Sunday of Lent* March 26,2023*Death, Life, and Greater CompassionSunday of Lent*

Ms. Patis Mungcal, Program Assistant , Faith Witness and Service, NCCP

https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/jesus-raises-lazarus-from-the-dead-gm1156403550-315146301?phrase=lazarus%20tomb

Ez 37:12-14

Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

Rom 8:8-11

John 11:1-45

Death, brokenness and lament are overwhelming themes that surround the 5^th Sunday of Lent. And these are part of the growing crescendo of spiritual disorder as we approach Easter, coming from themes of thirst and blindness. But, spoiler alert, there’s an invisible string that ties the different stories of death, brokenness and lament across our scripture. That invisible string is the promise of life and resurrection.

Brokenness, death and lament were emotionally exemplified in today’s Gospel through the story of Lazarus. The dramatic scene starts with brokenness quite literally as the Gospel of John enters with its first sentence, “Now a man named Lazarus was sick.” Jesus delayed his response for two days, but then decided to go back to Judea. His apostles tried to stop him for his safety, with Thomas even bravely and bluntly saying, “go and die with him” – dramatic start, right? Even with the threat to Jesus’ safety, he went back and sought the family in distraught.

The story continues with important encounters and confrontations with Jesus and the two sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Both of them, blaming Jesus for their brother’s death believing that Jesus didn’t respond to their plea on time.  But there were two striking declarations made in this gospel. First, Jesus says: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.” And Martha’s profession of faith: ” Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

The drama heightens as Jesus begins to weep for Lazarus! He approached the tomb, and ordered the stones to be removed. He thanked God, and called for Lazarus to come out. Lazarus was untied from his binds, and set free. For those who have been there, it must have been a sight to behold!

From my perspective and reflection, this gospel illustrated very clearly the pain and suffering in loss, and I am awestruck with the strong sense of community in this gospel, especially amid death and mourning. From the very start, Mary and Martha was there for their brother when his condition was deteriorating. They advocated for him. Even if they know the risk on Jesus’ life, they were still determined. Second was how Jesus responded. He knew the threat to security that he had to face. He knew that he would be risking his life to go to Lazarus, and he was determined to take that risk still. And there was a strong sense of community in mourning Lazarus’ death. Jesus joined that communal mourning and wept with them. It is actually remarkable how the shortest verse in the Bible could reveal so much Jesus’ compassion and sense of community. Jesus wept!

For me, this is the perfect illustration of compassion. Compassion literally means “to suffer together” or have a “shared suffering”. In this moment, Jesus was not just in solidarity with those who are mourning, but he really joined them in their anguish.

Our journey through Lent is a call for greater compassion. We are being invited to weep with all the troubles and despair of our community. We are being shown how to respond to them, and advocate for our siblings who are deteriorating physically and spiritually. This call for greater compassion arrives at the perfect time for us when week after week, there’s a crisis that arises. There have been a series of crises on food and basic needs – such as with sugar, rice, onions, even oil and transportation. People are bleeding themselves dry, trying to make ends meet in today’s economy. And as if it isn’t enough, we are being threatened from all sides with the impending revision of our 1987 Constitution, that would allow greater powers to the corrupt and greater foreign ownership to our land. There’s also a growing threat to our security: in our waters in the West Philippine Sea and in our land through the threat of more US military bases. Right before our eyes, our soil is being sold away. We are slowly becoming a people in exile, in our very own land. We are in a “Valley of Dry Bones” as prophet Ezekiel has put it.

In this season of anguish and despair, we are being called be like the women of faith, Mary and Martha, who advocated for their brother. Let us also advocate for our siblings. Just like Christ, let us weep with them and feel their suffering. Let their suffering, be our suffering as well.

Thankfully, in the Valley of Dry Bones, Ezekiel has shared with us a prophecy, a promise to hold on to: There will be redemption. A life-giving breath will be breathed into our land. We shall reclaim the land that is ours. We shall, too, be called to rise from the dead. But for now, the call is clear. There is a call for greater compassion. There is a call for a greater community. So, let us strengthen our ranks as church people, and immerse ourselves in the plight of our communities. This shall be our response today. Let us build a greater community who will share each other’s struggles and who will advocate for each other’s welfare. In this Valley of Dry Bones and season of mourning, let us respond to the call for greater compassion and be steadfast.

Struggle through because the hope of Easter, the hope of our victory, is in the horizon. Praise God!

