Morning Voice

May 12, 2024. Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – B. Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9; Eph 1:17-23 orEph 4:1-13 or 4:1-7, 11-13; Mk 16:15-20. “Go and teach all nations, says the Lord; I am with you always, until the end of the world.” Mt 28:20 A Hebrew proverb says: “The world's like a ladder: one ascends, and one descends.” A Maori proverb adds: “Many make the descent to eternal darkness but few ascend to heaven.” When we profess our faith, in the Credo, here is what we say: "He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end." The Ascension of the Lord is a mystery that flows from his resurrection. But above all, it is a mystery that is deeply rooted in his Incarnation. It is because he once descended to be one of us that now he is ascending to be one with God. The one who as Christmas shared into our humanity, bore that humanity,

May 5, 2024. Sixth Sunday of Easter – B. Readings: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; 1Jn 4:7-10; Jn 15:9-17. “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love…” John 15:9 A Bantu proverb says: “A mother of twins should have impartial breasts.” An Indian proverb adds: “If you are buying a cow, make sure that the price of the tail is included.” One of the greatest and most beautiful truths that we learn from the Resurrection of the Lord is that the Salvation of God is an offer to all. God shows no partiality. Or to sing it with the Psalmist, “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.” In the teaching of the Church, the doctrine of universal salvation is known as Apokatastasis or Apocatastasis. It is said that in theology, apocatastasis is the restoration of creation to a condition of perfection. It is a form of Christian universalism that includes the ultimate salvation of everyone—including the damned in Hell and the Devil. The New Testame

April 28, 2024. Fifth Sunday of Easter – B. Readings: Acts 9:26-31; Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32; 1 Jn3:18-24; Jn 15:1-8. “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Jn 15:5 A Dutch proverb says: “The strength of a tree lies in its roots, not in its branches.” A Sicilian proverb adds: “If the tree doesn't bear fruit, cut it off at the base.” While celebrating the Good Shepherd Sunday last Sunday, an emphasis was put on Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation, the only name in whom and through whom we are saved. Peter made it clear to the people: "There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." Jesus alone, we said. For he alone is the Good Shepherd, the one able to lay down his life for us, his sheep. Today's readings, mostly the 2nd Reading and the Gospel, continue on the centrality of Jesus. The Lord makes another categoric claim and insists on our need to be with him

April 21, 2024. Fourth Sunday of Easter – B. Good Shepherd Sunday – Vocation Sunday. Readings: Acts 4:8-12; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29; 1Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18. A German proverb says: “Straying shepherd, straying sheep.” A Russian proverb adds: “The wolf can always be hired very cheaply as a shepherd.” "There is no salvation through anyone else..." (Acts 4:12) At Easter, what we celebrate is the centrality of Christ. He alone died on the Cross for sinners, and he alone rose again to life on the third day for all. He is the reason of the season and the cause and instrument of human salvation. Besides him, there is no other cause and source of salvation. There is a famous saying of Cyprian of Carthage (+258), in Patristic and Ecclesiology, "Salus extra ecclesiam non est" ("there is no salvation outside the Church"), from Letter LXXII that raised great discussion among theologians and experts, but that holds a key truth. If we accept the Chur

April 14, 2024. Third Sunday of Easter – B. Readings: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Ps 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9; 1 Jn2:1-5a; Lk 24:35-48. “Those who say, "I know him," but do not keep his commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them.” 1 John 2:4 A Sicilian proverb questions: “What good is faith if you don't live by it.” A Suyin proverb adds: “Faith is confirmed by the heart, confessed by the tongue, and acted upon by the body.” The Resurrection of Christ is a mystery that goes beyond any other. It is the supreme mystery of our faith. As we say in the Anamnesis, it is the per excellence, "Mysterium Fidei." In it, we affirm that Jesus is truly the Messiah that was announced by all the Prophets and the Ancient Scriptures. The key, however, that opens to that Mysterium is faith itself. Without faith, the resurrection of Christ is just a fantastic story but not a fact. It could be like any modern and postmodern legends such as the story of Superman, Harry Potter, or

April 7, 2024. Second Sunday of Easter - Sunday of Divine Mercy – B. Readings: Acts 4:32-35; Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 Jn5:1-6; Jn 20:19-31. "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Jn 20:23 A Chinese proverb says: “The Buddha has mercy even on the meanest thing.” A Filipino proverb adds: “Mercy resides in God; deeds are in men.” At Easter, what we really celebrate is a regeneration, a new birth, and a new opportunity offered to sinners. The Lord, by dying on the Cross, took away our evilness and made us new creatures. This newness opens us to new life. We are given to rediscover our original beauty that we lost in sin. It is a journey of purification that finds its origin in God's everlasting and always renewed love. We are celebrating today, the second Sunday of Easter, the Divine Mercy Sunday. Our opening prayer already gives the tune of our celebration: "God of everlasting mercy, who in

