Jesus Sends the Advocate

Jesus sends the Advocate
(Tuesday 6th Week of Easter)

Let us say one night, a power interruption suddenly occurs and your room is completely wrapped in darkness. Now you find yourself with nothing to do except play with your mobile phone. Unfortunately, you have forgotten where you placed it. So, you reached for the lamp inside your drawer and started looking for your phone. But let me ask you an obvious question, how do you use your flashlight to find something in darkness? Of course, your response would be, point it away from you but to the things in front in order to illumine the things before you and let you see what you are looking for. Interestingly, the light is directed not to ones face; otherwise, it will blind him or her and fail to see properly.

My dear friends, this is also how the Holy Spirit, the Advocate works (more or less) in our lives of faith as Jesus has demonstrated to his disciples in our Gospel today. In the words of Jesus, “when he comes, he will show the world how wrong it was, about sin, and about who was in the right, and about judgment.” (Jn 16, 8) Positively formulated, the work of the Holy Spirit is like a flashlight that illumines, and provides light for us to see the truth of things.

In our Gospel today, this work of the Holy Spirit of illumination is specified in three ways:

(a) that the basic sin was and is refusal to believe in Jesus. Sinning is not how much lies about this thing or that thing have we made this week. Rather it is about how our lives speak of our faith in Jesus. Do our lives speak of our fidelity to Jesus or of our denial of him? I believe your studies in theology have told you that sin is essentially the refusal, that is, denial of God.

(b) that, although Jesus was found guilty and apparently died in disgrace, in reality righteousness has triumphed, for Jesus has returned to his Father. Others would say that the peak moments of Jesus’ life is the Paschal Mystery, that is, the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. This is so, in as much as by his passion, death and resurrection, what Jesus lived and shared to his disciples by his extensive teaching finds not only its validation but its substance as well. Thus, without, the paschal mystery, our faith would make no sense.

(c) finally, that it is the ruler of this world, Satan, who has been condemned through Jesus' death. Satan, the devil, evil, death or whatever its name might be personifies all that is opposed to goodness. Greed, malice, hopelessness, indifference to the needs of others are some of its contemporary forms. Again, through the paschal event, more particularly Jesus’ dying on the cross, the prince of this world lost its power, that is, death no longer has the gripped upon humanity because Jesus has offered life to the full for all. Thus, a person of faith is not tainted by greed, malice but rather shows concern for others.

To end this short reflection, let me share with you a story of the great Norwegian explorer Ronald Amundsen, the first to discover the magnetic meridian of the North Pole and to discover the South Pole. On one of his trips, Amundsen took a homing pigeon with him. When he had finally reached the top of the world, he opened the bird's cage and set it free. Imagine the delight of Amundsen's wife, back in Norway, when she looked up from the doorway of her home and saw the pigeon circling in the sky above. No doubt, she exclaimed, "He's alive! My husband is still alive!"

Brothers and sisters, in the coming Sunday is the feast of the Ascension of Jesus. This feast is a strong reminder that Jesus is no longer with us in person because he is now with the Father. But at the same time he remains and continuous to be with us in the Spirit because he has sent the Advocate, the indication of his presence in our midst. Let us then constantly remind ourselves of Jesus words in today’s Gospel, “it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”(Jn 16, 7)

Love and Sacrifice

Love and Sacrifice

(6th Sunday of Easter)

In 1961, an Italian woman, by the name of Gianna Molla was expecting her fourth child. During the second month, Gianna developed a fibroma (a cancerous tumor) on her uterus. After examination, the doctors gave her three choices: an abortion, which would save her life and allow her to continue to have children; a complete hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), which would preserve her life, but take the unborn child's life, and prevent further pregnancy; or removal of only the fibroma, with the potential of further complications. Under these circumstances, the Church teaching would have allowed her to obtain a hysterectomy, but would forbid an abortion. Yet, wanting to preserve her child's life, she opted for the removal of the fibroma.

After the operation, complications continued throughout her pregnancy. Nonetheless, Gianna was quite clear about her wishes, and told her husband “If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: Choose the child; I insist on it. Save the baby!”

In biographical book co-authored by her husband--Saint Gianna Molla: Wife, Mother, Doctor (by Pietro Molla and Elio Guerriero), the former talks of Gianna knowing she will probably die in childbirth, but of trying to keep from worrying him. He writes, “I watched you silently tidying up every corner of our house, every drawer, every dress, every personal object, day after day as if for a long trip. But I did not dare to ask myself why.”

On April 21, 1962, Good Friday of that year, Gianna went to the hospital, where her fourth child, named Gianna Emanuela as well, was successfully delivered via Caesarean section. However, Gianna continued to have severe pain, and died of septic peritonitis (an infection of the lining of the abdomen--a result of her choice to preserve the life of her child) 7 days after the birth.

In 1997, at a Conference of the Family held in Brazil, Pope John Paul II was visibly touched by then-Blessed Gianna’s family testimonies about her. The Pope began to cry as he listened to young Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla – for whom Blessed Gianna gave her life – address a word of thanks to her beatified mother. “Thank you mother, thank you for having given me life two times: in conception, and when you permitted me to be born, deciding for my life. Intercede and help always all mothers and all families that come to you with confidence.”

