The third Sunday of Lent is usually the time where catechumens or those who are to be baptized during Easter Sunday have to undergo catechesis in preparation for their incorporation to Christ and to the Church. A specific rite of Baptism is illustrated and given importance and it is “water.” Water is the source of life and symbolic of purification and sanctification.

The Gospel highlights the values and the grace of the Lenten journey. The Gospel speaks of Jesus who came into the well to drink water through a Samaritan woman who also happen to fetch water. Water became the bridge and the instrument to bring the sinful woman to Christ. Water became also the way towards Jesus’ revelation of His identity. Jesus identified Himself as the “Living Water.” Water also became the door towards identifying or pinpointing the sins of the Samaritan woman. Water became the way for the woman towards conversion and proclamation. She announced to the people that she met the Messiah.

The Gospel provides us reflections of how the dynamics of spirituality that Jesus would like to instill in us. The dialogue and encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman brings us to a deeper journey in the Season of Lent. Benedict XVI commented: “The woman went every day to draw water from an ancient well that dated back to the Patriarch Jacob and on that day she found Jesus sitting beside the well, “wearied from his journey” (Jn 4:6). St Augustine comments: “Not for nothing was Jesus tried…. The strength of Christ created you, the weakness of Christ recreated you…. With his strength he created us, with his weakness he came to seek us out” (In Ioh. Ev., 15, 2).

1. The emptiness of Christ and the Fullness in the Woman- When Jesus came to the well seeking for water to drink, it expresses Jesus’ humanity. But in the emptiness of Jesus, there was also the opportunity for the fullness of life. Jesus’ humanity symbolizes the temporariness of human life and all the ramifications about it. Yet, the fullness of life flows from Jesus’ fullness of divine life. Benedict XVI says: “Jesus’ weariness, a sign of his true humanity, can be seen as a prelude to the Passion with which he brought to fulfilment the work of our redemption. In the encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, the topic of Christ’s “thirst” stands out in particular. It culminated in his cry on the Cross “I thirst” (Jn 19:28). This thirst, like his weariness, had a physical basis. Yet Jesus, as St Augustine says further, “thirsted for the faith of that woman” (In Ioh. Ev. 15,11), as he thirsted for the faith of us all.”

2. The fullness of life in Christ and the emptiness of the Woman- As the woman knows about Jesus possessing the fullness of life through the Living Water offered to her, she comes to seek and ask for that Living Water. The woman had everything symbolized by having 5 husbands and a current man who is not her husband. The woman realized that she had abundance in her physical life and emptiness in her divine life. Benedict XVI said: “God the Father sent him to quench our thirst for eternal life, giving us his love, but to give us this gift Jesus asks for our faith. The omnipotence of Love always respects human freedom; it knocks at the door of man’s heart and waits patiently for his answer.”

3. The New Divine Husband- Jesus was evangelizing, converting, and forgiving her. The six husbands were symbolic of worldly attachments and the seventh one represents the true marriage. Six days a week may be our attachments but the 7th day is for Christ. Jesus should be the true “husband.” Jesus indeed is the bridegroom of the Church while the Church is the Bride. Benedict XVI said: “Each one of us can identify himself with the Samaritan woman: Jesus is waiting for us, especially in this Season of Lent, to speak to our hearts, to my heart. Let us pause a moment in silence, in our room or in a church or in a separate place. Let us listen to his voice which tells us “If you knew the gift of God…”. May the Virgin Mary help us not to miss this appointment, on which our true happiness depends.”

We begin to journey with the Sundays of Lent and themes or images will be given us to reflect and be closer to the spirit of the 40-day preparation of Easter. In the Catholic Church, the Solemnity of Easter is the greatest of all feasts because at the heart of the Catholic faith is the Paschal Mystery which is the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. In his message for the Season of Lent in 2005, John Paul II reminded the Church that “during Lent, a spiritual journey is outlined for us that prepares us to relive the Great Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ.” Thus, for the first Sunday of Lent we are drawn towards reflecting on the image of the “desert” as a way to go deeper into the season. Encountering Jesus through the Season of Lent is to participate in the grace of God which is given to us through Christ. Let us look into the 4 meanings we learn from the image of the “desert.”

