Jimarie Snap Talingdan Mabanta , National Council of Churches in the Philippines
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Hebrews 5:5-10
Psalam 51:1-12
John 12:20-33
By this time, we, Christians are in meditation as we enter the last week before the Palm Sunday. It is the fifth Sunday of Lent and we begin to anticipate Jesus’ passion and death, before finally, getting to the promise of resurrection. In some traditions, it is called ‘Passion Sunday’ as it marks the final two weeks which ends on Holy Saturday. 8
My younger self would remind me how, as a small kid, would imagine Jesus enduring his long arduous walk under the heat in broad day light, his body being whipped many times over until blood drops to the ground. While enduring this, a huge heavy cross is on his shoulders. I would cry. Why not, my savior would die soon, as the Passion story narrates. And his death is not just death, it was a painful death, making a climax at the Mount Calvary. To ease myself, I would turn my attention to what would happen after that Saturday, the resurrection on the morning of Sunday. And I would start feeling better, knowing that there is the promise of Jesus coming back to life after that painful Friday.
What happened in between the passion story and the resurrection is something that I had to continue to understand until now.
This Sunday’s gospel narrates about Jesus seemingly predicting his death. I wonder if he felt the threat in his life, for gaining followers and believers while he was preaching and talking to people (John 12:1-19). Many followed him, as illustrated by those who went out to meet him during the Passover feast. Jesus was clearly getting the ire of the powers that be, whose governance was threatened.
Hence, the passage for this Sunday marks the countdown of Jesus’ days on Earth…
Coincidentally, March 17 is also NCCP Migrant Sunday, an occasion annually observed by NCCP member churches after it was designated in 1995. I could not help myself then but to also think about the migrant workers who had to go through almost the same experience, of daily passion and walk to their own mount calvary.
The death of Flor Contemplacion in March 17, 1995, awakened the hearts and consciousness of many Filipino people on the plight of overseas Filipino workers. This is not to discount the possible chance of occurrence of the same stories of other migrant workers before her death, but this incident obviously galvanized massive public sympathy, support, and action. For the NCCP, a more intentional, sustained, and lasting program to respond to distressed migrants and their families had to be done. This Migrant Sunday is one concrete example of pastoral accompaniment that had to be done after Flor’s death. The NCCP designated the Sunday closest to the date of her death as NCCP Migrant Sunday. Other several concrete programs were drawn as an ecumenical response to the concerns of migrant workers. A change happened at the core of many individuals and organizations.
We, of course, cannot forget how Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina migrant worker, fell into the deceptive promise of job abroad, trafficked, and jailed in Yogjakarta, Indonesia. We knew about her as the Filipina who was sentenced to be executed in Jakarta for bringing a significant amount of drugs in her suitcase. Later on, her story unfolded and we learned about how she was lured by her neighbor to work abroad but had become a trafficked victim. Her story came to our knowledge in the middle of the Holy Week. Our first challenge then was how to mobilize churches and church people on a Holy Week for urgent advocacy activities to save her life, and convince people in the Philippines and Indonesia that she is a victim. Migrante International led prayer vigils, candle-lighting activities, an online and offline signature campaign that gathered an enormous number of signatories all over the world, and lobbying to reach out to the public. But even then, days later, the Indonesian government announced the date of execution which will be happening in seventy-two (72) hours.
Seventy-two hours.
Mary Jane was practically counting the days of her life. Back in the Philippines, public activities have become more frequent, and have grown bigger and bigger. Mary Jane’s family flew to Indonesia, while people continue to be drawn into a community of advocates who would convince the Indonesia government to spare Mary Jane, and that she is a victim.
That seventy two hours prior to execution was, to me , spirit-led and transformative. I felt like there was this kind of spirit that was drawing people to gather. In those final hours, as the date of execution was coming near, people continue to converge infront of the Indonesia embassy in Makati, night and day. The call to save Mary Jane Veloso was becoming intense. It was the third day but people did not let up, and not giving up. We were all hoping for a last-minute reprieve. While in Indonesia, the execution of Mary Jane and other men sentence of drug trafficking was being prepared. On the dawn of the execution, caskets for each of them started to arrive in the execution island. Families of the detainees, including Mary Jane’s, made their last visit to their kin. As they travel away from the island, gunshots started to be heard. The execution by firing squad started. The gathered group back in Manila continue their cry, not giving up the hope. And as if the cries was heard, the Chairperson of Migrante International then came up the makeshift stage to make the announcement, Mary Jane Veloso was spared from the execution. And we know how the advocacy works to save her life happened next, until today.
Flor and Mary Jane, to me, have experienced the same passion story as Jesus Christ. They have also walked to the mount of calvary for going through painful experience, and facing imminent death. For Mary Jane, she was saved at the last minute, but she also went through the turmoil of anticipating for her death, as her days were also numbered.
In the text, when Jesus was approached by his disciples, he uttered as a response, “unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit”.
When the seed falls on the ground, it does not die, it actually give life. It multiplies.
Jesus, when he died, many of the disciples and the people questioned the ruthless ruling empire. Many hearts were evoked after his death. In the same way, when Flor died, it bore many lives – through actions so that others will live. Mary Jane, while courageously facing her case, brought out a lot of emotions and gathered thousands of people from around the world. Jesus, when he died, transformation happened. On the same breath, when Flor died, and when Mary Jane was about to be executed, transformation happened. All of them were able to draw people, be a gathered community in order for a transformation to happen.
The earlier reading gives a promise, a hope, as it speaks about a ‘new covenant’. Jeremiah was not only talking about an old being replaced by a new era, but one that is fundamentally different, established after a transformation happens. The text was intimately ended by a painted picture of a new city being born, where the next generation is drawn in a loving families, and everybody knows God.
The promise of resurrection, of transformation is possible. A grain of wheat has to fall to the ground and breathe new life. As the Holy Week comes nearer, may we be reminded how Jesus’ death planted more seeds on each of his disciples to continue his ministry on earth- of healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and even confronting systems that perpetuate oppression of the people. A new life sprung from his death. However, in other previous stories (Mary Jane’s), a new and better community where love, care and compassion can prevail even without losing one more seed, if we take actions earnestly. But if it does, history also teaches us, that it will multiply, grow in life, and bears fruit – as it bears more individuals gathering so that life in its fullness is established.
The seed has to fall, touch the ground, in order to bear fruit, and not remain a lone seed.
Photo : https://twitter.com/WomenandGirlsN/status/1102173020569956352
BalikTanaw Sunday Gospel Reflection 