“CAN I READ BETWEEN THE LINES?” (Jn 8:21-30): 11 March 2008 (Tuesday)
Today’s Readings
Back in 1997, Edwin McCain released an album, for which he gave an interesting title: “Misguided Roses.” The only hit from that album is “I’ll Be,” a love anthem–if there is ever one–where the singer confesses his near-desperate love for his beloved and virtually promises heaven and earth. The refrain goes:
“WILL MY DEMONS WALK AWAY?” (Jn 8:1-11): 10 March 2008 (Monday)
There is a moving scene in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” where after the scourging, Mary the mother of our Lord and Mary Magdalene fall on their knees on the blood-soaked floor to save whatever blood of Jesus they can save. As she does so, Mary Magdalene tearfully remembers her very first encounter with Jesus when she was also down on the floor. In that first encounter, recounted in today’s gospel reading, she has been caught in the act of adultery and is dragged to the public square for stoning.
“WHERE WERE YOU?” (Jn 11:1-45): 09 March 2008 (5th Sunday of Lent)
Whenever I read this gospel passage at wakes, the one line that always strikes me is Martha’s words to Jesus, which her sister Mary repeats later on: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Looking around a roomful of grieving faces, I can’t help but feel that they who mourn the passing of their loved ones have the same words for the Lord: “Lord, if you had been here, my loved one would not have died!”
“CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF GALILEE?” (Jn 7:40-53): 08 March 2008 (Saturday)
When I was a shy and skinny six-year old kid in Kindergarten, my teacher had this brilliant idea of putting up a play called “Prince Charming and Cinderella”–in Mandarin! Thankfully, no dialogue had to be memorized since all the lines had been pre-recorded. All we kids had to do was run around and pretend we were speaking the lines (Think “Meteor Garden” or “Jewel in the Palace” and you get the picture).
“MUST YOU GO ABOUT IN SECRET?” (Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30): 07 March 2008 (Friday)
How ironic that in today’s reading, to celebrate a feast, our Lord had to go “not openly, but as it were, in secret.” It’s of course understandable since the Jews were out to kill him, but when we think about it, it’s true even today. Even today, thousands of years after his death and resurrection, the Lord continues to go about in secret.