#7LASTWORD "Today you will be with me in paradise!"

Today you will be with me in paradise!

Verily, I say unto you, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. Lk 23:43

Today you will be with me in paradise. These words of Jesus was his response to the one who asked Him, Lord remember me when you will be in your Kingdom. Today defines the actual moment, like: «give us today our daily bread ». The adverb of time that is commonly use to indicate: “at the present time”, “at this time” or “very soon”.  But “time” has two connotations in greek: the Kronos  and the Kairos.  The first one refers to the indefinite continued progress of existence and events, measured in hours, minutes and seconds. But the latter, the Kairos, is the “opportune time”; “the proper or the favorable time for action”.

Today you will be with me in paradise. There was an immediate reply with no further a due or demand of request. Jesus knew so well that the man who was asking him to be “remembered” wasn’t a morally upright person or a temple goer. He was hanged there and crucified because he deserved of such punishment as a criminal.

Salvation comes from the Lord. It’s not fruit of our merits and labors, or some exaggerated religiosities, because God can raise up children for Abraham out of the stones (cfr. Lk 3:8; Mt 3:9), God doesn't need religious men and women to manifest His power and might, somehow what a believer can do is to produce fruit  in keeping with repentance. Thus, God can do wonders. Jesus himself doesn't like those who pray and babble like pagans, thinking that they would be heard because of their many words (Mt 6:7). This "criminal" got the right password of hope: "Remember me Lord..."

Faith and repentance go together. Lately, because of CoVid-19, there are a lot of Apocalyptic pastors disseminating fear, urging repentance and coming back to God. But surely it’s not because of love and faith, but out of Fear. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 Jn 4,18)

The “converted criminal” has not done nothing to be deserving of paradise, but he has loved Jesus as his God because of what he has witnessed, so he confessed:

“We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Lk 23:41-42

Prayer
Jesus, I know that my good actions aren’t enough to save myself from any punishment because of my sins.  I humbly come to you and ask your Holy Spirit that I may believe and increase my faith.

Loving Father in heaven, I ask forgiveness to all my sins in the name of Jesus and I declare your work of redemption, remembering the greatest expression of your love to all mankind by allowing your only Son to die on Cross so to save all men.

Because of this, I ask you Loving Father, healing from my pains and my sufferings caused by ….. (name the cause), and I also pray for the healing of those who are suffering right now because of the Corona Virus.

Thank you Jesus, thank you for giving me today this certainty, today is the opportune time of my salvation, the favorable time of my deliverance and healing. I worship you my Lord and I adore you now and forever.

The priceless love

#holymonday #openup #ephphatha

The pouring of the costly perfumed oil at the feet of Jesus and drying it up with her hair is a concrete demonstration of love. It’s priceless. It has no economic value, it contains the quality of a pure sentiment. The love of a person who have crossed over to a lot of sins. There’s no bitterness in her heart remained or any resentment, simply a new total capacity of loving.

The whole house was filled by its fragrance. Her life was totally changed so Mary offered the best that she could. This is the beauty and the newness that we should learn in Mary’s act of adoration. Unconditional love received so in return she offered the best, so Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial.” Nobody could stop her love, all her sins were forgiven. 

Conversion is not just becoming good, it’s becoming more beautiful. An explosion of the whole personhood giving the most colorful and meaningful sense of ones existence. That’s why Mary Magdalene was the first one to meet the Resurrected Christ, while Judah died killing his miserable life. Mary’s crossover from sin was marked by the grace and mercy that the Lord has offere.  Indeed, she was the first to see and announce the resurrection of the Lord.

Unless we come to a real and personal encounter with Jesus, our life will remain a tomb of pains and frustrations. No prayers and novenas can change us. We just turn to be haters and negative to all. We will continually hide to the religious practices but everything will be a lie because there’s no betterment and signs of compassion. 

Prayer:

Father God, 

I honor your mercy and goodness offered to me. 

I worship you because despite of my sinfulness you have given me the ultimate happiness, Jesus.

Touch me Jesus, and allow me to keep you dearly in my heart as I offer you the most precious thing in me (from the secret of your heart offer Jesus the best that you can).

Wrap me oh Holy Spirit of your light that I may repent all my sins and you may heal my brokenness.

From the Gospel according to John

JN 12:1-11

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,

where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and annointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;

the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,

and the one who would betray him, said,

“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages

and given to the poor?”

He said this not because he cared about the poor

but because he was a thief and held the money bag

and used to steal the contributions.

So Jesus said, “Leave her alone.

Let her keep this for the day of my burial.

You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,

not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,

whom he had raised from the dead.

And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,

because many of the Jews were turning away

and believing in Jesus because of him.

#7LASTWORD "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

THE SEVEN LAST WORD

The seven last words of Jesus on the cross are the transcendence of hope.  Jesus cross over all the darkness of night and abandons himself confidently into the arms of his Father. It is the cry of the dying, the groan of the despairing, the entreaty of the lost. It is Jesus!

