Poem: “Despised and Rejected” by Christina Rossetti

 My sun has set, I dwell

In darkness as a dead man out of sight;

And none remains, not one, that I should tell

To him mine evil plight

This bitter night.

I will make fast my door 

That hollow friends may trouble me no more.

 

“Friend, open to Me.” – Who is this that calls?

Nay, I am deaf as are my walls:

Cease crying, for I will not hear

Thy cry of hope or fear.

Others were dear,

Others forsook me: what art thou indeed

That I should heed

Thy lamentable need?

Hungry should feed,

Or stranger lodge thee here?

“Friend, my feet bleed.

Open thy door to Me and comfort Me.”

I will not open, trouble me no more.

Go on thy way footsore,

I will not rise and open unto thee.

 

“Then it is nothing to thee? Open, see

Who stands to plead with thee,

Open, lest I should pass thee by, and thou

One day entreat My face

And howl for grace,

And I be deaf as thou art now.

Open to me.”

 

Then I cried out upon him: Cease,

Leave me in peace:

Fear not that I should crave

Aught thou mayest have.

Leave me in peace, yea trouble me no more,

Lest I arise and chase thee from my door.

What, shall I not let

Alone, that thou dost vex me yet?

 

But all night long that voice spake urgently”

“Open to me.” 

Still harping in mine ears:

“Rise, let Me in.”

Pleading with tears:

Open to me that I may come to thee.”

While the dew dropped, while the hours were cold:

“My feet bleed, see My face,

See my hands bleed that bring thee grace,

My heart doth bleed for thee,

Open to me.”

 

So till the break of day:

Then died away 

That voice, in silence as of sorrow;

Then footsteps echoing like a sigh

Passed me by,

Lingering footsteps slow to pass.

On the morrow

I saw upon the grass

Each footprint marked in blood, and on my door

The mark of blood for evermore.

Photo: Spring Flowers

 

Poem: Mary Oliver, "Nothing Is Too Small Not to Be Wondered About"

The cricket doesn't wonder
if there's a heaven
or, if there is, if there's room for him.

It's fall. Romance is over. Still, he sings.
If he can, he enters a house
through the tiniest crack under the door.
Then the house grows colder.

He sings slower and slower.
Then, nothing.

This must mean something, I don't know what.
But certainly it doesn't mean
he hasn't been an excellent cricket
all his life.

A Decision Day: Palm Sunday 2025

A Decision Day:

Palm Sunday 2025 

April 13, 2025

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Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:14-23:56

 

A fast-moving whirl of events are set in motion during today’s Scripture. The First Gospel sets up the ultimate clash between Jesus and the religious authorities. After preaching, healing, and creating a new community based on the law of God, Jesus sets his eyes on the prize – Jerusalem, the heavenly city of peace. During his ministry, the religious authorities sent Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees to question and test Jesus to find the origins of his wisdom and power. Jesus taught a new way directed by God, and now he faced the Temple to force Israel to decide its fate: Would it accept God’s values and teachings as Jesus showed by example, or would it hold fast to long-standing custom and doctrine? This is the clash set up by Jesus as he enters the Temple. The crowds who travelled with him triumphantly waved palms in celebration, but perhaps not fully recognizing the prophetic action he was to undertake. Jesus was calling all Israel to make a fundamental choice – to choose God’s amended ways or to reject all that Jesus did.

 

We heard Luke’s version of the Last Supper, Betrayal and Passion, and ultimately the death of Jesus. The readings are told as if we do not know the end of the story. We are to fully grasp that Jesus died, and we are intended to grieve with the church. Jesus experiences the brutality and violence that the human heart, religious ideology, and power can do to a good person. When violence and power become friends, the human heart can become vicious and act without reasonableness. Even Pontius Pilate was perplexed at the voracity of hate. Pilate did not find Jesus guilty, but Jesus did not meet violence with more violence or revenge. He stayed faithful to the commandments and principles of God’s rule. Not only that, he realized what the human heart could do, and in the face of it, he continued to teach us that forgiveness is more powerful than hatred and violence.

