THE SECRET OF LIFE IS HERE

At the beginning of Holy Week, the Church recalls the great gift given to us by God the Father, sending His Only Son to show us the magnificence and greatness of His Love for us; despite our sins, with a mix of our own virtues and shortcomings. Those who manage to understand the happenings in the last week of Jesus’ mortality on Earth are free to boast about having discovered “the secret of life”; those who do not will definitely find it difficult to live this life fully. On Palm Sunday, we commemorate Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem. His arrival is received with the joy and praise of those who already knew and loved Him. However, just a few days later, these same people would condemn Him by loudly asking the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to release a criminal [Barabbas] and kill Jesus.

Here we see two groups of followers, the smallest, made up of those who had actually understood who Jesus was, that He was at the summit of His earthly life in His service to God. The other group was made up of those who failed to recognize who Jesus was or at the very least chose to close their hearts and did not want to listen to or believe in Him. About that arrival in Jerusalem, the Gospel says “Jesus wept over the city” (Luke 19:41). For though He was received as a king, the Lord knew that the crowds were hard at heart and most of them would stay lost in that hardness. Also, Jesus tears must also have been due to the fact that one of His closest disciples would betray Him.

Something very similar is happening in our times. Many choose to harden their hearts to God‘s call of Jesus Love made to their soul and keep on rejecting Him with indifference or malice. God is saddened by those who, having known Him in their soul, failed to live in His Love today. During that week, what we know today as Holy Week, Jesus revealed to His disciples immense things previously unknown to them. At the Last Supper, just before His Passion and Death, Jesus explained once again that He would be offered in Sacrifice for the Redemption of our sins and the Salvation that would lead us to Eternal Life. He said “this is My Body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19); thereby establishing a whole host of sacraments to channel God’s grace for our Salvation.

The Apostles, His friends, and students had a hard time understanding these revelations about a “New Covenant” of God with those who believed in Him. Jesus is a few hours away from His martyrdom and undoubtedly, His human part is suffering. He is about to voluntarily surrender Himself to His enemies for the Love of the Father and humankind. The perfect “Man” will be judged, sacrificed, and martyred as a criminal. All for His Love for you and me.

That night, Jesus also told His Apostles that happiness is found in serving others. They were astonished when Jesus washed their feet; that humility is the great secret of life. I believe this and bear witness to the fact that when you consider yourself a believer, a Christian Catholic, you must always provide an act of service, true service without seeking recognition, power, or material gain, but act with sincerity and purity in your intent to reach out and give to others as He did. Our service is not always accepted but we should at least try to act as a token of our deep appreciation for His perfect Sacrifice of Love for us on the Cross.

Once arrested, His passion begins. Shortly before, His prayer in the garden, He asked Our Father to take away the cup of pain from Him if possible “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) Through all Jesus’ earthly suffering I am pleased to observe that the women who followed Him and truly believed in Him did not abandon Him, let alone His Mother, the Virgin Mary in these hours of need but provided to the Holy Family various actions of service. Jesus in turn gave us as our Mother His Mother through His last words from the cross directed to the Apostle John “the beloved disciple” – who by the way did not abandon Him either – as a representative of all the people faithful to the Lord for better or worse both then and throughout the centuries to our present age.

After Jesus’ death, most believed that the “prophet’s” life had come to an end that Friday; but it did not. On Sunday, when the women continued their acts of service by visiting the tomb, Mary Magdalene discovered that the Lord had resurrected! He overcame Death! And showed the world that He is the Resurrection and Life, and that Death was not the end for those who believed in Him. The angel said to Mary Magdalene “why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has Risen!” (Luke 24:5) Today, many seek happiness in the culture of Death, that is, they seek life among the dead for all things shall pass away except those in Christ Jesus.

Friends, let us live our lives fully and thanking God for His Endless Love. For the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus opened the doors of Heaven for us and that is our ultimate Hope! As Saint Paul said “and if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your Faith.” (1 Cor 15:14). But our Faith is not useless, nor is our preaching. For Christ has Risen and we have risen with Him! Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

I invite you take an action of service and become the 73rd disciple of Jesus today; for those who have, I encourage all the I am 73 disciples, both consecrated and consecrating, to persevere in their Consecration to Jesus Christ so that the Lord’s words written in Matthew 24:13 may be fulfilled. Let us continue to stand firm in our mission on earth, taking action and always asking for the Grace of the “Final Perseverance.” For more information about the I am 73 Project, please check out www.iam73.net or call us at 773-777-773 and sign up for the next Consecration which will start on July 3rd.

I also encourage you to secure your place for the next Metanoia Los Angeles July 22 – 23 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Don’t miss this experience of the Love of God for you and your family!

I am ultimately grateful to those who took action and supported our last “Conquering souls for Christ” Day. God continues to show us His Faithfulness through the generosity of all of you who contribute to the Vision of ESNE “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3: 9). As an act of service, I am actively keeping you and your families in my prayers and entrust you to the maternal comfort of our Blessed Mother, perpetually the Virgin Mary, in Saint Joseph, and in Jesus Christ our Lord; Amen.