Well good people, I survived my first Holy Week in Mexico. It was a very interesting week with many twists and turns. The house was very quiet since most of the community went to present a Mission in the south of Mexico. Because most people were going to be away, I took the liberty of changing my time for classes. I went to school first thing in the morning. I usually left the house around 7:15am in order to catch the bus and walk to school. My classes went from 9am-12:30pm from Tuesday to Thursday. After class I stayed around the center of town for a bit to do some more sight seeing and to explore a bit more. Many people are off during Holy Week, and primary and secondary schools are closed for all of Holy Week and all of Easter Week. As the week continued, more and more people were in the center of town, and there was much traffic on the roads. Many Mexicans travel during this time, so just as many people left Queretaro for other parts of Mexico, many people came to Mexico to either visit family or be here for the high holy days.
On Wednesday, I downloaded a "step" app in order to track how many steps one takes in a day. On the first day, I hoped to achieve my goal of 10,000 steps and I did so quite easily. Each day I have increased my goal and exceeded the goal. Walking to and from the bus to school really helps! I hope to exceed 100,000 steps by this Wednesday and try to keep that as my goal. The weather here has warmed up, so walking outside is actually quite nice and relaxing. I actually have to put some sunscreen on to prevent sunburn! There is nothing like being outdoors, for me, it really changes my perspective and makes me feel healthier.
Thursday began the celebration of the Triduum. I concelebrated at one of our Chapels in Via Dorado. I preached on Holy Thursday and the people seemed to enjoy it. On Holy Thursday we commemorate the institution of the Eucharist and the ritual of the washing of the feet. During the washing of the feet, there was a good cross section of parishioners participating in the ritual (men, women, young and old) but the one thing that I found interesting was that Fr. Raymundo also used soap to wash their feet. I'm not sure if its a Mexican thing or a Fr. Raymundo thing, but we certainly don't use soap as part of the ritual in the US!
Good Friday saw a whole lot of pageantry! There were processions, acting out of the passion, Via Dolorosa, A special Good Friday Rosary, and the typical Good Friday Service with the Veneration of the Cross. The place was packed! The Latino culture really likes Good Friday (sometimes more than Easter). It was a fast day and a day of abstinence for all of us...yes I was hungry!!!! I also spent some quiet time in our chapel reading a book,
The Seven Last Words: An Invitation to a Deeper Friendship with Jesus (Martin, 2015). It was an edited version of a talk he gave at St. Patrick's Cathedral last year. It was inspiring, short, and exactly what I needed to center myself on this very important day. I have my Provincial to thank for the book!
I also concelebrated at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. Fr. Raymundo had another Vigil to go to at 9pm. We started close to 7pm with the lighting and blessing of the fire. I don't think they believe in tapers here in Mexico, because you should have seen the drama trying to light the Paschal Candle! We listened to all the reading and sang the appropriate response after each reading. As we were ready to hear the New Testament reading, the lights came on and the Choir began singing the Gloria. The Church bells rang throughout the entire Gloria, accompanied by fireworks and popping balloons that were strung on the walls and ceiling throughout the Church. A purple cloth that acted as curtain in the sanctuary was taken down to reveal a statue of the Risen Jesus all in white surrounded by flowers and bright colors. Again, I don't think you are going to find this in the US! Well, it actually worked, because the mood certainly changed in the Church as we were ready to hear the Epistle and the Resurrection Story. Fr. Raymundo preached and even reminded the community what I preached about on Holy Thursday...and both he and they actually remembered my words- Go Figure! We blessed the Easter water, renewed our baptismal promises and sprinkled the Church with lots of water! By this time it was almost 8:40, so Fr. Raymundo left and I took over...again, not quite sure this would hold mustard with the liturgical police! But, you do what you have to do! I continued praying the Eucharistic Prayer and distributed Communion. The choir was singing a great song during Communion, so I invited the community to sing it again with great gusto...after at it was Easter! We finished the Mass and continued to sing for another 15 minutes! It was a great way to share the joy of the resurrection.
Today (Easter Sunday) I once again had Mass at the same chapel and we had a great Mass. At 11am there were very few people there as we began the Mass, but by the end of the First Reading, the place was packed! There were many Amen's during this Mass and a few sung Alleluia's too. At the end of the Mass, one of the women in charge of the Chapel commented to me that my Spanish was really getting better...boy did that make me feel good! After Mass, I walked back to the community and then went for a good 3 mile walk trying to get my steps in for today. I cooked a little something for myself and actually took a nap today...something I rarely do, but I was really tired for some reason. I think the Brothers will return to the community tomorrow night and then our life will get back to normal around here.
