"And now I go to him that sent me "(John 16:5)

God gave us a gift of free will therefore we can chose the ways to follow in our lives. However, are we sure the ways we choose lead us to God and eternal salvation? Are our ways similar to those chosen by Christ? He said: "I go to the Father" (John 16:16). Can we follow Christ in this modern world so faithless and full of distractions? It can be done by fulfilling our temporal and spiritual duties as diligently and faithfully as we can: "For thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands: blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee" (Ps 128:2). We come closer to Christ by participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He always waits for us there, hidden in the Tabernaculum. We can tell Him all our troubles, problems and wants. He already invited us: "Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you" (Matt 11:28). Our Lord longs for these visits. We also follow Him by visiting the sick and lonely, remembering the words: "I was.. sick, and you visited me" (Matt 25:36). We come closer to God when we contemplate the perfect beauty of Creation, the beauty of the forest, the sea, the blue of the sky, the vastness of planes. In this way we acknowledge His omnipotence and omnipresence: "Who is ignorant that the hand of the Lord hath made all these things? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man"(Job 12:7-9). Meditating on the work of God's hands we lift ourselves up to the Creator, to the Heavenly Father who created all these wonders for us: "All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever" (Daniel 3:57). Let us follow the ways of Christ and we could say with Him: "I go to the Father" (John 16:16)

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Saturday - Day of Our Lady

Let us try to imagine the scene of Jesus crucifixion. We can see those who loved Him most gathered under the Cross,

or watching from the distance, all in great sorrow.


His mother's heart bleeds with indescribable pain.

The last moments of our Lord's Passion slowly unravel before our eyes. Suddenly, we realise Jesus is whispering something. We come closer to be able to hear His words. He is giving to His mother and St John gentle command of mutual commitment. It is symbolic act, for St John represents all Catholics. Remarkably, John is the most beloved disciple of Jesus and very close to His mother. He comforts her right now at the foot of the Cross. Since that moment on Mary, mother of Jesus became our most blessed and beloved Mother, our Refuge, our Helper and Mediatrix of all Graces, our most faithful and successful intercessor and blessing to every Catholic soul. Thank you Lord for Your beloved Mother and our Mother. Do we love her and honour her enough? Do we always remember to give her thanks for favours, blessings, answered prayers, petitions granted through her intercession? Do we try to imitate her virtues, praying for the share of those we are in greatest want of? Let us pray to increase our trust and devotion to Our Lady.

John 19:25-27 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother

and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.

When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother.

And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

Pictures credit: Our Lady of Sorrows - miraculous crowned image of Our Lady from the Franciscan Church in Cracow, Poland. Other pictures are by James Tissot (Disciples watching crucifixion from afar, Our Lady sorrowing under the Cross), Bernard Plockharst (St John took her to his own), William Blake (Behold Thy Mother), Ary Scheffer (Three Marys) and Peter Muenster (Stabat Mater).

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Jesus said to his disciples: A little while, and now you shall not see me: and again a little while, and you shall see me: (John 16: 16).

According to St Augustine our life is like a moment in comparison to eternity. Life, the greatest of God's gifts, must be spent worhily and in best disposition: "Use your time here on earth with your mind fixed on eternity". Time we spend on earth is particularly precious and short. St Bernard says there is nothing more valuable than time. Why? Because with time spent properly we can acquire the most precious treasure of eternal happiness purchased for us by the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is most prudent disposition to be determined not waste time given us, keeping in mind obvious truth the moment will come when: 'time shall be no longer' (Apocalypse 10:6). The best way to use our time efficiently is to keep away from any form of idleness, spiritual and corporal, carefully avoiding in particular so called 'hardworking idleness' - which is to keep away from doing useless projects or things nobody, nor God neither our superiors, would have us ever to do. It is important to spend as much time as possible with God and serving Him lovingly, that is our Christian obligation. We should spend our time avoiding sins, for through sin we become enemies of Him who is the author of life. Let us be careful not to find ourselves in the midst of those who "stand...here all the day idle"(Matt. 20:6), nor those who "are become unprofitable" (Ps 13:3). Let us do all we can not to be like the biblical servant who buried deeply his precious talent (Luke 19:20). Let us meditate on the price that must be paid for laziness:"For idleness has taught much evil" (Ecclus 33:29). Idleness is the source of many sins and comfortable cushion of satan! Nobody ever found peace in idleness. It is better to be a 'busy bee' rather than a 'lazy drone': "Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all man, but especially to those who are of the houshold of the faith" (Gal 6:10)

