predication.net

In short, Jesus didn’t meet the expectations and scriptural standards that most Jews at the time (and since) had for the promised Messiah, and his identity and fate went against important theological and interpretive norms.

Main reasons, concisely:

• Messianic expectations: Many Jews expected a human Davidic king who would restore Israel’s sovereignty, gather the exiles, rebuild the Temple, and establish universal peace and observance of Torah. Jesus’ life and mission did not accomplish those national, political, and eschatological outcomes.

• Timing and visible signs: Jewish criteria often included clear, world-changing signs (end of exile, end of foreign domination, worldwide recognition of God). The events of Jesus’ lifetime didn’t match those public, final signs.

• Crucifixion and shame: Being executed by crucifixion was widely seen as a sign of failure or curse (Deut. 21:23). For many Jews, a crucified messiah was theologically unacceptable.

• Divine claims and worship: Many Jewish teachings reject the idea that a humanhalachic can be equated with God or worshipped. Some Christians’ assertions that Jesus was divine or deserving of worship were at odds with Jewish monotheism.

• Different readings of prophecy: Jews generally interpret key messianic texts (e.g., Isaiah, Daniel, Psalms) differently from Christians. Passages Christians read as predicting a suffering, dying messiah (e.g., “suffering servant”) are read in Jewish tradition as referring to Israel, a righteous remnant, or other contexts, not the Davidic redeemer.

• Diversity in Second Temple Judaism: There was no single uniform Jewish expectation. Groups (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots) had varied hopes, so acceptance depended on which expectations were foregrounded. That also explains why some Jews (early Jewish Christians) accepted Jesus while the majority did not.

• Halakhic and communal continuity: For most Jews, the Messiah’s role is to strengthen Torah observance and communal life. Movements that deviate from halakhic norms are considered non-messianic.

• In short, because Jesus did not meet the messianic criteria understood and emphasized in Jewish thought, because his death and the claims about him conflicted with Jewish theology, and because Jewish readings of the prophetic texts differ from Christian readings.

Ludger was born around 742. He met St Boniface, the apostle of Germany, at a young age. This encounter had a profound impact on him. Shortly afterwards, Boniface was martyred. Ludger then spent twelve years preparing for missionary work under the guidance of Boniface’s disciple, Gregory. After completing these studies in Utrecht, he traveled to York, England, to further his education under the renowned scholar Alcuin. In 777, he was ordained as a priest in Cologne. Following this ordination, he worked for seven years in Dokkum, near his birthplace, as the first native missionary. However, a rebellion of pagan Saxons invaded the area, massacred the inhabitants, and destroyed the churches, interrupting his successful work. Ludger escaped by fleeing. Later, however, the Saxon leader, Widukind, was baptized, which helped calm the situation. Christianity was able to spread again. Ludger organized a bishopric, centred on a place where priests and canons lived, including a three-nave basilica. This town was named Münster (from the Latin ‘monasterium”—monastery). In 800, Ludger founded a Benedictine monastery in Werden, near Essen in the Ruhr, on the Saxon-Francian border. Three years later, he established a convent in Nottuln, to the west of Münster. Despite his resistance, he was consecrated bishop in 805. At the same time, the diocese of Münster was established. Ludger maintained his austere and rigorous monastic lifestyle even as a bishop. He died while visiting the bishopric on 26 March 809. He was buried in Werden

Hail Mary…

Dear brothers and sisters, today, on the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, the Virgin Mary meets an angel. The Archangel Gabriel meets her, and he speaks the first words to her. These words are the first supernatural encounter with the Virgin Mary, when the work of redemption begins with Jesus Christ’s conception. They are important words, well thought out, not just any words or words that just come to mind. On the contrary, they are profound – so profound that the Church has taken them over and uses them in the prayer that we know well – Hail Mary. The angel Gabriel approached the Virgin Mary, appeared to her, and addressed her with the words, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”

Beautiful, profound, and important words, the meaning of which we can also take. The word “Greetings” is not just an ordinary greeting, like when we say “hello” or “have a nice day” to someone. This greeting is much deeper and carries the meaning of joy. It is a call to joy: “Rejoice!” The Virgin Mary rejoices. The Angel Gabriel’s call signals the start of something great that will bring joy to the world. The entire work of redemption begins with joy; the Church should also be the Church of joy. She is to experience God’s joy, to give it away because this world—full of pain, wars, fear, and uncertainty—needs it. It needs something positive, certainty, and hope that God brings. The first address of the Virgin Mary—”Greetings”—is an invitation to joy.

