The WORD in LENT - Fifth week, Saturday
April 1, 2023: Ezekiel 37: 21-28; John 11: 45-56
The Word today offers us a clue to understand the central mission of the Son of God. As God announces it so explicitly through the prophets, what God wishes is to gather into one all the dispersed children of God, dispersed geographically, spiritually, economically, politically and in every other way. Jesus is the son of David, promised in all eternity to gather not merely the two nations (Judah and Israel), but all dispersed children of God into one.
The call is ours too: to be agents of unity and harmony, uniting people in love and building a humanity that is joyful. If we are against such unity, even if merely in thought or merely in single instances, we are not in line with the mission of the Saviour. He would say, 'if you don't gather with me, you scatter!' (cf. Lk 11:23; Mt 12:30).
The simplest and the plainest definition of peace is co-existence. Though that is not the ideal of all ideals proposed by peace, it is something fundamental to peace - to live together, to gather all in one, to have the possibility of co-existing. Each of us, in every way we can, is called to do all that one can towards bringing true peace, harmony and love, wherever we are. Lent is a time when I can have a look at myself and judge how disposed I am towards bringing this peace and harmony - in terms of faith, it is communion.
Where I am, in what I do, in my thoughts and in my choices, beginning from the immediate context of my family and community, do I really act as an agent of communion? Or am I dividing people, segregating people, antagonising persons, and destroying peace? That is the ultimate question that this Peace-Lent leaves us with to reflect on as we enter into the Holy Week tomorrow, because peace is communion.
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