Fourth Sunday of Lent*March 19, 2023* Seeing With New Eyes And A New Heart

Ms.Weena Salvador Meily, AWIT

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/1-jesus-heals-the-blind-man-ann-lukesh.html

1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a

Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

Eph 5:8-14

Jn 9:1-41

POETRY-REFLECTIONS  FOR TODAY’S READINGS

Weaving  my random thoughts into one

Tapestry,

as my heart seeks new ways of sketching life,

and my mind, boggled as it is,

and my soul, messy as it may seem…

I am now

growing older, getting wiser, gravitating towards more changes

lifting burdens no more, for my bones ache and my knees shake,

leading life to a more loving encounter.

And yet, my body dances in the wake of words, wonderfully wrote,

In the music of tides rushing in, as the moon pulls its weight in all of

ocean water lapping…

I hear a beating, a drumming of sounds of the Good News,

the feet of the Son Of God in the midst of a crowd,

In solitude and yet,

In communion with all and the One-With-No-Name;

The Healer approaches the One-Needing-Healing,

the One-Needing-Sight,

for more than sight, vision,

an Epiphany of sorts; a revelation of the Healer

to the One-Who-Wakens to a life renewed.

This is who we are, the One-Needing-Vision

A blurring of sight

The passing of dark night

The soul in murky waters

Deep into the muddy bed.

This is who we are, the One-Needing-Healing

from spiritual blindness of indifference,

ingratitude,

apathy…

To seek fresh new vision for

my elders,

the helpless creatures,

the homeless, the street people,

care and compassion for my surroundings.

Oh Lord, That I May See!

To seek fresh new vision to

feed the hungry,

quench the thirsty,

clothe the naked,

free those unjustly incarcerated

human rights defenders,

comfort the sick,

mourn with the grieving victims

of senseless killings.

Oh Lord That I may See!

To seek fresh new vision and

work for justice for many in poverty

and farmers’ fight for agrarian reform

for the LGBTQ community,

victims of VAWC

and many suffering PLHIV

Oh Lord That I may See!

To seek fresh new vision about

troubling issues of the day

the horrors of war and human-made disasters

terrifying natural calamities

the dangers and irreversibility of climate change…

Oh Lord, That I May See!

To seek fresh new vision when

blinded from the truth

faced with falsehoods and

confronted with disinformation.

Oh Lord, That I May See!

1.                            A Woman’s Other Way of Seeing Psalm 23

by:  Weena Salvador Meily

My Beloved is my Partner

I have everything I need.

We rest together after laundry work and ironing, after cooking, after chores of all sorts,

when we are exhausted, SHe rests with me,

gives me the gifts of stillness, silence and solitude,

provides a space for me to restore and

re-create my tired body and wearied soul.

SHe is my guide, so that I may discern my Pilgrim Path

and remain faithful to this.

  I may be overcome with deep challenges,

Illness sometimes overpowers me,

But I will not fear.

I may be living alone, a spiritual solitary, wandering this Pilgrim Way,

But I WILL NOT FEAR.

For I Trust my inner Self as you, my Beloved accompany me.

In times of grief and loss

I turn to you for comfort.

You, my Beloved, prepare a feast for me in the presence

Of those who mock me and make fun of me because of

My love for you.

You claim me as yours,

for

Your love for me is Forever!

Oh my Beloved my Life, in my

Aloneness,

You empower and embolden me

To reinvent my life and keep my Womanwisdom

For the good of Creation.

My Beloved’s goodness and kindness follow me

all of my life,

And because I am homeless and old, cold and aching in my bones,

my Beloved

is my home, my hearth, my warmth, my dwelling, my refuge…

And for my Beloved I shall live single-heartedly

Forever and ever!

March 12, 2023*Third Sunday of Lent* Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Sr. Maureen Catabian, RGS

https://seattlemennonite.org/a-jewish-man-samaritan-woman-walk-into-a-bar/

First Reading – Ex 17:3-7

Responsorial Psalm 95

Second Reading – Romans 5:1-2, 5-8

Gospel – John 4: 5-42      

A journey of the people of God.  They thirst for water. “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt?” They quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” In the book of Exodus 17:3-7 Moses is being threatened. A prophet chosen by God to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt- i.e. from slavery to freedom. Moses is being questioned.  In the desert there is no supply of water. Moses cried to the Lord. The Lord directed him to strike the rock in Horeb with the same staff with which he struck the river. And so he struck the rock and the water flowed from it for the people to drink. God heeded the question of His people. He heard their cry through Moses. God never abandoned his people Israel. God quenched their thirst for freedom and salvation.

Psalm 95 proclaims the supremacy of God and the great joy experienced because of our God who is King. The Great King over all other gods. They witness to this great joy by summoning us to acclaim, celebrate and worship God with our songs, dances and bowing down in deep reverence.  “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” This is a “warning about infidelity to Yahweh drawn from the wandering tradition”. “It is God who tested the people of Israel.”

