John 11:1-45, Fifth Sunday of Lent One day, God told his angels to gather tears on earth. After a week, they returned bringing millions of tears in containers. But much to their surprise, the tears turned into gold and stones. Gabriel asked God, “Why some of the tears turned into gold and some into stones?”…
Category: Season: Lent
Hitting Rock Bottom – Johnny Go, SJ
John 11:1-45, Fifth Sunday of Lent I was having brunch with a couple of good friends yesterday, and our conversation strayed into this matter of “hitting rock bottoms.” There are moments in our lives when, for different reasons, we find ourselves in the pits. Life feels like it’s in ruins; things have somehow fallen apart….
It’s Going to be OK – Mark Lopez, SJ
John 11:1-45, Fifth Sunday of Lent Let me start with a confession – about my own experiences of coming to confession before I became a priest. As a teenager, I used to be terrified of coming to confession, and really embarrassed to tell all my sins. Naturally, I don’t think any of us are comfortable…
Do We Get It? – Rudolf Horst, SVD
John 11:1-45, Fifth Sunday of Lent This semester I teach the 3rd year theology students the Gospel according to John. Last week we reached chapter 11, the raising of Lazarus, and had a long discussion. So many questions popped up and puzzled the students. For example: Why did Jesus not go to see Lazarus when…
Sigh – Jett Villarin, SJ
John 11:1-45, Fifth Sunday of Lent Or in Greek, embrimasthai. It is a word that is variously translated as a groaning, a thundering within, a trembling inside. It is what Jesus lets out when he sees his dear friends Martha and Mary weeping, when he asks where his beloved Lazarus lies. “Jesus said in great…
God’s Freebies – Arnel Aquino, SJ
John 9:1-41, Fourth Sunday of Lent Fr Joe Roche was our professor in the theology of Grace, oh some 500 years ago. Most of you are familiar with the teaching method back then. Straight lecture, exposition of concepts and terms, arguments, counter-arguments. Very informative, if anything, but pretty much cut and dried. But there was…
Where is your Siloam – Johnny Go, SJ
John 9:1-41, Fourth Sunday of Lent This healing miracle, unlike others, did not happen instantaneously. While the other healing of our Lord was achieved with almost just one word or a single touch, this one involved several steps–including the use of the bizarre mixture of saliva and spittle. But what struck me the most about…
Blinded – Rudolf Horst, SVD
John 9:1-41, Fourth Sunday of Lent For the Fourth Sunday of Lent, we recall Jesus’ healing of a blind man that brought many more things to light than just one man’s eyesight. It teaches us how blind we can be to what’s going on. The Lord wants to cure us of the worst blindness: a…
Is Your Belief Based only on Blessing? – Francis Alvarez, SJ
John 9:1-41, Fourth Sunday of Lent When Jesus heard that [the Jews] had thrown [the man who had been blind] out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (John 9:35) If I were Jesus, I would have asked that question earlier in the story – just after the man…
Spending Time with the Lord this Lent
If you’re looking for a retreat or recollection this coming Holy Week, here are some options for you: For the non-traditionalists or those who don’t want to venture out of the house, you may want to try this online version: Whichever one you choose, just make sure you spend some time with the Lord!
Evangelize – Rudolf Horst, SVD
John 4:5-42, Third Sunday of Lent We are so used to hearing this beautiful story that we don’t realize how shocking it actually is. So, let us use our imaginations to picture this scene. Jesus was tired after his journey. He sat down by the well, thirsty, hungry, worn out. The Well, Jacob’s Well, still…
Thirsting – Rogel Abais, SJ
John 4:5-42, Third Sunday of Lent Our readings for today give us interesting perspectives and insights into thirsting and quenching one’s thirst. In the first reading, we encounter the Israelites who are wandering in the desert where there is no water and everyone is complaining to Moses about their thirst. In many of the translations,…
One Lost Sheep 