4th Sunday of Lent (C)

Short Reflection for the 4^th Sunday in Lent (C) – The Prodigal Son

Readings: Joshua 5: 9. 10-12; 2 Corinthians 5: 17-23; Luke 15: 1-3. 11-32

Selected Passage:  “Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.’” (Luke 15: 17-19)

Reflection:  The season of Lent is an invitation to come back to our senses.  Like the Prodigal Son, we need only to recognize our sins and go back to the Father.  The compassion of the Father knows NO end. He is there waiting for us with neither condemnation nor judgment. He is merciful and full of compassion with NO recriminations and instead he prepares a banquet on our return home.  We need to get back our senses and return to the loving Father who is always waiting for our return home. www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

DHIKR PRAYER SIMPLE METHOD...

Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, Dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps:

1.Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ…

2.Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 

3.Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…!

It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…

3rd Sunday of lent (C)

Short Reflection for the 3^rd Sunday in Lent (C)

Readings: Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; and Luke 13:1-9

Selected Passage:  'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' (Luke 13: 7)

Reflection:  Years have we been living on this earth, yet the same question is asked of us - do we bear fruit for others? Why should we exhaust the soil when we neither bear fruit nor give shade for others? We produce NONE or reap only for ourselves.  Beware… else we, too, are cut down!

In this season of Lent, we hear the invitation to conversion -  a change of heart and mending our ways.  Conversion also , means bearing fruits. Thus we need NOT only listen to the Word of god, to pray and fast, but also to do charitable works. www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

DHIKR PRAYER SIMPLE METHOD...

Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, Dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps:

1.Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ…

2.Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 

3.Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…!

It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…

2nd Sunday of Lent (C)

Short Reflection for the 2^nd Sunday in Lent (C): The Transfiguration of Jesus

Readings: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1 or 3:20-4:1; and Luke 9:28b-36

Selected Passage: “While Peter was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.  Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘this is my chosen Son; listen to him’."  (Luke 9: 34-35))

Reflection:  Jesus was transfigured before his disciples. Then they heard the voice from the cloud saying: ‘this is my chosen Son; listen to him.’  The challenge to each one is to hear again that same voice during this season of Lent and begin to listen again to the Word of the Lord.

Let the Transfiguration be the powerful presence of Christ, which takes charge of everything in us and transforms even that which disturbs us about ourselves.  God penetrates those hardened, incredulous, even disquieting regions within us, about which we really do not know what to do. God penetrates them with radiant light, with the life of his Spirit, and gives them God’s own face. www.badaliyya.blogspot.com

DHIKR PRAYER SIMPLE METHOD...

Dhikr is an Arabic word for remembrance. In the “tariqa” (the way) movement, Dhikr developed into a form of prayer… It is a prayer of the heart… following three simple steps:

1.Write in one’s heart a certain passage of the Holy Writ…

2.Make the same passage ever present in one’s lips. 

3.Then wait for God’s disclosure on the meaning of the passage…that interprets one’s life NOW…!

It takes a week of remembering (dhikr)…or even more days to relish the beauty of this method…

Lenten Reflection 01: Jesus is our Badal...!

Lenten Reflection # 01: Jesus Christ is our Ransom...

Bapa Eliseo "Jun" Mercado, OMI

#Badaliyya-Philippines

The celebration of LENT is to remember the narratives of the PRICE Jesus paid that we may have life...

• He experienced the betrayal by one of his own …

• He found himself all alone before the powers of the

world – State and Ecclesiastical…

• The Custodians of the Law and the Covenant

condemned him to die…

• The power of this world washed its hands and gave

him away to be flogged and crucified…

• He was abandoned in his utter powerlessness and

weakness…

• He died on the Cross as a RANSOM/BADAL for our

sinfulness.!

Jesus was steadfast in his obedience to the will of his Father… He embraced, albeit with fear and trembling, the consequences of his decision to pay the PRICE that we may live and live to the full.

Jesus is raised by the Father!

In Jesus’ Resurrection, our God is revealed…

• Our God is NOT the all powerful one, but the God

who loves and who is willing to pay the price that we may have life.

• Our God is NOT the all victorious one, but the God

who is courageous to rise up in every fall and always ready to pick up the pieces and begin anew.

• Our God is the bread broken and shared and the

blood shed to free us from the tyranny of sin and the evil in our heart.

• Our God brings to fulfillment the covenant

established with our fathers in faith - Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.

Go and tell the whole world, the Good News that Jesus who died for us is truly RISEN!