EASTER SUNDAY YEAR A, 2036 BY FR. MARTINE EKE, MSP

 Acts 10:3, 37-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9

One of the explanations of the origin of the word ‘Easter’ is that the word derives from an Old English word, ‘eostre,’ referring to a spring festival, and an Old German word, ‘eostarun,’ relating to rising sun, east, or dawn. The Church adopted this term to represent the dawn of new life and the resurrection of Christ as the light of the world which is celebrated in spring season.

The Easter date is not set as that of Christmas. The Catholic Church has determined the date of Easter since 325 AD. In that year, the Council of Nicaea established that Easter be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon occurring on or after March 21. The Vatican Observatory Department astronomers provide the Easter date. Details of the department’s work is not the focus of our reflection. However, it is essential that Easter is a spring season celebration after the dryness and withering of winter season. Trees and grasses are alive again. Vegetation wears a new look. Hibernated animals due to winter emerge from their hiding places. Many animals shed their skin in spring as they wake from winter, allowing for growth and removal of old, worn-out layers. Weather, trees, and animals have a lot to teach us about Easter. We are invited to be transformed to the new life of spring.

Easter is the greatest Christian celebration. It is celebrated for 50 days, from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. The 50 days period is called Eastertide. St. Paul tells us that Christianity is what it is because of the event of the resurrection. He writes in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching, empty too your faith.”

At crucifixion and death, Jesus’ mission appeared to have ended up in a failure. But as we read in today’s gospel, “On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb” (John 20:1). An angel of the Lord removed the stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb (Matthew 28:2). Jesus was freed from the darkness of the tomb. Jesus’ mission came alive again. From a few followers in Israel, Christianity is the world’s largest religion that has influenced every aspect of human existence. The global population of Christians is over 2.6 billion, which is over 30% of the world population of about 8.3 billion.

St. Paul tells us in the second reading that the Easter event makes us people who are raised with Christ (Colossians 3:1). Jesus is no longer in the tomb. Let us not remain in the tomb of sin and sorrow. May the angel who removed the stone over Jesus’ tomb remove every spiritual ‘stone’ that prevents us from being raised with Christ.

St. Paul encourages us in the second reading to be transformed by the Easter event to become a people who “think of what is above, not of what is on earth” (Colossians 3:3). This means that we think and act according to what is pleasing to God, as St. Paul states in Philippians 4:8, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

St. Paul, further, instructs us to hide our life with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). In this world of violence, trials, and temptations, we must hide our life with Christ in God to be guided, protected, and defended from the onslaught of this world, the Evil One, and his agents.

St. Peter exclaims, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). We are to become what St. Augustine calls “Easter people.” He says, “We are Easter people, and Alleluia is our song.” Pope St. John Paul II adds, “The joy of Easter should not be a shallow joy, but rather a joy that comes from faith, that grows through unselfish love, that respects the fundamental duty of love of neighbor, without which it would be unbecoming to speak of Joy. … An Easter person constantly reflects and asks himself or herself two important questions, ‘How can I become Jesus to my neighbor?’ and ‘How can others see Jesus in Me?”’

Jesus’ resurrection followed his passion, cross, crucifixion, and death. Therefore, the resurrection story is a story of hope. We are not to give up in times of passions, crosses, crucifixions, and deaths but to look forward to resurrection and glory that follow. May our thorns turn to crowns. May our crosses turn to thanksgiving testimonies. May the God’s angels roll away the stones weighing on us so that we may spring forth to new life. We pray with the words of St. Paul: May the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead give life to our mortal bodies also (Romans 8:11). Amen. 

Happy and Spirit-filled Easter to you all!

HOLY SATURDAY, 3026 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

 Epistle Romans 6:3-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Matthew 28:1-10

Holy Saturday Easter Vigil concludes the Triduum, the Sacred Paschal Mystery celebration, which began on Holy Thursday.

Before the advent of electricity, gas lights, kerosene lights, flashlights, and so on, people who kept vigil made fire with dry branches of trees, sat around it, and told stories. Grandparents, parents, and seniors told wisdom stories and history to the children and the young ones. Tonight reminds grandparents, parents, and seniors this important tradition. The Catholic Church maintains the tradition with the Holy Saturday ceremony as we keep the vigil for the Lord’s resurrection.

