From the Rectors Desk

As we round-off our Lenten journey this week, our call as disciples lies solidly on what it means to be with Jesus on His way into Jerusalem until the last moments of His Crucifixion. Although Jesus Christ can walk this journey alone, all by Himself, we only join Him in the middle which means that from His triumphant entry into Jerusalem to His key moments of  betrayal, His prayer in Gethsemane, His arrest, His denial, His trial and His Crucifixion on the cross, He never lets His guard down! 

There are many times we have joyfully welcomed Jesus into our lives and rejoiced over all He has done, just like the crowds did. However, our dreams of basking in this euphoria is cut short when we sometimes find ourselves alone in our times of betrayal, denial, trial or even when we find ourselves alone in our own Gethsemane - when we find no answers to prayers, no voice from heaven when we cry "why me Lord", no clarity of purpose in our discernment, no meaning to make something out of life, and we are just there! But we need to remind ourselves that our faith does not spare us from suffering and afflictions. We need to also know that Jesus is always present with us in our times of suffering, grief and sorrow. 

In the powerful chapters of the Gospel of Matthew 21:1-11; 26:1-74 or 27:1-66, they highlight what Christ has been called to do, that is, to humbly and voluntarily sacrifice Himself as a propitiation for the sins of the entire humanity (Cf. Philippians 2:5-11 - "And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross"). Regardless of our sinful human nature, we are being reconciled with God by the powerful presence of Jesus Christ to make a difference in our life's journey.

This week, as we begin our Holy Week journey, here comes the moments for us as the Church to reflect on the purpose of who Jesus is and for the reason of what He has come to accomplish for us. In our journey with Him into His own Jerusalem (our own "world" too), we might also feel the pains of betrayal, pains of denial in our own Gethsemani, and the times of trials might be very excruciating or unbearable for us, but as we carry our own cross, whether heavy or light, He is more than able to bear the burden for us and to do what He is meant to do. We are encouraged not to leave Him out of our plans to help us carry everything through. Thanks be to God. Amen.

With every blessing,