Holy Monday 2025. John 12 :1-11

Holy Monday 2025. John 12 :1-11

Jesus, The Anointed One

Six days before the Passover, Jesus is anointed by Lazarus’s sister, Mary with a high-priced perfume at a dinner in Bethany. This symbolizes an act of solemn worship, Jesus burial as well as his identity as the Humble Messiah – Servant - King. By anointing Jesus feet and wiping them with her hair, Mary is anticipating Jesus’ sacrificial and selfless love at the upcoming washing of the feet at the last Supper. By using the costly perfume for the anointing, Mary expresses the unique, central  and the unequal value of Jesus in our lives. What is Jesus’ worth in your life?

Jesus, I trust in you!

Fr. Georges sac

Saturday within 5th week of Lent. John 11:44-56

Saturday within 5th week of Lent. John 11:44-56

Be a burning candle!

The chief priests and pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin in order to kill Jesus. Why? Jesus is a threat to the their influence and to the powers they want to maintain over the people. The high priest, Caiaphas, in the same way, moved by greed, declared that: "it is better for one man to die than to have the whole nation perish." Caiaphas is animated by selfishness and greed. He is power-hungry. Let's avoid being like Caiaphas, degrading others' dignity, blackmailing them in order to attain our selfish ambitions. On the contrary, let's imitate Jesus, who is like a candle, burning itself to give light to those in darkness. Jesus accepted to die for us so that we may have life. Am I ready to become a burning candle in this world?

Jesus, I trust in you
Fr. Georges sac

Friday of the 5th week of Lent Year C. Jer. 20:10-14; John 10:31-42

Friday of the 5th week of Lent Year C. Jer. 20:10-14; John 10:31-42

Stand for righteousness

Jeremiah is persecuted even by his own friends just as Jesus is betrayed by one of his disciples. Never give up, but stand by righteousness, and God will protect you from evil hands. When falsely accused, call on the Lord who fights for innocents. Let's continue our pilgrimage toward Easter with hope and total confidence in the God who protects and saves us!

Fr. Georges sac

Jesus I trust in you!

Wednesday of the John 8 :31-42

The truth will set you free

Sin is a kind of monster, which destroys us. The Gospel today teaches about true freedom. Three ways to be free. Stay away from the slavery of sin. Our daily growth in faith consists in breaking the prisons of sinfulness in our lives. Many things seem to enslave us such as: power, hours, the work, the anger, the lust, envy, greed, vices and addictions. In the first reading, Shadrack, Mishak, Abednego chose to be free by loving God above anything else. We can be like them if we do not allow sins to have dominion over us. To be a slave of sin is a denial of God’s will. Rather lets us make Jesus the ruler of our lives!

Jesus, I trust in you!

Fr. Georges Roger BIdzogo sac

Tuesday of the 5th Week of Lent, Year C. Numbers 21:4-9; John 8:21-30

Journey to the promised land

As we journey towards the promised land, we, like the Iraelites, often grumble and complain. Even worse, we love to go back to Egypt, to our place of slavery or to their old ways of living. The sinful attitude of the Israelites caused God to send fiery deadly serpents. Sin is the deadly poison. Sin is the new modern serpent that is looking for a new innocent victim. However God gives us a vaccine against the venom of sin. We must return to God by looking at the one who was lifted up as a new bronze serpent. Let us look at the cross and we shall live. The cross is our crown. The cross is the power that will take us to the promised land.        Jesus, I trust in you!

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac  

Monday of the 5th Week of Lent C. John 8:12-20

Jesus, the light of the world

The light symbolizes goodness, truth and God's presence while darkness represents sin and separation from God. In today's gospel, Jesus says: “I’am the light of the world”. By this claim, Jesus becomes for us, the barometer of world welfare; the source of spiritual truth, guidance, goodness and hope even in the midst of darkness and troubles of this world. Those who follow Jesus and his teachings, even though they walk in the valley of the shadow of death, they will fear no evil, for the lord is with them (Ps 23:4). Jesus has conquered the world (John 16:33). Let's walk in the light.

Jesus, I trust in you!

Fr. Georges sac  

Saturday of 4th week in Lent John 7:40-53

Never has anyone spoken like this man.

