Allocution IV Sunday of Lent
Thank you to everyone who makes this radio broadcast possible today, Sunday, March 14, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, when there are fourteen days left until the start of Holy Week, to be celebrated from March 28 to Sunday, April 4. Today, in all Catholic churches in the world the Gospel according to Saint John chapter 3, verses 14 to 21 is read.
(GOSPEL)
The book of Numbers, which is part of the Pentateuch, in chapter 21 tells us that the people of God protested against the one who brought them out of slavery, God the Father himself. And when faced with the attack of snakes, he asked Moses to pray for them and God said to Moses: “make a snake and place it on a pole; whoever has been bitten will heal when he sees it.” Jesus Christ, referring to this biblical passage, tells us that he will be elevated, lifted up, that is, crucified, nailed to the top of the cross so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. On the cross the horrible sins of this humanity and also ours have been forgiven. We look at the crucified Christ and take a cross in our hands, before him we acknowledge our sins and promise repentance.
I confess before almighty God, before you, the only one who knows my heart and my story; before you, the only one who can forgive sins; before you, the only one who can bear my faults and repair what I have broken and before you brothers, whom I have offended and those who have offended me, who are sinners like me and who pray to you with me, who have sinned a lot in thought , word, work and omission. The good that you wanted to grant me and I have rejected and the evil that I have let myself be carried away with because it strongly seduced me. Because of my fault, and I do not look for excuses, because of my fault in which I am, because of my great fault, which separates me from you and from myself. That is why I pray to Holy Mary ever Virgin, to the angels, to the saints and to the entire Church arrived in heaven who prays for us and to you brothers, to whom I no longer want to deceive any longer, who now know everything about me and to whom I ask forgiveness and with those who stand before God, intercede for me before God, our Lord, so that you, my God, make me know your view on my life and that of my brothers and sisters, that he may place me in your arms with everything what I have done and that you forgive me for all the evil that I have done to you, to men and to my soul. Amen.
The prophet Micah tells us in chapter 7, verses 18 to 20:
What God is there like you, able to forgive sin, to overlook the lack of the rest of your inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he likes mercy, he will feel sorry for us again, he will destroy our faults, he will throw our sins into the depths of the sea. You will grant your faithfulness to Jacob and your kindness to Abraham, as you once promised to our fathers. Word of God, we praise you Lord.
And we confess when we can, we want to put ourselves on the list of those forgiven: Matthew, Sacko, Peter, the adulteress, the paralytic, the publican, the youngest and eldest son, the woman in the house of the Pharisee Simon.
(SINGING)
Evil, sin, leaves great damage to the offended person, sometimes irreparable damage. A good person heard bad things about a friend and spread that news throughout the neighborhood. Some time later he realized that what he had said was false and asked a priest how to repair the damage. The priest responded:
-Kill a chicken, collect all the feathers, put them in a sack and throw them into the air through the streets of the town.
The man, very happy with what was so easy, took the bag of feathers and in one day he had released them all. He returned to the priest:
-I’m done.
-That’s the easiest part. Now you must fill the bag again with the same feathers that you dropped. Go out into the street and look for them.
The man felt very sad, because he knew what that meant and he couldn’t find almost any. Upon returning, the wise priest said to him:
-Just as you could not gather back all the feathers that flew in the wind, likewise the evil you did flew from mouth to mouth and the damage has already been done. The only thing you can do is ask for forgiveness from God and your friend, because there is no way to repair everything you did. Next time tell all the good things about people and keep quiet about what others say about the bad things, because most of the time this news is totally false.
(SINGING)
The Pope in Erbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, on March 7 said:
“Dear brothers and sisters: God does not let us die in our sin. Even when we turn our backs on Him, He does not abandon us to our own fate. He seeks us, follows us, to call us to repentance and to purify us. ‘I swear on my life,’ oracle of God, ‘that I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather in his turning from his evil ways and living.’ The Lord wants us to be saved and to be living temples of his love, in brotherhood, in service and in mercy.
”Jesus not only purifies us from our sins, but also makes us sharers in his own strength and wisdom. It frees us from a way of understanding faith, family, community that divides, that opposes, that excludes, so that we can build a Church and a society open to everything and caring towards our brothers and sisters most in need. And at the same time it strengthens us, so that we know how to resist the temptation to seek revenge, which plunges us into a spiral of endless retaliation.
