Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Homily on Wednesday, Fifth Week of Lent, 20 March 2024, PH Chapel, Talamban

We are now in our final approach towards Holy Week. The Gospel passage we have heard today (Jn 8:31-42) presents the last part of Jesus’ tension-filled dialogue with the unbelieving Pharisees and the people of Jerusalem. It was his last attempt to make himself known to them and convince them that he was truly the Son of God sent by the Father. But they have consistently kept their minds and hearts closed to what he had been telling them. He must have realized that despite being one-hundred percent divine, he still, because of his human nature, could not convince the people of his time to accept him. Truly the gift of salvation can neither be forced nor imposed on anyone who, endowed with human freedom, choose not to accept it.

Surprisingly, however, Jesus did not give up on his people too soon. After revealing honestly and sincerely his true identity to them, this time, he took the courage to reveal the bitter truth about his adversaries: that they were NOT really sons of Abraham as they thought, but rather slaves of sin, slaves of their own EGO. Instead of allowing the Son of Man to set them free, they were driven by their own imprisoned EGO to kill the One who would have set them free. That was not only disappointing; it was tragically disheartening too. Jesus must have expected the Jewish leaders and experts of the law to be the first ones to believe and be set free, but on the contrary they were the ones who, blocked by their own EGO rejected the priceless gift, as they chose to remain in their spiritual slavery, consumed by pride and self-absorption.

Could people today still be like the Jews of yesterday?

The good news is that today’s liturgy offers us something that greatly consoles and inspires us, and it is actually found in the first reading (Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95). While the three faithful Jews namely, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were being held captives in Babylon, they firmly refused to be touched by any sin. They rejected everything that was against God’s command even the order to bow down before the golden statue set up by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Preferring to remain faithful to God even if it meant their death, they willingly accepted the punishment imposed on them.

And so, fearless of the earthly fires that can consume their flesh, they submitted themselves to be thrown into the white-hot furnace, heated seven times more than usual by the king’s men. What their executioners did not know was that their hearts within them were already ablaze with passionate love for the Lord, their almighty God. And so, having been made pure and sinless by the burning love within them, the earthly flames could no longer touch them, not even a single part of their body. In fact the king was suddenly surprised to see one like the Son of Man appearing inside the furnace as if shielding the three young men from the consuming fire. By God’s intervention they were all kept alive while their hearts continued to burn more intensely with divine zeal and heroic love.

Brothers and sisters, let us find some “ME time” to reflect on ourselves, and see whether we too, like the Pharisees, are still locked up in our own EGO. Let us ask Jesus to set our hearts free from bondage and cast them into the flames of his most Sacred Heart so that having been made pure by his transforming love we may emerge totally renewed and glowing with eternal light.

As we enter more deeply into the heart of the Lenten season which is the Holy Week, may this Eucharist and every Mass we celebrate lead us to enter more deeply into the heart of Christ, burning with passionate love for the Father, and offered in union with Him for the salvation of souls, especially of the young. GiGsss!

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