All in all, it was a good week. I enjoyed the freedom of not having a strict schedule and feel like I made a contribution to the Solemnity and Joy of the these Holy Days. The quiet during the week was also good for me to reflect, ponder, and pray. I hope all of you had a prayerful and joyous Holy Week. May we enter into this Easter Season with joyful hearts! I leave you with my homilies for Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday. Many hugs!!!
Holy
Thursday Homily
Good evening Church! Well, we are finally here. We gather together to celebrate the Church’s
highest holy days over the next three days.
It is good for us to be here, Amen?
Tonight is a special night.
Tonight we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist and the Washing of
the Feet. The Word of God this night
reminds us that together: We remember, we celebrate, we believe. Yes, we remember, we celebrate, we
believe….repeat after me…we remember, we celebrate, we believe. Turn to the person next to you and say, Very
good friend!
And so the first part of the phrase is: We remember. What do we remember? Well, we remember that tonight is part of
our history and part of the history of Jesus.
We remember that the Last Supper was a meal that commemorated the
Passover meal. Jesus, a good Jew,
celebrated the Passover meal with his friends.
Jesus remembered the story of his people who went from slavery to
freedom because of the help of God.
Jesus remembered the freedom that only God can give His people. The Book of Exodus recounts for us how the
Passover meal was to be prepared and shared in community. Jesus remembered that event when he
celebrated with his friends. We remember
the Last Supper when we celebrate Holy Thursday. Tonight allows us to remember that we are
part of a story, part of a tradition, part of a family of ancestors. Tonight we remember that we are connected to
one another through this event and through this great story. Tonight we celebrate our meal together in
community. Tonight, We remember. This is not just any night, this is the night
that Jesus gave us the Eucharist and told us to be of service to one another
when we wash one another’s feet. Tonight
we remember that our faith only makes sense when we gather together in
community and share in the actions of Jesus with one another, Amen?
The second part of the phrase is: We celebrate. What do we
celebrate? Well, we celebrate the fact that Jesus did not leave us
orphan. He gave us a gift. He gave us his body and his blood. He let us know that we can be nourished by
him each time we gather together in community and celebrate the Eucharist. Tonight we celebrate that we do not have to
go hungry. Tonight we celebrate the words
of Jesus as told to us by Saint Paul, “Take and eat, take and drink”. Tonight we celebrate that we are a people of
the Word and Sacrament. Tonight we
celebrate that faith is shared when we celebrate a meal. As Saint Paul stated, “Every time you eat
this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.” Tonight we celebrate the promise that we
proclaim the death of the Lord each time we participate in the Eucharist. We celebrate that we are part of a tradition
that goes back to the time of Jesus.
Tonight we celebrate the gift that the Eucharist is to the Church, Amen?
The third part of the phrase is: We believe. What do we believe? Well, we believe in the healing power of the
Eucharist. We believe that the bread and
wine is not ordinary bread and wine, but becomes the Body and Blood of Christ during
the Eucharistic Prayer. We believe that
the Eucharist is a reminder and a sacrament of Jesus’ love for all of us. We believe that this gift is meant to help us
on our journey in faith. We believe in
the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. We believe that the host and the
wine are not just symbols of what happened at the Last Supper, but are truly
transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ through the words of the priest
and through the faith of the people. Do
you believe this? As Catholics we
believe this. As Catholics we should
receive the Eucharist more, not because we are worthy, but because we need the
Eucharist in our life. I need the
Eucharist. I believe that I am different
because I receive the Eucharist, and I do think that I would be different if I
stayed away from receiving the sacrament for a long time. Tonight we believe that the Eucharist is food
for our journey. Tonight we believe that
we need the Eucharist in order to live life more abundantly. As Jesus celebrated the notion of moving from
slavery to freedom at the Passover meal, when we celebrate and receive the
Eucharist, we too celebrate our freedom from the slavery of sin. The Eucharist makes us free. Do you want to be free?
But tonight, we also hear in the Gospel another action
that is important for believers. Jesus
taught his disciples and continues to teach us, that if we want to be his
disciples, then we must get on our hands and knees and wash one another’s feet. This action is not holy nor pious. It is real.