The Jewish leader see Jesus as a threat as they might lose their authority. They henceforth sent soldiers to arrest him. The soldiers return back to the leaders totally transformed. "Never has man spoken like that man." Dear friends, Jesus has a unique and authoritative way to speak. Jesus' words carry the divine power and authority. Jesus is divine. His words are spirit and truth. Let us trust in Jesus like Jeremiah, who knew that, in spite of adversities, our God is an undefeated champion.

Jesus, I trust in you!

Fr. Georges sac

Friday of the 4th week in Lent. John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

You know me

Since the healing of the paralytic man, Jesus' speeches are directed to clarify his identity. In today's Gospel, he cries out to his listeners: "You know me and you know where I am from" (John 7:28). Jesus is divine, and to know him is to know God, his Father. St. Augustine said that Jesus has a unique and eternal relationship with God. Jesus is of divine origin. Do I know Jesus as my Savior and Redeemer? Such knowledge would definitely have an impact on our entire lives.

Jesus, I trust in you

Thursday of the 4th week in Lent. Exodus 32:7-14; Ps 105; John 5:31-47

Divine fidelity

God had just freed Israel from Egypt. However, in the wilderness, they decided to make golden calf to be their deity, forgetting the God who saved them(Ps105). In spite of his anger, God remembered his covenant with Abraham,  Isaac, and Jacob. God showed them his mercy; he is faithful from age to age. 

In the Gospel, the Jewish people failed to see in Jesus, the one whom the Scriptures point at. Jesus is, of course, the new "siloam," meaning sent by God to heal and to restore us. He is the final revelation of God’s divine fidelity to the world. How often do we forget God in our lives in spite of his faithful love for us?

Jesus, I trust in you

Fr. Georges sac

Wednesday of 4th week in Lent. Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30.

Wednesday of 4th week in Lent. Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30.

God is at work

Jesus affirms that the Father is at work, and so is the Son who, being one with the Father, has the authority to judge and give eternal life.
In the Old Testament, God's works are manifested through creation and through his covenant with his people. The main work of God is that of salvation. His promise to restore his people and bring them out of darkness is fulfilled in Christ, Jesus, the Son of Man. Each day, God cares for us, and his goodness and mercy are shown in all his works. God is at work in all creation through Jesus his Son!

Fr. Georges sac

Jesus, I trust in you

Tuesday of 4th week of Lent John 5:1-16; Ez 47:1-9, 12.

Tuesday of 4th week of Lent John 5:1-16; Ez 47:1-9, 12.

Becoming the flowing water.

Ezekiel speaks of the flowing water that gives life, and John tells us about the pool that brings healing to all who fall into it. The flowing water represents indeed Jesus, the stream of living water, who gives life to all things. Jesus is our provider and Healer.  Through his Church, word and the sacraments, Jesus continues to heal to renew and to give life to all who approach him with confidence. We are invited to become streams of flowing water by caring and bringing healing to our brothers and sisters within our society.

Jesus, I trust in you!

Fr. Georges sac

Monday of the 4th week of Lent 2025. Isaiah 65:17-21; John 4:43-54.

“Go your son will live”

God is all-powerful. Nothing can limit his power. He can create new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17). For those who have faith in him, his graciousness is so tangible. The official whose son was ill believed in the word of Jesus and his son was healed. This was the second sign of Jesus after he had changed water into wine. Our faith in Jesus can change our hopeless situations, and our sorrows into joy; Our faith in Jesus can move mountains. Let ‘s put our trust in the Lord, for our hope cannot deceive us (Romans 5:5). Indeed the Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?

Jesus, I trust in you!

Fr. Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Saturday of the 3rd week in Lent. Luke 8:9-14

Be merciful to me, Lord

Our prayer should not be a person self - gratification or self - glorification but God's glorification. The publican in today's gospel teaches us about God's centered and never self-centered prayer. It is not about comparison, self-righteousness but humility and self-awareness.

The pharisee, in his pride, is full of himself, whereas the publican in his humility is filled with God, and he returns home satisfied.

God is gracious, kind, and merciful. Like the publican, may our prayer be a realization of our sinfulness, imperfections, and weaknesses in need of God's abounding mercy and grace.

Be merciful to me, poor sinner!

Jesus, I trust in you

Fr. Georges sac

Friday 3rd week in Lent Mark 12:28–34.