Let us also rejoice, dear brothers and sisters, because the great joy that came two thousand years ago is still present among us. The Archangel Gabriel continues to address the Virgin Mary: “Full of grace.” The Virgin Mary is overflowing with God’s grace. This grace began to work in her at her conception—the Church believes and confesses that the Virgin Mary was immaculately conceived based on the future merits of her son, Jesus Christ. Mary is filled with God’s grace more than anyone else. She is completely overflowing, to the brim. There is no more. And it is through her that we, too, can receive God’s grace. She conveys to us the grace of her son, Jesus Christ. She is the one who had grace enough for herself and for all of us.

At the end of this greeting, the archangel Gabriel says to her, “The Lord is with you.” The Lord is with the Virgin Mary. Not just momentarily, not just partially, but completely and constantly—from her conception to her death and Assumption. God is always with her. Just as He should be with us. God is always with us. We must realize this and perceive it. Even if we don’t feel it, even if we don’t see him, even if we experience difficulties and pain, and maybe it seems to us that he has abandoned us, that he has left us at the mercy of the world or the evil spirit—assumption—the Lord is always with us. We need to remind ourselves of this constantly.

This beautiful greeting of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation is timeless. The very assumption” became the basis of a prayer that we all know well—the Hail Mary prayer.

In this way, we constantly remind ourselves of these events. We should nourish God’s joy within ourselves, call upon God’s grace, and realize that the Lord is always with us. What a beautiful and profound thought! The prayer that God entrusted to us through the Archangel Gabriel is still alive.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us also try to perceive God’s closeness. Let us realize that God is always with us, and may this conviction nourish joy within us. Amen.

CURRICULUM VITAE

He came from Spain. He studied law in Salamanca. He was appointed president of the Inquisition tribunal in Granada by Philip II. From the age of 43, he was the Archbishop of Lima, the capital of Peru, for 25 years. He sympathised with the indigenous peoples, who were suffering under Spanish rule, and tended to transfer their hatred to Christianity. Turibius learned the languages of the native tribes. He travelled throughout the country, preaching the word of God and founding churches, monasteries, schools,organize and hospitals. Full of zeal, he held synods and councils that stimulated religious life. He consistently defended the rights of the Church and the natives, for whom he showed great devotion.

CV FOR MEDITATION

REPRESENTATIVE OF CHRIST’S LOVE IN PERU

He was born on 26 November 1538 in Mayorza, León, Spain. He studied law in Salamanca. In 1573, King Philip II appointed him chief judge of the Inquisition Court in Granada. Five years later, Philip II invited him to a meeting regarding the situation in Peru, which was then a Spanish colony. Since 1575, it had been impossible to find a suitable successor to the first Archbishop of Lima, who had died. A capable person was needed to manage the challenging circumstances in the developing colony and organise and direct missionary activity. The king became convinced that Turibius was the right man for the job. Although Turibius resisted, the king submitted a proposal to Pope Gregory XIII, who appointed him Archbishop of Lima in March 1579. Turibius was not even a priest and had not expected such a career. After praying, he decided how to proceed, and the result was his ‘fiat’ — ‘Be it done unto me according to your will, Lord’. After preparing for the role, he received all the necessary ordinations the following year and, in August, travelled to South America. He began his archbishopric service at the age of 43, in living conditions different to those he was accustomed to. Nevertheless, he achieved the maximum because he invested all his intelligence, as well as all his physical and mental strength, in his new vocation.

He reinstated church discipline and immediately began to protect the Indians from the injustices they suffered at the hands of the colonisers. He defended and helped the poor and oppressed, regardless of race. During the first seven years, he travelled through the entire diocese, covering more than a million square kilometres, using basic transport methods. The area had no roads suitable for ordinary means of transport. As early as 1583, he convened a provincial council focused on spiritual journeys in South America. There, they compiled a large and small catechism, a directory for confessors,sympathizedcolonizerstraveled and a preaching manual. These were printed in Spanish and two Indian languages.

Turibius also learnt the language of the indigenous people. Rather than representing the kingdom of Philip II, he wanted to represent the kingdom of Christ’s love and peace. Becoming their servant won them over to Christ. He built many new churches, monasteries, schools, and hospitals. In 1591, he established the first seminary on the continent. He insisted that teaching indigenous languages should remain mandatory for priests and monks.

He sought the religious and moral upliftment of the clergy and the faithful through thirteen diocesan synods. He also convened two more provincial councils. He undertook three further pastoral visits, visiting each parish three times. He helped, encouraged, comforted and sometimes admonished. On his final journey through the diocese, he made a great effort to reach the settlement of Sanja, where he died among the indigenous faithful at the age of 68. His remains were buried in Lima.learnedkilometers

Pope Innocent XI declared him blessed in 1679 and Benedict XIII declared him a saint in 1726.

RESOLUTION, PRAYER

I will pray to the Holy Spirit to be willing to accept any task God may ask of me.