On these 7 days before Easter, it's beautiful to meditate these precious last words of our Light and Hope, the Kyrios (The Lord), who died and resurrected.

First Day: "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO." Lk 23:34

The first word, is acknowledgment and respectful address of a child to the one who gives him life: "Father", "Abba", "Papa", "Dad", etc. Jesus had always the KNOWLEDGE of BEING THE SON.

Jesus said: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. John 5:19-20

Jesus until the end never forgot that all He did wasn't for His own glory, but everything was in obedience to the will of the Father.  The will of the Father is the conversion of the sinner and not his death.

The worst sin is ignorance, when one ignores what is right and what is just. Many sinned by ignorance because they never have known the signs of hope. Hope that comes from the love of the Father that gives strength to a true conversion. The knowledge of hope that the "PRODIGAL SON" had, the BEAUTIFUL MEMORY OF HIS FATHER'S HOUSE: “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

The TRUE HOPE that the devil doesn't want to let people know is THE FORGIVENESS that REDEEMS & RESTORES:  ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. (cfr. Lk 15)

BRING THE BEST ROBE - it's giving back ones dignity, because SIN causes curse and death, destroys the interior dress of being children of the Father.

PUT A RING ON HIS FINGER - the ring means the "SONSHIP", being Son of the Father, the "BELONGINGNESS"; the RING that brings the EMBLEM of the family.

BRING SANDALS ON HIS FEET - remove the uneasyness caused by being barefooted, thus, it's giving back the total security to the beloved. 

LET'S  FEAST AND CELEBRATE - Eucharist (thanksgiving), Convivial celebration, the REJOICING AND the WORSHIP - the FEAST OF JOY, the Eating-Together: Communion.


Prayer:

Jesus, by your Cross you have redeemed the world.
Let your blood be on me, so to heal me and cleanse every curse caused by my sins and to all those sins that are on my bloodline.
Jesus, let your Cross be in my thoughts so rid out every memory of fear and trauma, and your Holy Spirit can guide me with better thoughts and ideas.
Holy Father, remind me always of your INFINITE LOVE, a love with no-measures because it's endless.
This I pray in your name Jesus, my Lord and my Savior.

The Palm Sunday

Why Palm Sunday is important for Christians?

It’s the milestone of the resurrection of the Lord. A week before Easter. 

It’s importance is on the declaration of Jesus as Kyrios in Greek which means Lord. The Lordship of Jesus and His triumphant entrance to the city of Jerusalem.

It marks the beginning of the Holy Week.The symbolism of the palm which indicates the traditional symbol of victory and it was spread out on the streets because the people has considered Him as the Messiah who will drive out the Roman Empire’s domination in the Holy Land. This great event is truely huge, but the clumsy thing was the King of kings on a donkey, not on a stallion or on a warrior horse. 

What makes Palm Sunday of Year 2020 special?

The victory of Jesus’ Lordship in the hearts of all the believers, not so much on the palms and branches on the streets, but rejoicing in His reign of Peace amidst fear and desperation of the Corona Virus in every place of the world.  

The victory that comes from His mercy despite of all the limitations to exercise rituals and processions. This demonstrates that faith can’t be under arrest, it won’t be seized by any viruses. The powerful sign that can tackle fear and solitude is the strength that radiates from the heart of Jesus, His heart near to our pains and miseries.

Nothing can stop the hope that the Church celebrates on this Passover, as we proclaim the glorious hope of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

Mysterium fidei...The mystery of faith

• Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
• Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory.
• When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory.
• Lord, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free. You are the Saviour of the world.

Those who think they know so much about God.

Luke 11: Woes on the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law

³⁷ When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸ But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

      
³⁹ Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

- The hypocrisy of these <religious people> The Pharisees who are fixated to the juridical observance of the Law, neglecting what is essential.

- Practicing almsgiving is the best form of spiritual cleansing and purification.

⁴² “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

- Woe : literally means “Curse” - an ill Will of Jesus to those who give so much money to the religious groups, churches and associations but then who don’t do what is correct and honest to the people.

- Giving the Tenth Percent as an Offering but neglecting what is fair and just causes bad fortune and disaster.

- It’s opposite to God’s favor and protection.

⁴³ “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.
⁴⁴ “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”
⁴⁵ One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

- It’s terrible to think that a person who gives so much care of his personal image as honorable and distinct, considering ones glory as the highest regard; then cursed by our Lord as equivalent to nobody, estimated like an unmarked grave where people walks over with no care and respect.

⁴⁶ Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

- Putting loads to the shoulder of the common people without giving a hand, is the same as telling them certain difficult obligations and precepts to be done without considering the possibilities and the means of certain category of persons. Like for example creating fears and threats in the minds of the believers without giving them a glimpse of hope.

⁴⁷ “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. ⁴⁸ So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ ⁵⁰ Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

⁵² “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

- There’s a saying : the shoemaker left with no shoes. Experts of the Law who don’t observe the law and prohibit others to know it too. Curse to them. Hypocrites!

⁵³ When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, ⁵⁴ waiting to catch him in something he might say.