 

Jesus stood upon what Scripture taught. Isaiah informed him “the Lord is his help

and will stand by him, even in times of shame, and Psalm 22 provides the cry of Jesus, “Why have you forsaken me?” All Israel, the elders, the chief priests, the scribes, and the people, stood against him. His disciples scatter as well. Jesus goes to his death without God answering him or comforting him. He hands over his spirit to God in trust that God hears him. God does not respond. Jesus trusts that God is still there for him. Jesus and his friends celebrated at the Passover Meal, the feast of God’s great abiding presence to the Israelites. Surely, God continues to abide by Jesus, but he dies without hearing those comforting words. Because Jesus remained obedient to God, even to death, he was able to connect us better to God. He showed us the way of non-violence and hatred. He showed us fidelity to God above all other forces in the world was the way to salvation. This is our decision day too. Are we going to reject or choose the way of Christ against the forces of the world? We have already chosen, and we must choose it anew each day. Now we have the great task of building a community of non-violence, empathy, and compassion. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday of Holy Week: We hear from Isaiah 42 in the First Oracle of the Servant of the Lord in which God’s servant will suffer silently but will bring justice to the world. In the Gospel, Lazarus’ sister, Mary, anoints Jesus’ feet with costly oil in preparation for his funeral.

Tuesday of Holy Week: In the Second Oracle of the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 49), he cries out that I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth. In deep hurt, distress and grief, Jesus tells his closest friends at supper that one of them will betray him and another will deny him three times before the cock crows.

(Spy) Wednesday of Holy Week: In the Third Oracle of the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 50), the suffering servant does not turn away from the ridicule and torture of his persecutors and tormentors. The time has come. Matthew’s account shows Judas eating during the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread with Jesus and their good friends after he had already arranged to hand him over to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver. The Son of Man will be handed over by Judas, one of the Twelve, who sets the terms of Jesus’ arrest.

Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday: Only an evening Mass can be said today and we let our bells ring freely during the Gloria that has been absent all Lent. In Exodus, we hear the laws and customs about eating the Passover meal prior to God’s deliverance of the people through Moses from the Egyptians. Paul tells us of the custom by early Christians that as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. In John’s Gospel, Jesus loves us to the end giving us a mandate to wash one another’s feet.

Good Friday: No Mass is celebrated today though there may be a service of veneration of the cross and a Stations of the Cross service. In Isaiah, we hear the Fourth Oracle of the Servant of the Lord who was wounded for our sins. In Hebrews, we are told that Jesus learned obedience through his faith and thus became the source of salvation for all. The Passion of our Lord is proclaimed from John’s Gospel.

Holy Saturday and the Easter Vigil: No Mass, baptisms, or confirmations can be celebrated before the Vigil to honor the Lord who has been buried in the tomb. The Old Testament readings point to God’s vision of the world and the deliverance of the people from sin and death. All of Scripture points to the coming of the Righteous One who will bring about salvation for all. The Old Testament is relished during the Vigil of the Word as God’s story of salvation is told to us again. The New Testament epistle from Romans tells us that Christ, who was raised from the dead, dies no more. Matthew's Gospel finds Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at dawn arriving at the tomb only to find it empty. After a great earthquake that made the guards tremble, and angel appears telling the women, "Do not be afraid." The angel instructs them to go to the Twelve to tell them, "Jesus has been raised from the dead, and is going before you to Galilee." 

 

Saints of the Week

 

April 13: Martin I, pope, (6^th century – 655), an Umbrian was elected pope during the Byzantine papacy. One of his earliest acts was to convene the Lateran Council that dealt with the heretical Monothelitism.  Martin was abducted by Emperor Constans II and died in the Crimean peninsula. 

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• April 13, 1541. Ignatius was elected general in a second election, after having declined the results of the first election several days earlier. 
• April 14, 1618. The father of John Berchmans is ordained a priest. John himself was still a Novice. 
• April 15, 1610. The death of Fr. Robert Parsons, the most active and indefatigable of all the leaders of the English Catholics during the reign of Elizabeth I. 
• April 16, 1767. Pope Clement XIII wrote to Charles III of Spain imploring him to cancel the decree of expulsion of the Society from Spain, issued on Aprilil 2nd. The Pope's letter nobly defends the innocence of the Society. 
• April 17, 1540. The arrival in Lisbon of St Francis Xavier and Fr. Simon Rodriguez. Both were destined for India, but the King retained the latter in Portugal. 
• April 18, 1906. At Rome, the death of Rev Fr. Luis Martin, twenty-fourth General of the Society. Pope Pius X spoke of him as a saint, a martyr, a man of extraordinary ability and prudence. 