”With the strength of the Holy Spirit he sends us, not to proselytize, but as his disciples, missionary men and women and loved ones, to witness that the Gospel has the power to change lives. The Risen One makes us instruments of God’s peace and mercy, he makes us patient and brave artisans of a new social order. Thus, through the power of Christ and his Spirit, what the apostle Paul prophesied to the Corinthians happens: ‘What seems like folly in God is wiser than anything human, and what seems like weakness in God is stronger than everything. the human’. “Christian communities formed by humble and simple people become a sign of the Kingdom that is coming, the Kingdom of love, justice and peace.”
After we receive the mercy of God, who always forgives, comes peace, tranquility, light. The Bible tells us about this light: “For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5, 8).
“You are the light of the world. “A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5, 14).
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119)
“This is the message that we have heard from him and announce to you: ‘God is light and there is no darkness in Him.’” (1 John 1, 5).
“God is my light and my salvation, who shall I fear? God is the strength of my life, of whom should I be afraid?” (Psalm 27).
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome it.” (John 1, 5).
“But if we walk in the light, as Christ is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1, 7).
(SINGING)
The book of Numbers in chapter 21, verse 8, reminds us of the emblem of medicine, the snake on a pole. This memory leads us to pray for those who work for our health.
Voice: Father God, I thank you for the doctors that you have placed on the path of my life, remember what they have done for me and my family. Thanks to you and them.
Lord Jesus Christ, they have been good Samaritans for me and mine, do not forget to reward us in this life and in the eternal. Holy Spirit continues to grant your gift of science to doctors, dentists and nurses so that they can serve their neighbors with heart and find ethical ways of healing and overcome illnesses with your creative grace. Saint Mary of Charity pray for health, peace, family harmony and joy to those who care for my ailments and make them happy in their service. Blessed José Olallo Valdés presents to God the Father my prayers so that those who look after my health may form a beautiful family in their home, Church and workplace. Amen.
(SINGING)
Next Friday we celebrate the solemnity of San José. We congratulate all the communities that have Saint Joseph as their patron and those who bear the name of Joseph. The saints tell us about Saint Joseph:
“Saint Joseph took the small hands of Jesus and, raising them to the sky, said: ‘Stars of heaven, behold the hands that created you. Oh Sun, here is the arm that pulled you out of nowhere.’” (Blessed William Joseph Chaminade).
“What many kings and prophets desired to see and did not see, desired to hear and did not hear, was allowed to Saint Joseph. Not only see and hear but carry, guide, embrace, kiss, feed and protect the Messiah made child.” (Saint Bernard of Clairvaux).
“Noble Saint Joseph, I rejoice because God found you worthy of having this eminent position, through which, established as the father of Jesus, he saw him whose commands heaven and earth obey, submitting to your authority.” (Saint Alphonsus Maria Ligorio).
“Joseph was the first worshiper, the first religious.” (Saint Peter Emiart).
“Do you not know that the son of God preferred the purity of the flesh to such a degree that he became a man in the sealed womb of a virgin instead of the dignity of marriage. And if that were not enough, that not only is the mother a virgin, the belief of the Church remains that Saint Joseph, who acted as father, is also a virgin. (Saint Peter Damian).
“Saint Joseph, pray that my love for the baby Jesus grows, be a father to me.” (Saint John Neumann).
“The Gospels do not quote a single word from Saint Joseph, their language is silence.” (Saint Paul VI).
“We have to be convinced that in consideration of his great merits, God will not withhold from Saint Joseph any grace that he asks of him for those who venerate him.” (Saint Alphonsus Maria Ligorio).
“If Saint Joseph does not grant us favors, he would cease to be Saint Joseph.” (Saint Paul II).
“Let anyone who cannot find someone who teaches him how to pray choose the glorious Saint Joseph as his teacher and will not deviate from the right path.” (Saint Teresa of Ávila).
“Who can conceive the feelings of Saint Joseph upon hearing the baby Jesus call him daddy?” (San Bernardino of Siena).
(SINGING)
Voice: At this moment we prepare to receive spiritual communion.
(SINGING)
Saint Joseph pray for us. And may the blessing of God Almighty Father, Son and Holy Spirit descend upon us, upon our families, upon our sick, upon all the people who bear the name of Joseph, and remain forever. Amen.
(SINGING)