The fulfillment of the Gospel

Today, we do not consider any particular Gospel, inasmuch it is a day with no liturgy. But, with Mary, the only one who stayed firm in faith and hope after the tragic death of her Son, we shall prepare ourselves, in silence and in prayer, to celebrate the feast of our liberation in Christ, that is, the fulfillment of the Gospel.
The sequential coincidence of events between our Lord’s Death and Resurrection and the annual Jewish celebration of Passover, commemoration of their liberation from slavery in Egypt, allows us to understand the feeling of liberation spread by the Cross of Jesus, new Paschal lamb whose blood preserves us from death.
Another less remarkable time coincidence, but, nevertheless, rich in meaning, refers to the weekly Jewish holiday of the "Sabbat". It is observed from sundown on Friday, when the mothers in the family turn on the lights in every Jewish home, until dusk on Saturday. This is a reminder that after the work of creation, after having created the world out of nothing, the seventh day God rested. He wished man to rest also the seventh day, as thanksgiving of the beauty of the Creator’s work, and as a sign of the covenant of love between God and Israel. In the Jewish Sabbat liturgy God is invoked as the Israel spouse. The Sabbath is the day that encourages everyone to welcome the peace of God, His "Shalom".
In this way, after the painful work of the Cross, «variation where man is forged again» according to Catherine of Siena’s own words, Jesus begins His rest at the very moment when the first lights of Sabbat are turned on: "It is finished" (Jn 19:30).
Now the work of the new creation has been completed: man, once prisoner of the oblivion of sin, becomes a new creature in Christ. A new covenant between God and mankind, that no one will ever shatter, has just been sealed. Henceforth, all infidelity may be washed in the blood and water that flow from the cross.
The letter to the Hebrews says: «there remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God» (Heb 4:9). Our faith in Christ gives us access to it. That He gives us our true rest, our deep peace, not for one day, but for life, and that it may be a total hope in God's infinite mercy, according to the invitation of Psalm 16: «my flesh also dwells secure, for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol». That with a new heart we shall prepare ourselves to celebrate in joy the wedding of the Lamb and that we let us get fully married for the love of God in Christ.

Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples

Gospel text ( L uke 11,1-4): One day Jesus was praying in a certain place and when He had finished, one of his disciples said to him, «Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples». And Jesus said to them, «When you pray, say this: Father, hallowed be your name, may your kingdom come, give us each day the kind of bread we need, and forgive us our sins, for we also for-give all who do us wrong, and do not bring us to the test»

Money

Is money the ultimate goal, the end of all means? Nowadays, it seems, everything is not just measured in terms of money, but everything needs to be, has to be, in terms of money. Money is set as the goal, over anything. Money is meant to be just a media for exchange of goods and services, not a goal on itself, yet our society has corrupted onto making of money a statement beyond life, family, marriage and most definitively above love and truth. Such a philosophy has degraded our souls to the point of denying everything that is in conflict with the value of money. Even when charity is concerned, it seems mercy can only be measured in monetary terms, as if charity could be measured by anyone except God alone. If there is crusade or cause to be enrolled, the only acceptable way has been institutionalized as the amount of money it can be contributed, regardless of the individual efforts that could be applied or spent.

A matter of life or death

Maybe I am the only one in Ontario, ‘experiencing’ a confrontation with the 407ETR corporation, or maybe not. So far it seems the fact is that I am not, that many out there are subjected to billing from the corporation. No, I am not saying unfair, discriminatory or any of the kind, but I am going to say, unsupported and unsubstantiated. The issue of the matter is that the corporation, for some presumably important reason, is blessed by the province of Ontario to have the ability to stop the licensing of any individual who fail to pay the corporation anything they ask for even if they apparently, are not able to support with facts what they claim.

Cesar Fernandez-Stoll

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