Tuesday May 13, Jesus laid down His Life for US

JESUS LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US [JOHN 10:22-30]

For the past couple of days, we’ve talked about Jesus’ parable of the good shepherd, and we want to look at it again today. While it may seem repetitious, it is really worth spending time pondering images like this one because of their ability to reveal numerous dimensions about who Jesus is and how deeply He loves us.

Because of the amount of time shepherds spent with their flock, it would not be uncommon for a shepherd to know every detail of each sheep in his care – its markings, its habits, even its personality. Similarly, the sheep knew their shepherd and became very attached to his voice. The mere sound of a stranger’s voice could startle them and send them scurrying.

During spring and summer, when a flock might spend months grazing in the countryside, the shepherd would gather his sheep in a hillside sheepfold for the night. This sheepfold had walls but no gate or door, just an opening where the sheep could come and go. Once the animals were within the walls, the shepherd would act as a door, lying down at the opening to guard his flock. In other words, he would literally lay down his life for his sheep!

Jesus knew that parables like the good shepherd would help His hearers (and us as well) understand His love more fully. He knew that vivid images would help transform abstract concepts into concrete terms that people can understand. Jesus laid down His life for us, and no one can snatch us from His hand (John 10:27-28). His promises are as trustworthy as a good shepherd’s commitment to his flock. When we enter His “sheepfold,” He will keep us close to Him and protect us from all harm.

The next time we (you and I) encounter a parable, let us make it a point to learn more about the images Jesus used. Let us do some background reading. Let His words sink into our hearts. Let us also use our imagination to draw a picture in our minds. Through this kind of study, prayer, and contemplation, the Holy Spirit can open up new avenues of understanding to strengthen our faith and make our love for Jesus burn even more intensely.

Jakarta, 13 May 2014

A Christian Pilgrim

achristianpilgrim | May 13, 2014 at 12:16 am | Tags: AT THE PORTICO OF SOLOMON, JESUS CHRIST | Categories: LENT AND EASTERTIDE, TODAY'S THOUGHT 2014 | URL: http://wp.me/p1055h-2kz

Monday May 12 Our Good Shepherd

Saturday May 10 Jesus is Our Good Shepherd

JESUS IS OUR GOOD SHEPHERD

(A biblical reflection on THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (Year A], 11 May 2014)

Gospel Reading: John 10:1-10

First Reading: Acts 2:14a,36-41; Psalms: Psalam 23:1-6; Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:20b-25

The Scripture Text
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of the strangers.” This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what He was saying to them.
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door, if any one enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:1-10 RSV)

Jesus, the crucified one, has been raised up, exalted at the right hand of God (Acts 2:22-28). These were the words of assurance that Peter gave the crowd that gathered on the first Christian Pentecost. Like those first believers, we too can be cut to the heart as we welcome the outpoured Spirit to move us in repentance and faith to accept the life that Jesus offers. He who “committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22) chose, out of love for us and obedience to His Father, to bear the guilt of our sin so that we might receive new life in Him.

How could God’s love, care and protection for His people be more adequately described than by the figure of a shepherd? It was an image common to the Old Testament, drawn from pastoral life but having a particular reference to the deliverance that the Jewish people experienced during the Exodus. Now, in the age of the Church, Jesus is the Good Shepherd: the new Moses who is God’s provision for a wandering people. “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). He has come to bring life in abundance to each one of us (John 10:10). While the world offers many options that promise “life” – the pursuit of which ultimately brings disappointment and emptiness – Jesus offers an eternal life that brings us into unity with the divine life of the Trinity.

Any image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd which does not embrace the sacrificial dimensions of shepherding falls short of how Jesus understood His mission. Jesus confronted life and death, sacrificial issues that ended in His crucifixion. He was the true Shepherd because He laid down His life for us. His love is personal and intimate, and He calls each of us by name (John 10:3). In love, He sought the one who strayed and rejoiced when it was found (Luke 15:4-7).

Amidst the clamor of false claimants, those who hunger for His life will recognize His voice. Every disciple who follows Him is empowered by grace to live the same life as Jesus. We will strengthened in the daily struggle of resisting sin as we turn to the sinless one who not only leads us into abundant life, but is also the door – the way into that life.