April 19, 1602. At Tyburn, Ven. James Ducket, a layman, suffered death for publishing a work written by Robert Southwell. 

Un día de decisión: Domingo de Ramos 2025

                                                           Un día de decisión:

Domingo de Ramos 2025

13 de abril de 2025

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Isaías 50:4-7; Salmo 22; Filipenses 2:6-11; Lucas 22:14-23:56

 

Un torbellino de acontecimientos se desencadena durante la Escritura de hoy. El Primer Evangelio plantea el enfrentamiento definitivo entre Jesús y las autoridades religiosas. Tras predicar, sanar y crear una nueva comunidad basada en la ley de Dios, Jesús pone la mira en el premio: Jerusalén, la ciudad celestial de paz. Durante su ministerio, las autoridades religiosas enviaron escribas, fariseos y saduceos para interrogar y poner a prueba a Jesús y descubrir el origen de su sabiduría y poder. Jesús enseñó un nuevo camino dirigido por Dios, y ahora se enfrentaba al Templo para obligar a Israel a decidir su destino: ¿Aceptaría los valores y las enseñanzas de Dios, como Jesús mostró con su ejemplo, o se aferraría a las costumbres y doctrinas arraigadas? Este es el enfrentamiento que Jesús desencadenó al entrar en el Templo. La multitud que lo acompañaba ondeaba palmas triunfalmente en celebración, pero quizá sin reconocer plenamente la acción profética que iba a emprender. Jesús llamaba a todo Israel a tomar una decisión fundamental: elegir los caminos enmendados de Dios o rechazar todo lo que Jesús hizo.

 

Escuchamos la versión de Lucas de la Última Cena, la Traición y la Pasión, y finalmente la muerte de Jesús. Las lecturas se narran como si desconociéramos el final de la historia. Debemos comprender plenamente que Jesús murió y debemos acompañar a la iglesia en su duelo. Jesús experimenta la brutalidad y la violencia que el corazón humano, la ideología religiosa y el poder pueden infligir a una buena persona. Cuando la violencia y el poder se alían, el corazón humano puede volverse cruel y actuar sin razonar. Incluso Poncio Pilato se sintió perplejo ante la voracidad del odio. Pilato no declaró culpable a Jesús, pero Jesús no respondió a la violencia con más violencia ni venganza. Se mantuvo fiel a los mandamientos y principios del gobierno de Dios. No solo eso, sino que comprendió lo que el corazón humano podía hacer y, ante ello, continuó enseñándonos que el perdón es más poderoso que el odio y la violencia.

 

Jesús se mantuvo firme en lo que enseñaban las Escrituras. Isaías le informó: «El Señor es su ayuda».

y estará a su lado, incluso en tiempos de vergüenza, y el Salmo 22 ofrece el grito de Jesús: "¿Por qué me has abandonado?" Todo Israel, los ancianos, los principales sacerdotes, los escribas y el pueblo, se levantaron contra él. Sus discípulos también se dispersan. Jesús va a su muerte sin que Dios le responda ni lo consuele. Entrega su espíritu a Dios confiando en que Dios lo escucha. Dios no responde. Jesús confía en que Dios todavía está allí para él. Jesús y sus amigos celebraron la Cena de Pascua, la fiesta de la gran presencia permanente de Dios para los israelitas. Seguramente, Dios continúa morando junto a Jesús, pero muere sin escuchar esas palabras de consuelo. Porque Jesús permaneció obediente a Dios, incluso hasta la muerte, pudo conectarnos mejor con Dios. Nos mostró el camino de la no violencia y el odio. Nos mostró que la fidelidad a Dios por encima de todas las demás fuerzas en el mundo era el camino a la salvación. Este es también nuestro día de decisión. ¿Rechazaremos o elegiremos el camino de Cristo contra las fuerzas del mundo? Ya lo hemos elegido, y debemos elegirlo de nuevo cada día. Ahora tenemos la gran tarea de construir una comunidad de no violencia, empatía y compasión.

 

Escritura para la misa diaria

Lunes de Semana Santa : Escuchamos de Isaías 42 en el Primer Oráculo del Siervo del Señor en el que el siervo de Dios sufrirá en silencio pero traerá justicia al mundo. En el Evangelio, la hermana de Lázaro, María, unge los pies de Jesús con aceite costoso en preparación para su funeral. 

