My Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
Jesus’ question to Martha “Do you believe this?” is the crux of our faith journey this Lenten season. Martha’s response was “Yes,” a fiat to the realization of Jesus’ true identity and now her understanding of the fulfillment of her pilgrimage in faith. She is transfigured by this assent, and her own path will be one of more fervently following God and adjoining others to do the same.
Just four weeks ago, we stood before God and received ashes, marking our heart to return to God; to examine where our weakness is, and responding with holy change in our daily living. There were promises of more prayer, more charity, more offering of God’s love to one another. There were resolves to forgive and heal. Pope Leo XIV said on Ash Wednesday, “Lent urges us toward a change of direction — conversion — that makes our proclamation more credible.”
Now as we approach Holy Week, as we take the steps with Jesus more intimately to the Cross, we can ask ourselves, “Do you believe this?” God promised to put His spirit in each one of us that we may live. St. Paul says, “you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you” (Rom 8:9). No matter where our journey has led us thus far, if we have been faithful and opened our eyes to see what is being born, what is growing, and allow our soul to serve God, then we are already on the journey as Martha was, transfigured by God’s goodness, imbued within our whole being.
Jesus thirsts for each one to return to God. Out of matchless love, He took all of our transgressions, from age to age to eternity, and bore them on the Cross, suffered the pain of our rejection, and forgives to set our heart free. He leaves us Himself, Jesus the Eucharist, opening our heart to Divine love, compelling our heart to love Divinely.
Jesus takes time to pray, as the tomb of Lazarus is open, to ask the Father for His attention and love. For the remainder of this Lenten season, take time to pray. Ask God to strengthen family ties and friendships; ask God for courage to participate in this strengthening. Ask God to guide you to be an instrument of His Peace within your own home, within the confines of your daily living, that His Peace may spread to all hearts this Holy Week. Look upon each person you meet as a person of God’s blessing and offer that person the light of the world. Pray about the things that are difficult for you to bear and remember Jesus carried your difficulties on the Cross. May God’s suffering unburden you and make safe your heart, that you may grow in charity.
I invite you to participate in the celebration of the Chrism Mass Monday, March 30, 11 a.m. at Holy Family Parish, 5125 S. Apopka-Vineland Rd., Orlando. The Chrism Mass is an invitation for the Church to acknowledge the essential of our daily living, Jesus the Eucharist. It is a beautiful presentation of the oils of anointing which are used throughout the liturgical year to bring forth the Sacraments of Initiation, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders. We announce the Oil of Catechumens, Oil of the Sick, and Oil of Holy Chrism to God and ask Him to bless them that we might continue to imbue His dwelling place with the splendor of holiness by all the people.
During the Chrism Mass, the priest concelebrants reaffirm their ministry by renewing the promises made at Ordination. We were anointed with the oil of Holy Chrism, the oil of gladness, the Holy Spirit, to serve God’s people as priests of His Son. Together we pray to God, the author of the Sacraments and bestower of life, that we bring to completion the growth of His Church until she reaches the measure of fullness He proclaims through all ages.
Let us continue this Lenten season as a time for our most sincere reflection of who we are as a people of God and how we are living our sacramental Covenant through, with, and in Him. May we share Martha’s faith-filled “Yes” as Jesus asks, “Do you believe this?”