It is dirty. It is smelly. It is unattractive. If we are to be his disciples, we have to get
involved in the “mess” of people’s lives.
When we do this action, then we are truly his disciples. In the Gospel of John, this action is another
way of being Eucharist for one another.
In all the other Gospels, at the Last Supper, Jesus gives us the
Eucharist in the form of bread and wine.
In John’s Gospel, there is no bread and wine in the story. The only thing we have in this story is the
washing of the feet. Jesus tells his
disciples,” If I, the master and teacher have washed your feet, you ought to
wash one another’s feet. I have given
you an example to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also
do.” In the Gospel of John, the Eucharist,
is the action of washing one another’s feet.
So tonight, we believe that we celebrate the Eucharist when we receive
the Body and Blood of Jesus, and when we wash one another’s feet. We believe in receiving and giving. That is our faith. We need both.
We must be men and women who freely receive and who freely give. These actions make us free to be disciples of
Jesus, Amen?
So tonight: We
remember, we celebrate, we believe. We
remember that we are part of a history, that we are connected to our ancestors
in faith each time we do our ritual actions.
We celebrate the gift of the Eucharist in our lives and that this gift
reminds us that Jesus is always present with and to us. We believe that we are people who receive and
give each time we receive the Eucharist and each time we take action in the
lives of our sisters and brothers. And
most of all: We remember, we celebrate,
we believe, all as a community of believers. We do not do this alone. We are called together as disciples to do and
say the things that Jesus commanded us. Yes
today is Holy Thursday. It is not
ordinary Thursday. It is a night where we remember, we celebrate and we believe. We do this together, and we do this with
great hope and joy, Amen?
Santo Jueves Homilía
Buenas noches Iglesia! Bueno, por fin estamos aquí. Nos reunimos para celebrar
más altos días santos de la Iglesia durante los próximos tres días. Es bueno
para nosotros que estemos aquí, Amén? Esta noche es una noche especial. Esta
noche se celebra la institución de la Eucaristía y el lavatorio de los pies. La
Palabra de Dios esta noche nos recuerda que en conjunto: Recordamos, Celebramos, Creemos. Sí, recordamos, celebramos,
creemos... .Repita después de mí ... recordamos, celebramos, creemos. Girar a la persona a tu lado y decir,
muy buen amigo!
Y por
lo que la primera parte de la frase es: Recordamos.
¿Qué recordamos? Bueno, recordamos que esta noche es parte de nuestra
historia y parte de la historia de Jesús. Recordamos que la Última Cena fue una
comida que conmemorar la Pascua. Jesús, un buen judío, que se celebra la Pascua
con sus amigos. Jesús recordó la historia de su pueblo que fue de la esclavitud
a la libertad gracias a la ayuda de Dios. Jesús recordó la libertad que sólo
Dios puede dar a su pueblo. El libro de Éxodo nos relata cómo la comida de la
Pascua debía ser preparada y compartida en comunidad. Jesús recordó ese evento
cuando se celebró con sus amigos. Recordamos la última cena en que se celebra
el Jueves Santo. Esta noche nos permite recordar que somos parte de una
historia, parte de una tradición, que forma parte de una familia de
antepasados. Esta noche nos recuerda que estamos conectados entre sí a través
de este evento y por medio de esta gran historia. Esta noche celebramos nuestra
comida juntos en comunidad. Esta noche, recordamos. Esto no es sólo una noche
cualquiera, esta es la noche que Jesús nos dio la Eucaristía y nos dijo que
estar al servicio de unos a otros cuando nos lavamos los pies unos a otros.
Esta noche nos recuerda que nuestra fe sólo tiene sentido cuando nos reunimos
en comunidad y participación en las acciones de Jesús con otros, Amén?
La
segunda parte de la frase es: Celebramos.
¿Qué celebramos? Bueno, celebramos el hecho de que Jesús no nos dejó
huérfano. Él nos dio un regalo. Él nos dio su cuerpo y su sangre. Él nos hizo
saber que podemos ser alimentados por él cada vez que nos reunimos en comunidad
y celebrar la Eucaristía. Esta noche celebramos que no tenemos que pasar
hambre. Esta noche celebramos las palabras de Jesús como dijo a nosotros por
San Pablo, "Tomen y coman, tomen y beban". Esta noche celebramos que
somos un pueblo de la Palabra y Sacramento. Esta noche celebramos que la fe es
compartida en que se celebra una comida. Como San Pablo declaró: "Cada vez
que Uds. comen de este pan y beben de este cáliz, proclaman la muerte del Señor
hasta que vuelva." Esta noche celebramos la promesa de que proclamamos la
muerte del Señor cada vez que participamos en la Eucaristía. Celebramos que
somos parte de una tradición que se remonta a la época de Jesús. Esta noche
celebramos el don que la Eucaristía es a la Iglesia, Amén?
