"We are a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace."
Reflection for March 2025 (Liturgical Year - Cycle C, Year I)
Community Word:
God's boundless love brings salvation to mankind in Jesus Christ.
Order:
“…on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor 5:20b)
Reflection
The meaningful season of Lent calls every Catholic to renewal and devotion. It is a liturgical season of preparation and penance in anticipation of Easter. It emphasizes fasting, prayer, and almsgiving as key spiritual practices. Lent is God’s call for us followers of Jesus to regard the 40 days as a reminder of God’s boundless love for humanity. Christians are invited to a journey of self-examination, repentance, reparation, conversion, and transformation. During Lent we are invited to immerse ourselves deeply on the love of God and draw us closer to Jesus.
Our Community Word for March tells us that: God's boundless love brings salvation to mankind in Jesus Christ. God’s love, revealed through Jesus, is the greatest gift humanity has ever received. Jesus’ sacrifice through His passion, death and resurrection has brought salvation to humanity. Salvation, though a gift, is not all about Jesus’ sacrifice; it needs our participation on how we conduct our lives in response to the love of God.
Recognizing the boundless love of God through Jesus’ sacrifice should inspire and lead us to a life of holiness. In this Jubilee Year for the Pilgrims of Hope, the Church offers the faithful opportunities for a renewed and transformed life. The challenge is, do we prioritize our spiritual health, or are we still disturbed by the world’s luxuries and pleasures and our personal pride, indifference, insensitiveness and unforgiveness? The essence of Lenten season is not simply in giving up but in giving more…more of our time for prayer, more attention to those in need, and more of our hearts to God's will. Let us journey together as we prepare our offering to Jesus in thanksgiving for His boundless love, focusing on our order, “… on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor 5:20b)
Do we have plans and promises for this sacred season? How can we put them into action? How can we make our Lenten journey a meaningful spiritual renewal? Let us embrace a life in deep love for Jesus and love for others. We continue to examine our hearts and let go of habits that hinder our union with Jesus.
For the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our theme is: We receive God’s boundless love when our hearts are pure and filled with goodness. It emphasizes the importance of living our lives in a manner always aligned with our identity as followers of Christ. We are reminded to be cautious in our speech as the words we utter are reflection of the intentions of our hearts and reveal who we really are. What fills our hearts will overflow into our speech and actions. We are called to inner conversion because when our hearts are filled with goodness, our lives will bear fruit that glorifies our Lord. That leads us to God’s promise, “They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.” (Ps 92:14)
For the 1st Sunday of Lent, our theme is: We receive God’s boundless love when we completely trust in His word to resist temptation. Jesus came to fulfill and obey the will of the Father. The devil tempted Jesus to do otherwise – that He can do everything by His own ways, that He will have the power and be in control. But Jesus relied on the Father’s will and draws strength on the word of God. Each time He was tempted, He responded with God’s word. That confirms that God’s word is our greatest defense against deception and sin. Jesus did not yield to the promises of the devil but remained faithful. With the Holy Spirit within us and with the guidance of God’s word, we too can overcome the struggles, temptations and challenges that test our faith. Let us hold on to our Lord’s promise, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” (Rom 10:13).
For the 2nd Sunday of Lent, our theme is: We receive God’s boundless love when we listen to Jesus and allow Him to transform our life. The Transfiguration of Jesus at Mt. Tabor as witnessed by the 3 apostles is a revelation of His glory, a glimpse of eternal life. The apostles struggled to stay awake. How many times have we miss the great moments to experience Jesus’ presence because we are consumed by other priorities? The Father’s voice declared, “This is my chosen Son, Listen to Him,” (Lk 9:35). We are called to have faith in Jesus, to listen to Him and to allow His amazing presence to transform and transfigure us to be Christ-like, forgiving, caring, compassionate, gentle, and kind. Thus, we may experience this promise, “He will change our lowly body to conform with His glorified body,” (Phil 3:21a).
For the 3rd Sunday of Lent, our theme is: We receive God’s boundless love when we are renewed from our sinful ways and live a fruitful life. God calls us to conversion; to repent, mend our ways and return to His grace. Jesus also warned us when he said, “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will perish as they did,” (Lk 13:3). Now is the time to change and to produce the fruit of our repentance. We are aware that God never fail us and His compassion is endless and always ready to welcome and embrace us… with no conditions. This week is the middle of our Lenten journey, but have we begun to take it seriously? God is giving us much time to change. And as we open our lives to Jesus, He will lead us to a deeply nourished soul and a fruitful life. And His promise will never fail, “He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion,” (Ps 103:4).
For the 4th Sunday of Lent, our theme is: We receive God’s boundless love when we repent of our wrongdoings and are reconciled with God. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is the story of the Forgiving Father. As Scripture says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Rom 5:8). The younger son’s demand for his share of the inheritance while his father was still alive revealed his selfishness, ingratitude, and insensitivity. Similarly, the older son displayed rebellion, envy, and bitterness when he resented his father’s gracious welcome of the younger son. Yet one thing is clear, both sons were deeply loved by their father. The father’s unconditional embrace of his younger son offers us a glimpse of how our Heavenly Father receives us despite our sins and failings. This truth gives us the confidence to always return to Him and seek His mercy. As we approach Holy Week, let us bring our sins and ingratitude before God through the Sacrament of Confession and experience His loving embrace. And may we hear His assuring words: “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours,” (Lk 15:31).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we read and reflect on Your word during the Lenten season, help us to understand the depth of Your unconditional and perfect love for us. When we walk in the darkness of sin, do not stop from reaching out to us, to bring us back to You in remorse and repentance. Help us recognize and realize that Your love is unchanging, the same yesterday, today, and forever. We honor the sacrifices of You Son, Jesus, in bringing salvation to mankind, giving us the right to be called Your children again, and regain the inheritance of Heaven for all eternity. Amen.
Directions
1. Avail of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist.
2. Be reconciled with God and forgive those who have hurt you.
3. Pray, offer sacrifices, and do works of charity.
Sunday Readings: (Cycle C - Year I)
March 2 - Sir 27:4-7/Ps 92:2, 3, 13-16/ 1Cor 15:54-58/ Lk 6:39-45
March 9 - Dt 26:4-10/ Ps 91:1, 2, 10-15/ Rom 10:8-13/ Lk 4:1-13
March 16 - Gn 15:5-12, 17, 18/ Ps 27:1-9, 13, 14/ Phil 3:17-4:1/ Lk 9:28-36
March 23 - Ex 3:1-8,13-15/ Ps 103:1-4,6,7,8,11/ 1 Cor 10:1-6,10-12/ Lk 13:1-9
March 30 - Jos 5:9-12/ Ps 34:2-7/ 2 Cor 5:17-21/ Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
Monthly: Word, Order, Prophesies and Directions (As provided by bldworld.org)