Brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the fifth Sunday of Lent.
The three readings today are centred on the life that God gives to all people. They reveal Jesus as the lord of life. The death of Lazarus, in the gospel of today, can be seen as a symbolic representation of the soul that has died from mortal sin. This is similar to the fact that leprosy, physical ailments and the like are also symbols of sin. For that reason, Jesus’ initial reactions reveal how we should respond to serious sin in our lives.
When Jesus faced the death of Lazarus, “he became perturbed and deeply troubled,”. He wept and cried out in a loud voice. Though Jesus was God, He freely chose to assume human nature. He chooses to experience human emotions and passion to teach us how we should react. Therefore, when we or our loved ones fall into grave sin, it must not be ignored.
Impenitence is a sin by which a person fails to have appropriate remorse for a sin and reacts to it in a dismissive and casual manner. This cannot be our reaction. Thus, let us begin by considering the great value of taking sin seriously, reacting to it with passion and emotion, and crying out to God for forgiveness.
When Jesus cried out, commanding Lazarus to come out of the tomb, Lazarus came forth but was still bound hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. This symbolizes the entire process of confession and the forgiveness of sins. First, no person is capable of confessing their sins by their own effort. It must be that they are moved by grace and the command of Jesus to come forth to show themselves in their bound state to God.
Hence, the obedience of Lazarus to Jesus’ command symbolizes the Christian’s response to God’s call to repentance. When Jesus said: “Untie him and let him go,” this symbolizes the unmerited effect of the Sacrament of Confession and the power it has to release a person not only from their sins but also from the ongoing effects of those sins.
Jesus is not just a human being, but the Son of God who came to the world to spread the Good News of love, mercy, peace and joy. But the question is: Do we have the same strong faith as Martha, Mary, and Lazarus do? Or is our faith filled with doubts?
Therefore, Jesus says to us today and always: “Take away the stone”. By that, He means the stone of sorrow and misery through the death of a loved one, through adversity and misfortune, through weakness and powerlessness, through pains and sickness, through corona virus pandemic and the misuse of power by the politician against the citizens, through the victimization of the less privilege, the orphans and poor ones in our society, through natural disasters and wars, for example in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, Turkey, Nigeria and Africa in general.
However, the stone of selfishness, of self-interest, of indifference, of jealousy, envy and hatred must also be taken away from our lives, and from our relationship with God and humanity. So many stones that with their gravity crush Jesus’ message of love, mercy, peace and joy in us and in the world must be taken away too.
Brothers and sisters, “Untie him and let him go,” says Jesus when He raised Lazarus from the dead. He also wants to release us from the death of our weak faith and commitment to live according to His words and deeds of love, mercy, peace and joy. Therefore, it should be our strength to go with Jesus in all situations of life, and in whatever happens to us.
So let us go with Jesus in all our actions and thoughts.
Let us go to Easter with Jesus, to the resurrection of love, mercy, peace and joy for ourselves and all our fellow human beings.
Let us reflect, today, upon the rich symbolism found in the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
Let us listen to the passionate voice of Jesus who calls us to “Come out”.
What sin is Jesus calling you to be free from? Identify that sin and repent of it with the same passion that Jesus exhibits.
Jesus desires that you be completely unbound and set free. Be open to that grace and do all you can to accept it.
Jesus, you command us, in love, to come forth from all sin. Free us from all that binds us so that we will be set firmly on the glorious road of virtue that leads to eternal joy, Amen.
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, C.S.Sp. | Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Psalm – Ps 51; Romans 5:12.17-19; Matthew 4:1-11
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As we enter into the season of Lent, we are reminded of our human nature and the challenges we face in our spiritual journey. In both the first reading (Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7) and the Gospel (Matthew 4:1-11), we see the story of our first parents Adam and Eve, and the temptation of Jesus in the desert. These stories remind us of the fragility of human nature and the need for God’s grace to guide us through life.
In Genesis 2:7-9, we see God creating man from the dust of the earth and breathing life into him. God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to tend it and keep it. However, Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and they sinned against God. Their disobedience led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden and the introduction of sin and death into biblical history.
Similarly, in the Gospel reading (Matthew 4:1-11), we see Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. For forty days and forty nights, Jesus fasted and prayed, preparing himself for the mission that lay ahead of him. It is in this vulnerable state that the devil approaches Jesus with three temptations. First, he tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread, appealing to his physical hunger. Next, he takes Jesus to the top of the temple in Jerusalem and challenges him to throw himself down, appealing to the human desire for public recognition and approval. Finally, he offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for his worship, appealing to the human desire for power and control.
