Good morning good people may the Lord give you peace and health in the Holy Spirit.  

It is 15th March 2024. We reflect on Wisdom 2:1, 12-22 and John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30. 

Why are we suffering?

It is the time to change and have a new feel about us and others. 

We must leave our sinful living. Lent is the time to change and take a new outlook even though there is no visible reward and appreciation for being good and virtuous. No one is going to reward us just for being good. No one wants us to be good except God. 

Even if they have recognized our good works, some have reasons and hidden agendas to do so. “They reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hoped for the wages of holiness, nor discerned the prize for blameless souls.” (Wis.2:22). Good persons are hunted and haunted by the clueless and merciless jaws of the evil and evil people. 

Jesus reveals God to us.

We have not figured out yet why a virtuous person must suffer in this world. Jesus is the virtuous and the most innocent who suffered for no sin of His own. 

The responsorial Psalm prays, “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted.” (Ps.33:19). 

The Gospel clarifies the purpose of Christ’s coming and the Person from whom He comes. Jesus reveals God to us. Jesus has the mandate from the Father to show the Father’s mercy and love. Unless we know Jesus and build our relationship with Jesus, it will be impossible to experience God anywhere or anything. 

Only by being faithful to the Word of God that we begin to know and love Jesus. 

No matter what rejection and persecution we go through in this world because of our affiliations with Jesus, let us constantly endeavor to know Jesus, love Jesus, and to reveal Jesus through our charitable works of mercy. 

May you have a good day. 

May God bless you.

Fr. Peter Fernando, OFMCap.
Director, Office of Family Ministry, Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (AVOSA).Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.♣Website:https://reflectionsofpeter.org/.♣Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/samarpet