We started with the liturgy of the Holy Fire. The Holy Fire commemorates God’s creation of light on the earth. The Bibles tells us that at that time, the earth was without form or shape and enveloped in darkness. “Then God said: ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good. God then separated light from darkness” (Genesis 1:2-5). We pray that the Holy Fire purifies our hearts and makes us new. May the Holy Fire shine its holy light on our dark world and dispel all forces of darkness. May the Holy Fire separate us from darkness as God separated light from darkness. We cast our afflictions into the Holy Fire. May they be consumed as it was in the days of Elijah, when “The Lord’s fire came down and devoured the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust, and lapped up the water in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38). May the Lord who answers by fire answer our prayers, and consume our ‘woods,’ ‘stones,’ and ‘water.’ Amen.

Moments ago, we processed into the church building behind the Paschal Candle with lighted candles. The Paschal Candle is an image of the Risen Christ’s triumph over death. It is a symbol of hope and new life. The procession behind the Paschal Candle into the church building is a powerful symbol that we are followers of the Risen Lord who assures us, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). May the light of Christ light our way to triumph over sin and sorrow. Amen.

Let us recall a few lines in the Exultet (the Easter proclamation hymn what summons us to rejoice):

“This is the night that with a pillar of fire banished the darkness of sin.”

“This is the night that even now, throughout the world, sets Christian believers apart from worldly vices and from the gloom of sin, leading them to grace and joining them to his holy ones.”

“This is the night, when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld.”

“This is the night of which it is written: The night shall be as bright as day …”

“The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.”

It is the night the sin of Adam and Eve became a “happy fault” since the world is blessed with the event of the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Old and New Testament readings tonight remind us of our salvation history which goes back to the creation of the world, the fall of Adam and Eve, the journey of God’s Chosen people, the prophecies about Jesus, his coming, his passion, his death, and this night, his resurrection. As Jesus says, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).

Soon, in this celebration, we will renew our baptismal promises in which we will renounce Satan and all his works. All these make us partakers in the Sacred Paschal Mystery. These deep and profound spiritual expressions are for our transformation. May our Lenten journey, the Triduum, and the Easter celebrations bring profound transformations to our lives. Amen.

Our world is enveloped in darkness of corruption, wars, violence, death, refugee crises, bad governments, insecurity, fear, poverty, sickness, suffering, godlessness, human made and natural disasters, and so on. 1 John 5:19 expresses the world's situation, “We know that we belong to God, [but] the whole world is under the power of the evil one.” However, Jesus assures us, “But take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He says, “because I live and you will live” (John 14:19). St. Paul beckons on us, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). And joyfully we exclaim, “Thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Our celebration continues in the morning when we gather again to celebrate the Easter Sunday Mass.

Happy Easter!

GOOD FRIDAY, 2026 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42

The 40 days of the Lenten season reaches its climax today, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. Today has been a day of fasting, abstinence, and prayer. It has been a day of meditation on the agony and death of Jesus Christ. Good Friday is the only day of the year the Catholic Church does not celebrate the Eucharist. This is because Good Friday’s ceremony is a commemoration of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which is the meaning of Eucharistic celebration.

In the Bible, we read of 40 days of rain (Noah), 40 years of wilderness (Israelites), and 40 days at Mount Sinai (Moses and Elijah), 40 days in the desert (Jesus), 40 days of Lent; what does 40 mean? The number 40 signifies a period of testing, trial, preparation, and of cleansing leading to new beginnings. 

What is good about Good Friday meanwhile it is a somber day, the innocent Son of God was tortured and brutally executed by his crucifixion on the Cross? In the first reading, Isaiah explains why Good Friday is good, “… it was our infirmities that he bore, our suffering that he endured … he was pierced for our offences, crushed for our sins.” “… upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.” “ … because he surrendered to death … he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.”  Jesus himself says that it was necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory (Luke 24:25-26).