In each of these temptations, the devil appeals to something deep within us as human beings – our physical needs, our desire for recognition and approval, and our thirst for power and control. These are natural human desires, but they can also be the very things that lead us away from God if we allow them to become the focus of our lives.
The temptations that Jesus underwent tested the very depth from which his life flows. Human hunger makes bread desirable. But living only on bread, on the natural appetites and instincts, impoverishes the very essence of life. It was at the very moment that his flesh craved bread that Jesus chose to live from every word that comes from his father. He made the will of God the compass for his life. His relationship with his Father was so intense that he would not place anything before it. His faithfulness to the will of his Father weakened the strength of those temptations. Why would he fall for human glorification when he was sure of his father’s glory? Why would he bow to another force just to become powerful when God has placed everything in his hands?
Jesus resists these temptations, quoting scripture and proclaiming his allegiance to God alone. In each of these responses, Jesus shows us the way to overcome temptation and remain faithful to God. He turns to scripture and relies on the Word of God to guide him in his decisions. He recognizes the power of the devil, but also knew that God is more powerful and has given authority over the devil to all who trust in him. And he reaffirms his commitment to God alone, rejecting the false promises of the devil.
As we reflect on this story during the season of Lent, we are reminded of the temptations that we face in our own lives. It gives us the opportunity to reflect on these stories and our own human nature; to resist temptation and to seek God’s forgiveness. We may not be tempted to turn stones into bread or to jump off a temple, but we are tempted in other ways – to put our trust in material possessions, to seek the approval of others, and to pursue power and success at all costs. These temptations can distract us from our relationship with God and lead us down the wrong path.
As we journey in this period of Lent, we have the example of Jesus himself to follow, as he showed us the way to resist the devil and remain faithful to God. The story of his temptation in the desert shows us that we have the power to resist these temptations. We have the Word of God to guide us and the Holy Spirit to strengthen us.
Besides, the three pillars of Lent – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – are essential to helping us in this journey. Through prayer, we deepen our relationship with God and seek His guidance and strength. Prayer helps us to remain focused on God, to offer Him our worship, and to listen to Him speaking to us in the silence of our hearts. Through fasting, we discipline our bodies and focus our attention on the spiritual rather than the physical. Fasting helps us to detach ourselves from the pleasures of the world and to be more aware of the presence of God. Through almsgiving, we share our blessings with those in need and practice the virtue of charity. Almsgiving helps us to put our faith into action, care for the poor, to share our time and resources, and build up our community.
During this season of Lent, let us turn to God in prayer and ask for his guidance and strength. Let us examine our own lives and identify the temptations that we face. And let us rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome these temptations and to remain faithful to God in all that we do.
May the Lord bless us and guide us through this Lenten journey, and may we emerge from it as renewed and transformed people, ready to continue our journey of faith with confidence and joy. Amen.
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp | Reading: Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm Ps 98; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-5.9-14
Dear brothers and sisters,
We come together to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. The readings refer to his birth as the triumph of light over darkness. A light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. That same darkness that has enveloped the world in various ways has submitted itself to the light that the birth of Jesus brings. He has come into the so that those who walk in darkness may be enlightened and those who are weak, sad, and without hope may be strong, happy, and hopeful instead. The readings show us that this little child, born by a poor couple in a manger, and not by a prince in a palace, is Immanuel – God with us. He is the light that illuminates every human being. He is the savior of the world. That is what we celebrate together, and we call it Christmas.
Christmas is that time of the year when families, friends, and neighbors come together to celebrate the birth of the child Jesus in a unique way, by being a blessing to each other. The coming of Christ brought the different cultures, people, and races in the world closer as a family and ushered in a new order of peace, love, mercy, and unity. For Christ, himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people (Eph. 2:14). Christmas challenges us to see Christ in others, especially in those for whom we may find it difficult to love and be kind. The magic of Christmas emerges perfectly in the fact that Christ is born in the most unexpected place and by the most unexpected parents: in Bethlehem and not in Jerusalem; in the period of the Roman empire and not at the highest point of Jewish power.
A very beautiful story describes the magic of Christ being born in our midst. It is a story that some of you know better than I do. The story goes like this: Once upon a time, there was a flourishing monastery that was in decline, with only six monks left in the monastery. Their love for God and their fellow monks was declining sharply. The Abbot was alarmed. So he went to a Rabbi, who told him that they had committed a terrible sin. “What have we done?” exclaimed the Abbot. “The Messiah has come, he is one of you and you have not duly recognized him,” the Rabbi replied. The Abbot asked the Rabbi which of them was Christ. The Rabbi said he did not know. The Abbot went with fear and called the other monks and asked which of them was Christ. They looked at each other in amazement. Who among them could be Christ? Certainly not Brother John, who never comes to prayer on time; certainly not Brother Peter, who is annoyingly careless with his meals; certainly not the Abbot, who is a difficult man. Perhaps Christ is among them in disguise.
