It is in the paschal mystery that we understand the depth of the Father’s mercy and love for us in Christ Jesus. It is at the Paschal Mystery that salvation is won for us and we are reconciled with God because He has paid the price for our sins. It is at the Paschal Mystery that the Holy Spirit, the love of God is poured into our hearts. Are we ready to affirm our identity as sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of our Lord in the world today?

The best way to give up our sins is to do good. This is what the prophet Isaiah means when he writes: "Your light will rise in the darkness, and your shadows become like noon." In this season of Lent, let us go beyond abstaining from sin and doing penance, by reaching out to others, feeling with and caring for them.

How should we observe the Lenten fast?  We must fast with integrity. This means the objectives must be clear. Truly, fasting in the right spirit should make us humble, more conscious of our sins, sincerely repentant for the injury we have caused to others, especially our loved ones, more earnest in wanting to correct our faults, and greater compassion to reach out to those who are suffering.  By healing and tending to the wounds of others, we heal our own wounds, by filling the lives of the poor and lonely with love, we find love ourselves.

We are called to be rich in the eyes of God: rich in love, generosity, goodness, kindness, patience, self-control. We will be robbed of our happiness and peace in life if we are instead filled with anger, competition, envy, greed, jealousy, and revenge.

Our conversion is a grateful response to the grace of God given to us in Christ. It is Christ who reveals to us His Father’s mercy for us through His vicarious death for our salvation. Jesus the Son of God became man to assume our human nature and to share in our human weakness. He too faced the same temptations, and even more intensely than anyone of us.  He offered Himself as the sacrificial victim, a blameless holocaust, for the atonement of our sins to render the justice of God before man. This is why St Paul says, Jesus was made sin for us so that we can be reconciled with God. We have received His grace, the grace of baptism or the grace to desire baptism for our catechumens. Let us, as St Paul reminds us, not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Christianity is about transformation of life. It is not how long we have been Catholics, but the quality of our Christian life that matters. It is important for us to examine ourselves - our words, deeds and judgement; how have we been transformed to become more like Christ?

The treasury of the Church, whilst referring primarily to the infinite value of Christ’s saving death on the cross, also includes the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints who have united themselves with the Lord by living holy lives. So the treasury of the Church must be seen as our participation in Christ’s saving death.

The laws are meant to help us to strengthen the marriage; to persevere, especially when the going gets tough; not to give up so easily. But the law of indissolubility presupposes that we have faith in God. If we have faith in God and we revere God, then we will try; we will pray for wisdom and patience, helping each other to be purified in love. Without faith, without prayer and patience, it will be too challenging to manage marriage life today.

A truly rich person is someone who is contented, and makes use of his resources to bless others. It is in service, charity and sharing that we find great joy within, and that friendships are established and renewed.

Many of us are overly confident of ourselves to the extent that we become arrogant, smug and complacent. We can also be arrogant in our confidence in God. An over-confidence in God who supplies everything can lead to irresponsibility by refusing to do any work or planning of any sort. Knowing God’s will is not enough, but one must also carry out the will of God. There is also another form of arrogance, which is in attitude and behaviour, thinking that what we have is through our own merit and efforts. The arrogance displayed by James and John in the gospel showed that they forgot they were nobody when they were called. Humility is a characteristic of those who are truly wise, of those who recognize the grace of God in their lives.