These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him: “My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations. No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations. (Gen 17:3-9)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040722.cfm
Jews, Christians, Moslems . . . we all look to Abraham as “our father in faith.” We pray for the Ukrainian people who are also children of Abraham.
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn 8:31-42)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040622.cfm
We know that Jesus is the Truth that sets us free. And like the three youths in the fiery furnace, we praise God for our salvation. “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our ancestors,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; And blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.” We pray for the deliverance of Ukraine. Glory and praise for ever!
So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM. (Jn 8:21-30)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040522.cfm
The mystery of the Cross draws closer and the revelation of God’s glory in Christ. And the promise—all who look upon him will be saved. I AM is the name of God revealed to Moses on the mountain.
Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while teaching in the treasury in the temple area. But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. (Jn 8:12-20)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040422.cfm
The “hour” referred to in the passage is the hour of Jesus’ glorification on the Cross. In ancient times this last section of Lent was called Passiontide. We pray that God will deliver the Ukrainian people from their sufferings.
Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus. (Phil 2:8-14)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040322-YearC.cfm
We are on a journey . . . to the Easter (Pascha) that never ends. The key to this journey as Saint Paul tells us is “forgetting what lies behind, but straining forward to what lies ahead.” The stories of the Woman Caught in Adultery and of the conversion of Saint Paul remind us that the encounter with Jesus changes everything. May the Ukrainian people keep their eyes on the prize.