March 30, 2024. Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter – B. Readings: Gn 1:1—2:2; Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24,35; Gn 22:1-18; Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11; Ex 14:15—15:1; Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6,17-18; Is 54:5-14; Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13; Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6;Bar 3:9-15, 32--4:4; Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11; Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28; Ps 42:3, 5; 43:3,4; Rom 6:3-11; Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Mark 16:1-7. “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.” Mark 16:6 A Romanian proverb says: “When the night is darkest, the dawn is nearest.” A Cameroonian proverb adds: “The darkness of night cannot stop the light of morning.” This is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Ex 12: 42). This is the day the Lord has made, in it let us rejoice and be glad. This is a night worth thousands of nights. On this very night, the book is open, the greatest of all mysteries is written and read. Christ, the Lord has risen from the dead, Alleluia! T

March 29, 2024. Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion. Readings: Is 52:13—53:12; Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25;Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1—19:42. "He himself was wounded for our sins." Isaiah 53:5 An Arabic proverb says: “Only a mother can understand the suffering of a son.” An Ashanti proverb adds: “Pain is inevitable suffering is optional.” What we celebrate today, Good Friday, is suffering. The suffering Son of God, the suffering Mother of God. We are called to revive and meditate on the suffering our Lord Jesus Christ went through for our salvation. As says the Prophet Isaiah in the fourth oracle of the Servant of the Lord, "He himself was wounded for our sins." Jesus is truly the incarnation of that suffering servant. And like Mary, his Mother, we too are urged to take our share in the Lord's suffering. On this Good Friday, let us orient our reflection, meditation, and thoughts on the reality of suffering. Jesus suffered and died on the Cross to

March 28, 2024. Holy Thursday - the Lord’s Supper – B. Readings: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18; 1Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” 1 Cor 11:26 An Indian proverb says: “Service is greatness.” A Congolese proverb adds: “A river that forgets its source will soon dry out.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting Lumen Gentium 11, says about the Holy Eucharist: "The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch." CCC 1324 Therefore, we are assembled to celebrate today what gives strength, meaning, and direction to our lives as Christians. We celebrate the bond

March 24, 2024. Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. Readings:  Mk 11:1-10; Is 50:4-7; Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24; Phil2:6-11; Mk 14:1—15:47. “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!” Mk 11:10 A Kikuyu proverb says: “To be praised is to be ruined.” An Akan proverb adds: “He is a fool who praises the fruit of a tree and forgets its roots.” Mankind is emotionally oriented. And our emotions can change from one moment to another. The ancient philosophers spoke of human versatility, that is, a capacity to turn from one situation to another one at a glimpse. Taken in a certain sense, this is a very positive characteristic. The word versatility describes having many different skills or qualities. Versatility allows you to adapt to many different situations. Nevertheless, when it comes to emotional and interpersonal relationships, being versatile could be a quite negative thing with st

March 17, 2024. Fifth Sunday of Lent – B. Readings: Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15; Heb 5:7-9; Jn12:20-33. “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." (Jn 12:23) "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant..." (Jer 31:31) An Ashanti proverb says: “However long the night, the dawn will break.” A Native American Hopi proverb adds: “Take a breath of the new dawn and make it a part of you.” In these days, we Christians and the whole Church are like people staring, hopefully waiting for a new dawn. Reading and meditating on today's word of God, the lyrics of a reggae song from the Ivorian Reggae Star, Alpha Blondy came to my mind. The title is New Dawn. Quite very adapted to our liturgy today. He sings: "Since you told me that you love me. I did everything you asked me. Now you're gone with the dawn. I keep on wandering, wandering, wandering all alone. I keep on struggling, struggling on my own. And I'm starin

March 10, 2024. Fourth Sunday of Lent – Lætare – B. Readings: 2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23; Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6; Eph2:4-10; Jn 3:14-21. A Spanish proverb says: “Every season brings its joy.” A Russian proverb adds: “After a storm fair weather, after sorrow joy.” There is a kind of joy that springs from today's liturgy. It is a joy that comes from hope. Amidst all the sorrowful and heartbreaking events of life, optimistic people will always find a reason to rejoice. While pessimists give up on fate and happenings, optimists and positivists see always a glimpse of a better future. The lure of tomorrow shines through how we see and look at today. We are today, the 4th Sunday of Lent, in Latin, Laetare Sunday, or Sunday of Joy. It is a prophetic joy for the future Resurrection of the Lord and our resurrection with him. It is a joy beforehand. That joy is fed on hope. Thus, the entrance antiphon: "Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult

March 3, 2024. Third Sunday of Lent – B. Readings: Ex 20:1-17; Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11; 1 Cor 1:22-25; Jn2:13-25. A Sicilian proverb says: “When the hunting dog barks it's a signal that the prey is near.” A Swahili proverb adds: “Clouds are the sign of rain.” Someone, one day came to me with this question, “Father, how much is the wedding in your parish? My companion and I would like you to be the one officiating our wedding.” I smiled and answered, “How much is your love for your partner?” And that is a sad reality. Sacraments and liturgical services are not for sale. They are priceless. But the practice and the reality make people think that we sell them. For a baptism, we fix fees. For confirmation we have fees. For weddings, not only the gathering of documents is costly, but there is also a fee. Blessings and some other liturgical acts are also accompanied by donations… So people think we sell them. Jesus, today, comes to give us a sign. He purifies the temple so that we too