Reflections

I begin by telling a story.

Elie Wiesel in Night describes a scene at Auschwitz, when a boy was hanged with two adults. As the elders died, the boy was still alive for a long time. Someone asked: “Where is God now?” An answer shot back: “Here He is; He is hanging on these gallows.”

The presence of God in the world is revealed no less by the brilliance of a mind than by the presence of man crucified. We of the Cottolengo family are very lucky. We see Christ present everywhere, everyday. We have been taught by our founder: “The poor are Jesus, to serve them we must be on our knees”. St Vincent de Paul, the man behind the inspiration to cottolengo’s foundation taught: “You have to honour Jesus present in the person of the poor who are His members.”

Now, we ask ourselves, “Why did these saints of Charity take so strongly the Words of Jesus in the Last Judgment Account of Matthew?”

Let us read this passage together [Isaiah 61:1-3]:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favour from the Lord and a day of Vindication by our God, to comfort all who mourn. To place on those who mourn in Zion a diadem instead of ashes, to give the oil of gladness in place of mourning. A glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit. They will be called oaks of justice, planted by the Lord to show his glory.”

The Spirit of the Lord rests upon those whom God destines to become instruments of his salvation. This spirit, for us Caritas Christi [2 Cor 5:14], inspires the followers to bring consolation and hope to the poor. For Isaiah they were the exiles. For us today, they are the poor. The message we pass through our words and especially through our actions [attitudes, sentiments, deeds of love] are a sign of God’s concern for those whom society rejects.

I love what Jesus says when he read this passage in the synagogue: “This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening” [Lk 4:18-21]. The listeners are enraged but they should have rejoiced! What contrast! This will always happen if we are poor listeners. People who listen with the intention of hearing a particular thing, people who listen while preparing an answer/response. Yeah, people who think that they already know.

Two principles of Com-passion

 I have seen two principles of compassion—com [with, together], passion [patio, suffering], with Christ.

            Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta helps us see this: “I have the impression that the passion of Christ is being relived everywhere. Are we willing to share in this passion? Are we willing to share people’s sufferings, not only in poor countries but all over the world?

            It seems to me that this great poverty of suffering in the west is much harder to solve. When I pick up some starving person off the street and offer him a bowl of rice or a piece of bread, I can satisfy his hunger. But a person that has been beaten or feels unwanted or unloved or fearful or rejected by society—that person experiences a kind of poverty that is much more painful and deep. Its cure is much more difficult to find. […] they share in the passion of Christ”.

This way of sharing in the passion of Christ is exactly what Veronica did.

Deep compassion portrayed by Veronica obscures consequences of one’s actions. We have seen it in our society. In Kenya during the post-election skirmished of 2008, a policeman placed down his guns and teargas and confronted the angry mob [mainly youths] and managed to calm them down. Somehow, his courage was not necessary here. He was appealing for sanity but he was insane to do so! The mob would have lynched him. He deserved the spear of highest honour.

The name Veronica means “true Image”. So what was the true image here? [1] The true image of God—he does not fear consequences. He actually imprints it on the cloth, for perpetual memory. [2] The true image of man, but especially the follower of Christ. Like the master, there is nothing to make us shy away from the cross.

So, what is the first principle: “Participating in the Cross of others.”

The second principle is surely obvious now.

St. Paul helps us [1 Cor 5:14]: Caritas Christi Urget Nos!” This is the motto of the Little House. Caritas Christi, is [a] First of all an expression of interior/inner motion, a motion which was imperative, a command to act. This movement is therefore the reason why Cottolengo identifies the Little House as the work of God. The spirit of God urges us in love. So, if we do all our duties moved by this love, we are doing it with Christ. We are carrying our crosses with him and for him.

 [b] Caritas Christi is the love that Christ has for us. Seeing the life, teachings, passion and resurrection, we do not see just a flow of unfortunate and fortunate events. No, they are all a continuum of love.

[c] Caritas Christi is also the love that Christ has poured into our hearts [Rom 5:5], love that lives on in us. This love now, through us goes/flows on towards others. Every single gesture of love is elevated to this level, the level of God. How? By the very fact that we cannot withhold love. It overflows all the confines.

[d] Caritas Christi is also the root and soul of new things, a new way of life that is born and flourishes where the love of Christ is found. Here is precisely how God ushers in the era of his Kingdom. His kingdom is a reign of love, above all else.

Now, we can tell what is the second principle: “The carrying of one’s own cross because we live the experience of being loved.” Let me add a note here: there is no clear distinction for these two principles. Carrying your own cross means helping others carry their own cross, and letting others help you carry your own. Why that? Because we are members of Christ! [Col 3:12-17]. Let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.

I begun with a story. Those old men, those who questioned the presence of God found it not among the tranquil but in the poor boy, hanging to death. And there they pronounced it. Isn’t that the way of talking to the suffering? Shouldn’t we tell them now and then that we see in the God, yes, Jesus on the way to Calvary? I think our way of consoling is basically this. Our way of relieving people their hopelessness, anger, and resentment must be God-based.

We are Veronicas and Josephs if we take up our tasks not as an atheist would do but precisely as Christ himself would do. He would take up the cross daily and go to Calvary. Let’s do it on his behalf every day, but especially in this period of Lent.