A few weeks ago, during a homily, I suggested that we should take the opportunity of this Year of Faith to do what the Holy Father has proposed: That we learn about our Faith; that we live our Faith and that we share our Faith. Soon after, I thought, ‘why don’t we make this a challenge?’ And so began the Great Year of Faith Challenge (#faithchallenge). Every week starting this week I will be posting a new challenge, to help us learn about, live and share our faith. You can visit my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter to learn more and to check out the weekly challenges.
The first challenge has to do with finding a quote from a Saint and using it to pray with every day. And so I have spent the week with a keen awareness of what a Saint may have said – but with a new sensitivity. It is no longer, “that’s a nice quote,” but “these are truly words to live by.”
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Reflexión para el tercer domingo de tiempo ordinario, año C
Lecturas: Nehemías 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10; Salmo 18; Corintios 12:12-30 y Lucas 1:1-4, 14-21
Dicen que Sta. Teresa de Ávila estaba tan unida a Jesús, que podía conversar con Él, así como yo estoy conversando con Uds. Y dicen que en una ocasión, Jesús le pregunta a Sta. Teresa cual era su nombre: “¿Cual es tu nombre?” Y Sta. Teresa le contesta con su nombre de religiosa: “Teresa de Jesús.” Y entonces, como Sta. Teresa era bien hecha’a pa’ lante, ella le pregunta a Él: “¿y cual es tu nombre?” Jesús le contesta, “Yo soy Jesús de Teresa.”
No sé si el cuento sea verídico o no, pero recalca no solamente la unidad que Sta. Teresa tenía con Jesús, sino la unidad que Jesús quiere tener con nosotros. Jesús es Jesús de nosotros. Y esa unidad es santidad. Pero no es solo para los “santos.” Bueno, sí es para los santos, pero es para todos nosotros porque todos somos santos. Lo que pasa es que no nos comportamos como santos.
De eso creo que se tratan las tres lecturas de hoy: La santidad.
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As the week began with news of the 37 foreigners killed during the Algerian gas-plant hostage-taking, I began thinking about what else is happening around the world:
Toronto: Court watches video of the death of Ashley Smith. Ashley killed herself in her prison cell while guards looked on from the outside. They say they were told by supervisors not to intervene.
Manila: A Canadian kills two in a Philippine courtroom before being fatally shot by police.
Halifax: Woman acquitted after hiring a hit-man to kill her abusive husband.
Houston: Three students wounded in Lone Star College shooting.
Montreal: 12-year old boy to be charged after he shoots and kills his 16-year-old brother.
Winnipeg: Man admits stabbing and strangling his niece after she refused to have sex with him.
Bali: A British grandmother gets sentenced to death by firing squad for smuggling cocaine.
Dallas: Man shoots estranged wife then kills himself at their daughter’s 16th birthday.
Buenos Aires: A 9-year old boy is killed in a shooting dispute between neighbours.
Toronto: woman is stabbed multiple times and then set on fire in by the father of her children.
New Mexico: a 15-year old accused of murdering his family said he planned to keep killing at local Walmart.
And in Iran, thousands show up to watch a public hanging.
Meanwhile, groups in the US are fighting to keep their high-powered rifles because “the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.” And in Quebec some people think that killing the terminally ill is healthcare.
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Reflection for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord: Luke 3:15-16; 21-22
The readings for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord are Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7, or Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Acts 10:34-38, or Timothy 2:11-14; 3:4-7; and Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
Christmas is over; the shepherds have taken their sheep to other pastures; the wise men have packed their camels and gone back to their homes; our lights have come down and the trees have been taken to the curb… well, most trees. Our tree is still up because according to the Church liturgical calendar, the Christmas season ends today, with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. I’ve always found that a bit confusing because you’d think that the Christmas season is when we get to listen to all the stories about when Jesus was a child – but Jesus was baptised as an adult! Why is that part of the Christmas season? And the Presentation at the Temple, which happened when Jesus was very much a baby – 8 days old – does not happen for another three weeks, on February 2nd. Why is that not part of the Christmas season?
The reason is that the early Church didn’t celebrate Christmas. They celebrated The Feast of the Epiphany, which included 3 “manifestation” events. That’s what “epiphany” means: “manifestation.” It literally means “to pull back the curtain,” to reveal. And these three events are moments when God manifests himself or reveals something about himself.
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