Prayer: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. In verdant pastures He gives me repose. Beside restful waters He leads me; He refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for You are at my side. With Your rod and Your staff that give me courage. You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come (Psalm 23 NAB). Amen.

Jakarta, 9 May 2014

A Christian Pilgrim

achristianpilgrim | May 10, 2014 at 6:40 am | Tags: JESUS CHRIST, THE GOOD SHEPHERD | Categories: BIBLICAL REFLECTIONS 2014, LENT AND EASTERTIDE, PARABLES OF JESUS | URL:http://wp.me/p1055h-2km

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Friday May 9 Th Only Thing Powerful Enough to Change Our Hearts Acts 9:1-20

THE ONLY THING POWERFUL ENOUGH TO CHANGE OUR HEARTS [ACTS 9:1-20]

As we grew up, most of us were accustomed to seeing crucifixes in our churches, in our homes, and perhaps even at school. For years, we may have looked at them, never really understanding what they meant. And then one day, we looked at a crucifix and it took on new meaning. The reality of God’s love for us that is in Jesus began to penetrate our minds, and a real love for our Savior took root in our hearts.

Paul’s conversion was intense and dramatic, but God’s act of opening our eyes may not cause as great an upheaval. Nevertheless, the revelation of Jesus as the One who gave His life for us is the only thing powerful enough to change our hearts. No matter how far along we are in the Christian life, if we do not grasp this truth as an ongoing revelation, our faith and our love for God can become a set of rules and regulations that can make us proud or ashamed based on our performance.

Dr. Victor Frankl, in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, details how he learned the truth of God as a Jewish prisoner in the Nazi concentration camps of World War II. In spite of a brilliant mind a well-disciplined emotional state, Dr. Frankl relates that only through his discovery of who God is and God’s love for all people, did he have the will to survive. It was this revelation that brought him through the holocaust.

The word “revelation” comes from a Latin word that means the disclosure of that which was previously hidden or unknown. Our ignorance and our sin may blind us to the revelation of God’s love, but it is always the Spirit’s desire to reveal Jesus as the Son of God and to open our eyes to God’s purposes for us. Revelation is a process; it requires us to come into frequent communion with God in prayer and scripture reading. Today, let us walk in the love of God to the best of our ability and ask the Holy Spirit to deepen His revelation of the Lord in our hearts.

Jakarta, 9 May 2014

A Christian Pilgrim

achristianpilgrim | May 9, 2014 at 12:06 am | Tags: JESUS CHRIST, PAUL'S CONVERSION,REVELATION OF JESUS, VICTOR FRANKL | Categories: LENT AND EASTERTIDE, TODAY'S THOUGHT 2014 | URL: http://wp.me/p1055h-2kd

Thursday May 8 Promptings From the Holy Spirit

PROMPTINGS FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT [ACTS 8:26-40]

Having been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, Philip developed a natural expectation to hear God’s voice. Through years of practice, he had become sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings and knew when God was speaking to him. So when the Spirit told Philip, “Go over to this chariot and joint it” (Acts 8:29), he was swift to obey. It may not have made much sense at first, but Philip’s desire to spread the Good News won out. If he thought the Holy Spirit was telling him to chase after a chariot, he would do it – and the results were amazing.

Like any skill, discerning the Spirit’s voice requires practice. After all, God’s way of thinking can be quite different from ours. For example, we might wonder why Phillip, whose mission was to preach the Gospel, would be directed to leave an area like Samaria, when his preaching was bearing fruit and to travel through a less populated region such as Gaza? And why should he approach an eunuch, whose physical condition, according to the Mosaic Law, made him incapable of participating fully in Israel’s worship?

A man guided only by human thinking could find reasons to dismiss these promptings from the Holy Spirit. But through acts of loving obedience and time in prayer and study of Scripture, Philip had absorbed Jesus’ way of thinking. He had come to see how precious each person is to God, and he was not too surprised when spreading the Gospel involved some unexpected maneuvers.