La
tercera parte de la frase es: Creemos.
¿En qué creemos? Bueno, creemos en el poder curativo de la Eucaristía.
Creemos que el pan y el vino no son pan y vino ordinario, pero se convierte en
el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Cristo durante la oración eucarística. Creemos que la
Eucaristía es un recordatorio y un sacramento del amor de Jesús por todos
nosotros. Creemos que este regalo es para ayudarnos en nuestro camino de fe.
Creemos en la presencia real de Jesús en la Eucaristía. Creemos que la hostia y
el vino no son sólo símbolos de lo sucedido en la última cena, pero son
realmente transformados en el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Cristo a través de las
palabras del sacerdote y por medio de la fe de las personas. ¿Creen ustedes
esto? Como católicos creemos que esto.
Como
católicos deben recibir la Eucaristía más, no porque somos dignos, sino porque
necesitamos la Eucaristía en nuestra vida. Yo Necesito la Eucaristía. Creo que
soy diferente porque recibo la Eucaristía, y yo creo que iba a ser diferente si
me quedaba lejos de recibir el sacramento durante mucho tiempo. Esta noche
creemos que la Eucaristía es alimento para nuestro camino. Esta noche creemos
que es necesaria la Eucaristía con el fin de vivir la vida en abundancia. Como
Jesús celebró la idea de pasar de la esclavitud a la libertad en la cena de la
Pascua, en el que celebramos y recibimos la Eucaristía, nosotros también
celebramos nuestra libertad de la
esclavitud del pecado. La Eucaristía nos
hace libres. ¿Uds. Quieren ser libre?
Pero
esta noche, también escuchar en el Evangelio otra acción que es importante para
los creyentes. Jesús enseñó a sus discípulos y continúa enseñándonos, que si
queremos ser sus discípulos, entonces debemos tener en nuestras manos y
rodillas y lavarse los pies unos a otros. Esta acción no es santo ni pío. Es
real. Está sucio. Es maloliente. Es poco atractivo. Si vamos a ser sus
discípulos, tenemos que participar en el "desorden" de la vida de las
personas. Cuando hacemos esta acción, entonces somos verdaderamente sus
discípulos. En el Evangelio de Juan, esta acción es otra forma de ser
Eucaristía uno por el otro. En todos los otros Evangelios, en la última cena,
Jesús nos da la Eucaristía en la forma de pan y vino. En el Evangelio de Juan,
no hay pan y el vino en la historia. La única cosa que tenemos en esta historia
es el lavatorio de los pies. Jesús dice a sus discípulos: "Si yo, que soy el
Señor y el Maestro les he lavado los pies, también ustedes deben lavarse los
pies los unos a otros. Les he dado ejemplo para que lo que yo he hecho con
ustedes, también ustedes lo hagan.” En
el Evangelio de Juan, la Eucaristía, es la acción de lavar los pies los unos a
los otros. Así que esta noche, creemos que se celebra la Eucaristía cuando
recibimos el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Jesús, y cuando nos lavamos los pies unos a
otros. Creemos en recibir y dar. Esa es nuestra fe. Necesitamos ambas cosas.
Tenemos que ser hombres y mujeres que reciben libremente y que libremente dan.
Estas acciones nos hacen libres para ser discípulos de Jesús, Amén?
Así que
esta noche: Recordamos, Celebramos, Creemos.
Recordamos que somos parte de una historia, que estamos conectados con nuestros
antepasados en la fe cada vez que hacemos nuestras acciones rituales.
Celebramos el don de la Eucaristía en nuestras vidas y que este don nos
recuerda que Jesús siempre está presente con y para nosotros. Creemos que somos
personas que reciben y dan cada vez que recibimos la Eucaristía y cada vez que
tomamos la acción en la vida de nuestros hermanos y hermanas. Y sobre todo:
Recordamos, celebramos, creemos, todos como una comunidad de creyentes. No
hacemos esto por sí solo. Estamos llamados juntos como discípulos a hacer y
decir las cosas que Jesús nos ha mandado. Si hoy es Jueves Santo. No es jueves
ordinario. Es una noche donde recordamos, celebramos y creemos. Hacemos esto
juntos, y lo hacemos con gran esperanza y alegría, Amén?