Martes de Semana Santa : En el Segundo Oráculo del Siervo del Señor (Isaías 49), clama que te haré luz de las naciones, para que mi salvación llegue a los confines de la tierra. Con profundo dolor, angustia y pena, Jesús les dice a sus amigos más cercanos en la cena que uno de ellos lo traicionará y otro lo negará tres veces antes de que cante el gallo. 

(Espía) Miércoles de Semana Santa : En el Tercer Oráculo del Siervo del Señor (Isaías 50), el siervo sufriente no se aparta del ridículo y la tortura de sus perseguidores y torturadores. Ha llegado el momento. El relato de Mateo muestra a Judas comiendo durante el primer día de la Fiesta de los Panes sin Levadura con Jesús y sus buenos amigos, después de haber acordado entregarlo a los principales sacerdotes por treinta monedas de plata. El Hijo del Hombre será entregado por Judas, uno de los Doce, quien fija las condiciones del arresto de Jesús.

Misa de la Cena del Señor el Jueves Santo : Hoy solo se puede celebrar una misa vespertina y dejamos que nuestras campanas repican libremente durante el Gloria, que ha estado ausente durante toda la Cuaresma. En el Éxodo, escuchamos las leyes y costumbres sobre la cena de Pascua antes de que Dios liberara al pueblo de los egipcios a través de Moisés. Pablo nos habla de la costumbre de los primeros cristianos de que, cada vez que comemos este pan y bebemos esta copa, proclamamos la muerte del Señor hasta que venga. En el Evangelio de Juan, Jesús nos ama hasta el extremo, dándonos el mandato de lavarnos los pies unos a otros. 

Viernes Santo : Hoy no se celebra Misa, aunque puede haber un servicio de veneración de la cruz y un Vía Crucis. En Isaías, escuchamos el Cuarto Oráculo del Siervo del Señor, que fue herido por nuestros pecados. En Hebreos, se nos dice que Jesús aprendió la obediencia a través de su fe y, por lo tanto, se convirtió en la fuente de salvación para todos. La Pasión de nuestro Señor se proclama en el Evangelio de Juan. 

Sábado Santo y Vigilia Pascual : No se pueden celebrar misas, bautismos ni confirmaciones antes de la Vigilia para honrar al Señor, quien fue sepultado en el sepulcro. Las lecturas del Antiguo Testamento señalan la visión de Dios sobre el mundo y la liberación del pueblo del pecado y la muerte. Toda la Escritura señala la venida del Justo que traerá la salvación a todos. El Antiguo Testamento se disfruta durante la Vigilia de la Palabra, ya que se nos relata la historia de la salvación de Dios. La epístola a los Romanos del Nuevo Testamento nos dice que Cristo, quien resucitó de entre los muertos, ya no muere. El Evangelio de Mateo muestra a María Magdalena y a la otra María llegando al sepulcro al amanecer, solo para encontrarlo vacío. Tras un gran terremoto que hizo temblar a los guardias, aparece un ángel que les dice a las mujeres: «No tengan miedo». El ángel les ordena que vayan a los Doce para decirles: «Jesús ha resucitado de entre los muertos y va delante de ustedes a Galilea».

 

Santos de la Semana

 

13 de abril: Martín I, papa (siglo VI ^- 655), umbro, fue elegido papa durante el papado bizantino. Uno de sus primeros actos fue convocar el Concilio de Letrán, que abordó el monotelismo herético. Martín fue raptado por el emperador Constante II y murió en la península de Crimea .

Esta semana en la historia jesuita

 

• 13 de abril de 1541. Ignacio fue elegido general en una segunda elección, después de haber rechazado los resultados de la primera elección varios días antes.
• 14 de abril de 1618. El padre de John Berchmans es ordenado sacerdote. John mismo era aún novicio.
• 15 de abril de 1610. Muere el padre Robert Parsons, el más activo e infatigable de todos los líderes de los católicos ingleses durante el reinado de Isabel I.
• 16 de abril de 1767. El Papa Clemente XIII escribió a Carlos III de España implorándole que anulara el decreto de expulsión de la Compañía de España, emitido el 2 de abril . La carta del Papa defiende noblemente la inocencia de la Compañía.
• 17 de abril de 1540. Llegada a Lisboa de San Francisco Javier y el Padre Simón Rodríguez. Ambos se dirigían a la India, pero el Rey retuvo a este último en Portugal.
• 18 de abril de 1906. Falleció en Roma el Rev. P. Luis Martín, vigésimo cuarto General de la Compañía. El Papa Pío X lo describió como un santo, un mártir, un hombre de extraordinaria capacidad y prudencia.