Through our prayer and study of God’s word, we too can prepare ourselves to hear the Spirit’s voice. Let us think of ourselves as athletes in competition. A runner, on his mark, drowns out all distractions and strains to hear the signal that begins the race. Similarly, let us work at shutting out distractions so we can hear the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit. God is always preparing people’s hearts to receive the Good News. Even if we are shy or reticent, the Holy Spirit can guide us and make our very lives into signs of His love to people who are ready to receive them.

Jakarta, 8 May 2014

A Christian Pilgrim

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Tuesday - May 6 Conversion Acts 7:51-8-1

CONVERSION [ACTS 7:51-8:1]

An angry mob roared its rage at the man who addressed it. Then, as one, the crowd rushed upon the man and swept him out of their city. Arms, strengthened by fury, flung rocks at him until they crushed the life out of him. And all along, “Saul was consenting to his death” (Acts 8:1). Filled with the rage, threats, and murderous intentions, Saul too railed against these followers of Christ – condemning, scattering, punishing, and killing them. But then, not long afterward, Saul himself became an ardent proponent of “the Way” he once denounced so violently.

What Saul – whom we know as Saint Paul – experienced was conversion, a head-to-head meeting with Jesus that led to a radical change in his priorities and philosophies. Once bent on destroying all who proclaimed Jesus as the risen Savior, Paul spent the rest of his life announcing, explaining, and defending this very truth. What he once persecuted he now embraced and declared with just as much passion and vigor.

The Bible is filled with conversion stories that highlight this radical change. Think, for instance, of the woman “who was a sinner” in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 7:36-50). Jesus’ words touched her heart and set her on the way of transformation. And as she followed this new path, she was led to the house of a Pharisee, where Jesus was dining, so that she could anoint his feet with precious perfume and tears of repentance (Luke 7:37-38). The Pharisee’s scorn did not matter. Rules of propriety fell by the wayside. Her love for Jesus filled her with courage in the face of opposition.

Saint Paul begged the Christians in Rome: “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Is your philosophy of life changing? Is your behavior changing? Does your life give witness to “what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2)? Conversions like this don’t have to happen overnight, but they do have to happen. Take your spiritual pulse today. See if things really are changing. If not, let us ask the Lord to reveal Himself to each of us more clearly and to help us become more like Him.

Jakarta, 6 May 2014

A Christian Pilgrim

May 5 - Monday Believe in Him ( John 6:22-29)

O BELIEVE IN HIM [JOHN 6:22-29]

“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29).

How different is our understanding of God from the Gospel Jesus preached! It is so easy for us to believe that we please God when we meticulously observe His commandments. No wonder we are often shaken up when we read Jesus’ words that the primary “work” God wants is that we believe in Him, our Lord and Savior.

Jesus wants us to come to a deep and abiding belief in Him. He wants us to have the kind of faith that finds its home in our hearts as well as our minds, a faith that enables us to “know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). That is our primary “work”. He said that if we come to Him, “eternal life” would be ours (John 6:26-27). Through His death on the cross, we are given the promise of resurrection into new life – something that cannot be earned.

We busy ourselves with all manner of things in an effort to earn or maintain our heavenly reward. But God does not busy worker-bees trying to earn their way into heaven. He wants lovers of Christ and one another. The “power of His resurrection” is not something we can work-up to by our own efforts. It can only come as we spend time with Jesus in prayer and allow the life of His Spirit to replace the life of our fallen nature. Living by faith, we will be able to accomplish far more than living solely by our efforts.

Every day, let us spend time with Jesus in prayer. As we do, our ideas about earning heavenly merits will fall away. We can sit with Jesus, soak in His word, and allow our trust in Him to grow. The, the Holy Spirit will fill us and guide us in all that we are called to do. Through the Spirit’s promptings, we will understand that, more than anything else, it is a life lived in union with God that overcomes sin, the world, and the selfishness within us. Let us seek Jesus and take His life into ourselves every day.

Jakarta, 5 May 2014

A Christian Pilgrim

May 4- Sunday- Where Can We Find Jesus

WHERE CAN WE FIND JESUS?