In the second reading from Hebrews, we are reminded that we have an important part to play to merit the ‘good,’ “…and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. It is very clearly stated. The ‘good’ is for those who obey him!

Why did Jesus have to suffer in a gruesome manner to accomplish our salvation? God’s plan for humanity’s salvation is a mystery beyond human’s full comprehension and clear understanding.  The psalmist says, “Our God is in heaven and does as he wishes” (Psalm 113:3).

Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). And he cried out while hanging on the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

When you do not understand your cross, and you ask, “Why me?” Look at the Crucifix. As we contemplate and venerate the Crucifix today, may we draw strength and courage from it. May we be empowered by it to carry our own crosses with hope.  May our crosses become bridges to safety and ladders to heaven. The message of the cross means nothing to a lot of people, but to us, it is God’s power (1 Corinthians 1:18). Through our crosses, may we enter into glory as it was for Jesus.

Yes, we do condemn Judas who betrayed Jesus; the soldiers who arrested him, tortured him, and crucified him; the disciples who deserted him; the chief priests and the people who accused him falsely and insisted that he must die; Pilate who sentenced him to death; the soldier who gave him vinegar to drink; the soldier who pierced his side; and so on. But how could our salvation have been possible without the role these people played? Many times, good comes out from the worst. The ‘good’ of Good Friday is that the death and burial of Jesus are not the end of the story. His resurrection is. Let us cling to the old rugged Cross, it will someday be exchanged for a crown! Amen.

On our own part, let us be like Pontius Pilate’s wife who do not support evil; like Simon of Cyrene, an instrument of relief to the suffering; like Veronica, an instrument of empathy and consolation to the grieving; like daughters of Jerusalem, who weep over evil; like Mary, the wife of Clopas and Mary of Magdala, who offer ministry of presence to the distressed and the grieving; like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who do works of mercy.

We identify with the Passion of Christ as we all carry our various crosses. Some of us are praying that our crosses be removed. Some of us have fallen several times under the weight of our crosses. Some of us are feeling as if we are hanging and abandoned on our crosses. Some of us are feeling as if we are offered vinegar to drink for our thirst. Some of us are feeling crushed by all kinds of infirmity. As we venerate the Cross, we pray with Jesus, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). The second reading encourages us to “confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help” (Hebrews 4:16). Jesus promises us, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (John12:32). Draw us to yourself, O Lord, that by your stripes we are healed. Amen.

HOLY THURSDAY, 2026 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14; Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15

Holy Thursday begins the three days of liturgical celebrations which re-enact the three days of Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. The three days are called the Sacred Paschal Triduum. The word paschal originates from the Aramaic ‘paskha’ meaning passover. Triduum is a word formed from two Latin words: ‘tri’ meaning three and ‘dies’ meaning day.

Holy Week Wednesday is sometimes called Spy Wednesday. It is so called because Judas Iscariot had become a spy for the chief priests. He had received thirty pieces of silver from them and was seeking an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them (Matthew 26:14-16). We are not to be like Judas who spied and betrayed Jesus. We are invited to look out for, care for, protect, and support the well-being of one another. We are invited to be faithful and honest with one another.

Three major events took place on Holy Thursday:

The first event: During the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Catholics believe that Jesus celebrated the first Holy Mass on Holy Thursday. The second reading says, “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). By Jesus’ proclamation, “This is my body,” “This is my blood,” Catholics believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament because Jesus did not say, “This is a symbol of my body,” or “This is a symbol of my blood.” He did not say, “This represents my body,” or “This represents my blood.” The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus said what he meant, and he meant what he said.

The Holy Mass is, also, the highest prayer of the Catholic Church. Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium (No. 11) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Nos. 1324 and 1327) teach that the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life,” and “The Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith.”

The second event: On Holy Thursday, Jesus instituted the ministerial priesthood (the Sacrament of the Holy Orders) when he commanded his apostles, “Do this in remembrance of me.” By this, the apostles became the first New Testament priests. Subsequently, the ministerial priesthood (validly ordained priests) function in the person of Christ (‘in persona Christi’). That is why Catholic priests repeat the words of Christ during the prayer of consecration of bread and wine at Mass; and during the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the priest prays over the penitent, “… through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins…” However, through our Baptism, we all are incorporated into the Body of Christ and share in his three-fold mission as priest, prophet, and king. By this, we share in a common (universal) priesthood and a life of service and witness. This is why we are called priestly people.

