He said: Freely, freely, you have received Freely, freely give. Go in My name, and because you believe, Others will know that I live.

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1 5 th Sunday B Lent THE LORD FORGIVES Allan Moss OMI First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34 Response: A pure heart create for me, O God (Ps.50:12) Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 50: ) Second Reading: Hebrews 5:7-9 Gospel: John 12: God promises to forgive the sins of his people. Yeshua, Jesus, is the revelation of mercy, love and forgiveness. He came not only for people of old times but touches and forgives us today as the Risen Lord who died for us. God forgave my sin in Jesus name. I ve been born again in Jesus name. And in Jesus name I come to you To share His love as He told me to. He said: Freely, freely, you have received Freely, freely give. Go in My name, and because you believe, Others will know that I live. (Carol Owens) In the old covenant of the Law, God dealt with His people through intermediaries. In the new covenant, he deals with us directly through his Son. I will make a new covenant (Jer.31:31) not like the one I made with their ancestors (ibid). The old covenant meant living under the law. The new covenant of love challenges us to live in Christ with a new heart where God will forgive their iniquity and will never call their sin to mind (Jer.31:34). Psalm 50 expresses an ancient cry of a broken heart that yearns for healing and forgiveness, in your compassion blot out my offence (Ps.50:1) We have reason for hope as God reaches out to us in forgiveness of our sins and touches the very depths of our being. A pure heart create for me, O God (Ps.50:12). The promised Messiah, Yeshua, became one like us so that when God looks upon his people he sees his Son, offering up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears (Heb. 5:7). We here identify with the priesthood of Yeshua, Jesus. The letter to the Hebrews explains how: He learnt to obey and became the source of eternal salvation (Heb.5:8). It means dying to self and rising to new life, from kenosis, self-emptying to resurrection. For such is hour for Son of Man to be glorified (Jn.12:28) and is wrought our salvation and forgiveness. This is why Yeshua refers to his dying on the cross as when I am lifted up from the earth (Jn.12:32) and humanity is lifted with him into the Kingdom of Heaven. The whole Tradition of our faith is based on this important moment in the life of Yeshua, of dying to self and rising to new life. Study the parable of Yeshua s life, the grain of wheat (Jn.12:24), to be the parable of your life too.

2 Separation of Body and Blood of Christ on the altar testifies his death. Communion is new life by the power of his resurrection. See how Holy Communion separates us from sin. (CCC. 1393). All power is given in Jesus name, In earth and heaven in Jesus name. And in Jesus name I come to you To share His power as He told me to. He said: Freely, freely, you have received Freely, freely give. Go in My name, and because you believe, Others will know that I live. We have to learn to die to sinful self so that the Mashiah, Christ, becomes more alive in us. When last did you go to Confession? How soon will you go again? Use the grace of Lent. FOR THE CHILDREN Read the Gospel. Talk about how a grain of wheat that dies and yields a rich harvest. (Scripture) Explain how we celebrate the sacrifice of Christ and new life in the Eucharist. Teach children the meaning of forgiveness and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. (Liturgy) (Doctrine) Those who made First Confession, be encouraged to receive the sacrament again. Those who have not, be encouraged to learn about the sacrament and pray for forgiveness. (Witness) FOR TEENAGERS (Christian Praxis) My Present Action: Your Story and Vision: Church s Story: Church s Story and Your Story: What is your understanding of sin and forgiveness? How does sin and forgiveness feature in your life? Explain the Church s teaching on I believe in the forgiveness of sin (Apostle s Creed). What are your experiences of the forgiveness of sins? Your Vision and Church s Vision: To work with the Church in healing and forgiveness. RCIA Confession is the common word for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. For the action of God to be operative in the sacrament, there has to be, on the penitent s part, honesty and humility. It involves admitting your sins, being sorry for them and confessing them. Humility is opposite to pride. It is accepting one s faults and humbly trusting in God s workings of truth, love and forgiveness, in self and in others. LIFE EXPERIENCE There is much talk of sin and corruption in the land, including our leadership. The integrity of our