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Let us imagine we are sitting with Jesus and His disciples under the shadow of huge tree in the warm peaceful afternoon. Just like the scene created by James Tissot's in the little masterpiece below. We are all listening attentively to Our Lord words and He tells us how precious and important we are to the Father (the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows). All we need to do is to be faithful and live our faith.

Luke 12:2-8.
For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed: nor hidden that shall not be known. For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness shall be published in the light: and that which you have spoken in the ear in the chambers shall be preached on the housetops. And I say to you, my friends: Be not afraid of them who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will shew you whom you shall fear: Fear ye him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you: Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? Yea, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows. And I say to you: Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.

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I invite all visitors to my blog for virtual pilgrimage to visit places dear and sacred to Christians in the Holy Land including the Cenacle, the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemani, the Golghota (The Holy Sepulchre Church) for Eastertide meditation and reflection during the next coming week.

With Jesus in Jerusalem

With Jesus at Passover in Jerusalem

The Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemani

Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives

The Cenacle - the place of Last Supper

Golgotha - place of the Skull

Site of the tomb of Christ

The empty tomb

Emmaus

Easter Meditations:

The News of the Ressurection of Chirst Jesus with fragments of the sermons of early Church Fathers and meditations from Don Schwager

Good Shepherd - meditation Read whole post......

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER,

St. John; 16, 16-22

At that time : Jesus said to his disciples : 16 A little while, and now you shall not see me; and again a little while, and you shall see me: because I go to the Father. 17 Then some of the disciples said one to another: What is this that he saith to us: A little while, and you shall not see me; and again a little while, and you shall see me, and, because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore: What is this that he saith, A little while? we know not what he speaketh. 19 And Jesus knew that they had a mind to ask him; and he said to them: Of this do you inquire among yourselves, because I said: A little while, and you shall not see me; and again a little while, and you shall see me? 20 Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you.

A Homily by St. Augustine the Bishop
Tract. 101

Lesson vii
This Little While is the whole duration of this present world. In the same sense this same Evangelist saith in his Epistle : It is the last time. The words : Because I go to the Father : refer to the first clause of the text, thus : A little while and ye shall not see me, because I go to the Father. Hence we should not connect them with this latter clause : And again a little while, and ye shall see me. For his going to the Father was about to bring to pass this, namely, that they should see him no more. And on this account he is not to be understood as saying that he was about to die, and that, until he should rise again, he would be withdrawn from their sight ; but rather, that he was going to the Father ; which same he did when (after he had risen, and had manifested himself to them for forty days), he ascended up into heaven.

Lesson viii
It was therefore to them which were then looking on him in the flesh that he said : A little while, and ye shall not see me. A little while, and they would no longer see him as mortal man, such as they saw him to be whilst thus speaking, because he was about to go to the Father. But he added : And again a little while, and ye shall see me : and these words are a promise to the Universal Church, just as are those others : Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Our Lord delayeth not his promised coming. Yea, again a little while, and we shall se him. Yea, and when we thus shall see him, then shall we ask for nothing more ; for no desire will be unsatisfied, and no riddle unsolved.

Lesson ix
This Little While seemeth a very long while to us now, while as yet it is still going on, but when it is ended, we shall realize what a little while it was. Let not our joy, then, be like that of the world, whereof it is said : The world shall rejoice. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, and yet, while, as hitherto, our gladness is still coming to the birth through throes of sorrow, let us not be altogther sorrowful, but as the Apostle hath it : Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation. A woman, when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come ; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And so will it be with us. And with that let me end my sermon. For the next passage is one of extreme difficulty ; nor is it possible to treat it briefly, if, by the will of God, it is to be treated satisfactorily.

May the grace of the Holy Spirit all our heart and mind enlighten.
R. Amen.

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