Fifth Sunday of Easter

10.05.2020 Sister House -Kibiko

Cristu amefufuka!!!
It is a history which tell us that a pilgrim of the VIII century, tired , was in the way
to the Rome. It was getting dark, and he was about fifteen miles from Rome. At that
time, the roads were not as good as they are today, or maybe they were better. The
whole area was a wide, swampy plain. It is not long before it gets dark; one could not
see the moon or any star, as sometimes happens in our country, when the sky is
overcast. There were no houses on the way, no people to guide him. He didn't know
where to go to get to Rome. From time to time, he saw some fireflies, which seemed to
urge him to follow them. But he knew they were misleading lights, and if he had gone
as far as they would, he would have sunk (scufundat) into the swamp(mlaștină). And
then there were wild animals in those parts.
Sad and almost desperate, he suddenly heard some kind of bells sounds and he was
thinking is heavenly music. The sound of the bells indicated the direction of the
road , helping him to escape. With great strides, he started to walk in the direction of
the sounds. After a few hours reached Rome at the church from where came the sound
of the bells savior. It was the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the largest Roman
church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Man has knelt before the altar, thanked
for he was out of danger. In gratitude, he gave to the priest a considerable amount of
money, with the request that, from that moment, every evening the sound of the bells
to be heard, showing the way for lost travelers.
My dear friends we can liken our whole life to the journey of that pilgrim, but its
purpose is not Rome, the Eternal City, but eternal life, Heaven. And also we like that
pilgrim we meet in our way the difficulties such as fatigue, hopelessness, and
anxiety of wandering. On our road sometimes we can find stones, wholes, we can
fall. The fall may hurt, but the important thing is to know well the path we have to
follow, to get up and walk on this path and not to take the wrong paths.
This way Jesus wants to show us in this Sunday's gospel. Today, the reading tells us
that before his death, at the Last Supper, he announces to the disciples that he will go
to the Father's House, where there are many places , after which he adds: And where
I go, you know the way ( In 14.4). To the apostle Thomas, those words seemed
unclear, and he asked , " Lord, we do not know where you are going." How could we
know the way ? (In 14,5)
We know already Thomas . He is the one who wanted to see everything with his
own eyes and to feel with his fingers the wound on the side of Jesus. Therefore, when
Jesus spoke about the way that leads to the Father's house, he probably thought the
roads that crossed with Jesus in Palestine, with stones. 
To the question of St. Thomas, Jesus answered: I am the way ... (I n 14,6) Poor
Thomas! Now he really can not understand. Probably in his mind he was thinking,
“ How can Jesus be like the road? Is it possible to be at the same time m a n a n d
road? "
My dear friends when, after the resurrection, the Holy Spirit descended on him and
enlightened his mind, he understood that Jesus, through his teaching and his holy
sacraments, leads us to heaven, it shows us how we must move forward and what
we must avoid in order not to get lost . Therefore, it is not uncommon for him to call
himself and his gospel," the way”.

Fr. Imbrea Andrei Petrică

 Fifth Sunday of Easter
10.05.2020 Sister House -Kibiko

Following Jesus and walking with him, like the pilgrim who was led by the sound
of bells, we will not get lost in the wrong ways, nor will we be deceived (Înșelați)
by the deceptive lights of the "fireflies. " The gospel shows us the way. Fireflies are
the image, the symbol of the wrong teachings that would want to divert us from the
path that leads to heaven. If we follow Christ, we are sure that we will reach the finish,
because He is the only one who knows the way, because He is the only one who came
from there and He went before us to show the real way, the safe way/
We began our journey in the way of Christ at the moment of our birth. Through
Baptism, we have come from God, and at the end of our lives we will return to
Him. We have already covered a good part of this journey ... some more, some less,
some just starting.
Life is like a mysterious maze (labirint), with many ways that you can easily get
lost in.
My dear friends, through Baptism, we receive the gift of Faith, and for us
Christians, faith in Christ is the way . It can happen to have to choose in life between
different modes of behavior , can we slip into pits and to fall, can we go in many ways,
but we know, that only one show us the true way, while all the others lead to
loss. Faith shows the only right true way,: Christ and his gospel .
We receive faith through the sacrament of Baptism, but if it is not deepened, if it
is not strengthened, it can break, and not be enough until the end.  We must educate
our faith from the parent*s teaching, catechism, Holy Mass, sacraments, good
readings?
Let us follow Jesus every day, and at the end of our live we have a place, a home
were we can be welcomed into the house.
Christ is Risen!!!

Fr. Imbrea Andrei Petrică