3 president of South Africa and his predecessor is debatable. The prospect of the next one is more debatable. We had two questionable judges circumventing the law with interminable litigations. The public wonders how much honesty and truth is in our leaders. Ancient wisdom of the Egyptians say false oracles disturb the plans of gods and don t use for yourself the might of god (i). Confessing a fault or admitting a mistake requires humility. Pope Benedict XVI, our Church leader, admits it(ii). The Church can show the way, not only by its teaching but by example. (i) Ancient Egyptian Liturature. M.Lichtheim. Vol.II. Ch.20:14, 15. (opus cit. vid. 4th Sunday Lent). (ii) Papal Letter on Society of St. Pius X. From the Vatican (Zenit.org) N.B: The wisdom of the ancients is but the scent of the rose. The rose is Christ, the truth, the way and the life, as fully revealed in Church and New Testament. LITTLE ANGELINA Angelina could not fully understand the tension between her mother and her aunt Maggie. The season being Lent, and they both staunch Mauritians, opted for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. She saw them talking again. She did not understand her father whispering about them being traditional enemies in an internecine war and their game of one-upmanship. But she knew the pattern, after Easter they will argue again. Grown-ups are decidedly altogether extraordinary. (i) (i) DE SAINT EXUPERY Antoine. THE LITTLE PRINCE. Translation T. Cuffe. Penguin Books, London P.47. The Little Prince is a novella by Antoine de St. Exupery. He writes in an autobiographic genre of a child. He meets the little prince who asks him to draw a picture. When looking at the drawing, the little prince sees it as a snake swallowing an elephant. The narrator is pleasantly surprised because adults see it as just a hat. When he draws a box, the prince sees sheep inside. Here is someone who sees more than what meets the eye. The little prince comes from an asteroid with vulcanoes, boabab trees and a special rose. When on earth, among other experiences, he tames a desert fox who says: You become responsible for ever, for what you have tamed (ii) and teaches him the importance of the rose that is special to him. Finally, the little prince has to die on earth in order to go back home to his world. The narrator asks if grown-ups will ever understand the significance of it all. And it can be tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them. (iii) (ii) DE ST. EXUPERY Antoine. Opus cit. p.72 (iii) DE ST. EXUPERY Antoine. Opus cit. p.6. IMPORTANT WORD: Confession Confession in all its definitions involves honesty and humility. This stance before God and neighbor, is a Christian witness. St. Paul tells us that we must keep a clear conscience toward God and toward men (Acts 24:16). St. John Cassian mentions that through confession you have brought him (Satan) down more completely than when you yourself were down (i) in sin. (i) JOHN CASSIAN Conferences. Translat. C. Luibheid. Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press p.69. St. John Cassian ( A.D.) a theologian, was a hermit who moved from the Syrian to Egyptian deserts and brought his spirituality to the West, Gaul. From it Celtic spirituality also developed, renowned for its love of nature, scripture, poetry and laus perennis (unceasing prayer). Discretion (right thinking) and need for guidance are important. He mentions how a hermit died falling down a well believing he would survive because of his virtues. Many a monk erred because of ignorance. A hermit should first live in community for guidance before going into solitude. Instruction and reading good literature are important. The ascetic strives for union with the greatest Mind (Truth) and bases his actions (morality) on Love. The Kingdom of God does not lie in talk but in virtuous living. (ii) Philosophically, Cassian s thinking is more along the lines of Plato s archetypes than the thorns of Aristotle. (iii) His Conferences, reveal his deep insights into spiritual life, based on purity of heart, scripture and sacraments.

4 (ii) JOHN CASSIAN p.176. (iii) Ibid. Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn.1:29) Watchword: And sinners may return to you (Ps.50:13/15). Hebrew:. Wexata im eleykha yoshuvu. Greek: 5 4 Φ,,4Η,Β4 Φ,,Β4Φϑ,Ρ ΛΦ4. Kai asebeis epi se epistrepsousi. Latin: Et impii ad te convertentur. Zulu: Nezoni ziyakuphendukela kuwe. -o0o0o- EARLY CHRISTIAN LITERATURE 2. Lost GOSPEL OF Q (A.D ) Critical Text of Q No Q document as such has yet been found. Hypothetically, and even with certainty, it is considered a writing or tradition by most scholars and seen as material that is common to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Q is from the German word Quelle meaning Source. This source/material consists basically of the sayings of Jesus, possibly the earliest collection of the Teachings of Jesus, put together in Palestine before 50 A.D. Much of its teaching seems to coincide with the writings of Qumran, a Jewish sect from around 200 B.C. that based itself on a messianic leader, called The Righteous Teacher. The sect even speaks of two messiahs leading Israel to salvation. This was written before the messianic event of Jesus in the first century A.D. This is why some call it the Gospel before Jesus. There is a striking similarity of some of its verses to the New Testament. Possibly Q was also inspired by Qumran. Q however, specifically mentions Jesus as the Messiah and some of his teachings is not found in Qumran. It is thought that two further sources were added to the original Q before it was incorporated into Matthew and Luke, about thirty years after the death of Jesus. This addition highlights Jesus as Son of God. (i) Apart from Q, are earlier traditions, such as the proclamations of the coming of the Kingdom of God, casting out demons, the Baptist, various parables and a version of the Lord s Prayer.(i) Some Christian scholars reject the idea of the Gospels based on Q and prefer the idea that the Gospels are based on common oral traditions and eye-witness accounts. A more controversial view is that the early Christians simply adapted the Teacher of Righteousness and his writings to Christ. (i) TABOR James. The Jewish Roman World of Jesus. University of North Carolina. Below are some examples of sayings alluded to the Quelle (Q) Source:

5 LOST SAYINGS OF JESUS Q. 3.8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father, for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham! Q.4.4 Q.6.29 Q.7.6 Q.7.9 Q.7.22 Q.7.34 Q Q Q Q.12.2 Q Q Q And Jesus answered, It is written, A person does not live by bread alone. Whosoever hits you on the cheek, turn the other also, and from the one taking your coat do not withhold even your suit. Centurion answered Lord I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. When Jesus heard him, he was amazed, and said to those who followed, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. And he answered and said to them Go and tell John what your hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk, lepers are made clean and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor are given good news. The son of man came eating and drinking and you say, Look, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. For truly I tell you that a many prophets and kings desired to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. When an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest and finds none. Then it says, I will return to my house from which I came. But woe to you Pharisees, for you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and neglect justice and the love of God; but these things you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Nothing is covered which will be revealed and hidden which will not be made known. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about life, what you shall eat, nor about body, what you shall put on. It is like a seed of mustard which a man took and threw into his garden. And it grew and became a tree, and the birds of heaven nested in its branches. In the kingdom you will sit on the thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. N.B.: The above sayings above, as already indicated, are not exhaustive. -o0o0o-