Romans 5 : 1-2,5-8  attests to the hope and peace we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins. God’s love for us is proven in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Our hope springs from the love of God that has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

The Gospel of John 4: 5-42   proclaims the liberating encounter of the Samaritan woman with Jesus who asked her to “give me a drink”. Their conversation at the well of Jacob (a place of courtship) opened the mind and heart of the Samaritan woman whose past is considered sinful having five husbands. Jesus asserts he is the “gift of God” and source of “living water”.  Jesus continued: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman asked Jesus for this water.  Jesus then reveals his true identity to the woman that He is the Messiah, the Christ.  The Samaritan woman became the first missionary to the town of Samaria. It is an evangelization of breaking social and cultural barriers, where “worship of God will not be tied to a holy place” but where “the true standard of worship is belief in Jesus”. It is an evangelization towards “fullness of life in the Spirit and truth”. Many more Samaritans believed because of Jesus’ word and presence. They knew that Jesus is truly the Saviour of the world.

Looking back, my first foreign mission in West Africa (Senegal and Burkina Faso) since 2016 has been a deep experience of personal, cultural and social conversion. As an Asian missionary to one of the poorest countries in the world I have been evangelized myself when I discovered an-other face of God in Africa. Located in the Sahara region, Burkina Faso is rich in mineral resources. However, sources of water are scarce.  It is a dry, flat and land locked country.  No rivers. No mountains. A country of 20 million people where majority are Muslim but at least 15 percent are Christians.

The first time that I set foot in this part of the earth, I uttered to myself: “This is a God-forsaken place”. Poverty abounds. Food is scarce. It is scorchingly hot and dry. Rain comes only in the latter part of the year. Illiteracy is high. Violence in the Northern part- is an everyday reality.  During my first year in mission, as I encountered their culture which is different – my personal biases and prejudices against them were even highlighted. As I got immersed daily in their culture, I discovered the hidden beauty of their unique culture, history and rich faith-life. Currently, there is a pervading economic and political instability due to poverty, exploitation by foreign corporations, ethnic conflicts, internal migration, violence and terrorism. Despite all these, God is very much alive in the simple faith of the people. It is their Christian/Muslim faith which serves as their lifeblood – source of courage, hope and determination while confronting their struggles as a people and as a nation. I murmured in my heart “God is here in Burkina Faso”. 

I witnessed their daily worship and Eucharistic celebrations which are so euphoric and dynamic! People literally wear their faith as they donned loincloths and clothes printed with images of Jesus, Mary and the saints especially during feasts, ordinations, jubilees, especially Christmas and Easter celebrations. They sing and dance in jubilation! During feasts of the Muslim Community, the Christians celebrate together with them by praying and sharing meals together in their homes and villages.

Last year, 2022 I witnessed two military coups in the capital of Ouagadougou. It took place one after the other in the months of January and September. The frustration of the people with the government in their failure to curb terrorism and violence culminated in the toppling of the re-elected President.  Burkina Faso is a   young country where the majority are the youth. They have expressed their collective disgust on how their country is being run by traditional politicians. Two military coups were launched with the support of the youth where the current transition President is a 36–year old Military Captain – and is considered the youngest President in the world. The religious leaders and elders from the Muslim, Catholic and Protestant faith communities have expressed unwavering support to the present leadership. Their urgent call is to work together for peace and stability in the country.

Their hope for change is real. Their need for social transformation is urgent.

My experience of living in another part of the world in West Africa has confirmed my belief that the Philippines is not a poor country. We are a country made poor by the rich who continue to amass great wealth for themselves and their families. I returned to the Philippines after 7 years of mission abroad.  The Duterte-regime with his bloody war on drugs and subservience to foreign capitalists has bled the country dry.  We continue to be impoverished due to economic and development policies that favour only the rich “trapos” in serving foreign interests. To make things worse, Marcos Jr. is installed as the sitting president after a questionable and unresolved fraudaulent 2022 national elections.

In 7 months of the Marcos Jr. administration, the life of the struggling poor especially farmers and workers continue to deteriorate as they suffer the impact of government projects and investments that benefit only foreign interests and  “trapos”/ local politicians.  The sadder part of our present reality is that many Filipinos suffer from a culture of “great disconnect”. It is the inability to see the connection between the deteriorating economic and political situation of the country and the accountability and culpability of the present government. Implementing economic policies and development strategies which continue to favour the rich as well as foreign capitalists. A culture of insensitivity “Huwag nang makialam” and indifference “Puro kayo reklamo” is growing among the young people as well as the old.

