Thanks to all those who make this radio broadcast possible today Sunday, March 14, IV Domingo de Lent, when fourteen days to go until the start of Easter, to be held from March 28th to Sunday, April 4th. Today, in all the Catholic churches of the world, the Gospel according to St. John chapter 3, verses 14 to 21, is read.
(Gospel)
The book of Numbers, which is part of the Pentateuch, in chapter 21 tells us that God’s people protested against those who took them out of slavery, the Father God himself. And in the face of the snake attack he asked Moses to pray for them, and God said to Moses, “Make a serpent and place it on a pole, whoever has been bitten, when he sees it shall heal.” Jesus Christ referring to this biblical passage tells us that he will be raised, raised, that is crucified, nailed to the top of the cross so that all who believe in him may have eternal life. On the cross have been forgiven the horrible sins of this humanity and also ours. We look at the crucified Christ and take a cross in our hand, before him we recognize our sins and promise repentance.
I confess before Almighty God, before you, the only one who knows my heart and my history; before you, the only one who can forgive sins; before you, the only one who can bear my faults and repair what I have broken and before you brethren, whom I have offended and those who have offended me, who are sinners like me and who plead with me, who have sinned much of thought, word, work, and omission. The good you wanted to grant me and I rejected and the evil I got carried away because I was strongly seduced. Because of me, and I’m not looking for excuses, because of me, because of my great fault, that separates me from you and myself. That is why I pray to St Mary always Virgin, to the angels, to the saints and to the whole Church come to heaven who prays for us and to you brothers, whom I no longer want to deceive any longer, who know now all about me and whom I ask forgiveness and with whom I stand before God, to intercede for me before God , our Lord, that you, my God, may make me know your gaze on my life and that of my brothers and sisters, to be in your arms with all that I have done, and to forgive me all the evil I have done to you, to men, and to my soul. Amen.
The prophet Miqueas tells us in chapter 7, verses 18 through 20:
What is there like you, capable of forgiving sin, of overlooking the lack of the rest of your inheritance? He does not preserve his wrath forever, for he likes mercy, he will feel sorry for us again, he will destroy our faults, he will throw our sins into the depths of the sea. You will grant Jacob your faithfulness and Abraham your goodness as you once promised our parents. Word of God, we praise you Lord.
And we confess when we can, we want to put ourselves on the list of the forgiven: Matthew, Sacko, Peter, the adulterer, the paralytic, the publican, the youngest son and the eldest, the woman in the house of the Pharisee Simon.
(Singing)
Evil, sin, leaves great damage to the offended person, sometimes irreparable harm. A good person heard badly about a friend and watered that news all over the neighborhood. Later he realized that what he had said was false and asked a priest how to repair the damage. The priest replied:
-Kill a chicken, collect all the feathers, put them in a sack and throw them in the air through the streets of the village.
The man very happy for that so easy took the sack of feathers and in one day had released them all. He went back to the priest:
-I’m done.
-That’s the easiest part. Now you have to refill the sack with the same feathers you dropped. Take to the streets and look for them.
The man felt very sad, for he knew what that meant and could find almost none. When he returned, the wise priest said to him:
-Just as you couldn’t put back together all the feathers that flew into the wind, so did the evil you did flew word of mouth and the damage is done. All you can do is ask God and your friend for forgiveness, for there is no way to repair everything you did. Next time tell all the good things about people and shut up what others say about evil, because most of the time this news is totally false.
(CANTO)
The Pope in Erbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, on 7 March said:
“Dear brothers and sisters: God does not let us die in our sin. Even when we turn our backs on him, he doesn’t abandon us to our own fate. He seeks us, he follows us, to call us to repentance and to purify us. ‘I swear on my life, oracle of God, that I am not pleased with the death of the wicked, but that he will become of his misconduct and alive.’ The Lord wants us to be saved and to be living temples of his love, in fraternity, in service, and in mercy.
“Jesus not only purifies us of our sins, but also makes us partakers of his own strength and wisdom. It frees us in a way of understanding faith, the family, the community that divides, that it contrasts, that excludes, so that we can build a Church and society open to everything and solicitous towards our brothers and sisters most in need. And at the same time it strengthens us, so that we may resist the temptation to seek revenge, that plunges us into a spiral of endless retaliation.