Friday 3rd week in Lent

Mark 12:28–34.

How far are we from the kingdom of God?

Everyday should draw us nearer to God's kingdom. The Scriptures suggest ways that help us to get closer to God.

1) Hearing and obeying God's word draws us to God's heart.

2)Making God's our top priority. Love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul

3)Loving our neighbor as we love ourselves is indeed an extension of the kingdom of God. That is the meaning of the sign of the cross, which embraces God and our neighbor.

Jesus, I trust in you

Fr. Georges sac

Thursday, 3rd week in Lent. Luke 11:14-23

Thursday, 3rd week in Lent. Luke 11:14-23

No matter how excellent we are, some people will always have something negative to say. Jesus went through the same experience as he delivered a man with a mute demon. His adversaries decided to accuse him of using the power of Belzebul, the chief of demons.

We can learn the following:
1) Keep doing what is right and do not let yourself be distracted by criticism and negative comments of the enemy.
2) As for us, let us train our minds to see the good in other people's actions.
3) Let's be on the side of God who unites and brings all people and all things together in Christ.
The question remains, do we truly believe in Jesus as our Saviour?

Jesus, I trust in you
Fr. Georges sac

Wednesday of the 3rd week of Lent. Matthew 5:17-19

Perfecting the Law

Jesus did not come abolish but to fulfill the law, that is, to complete it  perfectly. Jesus invites his disciples to a full adherence to God’s moral law, both externally and internally. Saying “Jesus knows my heart” without living according to His commands is a contradiction. A “good heart” that deliberately disobeys God’s law is not truly good. Jesus makes it clear that those who obey and teach His commandments will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven, while those who ignore them will be least. God’s love for us calls for our moral responsibility. 

Jesus, I trust in you

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Is. 7:10-14;8:10; Ps. 40; Heb. 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Is. 7:10-14;8:10; Ps. 40; Heb. 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38.

Filled with grace

St. Bernard of Clairvaux reminds us that God became man to make humankind sharers in his divinity, to redeem humanity and to offer the path to a deeper understanding of God and ourselves. To truly become divine, we should imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was full of grace. We need to open our hearts to God. We must also be filled with faith, hope and charity. What good news. God became a man like me!

Happy feast of the annunciation!

Fr. Georges sac

Monday of the 3rd week of Lent. 2 Kings 5:1-15; Luke 4:24-30

Longing for God.

As I baptized two kids yesterday, I could see the longing their parents to see getting baptized. Today's responsorial psalm (Ps 42/43) expresses such a deep longing for God: “My soul is thirsting for the living God” - This might have been the desire of Naaman after his healing. Lent invites us like Israel's people to truly thirst for God with that same urgency. Like the psalmist, we should seek God’s light and truth daily in order to reach God’s dwelling place. This implies that our faith is a journey, not just a position. We must hunger for God with humility in order to welcome his presence in our daily lives.

Jesus, I trust in you
Fr. Georges sac

Saturday of 2nd Week in Lent. Luke 15

Return to the Father

Lent invites us to return to the prodigal Father, whose love for us is unconditional. Like the younger son, we often abandoned God's love and care to seek for our own happiness from other Gods. May God give us the grace to quickly come to our senses and return to the true love of the Father.
Like the older son, we often live in the house of the Father as strangers, with no deeper relationship.
Let's always remember that, though sinners, God gave His own son to die for us (Romans 5:1; John 3:16).
Return to the Lord and regain your dignity of a child of God.

Jesus, I trust in Jesus
Fr. Georges sac

Friday of the 2nd week in Lent. Genesis 37:3---4.12-28; Ps 105; Mt21: 33-43.45-46

The power of God’s mercy

This Friday in the 2nd week of Lent offers two dramatic stories. The story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis 37 and the parable of the wicked tenants. We live in communities and families, where we find jealousy and betrayal. Lent invites us to avoid the attitude of jealousy of Joseph's brothers and selfishness and greed of the wicked tenants. Even in difficult circumstances and in our stubbornness, God cares and has the power to save us. He is running after us. God invites us to be good stewards with expected good fruits. He calls us to forgive our brothers as Joseph did. God’s mercy is always available for us so that we may become the conduit of God’s forgiveness and mercy.

Jesus, I trust in you

Fr. Georges R. BIDZOGO SAC