Because of these differences, people have split. People discuss many things and sometimes argue passionately. But not everything causes a split. The division into two camps is everywhere where differences of opinion have direct consequences for life. Such a scenario is the case in politics, where government power is at stake; in business, where large sums of money are at stake; and in families, when they argue about inheritance. Unfortunately, there have been and still are major religious disputes. We regret these occurrences. It would be wonderful if we could discuss matters of faith gently and calmly, listen to the concerns and views of others, and maintain epilogvictions. The Second Vatican Council promotes this kind of epilogue dialogue. However, we are aware that difficulties will always arise. True religion plays a deep role in life. There, interests apart from purely religious ones clash, and passions and hatreds are awakened. For dialogue without division to be possible, a spiritual attitude is required on all sides.

Nicodemus: According to our law, can someone be condemned before they have been heard and their actions are understood? When dialogue degenerates into an argument, mutual accusations begin. This is usually unfair because it is one-sided. How should one behave in such a situation? Nicodemus set an example. Although he belonged to the side that stood against Jesus, he demanded a fair and impartial judgment. However, he was rebuked by his own people. In turbulent situations, people demand that you think in terms of party, i.e. according to which side you belong to. Someone once objected: Doesn’t the church demand something similar? The answer is not difficult. We accept the church’s opinion on doctrine, but the church does not officially take a position on individuals. If mistakes have been made in this regard in the past, we regret them today. Therefore, we should feel regret whenever disagreements take us further than is just or Christian.

Some wanted to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him. The easiest way to resolve a conflict seems to be to destroy the adversary: to kill or exclude them from society. Christians have faced this danger throughout history, and even today, they continue to find themselves in conflict. The Gospel of St John mentions several times that the Jews wanted to eliminate Jesus, but this did not happen because his hour had not yet come (John 7:30). Hatred against Christians cannot be explained solely in psychological, political or national terms. It is part of the struggle that evil has waged against God since the beginning of time. God therefore protects his faithful until the moment when the ultimate sacrifice is required of them. Those whom God calls to this mission are also given special strength and grace to accept it with love and gratitude, and with hope in the victory of Christ and their own.dialog

Imagine that you had just bought a delicious Italian ice cream and your bus was coming. What would you do with the ice cream? If I were not in a hurry and knew that my next train was leaving in a few minutes, I would enjoy the ice cream in peace and wait for the next bus. Imagine the same situation. It would be a train, not a bus. The last train that you can take home. You’ll need to wait until the next day for the next one. What would you do with the ice cream? In this case, I would regret it. 

Jesus invites us to his kingdom. He wants to lead us along a narrow path that ends at a narrow gate, beyond which is paradise. Along this path, we must walk and take only as much as we can carry. We must give up many things that are important to us. It would delay us, drain us of our strength, and perhaps we would not reach our destination because of it. Because of my service in the Church, I often move, so I have learned the art of saying goodbye to what is unnecessary while always choosing Jesus.

Jesus went to the Feast of Tabernacles alone. They said: Is he the Messiah? But we know where he is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from. Jesus cried out: You both know me, and you know where I am from. And I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true.

We can look at life from different angles. For example, we can assume that everything that happens in it has its cause. For everything we see around us, for everything that is, was, and will be, there is some rational explanation that we can find if we search long enough. A few years ago, one of his close friends died. He felt bad at the funeral. In all that time, not a single prayer was said there, not a single spiritual song, not a text from the Scriptures, and not a single mention of God. 

The survivors were persuaded to remember the deceased’s life, and at the end, a few of his favorite songs were played. It sounded awkward, almost disrespectful to the deceased, who was a religious man. Many people look at life with eyes clouded by superstition. They view the world as the outcome of opposing forces of good and evil that influence and control us. Let us not only look for rituals that are forced upon us. In this Lenten season, let us find Christ as our Messiah.

Joseph, the shadow of the heavenly Father, is a figure of great significance in the story.

Today, we celebrate a man who played a key role in the history of salvation, even though he remained almost invisible. Saint Joseph. If we were to make a film about him, he would have no dialogue. Holy Scripture has not preserved a single word of his for us. But in that silence lies enormous power, from which we too can draw in 2026.

I want to share with you three key attitudes of Saint Joseph that can change our lives.

1. The courage to accept what I did not plan …

Joseph had dreams of his own. He wanted to be a good husband to Mary and live a peaceful life in Nazareth, working in his workshop. Then came God’s intervention, which turned everything upside down. Mary was pregnant. Joseph did not understand and suffered, but, as the Gospel says, he was “a just man.” We often imagine justice as simply following the rules. However, Joseph’s sense of justice meant being receptive to God. When the angel tells him in a dream, “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife,” Joseph does not analyze the risks. He accepts a reality that he did not choose but believes that God is present in it. How often do we struggle with circumstances brought into our lives by ‘unwanted angels’? Joseph teaches us: Don’t always ask ‘Why?’, ask ‘How can I serve in this situation now?’

