Whispers From The Hill

Reflection on the Fourth Sunday of Lent:  March 6, 2016
Scriptures of the Day
Joshua: 5:9a, 10 – 12
2Paul Corinthians 5:17 – 21
Luke 15: 1 – 3, 11-32

If we had to vote for one Gospel to reflect on during this “Year of Mercy”, I believe this Sunday’s Gospel – The Prodigal Son –would win, hands down!

In a sense, this Gospel has taken on a life of its own. For centuries, the story has focused on and was named, the Prodigal Son. In recent years, noteworthy writers and speakers have titled the story, the Prodigal Father. I imagine that by the end of this “Year of Mercy”, this beautiful parable will be referred to as the Merciful Father. I suggest that this is so because the story of the Prodigal Son is engaging at so many different levels. Any one of us, at any time in our life, can identify with the situations, events, and people that are a part of the story.

Just stop and take a moment to reflect on:

which name for this Gospel resonates with you at this time in your life …
with whom can you most readily identify in the Gospel story . . .
where do you find yourself in relation to the Father . . .

Ultimately, do we find ourselves in the loving embrace of our forgiving, merciful Father?

Have we finally come to realize that there is no need to demand the fair share of our inheritance, as the younger son did. Have we experienced enough of life to know that the Father has so much more to give us than just our fair share. Have we matured enough to use the gifts of the kingdom, to share them with others, so that there is an increase of riches, rather than a wasteful selfish spending of them.

Are we sometimes like the older son, who really missed the boat. Have we like him, foolishly burdened ourselves with a false sense of responsibility, believing that it is our duty to earn our salvation. Have we forgotten that the kingdom is already ours. We need only to be thankful to our Father, cooperate with His gift of grace, and spend our life spreading the goodness of God to others. This is a life that radiates the fullness of joy, a joy that can never be taken from us, a joy that enables us to celebrate the Father’s goodness and love with saints and sinners!

During the course of our lives, every one of us has been a prodigal son/daughter. At times each one of us has been an overly responsible, but sometimes resentful son/daughter. But always, at every moment of our lives we remain the precious son/daughter of our God. Our Father is always waiting for us to return, so that he can remind us, “Everything I have is yours”

How fortunate we are! The church gives us the Season of Lent to call us back to right relationship with ourselves, others, and God.

How fortunate we are! The Scriptures repeatedly remind us of the Good News – the good news that God is on our side.

Howfortunate we are! God has blessed us with Jesus. He has given us his Son to show us His Face, His mercy, His unconditional love.

by Sr. Gerrie Contento, M.P.F.

Readings for the Third Sunday of Lent:   February 28, 2016
Exodus 3: 1-8, 13-15
1 Corinthians 10: 1-6, 10-12
Luke 13: 1-9

Throughout the Lenten Season, the theme of God’s divine mercy is predominant and evident.

Today’s readings are filled with the compassion and love of a merciful God.

In the first reading from Exodus, Moses encounters God in the burning bush. Moses had no idea that he would meet God, he was not even looking for him but  God chose Moses to save his people from the Egyptians and remained with him. Even when we do not seek out God, God finds us and remains with us always, especially when he asks difficult things of us.  God’s love is always faithful and consistent; he is ready to sustain, forgive and nurture us no matter how serious our sins are. But God will not save us against our will or without our co-operation. We must be open to receiving God’s grace and forgiveness because when we sin, God does not stop loving us, we stop loving God.

In the second reading of Paul to the Corinthians, we hear about Moses and our ancestors in the faith. God called them all and although he was not always pleased with them, he never abandoned them. He remained faithful to them, in spite of their unfaithfulness to him.  How strong and unrelenting is God’s mercy.  What hope and consolation this gives us, but we must be willing to change, to heal our broken relationship with him, knowing and trusting that God is there for us…ALWAYS.

In today’s gospel from Luke, the strong words of Jesus are reflecting the traditions of the Old Testament, showing us that God accepts us as sinners, but still loves us intensely.  However, God wants us to repent of whatever keeps us from him and all others.