“With the power of the Holy Ghost he sends us, not to proselytizing, but as his missionary disciples men and women and loved ones to testify that the gospel has the power to change life. The Risen One makes us instruments of God’s peace and mercy, makes us patient and courageous craftsmen of a new social order. Thus, by the power of Christ and his Spirit, what the Apostle Paul prophesied to the Corinthians happens: ‘What seems madness in God is wiser than all things human, and what seems weakness in God is stronger than all that is human.’ Christian communities made up of humble and simple people become a sign of the coming Kingdom, Kingdom of Love, Justice and Peace.'”
After we receive god’s mercy, who always forgives, comes peace, tranquility, light. The Bible tells us of this light: “For in another time they were darkness, but now they are light in the Lord, walk like children of light.” (Ephesians 5: 8).
“You are the light of the world. A city settled on a mountain, you can’t hide.” (Matthew 5:14).
“Lamp is at my feet your word and light in my way.” (Psalm 119)
“This is the message we have heard from him and announce to them, ‘God is light and there is no darkness in Him.” (1 John 1:5).
“God is my light and my salvation, whom will I fear? God is the strength of my life, who am I to be afraid of?” (Psalm 27).
“The light in darkness shines, and darkness could not against it.” (John 1:5).
“But if we walk in the light, as Christ is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Christ, his son, cleanses us of all sin.” (1 John 1:7).
“But if we walk in the light, as Christ is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Christ, his son, cleanses us of all sin.” (1 John 1:7).
(CANTO)
The book of Numbers in chapter 21, verse 8, reminds us of the emblem of medicine, the serpent on a pole. This memory leads us to pray for those who work for our health.
Voice: God the father, I thank you for the doctors you have put on the path of my life, remember what you have done for me and my family. Thanks to you and them.
Lord Jesus Christ, they have been good Samaritans to me and mine, do not forget to reward us in this life and in eternal life. Holy Ghost continues to bestow your gift of science on doctors, stomatologists, and nurses to serve their neighbors with heart and find ethical ways of healing and overcome diseases with your creative grace. Saint Mary of Charity prays for health, peace, family harmony and joy to those who attend to my ailments and make them happy in their service. Blessed José Olallo Valdés presents to God the Father my pleas that those who care for my health may constitute a beautiful family in their home, Church and work center. Amen.
(CANTO)
Next Friday we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph. We congratulate all the communities that have As patron Saint Joseph and those named after Joseph. The Saints tell us about St. Joseph:
“St. Joseph took Jesus’ small hands and lifting them into heaven said, ‘Stars of heaven, behold the hands which created thee. Oh Sol, here’s the arm that got you out of nowhere.'” (Blessed William José Chaminade).
“What many kings and prophets desired to see and did not see, desired to hear, and did not hear, St. Joseph was permitted. Not only to see and hear but to carry, guide, embrace, kiss, feed, and protect the Messiah as a child.” (St. Bernard of Claraval).
“Noble Saint Joseph, I rejoice that God found you worthy to have this eminent position, through which, established as the father of Jesus, he saw the one whose orders heaven and earth obey, submitting to your authority.” (San Alfonso María Ligorio).
“Joseph was the first worshipper, the first religious.” (St. Peter Emiart).
“You do not know that the son of God preferred the purity of the flesh to such an extent that he became man in the sealed womb of a virgin rather than the dignity of marriage. And if that were not enough for her, that not only is the mother a virgin, the belief remains of the Church that St Joseph, who made the role of father, is also a virgin.” (St. Peter Damian).
“St. Joseph, pray that my love for the baby Jesus may grow, be a father to me.” (San Juan Neumann).
“The Gospels do not quote a single word from St. Joseph, their language is silence.” (St. Paul VI).
“We must be convinced that in consideration of his great merits, God will not reuse to St. Joseph any grace that he asks of him for those who venerate him.” (San Alfonso María Ligorio).
“If San Jose doesn’t grant us favors, it’d stop being San Jose.” (St. Paul II).
“May he who is not found whom teach him to pray choose the glorious Saint Joseph for his teacher and shall not stray from the right way.” (Santa Teresa de Avila).
“Who can conceive of St. Joseph’s feelings by hearing the child Jesus call him a father?” (San Bernardino de Siena).
(CANTO)
Voice: At this time we are preparing to receive spiritual communion.
(CANTO)
St. Joseph prays for us. And the blessing of Almighty God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost descend upon us, upon our families, upon our sick, upon all those who bear the name of Joseph, and remain forever. Amen.
(CANTO)
Below we fully offer the address of Msgr. Ramón Suárez Polcari, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Havana.
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