The Church does not formally recognize many saints until centuries after their death. But Gianna’s cause for canonization began within three decades after she died. The miracles necessary for the process occurred in a relatively short period of time, so that her husband, three surviving children and siblings were all able to attend her canonization by Pope John Paul II on May 16, 2004.

My dear friends, I am sharing to you this wonderful story of Gianna because it perfectly illustrates the message of our Gospel today: “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:12-13). I truly believe, the life of Saint Gianna and our gospel today are strong messages of contrast, are words against our modern world where the culture of death thrives and the sanctity of life is belittled and given less importance. I find it boldly touching that Gianna is ready and willing to sacrifice and suffer for the sake of her unborn child, for the sake of a nascent life in her womb.

Above all else, her life and story is a testimony that the example of Jesus and his teaching of love and sacrifice can be lived by men and women of all walks of life and that following Jesus is very possible in our modern and digital world. Following Jesus is not only for priest, nuns, and missionaries like us but for all, whether she or he be a teacher, a government or private employee, an accountant, a diplomat, or a doctor and a mother like Saint Gianna.

Finally, in our gospel today, I find it interesting to note the words of Jesus to his disciples: “This I command you: love one another.” (Jn 15:17) So, I asked myself a question: can love, like what we do with paying taxes, be made into a law? Can we command love? My response is in the form of another question, can you refuse love? I believe when Gianna, the mother decided against safer treatment for her in order to save the baby in her womb, the yet to be born Gianna could not refuse the offer of love of her mother. What is true of the effort of Gianna to offer love for her unborn child is also true of Jesus who offered his life for all. I for one will not refuse Jesus gesture of love on the cross. How about you, will you? Now, when great love freely offered and received, I cannot help but respond with the same love, because I am duty bound—commanded by the same love—to share the same love to others as well. Jesus would have likely said as well: in the name God’s greatest love for you, love one another!

Vendredi-2eme Semaine de Paques

Notre trait d’identité comme Chrétiens

(l’homélie sur Jn 6, 1-15)

Parmi les Européens, comment connaissons-nous immédiatement si ces gens sont anglais ? Nous les connaîtrons comme anglais, s’ils vous offrent à boire du thé. Parmi les Asiatiques, comment connaissons-nous immédiatement si ces gens sont philippins ? Nous les connaîtrons si vous leur sifflez, ils se tourneront la tête vers le son. (P. Alex, c’est vrai ? N’est pas ?) Parmi les africains, comment connaissons-nous immédiatement si ces gens sont congolais ou ghanéens ou zambien? Dites-moi, comment vous pouvez connaître immédiatement la nationalité de ces gens parmi vous ?

Or, parmi les chrétiens comment connaissons-nous qui sont les catholiques ou qui sont les luthériens ou qui sont les anglicans? Les catholiques, nous les connaissons parce qu’ils port les chapelets, font le signe de la croix sur lui-même, etc. (Est-ce que vous avez un chapelet dan la poche ? Montrez moi ? Ceux qui n’ont pas le chapelet ne sont pas catholiques…hehehehe…)

Dans notre Evangile aujourd’hui, l’un de ces traits des catholiques a été présenté. C’est le repas avec le Seigneur Jésus. Quand le Seigneur fait manger les gens très nombreux avec cinq pains d’orge et deux poissons.

Rappelons dans les apparitions du Jésus après sa résurrection, c’est le repas qui fait connaître Jésus à ses disciples faisant route vers d’Emmaüs. Alors que les disciples faisaient route avec l’inconnu, ils ne le reconnaissaient pas comme le Seigneur Jésus parce que leurs yeux ne sont pas ouverts. Mais, quand il était à la table avec eux, il a prit le pain, a dit la bénédiction, l’a rompit et le leur a donné, puis leurs yeux se sont ouvert et ils ont reconnu le Seigneur Jésus. Donc, c’est le moment du repas qui leur a donné la capacité à reconnaitre le Seigneur comme ressuscité.

Pendant sa vie sur la terre, Jésus a fait beaucoup de repas avec ses disciples, avec les autres ou avec les pécheurs quand même. Souvenions que Jésus fasse un repas chez les publicains comme Lévi, chez Lazare, Marthe et Marie, chez Zachée, le chef de publicains, chez Simon, un Pharisien et beaucoup les autres. Tout cela nous a dit que le repas était un trait unique de Jésus très connu parmi ses amis et ses disciples.

Très important de tous les repas que Jésus a fait est le dernier repas avec ses disciples. Ses détails sont connus parmi nous. Mais, c’est très important à souligner qu’il a dit a ses disciples, <> Donc, dans notre temps, en rappelant ces mots du Seigneur Jésus, le repas, c’est-a-dire, l’Eucharistie, reste comme notre meilleur trait d’identité comme catholiques qui vraiment aiment le Seigneur Jésus.

Espérons et prions ardemment toujours que l’Eucharistie se trouve au centre de notre vie comme missionnaires de l’SVD, comme parent responsable, comme fils et filles fiable et comme bonne citoyens de notre pays RDC. Parce que, c’est le Christ, Jésus notre Seigneur que nous a donné lui-même afin que nous ayons le pouvoir à vivre dans la justice, l’amour, l’espérance, et la paix, ou simplement selon la volonté de Dieu. Amen.