Darkness !

In his homily last Sunday Fr. Henri Boulad spoke about being burning with the justice of God, a father who teaches his children through discipline and by purification as shown in the lives of the great figures in the Old Testament.

Indeed he touched upon the horrible acts of barbaric humanity that live with us and within us in spite of advances in studying human psychology... In such free societies today, it is heart-breaking to see the exploitation of children for sexual pleasure and the selling of their bodies by the "mafia" for cheap financial benefits. It is also slavery that continues in America with the supremacist mentality against black people. It is the denial of worshiping the real God who invites all to be his children since we are too busy in worshiping the self, fame, and self-gratification through sexual pleasure. The Internet is full of such videos that show nude young women and children whose dignity has been removed or suppressed. 

As the first World War was killing millions, the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima looked sad on the world that she loves and asked the children to pray more for the repentance of souls as she told them to send a message to the authorities: If souls do not repent, a larger war would engulf nations. 

In spite of all the terrible temptations by the evil one and souls, God still offers his unconditional love to everyone.

With the man-made coronavirus pandemic, people have the chance to pray for their beloved ones, and the sick. They have the chance to help their neighbours, the abandoned and the elderly, and in such acts of mercy they imitate Christ who gave up himself on the cross because to the end he loved his Father and everyone of his fellow men and women.

Emmaus - Walking with Jesus !

Based on the Gospel reading (Luke 24: 13-35), two of Jesus' disciples were going to Emmaus and were conversing about Jesus. Jesus was walking besides them but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. Seeing them in a state of despair, Jesus asked why? They answered that Jesus of Nazareth who "was a prophet mighty in deed and word" was crucified to death by their chief priests and rulers - but they "were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this it is now the third day since it took place". Some women of the group, however, astounded them that they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body."  Jesus replied "Oh, how foolish you are!... Was not it necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter in his glory." So, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. As the day was almost over, they invited him to stay with them.When he said the blessings, broke the bread, and gave it to them their eyes were opened and they recognized him but he vanished from their sight! It was a surprise which prompted them to quickly return to Jerusalem where they found the eleven saying the Lord has truly risen and has appeared to Simon...
The Pope pointed that the despairing disciples going to Emmaus were running away from Jerusalem where Israel expected the Messiah to rule and increase the power of Israel over all the nations, yet Jesus was crucified there by the chief authorities...Only when Jesus walked with them could they find in him their hopes by the One risen from the dead...

Today we live in fear as many people have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and some of them have really become victims and/or died in spite of advanced science. Despair reigns in hearts...Emmaus seems a new tyrant... We really need to pray more so as to feel the presence of God's love in the Risen Christ (Read Pope Benedict XVI here)...

Remarkable statements by Pope Francis
The two disciples are full of despair ...The Master is dead and thus it is pointless to hope...The cross of Christ was the cross of their own ideas about God; the death of Christ was the death of what they thought God to be. But in fact it was they who were dead buried in the tomb of their limited understanding."*
2. "Those who do not pass from the experience of the cross to the truth of the resurrection condemn themselves to despair! For we cannot encounter God without first crucifying our narrow notions of a god who reflects only our own understanding of omnipotence and power."**
3. "The Church needs to know and believe that Jesus lives within her and gives her life in the Eucharist, the scriptures, and the sacraments. The disciples on the way to Emmaus realized this and returned to Jerusalem in order to share their experience with the others. 'We have seen the Risen One...Yes, he is truly risen!' (Luke 24: 32)"***

Notes
* Fr.  Georges Farah commented on the tomb or rock in which Christ was buried. He called it "the cave of Plato" in the Greek philosopher's Republic. The inmate of the cave is imprisoned and is blind because he cannot see. According to Fr. Farah, we too are imprisoned in our own darkness and fantasies but Christ rose to give life to those who believe and act on their faith.

** Here Pope Francis probably refers to ideologies that do not recognize God's suffering love - These ideologies, such as Islamic Sharia, see in God an omnipotent One but also a God who can hate and deceive.  In Christianity, God is love.

*** Here Pope Francis boldly tells his listeners that the Church continues to be nourished by the Eucharist as a sign of full unity in Christ. The celebration of the Eucharist is a joy because of the Real Presence of Christ.

On Sunday July 5, 2020, I joined  online the 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy by the Greek Catholic community in Toronto celebrated at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration by Fr. Youhanna Hanna with hymns by the renowned Homsy choir among other servants. Quite a few people who physically attended it received the Eucharist by Fr. Youhanna Hanna and Fr. Michel Chalhoub. In his homily, Fr. Youhanna commented on Chapter 10 from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans (here) and Jesus' healing of the Gadarene Demoniacs (Matthew chapter 8 here).

The reader may wish to read more about the Divine Liturgy in the Greek Catholic Church here.