Jesus answers the Samaritan woman “The water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty. . .” We need to encounter Jesus at the well.We need to encounter Jesus in the margins. We need to establish a government that serves its own people. We need leaders who listen and respond to the cries of the poor and the marginalized. We need to meet people in isolated wells. We need to establish communion among the poor and the hungry. We need to ensure a deep connection between true faith and action. We need to nurture a life- giving spirituality based on truth, justice, and accountability.

The encounter of the Samaritan woman with Jesus led her to discover the true Spirit which emboldened her to proclaim the “fullness of life” for all!   The Samaritan woman loved and saw the face of God. In each one of us lives the “Samaritan woman” who encounters Jesus daily while living in the margins, who discovers and loves an- other face of God!                            

Sunday of Lent*March 5,2023 * Do Not Be Afraid

Sr. Pat Fox, NDS

Gn 12:1-4a

Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22.

2 Tm 1:8b-10

Mt 17:1-9

“God loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord” (Ps.33:5).  These words from today’s Psalm reminding us that God is with us in history, drew me to a book review I read recently on the Book “Pananglagip:  The North Remembers”.  In the review written by Prof. Aurelio Agcaoilli, she says the stories and poems in the book are a “movement of activists whose resolve to do things right for our people was, and continues to be, our redeeming grace”.  And that through the readings “we shall connect with all our ancestors, who since colonial times had been fighting for our freedom”.  

The readings of today are very much about connecting with our ancestors in faith and call us to live the “justice and righteousness” they were called to.   In the first reading this call comes to Abram, asking him to leave “country, kindred and father’s household” for a land God will show him (Gen: 12:1-4a). Not a young man at 75, according to the story, Abram trusts God and God’s promise to make him a great nation through whom all the families of the earth will be blessed. Abram’s openness to God is in contrast to the former chapter where growing evil and violence culminates with the people building their own tower of babel, relying on their own powers, to make themselves famous.  God’s election of Abram shows that God will not abandon us but continues to call people in faith to love justice and peace.

The Gospel reading (Mt 17:1-9) is full of imagery of ancestors and stories from the Hebrew Scriptures.  Reading the account of the Transfiguration, we recall Moses covered with the cloud on Mt Sinai when given the stone tablets of the commandments and God speaking to him from the cloud.  We have Elijah who is to return before the Messiah appears.  The face and garments of Jesus which shone and were white recalls the prophecy of Daniel where he sees the “son of man” who will establish a kingdom which will not be corrupted (Dan 7).

That this Kingdom is not yet is obvious in the call of Abram to journey to leave all familiar supports, the oppressive situation in the time of Daniel, as well as the allusion to the Servant song in Isa 42:1ff, where God is “well pleased” with the servant who  will not rest until establishing justice on earth.  Just like Moses who went down the mountain to the people, Jesus tells his disciples, they also cannot stay on the mountain but must go down and continue God’s work of bringing justice and righteousness for all of creation.  Jesus warns them that staying faithful to God’s call will not be easy, preempting his death and resurrection, but he also tells them “not to be afraid”.

Paul repeats this encouragement in the reading from 2 Tim 1:8-10.  Paul begins this chapter recalling his forefathers, as also the faith of Timothy’s mother and grandmother. He reminds that “God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power and love (v7). Speaking from prison himself, Paul asks Timothy not to be ashamed to live the Gospel, but to join in his suffering for the gospel, to follow God’s call which” is not according to our works”, as shown by our ancestors, but according God’s “purpose and grace” given in Christ; a Christ who was tortured and killed in solidarity with all those who suffer for  the gospel, sure in the realization that this is where we find life.

Today as we see capitalism resulting in massive social injustice with the gap between rich and poor growing, and rampant ecological destruction, those who would seek justice and peace, making reasonable demands to improve their human condition and the rights of the earth, are harassed, imprisoned or killed. Government response has included an increase of red-tagging, even of  of church people among others, who dare to live out the gospel message. Yet our readings tell us both to expect this but know that we have been given the Spirit of wisdom and courage; that the God of History is with us, and that God’s kingdom will come. We are called to be brave, to step out of the known, to stand with the poor and oppressed, to call for justice.  As Bishop Alminnaza said recently “I cannot be silent amid violence and injustice”.  We recall our ancestors in faith and as Paul and Prof Agcaoilli remind us, we have so many men and women ancestors who have courageously shown us the way. Recently we remembered EDSA 1 where people came together ready to fight for truth, justice, freedom and peace. Today’s readings challenge us to keep alive this dream of a better future for all, knowing we are in the faithful tradition of our ancestors and confident that God will never abandon us. And so, we pray Psalm 33 which ends “Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you” (v22).

Photo from: https://timecapsule.culturalcenter.gov.ph/features/REKJtJjULVxt2