Easter
Sunday Homily
Good morning Church! Happy Easter! Today we are filled
with joy, Amen? Today, we once again are
able to sing our Alleluia’s and rejoice in the resurrection of the Lord,
Amen? We are an Easter people, and
Alleluia is our song! (Easter
Alleluia). Come on Church, let’s raise
our voices!
Today is a day of great joy. During the last three days we reflected on
the passion and death of Jesus. Today,
we focus on the resurrection of Jesus.
If we only focused on the passion and death of Jesus, the story of Jesus
would be extremely sad, Amen? And yet
the story is sad, but hopeful.
Reflecting on what Jesus did for each of us, his suffering and death, is
inspirational, Amen? If you are like me,
maybe you think, “Who am I that Jesus is mindful of me?” Yes, the thought of
Jesus dying for me is awesome. But the
fact that Jesus rose from the dead is even more important! This action, rising from the dead, tells all
believers that there will always be hope when we believe in the Lord, Amen? And where there is hope, there is joy,
Amen? So, we are all called to be joyous
and hopeful people, Amen? Turn to the
person next to you and say, “ I’ve got the joy of the Lord” For, we are an Easter people, and Alleluia is
our song! (Easter Alleluia).
Peter reminds us in the Acts of the Apostles the story
of Jesus of Nazareth. He tells of his
life, his passion, his death and his resurrection. We are to be witnesses to all parts of this
story. A witness tells a story. Sisters and brothers in the Lord, we are all
called to be witnesses. Not just the
priests or religious. All are called to be witnesses. To testify to the truth of Jesus Christ in
our lives. And what is the truth of
Jesus in your life? Can you tell a good
story about the power of Jesus in your life?
Do you know enough about Jesus to be a witness for him? The term witness is a term that is used in
the court of law. A witness testifies on
behalf of someone. They are reminded to
tell the truth when they tell the story.
A witness discusses evidence either for or against a person. The word of the witness can either convict or
set free a person. It has been said in
the past that if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough
evidence against you to convict you? In
other words, is it obvious in your life, from your words and actions, that you
are a follower of Jesus? Could you be
convicted of being a disciple of his?
That is what the Easter season is about.
It is about growing in our faith and making that faith public and
convincing so that we can be guilty of being disciples of Jesus. Who here is guilty of being a disciple? Can I get a witness? If you are a disciple of Jesus, say
Amen. We gather as witnesses to the
resurrection, for we are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song, Amen?
(Easter Alleluia)
And just as the disciples of long ago needed to
continue the work of Jesus and build up the body of Christ, the Church, so too
do we build up the Church. We are to be
leaven in the world. Our role is to
raise up those who are bowed down. We
are to make others grow because of our faith and our hope in the risen
Lord. Just like yeast makes bread rise,
we too help others to grow and rise in their lives. Yeast is one of those ingredients that is
important in a recipe. It almost always
goes unnoticed, but when it is not in a cake recipe, everyone knows it. The batter does not rise and then you may
have a cookie rather than a cake. We are
to be yeast in our world. In some ways,
we go unnoticed, but when we are not part of the lives of others, it is
noticeable. We must lend our voices to
one another and support one another so that we may grow and rise in our faith,
Amen? For we are an Easter people, and
Alleluia is our song. (Easter Alleluia)
And today, we hear one of many resurrection stories
found in the Gospel. The Gospel of Saint
John holds a special place for Mary of Magdala.
Mary is a witness to the resurrection and proclaims the news to the
other disciples. Mary went to the tomb
early in the morning. She noticed that
the rock was rolled away. She ran back
to the disciples to tell them of the news.
She tells Peter and the beloved disciple the news about the empty
tomb. Peter and the beloved disciple run
to the tomb to check on Mary’s story. There,
inside the tomb, the burial cloths were laid inside the tomb. Jesus was not there, and he left behind the
burial cloths. Now remember in the same
Gospel, we have the story of Lazarus. In
the story of Lazarus, when Jesus calls Lazarus forth from the tomb, he comes
out in this burial cloths and Jesus tells the people to untie him. Jesus is not bound by the burial cloths. His rising from the dead is different from
Lazarus being brought back to life. The
beloved disciple sees the burial cloths lying in the tomb and he believes in
the resurrection. Seeing is believing!