(A biblical reflection on THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER [YEAR A], 4 May 2014)

First Reading: Acts 2:14,22-33; Psalms: Psalm 16:1-2,7-11; Second Reading: 1Peter 1:17-21; Gospel Reading: Luke 24:13-35

The Eleven were assembled in their old familiar meeting place in Jerusalem, wondering among themselves: “Where’s Jesus?” The women who had gone to the tomb before dawn and failed to find Him, asked in their puzzlement: “Where’s Jesus?” The two travelers on the road to the little town of Emmaus were engaged in asking: “Where’s Jesus?” When we sincerely pray and the prayer seems to return empty, like a hollow echo; when we hurt and beg for help but are not healed, we cry out: “Where’s Jesus?”

Today’s Gospel reading asks that same intriguing question and provides an exciting answer. It’s a classic story which can be read dozens of times and still provide new insights into the age-old search for Jesus.

The Lord walks with us seven days a week, as surely as He walked the seven miles to Emmaus, with Cleopas and his unnamed companion. Even though we don’t invite Jesus to walk with us, He still runs to our side and joins us for the journey – whether for seven miles, seven days or seventy years. He walks with us and talks with us and tells us of His love. If only we could recognize Him!

We can’t find Jesus by returning to the places where He used to be, as the apostles went to the meeting room and the women went to the grave site. The tomb is empty and the Lord is on the road again, right where we are. He predicted that where two or more are gathered in His name, we should expect His presence. For that reason, we dare not ignore the stranger in our midst.

When we have traveled with Him a mile a day, at the end of the seventh day we invite Him to eucharistically stay with us, for evening is at hand and we want His security and light to dispel the darkness.

There is so very much we don’t know about the Lord; but as we gather around His table at the end of seven miles, we can watch Him take, bless, break and give Himself to us. He is our spiritual strength for the next mile and for every step of the journey ahead. It’s His unique way of staying and sharing our company even though we might think He is far away. Each time we receive His glorified body in Holy Communion, our minds are opened to more deeply appreciate His marvellous revelations. Repeatedly He vanishes into the Bread and the Bread vanishes into our lives to make us like Him.

We, in turn, can become the mysterious Stranger, giving courage to the doubtful, that their hearts will burn with love and that, rising up, they will walk through the night and find their way back home.

So where can we find Jesus? On the road, in deeds of kindness, in believing hearts, in the words of Scripture and in the breaking of the Bread.

Source: Rev. James McKarns, GO TELL EVERYONE, Makati, Philippines: St. Paul Publications, 1991, pages 27-29.

Jakarta, 4 May 2014

A Christian Pilgrim

Saturday - May 3 The Feast of Saint Philip and James (John 14:6-14)

THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES [JOHN 14:6-14]

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know God – to have a relationship with Him that is as strong and real as any human relationship? How impossible this sounds! After all, God is way up there in heaven, and we are way down here on earth. He is spirit, we are flesh. He is so different from us, so holy and pure, that He must be forever beyond our grasp. Yet, like Philip, we all long to know God. Deep in every person’s heart is the same prayer: “Show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied” (John 14:8).

Jesus’ response to Philip’s request is amazing. He said that by knowing Him, the disciples had already come to know God. Because Jesus “reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3), to see Jesus is to see God Himself. Jesus, God-made-flesh, overcame the immense gap between God and ourselves and revealed the Father to us. In the gospels, we can see God Himself acting in and through Jesus, revealing His character, and inviting us to come to know Him personally.

Jesus’ words to Philip have a personal meaning for each of us. Jesus wants each of us to come to know Him and, by knowing Him, to come to know Him and, by knowing Him, to come to know the Father. This will come about as we make ourselves available to Jesus every day – through prayer, through trusting obedience, and through time spent pondering His word in Scripture.

We may not actually see Jesus with our human eyes, but we will surely “see” Him with the eyes of our heart. Every day, the Holy Spirit wants to reveal God’s love, His thoughts, and His personality, to us. Every day, He wants to build a new character within us that manifests God to those around us. All He asks is that we fix our eyes on Jesus in prayer and stay alert throughout the day for ways that God might be moving in us. He will take care of the rest, and we will know God, our heavenly Father.