1. Freedom- the desert became the symbol of freedom. In the history of Israel, the desert plays a very important and crucial role in the spiritual life of the people of God. God rescued the people of Israel from Egypt to the Promise Land and through the leadership of Moses, they gained freedom from that dramatic detachment from Egypt to a land of attachment which is the Promise Land. Attachment to a new geographical land meant attachment to God, detachment from an old place of domicile meant detachment from slavery and sin.

2. Encounter- the desert became the locus of God’s encounter with the people of Israel. The desert became a symbol of emptiness, loneliness, forlornness and abandonment but God showed to the people that in the midst of life’s crises, He will be there as their Savior and protector. The people of Israel had to experience the love of God by providing them all their needs in the desert as they traverse the hot, arid, and dry desert. Pope Francis commented: “The exodus from slavery to freedom is no abstract journey. If our celebration of Lent is to be concrete, the first step is to desire to open our eyes to reality…In the Exodus account, there is a significant detail: it is God who sees, is moved and brings freedom; Israel does not ask for this.”

3. Proclamation- the people of Israel had to realize in the desert that they were encountering a God who speaks. In their journey, God spoke for the first time collectively at Mount Sinai when He gave the Ten Commandments. He said: ““I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:2). Pope Francis commented saying: “These are the first words of the Decalogue given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Those who heard them were quite familiar with the exodus of which God spoke: the experience of their bondage still weighed heavily upon them. In the desert, they received the “Ten Words” as a thoroughfare to freedom. We call them “commandments”, in order to emphasize the strength of the love by which God shapes his people.” The people of Israel had to rely on God’s words as their source of grace and protection. This is exactly the point of the season of Lent, we are told to rely on God’s words, and see at the end of the season the gift of the mystery of the resurrection.

4. Promise- the life of the Israelites in the desert was all about the relying on God’s promises. They had nothing in the desert except to trust in the words of God to Moses. God’s promise of abundance, a land to inhabit, descendants in every generation, and abundance of life with “milk and honey” were all they had through which Abraham received from the Lord. In the first reading today, the Lord promised Noah after the flood that “never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.” This illustrates that God is a God of promises and surely He is fulfilling them to make us realize and trust in His words. The Season of Lent is an opportunity for us to trust and rely on God’s word. He promises and He will never fail us. The Cross and Resurrection became the concrete evidences of fulfillment of promises.

5. Journey- the desert became an image of life as a journey. Whenever one lives in God, he would be able to see life as a journey from slavery to freedom, from sin to grace, from darkness into light, from suffering to the mercy of God. The desert became the turning point where one has to realize that life in God or life of blessing is a journey. St. Peter, in the second reading today exhorts that we should do everything for Christ. Christ journeyed in this world through suffering on the Cross that we may have our own journey from death to life. He said these words: “Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God.” Just as Noah saw the waters that cleansed the earth of sinfulness, so also the waters of baptism in Christ shall we be purified and cleansed from our sins.

The Second Sunday of Lent brings to a deeper reflection on the mountain as an important image of the mystery of Christ’s saving journey for us. We recall God’s call of the people of Israel to proceed to the desert and there He will speak to them. They came to a mountain called “Mount Sinai” where God spoke to them for the first time collectively through the Decalogue. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the land of slavery…” (Ex 20:2) The image of the mountain where Jesus was transfigured catches our attention. Pope Benedict XVI described this event as a “comforting mystery.” He said: “While they were up there, on their own, Jesus’ face, and likewise his garments, became radiant. This is what we call “Transfiguration”: a luminous, comforting mystery. What is its meaning? The Transfiguration is a revelation of the Person of Jesus, of his profound reality.” Let us draw 4 important reflections on the Mystery of the Transfiguration.