19 de abril de 1602. En Tyburn , el venerable James Ducket, un laico, sufrió la muerte por publicar una obra escrita por Robert Southwell.

Photo: Rows of Azaleas

 

Prayer: Isidore of Seville

Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin. All hope consists in confession. In confession, there is a chance for mercy. Believe it firmly. Do not doubt, do not hesitate, never despair of the mercy of God. Hope and have confidence in confession.

Photo: Window Boots

 

Spirituality: Gerhard Lohfink, For the One who does not Want the Truth

Suppose there is a person who does not want the truth, but lies, and lives a lie to the depth of his or her existence, someone who says I am enough for myself. I am my own meaning. I desire only myself, myself alone. If there are such people with the fundamental choice of their existence to seek only themselves and reject God and everything else, God must leave them to themselves, to their own closed mess within the soul. God cannot overpower them. God certainly cannot assault them. Such a person would then have really nothing but his or her own self, and that, precisely, would be hell.

Is This All There Is? page 170

Photo: A Window

 

Prayer: Anselm

God of love whose compassion never fails, we bring you the griefs and perils of people and nations, the pains of the sick and injured, the sighing of prisoners and captives, the sorrows of the bereaved, the necessities of the homeless, the helplessness of the weak, the despair of the weary, the failing powers of the aged. Comfort and relieve them according to their needs and with your great mercy.

Poem: “Spring Pools” by Robert Frost

These pools that, though in forests, still reflect

The total sky almost without defect,

And like the flowers beside them, chill and shiver,

Will like the flowers beside them soon be gone,

And yet not out by any brook or river,

But up by roots to bring dark foliage on.

 

 

The trees that have it in their pent-up buds

To darken nature and be summer woods—

Let them think twice before they use their powers

To blot out and drink up and sweep away

These flowery waters and these watery flowers

From snow that melted only yesterday.

Photo: Good morning

 

Poem: “The Prodigal Girl” by Unknown

Great poets have sung of the beauties of home, 

its comfort, its love and its joys; 

how back to the place of its sheltering dome 

I welcome the prodigal boy. 

They picture his father with pardoning smile 

and glittering robes to unfurl; 

but none of the poets thought it worthwhile 

to sing of the prodigal girl. 

The prodigal son can resume his old place 

as leader of fashion’s mad whirl, 

with never a hint of his former disgrace

– not so for the prodigal girl! 

The girl may come back to the home she had left, 

but nothing is ever the same: 

the shadow still lingers o’er the dear ones bereft, 

society scoffs at her name. 

Perhaps that is why when the prodigal girl 

gets lost on life’s devious track, 

she thinks of the lips that will scornfully curl, 

and hasn’t the heart to come back. 

Yes, welcome the prodigal son to his place, 

kill the calf, fill the free-flowing bowl; 

but shut not the door on his frail sister’s face; 

remember, she too has a soul.

Photo: The Water Guardians

 

Spirituality: Gerhard Lohfink, God does not stop reaching out to you

On the basis of the New Testament, one thing is certain: if someone is unwilling, God does not leave it there. It is with God, as with the shepherd who goes after a wandering sheep. God seeks reconciliation with the unwilling, as did a person who went to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice.

Hell is not something God impose on people. Hell can only be something that God does not want, in any case and under any circumstances. Then hell would be something a human being chooses for oneself.

If one fundamental option is directed immediately towards God, everything is simple and clear. The human person, and death, stands finally before the one whose face she, or he has always desired to see.

These people make a fundamental decision, perhaps for goodness, truth, justice, humanity. They have shot the truth in various ways, and they now stand before the absolute truth, who has a face. They have desired the good, and now in death, they behold what they have longed for as goodness and the one God, the absolute good. They have battled for a just society, and now they understand that in doing so they have reached out exactly for what is the will of God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They have worked for Peace, and now they stand before the God of Jesus Christ, who desires nothing other than a people who bring peace and reconciliation to the world.