So they started treating each other like Christ since they didn’t know which of them was Christ. They spoke kindly to each other. Rude and threatening words were never used again. They looked for ways to serve and forgive each other. Little things that used to irritate them were overlooked and they looked for the good in each other. Each did his work as a service to Christ who was among them and looked for ways to do good for the other. Each listened to the other with full attention and respect. Life began to flow back into the dying monastery. The monastery was suddenly full of life and love. Their prayer life became authentic, rich, and inspired. Noticing this love, the villagers gradually started coming to the monastery. They were happy to see the changes. They enjoyed these beautiful monks and were in turn influenced by them to go home and do the same. Soon the surrounding villagers came to listen and watch the services, and many joined their communities. The Messiah had indeed come.
Christmas begins from that moment when we allow Christ to be born in us, and learn to recognize and serve Him in others too because Christmas is about truly loving people and seeking out the best for them. It is about giving ourselves to others through our good thoughts and wishes to them, and through our encouraging words and actions. By serving others in whom we see Christ, we are actually serving Christ (cf. Matthew 25:40). So Christmas is not just about opening the gifts we receive, but more about opening our hearts to welcome God’s love and share this love with others. This love also reminds us to be thankful for our family, friends, colleagues, well-wishers, and others who inspire us in different ways. We should reserve a special place in our hearts for those who help us in different ways. People who support us in trying times and those who take care of our social, material, and even spiritual needs. Sometimes we do forget to be grateful for the self-giving of these people in the services they provide to us.
Christmas also demands us to acknowledge Jesus in those who are different, those homeless, and people on the fringes of society because when Jesus was about to be born, there was no place for Mary and Joseph in the inn. So, he had to be born in a manger among domestic animals. Those we treat as less than humans or as less than us might be the Marys and Josephs looking for a place for Jesus. Remember, God comes to us in the least expected manner and through the least expected persons. As humans, we tend to emphasize our differences over our similarities and our weaknesses over our strengths. But Christmas urges us to think and behave differently now that the Messiah is one of us.
As we enjoy the festive celebration of Christmas, let us endeavor to allow the light of Christ to shine in us and through us to others. Let us remember to impact the lives of the less privileged in a positive way by adding value to them. Let us commit to being very helpful to the poor and needy this Christmas, instead of feeling helpless and hopeless.
Wishing you a merry, peaceful, and blessed Christmas.
By Mary Lynn van Dijk With input from Amor, Irene, and Jane
Last 27 November 2022, after our usual Fourth Sunday Mass, we gathered in the Sint Antoniuszaal to partake of warm drinks and snacks before the socio-cultural event started. Just like in previous years, Father Marcel gave a workshop. This year, the workshop would be on Effective Communication because the Board members decided that we all need to know how to effectively communicate, particularly to avoid having conflicts with each other.
Father Marcel welcomed us and he talked about the importance of being able to communicate clearly. From his PowerPoint presentation, the first question was:
Why get training in (effective) communication? Because it helps us to improve our communication with others, and helps mitigate conflicts more efficiently, or helps to avoid having conflicts in the first place.
According to Father Marcel, there are three major means of communication, and these are verbal, that is communication with words; non-verbal, communication without using words, and includes using signs, cues, codes, visual communication, etc.; and written communication.
To improve our communication with others, we need to listen. We also have to try to be clear and concise. Sometimes it helps to write things down, and to be descriptive, and not interpretative. But most of all, before speaking up, we must think. Two ways to transfer information is by the direct or indirect way.
Whichever means of communication we may want to use, there are three critical components, namely: (1) Sending the Message, (2) Receiving the Message, and (3) the Medium through which the message is sent or received.
Also, we should always keep in mind when we are communicating that: 10% of conflicts is due to difference in opinion, but 90% due to delivery and tone of voice.
To put all these into practice, Father Marcel asked some people to come and sit back to back. One person was to give instructions to the other person to draw something on a piece of paper, while the first person themselves drew the same thing. When Father Marcel asked couples to do the exercise, Rainer Horn drew almost exactly the same picture as his wife, Susan, drew. Same with Lovella and Lennart van der Weiden. Couples, it seems, tend to effectively communicate with each other.