1. Capacity to Transcend- the word “transfiguration” comes from two important words: “trans” which means “beyond” and “figura” which means “image.” Thus, it is a revelation that there is something beyond the physical Jesus whom Peter, James, and John usually encounter and see. This illustrates that man’s life does not consist only of the physical life but a life that has something to do with a mystery “beyond” this world. Man has the capacity to transcend. Remember that the Gospels do not mention about “Mount Tabor” but rather simply a mountain. This illustrates that one has to climb a mountain of getting beyond physical life and there we see God who is beyond the phenomenal world.

2. Closeness of God- As Jesus brings His three disciples, Peter, James, and John to a high mountain, it illustrates that they were encountering Jesus most closely. As we were told in the Gospel today, that they experienced Jesus “transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them,” they were encountering the Mystery of God in Jesus. Thus, the Season of Lent challenges us to come closer to Christ and experience the mystery of His grace. We recall in the Exodus event that God brought the people of Israel to Mount Sinai and there they encountered Him. God spoke to them because they were close to Him. God speaks to us in our closeness to Him. We pray, we celebrate the Eucharist, we kneel in supplication, we listen to His Word and remember Him in our daily undertakings. These are occasions where we come closer to Him and surely He will respond to the efforts we make to come closer to Him.

3. Value of God’s Promises- On that mountain, Peter, James and John became witnesses of the identity of Jesus. There is a great foreshadowing of the resurrection in the transfiguration of Jesus. It is a promise of a life beyond this physical life. On the mountain, as Jesus was transfigured, the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus. This symbolized the Law as the written word of God and the words of the Prophets as the spoken word of God. The “word” carries the promises of God and they are fulfilled in Jesus. One only has to trust in God’s word. In the first reading, as Abraham trusted and obeyed the word of God, He promised Him: “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.”

4. Total Self-giving- As Jesus is illustrated as climbing up the mountain, the mountain ceases to be a geographical location but a theological revelation. The mountain that Jesus together with Peter, James and John climbed up became the symbol of Jesus’ great foreshadowing of His total self-giving on the Cross that will lead towards the Resurrection. St. Paul in the second reading today spoke of this total self-giving as the love of God. He said: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?” Jesus’ death on the Cross will the ultimate sign of God’s love for us and the total self-giving of Christ for our salvation. It is in self-giving that we shall receive the totality of eternal life. This is the reason why the Father spoke to the three saying: “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.” It is not an option but a command that would lead to life. Jesus told His disciples just to climb up the mountain so that it will be the opportunity for the Father to speak with them. Benedict XVI said: “Jesus, on the contrary, did not receive the revelation of what he was to do: he already knew it. Rather it was the Apostles who heard God’s voice in the cloud, commanding: “Listen to him.” This is true because our salvation relies on the word of God.

The Temple has become the center of the image of the 3rd Sunday of Lent. Images are important to celebrate meaningfully the Season of Lent. We witnessed that in the first Sunday of Lent, the desert became the center of our reflection, the second Sunday was about the mountain caught our attention, and today we are brought towards the meaning of temple. The temple was considered as the center of the Jewish faith. It was the symbol of God’s presence. It was also the center of Jewish worship and the sacred symbol of their identity. It was called the axis mundi, which means “the center of the world.” Let us look into the captivating reflections about the temple for our meditative considerations.

1. Jesus drives out the sellers of sheep, oxen, and doves. This is symbolic of the end of the old worship and the new worship Jesus will be inaugurating. Jesus rightly said when the Jews were asking Him about what “sign” will He perform to have such authority of driving the sellers out of the temple, “destroy this body and in three days I will raise it up.” He was speaking the temple of His body. His body will be a new worship rather than sheep, cattle, and doves. The four Gospels speak of the Jesus cleansing the temple. The synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke placed the cleansing of the temple at the outset of the Holy Week while John has placed it at the outset of His public ministry. It would give us an impression that Jesus entered the temple dramatically twice though we hear about Jesus being presented in the temple and at the age of 12 He was found in the Temple by His parents. Nevertheless, the prophetic cleansing of the temple symbolized the end of the old sacrifice and a new sacrifice is about to begin.