Is This All There Is? page 169

Self-conviction is wisdom: The Fifth Sunday of Lent 2025

                                              Self-conviction is wisdom:

The Fifth Sunday of Lent 2025 

April 6, 2025

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Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11

 

This Gospel passage is beloved because of the forgiving wisdom of Jesus, who gently calls out hypocrisy in those who hold condemning judgments. What is remarkable is that those very willing to condemn others convict themselves when they are given a chance to reflect upon their own principles. Pope Francis identified with this passage when people were looking for him to authoritative make a pronouncement on a moral issue and he replied, “Who am I to judge?” It is a great question. We must ponder why we are so certain that our thoughts and opinions are right. Wisdom teaches us that we do not own the truth, and as we acquire more wisdom, we are less certain we become. Wisdom brings about tolerance, understanding, compassion and empathy. 

 

We must examine the unfortunate situation of this woman. Jesus gazes upon her and sees her. He sees beyond what others see. This sacred gaze takes the distorted image that society has of her and restores her to her true identity. She can become who she was intended to be. For us, to see ourselves clearly, we must look away from ourselves and take off our masks. We must let Jesus gaze upon us and behold our goodness. Otherwise, we only see our false selves. 

 

Before encountering Jesus, this woman was known for her sin. Now, as you look at your own sin, God does not hate you for it. God does not even focus upon your sin, so it is best that you let it go. The sin that someone else committed against you? God does not despise you for it. God does not focus upon your guilt and shame. Jesus calls you into a relationship and your job is to cultivate it. He wants to be in the relationship with you more than you can imagine. If you could see how God sees you, you would do everything to grow into that image. There’s still so much more to learn about God, and as you do so, your image of God will expand. That is what happens in this Gospel passage. Those who were in process of judging had to expand their notion of God. 

 

Our false selves are born when we fail to move out of the stage in which an infant believes he or she is at the center of the universe. A person can develop illusions of autonomy, self-sufficiency, or centrality, and we must recognize that illusions are simply not the truth. The self is wounded by society through many ways. Childhood formation is designed to help us live in friendship with others, and in our faith, our false self must die. This is what happens when Jesus calls us into friendship. We grow into the person we are intended to be. 

 

We judge and convict from our false selves, and that may serve as an indicator that we must pause to get more information. Self-conviction is a sign of wisdom. It may tell us that we have gone too far or acted too harshly, and all we have control over is how we choose and act. Jesus did not only gaze upon that woman; he gazed upon those who cast judgment, and they walked away because they knew they needed to grow in wisdom. We are all in a process of growing. Let’s help each other by being a little more tolerant and a little less certain. In fact, why don’t we learn to walk with each other and support one another in our journey of faith? That is a more sacred walk. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday: (Daniel 13) Daniel’s sharp advocacy skills spare the life of Susannah who has been unjustly accused of immoral sexual relationships.

 

Tuesday: (Numbers 21) As the wandering Israelites passed through the desert near the Red Sea, many are bitten by seraph serpents, but Moses erected a bronze serpent that he lifted up for those bitten to gaze upon the image and be cured. 

 

Wednesday: (Isaiah 7) Annunciation: Ahaz is tempted by the Lord to ask for a sign but he will not. The Lord gives it anyways: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son named Emmanuel.

 

Thursday: (Genesis 17) The Lord said to Abraham: You are to become the father of a host of nations. You will become fertile; kings will stem from you.   

 

Friday: (Jeremiah 20) Terror on every side. Let us denounce him. The Lord is with me like a mighty champion.

 

Saturday: (Ezekiel 37) My dwelling shall be with my people. I will be their God and they shall be my people.   

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (John 8) A woman caught in adultery is brought to Jesus for a verdict, but he does not answer as he calls upon those who are without sin to cast the first stone. 

 

Tuesday: (John 8) Jesus tells the Pharisees that they will lift up the Son of Man and will then realized that I AM. 

 

Wednesday: (Luke 1) Gabriel was sent to Mary of Nazareth to inform her that she has been chosen by the Lord to bear a son who will be called holy, the Son of God.

 

Thursday: (John 8) Whoever keeps my words will never see death. Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.

 

Friday: (John 10) The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus, but he wanted to know for which of the works he was condemned. He went back across the Jordan and remained there.

