Greetings of Peace

This first week of Easter is very special and profound. Our hearts are rejoicing in Jesus our Savior for conquering death and rising from the dead and granting our salvation.  Peter and John were the two disciples who ran to see that the tomb was empty and 'Mary Magdalene was met by two angels about where Jesus' body now lay. Jesus is near her but she believes him to be the gardener as he asks her why she is weeping, and who she is looking for? When he says her name, Mary, she then sees and believes it is Jesus by calling him teacher.' (John 20:11-18). The disciples were walking on the road called Emmaus where they were talking and discussing the things that had happened. And there Jesus meets them though they do not recognize it is him. 'They felt their hearts burning within them while he spoke to them and opened the scriptures to them.' (Luke 24: 13-35).

These readings from the Gospels this week show the mysterious, divine and loving way in which Jesus shows himself. He is different perhaps he looks different or their hearts weren't open to seeing the risen Christ. But it shows that He is with us and meets us on our way, and where we are at. "We are consoled by the fact that Jesus sees us, knows, and loves us, even when we are not thinking of him, or are troubled and discouraged. Finally, Christ command to 'stop holding on' is because he desires still greater intimacy with us than as one who stands external to us. He wants us to "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit' who will transform us into other Christs" (Magnificat).

After watching the movie Risen last week on Good Friday, I came to know and understand more of the disciples longing for Christ and revealing himself to them. This reflection from the Magnificat reminded me of what the disciples were experiencing as well as any one of us in our spiritual journey. "God's preference for hiding does not match our expectation of intimacy with him..Indeed God may seem painfully unknown when he is sought most intensely. It can be as though we induce him to hide when we desire him most. We know him sometimes only as he leaves behind sharp hungers in our soul..After every instance of showing himself, our Lord disappears again from sight, a further provocation to spiritual hunger.. Perhaps the saints became holy because they never made peace with the impossibility of seeing God in this life. Among the poor, or in the midst of hostile or indifferent souls, they went in search of his face, only to return again to the silence of prayer where God once more hid himself. These souls lived as though always on the verge of finding a treasure."

What comes to my mind this first week of Easter is that God is always with us in our trials, our sufferings, our despair, our fears as well as our joys, hopes, and desires. Just as Jesus gave his peace to his disciples, he says and does the same for us. Just how his disciples recognized him in the breaking of the bread, we meet him in our daily encounters, in the ordinary, and in our true food and drink, for he is the bread of life. I can find Jesus in my daily journey, to work and taking the same road that once lead me to my former job that I often think about. The road was outstretched and I felt prepared and inspired to teach my students. The road now is short and I pass a nice park and a field of lovely spring flowers, and I often think of that long stretched road from months ago, but know that God was with me then as well as now.

My favorite priest left for Israel this past week and I received the shirt I created having to do with Israel. It is inspired from this blog- Say Hello to the Fig Tree. I imagined it in my mind for quite sometime and enjoy creating something that is personal and meaningful, an original creative work. I wear this shirt now with an image and flag of Israel, and an image of Nathaniel under the fig tree approached and greeted by Jesus telling him to follow him, along with the words 'say hello'. The fig tree symbolizes fruit and hopefully fruit that will last and not be like the barren fig tree. The fig tree is also a symbol of Israel and God's covenant. I would love someday to visit this spiritually enriching and historical place. I continue to reflect upon the liturgical season we are in, and may the risen Christ continue giving us the graces of peace and joy, alleluia!

Confessing Our Brokenness

Self-righteousness...we can all have it and it can come out at various times. Many people think that Catholics are self-righteous or Christians of various nominations, those who keep and practice their faith and take it seriously perhaps are labeled as self-righteous to others from an array of backgrounds. And this can be true to an extent but it also depends on where someone is coming from. We all have pride in our lives and in our hearts and it can take away our joy because in the end God should be our pride and joy not necessarily ourselves and our achievements.

Today's Gospel reading is from John Chapter 8  verse 1-11 about the woman caught in the act of committing adultery. She is scoffed at and pointed at for sinning and threatened to be stoned. But Jesus jumps over the law so to speak and instead of focusing on the woman's sin, he asks the Pharisees if any one of them is clean and free from sin, to be the first to throw a stone at her. And they all eventually go away from her as they can admit they also have their own dealings and attachments to sin. Jesus then says to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?..Neither do I condemn you. Go and from now on do not sin and more."

How easy it is for us to focus on other's shortcomings and downfalls instead of our own. We hide our weaknesses and sin to others and instead show our achievements and successes. When we are like the Pharisees in the Gospel, we act like we are better than others and our pride and self-righteousness gets the better of us. God is without sin and yet he doesn't condemn us like we can sometimes do to others, instead he invites us to be free from sin and turn again to him. This happens when we go to the Sacrament of Confession. We come fact to face with God through the priest and give him our sins, our failings, our shortcomings. I was able to go to Confession yesterday after wanting to go for sometime during this Lenten season. Like most people, it can be scary, intimating or a little nerve wracking before going but I have asked the saints and my guardian angel, and the Holy Spirit to be with me and guide me. Yesterday was Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati's birthday and I was thinking and praying to him for certain intentions, as he is a wonderful example and intercessor.

Before waiting in the confession line, I read over a beautiful prayer that never gets old or boring and I feel it is especially relevant while waiting to receive the Sacrament of Confession. I will share part of it here.

"Nothing in your life is unimportant to me. I have followed you through the years, and I have always loved you- even in your wanderings. I know everyone of your problems. I know your needs and your worries. And yes, I know all your sins. But I tell you again that love you-not for what you have or haven't done- I love you for you, for the beauty and dignity my Father gave you by creating you in His own image. It is a dignity you have often forgotten, a beauty you have tarnished by sin. But I love you as you are, and I have shed My Blood to win you back. If you only ask Me with faith, My grace will touch all that needs changing in your life; and I will give you the strength to free yourself from sin and all its destructive power."

After receiving the graces of the Sacrament of Confession, I feel light. My inner being feels as light as a feather and full of peace, being lifted in God's loving mercy and grace. The beauty of Confession is acknowledging and confronting our weaknesses and sins in a humble way. God designed it this way for us to know that we need him and he meets us in our humility and desire for peace and forgiveness. I will end with a quote from Venerable Fulton J Sheen's book, Peace of Soul. "Everyone in the world is looking for certitude, peace of soul, and freedom of spirit. Everyone wants the things that only a love of God will bring to him. Anyone who turns his face toward the light will be converted; but the turning must be done of his own free will."