2. Jesus overturns the tables of the money changers. This is symbolic of the identity of Jesus being revealed gradually as He slowly cleanses the Temple. We know that the Roman coin is not allowed in the Temple. The Temple coin has to be brought only into the Temple and those who come to the Temple had to change the usual Roman coin with the Temple coin. In the Roman coin, there is inscribed: Tiberius Caesar: Pontifex Maximus (the High Priest), or Dominus Noster (Our Lord), or Augustus Caesar: divi filius (son of God). Jesus overturned the tables creating a great prophecy that He is the New High Priest. And besides, there should only be the worship of the one God.

3. Jesus enters the Temple to keep Israel a Holy People. A new sacrifice and a new priesthood would create a new path of holiness for the people of God. Jesus desires a universal holiness which is no longer limited to the burnt offerings and the fulfillment of the rites required to obtain God’s mercy but a new sacrifice from the sacred body offered on the Cross for the salvation of mankind. St. Paul in the second reading today speaks of Christ crucified that he preaches. “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified.” The body of Jesus becomes now the source of holiness of the Church which is the people of God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says in no. 797 “the Church is temple of the Holy Spirit.” Collectively as a people, it began in the first reading because for the first time, God spoke to His people collectively: “I am the Lord your God…” Every time we receive the Body of Christ, we are sanctified and made holy by Christ.

4. Jesus is the New Temple of God. Jesus brings the worship outside the Temple of Jerusalem which was considered the center of worship among the Jews. This new worship was brought out in Mount Calvary. A temple no longer exclusively for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. He will be the greatest sign of God’s reign over evil and the world. This is manifested in the words of Jesus: “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The mystery of the resurrection becomes the power of God over any form of power on earth. No human mind can just fathom the entire mystery of God. St. Paul said: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

On this Laetare Sunday, where all priests wear the pink color vestments, the central image of the 4th Sunday of Lent is on the Serpent. We know that the Israelites were bitten by snakes in the desert after they had complained to Moses and to God. Realizing that they were “punished” by God, they brought now to the attention of Moses and to God the deaths they were facing. Remember we are speaking of around 600K Israelites that Moses had to lead. It was not an easy mission yet God showed His identity and His power over any form of worldly power. “So, Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.” (Numbers 21:9-10) God is manifested as the Healer. The story about the search for life and meaning by Nicodemus, speaks of Jesus as also the Divine Healer not only of the physical life but of the spiritual life. Today’s readings allow us to return back on the experiences of the Israelites in the desert and how God rescued them from death. There are 4 thoughts we can draw from the image of the serpent which was made out of bronze that Moses carved for the people to be healed.

1. Visual image- Moses was commissioned to create and carve an image of a serpent that would be visible to everyone who were bitten by snakes for their healing. We marked out the importance of a visual image for healing. This is also what Jesus mentioned to Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” To see Jesus means to have life. Seeing has to be accompanied by faith.

2. Lifting up- Jesus emphasized on their dialogue with Nicodemus the value of the lifting up of the Son of Man from the earth. This illustrates the kind of death the Lord will undergo but this lifting up will be the source of man’s salvation. The lifting up is essential to our reflection about the gravitational pull of the world. The world pulls us down towards pride, materialism, ungodly affairs, impatience, anger, unforgiveness, distrust, death, etc. Jesus is lifted up from the earth to be far from the gravitational pull of eternal damnation. Jesus lifted up on the Cross will be the ultimate sign of God’s redeeming love. Benedict XVI said: “How many people also in our time are in search of God, in search of Jesus and of his Church, in search of divine mercy, and are waiting for a “sign” that will touch their minds and their hearts. Today, as then, the Evangelist reminds us that the only “sign” is Jesus raised on the Cross:  Jesus who died and rose is the absolutely sufficient sign. Through him we can understand the truth about life and obtain salvation.

