Fifth Sunday of Lent: March 29, 2009

The readings this weekend are wonderful meditations on “drawing near” to God. The sacrifices in the temple were known as “qorbanim,” “the near-draw-ers” meant to draw the worshiper near to God and God near to the worshiper. The Mass in the Eastern Rites is called the “Qurbana” the “drawing near,” as Christ draws so near to us He enters us, and we so near to Him that we take Him into us. Jeremiah reminds folk that the path to God is VERY near—not at all far away—it’s in the human heart! And in the Gospel Gentile Greeks “draw near” to see Jesus, and Jesus speaks of the ultimate “drawing near” to God—death, itself. All life is a “passage” as we draw nearer and nearer to God, a labyrinthine journey, twisted and turning, but always bringing us nearer. Lent is our rehearsal for our homecoming…….it is for this we came.

Fourth Sunday of Lent: March 22, 2009

Sometimes the aches and pains of life look like God’s punishment being visited upon a person, a group, or even all of us. That was the way the defeat of Israel to the Babylonians was being interpreted…then…all of a sudden, freedom was restored by the Persians. So, maybe it wasn’t punishment! In fact, of all the “peoples” and “religions” of the time in Levant, only Judaism continues to today. So, maybe what looked like punishment was really a “life-line.” That’s why St. Paul tells us that God’s #1 quality is MERCY. John’s Gospel illustrates God’s mercy by predicting the “lifting up” of Christ on the Cross. So, our Lenten Passage is NOT about avoiding God’s wrath—rather, it is about being comprehended and embraced by God’s love. This is a message we never hear often enough. So, let’s rejoice in it on this Laetare Sunday.

Third Sunday of Lent: March 15, 2009

The readings are diverse, but if I could detect an overall message it would be to trust the God who loves us and shows us we are loved. The reading of the 10 Commandments reminds us that commandments are not here to damn us, but to protect us from our worst nature and the worst of others—in that sense, they are an instruction in “careful loving.” Then, Paul speaks of the Cross as a “foolish sign” of God’s careful love of us. And, finally, the Gospel tells us that God will see to it that there is “room” for us in His presence—the “cleansing of the Temple” was the removal of “temple stuff” that had spilled over and taken over the “Court of the Gentiles;” in this gentle reading we are told that God will make room for ALL creation in his house…..even for you and me!

Second Sunday of Lent: March 8, 2009

The readings this weekend go to the heart of our human insecurities; they touch on FEAR. The first reading is Abraham’s binding and “near-sacrifice” of his son, Isaac. Imagine Isaac’s fear! We are all afraid our “dads” or our “moms” won’t love us, are disappointed in us, wish they’d had someone else! Religiously speaking, we worry that God doesn’t like us, is disappointed with us, and wishes He’d made someone else! Paul tells us “God is FOR us, so who can be against us?” And the light of the Transfiguration dispels any fear…in fact he is so “comfortable,” that Peter jabbers away at God, making no sense! What fear assails you? Know you have a friend in the God we worship. A wise person knows the friend from the enemy! Your Friend is here!