Fire carried a lot of symbolism in the Scriptures but whether it was presented in a negative or positive way, one thing is for sure, fire always leads to change!

Jesus assures us in our Gospel, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom!” If God is pleased to give us the kingdom, what then is our response? It is our willingness to light that fire of hope in our hearts. True happiness lies on our willingness and fearless search for God. Exert effort to search for that genuine happiness and be satisfied with what God can offer us who is knocking gently in our hearts, wanting to have an intimate encounter with us. This is the real treasure that can satisfy our heart’s desires and longing, it is where our hearts rest in faith and trust knowing that Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there also you’re your heart be.”

Greed cuts off our relationship with other people and definitely, with God. Greed isolates us from being motivated in following and living up the two great commandments, love of God and love of neighbor. And so Jesus has warned us, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” (Luke 12:15) Our desire of having more than what we have, more than what we can get, more than what is rightfully ours is greed that forces us to be inaccessible into the ‘sinkhole’ of foolishness.

There is no doubt that the Lord’s Prayer has revealed so much of our special relationship with God as our Father. As we pray it deeply, allow it to cover every aspect of our lives. Whenever we pray it, allow it to mold us once again as the Father’s beloved sons and daughters.

Throughout our lives, we are constantly faced with multiple choices, from basic decisions to life-changing ones. There are choices we have to make instantly and choices that require us to have more time to think about. The power of our choice can have an impact on our future. Making the right choice is crucial in our life as it may determine the kind of life we have to live and what kind of path we must take.

As a Church being sent by Jesus, we become vulnerable to many things as we step out from our comfort zones to reach out to people in need. In our task of building bridges and dialogue, we become susceptible to ways and situations which we may consider to be uncomfortable with but it is when we are vulnerable that God can truly work in us and through us. Fulfilling this mission entrusted to us is a fulfillment of our love and service to God.

The celebration of this solemnity of the two great saints reminds us of our mission and action in the Church despite of our limitations and weaknesses. St. Peter denied Jesus yet he was able to confirm his love and faithfulness and became the symbol of unity and stability of the Church. St. Paul was a persecutor of Christians, yet he became the symbol of mission an evangelization of the Church. They were ordinary men called to do extraordinary mission. We too, in our ordinariness as living stones of the Church can do extraordinary mission and continue the work of evangelization in ways that we may never had imagined.

In the midst of our fear and the uncertainty of many things including perhaps our future, Jesus reminds us to take courage, have faith, and feel the Shalom of God. St. Paul reminds us of his letter to the Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Trusting the Shalom of God does not mean, however, that everything will change into better circumstances of life. Having the Shalom would assure us rather, that we will endure the sufferings and hardships, still feeling at peace in the midst of difficult situations. That was Christ’s assurance to His disciples and still His assurance to all of us. SHALOM!

Pope Leo XIV was asked this question, “How can the Church attract people and draw them in to an experience of faith?” He said, “The Church has recognized after the experience of the past 50 years that we should not be trying to create spectacle… just to make people interested in something which in the end is very superficial and not profound, not meaningful in their lives. Liturgy (for instance) should be about what faith should be… coming in contact with the mystery of God who is love, God who dwells within us, God who is indeed present in humanity and who was revealed to us through Jesus Christ…” An experience of God’s love through the community can definitely attract people to come and embrace the faith. The liturgical activities which we participate should be an experience of love and belongingness in which it brings us to a more intimate experience of the presence of God.

Going out from our comfort zones is something we do next to impossible. It is always a challenge to step out from what is comfortable, easy and where our expertise is. My spiritual director would always challenge me to do the things I wasn’t comfortable with. He would usually ask, “Are you comfortable doing this thing?” And if I say “No” he would tell me, “Then do it.” Going out beyond our comfort zones might be fearsome but it gives us the chance to grow, learn and develop things which we might have thought of to be impossible.

This final Sunday of Lent, we somehow feel the frustrations and grief of Martha who tells Jesus “If you had been here, my brother would not have died…” (John 11:21) Whether she’s confessing her faith to Jesus who could have healed her brother Lazarus or accuses Jesus of being neglectful of their brother, Jesus assures her of one thing, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 1:25).

Jesus is the light of the world. We are invited to turn from darkness to the light of truth. Our second reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians (5:8-14) reminds us not to try to take part in the works of darkness for we are children of light who are capable of producing the fruits of righteousness, goodness and truth. In the Gospel, John (9:1-41) presents the account of the healing of the man born blind who was taken out from that dark void with Jesus’ command, “go and wash,” which are outward signs for that man to experience the miracle of seeing the light for the first time. But more than the healing of his blindness is the transformation of his spiritual sight. Although he was tested and ridiculed by the unbelieving authorities, he was able to see clearly who Jesus was, the true light of the world, and so he confessed his faith “I do believe, Lord.”

We are now on the second week of our Lenten journey. Last week, we have journeyed with Jesus on his wilderness experience, having faced and eventually defeating the devil in every test. After that wilderness experience, we come to another faith-filled experience we call the mountain-top experience, - the transfiguration of Jesus.

As we embark in this Lenten journey and enter into the wilderness of our life of faith where we may experience. Where we may listen attentively to the quiet voices of the Holy Spirit. The Dutch priest Fr. Henri Nouwen said: “We have to fashion our own desert where we can withdraw every day, shake off our compulsions, and dwell in the gentle healing presence of our Lord Without such a desert we will lose our own soul while preaching the gospel to others. But with such a spiritual abode, we will become increasingly conformed to him in whose Name we minister.”

Jesus goes right into the eyes, heart and life of anyone who wants to be his disciple - a disciple must know how to identify where his blind spot is, a disciple must always seek to learn from his teacher and knows his teacher well, and a disciple must always have the humility to look at himself first before pointing his finger to others.

A simple act of mercy can change the life of a lost soul and who knows, that lost soul will one day change your life forever.

Blessed is the one who is able to accept and be part in the upside down world of God for he/she allows the Kingdom of God to be revealed but woe to the one who misses this opportunity and turns away and rejects the invitation of God to be part of it.

Have you ever thought what would be your response if God calls you to do something you’ve never done? Or how about doing something you’ve always been doing and had to do it in God’s own way?