3. Night Time- John the Evangelist placed significance on the time or hour to elicit a progressive thought among the readers. The Gospel emphasized the time of the day when Nicodemus, who was a pharisee, came to Jesus. We were told that he came to Jesus by night. It has two separate meanings. Frist, it was to escape being noticed by anyone since he was a pharisee; and second, it was to emphasize that everyone passes through trials, challenges, pains, sufferings, disappointments, frustrations, and low moments in life which can all be described as the “night” of life. John would like to instill in our minds that any undertaking that we have in darkness can never succeed fully without the light of Christ. Remember in John’s account of the post-resurrection scene when the disciples went back fishing and it was “night” and they caught nothing. It was only when Jesus instructed them to go back and throw the net again and they did it and they hauled a large number of fish. This illustrates that transactions and life under the influence of darkness will be empty without Christ.

4. Historical Account- We are all aware about the role of the serpent in the Book of Genesis. He was the seducer, the liar, and the tempter. Yet the Lord made the image of the serpent as a source of healing. Jesus wants us to draw our attention back to the historical accounts where God worked wonders among His people for us today to draw strength from Him for nothing is impossible to Him. In the First Reading today, we were brought back to time of the exile of Israel in Babylon and God commissioned Cyrus the Great of Persia to help the people of Israel go back to their homeland. This is to use historical events to inspire a new perspective of life and faith. Likewise, Jesus makes Nicodemus realize as an expert of the Torah, “just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so will the Son of Man be lifted up from the earth.” To recall great historical events of God becomes the source of grace and healing. Thus, valuing the Word of God in every mass is to recall how God intervened in human history that we may be encouraged to joyfully live and search for constant meaning of life in God.

The Gospel today focuses on a very important image for our reflection and meaningful approach to the Holy Week which will begin on Palm Sunday. The image of the grain of wheat catches a deep sense of awe and wonder. Jesus spoke to His disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” Just before He would be led to His suffering and death, Jesus spoke to His disciples regarding the value of His own death which would be the primordial example and model He would let His disciples learn and follow. There are 6 important actions that Jesus would like us to reflect regarding the value of the “grain of wheat” in order for it to bear fruit.

1. to be small- a grain of wheat is insignificant to a vast land of wheat farm. Yet a grain of wheat can be significant as long as it bears fruit. To be small is to embrace the features of humility and simplicity. The “littleness” of the grain of wheat can be powerful in the heart of God. Pope Francis said: “It is the power of the grain of wheat, the power of that love which humbles itself and gives itself to the very end, and thus truly renews the world. This power continues to bear fruit today in the furrows of our history, marked by so many acts of injustice and violence.” To be great in the world begins by being small. The simplicity and the humility of Christ had brought the greatest salvation of humankind. The Kingdom of God is not all about pride and achievements and physical strength but the power of the will of God in us. In the first reading today, the Prophet Jeremiah says that it will a power written in the heart and not an outer form of greatness. He said: “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jesus will be the New Covenant and the fulfillment of the law.

2. to fall- It is indeed a natural thing that we fall in many ways and circumstances. But that does not ultimately make us insignificant or useless. Besides, it is not the end of everything. To rise from where we fell is far more important than just falling. Confucius said: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Jesus would like to bring an important point in today’s Gospel; He is now anticipating His cruel death. He has to die that He may follow the cycle of earthly existence because He was fully human and fully divine. It was Jesus who said that “whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Lk 17:33). Benedict XVI commented that: “in these words, Jesus portrays his own path, which leads through the Cross to the Resurrection: the path of the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, and in this way bears much fruit. Starting from the depths of his own sacrifice and of the love that reaches fulfilment therein, he also portrays in these words the essence of love and indeed of human life itself.” (Deus Caritas Est 6)

3. to die- the grain of wheat has to die in order for it to touch the ground after it falls. Jesus is the grain of wheat that has to die to meet man who is “humus” or ground. Jesus has to die to touch humanity and from there He can only be profitable if He dies and bear much fruit which is the mystery of the resurrection. Death is the passage towards one’s participation of the resurrection. Pope Francis said: “Jesus brought new hope into the world and he did so in the manner of the seed: he became very small, like a grain of wheat; he left his heavenly glory in order to come among us: he “fell into the earth.” To die is the antecedent event before one can speak of rising into life.