The beloved disciple believed because he heard the story from Mary and saw the
cloths there in the empty tomb. There is
great action and drama in this story.
There is an immediacy to the actions of the disciples, they do not walk,
but rather, they run to find out what happened.
Even though Jesus told his disciples that he would die and rise again on
the third day, at first it was not clear to his disciples what happened. Was the body stolen? After seeing the burial
cloths, the beloved disciple believed, and then helped others to believe. When we see and believe, we must then help
others to believe, Amen? What an incredible story of faith. Witnesses, hope, joy, encouragement and belief. That’s what this day is about, Amen?
As we go from this Church into our homes, our town,
our work, our city, let our joy and hope give us the courage we need to be
witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.
Let us run, like Mary, Peter, and the beloved disciple, to look for
Jesus in our world. Let our words and
actions bring others closer to Jesus and to his holy Church. When we live the Word of God today, we will
be witnesses of Jesus. When we live with
joy, then we cannot help but sing out the praises of God, Amen? For, we are an Easter people, and Alleluia is
our song! (Easter Alleluia).
Homilía del Domingo de Pascua
Buenos días Iglesia! ¡Feliz Pascua! Hoy estamos llenos de alegría, Amén? Hoy,
una vez más somos capaces de cantar nuestros aleluyas y regocijarse en la
resurrección del Señor, Amén? Somos un pueblo Pascual, y aleluya es nuestra
canción! (Aleluya de Pascua). Vamos Iglesia, vamos a levantar nuestras voces!
Hoy es
un día de gran alegría. Durante los últimos tres días hemos reflexionado sobre
la pasión y muerte de Jesús. Hoy en día, nos centramos en la resurrección de
Jesús. Si sólo nos centramos en la pasión y muerte de Jesús, la historia de
Jesús sería extremadamente triste, Amén? Y sin embargo, la historia es triste,
pero esperanzador. Reflexionando sobre lo que Jesús hizo por cada uno de
nosotros, su sufrimiento y muerte, es inspirador, Amén? Si ustedes es como yo,
tal vez ustedes piensan, "¿Quién soy yo para que Jesús es consciente de
mí?" Sí, el pensamiento de la muerte de Jesús para mí es impresionante.
Pero el hecho de que Jesús se levantó de los muertos es aún más importante!
Esta acción, pasando de los muertos, le dice a todos los creyentes que siempre
habrá esperanza cuando creemos en el Señor, Amén? Y donde hay esperanza, hay
alegría, Amén? Por lo tanto, todos estamos llamados a ser personas alegres y
esperanzadores, Amén? Gira a la persona a tu lado y decir: "Tengo la
alegría del Señor" Porque somos un pueblo Pascual, y Aleluya es nuestra
canción! (Aleluya de Pascua).
Pedro
nos recuerda en los Hechos de los Apóstoles la historia de Jesús de Nazaret.
Habla de su vida, su pasión, su muerte y su resurrección. Debemos ser testigos
de todas las partes de esta historia. Un testigo cuenta una historia. Hermanos
y hermanas en el Señor, todos estamos llamados a ser testigos. No sólo los
sacerdotes o religiosos. Todos están llamados a ser testigos. Para dar
testimonio de la verdad de Jesucristo en nuestras vidas. Y lo que es la verdad
de Jesús en su vida? ¿Se pueden contar una buena historia sobre el poder de
Jesús en su vida? ¿Saben ustedes lo suficiente sobre Jesús para ser testigos
suyos? El término testigo es un término que se utiliza en el tribunal de
justicia. Un testigo declaró en nombre de otra. Se les recuerda a decir la
verdad cuando dicen la historia. Un testigo discute la evidencia a favor o en
contra de una persona. La palabra del testigo puede declarar culpable o sea
puesto en libertad a una persona. Se ha dicho en el pasado que si usted fue
arrestado por ser cristiano, ¿habría suficiente evidencia en su contra para
condenarte? En otras palabras, ¿es evidente en su vida, de sus palabras y
acciones, que usted es un seguidor de Jesús? ¿Podría ser condenado por ser un
discípulo de él? Eso es lo que el tiempo de Pascua está a punto. Es sobre
crecer en nuestra fe y hacer que la fe pública y convincente para que podamos
ser culpable de ser discípulos de Jesús. ¿Quién de ustedes es culpable de ser
un discípulo? ¿Puedo conseguir un testigo? Si ustedes son un discípulo de
Jesús, decir Amén. Nos reunimos como testigos de la resurrección, porque somos
un pueblo Pascual, y aleluya es nuestra canción, Amén? (Aleluya de Pascua)
Y al
igual que los discípulos de antaño necesarios para continuar la obra de Jesús y
la edificación del cuerpo de Cristo, la Iglesia, también lo hacen construimos
la Iglesia. Hemos de ser levadura en el mundo. Nuestro papel es el de levantar
a los que ya se doblan. Debemos hacer a otros a crecer debido a nuestra fe y
nuestra esperanza en el Señor resucitado. Al igual que la levadura hace que el
pan crezca, nosotros también ayudamos a otros a crecer y el aumento de sus
vidas. La levadura es uno de los ingredientes que es importante en una receta.