The second half of the gospel is a brief parable about a fig tree that has not born fruit in three years.  The owner tells the gardener to cut it down, but he begs the owner to let him cultivate and fertilize it for one more year to see of it will again bear fruit.  The owner agrees.  This is yet again, another example of God’s patience

with us, even when we don’t bear fruit.  He is willing to wait and give us another chance because he does not want us to wither and die.  At the same time, our merciful God is just, and will hold us accountable if we fail to respond to his grace.

This Lent is a good time for us to examine our lives and nourish our souls through prayer, almsgiving and sacrifice. When we give our hearts and our whole being to God, good works result in abundance. The works of mercy that we do for others open our hearts to understand God’s mercy towards us. Luke 6:36 tells us to “be merciful just as your father is merciful”

Perhaps this Lent is an opportune time to examine our lives and let our hearts be transformed by God’s amazing grace. Let us be deeply aware of the mystery of God’s presence in our lives and in the whole world so that this season of second chances may inspire us to let fruit immerge—fruit that will be lovingly shared with others.

By Sister Josita DiVita, F.D.C. 

Readings for the Second Sunday of Lent:   February 21, 2016
Genesis 15: 5 – 12,17 -18
Philippians 3: 17 – 41
Luke 9: 28b – 36

Light, Fire, Love are transformative!
Light, Fire, Love manifest the presence of God!
Light, Fire, Love have fascinated human beings all through the ages!
These three dynamic energies have worked miracles – not only by changing things, but more importantly, by changing the minds, hearts, and spirits of human beings.

Today’s first reading invites us to join Abram and look at the bright light of the stars in the heavens. We are further called to enter the mystery of the fiery torch that passed through the sacrifices that Abram prepared for the Lord. As a result Abram received the gift of faith and was able to move forward to a new land with the Living God.

In the Gospel, Peter, James and John were overwhelmed by the transfiguration of Jesus. The light, radiance, and glory of the Lord moved them to respond to the miracle right before their very eyes. Albeit, their desire to build three tents wasn’t exactly where they were being led. But their insight “Lord, it is good for us to be here” was a Eureka moment.

Here and now, this moment is where we encounter the Living God- the radiant face of God, in Jesus, and the fire of God’s love through the Holy Spirit. Here and now is where the power of God’s love (grace) will energize us to live this moment to the fullest. Every second of every day offers us a transforming moment- a miracle to see, and to know how “good it is for us to be here”; and sometimes in some of those moments we actually notice and are aware of the miracle that is being offered to us.

Perhaps this week and throughout Lent we can pray for the grace to use the grace being freely given to us. Perhaps we can pray to be faithful enough to let God’s Light, Fire, and Love transform our hearts, so that our faces, our words, and our deeds manifest the joy of our Risen Savior!

by Sr. Gerrie Contento, M.P.F. 

Readings for the First Sunday of Lent:  February 14, 2016
Deuteronomy 26: 4 – 10
Romans 10: 8 – 13
Luke: 4: 1 – 13

Welcome to Lent!

The entire Lenten/Easter Season manifests the magnificence of Baptism. This is why Lent calls us to conversion through prayer, fasting, and charitable works. These Lenten exercises dip us into the depths of Living Water, ie Jesus the Christ. Easter invites us to RISE UP with Jesus from the waters of the River Jorden, and ultimately, we can look forward with faith and hope to share in Christ’s victory over death.

It is quite appropriate that today’s Gospel is preceded by the story of Jesus’ baptism. This event is a powerful portrayal of Jesus being fully aware of his unique relationship with God. He and all who were present at the Jorden heard God the Father affirming Jesus as His “ beloved Son in whom he is well pleased.” What an endorsement !

