way into the deepest recesses of our hearts when Pope Francis embraced a 12 year old girl in Manila. Having traveled through the dark valley they were in, he was sympathetic to her question and simply embraced her in silence.   While the question has no answer, it does evoke a response of compassion. "Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey. To those who suffer, God does not provide arguments which explain everything; rather, his response is that of an accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of suffering and opens up a ray of light." ("Lumen Fidei," June 29, 2013). 

 

Let us join in mind and heart with all who suffer as we gather around the Table of the Lord.

 

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO 

Pope Francis' response to the child's question:

Background information:

Glyzelle Palomar, a one-time homeless child taken in by a church charity, made her emotional plea during ceremonies at a Catholic university in Manila, ahead of a mass by the pope to millions of faithful.

"Many children are abandoned by their parents. Many children get involved in drugs and prostitution," Palomar told the pope as she stood on stage alongside a 14-year-old boy who also used to be homeless.

"Why does God allow these things to happen to us? The children are not guilty of anything."
Palomar broke down and wept profusely, prompting the 78-year-old pontiff with a man-of-the-people reputation to take her into his arms and hug her for a few seconds.

The Pope's reply:

To Jun and Leandro Santos II and to Rikki, thank you very much. There’s only a very small representation of girls among you. Too little. Women have much to tell us in today’s society. Sometimes we are too “machistas” and we don’t allow enough space to women. But women can see things from a different angle to us, with a different eye. Women are able to pose questions we men are unable to understand. Look out for this fact: she is the only one who has put a question for which there is no answer. She couldn’t put it into words but expressed it with tears. So when the next pope comes to Manila, please let there be more girls.

I thank you Jun for talking about your experience so bravely. As I said, the heart of your question has no reply. Only when we too can cry about the things you said can we come close to answering that question. Why do children suffer so much? Why do children suffer? When the heart is able to ask itself and weep, then we can understand something. There is a worldly compassion which is useless. You expressed something like this. It’s a compassion that makes us put our hands in our pockets and give something to the poor. But if Christ had had that kind of compassion he would have greeted a couple of people, given them something, and walked on. But it was only when he was able to cry that he understood something of our lives. Dear young boys and girls, today’s world doesn’t know how to cry. The emarginated people, those left to one side, are crying. Those who are discarded are crying. But we don’t understand much about these people in need. Certain realities of life we only see through eyes cleansed by our tears. I invite each one here to ask yourself: have I learned how to weep? Have I learned how to weep for the emarginated or for a street child who has a drug problem or for an abused child? Unfortunately there are those who cry because they want something else.
This is the first thing I want to say: let us learn how to weep as she has shown us today and let us not forget this lesson. The great question of why so many children suffer, she did this in tears. The response that we can make today is: let us really learn how to weep.

In the Gospel, Jesus cried for his dead friend, he cried in his heart for the family who lost its child, for the poor widow who had to bury her son. He was moved to tears and compassion when he saw the crowds without a pastor. If you don’t learn how to cry, you cannot be a good Christian. This is a challenge. When they posed this question to us, why children suffer, why this or that tragedy occurs in life – our response must be either silence or a word that is born of our tears. Be courageous, don’t be afraid to cry.