4. to be open- the grain of wheat does not end falling on the ground but it is expected to split and be open. New life and new hope are received only when the grain learns to split itself. Pope Francis exhorted: “Let us try to think of a grain or a small seed, that falls upon the soil. If it remains closed within itself, nothing happens; but if instead it splits open, it germinates and then gives life to an ear of wheat; it sprouts, then becomes a plant, and the plant will bear fruit.” We have to be like the grain that falls into the ground in order to split open that we may grow. Unless we would be open to new possibilities and perspectives, we would not grow. We have to die and be open to a new grace and a new direction of life.

5. to rise again- it is only in humility and simplicity that we could rise again. Jesus was the grain who died and in His dying the mystery of the resurrection became tangible and discernible. Jesus had to follow the pattern of earthly experience and existence in order for one to see the value of rising again. Pope Francis said: “in order to bear fruit, Jesus experienced love to the fullest, allowing himself to be split open by death as a seed lets itself split open under the ground. Precisely there, at the lowest point of his abasement — which is also the loftiest point of love — hope burgeoned.”

6. to bear fruit- the grain of wheat bursts open to illustrate that there is new life and new direction when one is open to the grace of God. The grain has to grow and to bear fruit. The resurrection of Jesus is the hope of the world. The resurrection is the fruit of those who are faithful and persevering to the end. Jesus has to die and to rise again if fidelity to the Father is concerned. Pope Francis said: “And this is precisely what happened: Jesus, the grain of wheat sowed by God in the furrows of the earth, died, killed by the sin of the world. He remained two days in the tomb; but his death contained God’s love in all its power, released and made manifest on the third day, the day we celebrate today: the Easter of Christ the Lord.

Today we commemorate the entry of Jesus into His own City which is the city of David. Jesus is honored as a King following the line of David. He is the Messiah who fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament especially the 4 Servant Songs of the Prophet Isaiah. All four Gospels speak about the triumphal entry into Jerusalem but it is only St. John’s Gospel which speaks of the people waving palm branches. The synoptic Gospels speak only of leafy “branches” that were used to welcome Jesus. It is just amazing the John retained and emphasized palm branches in which our liturgy has also adopted the Palm Sunday.” We gather 4 reflections from the meaning of palms we wave in our hands and the meaning of the palms that are blessed in the liturgy.

1. Image of Victory- in the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucids in 167 BC, the Israelites used palms as a sign of victory. We learn that Judas Maccabeus was a priest who became a warrior after the Temple of Jerusalem was desecrated. The Seleucids turned the Temple of Jerusalem into one of places for the Olympics and home for the swine which led to the revolt. In the history of the colonization of Israel, there were around 5 colonizers that God intervened and revealed his love, power, authority, and salvation for Israel. In the 8th Century, the Assyrians subdued Israel; in the 6th century, the Babylonians and the Persians; in the 2th Century, the Greeks and in the 1st century, the Romans. It was only during the time of the Seleucids that the Israelites revolted under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus, called “the hammer” that they won a victorious war. The Temple was rededicated, cleansed, and reopened. Palm branches were waved as a sign of victory and triumph over the enemies of faith.

2. Image of a journey- the palms that were present during the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was an image of the final journey of Jesus in Jerusalem. Palm Sunday is the doorway of the Holy Week which will commence our celebration of the last days of Jesus in the world. As Jesus journeys towards His last days, He will instill in us that we all will face the last days of our life. Like Jesus who will cry: “Eloi, Eloi Lema Sabachtani” which translates “my God, my God why have you forsaken me?” Jesus will experience the pains of being abandoned and left behind, but the Father will never leave the Son. He will be present even at the last moment of Son’s life on earth which will foreshadow that God will never abandon us until the last moment of our life. One thing is sure in the journey of Jesus in the world- His closeness to His Father.