Casi siempre pasa desapercibido, pero cuando no está en una receta de pastel,
todos lo saben. El masa de tarta no subir y es posible que tenga una galleta en
lugar de un pastel. Hemos de ser levadura en nuestro mundo. En cierto modo, nos
pasa desapercibido, pero cuando no somos parte de la vida de los demás, es
notable. Debemos prestar nuestra voz a otros y apoyarse mutuamente para que
podamos crecer y aumentar en nuestra fe, ¿Amén? Porque somos un pueblo Pascual,
y Aleluya es nuestra canción. (Aleluya de Pascua)
Y hoy,
oímos una de las muchas historias de la resurrección que se encuentran en el
Evangelio. El Evangelio de San Juan tiene un lugar especial para María
Magdalena. María es un testimonio de la resurrección y proclama la noticia a
los otros discípulos. María fue a la tumba temprano en la mañana. Se dio cuenta
de que la piedra había sido removida. Se pasó de nuevo a los discípulos para
decirles de la noticia. Ella le dice a Pedro y el discípulo amado las noticias
sobre la tumba vacía. Pedro y el discípulo amado correr a la tumba para
comprobar en la historia de María. Allí, dentro de la tumba, las vendas en el
suelo fueron colocados dentro de la tumba. Jesús no estaba allí, y se fue
detrás de las vendas en el suelo. Ahora recuerde en el mismo Evangelio, tenemos
la historia de Lázaro. En la historia de Lázaro, cuando Jesús llama a Lázaro de
la tumba, que sale en este entierro paños y Jesús le dice a la gente a
desatarlo. Jesús no está obligado por las vendas en el suelo. Su resurrección
de los muertos es diferente de Lázaro siendo devuelto a la vida. El discípulo
amado ve las vendas en el suelo tumbado en la tumba y que cree en la
resurrección. ¡Ver es creer! El discípulo amado cree porque escuchó la historia
de María y vio las vendas allí en la tumba vacía. Existe una gran acción y
drama en esta historia. Hay una inmediatez a las acciones de los discípulos,
que no caminan, sino más bien, corren para averiguar lo que pasó. A pesar de
que Jesús dijo a sus discípulos que iba a morir y resucitar al tercer día, al
principio no estaba claro a sus discípulos lo que pasó. Fue robado el cuerpo?
Después de ver las vendas en el suelo, el discípulo amado cree, y luego ayudó a
otros a creer. Cuando vemos y creemos, entonces tenemos que ayudar a los demás
a creer, Amén? Qué increíble historia de fe. Testigos, la esperanza, la
alegría, el estímulo y la creencia. Eso es lo que este día se trata, Amén?
Como
vamos a partir de esta Iglesia en nuestros hogares, nuestra ciudad, nuestro
trabajo, nuestra ciudad, dejar que nuestra alegría y la esperanza que nos da la
fuerza que necesitamos para ser testigos de la resurrección de Jesús. Corramos,
como María, Pedro y el discípulo amado, a buscar a Jesús en nuestro mundo. Deje
que nuestras palabras y acciones acercar a otros a Jesús ya su santa Iglesia.
Cuando vivimos la Palabra de Dios hoy, vamos a ser testigos de Jesús. Cuando
vivimos con alegría, entonces no podemos dejar de cantar las alabanzas de Dios,
Amén? Porque, somos un pueblo Pascual, y aleluya es nuestra canción! (Aleluya
de Pascua).