 

Saturday: (John 11) Many came to believe in Jesus. Caiaphas asked, “do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people?”

 

Saints of the Week

 

No Saints are celebrated this week.

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• April 6, 1850. The first edition of La Civilta Cattolica appeared. It was the first journal of the restored Society. 
• April 7, 1541. Ignatius was unanimously elected general, but he declined to accept the results. 
• April 8, 1762. The French Parliament issued a decree of expulsion of the Jesuits from all their colleges and houses. 
• April 9, 1615. The death of William Weston, minister to persecuted Catholics in England and later an author who wrote about his interior life during that period. 
• April 10, 1585. At Rome, the death of Pope Gregory XIII, founder of the Gregorian University and the German College, whose memory will ever be cherished as that of one of the Society's greatest benefactors. 
• April 11, 1573. Pope Gregory XIII suggested to the Fathers who were assembling for the Third General Congregation that it might be well for them to choose a General of some nationality other than Spanish. Later he expressed his satisfaction that they had elected Everard Mercurian, a Belgian. 
• April 12, 1671. Pope Clement X canonized Francis Borgia, the 3rd general of the Society.

La autoconvicción es sabiduría: Quinto Domingo de Cuaresma de 2025

                                              La autoconvicción es sabiduría:

Quinto Domingo de Cuaresma de 2025

6 de abril de 2025

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Isaías 43:16-21; Salmo 126; Filipenses 3:8-14; Juan 8:1-11

 

Este pasaje del Evangelio es apreciado por la sabiduría indulgente de Jesús, quien con dulzura denuncia la hipocresía de quienes emiten juicios condenatorios. Lo notable es que quienes están muy dispuestos a condenar a otros se condenan a sí mismos cuando se les da la oportunidad de reflexionar sobre sus propios principios. El Papa Francisco se identificó con este pasaje cuando la gente esperaba que se pronunciara con autoridad sobre un tema moral, y él respondió: "¿Quién soy yo para juzgar?". Es una gran pregunta. Debemos reflexionar sobre por qué estamos tan seguros de que nuestros pensamientos y opiniones son correctos. La sabiduría nos enseña que no somos dueños de la verdad, y a medida que adquirimos más sabiduría, nos volvemos menos seguros. La sabiduría genera tolerancia, comprensión, compasión y empatía.

 

Debemos examinar la lamentable situación de esta mujer. Jesús la contempla y la ve. Él ve más allá de lo que otros ven. Esta mirada sagrada transforma la imagen distorsionada que la sociedad tiene de ella y la restaura a su verdadera identidad . Ella puede convertirse en quien estaba destinada a ser. Para que podamos vernos con claridad, debemos apartar la mirada de nosotros mismos y quitarnos las máscaras. Debemos dejar que Jesús nos mire y contemple nuestra bondad. De lo contrario, solo vemos nuestro falso yo.

 

Antes de conocer a Jesús, esta mujer era conocida por su pecado. Ahora, al analizar tu propio pecado, Dios no te tiene en cuenta. Dios ni siquiera se fija en tu pecado, así que es mejor que lo dejes ir. ¿El pecado que alguien más cometió contra ti? Dios no te desprecia por ello. Dios no se fija en tu culpa ni en tu vergüenza. Jesús te llama a una relación y tu tarea es cultivarla. Él desea estar en esa relación contigo más de lo que imaginas. Si pudieras ver como Dios te ve, harías todo lo posible por crecer a esa imagen. Aún hay mucho más que aprender sobre Dios, y al hacerlo, tu imagen de Dios se ampliará. Eso es lo que sucede en este pasaje del Evangelio. Quienes estaban en proceso de juicio tuvieron que ampliar su noción de Dios.

 

Nuestro falso yo nace cuando no logramos superar la etapa en la que un bebé se cree el centro del universo. Una persona puede desarrollar ilusiones de autonomía, autosuficiencia o centralidad, y debemos reconocer que esas ilusiones simplemente no son la verdad. La sociedad hiere al yo de muchas maneras. La formación infantil está diseñada para ayudarnos a vivir en amistad con los demás, y en nuestra fe, nuestro falso yo debe morir. Esto es lo que sucede cuando Jesús nos llama a la amistad. Crecemos como la persona que estamos destinados a ser.