The third event: Holy Thursday is also called Maundy Thursday, which can be translated as Command Thursday or Mandate Thursday. The word ‘maundy’ is derived from the Latin word ‘mandatum,’ meaning mandate. Jesus commanded the apostles and us, “Do this in remembrance of me,” and “You call me teacher and master, and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (John 13:13).

The Eucharistic command and witnessing command are among the final demands of Jesus before his crucifixion. They are commands that are to be obeyed as stated! We are commanded to wash each other’s feet. We are called to wash real dirty feet. The dirtier the feet we wash, the deeper our relationship with God. Washing of feet means witnessing Christ.

The first reading narrates the feast of the first Passover, which symbolized the spiritual food for the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land. The Eucharist is our spiritual food for our journey of faith and our journey to eternal life. Jesus says, “My flesh is real food, and my body is real drink” (John 6:55).

God commanded the Israelites to put the blood of the lamb on the lintel of every house in order to be saved from the angel of death. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and has purchased us by his blood. St. Paul writes, “In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). In prayer, we surrender ourselves, our sins, and our sorrows to the redemptive power of the precious Blood of Jesus Christ. May the precious Blood of Jesus save us from angels of death. Amen.

PALM SUNDAY, YEAR A, 2026 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

Matthew 21: 1-11; Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66

Today, Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, is the sixth and last Sunday of Lent. It commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, days before he was crucified. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. The passion narrative from the Gospel of Matthew invites us, once again, to participate step by step in the passion journey of Jesus Christ, which we began with our participation in the Stations of the Cross.

Almost all Jewish prophets prophesied the coming of the messiah who would redeem Israel from her oppressors. At the time of Jesus, Israel was governed by the Romans. Jesus’ disciples were convinced that Jesus was a political messiah who would lead a rebellion against the Roman colonial rule and drive out the Romans. Therefore, on arriving in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, he was given a rousing and heroic welcome: “The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest’” (Matthew 21:8-9).

John’s Gospel is specific about palm branches: “They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the king of Israel!”’ (John 12:13). The name ‘Palm Sunday’ is based on John’s Gospel. In many cultures, waving of palm branches is an expression of victory. ‘Hosanna’ is an Aramaic word which means, “save us, we pray” or “please deliver us.” Unknowingly, the crowds proclaimed Jesus’ victory over death and him as the savior of the world. Like the crowds, we pray to Jesus to save us and deliver us from our afflictions.

Palm Sunday celebration is not only a re-enacting of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, but we are also re-enacting the vision of John in Revelation 7:9-10, “I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.’” Our celebration is our prayer that we will transcend from re-enacting to reality and from performance to become what we perform.

There are other meanings of palm leaves. In some cultures, in times of crisis or misunderstanding, carrying palm leaves or presenting palm leaves is a gesture of peace and reconciliation. Today, the Church gives us palm leaves as a symbol of peace and reconciliation to take to our homes and places. Let us share the message of peace and reconciliation with one another. You may take a palm leaf from this Mass to someone as a gesture of peace and reconciliation. Blessed palm leaves are not to be thrown around or discarded as trash. They are kept reverently until next year when they are returned to the church and burned and the ashes used during Ash Wednesday liturgy.

I do not think that the crowds would have cried to Jesus to save them if they knew that he was not a political messiah. A few days later, the crowds shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” It could be that the crowds were frustrated and disappointed that Jesus did not meet their expectation. If Jesus had overthrown the Roman leadership, the crowds would have stood behind him. He would not have been crucified. Are we the same? When our expectations are not met, how to we react? Do we enter crucifying mode?

As we read in the gospel, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a colt (a young donkey). Jesus chose to enter Jerusalem on a donkey, which was, at that time, the means of transportation for the poor; instead of a horse, which was the means of transportation for the rich, the high and the mighty. By riding a donkey, a beast of burden, Jesus made himself our ‘beast of burden’ thereby fulfilling Isaiah 53:54, “He took up our pain and bore our suffering.” Like the donkey, Jesus carries our pains and sufferings.