3. Image of redemptive suffering- the palms on Palm Sunday symbolize the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem where He will undergo the path towards suffering that does not stay on Jesus alone but it will be a suffering that is redemptive. Benedict XVI commented: “Our procession today is meant, then, to be an image of something deeper, to reflect the fact that, together with Jesus, we are setting out on pilgrimage along the high road that leads to the living God.” This redemptive suffering was experienced by Christ which was for the benefit of all mankind. Pope Francis mentioned about the three forms of suffering. First, suffering of the body: “let us think of the slaps and beatings, the flogging and the crowning with thorns, and in the end, the cruelty of the crucifixion;” second, suffering of the spirit: “At his most tragic hour, Jesus experiences abandonment by God. Prior to that moment, he had never called the Father by his generic name, “God;” third, suffering of the soul: “the betrayal of Judas, the denials of Peter, the condemnation of the religious and civil authorities, the mockery of the guards, the jeering at the foot of the cross, the rejection of the crowd, utter failure and the flight of the disciples.”

4. Image of welcome- The palm branches symbolize the welcome the people gave to Jesus. He enters into the city of David as a humble king. With palm branches, the people not only welcome the King but they also welcome humility as the path towards holiness. Pope John Paul II said: “The animal chosen indicates that it was not a triumphal entry, but that of a king meek and humble of heart. However, the multitudes gathered in Jerusalem, almost unaware of this expression of humility or perhaps recognizing in it a messianic sign, greet Christ with words full with joy: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mt 21:9). As Jesus enters into Jerusalem, he fulfills the Father’s desire and He shows His fidelity towards the Father’s will. Thus, these palms symbolize the welcoming of the virtue of fidelity as the way towards the Father.

As we enter into the Season of Lent, Jesus desires that we should be mindful of the spiritual realities both good and evil that surround us so that we may be prepared to celebrate Easter with an interior strength from the heart. The first Sunday of Lent focuses on the Temptation of Jesus. Though Jesus did not need to be tempted but underwent this event to manifest humanity’s direction and one’s meditation on the vulnerability when it comes to temptation and sin. There are things we may learn from the temptation of Christ in the desert.

1. The reality of evil- The temptations of Jesus demonstrate that Satan and his forces are true. Satan causes one to sin through temptation. Benedict XVI says that entering into the Season of Lent is entering into an awareness of a spiritual combat between good and evil. “Last Wednesday, we entered Lent with fasting and the Rite of Ashes. But what does “entering Lent” mean? It means we enter a season of special commitment in the spiritual battle to oppose the evil present in the world, in each one of us and around us. It means looking evil in the face and being ready to fight its effects and especially its causes, even its primary cause which is Satan. It means not off-loading the problem of evil on to others, on to society or on to God but rather recognizing one's own responsibility and assuming it with awareness.”

2. The reality of fear- The three temptations of Jesus demonstrate the three major fears we all have in life. The first temptation of Jesus was about food. Starvation and famine are dreadful human experiences. Many of us do not have the courage to fast and abstain, to sacrifice and to control, to give and to donate. The Season of Lent allows us to revisit our life as temporal. One should strive to give oneself to Christ through fasting and abstinence as a way to courageously face our fears regarding sacrifice. Sacrifice is a way to overcome fears of hunger. The second temptation of Jesus was about power and control. Many fear that they could no longer control others and be on top of everyone. They fear to lose power and feel unimportant. To lose the sense of authority and domination are human insecurities for people who always seek entitlement, recognition, and attention. The third temptation of Jesus was about death. Death is a fearful and dreadful human experience. No one wants to die and be abandoned forever. No one wants to be forgotten and to be lost. Thus, Jesus demonstrates that without Him we are nothing.

3. The reality of emancipation- Jesus demonstrates that there is a way of escape from human dreadful experiences especially in temptation and sin. Benedict XVI says that “entering Lent means renewing the personal and community decision to face evil together with Christ. The way of the Cross is in fact the only way that leads to the victory of love over hatred, of sharing over selfishness, of peace over violence. Seen in this light, Lent is truly an opportunity for a strong ascetic and spiritual commitment based on Christ’s grace.” Through His temptations, Jesus demonstrates that there is a way out from temptation and sin. The word of God is central to this reality and Jesus is at the heart in any spiritual battle against evil and temptation. Pope Francis likewise said: “Lent is a time of spiritual “contest”, of spiritual struggle: we are called to confront the Evil One through prayer in order to be able, with God’s help, to overcome him in our daily life. We know that evil unfortunately is at work in our existence and around us, where there is violence, rejection of the other, closure, war, injustice. All of these are the work of the Evil One, of evil.”