 

Juzgamos y condenamos desde nuestro falso yo , y eso puede servir como indicador de que debemos detenernos y obtener más información. La autoconvicción es señal de sabiduría. Puede indicarnos que hemos ido demasiado lejos o actuado con demasiada dureza, y que solo podemos controlar cómo elegimos y actuamos. Jesús no solo contempló a esa mujer; contempló a quienes emitieron juicios, y ellos se alejaron porque sabían que necesitaban crecer en sabiduría. Todos estamos en un proceso de crecimiento. Ayudémonos unos a otros siendo un poco más tolerantes y un poco menos seguros. De hecho, ¿por qué no aprendemos a caminar juntos y a apoyarnos mutuamente en nuestro camino de fe? Ese es un camino más sagrado.

 

Escritura para la misa diaria

Lunes: (Daniel 13) Las agudas habilidades de defensa de Daniel salvan la vida de Susana, quien ha sido acusada injustamente de relaciones sexuales inmorales.

 

Martes: (Números 21) Mientras los israelitas errantes pasaban por el desierto cerca del Mar Rojo, muchos fueron mordidos por serpientes serafines, pero Moisés erigió una serpiente de bronce que levantó para que los mordidos contemplaran la imagen y fueran curados.

 

Miércoles: (Isaías 7) Anunciación: Acaz es tentado por el Señor para pedirle una señal, pero no la concede. El Señor se la concede de todos modos: la virgen concebirá y dará a luz un hijo llamado Emmanuel.

 

Jueves: (Génesis 17) El Señor le dijo a Abraham: «Serás padre de muchísimas naciones. Serás fértil; de ti surgirán reyes».

 

Viernes: (Jeremías 20) Terror por doquier. Denunciémoslo. El Señor está conmigo como un campeón poderoso.

 

Sábado: (Ezequiel 37) Mi morada estará con mi pueblo. Yo seré su Dios y ellos serán mi pueblo.

 

Evangelio:

Lunes: (Juan 8) Una mujer sorprendida en adulterio es llevada ante Jesús para un veredicto, pero él no responde mientras llama a los que están sin pecado a tirar la primera piedra.

 

Martes: (Juan 8) Jesús les dice a los fariseos que levantarán al Hijo del Hombre y entonces se darán cuenta de que YO SOY.

 

Miércoles: (Lucas 1) Gabriel fue enviado a María de Nazaret para informarle que ella ha sido elegida por el Señor para dar a luz un hijo que será llamado santo, el Hijo de Dios.

 

Jueves: (Juan 8) El que guarda mi palabra no morirá jamás. Abraham se regocijó al ver mi día; lo vio y se alegró.

 

Viernes: (Juan 10) Los judíos tomaron piedras para apedrear a Jesús, pero él quería saber por cuál de las obras lo condenaban. Regresó al otro lado del Jordán y se quedó allí.

 

Sábado: (Juan 11) Muchos creyeron en Jesús. Caifás preguntó: "¿Consideran que es mejor para ustedes que muera un hombre en lugar del pueblo?"

 

Santos de la semana

 

Esta semana no se celebra ningún santo.

Esta semana en la historia jesuita

 

• 6 de abril de 1850. Apareció la primera edición de La Civiltà Cattolica . Fue la primera revista de la Sociedad restaurada.
• 7 de abril de 1541. Ignacio fue elegido general por unanimidad, pero se negó a aceptar los resultados.
• 8 de abril de 1762. El Parlamento francés emitió un decreto de expulsión de los jesuitas de todos sus colegios y casas.
• 9 de abril de 1615. Muere William Weston, ministro de los católicos perseguidos en Inglaterra y más tarde autor que escribió sobre su vida interior durante ese período.
• 10 de abril de 1585. En Roma, muere el Papa Gregorio XIII, fundador de la Universidad Gregoriana y del Colegio Alemán, cuyo recuerdo será siempre recordado como el de uno de los mayores benefactores de la Compañía.
• 11 de abril de 1573. El Papa Gregorio XIII sugirió a los Padres reunidos para la Tercera Congregación General que sería conveniente elegir a un General de nacionalidad distinta a la española. Posteriormente, expresó su satisfacción por haber elegido a Everardo Mercurian, belga.
• 12 de abril de 1671. El Papa Clemente X canonizó a Francisco Borgia, tercer general de la Compañía.