Today’s Gospel relates that Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert. There, Jesus spends his time to fast, pray, and to discern his mission as the “beloved of the Father.” Towards the end of his 40 days in the desert, Jesus became aware of the “evil one” lurking in the physical hardships of the barren wasteland. Despite the hardships of this place, Jesus experienced the fragile beauty of the desert as well. His “desert time” gave Jesus clarity; he was well aware of WHO he was, and to WHAT he was being called to do, and to be. Immersed in the reality of his Father’s love, Jesus RISES and confronts each temptation presented by the “evil one”. Each temptation offered Jesus a choice, and each choice claimed a victory for life, truth, and, love.

As baptized Christians, we are called on that same desert sojourn with Jesus. Our time in the desert is not necessarily 40 days, our desert time is a lifelong faith journey! We too, encounter challenges and temptations that are a part of everyday life. With the lifelong grace of baptism, we can depend on God, our Father to support us. We can count on Jesus to save our fragile humanity from being lured and deceived by the power of our own darkness.

Let’s look at Jesus and his struggle with the force of evil, and let’s draw from the example of Jesus who saw through the deceptions of Satan.

Jesus was certainly hungry after 40 days of fasting. And yet, he refused to change the desert stones into bread. So often, we choose to satisfy our hunger by giving in to our disordered affections, our compulsive addictions, and our need to have what we want right NOW. Saying yes to the “quick fix”, and feeding our short term appetites jeopardizes our receiving the long term blessings that our faith life can offer us. We cannot live the fullness of life on bread alone, but all our hungers can be filled by the living Word of God.

Jesus was offered all the worldly kingdoms, with worldly power and glory. Unlike Jesus, we can so easily delude ourselves into believing that we are entitled to the power and riches of this world. Jesus knew these things are not for us to claim. Jesus knew WHO he was, and to which kingdom he belonged. Jesus welcomes us into that same kingdom, and invites us to celebrate with our lives the riches of the Father. As baptized children of God, and as full partners with God in the work of the Kingdom, we have no need to claim what already belongs to us. We are simply called to be grateful by giving worship to the Lord our God, and serving Him alone.

The “ evil one” pressed his luck a bit too far, when he asked Jesus to test the Lord. For Jesus this would be an unthinkable, unspeakable , faithless act. Not so for us! How many times do we feel that God doesn’t see or hear us, or that God just sits in heaven with no thought or concern for us, or our struggles? We can quite readily join with the unbelievers, and cry out: “Come on Jesus, give us a sign, show us a miracle, save us if you can.” Thank God that God knows, God understands, and that God is full of mercy and forgiveness. How fortunate we are   that God’s unconditional love for us embraces our broken, weak humanity. Those times in our life that we are tempted to test the Lord, are usually times when we are pressed too far, pressed and oppressed with challenges that seem beyond our human endurance. Testing the Lord sounds like a good option when we are overcome with pain, fear, doubt. God is well aware of that. He does not want to remove our fear and doubt, rather he wants to affirm our faith. There is no need to test our faithful God, who promised to be with us always. We can count on the Spirit of Jesus to lead us back and dip us once more into the Living Waters of Baptism. There we will be washed into the goodness and generosity offered to us by the community of believers- the Church. They, too, through their baptism are beloved children of God; they are our brothers and sisters. They like Jesus are ready to show us the “face of God”, and they in the name of Jesus will offer us their hand, and we, with them, will RISE UP together, and walk our desert sojourn, living and celebrating the Paschal Mystery.

by Sr. Gerrie Contento, M.P.F.

Scriptures of the day:  Micah 5:1-4
Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-44

Each of today’s readings set the tone for the great event that is to take place in a few days. They present us with a series of situations and insignificant characters in which God has done wonders. (how hopeful is that for us?) Each one focuses on a different aspect of this awesome mystery, helping us to understand it better and to prepare ourselves for the Birth of Jesus.
I will begin with the first reading from Micah and show how it flows into the beautiful story related in Luke’s gospel.