2. The power of silent accompaniment …

The Holy Father Francis called Joseph “the shadow of the heavenly Father”. The shadow is not someone who dominates. The shadow does not shout; the shadow follows the person and protects them. Today’s world teaches us: “Show yourself, assert yourself, shout so that you are heard, build your brand.” Saint Joseph says something different: “Make space for others.” Joseph is a model of fatherhood and mentorship. A true father is not the one who owns a child, but the one who prepares him for his own path, even if that path leads completely differently than he imagined. Joseph raised Jesus, taught him the law, and taught him a trade, yet he knew that Jesus did not belong to him but to the Father. This is a huge lesson in humility for each of us who leads someone—whether in the family, at work, or in the parish.

3. Getting up in the middle of the night …

In the Gospel, we read the same sentence several times: “Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and did as the Lord had commanded him.” Joseph is not a theorist. He is a proactive individual. He does not wait for the morning to arrive; he waits for the sun to bring better conditions. He acts as soon as he recognizes God’s will. Brothers and sisters, Saint Joseph reminds us today that faith is not a feeling. Faith is choosing to get up and take the next right step, even in darkness. He is the patron saint of workers, not because he loved toil, but because he saw in work a way to love his family and God. As we leave this church today, let us try to take home a piece of Joseph’s silence. Perhaps we will talk less about our plans and listen more to what God is asking of us at this moment.

May Saint Joseph, guardian of the Holy Family and protector of the Church, teach us fidelity in small things, for it is from small fidelity that great holiness is built. 

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem and doctor of ecclesiastical law.

CURRICULUM VITAE

He spent his youth in solitude, practicing virtues and studying. After his ordination as a priest, he was entrusted with the teaching of catechumens. In 348, he succeeded Maximus, bishop of Jerusalem. In times of need, he helped the poor people in every way possible. He was drawn into a dispute with the Arians and was exiled several times, where he spent about 11 years. The catechesis he conducted, in which he explained the teachings of the faith, the Holy Scriptures, and tradition to the faithful, serves as evidence of his pastoral zeal. In his writings, he discusses the first three sacraments in particular in detail.

CV FOR MEDITATION

CATECHESIS OF DAILY LIFE

He was born around 314. In his youth, he developed an interest in monastic life, the study of the Bible, and early Christian writers. At about 20 years of age, he became a deacon, and 10 years later, in 344, a priest. At that time, the teachings of Arius, denying the Divinity of Christ, had already been condemned (at the Council of 325), but theological struggles were still taking place in the Middle East. Some theological expressions were not entirely clear, and at times a compromise formulation was sought to reduce tension. Cyril of Jerusalem was also interested in reducing tension. He perhaps participated in the effort to achieve a conciliatory stance, but as far as doctrine was concerned, he always firmly professed the Divinity of Christ.

In about 348 or the following year, after the death of the Jerusalem bishop Maximus, he took his place. In the episcopal see of Jerusalem, he was a very zealous spiritual shepherd. This did not please the metropolitan of Caesarea, Acacius, who unjustifiably accused him of doctrinal deviations and then of selling church property. Cyril of Jerusalem, in a time of dire need, sold expensive church utensils to alleviate the misery of the poor people. Acacius achieved that Cyril was twice expelled from Jerusalem, in the years 357 and 360. He spent most of his exile in Tarsus in Asia Minor, where he worked successfully.

He returned from exile in 361, worked in Jerusalem for six years, and then had to go into exile for a third time. He remained there until the death of the Arian emperor Valens in 378. Exile did not diminish his love, which he radiated. He blessed, taught, and helped the poor, the sick, and the abandoned. For the last eight years of his life, he administered his bishopric undisturbed. In 381, however, he participated in the Church Council in Constantinople. Among other things, the council investigated and declared the slanders against Cyril unfounded. For instance, he was accused of duplicity and of avoiding expressions that were the subject of theological disputes and caused confusion in matters of faith. Ultimately, it emerged that he was a staunch advocate of orthodox doctrine.
Cyril’s importance lies in his catechetical elaboration of Christian teachings. Twenty-four of his written catecheses have survived, nineteen of which were intended for catechumens. He explained, in particular, the sacraments of penance and baptism, and further discussed the profession of faith. The last five catechisms for the newly baptised covered confirmation and the Eucharist. In his writing, he relied on Holy Scripture and apostolic tradition. His teachings focused on everyday life. He practiced what he preached.

Perhaps that is why Pope Leo XIII declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1883.

RESOLUTION, PRAYER

To successfully spread the Gospel with love, I must bring this good news into my daily life. And practically give a joyful witness of life through the sacrament. In my meditation, I will focus on why I have not been doing this and what I need to change.

O God, who filled the holy Bishop Cyril with the spirit of wisdom and knowledge so that he might lead your Church to a deeper understanding of the mystery of salvation, grant, through his intercession, that we may ever better know your Son and live more fully in union with you. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.