By riding a donkey, Jesus identified himself with the poor and the lowly, and he teaches us to do the same. He wants us to identify with the burdened, the needy, the sick, and the suffering. And by riding a donkey, Jesus teaches us the importance of detachment and humility. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says, “Learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart.”

Today’s celebration becomes even more meaningful if Jesus makes a triumphal entry into our lives, grant us peace, victory over evil, salvation, and eternal life. Let us not stop Jesus’ entry into our lives by our sins. Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me” (Revelations 3:20).

Lastly, St. Andrew of Crete writes, “Let us imitate those who have gone out to meet him, not scattering olive branches or garments or palms in his path, but spreading ourselves before him as best as we can with humility of soul and upright purpose … It is ourselves that we must spread under Christ’s feet…”

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A, 2026 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

 

 

Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 130:1-8; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45

Next Sunday is Palm Sunday. How is your Lenten journey going? Have you fulfilled the Lenten obligations of Repentance (Confession), Almsgiving (works of charity), Fasting and Abstinence, and Prayer?

The first reading was Ezekiel’s prophecy to the people of Israel while they were in exile in Babylon. They had resigned to hopelessness that they would never be free and would never return to their homeland. Through Ezekiel, God gave hope to them. Ezekiel prophesied, “I will open your graves and have you rise from them… I will put my spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you upon your land…” Ezekiel prophesied spirit, life, and restoration in place of death and grave.

This prophecy was fulfilled in about 597 BC when King Cyrus of Persia released the people of Israel to return to their land. They did not fight for their freedom. An additional blessing they received was that they left Babylon with so much gold and silver (5,400 articles of gold and silver) to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Following the King’s decree, the Babylonians provided the Israelites with silver and gold, goods and livestock, and freewill offerings for the temple (Ezra 1:1-11). Although the Israelites never believed that there was hope for them to return to their homeland, but when it was God’s time, it came very fast and with unexpected blessings.

In the gospel, Lazarus was dead and was in the grave for four days. Jesus brought him back to life. It was a hopeless case before Jesus arrived. When Jesus was told that Lazarus was ill, he did not proceed immediately to visit Lazarus. It took him four days before he arrived. Jesus ordered that the stone be taken away and ordered Lazarus to come out. Lazarus came out with hand and foot tied with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. Jesus ordered, “Untie him and let him go.” Jesus is the one who commands “prisoners: come out” and “those in darkness: Show yourselves,” as prophesied in Isaiah 49:9. But we are the ones who obey or disobey.

After seventy years in captivity, the Israelites got their freedom. After four days in the grave, Lazarus came back to life. This means that, sometimes, challenging times can last for a long time. Since we do not know God’s divine will, we are encouraged to stand strong in faith and persevere in prayer. Jesus promises in Matthew 24:13, “The one who perseveres to the end will be saved.”

The Israelites never believed that they would return to their homeland. Nobody could have imagined that Lazarus would live again having been buried for four days. “With God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:6). God promises, “I will open your graves and have you rise from them … I have promised and, I will do it” (Ezekiel 37:14). “I will never forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).

In the gospel of last Sunday, Jesus was asked, ‘“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him’” (John 9:3). Today, we read, ‘“Master, the one you love is ill.’ When Jesus heard this, he said, ‘This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the son of God may be glorified through it’” (John 11:4). We pray that the works of God be made visible and God be glorified through our unpleasant situations. St. Paul writes, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Jesus says to us what he said to Martha, “Did I not tell that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”

The Israelites were under the yoke of slavery in Babylon. We may have our yokes enslaving us. May God free us from our yokes. Lazarus was dead and, in the grave, covered by a stone. He was bound hand and foot, and his face wrapped in a cloth. We may be feeling like being in the grave. We may be feeling like we are weighed down by a large stone. We may be feeling like tied by hand and foot. We may be feeling like our face is wrapped in a cloth. May Jesus weep over our situations as he wept over Lazarus’ death, and free us from our affliction as he freed Lazarus from death. We express our faith in Jesus as Martha did, “But even now [we] know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”