The Prophet Micah’s message is somewhat dark and foreboding. Although he is chastising the rulers and people of his day because of their evil ways, there is a ray of hope as he tells us that from the obscure town of Bethlehem (not from some other great center of Israel) will come “the one who is to rule over Israel” and “he himself will be peace, shalom”. And even more significantly, he promises that “the new people will live secure and his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth”. This prophecy is fulfilled when Jesus is born in the same insignificant town of Bethlehem. Perhaps our poor, dark and sometimes empty hearts can invite Jesus to be born there not only on Christmas, but always, despite our apparent unworthiness. Let us pray “come Lord Jesus” and he will transform our lowly hearts into a place of light and holiness because of his presence there.

As we move into Luke’s gospel we see the beautiful scene of young Mary, mother of Jesus, coming to visit and help her cousin Elizabeth, who is also with child in her advanced age. Both of these women will be facing lives of great joy as well as much sorrow; they are “just” women in a patriarchal society but through them salvation comes into the world. If God does such amazing things through the weak and lowly, imagine what God can do through us! Right now all they can think of is being there for each other and caring for each other, as they carry babies that they sense are no ordinary babies. Elizabeth realizes that Mary is blessed with the privilege of carrying the Lord within her, when her own baby danced for joy in her womb at their encounter. Likewise, Mary knows that Elizabeth’s pregnancy must be for a greater reason than either of them know at this point. The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus’ identity to those who believe. God is constantly coming to us in our hearts, minds, actions and each other. Just as Mary played an important role in God’s plan of salvation, we, too, can bring Christ to birth again in our world if we cooperate with God’s grace.

In this season of Advent let us consider Mary’s role in God’s plan of salvation and see how we, too, can bring Christ to birth in our world. Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is the gift of the father to us. What is our gift to God?

Wishing you and yours a happy, love-filled, blessed Christmas and New Year!

By Sister Josita DiVita, F.D.C.

Scriptures of the day: Zephaniah 3:14-18
Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3: 10-18

This Sunday’s readings are filled with expressions of joy and jubilation. The prophet Zephaniah tells us to “shout for joy” because God is in our midst and will rejoice over us with gladness. Picture God breaking into song when he looks at us!! What a great expression of God’s love for us, of how much God delights in us. But this reading also expresses the warmth and fervor of God’s love for his people. The Advent message is “Love comes to us” which is expressed here in 2 extremes..God’s exuberance and God’s silent love.

In the second reading, Paul invites the Christians of Philippi to be happy in the Lord. “Rejoice always, I say it again rejoice. The Lord is near”. I am always happy when I know someone or something I love is near… a friend, a birthday, a celebration of any kind, a vacation, Christmas! I smile when I know something good is near. We can experience the nearness of Christ when we see him in other people… The lonely, the grieving , the hungry, those needing a loving hug in these difficult days.

This can be challenging as we try to accept and welcome that love and share it with those who are begging to be loved. Those looking for a glimmer of joy and hope in their lives.

We hear the same message from Pope Francis in his papal document “The Joy of the Gospel” when he says ” the joy of the Gospel fills the heart and lives of all who encounter Jesus. “With Jesus Christ, joy is constantly born anew”.

The gospel of Luke speaks of the expected coming of Jesus. Just as John the Baptist stepped aside and led people to Jesus, so we are asked to be God’s instruments leading others to know and experience Jesus and bringing the good news of Jesus to others. When the crowds asked John the Baptist to tell them what to do, he replied “whoever has 2 cloaks should share with the person who has none”. Perhaps during this season of giving we might consider sharing what we have with those in need . Take some time this Advent to think about and decide what you can do to make someone’s Christmas a little happier.

Rejoice. This is the day when families and friends come together to share the joy of the season by singing carols and exchanging gifts. We have been waiting anxiously, maybe even frantically, to get ready to make everything just perfect for our guests. We all know that waiting and preparing in anticipation of the celebration enhances the joy and excitement of the special day. It is so much a part of what makes the actual day very special. But sometimes we get so caught up in the busyness of the season that we forget the “reason for the season”. Just as we happily struggle to make our homes suitable and comfortable to welcome our guests, we need to remember to rejoice as we wait and prepare for God who delights in us so much that he wants to break into our lives. Rejoice, the Lord is near!

By Sister Josita DiVita, F.D.C.