The focus of the second Sunday of Lent is on the mystery of the Transfiguration. The word transfiguration may have come from two Latin words namely: “trans” which means “beyond” and “figura” which means image. It is then the eternal truths and their relation with human salvation or emancipation which are central to the Mystery of the Transfiguration. Lent is a time to contemplate on the event of the Transfiguration of Jesus as a foretaste of the Mystery of the Resurrection as well as the real identity of Jesus.

1. New Moses- Jesus is pictured as the New Moses through his Transfiguration. There are elements to reflect and consider: a) the mountain- it is a theological mountain rather than a geographical one. The mountain speaks of a wider and greater exodus. It is the exodus from the world of sin and death, b) the cloud- a cloud hovered Mount Sinai when God spoke to Moses. It was a sign of God’s presence and appearance. At the Mountain, there was also a cloud that hovered them covering them in shadow; c) voice from the cloud- God spoke to Moses and gave him instruction through the cloud. The apostles Peter, James, and John witnessed God speaking about Jesus from the cloud. Peter commented that it was so nice to be there on the mountain. As Moses fed the Israelites with manna, Jesus fed Peter with His presence. Benedict XVI commented: “Peter’s words “Master, it is well that we are here” represent the impossible attempt to put this mystical experience on hold. St Augustine commented: “[Peter]... on the mountain... had Christ as the food of his soul. Why should he have to go down to return to his hard work and sorrows while up there he was filled with sentiments of holy love for God and which thus inspired in him a holy conduct?”

2. Perfect Number- Three is a perfect number and it is reserved to by the Jews. Moses had three companions. They were named: Aaron, Nadab, Abihu. Jesus also brought with Him Peter, James and John. Then later, the disciples saw three important persons in the story of divine revelation: Jesus, Moses and Elijah. We were told that when the companions of Moses were all afraid when Moses encountered the Lord. In the event of the Transfiguration, the three disciples were also afraid when Jesus was transfigured before them. The number three was all about an event of an encounter with God. On the mountain where Jesus was transfigured, Pope Francis described this a moment of prayer. “They go up the mountain with the Master, they see him immersed in prayer and, at a certain point, “the appearance of his countenance was altered” (v. 29). Accustomed to seeing him daily in the simple appearance of his humanity, they are astonished as they face that new splendour that also envelops his entire body. And Moses and Elijah appear beside Jesus and speak with Him about his forthcoming “exodus”, that is, of his Paschal death and Resurrection. It is a preview of Easter. Then Peter exclaims: “Master, it is well that we are here” (v. 33). He wished that that moment of grace would never end!”

3. Change of Appearance- The radiance of the face of Christ was a sign of a new liberation. In the Old Testament, the exodus was all about the liberation of the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians while in the event of the Transfiguration was about liberation from sin. The radiance of the face of Christ signified the power and the glory of God over death and sin. Moses was seen by the people with a face so radiant which signified Moses had encountered the Lord on Mount Sinai. It also signified his role to make their journey towards the Promise Land which was a promise of emancipation. Jesus demonstrated that true change can be possible when there will be a transition from suffering to the resurrection. Pope Francis continued to say “The Transfiguration occurs at a precise moment in Christ’s mission, that is, after he has confided to his disciples that he would have to “suffer many things, [...] be killed, and on the third day be raised” (v. 21). Jesus knows that they do not accept this reality — the reality of the Cross, the reality of Jesus’ death —, and so he wants to prepare them to withstand the scandal of the passion and death on the Cross, so that they may know that this is the way through which the heavenly Father will lead his Son to glory; by raising him from the dead. And this will also be the way for the disciples: no one can reach eternal life if not by following Jesus, carrying their own cross in their earthly life. Each of us has his or her own cross. The Lord reveals to us the end of this journey which is the Resurrection, beauty: by carrying one’s own cross.”