We pray with St. Paul (in the second reading): May the Spirit of the One who raised Christ from the dead give life to our mortal bodies. May the Spirit of the One who raised Christ from the dead break our yokes, remove the stones weighing upon us, raise us up from our graves, untie our bands, and set us free. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A, 2026 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13; Psalm 23:1-6; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

The Fourth Sunday of Lent is called ‘Laetare’ Sunday, meaning Sunday of Joy. ‘Laetare’ (Latin) means ‘rejoice.’ It comes from the first word of today’s Mass entrance antiphon, “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast” (Isaiah 66:10-11). In the past, the Lenten season used to be very austere. The Fourth Sunday of Lent, being a mid-way of the Lenten season, used to be a day to relax austere fasting. ‘Laetare’ Sunday foreshadows the hope and joy that await us at Easter. It is also known as “Rose Sunday” because rose-colored vestments are traditionally worn.

In the first reading, Samuel did not know who God was going to choose to replace Saul as the king of Israel. God guided him until he anointed David. “Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.’ but the Lord said to Samuel: ‘Do not judge from appearance or from lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.’” Samuel would have made a wrong choice if he had not followed God’s guidance.  The first reading has a few lessons for us.

 (1) Appearance can be deceptive. Therefore, we must not make judgements and conclusions, hastily, based on appearance, initial impressions, and thoughts. Sometimes, there is more than meets the eye. Sometimes, what is on the surface is only the tip of the iceberg. We hear it often said, “All that glitters is not gold.”  Discernment and prayer are important before decisions are made. It is important to listen attentively to God and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

(2) Samuel did not depend on what was presented to him. He made inquiry: ‘“Are these all the sons you have?’ Jesse replied, ‘There is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he arrives here.”’ We must not be afraid or reluctant to ask valid questions which may help to a better understanding of the matter or help to unravel the truth. My dad, God rest his soul, used to tell me, "Son, do not call a mirage a river.”

(3) Someone says, “Do not be discouraged. It is often the last key in the bunch that unlocks the lock.” David was the last key in the bunch. If you try and fail, try, try, try again!

(4) Jesse never imagined that the youngest of his sons could be considered for such an exulted position. Let us not underestimate what God can do in and through us or what God can do in and through someone else.

(5) God knows the heart of each one of us. We can deceive our fellow human beings, but we cannot deceive God. The Lord said to Samuel, “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

We pray for those who, by the nature of their calling or responsibility, must make judgements on others that they may be open to the wisdom and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We pray, too, for all of us that we may seek to be guided by the Holy Spirit in our choices and judgements.

In the gospel, the physically blind man who was healed by Jesus, recognized Jesus as a prophet and worshipped him. Meanwhile, the spiritually blind Jews refused to see God’s wonderful work in Jesus and did not recognize that Jesus came from God.

The Jews ridiculed the man who was healed by Jesus and “threw him out” of the synagogue because he continued to insist that Jesus came from God. He was expelled from the synagogue because he rejected falsehood and insisted on the truth. How often does this happen among us, that people who insist on the truth are ridiculed, suppressed, or even eliminated?

Spiritual blindness is an impairment of the mind that causes a person to lose sight of right judgement and truth. We are spiritually blind when we do not recognize God’s presence and his wonderful work. We are spiritually blind when we do not recognize God’s goodness in others and in ourselves. We are spiritually blind when we do not recognize the hurts and damage we cause to others and to ourselves.

In one way or another, all of us have some degree of spiritual blindness. St. Paul encourages us in the second reading to “take no part in the fruitless works of darkness” but to receive the light of Christ. St. Paul writes, “Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.”

We pray that as the blind man in the gospel received his healing, our rulers and leaders whose blindness brings so much suffering in our society and in our world be healed of their blindness. Samuel was blind as to who to anoint the king of Isreal until God guided him. May we receive God’s guidance to see the paths forward even where there is dead-end. May the testimonies of God’s guidance and healing glorify his Holy Name. Amen.