Saturday, April 12, 2025
A Return to hope... to Universal Solidarity
THE WORD IN LENT - Saturday, Fifth week in Lent
April 12, 2025 - Ezekiel 37: 21-28; John 11: 45-56
We have readched the end of the lenten journey. Today is the last day, as tomorrow we begin the Holy Week already. We have been on a journey, a journey of return to hope and today the Word summarises the entire journey in terms of its ultimate purpose - the same purpose as for which Jesus came among us, lived among us and gave his life for us!
The entire purpose of this journey is - move towards the universal solidarity. The experience of salvation that Jesus brought us was this, at gradual levels we move towards this solidarity. At the personal level we move towards becoming children of the One Father, sheep of the one Shepherd. At interpersonal level, that we recognise each other as brothers and sisters who have the same, One Father, and belong to the same flock of that One Shepherd. As communities, that we begin to realise our unity as a flock, not to divide ourselves from the others, but to extend that sense of relatedness across differences, towards that universal solidarity.
Today with all the situations of war and violence, threats and competitions, mutual demands of tariffs and attempts of exploitation, what can resolve tensions is the sense of solidarity. In Fratelly tutti, Pope Francis underlining the way to hope in today's context makes a simple but a challenging statement: "no one is saved alone" (n. 54), bringing out the intrinsic rapport between hope and solidarity. Jesus is presented as one who, with his death, once again brought to real the Oneness that God wishes from God's children - to gather us into one.
If we really are convinced of being on our pilgrimage of hope, we shall become day after day, apostles of solidarity, bringing God's people more and more together - in mind, spirit and action.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)