Jakarta, 3 May 2014

A Christian Pilgrim

May 2, Friday Jesus' Presence Acts 5: 34-42

JESUS’ PRESENCE [ACTS 5:34-42]

YOU can just imagine how amazed members of the Sanhedrin must have felt. The apostles had already been brought before them once, and they had warned them to stop teaching about Jesus. But, preferring to listen to God rather than men, the apostles disregarded the warning and continued preaching. Looking at them now, perhaps the Sanhedrin thought the apostles had gone mad.

But we know better. The apostles’ perseverance testifies to the power of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Jesus’ presence brings a peace that the world cannot give, a peace beyond understanding and circumstance. It remains with us even in the most difficult of times. It enables us to overcome any fear or anxiety or desire for revenge. The apostles were so filled with love for Jesus that even insults and harsh physical punishment could not take away their peace.

Gamaliel correctly noted that false movements die out with the death of their leaders. The apostles’ reaction to their beating showed that Jesus, their leader, was indeed still with them. What human leader could inspire such courage and joy in the face of persecution? What human leader could motivate normal, ordinary men to such heroic generosity and service? What besides the power of God could transform uneducated fishermen into influential religious leaders? This is what happens when ordinary men and women are empowered by an extraordinary God!

Do you want to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ? The need for evangelization has never been so great. “The number of those who do not know Christ and do not belong to the Church is constantly on the increase,” Saint John Paul II wrote in “Mission of the Redeemer”. Do you find yourself filled with fear and anxiety when you are faced with an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus? Remember the apostles! The same Holy Spirit that filled them is available to each and every one of us. Ask Jesus to give you His courage, his confidence, His peace, and His joy; then wait and see how powerfully He moves in and through you.

Jakarta, 2 May 2014

A Christian Pilgrim

May 1, Thursday God Wants Us to Be with Him (John 3:31: 8;23

GOD WANTS US TO BE WITH HIM [JOHN 3:31-36]

The Gospel of John is filled with statements of the difference between “above” and “below” (John 3:31; 8:23), between “darkness” and “light” (John 3:19; 8:12;12:35,46), between “flesh” and “spirit” (John 3:6;6:63). Just as loving parents warn their children of the real dangers of life – and the consequences of bad decisions – so too God, our heavenly Father, warns us of the reality of heaven and hell. There is a discernable difference between these two “ways,” and God is ever calling us to follow His way.

How do we know whether we are following the way of life or the way of death? What assurances can we have that we are on the right course? Before anything else, we need to come to grips with the love of God our Father. He gives His Spirit without measure, whenever we ask (John 3:34; Luke 11:13). God wants us to be with Him; He wants to fill us with His love and protection. Through scripture, He has given us His commands to keep us on the path of life; He will never abandon those who rely on His guidance.

We have been ransomed by Jesus’ blood, and our sin and guilt have been washed away in the waters of baptism. We have received the promised Holy Spirit, poured out without measure. We are children of God, and our Father wants to teach us and protect us. As we continue to accept Jesus’ testimony, we will be able to say “God is true” (John 3:33). We will be filled with confidence in God, and be willing to follow Jesus wherever He leads us. Even when it is difficult to obey, we will know that God is trustworthy, and we will seek the Holy Spirit’s strength to remain faithful.

In this time of Easter joy, let us ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts even more to the testimony of Jesus. Let us come into the light of God’s love and ask for the humility and strength we need to follow the way of life. We serve a merciful, generous God. He will not fail those who trust in Him.

Jakarta, 1 May 2014

A Christian Pilgrim

achristianpilgrim | May 1, 2014 at 12:26 am | Tags: ABOVE VS BELOW, FLESH VS SPIRIT, GOD,HOLY SPIRIT, JESUS CHRIST, LIGHT VS DARKNESS, TWO WAYS | Categories: LENT AND EASTERTIDE,TODAY'S THOUGHT 2014 | URL: http://wp.me/p1055h-2jq