Then Father Marcel asked a few women to come in front and form a line. The first in the line was given a message to pass on to the next person who would pass on the message to the next person and so on until the last person received the message. When the exercise was over, the last person in the line was asked what the message was that the first person in the line conveyed. Almost always the message becomes distorted, which made it all very funny, making everybody in the room laugh. Irene, Rena, Marissa, Sheryll, Neneng, Arlyn and Margie participated in this message relay exercise.
This exercise proved that there was something very important that we should remember, and that is, meaning could be lost in the process of passing on messages.
Furthermore, for communication to be effective, if the message is not clear, the receiving person should seek clarification and ask. To find out if the message has been received, and received well, the one communicating should ask for feedback.
It was a very informative, fun workshop. Thank you, Father Marcel!
To summarize:
Communication is vital for all forms of relationships.
The more effective the communication, the better the understanding of the message.
Effective communication reduces chances of conflicts in relationships.
Listening, clarification and feedback are vital elements of effective communication.
Here are some photographs taken during the workshop.
Father Marcel explaining what Effective Communication is, with his PowerPoint presentation behind himSome workshop attendees keenly listening to Father Marcel’s talkThe FCC Gouda and FCC Dordrecht ladies lining up for Father Marcel’s exercise in relaying a message
The Filipino Catholic Community of Gouda and Surroundings held its annual Socio-Gathering Event last November 27, 2022 at the Antonius Zaal in Gouda. It was a night, themed as Gala Night, filled with sharing, fun, laughter, music and warmth. The event started with a free workshop on Communication by Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, followed by a sumptuous buffet dinner brought and shared by the attendees of the event. All the while, lively music was provided by the DJs Norie and Nova from FCC-Dordrecht.
After dinner, the party program started by giving tokens of thanks to the FCC-Gouda volunteers. This year, acknowledgements were given to Gio Quebral for his service as a mass servant boy and Nelleke Oosterwijk for always helping in the collation of the euchalette.
Everyone had a treat of hearing the golden voices of Sheryll Brocklehurst and Glenda Huisveld from FCC-Dordrecht. They did a very impressive duet that the audience clamoured for a second song.
FCC-Gouda ladies, Lea, Elpi, Christy, Luz and Marivic, performed a dance number for everyone to enjoy.
Sister Gloria (Jamayca Tagalog and Sister Margareth (Marjorie May Torion), who are visiting Missionaries from Cebu, serenaded all with Christmas carols.
Another dance number was performed by the members of the FCC-Dordrecht.
In between numbers the DJ provided music so everyone can enjoy dancing on the floor.
One of the highlights of the night was the awarding of Mr & Ms Gala and The Best in Gala Gown. Mr and Ms Emeka and Enene Abadon was hailed as the Gala Couple of the night. They were given sash and gift prizes by Fr. Marcel.
Meanwhile, Ms Janice Janapon is the winner of the best Gala gown of the night, She too was awarded a sash and gift by FCC-Gouda Members.
Another highlight of the night was the awaited FCC-Gouda Tombola Draw. Here are the list of the happy winners.
1st Prize €50 Sheryll Brocklehurst
2nd Prize €30 Mercy Ordiz
3rd Prize €20 Janice Janapon
Consolation Prizes Winners
Lita Henke
Norma Reyes
Charoes Schuurhuis
Kristian Janapon
Lea Van Rhijn
Congratulations to all the Winners.
It was indeed one memorable night to remember. Everyone was a very happy in their singing and dancing mood even up to the cleaning of the Hall.
FCC-Gouda would like to acknowledge and thank the following sponsors and donors of the event.
FiHansieel Company
Elpi Asiatisch Kleding Reparatie
Mary Lynn Van Dijk
Mercy Ordiz Lea Van Rhijn
And to those who donated Anonymously
Thank you too to the members of the FCC-Dordrecht, for providing the music especially to Norie and Nova who were the DJs of the night. More Photos from the Socio-Gathering Event are attached below. Thank You and till next year.
MESSAGE FROM THE FCC-GOUDA BOARD
This year 2022 Socio Gathering with the theme “Gala” was again celebrated with a lot of surprising attendees of church members and families & visitors. The event was amazing and went very well . The moment to communicate to catch up between communities and friends ,love ones and friends after the pandemic.
It is also our special way to thank volunteers and Fr Marcel Uzoigwe for their hard work during the year. We also like to thank all the sponsors and donors, without them , we could not make it happen. Thank you for your help and generosity. We’re delighted to announce that our events raised Four hundred and forty two euro’s -netto. This amount will help us continue our work helping the needy.
We still in need of volunteers. Please get in touch with the board members and let our team help you find a tasks that would suit you – just email fcc.gouda@gmail.com. Any help is welcome and appreciated.
